Luna studied the space station and analyzed the readings in search of a landing spot. Avi approached her, but avoided eye contact and instead looked beyond the window.
In front of Luna's spaceship, there was a black wall illuminated by dark, green lamps. It ford a long line with a few silver, concave outlets in the shape of a cone, each a dozen miles wide, which was nearly the sa width as the height of the station.
“It's... massive.” - Avi whispered. - “How are we supposed to get rid of it?”
“We'll find a way.” - Luna answered. - “Look, the docks are right there. You can land.”
“I'll try to.” - Avi said and focused her thoughts, directing the ship to the entrance. When she entered, they passed a row of fighters in the shape of a capsule with scorpion-like tails and parallel, flat, vertical wings that weren't attached to the ships in any physical way. The fighters were suspended on the walls with the help of chanical hangers, behind which a gentle blue light glowed.
Avi stopped at the end of this dark hallway. The station's life support was still active, so every passenger of Luna's ship was allowed to exit and enter their van. The structure was cut by huge tunnels that were shaped like cylinders, and Luna quickly discovered that they had evenly distributed gravity, making it possible to drive their vehicle along the entire surface of the walls.
The place was eerily quiet, and the air was filled with black, fluctuating particles of unidentified liquid. Luna passed many grated vents, from which powerful streams of air were blowing, pushing the black sli onto the windows of their van.
Luna was still focused on their goal. For a long ti, Avi didn't speak because she was fascinated by the huge and seemingly infinite vertical shafts above them. It was like this until their path was blocked by a rounded wall with a small button.
“It seems we have to walk now.” - Luna said as she analyzed the electronics.
Avi got out of the van right after Luna. - “Did you figure out what to do with this device?”
“No.” - Luna answered. - “I can't scan even a tiny fragnt of their technology. Everywhere, there are unidentified tal alloys, and the access to the network is protected by security algorithms that would probably take as much ti to hack as a million tis the age of the universe.”
“That probably doesn't bode well for our mission, does it?”- Avi replied.
“It's a miracle that we were able to enter at all.” - Luna sighed. - “I... I don't know, this is beyond my strength. We have to find a different way.”
“Maybe there is soone who knows how to operate this?” - Avi wondered.
“Maybe...” - Luna said. - “...but would it be better? It would most likely be a person who has the blood of Cross of Immortality's citizens on their hands.”
“You're right.” - Avi beca gloomy.
Luna approached the doorway and stood there, looking at their cavity.
“Anything wrong?” - Avi ca closer too.
“Take a look.”
Avi checked the fra, it was slightly bent, like soone had pried the door open.
“Soone was here before us?” - Avi asked.
“Everything hints at that. The question is, what were they looking for, and did they leave any backdoor?”
The girls moved past the doorway, entering a narrow, few-mile-long fissure, and traveled it until they reached a half-opened gate, next to which was a pedestal with a computer. The device had a cracked screen, and its keyboard had been crushed. Periodically, sparks burst from it, illuminating the darkness.
Luna crouched and entered. Avi followed. The next chamber was filled with silver dust, which floated in the air and covered the floors between server rooms behind black glass panels. Luna continued along the empty corridors, examining the terminals, but none were accessible and allowed to open the doors.
“We won't find anything here.” - She finally inford, fatigued. - “If we at least knew where to go.”
“Shouldn't we try to get deeper, to the location where the weapons are?” - Avi asked.
“Without a thod to bypass the security, it won't help.” - Luna answered. - “The most optimal route of action is to learn how this station functions.”
“Okay.” - Avi said, discouraged.
“Caleb, you're our hope. Will you check if there are any signs of breaking in?” - Luna requested.
“On my way.” - Caleb responded, then disappeared into the abyss.
---
“Caleb found... a vast, empty object.” - Caleb said after a dozen minutes. - “No signs of breaking in, but there are unidentified nano-structures. Caleb will keep looking.”
Avi looked at the cara feed. - “It's huge!” - A few miles wide space surrounded the cylindrical walls of the space station's cannon.. Only occasionally, there were a few slanted, grated bridges leading there.
