Ronin and Emily were on the elevator up. Ronin tried to send messages to Dr. Eringi, but no messages were going through. Emily tried the same to other scientists onboard Eden and the problem persisted. They couldn’t even contact the maintenance droids. By the time the elevator brought them up, no messages were going through.

“You’ve contacted anyone yet?” Emily said nervously.

“Nope. Not yet” Ronin said as he opened the door to Robert’s lab.

The lights flicked on as Ronin searched the room. Emily was breathing shakingly, but as Ronin searched the room she went over to the sink and began to wet her hands and splash it in her face.

“What are you doing?” Ronin said across the room.

“I don’t know. It just seems like fiction. Robert is a spy…” Emily said.

“Yeah it sure is. But there’s no reason to get melodramatic. I know how you are under even the slightest stress.” Ronin said as he opened a drawer and felt a piece of foam attached to the roof of the drawer.

“Well I’ve been getting better. It’s just…” Emily said sassily as she turned around to Ronin.

Ronin pulled the foam out to reveal the indentation of a key in the foam.

“I think we need to head to Robert’s room.” Ronin said holding up the foam for Emily to see.

Without words Emily and Ronin went to the elevator.

Upon entering the floor destination the elevator door closed shut. The descent was at normal speed, but it began to slow down. It stopped right in between the floor which contains the Canteen and Recreation centers above them, and the Dormitories and Maintenance Department below them. Emily began to worry.

“Oh god.” Emily said.

“Shit.” Ronin replied. He still couldn’t communicate with anyone.

Emily backed up into the wall. She untied her hair and began to fidget with the hair tie. She had always kept her dark brown hair tied up. It had always seemed more professional. Ronin upon seeing Emily took notice to her hair as it draped across her face. He almost immediately turned away and combed his short black hair to his right using his hands. He began to fiddle with the panel to the elevator. It seemed as if it was stopped via a control panel. There wasn’t a manual release, and the “Call For Help” light wasn’t turning on to show that they had a connection. Ronin looked around for anything he could use. This moment got the two thinking of what was going to happen.

“If this is going to be the last moments. Is there anything you want to share?” Emily said.

“Not really, is there anything you wanted to know?” Ronin said jokingly as he too put his back against the wall.

“I mean… I know a lot about you already. You’re an open book Ronin.” Emily said turning away.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he said in response.

“It’s just. Nothing…” she sighed as she sank to the floor with her head in her hands.

“Come on-” he came down to her level.

“You can tell me.”

“Did you ever like me?” Emily said bluntly.

“I mean… I did. I am not going to lie.” he said as he slightly blushed.

“Well why didn’t you tell me?” Emily asked sincerely as she looked to him.

“It was. I mean.. I fell for somebody else. Plus I didn’t want you to be all focused up on a relationship. You are in your prime. Relationships can wait, but people like you are rare. I didn’t want such a beautiful mind to be focused on just some other scientist like me.” Ronin said as he looked right into Emily’s light blue eyes.

“What about now? In this moment? If this was the last moment you had. What would you do?” Emily said as she looked too into his eyes.

“It’s not going to be my last moment. Nor yours. We’re going to survive.” Ronin said triumphantly.

Ronin noticed that Emily’s eyes reflected the ceiling to the elevator showing an emergency hatch.

Ronin hoisted Emily up to the release which she pulled dropping a ladder that allowed the two to easily climb to the roof of the elevator car. Upon climbing up the two reached over to start climbing on the emergency ladder to the floor above. Hitting the emergency button that opens the doors was able to get Emily and Ronin to climb into the Canteen and Recreation floor. Scientists immediately took notice and began to help their comrades up. All of the scientists were stuck on this floor because the elevators wouldn’t come up from the very bottom floor. The doors that lead to the stairs were also sealed and locked somehow. Upon doing an area check the scientists revealed that only a handful of scientists were not on the same floor. That included Dr. Eringi, Dr. Irene Ukasi, Dr. Robert Orlanga, and three more scientists in the Physics Division.

“Told you we would be fine.” Ronin teased.

“Shut up. Man I guess I really do get deep.” She said and turned away as she blushed slightly.

Ronin blushed as well, but the two were talking as the other scientists were making their way to the Canteen.

The other leaders of the Invention and Chemistry divisions began to fill the other scientists in. Most took the realization well. The rest were easily calmed down. They knew the galaxy was in a tense time at the moment, and they knew that they had to evacuate now.

A scientist from the Invention Division had hacked into Eden’s mainframe. It was apparent that something from an outside source was trying to remotely hack into the data storage room which was on the same floor as the Solar Power Station. Now it was other computers with administrative permissions that were tampering with the doors and elevators. Ronin took a look at the data logs and discovered that Dr. Eringi’s computer had made a direct command to upload the research data and blueprints to the Intergalactic Society of Science HQ before shutting down all connection to the Macronet. Explaining why the staff’s eyepatches wouldn’t connect.

Emily upon hearing all of this went out into the Hall of Recognition to see if she could make her way to a shuttle from the landing craters in order to call for help. Ronin realizing she left went to follow her.