Lyn's eyelids peeled open after a weak source of flickering light above her made it difficult to do so. The stinging sensation of her untethered burning injuries kicked her body into overdrive, instantly awakening her from her slumber. Her face was flushed and puffed up in red, indicating that she was stood upright for a long period of time.
"Hey." Alfaic's voice rang clear as day to her. He sat on a wooden chair where the plush seat cover was ripped apart.
She sat up off of the bed she laid upon and slowly edged her legs over the small platform below it. She quickly examined her surroundings; it was a dilapidated break room for the staff that worked here. She had been patched up with what remaining medical equipment were in the wooden cupboards, but it could have been improved had there been more.
"Where are we?" Lyn asked, wiping her forehead.
"Don't know," Alfaic said, examining the dark surroundings. "Some kind of spaceship."
Lyn couldn't process the term 'spaceship.' To her, that meant she was stranded in the middle of nowhere without a means of returning unless the spaceship was still operational. But in the state the area was gave her no confidence.
"Ardine and Claire? Did they make it out safe?" Lyn asked.
Alfaic shook his head, giving an unconfident blank stare at the ground seated beneath him. He chose not to speak on it, pained by the thought of them losing their lives. "Something's lurking in this ship. I tried planning an escape route, but I just couldn't risk getting caught by whatever's out there." He said.
"I'm sorry about your brother." Lyn apologized.
"Don't," Alfaic stopped her. "Had you not stopped him, he would have killed us all."
"Still," Lyn continued, placing her hands underneath her thighs as her legs rocked from side to side. She looked down, impeded by thought. "He was your brother."
Alfaic chuckled and stared blankly against the wall. "Yeah. A damn good one too," He said. "Always looking ahead and protecting us from our father's qualms. He told me 'Alfaic, one of these days when you grow older, you'll see where father's vision truly lies.' I thought he would have changed and snapped to his senses from all this. But I accepted the fact that you can't come back from this. I just wish... everything could have been different."
It was interesting to Lyn how Alfaic's family were inhuman, yet they still partook in familial talks. It seemed impossible to bear the thought of the entire Krin family once with the untainted morals of humanity within them. There was still so much she didn't know about them: how they looked like when they were children, where they grew up in, where they were taught. All of these questions remained unanswered, and asking them to be answered in this moment was an inappropriate task to even dwell on.
Lyn looked at the ground and saw the glowing blue hue of the Rot Mother's fragment on the ground, lined up against a chalk drawn line with an arrow upon it. Alfaic approached it and picked it up, placing it in the back of his pants pocket before dusting off the chalk with his foot.
"What were you doing?" Lyn asked.
"Figuring a plan out once we get out of here." Alfaic bluntly stated.
"What kind of plan?"
"Well, like I said. Figuring that out, still."
Lyn traced Alfaic as he moved towards a table, with more chalk drawn on it. It seemed to be a confusing mess of lines intersecting one another, all pointing toward one specific location with a circle etched upon it. She noticed he was trying to erase the evidence with his arm, putting his back in between her view.
"Why can't you ever give me a direct answer?" Lyn asked, causing Alfaic to freeze with his back still turned.
"There are some things better off without knowing, trust me," Alfaic said, continuing to wipe the evidence. "And because it's something I'm not sure of anything exact, just yet."
She chose not to fight the battle of knowing more than her business. He was right. The knowledge she gained was something that was irreversibly damaging. "But the truth is, you lived out there this whole time right? Longer than me or anyone that ever stood on METIS." She said.
"Wouldn't say 'ever stood on METIS...' but, yeah, I guess you could say that," Alfaic said, turning around and leaning back against the table. "My father made me remember it all. Made me remember why I was hiding in the first place."
Lyn laid back on the bed and clasped her palms together to rest them underneath her abdomen. She closed her eyes and relaxed her shoulders. "Tell me about the world. All the things I haven't seen before, all the places I haven't been to. Tell me what it's like." She said.
The request put a smile onto Alfaic's face, not because it rekindled the happier times within his life, but because it was her who asked. Summoning the brighter times into his mind, he poured what he could out with what little words he thought in the moment.
