The Nature of Gratitude

Astarlane said nothing, but Tenever made a palm-inward up-down-up-down motion over his primary magazine pouch as they moved out.

What are we doing?

Sadie rolled her weapon and briefly pulled on the charging handle to check the brass in the firing chamber. The bolt made a quiet click as it closed again.

Stay focused. Everything is fine.

Astarlane, without taking her eyes off the horizon, tapped her dump pouch twice and made a circling motion with two fingers.

Quid pro quo.

Tenever, understanding, adjusted his helmet in acknowledgement just as Gulmar turned.

"We approach the safe boundary. Stay close."

They all nodded, grimly. The psychotropics were not mists, as such - they did not have any optical properties. But their effect on the mind tended to cause hallucinations that got worse the further one looked, eventually turning the horizon into featureless gray mist.

Sadie organised tethers for everyone. Isolation was fatal.