Eve followed the needle of the compass that Carlista had made from the Syndicate-given badge.
"Custard was right about one thing. These things are handy."
She raced across the halls and gateways. She could already feel the change in patterns. The halls were changing. The colors, the paintings on the walls were different.
She forgot to ask Carlista where the compass was taking her and how much time it would take her to reach there. Eve figured the compass was leading her through a shortcut.
The Maze, like the name suggested… these halls shifted silently. Earlier with the squad she was just traveling in circles. The Maze had to be traversed through specific portals in order for you to go deeper into the interconnected hive.
The intricate structure shifted silently and masterfully, it was impossible to know what was happening behind the scenes. Whoever made the Maze, made it in a way that it looked abandoned, empty.
Why was a megaplanet deep inside the Dark Galaxy protected so cleverly? Who else had ever been here? The Galaxy alone was a no-zone for any intelligent species or creature, let alone a secret unexplored spherical citadel.
Now Eve approached a gate that looked different. On the other side she discovered a completely new environment; strangely, rooms, halls, quarters, balconies… even furniture. Like residencies.
Eve realized, had she not come down here alone, they'd have been wandering forever. Carlista showed herself to Eve only because she found her alone.
Just when she was thinking that, a hologram of Carlista appeared.
"Hello, are you lost."
"Carlista, where am I?"
"Have we met before?"
She kneeled down to face her. "Sweety, I don't have time," she showed her the compass, "remember this? You made this."
Eve trusted her immense calculative and predictive power.
"I remember this. Only I can make it. Wait, you know my name. Wait a second, let me think about…"
"…you are Eve Andromeda. Your team is up there, your ship is parked on the surface."
"Good, now you are thinking. First thing I need to tell you is that I am your friend. Second, you gotta tell me how they are doing?"
"They are fine. Cesnas are guarding your ship."
"Great. Now tell me where are you… this compass taking me?"
"You'll know when you get there."
Eve was a deep-space archeologist, she loved puzzles, but this was her mission. "Come on!!"
"You can take off your helm. I have adjusted the oxygen-to-nitrogen ratio to your needs."
"Are there people in here too?" Eve asked, breathing the fresh air.
"Why does this place look like it was made for humans?"
"Because it is. Humans from the previous cycle. Oh my, I'm about to be reset again. I'll see you soon!"
"Carlista, wait!"
But her hologram disappeared again.
'That girl,' Eve thought. 'It must be such an agony trapped in that loop.' She continues to walk down these new human halls. 'She said humans from the previous cycle? What did she mean by that?'