Buzz hit the ground shoulder-first.
The landing knocked every thought out of him for a breath, then shoved three new painful ones right back in. Heat pulsed under him, not hot enough to burn through his shell but deep enough to feel alive, like the floor carried a heartbeat of its own.
Zza dropped beside him with a pained groan, rolling onto her knees. Alma crashed down a moment later, sounding like she was filing a complaint to the universe itself. The Elder floated gently down like it had stepped off a curb instead of plummeting off a vent.
Then the cracked creature landed on Buzz's chest with a soft thump, trembling so hard its claws clicked.
Buzz whispered, "Hey… I got you. I got you."
The creature curled against him, shaking.
Zza crawled over, placing a hand against Buzz's arm before checking the creature with quick, worried eyes. "Buzz, its pulse is wrong."
Buzz blinked. "Wrong how?"
"Fast. Too fast."
