Now:

​     "You need to leave," the woman who led Skip said. "Strangers are not welcome here right now." (Claudia translated for Skip.)

​     "I get that," Skip replied.

     Just as they reached the terminal, Skip looked to his left to see, on a flat desert plain, what had gone BOOM! before.

     A warship.

     A warship now in flames and in pieces.

     The BOOM! also took out or at least took out part of the few dwellings closest to the blast. Skip watched as desert people ran to put out the resulting flames. 

     A young woman more or less the same age as the young man Skip had seen before sat in a rocking chair in front of the terminal to rock slowly back and forth. She didn't seem to mind at all the desert heat.

     She kept her blouse open just enough so that an infant could suckle.

     "Your hover awaits," Claudia said. "You wanted to get the fuck out of here? Let's go."

     "Roger that."

     Skip took one last look at the woman in the rocking chair.

     She looked out over the desert like she awaited someone's return.

     Her eyes glowed with the sort of humility that only came with authentic pride.

     She kissed the top of the infant's head.

     "Chuco," she said.

CONTINUE