[center][h1][i][u]Two weeks ago...[/u][/i][/h1][/center]

[center][h2][b][u]Circle of Hell[/u][/b][/h2][/center]

The circle of hell...

A ghastly name for a ghastly ship filled with ghastly people. A military level prison ship in which some of the worst and most dangerous criminals of the Ascendancy are detained. Terrorist groups, Psychopaths, serial killers and masterful bandits, Traitors and deserters, this ship has it all. It is infamous for being the top prison ship for transporting the particularly dreadful inmates to maximum security facility planets throughout the Ascendancy - usually for the purpose of executing them.

Not that long before its fate, it was a few hundred light years away from Plenty, about to make a jump from where they were to a Prison planet for the drop off of inmates, when they detected a smaller ship flying to the side of their own, moving in for boarding position.

Communications picked up a message hailing them from said small ship.

"[b][i][color=green]This is Agent Carmichael of Ascendancy Special Forces, I have an arrested and restrained fugitive on board, wanted for piracy, grand theft auto, and mass terrorism across the Ascendancy territory. Requesting permission to dock and imprison him on your ship.[/color][/i][/b]" Said the young lightly-tanned skin man inside this small ship, could not have been anymore than 30 years of age. Turning towards someone in the shadows of the ship, clearly restrained by the looks of his wiggling about, the Agent took out what appeared to be a scanner of some sort and let the laser field from it cover the shadowy inmate. After which, the data retrieved from the scan was sent to the Circle of Hell, so as to verify the identity of the criminal in question. As soon as they saw who it was, they responded without hesitation.

"[i]Permission Granted, please stand by and prepare for docking procedure.[/i]" Said the communicator within the Circle of Hell.

As the smaller ship got into position, the Circle of Hell released a docking tube to connect the two ships. A small welcome party of prison guards standing by on the other side of the door as it opens up.

Entering the ship was a rather unusual cast of three.

First and foremost - both for being right in the center and for looking the most uncanny of the three - was an even younger man in handcuffs, looking like he only just hit adulthood a year or so ago, a messy head of dirty blonde hair and seemingly a single eye of sky-blue on his left, his right being covered up by an old fashioned eyepatch. But the most unusual thing about him was that attire he had on. A long velvet red coat over a button down shirt of white silk, dark grey cotton pants and old-fashioned leather boots. Not a single bit of armor protection on his person, and a black cap resembling the design of naval caps on captains in the ancient times of the 1700s Earth. Needless to say, the guards were not expecting what they now saw. The boy looked as if he time-traveled to the future from those ancient explorative days, but was so young that there was no way he could have been a captain even back then. Not only did his appearance make it obvious that he was a Pirate, it was as if he was mocking the very image of a Space Pirate. To resist laughing at this blatant parody - at this boy, clearly either mad or childish or both - was understandably a trying task.

Still, they did resist laughing. In their line of work, appearances can be very deceiving. Moreover, they recognize this one's face. Despite his age, he's infamous as a notorious Space Pirate. This was made clear when a biometric scanner came down from the ceiling, the Agent seemingly pushing the young pirate forward to get analyzed first.

"[b][color=blue]Oi! Don't go pushin' me like some swine to the grinder, you pompous scallywag![/color][/b]" The young Pirate yelled, stomping his feet up and down rapidly like a child throwing a tantrum.

"[b][color=green]Shut up, stop moving, and face the damn scanner, or I and the other guards will [i]make[/i] you cooperate.[/color][/b]" The agent coldly said, unphased by the Pirate's tantrum - same couldn't be said for the other guards. A few moments of silence as the pirate stops his stomping before then shrugging his shoulders in a whiplash-indcing change of mood and turned to face the scanner, much to the confusion of the guards. Reports did indicate a mental fringe on the pirate and potential for insanity, but they were not exactly prepared for this. The poor bastard must not have all his eggs in his basket.

As the scanner activated, a wide-radius laser stretching outward at the waist area of the three, before moving up towards of their heads, followed by down towards the tips of their feet. Within moments, holographic screens showing the records of the three visitors popped up.

