​     One particularly strong blast of snowy wind got Niki spinning. To right herself and get back on track took her a moment or two, moments she really didn't have right then.

     If I'm going to do this, I'd just better fucking do it, she thought. 

     She commanded her anti-gravs to go as fast as they could.  

     She flew ahead of the bird, no easy feat because that bird moved fast. 

     She reached the beam first. 

     That black deeper than black, black beam. 

     She turned to face the bird that so quickly approached. 

     To be that close to the beam, even though her back was to it, was horrifying. So intense. So...

     Concentrate! Niki screamed at herself. Focus!

     She aimed the max blaster in the direction of the bird...

     and she pulled the trigger.

     The beam from the blaster caught the massive, flying triad of a bird right between the eyes. 

     The bird fell apart to, once again, become Technolica, Mother Naturia, and Silveria. 

     Momentum carried them forward...

     right into Niki...

     carrying her, along with all of them, into the black beam.  

CONTINUE