SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
edited September 2017
Paul Torgal
I had the most unnerving dream.
I was in a large, empty room. The walls and ceiling were terribly abstract, pieces sticking out everywhere you looked. I was being led to large rectangle of light, under the green light what looked to be a rippling puddle above my head. I couldn't see what was pushing me, but needless to say, they were not friendly. I stood over the rectangle of light, and I feared it. For whatever reason, I knew not what, but I was afraid. Disgusting, I know. Nevertheless, I was afraid, then the unknown...things... pushed me off the ledge. At this point, nothing I saw made sense. Images and scenes flew past my face at high speeds, as if traveling on a shuttle. I saw Sylas being attacked by a terrifying monster, I saw Marguerit wielding a shining knife desperately floating over to a strange elliptical object, I saw a massive structure suspended by large claws over a literal lake of fire and brimstone, and I saw an endless expanse of darkness going in all directions. And it ended with my vision becoming horribly distorted, as if by flames or waves, and a large object stood over me, but I couldn't tell what it was.
It spoke to me, but I couldn't quite make out what it was saying. The voice was garbled, as if it was being shouted from behind a wall. It said something like, "What, have you done?"
And then I woke up.
I woke to my wife staring down at my face, obviously concerned. "What?" I questioned?
"You were having a nightmare, you thrashed about, yelling, attacking your blanket like you wanted to strangle it." She said.
Hmm... what had happened? I tried to hold on to the images I saw, but already, they were fading into obscurity. It wasn't long before I wasn't able to recall it at all. Dreams, fickle things, aren't they?
I stood, brushing past Hannah. "Where are you going? You really shouldn't be up and about. You're still injured, you know."
"I just need to clear my head, Hannah. That's all..."
I brushed past her with no words, and exited my room, almost immediately running over Marcus. "Ah, I'm sorry Mr. Torgal, I didn't see you..." He quickly apologized.
He immediately rushed past me without another word. Poor sod, the man was terrified of me. I don't blame him. I still don't know what happened that day. I only remember waking up in intensive care. The story was relayed to me since then, but I believed nary a word of it. The fools clearly exaggerated it. I have never lost my head, I never plan on doing so. The mind is the most powerful weapon that a person can have. And I consider myself a Warlord in the matter.
I walked to the Main Bridge, surprised to find Marguerit at the panel. She noticed me, and swiftly spun towards me, brandishing a blade. "Keep walking pal, you're not killing anyone. Not while I'm here." She snarled.
I payed her no heed, and continued to walk to the windshield. I put my hands on the glass, and admired the empty space around us. Such beauty from emptiness, I relished in this view every chance I got. As I started, I noticed a bright white dot, slowly moving towards us. "Where are we?" I asked Marguerit.
"Y'know, I've been meaning to ask you that exact question to you. So, Chief... where are we?" She snarled again, with specific distaste on chief.
"I don't know what you're insinuating, but I haven't the slightest idea. Why would you think that I would know? Let us not forget, you're at the panel. Leading us to an ambush of sorts, or are you mercs not that smart?"
"See here," she practically growled, storming towards me, "I could kill you right here, with this knife, and no one here would mourn for you. I would be a saviour to them. Now, be a good boy, and go sit in your bed and wait for age to catch up to you."
"I will have you know, I am still your captain. You will treat me with the respect a captain deserves, or I shall put you in broken life pod, and send you off into open space myself." I leaned down to her for an emphasis to my point, "Now will we have any more problems? Or shall I have to find someone to recover that lifepod, I wouldn't want to waste money like that. Of course, should I have to, I would have to hire some cleaners to wipe up whatever stain you'll become. That would be a fairly, messy job, wouldn't you say?"
"Try me pal."
"Hey, what are we talking about?" A voice said from behind the panel.
I turned to find Bart standing there, looking particularly worried. "Nothing you should you concern yourself with, son. Mrs. Maida and I were just having a discussion on workload."
"Oh, okay." My son said sheepishly.
Marguerit stared daggers at me, sharper than the knife she held. The knife... that knife...
...the same one from...
