"...and when that day comes, I trust you to do what must be done, child. Victory above all else, even your own life. Ad victoriam, Mori. Now go forward unto your future, and let the heavens tremble at the mere mention of your name."

The girl opened her eyes, spotting plush, silver pillows. The odd dream had slipped from her mind once again, forcing the girl to lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling and trying to remember what the dream had told her. Nearly an hour passed, and eventually, the girl simply sighed and rolled out of bed, slipping out of her night clothes and climbing into the bath. While her brain processed the dream, her body was on autopilot, getting the girl ready for her day.

Leaving her house, the girl greeted her neighbors as she passed by them, a bright smile dancing upon her lips as she went about her day, basking in the warmth of the sun, the feeling of the soft, green grass tickling the bottoms of her bare feet, the scent of fresh baked goods wafting from the bakery stalls, the elated giggles and squeals of children playing games and eating candy.

The girl skipped through the marketplace, sending bright smiles to all who caught her eye. Her gaze suddenly snapped to a bright, glittering object on the smooth stone path, prompting her to lean down and pick it up. It was a medium sized amethyst of the deepest purple, glittering almost unnaturally in the moonlight.

Moonlight?

The girl's eyes widened as she whirled around, the bustling marketplace suddenly falling silent. The stalls were empty. The scent of fresh baked goods was replaced by the scent of ancient stone, mildew, and the scent of blood. The soft green grass withered and died, becoming brown and scraggly, crunching under the girl's feet and poking her soles. The sun had vanished, replaced by a sliver of a gleaming silver moon. Then, the moon vanished, leaving the sky empty and dark...

Until the moon reappeared.

The sky unfolded, almost like an...an eyelid. The moon was an eye. It was...!

~~~

She snapped awake, slamming her head into the transparent ditanium covering of her pod. Her breathing was rapid and shallow, her dark purple eyes shooting back and forth, trying to figure out where she was. Her hands managed to find some kind of lever, and the woman jerked on it, watching as the cover of her pod shot off like a rocket, slamming into the wall across from her and shattering.

She emerged from the pod, staggering across the room. A glowing panel blinked mockingly, and the young woman struggled over to it, pressing her open hand against it. Lights hummed to life overhead, revealing a room of dark, seamless metal. The woman's eyes darted around the room, spotting an equally dark bed, with purple, silken sheets, and white pillows, a large, dark wardrobe, and a very obvious gray door.

From behind the woman, there was a loud hiss, and the woman fell backward into a hallway, where another young woman stood. She looked dishevelled, with hair sticking up wildly like she'd gotten up in a hurry.

"Kayla, is everything alright? I heard something break in here, and you weren't answering my calls...'' The woman in the hall said. Kayla, still laying on the floor, stunned from all of the very sudden input, simply stared at the hall woman, confused. Then, understanding dawned on her face as her brain finally kicked in.

"I-I...s-sorry, Luce. Bad dream, simulation went a little wild for a moment...you understand, right?'' Kayla mumbled nervously, sitting up and waiting for Lucinda's response. Lucinda simply sighed, and rubbed her eyes.

"I'm going back to my room. Have Aero come by and fix your pod, ok? That little bot has been having an aneurysm trying to keep his grubby little grabbers off of it.'' Lucinda said, nudging Kayla back into her room and shutting the door.

"It...it was just a dream. I just have to call Aero, he'll fix the pod, and I'll go back to sleep. No more nightmares.'' Kayla whimpered to herself, hitting a button on the dark metal wall and calling the little robot to fix the pod. Curling up in her actual bed, used when the voyage was going to be short, and at sub-light speeds, Kayla covered herself with soft silken blankets, and managed to drift off to sleep.

And once more, the eye opened, watching over Kayla. The tendrils connected to the spines of the other crewmates ensured that the creature could watch Kayla at all times, and when the time was right...

It would snap her up, and use her identity to help its spread.