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- - Chapter 2 - -

Interview / / Escape

"Your description of Cephalon Amita is atypical. Even by Corpus created Cephalon standards."

"Amita is atypical of my understanding of Cephalons," Manmi said, nodding her head once in affirmation, "She described herself to me at one point as a chatterbox who thrives on gossip. It did not take long for her to convince me that she was correct in describing herself."

"I see. Interesting. I know most Cephalons, and unreliable information such as gossip and rumor are not something we partake in. Was she a reliable source of information?"

Manmi shook her head and said, "Unclear. She was a source of information, but its reliability is up to question. She reported that Ergo Glast was fired for embezzlement; using stolen funds to buy rubedo high-heels."

"That is inaccurate." Suda said.

"She also said-"

"Let us move on." Suda said, quickly cutting Manmi off. The peripheral cubes orbiting around her central structure had spread out in a clear display of impatience but were now settling back into their standard pattern, "How long was your recovery?"

"Eighteen Venusian cycles," Manmi answered, "From the time I was placed into a holding cell; I am unaware how long I was held by the Corpus prior to waking up. They-" Motion in her peripheral vision distracted Manmi and she fell silent, turning her head to look. There was a hazy, unfocused figure a few yards from her and a glowing bluish-white light near them. Manmi felt a little unsettled having something suddenly appear so close without any sign or indicator. She had not even heard footsteps.

"Do not mind them," Suda said, "I have many persons of interest to speak to; they cannot hear us any more than you can hear them. Now tell me about the Corpus recovery program."

"Yes ma'am," Diverting her attention from the hazy figure in the distance, Manmi looked back up at Cephalon Suda's geometric facade, "The recovery program was brief; Amita had me perform a few exercises in my cell for three days while they fed me some sort of flavorless liquid food that seemed to be rich in various nutrients."

"Corcite," Suda interjected, "Or some derivation thereof. It is how they keep their Crewmen physically well. Continue."

"Once Amita deemed me physically fit enough for more strenuous activity I was given to Crewman 78443 dash Q7 for training. He knew I was having issues with my memory, either eavesdropping on my cell or Cephalon Amita was talking to the Corpus, and told me I was to be trained to fight with the Corpus. He even gave me a gun on the fifth day." Manmi's serious expression broke slightly at this recollection; her body had reminded her while training that she was not completely comfortable with firearms of any sort. She preferred melee weapons.

"I was underwhelming during training." Manmi continued, "By design. I was studying 78443 dash Q7 and the guards. I intended to escape once I had enough information about where to go and what to do."

"That is very pragmatic of you," Suda said, "Moreso considering the condition you were in."

"I was trained in the Naramon school," Manmi said, "I did not require a full picture to know what I was seeing."

"Well said, how did you manage your escape?"

"I did not escape; I was rescued," Manmi said, "By agents of Vox Solaris."

Manmi was startled awake by the sound of alarms blaring outside her cell. She sat up and looked at the door and then up to the ceiling. The lights that normally projected Amita's apparition were now flashing bright red in time with the klaxons. Scrambling out of the bed and to her feet, Manmi stood with bent knees and spread arms, looking at the door and waiting for whatever might happen next. She considered making a premature escape attempt if a guard came in to transfer her someplace else. She had been told that the Grineer were the ones who had attempted to take her while she had been in cryostasis, so it made sense that they might launch an attack to try and acquire her, and it would follow that the Corpus would want to move her to keep her safe.

"Exciting! Isn't it!?" Amita's voice sounded loudly from above. Manmi looked up again and this time Amita was there. "There hasn't been an intruder here for months! I was worried I wouldn't be able to use my lockdown protocols while you were here. Tada! Your door is now sealed against unauthorized intrusion."

"Intruder? Is this place under attack?" Manmi asked as she went to the door and pressed her hand against it.

"Not really; someone triggered an alarm in the west wing and is now mowing down the security forces being sent to them. They're looking for something but I'm not sure what; there's nothing over there other than some storage lockers and fuel containers that they're opening up and rummaging through. They're nowhere near R that's where the neato stuff is."