"Father, could I talk to you?" Bart asked me, shaking me out of my thoughts.
"O-Of course, son."
We walked back to the Scanner Room and Bart showed me a large projection of a planet, which they had named 4546B. He showed me the intricacies of this planet, like the fact that it only had two tectonic plate, and the rest of it was salt-water all the way to the planet's core. The planet had a nitrogen based atmosphere, meaning we wouldn't be burdened to use the Degasi's remaining compressed air stocks to breath, and instead we could rely on basic, fabricated, SCUBA gear to breath under the water should we need to make repairs on the outside of the ship.
"So, Father, we have one hour to landfall. And I need you to tell me something... why did you bring us here?" Bart asked.
I had become tired of people insinuating I had led them off course. I would do nothing to sway myself away from the primary objective. Asteroid B0AGDD was our primary objective, and I have stayed true to that for the past 6 months. Marguerit obviously has found a way to sway the weaker minds aboard the Degasi to see me as the enemy, but I will not be so easily fooled. "I have no possible ideas what you could be prattling on about, but I have not brought us out here. Do not listen to a word that mercenary says to you, son. I expect more from that mind I bought for you." I objected.
"B-But...I saw...yo-"
"You saw nothing, boy. Do not let that fiendish Marguerit into your mind. She couldn't even imagine what knowledge I packed into there. She's unwelcome there, never forget that." I interrupted.
"Never mind, just, prepare for landfall. I assume you will lead the landing procedures, Captain?" Bart said.
I stood at the panel for the next hour, guiding the Degasi to its landing place, a long, empty sandbar only 50 meters under water. The Degasi could easily withstand that pressure.
At this short of the distance, you could almost see waves sweeping across the surface of this water bubble. The planet almost radiated a calming, light-blue glow. I could see no landmass, not even a sign of islands. Whatever land there was, had to be completely submerged. Not the most comforting thought, but not unnerving. The planet was fairly small, not much bigger than some moons. And it was much smaller than the nearby 4546A, which seemed to be the size of a basic, mid-sized Goldilocks planet.
I spoke over the intercom, "Alright people, we have entered the upper atmosphere, and are now in a decaying orbit. Lock down your seats and anything you don't want falling over. This could get bumpy."
It took several hours, but we finally made it to the final stages of landing. We were a mere 15 kilometer above the surface, close enough to see small signs of land underneath the waves.
I took in the sights of this small droplet in space, trying to see if any land was visible from this height. I could make out an island in the distance, much too small to land the Degasi on. The island also seemed to be too sheer and jagged to even attempt to land on. I thought I saw a glint of metal on the island, but it was too far to tell. Probably my eyes playing tricks on me again. I must get my eyes checked once we get back home.
I turned on the hull thrusters to stabilize the Degasi in its decent. Everything was going according to plan, when Marcus ran in screaming, "Mr. Torgal! An energy spike is originating from the planet! The energy output is higher than a high level, weaponized plasma stream!"
"Well, what in the dickens does that mean, Marcus!" I shouted back.
"Sir, the planet is firing on u-"
Suddenly, a deafening moan of grinding metal assaulted my ears, followed by a somber groan. No sooner than the sound started, it ended, leaving an eerie silence.
"What...was...tha-"
And all I saw next was a green light, defying the brightness of a star at its highest point. The light penetrated the starboard side of the Bridge, and all went dark...
Finally, after 2 weeks, I caught up with the scumbag. It took a heck of an effort, but I did it. The others didn't see why we needed to get our redemption. I had to, correct, their misguided feelings, but they finally saw reason. As I speak, we were barreling down on Torgal. I could even see that rotten hunk of corrupted titanium, trying to land on the planet. Trying to get away. They knew I was coming, but they could never be ready. I would get them. I will get them. "Karson! Prep the plasma torpedoes!"
"Yes, sir..." He said half-heartedly.
Notwithstanding his lack of enthusiasm, he did as he was told, exactly as I told him to.
"Weapons are hot!" I shouted.
I was so close. So close to redemption.
