Subnautica: Echoes

Chapter 4: The Previous Owners

Lyra swung towards the door frame as she stumbled back into the central hub of the pod, planting her feet firmly until the ship stopped swinging.

"Why is there so much turbulence?" Hunter complained. "There's nothing out there."

"Just the forces of space," Samuel replied. An unhealthy shade of green, he clutched at the armrests as though the forces he spoke of were about to drag him into the endless vacuum and spread his remains amongst the stars.

Hunter tutted at him and unbuckled his belt, tugging on a ceiling wrung to propel him out of his seat. He barged his way past Lyra and struck the button on the cockpit door frame, closing the door behind him.

"I think he's just anxious," she said, perching herself beside Samuel and reaching out for him.

He side-eyed her and pulled at his seatbelt until the metal restraining him surrendered. "I'm going for a lie down," he muttered, traipsing into the back and drawing the curtain to shut himself away.

Lyra retracted her hand. Fighting the guilt swelling in her gut, she focused on the smooth rumble of the craft and the twirl of her thumbs as they danced around one another. Anything to take her mind off the swirling cascade of thoughts prodding at her already tender conscience. The glaring presence opposite her moved and she peeked up at Marguerit. "I suppose you think I should talk to them."

The older woman shook her head. "Personally, child, I think you should stop caring about what others expect you to do, and do what you think is right."

"In that case, I should probably leave them alone for a while," Lyra mused. "That's always worked best in the past. I just feel..." She scratched at her hand and avoided Marguerit's scrutiny.

"What? Say it."

"Guilty." She bowed her head. "They are my best friends, I wouldn't be without them for anything, and yet here I am, dragging them into the unknown."

Marguerit leaned forwards, resting her elbows on her knees. "Did you ask them to come with you?"

"They figured out what I was planning to do and said they were coming with me."

"Did you force them?"

"No." Lyra waved her satisfied grin away. "I get what you're trying to say, but it doesn't rid me of the guilt. If something happened to them, I'd never forgive myself."

Marguerit slid over to the seats on the other side of the module, countering the quakes of the craft with quick footwork. "Every emotion is there for a reason, but guilt is tricky. I know all too well how destructive it can be and what it does to your head."

"Is that why you agreed to help me?" Lyra pressed. "You spoke to my mum, you have more knowledge about this than you're letting on, and you feel guilty having to look her daughter in the eyes and withhold information?"

"Perhaps that has a part to play in why I came with you on this crazy mission," Marguerit admitted, "but the truth is I'm a risk taker, just like you." She nudged the younger woman's leg with her knee playfully.

Lyra fought against the impulse to fidget and resolved to sit tall in her seat. Marguerit was right. She hadn't forced her friends to come with her; they were there of their own volition. The best thing she could do was appreciate their help and focus on keeping them alive. "What happened to you on 4546B?" she asked, expecting Marguerit to outright refuse to answer.

"You've heard of the Torgal cooperation, right?"

Lyra nodded.

"They hired me as a security guard aboard the Degasi, under the command of the CEO, Paul," Marguerit began, eyes fixated on the sprawling array of stars outside the opposite window. "He was a selfish man, far too greedy for his own good, and he knew that 4546B was full of valuable resources. As we approached, an Architect platform shot us down. Out of the entire crew, only myself, Paul, and his son, Bart, survived." She shifted in her seat and stretched her legs out. "Paul and I never got on, so the arguments were inevitable, but Bart was a kind soul, nothing like his father. You remind me of him. Young, bright, and full of adventure. He didn't deserve such a cruel fate."