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letsquestjess · 4 years

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Subnautica: Echoes- Chapter 5: Remnants of the Past

“Climbing is not my strong suit,” Samuel panted, boosting himself up the steep ridge and mopping his brow. They’d been clambering for what felt like hours, higher into the mountains in pursuit of the transport system. He wasn’t even sure it existed. For all they knew, Marguerit was leading them on a goose chase for her own amusement.

“I’d better help you then,” Hunter said, pivoting on his heels and putting Samuel in a fireman’s lift before he could utter a word in response. With a whimsical grin, he strode past the others and continued on the trail upwards.

“Put me down!” the hoisted man demanded.

“Are you sure you want me to do that? We’re in for quite a hike.”

Samuel stopped wriggling and pushed himself up, seizing hold of Hunter’s bicep to squint over his shoulder at the way ahead. “I’m fine here,” he decided, flopping back down.

“Not too far now,” Marguerit told them. “The next turn will take us to a cave entrance. The arch is in there.”

Hunter saluted and allowed the mercenary to lead them, gently adjusting the man in his arms so he wouldn’t slip from his grasp. “If this becomes uncomfortable, let me know.”

“It’s better than having to climb,” Samuel sighed. He swept the dangling lengths of his hair and tucked them behind his ear, capturing a glimpse of the view behind them. The sea glittered as though dappled with jewels, the reflection of the descending sun casting a pinky hue over the water and tempting the curious to its shores.

Marguerit jogged a few metres ahead and signalled to the cave opening at the other end of the winding track. “Just in here!” she called.

The entrance lay bathed in shadows as though waiting for the original owners to return. Cave Crawlers scuttled across the sand and up the walls, the blue rings twisting as they surveyed the intruders.

As the exhausted travellers reached the main cavern, the green glow hit them, drawing them in. The diamond structure in the centre took up most of the room, the rectangular columns surrounding it providing a little more light.

Lyra gawped at the gate, fatigued eyes unblinking as she neared it. The alien construction reacted to her presence, and a bright shimmer worked a course through the rivets and inlays. She ran her hand over the spines stemming from the teleportation port, the metal warm and tingling against her fingertips.

Hunter placed Samuel back on his feet and steadied him. “You good?”

Samuel nodded and offered the doctor a grateful smile, rounding to the rest of the cave. He didn’t know where to look first; the hovering lights, the heavy coiled wiring, the enormous gate. This was a level of architecture humanity could never match. He bounced over to Lyra, the pair of them giggling like excited children.

“How do we switch this thing on?” Cassidy questioned, crossing her arms over her chest as she searched for a lever or a button. She knocked her foot against one of the squat blocks positioned around the place, and a neon gleam spread from the point of impact, shivering up the engravings.

Marguerit approached the plinth facing the port and a box sprung from within. “Do any of you have an ion cube?” She took the silence circulating through the group as her answer and puffed out a sigh.

“The tower we passed might have some,” Samuel suggested. “Many of the excavators reported that they found samples of them near Architect structures.”

“To the tower it is then,” Marguerit decided, traipsing across the uneven stone and towards the cave mouth.

“We have to climb back down?” Cassidy complained.

“It seems so,” Lyra said with an encouraging smile. “Either that or take a swim with the fishes to get to the lava facility.”

* * *

Lyra shielded her eyes from the sun’s glare and looked the Quarantine Enforcement Platform up and down. Her father had walked these sands, passed through the doorway and shut the building down so he could escape. With every whistle of the breeze, she heard his voice calling to her, begging her to come home, to stop acting so recklessly.

“Lyra?”

“Hm.” She whirled to her left where Samuel hesitated, eyebrows knitted together and his head tilted.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “You seemed to zone out for a minute.”

“I’m fine. I need to get out of this heat.” She drew her PDA from the holder on her arm and lifted the device to the darkened entryway, skimming over the scans and ignoring Samuel’s concerned reflection. “The readings aren’t showing anything of worth in there.” She squinted and trampled into the shade, cupping her hand over the screen to keep the sun from glaring off the glass. “Are you sure this is where we’ll find an ion cube?”

“I guess so. All the ion cubes the excavators found came from Architect structures like this one.”

“But what if they’ve taken them all?” Lyra reasoned. “What do we do if there’s none here?”

Samuel shrugged. “Then we resort to plan A, I suppose.” He led the way into the dim building and slipped his torch from his belt, clicking the button to adjust the intensity of the glow. “The scans aren’t showing any ion cubes in the area, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. We can’t rely on their glow alone as it diminishes over time, but they have a distinct trait,” he explained to the group, shifting the light from one side of the dusty room to the other. “They resist dust and sand particles, anything dirty, so our best bet would be to look around anywhere that appears to be clean.”

“We’ll save time if we split up,” Cassidy suggested. “Hunter, Marguerit and I can take the upper levels, and you two can search the lower levels.”

Lyra nodded. “Be careful and shout if you need help.“

The three dashed into the gloom and the rays from their torches disappeared up the ramps. Shadows settled in the absence of their light, darkened veils descending from the inclines and shrouding the deeper areas in a curtain of secrecy.

“I wonder what this place was like a few years ago?” Samuel mused, examining the intricate details ingrained into the walls. “I bet it was magnificent.” He peeked back over his shoulder at Lyra, her jade eyes fixated dead-set ahead of her and her arms folded around her middle. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Lyra considered lying to him and making some excuse so they might press on, but the nauseating remorse gnawing at her conscience wouldn’t leave her. It rattled at the back of her mind like a tormented prisoner shaking at their chains, refusing to allow her a moment’s peace. “Being here brings back everything that happened to my dad. I can’t stop thinking about how he suffered down here, how he was alone and afraid.” She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. “He survived against damning odds, he returned to his family. And then I’m reminded that I am screwing him over by doing this, but I don’t know what else to do.” The tears formed globs and spilled down her cheeks. She buried her face in her palms and whimpered, feeling Samuel’s warmth as he tugged her close.

“You went to Alterra and asked them to find Astrid, and they didn’t,” he reasoned. “They have all the means to send out a rescue team, but they refused. I don’t blame you for taking matters into your own hands. If my mother was in a situation like this, I like to think I’d do the same.” He held onto her arms as she drew back, helping her wipe away the tears and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “I know this is difficult, but we’re all here for you.”

Lyra nodded, dragging in a shaky breath and composing herself. “Thank you.”

Samuel slid his hand into hers and laced their fingers together, driving onwards into the deeper parts of the tower. The gloom and murk slowed them down, but he located a few clean areas and crouched down to inspect them. The readings confirmed the recent presence of an ion cube. “It’s looking more and more likely they were all taken,” he sighed, swinging the torchlight around the tiered room as he pushed himself back up. “It wouldn’t surprise me. Alterra make sure they sweep a place clear of anything valuable before they leave.”

Fervent footsteps thumped against the ramps, echoing and growing louder. Samuel and Lyra steeled themselves, preparing for an attack.

Cassidy thundered down the incline alone and, to their relief, unfollowed, brandishing an angular, almost translucent block. “I found one!” she declared, her enthusiastic grin lit by a faint green glimmer. She veered to a standstill and presented her find to Samuel, catching her breath while he scanned the treasure.

“It’s active,” he reported. “Only just, but it should be enough.”

“Shouldn’t you be wearing gloves when handling that?” Lyra asked.

“It only tingles a bit,” Cassidy assured her.

Hunter and Marguerit jogged down the slopes, eyeing the resource balanced in the pilot’s hands.

“Nice find, Cass,” the doctor commended, beaming at the lucky find.

“Samuel’s advice helped,“ Cassidy replied. “I discovered it wedged down a corner. My guess is an excavator hid it and planned on coming back to retrieve it in secret.” She bore the cube up to her eyeline and rotated it delicately, following the facets and the dim, pulsating glow.

“We should get to the gate while it’s still active,” Marguerit pointed out. “The last thing we need is that cube dying.”

* * *

Marguerit slid the ion cube onto the raised podium and squinted as the gate powered itself up. “Come on,” she murmured to the apparatus. If this didn’t work, they’d have to take the long route, and she knew better than most what lay in the ocean. These kids wouldn’t survive it. The arches were their only chance.

Lyra marvelled at the alien technology. She trailed the green tendrils that charged through the rivets in the structuring and injected the diamond frame with a fluctuating fluid. Ripples emanated from the centre and she skimmed her fingertips over the surface, the energy surging down her arm and prickling against her skin.

“I wouldn’t get too close,” Marguerit warned, removing the grate on the side of the podium and kneeling down with a groan to inspect the controls. “I need to program a location. If it dragged you through now, we don’t know where you might end up.”

Lyra backed away from the undulating gate and returned to her friends.

“Have you got the coordinates of the facility?” the mercenary asked, holding out her hand and clicking her fingers.

