The Archean Vessel landed smoothly on On'ee, as it had done many times before. A group of about ten people emerged, clad in space suits, unloading their cargo. It was a routine task for them.
The individual who appeared to be the leader of this group waited at a distance of approximately ten meters from the entrance of the deserted building, waiting for the other members to join him. He softly illuminated the surroundings. It looked more like a dump than a Headquarters, but that was the subtlety: no one would come looking for them here. He observed the building a bit longer. Everything was plunged into darkness, just as he had left it. Yet, he thought he saw light from the sky, probably an optical illusion. No one would come here, not even the Academy.
Once the cargo was unloaded, they could finally enter. Wearing the spacesuit was so uncomfortable; all he wanted was to take it off. The airlock door closed behind them, and the second one opened. They all quickly removed their helmets and left them at the entrance. As soon as the leader crossed the door, the light turned on, almost blinding. So different from the ship's light, which seemed more yellowish. The leader turned his head to the left but was greeted by the barrel of a weapon. He was more surprised than scared.
"We have a guest," he announced to the others.
Skylar had dimmed the lights before the Archean Vessel landed. She had little affection for the Archeans; not fundamentally malicious, but they reminded her too much of Humans, had they evolved knowing the Universe.
She waited for them to enter the airlock. No matter who would pass through the door first, they would be greeted by the barrel of her weapon. She hoped it would be Maginas, but luck had not favored her so far, so why would it start now? Finally, someone passed through the door, the leader of this clan it seemed, a start. Back against the wall, she quickly extended her right arm, aiming directly at the head. She didn't bother putting her helmet back on; it was useless. The Archean turned his head, glanced at her briefly, grimaced, and spoke. She heard the others stirring, but she didn't care; she only needed one piece of information.
"At the slightest unjustified move, I'll blast your leg," she threatened, referring to the weapon on her thigh.
"You're rather direct," the Archean amused.
"Shut up. I'm not here to play."
Cavah and Spirit listened attentively to what was happening below. Everything could go south at any moment. Cavah didn't like this situation, increasingly wondering why he had boarded this ship. Alone in space for so long, Skylar had finally lost her mind; she would either end up getting killed or killing someone, neither of which was preferable.
"Move forward," she ordered the group of Archeans, "drop your weapons."
But no one reacted. Skylar smiled. She would get what she came for, no matter the cost. Without a second's hesitation, she aimed and shot the nearest Archean. A straight shot to the head. The creature fell backward amid the cries of its companions.
"You're completely insane!" exclaimed the leader of the Archeans.
"Captain!" Cavah shouted simultaneously in her earpiece.
"I said, drop your weapons!!! now, or someone else gets it!"
"Do what she says!"
And this time, everyone obeyed without hesitation. Whoever she was and whatever she wanted, she was ready to kill for it. She ordered them to sit on the couches, except for the leader, who remained standing not far from her.
"What do you want?" he asked in a hateful tone.
"Maginas."
"Maginas?"
"I want Maginas! Where is he?" she demanded angrily as she approached him.
"He's not here, Maginas is not here, it's been a long time…"
But Skylar didn't let him finish; she struck him with the butt of her weapon on the temple. Surprised, the Archean fell to his knees. The others stirred, but he stopped them with a hand gesture. He looked up at her. He didn't know her species, but he knew what the reflection in her eyes meant.
"I want Maginas. This was his base!"
"Years ago, yes, but not anymore..."
"You're lying!"
"You have the weapon; why would I lie?!"
"Where is he?!"
"I don't know who your source is, but she lied to you. Maginas abandoned this base a long time ago!"
"You're lying!"
Skylar was no longer herself; she had been angry before, but never like this. This base was her last resort; from her perspective, she had no other option. She was furious, so angry. With the weapon still in hand, pointed at the Archean who was still kneeling, Skylar kept her eyes fixed on him, and he did the same. He had seen many battles, but he had never been so afraid of dying.
He was lying; he must be lying... She glanced behind him, where the void was supposed to be, and now Sarek stood. He was staring at her.
