Avi gazed beyond the window with concern, and Aurora quietly whimpered, sensing her owner's worry. When Avi noticed a bright silhouette in the distance, she immediately equipped her helmet and ran outside.

“Luna!” - Avi hugged her friend with all her strength. - “I'm so glad you're okay.”

“I had the advantage.” - Luna replied. - “Ronra Naad won't be anyone's problem anymore.”

“...but you didn't...?” - Avi uttered.

“No... no...” - Luna sighed. - “She's in her pod, and she'll stay there.”

“That... that might be for the best.” - Avi said, although with pain and sadness in her eyes. - “Billions died because of one wrong decision.”

“No, Avi. Somebody decided to build this weapon, and this wasn't just one person. Somebody else decided to use it.” - Luna replied. - “I understand your desire to mourn the dead, but that evil contraption is still out there and should be destroyed as soon as possible.”

“Luna...” - Avi uttered.

“Should we set off?” - Luna asked.

Avi nodded.

---

After inputting the coordinates, the spaceship made a ten-day-long jump. When it arrived at its destination, Luna received a warning signal - Anaari's zone of influence. Retreat or be shot down. - Luna stopped their ship without a second thought.

“Avi! There is a problem!” - Luna called.

Avi hurried to the bridge. - “ What happened?”

“We were detected.” - Luna explained. - “I can't tell how and from where, they have a powerful jamming technology.”

“Do you think it's the creators?” - Avi asked.

“I assume so, but it was an automatic, one-way message. They don't respond to any attempts at communication.”

“....so we might have to use 'that' thing?”

“There are no other options.”

“Are we sure it's safe? We don't know what it'll do to the ship.” - Avi was worrying.

”There is a risk. We either take it or leave. Decision is yours.” - Luna replied.

Avi thought a bit, staring at the vast darkness. - “We have to do it. That situation can't happen again. Our risk is nothing compared to the genocide.”

“Understood. I'll bring the module and install it.”

---

Luna extended her hand, and the panel in front of her opened, revealing a tank with a luminous, white liquid. She immersed her arm inside, together with the module retrieved from the astronaut's body. Once it was in the proper slot, she withdrew her empty hand and waited.

The liquid started to blacken, and it traveled through pipes to other starships' systems. Luna observed how all the lamps went out, and from crevices between the steel sheets, small black mechanical creatures emerged.

“It's...” - Luna uttered. - “...like adaptive multitask cell.”

“Is it a good thing, or a bad thing?” - Avi asked, grabbing Luna's sleeve, afraid.

“It modifies the ship... but I can't control this process. The cell... it requires establishing a connection with the host at the initial stages of its manufacturing. This one is already linked to someone.”

“What... does it mean?”

“There are two possibilities. Either it'll take control of the ship completely... and give that control to its host... or the cell with reject the spaceship and return to its original shape. We better pray it's the latter.”

A red camera lens emerged from black liquid, examining both girls.

“...and this? What is it supposed to be?” - Avi asked.

“I don't know. That's not how the multitask cell works.” - Luna answered.

The camera scanned Luna's body with a grid of red light and then spoke in a synthetic voice. - “Host rejected.”

Before Avi could ask another question, the eye scanned her for a longer moment, then declared. - “One hundred percent compatibility of biological signature. The Earthborn detected.”

“Earthborn?” - Avi uttered. - “Luna... do you understand what's going on?”

“No...”

Then, the liquid's color returned to normal, and the lights were restored. The module emerged from the slot, but it was burnt out and empty.

Luna quickly moved to the control core and touched it, wanting to get inside the spaceship, but she felt stopped by an invisible, solid barrier.

Stolen from NovelBin, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Avi... I can't control the ship.” - Luna informed in a quiet voice.

“What about the manual steering that you installed for me?” - Avi asked.

“It won't be enough to land anywhere... It's still safeguarded against collision courses.” - Luna answered. - “...but let's try. If it works, we could use it to find other spaceships on planetary orbits, as a workaround.” - She hurried to the controls, saying. - “Help me to check if the engine is starting.”

“Right away.” - Avi replied and pressed the correct switches. The LED indicating the engine's readiness lit up.

Luna pressed one button after the other, but the data displayed by the computer screens didn't change. - “What is this about!?” - She kicked the steel, angry. - “It doesn't accept any of my commands.”

“Did you unlock the power transmitter?” - Avi asked, and seeing it was inactive, pushed the appropriate lever.

“I tried.” - Luna said in resignation.

“Huh? But it's working.” - Avi informed, staring at a climbing loading bar.

“How...?” - Luna checked and started to ponder. - “Does it... Avi, focus for a moment. Don't touch the panels, just imagine that the ship is reversing.”

“You are not thinking that...?”

“Yes, that's what I'm thinking.”

Avi closed her eyes, concentrating, and Luna analyzed the data on the screens. - “Impossible... Avi, you are both connected!”

Avi couldn't accept this fact yet. - “...but I have no idea how to fly! I'll crash!”

“No, Avi! Don't you understand? The cell won't let you, it doesn't work this way.” - Luna explained. - “I never thought that I would see a technology that works based on this scale of the user's intuition. Avi, this is a huge advancement.”

“....but what am I supposed to do now?” - Avi was lost.

