---

In the Engine Room, Bjorn and Lucas were making final adjustments to the Celestial Engine. The room hummed with a low, steady vibration, the air thick with the scent of ozone and the faint tang of lubricant. Bjorn, his massive frame hunched over a console, grunted as he tightened a bolt, his furry brows furrowed in concentration.

Lucas, perched on a stool nearby, watched him with an amused smile.

"You know, for someone who's supposed to be the best engineer in the fleet, you sure do grunt a lot," he teased, his bright orange eyes twinkling.

Bjorn looked up, his dark brown eyes narrowing playfully. "And you, young pup, talk too much." he said, his large, fur-covered hand pulling the handle on an oversized breaker, causing the hum of the engine to rise a notch. "But don't worry, I've got your back. I will always have your back; despite any secrets I may keep from you."

Lucas chuckled, pushing himself off the stool and onto his feet. "There's that word again," he said, his voice light as he made his way towards the main control panel. "Secrets. Why is it that everyone on this ship seems to have them?"

Bjorn stood up straight, his massive frame towering over Lucas. "Because, young pup, life isn't always as black and white as you'd like it to be. Sometimes, secrets are necessary to protect those we care about." The bear-man's voice was stern, his eyes filled with a wisdom that belied his gruff exterior.

Lucas paused, his hand hovering over the control panel. He looked at Bjorn, his expression thoughtful.

"I understand that Bjorn. I really do. But it's hard to trust, to truly trust, when there are secrets lurking in the shadows." His eyes flicked to the main viewscreen, where the swirling colors of the Timeless Zone danced. "Especially when we're navigating something as unpredictable as this."

Bjorn clapped a large hand on Lucas' shoulder, his grip firm yet gentle. "Trust is earned, Lucas. And so is honesty. But sometimes, honesty can be dangerous. It can put people in harm's way. Sometimes, the best way to protect loved ones is to keep them in the dark," Bjorn said, his voice heavy with wisdom and experience. Lucas nodded, understanding the logic behind Bjorn's words, even if he didn't fully agree.

The Celestial Engine began to pulse at a specific resonance, as it did, shadowy tendrils began to appear over the massive engine and started to appear past them and toward every opening in the engine room.

"What cursed things are those?" Lucas asked, his eyes wide as he watched the shadowy tendrils snake their way towards them.

Bjorn grunted, his massive frame tense. "Those, my boy, are one of the secrets in the shadows. Now isn't your heart glad they've been brought into the light? Isn't your mind far less burdened?" he said sarcastically, a hint of concern in his voice.

Lucas grinned, "Well, now that you mention it... no. I'm going to run, confidently, back to the Pilot's Chair, and I'll see you later, Bjorn," Lucas said, his voice filled with determination. He dashed towards the Pilot's Chair, his body moving with a grace that belied his youth.

Bjorn watched him go, a mixture of pride and concern in his eyes. He knew Lucas was capable, but the shadows that had begun to snake their way through the engine room were unlike anything he had ever encountered.

With a grunt, and a sigh for having grunted once again, Bjorn activated the comms, "Cap, we're ready. It should be happening wherever you are, soon enough."

---

In Astrometrics, Nigel and Nova stood before the holographic display, their eyes locked on the swirling colors of the Timeless Zone. The room was filled with a low hum, the air thick with anticipation. Nigel's gaze flickered to Nova, taking in her ethereal beauty, her pristine white fur glowing under the soft light of the holographic display. He felt a pang of guilt for not telling her everything, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the task at hand.

"Thank you, Bjorn. It looks like everyone is arriving right on cue," Nigel replied, his voice steady as he turned his attention back to the holographic display. He could feel Nova's gaze on him, her eyes filled with questions, but he ignored them for now. This was not the time, nor the place, for overthinking.

The door to Astrometrics slid open with a soft hiss, revealing Tatyana, Bella, and Orlova. All were dressed in Combat EVA-Suits, minus the helmets. Tatyana, wielding Atlas's massive ornate hammer, looked at her father expectantly. Bella readied her laser rifle, her eyes scanning the room warily. Orlova stood tall, her medical bag slung over her shoulder, her eyes reflecting the swirling colors of the Timeless Zone.

"Status report," Nigel commanded, his eyes flicking between the three women.

Tatyana spoke first, her voice firm and steady. "Bjorn is ready in the Engine Room. Lucas is in his chair. We're as prepared as we can be for whatever comes next."

Bella nodded in agreement. "I'm ready and Doctor Orlova has enough tranquilizers to sedate a small army if needed."

Orlova smiled, giving a reassuring nod. "Indeed, I have. And I've packed some old-fashioned sedatives too, just in case our tech fails us."

