You could count on dogs for your kids. Almost, and for the first time, I could see the point of the Domes. The aliens found humans dangerous or repulsive or uncaring or whatever, but dogs…

For decades, science has known that the material brain operates at a quantum level. For over a century, science has known that quantum equations run independent of time. Backward, forward, it makes no difference.

Three hundred sixty years since a colony ship left an established world with its hopeful burden, arrived at this deadly Eden, established a city, flourished, and died. How much of Mia’s lifetime, much of it spent traveling at just under c, did that represent?

Harkavy stopped pumping and stopped scowling, and noticed the storefront and its hand-lettered sign: EXPLANATIONS, INC. WE EXPLAIN ANYTHING GRAND OPENING TODAY … Harkavy snorted. Explain anything, indeed!

“When light of a specific wavelength hits those cells, they will activate or silence, and we can control that by—Ms. Connors, you can still change your mind.”

The light green of my epidermal photosynthetic cells uses the weak Martian sunlight to augment the energy from my food intake.

“Search for survivors,” the colonel ordered, just before she passed out from wounds that would have killed a lesser soldier, and all soldiers were lesser than she . . .

My screen showed somersaulting kittens made of light, seen from Becky’s perspective as the camera behind her cornea sent its images to the receiver.

“Come on, Cade, try the feelings on.” But he only went on looking trou­bled, holding the pills in his long-fingered hand.