Amera groaned, rolling over to turn off the alarm above her bed. Her hand landed solidly against the button. Silence followed her expletives. No bird calls. No grumpy protests from Ineika that not even animals should be so chipper so early. The Caelestis, a breathing ship with its own biomes, was never quiet. Thinking of Ineika made Amera jolt upright. She threw off the thick regulation covers.

At the same time something shoved aside their sliding door. Metal scraped against metal. Each footstep followed by wet dragging noises. Heart slamming against its cage, Amera tried standing. Only to come crashing to the floor. A different silence settled around her. Amera's breath came out in ragged gasps. Neither Amera or her wife were soldiers. Through the bedroom door Amera could see a dark form that could only be her partner's crumpled form. In the early morning light, Amera couldn't see what had broken in.

"Has it gone?" she thought.

Amera slowly dragged herself to the doorway. She had to know if she'd ever see Ineika's tawny eyes or reluctant smile ever again. Amera's slow crawl to their living area ended abruptly when a dark mass rose from the shadows. Beady eyes stared at her from the face of a dracosec. An insectoid creature that had been manufactured much larger than its natural form, to kickstart the ecosystem.

The dracosec stalked forward, standing between Amera and Ineika. Being part machine, all cloned species were programmed to avoid humans. Even if food was scarce. Amera's mind struggled to rationalize this sudden change. A gurgle broke through her fear.

Amera let out a relieved sob, tears streaming down her face. The dracosec's pincered beak clattered. A challenge. A stun wand on the far wall was their only defense. Gathering her courage, Amera made a run for it.

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💚 if you enjoyed this!
I make dark ambient music for (gaming/TTRPGs or writing) inspired by this "world".
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© M.D. Tucker