Watching the cameras as students filed out of the assembly hall, one detail stood out.
The only female.
Still asleep.
"Is that one of them?" a deep, gruff voice asked.
"Yes," the system replied in a flat monotone.
"She completed the exam first. Her results show similarities to four others. Six additional students displayed partial alignment… but with significant deviation."
The Director leaned forward slightly.
On another screen—
Four male students stood off to the side.
Talking.
Waiting.
Then—
One by one—
Six more joined them.
They're gathering already…
He pressed his comm.
"Wake her up."
"Gladly! I finally have a reason to hit someone," the instructor muttered irritably as he approached her.
"Classified. Follow orders."
"Tch."
The instructor raised the ruler high—
And brought it down with force.
Crack.
…Nothing.
She simply rubbed her arm.
Like it barely registered.
The instructor froze.
His expression flickered—shock, confusion—
Then hardened again as she looked at him.
She grabbed her paper—
And bolted.
Fast.
Too fast.
The Director narrowed his eyes.
-Click-
-Beep. Beep.
-Beep. Beep.
She saw the gate.
Closing.
Her speed increased instantly.
Faster than recorded peak performance.
The gap narrowed.
Four seconds.
Almost mine…
Then—
The feed flickered.
Just for a moment.
But it was enough.
She stopped.
Closed her eyes.
Breathed.
Then—
She moved.
Not faster—
Different.
Like a streak of energy.
And she was through.
Gone.
The Director leaned back slightly.
"…Interesting."
"Identify shuttle occupants."
A pause.
"Eleven total. No high-priority lineage detected. Do you wish to proceed with unscheduled redirection?"
The Director glanced at the list.
No political weight.
No consequences.
"Proceed."
"Overriding protocol. Destination updated: terraformed planet. Distance: three light-years. Estimated arrival: eighty-six hours, forty-eight minutes."
On-screen—
The group had formed.
Four surrounding her.
The others watching.
Adjusting.
Accepting.
A faint smile formed.
"This will be… an interesting experiment."
As he pulled me to my feet, I finally took in the shuttle.
My team was here.
All of them.
…Plus six more.
All staring.
At me.
Seriously…?
"Hel—"
A hand raised in front of me, stopping me mid-sentence.
I glanced at Bodach.
His expression had changed.
Focused.
I followed his lead and stayed quiet.
The others moved instinctively—
Positioning themselves between me and the new group.
Like a barrier.
"This is the female of our squad," Bodach said evenly.
The tension eased slightly.
The others nodded.
Accepted it.
Turned back to their seats.
Strange…
But controlled.
One of them was crouched near the front—working on exposed wiring.
I frowned.
The one behind me chuckled softly.
"He's installing failsafes. Some shuttles haven't been reaching their intended destinations."
That… wasn't reassuring.
Bodach's tone shifted—firm, commanding.
"Take your seats. We'll explain once we're secure."
I scanned the layout.
Two columns.
Rows of four.
Then a final row—
With fewer seats.
…Not enough space.
I hesitated.
A hand extended toward me.
I accepted it without a word.
He pulled me into position and secured the harness efficiently.
Professional.
Steady.
"Done."
Up front—
"Let's see them try anything now," a younger voice said confidently.
I glanced forward.
The difference was obvious.
"Um…"
A quiet voice near me answered.
"They're two grades below us. First time they've been outside controlled exposure."
Ah.
That explains it.
The atmosphere shifted slightly.
Less tension.
More curiosity.
Exhaustion hit me all at once.
I leaned back slightly, focusing on staying awake—
But my body had other plans.
The rhythm of the shuttle.
The low hum of engines.
Steady breathing around me.
Too calm.
Too quiet.
My thoughts slowed.
Then—
Something shifted.
A presence.
Deep.
Heavy.
Watching.
I turned within my mind—
Searching—
Nothing.
Gone.
No… that wasn't nothing.
A connection.
Brief.
Intentional.
A mind link?
Why?
Beneath everything—
Something moved.
Not seen.
Not heard.
But there.
Shadows—silent, precise—slid along the edges of awareness.
And then—
Everything fell away.
Darkness swallowed the last of my thoughts—
And I was gone.