---- AND EXPAND THE MIND BEYOND WHAT ANY MAN CAN BEAR
It had been weeks in isolation. Almost a full month spent out in the recesses of the world, wandering the broken cities of Earth, exploring the deep caverns of the Moon, weathering the lightning storms of Venus, traversing the dunes of Mars. And, of course, delving deep into that forbidden, endless ship that had stopped in the rings of Jupiter. So many nights---or the simulation of nights---spent restless, watching the shadows for movement. So many days with a deep hunger clawing at her stomach. Once or twice she had put a gun to her own head and pulled the trigger, just to be revived with a full stomach. But physical fulfillment did nothing to sate the longing for knowledge.
She and Pyxis had spent hours decoding calcified fragments, decrypting code and verse. They painstakingly tracked each one to its source and argued over the correct translation of each syllable, substituting rhyme for reason in most places, for the Hive were fond of neither. But, if it hadn’t been for her Ghost, Etsuko truly would have gone mad, down in the depths of the Dreadnaught. Everyone, Warlocks especially, had heard horror stories of Toland the Shattered and where his quest for enlightenment led him, but Etsuko had always seen herself as a more rational being.
Perhaps she was not.
But at some point, luckily, she knew when to step back. She'd been away from the City for too long. So she returned, somewhat reluctantly, but armed with fresh, sharp knowledge.
