Mickey7 feels fear gripping his throat like a cold hand. Marshall is onto them. She’s caught the scent of the anomaly, and she won’t stop until she finds the answer. And when she does…

There’s no escape.

That night, Nasha finds him.

Mickey7 barely has time to react before she opens the storage tunnel hatch and shines a flashlight directly into his face.

—Shit.

She looks at him like she’s seeing a ghost.

—Tell me this is a joke.

Mickey7 says nothing. There’s nothing to say.

Nasha lowers the flashlight, exhaling sharply.

—I knew something was off. Mickey’s not that good at lying.

He barely manages a smile.

—Guess I’m not either.

She crouches beside him. In the dim light, her expression is a mix of confusion and… concern.

—How did this happen?

Mickey7 explains. The fall. The natives. The impossible return. The problem of being two.

When he finishes, Nasha runs a hand through her hair and mutters a quiet curse.

—Marshall’s going to find you.

—I know.