In meatspace on the ship. Pruet's body was still and unmoving. It looked like a perfect puppet, only discernible by the slightest breathing motion.
The visage, destroyed by the opening of Pruet's eyes. Life was back in her body, using half a second to steady herself back to reality, she moved out.
She stretched on her lips, deep in thought, as she sat on her purple recliner.
Pruet crossed her legs and hammered on the armrest with her fingers. The soft rhythmic hammering soothing Pruet's mind, just like it did every time.
"'If you have troubles sit on the purple recliner, hammer your thoughts in order and off you go." Was a line Pruet had said every day since getting on the ship. It had worked up till now and Pruet was sure not to end her ritual.
She thought about who could be the one behind the beast. The creature shouldn't have awoken until the whole crew was landing. It was a certainty that someone was behind this.
The first two options she had in mind were Isolda and Nadesh. The argument it could be Isolda was on quite unstable ground. She didn't really have a reason to go after Fi since Isolda had the chance of gaining Fi as a disciple.
There were a couple of reasons she could think of, but they didn't seem that plausible. Nadesh then, what arguments could be made for him being the perpetrator.
Nadesh was a man of character, he held his word in high regard and always got the job done. His methods were usually more straightforward too. Unless it all was a cover, then he could be doing work in secret.
It was a good cover to work in secret, but it didn't feel right, Pruet's intuition told her.
Her hammering didn't stop and the rhythm never erred. She couldn't rule out either of the two, but neither felt like the perpetrator.
She had a few options to go with. Take on the search by herself or rope in someone to help her. Pruet hung her head on her chest, stretching her neck.
With moderate speed, she lifted her head back to the headrest and messaged Isolda.
Pruet shivered, and the rhythm erred for the first time. It was her least favorite option, but the probabilities for success were best.
Pruet quit hammering and gripped the armrests, pulling herself up. She walked to her cabin and took out a lava lamp. Placing it on the table between the two recliners she sat back down on her purple chair.
She eyed the door and the hammering begun again. Pruet didn't have to wait for long until the door opened and Isolda, the heavyset woman, walked in.
Isolda was wearing a sneer on her face and opened her mouth, but shut it and lost the sneer as her eyes glanced on the lava lamp.
"Thought you were jesting when you said it was serious biz, but you even brought out the lava lamp," Isolda said going for the recliner opposite, green in color.
Pruet nodded, lifting the corner of her mouth. She leaned forwards and activated the lava lamp.
A forcefield grew around it, sealing the two chairs inside. From the outside, it looked like a black circle and no sound could be heard.
The two women saw the world outside and could hear the ambient sounds of the ship.
Isolda leaned forward setting her elbows on the table, put her head in her muscular hands and said.
"What can I do for my lovely little sister?" Her voice dripping with sarcasm.
* * *
The hail beat her for the better part of the night. It didn't more than sting physically, but the effect on her psyche was great. She hadn't moved from her position at all, deeming herself to be at the world's mercy.
It was a sleepless night. Fi could have shielded herself with a water shield, but she had no spirit to fight with.
She felt small under the black sky, creatures and humans of great power deciding her fate. Where was her part of the world, she thought she had already managed to carve a small part for herself in the short week of camaraderie the scout group had.
The powers that be were vying for her favor or demise. She didn't understand much of what was going on but knew that if three of the admins wanted her, then conversely they wouldn't want her to fall in someone else's hand either.
Without any will to join the game she had been ensnared and here she was, a pawn in the game.
Fi sighed, realizing the night wasn't going to end in sleep and stood up. She walked towards the lake, her entire face drooping. Limply she stumbled into the water and fell flat on her face.
She let herself sink and when she didn't sink anymore she pushed herself further with her powers. She reached the bottom some five meters deep and assumed her comfort position.
If she was sulking and angry at the world down here, she still had to spend some energy constantly, recharging silver exhaust. Behind her sulking exterior, was a dry smile.
'Maybe the world won't come upend me again if I pretend to have given up' Fi thought.
Sitting at the bottom of the lake she patiently waited for silver exhaust to fill up again. She didn't get to finish her waiting when the white light appeared again.
Above the surface, Pruet stepped into Eden Dream. She didn't enter the water but hovered in the air. Her face unreadable behind the water's distortion.
Fi received a message from Pruet.
'Let me in. It is time for you to hear everything'