She wakes to find Atara has returned

Pacing Move: [5] Advance a Plot

Atara returns with food, supplies and new information.

Lux doesn’t know how long she stays there, in Olan’s arms. When she comes to her senses again, she’s lying on the bed, still curled up under the blanket. She must have fallen asleep at some point.

She can hear voices – hushed, but that must be what woke her up. Olan and Atara. Lux pries an eye open to see the two of them arguing on the other side of the room.

“ – just going to get us all killed,” she hears Olan say. “They’ll be expecting us now, after Radan managed to get away.”

“It’s still better than simply waiting,” Atara counters. “So far, we’ve stopped the enemy from gaining full control of the defence systems, but once they do, there won’t be anywhere safe for us to hide.”

“What are you two arguing about?” Lux asks, sitting up. There’s a moment’s concern before she confirms to her relief that, for once, she is still dressed.

Both of them stare at her for a moment. Olan moves over to her, picking up something from a basket on one of the beds. “Here,” he says. “Rations. Don’t taste of much, but you need to keep your strength up.”

Lux takes the offered item. It looks like a small flat loaf, and an experimental bite confirms that it doesn’t have much flavour to it. It also confirms, though, that she’s hungry. Forgoing any further questions, she sets about devouring the bland ration while the others resume bickering.

“There is one way we can bypass most of the locked doors – most,” Atara says, holding a finger upraised. “A master key we kept stored away for emergencies. It can’t open the exterior doors, but it can let my allies walk directly into the heart of the Machine – retake control.”

“That doesn’t sound like something that ‘we’ would leave just lying around,” Olan points out.

“No.” Atara sighs. “It’s in a secure vault on the level below us. The enemy will surely have it under guard.”

“Can you open the vault if we can get to it?” Lux asks, quietly.

Atara nods. “Yes, that part is easy,” she says. “I know the combination.” She sighs as Lux gives her a blank look. “It’s a special lock mechanism that – there’s no point in me explaining. We’d need to get there first.”

Lux shrugs. “I’ll do it,” she says.

Olan looks at her. “Lux…”

Lux swings her legs off the bed and stands up, with a sense of determination. She’s not naked or helpless anymore. She has her magic back. And even if she’s not sure what it means, she feels like she has more reason to fight now than just sheer survival.

“Show me the way,” she says. “I’ll take care of the rest.”