That Quinn’s celebrity status was in flux across the Aerie—and most of Illun, for that matter—was more statement than question. However, in the hangar things were stubbornly unchanged. For certain some of that starry-eyed adoration had mellowed over the months as the crew saw her more often, but unlike some of the staff in security or logistics or wherever else, here none of the faces soured at her. 

They were like this with Dahlia as well. For the hangar crew, who spent most of their days laboring over the Saviors, the pilots—at least, the ones they liked—wound up as close as colleagues.

[i]Ablaze[/i] stood in its usual spot, flanked by a pair of walls that doubled as supports. Scaffold platforms were wheeled up and anchored around its legs, though only one or two people manned them. It seemed that whatever maintenance was being run on it had already concluded, while down the way, [i]Dragon[/i]’s was just starting. 

But as she got closer, Quinn could spot a brace fixed to [i]Ablaze[/i]’s mouth, holding its mouth open. Had Quinn ever looked into her Savior’s mouth before? Beyond those gleaming razor teeth there seemed to be nothing but blackness. Saliva, dark but not quite so much as modium, dripped in long strands to the ground, vanishing into the drainage system built into the floor. 

What sort of horror must it have been, to be eaten by a monster? 

It seemed she’d have an answer. A long cable attached to the brace went taut, and slowly, something crawled its way out of [i]Ablaze[/i]’s throat. Bright orange and drenched in fluid, limbs thick, hands grasping—it was a [i]person[/i]. They wore some sort of hazard suit, holding the cable linked to a harness on their chest with one hand, and a strange device in the other. 

Even the passenger in her mind recoiled. Some maniac had gone down [i]inside[/i] the Savior? [i]Why[/i]? [i]Who[/i]?

Suddenly, the alien spelunker seemed to notice Quinn approaching. They jolted, nearly dropping their machine down [i]Ablaze[/i]’s throat, and waved with an almost hysteric excitement. They made their way out of the mouth, ducking expertly beneath the teeth and onto one of the platforms. They vanished behind the Savior’s neck, then emerged on the other side, suit undone to their waist, and waved at her again. This time, without layers of modium-resistant material blocking the way, her voice was loud and clear. 

“[color=f26522][i]Quinn![/i][/color]”