i looked to the stars (and i saw you)

Chapter One

Violet

There's nothing like making something spontaneously combust at 4:58 AM. Violet's hands instantly reached for the fire extinguisher, ready to put out the burning pile of metal sitting on her desk. The fire alarms screeched in her ears, and it was at the moment when she realized that her project was not on fire. The building was.

She opened the door to her lab in confusion, and she found her coworkers running around shouting things that she could not make out. She scampered out of the room, careful not to trip. Smoke filled her lungs as she inhaled, making her cough violently.

She ran into someone. She quickly opened her mouth to apologize, but the man quickly shoved a rag over her mouth. In a confused daze, she tried shoving it off, but the sweet smell of sedatives filled her nose as she struggled against the man.

She felt her legs go weak, and her brain fogged over. She could not do anything but collapse into the grasp of the man. She coughed as she felt her body fully give out, and she tried calling out for help before everything went black.

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Violet gasped awake, tugging at the bonds tying her arms and legs together. The room she was in dark, with a small lightbulb hanging above the desk the chair was at. She thrashed violently, shouting for help as loud as she could with her sedative damaged vocal cords.

"Relax, Violet," a woman said, stepping into view. "Don't make this more difficult than it has to be." Violet looked her up and down. She could not have been more than 22. She was young. Her Chinese was accented, and it took Violet a moment to realize who she was.

"Did Russia send you?" She asked through gritted teeth, trying to keep her voice steady. The woman pulled out the chair across from Violet, the screeching noises echoing off the walls. She sat down, and Violet took notice of the gun at her side.

"Does it matter who sent me?" She asked carefully, raising an eyebrow. "What matters is that you cooperate." Violet glared at her. She caught sight of a patch on the woman's sleeve. N. ORLOVA. She knew who this was.

"Lieutenant Orlova," she said, making sure to enunciate each syllable. "Russia really sent the best of the best to get me?"

"Oh, no, I didn't capture you," she gestured to the door, where Violet could see the silhouette of a man. "He did."

"What do you want?" Violet spat, attempting to pull at her bonds again. "I doubt Russia has any use for an engineer," she studied the woman's face. A small scar rested at the top of her lip, and she sat straight up, as if she had never lost a fight before.

"Maybe not," Orlova told her carefully. "But you know the layout of your colony?" Violet's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Why is that important?"

Orlova shrugged, and Violet watched as she began fidgeting with her dog tags. "I think I've heard enough." She brought out a rag, and Violet's stomach dropped. Before she could protest, the sweet smell hit her, and she was out.

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Is this how I die? The question rang through Violet's head as she blinked, trying to take in her surroundings. Her clothes had changed. From a burnt lab coat to a white t-shirt and gray pants. Her hair was out of its normal bun, and it cascaded down her back. She sat up carefully.

Orlova was standing against the wall, watching her carefully. Was she watching me sleep? Violet shot her a glare, to which she responded with a grin. Violet looked down to find a small band strapped around her ankle. She assumed it was a tracker.

"Where am I?" Violet snapped, refusing to move any closer to Orlova.

"On a ship back to Fides Nobis," she replied, as if it was an everyday fact. "We'll be there in two days,"

Violet felt her stomach sink, and her heart rate sped up. She was a captive. "What do you want from me?!" She shouted. "Am I here to make weapons for you?" Orlova raised an eyebrow, and Violet knew she had guessed right. Her jaw dropped. She began to shout something, but Orlova held her hand up.

"Watch it," she said, her tone harsh and cold. "We can make this easy. It's up to you." Is it though? Violet wanted to ask. Orlova moved from her place at the wall, and she took a careful step towards her. "When you arrive on Fides Nobis, you'll be escorted to a lab. You'll be given careful orders to construct something. Then we'll send you home,"

"Do you expect me to believe you?" Violet furiously questioned, standing up from her spot. "You'll have me make your stupid weapon just to keep me locked up for the rest of my life!"

"I assure you, Violet, that I am a woman of my word," she held her hands up in mock surrender. She stepped to the door, a faint smile trying to make its way onto her face. "I suggest you freshen up. You have a meeting in twenty minutes,"

"With who?" Violet demanded, watching her open the door to leave.

"You'll find out." The door shut loudly. Violet exhaled shakily, collapsing to the floor as her heart pounded in her chest.

How could she let this happen? She groaned in frustration, remembering the agent's words: "When they land here, do not let yourself be captured." She had heard these words after the threat of war was released. An agent, Xue Xiao-Yin, had come to her office to talk to all the weapons engineers.

Her legs pressed to her chest as she tried to calm her breathing. What would they do if she did not build their stupid weapon? Would they kill her and get another engineer to do it? No, she thought. Their engineers don't know what they're doing. They need one of us to build it for them. She had to find a way to get out of here.

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AUTHOR NOTE:

Hey Chops, the first chapter as we promised, tbh I didn't write any of this it was allllll Lynn. The first chapter is a bit short, but it is just to help set up the beginning of the story, so expect larger chapters in the foreseeable future......

Peace Chippy Chops

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