No one will ever abandon me again. Not now, not ever.
My hand hovered over the firing button. I looked for the words to say, the right words to send Paul Torgal and his band of traitors to their graves. Even if my wife was on that ship, she abandoned me, and she would die for that. I finally found them.
"Paul Torgal, you've betrayed the wrong man. And you will die for such an atrocious act. Hasta la vis-"
Suddenly, a bright green beam shot from the planet. The beam ripped through the Degasi, no doubt killing them instantly, and the beam was heading directly for The Blitz. Due to my swift reflexes, I was able to swerve the Bridge out of the beam's way, but the nuclear thrusters did not fair as well. An explosion rocked the back of the ship, shooting us forward. My head was slammed into the flight panel, and my vision went dark. The last thing I saw was an endless ocean, spiraling towards us...
In the fantasy book I'm writing there's a big emphasis on ambiguous, prophetic dreams, so it was cool to see one here.
I'm going to do my best to analyse what I'm calling Paul's Vision. I'm going to try to make sense of it by using in-game data logs and what the story has presented thus far, and I'm going to see if I can piece together what it all means.
I was in a large, empty room. The walls and ceiling were terribly abstract, pieces sticking out everywhere you looked. I was being led to large rectangle of light, under the green light what looked to be a rippling puddle above my head. ]
At first this made me think of the Precursor Gun Chamber (where you deactivate the weapon). The rectangle of green light seems to resemble the power source, and all Precursor architecture seems to be abstract. But that's where the similarities ended. There's also mention of a green, rippling puddle which seems to be a Precursor portal. The only portal near the gun is outside the base, and certainly not in the same chamber as the power source. Which is why I think this is talking about the Emperor's cell, the portal being that which is in the chamber and the rectangle of green light being a crystal of ion.
I couldn't see what was pushing me, but needless to say, they were not friendly. I stood over the rectangle of light, and I feared it. For whatever reason, I knew not what, but I was afraid.
And this is why I can't determine what the rectangle of green light actually is. I think the things pushing Paul towards the light are Warpers (I wouldn't necessarily call bonesharks or reapers unfriendly; they're just predators. Warpers are best described as unfriendly beings), but I'm not sure what the light is. Maybe it's the one in the Paul's final Degasi log. He sees a light deep down in the ocean. If Paul is seeing his own fate, then he has reason to be afraid.
I was afraid, then the unknown...things... pushed me off the ledge.
And here's the trickiest part before things start to go really wild. I think the ledge is the observation platform above the prison, but it could also be a lot of other things. I have no idea, but the platform seems likely.
At this point, nothing I saw made sense. Images and scenes flew past my face at high speeds, as if traveling on a shuttle. I saw Sylas being attacked by a terrifying monster, I saw Marguerit wielding a shining knife desperately floating over to a strange elliptical object, I saw a massive structure suspended by large claws over a literal lake of fire and brimstone, and I saw an endless expanse of darkness going in all directions. And it ended with my vision becoming horribly distorted, as if by flames or waves, and a large object stood over me, but I couldn't tell what it was.
I'll do all of this together. Sylas being attacked by a terrifying monster could mean that Sylas gets reaper'd, or just killed by any other predatory creature. But perhaps Marguerit kills Sylas? It's obvious Paul and her don't see eye to eye, and Paul thinks that the mercenary is spreading rumour with malicious intent (we'll get to this in a bit). It would make sense for Paul to see her in a dream as no more than a monster.
The Marguerit vision is the hardest to place in the whole of Paul's Vision. She's holding a shining knife (perhaps a diamond one), that much is easy enough to understand. But she is desperately floating over to an elliptical object? Elliptical objects in Subnautica are lacking. Perhaps it's as simple as it being a portal or a hole in the ground blurred by the fast pace of Paul's Visions, and the current is pulling her in. But in the end I have no idea about this one.
The structure above the lava is thankfully easy to place. The power generators over the Active Lava Zone seem a perfect fit.