"Can they get to R&D from the west wing?" Manmi asked.

"Of course! This facility is connected by a series of corridors that are laid out with optimal-" Amita was cut off as the door to the cell suddenly opened up. Outside of it were three people in distinctly non-corpus uniforms. Manmi had no idea what the Grineer looked like but assumed that the intruder had gotten this far faster than Amita had made it sound.

"Ello!" the one nearest the door said, lifting a hand only for Manmi to reach out and grab their wrist. She twisted it and pulled the person into the cell while trying to lunge past the other two. One of them yelled something and grabbed her shoulder while the other swung their gun up and smacked the barrel of it up under her chin. Manmi nearly flipped backwards from the force and her jaw ached as her teeth clattered together. The person who had grabbed her shoulder pulled her down to the floor and held her on her back while the one with the gun pointed it at her face.

"Ey mateys easy now, easy now," the person Manmi had pulled into the cell, "Tenno wu'nt expectin' a springjob now were dey? We're bustin' ya youngsta, so now ain't the time to be cheeky." As they spoke the other two left Manmi and the spokesperson reached down to help her to her feet. "Blister, giv'em a sidearm. Tenno, you can move yes? Lightfoot it? We gotta scarper straight for extraction. One of your mates is causin' a ruckus out front so we can sneak out the back."

Manmi took the gun she was given and gripped it. It was very similar to the weapons that the Corpus had her train with but it looked like an older model. If she was not pretty certain that they were in a rush she might suspect this of being some sort of trick or trap; in any case she would play along. If this was some sort of trick or trap, she was armed and ready. If it wasn't, then she was escaping.

"Oh! That daredevil slaughtering hordes of Crewmen is your friend?" Amita's voice chirped, the recursively folding cubes and pyramids now projected outside the door, catching Manmi's attention. She wondered if the Cephalon was going to start lockdown protocols again to keep her contained, but the masked people seemed unperturbed by her presence.

"Aight, let's leg it," the leader said, gesturing before sprinting down the hall. Amita followed along with the one named Blister and the other one. They made it out the large security door to the prison block and then went down to the left and into a maintenance hall that Manmi had not seen before. Before they emerged out the other side though a blast door slammed shut in front of them.

"Uh oh!" Amita said, her voice coming through speakers in the hall, "Looks like your friend got a little overwhelmed and had to retreat."

"Bollocks," the leader said, one hand up by the side of his helmet as he listened to something that Manmi was not privy to, "Cephalon's right. That Limbo sodded off and took our ride with it."

"How long until backup arrives?" the as of yet unnamed rescuer asked.

"Too long," said the leader, "Oi, Tenno, you know another way out?"

Before Manmi could ask, Amita cut in with "Oh! I know! This way to the repair bay," some lights flickered down a side hall nearby to get their attention, "There's a small cargo shuttle that you can use."

"In the repair bay?" the leader asked, her voice laced with a healthy amount of skepticism, "That scrapper can fly can it?"

"Of course!" Amita said, "If you know how to fly it."

"Flyin's the easy part," The leader said, "Dodgin' the Corpus automated defenses is the tricky part. We were relyin' on our ride to get us in 'n out."

"I can guide the ship for you," Amita offered, "I'd love to get out of this fuddy duddy prison and see the rest of the system!"

"We ain't got time to be arguin'," the group leader said, "Tenno, this Cephalon on the level?" she asked, looking at Manmi. Suddenly put on the spot, Manmi froze for a moment, having only been partially following the conversation in the first place. She looked up at the tunnel ceiling and then back at the masked and hooded stranger before nodding. Thus far Amita had not lied to her, and other than keeping the door locked she had been nice and kept Manmi company in that tiny cell.

"Good 'nuff. Oi Cephalon, you get yourself in that ship and get her ready to fly. We gotta get this Tenno up to Vesper stat."

"I've never flown a ship before; this will be fun!" Amita said as Manmi followed the others down the side hall.