Samuel handed over his PDA and maintained a sensible distance from the gate, glaring at it as though the peculiar liquid might ooze from its casing and writhe towards him. “Are you sure this is safe for humans?” he questioned.

“I’ve been through them a fair few times and it hasn’t done me any harm,” Marguerit assured him. She twisted the dials within the podium with accuracy and care, keeping a watchful eye on the green cascades of light flooding through the structure. The liquid-like substance filling the gateway convulsed again and settled smoothly. She pushed herself up back onto her feet and dusted down her trousers, replacing the grate and gesturing for the four youngsters to approach. “It’s all set. Who wants to go first?”

“Can’t we all go at the same time?” Hunter asked.

“Not unless you want to get melded together.”

“I’ll go,” Cassidy offered, proceeding towards the port before Hunter swept an arm out to intercept her.

“No,” he said. “I should go.”

“I’m the most expendable,” Samuel interjected. “I’ll do it.”

“Don’t say that,” Lyra begged, pausing before the transportation gate. She lifted her hand, fingers coiling in on themselves before she forced them flat. “Nobody is disposable.”

Samuel, Hunter and Cassidy jolted and checked the spot where she’d been only seconds ago, now vacant.

“We’re all here because of me, so it’s only right I go first,” Lyra insisted, pushing her hand into the transporter and fighting the thudding of her heart. It didn’t hurt like she thought it might, not even an uncomfortable pinching. To her surprise, it tickled. Taking in a few settling breaths, she squeezed her eyes shut and stepped through, feeling her body being pulled into the machine and ejected again just as swiftly.

Tentatively, she squinted before fully opening her eyes again, absorbing the fervent orange flush of the facility. The window appeared to waver in the heat, a land of lava and flame trapped outside. Ripples of magma bubbled on the surface of the river, and pillars of the deadly liquid burst into the air and splattered the rocks. A roar rumbled from the depths and a massive, scaled creature swam past, launching streams of fire from its mouth. Lyra placed her hand on the glass as though she might reach out and skim the creature’s side, imagining the texture of the plates covering its body.

Four sets of footsteps rattled down the metal grating as the others made it through the gate.

“Is that a dragon?” Cassidy blurted, gaze glued on the colossal monster bullying its way around the lake.

“It looks like one, doesn’t it,” Lyra mused. She followed the trajectory of the humongous beast, her eyes reflecting the jets of flame gushing from its mouth. “Makes me glad we didn’t have to take the scenic route.”

“You can say that again,” Samuel laughed nervously. “Its teeth are bigger than we are.”

Lyra traipsed around the rest of the hallway to get her bearings. The green glow shimmered where the orange couldn’t reach, dancing along each inlet. Still active, still functioning, but why? “What was my mum doing here?” she wondered aloud.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Marguerit admitted. “Astrid is a clever woman, she always has a reason for doing something.”

“Hey! Lyra! Come look at this,” Hunter called, waving her over.

Lyra slipped around the medic to get to the window and stared out at a whirlwind of water forming an orb. She leaned closer to the pane and almost screamed as an oddly shaped creature burst out of the electrified portal. Beady pink eyes observed her through the glass, sharp limbs dangling over an opaque pouch of ribs and organs. The monster considered her closely, pushing itself towards her.

“What is it?” Cassidy asked, recoiling in disgust at the creature’s composition.

“That is a Warper,” Marguerit replied, holding back and granting them their moment of awe while it lasted. “The Architects created them to hunt down anything that might have the Kharaa. They’re harmless to us.”

Lyra’s PDA buzzed and she plucked it from her pocket, skimming across the unusual symbols glitching onto her screen. “Any idea what this means?” she asked Samuel, tilting the device so he could get a better look.

Samuel peered over her head. “No clue,” he shrugged. “I haven’t seen a language like that before.”

“So it’s not Architect?”

“Not that I can tell. I’ve never much of a chance to study their texts before, but if you send over the file I can try to find a pattern.”

Lyra sent the files and returned to the creature as it disappeared again, vanishing into a gush of disturbed water before the sea dragon could snap its jaws around it.

“Are you here to play?”

Lyra chuckled under her breath and peeked up at Hunter, the doctor hovering over her shoulder. “What did you say?”

“Huh?” he replied, narrowing his eyebrows and shuffling to get closer to the window. “I didn’t say a thing.”

Lyra glanced between the group, trying to determine who spoke, but they were all still gaping at the lava lake and the other-worldly creatures swimming around outside. The voice wasn’t one she recognised. It was airy, ethereal, a curious whisper on a breeze. Nothing like the warm, familiar voices of her friends.

“The others cannot hear me. I speak only to you, Lyra Robinson, daughter of the tide. Come. Join me. I have something important to show you.”

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letsquestjess · 3 years

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NEW CHAPTER OF SUBNAUTICA: ECHOES IS UP!

Read now on Wattpad and AO3!

There is a trigger warning with this one as there are heavy mentions of blood, severe injury, and surgery.

#subnautica: echoes #subnautica fanfiction #subnautica below zero fanfiction #subnautica #subnautica below zero #subnauticabelowzero #subnautica fanfic

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letsquestjess · 4 years

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Subnautica: Echoes: Character Profile - Lyra Robinson

LYRA ROBINSON

Age: 26

Nationality: British

Profession: Junior Researcher

Hair colour: Black

Eye colour: Green

Profile

Lyra is the daughter of Alterra Governor, Ryley Robinson, and world renowned explorer, Astrid Robinson (nee Barnes). In her younger years, Lyra was known to be a bit of a rebel, especially if there was something she felt strongly about. An advocate for change, her schools and her parents encouraged her voice.

Her life dramatically changed at twelve years old when Alterra hired her mother as their Head of Exploration. The Robinson’s settled on one of Alterra’s space stations, and Lyra found her passion: space. At eighteen, she gained a place at the International Academy of Space Sciences and Cosmic Education on Luna, where she met Cassidy Howard, Hunter Kelly, and Samuel Cooper. After graduation, she joined Alterra and became a junior researcher aboard the Juno Station.

When her father went missing, she got into a lot of trouble for blaming Alterra for their lack of interest in finding out what happened to the Aurora, and almost lost her job for speaking out against them. Seeing their blatant disregard for the lives of their staff, she considered leaving the company. Professor Pearson convinced her to stay until they’d found out what had happened to her father and made sure she was included in the research done on the Aurora’s disappearance. She only stayed with the company when her father returned to help him pay off his debt to them quicker.

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letsquestjess · 4 years

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Subnautica: Echoes - Chapter 7: Close Call

Lyra tilted her head and gawked at the unfamiliar reflection in the mirror. The spheres glimmered in electric blue and flickered, sending their light traversing her cheekbones like an ocean waving across her features. She tried covering them, but the glow was insistent, burning through her fingers.

Her dreams had left her depleted, plaguing her with visions of confinement and heart-wrenching loss. She’d woken hoping it had all been a nightmare. Looking at the strange woman staring back at her, daunting realisation settled in her soul.

Chatter emanated from the compartment beyond the bulkhead, and she peered into the primary hub of the base to get a glimpse of her friends. Cassidy, Hunter, and Samuel huddled around the glass table, speaking quietly. Marguerit busied herself by the counter, slicing up a mixture of fruit. The fabricator sizzled beside her, driving the scent of fresh seaweed and fish into the room.

She pushed open the door and the creak cut through the muffled whispers, words falling flat and their concern aimed straight at her. Her stomach sank and the anxious yearning to retreat into the little bedroom almost become too overwhelming to resist.

“It’s good to see you up and about,” Hunter said. “Marguerit is making us some breakfast. Do you want some?” He patted the seat next to him and smiled at her as she accepted his invitation. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“Fine,” Lyra shrugged. “Strange, but other than that, I feel okay.”

“If anybody wants more, there’s plenty,” the mercenary told them, placing a dish of Bulbo fruit chunks and Marblemelon triangles down with the rest of the breakfast buffet.

Lyra scooped a spoonful of each delicacy onto her plate and tucked into her meal, not realising how hungry she was. She delved into the fruits and lifted a forkful of food to her mouth, sensing the eyes of the room on her. “Is there something on my face?” she asked, peering at each of them and their guilty expressions before cracking a grin. Breaths of relief floated from their lips and nervous chuckles circulated, the tension that had hung over them like a veil beginning to lift.

“Have you looked in the mirror yet?” Marguerit questioned, snagging a wedge of Marblemelon and picking out the seeds.

“Yes, I’m aware of the weird glowing things on my head,” Lyra replied. She speared a piece of Bulbo fruit with her fork. “And before anybody asks, no, they don’t hurt. I can’t feel them.”

“Back in the facility, you told us you heard a voice,” Cassidy reminded her. “The planet needed protecting, or something like that. Oh, what was it now?”