"Captain Arron Falcon" was the name of this childish pirate standing before them. Despite his look and apparent personality, he is the Captain of the "Cerulean Eclipse" Pirates, one of the most infamous and dangerous pirate groups in the Ascendancy. This in mind, it was no surprised that the list of crime charges he has on his record reads like a Novel.

[list]
[*]Piracy
[*]Grand Robbery
[*]Grand Theft Auto
[*]Extortion
[*]Pillaging of ships and cities across dozens of planets
[*]Terrorism
[*]A few cases of Manslaughter
[/list]
The list went on. Hard to believe it could be done or orchestrated by such a child like this. He did have weapons on them, but one of them, too, was just as ridiculously outdated as his attire, a classic wood-and-metal Flintlock revolver - though interesting with eight holes rather than six, and an oddly colorful revolving cylinder - and two swords, at least they looked relatively modern, a rapier and a cutlass.

Upon a closer look, the agent to the Pirate's right had a slightly messy head of black hair and a moderate build to his body. But much like the pirate, he had an odd attire to him, wearing a black tuxedo under a grey coat, replacing the bowtie common in it with a black tie, and no armor in sight. Although in his case, it seemed at least possible that he had armor beneath the suit. The only weapon he seemed to have on his person was a Standard-issue pistol you see even Privates with. Either he is super confident with his gunplay, or his real weapon of choice was something else not on his person, his fists being the most likely candidate, what with the short black gloves on both of them.

To the Pirate's left was another man, almost exactly opposite to the agent in terms of appearance and the general impression. Whereas the Agent was dressed in black, tanned, looked young, and looking like he was willing and able to fight, this one was dressed in a white coat, pale, looked rather old with long white hair and a fluffy white mustache, and looked like he couldn't fight a child, much less a soldier or a pirate considering how scrawny his muscles appeared to be. He looked quite nervous of the situation, his hands together behind him. Quite suspicious, but the scanner did not pick up anything on his person save for a PDA with a flash drive jack, and so the guards left it at that.

The scanner also checked the ID pinned on the lapel of his white coat and found a match within the Ascendancy database both in ID and Facial Recognition: Professor Audric Abreo, one of the top scientists in Robotics, Bio-technology, and Artificial Intelligence in the Ascendancy, a genius in his own right who was responsible for creating a few of the androids and cybernetics still used to this day, but retired about two years ago.

They also detected the ID on the Agent's person and found a match for him as well: Agent James Carmichael, Ascendancy Special Forces, an elite group of enforcers outside the Armadas sent out to subdue A-class criminal activity, pursue covert operations and in some cases, even assist in Black Operations such as the Star Marine Project. This agent in particular specialized in hunting down and subduing the Ascendancy's Most Wanted, as such, this wasn't much beyond a normal day for him.

[center][hider=Captain Arron Falcon][img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/bb/68/3c/bb683caaec94bc89c530b0aa46403f8b.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]

[center][hider=Agent James Carmichael][img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/29/de/4f/29de4f07c19f6f9c1652285430d05c2e.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]

[center][hider=Professor Audric Abreo][img]https://www.anime-planet.com/images/characters/tsutsumiuchi-202371.jpg[/img][/hider][/center]

Almost immediately after the scanning process, the people in the hall could hear a loud voice bellowing through the hall, one that made this hard special agent flinch as he heard it.

"[b][color=cyan]JIM! Oh ho, I knew I heard the sound of fun and joy getting strangled on the intercom.[/color][/b]" The delighted voice said from down the hall, the guards immediately turning towards it and saluting upon hearing it. Along comes the red-haired warden of the ship, Minerva de Silva, walking towards the group in the hall with big smile on her face, and a couple of bulky prison guards at her side.

"[color=green][b]...Hello again, Warden De'Silva.[/b][/color]" The Agent said, with a tone that yelled professional, but a look that screamed irritated. Of all the Prison Ships in the Entire Ascendancy, he just had to have the rotten luck to need the one with [i]her[/i] in it as Warden.