And finally Paul's vision becomes distorted, and there is a large object over him. I think that this is the Emperor, and it is talking to him, hence the distortion. This is also backed up by what Paul hears next:
It spoke to me, but I couldn't quite make out what it was saying. The voice was garbled, as if it was being shouted from behind a wall. It said something like, "What, have you done?"
I have no idea what Paul did. I guess we'll find out.
This also provides a reason for Paul's urge to "go deeper" in the Degasi logs; he wants to find the source of the voice; a voice that is already calling out to him.
We find out in this chapter that the Federation have never found 4546B before, so it's safe to assume that no other ship has ever been this close. Perhaps Paul was in range of the Emperor's telepathy. It invaded his mind and drew on already existing desire (the desire to make as much of a profit on Plasteel as possible) and amplified it, making him want to go to 4546B wholly. This could also explain why he doesn't remember going off course; because he wasn't himself.
But I have a feeling that that isn't the last we've seen of the Emperor's meddling. In fact, I think that we've seen more of it in this chapter. In fact, I think that this chapter is crammed with Emperor influence.
"You saw nothing, boy. Do not let that fiendish Marguerit into your mind. She couldn't even imagine what knowledge I packed into there. She's unwelcome there, never forget that." I interrupted.
"Never mind, just, prepare for landfall. I assume you will lead the landing procedures, Captain?" Bart said.
"Yes, I must. That is my duty as Captain."
This feels like the Emperor. Paul's talking about how much knowledge he packed into there, and that Marguerit isn't welcome. That sort of feels like something the Emperor would say to Paul. Perhaps she's not even talking to Bart, but to Paul.
I also have a feeling that something's got hold of Sylas, but I have no idea.
SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
edited September 2017
CHAPTER 2
Paul Torgal
Get up...
...
Get up...
"Ughhh, wha..."
Get up...
"Wh-?"
GET UP.
I shot upwards, expecting to find myself in my King-sized water bed. But rather, I was floating on just water. I looked around, seeing I was on a twisted piece of metal, no doubt a magnesium alloy. But I saw nothing on the horizon, nothing but endless sea. Sea spreading for miles around me. Where was I?
Then my memory finally released the horrors I had seen earlier. I saw the beam rip through the hull, vaporizing Marcus where he stood. I saw ship's starboard side explode. I saw Hannah desperately fumbling for a lifepod. I saw myself get ripped out of the ship by the air pressure. I saw the water spiraling towards my face, and I saw my life flash before my eyes. It was great, if I do say so myself.
If I ever find that Torgal's corpse, I'm gonna kill him again.
I never trusted that unhinged, old man.
After the beam vaporized the room I was in seconds before, I held on to an exterior pipe for dear life, and climbed along the wall until I reached the Bridge. I was able to use the Degasi's remaining stabilizers to slow our fall, but that didn't make the impact any less rough. Once we hit the water, the windshield shattered, forcing hundreds of gallons into my face immediately. A poor first impression this forsaken planet gave us.
I had to abandon the Degasi, much to my chagrin. But not before I kicked out a thinner wall, sucking out objects, and hopefully, people. I scanned below my feet and saw nothing but sand. Then, I saw the sand stir slightly. I didn't stay much longer after that. I wasn't well equipped enough to take on whatever monster could be digging around. I dragged myself to the surface as fast as I could. I saw a figure floating on the surface above me. "Great, I'm already gonna have to bury people." I thought.
Readying my knife, just in case I was looking at Paul's body, I slowed my swim to get a good look at the body. I realized it was the kid. I checked his pulse, "Oh no, not the kid..."
Then a pump. Followed by another one. He was alive! I thrusted his face above water, and looked around for something to keep him out of the water. I saw a wooden crate, likely with food inside, and forced Bart on top. I tried to give him CPR, but I just pushed him under the water. I desperately looked around for some land. There was none that I could see. I tried resuscitating him back, but his lungs didn't inflate. "There's water in his lungs." I thought, "That might be it for him. Unless..."
I dove a few meters underwater, and quickly turned, swimming as fast as I could to the surface. I launched nearly a meter out, and rammed my elbow into his stomach.
Bart momentarily became the first human-fountain hybrid.