“Imagine that you're disappearing, that everything around you is quietening down. Imagine that you become invisible to every single being that looks at you.”

Avi followed the instructions and Luna glued to the screens. Anaari's warning signal vanished.

“Avi... they don't see us at all.” - Luna said. - “Can you imagine yourself, standing in the water... trailing your fingers along its surface... sending out gentle ripples.”

Avi stood still, in absolute silence, and Luna read the results of scans. - “...the waves bounce off the stones and fish fins, then return to you, gently brushing against your legs.”

Luna's radar lit up with hundreds of small, immobile objects. - “I know where they are, we can avoid them!”

“...but how? I don't see anything.” - Avi replied.

“Just focus, they are like shadows, fading in and out within your imagination.” - Luna said. - “You have to see them a little bit better. Try to lie in the water.”

Avi imagined it, but she felt an unearthly cold and had the creeps.

“Luna... I'm freezing.” - Avi uttered.

“Endure it and focus. Imagine that you slowly submerge... let your arms... legs... and cheeks... let everything disappear below the water's surface.”

“It's cold, so cold.” - Avi began to quiver.

“It'll pass.” - Luna assured.

“What's next?” - Avi asked.

“Open your eyes, slowly, and don't be scared. Just breathe calmly.” - Luna requested.

Avi felt she was no longer subjected to gravity, like she floated deep underwater. When her eyes opened, she saw an endless darkness surrounding her from all directions. All of her senses were working, but she felt nothing but water.

“Luna? Where am I!?” - Avi shouted, and the echo of it traveled across the ocean, letting Luna hear it through the speakers.

“You're inside the ship.” - Luna answered, her voice coming from above the ocean.

“There is nothing here, but emptiness... Luna, I'm scared.” - Avi panicked. - “Please, get me out of here!”

“Avi! Calm down!” - Luna insisted. - “Focus, feel the waves hitting your body, and tell me what you see.”

“Okay... okay...” - Avi took a deep breath. - “I see some... obscure shapes.”

“Swim closer and imagine being absolutely terrified of them.” - Luna said.

“That, I don't have to imagine.” - Avi grumbled.

“That's even better! The cell will protect you, but you have to help it. Try to avoid those shapes.” - Luna instructed.

“That was my plan... but where am I supposed to go?”

“First, we need to make it through them.”

Avi listened and walked among the shadows. She softly touched the water, sensing where the waves were coming from. The shadows slipped past her in silence, gliding through the murky water until they vanished into the distance. Soon, Avi noticed another immobile object, like a black solid rock.

“Luna... something huge is here.” - Avi uttered in an unsure tone.

“Is there anything else around it?” - Luna asked.

“No, nothing.”

“I think it should be our destination.” - Luna informed. - “Now, focus and imagine a thread of light connecting you and that object.”

Avi extended her arm, and a white line grew from her palm, cutting through the darkness.

“Imagine that this thread is slowly pulled by that object, and that you're pulled with it.”

“Okay.”

“It pulls faster... and faster.”

Avi felt as if she was caught in a strong current.

“Faster...” - Luna added.

Avi quickly lost control over her body, it was forcefully dragged through a tunnel that pulled her deeper and deeper at an accelerating pace. She held the thread of light with all her strength, waiting until the stream let her go, and once it did, she was already standing in front of a black wall.

“Luna... I think we are there.” - Avi uttered.

“Indeed, we are. You can come back.” - Luna said.

“But how!? What am I supposed to do!?” - Avi asked.

“Just surface.”

Avi closed her eyes, trying to imagine it, but she felt no change. When she opened her eyes, she was still at the depths of an endless ocean.

“Luna... I can't...” - Avi uttered, the fear paralyzed her.

“Avi... the most important thing is to stop panicking.” - Luna said in a gentle voice.

“I... I can't.”

“Wait... imagine a warmth at your fingertips and a light afar.”

“I feel the warmth... but I see nothing.”

“Reach your hand up... feel how the warmth from your fingers spreads and flows over your whole body.”

Avi extended her arm and felt a familiar touch, grabbing her hand. It was a pleasant, gentle light. It pulled her out, intensifying, until it replaced the cold completely, and a powerful fire ignited within her heart. Avi resurfaced and, with a deep breath, regained control of her body. When she opened her eyes, she saw Luna holding both her hands.

“You're back.” - Luna said in a gentle voice.

Avi couldn't speak, she had never felt a more intense heat in her life. Her entire body was aflame, and her heart raced faster. She was unable to look away from Luna's eyes until she felt dizzy.

“Better?” - Luna asked, still staring at Avi.

“Yes... I think so.” - Avi averted her sight and leaned against the wall, unsure of what was happening to her. She sneakily peeked at Luna, who was quick to notice and smiled gently. The feeling of warmth was still there.

“Rest.” - Luna said. - “It was a bit long for the first time.”

“I think... I'll get something to drink.” - Avi replied.

“You don't have to, I'll bring you some water.” - Luna said, gently taking her hand.

Feeling Luna's warmth, the fire in Avi's heart burned anew, and she let Luna's hand go. - “No... no... I'll go by myself. Wait here for a moment, I'll be back soon.”

Avi made a quick exit to the kitchen, took a big gulp of icy water, then splashed her face. - “Avi, pull yourself together.” - She muttered, took another deep breath, and returned to the bridge.