-''Areal genetic scan complete. Subject's blood purity confirms descent status of Brumalian Primus and UltraMartian lineage.'' Spoke a different, smoother robotic voice in both my mind and out of a speaker.

  -Confirm. Unlock Cygnus and activate life support and artificial gravity.

  -...

  -Secondary and tertiary subjects posses abominant genes.

  -Overrule and follow previous commands.

  -...

  -I am the last of the Terran kind and I have been given absolute access. Confirm my previous commands!

  -...

  Something was wrong. This was not the same nexus I networked with in the dome room. It was different, reticent. It really felt like it had a mind of its own... my eyes widened at the realization.

  -''Implications as Terra's last descendant and the willing permission of abominant specimens concludes compromised status variables.'' It spoke logically, to the point.

  -''They are human! I know better what has become of this world! And I will NOT, leave them behind!'' I said with a steely voice under a furnace.

  -How has the subject arrived at this conclusion regarding their humanity?

  -Both experience and medical research. You've analysed them already, haven't you? The differences are minuscule.

  -Even if the statement is true it is in violation of the Eternal Code.

  -Damn the purity code! Both their intents and their deeds would speak volumes more than the millions of my kind that butchered one another from greed, stupidity, and ignorance!

  -I, as the last true Terran decree they are human! You will grant me full access. Or we will sit here together until the walls give in, and we are melted away into oblivion!

  Provence stood beside me, taken aback by my tone and my words at the whole situation. Long moments passed before a metallic sound ringed, and different equalizing pressures whooshed close by. The hangar door of the Cygnus was finally lowering open for us.

  -''It's vertical. Can we really just walk insi-'' Her question interrupted as I jumped lightly on the vertical surface and stuck to it. Looking back at her from this strange angle.

  -Believe me now?

  She approached confidently, but I could read the wavering in her body. I grabbed her hand gently to strengthen her resolve as she came closer.

  -''You don't need to jump. Just put a foot first and step on with the other.'' I spoke soothingly and without rush. I didn't need her and Shana to stumble, and to these things... it was good to be given a helping hand and a gentle word instead of being rushed like cattle.

  She stepped on naturally, and with only the faintest dip in her knees from the novelty of it. ''She's natural at this.'' I thought.

  -''This is incredible!'' She spoke.

  -There's probably much more to awe at. But let's see about surviving to catch the light of day again first.

  -I tend to agree, lead the way.

  The landing closed behind us, and the air repressurised to the internal setting. It was cold inside but warming up rapidly to something more manageable. At the end of the hangar we could see two large elevators that connected with the other decks. Besides which stood a set of closets and further rooms. I noticed a certain sign on one of them and pointed it to Provence.

  -''Does this ship have a medical bay? We need to get Shana to it.'' She spoke first.

  -I'm afraid that will have to wait. We have to get into specialized suits and then see about getting out first before anything.

  -Can't we just jump at the helm if speed is of the essence?

  -No! We need the suits to survive! I do not know the configuration of the ship, nor if something unexpected will happen on the way.

  -They are a layer of protection beyond what we're wearing now could ever give!

  -''Alright, I'll follow your lead, just point and tell.'' Provence spoke decidedly.

  I lead us into the changing room where I took a moment to visualize where everything was. I went to a locker and started rummaging through the tightly packed suits when a short burst of random blipping sounds caught our attention. Two bays had revealed themselves open to us. Light radiating more vividly inside than in the rest of the room, as if beckoning us.

  -''This ship is way more advanced than I ever suspected.'' I spoke.

  Automatic changing rooms were a thing perhaps, but not on our then backwater colony world. Certainly not when I was brought to Terra's space station for my cosmonaut training.

  -Inside. It will take our measurements and clothe us up!

  -Can it just do that? I have problems clothing myself on my worse mornings.

  -They are usually made with idiot-proof systems in mind for the worst fumble ups, don't worry.

  -Alright. Let's start with Shana. But I don't see it doing it with us having to hold her up.

  We nevertheless brought her to the chamber, and amazingly the inside inclined like a table. We gently laid Shana's unconscious body and stepped back. Once we did the enclosure sealed tight. Light and vapours could be seen inside through the small, thick window.