“At least we know the way to the particle concentration chamber.” - Luna added. - “...and it seems...” - She switched the mode of Scout's cara to night vision and zood in. - “...there are also structures similar to large spiderwebs.”
“Why would they need them?” - Avi asked.
Luna shrugged. - “Honestly, no idea. Maybe they support the inner structure.”
Avi and Luna continued their walk until they arrived right where Caleb gave his last report. Luna grabbed the bridge's railings and looked below, It was impossible to see the bottom of the chasm.
“Luna... careful. Don't lean out like that!” - Avi said, barely able to take a few steps. Her legs were trembling, and she held the rail with both hands, bending her knees slightly.
“Avi... do you have a fear of heights?” - Luna asked with disbelief.
“No... I don't think so... but this, this is different.”
“Do you require assistance?”
“No, I'll be fine.” - Avi muttered, taking slow steps toward Luna.
“Okay, I'll wait on the other side and check what is there.”
“Fine with .” - Avi said, focusing.
Aurora, who was right next to Avi, raised her ears and started listening. She barked twice at Avi.
“Aurora... I'm coming, don't be in such a hurry.” - Avi replied, unable to see that behind her back, from vents in the wall, a thousand dark shapes started to crawl out.
Aurora kept barking.
“What is it again?” - Avi suddenly realized that a large shadow lood over her and slowly turned her head. Milliters away from her face was a robotic head with sixteen red eyes, attached to a spider-like torso with the sa number of limbs.
Avi squealed in fear, fell on her butt and started crawling backward. - “LUNA! Help!”
Luna's silhouette blinked into the doorway in a flash of light. She raised her hand and fired a beam of light at the robot, but it rely ricocheted off, causing no damage.
The robot leaped back and scanned Luna with blue light, then from beneath its head, two nozzles extended outward. Luna didn't wait until the monster attacked and turned into the sphere, flashed like a streak of light across the entire bridge, and stopped right next to Avi.
“Run! I'll catch up with you!” - Luna shouted, spreading her arms and blocking the spider's path.
“...but...”
The spider shot a web from its nozzle, which Luna blocked with her body, then fell down beside Avi.
“Run! NOW!” - Luna shouted, trying to get out of the web.
Avi, instead, stood up and on her trembling feet, sent the multitask cell in the direction of the spider's weapon, seconds before it was able to shoot again.
Right behind her, Aurora was growling and opening her third eye.
The spider looked at Avi, then at the fox, as if it was analyzing sothing, then quickly retreated to the swarm of spider-robots that crawled sowhere else.
“Are you okay?” - Avi called Luna and helped her to free herself. Luna seed quite moody.
“If I tell you to run, run.” - Luna grumbled.
“Co on... this spider-thing was afraid of . I would be fine.” - Avi responded.
“Avi... I don't know why that machine ran, but this is Anaari's tech. A lot more advanced than anything we've t so far.” - Luna explained. - “You don't want to fight it.”
“You are exaggerating.” - Avi replied.
“I am not. This web completely blocked all of my abilities.” - Luna said. - “You're not even aware of what kind of technology it would require.”
“If that's true, then it's even better that I helped you.” - Avi boasted. - “Stop sulking and just thank instead.”
“Hmpf.” - Luna pouted.
“Whatever you want.” - Avi said. - “Next ti, I won't co to the rescue.”
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“I would like to remind you that you were asking for help first.” - Luna replied, then added in a mocking tone. - “Luna! Help!”
“Hey!” - Avi grumbled in protest.
Luna smiled like a rogue. - “...or recall when you were trying to fly the ship. Luna! I can't!”
Avi blushed at the mory and gave Luna a quick kick in the butt while she was still sitting. - “Stop!”
“Ouch!” - Luna whined. - “What was that for?”
“You deserved it.” - Avi said, averting her eyes and crossing her arms.
“Oh, oh... don't be mad. You know I'm just joking.”
“Instead of joking, better think what we should do next.” - Avi replied.
“Fine, fine... Caleb, did you find anything?” - Luna asked.
