The ground receded below them. The transport vibrated, and a yellow ray enveloped the shield. Relda squinted at the cockpit monitor.
"What's that say?" She asked.
"Force-field activated," Raylay read aloud. "Prepared for atmosphere penetration."
The message faded, and an image took its place. Icons were scattered across the image. It stayed visible for a nanosecond, but Raylay made the screen go blank. It hadn't had time to register in Relda's brain, so the few seconds spent piecing it together after the fact she decided were useless.
"What was that?" She asked.
"App screen photo," Raylay said in a hurry.
Ty sidestepped up the passenger cabin aisleway. He gave the back of Raylay's seat a friendly gentle punch.
"Do you want to get it over with?" He asked.
Raylay buried his face into the controls for a second, ran his hands down his face, and sat up.
"Will your dad want to see it?" Relda asked.
"He's lost enough already," Raylay negated. "Sorry to have you go get her body again, bro."
"No problem, man."
Ty navigated the passenger cabin again, and he accessed the cryo unit again. He wasn't gone nearly as long the second time, and he returned cradling Ozla's body. He selected a seat.
Raylay sniffled hard. His nose was red, and his face was wet. He slammed his hand into a control.
The passenger cabin quaked. Relda wrapped her arms around her seat. At least the shaking wouldn't lurch her now. A jagged split opened in the cabin floor. Through the opening was emptiness and darkness.
Raylay activated a switch, and trudged from the cockpit into the cabin. Relda stood on trembling legs, pushing memories from her mind. The Jucardian plague. The jettisons. The incinerations.
Ty scooted until his legs dangled into the opening. He stretched his arms over the void, and Ozla's body rolled from his arms, off of his hands, and the emptiness of space swallowed her whole.
Relda cocked her head at peals of laughter. She frowned at Ty and Raylay for an explanation. Raylay's hands concealed his face. Ty wiped his own red eyes. That wasn't laughter. The planet-quaking ship that had stolen her medallion had also put two young men through something no creature should have to experience.
Relda had learned years ago that crying led to emptiness. Silent emotion coursed through her body, and she ached. Moments of mind sickness passed. Raylay rubbed his nose and wiped his eyes and nodded to Relda.
"Where in Quadrant 3 did you want to go?"