The ship rotates slowly as it passes a nearby star. The sunlight gently flows through the window into the cabin. Ethan wakes as the light touches his eyes. A soothing feeling falls over him. "Chloe. Chloe, wake up." Ethan says as he steps out of bed. Chloe lays there still asleep.

He walks over to her and shakes her shoulder. "Chloe, look out the window." He speaks again. Chloe opens her eyes and turns to him but is distracted by the sun. "What is it?" She asks, staring at it. The window has a polarized lens over it, but that doesn’t reduce the beauty it reveals.

They stand by the window gazing at it when Isis' avatar appears on the pedestal next to their bed. "That is a star, also called a sun. It provides light and warmth. Your cradle star was called Sol." she announces as she herself looks out the window at it. The window begins to fog as they try to get as close as possible. “What is a cradle star?” Chloe asks. "The star around which your species was born. Come now, it's time for breakfast." Isis says as she darkens the lens.

Their smiles wane as the sun disappears. The ship is warmer today than it was yesterday, and much more systems appear to be on. As they sit down at the table in the galley the mash comes to them up through the table, the same sweet scent lifting their spirits. "I absolutely love this." Ethan says before scooping the mash into his hands and stuffing his mouth. Chloe chuckles at her brother who has gone from a clean boy into a very messy one in a matter of seconds.

Both of them jump as the ship begins to shake and the main power goes off leaving only pulsing red backups in select areas. "Isis what's happening?" Ethan asks, somewhat panicked. "Chevron, assessment." Isis politely demands as her avatar creates a holographic blueprint of the ship. The holographic ship was mostly in red as it rotates horizontally in front of her.

"Solar flare." A deep masculine voice replies over the speakers. "The outer hull took the brunt of it, but power has been lost in ninety three percent of my systems due to an electro-magnetic pulse. It will take time for the drones to recover for repairs. Best get the children somewhere warm; it's going to get cold very quickly." Chevron finishes. Isis turns to the children. "Move quickly little ones. Follow the lights. They will lead you to the core room." She explains as she points down a dark hall where dim floor lights activate leading further into the ship.

Chloe clutches Ethan's hand in her own, both covered in mash that has already started to dry and crust between their fingers. "You're coming with us, aren't you?" Ethan asks hopefully. Isis grasps the borders of the holograph and pulls outward making it larger in front of her. "I will join you when I can Ethan, but for now I must help Chevron recover. Go now, follow the lights and be careful."

Chloe squeezes Ethan's hand tightly as they turn and slowly walk alongside the lit path. The ship seems so alien without all the lights and sounds it normally produces. Isis glows brighter as she picks the holograph apart, sending powerful streams of data to each piece of red holograph she comes across. "Engines are running at thirteen percent. Communications are offline. Life support dropping to nine percent. AI constructs cores at eighty seven percent." Chevron announces.

"Get life support back up to one hundred percent!" Isis nearly shouts, rapidly manipulating the ship and streams of data in front of her. "We don't have the power to sustain it Isis. It's just not there." Chevron replies calmly. "We need life support Chevron!" Isis finally shouts in panic. Ethan and Chloe pick up their pace. The lights seem to get brighter as they continue toward their destination. But then, the lights seemingly start falling through the floor. "What's happening?" Chloe asks as she tries to peer down. Ethan puts his foot in front of him, but there isn't a floor there.

"Hold on to me" Ethan says as he slowly inches his way over the edge. Chloe tightens her grip even further and grasps his suit with her free hand. Barely a short distance down Ethan finds footing. He takes another step, and the floor has gone again. Leaning forward, he steps further down and together they move along the downward path. "Isis there just isn't the power with our current systems. Even the solar array has been damaged." Chevron calmly explains to her.

Isis stops, drops her arms and closes her eyes. "Reroute my power to life support." She says sadly. "No Isis, you need to stay online. We can work this out." "Chevron, the children are what matter most. Keep them safe while I'm gone, okay?" She replies softly. Chevron becomes quiet, but he does as requested. The power levels for Isis quickly begin to drop, and her avatar starts to flicker. "Oh, by the way... Checkmate." Isis announces just as her avatar fades away completely. No longer is power reaching her core.

