Cold. Wet. He opened his eyes. Below, darkness consumed everything, concealed everything, stretching out into eternity. Above, faint tendrils of light played at the tips of his outstretched fingers, photons locked in futile struggle against dirt and algae and the murk below. He floated weightlessly on the precipice between the two, calm and unworried, marveling at the beauty of the interplay between light and dark until he felt his lungs quietly starting to beg for air. He kicked against gravity and drifted towards the light, breaching the surface with a gasp for air. He wiped grime from his eyes and looked around. The stale waters were covered in a layer of green sludge, and its surface lay utterly still save for the ripples emanating from him. A thick sheet of fog blanketed the world around and he could not see far, but on one side he saw a steep clay bank jutting out. It seemed… familiar, somehow. Like… home? No. He had no home. The cold had seemed bearable until now, but it was starting to seep into his body. He swam towards land, hoping to dry off and find warmth there. But the bank was too steep, too slippery; no matter where he tried, he could find no purchase in the wet clay, and he would slide helplessly back into the cold water. As he floated there shivering, he felt something brush against his foot. He froze. What creature might lurk in that bottomless abyss? In a panicked burst of effort he once again attempted to claw his way out, but the clay did not avail. His arms gave out and he fell back into the water. He laughed to himself, teeth clattering. Freaking out over what was probably just a small fish. Suddenly, he noticed a figure standing on the bank, just above him. It seemed to be clad in the fog itself, its features obscured by sheets of ephemeral grey. Had it just arrived, or had it been standing there all along, silently watching him struggle? Shivering, floating amidst the grime at the water’s edge, he reached towards the figure, silently begging it to help him up. Its hand moved, but hope turned to disappointment as it ignored his plea, holding instead its arm out towards the pond with a finger pointing down. He stared, arm still outstretched. The figure stood unmoved by his plea, gesturing down with its pointed finger. He let his arm fall, and it splashed unceremoniously into the water. Did it want him to dive? Was there something down there? Or did it simply want to torment him? He looked around, scanning the banks; they looked just as steep and slippery everywhere else. Only the mist-clad figure could help him get out. He made up his mind: humor the figure with a quick dive, see if he could find whatever it wanted down there, and get out. He steadied his breathing, let air fill his lungs, and took the plunge towards the depths. The murk set upon him immediately. Particles of algae, mud, and grime hung thick in the stagnant waters, choking the light to a mere suggestion after just a couple of meters. He could still trace the bank, a wall of clay plunging straight into the abyss, but even that was becoming hard to see. Soon, light perished as darkness took its place; he could not even see his hands before his eyes, now. Then, he felt it: something brushing against his leg. Then his side. Then another touch as something coiled around his arm. He tensed, and a shiver ran down his spine; fish did not move like this. Abandoning his objective, he brushed the [i]thing[/i] away from his arm and turned back, rushing towards the surface. Even with nothing else visible, its light could still be seen, if only as a sheet of slightly less oppressive dark far above. But it quickly brightened as he ascended, and soon the dirty murk was replaced by a blanket of grey as he broke the surface. He begged and pleaded with the figure, but it was deaf to his pleas. He attempted again to climb the bank, but got no further than before. He slid defeated back into the pool, panting, weariness starting to set in. The figure again motioned with a finger towards the bottom, indifferent to his plight. Perhaps he had been close. Perhaps the things were harmless. He was still fine, after all. Just a little bit deeper. The figure would surely help him if he did as asked. He steadied himself once more, took a deep breath, and dove. Murk quickly overtook the light, and darkness soon overtook the murk. As he descended he glanced behind him, his feet imprinting the faintest hint of an outline against the dim glow of the surface above. Soon even that faded, and he was left in complete darkness. Then, the [i]things[/i] returned. At first they merely brushed playfully against his skin, and he pressed on despite the revulsion he felt. But as he descended they grew more numerous and aggressive, slithering along his body and snaking around his limbs. He shuddered, brushing them away with frenzied strokes, but for each one batted away another soon took its place. He willed himself to calm down; he was wasting oxygen. Whatever they were, they had yet to hurt him. Perhaps they were a sign he was close; some kind of bottom feeder eating whatever sank down here from above, curiously nibbling away at flakes of his dead skin. The bottom couldn’t be far, now. He couldn’t see, but perhaps he’d be able to find… Something… ? The dark seemed somewhat less overbearing than before. A few more strokes, and his suspicions were confirmed – there really was light coming from below. But he could feel his breath expiring; if he did not head back to the surface, he feared he might not make it. [i]Just a little further.[/i] The light grew clearer; warm and golden, unlike the cold grey light of the surface, it cut through the murk. Inviting him. [i]Just a little... more…[/i] He could not go against his instincts any longer, and turned back towards the surface. Yet he felt something straining against him. The [i]things[/i]! They coiled around his arms and legs, pulling down as he struggled to escape. He kicked and clawed, fighting desperately to free himself as his lungs screamed for air. Finally, their grip started to loosen; he was free! He swam as fast as he could, cutting through the shapeless dark with heavy strokes. Black gave way to brown, then grey as faint tendrils of light materialized above. He hurried, unsure he could keep himself from trying to breathe water much longer. Finally he breached the surface, heaving desperately for air without a care for the disgusting surface slime entering his mouth. He railed at the figure as he again attempted to claw his way up the bank, spitting pond slime and curses between heaved breaths and clattering teeth. It simply waited impassively until he tired himself out, which