Made in DNA

"Yes, ma'am," Deshel said. "Suen, give me a local structure report." "Holodar shows no man-made structures in the vicinity. Forests withstanding, the area is clean to seven meters off the floor."

"Ma'am?" Surprised, Deshel questioned the order. Had Deshel assumed they'd leave Shake Hands now that their real reason for being on-planet had been discovered?

That roll, however, was intended to buy the moment or two the Alley Cat needed to kick on its thrusters. Stuck on her butt in an awkward position, a frantic Priyanka still managed to magnetically lock herself to the cargo bay wall and floor.

"But you're still attached to the ship. If we take off–" Suen protested. "You let me worry about that. Do you read me?" There was a pause and then both Suen and Deshel piped up over the commset, "Yes, ma'am."

If this was indeed Il'on, then it would have been on Shake Hands well before the colonists. It made sense. If it could broadcast over the local radio waves, then it could listen in on them too.

Expanding outward as if reaching for her face, several spider-legged flashes danced before her eyes before dissipating. Priyanka blinked away the afterflashes.