"Captain, that's enough!!" Cavah shouted in her earpiece. "He doesn't know anything; none of them knows anything. Maginas hasn't been here for a very long time... It's over."
Silence. Cavah was right. She looked at the Archean and realized what she had done. They were just small smugglers. Maginas was far, very far from here. She holstered her weapon and touched her earpiece.
"Bring me back," she ordered.
And in an instant, she disappeared, leaving behind more than confused creatures.
Skylar was back in the teleportation room; she removed her suit, realizing she had left her helmet on On'ee. It didn't matter to her at the moment; there were too many things rushing through her mind. Questions, doubts, strange ideas...
"Captain..." Cavah intervened, rushing towards her as she sat on the floor. "What happened there?"
"Nothing," she affirmed, standing up and facing him. "I did what I had to do."
She walked down the corridor towards the Command post, with Cavah on her heels.
"'Do what I had to do?' You killed one, and you could have killed others!"
"They were lying."
"They had no information for us, none about Maginas! Absolutely nothing!"
"They were lying," she simply repeated.
"Captain, they were just smugglers!"
"It was Maginas' base..."
"Captain!" Cavah exclaimed, blocking her way.
They stood there for a few seconds, looking at each other, before Cavah spoke again.
"Shayne, Fr'ehe, Douar, and the others, they all lied to us. That's it. They manipulated us. Fr'ehe didn't want us to find Maginas from the beginning, so he made sure to send us on a frozen trail for eternity. They're gone now..."
Cavah waited for a response, but she just looked at him, then bypassed him and continued towards the Command post. She knew he was right; she never had a chance from the start. It was too good to be true. But she had no more moves to make.
She was lost, and now, she was beginning to see Sarek, not just hear his voice. Something was increasingly wrong with her, but she was too disturbed to pay proper attention. Just as she paid little attention to Cavah's protests, even though she knew he was right.
Arriving at the Command post, she took the Navigation seat. At the entrance, Cavah looked at her, incredulous. No matter what he said, she wasn't listening anymore; her mind seemed far away, too far from him.
"What are you doing?"
Silence.
"I'm charting a course," she finally deigned to answer.
"What course?"
But she ignored him.
"Spirit?" Cavah asked.
"Taung III," the computer responded.
"Taung III?! Why are we returning to my planet?"
Skylar stood up from the navigation seat and turned to Cavah, then spoke in a somewhat broken voice.
"I'm releasing you from your debt."
"No..."
"You're free, Cavah. It's over; you'll go back to your life without owing me anything," she cut him off.
"Captain!"
"I'll be in my quarters."
And without another word, she left the Command post, leaving Cavah completely incredulous. He stood there for a moment, immobile, trying to grasp what had just happened. She couldn't do this; her mission was far from over, at a complete standstill. She would need him to continue; she couldn't release him from his debt like this. He had a feeling it wouldn't end like this...
Cavah was abruptly awakened by a shrill alarm echoing throughout the Ship. He quickly got up and left his quarters. The lights were still on, and the Ship was still in motion. He hurried towards the Command post, realizing quickly that Skylar wasn't there. All stations were overloaded with various alerts. Whatever was happening with the Krœnos, originated from the engine room.
"Sret, where is the Captain when we need her?!" Cavah exclaimed, working on several stations simultaneously. "Spirit!"
"She is in the engine room," he instantly replied.
"I'll join her."
"No! Don't go there!"
Cavah stopped at the entrance. Spirit's voice had sounded so... alive that it frightened him. He wasn't afraid of Spirit, but of what would follow.
"Why...?"
Silence.
"Spirit, why?" he repeated, still at the entrance.
"She caused all of this... she lost her mind..."
*
The days following On'ee were dark. Skylar didn't speak to Spirit or Cavah; she did her chores and retreated to her quarters without a word. She had withdrawn, reminiscent of the time when she had lost Sarek and the others. Cavah didn't like this situation; he wanted to help but didn't know how. Every time he tried to talk to her, she simply chose to ignore him. Yet, he wasn't fooled; he knew she slept little, and when she did, nightmares haunted her. She also spent a lot of time in the engine room, her refuge, knowing that Cavah rarely went down there. It was easier to ignore him that way.
