Oki and Nobbin Day 16: Bad Bad Bad

Oki is faced with a difficult choice, and Nobbin with a glimmer of hope; meanwhile, old friends confront old enemies, and make things infinitely worse.

The trip through the crevasse took infinitely longer on the way back, and not just because Oki was walking. It was because of the weight in her pocket, and the weight in her soul.
She saw the Old Vernacular up ahead, and the flashlights of a half-dozen RSMC techs around its rear, throwing sparks into the air. One of the closer ones saw her coming, gave her a thumbs-up: all clear, ready to fly. She felt sick.