Butterflies of the Dark Star

22 (REVISED)

"Central transit to Habitation. Possible bioleak detected."

Layers of blast doors closed off the transit tunnel between the facilities, and Nova dared to let out her relief through a sigh out her nose. Flashlight clipped onto her belt, she allowed Izerva to take the lead, their rifle energised. Grime oozed out of the ventilation, but compared to the mess she suspected was in the north part of the space station, the mess waiting for them was minimal. Overhead, the lights flickered with wasted power and illuminated broken moments. Nova tapped her communicator. "Neo, can you hear me?"

"Enough," his voice fritzed. "We're all shut down over here. Admiral Mythrai is currently in the east. You're in the clear, but there are anomalous readings in your sector."

Nova grinned. "Let me guess."

"Stay safe," he threw her off.

Nova stopped when Izerva hugged one corner, a reflective mirror in their hands to peek around it without revealing their head. "I... I thought you'd want me to collect some data or something,"

He went silent.

"Neo?"

"You know, my job is to poke things and see what happens," he went on. "You're near Habitation, right? The communications array should be within the reception area. We have to regain control of the area and close the ventilation." Worry dripped underneath the collected scientist's tone.

"I'll let you know." Nova followed Izerva when their teeth clicked and they rushed through the corridors. "Apparently they're getting some readings over here."

Ears flicked, Izerva raced for another part of the corridor, and she followed behind them and listened to the shudder and purr of the facility. Greens and whites pulsed at the main bulkhead into the Habitation reception area, illuminated with deeper purples and reds from the nebula tangling through the metal shutters.

Her communicator let out a gasp of death. "Neo?"

"I'm here, but we're getting heavy interference—"

Talk to me.

"Where are you, Nova?"

"We're at the entrance." Nova waited for a nod from Izerva to approach the door with her keycard.

White noise rippled where his voice should've called out to her.

But... as long as it's not the music.

It slid open.

Nova choked on the sticky smell of mold and decay, and Izerva released a chittered gasp.

Plants withered in the protective casings, dripping crimson ash. Its own soil was nothing more than blood-tainted pieces of rock. Nova vaulted over the desk and winced at the corruption on the terminals, glitched and refused to give an answer to the problem. Ooze burst out of the stalks of the smaller plants along the desks. Nova examined the marked biosynth plants, but they succumbed to the withering of time and curled at its pressure like slugs underneath salt.

"Neo?" she asked, but the white noise fought on. She slapped the side of the reception terminal. "Too much interference in here."

Izerva frowned, and ice filled her heart when their ears swivelled back in one smooth motion. It fell quiet inside the reception area of Habitation, where their reminder of home died and fell to ash in her hands. Their clawed hands drew closer to their chest, and signed. "Engineer Nova... We must press on, we are not alone."

"What?" Nova hauled herself over the desk to head to the Xelnodian warrior. "What do you mean? What are you hearing?"

Izerva's ear flicked and pressed deeper against their head. "A wingbeat... through space... and the pressure of its presence. I do not like it. We must move." Their tail whipped against her pants and urged her into the marked communication and maintenance corridor. Inside, Izerva kept the door open, but with their back to the wall and rifle in a resting position against their chest.