SOLAR YEAR 2429, LEO SYSTEM, SECTOR ONE, PLANET RED 420 MOON ORBIT. 0137 HOURS, THE MARSHALL, DECK 2, SECTION A, THIRTEEN HOURS AND FORTY TWO MINUTES AFTER INVASION

The blinking lights of the corridor blinded Lyon as they walked through one of the main corridors of Deck 2. The footsteps of the Knight and the two fire teams echoed throughout the dark corridor--Captain Hawkins walked more fluidly, hardly making a sound. Finally, the group reached a bulkhead labeled Section A.

Lyon looked at the six men with them; most of them are USTF Navy engineers, the bridge couldn’t spare more for this interception. So Lyon opted to lead the non-combatants and besides it gave him an opportunity to confirm one of Vyse’s theories. He heard the Captain draw his pistol.

“Howard, why did you come with us again?” Lyon asked, as the Captain faced him briefly, he saw how sullen his eyes were—he hasn’t slept for more than a day by now.

“We’re confirming this mess together Lyon whether you like it or not,” He answered, “And stop calling me Howard.”

“Suit yourself,” Lyon scoffed mischievously, “Just don’t come running to me when you can’t handle the shit that’s coming to us Howard.”

“You’re really the worst of the knights aren’t you?” the Captain snickered.

“No, I rate myself as the better of the bunch.” Lyon nodded to one of the engineers to open the pressure doors. The thick and heavy door hissed open, the group readied their weapons. After a half minute of securing the doorway and the immediate corners, the group entered the cold, pitch black hallway. The fire teams turned their flashlights brighter. The hallway was in a state of upheaval. Everything that wasn’t bolted to the floor was scattered on it. It wasn’t long when the deathly stench hit them—a flashlight showed the dozens of dead.

Lyon and Hawkins covered their noses with their sleeve cuffs. He stole a glance at the six enlisted men who had to wear facemasks having not undertaken the bloodstream nanomite injections him and the Hawkins had. Pros and cons the Knight thought.

Lyon tried not to retch too much as they walked through the corridor, the Captain just shook his head at him. The only medic of the team systematically checked each body’s life signs, Lyon would argue that checking for a pulse is a waste of time but hope and one’s humanity are sometimes the only thing a person are fighting for. As the medic approached one of the bodies, Lyon heard him curse and cry out to his religion’s god. The Knight made way where the medic was.

“What’s wrong soldier?” Lyon could see the terror in the medic’s eyes behind his face mask. The young medic pointed towards one of the bodies.

One of the dead had black liquid oozing from his orifices. Lyon knew it right away.

“Shifters,” he muttered.

It’s like what we’ve expected Lyon,” Hawkins said, kicking the body on its side, “They’re tracking you people.”

Lyon scoffed, “They’re tracking S-rank potentials you mean? What would the De Borbon family say if they knew you used the two primary Royal French heirs as GEOM bait huh?

“It was necessary and besides, those kids could handle themselves if their profiles are true,” The Captain answered, “These guys came aboard when they crashed one of their ships into us. Shizuka noticed that some of the crew didn’t have tags in them.”

Lyon nodded. The precaution of having injected dog tags aside from having the traditional ones started when they first encountered the “Shifters” after the battles for Sierra—when the GEOMs started focusing on abducting Knights.

“They may be more inside the Marshall Hawkins; we need to clear this section.” As Lyon said that a scuttling sound echoed in the section. The fire teams pointed their guns at the other end of the long section corridor, the lights of the flashlights barely illuminating the end of the passageway.

“—what was--that?” one of the engineers said nervously, his hands tremblingly held his rifle.

The Captain pulled the skittish engineer by the collar, “Keep it together soldier!” he rasped. He then looked at the rest of the non-combatants with them, “Keep your eyes open. We need to clear this section before these shifters infect anyone else.”

Before the teams could answer the scuttling sound was heard again, louder this time. The Captain pointed his pistol towards the corridor’s end. The soldiers also pointed their weapons at the empty space. An eerie silence followed as gnawing anxiety filled the ship section.

“Shizuka talk to me!” Hawkins pressed.

“I got two fading heat signatures,” The female Lieutenant’s voice crackled on their radios, “they’re on the opposite walls of the corridor.”

The Hawkins and the fire teams pointed their weapons closer to the corridor walls and Lyon stood vanguard with his hands inside his cloak.

“I can hear them,” Lyon muttered. The crunching and scratching on metal grew louder.

Two figures appeared from the darkness simultaneously, they bared their inhuman fanged mouths that contrasted with their human body. The shifters shrieked their ear-piercing battle cry. Lyon revealed his kukris with a bird-like stance but the shifters just ignored him—they were going for the noncoms and the Captain.

There was a sharp shriek, a thud and a gurgling sound after. The group tensed up. A flashlight reflected off Lyon’s drawn kukris—another second and his kukris were now sheathed. Captain Hawkins noticed Lyon wasn’t bracing anymore.

“What wrong Lyon?” The Captain asked. Lyon only glanced at him and stared at his feet.

“N—N-othing,” The Knight stammered, “It’s been taking care of.”