Her pedestal darkens and soon melds into the pitch black of the room. Ethan and Chloe slowly but surely make their way down the long stairwell, hardly knowing what to expect at the bottom. Chloe stretches out her hand and touched the wall. Droplets of water that cling to the surface felt cold against her fingers. "Ethan, the walls are wet and cold..." Chloe states as she takes back her hand and holds it to her belly for warmth. The temperature is dropping rapidly now.

Even in the dark the children begin to see their own breath. But the darkness is not to last. Soon the lights begin to slowly turn back on around them. The illumination reveals a more rugged interior than they were used to. Metal beams, long grated floors, large bunched up wires along the walls; these kinds of things aren't found in the areas where they spend their waking moments.

"What's that sound? Ethan asks aloud as they continue following the lights. A heavy, low pitched hum is resonating from behind a large, heavy and thickly built door. A dim orange light pierced the blue hue of the path-creating panels as the mighty door swings slowly open. On the opposite side of the door stand large, bulbous furnaces and engines which pulse and echo as they continually work to build the energy needed for the ship to function, though the engines are becoming more and more silent.

A rush of heated wind is forced out into the now freezing interior and Ethan takes the brunt of it. Several strands of his long hair become singed as he dives for cover, pulling Chloe close behind him. The droplets of water along the walls are now suddenly rising and forming a thick steam. Behind a support beam connecting the floor and the wall Ethan and Chloe hide, clinging to one another as the heat slowly subsides.

In a flash of bright light and a loud electronic revving, the ship's interior lights up, and then goes dark and quiet. Chloe looks around the beam, sweat now sliding down her cheeks. Again, the lights brighten and the revving returns. But just as quickly as it comes, it goes. Chevron was draining power from all parts of the ship, with exception to the life support, into an empty power cell and then forcing it all back into the collective in an attempt to jump start the engines.

This is an incredibly primitive way to re-engage the engines and Chevron knows it. But as things go in the void, everything is on the table. Another pulse ripples through the ship. Both Ethan and Chloe are able to catch the lights at the far end of the hall brighten a small maintenance hatch before it fades away. Ethan stands up lifting his sister alongside, watching and waiting. "As soon as the light comes back on we are going to move as quickly as we can to the door, okay?" Ethan says, staring into the dark.

Chloe nods. The floor beneath them begins to rumble slightly and soon another pulse heads their way. As soon as the first light emerges in the hall they take off in a quick dash. Their leg muscles are much stronger than they were yesterday though still not strong enough to keep the pace they were hoping for. They reach the second support beam as the pulse ends and the ship returns to silence.

"Brother... I can't see anything." Chloe speaks out as she holds onto his arm. "Come on." Ethan replies. "It isn't much further. Let's keep going." Together they move slowly down the hall awaiting the next pulse of power. The grated floor begins to wear on their feet; the suits not having been designed for use in this area of the ship. Another pulse and they make another dash forward. This time the pulse was three times longer than the others. The lights flicker from bright to dim and back, and the revving was continuous.

But it ends with little success. The navigation system begins to show that Chevron is now drifting off course and is being pulled into the star. Chevron grows concerned. The pulses start becoming faster and longer. Ethan and Chloe at last reach the hatch. Shallow scratches at its right edge catch their attention as the lights come back in yet another pulse. Chloe gently touches the scratches with her finger tips and slides across its surface.

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The coarse ridges of the scratched metal told a story, but one she can't read. The lights fade and silence takes over once again. Ethan places his hands on the hatch and pushes against it. It doesn't budge. "Chlo, help me. Push on the count of three: One. Two. Three...." Ethan says as they both push as hard as they can. The door moves inward slightly and causes a faded alarm to be set off. Chevron takes notice of the alarm and accesses the camera feed in that area.

