Esther

I sat in the maintenance shaft and ate an algae bar. Security hadn't come down to level 9 since early that morning, but I wanted to be ready just in case. I watched level 14 on the security feeds I had hacked into. Mechanic Wilson worked on the shuttle furthest from the aether field.

I should try to open the light in Owen and Vai soon. I wouldn't have to be alone anymore. I trusted Owen more than I trusted Vai. It seemed they were both sincere, but there was something off about Vai that I hadn't been able to figure out. For one thing, I couldn't hack his quarters or the feeds into his quarters. I thought that had more to do with his father than him. I also couldn't hack into his father's labs.

As much as I didn't want to be alone anymore, they weren't really my friends. I barely knew them as was evident when they started talking about Shel and Minmin and didn't bother to tell me who they were. That was okay, I hacked into the armata's rosters and found them on the Armstar. All four of them were a year older than me.

Wilson's shift ended. I watched him through the security feeds as he made his way to level 10. He went into one of the smaller quarters. They were setup much like the ones on level 9 with only a single bedroom. I patted my pocket to make sure the sedatives were still there. I didn't end the feed, but I set it aside as I made my way through the maintenance shafts down to level 10.

I changed the security feed view so I could see in the corridor directly outside the maintenance shaft. It was empty. I quickly opened the hatch and stepped out. I closed the shaft silently behind me. I didn't see anyone, but since the security was looking for a strange girl - me - I always pulled my cowl down over my face.

I made my way to the next corridor and to the door of his quarters. It was late and thankfully the corridors were quiet. I connected to the door and bypassed the security code. The door slid open. I stepped inside and the door closed behind me. He wasn't in the living quarters. I checked the security feed. He was in the bedroom. He watched a comedy program on his okulus and drank an algae shake. He laughed.

I took out the sedatives and readied one. I needed to be quick. He laughed again as I stood outside his bedroom door. I collected my breath. It had to be done. I couldn't lead the Corruption to the Awakened One. I was the last one with the light. I couldn't let them kill me.

The door opened.

He saw me. The Corruption in his eyes recognized me.

"Captain," he said into his okulus.

I jumped the space between us using the light to enhance the speed. He spilled the shake all over his shirt in surprise. I tore the okulus away from him and threw it across the room. Before I could give him the sedative, he punched me in the nose.

White pain tingled through me and my vision blurred. He pushed me off the bed while I blinked until my vision cleared. He reached the okulus.

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"Captain, she's . . ."

I didn't need Vai to verify the captain had the Corruption. It was obvious by the way Wilson tried to reach her for help.

I pushed the light away from me in one great force towards Wilson. He blinked as the light not only temporarily blinded him, but pushed him backwards into the wall.

I rushed him. I tore the okulus out of his hands and turned it off. He had recuperated enough that he grabbed me around the waist and pushed. I couldn't keep my balance under the force and I fell to my back. He fell on top of me. His hands came up to choke my neck, but I used the light to create a shield around my neck.

He grimaced with frustration that his hands hovered just centimeters above my skin. I took the shot of sedative and jammed it into his arm. He cried out in pain and pulled away from me. I prepared another sedative just in case as he tore out the used one and tossed it across the room.

I got to my feet, my legs tensed ready to spring away or at him - whatever the situation might call for. He looked around, I assumed for his okulus, but it was in my pocket.

He blinked and his eyes slowly became foggy as the sedative began to take hold. He didn't wait. He ran towards the bedroom door. It slid open. He took a step out when I reached him. I kneed him in the back and he fell forward. He didn't fight back, but I used another sedative just in case.

One small, pink Corruption came out of his ear. Everything had happened so quickly with Officer Hansi that the Corruption inside didn't know what was happening to react at first. I suspected they were testing me now with Wilson. I caught it in my hand. With the light awakened inside me, they couldn't take over me like they could others.

There was a sharp pain in my palm as it tried to dig its way inside. I refocused the light to my palm. I surrounded the Corruption with my light, tightened it until the Corruption burst into nothingness. It was easy to do that to a few, not millions.

I had readjusted my distorter to hide me from infrared cameras as well as normal and night vision cameras. Wilson would show up on the cameras. I reshaped my okulus and spread it over Wilson to hide him from the cameras. I hadn't bothered with Officer Hansi because no one knew I had taken him until it was too late, but Wilson had tried to call the captain.

I checked the security feeds in the corridors. It was still empty. I carried Wilson on my back and entered the corridor. We made it back to the maintenance hatch just as I heard shouting back towards Wilson's quarters. I opened the hatch and shoved Wilson inside. I crawled in after him and closed the maintenance hatch behind me. I didn't have time to use the handheld sweeper. I was wearing gloves and my cowl had been pulled over my head the entire time so I didn't think I had left a trace. I had been extremely careful after I left the Lion of Judah Research Station not to leave any trace of me that the Corruption could use to find me.

I stayed still as there was movement in the corridor directly outside the maintenance shaft.

"See anything?" Someone asked.

"No," someone else answered.

I waited until they walked away. I checked the security feed. Two officers were at Wilson's closed door. I pushed and pulled Wilson passed the restricted levels of 9, 8 and 7 and waited at level 6.

When I checked the security feeds, several officers were doing a sweep of levels 9, 8 and 7. I waited with another sedative in my hand in case I needed to use it on Wilson again. It wasn't until early morning that the officers left the restricted levels. I didn't feel safe going down quite yet.

Wilson moaned and tried to roll over. I gave him the third sedative. I was going to run out of those sooner rather than later and I didn't think it was a good idea for me to try to steal from the medical reserves again. They'd be watching for that now.

It was only going to get harder and harder to take those with the Corruption by myself. They would be more aware of me and more cautious. I should open the light in the others.

I thought about killing Wilson then and there, but the mechatronic's way of getting rid of the body was handy. I'd wait.