Pattern

"Pattern" by Robert H. Rohrer, Jr. is a science fiction story set in a future time concerning consciousness and staying alive. The book tells of a fight between Rahll, an alien impulse, and Brenner, a human pilot, where each character faces their basic urges and explores what makes them who they are. Rahll is adrift in space after his community was wiped out, weakened and acting on instinct. He meets Brenner, who is lost in space, and tries to take Brenner's energy. Brenner resists, triggering a mental fight that changes them both. Who is the hunter and who is being hunted gets foggy, leading to the discovery of what it means to be driven by hunger in the emptiness of space.