He spluttered and coughed, clutching his ribs, shouting to the sky in pain. I held his head in his arms as he flailed, trying to calm him down. "Kid, you gotta stop thrashing! You're going to attract something!"
Almost as if on cue, a roar echoed from the water. That's it, we're out of here. With Bart still on the crate, clearly beyond help at this point, I pushed the crate away. I didn't know where, but anywhere was better than here.
I swam for what seemed like hours. The roars behind me had ceased, but I wasn't looking back. I had seen enough monsters to last me a lifetime. I didn't want to look, I didn't want to feel, I didn't want to be here. I was so absorbed with my fear that I barely heard Bart's whisper. "Shh, you're in shock. Just calm down and don't thrash." I comforted.
"But, I see land." Bart croaked.
I peeked around the crate, and sure enough, the outline of an island was apparent. An immense cloud cover was still obscuring most of the island from our view, but even if it was full of flesh-eating mice-elephant hybrids, I would take that action if it meant getting out of the water.
As we neared the island, our luck seemed to grow by the second. The island was covered in a lush, green forest, with various flowers and fruit trees sticking out over the island's edge. We could see an eroded wall on the island, making a perfect ramp onto the island.
After an eternity of swimming, we reached this paradise in one piece. "We made it..." Bart whispered.
"We-we did." I choked out. I was dead tired. The sun was still high in the sky, but I didn't care. It went against everything I knew about survival, but I needed a rest. Survival was a second priority right now.
SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
edited September 2017
Sylas Deluca
I woke on an island. Or, something that resembled one.
I was still inside the Bridge of The Blitz, with just a few sputtering fires remaining. I was smashed into the port-side wall, which happened to be facing down at this time. Most of the interior was either mangled beyond further use, or on fire. Besides that, the ship was more or less together. Red-brown stains covered the walls in the ship. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they were. I shuddered, this atmosphere was all too familiar. I needed to get out of there.
Luckily for me, the windshield was shattered, and not too far from the ground. I lept out of the ship, and realized that there was no ground underneath me. I fell into the ocean, not knowing what could be below. After I had sunk a few meters, I opened my eyes, ready to see a 100-meter shark feasting on my face. But what I really saw, was equally breathtaking. What I saw was the largest amalgamation of coral I'd ever seen. For as far as I could see, coral controlled the bottom, and hundreds of small fish darted in and out of coral. Fish of every shape and size, wriggled around the water. Mighty arches of rock stretched along the seafloor, covered in what looked to be glowing barnacles. It was overwhelming to see, but so beautiful at the same time. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had seen other alien lifeforms before, but the sheer expanse of this place was awe-inspiring.
My thoughts were interrupted with an artificial, female voice called out, "10 seconds, return to the surface."
Without thinking, I swam quickly to the surface. In the midst of my revelings of the life on this planet, that I didn't even pay attention to the burning in my own lungs. I broke the surface, and gasped deeply. I looked at the source of the voice, my wrist, only to find a wrist PDA. I'd never seen it before, so I was immensely surprised. I shouted, "What are you!"
"I am Otcela, your assistance AI construct. I was programed to protect the wearers of these PDAs by any means I have at my disposal. I might not have much at my disposal, but I will be quite the moral supporter." The watch spoke
"Really, that's it?" I replied.
"Yeah, I know..." It said ashamedly.
"Whatever, what do you mean 'others'? Are there others that survived?"
"I am currently on-line in three other locations. All of which are 61 meters due South of you. It seems that they have been doing some fishing for the past 24 hours."
Past day? How long was I out?
I swam to the coordinates that Otcela gave me, only to find another island. It was fairly small, no bigger than The Blitz. The island looked mostly barren of any life, except for the plume of smoke rising from the center of the island. I scaled the walls of the island, climbed to the top, and found a depressing sight. Kamron, Aerora, and Gzad gathered around a smoldering hunk of metal, getting as close as they could to potentially radioactive heat, just trying to keep themselves warm. Aerora turned to me, immediately scowling at me, saying, "Well, what do we have here? Looks like you didn't die after all. Too bad."
