Once again, Ethan found himself taking point, walking slightly ahead of the squad with Eferia, while his men covered the three scientists walking along with Sentinel, and Colonel Patterson and Tolen followed along behind them.

They'd been assured of reaching the leading edge of the gray area by the end of this long trek, and the colonel ordered them to do just that, regardless of how long it might take. Ethan didn't argue, knowing the promise of some light in the sky was going to do the refugees more good than a long, exhausting walk would harm.

"Still think it would have been a helluva lot smarter to include some transports in the Solaria's load," Pyro complained over the com as they marched along a rugged trail.

"So you could arrive all fat and lazy and unable to defend yourself?" Wingman asked.

"You think showing up with blisters on my feet is any smarter?"

Ethan ignored the chatter. With his com unit on, he could hear everything being said, but Eferia couldn't.

"Tell me, Eferia," he said as they walked. "How far ahead of us can you see?"

"Many," she replied. "I can see that ridge, there, and the passage between them which is where we shall go."

Ethan squinted in the dark. He had both lenses up, out of his way, and couldn't see passed the end of his own rifle.

"And you?" she asked.

He smiled. "Not that far."

"Our other peoples, the ones who live in the light, they cannot see here in the dark. Not at all."

"I imagine your people have some difficulty seeing in their light."

"Oh, yes, it is very painful." She pointed to her own eyes. "They wear such as you, to make darkness over their eyes."

"Glasses?"

Eferia shrugged. "I have no word. But glasses, yes. I have never been to the light, myself. Only the gray. I do not think I would like the light."

"Why is that?"

"It is too light," she said.

Ethan laughed shortly. "Of course."

They rounded a hill and he noticed something glowing in the distance, off to his right. He flipped down the HUD and did a quick scan, noting hundreds of small, orange lights spread out in a grid pattern.

"Eferia, what is that?" he asked, pointing.

"Oh, that is the remembering." She touched Ethan's arm, then nodded to the right, adjusting her direction. "I will show you."

"Reaper,"

"I'm seeing it, Ghost, keep a lens down."

"Yes, sir." Ethan followed her off the path and over a grassy slope. When they came to a stop, he couldn't quite believe his eyes.

The valley below was lit with tiny orange dots, spreading out beyond where he could see, in a grid pattern of rows and rows, stacked for miles. They were small orange candle wick sized flames.

"These mark the peoples who did not know a end to the time of dying," Eferia explained. "Those to went away. We mark their memory here, so that we will never forget them."

"They're headstones," Ethan said quietly.

Pyro caught up just then and whistled softly. "My God, millions of them."

"It is a shame we wished not to speak of," Tolen said as he stepped closer, behind the others. "It is the shame of our peoples, that so many went before us."

"It's good to see you honor their memories," Colonel Patterson said.

Ethan could hardly believe his eyes. Even the HUD couldn't determine how far the cemetery stretched, but before it lost the measurement over the rise, it had counted ten miles.

The mural was making more sense to him now.

"Come, we must continue." Eferia turned and started back toward the path.

Slowly, they all followed. As Ethan caught up, he fell in step with her again.

"Eferia, will you tell me about the mural from the village?" He glanced at her, but her expression was impossible to read in the darkness. "It tells a story, doesn't it?"

"Yes," she replied. "But I should not be the one to tell it."

"Why not?"

"Because I do not have the words. Those in the gray, they speak Starlight more than I. It is better they tell you, so that I do not make a mistake."

He took a breath, then nodded. "Okay."

Eferia touched his arm. "Do ask them, and they will tell you. I do not keep it a secret."

"I didn't think you were," he said with a smile.

They walked on, Eferia pointing out new plants and small, grazing animals as they passed. When they came out onto a field of soft grasses, Ethan sensed something in the darkness around them.

He raised his rifle, but Eferia put a hand on his arm.

"It is only the harumfs. They will do no harm. This is a feeding land for them."

Ethan located them with the HUD, then recognized the giant cows from outside the cave. "What did you call them?"

"Harumfs," she said. "They are sweet creatures, and will occasionally carry heavy loads for us, when they're of a mind."

"Harmless," he snorted. "We've seen those before, when we came out of the forest." He rubbed his chest with the memory. "I accidentally frightened one with my light."

Eferia laughed. "You've been kicked by a harumf?"

"Kicked? If that's what you call it, yeah. Damn thing let out a sound wave that knocked me and Wingman completely out."

She laughed some more and said a few words in a language Ethan didn't understand, then waved a hand in front of her face to dry her tears.

"Yes, they will kick if you startle them. It's how they defend against any beasts."