Nigel acknowledged them, his ears perked up and twisting to the change in the hum of the Titans Pillar. "Here we go," he said flatly, as he turned to Nova, who instinctively took a step back from the sudden intensity in his blue eyes.

"Your thoughts, all of your thoughts, are so, hostile," she said in a whisper, a hint of fear in her black eyes, "What's wrong?"

"That's a nice white EVA-Suit there, Nova. Except, it can't be the one I gave you, because Bella and Doc found that one on the bed of your quarters," Tatyana observed, her gaze sharp and piercing. "So, where did you get this one from, and why aren't you wearing the one I gave you?"

Nova's eyes widened, her ears twitching nervously. "I... I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered, her eyes flicking between Tatyana and Bella, who had lowered her rifle slightly.

"Enough with the nonsense, Nova," Bella snapped, her voice cold. "You are only making us think we see the white EVA-Suit. You aren't really wearing one at all, are you?" Bella's voice was as sharp as the laser rifle she held, her eyes narrowing as she took a step closer to Nova.

Nova's breath hitched, her eyes darting between Bella, Tatyana, and Nigel. She swallowed hard, her mind racing. This was not how she had envisioned this moment. She had hoped for more time, more preparation. But now, standing here, confronted by the truth, she felt a surge of panic rising within her.

"Nova, please," Nigel's voice was soft, gentle even, but there was an undercurrent of steel in it. "We just want the truth. Something you always found a reason to avoid. Why is that, Nova?" Nigel asked. His eyes held a mix of hurt and disappointment, a stark contrast to the steely resolve in his voice.

Nova looked at him, her eyes filled with a mix of fear, confusion, and desperation. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She tried again, her voice barely a whisper, "I... I don't know what you mean."

The pulsing resonance of the Titan's Pillar entered Astrometrics, with it came the shadowy tendrils, creeping their way towards Nova from every corner of the room. Nova's eyes widened in terror as she saw them, her body tensing as she prepared to flee.

"Don't move, Nova," Nigel commanded, his voice firm and steady despite the eerie sight unfolding around them. "It's time. Time to bring the truth to light."

Nova froze, her pleading gaze turning to Nigel, "It didn't have to be this way, Nigel. You didn't have to find out like this."

A smirk graced Nigel's face, a warmth returned to his voice as he said, "Yes it did."

As the pulse reached Nova, she began to twitch and moan, her body contorting in ways that defied any known anatomy. The white latex suit she wore, or rather, was being projected onto her by her mental powers, began to ripple and distort, revealing glimpses of her true form. Her pristine white fur morphed into a patchwork of colors, her ethereal beauty twisting into something... other.

Bella gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in shock. Tatyana's grip tightened on the ornate hammer, her eyes narrowing as she took a step back, ready to defend herself and her father. Orlova stood rooted to the spot; her eyes wide in disbelief as she watched Nova's transformation.

Nova's moans turned into screams, her body writhing as the pulse of the Celestial Engine of the Titans Pillar surged through her. The shadowy tendrils plumped with flesh, though still emanating a shadowy energy, were now physical, revealing themselves to be massive tentacles that stretched and elongated, reaching out from the lower half of her body with a sickening wet sound.

Nigel's eyes widened in horror as he realized what was happening. "By the Titans, so she is a shapeshifter. Be careful of her face. Don't let what horrors lie beneath cause you to hesitate," he warned, his voice filled with a mix of awe and revulsion.

As the pulse driven transformation reached Nova's midriff, a bare Homo-Sapien navel appeared, followed by human-like hips that seemed to sway and undulate in a grotesque parody of sexuality. The tentacles, now numbering a dozen or more, continued to emerge, each one thick and muscular, covered in a slick, iridescent sheen. They writhed and twisted, seeking purchase on the floor, the walls, anything to anchor her new form.

Nova's screams turned into pained growls, her body contorting further as the transformation neared completion. Her face, once beautiful and innocent, began to change.

Her snowy white fur receded, revealing pale, almost translucent skin. Her nose, once a delicate snout, flattened and widened, becoming a grotesque parody, a small, angled human nose.

Nova's eyes, however, remained black, deep and unfathomable, as was her long flowing hair, which modestly covered her petite human-like breasts.

Her ears, once long and slender, receded into her head, replaced by small, round human ears. Her jawline, once defined and elegant, softened, becoming round and full.

Tatyana, Bella, and Orlova stared in disbelief, their weapons raised, but hesitating. The creature before them was no longer the delicate, ethereal Nova they had grown to know. Instead, it was a grotesque parody, its body a twisted amalgamation of human and... something else.

Nigel, however, remained steadfast. His gaze locked onto Nova's, with a slight smile, as he addressed her. "There you are."