Hatch (novelette)

Hatch is a novelette by Robert Reed, published in 2007. It is set on board the Great Ship, after the events of The Well of Stars.

Thousands of years after the Polypond attacked the Great Ship, the remains of its living ocean still cover the Ship's hull. It is unknown if the Polypond is still alive, but the ocean is still filled with moving bodies, organs and machinery. Occasionally, there are "hatches", or great releases of winged creatures and machines.

The main character is a raider, someone who tries to capture valuable machinery or material from the hatches. He is friends with a !eech named Hawking.

It is included in the 2013 collection The Greatship.