"Okay, well… how should I start? We lived on the shore of an island where it was nothing but pure white sand underneath our feet. The mountains beside us stood tall and white, blocking the sun for the most of the day. And I remember when we'd all gather during twilight, standing with our toes embedded in that sand until that sun would go all the way down, and it was one of the most satisfying feelings ever."
The story made Lyn grin. The thought of her standing serenely at the edge of the world made her wonder, what exactly was out there? But the story continued.
"And on some days, where Father would let us out, we'd take one of those big wooden boats out on that ocean. It was the biggest ocean I'd ever seen in my life. And for miles on end, if you took that boat through, there would be these even bigger islands you'd stumble across. You'd meet new people, and even these friendly creatures, and you'd travel through these beautiful forests and stretches of land, until you got bored. So you went back, and we'd either go home, or we'd continue until nightfall. We'd stand on the ocean shore wondering where the next island was, and what exactly we'd see the next day, the next day, and the next day."
The thought of the endless stream of islands eagerly enticed Lyn to want to embark on the journey herself. Her life was in a chaotic state where each twist and turn led to danger and death. It was an endearing goal that meant the world to her.
"It's a shame. I didn't realize how good I got it until it was all over. I'd... do anything to relive those memories again." Alfaic said.
Lyn sat back up and cupped her hands together, interlocking her fingers. "Well... we could go together," She suggested, locking eyes with Alfaic. "I... I want to see it myself, too."
Alfaic exchanged glances back with Lyn, acknowledging the suggestion with a light smile.
"Yeah. I'd like that." Alfaic said.
The two of them sat in silence, wallowing their shortly produced dream. Both of them then suddenly locked eyes with each other simultaneously, speaking at the same time with a simple greeting to start off.
"Hey." They both said at the same time.
"You go first." Alfaic insisted.
"When I said earlier that I wanted to give you time, I didn't want to wait," Lyn admitted, calling them back to when they had first reconciled about Alfaic's secret. "And I meant what I said, when I said that if I had lost you, I would lose myself. I've been thinking about everything that's happened so far between us, and I wanted to apologize."
Alfaic continued to listen.
"I... have never put so much trust into one being. And I cannot even think further in the future where this will change," Lyn said. "But there is nothing that you have ever done to make me doubt you. All you have done is be by my side, and I will never forget that. Your face... will never change that."
"Never?" Alfaic jested, posing his face from a side angle to showcase Krin's facial features as bright as day.
Lyn chuckled. "Never." She solidified.
"Then I accept it." Alfaic said.
Pushing herself close to the edge of the bed, she edged herself forward until the soles of her feet touched the ground for the first time since she had left space. The instant feeling of stepping on terrain made her wobble to the point where she was about to fall. Her body had not acclimated to the ship's drastic change.
"Lyn!" Alfaic shouted, rushing forward to aid her. He caught her arm just before she was about to collapse, wrapping it around the back of his neck until he supported underneath her armpit. "Pushing yourself even though you're injured. Typical move from you."
At first, she was in denial to the point where she wanted to move away by herself, believing she could handle it. But there was something odd about the situation that she hadn't experienced before, making her remain still despite her injuries. She turned her head toward Alfaic until they were nearly at each other's faces, and she gave a smug grin.
"What?" Alfaic asked.
"I'd punch you in the face right now if I didn't know any better it was you." Lyn said.
"Feeling a little regret for your acceptance already?"
"No..." Lyn whispered as they maneuvered toward the break table. "Just... happy it is you."
"Oh, yeah? What if I was secretly one of my brothers all along? I'd consider myself a master of disguise, after all."
"Don't push me." Lyn's voice turned dark.
"If you say so." Alfaic replied.
A deep bloodcurdling roar suddenly broke the moment between the two, separating them to focus on the echoes that dwelled within the ship. Lyn gave Alfaic a quick glance, indicating that was okay to release her. They both pressed their ears against the closest wall where the entrance of the break room was, and they twinged at the sound of mucky and wet slithering on metal floors. The unknown creature's movement was slow and steady, and a faint choking sound wriggled Alfaic's skin in a nervous manner.
"Rot?" Lyn whispered.
"Gotta be," Alfaic hushed. "Need me as a sword, do you? Just like old times?"
