Silver smoke emanated from all over Fi. Her body covered in a thin mist.
The smoke crawled up her body. On her head, a silver crown formed of smoke. Silver smoke disappearing around her until only the crown remained.
The silver smoke shimmered, its contours in a constant roil. The crown, like fire evaporating the water around her head.
Fi opened her eyes and a silver glow combined with the green. Her poise majestic, like a silver empress ready to deliver justice.
Water under her control again, she summoned it propelling her to the air. Seven pillars of water dancing over the once calm lagoon. The moon's reflection broken, a vow of silence forgotten. The lagoon raged to life.
Fi's flame of light had never burned this bright. Unlimited power floated through her veins. A primal scream escaped her lips.
The sleeping birds already woken by the roiling lagoon now left their branches screeching for everyone to escape. Death itself had come visiting.
Time was up. Silver Exhaust was running out. The pillars of water set their queen on shore. Retreating into the water, the pillars vanished. Fi's eyes returned to their usual viridescent color.
The lagoon gained its calm again. The creatures sensing the impending doom vanishing returned to their usual ways.
Fi was exhausted, through and through.
All energy gone. Silver Exhaust timed out. Hunger made its comeback. Fi returned to camp while struggling to stay awake.
At the clearing's edge, Sawyer noticed Fi. He gave a congratulatory holler. Fi smiled in answer, making her way to the recycling unit.
A quick and dirty meal later she was asleep. Safe in her bunk. She succumbed to a deserved sleep.
* * *
In the room with a conference table and an earthlike decor, sat seven admins.
Pruet stood at the table. Her rank was the highest. She leaned on the table with both hands, smacking her lips. The expression on her face, not a happy one.
Silence was a rare occurrence in this group of people. This was the first time in fifteen years.
Pruet smacked the table with some force, startling the group. They hadn't seen her this angry before.
"This is unacceptable!" Pruet yelled. Her eyes burning into each and every one of them.
"I go through logs with some more care and everyone except one of you is eating more pie than you have the right to." She smacked table again leaving a dent.
"What kind of devotion to the sacred mission is this. The evolution of humanity resting on our shoulders and here you are bickering for bits and pieces." Pruet said spattering spit all over.
A myriad of expressions around the table. Some in shame, some silently taking the beating and some giving the I don't care gaze.
Pruet ranted for another fifteen minutes. A warning signal interrupted her. Not moving a single muscle on her face, Pruet turned around and left the room.
The six around the table looked at each other in silence. No one spoke. The first got up and soon everyone had left.
In her own room, Pruet spun on her chair. She put a pen in her mouth. That was the one nostalgic thing she still used. Putting thoughts on paper felt final.
Reinstated in a new body, she had beelined to read everything she had done the day before. The one she was killed on.
Nothing groundbreaking gained from that. So she planned to put together this charade to open the game a bit. She had been able to rule out two suspects with this method.
They had immediately gone to remedy the situation. Those who rushed to undo their bad deeds immediately after getting caught definitely weren't the one. They would be sly. Question if she had any data of them. If she did have some, there wasn't actually much she could do.
This game was both scary and exciting. Pruet decided to check up on the new wonder child. Seeing the numbers on the screen and checking the video replay of Fi's Silver Exhaust usage, a whistle escaped her lips.
Pruet rubbed her perfect hands together satisfied. If Fi continued to gain power, she would be a good piece to have on your side.
* * *
Morning had come and gone. Midday arrived and Fi was still sleeping. Fi rubbed her nose in her sleep. It itched. An itch followed by a nose rub, repeating for multiple times.
The chains of sleep couldn't hold her any longer. She woke up. A yellow mass was in front of her. Fi stopped breathing. The yellow blob tapped her nose.
A familiar sight, she thought. A small octopus standing in front of her.
"You followed me," said Fi and rubbed her eyes.
The octopus nodded. A theater of arms started flailing in front of her. It was some sort of speech.
Fi blinked a few times. She tried to understand the message. Scrutinizing the octopus she started seeing patterns in the movement. Why it understood human language was beyond Fi.
Maybe it was because of them being in a game. Some realism omitted in favor of entertainment.
"You want to follow me?" Fi said. Not expecting to have understood the octopuses movement, she gaped when the octopus nodded again.
Fi sat up. The octopus flew on Fi's right shoulder. It showed content while slouched against her. The suction cups obtaining a steady perch, the octopus wouldn't fall from anything small.
"I have no idea what to call you little one. So you'll have to satisfy yourself with the nickname Octo," Fi said. She shooed the octopus away while she dressed.
They exited the tent with Octo perched on Fi's shoulder. The campsite was devoid of life. Fi remembered Blue telling her that if they ever split up they should leave messages on the ship.
Fi chose a small burrito recipe. She grabbed the burrito and headed for the ship. Inside the cockpit, she sat down. A message from Blue played on the screen.
'Congratulations!' The familiar figure of Blue said on the video feed. Blue ran a hand through her hair and continued with a mischievous smile.
'The boys found the rabbits nest. The beacon's setup location is right beside it.'
Fi munched on the burrito and true to her guess she would see some action.
'Your abilities awakened at the perfect time. When you have finished your morning meal gather with us southwest from here.' Blue said smiling one last time before cutting off the message.
Fi jumped up, bits and pieces of the burrito flying around the cockpit.
"Come on Octo, we have a fight on our hands," said Fi leaving the ill-fated burrito behind.
Outside of the camp, she thought of something. Fi ran back into the camp. She grabbed a backpack and a filled canister of water.
Armed with the backpack she vanished into the vegetation.