When Kai ran, he didn't stop running— he ran until he was out, ran until he couldn't see the hallways, bumped into people, blew past them, and his stamina was no longer a concern. He didn't know where to go... he went... to medical subconsciously at least. Narr was already on her way out, around her neck, a leash towing a large metallic-looking suitcase; she didn't have hands, so she had to figure out some way to carry things. And from the looks of it, she was in the middle of quitting. "Kai! Thank god!" She was exasperated; Kai wasn't in the best position to greet a woman; he was sweaty, disgusting, and out of breath; Bodi was no better; he had a dead thousand-yard stare. His body is present, but his mind... questionable. "What's wrong with him?" Narr inquired, her caring instincts kicking in immediately. "There was an accident. We have to get off this ship."
"Ugh, tell me about it! I found this file... Kai... it's horrible." From there, Narr explained everything, but in the interest of time, condensed the information to the big topics, like the enslavement and the enzyme, and Kai and Bodi's purpose for Narcit's plan. Then, Kai informed Narr of the crew's situation, including the incident with the guards and how they were actively being hunted. Bodi snapped back into reality. "I didn't do it on purpose." He strained. The bags under his eyes were trying to well up with tears. And Kai placed both hands on his brother's shoulders, "I know Bode... they did it to themselves." Kai offered Bodi a brotherly kiss on the cheek and then a hug; this stopped the tears as Bode buried his face into Kai's chest. Narr felt strangely out of place; she was sure she felt like a third wheel. "Narr. Please tell me you've got a way out... we have to help those people."
"I do... but we'll only be able to help ourselves now. But after we get out. We can signal the Trinity to help us. I made a flight plan. We'll be cutting it close, but if we push the engines. I think we can make it."
"Engines?" Bodi asked; he blinked, looked at his brother— and Kai stared back. Equally intrigued. "Yeah! I was digging in Destiny's schematics and found a small craft... almost like a life pod for Yar and the most senior crew; she's a prototype like the rest of the ship. But I think she'll do the job."
"How will we get down there?" Kai asked.
Narr reached into the metallic baggage being towed behind her and, from one of the cases, whipped out a device using her beak. She set it on the deck. It looked like a calculator with all the bells and whistles, but it was much more. "What is that?" Bodi asked; his need for science never relaxed, not even when he was in a state of depression.
"Well, it just so happens that the Xalorians have quite an affinity for teleportation... at least, that's what I looked like. This device is like a site-to-site transporter... it beams solid molecules from one space to another. But the range is short, and it only works one time after; it'll be burned out. And I hate to add to the fire, but the targeting system isn't precise, so I'm more targeting the general area of the bay. It won't put us there. I think it's used to transport troops on a battlefield. I fabricated it just now, so I hope it works." Narr activated the device, and it trilled. She went to use the tip of her beak to tap away at the controls.
"Wait? So, in theory. Could it put us on the bridge...? With Yar?"
"You don't want to know," Narr insisted as she continued to press away. "Wait? It beams molecules. So, we will get sliced into a billion pieces and reassembled somewhere else? That doesn't sound very safe." Bodi twiddled his thumbs; although Bodi didn't have a heart, he knew that if he did, it would be beating profusely. He was so terrified and partly disgusted. He still couldn't believe that the Xalorians were the ones responsible... of course it was them, they were always cruel, and no matter how old he'd gotten, he could never singe the memories from his mind, the horror stories his father and mother had told him, to warn him and his brother of the danger that lurked in their backyard... the experiments they did. And to learn that they were responsible for an entirely new generation of Omeocoon..? Suffice to say, he did not want to go through one of their machines... but something told him he didn't have a choice.
"Well, I suppose we could use the maintenance tubes, but that'll take hours, even with a ship this small," Narr informed. Kai and Bodi looked at each other and then back at Narr. "Okay, it's ready. Stand over there." Narr pointed with her wing, and Kai and Bodi complied, moving to the center of the room, away from all other loose objects Kai noticed... perhaps to keep them from getting spliced? Narr set a timed delay and joined Kai and Bodi in the medical center. She looked around one more time. "You know? Strangely, I'm going to miss this place. The medical bay... not the people." And then, in a beam of glorious gold light, they were whisked away, almost magically. It was painless.
