Bates clutched his hand, howling in pain. Carmen bent over Gillian, seated his helmet and locked it. A blow from a socket wrench knocked her to Shuttle 2’s deck.

Her suit’s equipment backpack absorbed most of the blow. She rolled and kicked him high. He staggered backward. She jabbed the activation stud on Gillian’s suit and rolled again. She kicked Bates’ ankle and brought him down. He jammed his gun against Gillian’s abdomen. Gillian jerked twice and lay still. The gun swung toward Carmen.

Shuttle 1, trapped in netting, rolled on the edge of a stall. Its right wing hit the ground, the body of the ship pivoting downward. Desperately Tronsen fired the guns in the left wing, trying to use the recoil to level the ship.

The friendly fire caught Reckall, who was on the ground. He dropped in his tracks, all six mechanical limbs frozen.

Mother didn’t know how her friend could also be here. She took a stand over him anyway, returning the fire of the flying machine.