Fright

Scanning ahead as deep as possible, I observed a larger than average concentration of ringlets, decided once again that there is safety in numbers, and headed in that general direction. The containment mesh was very different, and growing tighter. I focused on the ringlets ahead, only to watch them disappear one-by-one.

My response was to engage the swap drive even though it was not working well here due to the action of the Eight-Six-Eights, but I needed all the power I could muster. Approaching faster than the other ringlets had, I was able to escape the grip of an extraordinarily flexible mesh which still had one of the other ringlets trapped, half in and half out.

Splitting the scan fore and aft, I glanced backward at the trapped ringlet. I nearly jumped off my elevated Six as I watched the ringlet pop free of the mesh and begin flowing again. Replacing the ringlet was something large and sinister, that got completely engulfed and removed from the stream as the flexible mesh twisted and turned to accomplish the task. Even with the release of the other ringlet, I was not ready to shut down the swap drive, no matter how badly it limped.