“Caleb... sees robot-spiders. They are heading to cannon's core. There is a huge breach in the distance, it looks like an effect of an explosion.” - Caleb answered.
“Is it possible to get there on foot?” - Luna inquired.
“It's four levels up and fourteen miles ahead of you.” - Caleb inford.
“Well, now you know where we should go.” - Luna said, standing up and dusting off her dress.
Avi resud her slow walk, still holding the railings in fear as earlier. Luna only sighed and teleported to the end of the bridge, where she waited.
“Faster, you snail.” - Luna uttered when Avi was close to her and extended her hand to help. They both soon walked into a maintenance room with hundreds of steel platforms and stairs, chaotically arranged next to the nodes of thick cables and structural supports equipped with terminals.
As they climbed higher, both girls passed gargantuan-sized pipes made of black glass that were transporting a coolant. Every now and then, inside, there were filters with nets that were supposed to catch pollution in the form of black ooze, which was then removed via smaller pipes.
A level or so higher, above a wide, slanted support, the cylinder's wall was surrounded by levitating cubes. When Avi and Luna passed next to them, they moved away from them, as if they were pushed by an invisible force field, then returned to their position when nobody bothered them.
Right above them, there was also a huge chanical arm that was replacing red-hot lenses inside the weapon's core. It transported them to vats with coolant, then moved to take new ones from suspended storage.
“Caleb... can you read our position and tell us how far away we are?” - Luna asked.
“Halfway there.” - Caleb responded.
“Did you find anything new?” - Luna continued.
“Further readings indicate a nearby source of strong radiation.” - Caleb answered. - “I will not be able to fly there in my current shell.”
“Okay, in that case, please co back.” - Luna said, then called Avi. - “Avi, can you show your data?”
“Okay.” - Avi said, showing the screen of her wrist guard.
“Hm... incredible. Even your spacesuit won't endure it...” - Luna inford. - “...but I should be fine.”
“Is it about the breach?” - Avi asked.
“Yes, the scans indicate structural damage in the weapon's core.” - Luna answered. - “In the worst case, it might get destabilized.”
“Wait... are you implying that it can explode at any second?” - Avi uttered, slightly terrified.
“The chances that it will happen now are close to zero, but yes.” - Luna explained.
“I want to be here even less now.” - Avi comnted.
“In that case, we'll finish what we've started and quickly get out.” - Luna sumd up.
When they ventured farther, blood-red dots began to appear on the skeleton of black steel, and after so ti, they turned into mold that covered most of the cylinder, including the tal supports and iron pillars. The closer Avi and Luna were to the core, the more it started to resemble a forest of crimson corals that soon grew a few ters large.
“They consu radiation. It ans we're closer to the breach.” - Luna explained. - “These plants have an interesting type of forcefield that seems to absorb harmful elents, making it safe to stay here... but well, you will soon have to make sure that Aurora doesn't wander too far away.”
“Do you an that we have to split, again?” - Avi asked, unsure.
“Yes, but only for a short ti. I'll check if there is so terminal or control system that I can hack into... ooo... I think I see Caleb.”
Avi lifted her gaze, but she couldn't see him. He was too far away. She could only notice a white afterglow from which arches of plasma burst out.
“Luna... I think we will hide here. It does look extre.” - Avi said.
“It's still safe for a few dozen ters, but do what you want. We'll stay in touch.” - Luna replied, then turned into a sphere and added in a synthetic voice. - “It'll be faster this way, I'll be back in a second.” - Then she disappeared behind the corals.
Avi sat in the shadow of a spongy plant and looked at her glove. - “Caleb, are you there?”
“Yes.” - Caleb confird.
“Can you watch what Luna is doing?” - - Avi requested. - “I'm a bit scared about her safety.”
“Understood. Caleb will stay vigilant.” - Caleb declared, pointing his cara-eyes to lights that raged in the breach.
On her screen, Avi could see how Luna disappears there. - “Luna... how is it?” - She asked, but the communication was broken. - “Caleb... she doesn't hear !”
“Caleb thinks it's due to radiation. Maybe we should just wait?” - Caleb replied.
