Arachna scampered toward the exit of the trash compactor, maintaining her stealth cloak. Dr. Sandra was still lying on the ground attempting to pull herself toward the door, dragging her broken legs. The three Yumen marines continued to search out Beaky who evaded their line of sight.

Arachna needed a plan. And fast.

There was a large metal door exiting the facility that could be closed tightly and locked from the outside. But what good would that do?

Suddenly she saw what she was looking for.

The red lever.

Beaky, Arachna said psionically. I think I have a plan.

The dactyl said nothing for a moment given that he was busy staying hidden. Then he replied, what is it?

When the time is right, Arachna said. Fly up toward the garbage chute at the top of the compactor. You can escape that way. Yumens will be trapped inside.

Need to kill these Yumens first, Beaky said. Or they will send more.

I think they will send more regardless, Arachna said. I have a way to finish them off.

What is it? Beaky asked.

Just trust me, Arachna said.

Beaky said nothing. But she knew he'd listen. Arachna was his queen after all.

As she opened the door to exit the room, Dr. Sandra's eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock. "You," she said. "It's all true."

Horde, had the doctor noticed Arachna's shimmer? The light was particularly bright near the exit.

Arachna released her cloak, her body shimmering while turning semi-transparent before becoming fully visible. Click, click.

"Queenling," Dr. Sandra said, still clutching her wound. The blood poured out of it, staining her white coat with red splotches. "I didn't believe the rifter's reports. I told everyone she was unstable. Insane. But it's all true."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Arachna gave the doctor her most menacing look, not wanting to underestimate a medic. Should she fight the medic now or continue with her plan? What other unseen powers did this Yumen have? Arachna wasn't sure.

"But you can't understand me," Dr. Sandra said. "Krath are not intelligent. That is why we will eventually hunt you down and kill you."

Click, click. Arachna stared back, narrowing her eyes and grinding her smalled clawed feet into the floor beneath her.

"This blood," Dr. Sandra said, holding up her hand. "You want to feed, don't you? But if you come for me, they'll kill you. You know that at least." She eyed the large marines behind her with their metal assault rifles.

Arachna was silent.

"But I've seen you now," Dr. Sandra said. "So we'll be hunting you next. No one on this ship believed the rifter but now they will. I can't believe she was right all along. Imagine that?"

The doctor pulled herself up so she was sitting up straight as if to try and get a good look at Arachna. Fiddling into her pocket, she retrieved a tiny vial filled with blue liquid.

"A stim," Dr. Sandra said, huffing and puffing. "Didn't realize I had one left. Too much blood loss. Will need to use the last regeneration spike when I make it back to the Medica. Shame to use one up but at least I'll live. You on the other hand—"

Arachna decided then and there that she would end this Dr. Sandra. What she now knew could not get out. Not yet anyway. Click, click.

"Is that some sort of Krath speech?" Dr. Sandra said, opening up the stim. A small needle protruded from the glowing blue vial. As she pressed down firmly on the other end, the device clicked and she jabbed it into her thigh. Her eyes tightened in pain as she injected herself with the liquid.

Click, Arachna said.

Suddenly more sentient, Dr. Sandra opened her eyes wide. It was like staring at a different person. This Dr. Sandra had renewed strength and vigor. Her face remained pale but the tension from the pain was gone. Even her muscles looked firmer than they had moments before.

She stood up. "I do wish you creatures could speak," she said, taking a step backward toward the marine. Her lips curled upward and to the right. "It would have been great to learn what goes on in those dimwitted minds of yours. But you are an unevolved, non-sentient species, so likely not worth our time."

Arachna sensed Dr. Sandra's psionic presence. Her mind was more alert, more adept, and faster than before. Horde, that stim she had taken was a powerful thing. Arachna wondered what the side effects were from using them. There had to be something.

In an instant, Dr. Sandra grabbed the holstered pistol off one of the marines. Pointing it at Arachna, she pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

The weapon emitted an artificial voice similar to the voice from the datapad, "Safety on. Unauthorized handprint detected."

"Void," Dr. Sandra said, grimacing. She was clearly very frustrated.

The three marines turned to her, wondering what was going on.

"It's over there," Dr. Sandra said, pointing at Arachna. "The queenling. Kill it."

But before they could train their rifles, Archna clicked her beak. Her eyes glowed a piercing red. Then she spoke in the sternest psionic voice she could manage.

You're all going to die down here.

Arachna pulled the red lever, scampered out the door, and locked it from the outside.

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Regeneration Spike