I'm running down the hallway of the Corpus ship, the power is failing on every deck as the lights flicker in and out no matter which path I take. No intention or thought as to where, just instinct. The instinct to stay alive, to move as quickly away from the scratching and clawing coming from behind me.
I'm almost out of breath when I see the Atrium, the mobile labs, and then it hits me. They have their own power supplies. I could seal myself in, get a message out, and maybe survive long enough for someone to show up.
I move quickly down the stairs towards the nearest mobile lab, a sharp pain hits me in the gut and I double over falling down the stairs. Blood and puss leak out of the side of my stomach as I scream out, an intestinal-like appendage sticking out. I grab it and yank, more blood, but it's off; the infested thing wriggling on the ground. I pant and gasp, moving across the floor into the mobile lab.
The door shuts and I lay down flat on the ground, blood pouring out of me. I need to hold it in. I tear off some of my right sleeve and push it hard against my wound. I can hear the clawing and the shrieking coming from outside. They might make their way in if they're hungry enough. The infested are always hungry.
I feel the floor panels and pull them up, pulling out the cargo boxes and miscellaneous equipment from below as I crawl in. The one thing left to do is call for help. I could call the Perrin Sequence, they'd send someone. I look down, the blood flow has slowed, but then I see them; purple little tendrils sprouting from my wound. It wouldn't be long now. It wouldn't matter if the Perrin Sequence sent someone. I was already dead.
"Hey Hachi...how are you?" my voice soft and weak, trailing off to a whisper. "...I wish we had had more time."
Everything is fading in and out. The lights are out, or maybe I just can't see them anymore when I hear more screams from outside. I wonder how long it'll be, what it will be like when I take the last breath. Will I feel it when I don't breadth anymore? Maybe my brain will stop functioning before then?
I think about the first time I met the skinny girl with dark skin and glowy eyes in the shop on Cetus. I'd been looking for a Tenno, looking for a tin suit, but when I saw her it took me by surprise. Surprised they'd be so similar to us, yet so different given their origins. I was so curious about her and wanted her to be the one to help me.
How wonderful things were on our adventure. Her magical spaceship, watching her effortlessly take out Grineer, Infested, unfazed by any combat challenge, yet visibly struggled to hold even the simplest of conversations. I was curious and more curious about her with every day we spent together.
When our adventures were over I wondered what she'd do. I'd been so happy the night we finally spent together. I briefly wondered if she'd ask me to stay. I wanted to spend more time with her, but I also wanted to be someone who was worthy of spending time with. I wanted to find my place in this universe. Maybe make a name for myself like Maroo or Darvo, with a spot on a relay where patrons would come to see and trade my wares, my salvage, and my rarities from the Orokin Derelicts.
But none of that mattered now. It'd all be over soon.
Then I see Hachi's face, a friendly visage on my way out. "Hachi...it's too late."
There's darkness. Cold. Bitter cold like nothing I'd ever felt.
Sounds. Words. Are they human? I can't make them out. It's like someone keeps saying or asking me something but I don't know the language. It sounds familiar, but I can't make it out.
Something warm is near me. I think I can feel my heartbeat. Am I alive?
Pain. It radiates through my body starting in my abdomen, I want to grab myself, move, flee, anything, but I'm stuck. I'm held fast in darkness. The sound of my heartbeat, words, machines. I feel something hot in my arm, it stings and trickles into my body, spreading out instantly like wildfire.
I gasp. I'm breathing. My eyes open as I see a skull with a golden hat floating above me. The room is dark, with very faint lights, blue and black walls with gold trim. I'm lying on a slab of metal, suspended in the air several feet from the stone floor. A needle in my arm empties of liquids and is pulled out by the machines nearby. My stomach bandaged.
"You're awake. Wonderful." The floating robotic skull says, its face lighting up with every syllable spoken.
"What are you?"
"I'm a Cephalon, this body you see is a machine called a Necraloid."
"Where am I?"
"The Necralisk."
"And where is that?" I interrupt before he can respond. "I have no idea where I am or how I got here, can you fill me in on any details I missed while I was out?"
"You're on Deimos, the Tenno brought you here due to your injuries. I'm an Alchemist, a physician."
I look around. Hachi must have gotten me here, but how and why?
"It's no good doc...I'm infested."
"Yes, but only partially, you should make a full eighty percent recovery."
"Eighty percent?"
"Yes. Some infestation will remain with you always."
I sit up and look down at the bandages, slowly peek under them. The right side of my pelvis, abdomen, and chest below my breasts are now a purple hue or infested flesh, hard and cold like steel. Purplish veins spread outwards from the wound's center, fading into normal flesh and veins as they move through the rest of my body.
"Is Hachi here?" I look around.
"The two Tenno who brought you here should be back soon. She's retrieving some supplies for us."
"Two Tenno?"
"Yes. There were two Tenno who brought your comatose body here."
I guess she must have had help?
"Am I able to leave?"
"I'd like you to stay here for just a moment longer. To make sure your infestation is holding at bay."
"Will I need to come back for treatment once we're finished here?"
"I imagine so."
"Will I ever be able to leave this moon?"
"Of course, we'll prepare some serums, but I'd like you to come back every several months. Unless you'd prefer to be more infested."
"Is that a joke?"
"Yes, it was. Did you like it?"
* * *
"So what adventures await you and your companion once she's better?" Lamant stands beside Mirah, their arms around each other's waists.
"What do you mean?"
He looks at Mirah and smiles then back to me, "Will you have her go back to the Perrin Sequence or stay with you? Your Railjack has the room available."
I want to ask her to stay. I think, but I say nothing as we look at each other, "I don't know."
He smiles. "Ask her."
Maybe he's right. It's what I want to do.
His face changes and becomes solemn. "Hachi." He pauses. "Somethings coming. I've heard many rumors and whispers, not just here, but from all over. The Sentients may be returning and there is talk of another war. A coming great war between all the factions; Corpus, Grineer, Syndicates, and Sentients."
He pauses again. Is he waiting for me to say something?
He smiles. "It'd be good to have friends if the rumors are true."
He and Mirah hold out their hands to us. I look at them. Araine accepts Mirah's and I take Lamant's in mine.
"Reach out when you and yours are whole again and you can use my Orbiter's Foundry. Plus it'd be great to catch up and plan our next adventure."
"Our next adventure?" The words just come out.
He chuckles and waves as he and Mirah head towards the hangar bay.
It is good to have friends. The feeling voice from Araine.
Is Lamant a friend? The first thought in my head. I look to Araine. "Yeah. I guess he is."
* * *
I'm standing for the first time since I passed out and I realize I feel good. No pain or dizziness. I touch the infested parts of my body and feel the cold steel on my fingertips, yet the warmth from my fingers. I look around and see my clothes are in a pile on a chair near the room's doorway.
Move to them when the door opens. I see the dark-skinned girl with the glowy eyes and the vermillion and dark chocolate-colored clothing. She smiles at me.
"Sara!" She exclaims and moves quickly to me, embracing me.
I smile and pull her tight against me, speaking into her ear.
"Thank you, Hachi."