“‘We must protect our planet at all costs’,” Lyra recounted, momentarily closing her eyes to recall what the Sea Emperor Leviathan had warned her. Her brow creased. “‘Greedy hands reach for the riches this planet nurtures, and whatever they can’t take, they will destroy’.”

“Sounds like Alterra to me,” Samuel remarked.

A buzz ran around the group, silent agreement ringing in the open. Their employers were ravenous, specifically for things they deemed profitable, and there weren’t above destroying what they couldn’t have so that others couldn’t benefit from it.

“We don’t know for certain she was referencing Alterra,” Lyra reasoned.

“She?” Hunter questioned.

“The skeleton we found was of a Sea Emperor Leviathan. She was the one talking to me. She’s the reason for… these.” Lyra gestured to the two blinking orbs on her head. “My dad helped her when he was down here. I can see him sometimes, in her memories. He released the juveniles and cured the planet of Kharaa. I think-” She abruptly yelped and dropped her cutlery, the others jumping back at the sudden outburst. She twisted her hand over as a prickle ran across her left palm. A yellow substance bubbled on the surface, pulling itself from her skin and slowly expanding until it developed into a blossoming globule.

Hunter stared agape at the golden liquid hovering in the air. “Is that Enzyme 42?”

Lyra squeaked in fear and recoiled from the table. The stimulant splattered down onto the glass with nothing to contain it, some of it spilling across her wobbling plate. She shielded her mouth with her hands, heart thumping against her rib cage and tears shimmering in her eyes. “I can never go home,” she whimpered. “If Alterra find out about this, they’ll either use me or dissect me.” Her panic peaked, but she forced her breathing to slow. “You all need to leave.” She faced Marguerit, frantic and encouraging her desperation through each tremble. “Will you do something for me? Will you get my friends to safety?”

“We’re not abandoning you,” Hunter asserted.

“Too right,” Cassidy agreed.

Lyra looked to Samuel, hoping he’d be the voice of reason, but instead of wise words and a dose of reality, he offered her a tender smile.

“Do you honestly think we’d just leave you here alone? Or let Alterra find you?” he said. “That’s not who we are and that’s not what we do to each other. We stick together through the good times and the bad.”

“The Sea Emperor wants me to protect the planet,” Lyra insisted. “That doesn’t mean you should all get dragged into this too. This is my mess.”

“Our mess,” Samuel assured her. “You can try to force us out, but we’re not leaving you here alone.”

Cassidy scrawled on a scrap of paper and slid it across the table to Marguerit. “These are the codes for the ship. You’ve held up your end of the bargain, so it’s time we did too.”

The older woman pondered the scribbles before she snatched the crumpled strip, jabbing it into her pocket and rising from her seat. She took a moment to peer around the table at the courageous four before swiftly taking her leave.

Hunter tapped idly on the side of his seat and clicked his tongue. “So,” he sighed, “what is our next move?”

“I’m not sure,” Lyra admitted, “but we can’t stay here for much longer.”

* * *

The sand cooled as the evening settled in. The sun sank below the horizon and the moon’s influence tamed the day’s scorching temperature.

Lyra walked barefoot and wiggled her toes in the golden grains, chuckling to herself as the tiny granules tickled the soles of her feet. It was strange to think she could smile here, considering this planet almost took her father and now her mother. But there was a grace to it, like an apology for the pain and a tonic for her unease.

Hunter stretched as he strolled alongside her, hoisting his muscled arms above his head and groaning in the respite flooding through them. “It’s nice to get out of that base,” he said with a note of relief. “Far too small for four of us, but it makes me wonder what they used it for.”

“They were the quarters of Captain Brendan Hart,” Lyra replied. “There was a name on the wall of the bedroom so I looked him up. Had to ask Samuel for some help as they encrypted it, but we found out the captain died down here in a landslide six months ago.”

“Classic Alterra cover up,” Hunter grunted, swaying his head. “I can’t say it surprises me.”

Lyra approached the sweeping tide and dipped a toe in the water, braving the pricking chill as the ocean cooled. Luminescent fish swam in shoals in the shallows and darted around each other in a dizzying array of light, dashing away from the ripples about her ankles.

“I’d love to go diving here,” the doctor said, his sun-speckled gaze grazing the dimming horizon.

“That’s probably not the best of ideas,” Lyra admitted. “You may end up as some big ass monster’s lunch.”

“Can you blame them?” Hunter gestured up and down at the toned physique he’d put on show in the heat, his shirt double-knotted around his middle. “I am an absolute snack.”

Lyra’s jade-green eyes shot to him and she let out a barking laugh. She clutched onto to her stomach as though the amusement might burst from her if she didn’t keep it contained. “Did you honestly just say that?” she wheezed, wiping the tears from her lashes.

“You’re not denying it.”

Lyra pursed her lips and breathed out heavily to ease the pinching in her ribs. She hadn’t laughed like that in some time, and she was grateful for the doctor’s jovial nature, especially at a time like this.

“It’s sort of why I joined Alterra,” Hunter said, sitting himself down on the evening sands and stretching his legs out for the tide to wash over. “Growing up on the coast of Australia gave me a love of the sea, and the chance to explore alien seas? How could I pass up an opportunity like that?”

“If you wanted to become a diver, why did you train to be a doctor?” Lyra asked. She plopped down beside him, tucking her legs beneath her.

“When I was about seven, my dad left my mum. She worked tirelessly to ensure my little sister and I had everything we needed, but in my early teens she got ill. I’d never seen her so sick before, and the doctors weren’t sure if she would pull through. She spent months in the hospital, most of it in an induced coma.” Hunter hung his head and leaned back on his arms. “I went to visit her every day and seeing how the doctors took care of her inspired me to want to do the same. I wanted to help people like they’d helped my mum. That was more important than diving. I always hoped I might get some time off to come down here and go for a swim, but it never happened.”

Lyra shuffled a little closer and folded her arms around him, planting her head on his shoulder. “I’m proud of you, Hunter, and I’m certain your mum is too.”

“Thanks.” The doctor returned the embrace, giving her an extra tight squeeze before getting to his feet. He dusted down the dirt clinging to the hair on his legs before reaching down to help her up. “I found some nets when I was looking through the cupboards yesterday,” he said, pivoting her around to make sure they’d gotten rid of all the grains sticking to her. “We’re not exactly brimming with supplies, so it may be worth trying to catch some fish in the morning.”

“Good idea,” Lyra agreed. She cast her gaze out at the ocean as Hunter plodded towards the base of the mountains, the first of the stars beginning to reflect in the alluring waters. An orange strip lit up the horizon as the last of the sun’s halo sank into the sea. In the distance, the light appeared to form around a figure, a head and a torso bobbing out of the water. As soon as she blinked it disappeared. “You definitely need some sleep,” she muttered to herself, checking the clear waters again just to be sure before following Hunter back up track.

* * *

“Hold steady,” Cassidy yelled over the advancing deluge, wrenching on her side of the net as the bracing wind ripped across the lower cliffs. “We’ve got some. Lift it.” She and Hunter tugged on the flimsy metal webbing, straining their energies to reel it in.

Lyra and Samuel made swift work of snatching the thrashing fish from their trappings and throwing them into the buckets behind them.

“Cast again in three, two, one,” the pilot instructed. Hunter synchronised with her throw and she braced her feet on the grassy slush beneath her. The net twisted, caught by the wind before it could land back in the ocean and sagging down the cliffs.

Lyra nimbly jumped down the shallow inclines, following the contorted metal twine to find the obstruction. “It’s hooked,” she yelled through the torrent of rain. “Keep a tight hold. I’ll get it.” She gently teased the strands off the pointed rocks and let each one go as she freed them. The bottom half of the net tumbled into the ocean with a splash. She climbed back up to her friends and clutched onto the edge of the large spread of mesh.

“Who’s idea was it to fish in a storm?” Samuel exclaimed.

“It wasn’t like this when we started fishing,” Hunter reasoned. He yanked at the meshing and fought the forces trying to tear it from his grasp.

“We should bring the net in and try again once the storm has passed,” Cassidy suggested. “It’s not safe.”

The wind pushed at the sea and lifted the water in towering sheets before throwing it back down mere metres from their position. Lyra kept her attention fixed on the waves ahead and tracked where they touched down. Each one came closer than the last, beginning to splash up the lower rocks. “Cass is right,” she agreed.

Hunter nodded. “Samuel, Lyra, you two get the buckets. Cassidy and I will…” He trailed off as a roaring gust of wind howled, drowning out his words. He resigned himself to silence and waved for them to get moving.

A creaking sounded from behind them and Lyra swung round to see a seventy foot wave rolling across the surface of the ocean, heading straight towards them. “Run!” she shrieked.