Hallucinations, paranoia, all the fears she thought were behind her came back to haunt her.
As she had finally managed to fall asleep, a distant noise woke her up. Given the hour, Cavah must be sleeping. It was a sound more reminiscent of a memory. Skylar sat on her bed, not certain that it wasn't a dream. Murmurs in the hallway made her get up silently. She put on her black shirt over her pajamas and matching thick socks, then opened the door. The murmurs stopped for a moment and then resumed but further away this time as if they were leading her somewhere. So, she followed them without a sound. Footsteps in the corridor opposite hers made her jump. Cavah was sleeping; it couldn't be him!
"Spirit?" she called a bit alarmed.
"Captain?"
"Is Cavah still asleep?"
"Yes."
Good. It wasn't him, it couldn't be anyone else either; they hadn't docked at any spaceport since On'ee. It was in her head, then...
She stopped in the middle of the corridor, listening intently. The footsteps resumed around her, and so did the whispers; this time, she was certain they were coming from the kitchen. Skylar knew it was in her head, a sign that she was gradually losing her sanity, but she could do nothing but follow them. It was starting again, just like when she had lost them. She felt like she wasn't alone, aside from Cavah.
Continuing her journey in complete silence, one step at a time, fearing that everything would stop if someone heard her. She reached the kitchen, could clearly hear a conversation. She stayed hidden a few inches from the still-open door. It was them; she was sure...
"She can't move on; it's been so long now," Ilki said.
"It's not that simple; it's her race that's like this," Qidell replied. "Some memories cannot be erased from her mind."
"She'll have to if she wants to continue her mission!" Vahrak exclaimed.
They were talking about her. Why discuss this behind her back? It wasn't the first time she had caught them conversing, but she had never been able to hear their words. Until now.
"Hush," ordered Qidell. "We are no longer alone."
Without waiting a second longer, she entered the kitchen, but the ghosts of her former companions faded away. Why disappear when she tried to see them? She needed them!
She stared for long seconds at the empty chairs around the table. New whispers and new footsteps all around her reminded her of her reality. They hadn't left. They still had something to tell her or show her. A rustling not far ahead caught her attention, toward the Command post. Was that where they wanted to lead her? Skylar didn't think anymore and continued to move forward, brushing her fingers against the smooth walls of the corridor.
Upon reaching the Command post, she expected to see no one, as usual, but she was wrong. Sarek was sitting in the Captain's chair, staring into space. Skylar stood at the entrance for a moment, stunned. She knew perfectly well that it was a hallucination; since the accident, she had only heard him, although she briefly saw him on On'ee. But here... he seemed so real. She rubbed her eyes, hoping he would disappear, but it didn't happen. So, she advanced until she was face to face with him. Sarek watched her for a moment before standing up.
"It's a habit, sorry," he told her, his voice seeming more distant than usual. "It's yours now."
They faced each other. Skylar didn't want to delve further into this strange hallucination, but she couldn't help it.
"It will always be yours..."
"You're wrong. We're dead, and you are the Captain of the Krœnos now. Sit down."
She obeyed. She liked this chair even though she had struggled to accept it. It represented a power she had never known before.
Sarek sat at the Navigation post and turned to her.
"You are in my head. You're not real."
"Really? Just because something is happening in your head doesn't mean it's not real."
"The real Sarek would never reference Harry Potter."
"Maybe I also like Harry Potter."
"Don't lie! You know nothing about the fiction of my planet. You're just a hallucination, a creation of my brain! I'm not well..." Skylar exclaimed as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Your race isn't supposed to live so long alone in deep space with the corpses of its friends in the hold. You tried to repress everything by reformatting the Computer in your image. It never worked. Then there's the Last Protocol that finished you off even more. You thought bringing Cavah would solve everything with a snap of your fingers," Sarek explained, mimicking a finger snap.
"I know all that... Zetania, Plantia, On'ee, it resulted in nothing but more questions. Maginas remains elusive... I have no more options, Sarek."
