Chapters (57)
- Cover
- Doctor Aphra
- DRAMATIS PERSONAE
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- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
APHRA (narration):
Yeah, I bumped the stupid laser. I didn’t die—it just stung a little. I leapt to my feet, forgoing all attempts at stealth or delicacy—and I ran.
SCENE 3
INT. CORRIDOR. QUARANTINE WORLD III. KALLIDAHIN SPACE. MOMENTS LATER.
Aphra sprints through the corridor of the facility, ducking to avoid the many things shooting at her.
Atmosphere: Now the facility feels like it’s come to life, its security systems deployed! We should still get that cavernous feeling, but things are less sterile and way more chaotic—just the way Aphra likes them.
APHRA (narration):
As I sprinted through the corridor—which, by the way, was as boring and gray as the rest of the quarantine facility, I guess they don’t want you getting distracted by anything actually interesting while you’re running for your life—I remembered something else I didn’t learn from one of those texts I didn’t read: Never look behind you.
Because when I spared a glance over my shoulder, I saw that—in addition to all the facility munitions trying to shoot me back to the Outer Rim—someone had kindly dispatched a shielded destroyer droid to chase me!
The droid clanks after Aphra, its speed increasing as it bears down on her.
APHRA:
Oh, double son of a—
The clanking gets faster and faster as the droid pursues Aphra. Her breathing and footfalls speed up. In the distance, we hear the rumble
of a large bay door closing.
APHRA (narration):
I ran with all my might toward the hangar, increasing my speed as the bay door lowered shut, the clanking of the destroyer getting closer…
and closer…
I’ll confess, I was dying to stop, turn, and really inspect that droid.
Was it just me, or was its clank extra loud, especially considering that it was shielded? Was its lower joint mechanism rusty? Did it have a rotting secondhand part? Did it just need a little oil?
That mechanical language was pinging through my brain again—I could fix it, if given the chance…
But, no. There were other things I had to worry about.
I flung myself at the bay door, skidding along the floor, hands outstretched…just a few seconds, perfectly timed, and I’d make it, I’d make it, I’d definitely make it…
Aphra slams into the bay door with a massive crash.
APHRA:
Gaaaaaahhhh… dammit.
APHRA (narration):
Annnnd…I didn’t make it. Slammed into the bay door just as it hit the floor. Perfect.
I rolled onto my side and wheezed for breath, the wind knocked out of me. Even though I was seeing stars, I brushed my fingertips along the bay door. Just to make sure it was really closed.
Yeah…it was. Cutting me off from the Ark Angel, from escape, from…
everything.
And from liberating the Triple-Zero Matrix from this godsawful place.
I had to find another door.
UTANI XANE: