Waking Up Without Her

IX-Overflow

I paused to let the creature some space before I continued on. As I stalked through the halls, Dovas forwarded communications to me. A cephalon was a tactical advantage in every way, allowing reliable remote feedback throughout any situation. Dovas was even able to update multiple parties nearly instantaneously. He relayed a few more basic questions to the Director while I made my way to the marked location. I could overhear their conversation while the cephalon left our communications channel open. Basic intel was exchanged while I continued to scour the halls and walls for any sign of movement.

\\When did the event occur, approximately?//...

//How many crew were aboard?\\...

\\Subsequently, how many crew were lost?//...

I did not hear her replies to each question, as my focus was on navigation of her ship. The sooner I could complete my task the sooner I could depart from the ignorant Cephalon I was tethered to. Dovas began updating the small map of the ship with several alterations. The map Dovas had supplied me with was likely forwarded from Clarity, but Dovas had left marks on the map, annotations and alterations I'm sure he deemed superior. My route was irregular, cutting into rooms and halls, trying to dodge the marked lifesigns. More than once a large reading in a room caused me to pause as Dovas rerouted my path. I needed to avoid possible conflicts for now, reserving my own strength for the security of the survivors. Were it not for the constant guidance of a cephalon it would be increasingly difficult to navigate this foreign ship. At one point, I thought we might actually reach the bridge, only to find an unexpected pile of Infested buildup had entrapped the passage entrance. After a short navigational debate between Dovas and Clarity, I was running back down the hall to step through a maintenance hatch.

Pools of infested mass were forming near the air vents, significantly more noticeable in the confined space of the thin passageway. The thoughtless flesh continued seeking every morsel of corruptible material it could find. At its current rate, the few survivors may already be exposed. These thoughts only weighed heavier as I heard Clarity's volume increased. Dovas must have thought it was important enough to amplify the sound.

"All survivors have been kitted with rebreathers to avoid contamination, though you likely will not manage to simply walk right in. Infested have centralized their forces around the bridge, trapping us inside. But..." Here, Clarity murmured in a hushed tone, as if the director had suddenly worried about being overheard, "...we have been sabotaged internally." The director continued, their voice quiet, but as clear as if they were whispering just beside me. It seemed Dovas wanted me to pay attention, since the map I was reading suddenly shifted. There was a new beacon drawing my attention. My movements paused as Clarity continued: "An operative in containment was let loose. They were infected, and their escape certainly caused the loss of the ship. I do not know if the culprit who freed them survived... so few did... I need you to retrieve the data logs in Security to see who opened the door. We must determine who the spy is, and if they are still a threat."

I see, Dovas is directing me to Security. I turned in the tight corridor, my ignis clinking off the inner metal wall as I began backtracking. Clarity had left much unspoken, yet I filled in the blanks: She did not trust the crew around her in some capacity, that much was evident. While she did not voice that concern outright, that silent cry for help was heard. If one of the survivors was the culprit, we would first need to identify and deal with the saboteur.

A few hundred meters back though the tight maintenance hall – only once I had jostled another hatch open – I stepped free of the engineer's passage. Dovas continued pulling information from our ally while I trod on, not far from my new destination.

//Why were infested in containment?//

Dovas inquired. I was wondering the same. I was uncertain why they would allow such a potential disaster aboard in the first place. My step took me around a particularly dense growth, a bulbous mass that pulsed with a disgusting gurgle during the moment of radio silence. I wondered if Clarity would ever reply, but she eventually answered Dovas, her tone much more somber as she spoke.