Hawkins sensed the Knight’s sudden change of demeanor, “Are you sure?”

The Knight nodded, “We have to get to the engine room.”

“What?” The captain said, confused. “What about clearing this room?”

The Knight started heading towards the exit, “there’s nothing here, have the engineers move the dead to medical.” He stopped to wait for Shizuka to open the airlock doors, “Those who still have the stomach to fight, on me.”

Ensign Amelia De Borbon rubbed her eyes.

My eyes are playing tricks on me again she thought.

She checked the scanners again and what video feed she can recover from the sector room Knight Lyon’s fireteam had entered. She was sure she saw two GEOM blips on the scanners two minutes into the sector clearing and she played the recordings again for analyzing---there wasn’t a single GEOM reading aside from the lifeless ones. The record of the two GEOMS just vanished.

She went ahead and reported it to Lieutenant Shizuka. She just shook her head and said that neither the Lord Knight nor the Captain reported any live GEOMS in that sector. She then ordered her to open Sector A’s airlock doors. The ensign answered with an empty “Yes Ma’am.” As she was returning to her post, she caught sight of her twin sister who shook her head at her.

She also knows about the disappearing GEOMS too.

SOLAR YEAR 2429, LEO SYSTEM, SECTOR ONE, PLANET RED 420 MOON ORBIT. 0142 HOURS, THE MARSHALL ENGINE ROOM, THIRTEEN HOURS AND FORTY SEVEN MINUTES AFTER INVASION

“You still haven’t said yet why we’re going to the engine room Lyon.” The Captain asked.

“Vyse was at Sector A.” He answered bluntly.

The captain was set aback. He clenched his fist as he looked at his feet. “It was that bad huh?” he muttered.

“Everyone dead. New evolved shifters.” Lyon answered as another explosion rocked the ship.

“So I bet he told you why we’re going to the engine room then?”

“No, he said he didn’t want to worsen the butterfly effect.”

“Oh! Jolly good then!” The Captain mocked, “I fucking love surprises.”

The airlock doors hissed open. The Knight and the Captain entered gingerly, weapons drawn. The lone soldier who followed them to the engine room positioned himself behind the debris near the entrance.

“If you don’t hear blue or see green when you see anyone, even us, shoot.” Lyon ordered.

“Yes Sir Knight Sir!” the soldier acknowledged.

Lyon read the green call sign set on the soldier’s virtual tag, Ox. “Give them hell Ox.” He said as they went deeper inside the engine room.

The eerie hum of the Oxyn-Ford engines bounced on the engine room’s steel walls. It made Lyon nauseous. It reminded him of the hornet-like GEOMs when they swarm in for the kill.

Most of the engine room lights were out. Even some of the auxiliary lights were malfunctioning. Those that work were coincidently blinking in sync with the Knight’s steady heartbeat.

What was so important that Vyse would want me to see personally?

“Do you smell that?” The Captain said in disgust whilst covering his nose with his uniforms sleeve.

The Knight was confused at first before the revolting smell hit him. Lingering with the fuel and oil wretched metallic air was a familiar stench.

Infected flesh.

“Shizuka, did anyone from the engine room personnel escape?”

After a few seconds, Lyon’s earpiece chirped, “the engine room cameras were knocked out when the GEOM ships crashed into us during the battle over red sir. They were not deemed priority during the repairs on the Francisco.”

Just then, Ox’ harsh language and machine gun fire became audible enough to hear through the thick engine doors.

Shit. Lyon cursed

“This was all pre-meditated Haw--!” before the Knight could finish an explosion rocked the ship. The Knight was flung across the room and hit the bulkhead near the entrance hard. He was not the one to wear a helmet even though he was issued one. He mulled over in changing his helmet perspective as he felt his right temple swell. Blood begun dripping from his head wound. The Knight shook his head to try to clear his vision and focus on the situation.

The Knight was just in time to dodge a G.E.O.M stinger, he immediately teleported away from the regrouping G.E.O.M mob. The artificial gravity core of the ship was faltering after the explosion. Lyon was slowly floating away from the engine room first floor.

“Hawkins where are you?!” he shouted, knowing that there could be a chance that their personal comms got fried by the explosion. He studied the gathering GEOM swarm. They were about fifty of them cramped behind the engines and they seemed to be multiplying before the Knight’s eyes, a drifting sickly, green blob inching towards him.

The engine room was five levels high so as to house the immense Oxyn-Ford main and auxiliary engines. Even though he was severely outnumbered in an enclosed area Lyon broke a smile. Having little gravity meant that with his superior mobility he can outmaneuver the clumsy GEOM shifters and blobmen.

He caught something shimmer from the corner of his eye. He looked up and saw the Captain’s body floating aimlessly near the third level of the engine room, his officer badge reflected the intermittent emergency lighting. Just as the Knight was about to teleport towards him the GEOM mob shifted their slow ascend towards the unconscious officer.

“Shit.” The Knight cursed. He appeared a second later beside the Hawkins and he examined him briefly.

He’s still breathing, he has a bad concussion and cracked several of his ribs.

