The journey began not with a roar, but with the soft hiss of a manual hatch opening. The emergency access conduit was exactly as Kaelen remembered from his years of thankless work: cramped, dusty, and filled with the skeletons of forgotten wiring and plumbing. It was a world of rust and shadows, a stark contrast to the gleaming, infected halls the Gestalt controlled.
Kaelen led the way, his armored form barely fitting, the shoulders of the Aegis suit scraping against the walls. Elara followed, her movements surprisingly agile. The symbiote's regenerative properties had worked wonders. The maintenance drone, which she had named "Scout," floated silently behind her, its single green eye casting a ghostly light.
"The pressure is less here," Elara confirmed, her voice a whisper in the tight space. "It's like… static. The Gestalt's awareness is a loud noise in the main corridors. Here, it's just background hiss."
They moved for hours, following a labyrinthine route that only existed on the oldest, most basic schematics of the ship. Mother guided them from above, her voice a calm presence in their helmets.
"You are 300 meters from the nearest Gestalt concentration," she would report. "I am detecting increased biological activity to your east. Recommend you take the next vertical shaft."
The path was not without its dangers. They passed grates that opened into larger spaces, and through them, they caught glimpses of the changed ship. In one vast chamber, they saw a herd of the larger, six-legged creatures grazing on a field of glowing fungus that grew from the floor. In another, the walls pulsed rhythmically, like a giant, sleeping heart.
At one point, they had to cross a conduit that had been partially breached. A thick, root-like tendril had burst through the wall, blocking their path. It throbbed with a slow, viscous energy.
"It's dormant," Elara said, placing a hand on it without fear. "It's just a nutrient conduit. But if we damage it, the Gestalt will know."
Kaelen used the suit's laser cutter, carefully slicing a man-sized hole through the center of the tendril. A thick, sap-like fluid oozed out, but the tendril didn't react. They scrambled through, the sticky fluid coating Kaelen's armor.
As they moved deeper, they began to find signs of the ancient war that had followed the anomaly. skeletons in tattered uniforms, still holding weapons. Barricades made of furniture and shattered machinery. They had made their last stand in these tight spaces, fighting against the horrors Valerius had unleashed.
Elara paused by one skeleton, a young woman with a data slate still clutched in her hand. Elara gently pried it loose. The screen was cracked, but a few words were visible: "…falling back to Hydroponics… Valerius is a monster… God save us…"
"They never had a chance," Elara said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "We were so arrogant. We thought we could control it."
"We're going to finish their fight," Kaelen said, placing a heavy, armored hand on her shoulder. "For them."
They pressed on, the weight of the dead accompanying them. The route took them through a long-forgotten storage area for cultural artifacts—crates of books, sculptures, and musical instruments from Old Earth, all now rotting into dust. It was a museum of a dead civilization, within the tomb of another.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Mother's voice came through. "You have reached your exit point. A service hatch that opens onto the antechamber of the Bridge. Sensors indicate the antechamber is clear of biological matter, but there is significant structural damage from what appears to have been an explosion."
The Bridge. The heart of the ship's command. The place where Captain Thorne had likely issued his final, desperate orders.
Kaelen approached the hatch. It was sealed with a manual wheel. He looked back at Elara. "Ready?"
She nodded, her face set in a determined mask, the pulse pistol held firmly in her hand. Scout the drone hovered close to her, its light brightening.
Kaelen gripped the wheel and began to turn. It was stiff, but the powered armor made it easy. With a final, grinding clunk, the seal broke. He pushed the hatch open and stepped through, rifle raised.
The antechamber was a scene of devastation. The walls were scorched black, and the elegant furniture was splintered and burned. A massive hole gaped in the far wall, looking out onto the stars. This was where the initial mutiny or battle for the Bridge had taken place.
And in the center of the room, standing perfectly still in a circle, were ten M-Series Military Androids.
They were humanoid, seven feet tall, with polished chrome endoskeletons visible under armored plating. Their optical sensors were dark. They were deactivated, gathered here for a final defense that never came.
They were also spotlessly clean. Not a speck of dust or a trace of organic growth on them.
"They're untouched," Kaelen said, a surge of hope rising in him. "Mother, can I activate them from here?"
"Negative. They require the central activation signal from the Bridge's main console. However, you can interface with them manually to run diagnostics."
Kaelen approached the nearest android. A port on its chest was designed for a maintenance link. He plugged in a cable from his armor.
The android's head snapped up. Its optical sensors glowed to life with a fierce red light. It spoke in a flat, synthetic voice.
"Unit M-77 online. Awaiting command authorization."
"Authorization: Kaelen-737, Steward of the Elysian."
The android's head tilted. "Biometric scan confirmed. Welcome, Steward. However, command protocol is invalid. This unit's loyalty is to Commander Julian Valerius. Stand down for pacification."
In unison, the other nine androids powered on, their red eyes lighting up the dark room. Their weapon arms, integrated pulse cannons, hummed as they charged, all ten barrels aimed directly at Kaelen and Elara.
Valerius had left one final trap. He had programmed his personal guard to never stand down.