Ahead, Elemi’s heels clicked rhythmically on the floor, the sound both absurd and unnerving in the alien environment. “You’re both so gloomy.” She huffed with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Oh, for gosh sakes, where’s your sense of adventure? It’s not every day you get to stroll through the inner workings of a Krystalii vessel with someone as magnificent as me to protect you.”
Toni suppressed a groan.Damn, she’d worked with some serious divas in her day, but Elemi put them all to shame.“Yeah, I’ll make note of that in my diary.”
“Childish sarcasm doesn’t suit you, dear,” Elemi replied, not breaking her stride. “Leave the wit to those who can pull it off with flair. Now, do try to keep up.”
I believe her intentions are in the right place,Toni’s suit, Sensos, offered.
Maybe. Probably. Whatever. She didn’t have anything useful to say to that.
As they rounded a corner, the corridor widened into a large, open space—a junction where several passageways converged.
Toni slowed her steps, a strange unease creeping over her. Through her suit, she tasted that the air was heavier here. Charged with an unfamiliar energy that made her skin prickle.
She stopped. “Wait,” she whispered. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
Elemi paused mid-stride and turned to her, hands on her hips. “Oh, darling, what could go wrong? It’s just…”
A sudden, low rumble interrupted her, the vibration rippling through the floor beneath them.
Toni’s pulse quickened as she scanned the area, her gaze darting to the reflective walls that shimmered with a life of their own.
“Analysis: anomalous energy signatures detected,” JR14 announced. His small head tilted, and the color of his eyes changed from soft blue to a vibrant red. “Recommendation: proceed with heightened caution.”
“Yeah, thanks for the brilliant advice, Captain Obvious.” Toni snorted. Crap. For once, couldn’t she at least act cool and collected like a normal heroine?But no… not her.As soon as the stress piled on, her sardonic nature ran amok.
Before JR14 responded, the shimmering walls shifted. What had once been smooth crystal now rippled like liquid, and from the undulating surfaces emerged crystalline figures. Although they might be humanoid, they lacked faces. But the scariest part was how their bodies gleamed with sharp, angular edges that sliced through the low light like razor blades.
“Oh, isn’t this just fabulous?” Elemi drawled while clapping with a dramatic flair. “The Krystalii have sent a welcoming party just for us. How nauseatingly predictable.”
“Are you saying they know we’re here?” Toni bit out.
“Status: unclear,” JR14 answered. “However, proximity suggests your query is what you organics call a moot point.”
Toni backed up. “You think?” The crystalline figures moved with agonizing slowness at first, their movements jerky and unnatural. Once they stepped into the corridor, their pace quickened.
“JR14?” Toni choked. Were those damn things heading straight for her?
“Suggestion: obtain an energy-based weapon to disrupt their physical cohesion,” the android offered.
“Oh, allow me,” Elemi interjected, stepping forward. She raised one manicured, gleaming-metal hand, and a burst of blinding-white light erupted from her palm.
The crystalline figures recoiled, then their angular bodies vibrated violently before they shattered into countless shards that rained down where they had once stood.
“You’re welcome.” Elemi blew on her fingertips as if extinguishing the remnants of her attack. “Honestly, I don’t know how you organics manage anything without me.”
Toni ignored her and stepped over the shards, her heart still racing. Not wanting to risk the Krystalii hearing them, she kept her voice low. “Thanks, but let’s keep moving. JR14, lead the way.”
The small android buzzed past Elemi, his sharp claws clicking softly as he moved. “Affirmative. Proceeding to Nexus Core.”
They pressed on. The corridors grew narrower and more maze-like as they approached their destination. The hum of the ship’s systems became louder, almost deafening.
The air took on a metallic tang that made her throat dry.
“Almost there,” JR14 announced in the tense silence. “Nexus Core is beyond the next junction.”
“Finally,” Toni mumbled, wishing she could wipe the sweat from her brow.
I can take care of that.I will also purify the air for you,Sensos offered.