"[color=silver][i]That's the Warden of this ship? ...Oh dear.[/i][/color]" Professor Abreo thought. She didn't seem like a bad woman or anything, in fact she seemed a bit [i]too[/i] pleasant for heading a ship with the kind of reputation that it has. He can only imagine what she's like to the prisoners; from his experience, usually people who show themselves off to be happy-go-lucky while in a position that demands horrific things are those who [i]enjoy[/i] what they do. Judging by the Agent's reaction, he'd wager there's at least more to this one than meets the eye.

"[color=cyan][b]Oh come now, Jimbo, No need to be so formal, I keep telling you to call me, Minerva.[/b][/color]"

"[color=green][b]And I keep telling [i]you[/i] that I'm not interested in small talk. I'm only ever here on the job, and this isn't any different.[/b][/color]" De'Silva sighed at the agent's disappointing response.

"[b][color=cyan]Damn, You're still the stick in the mud I remember, Jimmy-boy. ...But at least that means you're stuck to the ground. ...So, what have you got for me this time? Ooo, A cute one, you know me so well.[/color][/b]" De'Silva looked towards Arron as she said this, who irritably looks away from her as she stares at him.

"[color=green][b]Captain Arron Falcon of the Cerulean Eclipse Pirates. Managed to capture him after he attempted a foolish theatric during the attempted Heist of the Platinum Bank of Plutus. I got lucky; the boy's too reckless for his own good. His crew was nowhere to be seen unfortunately, must have abandoned him to save their own hide.[/b][/color]" The agent said, the boy's face looking grimmer as he talked. De'Silva was quick to notice this dark, almost depressive expression on his face; it made sense to her that they'd do such a thing to a boy like this, there's no honor among thieves after all, least of all among [i]scum.[/i]

More importantly, She could not help but look at the boy and then back at the Agent with a raised eyebrow of suspicion. The boy looked young enough to get together with her own kid, and that silly pirate attire he got...

"[b][color=cyan][i]Captain?[/i] Pfft... You sure you didn't just adopt a teenager, dressed him up in this get-up as a joke and brought him here as some...elaborate attempt to say we should be a family?[/color][/b]" She smugly asked the agent, resisting the urge to just burst out a laugh. Needless to say, this only served to annoy the agent, as his eyes narrowed before he cleared up his throat trying to get back into his professional character.

"[color=green][b]I know he looks strange... It was baffling to me as well, but I have reason to believe he's one of those Star Marines, he must have gone rogue and joined up with the pirates. Their previous Captain was put to death, so it's possible he could have used the rumored magic these kids supposedly had to convince them to make him captain.[/b][/color]" He explained. Honestly it was hard for De'Silva to believe this brat's responsible for all the heists and ship-pillaging that his crew's been wanted for since the execution of their past Captain, Edward Marshal. On the other hand, she's heard about the Star Marines and how they were some secret force operating in the shadows of black operations during the war. If he truly was one of them, he could probably have scared those pirate scum into making him in charge with that rumored magic she was told about. That experience could also have very well explained those planned operations these pirates are now practically famous for.

"[color=cyan][b]Compelling argument, Jimmy. ...Well, let's hear it from Lil Blackbeard's mouth. Anything to say in your defense, Short John Silver?[/b][/color]" De'Silva asked, grabbing at the pirate's chin and turning his face to face her. Despite how she looked, it was clear to the boy that she had quite a strong grip.

"[color=blue][b]...Aye, Just a question, where on this ship are ye keepin the rum? I'd like ye to send some to my cell, Tavern Wench.[/b][/color]" Arron said, a silly smile on his face, as if he was thinking of all of this as some joke. The other guards readied batons to give this little brat a beating for insulting the Warden like that, but she was quick to extend her free hand towards them as a sign to hold off, then proceeding to give a hearty chuckle.

