Babylon. Unfinished

Starship

The big gray starship was lying in the wreckage of the dome on the traffic area, half-way along the concrete track, almost completely blocking use of the track along its entire length. The giant ball of Jupiter was floating in the open black sky, surrounded by birds doomed to death. Also, at the crash site there were a smashed flyer and people lying around.

Baby's other family had appeared as a black dust right before the shell of starship cracked.

"Don't move," the dust said. "You'll survive."

Baby froze up.

There was a dull noise, the shell of ship shuddered and many fine interco

"Run," Nigel said.

"Don't," the dust protested. "There's no safe place for you here, not anymore."

Baby swallowed and stayed still.

The edges of the openings collapsed inwards, the nearest ship cracked silently in the airless space of the shattered dome and broke apart. Its parts started to move, grow pseudopods and crawl in all directions. Then the second ship broke apart.

For a while, Baby watched in fascination as this river of machinery spilled over around by her, and then someone turned off the sun.