They felt the nose dip as Rat dropped toward the moonlit sea. The ocean rushed up. The ship struck with titanic force, blasting through the white-caps, metal crumpling from the monstrous dive. And then all consciousness blacked out for those on board.
Patti Gray awoke, pressed the button under her pillow for a nurse, smiled about the clean hospital room.
Gladney was waiting to see her. He wheeled himself in and stopped the chair beside her bed.
"Hello. Feel human again?"
"Do I?" She laughed. "Gladney, I'm going to stay right here the rest of my life!"
"Yeah ... that's what I said yesterday. But today I'm itching to get back up yonder." He dug a thumb at the sky.
"Is Judith all right?"
"Sure. She wants to see you. Frankly, Miss Gray," he lowered his voice, "I expected that first 'splat' of Rat's would kill her."
Gray shivered. "I have a hazy memory of that landing. How did we do it?"