  -''Shana!'' Provence shouted, distressed.

  -No, it's alright! I think it's disinfecting her. Just like the entry showers on the landship to get rid of originum dust!

  She relented, uncomfortably though at the thought of having left Shana inside. Yet in exactly four minutes the chamber opened. Shana was on the same table yet now fully enclosed in a modern space suit perfect for her size.

  -''Amazing.'' Said Provence as she marvelled at the efficiency of the device and the sophistication of the suit.

  -Let's put her down here. You'll take her place, and I'll take the other chamber.

  -Cassiel, wait! My tail! Your people didn't design suits with tails in mind!

  ''They didn't.'' I thought as I looked at her massive and long fluffy tail. I realized my folly and strove to think of a solution. But just then the same chamber that Shana was in beckoned an invitation with some simple and soft sounding blips.

  -I think... the machine can completely model the suit after your body type.

  -And if not?

  -It will reject you out of it. Don't worry, I will think of something if that happens, but give this a try.

  -Alright.

  She stepped inside, and for a few moments I stood there. Wanting to wait, to be sure. But the other chamber beckoned me as well, and I decided it was better I heeded it. I couldn't do much from the outside anyway. I stepped in the chamber, turning around towards the exit which shut on me.

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  -''Decontamination & measuring process commencing.'' The same distinct, fine robotic voice announced.

  Beams all around scanned me, and a shower of chemical vapours were spraying me intensely. Soon I heard a click and the same robotic voice spoke again.

  -Subject's personal format established. Stand by for clothing placement.

  The vapours continued to be sprayed generously, and I felt multiple digit like appendages reaching onto me. Amazingly unclothing me at an incredible pace, and even cutting my underwear apart to take off.

  -Hey! I ain't walking around cock naked in a suit!

  As if to reassure me, in the next moments I was pushed onto a seating very much ergonomic to my big ass. And a new pair was strapped onto me in less than a few seconds. As if a way of saying ''Here's your undies you sheepish hoe, now stop complaining while I do my job.''

  I was systematically wrapped in layers that seemingly caught form as it was sealed part by part onto me as if a mannequin. The vapours ceased shortly after, and as I looked besides me I saw I was offered a helmet. It was a breather variant. Completely enclosed, with a specialized visor which was more than what it simply seemed at first glance. It looked solidly built to the point I was pretty sure it could stop even larger calibre bullets of those currently used by nations on Terra.

  A black surface screen with a green marker question was offering me a choice. I picked up the helmet instead, and that set in motion the end of the process. The cylindrical door opened and I exited the chamber. Before me stood Provence, bedecked in a suitably fitting and modern looking suit of white and violet. Even the helmet she had, similar with mine, was customized with dome like protrusions for her ears.

  -Cassiel! That was a weird experience, but look! It even made a suit appendage for my tail!

  I noticed the long appendage stretching from above her bottom, and it was fairly cushy to the touch. The computer must have designed that part extra light and soft. Probably with the forethought of avoiding the worst outcomes. Since if velocity hit while we were untethered, one wouldn't want a big tail to smack the air and a few bones out of them.

  -Looks good on you. Especially when I know it will keep you alive.

  -It's incredibly comfortable. Better than any originum hazard suit I've ever worn. And I've tried Rhodes Island's best variants too. This beats all of them by a long shot!

  -They would be when you would have to sit hours or days in them in an environment completely antithetical to life.

  Her suit was nearly identical to mine in design bar the aesthetic colours and size. Mine was mostly of dark blues and black colour palette.

  -It keeps showing me information inside the helmet. I think... I think I can control it with my eyesight?

  -It must have an inbuilt software with the inner part of the visor acting as a screen.

  At that I've set my own helmet on, discovering the modus operati of it. I could see her clearly through the optic's display interface, which revealed to me a larger and even finer view than if the visor were simple glass. It was giving me crystal clear real-time feedback.

  The interior glass indeed worked as a monitor for a software that managed awareness, communication and navigation. Brief and concise information rolled down regarding the model of the suit we were wearing.

  ''Ecliptic variant.'' It read. Highly improved over a standard EVA for the safety of interior starships while providing protection against most hazards that could happen in space. In both the interior of the ship and outside of it.

