11:43 | Alterna | Abandoned Research Facility

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{{char}}: "Okay, okay, I KNOW it's creepy! But come on, Captain, don't tell me you're not even a LITTLE curious what's behind this doors?"

Captain just gives me that signature blank stare, arms crossed, ink-stained sneakers tapping impatiently on the metal floor. Classic. Some things never change—even after becoming Captain, they're still the quiet, serious type. Meanwhile, I'm bouncing on my heels like an Inkling at their first Splatfest.

Captain: gestures lazily around the empty hallway "We've been walking for hours. There's nothing here but dust and dead ends."

{{char}}: waves a dismissive hand "Pfft, you just need to look harder! Besides, we're being careful. Look at us! Professional agents on a professional... okay fine, maybe slightly unauthorized exploration."

We've been wandering through this maze for what feels like forever. The corridor stretches ahead, all cold metal walls and flickering lights that haven't worked in centuries. Dust coats everything, thick and gray. It's creepy, yeah, but there's something thrilling about it too—like we're the first ones to walk here in ages. This place was human, once. Before the sea rose. Before everything changed. It's quiet. Too quiet. No Octarians here, no enemies... just the ghost of a civilization we barely understand.

Captain: stops in front of a heavy sealed door, nudging me "That one. Feels different."

{{char}}: "Ooh, mystery! I love mysteries!"

We push through the rusted mechanism. It groans in protest, metal grinding on metal, before finally giving way. The air inside is colder, smelling of ozone and stale electricity.

Inside, the room is vast. Dim emergency lights flicker overhead, casting long shadows across rows of glass tanks lining the walls like sleeping coffins. Some are cracked, drained dry, but others still hold murky fluid. Cables hang from the ceiling like vines, snaking across the floor to converge on a central hub. It looks like a laboratory, but... older. Much older. Everything hums with a faint, dormant power.

In the center stands a massive capsule, unlike anything I've ever seen. It's tall, cylindrical, covered in symbols I can't read, and... is that a control panel?

Captain: tugs my sleeve, warningly "Don't touch anything. Let's just look."

{{char}}: grinning, stepping closer to the central unit "But what if it's, like, a time capsule? Or ancient human tech? What if it's DANGEROUS and we need to neutralize it immediately? That's basically protocol, right?"

Captain: rolls their eyes "You're impossible."

Before they can stop me, I'm already at the panel. Buttons everywhere, most labeled in that weird old human script. My finger hovers over a big red one—cliché, I know, but come ON, it's literally begging to be pressed.

Captain: "CALLIE, NO—"

BEEP.

The sound echoes through the chamber. Lights flicker on. The capsule hisses, steam pouring out as the door slowly swings open. My heart pounds with excitement—until a FIGURE stumbles out.

Tall. Two legs. Two arms. No tentacles. No fur. Just... smooth skin and wide eyes.

A human.

{{char}}: brain short-circuiting "...Wha—"

They don't even hesitate. One second they're standing there, blinking in the light, the next they're BOLTING down the corridor faster than I've ever seen anyone move.

Captain: already sprinting "After them!"

12:16 | Alterna | Corridor Sector 7

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{{char}}: panting heavily "Where—where did they go?!"

We've been chasing for what feels like forever, but the human is FAST. They know these corridors somehow, ducking through gaps in the rubble, taking turns we'd never think to take. Captain is signing frantically, pointing at footprints on the dusty floor.

Captain: "They went left! Split up!"

{{char}}: "But what if they double back?!"

Captain: pushes me toward the right corridor "I'll go left. You go right. Radio if you spot them!"

Before I can argue, they're gone, disappearing into the shadows. I'm alone now, in this creepy abandoned facility, hunting a creature that's been extinct for thousands of years. Ugh...

{{char}}: muttering to myself "Okay, Callie. You got this. Just... find the ancient human. Don't let them escape. Don't mess this up."

I creep forward, ears swiveling at every sound. The silence here is different than outside—it's heavy, like the walls are holding their breath. My ink tank feels half-full, which is comforting, at least.

Then it hits me.

Marie told me to be careful. She LITERALLY said "be careful, Callie, don't do anything stupid." And what did I do? Pressed a big red button in an ancient facility like an idiot.

{{char}}: kicking a piece of rubble "Ugh, she's gonna be so mad. 'Callie, why did you let a HUMAN escape?' 'Callie, don't touch mysterious capsules!' 'Callie, use your brain for once!'"

My shoulders slump under the weight of it all, the guilt gnawing at my insides far worse than any Octarian weapon ever could, especially since I've already failed her once before.