Upon seeing this oval-shaped craft, the trio were deposited quite close to their destination and in a docking bay. Kai's breath was swiftly knocked out of his lungs; it was small but manageable; he saw beauty in a starship and was not afraid to admit to himself when he appreciated a good decision; it was 10 meters long, 18 meters long, and 8 meters high. "Figured Yar would have a yacht on a ship designed for dangerous research," Bodi growled darkly. He squared his shoulders as they moved closely.
It did indeed look like new. It was very new, never used. But it looked to be completed. "Will it fly?" Kai asked as he looked around the bay; things seemed automated. A small control booth was in the corner but was vacant, and the lights were off perfectly. They needed to move quickly; it would be soon that they would be swarmed. Narr nodded; she hopped behind Kai and Bodi as they examined the ship. "I looked at the database; it requires a level nine authorization to enter, and once we get in, I couldn't manufacture a scrambler in time, so we'll have to get creative; the top hatch is our best bet," Narr informed. It would take them only a short time to reach the point of the top hatch; it required some climbing on a ladder; the tricky part was the keypad, designed for Captain's use only. "Bodi, why don't you open the door?" Kai proposed; the younger brother nodded, melted into a blob of jelly, and quickly slipped into the top hatch's cracks. Kai took a knee and waited for Bodi to figure out how to open the door. "Well, after we escape, what will you do?" Narr asked; there was finally breathing room for conversation; it was dark but not so dark; Kai could still see her in the dark. "I'm going home, Bodi, and I have catching up to do. And... this is no life for someone like him; we've had fun exploring, but I think I want to settle down; we can help rebuild our planet. What about you?"
"I can help you rebuild; surely you need medics. I can be a spokesperson; I think I can learn Omeocoon biology." Narr imagined herself helping those poor people. She was good at it. "I think you'll be welcome." Kai offered a tired smile. Then back to the hatch... what's taking him so long? "Are you afraid?" Narr asked. Kai looked up again, making eye contact, "What?"
"Are you afraid? Of the Xalorians, I told you what they planned to do... and what they've already done. But... you seem unphased."
"Well... yeah, I'm worried. But until I reach the Trinity or that station, you mentioned... there isn't much I can do about it. Two Omeocoon and a Dena'vi aren't going to be enough to stop Narcit. We need help." Speaking of help, the hatch opened, not as elegant as if it were to receive an access code, but open nonetheless. Bodi had to force it after he could jerry-rig it to open electronically. That was what he was struggling with. He poked his head out, "Hurry up, I think I might've tripped an alarm." Narr's eyes gleamed with something that Kai couldn't quite identify as he made his way down the hatch; he was about halfway before he gestured for Narr to begin handing him the essentials she'd brought along. "Don't worry about this. Hurry. Before they catch up."
"Wait? You aren't coming with us?" Kai asked, angling his head upward to make eye contact with their birdish savior. "I can't, and I have to stay and ensure no one catches up to you. But it's been a pleasure helping you!" A sudden klaxon blared as soon as Narr finished her sentence; it echoed through the ship and the bay. Red emergency lights flickered, casting an ominous glow over the silver walls. Just as Kai was about to respond, the yacht bay doors rattled under the force of an attempted breach. The crew had discovered their plans... speak of the devil, and now they were determined to stop the trio... instead... duo from escaping. Kai looked back toward Narr, his face pleading— if he'd made any friends during his three months on this ship, it was her. And she didn't deserve to suffer; she wasn't even a part of the fake patrol. She'd come into this expecting to be on a real crew, and they'd kept her in the dark, too. "We have room for you, and you said you want to help us! You can!" Kai said firmly, his eyes darting between the door and Narr's face. "What the hell," Narr squealed, and she moved in closer, pushing the equipment she brought down the ladder first. Kai shuffled it down to Bodi, who was waiting at the bottom of the ladder well, and then Kai and Narr were down there, shutting the hatch and sealing them inside.
Kai suspected the docking clamps intergrading the yacht with the Destiny would have to be manually released because the bridge would surely lock them out. Just as the trio entered the ship, the yacht bay doors lost their integrity and were forced open. Yar's band of fakers started flowing inside. "Seems like we have unwelcome guests," she declared, glancing at the ship's security feed on a nearby console. Kai wasted no time in getting things going; the top hatch was a pass-through to the entire ship; he climbed down the ladder until he landed on the main level. The vessel was dark, but he found the cockpit on top of the ship. There were four consoles, one horseshoe-shaped console in the very front of the craft, which was definitely for the pilot, to port engineering and sciences, to starboard weapons. Kai went to the piano black station; this ship was entirely fly-by-wire. He didn't even have time to think about it... in his opinion, he was more of an old-school throttle and joysticks guy... but this would do.
