nothing. darkness. rocks. and in the midst of it all, our crazy hillock. snow cave. int. hillock. cave - night gallagher looks up to find burchenal staring at him. actually, not exactly at him. at his forehead.
dead quiet. the two small moons shine faintly. a rime of ice covers everything. the hillock shimmers in the feeble light. the rock entrance is sealed over with frost.
cognizance returns. burchenal looks at his watch. it doesn't make any sense. three hours have passed. three hours.
gallagher scrambles up, steeper and steeper, to the edge of the valley and the ridge line. from the top he can see the way below is his prize - the cosmos. checks his watch, hopefully, desperately triggers the radio.
amee skitters along. moving fast. climbs up and ever so carefully peers over the ridgeline.