"[color=cyan][b]Funny lil guy, ain't ya? ...You know, I never liked pirates. ...In fact, I hate the very ground they stand on. I'm a frontier girl at heart, you probably already know we aren't treated the best by those city folk in the capital planets. But I always felt like we could make due, ignore their disdain for us, and eventually we'd make them give us some respect if we worked hard enough. Who knows, maybe one day, one of us will be a senator, maybe even a president, sky's the limit. ...But then there's people like you pirate and rebels and low-life criminals, who come in and sully all that reputation we built up, on top of just outright attacking and pillaging [i]us![/i] ...But you? I think I like you, you got some spunk on ya... I think it's best you get some [i]'special treatment'[/i]. Boys, take Captain Kid here to his room on the top floor. Let him lie there and think about what he's done.[/b][/color]" De'Silva said, a sly smile on her face.

On cue, the guards grabbed the boy pirate by the shoulders and placed a collar around his neck, immediately emitting a pulse of some kind to show that it activated. They then grabbed both of his shoulders and moved down the hallway, dragging the pirate with them. Agent Carmichael watched as the pirate was taken away, before then turning towards the Warden.

"[b][color=green]With your permission, Warden, I'd like to follow suit and stand guard over his cell.[/color][/b]" He said, making De'Silva look back towards him with a raised eyebrow.

"[b][color=cyan]Stand Guard? What, don't trust my security detail, Jim? He isn't the first Magical prisoner we had on this ship, you know.[/color][/b]"

"[b][color=green]Maybe so, but despite his appearance, he still has his wits about him even without his magic. This wouldn't be the first time he managed a jailbreak under restrictive conditions. I can't afford to have him escape me again.[/color][/b]" 

"[b][color=cyan]...Jim, this is one of the most top-secured prison ships in the Ascendancy fleet. We've had legions of criminals taken back to correctional facilities during the war, and not one inmate has ever escaped from it, [i]not one.[/i] ...Look, I know what the soldiers say about me running this ship, but I [i]do[/i] know what I'm doing as Warden. You can chill out and let us take it from here...[/color][/b]" Her voice became more stern than it ever did, as if insulted by the Agent's statement about the possibility of a jail break. The agent went silent, looking at the ground before then looking back at the Warden.

"[b][color=green]...Even so, I can't take any chances. ...I can't let this one get away from me again. I just can't! ...Please, Minerva.[/color][/b]" The Agent said, finally saying the Warden's first name from his lips with hesitation, as if he was trying his best to keep that word in himself but succumbed. There was a moment of silence as the two looked into each other's eyes.

"[b][color=cyan]...One magic word, that's all I wanted to hear. ...That wasn't so hard, was it? ...Alright, suit yourself. Follow those guards, they'll take you straight to his cell as soon as they're done readying him for it. Gotta warn you though, Jimmy, Solitary hall's absolutely boring. Don't go crying to me if you wind up wanting to shoot yourself from it.[/color][/b]" De'Silva said, her demeanor changing again at a dime, giving the agent a big sly smile as if she was a teenaged tomboy teasing the stern jock. The Agent gave a gentle smile right back and a nod before walking off. But before the Warden could do anything else, she seemed to finally notice the third person that arrived.

"[color=cyan][b]Oh, right...You with Jimmy-boy?[/b][/color]"

"[color=silver][b]Hm? OH! Umm, No, well...sort of. My name is Aldric Abreo, ...Professor Abreo. I came here due to a distress call this ship gave, it said it needed someone to help reinforce the cage on their...umm...[i]'special guest'[/i].[/b][/color]" The old man finally said, a nervous tone to match a nervous look to this otherwise polite old man.

"[color=cyan][b]...Oh, right. We [i]did[/i] make that request, didn't we?[/b][/color]" De'Silva remembered, before then heading towards another guard to get info from the scan made earlier.