"Would be nice." Lyn said, shoving Alfaic's shoulder.
Alfaic reverted to his sword form and landed into Lyn's grip. She pulled the malfunctioning exit aside, hoping to open it carefully, but it was much harder than anticipated. A slimy and congealed material barricaded the door and made it nearly impossible to open with just brute force. It took several strong-willed tugs to pull it away, leaving a stretch of transparent goo beneath her feet. She and Alfaic found themselves in a two-sector corridor with dim flickering bright green lights illuminating the darkness.
"Take it slow." Alfaic whispered.
Lyn followed exactly that; her footsteps were barely audible underneath the metal grates. No only was she purposefully trying to be stealthy in the spaceship, but there were two issues that dramatically weighed her down. The atmosphere of the ship seemed to be severely weighed down by the vacuum of space, despite the exits being sealed off completely.
The second was more dangerous, with large coagulated clumps of the slimy material bubbling across the floors, leaving a faint trail behind to signify an unknown Rot in the premises. The green color was unlike Lyn had ever seen.
Lyn and Alfaic pressed on. They found a painted sign on the wall with streaks of deep scratches within them, rusted with age. It blocked the actual writing on it, labeling it as "Floor B1."
The ghastly and eerie darkness made it impossible for Lyn to see her surroundings unless she was directly up close to it. As she treaded slowly, several side doors containing lockers of equipment were all coated in dried blood from the deceased crew. Their bodies were nowhere to be seen, however, which was unusual.
The air was tense and bitter around Lyn, which Alfaic felt as well despite him in his sword form. As the two progressed down the same corridor, the air nearly suffocated Lyn as a cold sense of impending doom began to lurk around the corner. She wanted to lift Alfaic up above her waist to perform a preemptive slash against the unknown Rot assailant, but she found it unbearable to move. An invisible force and presence prevented her from enacting her plan.
And there it was. The creature appeared; a gargantuan humanoid with a bulbous alien head that resembled a slimy octopus's head. Its broad shoulders and tough muscles proved their steel-hardened skin was impenetrable. Its webbed feet, slimy skin, and amphibious downward slanted eyes was enough proof that it was an otherworldly alien; however, it was adorned with a white coat and black pants, all barely kept together after being torn to shreds by its massive size.
But the one thing that set it apart, which made it almost life or death to Lyn was its sharp omnipotent green-eyed gaze. The moment it shot its gaze upon Lyn, she froze completely, paralyzed from head to toe. As a rapturous choking sound ensued after catching Lyn as its prey, the octopus head opened from the top, revealing a maw of serrated teeth ready to devour Lyn.
"Lyn! NO!" Alfaic cried. He dashed forward in sword form, piercing through the creature's left eye to blind it momentarily. The creature stumbled backward, losing its mystical and controlling gaze on Lyn to break her free. Alfaic reverted to human form and leapt on top of her, entering a separate double-doored room to shelter themselves from the monster.
"Don't look at it!" Alfaic shouted, pulling Lyn against the wall.
A flash of bright light emitted in the large room, revealing the true nature of where they stood within. Rapid laser light sensors dotted the room, trapping them in a maze-like chamber. Alfaic barely had any time to process his environment, as the stomping presence of the creature began to press forward after being briefly stunned. He held Lyn's hand and maneuvered through the tight squeeze of the lasers, avoiding it despite not knowing the intention of them.
The creature broke through the double doors with a single swipe of its arm, without any effort. The door split into two and launched toward the lasers, incinerating them into bits and pieces. Alfaic kept Lyn and himself from staring at the creature, holding her tightly as she continued to recover from its gaze.
As the creature attempted to navigate through the laser maze, it gave up as soon as it realized its hulking size was proved to be impossible to get through. It's dark and damp screech of frustration was the last thing the two heard before they escaped into a system of dark tunnels, finding shelter within to recover.
"I don't feel very good." Lyn slurred.
"I know, I know," Alfaic said, leaning Lyn against the edge of a cold flat wall after passing through the tunnels. He pressed his fingers against his forehead in distress. "If Ardine and Claire were only here..."
"I hope... they're okay." Lyn slurred once more. "My body... is feeling... very strange..."