A silence fell. Skylar had lowered her head, ashamed of her inability to fulfill her mission, knowing that she could never turn away from it as long as Maginas was not dead. Condemned to wander the Galaxy with only one purpose. Sarek stood up, knelt in front of her, and gently took her hands.
"Look at me, Skylar, you will never succeed with the Last Protocol."
Skylar felt as if a knife had been thrust into her heart; tears streamed down her cheeks, but she remained silent. Even Sarek no longer believed in her.
"But there might be a solution for the Academy to take over."
"What solution?" she asked, intrigued.
Sarek stood up and positioned himself in front of the wide window overlooking space. Skylar joined him.
"It involves a sacrifice."
"Which one...?"
"You and Cavah."
Skylar turned to him. There was no way she would do that. Cavah hadn't asked for anything!
"It's out of the question for Cavah to suffer because of my failure!"
"First, please listen to me."
A silence. She was ready to do anything to avoid completing this Last Protocol; the Academy had more resources than her, they would know how to handle it. Cavah and she were worth the sacrifice.
"I'm listening," she affirmed confidently.
"You'll have to be subtle; if they realize that you deliberately blew up the Ship, justice won't be served for us, and for you, your image will be forever tarnished."
"And then? An accident?" Skylar asked, devoid of any sense of reality.
"Too easy. Some well-placed malfunctions. You've become skilled in engineering. Overheat the core enough to make it look like a failure, but not too much to avoid an explosion. Then..."
"Is there a 'then'?"
"Yes. Change course, take the Krœnos through the territory of the Black Sea Pirates. They've already tried to kill you, haven't they? We're not far; the current route just avoids their territory. Make sure the Ship breaks down in the middle; the Pirates will come without delay, take care of you and the Krœnos, and since there will be no survivors, the Academy will have to perform two Last Protocols! And you, Skylar," Sarek concluded, reclaiming his hands, "you will finally be at peace and back on Earth."
Skylar contemplated this plan; it was beneath her, against her principles. If she had been in a normal mental state, she would never have considered doing this. She wouldn't have even had a conversation with a hallucination, but this wasn't her current state. She would be at peace. That's what he had said. At peace! Cavah and she would be dead, but they wouldn't have to worry about the Last Protocol, Maginas, and the Academy anymore! It might be worth a try.
"Be careful, Skylar. If Cavah or anyone tries to stop you, you'll have to take care of it."
"I can handle it."
Sarek smiled, another sign that it was a manifestation of his mind. She no longer paid attention to it. It didn't matter if all this was false; she knew what she had to do.
*
Cavah had watched surveillance videos showing what the Captain had said and done since she got up without a sound. She seemed so different, completely dazed and lost. Looking forward and backward, and everywhere, apparently hearing noises that Cavah couldn't hear and seeing things that didn't exist. She would hide and then stare at the kitchen for long seconds, but that was far from the strangest part.
At the Command post, she had had a real conversation with someone who wasn't there anymore. Sarek. Her deceased ex-captain. The worst part of all this was that Cavah simply didn't know what they had said, but it was certain that it seemed dangerous for him.
"How long has this been going on? Cavah asked, referring to her hallucinations."
"It started shortly after their death. The Captain heard noises in the Ship. I thought by doubling the security protocols, she would get better, but it didn't change anything. She gradually began to hear more and more voices and see things."
"You should have told me!"
"That's what I did, remember."
"I didn't think it would be this serious. We have to find her before she does worse than what she has already done!" Cavah ordered, agitated.
But Spirit didn't have time to respond as the alarm in the cabin intensified, and the lights went out. Cavah almost toppled over the Communication post. The Ship had just stopped.
"Spirit?!" Cavah called out, getting up.
"The Krœnos has stopped in the middle of the Black Sea Pirates' territory."
"It was her plan..."
Cavah had to act quickly. The Ship's integrity hung by a thread; the Captain's mental health could kill them all. They were stuck in the middle of the Pirates' territory, the same Pirates who had tried to kill them, but he had no choice but to send a distress signal. If an allied Ship passed nearby, they might have a chance to be rescued...
It was risky, far too risky.
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