Orion walked.
Not running. Walked… the steady movement that communicated exactly what it was meant to communicate: that there was no hurry because the result had been calculated and the calculation didn't depend on the speed at which one approached it.
Each step measured. Each step saying the same thing the barrier said, the same thing the scattered bodies across the hall said, that the space between where he was and where Julius and Arturo lay on the floor was his space, and he was crossing it at whatever pace suited him.
His brothers moved with him beneath the barrier's coverage, keeping pace without needing to be told, focused on the maintenance work that kept the fire-and-water surface rotating steadily rather than on anything that would have required them to run. And maybe it was Orion's consideration with them too.
Many tried to stop the advance…