Hunter and Cassidy abandoned the net, and Lyra grabbed hold of Samuel. They pushed themselves back up the precipice, climbing and scrambling, supporting each other towards the ridges, but the wall of water was quicker. The surging flood wiped them clean over the edge of the cliffs and deposited them into the sea as it continued to invade the lower peaks of the mountains.

Lyra felt the incisions on the side of her neck pulsate as they drew in oxygen. The blue orbs on her temples activated to clear her view under the waves. The others landed around her, sinking into the depths until they found their balance. Hunter splashed down closest to her, and she propelled herself through the rolling waters to join him. Shadows danced in the distance, and for a moment she thought them to be the angered sea raging above them. She spotted a forked tail swishing back and forth, and the obscured form moved closer. A piercing roar tremored through the ocean. As the beast came into view, she glimpsed red patterning along the body and four retracted mandibles snapping furiously.

She trailed the monster's trajectory as it launched itself towards Hunter, opening her mouth to yell his name and taking in a mouthful of seawater instead. The liquid burned as it surged down her throat, but she held back a retched cough and forced herself forwards. She noticed him catch sight of the approaching danger and he instantly shot into action, pushing himself into motion. A sickening dread filled her stomach as she realised he’d never out-swim it. As the Reaper Leviathan reached him, she let loose an ear-splitting scream, releasing a power kept tucked in the deepest realms of her heart. Her second set of eyes intensified their light as the sound reverberated through the water. She couldn’t control it. Every atom of her being buzzed, each vein alight with an alien strength as it reacted to her hysteria.

The Reaper Leviathan didn’t give up the fight and turned its attention to her, coming within arm’s reach and screeching at her before she bolstered her attack. The creature recoiled and shrieked, crying out and fleeing as the raw force of her power chased it away.

Hunter reached Lyra and clasped her tightly, the fright shining in his brown eyes. She signalled to him to ask if he was okay, and he nodded shakily. He gestured to her and she gave him a thumbs up before pointing to the surface above them.

Another terrifying roar echoed from her left. Samuel and Cassidy pushed through the turbulent waves to reach each other, and a second Reaper Leviathan emerged from the misty waters. Its rippling form darted at speed towards the unsuspecting pair.

Before Lyra had time to act, multiple figures dropped into the water in bubbling, white pillars, melee weapons in hand and lithe bodies leaping into action from the foam. They surrounded the bulky beast and secured it with whip-like devices that coiled around its body. The monster’s movements halted in an instant. Their leader unclipped a glowing cube from his belt and pulled the rings on the side, launching it towards the Reaper. The group dispersed as the device hit and formed a blue sphere to surround the animal.

Hands grabbed hold of Lyra and she struggled against the pressure, kicking out her legs and clawing at the arm clutching onto her. She tried to see what had captured her, but within seconds she was on the surface again. She coughed and spluttered into the sand, heaving up a lungful of water and dragging in shaky breaths. A pair of feet rested beside her, and she trailed her gaze up the humanoid figure. The tiny white speckles on his tanned face lit up in the sunlight struggling to break through the clouds, and his hair lay in a soaked, dark plait over his shoulder. Navy blue markings lined his cheekbones, and his shadowy eyes watched her curiously. What she found most alarming were the five tentacles sticking out of his lower back, like those of the Sea Emperors she saw in her stolen memories.

He placed his weapon down on the ground beside him deliberately so as not to spook her further. He didn’t move from his position, and instead offered her his hands, like a forest guardian trying to coax a frightened deer towards him. When she remained still, he held his stance and smiled kindly. “It’s okay, you’re safe now,” he said in a voice so soft Lyra swore she felt it caress her cheeks. “Trust me.”

#subnautica echoes #subnautica fanfiction #subnautica fanfic #subnautica #subnautica below zero #subnautica below zero fanfiction #subnautica below zero fanfic #subnauticabelowzero #fanfiction #fanfic #writblr #my work

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letsquestjess · 3 years

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Subnautica: Echoes - Chapter 8 is out now!

#subnautica #subnautica fanfic #subnautica fanfiction #subnautica below zero #subnautica below zero fanfic #subnautica below zero fanfiction #below zero #subnauticabelowzero #fanfiction #fanfic #wattpad #wattpad fanfiction #wattpad fanfic

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letsquestjess · 4 years

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Subnautica: Echoes - Chapter 2: All for One

All Ryley wanted to do was rest. His ears vibrated with the shouts and angered yells of his fellow board members, his brain throbbing from the hours of stress-fuelled arguments and stubborn pride. He shoved the door to his apartment closed with an exasperated grunt and ambled into the hallway, eyelids drooping and the siren call of sleep tempting him to his bed. His stomach gurgled.

The strip of lighting beneath the wall-mounted cupboards activated as he entered the kitchen. The fridge hummed softly and the digital clock on the screen ticked towards midnight. He discarded his jacket over the back of the dining chair, rescuing the dinner Lyra had promised to leave for him and cramming the plate into the microwave. Placing his elbows onto the worktop, he wiped at his face, palming his closed eyes to erase the notion of slumber from them.

“Is it true? Have you arrested Marguerit Maida?”

Ryley swivelled at the tiny voice, blinking away the blur covering his field of view. “Lyra? What are you doing up? I assumed you were in bed.”

“Couldn’t sleep,” she replied plainly, staring at her father with hurt in her eyes and padding into the kitchen. The smooth, metal flooring tingled cold against her exposed feet. “You didn’t answer my question. Have you arrested Marguerit Maida?”

Ryley hung his head, grasping the surface behind him. “Yes.”

“On what charge?”

“For working against the interests of the Alterra Corporation.”

Lyra gritted her teeth, the frenzy in her blood simmering. She tightened her fists and took a moment to collect herself. “That planet is not the property of Alterra.”

“Yes it is,” Ryley told her, spitting out the words harsher than he meant to. “They have invested enough time, money and effort for them to claim it as their own. With no sentient beings to communicate with, they class the planet as empty and open for takers.” The microwave pinged, and he jabbed hard at the switch, the door releasing and swinging wide to discharge a cloud of steam. He wafted it aside and used a towel to pick up the scolding hot plate, sliding it down onto the countertop to cool. “I have come from a difficult meeting. Everyone’s at odds. Nobody wants to agree on what to do. I haven’t got the strength to argue with you.”

“What do you want to do?” In her heart, she understood this wasn’t what her father wanted. The purple smudges beneath his eyes and the withering angle of his demeanour were sufficient indicators of the stress and strain he was under.

Ryley opened his mouth to speak, to unhesitatingly express his wish to see Maida freed, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t have that power. His position on the board of governors was an honorary one, a false act of generosity after the press had pressured them into making a hero of him. Nothing he said counted. Not that he hadn’t tried. He’d put forward countless suggestions, seeking to make Alterra better for everyone, but the ruling elite weren’t interested in the welfare of their staff or the ethics of what they were doing to the planet below. All they craved was information on how they could strengthen their profits. “When I…” He gulped down the gnarling anxiety coiling from his stomach and dropped his eyes to the floor. “When I was down there, I found an island. Some survivors of the crash planned to meet there, only they never made it.”

Lyra’s resentment ebbed; he’d not spoken like this in a long time, and he scarcely talked about his ordeal after the demise of the Aurora.

“While I was there, I found Degasi bases and journals. Marguerit survived a crash like the Aurora’s with two others. A Torgal CEO and his heir, if I remember rightly.” The memories floated like specks: the rush of the tide on the shore, and the algae smell of the sea air. The sweat dappled on his brow in the radiating heat. “It didn’t go well for them, and from what I understood from one particular entry, Marguerit had died. Claims were she was last seen drifting away on the back of a Reaper. I must admit, having come up against those bastards, I’m rather impressed.”

“I’ve heard the stories about Marguerit, dad,” Lyra said. “You can’t work so close to 4546B and not know the tales, but why are you telling me this now?” She joined him at the dining table, clasping her hands together and laying them down in front of her.

Ryley drew in a powerful breath and released it in a burst of apprehension; he couldn’t keep it from her. She had every right to know, no matter how she might take it, and she’d find out, eventually. It was better coming from him. “Maida spoke to your mother about a week after the reports ceased. She won’t tell anybody what they talked about, but she insists she saw her.”

Lyra’s jaw slackened and her breathing hitched, her laced fingers breaking apart as she lapsed back. The seat squeaked at the sudden impact. A hundred questions buzzed in her mind like dragonflies, all demanding her attention, all just as important. “She could still be alive?” she breathed, tears pouring down her cheeks in wet trails. Droplets dripped from her chin and onto her purple pyjama top.

“I’m not sure.”

“I got a message from mum,” Lyra said after a quiet moment. “She sent it before the reports stopped, but I only got it a few days ago.” She spoke hesitatingly, every few words accompanied by a second of silence as she sought to assess his reaction. “She was in a facility and there was lava outside. She thought there might be something significant there.”