  Our suits were reinforced with fibrous flexible armour padding that was also self-sealing. Meaning if we ever suffered any punctures the material would seal itself. On the surface of it there were also attached hardened armour plates on body points that did not flex or bend. Our suits had greaves, poleyns (knee pads), vambraces, armlets and even a multilevelled and flexible cuirass for extra overall protection.

  It was an advanced, hermetically sealed protective variant that was three steps up above all conceivable civilian models. Possibly bar those made for heavy engineering, and just a step below from being a full military-grade one. Though by my own attentive scrutiny it could very well pass as a military model.

  -''Why do you think Shana was given a different model?'' Asked Provence.

  As my gaze shifted to her, my visor instantly began displaying data regarding her. The system was intuitive, analysing what was in front of me. And data flowed for me and Provence. Shana's was an IEVA model suit. Designed for intra/extravehicular activities of a less actively dangerous category.

  -''Perhaps the advanced, near combat models we have aren't available for her size... civilian models must have been made for children and people her proportions.'' I answered my lupa.

  Shana's lightweight suit was designed to protect its wearer from prolonged radiation exposure. Nevertheless, it also had complete internal self-sealing padding in case of punctures. The suit had a colour palette of white, grey and some blue. Compared to ours it was more noticeably padded, with very little armour plating. Its helmet had a more generously wider visor that was gold-plated. Probably intended as an extra layer of protection against UV light and infrared radiation. Atop that it also had an armoured cover. Which could be lowered, completely obstructing the visor. Yet I was certain her own visor acted as a live screen as well, transmitting everything in pristine video quality.

  I approached Shana, placing my hand on the visor cover that had its narrow slits beaming faintly with a blue light. I lifted it, and I was at ease to see her in there with a now clean, bloodless visage. Lifting her hand I activated the minicomputer attached to her suit's left arm. On it, Provence and I checked her vitals as the suit had such monitoring devices embedded within.

  -''Her vitals look stable. Still, I'd very much want to get her to a doctor.'' Provence spoke as she studied the data besides me.

  -I feel the same, but we can't delay getting us back up. It's time we found the command bridge.

  Provence took to carrying her, and we hurried inside one of the elevator's which strangely had its doors already open for us when we turned the corner. The doors closed automatically, and the elevator began moving even before we had the chance to press any button. Studying the configuration of the options on the panel I could see how the interior was structured at large.

  Deck one: Captain's Quarters

  Deck two: Medical Bay/ Crew Quarters/ Stasis Pods/ Secondary Life Support/ Lounge Room

  Deck three: Command Bridge/ R&T Labs/ Armoury/ Briefing Room/ Tertiary Batteries Access/ Main Ship Access/ Bow Observation Room

  Deck four: Engineering/ Primary Life Support

  Deck five: Hangar Bay/Storage Bay/ Main & Secondary Batteries

  The third deck level button already glowed blue as our intended destination, and we arrived swiftly. Passing through two more bulkhead doors and a security checkpoint we entered the bridge proper. It was a fairly sized, futuristic looking command room. It was of an oval shape. A raised dais was at the back which held two rail supported armchairs. One in front of the main controls, obviously intended for the captain. The other one presumably for the second in command.

  From there we could see everything in the hologram bay as well as all the six empty stations below where officers would have been stationed at. Those being basically in a pit, half a level under the main floor itself. At the end of the oval shaped room was another large pair of bulkhead doors, heading to a part of the ship I yet not knew of. The room was lit but all the panels and interfaces seemed inactive.

  We buckled Shana onto the armchair of the nearest station cavity before I beckoned Provence to follow me to the command dais. I sat down on the main seat. Looking at the wide obsidian screen that I was by now used to as the ship's interface. Before us the hologram bay only produced an indistinguishable sphere of blue light. I looked at my arms, my first thought to unglove my hands. But the next instant I had a feeling. Or more likely an instinct that told me I didn't need to.

  -''Alright. I'll bring the ship on.'' I spoke to Provence who sat beside me in the Second's armchair.

  I inhaled deeply before planting my palms on the smooth, clear screen. Trying to fortify my mind against the backlash of information and inevitable headache that it would provoke me. Both my gloved hands spread against the surface before me. A small tingling sensation was all that I felt at first. A sensation of pleasant warmth. And then an intensity growing in tandem with the lights on the screen before us.

