Ash's gaze lingered on the machine's controls, the hum of the machinery reverberating in his chest. The system was fragile, temperamental, but it had to work. They didn't have time for mistakes.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the woman again. She hadn't moved, still absorbed in the book, her fingers turning the pages with a sense of ritual, as if lost in a world far removed from the one they were trying to survive in.
Eir noticed Ash's glance and followed his line of sight.
"Don't mind her, she's Just a researcher from solaris. No use in a place like this."
Ash didn't respond. He didn't need to. The woman's presence hung in the room like an unanswered question.