Ethan could see she was still trying to contain her laughter. He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, my friends thought it was pretty funny, too."

"I do not mean to upset you."

"You haven't," he said.

They continued passed the large herd grazing in the grasses, and occasionally had to step around large piles of digested material, still steaming in the darkness.

"Oh my God!" Wingman declared over the com.

"With giant cows comes giant cow patties," Colonel Patterson quipped.

"That is disgusting beyond words," Wingman replied.

Ethan counted twenty three of the massive beasts as they moved through, then beyond the grazing patch. "So you only eat the beasts, is that right? Never the other creatures?"

"No, never." Eferia's tone was one of shocked surprise. "It is wrong to eat a creature that means you no harm. There are plenty of beasts that would kill you, why would you wish harm upon one that would not?"

"I see your point." So much of her world was starting to fall into place in his mind, but there were still so many questions to be asked. "Your people truly appreciate the land, and the creatures here."

"Of course," she replied. "To do otherwise would be foolish. Wasting the land would cause harm to the peoples. Generations would pay for what their fathers had done, and their fathers before them. To do harm to a people not yet born, this is wrong. It is many wrongs."

"Yes," Ethan agreed. He prayed the others were listening -- and hearing -- what Eferia was saying. "Yes, it is wrong."

She smiled, clearly pleased that Ethan had agreed. "Can you tell me how your weapon makes a kill?"

Thankful for a change of subject, Ethan pulled a charge from his belt and handed it to her. "It fires these. A solid cartridge, cased in metal, with a small plasma energy core."

She turned the bullet over and over in her hands, admiring it. "I do not know what the word is."

"Plasma energy?" He accepted the bullet back. "It's like heat," he said. "When this metal part pierces the hide, it opens up, and a blast of extreme heat explodes inside."

Eferia's eyes widened. "No wonder you could kill so many beasts."

"Yeah, but you saw how many of these it took. The beasts are strong. They have a very thick hide, and probably a very small central nervous -- a very small brain."

"Oh, yes," she agreed. "They have no beauty."

Ethan accepted that statement with a smile and they continued to walk, stopping now and then to rest tired feet or fill canteens in fresh streams. After hours of walking, Ethan realized they were climbing a bit. The path had begun a wide switchback, arching up into the hills through a path between high ridges.

As the road grew steeper it slowed them down. Sentinel had to switch to all terrain climbing and fall back, bringing up the rear so as not to kick back rocks on the climbers in the back of the group.

Eferia and Tolen moved ahead, to light torches at the top of the pass that would mark the way for the others, so Colonel Patterson fell in step with Ethan in the front of the group.

"She saying much more about her people?" the colonel asked as they climbed.

Ethan flipped off his com. "It's not so much what she's saying, as what she's not saying, sir."

Colonel Patterson turned off his com as well. "Like what, exactly?"

Ethan took a breath. "I've gathered from the way she talks about the animals, and how they use the land, that, well for lack of another term - environmental issues are very important here."

"Tree huggers, you mean?"

Ethan tried very hard not to roll his eyes. "It's more than that."

"ELM?"

"No, sir, not that extreme," he said. "They've reached an accord with their world, and thrive because of it. Their only shame seems to be this life-long war they've had with the people on the light side. When it comes to their world, their environment, they've reached a balance here with the world around them that abhors waste."

Colonel Patterson was nodding as he listened. "Well, that's a good thing, then."

"Yes sir, it is," Ethan replied. "And it's an ideal I think we could get onboard with. They're still living good, productive lives. They've just managed to so without destroying or polluting the world around them."

Suddenly Colonel Patterson took deep breath and raised a hand. "Ah, I think I see your point, Griff. If these people found out the reason behind our leaving Earth, they might think less than kindly of us, as a human race."

"Yes, sir, exactly that." Ethan was relieved when his commander caught on so easily. Perhaps it had been the stress of the darkness affecting him, after all. Whatever it was, he was glad to have his old friend back again. "I just think we should tread lightly on mention of our world, at least until we know more about these people."

"Agreed," Patterson nodded. "If and when the subject comes up, we'll have to find a way to make them understand it was our forefathers who got out of control, and we were forced to leave because of it."

Ethan sighed quietly to himself. "Yes, sir. Once we can learn more about their methods of justice, we'll have a better handle on how they view such things."

"The sins of the father." Colonel Patterson stopped to rest a moment on the steep climb, and looked up at the stars in the dark sky. "Have you looked at those lately, Griff?"

He looked up. Billions of tiny, sparkling lights twinkled back down at him, completely alien constellations, as far as he was aware, but unspeakably beautiful.