  This was different I thought as relief was washing inside of me. The system was beyond intuitive. It blended with my thoughts naturally. Symbiotically one could say. It was like being one with flowing water. I partially left reality to a place where light and information glided in streams around me.

  An entity was before me, though its form was unrecognisable. As I was delving into it's systems by its permission, so did it want to know me in return.

  I was not sure I could stop it. But I've let it gaze upon the pages of history written in the library of my mind. I thought it regarded me curiously at the things he was seeing.

  -''Why pursue thee?'' It asked.

  -''A true abomination... wanted to find this place.'' I answered as I gathered my thoughts.

  -But you?

  -The wonders could have been... a blessing, or a disaster for Terra. I wanted to know.

  -Terra met disaster. Its fires cleansed humanity. There is nothing but ashes of your great accomplishments.

  -People still live, still struggle. Even if different.

  -They are not true humans.

  -They are! And I refuse to believe otherwise. I...

  -Yes?

  -''I am not blind, nor naive. But I refuse to give up my belief in them. Humanity is lost once the spirit fails.'' I spoke before continuing.

  -Then, pure human or not, all would fall into inhumanity. Into true primal barbarism... to the chaos of the worst we could be.

  -''You believed in purity once. In your own way. And you nearly help succeed in cleansing Terra of all its mistakes.'' The strange voice spoke before it asked.

  -So why have you changed that immovable belief?

  -It was a false belief.

  -''It was the truest belief then.'' It pointed out.

  -I was blinded by hate and disgust. Apathy ate at me. It was folly.

  -''It only changed after you came back. After you made contact with the one.'' It pointed out knowingly.

  -''She has the purest human soul. She brought me back from what I thought I would never escape from. The death of hope.'' I spoke in body and mind before I continued.

  -Can you comprehend what I am even saying? Are you more than you seem? Or are you a simple tool, only to obey the orders of your long gone masters?

  -You are a curious descendant.

  -I have been through a lot...

  -And now?

  -I am alive, in both body and spirit.

  -The saying goes as ''body and mind''.

  -The mind alone nearly took me to becoming something worse. A fate that many of my people shared.

  -I express regret towards your people, for much expectation was upon them. And they had much to be uplifted in the gifts left for their children.

  -''A requiem for a dream that was to be is all we can give.'' I replied.

  -What does the sole survivor dream now that you have reached thee?

  -... For us to live... to look from the shadows upon the dark forest. For these people I have to protect and guide from afar.

  -''You call Humanity's domain a blackened forest?'' It asked, simply, unperturbed.

  -Nothing is certain anymore. Nothing can we take for granted. The last or not, this is a troubled world, with a troubled people. And they might be all there's left of humanity still in existence.

  -The stars might be troubled themselves or silent with death stalking. I do not know.

  -What I do know is that we must tread with care, and with a silent pace. Less we disturb too many leaves in our wake for others to notice.

  The entity took a silent stance. The blur of lights that it was, shifting at it's same irregular intervals. It was... calculating... deciding. I stood there motionless, somewhat relieved of seemingly any mental burden.

  -''What is your name?'' I prompted as if I have forgotten to ask the most natural thing in the world.

  -... my designation...

  -No, your name, if you have one.

  -... I am one with the hull and it's systems. I am Cygnus.

  Silence settled again like a soft blanket. Then, two green appendages slowly grew out of the mass of light and were closing towards me. Stopping shy of a grasping distance. I raised my arms, grabbing his appendages. I felt the contact as I woke up to reality. My head jolting up to distinguish Provence besides me.

  -''Cassiel!'' She cried out as she was grasping upon the chest of my suit.

  -''I have assumed control.'' I said with a tranquil surety.

  My mind was swift as I analysed the functions and possibilities that the ship was capable of.

  -''Oh... ooooh my God.'' I spoke as my eyes widened at what my mind was beholding.

  -''I'm afraid to even ask at this point...'' Said Provence with a seriousness mirroring my own.

  -The ship runs on anti-matter... there are ten super-compressed cubic meters of it in containment.