Fantasy Vs Reality | The Withering

27: Secrets

Stop.

~~

No one had forgotten about what Dun did to Orion the other day. However, the trial was over quickly when Marcus pardoned Dun, given that it never happened again. Kay thought it was the opposite, that Marcus was just upset he didn't get to see his boyfriend fight. Orion looked angry when Marcus removed the charges, but he said nothing.

The worst part of the trial was when Dun walked off. He scoffed at Orion snootily before leaving the dining hall, where the trial was held. Several crew members had to hold the arctic dog back from murdering the rabbit.

When everyone calmed down from the trial, Kay requested they have a small ceremony for her official inclusion to the crew. Upon her request, only Coal, Storm, and Marcus attended. They helped her fill out some documents and she was soon ready to go. They even gave her an official Neon Empire Explorer pin so she could put it in her room.

After the stop at Sector U, Marcus had received payment for the crew along with several messages from the Neon Empire's home world shortly after sending a message back to the Empire about Sector T's spaceport. One of them was rather strange. He claimed it was just encoded, but Elva admitted that it was no code that she had ever learned. 

The others were messages like, "Keep a very close eye on the two who made contact with the strange ooze." and "Don't let them go out of your sight." despite Marcus saying they'd found a potential cure.

Some certified doctors had come on board to study the illness and symptoms of Ember's and Orion's contact with the ooze, but Kay heard they were just scratching their heads over it. Sylvia was there too, trying to explain her own findings so they'd understand better.

The encoded message kept popping up in topics all over the ship during their stay in Sector U. Kay had heard that the captain was playing it over and over. Shortly after she was told this, she was asked for by the captain personally.

The elevator doors opened and Marcus was sitting alone in the Bridge, listening to the transmission on repeat. The ship was still docked with the port, and it's massive structure loomed high out of sight above the front window. 

The transmission read, "We've run out of time. You must find its secrets before it is too late, and stop our downfall. In the end, a connection must be made. You've sworn your loyalty, now give what you showed for it. They know where you're going... where their end was our beginning."

"... Captain?" Kay called out in a quiet voice.

Marcus jumped in his seat, and pressed a button on his chair. He stood up and turned around, and a smile formed on his face, "Ah! There you are. I was wondering when you'd get here."

Kay walked up to him, craning her neck to look up at him, "What did you need me for?"

"I want you to listen to this transmission closely for me." Marcus said, gesturing for Kay to sit in his chair, "Tell me what you think it's trying to tell us."

Honoured that Marcus was allowing her to sit in his chair, she gingerly sat down and pricked her ears up. She nodded, and he pressed the button and the message played again, "We've run out of time. You must find its secrets before it is too late, and stop our downfall. In the end, a connection must be made. You've sworn your loyalty, now give what you showed for it. They know where you're going... where their end was our beginning."

When the message ended, there was an odd click at the end of the message Kay hadn't noticed before, "Did you hear that weird click at the end?" 

"What? What click?" Marcus asked, playing it again. He listened for the click, and there it was again. His eyes widened, "Does that click... sound something like the cocking of a gun?"