The Spider Queen

(Hydra Star System- Outer Regions)

(S.S Defiance- Medical Bay)

"So… our vacation isn't exactly going as planned…" Cleo whispered cheekily as she raised up her palm to stroke Sophie's cheek.

"I was thinking some sand, some relaxation, some fun times… I must say… this wasn't what I had in mind…"

She was currently laying down on a white bed in the medical bay with a tube connected to her upper thigh.

Every single person who had gone down to the planet visited the starship's hospital in order to make sure that there was nothing wrong with them.

Sophie's regenerative ability had healed all of the damage that she had suffered but Cleo was still dealing with the aftereffects of using mental techniques.

The hybrid girl pulled the chair a bit closer to her girlfriend's bed and smiled gently as she caught Cleo's hand.

"No… but we do seem to get into trouble quite a lot…" Sophie confessed softly as she rubbed her fingers on the underside of Cleo's palm.

"Did you check out the news on the incident yet?" Cleo asked curiously.

"Hmm… I messaged my dad to let him know that we are okay, but I haven't checked the virtual Net since we came back," Sophie muttered thoughtfully.

She let go of Cleo's hand and powered on her wrist communicator. The screen slowly blinked to life and Sophie tapped a button on its side.

A holographic window was projected into the air above her communicator with the front page of the virtual Net.

Sophie quickly looked up the 'Planet Vrean Incident' and the results were displayed on the projection.

The financial organization in charge of the cruise were unable to cover up the incident due to the nature of the people involved.

Powerful nobles, businesspeople and others who were equally important had died on a seemingly safe vacation planet.

The various factions and powers behind these dead individuals had information networks that easily found out what had happened.

Now it was currently the most talked about incident on the virtual Net.

Sophie browsed through the comments and found everything from people sympathising with the dead to those who mocked the victims due to their wealthy statuses.

The reports coming from the incident were mainly about those who died so even though Sophie was the one to first alert the security team that something was wrong…

She was not featured anywhere in the reports.

Or perhaps that was due to her father's influence…

"Do you think they will cancel the rest of the cruise?" Cleo asked softly as she watched the information on the holographic projection.

"Yeah… I don't see how the cruise can continue after so many people have died… actually I think that the financial group is definitely going to go bankrupt…" Sophie replied seriously.

"It isn't their fault because no one could have predicted what was on the planet but… I am sure that they are going to be tied up in lawsuits for decades…"

"And that isn't even the worst possibility… the factions behind some of the people who died may try to seek revenge in ways outside the law."

The two girls fell into an uneasy silence as Sophie's words echoed through the empty room.

Sophie was not an innocent person by any means and was well aware of the darkness hidden in the noble society.

Rules did not apply to those with power and wealth especially in a society with a caste system where the nobles stood on the top.

"Anyways…" Sophie cleared her throat and tried to change the subject.

"Are you feeling better? Do you want to go back to our room?"

"Sure babe… I think I just need some sleep," Cleo yawned sleepily and blinked twice. She reached for the tube attached to her thigh and pulled it out.

The princess swung her feet over the bed and stretched out her arms. Sophie held her gently in a warm embrace and helped her girlfriend to stand.

The pair left the room, and an android came in a few minutes after to clean up the ward and prepare for the next set of guests.

Sophie and Cleo wandered through an endless labyrinth of side passageways and halls on their way back to their room.

They encountered several passengers on their way to Sophie's private suite but the atmosphere inside the starship had now completely changed.

The people that they came across had worried, angry, and scared expressions on their faces. It was clear that word of the incident had spread across the starship.

Everyone talked in hushed whispers and the staff who were scattered across the starship were currently being swarmed by irate passengers.

Sophie used her bladed appendages to clear a path through the crowd and the pair continued walking until they arrived at the familiar hall.

The hybrid girl walked up to her room and placed her palm against the scanner. A green light flashed twice and then the metalloid doors slid open.

Sophie entered inside and headed for the bathroom to wash her face while Cleo walked towards the bed and plopped down on the mattress.

Sophie pressed a button above the sink and warm water began to flow out of a faucet. She scooped up a healthy amount of water and began to wash her face.

Cleo taken a shower in the private bath attached to the medical ward, but Sophie was still a bit dirty from the desert.

Sand fell down in the sink and Sophie let out a heavy sigh as she realised that she probably needed to take a shower before going to bed.

"Babe I'm going to shower!" Sophie yelled loudly from the bathroom.

She received a muffled reply of acknowledgment from Cleo who was already beginning to drift off.

The hybrid girl peeled off the layers of her clothing and then placed then in a bag near the entrance to the bathroom.

Sophie glanced in the mirror and saw a seven-foot-tall hybrid girl staring back at her. The young woman in the mirror was incredibly pretty with a lean muscular physique.

Wait… when did….

Sophie furrowed her brows in confusion as she realised that her knife-like ears seemed a bit pointier than usual.

She absentmindedly touched the tips of her ears, but nothing seemed to be amiss. Sophie shrugged her shoulders and headed for the shower area.

There was an option to take a light shower or use water instead. Sophie pressed the water option and soon a gentle drizzle of water came down from the ceiling.

The hybrid girl grabbed some soap from next to the shower and began to wash her body with slow careful movements.

Sand… was a real pain the ass to deal with.

Those tiny particles got everywhere especially the hard-to-reach parts of her body. Sophie hummed a soft tune as she continued to clean herself.

Eventually she turned off the water and stepped outside.

Sophie grabbed a towel and wiped down her body and was extra careful as she used the towel to dry off her bladed appendages.

The sharpened barb at the end of her appendages could easily tear the soft fabric used to make the towel.

Sophie pulled out a simple white nightdress from her storage bag and took a few minutes to put it on.

She left the bathroom and turned off the lights. Cleo was already sleeping on the bed with her chest gently rising and falling with every breath that she took.

Sophie smiled warmly at her girlfriend's sleeping body and lay down on the mattress next to her.

She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Cleo before falling asleep as a wave of exhaustion suddenly hit her all at once.

Sophie reopened her eyes to find herself floating in an endless void. An ancient inhuman voice echoed through the space that was eerily familiar.

(Welcome my child… it has been quite some time…)