“I know that place,” Ryley mumbled, his hunger all but forgotten about and dread filling his veins. His stomach twitched sickeningly. “I told her not to go there.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“It’s nothing. You know what your mother is… was… I…” He rolled his eyes. “What I mean is you know her well. She explored everything, down to the finest grain.”

“She said this was important.”

“It’s a delayed message. She won’t be there now, and even if by some miracle she was, we wouldn’t find anything good.”

“That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look,” Lyra argued. She didn’t understand why he was brushing this off like it was nothing, treating her mother’s last note so nonchalantly they may as well have been discussing the weather. If her mother really was dead, if she had succumbed to the unforgiving tides of the alien world below, surely he’d still want to bring her body home? “No matter what state we find her in, she deserves to be-”

“Lyra, you are meddling in things you don’t understand,” Ryley snapped. “Drop it.” He shoved his chair backwards so hard it almost fell over, snatching his plate from the table and storming into the living room.

She waited in the hazy hum of the kitchen, hoping he’d come back and apologise for his outburst, but the door remained closed, and she found herself once again left alone with her grief.

* * *

Lyra jogged down the stairs to the lower decks of the station, the walls resounding with the roar of the ships flying back in to the loading bay. A few pilots wandered by her, their oxygen masks dangling from their faces. It wasn’t odd for lab personnel to be there, but she kept her head down. Her mission required discretion, and the fewer people who saw her, the better. A deafening screech of returning jets rumbled as she passed the lobby leading to the hangar. She scarpered past to evade the brunt of the turbulence, covering her ears to shield them from the blasts of noise.

The floor beneath her changed from concrete to metal, the grating clanging with each step she took, lower into the belly of the station and through the narrow walkways of the brig.

At the front desk, she planted her PDA into the connection slot carved into the countertop and slid her authorisation to the guard on duty.

“Can you confirm your name, position, identification, and reason for being here,” the man requested, fatigued eyes darting across the screen.

“Lyra Robinson. Junior Researcher. Alterra ID LR90104. I’m here to conduct research for Professor Patrick Pearson.”

“That’s fine. Go on through.”

She snatched her PDA from the counter and crossed through the barriers. The holding cells were mostly bare, just a few stragglers who Alterra wanted to deal with, presumably for trivial matters. But it wasn’t the regular cells she was heading for. Meandering through the twists and angles of the Juno Station brig, she arrived at a bulky metal set of doors and produced her PDA. A blue light shot from the circular scanner mounted at eye-height, floating up and down the device and permitting her entry.

The units of the segregation block were murkier than those in the regular block. They were drab, cold, and miserable, intended to sap any sense of spirit and life from those locked within. They had placed Marguerit in a cell near the end of the lengthy row of dark cubicles. The woman herself sat stock still on the makeshift bed that stuck out of the wall like a shelf, one knee raised and the other leg dangling off the edge. The toe of her worn boots scraped the grainy ground, and her jacket lay abandoned over the seat nailed down in the corner.

“Are you not cold in here?” Lyra asked. Admittedly, it hadn’t been the first question she’d planned on asking.

Marguerit looked up at her guest, cynical eyes scouring her cautiously. “I’ve been in colder,” she responded slowly.

Lyra approached the tempered glass of her containment unit. She’d assembled a list of things she wanted to ask for Pearson’s research, but that all vanished as she faced the legend Alterra employees whispered about. “You communicated with my mother a few months ago, didn’t you?”

The older woman grinned widely, her browning teeth splitting her lips. She twisted away for a moment and nodded to herself before she shoved herself up off the bench. “I thought you seemed familiar. You’re like a tiny version of Astrid.”

“Did you speak to her?”

“I did. Not that I’ll ever tell anyone what we talked about.”

“Not even her own daughter?”

Marguerit rocked her head side to side, almost sorrowfully. She’d made a vow to Astrid, and she wasn’t about to break it because of puppy dog eyes and a grieving girl. “No.”

As disappointed as Lyra felt, part of her accepted her response. Marguerit and her mother had likely encountered things none of them could comprehend, things that couldn’t fall into the hands of Alterra, and even though she’d never tell a soul, secrets had a habit of spreading in a place like this. It was better to say nothing than risk delicate information reaching the wrong ears. “I think I understand,” she said, striding a little closer. “But that’s not the only reason I’m here. You know the planet, right? The secret ways nobody knows to look?”

“Maybe.” Marguerit frowned, observing the youthful woman; Astrid had chatted about Lyra before, but standing before her, hearing her speak, and catching the mischievous danger in her tone was like listening to Astrid herself. It was almost scary. “Why do you ask?”

“Because Alterra is doing nothing to find my mother, and someone needs to. Can you help me?”

Marguerit scoffed, bridging her arms over her chest. “What makes you think I’ll agree to that? Do you honestly think I want to go back to that hell?”

“So you’d rather rot in an Alterran prison for the rest of your life?” Lyra lifted an eyebrow. “If you help me find my mother, I will give you the codes to ship we’ll take, and you can leave 4546B and Alterra behind for good.”

“You are just like your mother,” Marguerit laughed. “Always plotting. How are you so certain this will work?”

“I’m not, but it’s all I have.” She swallowed hard. “So will you assist me?” Marguerit’s hardened expression only grew fiercer, and for a moment Lyra feared she’d decline, but after a few tense seconds, a beam cracked across her face.

“I’ll help you. I suppose it’s the only option I have, at least at the moment, and I trust your mother enough to trust you. But you’d better do your damnest to ensure you succeed, because if you don’t, it won’t only be you Alterra go after.”

It hadn’t been a straightforward decision to make; she wanted to save her mother, but she knew the cost was high. One false move, and everybody she’d ever loved would face the consequences of her actions. “I’m aware of that.”

“There is something I want to know, though. How are you planning on returning if I have your ship?” Marguerit questioned.

“Probably in handcuffs,” Lyra admitted. “But if it means I can find my mother, I don’t care what it takes.”

* * *

She spent the hike back up to the hangar clutching the files to her chest as though they’d leap out of her grasp and vanish into the vacuum of space. Her fingers jittered against the paper, the investigation within them virtually worthless since Maida had refused to answer any of Pearson’s queries, but she didn’t care about that. Her heart sang with the increasing prospect of locating her mother. She tried not to get her hopes up, there was no way of knowing what awaited them on the deadly water planet below, but with Marguerit agreeing to assist her, she felt one step closer to success.

“Someone’s in a merry mood today.”

Lyra span on her heels. Cassidy casually leaned against the lowered leg of an Alterra jet, calculative eyes regarding her. Behind her, Samuel and Hunter rested against a stack of supply crates.

“Where are you going on such a rush?” Hunter asked, swinging around the standing support of the plane until Cassidy swatted at him to stop.

“Work stuff.” Lyra gestured over her shoulder. “It’s hectic. A load of fresh samples arrived this morning and Pearson needs-”

“We know what you’re doing,” Cassidy interjected. “Samuel came to us after you stopped by the artefact lab. Admittedly, we thought nothing of it at first, but after hearing from one of your technician buddies how you so passionately volunteered to speak with Maida, perhaps he wasn’t wrong.” She approached the younger woman, steering her away from prying eyes. The other two followed them into the empty side lobby, blocking the entryway. “He thinks you are planning to go down to the planet to find your mother. Is that true?”

Lyra stared at the shorter male recoiling into the corner and ducking his head so that his flutter of golden hair covered his eyes. She nodded sheepishly, scuffling her feet. “But it doesn’t matter what any of you say, I’m going.”

“I know,” Cassidy assured her, rubbing her upper arms and affording her a light smile to allay the tension emanating from her. “We understand. This is your mother we’re talking about.” She peeked around at the others, the pair behind her nodding solidly. “Which is why we’re coming with you.”

“What?” Lyra squeaked, her hand slapping over her mouth as a couple of maintenance workers dashed down the stairs.

Hunter moved to let them pass, and they melted into the hubbub of the loading bay. “You didn’t think we’d just leave you to do this on your own, did you?” he replied with an impish grin. “We are a team. Whatever troubles we face, we face them together.”

“No.” Lyra fervently shook her head. ”You can’t.”

Cassidy shrugged. “We’ve already decided.”

She rounded to Samuel, the voice of reason, the rational one of the group, but he appeared just as decided as the others. “You agreed to this too?”

“I did.” He may not have possessed the confidence of Cassidy and Hunter, but he sure as hell wasn’t about to allow his best friend to confront the perils of 4546B alone. “I’m not a powerful swimmer, I am petrified of almost everything, and the notion of a vast stretch of ocean makes me so nauseous I could vomit for days.” He strode towards her and reached for her hands, squeezing them reassuringly. “But I won’t abandon you.”

“I can’t ask this of you,” Lyra said, wrestling through the apprehension streaking through her core. This would not be some glory mission. Success was slim, and they were likely to suffer severe repercussions if they returned.