The gurgling sound of the GEOM mobs became adherent. Lyon drew his kukris and unhinged his cloak’s clasped.

“Don’t go anywhere old friend”, he whispered.

Hawkins couldn’t tell if he was conscious or not. He was sure he was still in the engine room with all the blinking lights and the distinctive orange warning signs sporadic illumination. But one distinctive light that kept blinking in a rough pattern that made him second guessed where he was.

He tried to speak but only a cracked moan slipped his lips. He couldn’t move his arms and legs. He tried breathing deeply but his side began to hurt. He swore he could hear the gurgling GEOMs but he couldn’t turn his head towards the aliens’ direction. For a brief second, the bouncing light came to a stop slowly enough for the Captain to glimpse the Knight’s painfully thin silhouette.

Lyon? He thought, trying to remember what’s happening. The Knight was now border line malnourish. That could only mean that he’s almost at his potential’s limit.

Is this a dream? The Captain wondered. The smoke smelled real, the pain felt real, Lyon seemed real but his weightlessness and paralyzed movements made him think otherwise.

“It’s all too real baby chick,” a warm voice echoed in his head from no particular person. He tried to look for the source of the voice but forgot that he couldn’t move.

“Time to realize who you really are Hawkins,” the voice said nonchalantly.

Before he could question the voice he felt his head and body being rocked by a sudden force. It felt like something inside him was being forced out. Only cracked raps and gasps sounded as he tried to screamed the pain away.

“Status report!” Lieutenant Shizuka bellied.

“Portside Bay doors were blasted open Ma’am!” Lieutenant Herrard reported.

“Where did the shot come from?!” the acting commander questioned, “there’s nothing on the radars and screens!”

The horrified look from Herrard was unmistakable. With is mouth agape he muttered, “It-I-It came from inside the bay...”

“Shifters?” Shizuka said the GEOM breed with contempt, “Amelie get the fireteams ready.”

“Yes ma’am!”

A bright ball illuminated the prow screen as a blast shook the bridge.

“What was that?!” Ensign Netta screamed.

“Another Ship debris hit us! We got GEOM signatures all over us!” Lieutenant Herrard reported.

“Lieutenant Herrard get us out of here!” Shizuka commanded, sweeping her right arm in front of her, “Engines and Shields to full!”

“Our engines are down Ma’am and our generators are running on priority status red!”

“Any contact from Knight Lyon and Captain Hawkins?” Shizuka queried through gritted teeth.

“They’re not responding Lieutenant!” Ensign Amelie answered, “Cams are also down, transmitting last sensor transmissions on main screen now.” The bridge lights shut down substituted by red emergency lights as the system automatically went to power saver mode to play the video recording.

It showed a marine fending off a stream of GEOM Shifters and “Blobmen”. Shooting sporadically and yelling random expletives at the aliens. One got close enough to wound the marine; a second later an explosion fried the engine room camera.

“Guess that answers the venting from the portside bay,” Herrard remarked. “The Emergency engine exhausts and transport modules directly lead to that bay --- One of the significant flaws to the outdated marathon class cruisers.”

The screen switched to another recording, the inside engine room came into view. For the first few seconds the video was only pitched black. Until Ensign Netta pointed out the audio volume, prompting his sister to increase it. The unmistakable shuffling and gurgling sound became clearer then the darkness in the video was seemingly shifting.

“That’s a lot of GEOMs,” one of the bridge crew gasped.

Herrard you have the bridge, link me the nearest fireteam at the Sector A entrance Ensign Netta.” Shizuka commanded, drawing his sidearm. “Let’s hope we’re in time to save them and everyone on this ship.”

Lyon folded the loose sleeves of his flexible armor. He had burned too much of his body weight fighting the GEOM swarm. With harboring breaths and flinching eyes he estimated the GEOM numbers. They’re still steadily increasing despite all his efforts to cull them. He was never suited for extensive combat. His Teleportation power functions like any cardiovascular activity. The real problem is that the energy absorption of his potential is as instantaneous as his power, losing body mass at a dangerous rate in a short span of time.

He stole a look at the tethered unconscious body of Captain Hawkins. Every high command mistake, poorly attained intel and morale pressured rallying led them endangering one of the United Tertiary Space Forces most important assets.

Exhausted, Lyon couldn’t help but think that Vyse had sacrifice both of them for the survival of the human race. Vyse’s cruel mindset wasn’t anything new but Lyon wasn’t so keen being left to be another notch in the human death toll.

“I guessed this is it Hawkins!” he said aloud. He was sure he heard the officer croaked as if to reply. He would teleport beside him but he had reached is potential cap. So the knight threw is arms wide, kukris in hand.

“Come and get it you filthy mutts!”

Suddenly he was hurtling towards the GEOMS.

As he was thinking about the irony of his maybe last words; Before he could collide with the first ranks of GEOMs, the aliens dissipated into millions of minute blobs, hurtling into different directions as the Knight’s momentum had propelled them so.

“w-wh-what?” Lyon stammered. Before long, the ship A.I. blared via the speakers something about power being stabilize and before the knight could think more for it he was falling, knocking himself out on the metal flooring with a loud dull clang.