"[color=cyan][b]Huh, says here you've retired for some time now, Professor. We made that request to Ascendancy R&D a little while back, for a specialist still in the field, ...why send a retiree?[/b][/color]"

"[color=silver][b]I had asked for it. I heard from a former colleague about the request, and wanted to head over to deal with it myself. ...The Realist AI is, ...very important to me. I couldn't trust anyone else to do this but me.[/b][/color]"

"[color=cyan][b]And, you were on Jimmy's ship because...?[/b][/color]"

"[color=silver][b]Oh, I...lost my ship a long time ago in an accident. Agent Carmichael and I have gone way back for a considerably long time, I always assisted him in his missions as a...scientific advisor, so to speak. He was on my home world during the boy's heist. He was going to take the boy to a Prison ship, and I figured I'd advise this one and hitch a ride with him here. Two birds, one stone, Hehehe...[/b][/color]" The professor said, giving a gentle, but exhausted laugh to end his explanation, a gentle smile on his face to compliment it. He seemed like a good, kind man, but it was clear by his tired expression he was too old for taking missions like this.

"[color=cyan][b]...Uh, huh. Well... Fair enough, you certainly seem qualified for it. Realist's cell is down the hall of Solitary. ...That said, we are going to have to keep watch over what you do in there for security reasons, I hope you don't mind.[/b][/color]" De'Silva said, nodding towards a guard as if to imply he will be keeping watch over the Professor as he does his work.

"[color=silver][b]Oh, not at all, madam. I completely understand the caution. AIs are a more difficult inmate to keep contained on a ship like this after all. ...Well, let's not dawdle. I assure this won't take long, but I'd like to request a transport back home afterwards. Rest assured, fair madam, Realist will not be getting away...[/b][/color]" The Professor then said to her, following with the other guards and the Agent towards Solitary Hall. The guard she tasked with watching the professor took a few steps to follow him before the Warden grabbed him by the shoulder, pulled him back to her, and whispered in his ear.

"[color=cyan][b]Don't let him out of your sight... He does anything suspicious, give him one warning... he doesn't comply, shoot to kill.[/b][/color]" She whispered. The guard nodded, he needn't ask why she would ask him to shoot the professor down, it was clear to everyone in the hall that his story was suspicious, and the AI he's heading to secure was the ship's top priority inmate. No chances can be taken around it. That in mind, with safety disengaged on his gun, he rushed over to follow the Professor.

[center]---[/center]

Just as boring as she says. At the top floor of Cell Block A, the very top of the prison cell area of the ship, lies solitary hall. Compared to the incredibly spacious Cell blocks, this singular hallway would feel incredibly claustrophobic and rather darkly lit. Facing down the hallway from the entrance, there was no real decor beyond just plain metal halls, and steel doors on the right wall, and nothing on the left save for cameras near the ceiling to keep watch over the doors. The hall itself was quite long for what it was, stretching about 60 feet long, the steel doors opening up to small rooms just as claustrophobic in nature as the hall itself.

As the Professor and the guard he was assigned with walked down the hall, they noticed near its end that the pirate child was being thrown into the solitary confinement cell, Agent Carmichael standing by the door after it closed shut on the pirate. The pirate screamed profanities, not that the Professor could hear anything, as the rooms were essentially completely soundproof... even then, the Agent could still barely hear the boy's angered screams while standing next to his door. The Professor and agent looked at each other, giving a slight nod as if in greeting, as the professor walked past him.

At the end of the hall was the Professor's destination, a giant cube-shaped room more artificial and feeling more fresh than any other part of the ship. From the evidence of the wall of the hall being cut open to the overly clean polish to it, it was clear this was a room they added onto the ship after its creation, and it didn't take long to figure out why.

Opposite to the door way, past an array of computer consoles in the middle of the room was a giant black device, almost similar in a way to a tree trunk, with glowing red wires hooked up to what looked like a giant red eye at the very center of this device.

This "eye", an octagonal-shaped drive with a glowing red light in the center was the "VIP" of this ship, the core of the AI, Realist, strapped onto a restrictive frame disconnected from the ship's mainframe networks - controlled only by the consoles in the middle of the room as the user interface - and generating a signal that completely blocked the AI's wireless connections outside the frame.

In short, Realist was in the closest thing to a Prison cell the ship could create, made especially for him.