"Just relax, okay?" Alfaic ordered.
"You look like you're underwater..." Lyn continued to stutter her words as her face was bedazzled with light flashing in her eyes. "Get out before you drown..."
"Hey, hey," Alfaic whispered, gently leaning down to the ground until the back of her head rested upon it. "Don't talk. Just rest."
"Get out before you drown!" Lyn's slurred voice rose in volume.
Bolting forward, Alfaic covered her mouth with his palm, turning his head upright in paranoia over the creature's presence. He examined his dark surroundings to find anything useful to defend themselves and located a laboratory filled with unused equipment.
"Stay here, I'll be back." Alfaic ordered. As Alfaic stepped into the laboratory door, he clutched the rusted ailing nearest to him, as the unstable angle of the room made it slippery to cross over towards. Parts of the ground were broken, showing signs of large claw marks and the same green sludge that trailed from the gargantuan alien creature. He slid down a small pathway, leading him to a set of laboratory equipment filled with bits and bobs of the unknown.
After ducking under a shattered light bar dangling above the ceiling that crackled with sparks, he found an unresponsive elevator consisting of three total floors. He opened the girder-like doors and peered up to see the actual elevator stuck at the top. Inhaling a deep breath, he transformed back into his sword form and plunged down into the bottom floor, reverting back after touching down on the ground.
Now he found himself in the ship's cargo bay, with an emergency back-up power generator located in the corner of the room. As he approached it, he made note of the massive cargo door that revealed the shimmering glow of space's dull light. METIS was directly underneath, and he promised himself and Lyn internally that they would return to fix and end things.
"I'm coming back soon," He said as he approached the generator. "Stay safe."
He tried to forcefully tug on the generator's lever mechanism to revive power, but the massive alien creature rammed through a side of the wall, ending the harmony of the scene. Smoke covered the creature's impaired green eyes, buying Alfaic enough time to avert his gaze away from it. He transformed into his sword and bolted straight for the monster's other eye, but it was swift; it snatched Alfaic by the handle and tossed him against the cargo door, denting the glass upon it and causing it to brittle.
The creature charged forward with its shoulder, leaving behind the trail of slime that coated the ground. Alfaic eyed the slime and submerged his sword form in it, coating him in the sludge before the creature snagged him out of it. As it tried to grasp him by the handle ever so slightly, the coated sludge made him slide directly out of the creature's grip and onto the floor.
Alfaic then backed up into the corner of the cargo bay door and reverted to his human form, dispersing the slime to make him grabbable. The creature charged forward with its burly shoulder with the intent to crush him on contact, but Alfaic planned ahead. He reverted back into his sword form and maneuvered away, dodging underneath the creature's wide legs as the cargo bay door ruptured upon added pressure from its previous strike. The bay ruptured, revealing the intense vacuum of space from behind that caused a powerful swirling vortex that sucked up everything inside the bay door. Alfaic held his breath as the creature held onto the open bay doors with its life, reaching toward Alfaic's leg as he reverted back into his human form.
The vacuum was too much for them both to handle, as the creature clutched Alfaic's foot before he could make his grand escape. The vacuum was about to drag both of them into the abyss before Alfaic slammed a panel on the side of the cargo door, indicating an emergency shut-off protocol that would seal the cargo doors with a metal lock. It would only take three seconds for the lock to seal itself, leaving Alfaic enough time to nudge his body out of the grasp of the creature's reach. As the creature tried to pull itself up, the final second rang clearly as an alarm blared through the bay, sounding the closing. The metal doors clamped shut on the creature's octopus head, decapitating it and cutting its paralyzing gaze away permanently. Its green glowing eyes turned lifeless and pale, and its body was sucked into the endless vastness of space.
Alfaic, whose leg was still held on by the severed hand that came along with it, leaned back on the cold floors to thank himself for finding the way to save him and Lyn from the inescapable chaos they've had to deal with. Now that it was just them on the ship, Alfaic exhaled a sigh of relief before freeing himself from the creature's limbless grip. He moved to the generator to switch it on, restoring power and electricity to the lights.
The elevator automatically moved to his level where the power was routed to, and he rode it up to the middle floor to retrieve Lyn from her daze.