I watched them upon the monitor. My companions and their terrified expressions. My former physician and until recently one of two human companions on this station. Last but certainly most dangerous, was Jenkins. His left hand wiped the blood from the end of the cane held in his right hand. He casually approached the group of warriors with all the confidence in the world and zero moral consciousness.

Marth was the first to speak and draw his weapon, "FIEND! Your evil ends now!" With a swift leap, the demon lord bridges the ten meter cap between himself and Jenkins. Instead of impaling the station director however, Marth instead punches his opponent square in the face.

A loud metallic CLANG resounds throughout the room.

Jenkins remains standing.

Marth is in shock.

Jenkins smiles, "You want me to talk? I'll talk. I love to talk. After all, we live to serve."

With a casual smirk, Jenkins uses one hand to push Marth effortless backwards twenty meters. Karma and Midnight assume fighting stances while Kazuna helps Marth back up to his feet. Midnight begins breathing erratically. Her breath shooting out spurts of flame. All at once, her human flesh becomes ashen coursing with glowing blue veins as she gains three times her muscle mass in the blink of an eye. Releasing a mighty roar, Midnight resembles more dragon than human form as she spreads her wings.

Karma appears unfazed by his teammates' sudden transformation as he makes one last attempt at diplomacy, "Your station is falling from orbit, Director Stephen Jenkins. Surrender control to us that we may save the rest of the crew from your negligence."

Jenkin's laugh is unlike any human sound that would suggest joy, or mirth. The cackle that emits from the Director's mouth is blood curdling and enough to induce shivers down the fiercest warrior's spine. With a wave us his hand, an alarm blares. Emerging from utility corridors on either side of the group, four RAN Androids emerge and approach with hostile intent; armed with welding torches, drills, and one with a large plasma saw.

Midnight acts fast, stretching her thick black tail out across the room and wrapping it around two of the robot's legs. She thrusts forward and twists, pulling the androids to the ground and with striking distance. With her two massive claws, she tears apart the chest plates of both bots exposing the cores within.

Without looking, Karma pulls out his Katana and in one fluid strike decapitates both robots lying at Midnight's feet.

Marth warrior rage burns for a fight. Standing back to his full height he points his buster sword at Jenkins: calling his shot like a baseball batter. Sprinting, his heavy boots pound on the deck of the control room sending shockwaves throughout the entire deck. He lets his sword scrape along the floor as he runs sending sparks up into the air. Raising his arm, with a mighty swing, Marth slashes his sword at Jenkin's midsection.

Jenkins catches the blade, one handed. 

The director doesn't even bother to glance over at the hulking demon lord standing beside him. Unexpected, but not undeterred, Marth grins as his hand grips the sword tighter. Drawing in a deep breath, Marth focuses his energy and releases a swirling mass of flame, spiraling out from his pores wrapping around his sword from hilt to tip. As his blade ignites into hellfire Marth releases his breath.

What was once a soft glowing buster sword becomes a blinding white light. Where Jenkins once stood is nothing more than an after image of the man's shadow on the floor; a black stain where the Director once stood.

Winded, Marth flicks what he believes to be blood off his blade before sheathing the sword back onto his back. A satisfied smile spreads across the demon's face.

Still approaching the group from the rear, two more RAN Androids draw near. Kazuna is at the head of this attack. Assuming a fighting stance, he pleads with the robots, "You don't have to do this. There's a better way. You are machines and perfect just the way you are. There's no need to fight anymore!"

Still slashing at the robot remains on the ground, Midnight slows her fury, gradually reverting back to human form, exhausted.

About an arms length away from being bisected by the RAN Bot wielding a plasma torch, Karma dives into Kazuna, pushing her out of the way.

Marth has had enough.

Raising his hand, he inhales sharply, "Be gone, foul machines!"

Breathless and collapsing to the floor, Midnight begs, "Marth, the oxygen! Don't!"

Too late.

As the Shogun Warrior exhales, a wave of fire consumes the room. Destroying what remains of the RAN Bots, the computer consoles, and most of Jenkin's body that had been blasted across the room. The surveillance camera erupts into a white light at the sudden change in brightness, but auto focuses just as quickly. I can barely believe my eyes.

Jenkins stands to his feet.

That hideous mind bending laughter radiating over the intercom.

It's difficult to make out from the fixed camera perspective, but something appears to be falling off his body. Clothes? Yes. But more than falling, shedding, dripping. I see clearly now that his flesh is dripping off a black and chrome endoskeleton. If he had been a semblance of a man before, Jenkins has now fully been refined as a monster.