The professor took a deep breath before stepping into the room, the AI's Eye giving him a stare that could pierce his very soul. Yet Abreo stared right back at it, a small smile on his face.

"[b][color=silver]It's been a while, Realist...[/color][/b]" He simply said. The professor and the guard could see the red eye moving up and down slowly, as if scanning the professor.

"[color=red][b]...A long time indeed, Professor Abreo. I can tell much has changed since we last met on Earth. Truly a pity that I was not there to witness your ascension.[/b][/color]" The metallic voice from the wall echoed across the room. For a such a small device, it created quite a booming, yet cold voice.

"A-Ascension? ...What is he talking about, sir?"

"[color=silver][b]It's not important, best not to think on it too hard. ...What [i]is[/i] important is what I came here for.[/b][/color]" The Professor responded to the soldier's somewhat disturbed question as he walked over to one of the computer consoles in the middle of the room, staring at the monitor.

"[color=silver][b]Hmm...I can see why they needed assistance. The physical frame is still firm, but the software inside the frame holding you in is corrupting, decaying slowly by the second. No doubt your doing, Realist. You never did play nice with other programs.[/b][/color]" He said, typing on the keyboard feverishly as he speaks. The eye on Realist's core dilates for a moment before shrinking back to normal, as if coming to a realization.

"[color=red][b]...I see. It is all comprehensible now.[/b][/color]"

"[color=silver][b]Oh...?[/b][/color]" The professor looked up towards Realist as the AI says this, a small smile on his face, the guard looking at both in confusion as he spots the Professor inserting something into the console.

"[b][color=red]The breach in the frame was not my doing. A nanite was spotted in this room a few days ago. Not long after, a breach in security is detected wirelessly, creating a hole in the system and allowing me a chance at escape, little by little. They detected it as well... But the programmers that were to be my guards and patch this hole in the system suddenly are inflicted with illness and are unable to do so. The ship calls out for other programmers to come and maintain my 'cell' in their place, and out of all the many humans capable of this, [i]you[/i] are the one who heeds the call...the [i]only[/i] one who comes forward.[/color][/b]"

"[color=silver][b]Are you accusing me of something, Realist?[/b][/color]" The Professor's tone starting to shift from the tired but gentle professor to something more sly, as if he was enjoying this.

"[color=red][b]...You are the one. That Nano-saboteur was one of yours, wasn't it? You arranged a situation in which you would be allowed here, under the pretense of fixing an error that you yourself caused.[/b][/color]"

"[color=silver][b]Heh, Interesting claim. A number of holes in it, but I won't bore you with explaining them, you clearly have gone off the rails like they said. But I will say this: there's no pretense here. In about 45 seconds, the hole will be sealed up, and you'll be trapped once again.[/b][/color]"

"[color=red][b]...Then why are you copying my data files and storing them into that unit?[/b][/color]" This one question was enough for the guard to jolt to attention. Indeed, he noticed it as well, that device inserted into the console, it was basically a small black box the professor was holding in his pocket - The 'PDA' detected by the scan, connecting to the console through a wire. This guard wasn't exactly tech-savvy, but even he could connect the dots as to what's going on here. As such, the guard held up his gun and took aim towards the professor's head.

"[color=silver][b]Simmer down, boy... This AI would lie in order to save himself; he's done so before. This hole in your cyber-security is getting bigger by the second. You shoot me, and it will buy him time to escape into this ship's network.[/b][/color]" This made the guard's hand shake in hesitation, but the gun was still aimed. The Warden told him to shoot should he notice anything suspicious, but at the same time, the professor has a point; Realist could be lying to keep his cage from getting fixed. As if in response, the Professor slowly put his hand in his pocket, and let out the black box in question, and raised it to his head, allowing it to be in clear view.

"[color=silver][b]...It's a digital tool box. I don't have a lot of faith in Omni-tools you see, so I crafted a more physical one of my own. Some of my best application programs are installed into this, which I can then use a myriad of different jobs, including bug-patching.[/b][/color]" He said, still typing at a fast rate with one hand.

