Welcome to the Bakery!

The prompt was “strength”.

“Ariadne, where are you?”

Maximus’s voice came through her Ghost as it bobbed slowly next to her. She smiled up at her Ghost as if it were Maximus himself and said, “Come to the H.E.L.M.” Ariadne turned back to what she was looking at, waiting patiently for Maximus to arrive. To her surprise both Rhemy and Maximus transmatted in to find her sitting cross-legged at the base of a large glass terrarium.

They stood behind her, peering into the glass to see what had enraptured her so. Sitting amongst the foliage was a small frog. It seemed to be watching the three of them thoughtfully in return. Ariadne looked back over her shoulder with a massive grin on her face. “Isn’t he beautiful?” It was impossible not to share in her infectious joy and the pair of them felt themselves smiling back. “Where did you find him?” Rhemy asked.

“Greetings Captain..s… This specimen was found on Nessus. I named him Captain Jacobson after my late Captain who died with all my friends when my ship crashed,” Failsafe chirped from her new home aboard the H.E.L.M. “Thanks, Failsafe!” Ariadne called to the AI she’d grown so fond of. Prior to her coming aboard due to their battle with the Conductor, Ariadne had made it a point to visit the lonely machine where she had been left on Nessus. “So, Failsafe had some intel and I checked it out and it led me to this frog! Isn’t he the cutest?!” Rhemy smiled down at the enthusiastic Hunter and said, “He is. I didn’t know there were frogs on Nessus.” From behind came the slightly melancholic tone of Failsafe’s other personality. “It’s not all death and destruction….” And then her tone brightened to a happier timber as she continued, “There are fun mysteries to find too!”

Maximus leaned closer to the glass and Captain Jacobson seemed to lean towards him as well. As he began to raise a hand to touch the frog Failsafe shouted, “Do not touch him with your bare skin. He is poisonous.” He lowered his hand quickly, heat spreading across his face. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you, Captain,” Failsafe quipped before lowering her voice and stating flatly, “I just don’t want to have to watch you die.” He grinned at the bipolar instrument and said, “No worries. I appreciate the warning.”

The H.E.L.M. was quite the sight to behold. Various plants, trinkets, and creatures filled glass cases around the room. The trio had spent quite a bit of time on Nessus collecting these things at the whim of Failsafe. This hunt for the Conductor was a very different animal from the long war that had led to The Witness being destroyed. Maybe it was the juxtaposition of rescuing wildlife while also knowing they needed to stop yet another big bad thing from happening. Whatever it was, even Rhemy was enjoying the time spent on Nessus. The trio were pulled from their individual reveries by Failsafe announcing, “True strength isn’t just what you do in battle, Captains.” The three shared a look before heading over to the console emanating Failsafe’s visage. This respite was well-earned, but it was time to head back into the field.