The Insiders: Episode 6 - Close to the Edge

"Sometimes the answers we seek aren't found in hiding, but in facing what we've been running from all along."

The massive doors of the Throne Room creak open under Emm and Gee's combined keys, releasing the musty scent of disuse into the corridor. As Bran steps inside, memories wash over him like warm waves—of countless messages delivered when the Sandy was still around, of glimpsing wisdom in this sacred space.

Behind the golden throne, the Tree of Life stands dormant and bare while the Tree of Knowledge bears a single defiant green bud. In this dusty silence, Bran confronts not just his recent failures, but deeper wounds: his brief, intense fling with Gemma that cost him TiGer's friendship, and his habit of running from difficult conversations rather than engaging with them.

His moment of reflection is interrupted when TiGer bursts through the doors, her orange-and-black spiky hair vibrant against the chamber's gloom. "There you are. Had a hunch you'd skulk here," she announces, hands on hips. Her rapid-fire updates about angry Beta messengers, Captain Higgs's fury, and his new uniform are delivered with the caustic wit that's uniquely hers.

As she softens slightly, TiGer shares an ancient story once broadcast by the Sandy—about an exodus to a promised land occupied by enemies. "Only our enemies are mostly in here," she says, tapping her head pointedly.

Outfitted in his new silver Beta Wave uniform with its yellow lightning flashes, Bran struggles to adapt to the oversized boots designed to create an airtight seal with the tube system. His dendricals tingle with anticipation inside the red and blue gloves that will grant him access to the tubes he's missed during his exile.

On the Bridge, Captain Higgs's thunderous correction when Bran mistakenly calls her "Ma'am" instead of "Captain" makes his dendricals curl with embarrassment. Their mission is clear: survey damage, collect reports, visit Sher Gar for recordings, and consult the Chief about repairs.

Splitting up to cover more ground, Bran visits the Library where Sher Gar reveals a shocking truth: the crash wasn't Bran's fault. Two cloaked vessels pursued The ALEx, one firing a projectile that struck L3 Station and pumped in a mysterious liquid. Relief floods Bran's circuits—he wasn't the cause; he was the victim!

With this crucial evidence secured on his datapad, Bran chooses the upper deck route back to the Bridge, hunching his tall frame through the dimly lit corridor. Each step brings him closer to Captain Higgs and the truth that might finally clear his name.

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The difference isn't in what happened.

The difference is what you do with it.

The Insiders: Episode 5 - The Grand Illusion

"The stories we believe shape the reality we experience—but what happens when we challenge those narratives?"

In the tense atmosphere of Meeting Room 4, Bran faces the moment of truth. Captain Higgs's verdict hangs in the air as the flexishell walls pulse with the rhythm of The ALEx's systems. When she finally speaks, her words send shockwaves through the assembled officers: Bran is reinstated as Beta Wave Leader.

As reactions ripple around the table—from TiGer's vibrating excitement to Cropper's bristling feathers and Barry's defeated slump—Bran feels both elation and terror war within his chest. The scripture "Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward" echoes in his mind, a reminder that this second chance comes with tremendous responsibility.

Leaving the meeting, Bran encounters an unsettling role reversal: Candi, usually supportive, questions his promotion with suspicion, while Walter, his longtime critic, offers unexpected consideration. The toad-like officer's probing observations cut uncomfortably close to home: "When threatened, you retreat. When challenged, you shrink... It's kept you alive, certainly. But at what cost?"

At the Nexus, Bran confronts the physical aftermath of his crash—scattered papers, toppled furniture, and scorch marks marring the walls. The sight triggers a cascade of panic, his vision tunneling as his dendricals spasm beneath the yellow glove. In this moment of crisis, he makes a desperate decision to seek refuge in the one place that might offer peace: the Throne Room.

Using a maintenance tube to avoid the public eye, Bran escapes to All Mounds Park where he hopes to find Emm and Gee, whose presence is required to unlock the sacred space. Instead, he encounters Leo, the fight instructor, whose meaty hand and booming voice steer him toward the gym where Adreno Guards wait with hungry grins.

As the familiar pattern of flight begins to take hold, Bran glimpses a different path. With Emm and Gee finally at his side, he slips past Cropper's office toward the Throne Room—a small act of courage that represents his first steps toward breaking free from the stories and habits that have defined him.

Will the Throne Room offer the clarity Bran seeks? Can he truly rewrite the narrative of who he is and who he might become? And what of the unseen forces conspiring against The ALEx—and against Bran himself?

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The difference isn't in what happened.

The difference is what you do with it.

The Insiders: Episode 4 - Hand of Destiny

*"Sometimes the most courageous choice isn't running away from danger, but walking steadily toward your fate."*

With the threat of permanent discharge still lingering like a shadow, Bran steps into the harsh corridor lighting outside Cropper's office. His dendricals tremble inside the unfamiliar yellow glove—a temporary privilege that feels more like a ticking countdown than a reprieve.

Behind him, the rhythmic "thwack, thwack, thwack" of Miss Cripps' cane against her open claw follows him down the corridor, each strike a reminder of how close he came to having his essence painfully extracted and ejected into the void.

As Bran navigates the flexishell corridors, he faces a critical decision: take the quick but dangerous S-tube shortcut to the Captain's office, or choose the longer, safer route. The old Bran would have risked everything for speed, but something has shifted inside him. "Rushing gets you dead faster than being late," the Chief's gruff wisdom echoes in his mind as he makes the more difficult, prudent choice.

An unexpected encounter with Automotons brings a moment of surprising connection when Grex, recognising Bran's yellow-gloved fate, offers a gentle gesture of solidarity. Even these creatures, relegated to the ship's underbelly, show more loyalty than Bran managed during the first coup—a realisation that stings with shame but strengthens his resolve.

At the Nexus, Thalma and Louise's conjoined form greets him with their characteristic contrast of excitement and efficiency. Through their exchange, Bran discovers he's not merely meeting the Captain—he's facing a full review board examining the L3 Station incident.

In Meeting Room Four, the assembled might of The ALEx's command structure awaits. As reports of widespread damage and hundreds of injured crew members fill the air, Bran notices something strange: Nora claims to have sent him to check a blockage that only he and Sher Gar had theorised moments before the accident.

With all eyes upon him, Bran makes another crucial choice. Instead of blurting out his suspicions, he remains measured and thoughtful, presenting evidence that the L3 incident wasn't random but a deliberate attack on The ALEx itself.

As Captain Higgs considers his testimony, Bran finds himself at another crossroads—but for the first time, he faces it with clarity rather than fear. Whatever comes next, he's ready to embrace it with eyes wide open.

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The difference isn't in what happened.

The difference is what you do with it.