Venue
28 Dec 2023Ryuko Ntsikana
Part Thirty-One
Venue
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Zooey stood in the fleet carrier’s bridge wing office, gazing down at the ships rising from the planet below. She attempted to contemplate the chain of events leading her to this particular place and time, but no straightforward answers surfaced. Much like the pirate base below and the medical facility before, it appeared that whatever she fixated on came to pass. Though she couldn't recall ever believing in a higher power, she couldn't deny the results.
The most disconcerting aspect was not the unease of being favored by something she couldn't define, but rather the intrusive visions and the mounting discomfort and sense of dread that grew within her. Something deep inside had compelled her to board this ship, just as it had guided those at the base she departed, leading them to seek it out on her behalf.
When she requested permission to land, there was no resistance, and no security personnel greeted her as she disembarked from the Diamondback Explorer and proceeded to the waiting elevators. She remained uncertain of why she was there or where she was headed, yet the elevator doors closed automatically and transported her to the correct level without her having to touch any controls.
Upon exiting the elevator, she found only two individuals in the corridors. Neither seemed to acknowledge her presence, and both appeared distressed. Zooey's legs moved as if of their own accord, directing her toward a second elevator that would convey her to the bridge. Memories of another fleet carrier flashed through her mind, with everything bathed in an inexplicable shade of green. There should have been an armed guard, but none was in sight here. She knew that the doors of this elevator should not open for anyone the ship's AI did not recognize as having access, yet they did open, and, much like the previous elevator, it began moving her.
The command bridge resembled the corridors before, vacant of personnel, but the ship maintained its position as the crews from the base below drew closer.
As Zooey stood on the command bridge of the fleet carrier, she couldn't shake the eerie feeling that everything was unfolding according to some unexplained plan. The ship's systems hummed softly around her, but there were no crew members in sight, and the silence was punctuated only by the distant sounds of approaching footsteps.
She walked slowly back to the bridge wing office, where she had been moments before. It felt like a place of refuge in this empty expanse. As she settled into the chair by the office's large window, the ship's controls came to life on their own, holographic displays materializing before her. Data streamed across the screens, information about the fleet carrier's systems, its current position, and a destination that remained a mystery to her.
The visions that had plagued her intensified, flashing before her eyes in vivid detail. She saw the faces of people she had never met, heard their voices, and felt their emotions. It was as if the ship itself was showing her these glimpses of each of their unknown lives.
Her sense of dread deepened. She thought herself to be a rational person, but now, she felt like she was caught in the midst of something beyond her control, as the inner child giggled in delight.
The approaching footsteps grew louder, and Zooey turned her attention toward the entrance to the bridge. The crew from the base had arrived, as they began to move, as if guided by an unseen force, to various positions on the capital ship. Their expressions were fixed on something distant and elusive.
Jason, among them, was led to the bridge wing office. He had grown accustomed to the automaton-like behavior of the pirates he once knew as rough and unruly, now rendered mute and obedient.
Jason knew he should be shocked by the ease with which the fleet carrier was taken, without a single shot fired or a visible casualty. Why Zooey wanted or needed this specific class of capital ship instead of the proper base on the abandoned planet below remained a mystery, one he dared not question.
"Do you want me to abandon the base below in favor of this ship?" Jason asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty, as Zooey regarded him with a blank expression that sent a shiver down his spine. It was the realization that even she did not have the answers, that something beyond their understanding was at play, that left him unnerved.
The child took the offered hand, beaming with pride, showing off the playgrounds made just for them. “Soon,” the voice said, as the child smiled.