“Eh.” - Avi sighed, worried. - “I hope you're right.”
She waited for a few minutes, with Aurora sniffing around her knees. The fox raised its ears, listening. It didn't growl, but seed very focused. Avi, concerned, lifted her head and noticed a familiar black shape appearing behind coral, walking in the direction of the breach.
“Caleb, it's moving in Luna's direction...” - Avi uttered. - “...You have to warn her! She needs to escape!”
“The radiation is too high. Caleb will turn off.” - Caleb inford.
Avi stood up, she had to take matters into her own hands. - “Aurora, stay here.” - She said, then hid behind coral and silently sent the cell to the creature's legs, creating tethers.
The tal beast stopped, disoriented by the fact that it couldn't move. It looked at the cell around its legs, then at the direction it was heading, and scanned the room with its red eyes.
Avi quickly retreated behind the fungus and held her breath, hoping that the monster wouldn't react. However, it lifted its legs despite the cell's weight and pulled the chains, almost pulling Avi too.
The girl nervously peeked out, glancing around and quickly ducking back. She grabbed her head with both hands and crouched. - “Think Avi, think.” - Her breath was fast and unsteady. - “No... no... Avi, rember what Luna taught you about the cell.” - She closed her eyes and started to focus, imagining that her tool gets heavier and heavier, until she heard that spider slow down and its legs creak from effort.
She didn't stop there, though. The cell kept increasing its weight until the steel supports underneath started to bend, and the whole construction started to groan. Avi leaned out once more to see if she had succeeded, and the spider was indeed completely immobilized... but its red eyes were fixed on Avi, who hurried to hide behind coral once more. Nothing happened for a long mont, so concerned, Avi checked the situation again.
Spider's eyes were still gazing at the girl, then it looked at its tethers, then again at Avi, and spoke. - “Did you do it?”
Avi was speechless for a mont, but quickly regained her composure. - “Leave my friend alone... you... You insect!”
The spider turned to the breach, staring there for a short mont. - “I have to neutralize the intruder. Please, free . I don't want to use force.”
“Neutralize...? You're not going anywhere!” - Avi shouted.
“The intruder is dangerous to the colony.” - The robot said. - “Please.”
“Luna isn't dang...” - Avi didn't finish, she rembered what they were here for. She activated the communicator and prayed for Luna to answer. - “Luna, are you there?”
For a long while, there was only silence.
“I can't wait.” - The spider said, and two nozzles erged underneath its head, but Aurora opened its third red eye and started growling. It was enough for the spider to hide its weapons.
A crackling voice ca from Avi's helt. - “Y... y... es.”
“You need to stop what you're doing and co back, right now!” - Avi shouted.
“I... d... don't. Un... derst... and, but... I have... a bac... kdoor. I will ove... rload... the core. Blow up... ever... ything.” - Luna replied.
“YOU CAN'T!!!” - Avi scread at the top of her lungs.
There was a long silence again.
“I... can't?” - Luna asked.
Avi sighed with relief. - “Just co back!”
“O...kay.” - Luna confird.
Avo collapsed, ntally exhausted. One more step, and they could have caused a tragedy that couldn't be undone. She turned her eyes in the direction of the machine and explained. - “Luna doesn't want to hurt you. We only wanted to disable the weapon.”
“What weapon?” - The spider tilted its eyes, asking.
“This.” - Avi pointed at the cannon.
“It's not a weapon, it's the colony's lifesource.” - The spider replied.
Avi covered her face with her hands. - “I can't believe everything is getting so complicated.”
“Avi, can you hear better now?” - Luna spoke through the communicator in Avi's helt. - “Please explain, why did you stop ?”
“These spiders! They are intelligent!” - Avi declared. - “You would kill them!”
“Do you have any proof? My scans were unable to analyze their signature.” - Luna said.
“They... talk.” - Avi replied.
Luna was pondering it. - “That doesn't an anything, it could still be just robots.”
“Are you serious!?” - Avi shouted. - “Do you want to risk!?”
“That's not a question you should direct to . Avi, if we don't blow this station up, the weapon can be used again. There are way more potential victims than the number of these creatures.” - Luna calculated coldly.
