Get in the ship!

A dull throb pulsed behind Lin's eyes. She groaned, her mouth dry and sticky. "Coffee!" she croaked, the word barely escaping her parched throat. A soft whir announced the arrival of a small, sleek drone, depositing a steaming mug on the coffee table before her with a gentle click. The rich aroma of roasted beans filled the air, jolting Lin awake. She sat up abruptly, a line of dried drool tracing a path from the corner of her mouth to the matching patch on the table. With practiced ease, even in her semi-conscious state, she reached for the mug and took a careful sip, the bitter brew chasing away the lingering fog in her brain. As the caffeine hit, a flicker of unease sparked within her. Something wasn't right. My ship! She'd forgotten all about it.

Lin scrambled to her feet, glancing around the quiet apartment. "Euri?" she called, already moving towards the bedroom. No Euri. The bathroom door stood ajar, empty. A prickle of anxiety tightened her chest. She pressed the button to open the garage door. The scent of engine oil and coolant hit her like a wall, mingled with the strains of a Bach concerto. Lin wrinkled her nose, stepping into the dimly lit space. Why is it so dark?

"Almost done," a voice grumbled from beneath a beat-up, grey HT-550 4 sedan. Lin squinted, making out a pair of legs protruding from under the vehicle.

Euri slid out on a wheeled creeper, holding a clump of what looked suspiciously like soggy seaweed. She sat up, pushing her goggles onto her forehead. "What in the cosmos did you do to your ship, Lin?"

Lin shuffled her feet, a sheepish grin spreading across her face. "Research," she mumbled, scratching the back of her head. "Parked it on a little island in the Fraser Delta, went to retrieve an underwater recorder. Tide came in faster than I expected. Barely made it back inside before the thing was half-submerged." A nervous laugh escaped her lips.

Euri's expression remained flat, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. She sighed, grabbing a rag and heading for a nearby sink. "Well, the good news is, it still flies."

Lin's face lit up. She rushed over and wrapped Euri in a hug from behind. "Euri, you're a lifesaver!"

"The bad news," Euri continued, her voice monotone as she scrubbed grease from her hands, "is we'll need a new air filter and intake. Those are completely trashed." A small smirk played on her lips as she felt Lin's arms tighten around her. She reached back, hooked her hands under Lin's thighs, and hoisted her into a piggyback.

"H-how much is that going to cost?" Lin asked, her voice muffled against Euri's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it," Euri said, carrying her towards the hallway. "Didn't we just win the lottery? Besides," she added, a mischievous glint in her eyes, "we won't need two ships after tomorrow. We should probably sell yours anyway."

Euri deposited Lin onto the bathroom floor. "Go take a bath while you mull it over. Water's already running."

Lin nodded, closing the door behind her. The sound of rushing water filled the apartment.

Euri stepped onto the balcony, the warm, exhaust-laden air of the city clinging to her skin. The high-rises surrounding Lin's apartment cast long shadows across the balcony. Since waking up from that strange… experience last night, her senses felt heightened, almost overwhelming. Even Lin felt… different. Heavier. What has she been eating? Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine, a primal instinct screaming danger. Time seemed to slow. She dropped into a crouch, one hand gripping the door frame, then spun back into the apartment, sliding the balcony door closed and drawing the curtains. Through a narrow gap, she scanned the airspace outside.

Two black hovercrafts, identical to the ones from last night, zipped past at an unusually low altitude. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Shit.

"Lin! Get dressed! We're leaving!" She grabbed Lin's bag, already packed from the night before, and dashed to the garage.

A splash echoed from the bathroom, followed by the sliding of the door. Lin emerged, hair dripping, wearing an oversized shirt tucked into tight shorts and leggings. Her expression was a mask of worry. She clutched a small, white, curved pistol and another bag. "What's happening?"

"Get in the ship!" Euri tossed Lin her bag. "Those same ships are back." She jumped into the pilot seat of the Red Devil, her fingers dancing across the control panel. The vehicle's vibrant red shifted to a dull gunmetal grey. "Tina, set destination: CMA." Euri pulled a beret and large, round glasses from the glove compartment, quickly changing her appearance.

"Miss Four-Eyes is back," Lin chuckled nervously, tossing her bag into the front storage compartment. "Haven't seen that look since you crammed for your Journeyman's." She paused, her smile fading as she noticed the tension radiating from Euri.

"Not now, Lin," Euri whispered, pulling a face mask on. "We need to keep a low profile."

Lin's humor evaporated. She grabbed a wide-brimmed white hat with a green bow and a pair of round aviator sunglasses, mimicking Euri's disguise. "Right. Incognito mode activated."

The disguised Red Devil lifted smoothly from the garage, its usual powerful thrusters muted, blending seamlessly into the midday traffic. "South exit, detour through Rainier Metro, then straight to the CMA," Euri said, her eyes fixed on the navigation map projected onto the windshield. "If we're lucky, we'll be there by noon."

Lin placed a hand on Euri's shoulder, her voice laced with concern. "Euri… remember what your dad always said?"

Euri nodded, taking a deep breath. "'A calm mind solves all.' I know." A calm mind. She shifted in her seat, mimicking the cross-legged posture her father often assumed during meditation. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breath, slow and steady, just as he had taught her.

A cool sensation blossomed in her core, spreading outward like ripples in a pond. Even with her eyes closed, she sensed the outlines of the hovercraft, the flow of traffic around them. Motes of light, brighter than she'd ever seen them, danced in the darkness behind her eyelids, clustering in strange patterns. The coolness intensified, drawing the motes inward like a gentle whirlpool. This is like the gate, she realized, a flicker of understanding igniting within her. This is what's making everything so sharp. She opened her eyes slowly, her breath still even. The world outside seemed to shimmer, every detail etched in crisp, vibrant clarity.

Seeing Euri's focused state, Lin pulled up her exam review materials on her HUD, a quiet determination settling over her features.

-

The sleek lines of the Central Military Academy's main building glinted in the afternoon sun. Inside, Principal Sophia Sharma listened patiently as an assistant delivered his report. "Principal Sharma, as requested, here is the candidate list for the L1 Mechanics training school."