"Really puts things in perspective," the colonel said quietly. "Makes you feel so small and insignificant, in comparison." He shook his head, then continued walking. "Good for the soul, now and then, to feel so insignificant."

Ethan started walking. "Yes, sir, it is."

They continued climbing the switchback for another mile, fighting against the loose gravel and dirt. Ethan looked up after catching his balance near the top and saw Eferia smiling at him.

"We're at the edge of the gray now," she said.

He stopped walking and looked up at the stars. The longer he stared, the fewer he saw. Then he realized the darkness wasn't quite as dark as before.

Eferia pointed over the ridge, not five yards ahead. "Go and see."

He hurried his pace, mindful of the slipping dirt and rocks, and stepped up and over a sharp ridge line of solid stone. Colonel Patterson was already hurrying down the other side of the steep slope, following Tolen's lead.

Ethan looked at the sky again, stretching out over the valley before them. It was lighter, hiding all but the brightest of the stars in the promise of sunrise.

"You see, the stars have left us," Eferia said with a wide smile. This is the beginning of the gray."

"It's about damn time!" Pyro exclaimed as he came up behind Ethan.

The others followed quickly, spurred on by the promise of sunlight, leaving him alone on the ridge to make sure Sentinel made it over without getting hung up.

When the vehicle made it over and began the descent, Ethan and Eferia followed it down the trail.

"If this is where the gray begins, where does it end and become the light side?" he asked as they picked their way carefully down the steep path.

"The gray begins when the stars vanish from the sky," she replied. "And it ends when the sun touches the ground."

Ethan nodded. "So, when you can see the sun on the horizon, the orange glow, you're in the light side?"

"Yes," she replied. "You see, long ago, when our peoples knew not of each other, they walked this direction looking for a place to harvest. When they looked up, they saw that the stars had left the sky. They were very afraid, and returned home. As they did, the stars returned, forgiving them."

"But at some point, your peoples did continue, and found the people from the light side."

"Oh, yes," she laughed slightly. "The peoples of old had fear of childish things. Did you have fear of things as a child that you know now were wrong to fear?"

"Yes, I did," he said. "And my people before me believed things that we learned were untrue, and the people before them."

"You see?" Eferia smiled. "Our peoples are not so unalike."

Ethan just nodded and continued carefully down the switchback. By the time they'd reached the bottom, they realized they could see further and easier. The night vision became next to useless, so Ethan removed his gear and hooked it on his belt as the colonel ordered a rest after the steep mountain pass.

Lydia had found a stream, and knelt by it to wash the sweat from her face. "That was a climb," she said as Ethan approached. "I haven't had a work out like that in a while."

"Some of the others might find it a little hard, but the mobiles can take it easily," he replied. He was looking around, testing the lighter shade of darkness around them. "It really is a twilight sort of light, but it gets brighter up ahead. The sky's turning gray, just a bit here but more out there."

Lydia shook water from her hands, then used her shirt to dry her face. "It's beautiful, now that I can see around myself a little bit. And the mood, at least my mood, is considerably lighter."

Ethan looked back at the group and noticed Colonel Patterson laughing out loud at something Wingman must have said. "I wonder how wide it is," he said.

"How wide what is?" She stood and ran wet hands through her hair, matting it down a bit.

"The twilight," Ethan replied. "It'll depend on the size of this planet, but we could probably measure that by how wide the twilight is, before the sun touches the horizon."

"Is that important?"

"It could be, yeah. Doctor Theron's people will need that to calculate the window of opportunity on that message we hope to send." He shrugged. "I'm sure they'll take readings, but Sentinel will be storing the data, as well."

He turned to leave, but Lydia grabbed his arm.

"Ethan, wait," she glanced around but they were alone, and several yards from the others. "About the fleet, do you really believe what you said?"

Ethan responded with a raised eyebrow, but made sure his com was off.

"You said it didn't make sense that the Solaria was sabotaged. Do you really believe that?"

He took a breath and looked out over the valley, slightly more visible because of the twilight sky. "My sister is on the first ship. Your family is spread out among the others. Pyro has family out there, so do Wingman, Flash, Stake, Punch, even Colonel Patterson has some family on the fleet ships," he said. "I have to believe it."

"I want to," she said quietly. "I want to believe it, very badly."

"Then believe it." Ethan turned to her. "Believe it because to do anything else will drive you mad, and there's not one thing you can do about it."

He walked away, not waiting for her to respond. As he approached the group, he slowed his pace and took a few deep breaths, pushing out thoughts of the fleet, of Kathryn, of the Solaria exploding in the darkness.

By the time he reached the squad, they were preparing to head out again.

