Chapter 6

Deep in a detention vault near the bottom level of Cirrus Prime, Prisoner Number XCY-100892 knew that she would die soon. The information that Marcus had found in that stupid library had doomed them all. She told him as much as soon as he told the rest of their team about it, but he insisted that they had to do the right thing. Well look at us now, Marcus. Did we do the right thing? Yes, and you know it, even if we all pay the ultimate price. The darkness was right; Marcus was right.

The cell door opened, a rectangular beam of light projected into the cell, illuminating the dust in the air. Prisoner Number XYC-100892 is briefly blinded by the sudden light. She is dragged now to another room. Placed in a chair, handcuffed to the table in front of her. A man in front of her - the man that brought her here from the chaos of the surface.

“Your buddy. Marcus. He had a sister. She lives on Skyreach. You’re going to call her and arrange a meeting.” Morehouse slid a grimy hand terminal across the table. The prisoner grabbed the phone, the device was programmed only to dial the pre-set number. All she needed to do was initiate the call.

“Why would she trust me?” The prisoner said.

“She won’t, but she would trust the sole survivor of her brother’s team who happened to have escaped custody and has information about her brother’s death,” Morehouse replied.

“You know that’s my actual situation, right? Like, why wouldn’t I just immediately tell her everything I know as quickly as I can and hope that she figures it out?” The prisoner had nothing to lose, why not go down swinging.

“Because I will paint that wall behind you with your damn brains the second you go off script,” Morehouse said, placing a gun on the table. “She knows we’re after her, so I’ve got nothing to lose by killing you with her on the line. Might just make her panic enough that she fucks up and we can catch that much faster.” He grabbed the gun and tapped the terminal with the barrel. “Dial.”