Riddick wasn't asleep. He couldn't sleep, but time did strange things in cryo—it stretched and twisted and spun. He looked at the chrono. Watched the days fly by. Watched the seconds crawl.

They say most of your brain shuts down in cryosleep…

Not that you could tell by him.

All but the primitive side. The animal side.

His thoughts echoed. That almost made sense in cryo. Almost.

"All but the Furyan side."

He was still on the ship. He could still see it, feel it, smell it. But somehow, he was also somewhere else. Somewhere with thousands of graves, overgrown by tangled, thorny branches. Somewhere with a woman, who had knife strapped to her thigh and beads in her hair, who carried her head high and proud.

She walked slowly towards him.

"Some of us still remember the true crime that happened here on Furya," she told him, gesturing at broken tombstones.

"And once you wake…"

She put a hand to her heart.

"…truly wake…"

She reached out.

"…you'll remember, too."

Her hand touched his chest.

An alarm blared. He was alone.

"Helion Prime is on alert condition four," squawked the comm.

X

"Imam, pray for us," the woman said.

Abu clasped her hand briefly, then continued on his way. He was late coming home—but he always was, these days. He hoped Ziza was still awake when he got there. He hadn't gotten to tuck her in the night before.

He caught snatches of conversation as he walked.

"What are we gonna do now?"

"Hood of the devil, that's what someone called 'em."

"It's all nonsense."

And a lot of it was nonsense, from what he could tell. But did getting the story straight really matter, when the world was going to end?

"…so tall it touches the clouds," murmured one man, in the dramatic tone of a talented storyteller.

Abu paused.

"And there's nothing around this statue," the man continued. "This colossus. Nothing left. It's their calling card."

If only that were nonsense, too. For a second, Abu could see it—that abomination, violating the holy city's skyline.

He thought a quick prayer and kept walking.

X

The house was warm and welcoming. From upstairs came the sound of a shower and a female voice singing quietly. Not Jack. Had to be Abu's wife.

Riddick ran a hand over his head, grimacing at the feel of the sweaty dreadlocks. Jack would bust a gut laughing if she saw him like this—assuming she recognized him at all. His jaw clenched. He didn't know how she would react, when she saw him. He was prepared for swearing or smiles, hugs or tears or fists. But to look into her eyes after five years and see nothing? He didn't like that idea. Not at all.

He'd have to do something about that.

X

She was idly tracing the tip of a blade in the dirt. The Guv couldn't tell from where he stood if it was an actual picture, or just a random design.

"Tea?" he asked.

He'd said it quietly, to keep from startling her. She didn't even glance up. Apparently she'd known he was there. He moved forward, crouched down beside her, and put one of the mugs he held on the ground by her hand.

"Thanks," she said. She picked up the cup, took a slow sip.

"Is that a burning bird?" he asked, examining her drawing.

"Yeah," she said. "But it comes back, so that's okay."

He eyed her. They all lost it, down here—some more than others—but her usual brand of crazy involved blood and cold logic. Not pictures in the dirt, not babbling about things that didn't die when they should.

She caught the look he was giving her, shook her head. "It's an old story. A legend. The phoenix burns to death, then rises from the ashes, reborn."

"Well, well," he drawled. "Don't you sound all educated and shit."

She snorted. "Yeah, I'm a regular scholar. What you want, Guv?"

"We been getting a lot of new inmates, lately," he said.

"Yeah," she agreed. "I noticed that."

"Overheard a group of 'em talking. Bout you."

Kyra took another sip. "I see."

"You wanna watch your back, girl."

"Always do," she said flippantly.

He frowned at her.

"Relax, Guv," she said. "Just tell me who, and I'll deal with them."

"You'll deal with them," he repeated. "Alone?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't work out so well last time."

She set her cup down very deliberately and started cleaning the dirt off her blade. "We been over this. I let you help me, I let you fight my fights, suddenly I'm your bitch. Not gonna happen, Guv."

"You know I wouldn't make you do anything, right?" he asked. "You know I wouldn't ask you to fuck me? It'd just be for show."

She shook her head. "Show or not, I'm no one's bitch."

"That's a real nice thought," he snapped. "But you really think it's worth this shit?"

"I been through worse for less," she said matter-of-factly. "This ain't the worst thing in my life. Not by a long shot."

X

Abu closed the door and sighed, pathetically grateful to be home. For however much longer he had a home.

But no. Now was time to put aside fear, as best he could. Now was time to savor the precious moments Allah had given him with his family. He started up the steps, intent on finding his girls. A long kiss from Lajjun, a long hug from Ziza. That was what he needed.

"Did you know all your doors were locked?"

Abu froze, hands clutching the stair rails.