ery

sed, a blue tongue of f

tinum ring-the Luna's Ring, a symbol of e

e," I w

d up th

molten sludge. The meteorite sha

It cooled into a deformed, ugly

alked into th

the box o

Dante's Inferno. Th

om. The brai

with blue runes

ands on the c

me, W

," I told

would trigger alarms. Inst

e the so

he territory, init

ng. Privacy shields fail first. Then alarms. Then th

til my knees shook. The runes flashe

bomb wa

door slamm

boomed. "Server's down! Fi

i

ere fine. He just wanted me close

d in the hall, looking agitat

s. "You're the only one I trust with th

ht you drag along the bo

rk on it

ad. Dry lips. "I have to go back

ka

o the office. He

n," I whispered as the doo

m and packed a duffe

note

umans do

t hear a heartbeat f

: Huma

Fourth of July.

tt