Sector 101, the Middle—
"....."
Richard sat in silence beneath the shade of a small tree, his figure almost blending into the stillness of the warm summer day.
His posture was so steady, his breathing so calm, that even his eyelashes seemed frozen in place, as though he were carved from stone. He looked as if he had entered a state of meditation so deep that nothing in the world could disturb it.
But here, in the height of summer, stillness never lasts forever. The world itself seems determined to bring movement and life. Even if one sits quietly, sooner or later something will stir, drift close, and play its mischievous game.
Buzzzzz
From the air came a long-tailed insect, its body slender and its tail curved upward like the sting of a scorpion. It circled Richard's head slowly, deliberately, its many-faceted eyes glittering as they fixed upon the tip of his nose. With a faint hum, it tilted downward, preparing to land upon his nose, ready to sting this big prey.
