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The Ark hung silent in the endless expanse of space, hours had passed since the lights had dimmed signally that it was night in a forever dark world. Few were awake at such a late hour, but one forgotten corner of the Ark was alive with commotion.
Under prepared and overwhelmed cadets scurried down the hall. They murmured amongst themselves, the notes of distress in their tones carrying cleanly through the stale air.
They peered anxiously at their suspect through the thick glass of the interrogation room, checking that the pajama clad and allegedly dangerous man hadn't vanished in the last two minutes.
Accusations and allegations were not a common occurrence in the Ark's legal system, not many could live with the weight of putting another to death. So the night's event had taken the guard by storm.
Seeming completely out of place in the panicked surroundings sat a girl, Alicia Monroe, the accuser. She let off a calm and confident aura, unfazed by the situation she found herself in.
Her sharp golden eyes observed the chaos, blood smeared across her cheek, left eye developing the shadow of a bruise.
The dull throb didn't bother her, her tears had long since dried. Her mind was under a haze of nervous anticipation, she stared intently at the door marked 'interrogation 1'.
It had all come down to this. She could only pray that it had been enough.
"Where is she?" a serious tone cut through the anxious rumble, Alicia's eyes flickered from their post to the source. Her chest seemed to spasm, she gnawed on her cheek, fighting to keep her composure. This is what she'd been hoping to avoid.
The badge pinned to his uniform twinkled under the fluorescent lights as he strode toward her.
"Alicia," he nodded to her stiffly, clasping his hands behind his back professionally.
"Shumway," her voice scratched at her throat, sounding like ground gravel.
"Commander Shumway," he corrected, pursing his lips in disdain, "I hear you have something you wish to report."
"Yes, commander, I do," she hesitated, Shumway giving her no cue to continue, "I discovered that Bryce, my boyfriend, had been stealing drugs from the medical bay on Mecha station, I confronted him about it tonight and..." she trailed off, tears welling in her eyes as her fingers grazed her cheek.
She sniffled, wiping her tears away hastily, "just – just what kind of person reacts like that? He loves me, so... so how could he..." her voice caught in her throat.
Shumway regarded her with a harsh, unchanging gaze.
"I see," he tapped at his device, offering no sympathy to the girl before him, "you're accusing Bryce Caldwell of theft and assault, is that correct?"
"Yes," she whispered her fingers clasped tightly in her lap to disguise their tremor.
.......
Two minutes.
That was all it took.
It took Shumway two minutes with Bryce for her life to crumble around her.
Two minutes after Shumway entered interrogation room 1 Bryce walked out, his staunch expression thinly veiling the rage she knew was churning inside.
Her body stiffened under his merciless leer, her throat tightening as if his cold hands had clasped it.
Her body was paralyzed by fear. She had failed and now she'd pay the price.
Shumway's hostile demands echoed over her numb body: stand up, face the wall.
Her eyes were torn from Bryce's stormy silver ones as she was pulled roughly to her feet. Her fingers buzzed under Shumway's iron grip on her wrist.
Salt mixed with the potent copper taste on her lips as genuine tears cut tracks through her blood stained face.
"Alicia Monroe, you are under arrest for the attempted framing of Bryce William Caldwell."