The other two men advanced on me. Gzad growled like a cornered animal. I backed up, trying to get back to the water, but Gzad's hands shot out, grabbing me by the collar and lifting me off the ground."You shouldn't have showed up, you could've died peacefully on The Blitz, but now we gotta hurt you." Kamron threatened.
"Look, I'm sorry, I can't even begin to tell you how ashamed of my actions I am. But Torgal got his penance, and that's what mattered." I said.
"Mattered?!" Kamron screeched, followed by a swift punch to my stomach, "Did it not matter that you could have killed us all for no reason? Did it not matter that you practically tortured us to agree to your insane plan? Your a psychopath! And we don't need psychopaths here. Gzad, drop him in the drink."
Gzad effortlessly carried me to the edge of the island. "Wait, wait, wait, you need my help!"
Gzad glanced up me, "Why that?" he said in broken English.
"Who cares? He's just bluffing to try to save his own skin." Aerora yelled to me.
"No! No, no, you really do need me if we're to ever get off this place!" I called out.
"And how are you going to help?" She replied.
"Who here knows anything about thrust propulsion and shuttle construction?"
No one moved. Gzad looked at me as if I was speaking an entirely different language.
"Exactly! I know how to fix the The Blitz! I can get everyone back to their homes!" I said.
"And what if you're bluffing? You're not exactly very trustworthy, you know." Kamron replied.
"Then you can kill me. Drown me in the water, knife me, whatever you want. I'm wagering my life on my claims."
Kamron and Aerora exchanged glances, having a mental conversation.
Aerora turned to me, saying, "And you're sure you can fix the ship?"
"On my life." I replied.
"Fine, Gzad, down."
Gzad dropped me to the ground without any care whatsoever. Kamron then grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look at him, and said, "Alright, you got yourself a deal. Now, how are we going to fix The Blitz?"
"Well, we need to salvage whatever titanium we can. I'm sure shards and scraps are practically covering the floor now. We'll need some kind of fuel. Either liquid or powdered. I'll take wood at this point. We'll need to build some kind of a Constructor or Fabricator to make more complicated machinery and protection, The Blitz might have the materials on-board.
We'll need a base of operations, and sufficient power. I estimate that the entire project should take 6 months at most, 4 months at least."
"That's fine and dandy for the future, but just how do we survive until we get to that point?" Aerora said crossly.
"We'll just have to prioritize a stable shelter, a renewable food source, and clean water." I said.
I pointed to the wreckage of the ship, "The Blitz has the answers for those questions. But one things for certain..." I said.
I looked at the huge extent of ocean spread out before my eyes, "The answers certainly aren't above water.
SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
Thank you guys so much for 1,000 readers!
One Thousand!
I can barely fathom that high of a number. I never expected to get this extreme amount of attention for my little idea about what really happened to the Degasi survivors.
Again, thank you so much.
And now, in celebration, here's Marguerit with the next part.
Marguerit Maida
I shot up from my deep slumber, remembering that I actually have to survive on this cesspool of a planet. I laid prostrate on the ground, nearly in the same position as when I passed out. I noticed that Bart was no longer at my side. I tried to lift myself off the ground, but my muscles refused to move. My insane swim had left more than my mind beaten and tired. I clawed at the wet sand below me, forcing myself upwards. It hurt tremendously, and I expended whatever energy I had gained from my nap. I knelt on the ground, panting and gasping. That's when a hand shot in front of my face. I looked at the hand's owner, to find Bart smiling down at me. I begrudgingly took his hand, and he helped me up. I liked the kid, the one good thing that Torgal did in his life, but it was an insult to my Mercenary name to get help from someone so young.
"I'm excited you're up, Marguerit. First thing's first, I need to thank you for saving my life after the crash. I hope to return the favor in the future." Bart said.
"Don't mention it. You found us this island. I would've drowned in than blasted ocean without your help." I replied.
"Alright, second thing's second, I want to show you something."
