Separation 5: 6 — Steve Elliott

Fantasy Lure: Mura, Kar, Ama and Zea find themselves on Sin Hal's planet, in an endeavor to discover if the device they'd previously discovered on the rogue asteroid was symptomatic of a hostile regime still bent on the destruction of Sin Hal's world. After failing to find any clues from the existing records, Mura suggests they locate the now harmless asteroid and procure another device from which she may be able to ascertain the manufacture's location. They do so, and Mura transports everyone to the desired world, only to discover that nothing is as it should be. For one thing, the planet is occupied by mysterious god-like beings, who have very disturbing and secretive habits. Luckily, Mura learns the dreadful secret of these alluring inhabitants and saves everyone from a fate worse than death. They recruit Quan, a native of this new world and, together, they face their greatest and deadliest challenge. Finally, having negotiated a successful ending to the planet-wide enigma, Mura returns everyone to their home, and she gratefully accepts Zea's invitation to stay with her.Dusk and Dawn: Ama, Kar, Zea and Mura decide to take a relaxing cruise. While doing so, they encounter a remarkable pair of twins, oddly named 'Dusk' and 'Dawn', who are so alike that no one can tell them apart. Unfortunately, the cruise soon turns into a disaster when everyone is swept overboard by a rogue wave. Struggling to survive, Kar, Ama and Zea search in vain for Mura and then strike out for the shore. Determined not to give up hope, they search the foreshore and are thankfully united with Mura and the twins. However, as soon as Mura is found, she disappears on one of her manic episodes and is discovered up a tree where she spots an enigmatic monolith. This sighting instigates an exploration of an ancient and dangerous mystery. By unravelling a series of puzzles, the intrepid explorers uncover a vanished civilization but, in so doing, they also unwittingly unleash a primordial horror which threatens to destroy not only themselves, but their entire world.