“LUNA!” - Avi shouted again. - “We won't bargain with lives!”
“As you wish, I'm only presenting you the possible outcos.” - Luna said, then disconnected and appeared in front of Avi after a flash of light.
“Is that the intruder you talked about?” - Avi was making sure.
“Yes.” - The spider confird.
Avi freed the creature and added. - “I'm sorry. Once again, Luna won't hurt anyone. Please, forgive us the intrusion.”
The spider examined its legs, lifting them and checking if they still functioned. - “The colony is safe. Everything is fine.”
Avi sighed. - “We ca here for nothing and only caused a big ss.”
The spider looked at Avi, analyzing her every word.
“If we at least learned sothing.” - Avi added with sadness.
“I have so knowledge, but I don't know if it'll be useful to you.” - The spider said. - “I'll reveal it, but you must promise to leave and not tinker with our lifesource anymore.”
“Do you really know sothing?” - Avi's eyes brightened.
“Yes, but you need to promise.” - The spider repeated.
“We promise. We won't set foot here again.” - Avi declared, - “Luna, you too.”
“I promise... I promise...” - Luna said, not caring too much.
The robot scanned both girls. - “I don't detect any untruthful intent. I hope that the fate will allow you to keep your word.” - It then added. - “Three years ago, there was one of your people who created a breach. He wanted to destroy the lifesource, but resigned too.”
“What do you an by... one of my people?” - Avi whispered.
“Your DNA is compatible. You're of the sa species.” - The spider added.
Luna opened her eyes wide in disbelief. - “Wait... one more person from Earth...? Alive...?”
Avi couldn't utter even a word. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“Avi...?” - Luna asked.
Avi cried happily. - “I can't believe it... I'm no longer alone.”
---
Back on their spaceship, Luna wasn't sure what to think about the news. She knew that she should be happy for Avi, but her last words made her heart ache.
“Three years... Luna. rely three years...” - Avi said, still in disbelief. - “...and he was able to get to the places that were even outside your reach!”
Luna was unable to identify a new feeling that she was just experiencing. - “That doesn't an anything.”
“Luna? Don't you understand!? With that knowledge, he'll surely point us in the right direction!”
Luna bit her lip. - “But I'm directing us, too. Isn't it enough?”
“Luna... make use of your imagination! He, unlike us, must have been in space for a long ti. We're just rookies, it's a whole different story!”
“Avi, I think you are the one who used her imagination too much. You create baseless hypotheses.”
“...but he broke through Anaari's security, didn't he? Didn't he!?” - Avi's eyes were sparkling. - “...and it's three years! He surely already saw most of the stars!”
“Avo... don't be offended, but your species was too primitive to achieve this. Maybe... maybe that robot was wrong. Maybe it even lied to us.” - Luna replied.
Avi seed surprised, but only for a mont. - “Why would it do that? There was literally no reason.”
Luna didn't know the answer, she felt stupid saying that.
“...and do you rember? The cell. It spoke about 'Earthborn'... and I think... it was intended for that traveler.” - Avi uttered. - “Maybe he even helped us, without knowing about it!”
“More like, he stole my spaceship.” - Luna whined.
Avi got all soft over Luna. - “You really see it like this? Don't worry, maybe he will help us restore it to its original form.”
“I'll find a way to do that myself!” - Luna said, irritated. - “You didn't even et him, and you already imagine that he will solve all of our problems! We don't need him, we're fine on our own!”
“...but ...help is nice.” - Avi uttered.
“I don't know about you, but I don't need anyone's help!” - Luna replied.
“Luna...?” - Avi was staring at her friend, concerned.
Luna quickly noticed, clutched her nose, and sighed. - “Eh. Let's just drop it. It's pointless to talk about it until we et that person. It's better to focus on our own search. Will you start the engines? I think I must rest a bit by myself, this walking has tired out.”
“Eee... but I'm not sure if it's possible anymore.” - Avi said, a bit embarrassed.
Luna sighed, exhausted. - “It should be. Let show you what to do...”
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