"They forget, sometimes," Colonel Patterson said with a slow shake of his head.

"Sir?"

He nodded toward Lydia, who was hurrying to catch up. "That Marines have souls, too."

They continue on, dropping down from the hills into a wide expanse of grasslands as the sky above them grew lighter with each mile. It was getting easier and easier to see, although it was far from actual daylight. After a few miles, Eferia and Tolen pulled out darkened glasses, to protect their eyes from, what was to them, extreme brightness in the sky.

It was then that Ethan realized how pale Eferia and Tolen were. The tone of their skin would have been considered sickly by Earth standards, even dangerous. In the darkness, it had been impossible to tell. The orange glow of their fires and torches added a skin tone color to everyone.

Not long after the land evened out into the grassy plains, Ethan noticed something in the distance. It was raised up from the ground, and spanned as far as he could see in both directions.

"It is the gray," Eferia explained. "The walls that protect from the beasts. Between the walls, is the gray, where all are welcomed."

"Good to know they have protection," Colonel Patterson commented as they walked. "Wouldn't hold up against a mortar attack, but keeps the animals out, at least."

Ethan eyed the colonel for a moment. "They don't seem to use advanced weapons."

"The dark side people don't," he replied. "We have no idea what the people are like on the other side of this world. I'd wager they're more cunning, more advanced. Maybe even more dangerous."

"How do you figure?"

"Well, it stands to reason, doesn't it?"

Before Ethan could suggest it might not, the colonel moved closer to Tolen.

"So, tell me, Tolen, how many people live in the gray?"

The man raised his shoulders in a shrug. "This, I do not know. Many come to trade, many go away. Only the gray live in the gray."

"So the gray is where your peoples meet and trade with the other peoples?" Ethan asked before Patterson could say more. "You take your harvest there, and trade for their harvest?"

Tolen smiled widely and nodded. "Yes, that is what we do."

"You will see," Eferia added. "We are nearly there."

He looked ahead, scanning the wall with his HUD. According to the wire framed data, the stone wall stood forty feet high, and spanned from one horizon to the next, at least that was as far as the scanners could detect. It was dotted regularly with massive wooden doors, spaced one mile apart, all along its expanse.

Ethan looked to the left, and the HUD detected a group of individuals three miles distant, moving together from one of the large openings in the wall toward the hills. He turned to the right and saw another group, four miles out, moving toward the wall. His HUD determined there were ten people, pushing three loaded, wheeled carts.

He pushed up the lens and glanced at Colonel Patterson, but he was staring intently at the wall.

"That must have taken a long while to build." The colonel turned to Tolen. "How long has this wall been here?"

"Since I was a child," he replied. "Or before. It once held back the peoples, now it joins the other wall to help the peoples."

Colonel Patterson looked at Ethan, eyebrow raised.

"I think he means both sides built walls during their war, now the space in between is their DMZ."

Patterson nodded. "Ah, yes, of course. So it was probably built many generations ago." Whether that was true or not, the colonel was clearly satisfied with the idea.

"It's damn nice to be able to see this thing," Pyro commented. "Hell, it's almost light enough to live in."

"There's still no sun," Wingman said with a snort. "I'd like to see the sun myself."

It was light enough now to see the large double doors ahead, and the wall looming above and around it. To the right was another panel of stones which Eferia pressed in using the same pattern as their village. When she finished, she stepped back, smiling proudly.

Ethan watched the doors as the deep grinding sound echoed around them. Slowly, as if too heavy to manage it, the wooden doors opened up, pivoting on spiked hinges at the top and bottom. He blinked, refocusing in the twilight, as the doors slowly revealed a sprawling open marketplace.

"This is the gray," Eferia said. "They know you are here."

"We sent ahead, so that they would expect you," Tolen added.

Ethan tensed out of instinct when he saw a group of four people walking toward them in a purposeful stride. They were armed, in the same manner as Eferia and Tolen, and dressed very similarly. Two of them were blonde, while two sported black hair, but they were all heading straight for their small group.

"Colonel."

"I see them," Patterson replied.

As they drew closer, Ethan thought he saw pure white eyes on the two blondes, while the black haired pair had Eferia and Tolen's solid pupil.

A blonde woman shifted into the lead and stopped just ahead of them, smiling.

"Greetings from Earth," she said.

Eferia stepped forward. "Ara of Nox, this is John Patterson," she said to the woman who had spoken.

"Greetings from Earth, John Patterson," Ara said with a smile. She held out her hand, and the colonel followed suit, but instead of shaking it she merely touched his palm with her fingertips.

"It's nice to meet you," Colonel Patterson replied. "My second in command, Ethan Griff."

