Primal
Sturm’s surface looked like it had taken one beating too many. Marcus Suleiman watched the flat, bruised expanse through the crawler window the same way he viewed everything – with a bitter clarity. He knew why he had come here. He knew with the bloated part of his mind that this planet and its violence would give him release.
Saylsha’s eyes rarely left the storm vector monitor as the crawler’s autopilot whirred into the cocooned silence. Marcus could see the blood rising to her cheeks. He registered her nervous shift on the seat. His brain processed the behaviour. He knew what it meant. And he knew that he knew what it meant… and he knew…
Marcus stopped himself, cutting short the automatic progression that had begun inside his head. “Something’s happening, isn’t it?” he said.
Illustration by Adam Katsaros
Saylsha’s eyes rarely left the storm vector monitor as the crawler’s autopilot whirred into the cocooned silence. Marcus could see the blood rising to her cheeks. He registered her nervous shift on the seat. His brain processed the behaviour. He knew what it meant. And he knew that he knew what it meant… and he knew…
Marcus stopped himself, cutting short the automatic progression that had begun inside his head. “Something’s happening, isn’t it?” he said.
Illustration by Adam Katsaros
Publishing History
"Primal" was originally accepted for Peter MacNamara's last Aphelion anthology, Future Shores, which eventually didn't proceed. It was originally published in Aurealis #38/39 and reprinted in the epublication Aurealis Duo: Transalienation.
Buy Aurealis #38/39.
Buy Aurealis Duo: Transalienation.
Buy Aurealis #38/39.
Buy Aurealis Duo: Transalienation.
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Illustration by Andrew Saltmarsh
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