The exterior floodlamps were out, like most of the other ship’s systems. Under normal circumstances this would have been a problem. Space is a very dark place. Without external illumination we shouldn’t have been able to see much of the hull at all.

Turns out, the sphere of light we’d encountered in that… other place had latched onto us for the ride. We hadn’t noticed it on our last jump because: A) we’d been a little distracted by being in peril of our lives; and, B) because we’d been on the light side of the planet. Here in the darkness again, it was clear that our illumination was not our own.

I squinted. The image was grainy and out of focus.

“Is that something on our hull?” vec asked.

“I think so,” I replied.

“What is it?” No answers to that one. Ethereal appendages had emerged from the light and had peeled back a panel on the ship’s tail.

“More importantly,” came Harrigan’s voice, “what in the hell is it doing to my ship?”

As if on cue:

“Sir, life support just came back online!”