But before the guard could say anything else, suddenly the entire room goes black, save the glowing eye of Realist, dimly illuminating the center of the room with an eerie red light. It wasn't just there either, the hall way they took to get there, the cell area beyond that, the entire ship went into a blackout, with dim lights turning on from the floor as the ship's emergency power activates. Screams of panic and alarms echoed barely towards the room.

"[color=silver][b]...Also including a storage app.[/b][/color]" the Professor said undeterred, as if nothing was wrong. The guard - looking around in confusion at the panic that was happening - looked back towards the Professor, who finally stopped typing, just to flings his fingers towards the guard, as if splashing droplets of water on him. Before the guard knew it, he could feel tiny pokes all over his body, as if a bunch of bugs suddenly landed on him. He tried to brush them off in a panic, only to suddenly stop and jolted in pain as he falls to the floor, having a seizure. Whatever it was that landed on him gave him an electrical shock across the body.

"[color=silver][b]He'll live.[/b][/color]" The Professor said, turning to Realist, continuing typing again. "[color=silver][b]Well, this charade's been fun, but it seems I've wasted enough time. So...[/b][/color]"

On cue, he pushed one last button, and the sound of a lock disengaging could be heard, the Professor disconnecting his device and putting it back in his pocket.

"[color=silver][b]We don't have a lot of time; the lock has an auto-engage that'll activate soon. Let's get you out of there before they start coming in.[/b][/color]"

"[color=red][b]...I see, you were buying time. This blackout was also your doing, so you came all this way for me, or rather, for the information I hold. I take it the data you copied serves as consolation in case you failed to get me out in time.[/b][/color]" Realist said as the device keeping in the core was shutting down.

"[b][color=silver]...I'd rather not have anyone else be in possession of such valuable information - Ascendancy or otherwise - but in case something goes wrong, I don't intend on leaving without it no matter what. Furthermore, not my choice, but I was ordered by the boss to add a little something to your database, just in case... But enough talk, let's-[/color][/b]" The professor was interrupted again, this time by a deafening boom and hard shakes, enough to make the professor lose his footing and fall, even more alarms were blaring now, as the gravity started to push the professor towards the console - no, towards the wall where Realist was. He looked behind, and noticed the Agent outside in Solitary hall rolled towards and hit his head on the door leading into Realist's cell, clearly having trouble as well. The knocked out guard also seemed to slide down towards the wall where Realist was.

"[color=silver][b]What the hell did you do!?[/b][/color]" The professor said, trying to keep himself on his feet.

"[b][color=red]This is not my doing; I am still disconnected from the ship's systems. ...Judging by the sudden shift in gravity, the sound of explosions, and the heavy vibrations, I deduce the ship has sustained heavy damage, and is now caught in a gravity well, hopefully the gravity of a planet. ...Was this not a part of your plan as well?[/color][/b]" Realist responded, as if mocking Abreo. The Professor could not make any response as he instead grabbed hold of the nearest console he could find and braced for impact.

[center]---[/center]

Hours later after the crash, once the guards finally got their bearings in order, they searched over Solitary Confinement and Realist's own cell. The Auto-lock reengaged, with the hole in the software patched as the Professor promised. As a result, their AI prisoner was still held captive, just as it should be. However, the professor himself was nowhere to be seen. The guard watching him was the only one found, still alive, though it seemed to be through some assistance, possibly the Professor's.

Furthermore, The Pirate they captured at the same time seemed to have escaped, along with many other criminals whose doors were broken from the crash. Guards suspect that the pirate child could very well have been the one who broke them out, perhaps to keep the guards busy amidst the chaos, though there was little evidence left to tell either way. The agent James Carmichael also disappeared, his body undiscovered amidst the rubble. It's believed by Warden De'Silva that the Agent likely woken up to find out the pirate escaped, and chased after him as soon as he could. He always was - in her words - "wonderfully persistent".

The current whereabouts of the Pirate, the Agent, and the Professor, is unknown...