"Okay, I didn't expect this much wind," Apollonia said to Rasulov.

The man put a hand to his ear, yelling to be heard. "What?"

She couldn't even hear it.

Her system on her hip buzzed. "Be warned of gusts of up to 120kph," it told her through an ear bud. It was a little late for that warning.

She felt herself stagger under the wind, stumbling towards the tall fence that surrounded the landing pad.

The landing had been almost as rough as the drop into the atmosphere, but with these winds it made sense.

"Where's my stuff?" she asked no one in particular.

"Your belongings will be unloaded and taken to your quarters presently," Y answered helpfully.

Rasulov had walked away, braced against the winds, but otherwise seeming to have little difficulty. She realized he'd put on his magnetic boots and suit stabilizer, the things they used for zero-g.

That was a good idea. She turned her own on, feeling a little giddy as her suit turned more rigid in key spots.

It wasn't a magic solution, she still had to fight the wind. But it was much easier to stay upright and walk.

Rasulov was now talking to other black-striped engineers, all of them clearly very animated about something.

She wasn't sure where to go.

"Apollonia, a nurse will be meeting you and taking you to your quarters," Y told her. "I must go for now. I may be able to speak to you later. I wish you great luck and joy!"

"Bye, Y," she said. Then he was gone.

She felt kind of alone.

Moving towards the fence, she looked out at the sea. She'd seen the ocean on Earth, at a time when it had been storming. The waves then didn't compare to these monsters.

And it was a clear sky; it was just the wind whipping the waters into mountains.

The wind was cooling, but she already felt hot. Her coolsuit turned on, and she took a deep breath.

The mask bothered her, and she hoped she'd get used to it. It bit into her face, but she'd been told the air was dangerously humid. She'd known places like that on New Vitriol, so she knew it was serious. Hearing people choking on their own fluids was something she still heard in bad dreams.

Particularly clompy steps nearby made her turn.

Commander Cenz was coming up to the shuttle to meet some of the people getting off.

One of them was Kell.

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She hadn't seen him on the shuttle, but it seemed he had been on it.

Why hadn't she felt his presence?

He turned slightly, looking at her for a moment, before looking to Cenz. The Commander noticed his gaze and also looked.

"Is something wrong, Ambassador?" she heard through a sudden drop in the wind.

She couldn't catch his answer, but he shook his head no. He said a few more words and walked away.

Cenz watched him for a few moments, before turning to the group of engineers, giving orders.

Apollonia came over towards him, watching Kell carefully. She had gotten his point; he knew she was watching him. But she didn't care.

He was heading down some stairs, and she waited behind Cenz patiently. So far, no one had showed up for her, and she could just ask him where she should go. She didn't want to stay up here; it felt like only a matter of time before the wind decided to blow you away.

"Ambassador, what are you doing?" Cenz asked suddenly.

Apollonia turned, seeing that Kell was standing at the top of a ladder that led down into the water below, only feet away. There was no safety rail before him, and he was looking down into the depths.

His face was intense; absorbed utterly in the water.

"Ambassador, please," Cenz said, stepping closer and putting a hand on his arm.

Kell looked up sharply. Cenz relaxed his grip.

"Do be careful," he said to the Shoggoth. "I am responsible for your safety."

Kell did not seem to take in his words at all. A small smile, scarily sincere, came to his face.

"After all this time a new ocean," he said. Then he looked back down.

Cenz hesitated. "I know I cannot stop you, Ambassador. But you must remember; this world is doomed. You cannot lose track of time here."

Kell tore his eyes away from the water. "I will not," he said grudgingly. "But do not seek me."

Then, without another word, he stepped off the platform.

Plummeting like a stone, he hit the water with a great splash, punching deep under the surface.

As the water calmed, something dark and large, shapeless, seemed to grow under it. Then it sank out of sight.

Cenz turned to a nearby officer. "Did we have scanners in that area yet?" he asked.

"Ah, the Ambassador asked that we turn them off for a time," the man said, seeming unsure. "I didn't question it . . ."

Cenz sighed. "I suppose that's to be expected. Turn them back on, and let me know if anything . . . large approaches the station."

His screen showed a frown. "I would like to have seen him like that."

"No," Apollonia said. "Trust me; you don't."

Cenz regarded her curiously. "Have you seen his true shape, then?"

"I've seen enough," she said.

The Coral went quiet for a few moments. She had a feeling he was about to ask her more, but he seemed to think better of it. He could tell just how much she did not want to; it was more than just a desire, it was like asking someone to intentionally break a bone that had just healed.

"If you need anything, Ms. Nor, please leave a message on my system and I shall see that you get it," he said, offering a polite bow before turning to leave.

As he went down a set of steps, a woman passed him, offering him a bright smile before setting eyes on her.

"You must be Nor," she yelled. "I'm Zey, the head nurse for the operation."

"Oh, hi," Apollonia said.

"Well, come on," the woman said, waving for her to follow. "Let's get out of this wind."

Apollonia followed the woman, trying to get a bead on her. She had a caramel complexion, a full-figured body, and her hair was cut very short, just long enough to stay down on her head.

Going under the landing pad, but still near the outside of the rig, Apollonia felt a little better as she saw that the fencing now went from floor to ceiling, letting her feel a little more comfortable being near the edge.

"So, how was your trip down?" Zey asked her.

"It was . . . fine," Apollonia said.

"Really? Because mine was bumpy as hell, I thought I was gonna die for sure."

Apollonia laughed. "Yeah, okay, if we're being honest about it . . ."

Zey rolled her eyes. "It's all normal, they say. My ass! Normal is when everything isn't bucking so much it feels like it's trying to throw you out."

They had gone down about three levels now and Zey led her through a door. Now inside, she took her down a long hall.

"We're in the administration area, Commander Cenz's office is there. Down this way will be the medical offices. Such as it is. We don't have a lot of staff."

"How many are there?" Apollonia asked.

"Zyzus, me, and you," Zey replied with a little bit of a smile. "Well, okay, there should be two more aides and two more nurses coming down later. But right now we're it."

"Only us? How many staff are here?"

"At most, sixty. So for that many people we don't need a lot of medical staff."

"What if there's an emergency?" Apollonia asked.

"We have twenty-five med drones, and Dr. Y can always telecommute here," Zey said. "Or the Craton can drop us some more people."

For a moment Apollonia interpreted that as 'people to replace the dead'. But she immediately felt ridiculous; she meant medical personnel, obviously.

Zey caught her momentary shock. "Yeah, I know how that sounded. I did mean doctors and nurses," she said.

Apollonia was quiet a moment, then burst out laughing. Zey lost her composure as well, and for a few moments they could do nothing else.

"Ohh, man . . ." Zey said, wiping her eyes. "Okay, we're both tired, that's understandable. Anyway . . . this is the main office, there's Doctor Zyzus's, and mine. That one is the examination room, that one is the procedure room, there's the supply room . . . and that's the faculty lounge. It'll be your de facto office."

"Ooh, moving up the ranks," Apollonia said, pumping her fist in the air. "Next I'll get a corner lounge."

Zey smiled again. "That's it for the grand tour, but I guess I should show you your quarters. I think we'll be sharing."

"Unless there's something I need to do now . . ." Apollonia said. She felt a little apprehension at the idea of sharing a room.

Zey looked amused. "You're going to need a lot of training before you're allowed to do anything useful."

Apollonia felt a little relieved to hear that. "All right, then."

Zey waved her to follow again. "Well, come on. I don't know about you, but I want a nap."

"Oh, hell yes," Apollonia replied.