Wings of Serpents

Chapter 9

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It was all unfamiliar terrain for the mechanic, she used the pipe systems for too long and now to get to Eros she would have to venture out in the open on her own. Repulsed by North's reluctance and cowardliness, she knew that Eros needed to know she was here, so he would fight when the time came. She sneaked carefully around the ship, watching every corner and angle, preparing herself to duck into a nearby room if needed. The mechanic's guard uniform will only last her a couple of seconds if a guard makes eye contact with her, her disguise would then outplay it's usefulness.

The ship was never quiet, to Moira a persistent humming was constant in all areas of the ship, there was no escaping it, the humming grew louder in her ears as exhaustion consumed her. Moira could feel a tingling and burning sensation in her calves and thighs, there was not much more she had left in her, but she knew she was close, she could feel it. From a distance she could see the airlocks North mentioned, a muscular arm was pressed against the glass as the man was sitting down, she peered over the corner, pushing her auburn waves behind her ears. "Eros" she whispered, her eyes grew wet and hot with anticipation and a feeling of overwhelming relief; confirmation that all this was not for nothing, he's here, he's still alive.

As soon as she stepped forward, her ears keened on faint footsteps coming from her back, she turned looking around for a door to escape, Mechanical 2 painted on a door down the hall. Please be unlocked, please be unlocked. She sprinted for it and entered with ease, Moira pressed her right ear against the door and listened intently to hear the footsteps. Next to the door, was a tall metal cabinet with tools on top of it, she picked the heaviest one, a hammer. The footsteps stopped at the door, and Moira prepared herself for what is inevitable, she would not go down like this, not when she was this close.

The door slowly opened, a young guard's head poked itself inside the room and then stepped forward, the door closing behind him. The door clicked close and Moira swung the hammer hard into the back of his head and he dropped to the floor with a loud thud. Moira huffed brushing her hair out of her face. Blood pooled onto the floor from the back of the guard's head. She checked for a pulse from his neck, he was still alive, she torn fabric from the shirt of her stolen uniform and wrapped it tightly around the guard's head. She didn't want him to die, she didn't want anyone to die, but she owed Eros, and in Kalypso to owe someone always comes at a cost.

Moira flipped the guard over onto his back and dragged him by his wrists across the floor to a storage locker, it took lots of effort and she heaved with exhaustion, her hands placed on her knees, that is when she noticed her collared shirt had bits of blood sprayed on it. Moira replaced it with the unconscious guard's own. After she stuffed him into the locker, like shoving things into a bag that is already too full, she put her hand against him so he would not fall over as she pushed the door closed. As she got the locker door closed, the body slumped against it and she turned the lock fast, locking it before the body could fall out. Exhausted, she wiped her brow with her sleeve and continued out in the corridor hoping no one heard the scuffle.

Moira laid eyes on the one she sought for, the revolutionist caught her watery eyes and instinctively smiled at her, the smile left as fast as it arrived as Eros realized his eyes must be fooling him, it was impossible for Moira to be here and instantly he was concerned. Moira attempted to reassure him for a smile, she spotted the switch board to open the airlock doors stepped forward. Instantly her movements were seized from her, electricity cut through her making her collapse to the floor, a guard stood behind her with a shock baton to Moira's spine, next to him the Prince stood tall peering down at her. He came to next to her, her lips quivering and her eyes were dazed and confused. "There you are." The prince whispered, before another shock wave sliced through her again snuffing the light out from her world.