Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

Gray tinged the long shadows coming from the forest edge by the time Connor reached the closest tree trunk. Being closer didn’t change much: A few meters beyond that tree, no sunlight slipped past the strangely rippling triangular fronds. The chalky, metallic taste was stronger, and a coppery smell hung in the air, a sharp note over a deep, animal musk.

He held up a gloved hand to halt Kalpana and Rudy’s advance. They sank to their knees. Now free of their environment suits, the camouflage systems of their combat armor and helmets helped them to melt into the stringy, gray-green moss and dark purple stalks that rose from the ground closer to the trees.

Something about the forest felt even worse than expected, and the three of them had agreed that they should expect anything.

It seemed like the trees were alive, but not like typical plants humans used to terraform colony worlds. There was so much movement, so many sounds.

That was it! The sounds of life were…wrong.