Interning on the Aronnax

There's Something On the Aronnax

A/N: I'm about a third done with the Tunnel arc, so keep bearing with me, please. In thanks, I offer this silly chapter and a temporary cover.

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There was something on the Aronnax.

Did ghosts make metal creak? Scary children's stories often depicted them as rattling chains, so it was possible. Occasionally, something on the Aronnax would be mysteriously moved. Also possible, for the aforementioned reason.

Stowaway? Unlikely. Ghost? Only slightly more so.

The thing about ghosts was how little solid -pun intended- evidence there was about them. Everything was just speculation because, in reality, ghosts didn't exist.

Of course, Will had also come from a very long line of explorers searching for a city most claimed to be myth anymore. His whole life was dedicated to the impossible.

Will closed his book and set his glasses aside. He looked at the vent, wondering if he'd imagined the creak. He contemplated getting up and checking the ducts, but greatly suspected there would be nothing.

It was easier to believe in the ghost theory when even Kaiko had begun to believe. Will had noticed that she was talking more to herself aloud. Sometimes, she'd direct a comment to "Alessandro."

A Nekton ghost? More believable, and oh so fitting. Will rather hoped that was the case.

Will glanced at the open study door, then said carefully, "I don't suppose you'd like to show yourself, Alessandro?"

Silence answered Will.

Will thought about Ant's belief in the ghost. A random spirit was just as likely as a Nekton ghost, Will supposed. Again, there was no way to tell.

"Cooper?"

Still, silence. Perhaps the spirit had grown bored with Will and gone away.

Will replaced his glasses and set his books aside. He leaned forward and picked up the Chronicle to study it as he'd first intended.

Creak.

Okay, that one hadn't been imagined. Will carefully kept his eyes on the Chronicle. The ghost was still there after all, and interested in the Chronicle.

"Perhaps you are a Nekton," Will mused aloud. "I wonder who."

Will strained his ears for some sound, but received nothing in response.

"Well, if Kaiko and Ant can make up names, so can I."

Will smiled to himself and cast about for some nickname for the Aronnax ghost. His eyes fell on the Chronicle, which so often prompted the creaking when he touched it, and the perfect name came to mind.

"What if I called you Rune?" Will asked, turning his gaze on the grate before he could stop himself.

Tiny, twin blue lights flashed in the darkness, then vanished. Will jumped to his feet, but his attention was caught by a gasp and clatter in the hall. Ignoring the ducts, Will rushed into the hall.

Kaiko and Fontaine stood in the hall, opposite of each other. Kaiko was wide-eyed and her tablet was on the floor. Fontaine watched her mom, eyebrows raised.

"Are you okay, Mum?" Fontaine asked.

"What happened?" Will asked.

Kaiko looked at Will, then back to Fontaine. She blinked a couple times, then shook her head and picked up her tablet.

"It was the strangest thing," Kaiko said, eyes never leaving Fontaine. "For a second, Fontaine, your eyes were glowing."

Fontaine blinked, eyes never changing. "Glowing?"

Kaiko smiled sheepishly. "I must have been seeing the light reflecting in your eyes."

Fontaine shrugged with a grin. "Hey, glowing eyes would be pretty cool." She glanced at Will. "Did you see it, too, Dad?"

Will shook his head. "I didn't see anything."

Will watched his wife and daughter walk away. He stepped back into his study and stared at the dark grate. It couldn't have been a coincidence that Kaiko had seen Fontaine's eyes seemingly glow at the same time Will saw the eyes in the ducts.

Yes, there was something on the Aronnax. And that something was somehow connected to Fontaine.

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A/N: Contrary to popular belief, Will can be very observant. XD You can thank Demigoddess8 (FF reviewer) for this chapter. Will wasn't going to have a nickname for Finn, but Demigoddess8 was just so curious, that I realized it was kind of unfair to leave Will out. ;)

Oh, and the glowing? I'll give you a hint. What was the last (living) thing to suddenly start glowing?