Mindsnake

The bustling ramp of the Lanole transmatter station swarms with strangers in zip‑suits, zoot‑suits, ivy‑coats and moss‑clad wanderers, all stepping off from distant stars. In the middle walks Hammen, a self‑styled Witch, his loyal dog Lad at his heels, both marked by a reputation that tastes of brass. He moves under his own power, indifferent to the jeers that still echo around him, while a hidden black thought—called the Mindsnake—coils in the back of his mind.

Tasked with delivering a mysterious cargo, Hammen must navigate the thin line between respect and suspicion from the station’s coordinators and his own uneasy crew. Old losses of three companion dogs linger, fueling his fierce need to prove that a Witch can be trustworthy. The conversation with the stern coordinator Gordus hints at deeper doubts about the witch‑familiar bond, setting the stage for a test that could reshape Hammen’s fate.