Ara turned to Ethan and extended her hand. "Greetings from Earth, Ethan Griff."

He smiled in return and accepted the peculiar palm touch. "Greetings," he replied.

The others shuffled a bit, trying hard to melt into the backdrop of the Sentinel's metal hulk and escape the social trappings required of officers, while Doctor Keller and Lydia were ignored by the colonel.

Ara turned and presented her colleagues, starting with the black haired man and woman. "Kerin of Glass, and his mate, Elia. And this is Tel of Dorim."

They endured more greetings from Earth and palm to fingertip handshakes, then the group stepped aside and Ara motioned for them all to follow.

"Your cart can be placed wherever you like," she said, indicating the Sentinel. "Feel free to take it wherever it will manage."

"Thank you," Colonel Patterson fell in step alongside Ara and gave Ethan a nod.

"Sentinel, this is Ghost. Park somewhere out of the way, with a good view."

"Roger that, Ghost."

Ethan followed Colonel Patterson and Ara, who were flanked by Kerin, Elia and Tel, while the squad brought up the rear. Doctor Keller and Lydia had managed to get ahead of him and were engaging Kerin and Elia in conversation.

Eferia and Tolen caught up with Ethan.

"It is beautiful, yes?" she asked.

Ethan glanced around the area, trying to take in as much as he could while they walked. "Yes, it is beautiful."

And unexpected. The streets were dirt, but wide and completely flat. To either side were stalls where vendors sold their wares, produce and mercantile he could see immediately. With a closer look, Ethan realized the stalls were manned by those with black hair and those with blonde, in an every-other-booth manner. Regardless of what the proprietors were selling, they were arranged the same way. A vendor of the dark side, next to a vendor from the light.

They rounded a group of small buildings and Ethan saw a larger structure up ahead, with multiple levels and windows seemingly everywhere. It was made of stone, like all the others, but pure white in comparison to their dirt brown.

Ara led them to this building, pausing at the open door with a smile.

"You are tired from your walk," she said without questioning. "It is very near the time to sleep, so you should rest and eat. Then, when we are all awakened again, we will talk." She gestured for Colonel Patterson to proceed her through the door. "Please, enter."

The colonel hesitated just a moment, then stepped through the open door, followed by Ara and the others. Ethan motioned the squad through and stopped to glance behind them. The twilight made it much easier to see, but the opposite side of the wall was still obscured by buildings and structures. A few market goers glanced at him as they passed and offered nods and polite smiles, but continued along their way.

He turned and went into the building, then up a set of stairs immediately inside the doorway. The stairs curved and continued on for another three levels, finally opening out into a large room filled with tables of food, chairs, a fire pit, and another doorway in the far wall. Windows on both sides afforded open views of the market place below, and as much of the gray as their eyes could see in the twilight.

Ara was standing near the fire pit, waiting patiently for everyone to finish glancing around and look to her again.

"Through that door, you will find sleeping chambers and a place to wash," she said. "When you have awakened, come down the steps and we will take you to see the council."

Colonel Patterson was occupied with the view, scrutinizing something in the distance.

"Thank you," Ethan said. "We're grateful for your hospitality."

Ara smiled at him and her white eyes sparkled. She took a step closer and lowered her voice to a more casual tone. "I look forward to learning more about your peoples, Ethan Griff."

"As do I," he replied.

She reached out a delicate hand and touched his arm briefly, then turned to the others. "Come, we must let our new friends rest."

Ethan watched her leave, leading the others back down the stairs and out of the building through the same door they'd entered. He moved to a window and saw them walk down the street, nodding and speaking to the market goers, until they were out of sight around another structure.

"She has beauty, does she not?" Eferia asked.

Ethan blinked and turned from the window. "Yes, she does."

Eferia's smile was one of pride. "I knew you would like it here in the gray. And now Tolen and I must leave. We have trades to make, and our families wait."

"You're leaving?" Colonel Patterson pulled himself away from the window and looked at Tolen.

"We do not live in the gray, but you will be welcome here as long as you like," he replied. "Your people will be brought here, just as they were brought to the village. You will see."

Colonel Patterson cleared his throat. "Yes, I see. Well thank you, Tolen." He offered his hand, and when Tolen went to touch his palm, he grasped it and gave it a hearty shake, startling the man. "You've been very helpful."

"Yes," Tolen looked at his hand when the colonel released it. "Greetings from Earth, John Patterson."

"Greetings from Earth, Ethan Griff," Eferia said.

"Will I see you again?"

"We live in the same world, do we not?"

Ethan nodded. "Yes," he said. "Yes, we do."