The Insiders: Episode 8 - Art of the Vigil

"When the past literally disappears, will you find the courage to forge a new future—or lose yourself in the void?"

A routine visit to Sher Gar's Library becomes a nightmare when Bran's crash injuries reveal their true nature. What appeared to be simple shrapnel wounds are actually nanobots—microscopic invaders that have been building circuits beneath his skin since the L3 Station incident.

As Captain Higgs processes their intercepted message about the Sandy ("the sand didn't sink of its own accord"), tensions with senior officers Cripps and Walter reach a boiling point. Their hostility toward Bran has shifted from mere dislike to something approaching hatred, leaving him bewildered about what he's done wrong.

In the Library's towering stacks, Sher Gar's magnification reveals the horrifying truth: the nanobots haven't just been dormant—they've been constructing intricate circuitry from Bran's own cellular material. Like a twisted version of neural plasticity, these microscopic machines are rewiring him from the inside out.

But the invasion goes far deeper than one injured messenger. As silver specks emerge from Bran's wound and skitter across his skin like metallic ants, the Library's precious memories begin to crumble. Ancient texts fade to blank pages, centuries of knowledge dissolving into nothingness before their eyes.

The nanobots aren't just destroying memories—they're systematically erasing The ALEx's history. What they thought was natural system degradation has been deliberate sabotage, an assault on their very identity as a vessel.

As the burning sensation crawls up Bran's leg and more circuits form beneath his skin, Sher Gar races to preserve what he can. His electromagnetic pulse seals the Library, but at great cost—countless memories lost forever, their connection to the past severed by an enemy that attacks from within.

With TiGer's support, Bran limps toward Love Island's medical facility, fighting both physical pain and the terrifying realisation that the attack on The ALEx goes deeper than anyone imagined. The nanobots represent more than sabotage—they're an invasion of the mind itself, targeting the very foundation of who they are.

Will Endo be able to remove the nanobots before they complete their mysterious construction? How far has this microscopic invasion spread throughout The ALEx? And what happens when an enemy doesn't just attack your ship, but rewrites your memories of who you used to be?

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The difference isn't in what happened.

The difference is what you do with it.

The Insiders: Episode 7 - Allies and Adversaries

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour. When one falls, the other can help them up."

Armed with evidence that could clear his name, Bran returns to the bustling chaos of the Nexus where hastily repaired screens flicker with interference patterns and Wave Messengers dart between terminals like silver streaks. The recent crash has left its mark everywhere—cracked displays masked with fresh sealant, wildly fluctuating readings, and an atmosphere of barely controlled mayhem.

As Bran navigates this familiar yet strange environment, he encounters the complex web of ship politics that will determine his fate. Candi's feline form stalks between terminals, her manic energy barely contained as she circles him with threats and backhanded challenges. "Prove you can handle this without mucking it up," she warns, her claws extending and retracting with nervous tension.

Walter's swamp-scented presence brings its own complications—one moment offering grudging respect for Bran's thoroughness, the next reverting to his usual disdain. The toad-like officer's bulbous eyes study him with unsettling intensity, leaving Bran completely out of his depth in the shifting currents of upper deck politics.

TiGer's wisdom about interdependence and parallel processing offers both comfort and challenge as they journey through Engineering's depths. But Bran's paranoia begins to surface—why isn't she more urgent about getting their crucial evidence to Captain Higgs? Could even his closest ally be playing both sides?

In the industrial maze below, the Chief's gruff Scottish accent cuts through Bran's doubts with validation: "No random accident, this. Too precise. Too controlled." The damage patterns prove what Bran suspected—someone orchestrated the crash. The Chief's reminder about allies and fresh perspectives from the bottom looking up resonates deeply.

Their path leads through Linda's hidden speakeasy—a 1920s oasis tucked impossibly within Engineering's bowels—and emerges at All Mounds Park where the tour guides circle like predators. Leo's aggressive posturing, Ice Maiden's numbing promises, and Runa's escape routes represent the old patterns of response that have kept The ALEx "not dead" but never truly thriving.

When Captain Higgs finally reveals that TiGer orchestrated Bran's reinstatement, the pieces fall into place. But as they prepare to confront the senior officers with their evidence, Higgs's warning echoes: "Tread carefully with my senior officers... they still blame you for that nonsense with Sera."

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The difference isn't in what happened.

The difference is what you do with it.

The Insiders: Episode 6 - Close to the Edge

"Sometimes the answers we seek aren't found in hiding, but in facing what we've been running from all along."

The massive doors of the Throne Room creak open under Emm and Gee's combined keys, releasing the musty scent of disuse into the corridor. As Bran steps inside, memories wash over him like warm waves—of countless messages delivered when the Sandy was still around, of glimpsing wisdom in this sacred space.

Behind the golden throne, the Tree of Life stands dormant and bare while the Tree of Knowledge bears a single defiant green bud. In this dusty silence, Bran confronts not just his recent failures, but deeper wounds: his brief, intense fling with Gemma that cost him TiGer's friendship, and his habit of running from difficult conversations rather than engaging with them.

His moment of reflection is interrupted when TiGer bursts through the doors, her orange-and-black spiky hair vibrant against the chamber's gloom. "There you are. Had a hunch you'd skulk here," she announces, hands on hips. Her rapid-fire updates about angry Beta messengers, Captain Higgs's fury, and his new uniform are delivered with the caustic wit that's uniquely hers.

As she softens slightly, TiGer shares an ancient story once broadcast by the Sandy—about an exodus to a promised land occupied by enemies. "Only our enemies are mostly in here," she says, tapping her head pointedly.

Outfitted in his new silver Beta Wave uniform with its yellow lightning flashes, Bran struggles to adapt to the oversized boots designed to create an airtight seal with the tube system. His dendricals tingle with anticipation inside the red and blue gloves that will grant him access to the tubes he's missed during his exile.

On the Bridge, Captain Higgs's thunderous correction when Bran mistakenly calls her "Ma'am" instead of "Captain" makes his dendricals curl with embarrassment. Their mission is clear: survey damage, collect reports, visit Sher Gar for recordings, and consult the Chief about repairs.

Splitting up to cover more ground, Bran visits the Library where Sher Gar reveals a shocking truth: the crash wasn't Bran's fault. Two cloaked vessels pursued The ALEx, one firing a projectile that struck L3 Station and pumped in a mysterious liquid. Relief floods Bran's circuits—he wasn't the cause; he was the victim!

With this crucial evidence secured on his datapad, Bran chooses the upper deck route back to the Bridge, hunching his tall frame through the dimly lit corridor. Each step brings him closer to Captain Higgs and the truth that might finally clear his name.

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The difference isn't in what happened.

The difference is what you do with it.