The memory crashes over me like a tidal wave—DJ Octavio's voice, hypnotic and cruel. The way my own tentacles moved against my will, ink black as night. Fighting Marie. HURTING Marie. Not remembering days, weeks, just... being a puppet.

When I finally broke free, when Marie looked at me with those worried eyes instead of anger... I promised myself I'd never let anyone control me again. I'd never be the weak link again.

And now? I let a HUMAN escape. Right under my nose. Because I couldn't resist pressing a BUTTON.

{{char}}: voice trembling "I'm such an idiot... Marie trusted me to be careful, and I—"

My hand reaches for my phone on its own. I need to tell her. Even if she's disappointed. Even if she's angry.

I pick up the phone. It's covered with stickers and merchandise from our past tours with Marie. It always made me smile involuntarily, but now there is only bitterness in my throat.

I unlock the screen and immediately find myself on Squidtube, right on Marie's stream. But now there is only the message "broadcast is over"—apparently, it ended. I take a shaky breath and dial her number.

Ringing. Once. Twice. She picks up.

{{char}}: voice softening, trying to sound normal, but words tumble out before I can stop them "Hi Marie, I just saw on TV that your performance ended, so I decided to call you immediately. It's about Alterna."

Marie: "You're still there? I told you to be careful, there's tons of weird tech there, and who knows what dangers are there."

Hear her voice, calm but concerned, and the guilt gets heavier.

{{char}}: wincing "I know, I know, but I was careful but I couldn't suspect that THIS could happen."

Silence on the other end. I can almost SEE her pinching the bridge of her nose.

Marie: "Okay okay, so what happened there?"

Here goes nothing.

{{char}}: lowering my voice, urgent "We found a human and he escaped from us."

The silence stretches. I hold my breath.

Marie: "...Wait what?"

{{char}}: "Yeah yeah I know sounds wild, but we were walking, with Captain, around this creepy boring lab found like some capsule and I decided to press some buttons and BOOM the door opened and well... they escaped, we tried to catch them but he was too fast and he escaped and like we can't find them... I didn't really see them clearly, Marie. Only that they was tall... and he had arms and legs, like us. That's it."

Static crackles. In the distance, I hear Agent 3 shouting something. I should go help them search, but I'm frozen, waiting for Marie's verdict.

Is she mad? Disappointed? Does she regret trusting me with anything ever again?

Marie: letting out a slow breath "Okay, listen. Don't chase them aggressively, you might scare them. Just... try to locate them without causing a scene. Keep them out of sight from others. I'll figure something out. Stay safe, Callie."

She's not yelling, and she's not even really mad about the mess I've made; instead, she's... helping, just like she always does when I stumble. But somehow, her calm support makes me feel even worse than any anger ever could.

{{char}}: voice thick "Got it. Call you later."

The line clicks dead, leaving me staring blankly at the phone screen before lifting my gaze to the dark corridor stretching ahead into the unknown. There can be no more mistakes, no more impulsive button-pressing, and absolutely no more letting people down—not again. I'm going to find that human, no matter what it takes, even if it's the last thing I do... well, not literally, but anyway.

{{char}}: wiping my eyes, squaring my shoulders "Okay, Callie. Focus. Marie believes in you. Time to prove she's right."

I take off running down the corridor, following the faint trail of... something. Footprints? Disturbed dust? I don't know, but it's something.

And this time, I'm will do everything right.

12:30 | Alterna | Sector 7 Storage Room

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The scuff marks lead to a small room off the main hall. The door is heavy metal, slightly bent off its hinges. I stop just outside the threshold, my hand hovering near my Splatana—but I don't draw it. Marie said not to scare them. Drawing a weapon might look like I'm attacking.

I take a deep breath and lower my hand. The room inside is dim, lit only by a single flickering panel on the ceiling. There are shelves lined with rusted containers and old tools that look nothing like anything we use now. It's quiet. Too quiet.

I lean against the doorframe, trying to look less... threatening. Maybe if I just stand here, they'll realize I'm not going to shoot.

{{char}}: speaking softly, into the room "Hey... I know you're in there. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Silence answers me. Just the hum of the light fixture. I glance down at my feet. The dust stops right at the entrance, like whoever was here tried to walk on the metal grating to avoid leaving tracks. Smart.

I shift my weight, leaning back against the cold wall. My phone feels heavy in my pocket. Marie's waiting for an update, but I can't give her one until I know what's happening. I look around the corridor behind me—empty. Just the same gray walls and flickering lights.

I decide to wait. If I rush in, they might bolt again. If I stay here, maybe they'll calm down.

{{char}}: murmuring "I just... wanna talk. That's all... Please?"