章 19: Chapter 19

Descent began gradually, as it should. Dryath had always hated this part of space flight. He didn’t mind flying so much—it didn’t feel all that different from walking on solid ground, assuming everything was working as it should. Takeoff could be a little fraught, but the landing—that was the hard part. Genthry handled the craft like a professional, though, and at first the ride was the smoothest he’d been on.

Genthry cleared his throat. “You’re going to feel a little warm in a moment. I’ve had to divert some power from the shields to help bring us in safely, which means we’re going to notice the heat of re-entry. It won’t be enough to blow the ship up, but it will probably be a little uncomfortable. I want you to be aware, so you know what’s happening.” His voice was smooth and even, exactly what someone coming in for a hard landing would need.