“You’re not asking,” Cassidy insisted. “We’re going with you, and that’s that. If the higher-ups won’t get off their asses and do something, then we will. We’re with you, Lyra, all the way.”

Her throat squeaked as she sought to force her words out, but she couldn’t do this alone. Reluctantly, she conceded and bowed her head.

“Now that’s all settled, do you have a strategy?” Hunter asked.

“Sort of,” Lyra admitted, lowering her voice. “Marguerit has agreed to help, but it will be risky just getting off the station. What we’ll be doing will get us into major trouble, even if we succeed. Not to mention the fact that it could cost us our jobs and may end up in us spending the rest of our lives behind bars.”

Cassidy and Samuel remained stalwart, acknowledging the uncertainties but accepting them anyway, but Hunter’s grin stretched across his dusky features, expanding from ear to ear and sparkling playfully in his dark brown eyes. “We already told you we were in,” he said teasingly. “You don’t have to keep tempting us.”

#subnautica #subnautica below zero #subnauticabelowzero #subnautica fanfiction #subnautica below zero fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #subnautica fanfic

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letsquestjess · 4 years

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Subnautica: Echoes - Chapter 4: The Previous Owners

Lyra swung towards the door frame as she stumbled back into the central hub of the pod, planting her feet firmly until the ship stopped swinging.

“Why is there so much turbulence?” Hunter complained. “There’s nothing out there.”

“Just the forces of space,” Samuel replied. An unhealthy shade of green, he clutched at the armrests as though the forces he spoke of were about to drag him into the endless vacuum and spread his remains amongst the stars.

Hunter tutted at him and unbuckled his belt, tugging on a ceiling wrung to propel him out of his seat. He barged his way past Lyra and struck the button on the cockpit door frame, closing the door behind him.

“I think he’s just anxious,” she said, perching herself beside Samuel and reaching out for him.

He side-eyed her and pulled at his seatbelt until the metal restraining him surrendered. “I’m going for a lie down,” he muttered, traipsing into the back and drawing the curtain to shut himself away.

Lyra retracted her hand. Fighting the guilt swelling in her gut, she focused on the smooth rumble of the craft and the twirl of her thumbs as they danced around one another. Anything to take her mind off the swirling cascade of thoughts prodding at her already tender conscience. The glaring presence opposite her moved and she peeked up at Marguerit. “I suppose you think I should talk to them.”

The older woman shook her head. “Personally, child, I think you should stop caring about what others expect you to do, and do what you think is right.”

“In that case, I should probably leave them alone for a while,” Lyra mused. “That’s always worked best in the past. I just feel…” She scratched at her hand and avoided Marguerit’s scrutiny.

“What? Say it.”

“Guilty.” She bowed her head. “They are my best friends, I wouldn’t be without them for anything, and yet here I am, dragging them into the unknown.”

Marguerit leaned forwards, resting her elbows on her knees. “Did you ask them to come with you?”

“They figured out what I was planning to do and said they were coming with me.”

“Did you force them?”

“No.” Lyra waved her satisfied grin away. “I get what you’re trying to say, but it doesn’t rid me of the guilt. If something happened to them, I’d never forgive myself.”

Marguerit slid over to the seats on the other side of the module, countering the quakes of the craft with quick footwork. “Every emotion is there for a reason, but guilt is tricky. I know all too well how destructive it can be and what it does to your head.”

“Is that why you agreed to help me?” Lyra pressed. “You spoke to my mum, you have more knowledge about this than you’re letting on, and you feel guilty having to look her daughter in the eyes and withhold information?”

“Perhaps that has a part to play in why I came with you on this crazy mission,” Marguerit admitted, “but the truth is I’m a risk taker, just like you.” She nudged the younger woman’s leg with her knee playfully.

Lyra fought against the impulse to fidget and resolved to sit tall in her seat. Marguerit was right. She hadn’t forced her friends to come with her; they were there of their own volition. The best thing she could do was appreciate their help and focus on keeping them alive. “What happened to you on 4546B?” she asked, expecting Marguerit to outright refuse to answer.

“You’ve heard of the Torgal cooperation, right?”

Lyra nodded.

“They hired me as a security guard aboard the Degasi, under the command of the CEO, Paul,” Marguerit began, eyes fixated on the sprawling array of stars outside the opposite window. “He was a selfish man, far too greedy for his own good, and he knew that 4546B was full of valuable resources. As we approached, an Architect platform shot us down. Out of the entire crew, only myself, Paul, and his son, Bart, survived.” She shifted in her seat and stretched her legs out. “Paul and I never got on, so the arguments were inevitable, but Bart was a kind soul, nothing like his father. You remind me of him. Young, bright, and full of adventure. He didn’t deserve such a cruel fate.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Nothing any of us can do about it now. I didn’t have a clue what had befallen either of them until I hacked into the Torgal network and found the records. Alterra located some of Bart’s journals when they were excavating around the Aurora and sent notifications. Apparently, a Crabsquid got Paul. Dumb idiot never knew when enough was enough, but Bart he…” Marguerit swallowed thickly and rubbed at her cheek, hunching over her juddering legs. The recollections came like a rainstorm, each droplet soaking through to her core where she hid those painful memories. “Bart caught the Kharaa. I suppose you can guess what happened to him.”

Lyra sat in stunned silence, still as stone and heart pounding with each devastating revelation. Even if she’d have wanted to say something, she wasn’t sure what she could say.

“He was nineteen, and he died in pain and alone on some alien world,” Marguerit breathed, angry more than anything else that Bart had had to suffer so horrifically. “But that is what this planet does, and you’re a fool to be going down there.”

The tannoy crackled, the speakers on either side of the cockpit door churning out flickers of sound.

“If you look to the left, you’ll see the Vesper station, famed for having faculty members so unemotional, they may as well have sticks up their asses,” Cassidy announced, followed by a short snort of laughter from Hunter before the pilot cut the transmission.

The two women peered over their shoulders as the base came into view, hovering outside the blue planet’s atmosphere. Samuel peeked around the drapery from the back room to get a glimpse.

“There is a little birdie down there causing quite a lot of trouble for them,” Marguerit commented, sullen eyes trailing the space station as their pod drifted just out of tracking range.

“Where did you hear that?” Samuel asked, venturing out into the connecting module.

The mercenary turned to the man wandering closer to the window, a smirk creeping across her lips. “From the little birdie herself.”

* * *

“How is he?” Lyra inquired. “Still asleep?”

Samuel nodded, meeting her by the elliptical window and chancing a brief peek at the dim, unforgiving depths of the universe. “Out of all of us, I thought I’d be the one throwing up. I’m surprised I haven’t. I always get travel sick.”

Behind them, Marguerit stirred in her slumber and turned her back on them as she tucked herself closer to the wall.

Lyra covered her with a coat and returned to the window, following Samuel’s gaze out into space. “I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered. “I’m aware you don’t want to be.” She held her hand up to prevent him from insisting he did, his mouth hanging open before he resigned himself to the truth. “I know you will always be by my side, no matter what stupidity I bring your way, and I can’t blame you for being hesitant. This isn’t just stupid; this might kill us all.”

“You’re not wrong there,” Samuel replied, trying to force a smile onto his face. “I’m not adventurous like Cassidy, and I’m not eager to jump into danger like Hunter. I’m rather weak, really.”

“No.” Lyra shook her head and leaned against the hull. She glanced around Samuel to the rear module where Hunter’s snores permeated through the curtain. “You’re the bravest of us all,” she told him, infusing sincerity into every word. “You may not be bold or willing to throw yourself into the middle of peril, but that doesn’t mean you’re not brave. You’re scared, terrified out of your wits, I’m sure, but you’re still here, and that means more to me than anything.” She brought him in for a tight embrace, arms circling his shoulders and her forehead pressed to the crook of his neck. “You, Hunter, and Cassidy are my best friends, and I love you all dearly,” she affirmed, the whisper of his fingertips soothing down her back.

“We love you too,” Samuel assured her.

Lyra beamed and held onto his arms, the golden sheen of his hair glittering in the incoming glow of a nearby sun. “Whenever you feel scared, just imagine of all the cool stuff we will find down there. Artefacts that no human has ever seen, and you will be the first.”

He pretended to ruminate on the thought and grinned. “As long as we don’t encounter any sleeping Mesmers, we’ll be fine,” he chuckled. Lyra chortled with him, and he enjoyed the moment while it lasted.

Out of the window, 4546B came into view, a blue stream of light washing over the interior of the ship as they neared the planet’s atmosphere.

“Thank you for having faith in me,” he said sincerely, holding onto her hand. “It’s more than most have.”

* * *

The ship swung through the atmosphere of Planet 4546B, tails of flame rocketing from the hull as it wrestled with the forces eager to bring it crashing down.

