Alternatives is the eighth chapter of The Deathworlders by /u/Hambone3110.
Synopsis[]
After spending a night in a Portland, Oregon hotel, Terri Boone continues her return journey to San Diego. Only minutes away from home, Terri's home security system alerts her to an intruder through her smartphone. When she arrives outside her apartment, she arms herself with the emergency pistol kept in her car and enters via the fire escape. Bursting through her bedroom door into the living room, she is confronted by Mr. Johnson holding his own gun and waiting to kill her. Johnson attempts to shoot her, but Terri fires first, killing him.
Kirk and Sanctuary's only remaining human occupant, Darragh Houston, arrive at Cimbrean, the base of the notorious Crew of the Zhadersil. Since the crew are lead by a human, the GRA intend to use Cimbrean as the first human colony, with Darragh being sent to deliver this message.
3y2m AV, Pandora releases another wormhole beacon into Earth orbit, this time permitting an embassy station for the Celzi Alliance.
Trivia[]
- The "famous mustached physicist" on Terri's television and the GRA's British representative are likely references to real figures Neil deGrasse Tyson and Boris Johnson respectively
- Much of the section where Kirk leaves Darragh was added in a later revision, presumably to give context to readers who hadn't read Salvage.
- The opposing perspective of Kirk's conversation with Cimbrean control is shown in Salvage, Chapter 38: The Best Policy, along with the remainder of Darragh's story.