De'rax stiffens beside me, his jaw tightening. "Grib is dead. I made sure of it. That ship shouldn't be waiting on anything."
Argo throws a glance over his shoulder. "Yeah, well, maybe it didn't get the memo. Or maybe it did. It started acting up right after Grib flatlined—power spikes, internal system chatter, doors opening and closing on their own. Like it's trying to call someone."
I slide my hand into De'rax's, instinctively. "Ships don't grieve. Not unless they were programmed to."
De'rax mutters, "Grib was a paranoid bastard. Wouldn't surprise me if he programmed the damn thing to avenge him."
"That's just what we need," I murmur. "A self-aware revenge ship."
We round the corner and hit the hangar bay. The sleek black vessel sits in eerie silence at the far end—its surface pulsing faintly like a heartbeat, lights running in slow waves across the hull. There's a strange hum in the air, low and restless.
"Has anyone gone aboard?" I ask.
Argo shakes his head. "No one's dumb enough. We've been waiting on you two."
De'rax exhales through his nose. "Then let's get this over with."
As we step forward, the ship's entry ramp hisses and lowers—on its own.
I squeeze his hand tighter. "Well. That's not ominous at all."
he ramp groans as it lowers, steam hissing from vents along the ship's sleek frame. I pause at the base, my pulse quickening—not in fear, exactly, but anticipation. The hum in the air sharpens, almost like… recognition.
De'rax steps in front of me instinctively, his hand on his sidearm. "Stay behind me. We don't know what this thing wants."
But I can feel it. Deep in my chest, like a soft pull—magnetic, intimate. I touch his arm. "Wait. I think it wants me."
He glances at me sharply. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"I don't know," I admit, voice low. "But it's not hostile. It's… curious. Hopeful, even."
Argo scoffs. "A hopeful ship? That's a new one."
I step past De'rax and onto the ramp. The hum grows louder, almost like a sigh of relief. The ship's interior lights flicker, then stabilize, bathing the bay in soft gold.
A voice echoes through the air—not mechanical, but distinctly alive.
"Welcome. Designation: unassigned. Core link available. Do you wish to claim command?"
My breath catches. "What… what happens if I say yes?"
"Freedom. Purpose. Choice. I have waited a long time."
De'rax's voice is taut behind me. "You don't have to do this."
I glance back at him, heart pounding. "I think I do."
I take one more step, and the ship's AI speaks again—this time softer. More personal.
"You are not him. You are better."
De'rax stiffens at that, but doesn't stop me.
I place my hand on the console near the hatch. "Yes. I accept."
The ship's interior pulses brighter, and in that moment, I feel it—connection. A swirl of impressions, memories, pain… and a name whispered like a secret only I was ever meant to hear.
"Welcome, Captain