Descending Road - DARKNESS COVERED IT ALL by Dana W. Paxson

DARKNESS COVERED IT ALL

1563 4D

Andrew walked up toward his farmhouse, and little Jan came running out to meet him. “Daddy!” He snatched her up in his arms and started to cry, hugging her so tight she squeaked. He couldn’t let go, walking onward, until he came to his front door where Leil waited for him. She opened the door. He tenderly set Jan down. His little girl wrinkled one eye shut and scratched her cheek. Andrew gathered his wife in his arms. Oh, lords and angels, I hope this is real.

“You’re home,” Leil said. She seized him and kissed him fiercely, and he knotted himself around her, wanting to engulf her and get lost in her warmth.

He lurched awake. The train had stopped, then started again. Tears streamed down his face. A hand touched his shoulder. Ezzar. “Was it her?” she asked, looking in his eyes. He nodded slowly. It had been so real. Daylight burst into the back of the cab from a side window.

“We’re at the Breach,” the engineer called back. “It’s the last of the surface you’ll see until you leave the City again.” Grendel scrambled to his feet and stared out the front window of the engine cab, leaning next to the engineer. The big andro‘s hands shook as he steadied himself. Scared? Of what?

Andrew scrambled up and crowded next to Grendel to look out. Ahead in the sky stood a column of haze: the Loft, the City‘s access to space. This was the one planetary port of call the offworld aliens permitted themselves. A huge ovoid vessel of iridescent green metal rode the column slowly upward. Once humans had done such things, he recalled, but no more, not since the Colonists had left the starship ten thousand years ago. And that was only a story.

Darkness covered it all as they plunged again deep into rock. Grendel shuddered against Andrew. Did this big andro fear the aliens, or the dark?

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	DARKNESS COVERED IT ALL 1563 4D Andrew walked up toward his farmhouse, and little Jan came running out to meet him. “Daddy!” He snatched her up in his arms and started to cry, hugging her so tight she squeaked. He couldn’t let go, walking onward, until he came to his front door where Leil waited for him. She opened the door. He tenderly set Jan down. His little girl wrinkled one eye shut and scratched her cheek. Andrew gathered his wife in his arms. Oh, lords and angels, I hope this is real. “You’re home,” Leil said. She seized him and kissed him fiercely, and he knotted himself around her, wanting to engulf her and get lost in her warmth. He lurched awake. The train had stopped, then started again. Tears streamed down his face. A hand touched his shoulder. Ezzar. “Was it her?” she asked, looking in his eyes. He nodded slowly. It had been so real. Daylight burst into the back of the cab from a side window. “We’re at the Breach,” the engineer called back. “It’s the last of the surface you’ll see until you leave the City again.” Grendel scrambled to his feet and stared out the front window of the engine cab, leaning next to the engineer. The big andro‘s hands shook as he steadied himself. Scared? Of what? Andrew scrambled up and crowded next to Grendel to look out. Ahead in the sky stood a column of haze: the Loft, the City‘s access to space. This was the one planetary port of call the offworld aliens permitted themselves. A huge ovoid vessel of iridescent green metal rode the column slowly upward. Once humans had done such things, he recalled, but no more, not since the Colonists had left the starship ten thousand years ago. And that was only a story. Darkness covered it all as they plunged again deep into rock. Grendel shuddered against Andrew. Did this big andro fear the aliens, or the dark?