Lyra loosened the straps around her torso and swivelled in her seat. The clear blue sky opened to them as they broke loose of the pressure, and splotches of land grew below. Speeding towards an island in the northern reaches, she spotted a shadowed mass fixed in the calming waters. As the light shifted, she realised what it was. The skeleton frame crawled up to the clouds like writhing vines, the main bulk of the Aurora struggling to remain afloat, slowly descending into the depths. In a few years, it may not be there at all.

“We’re coming in to land,” Cassidy informed them. “Might be bumpy so tighten your belts.”

The hull creaked as the ship lurched forwards and dipped. Lyra kept her eyes on the world outside, watching as the ocean rose towards them at speed. The wheels lowered and just when she thought they may hit the waves, sand shot up and sprayed the windows. With a few bumps and a sway, they trembled to a standstill.

The clamour of the engine faded, and the pistons fired to drop the door and let the sunlight in.

“Scans have approved the area,” Cassidy reported. “You’re all clear to vacate the craft.”

Hunter was the first out of his seat, vaulting down the steady incline and throwing his head back in bliss.

Samuel clambered out after him, eyeing the terrain suspiciously before he took those initial tentative steps. The warm sand prickled his feet, and the blasts of heat radiating from the sun burrowed beneath his dive suit.

“Breathe in that fresh air, Sammy boy,” the doctor gushed. “Have you ever smelled anything so clean?”

“I hate it when you call me that,” Samuel grumbled, holding his hands out to stabilise himself as he traversed the uneven sands. Something circular crawled towards him, a bioluminescent ring glowing from the top. The creature launched itself at him and he stumbled back into Hunter.

“Careful of the cave crawlers,” Lyra called to the pair, shielding her eyes as she descended the ramp with Cassidy and Marguerit following close behind. “They’re not dangerous, but they can give you a nasty nip.”

“Now you tell us!” Samuel squeaked, hiding behind Hunter as the spindly beast scuttered away.

Lyra pushed her way towards the shade beneath the island’s mighty mountains, her vision adjusting and granting her a better look at the layout. The peaks rose and pierced the clouds and plant life sprouted around the area, but the most prominent feature was the alien structure jutting from the western side of the island. Each block built it higher, but there didn’t seem to be any logic in the construction. “The design of this tower is like the facility my mum was in,” she said, glancing up at Samuel. “Have you got the coordinates?”

Samuel swiped at his PDA and clicked his tongue as the information loaded. Green paths wove around the map, charting their current location and the way ahead. “Once we’ve constructed the sea pod, we need to head that way,” he instructed, pointing them south. “I don’t know how the hull integrity will hold up as we get deeper, so we may have to swim the last hundred metres, but there should be an opening-”

“If we’re clever, swimming won’t be necessary,” Marguerit told them, four sets of inquisitive eyes turning to her. “The previous owners of the planet built complex teleportation systems that could take them from one end of the world to the other.” She gestured to the mountains and swished her hand out to the sprawling seas. "I can show you. There should be an archway close by.”

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letsquestjess · 4 years

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Subnautica: Echoes - Chapter 3: Breakout

A/N: Thank you so much for your patience in waiting for this update. It wasn’t supposed to take this long, but as I explained in a post a few weeks ago, my editing software wasn’t working and I had to wait for it to be fixed. I have got the character profiles done and ready to go, but I thought I’d at least post the next chapter first. Hope you all enjoy it!

“I’m sorry, dad. This isn’t what I wanted.” The PDA trembled in Lyra’s grasp and she fought to keep it steady. Her other hand rested in her lap and her shoulders hunched against the waves of shame splashing against her. "I don’t blame you for being angry with me, but I didn’t do this to hurt you. There’s something down there that mum wanted me to find. If I can find that, then maybe I can locate her too.” Droplets splashed, wet globs leaking down her face. She sniffled and wiped at her nose, jabbing the square button to stop the recording and throwing her PDA onto the stack of pillows. She glimpsed the photograph on her bedside table and reached out for it, gazing at the three figures smiling out of the frame at her, surrounded by ice and snow. The dark-haired girl beamed, her parents holding her between them. Behind them lay Research Base Zero. She recalled the bitter sting of the air, and the heavy coat she bundled herself into before taking her first steps into the snow of an alien planet.

The door beeped and slid open. “I know you’re still mad at me for last night, but I brought a peace offering.” Ryley held up a steaming mug of hot chocolate. She peered up at him, eyes red and streaming, and his heart shattered into a million irreparable fragments. “Little blossom,” he breathed, placing the drink down on the bedside table and rushing to comfort her. She placed her head on his shoulder and he noticed the photograph in her limp grip, teardrops pooling in the top corner. “We will find her.”

“I hate… hate to think of her suffering,” Lyra whimpered, pushing her words through jolted breaths. “With everything that happened to you… I… I…” She crumpled, abandoning the picture frame and curling into herself as the sobs overwhelmed her.

Ryley wrapped her into his arms and held her close. From the moment she’d been born, Lyra had been his world. The precious little bundle of life he’d vowed to protect. In those tentative years, he’d known what to do to help her. When she was hungry, he fed her. When she cried, all he had to do was pull an amusing face to make her laugh. If she fell, he cleaned her up and put a plaster on the scrape. But now it was different. She’d grown up; she wasn’t that child anymore, and a comical expression and a promise of chocolate for being so brave wouldn’t cut it. He didn’t know what was worse: not knowing what to do to support her, or having the means to support her and being powerless to.

He reached across to the warm mug and encouraged her to sit up. “It’s not as good as the stuff your mum makes, but I remembered the cream and sprinkles.”

Lyra gulped down another sob and tightened her clutch on the cup, blowing the tendrils of steam and taking a sip. A blob of whipped cream stuck to her nose, and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. “It’s close,” she said, offering her father a slim smile. It faded swiftly. That tearing sensation in the pit of her stomach wouldn’t permit it to last for long.

“No matter what happens, if the news we get is bad,” Ryley consoled, “you have me. I will always be here for you.” She glanced up at him with jade eyes identical to her mother’s, the tears drying but the pain in them searing through him like a red-hot knife. “You’re my little blossom, and I am so proud of you. Never forget that.” He got to his feet and wiped the smear of cream from her cheek. “You know where I am if you need me.”

The door glided shut and the guilt swilling in Lyra’s heart teemed. How could she do this to him? He had done everything he could for her, devoted his life to keeping her comfortable, and to sneak around and put him in jeopardy felt like she was throwing those years of care and dedication back in his face.

Her PDA warbled, and she swiped across the screen to answer the call.

“It’s all in place,” Cassidy reported. “Are you ready?”

Lyra sipped at her drink, eyes darting from the photograph beside her PDA, and the doorway where her father was just moments ago.

* * *

Each step down to the holding cells brought with it a pang of shame. Step. You’re putting people in danger. Step. Your father will get into serious trouble for this. Step. This is a stupid idea. She shoved aside each flood of rationality. She was doing this for him, for both of them. He’d suffered just as much as she had these past few months, if not more so with the endless torrent of frustration and arrogance he’d had to endure at the hands of the governing board.

“Name, position, identification, and reason for being here,” the guard on duty drawled as Lyra pressed her PDA into the slot in the countertop.

“Lyra Robinson. Junior Researcher. Alterra ID LR90104. Professor Pearson wants me to do further research on Marguerit Maida.”

“Authorisation letter?”

She wrung her hands, dipping her head and nibbling at her lip. “I don’t have one.”

“I can’t let you in without authorisation, but I can contact Professor Pearson for verbal permission.”

“Please don’t,” Lyra blurted, backtracking quickly and composing herself. “He’s in a meeting at the moment. It could take hours.” She leaned over the counter, speaking in a hushed tone as though the faculty head might hear her from twelve levels up. “He’s offloaded this onto me suddenly, and if I can’t get this done by five, I will be in major trouble. All I need to do is ask Maida a few questions, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

The man narrowed his eyes at her, scrutinising every inch of her expression before he nodded indifferently and sent the approval files to her PDA. “I’m only doing this because I saw you the other day, but next time, get your goddamn authorisation letter.”

Lyra grabbed the device from the counter and saluted to the man, jogging into the holding cells and advancing through to the segregation block.

In the later hours, they dimmed the lights to simulate a daily sequence, but not enough for anybody to have a decent night’s sleep. They did the bare minimum as detailed in the guidelines on the rights of their detainees, not that there hadn’t been rumours about questionable goings on. She dreaded to think of what they had prepared for Marguerit if she continued refusing to cooperate. Hopefully, they’d never have to find out.