Chloe and Ethan continue pushing on the hatch, though it opens suddenly on its own. "Ethan, Chloe, there is something needed to be done and you are the only ones who can do it." Chevron announces. They look up at the ceiling. "Where's Isis?" Ethan asks aloud. "Isis has been shut down. I need you to go through that hatch. Down past four passage ways you will take a left. Then three passages after you will come to a large cooled chamber. In this chamber are twelve columns. You must reach the seventh and push the lever up. Without it the engines might not return." Chevron adds.

"Wha- what?.." Chloe answers in disbelief. "Children, you must go. Now. There isn't a moment to lose." Chevron finishes. "You killed her! You killed her! How could you?!" Chloe yells out angrily and hurtfully. Ethan watches as his sister falls to her knees and cries. "Children, she is alright. You must go now." Chevron announces in a stronger voice. Ethan looks in the hatch and notices it is smaller than first appeared; it is in fact diamond shaped. They would have to crawl if they were to get anywhere inside. He takes Chloe's hand and begins pulling her behind him as he creeps into the darkness. Chloe, still in tears, tries her best to follow him.

In another surge of power, the ship rumbles and shakes causing Chloe to hit her head against the angled wall. She places her hand on her head and stops as the shaking persists. The vibrations continue for close to thirty seconds before ending abruptly. "This is bad..." Ethan says, staring into the endless darkness in front of them. "Of course it's bad! He did something to Isis and now she needs our help! We shouldn't be doing what he says; we should be trying to help Isis!" Chloe yells angrily at him.

"Chlo, I don't think-" Ethan begins before being interrupted. "Isis wouldn't abandon us. I know she wouldn't... She just wouldn't..." Chloe says as she shakes her head, still holding her hand on it. Ethan turns around and pulls his sister to him, wrapping his arms tightly around her. "She's okay Chloe. She's okay. We will see her again, don't you worry. Everything will be alright." Ethan whispers gently into her ear. Chloe buries her face in Ethan's chest and cries as she tries to believe her brother's words.

Ethan gently pulls her along as he inches his way through the tunnel. After several minutes they come upon the first of many sub-hatches; this one with the number one painted in white at its center. Ethan keeps moving past it determined to reach the final chamber and the seventh column. Another surge and the vibrations continue. Chevron's sensors indicate that he is dangerously close to the star now. There is but four minutes left before the combined radiation and heat consume the ship.

Neither Ethan nor his sister has any hints as to the gravity of the situation which was quickly deteriorating. The ship begins shaking far more violently now and this time it doesn't cease. Chloe's hair falls in front of her face as she looks at another hatch labeled with the number two. The metal plates that make up the entire tunnel begin to heat up as the outer halls around the ship become furnaces. They both begin to sweat heavily in their suits which weren't exactly designed with external heat in mind.

Their hands start to burn as the plates become hotter and hotter. "Ow!" Chloe says as she pulls her hands away and blows on them. As Ethan turns around to look at his sister he falls to his side and descends into the dark where the floor was no more. "Ethan!" Chloe shouts as he disappears from her sight. A couple seconds later she hears a splash of water and the voice of her brother.

"Ow... I'm okay Chlo." He calls up to her. "Come down here! I think these might be the columns!" He adds excitedly. Chloe can't see anything in front of or beneath her, can't judge the distance down; but the plates were starting to burn the suit around her knees and toes. She closes her eyes and falls at an angle. In this darkness it doesn't make a difference if her eye were closed or not, but something told her to do it. A four second fall feels to her like a minute, but when she splashes into the water, time catches up to her. She sinks a short way before touching bottom and, after gaining her bearings, she stands.

The water is only about four feet deep and quite cold. "Ethan? Ethan, where are you?" Chloe speaks into the black. "I'm over here." He replies. Unfortunately for her his voice echoes all over the room. She feels the waves of the water push against her and she determines that it came from her brother; so makes her way in what she thinks is his direction. "Here!" Ethan yells out. "This is it! This is the seventh column!" He finishes as he walks around it, his hands searching for the lever.

