Page 48 of Eclipse Bound
His twilight essence was severely compromised. The weapons Milano deployed had been specifically calibrated to disrupt energy-based lifeforms, fragmenting his cohesion at the quantum level. In his home zone on Zorveya, surrounded by the natural twilight energies, recovery would have been swift. Here, trapped in this dampening field, regeneration was painfully slow.
Time passed. Eclipse had no way to measure it precisely. The laboratory remained empty for the most part, although technicians entered to adjust settings and take readings. They never spoke directly to him, discussing him as if he were merely an interesting specimen.
"Subject maintains a cohesive field despite fragmentation," one noted. "Remarkable resilience compared to the Bevlonian we processed last year."
"Different energy pattern entirely," another replied. "The twilight signature shows properties of both absorption and emission. Neither fully light nor shadow."
Bevlonian. The word registered in Eclipse's fragmented consciousness. A species from the Omega quadrant, notorious for their aggressive territorial expansion. Had Milano encountered them before? Had they captured one?
This confirmed what Eclipse had suspected. Milano had prior experience with extraterrestrial beings. Their technology was too advanced, too specifically tailored to be the result of theoretical research alone.
Eclipse forced himself to remain passive, to reveal nothing of his intelligence or comprehension. Every piece of information they gleaned from him would be weaponized against Solar and Lunar. Against Rowan.
Rowan. Her name rippled through his essence, creating a momentary surge that registered on the monitoring equipment. A technician made note of it, but thankfully didn't seem to understand the cause.
Eclipse retreated deeper into himself, focusing on the connection he had formed with her. Their resonance had been unprecedented, a harmonic convergence that transcended normal energy interactions. If any trace of that connection remained, perhaps he could use it.
The pain of containment faded as Eclipse concentrated on the memory of Rowan's energy signature, the unique rhythm of her human bioelectrical field. He had never attempted to form a connection across distance before. On Zorveya, such abilities were theoretical at best, the subject of ancient legends rather than scientific study.
But desperate circumstances required desperate measures.
Eclipse gathered what remained of his fragmented essence, concentrating it into a focused pulse attuned to the specific frequency of Rowan's energy pattern. The effort was agonizing, like tearing apart what little cohesion he had managed to maintain.
The containment field flared in response, tightening around him. Alarms blared. The door burst open as technicians rushed in.
"Containment surge. Energy spike in Subject Eclipse!"
"Increase damping field to maximum!"
The pressure intensified unbearably, but Eclipse had already released his pulse. A microscopic fragment of his twilight essence, encoded with his consciousness, projected outward through the quantum field. Whether it would reach Rowan, whether she could even receive it, he couldn't know.
The effort had cost him dearly. Eclipse's consciousness began to dissolve under the increased pressure of the containment field. His form collapsed inward, no longer able to maintain even the barest semblance of structure.
The last thing he registered before perception failed entirely was a technician's voice, "Subject showing critical destabilization. Alert Director Vega immediately."
Darkness claimed him, deeper than any he had known before.
Eclipse drifted in a void, neither conscious nor unconscious. Time had no meaning. His essence existed in a state of suspended animation, prevented from dissolution by the containment field yet unable to regenerate.
Occasionally, awareness would flicker briefly, snippets of conversation, the sensation of being moved, sharp bursts of pain as his energy was sampled and analyzed. But these moments were disconnected, impossible to organize into a coherent timeline.
"...molecular resonance suggests an entirely different evolutionary path..."
"...energy conversion efficiency exceeding ninety-seven percent..."
"...subject remains unresponsive to stimuli..."
"...prepare for phase two testing..."
In these brief moments of semi-consciousness, Eclipse focused on a single thought, a name that anchored what remained of his identity. Rowan.
Rowan.
Rowan.
Had she escaped the caves? Had his sacrifice been worthwhile? Were Solar and Lunar still free? These questions circled endlessly without answers.
During a brief period of increased lucidity, Eclipse became aware that he was no longer in the same laboratory. The energy signature of the containment field had changed, becoming more sophisticated. The space around him felt larger, designed for more extensive testing.