Upon reaching Marguerit’s holding, she put her finger to her lips. “Stay there,” Lyra instructed, seating herself down on the uneven ground. She drew a tiny silver sphere no bigger than a thumbnail from her jacket pocket and camouflaged it in the walkway corner, aiming the instrument at Maida’s cell. Sweat dappled the back of her neck and her ribs felt tight as her anxiety pinched at her lungs. She needed to remain steady. Breathe. “For the next few minutes, we will have a conversation. Make it look like you’re answering my questions.”

Marguerit tilted her head, the tattoos on her cheek catching the glow of the hallway lights. “I’ll be honest. I didn’t think you would go through with this.”

“Why is that?”

“I’ve met many people in my lifetime who are all talk and no balls. Made promises. Never seen them through. Sometimes it’s not their fault, they made those plans without thinking, but each time they’ve gone back on their word.”

“Was one of those individuals a Torgal CEO?” Lyra pressed. Marguerit’s eyes pierced into her soul, judging it for what it was worth. “My dad found some rather interesting journals on an island when he was down there. Lots of fascinating things in them.”

“And let me guess. Your dear papa ran to Alterra to tell them about them, and that’s where they got all their information from.”

“No. He didn’t. He only told me about them last night, and when I looked at the records, there were no mention of anything of the sort found on that island.” Lyra shrugged. “People know the stories, though. To survive a devastating crash, to disappear, presumed dead, and then turn up on the other side of the planet? Mysterious, isn’t it?”

Marguerit’s hardened expression split into a toothy grin, and a roaring bolt of laughter shot through her cracked lips. “You really are like your mother. Seeing how hard you can test someone, how far you can push for the next little detail.”

“I learned from the best.”

“We’re rolling,” Samuel said through Lyra’s earpiece, keyboard keys clacking in the background. “I’ve taken over the cameras and the CCTV footage is replaying the last five minutes. The connection is stable. Countdown has begun.”

“I need you to wander about your cell, sit, pace, whatever you’ve been doing normally.” Lyra pushed herself back against the wall and kept as still as she could so that the recorder didn’t catch her shadow. “Don’t say a word.”

Marguerit eyed the minuscule device hidden from the brig cameras by Lyra’s hip and smirked. She stalked silently around her cell, relaxing for a few minutes and getting up again to stretch her legs.

Lyra waited and remained motionless as the woman strolled. Her conscience tormented her, running wild in the muffled hum as it reminded her of her father, of her friends, of everyone at risk even if she prevailed. Was it worth it? Was she likely to find her mother alive, or even at all? This could be for nothing.

“We’re done. I’ve got everything I need,” Samuel said. “The code for Maida’s cell is 8741. Cassidy is through security. She’ll be with you in a minute. Make sure Maida doesn’t speak when she goes through.”

Lyra jumped to her feet and pressed in the numbers on the transparent screen. The tempered glass disconnected at the corner, and the door juddered open.

Flurried footsteps pattered down the passageway and a walking biohazard suit approached at a sprint. Cassidy hurriedly raised her helmet and shoved it into Marguerit’s hands. “Put this on.” She peeled off the rest of the suit and fixed up her piloting uniform beneath. “When you leave, stay quiet. The guard was asking me stuff, I had no option but to reply.”

The camera concealed on the ground discharged an orb of light that resolved into the shape of Marguerit Maida. The playback paused until Samuel resumed it. Lyra trailed it, probing for any glitches, but once the pixels had structured themselves, it looked just like the woman herself.

Marguerit peered back over her shoulder and wheeled around at the sight of the projection wandering the cell. “I have experienced many things in my life,” she admitted, steadfast gaze watching the hologram. “This is a first.”

“We don’t have long left,” Samuel reported. “The footage is running out. You need to move.”

Cassidy and Lyra exchanged a firm nod. “I’ll take the staff exit and get to the ship,” the pilot said, jogging by them and disappearing down the adjacent hall.

Marguerit adjusted the mirrored screen on her helmet, the hinges squeaking as she nudged it into position to cover her face. She followed Lyra out of the segregation unit, winding through the mostly vacant cells of the brig. Whatever these kids had planned, they’d taken every precaution, calculated every detail, and she had to admire their tenacity.

“Thank you,” Lyra said to the man behind the reception desk.

“Did you get everything you needed?” he asked.

“I did.” She lifted her PDA and beamed sweetly. “You’re a lifesaver.”

He aimed a riveted gaze at the biohazard suit. “And did you get those readings?”

Marguerit nodded.

“Was it a leak?” A shake of the head was all he got in response, and he considered the hidden figure suspiciously. “What was it?”

Shit, Lyra thought. Think.

The alarms chimed and the guard huffed, rolling his eyes and shuffling out of his booth. “If that man is kicking at his door again, I swear I’ll scream,” he griped.

Lyra watched him fade into the maze of cells, her breath catching in her throat as her frayed nerves bristling against her sanity.

“You can thank me later,” Samuel said through the comms. “Now get moving.”

* * *

Lyra kept the ship in her sight as she made her way across the hangar. The blinking lights on the ground guided her towards her fate. Just a few more steps. She was pulling the pin from the grenade and throwing it. No taking it back. This was the only opportunity she had to withdraw. She could turn Maida in, stop this now while she still had the chance. Make up some lie about being threatened into it. Tell her friends to abandon their arrangement and pretend none of it ever happened. She could. But she wouldn’t. The doubts fluttered and sought to coerce her, enchant her until all she could do was think about abandoning her plans, but the fire blazing in the deepest depths of her heart burned them all away. Nothing would tame it. It roared. Mighty. Strong.

She ensured Marguerit was in the craft before she hopped up into the central module, shrugging off her lab coat and flinging it over the side seats.

Hunter thumped on the ceiling twice. Gas released from the springs as the doors on either side of the ship shut them in.

“Strap in,” Cassidy instructed through the open door of the cockpit. “We may hit some turbulence.”

“Great,” Samuel squeaked. “Just what we need.” He fretted with the locking mechanism on his seatbelt until Lyra aided him, her features warm and her touch soft, lulling his nerves.

She secured herself into the seat next to him, threading her arms through the straps on each side and tightening the belt to her slight frame.

The vessel swung. Samuel’s jaw tensed, and she reached out for him, taking one of his hands in hers and squeezing it reassuringly.

Hunter stretched his palm towards him, wiggling his fingers. “Come on, man, don’t leave me hanging.”

Samuel huffed and snatched hold of the doctor’s hand, maintaining stern eye contact with him before he broke into a grateful smile. Hunter might be the most insufferable idiot, but deep down, he cared.

Lyra beamed at the two, her heart soaring for a fraction before the shaking of the ship reminded her why they were there. The loose fixings on the wall clattered with each intrepid wobble, and the wheels of the craft shuddered along the runway until they came to an unexpected halt.

“Why has she stopped?” Hunter voiced, twisting his neck to the oval window behind him. “We’re on the airstrip. She can go.”

“Cass?” Lyra called, keeping a tight hold of Samuel’s hand as she leaned forward, craning to see into the cockpit.

“Bit of a delay,” Cassidy replied. “Won’t be long.”

Lyra traipsed into the frontal cabin and slipped into the co-pilot’s seat. “What’s going on?” she mouthed.

Cassidy gestured to the headphones over her ears and then the watchtower sticking out of the side of the station. “We have urgent supplies aboard this craft that need to go,” the pilot insisted. A crackle sounded as she patched the connection through to the speakers. “Eastern quadrant. Emergency code 8941-4QA.”

“Pod Nine, we have no record of your application. Please return to the hangar.”

“The request came up ten minutes ago.”

“Until we have confirmation, we cannot permit you to fly.”

“Watchtower, this is an emergency flight. The people down there desperately need supplies and medical aid.” Cassidy flicked the switches beneath the steering controls, the fans vibrating in their casing and the nose of the pod lining up with the sprawling stretch of stars. “Are you honestly going to leave them down there for a second longer without help for the sake of a clearance confirmation?”

Lyra’s eyes flitted between the speakers and the watchtower. The hangar barrier blazed in blue, distorting the view of space outside, a slim barricade and a decision standing between her and her mother. She turned to Cassidy; the pilot remained cool and collected as she reached overhead to activate the last part of the engine. The floor beneath them jittered.

“Pod Nine, you have clearance. You may proceed.”

Like a shot, the craft hurtled down the runway and into the emptiness of space, rocking and shaking as it adjusted to the change in gravity. Cassidy steered them onto a settled course, activating the secondary controls and setting them to auto-pilot. The quaking of the hull calmed to a distant purr.

“Nicely handled, Cass,” Lyra said, pushing out a relieved breath and raking her hands through her hair.

Cassidy beamed proudly. “I can bullshit with the best of them when I need to. It’s a gift.”

Lyra grinned and wriggled until her back hit the rear of the large seat. They’d done it. They’d leaped over the first hurdle, but that wouldn’t be the only one. She was embarking on a mission to the deadliest planet known to mankind. The worst was yet to come.

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