Arachna slowly lowered herself down a slender strand of silk. The thin line was barely visible in the violet-colored light.

The large mechanical engine at the center of the room looked like a large cylindrical tower. Bright purple lights in the shape of a double helix rotated in a separate module, emanating out through transparent glass. The construct was like a living thing, drinking in synthesized Xitherium, which it used to power the ship's flight through space.

Click, click.

Arachna subconsciously clicked as she stared transfixed at the megalithic structure. Not only was she drawn in by the significant quantities of Xitherium within it, but her bond with her host enforced a keen interest in the inner workings of the ship core.

"What was that?" a voice said.

Her eyes darted down below.

The sound was immediately followed by a bright beam of light. Not violet like Xitherium. This was bright white.

Arachna froze in place, dangling in mid-air. She'd been so absorbed in thought about the engine that she'd failed to pay attention to her surroundings.

"I didn't hear anything, Xander," a second voice said. This voice was slightly lower-pitched.

Arachna's eyes searched the ground below for the source of the voices. There were two Yumens walking near the engine's base. They scanned the empty space above their heads with their flashlights.

"I wish we'd fix the lighting in here, Chief," Xander said. "I can't stand these Xitherium rays. They're just soo purple." He was slightly shorter than the second man. Both men wore belts filled with small mechanical contraptions.

Tools, Arachna thought. The word jumped into her mind. She felt drawn to the miniature contraptions around the men's waists. She wanted some for herself, even if she wasn't entirely sure why.

"Carlsen was supposed to fix the lights," said Chief. "But he called in sick and then just didn't show up to work."

"Have you called to check on him?" Xander asked.

"Can't," Chief said. "Union rules. We can't call employees on sick leave."

"That's ridiculous," Xander said. "We're in space. I'll go knock down his cabin door."

Chief shook his head. "Please don't. Last thing I need is Commander Rip calling me to discuss why we're making trouble with the Union. Remember, this is a science vessel. Civilian rules apply."

"Carlsen can't possibly have this many days of time off saved up."

Chief shook his head. "Rules are rules. He's untouchable until he reports in for duty or we arrive planetside. You're new, Xander, but this happens all the time. Being out in the Void for so long. It does funny things to your mind. Sometimes people just lose it and lock themselves in their rooms and never come out until either they're back on Mars or they've blown their own brains out, and we send in the clean-up crew." He let out an exasperated sigh as he spoke. "Let's hope it's not the latter."

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"I just want this Voiding lighting fixed," Xander said, shaking his head. "I'll fix it myself if I have to."

"Be my guest," Chief said. "Wait, what was that?"

The Yumen known as Chief directed his light straight toward Arachna. Her instincts kicked in instantly as the beam of light approached her. She secreted silk at full speed, dropping herself straight toward the floor, the beam catching a brief glimpse of her hind legs.

"Do you think it was a—" Xander said.

Nothing. He saw nothing. Arachna was out of his line of sight.

"No," Chief said. "Just my mind playing tricks on me. Thought I saw something."

Arachna lightly touched down on the floor. She released her thread and scurried toward the corner of the room, toward a dark corner.

"Void, I could have sworn that I heard a Krath click," Xander said.

"You're just paranoid," Chief said. "Marines caught a dactyl that made it all the way onto the ship. That was all. A lone dactyl. Nothing to worry about. We've got expert exterminators on board who have wiped out many Krath vermin."

"I know," Xander said. "Maybe it's the Void getting to me. Staying out here so long. How do you do it, Sir?"

"I'll offer you one piece of advice," Chief said, tilting his head. "Keep your mind on the prize. Like life, we're on a journey with a fixed amount of time. The end is in sight. We're 30 days from our destination. Don't call it the Starship Eschaton for nothing."

"Eschaton, Sir?"

"You don't know the significance of your own ship's name?" Chief said.

Xander shook his head.

"Don't ask me," Chief said. "Look it up, and meanwhile, see what you can do about those lights," Chief smirked as he touched his tipped forward front of his hardhat.

Chief walked toward the exit and made his way out of the engine room. Xander made for the metal stairs that wove together the layers of cylindrical floors surrounding the engine. He was going up.

From the shadows, Aracha's beak gaped. Her mind was a flurry of activity. Horde, was she hearing things correctly? A dactyl was found on board the ship? Another Krath?

It made sense. She'd have to have come from somewhere, wouldn't she? Another member of her race would have had to inject her spore into her host. This Engineer Carlsen whom the Yumens seemed to think was on sick leave?

That part didn't make much sense to Arachna. What did it mean to get sick? The Krath were always in good health, unless they were dying from battle wounds of course. These Yumens must be more feeble than she thought. Sick leave?

But that was beside the point.

Arachna didn't care too much about Yumen affairs. What was important was that there was a dactyl. Or at least there had been dactyl on board. She needed to find this dactyl if he was still alive. How she would go about doing that?

Perhaps it wasn't her best tactic. Not yet anyway. These Yumens clearly wanted all Krath "vermin" dead. That meant that she'd have to find a way to survive.

Maybe she could stay hidden until they landed on this place called Mars? There was plenty of Xitherium here in the engine room to feed on, but it was trapped in those tubes. Her twin stomachs rumbled at the mere thought of eating. She was already hungry even after having just consumed her host. So incredibly hungry.

Maybe there was a way to get it out? An idea popped into her mind.

Tools.

She knew there must have been a reason she was drawn to the engineer's tool belt. Perhaps they contained some sort of key to unlock the Xitherium? Or at least a clue.

These two Yumens seemed to have many more tools than her host had for some reason. And she wanted them. Badly.

So she scampered up the walls of the engine room—in search of the Yumen called Xander.

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