Waking up, the most unpleasant part of sleeping. The drowsiness, the stranger in your own body feeling and this time the aching hand also playing a part.

In trying to rise up, she put weight on her hurt arm, raising a scream. The painkillers had worn off and she struggled up, remembering to not put weight on her hurt arm.

She climbed out of the shelter, her face pale, wincing at every step. Sawyer was eating breakfast and had printed some blueprints for new weapons. The blueprints piqued Fi’s interest, but her priority laid elsewhere.

She shuffled past Sawyer towards the scoutship. Sawyer didn’t raise his head, not noticing Fi.

The interior of the scoutship was like before, cold and unappealing. One corner of the cargo bay didn’t heed to the rest of the ship’s theme. It was the corner which held the pod-doc.

The pod-doc would bring her respite from this pain. Maybe let her enjoy some movies in a drowsy state while it fixed her problems.

If only the pod-doc could fix all her problems. The almighty pod-doc fixing physical, mental and worldly problems alike. That would be the greatest.

Sadly that couldn’t be the case. She would have to fix most of the problems on her own.

‘This is what I wanted all along, the chance to control my fate. Everything is going to be so easy when I can decide.’ Fi thought with dripping sarcasm.

‘The person who said be careful what you wish for, what a hero’ Fi’s thought continued as she arrived at the pod-doc.

To her surprise it was empty. Blue was gone, ready with her procedures. Surprise melted to bliss as she entered the pod-doc, closing the lid behind her.

The pod-doc begun its scanning procedures automatically and Fi relaxed. She entered a few parameters, namely that she wanted no information and to proceed at the safest route.

It whirred into action, small arms prodding every which where and sweet numbness arrived as the anesthesia took effect. Peak drowsiness was hit, a bliss well welcomed.

Fi put on her favorite comedy and drifted away to a land of happiness.

* * *

The three able-bodied members of the scout team sat around the center of camp, the recycling unit. Coffee cups at the ready, the velvet brown color revolving lightly, they looked at each other. Blue was the first one to open her mouth.

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“Fi is out for two more days, before being ready to do something again. She will have to spend multiple nights in the pod-doc so no long trips possible after that either.” Blue said taking a sip of her coffee. A delighted sigh escaped her lips, in spite of pressing events.

“I need to take a few days off to do a gig from here,” Robin said warming his hands with the hot cup.

“Illusion needs to make an appearance and what better ways to do it than from Eden,” said Robin blowing on the coffee before taking a sip.

Blue looked at Robin with pleading eyes. When that solicited no reaction she knitted her hands beggingly and pouted. Exactly like a proper lady should do at almost seventy years old.

Robin rolled his eyes while taking a sip of his coffee. He held his silence not deeming Blue with an answer. His attitude didn’t hold for long, with Blue trying to fake tears.

“Fine, you can watch it on location,” Robin said into his cup of coffee. Blue perked up and she almost let out a fangirl like screech.

Sawyer gave a teensy smile at the side, he took the last sip out of his coffee and rose up.

“You do you, I do me,” He said and left for the forest.

The two left in the camp left for location spotting, trying to find the perfect venue for a concert. They didn’t forget to close the hatch on the scout ship leaving Fi safe inside.

* * *

Three days had passed and Fi heard the hatch close outside. The pod-doc insisted on having her there for two more days. Fi didn’t like it, but it wasn’t much she could do.

On the bright side, Fi had the chance to think many things through. She would wait to see how she could do with her hand out of order. If she was mostly good with it she would take Pruet’s offer and become her disciple.

Silver exhaust seemed so powerful that it would be a waste to not learn it. Even if it meant that she would be handicapped for the next three months.

While Isolda had health to offer, she didn’t seem to have much else that would fit Fi.

Pruet was the choice to make if everything was in order. Fi didn’t even hold any light to the idea of becoming Nadesh’s disciple. She said she wasn’t going to accept his proposition and she wouldn’t.

With the choice for master half cleared, half pushed ahead, Fi had the brainpower to give for other questions. The next in line was family. A dreadful question. The most dreadful there was. She couldn’t really make a decision before she knew what Pruet had done to her family.

It was time for a break, another movie to watch. The library was extensive with the beacon having a connection to the Harmony. She put on a catastrophe movie and mindlessly followed it enjoying the loss of brainwork.

An explosion happened in the movie and the whole pod-doc shook.

‘The effects are quite good in this movie, making me feel like the whole world is moving,’ Fi thought and sank into the movie again.

The ship shook again. Harder. Fi realized it wasn’t the movie and looked around, seeing nothing wrong she shrugged.

‘Probably a small earthquake,’ Fi thought and tried concentrating on the movie.

An ear piercing crunch sounded. Light filled the previously dim cargo bay. A row of teeth filled Fi’s view.

The teeth approached and surrounded her.

Darkness, her new friend, had arrived.