Stability

"I swear," Khan promised. "It isn't my fault this time."

"And yet it always happens to you," Monica commented.

"I'm completely innocent," Khan swore.

"On this," Monica said, "You never are."

The couple was standing on the mountain where Khan had spent the night. Morning had arrived in the quadrant, filling the air with a cold breeze. Faint light also shone on the area, highlighting many details. However, the cave was nowhere to be found.

Khan didn't change location during the night. Instead, the cave did, or rather, something else had taken its place. That damp cavity had turned into a vast crater that still crackled from time to time.

The explosion had been big enough to alert Monica and make her jump on a ship. Yet, a glance at her destination told her everything she needed to know, which she decided to handle personally.

"We should consider ourselves lucky you didn't try to create weapons inside the city," Monica sighed.