did not take long. He fell back into the water and looked up in disbelief as the figure once more motioned wordlessly for him to dive. It would have him go down there again? Have him drown? The last dive had sapped his energy, and he was struggling just to stay afloat, shivering weakly as the cold water slowly drained what little strength remained. Even so… His mind returned to that enchanting golden light. It beckoned him. He wanted to know the secret beneath the murk. No. He [i]needed [/i]to know. Just moments ago he had fought desperately for his life, and now he was considering throwing it away for the unknown. But wasn’t that better than trying to cling to life up here and pleading in vain to be saved? He’d drown either way. And if that were the case, he’d rather know before the end. Hell, take it with him to the grave. Stifled laughter escaped his clattering teeth in short, pathetic bursts. His mind was made, and he threw his hand up in the air to give the figure the finger. Then, taking one last breath, he kicked off from the bank and fell backwards into his final plunge. He cut through the murk, sparing no attention to the disappearing light above as he was swallowed once more by the abyss. His extremities were growing numb from the cold, but he ignored them and pressed on. He shuddered as the creatures fell upon him once more, toying with him as they slithered and coiled. With every stroke more of them flocked to him, and he knew that he would no longer have the strength to escape them; there was no returning now. He had lost all feeling in his fingers and toes, and his lungs demanded breath, yet he held firm and pushed on. Soon it would reveal itself to him, that enthralling light, and everything would be fine, somehow. A few more strokes, and there it was! The black abyss opened up, allowing that faint, dim glow to shine through. [i]A little more![/i] He ignored the things coiling around his limbs and swam, faint rays of light beginning to cut the impenetrable gloom. [i]Just a little further![/i] He ignored his lungs’ desperate screams for air and swam, bewitched by the swelling glow. [i]Closer![/i] More and more creatures flocked to him, wrapping around him, pulling him into the light’s loving embrace. Somehow they never entered his sight, only appearing as wriggling streaks of black at the edge of his vision. But he ignored them; he could not take his eyes off the light. [i]Almost there![/i] He ignored his breath giving out, ignored the rush of water into his lungs as his body heaved for air it could not have. It glowed in front of him, radiant like the sun, so close he could almost make out its shape. [i]Just a little bit more… [/i] It radiated warmth and comfort, soothing his wearied soul. Nothing mattered anymore; not the surface, not his fading consciousness, not his burning lungs, nor his life. He felt at peace. He reached out, so close he could almost touch it. But before he could grasp it, the light extinguished, the warmth faded… And a cloud of perfect black enveloped everything. --- Loud bangs of something against metal tore Vin back to reality – shivering, sweating, and gasping for air. He slowly steadied his breathing as a stream of diagnostics and data washed away the remnants of his dream, his neural interface jolting awake together with him. He looked about, bewildered; where was he? [i] > Maasym (λ Herculis) > approaching 4e “Derelict” > estimated time until arrival: 1h19m > load star chart? (y/n) > _[/i] The information materialized within his mind, zeroes and ones metamorphosed into thought. He pushed it aside and focused on his surroundings. Dim light. Stagnant air. Metallic walls. No windows. Right. He was aboard a freighter, lying on a stiff bed in a cramped room lined with steel-framed bunks. “Hey, freeloader!” a voice boomed from outside as the banging repeated. The door was torn open, revealing a giant of a man leaning under the frame to peer inside. Vin’s left eye started feeding him a constant stream of information: name, contact data, estimated volume and mass, material composition… He blinked, willing it into standby. Too much noise. He opened his eyes again, looking at the man without the lens of his augments. His name was Yang Min, an old friend. He was huge. Calling him a giant was an understatement; he towered. The man was over two meters tall and built like a battleship. Vin wondered how they’d ever found him a uniform that fit back in the navy. “Get up!” Yang barked from the doorway. “Pack your stuff. ETA in one hour.” “Hey, I’ve been helping out, you know,” Vin yawned as he sat up at the edge of the bed, playing hurt at Yang’s remark. Mechanical fingers massaged his scalp as he ran his left hand through his greasy hair. High time for a shower, but water was in short supply on board. “Didn’t need your help. Would’ve been fine on my own.” Yang squeezed through the narrow door and stopped across from Vin, putting his hands to his hips and looking down disapprovingly. Mere centimeters kept his head from hitting the ceiling. “Don’t say that.” Vin rested his arms on his knees, looking up with a cocky smile. “I’m a better mechanic than you.” “Oh?” Yang loomed over Vin and crossed his arms, a smug smirk creeping across his face. “How come I’m the one with a real job, then?” “Hey, I’ve got one,” he waved a hand dismissively. “Told you already.” “Derelict, right?” Vin nodded. “I keep telling you, only crazies go there. Doesn’t count.” “What can I say, a normal job’s not my thing. I’m a free spirit.” “More like a vagrant,” Yang scoffed. “Besides, you’re going there too,” he continued, ignoring his friend’s remark. “Only to the Orbital. We leave again in two days.” “Well,” Vin rose, coming face to chest with his friend, “plenty of time for a goodbye drink. My treat. What do you say?” He gave a playful jab to Yang’s stomach, who didn’t even react; his abs might as well have been steel. “Better not regret it,” Yang smiled and gingerly returned the jab. It still almost knocked the air from Vin’s lungs. He smiled weakly back as Yang disappeared out the door, breathing in short, shallow bursts until he was sure he was in control. “Psh, learn some self-control,” he muttered to himself as he sat back down on the bed. His smile faded as he looked down at his palms, his fleshy right contrasting sharply with his utilitarian mechanical left. He tried recalling the dream from earlier; it had long since faded into oblivion, but it had left him with a lingering sense of unease. He stared at the wall, imagining Derelict somewhere beyond with its desolate alloy surface glinting in Maasym’s light, and he couldn’t help but worry… Was this really what he wanted?