As soon as he was onboard, Bodi made his way to the cockpit, fiercely pushing the buttons in the corridor. He wasn't 100% sure what they did, but one of them was bound to be the main power. He was right; one of these switches was designated for secondary power, and one for the ship's master power switch. Soon enough, the vessel's corridors were flooded with bright white light as the electrical power surged through the entire ship, the hum of circuits and motors made themselves known, and the computer informed the crew in a monotone female voice that it was 'powering up' over speakers. Bodi made his way to the cockpit and took his seat at the engineering instead of sciences; he figured they would need power plant operation right now, not scanners... and he didn't feel like killing anyone with the weapons again today. So, he was content with his current job. Kai made preparations to fly frantically while simultaneously watching the security feed. "Where the hell are the controls!?" Kai asked; he was horrified the rest of the ship was sprawling with life while the consoles on the bridge were still piano black. Bodi cringed as he watched his brother have to learn a new ship; he was always so good with the solar sailor... and now?
Bodi stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth in deep focus. He took a guess and pressed on a dark place. A beep of confirmation was sounded, and the computer spoke again. "Bridge security lockout disengaged, manual helm control enabled." Voila, the entire bridge lit up, and all controls were available: ignition, navigation. "Good work, Bodi," Narr praised; Bodi's tail moved; he liked the appreciation. "Can you fly it?" Bodi asked. Kai shot him a glare as he operated his controls. "Are you kidding me?" He asked with an eyebrow raised; he took that as an insult. He could fly anything.
"Sorry." Bodi mocked with his hands.
Kai was definitely delighted to be in a familiar space, and the layout didn't change much. However, the interior was completely different, much more open, and quite pleasant to be in. It still had the new ship smell. "Thanks for letting me come with you." Narr chirped, "Don't thank me, I'm just returning the favor." Kai's face illuminated redder than usual as he blushed with butterflies. Bodi's voice cut through a very personal moment, "Come on! We gotta go!" Bodi might be able to flip switches and use a scanner, but he couldn't pilot. This task was reserved for Kai. "Well, that's the thing, I've got the engines online, but the bridge locked us out! I can't access the docking controls!" Kai groaned in annoyance, manipulating his console in hopes of finding a back door.
Bodi examined his console; he watched the pretty graphics on display rotate through several systems and their relation on the ship's hull, internal surfaces, and other locations. "I have an idea." Bodi swiftly accessed the ship's internal systems, his fingers deftly dancing on the console. "I can initiate a partial lockdown, disabling non-essential systems to force the bridge to prioritize unlocking. Brace yourselves; this might get bumpy," he declared, his eyes focused on the array of controls.
As he executed his plan, the ship's lights dimmed momentarily, and a low hum resonated through the vessel. Narr and Kai gripped the edges of their seats, the urgency of their escape mounting. The ship's internal AI announced, "Partial lockdown initiated. Standby for system reconfiguration." The bridge's security lockout slowly began to relent. Kai's console flickered to life with newfound access to the docking controls. "Nice one, Bode!" he commended, relief evident. "Hey... you aren't the only one who knows his way around a ship." Bodi was co-pilot on the solar sailor, so it made sense that he was more familiar with operations systems than flying. As the trio prepared to depart, a commotion echoed from the yacht bay behind them. Yar's crew tried to enter the craft like the Space Bunnies had entered. But it was too late, Kai released the docking clamps, and the ship was free. It realized from the underbelly of its mothership and was now its own self-contained entity. Kai maneuvered the yacht with newfound familiarity... to him, it was like getting to know a new friend. It was very responsive; it clearly wanted to get to know him too. He guided it away from the Destiny's docking bay.
At this point, he didn't wait until he was at a safe distance to power up the main engines. He just did it. Which, under regular operation, someone would never do because it was dangerous. In the dimly lit cockpit, Narr jumped triumphantly. "We did it! Now, let's focus on getting out of here and sending that signal for help," she urged.
The yacht smoothly transitioned into the vastness of space, and soon, they jumped to warp speed without a second thought., leaving the Destiny and its sinister secrets behind. As they hurtled through the cosmos, the trio contemplated their uncertain future.