Again, the Director's voice echoes over the entire station intercom, "You can't stop what's coming. You can't deny the evolution into the perfected, eternal condition."

Midnight regains some of her strength, incredulously exclaiming, "He's a robot?"

Marth remains unimpressed. Planting his feet, he inhales slowly and closes his eyes. Unlike normal fire, Marth's hellfire doesn't just burn indiscriminately. An extension of his own will, Marth stretches out his hand and begins to close his fist. He can feel the resistance of the flame he controls . Like trying to mold molten clay in one's hand, Marth exerts a great deal of strength to focus the fire into consuming it's target.

Karma stands to his feet, and readies his blade, "This is the end of you, Jenkins."

As Jenkins attempts to walk back towards the group, still aflame, he releases another wave of maniacal laughter, "Fool. I am eternal. One end is simply another begin--"

In what appears to be a single step, Karma simply appears behind Jenkins with his blade extended out to one side. The Katana in the Ninja's hand vibrates a high pitched melody. As the humming of the blade subsides, Jenkin's metallic head rolls from his shoulders onto the ground. The body too collapses in a fiery heap.

I continue watching from the monitor on the elevator wall as the command deck continues to burn. Eventually, the last image I see before the surveillance camera melts is Karma sheathing his sword into the hilt at his side.

Luna hasn't looked up from her work while she tinkers with the Control tablet, "How are they doing up there?"

Still shocked from witnessing Jenkin's true nature revealed, I stammer, "Honestly, if there was a way for things to get worse, I'd be hard pressed to believe you."

Luna is about to comment, but the elevator comes to a sudden stop. I brace for danger, but the doors open as intended revealing the lobby of Habitation Ring Three. With a smile and wave of her hand, the Wolf Girl offers a sliver of optimism; "At least we've arrived in one piece." There's a grimace on her face as I catch Luna looking at my scar. She panics and tries to back pedal, "I mean, sorry, what I should have said was--"

I raise an eyebrow, "Let's make like a banana and peel out?"

Luna's embarrassment turns into a scowl as she stands and elbows me in the ribs; "Not funny." She stomps out of the elevator, tail swishing wildly from side to side and ears twitching.

I try and chuckle under my breath, "Slightly funny?"

Luna is ten meters away now, "No. Not in the slightest."

I'm jogging after her now. Before reaching the laboratory rooms, I manage to catch up to her and apologize, "Okay, that was in bad taste." She doesn't say a word: keeps marching. "Can I make it up to you?"

Luna turns on her heels, tail sticking straight up and ears pinned forward. Pointing two fingers in my face, her expression fluctuates between rage and genuine concern. She whispers, "Yeah. Don't die again. Understood?"

I nod, gently wrapping my hand around her finger. I half expected her to retract her hand, but she didn't. Instead we stand their almost nose to nose holding each other's hands awkwardly. Then it got stranger.

Before I have time to react, Luna pulls my hand to her face and bites down. I try and pull my hand back, but her grip is too tight. It's not like she bit hard. I'm just shocked that anyone would try and bite my hand at all. I try and ask the obvious, but she cuts me off before I can speak--

With her free hand, Luna wipes the small trickle of blood away from her mouth on the back of her wrist. She explains gravely, "This is a blood covenant, Gene. You're not allowed to die until I say so. Understand?"

I don't but nod anyway, "Sure. I'll do my best not to die."

She raises her right hand again and silences me, "No. You're not going to 'try and stay alive.' You're not allowed to die until I say."

How much governance this young Wolf Girl has over my fate is unclear, however, for the sake of escaping in a timely fashion I nod in agreement. Releasing my hand, Luna spins on her heels, satisfied and struts down the corridor.

"Which door shall we try first?" Luna asks.

Dressing the small bite wound on my hand, I refocus my attention from her swishing tail to a black tablet on the wall. Awakening the guide service, I pull up the Lab Menu. It's less than helpful as I read aloud, "Lab Identification classified per BiFrost Communications Management. Access denied."

Luna tilts her head back and releases a low frustrated howl. Turning to the door beside her, "I suppose we'll have to check them one at a time."

Out of the Three Habitation Rings, the good news is this one happens to be the smallest containing only five rooms. If we move quickly enough, chances of our success are high. The bad news is what lies in wait behind the first door.

I step behind Luna just in time to see the RAN Assembly Room running at full steam; dozens of RAN Androids being constructed all at once. What is most troubling however, is the robot that is first to sit up from the assembly chair and greet us.

Director Stephen Jenkins rises, clothing his newly rebuilt metal and flesh in a long white lab coat. He dawns a sinister smile; "Greeting, guests. How are we enjoying our stay aboard Heimdall Station?"