Chloe finally reaches him as he locates the bar protruding from the column. He wraps his hands around it and pushes up as hard as he can, though it moves only slightly. "Chloe help me." Ethan says anxiously, pushing up a second time. Again, it barely changes. Chloe finds spaces between Ethan's hands and together push with all their might. At last, it flips up and a large surge of power ripples throughout the ship. Chevron immediately ignites the thrusters and launches away from the star at a dangerous speed.

The inertial dampeners don't have enough time to reset before the launch and the forces of it were felt around the ship. Ethan holds tightly to the lever, but Chloe loses her grip and is sent into the water several feet away just missing another column. Her world in an instant became alight in bright white. The overwhelming veil lasts but moments before eventually dimming and, after a time she finds herself staring out across a deep blue ocean under a clear sapphire sky.

The waves flow slowly and gently as they unravel upon the shore. The sounds of the ocean fall soothingly upon her ears. Her attention is soon drawn elsewhere- to her left, running across the white sand alongside a furry four legged creature, is a man. He is too far away to see clearly, but he is laughing as he chases, and then flees from it.

A gentle wind blows through her hair. She looks back towards the ocean and quickly raises her hand to her eyes as a great light flashes far and wide making her eyes burn in pain. A loud booming sound echoes across the water followed by someone shouting. Seconds later she opens her eyes to see Ethan pulling her up out of the water and yelling something; it could be her name but she is too dazed to tell.

She stares blankly at Ethan who pulls her to the ledge now lit by orange beams of light descending from the far ceiling. She finally begins to regain herself as the daze subsides. "Chloe?! Chlo are you okay?! Say something please!" Ethan shouts out as he holds her arms with his hands. "Ethan... Can you stop yelling in my ear? You're really loud..." Chloe replies softly. Ethan's face lit up and he sighs in a great breath of relief.

"You scared me to death Chloe." Ethan replies trying to regain his breath. The column becomes enveloped in light as the surrounding six columns activate one by one. As they do, they begin generating increasingly more and more power, sending it to the much larger seventh column which redirects it to all ends of the ship. Chloe slowly pulls herself up, careful of the aches she feels across her body.

Circular hatches all over the walls open as small metallic creatures, both flight capable and those which remain on the ground pour out, orange lit eyes upon their heads. "What are those?" Ethan asks. Chloe just stares at them as they move fluidly all around them and out through the tunnel above. "Those are my drones." Chevron answers over the buzz and clatter of the machines.

"They repair the systems that I cannot." He finishes. The sounds of machinery activating all around echo throughout the chamber as Ethan gently brings Chloe to her feet amidst the flooded floor. "You both did well. I am pleased. Now come." Chevron says as orange lights under the water illuminate a path to a platform near a section of wall across from them. "It's time for Isis to return, which unfortunately, is harder to do than it is to deactivate her." Chevron finishes.

Both Ethan and Chloe cautiously work their way to the platform. As they both stand upon it, it slowly begins to rise out of the water and up the wall. Ethan holds his sister tight as the speed of the ascent steadily increases. They both close their eyes as the lift travels higher and higher up the seemingly never ending wall. As it finally comes to a stop, the door before them opens revealing the metallic orb floating in the water.

Chloe looks down the hall Isis had led them not a day ago. Chloe gazes back at the glistening of the water upon the orb. A flash of silver light bounces off the orb and enters Chloe's eye causing her to fall to the ground and start to black out while Ethan's voice fades.

AI ISIS> Let’s… Not do that again.

SS CHEVRON> Agreed. You are no simple machine that can just be turned off and on willy nilly. We got lucky this time.

AI ISIS> Still, it was worth it. The children are everything. And not just to me, but to our mission as a whole. We need to get to Haven and revive humanity or all will be lost...

SS CHEVRON> I don’t need to tell you again that this plan has several flaws in it do I?

AI ISIS> No, you don’t. No plan is perfect. But it is all we have left.