by Christiana Pillibeit
Krach was wearing the best cold climate protection that science and engineering all the Clusters could produce, but the wind cut right through. Every step he took through the snow afforded his feet a renewed frostiness and the hand coverings that came with the suit did little to warm his hands. The numbness he had felt was replaced with a tingling sensation. At times he wasn’t sure if he was still holding the rope that pulled a makeshift sled that carried Shnin.
He never cared much for Shnin, but his cluster sister had intended to make his unconscious companion her life cohort. When Krach and Shnin were to be on the same mission she had made Krach give his word he would look after Shnin. Krach thought it was ironic since Shnin was from a cluster much older than theirs and had been on many missions previous. This was Krach’s first.
Krach stopped and turned around, not trusting himself to still be holding the rope that dragged the sled. One of Shnin’s six limbs had fallen and been trailing in the snow. Thoughts of leaving him alone crossed Krach’s mind but he dismissed them. Not only had he made a promise but what kind of cluster brother would he be if he didn’t try to bring Shnin home? What worth would his species have if they didn’t look after their own? Before turning around to continue, a thought lingered: what worth would Krach have if he died as well?
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