Bart led me across the island, which was booming with plant life. Grass nearly covered the everything on the ground. Strange trees and plants bloomed in every color of the rainbow. I heard the chirp of a creature, only to see a bird-like creature that looked like a half moon flitting above us. Bart pointed out how to tell what plants were edible, and what ones weren't. The island was beyond beautiful. It was paradisaical.
"I haven't been able to domestically grow any plants yet, but I'm close to figuring it out. Plants grow incredibly fast on this planet, faster than any other planet I've ever studied. I believe that the UV rays emanated from that White Dwarf have the perfect conditions for providing plants with a surplus of nutrients. I've also theorized that the plants on this planet could have extremely efficient photosynthesis cycle. From what data I can gather with just my five senses, I've estimated these plants have a Light Cycle 102.7% faster than Earth plants. As such, plants can grow to maturity in a matter of hours." Bart explained.
I wasn't too keen on plant growth, so I simply nodded and smiled. Man, this kid was in a league of his own. "So, is this what you wanted to show me?" I asked.
"Oh right! Sorry, I just get worked up over plants. They're just so fascinating. This way." Bart apologized.
He continued to lead me over the edge of the island, following along the a sheer drop-off into the ocean. He pointed to a small valley, saying, "Here's one of the things I wanted to show you. I made a shelter for the time being." Bart motioned to a small hut-like structure.
The shelter was nothing special, but it was fairly large. It could easily fit four people with spare room. Not to mention that the entire thing was made out of full-size fruit trees, branches, huge leaves, and dirt. The thing was impressive, especially since it was built by someone so young. "How long was I out?" I asked quizzically.
"Well, you were out for an entire day and night cycle on this planet, but that equates to somewhere around 16 Earth hours. You still tired?" He said, obviously concerned.
"As a bone." I said with a chuckle.
"Good thing I made a bed then. But before you catch some sleep, I want to show you something I think you'll find very interesting." Bart said.
He calmly walked to the edge of the island, and nonchalantly dived off. I yelped, and ran after him. I slid at the edge, swallowing my emotions, and jumped in after him. I looked around to find Bart just a little ways away from me, motioning towards the island. I looked to where he was pointing, and nearly gasped. Huge spires of rock jutted from the bottom of the island, and beneath them...nothing. The entire island was floating at the surface of the water. But, that wasn't possible. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Bart motioned to the surface, and then kicked upwards. I quickly followed him, and deeply inhaled after breaking surface, flinging all my unanswered questions at him, "How is this thing floating? How can rock float? Where are we? How deep is the water under the island? Are you sure that this thing isn't gonna sink?"
"Woah, woah, slow down. I only got one mouth!" he said smiling.
"I don't know the answers to many of your questions, but I can tell you what keeps this island floating. Follow me." He said, diving under the surface.
He swam under the island, and I sluggishly followed. I hated this feeling. It felt so tight under the island, like it was going to crush me any second. Bart pointed to something, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. He pointed to a gigantic pulsating mass. It was bright pink, and had many clear tentacles. I had never been so scared, I swam away from him to the surface faster than I had ever swam before. I broke surface, barely slowing down. I had to get away, fast. Fast. I heard a splash behind me, expecting to see that pulsating mass chasing after me with huge, ugly jaws with needle-like fangs; but rather, I saw Bart jumping from the water, spluttering, "Marguerit, wait! Where are you going! They're perfectly harmless!"
I turned back at him, and yelled, "Not a chance kid, I'm not going with a 100 meters of that thing!"
"Marguerit, stop!" He said with so much confidence and power, that I instinctively stopped swimming.
"Marguerit, do you have Thalassophobia?" He said, almost like how a parent would ask their kid if they were taking drugs. Deadly serious, and full of compassion.
"I-I don't know. What is that?" I asked.
"It's the fear of the ocean and its creatures." He replied.
I stayed silent for a moment, trying to repress the words. I held them in my throat, desperately trying to swallow them. Eventually, I couldn't hold them any longer, "Okay, yes! I'm scared of the water. My brother was killed by a shark on Earth when I was a little girl. We were surfing...I-I was right next to him. And, in a split second...he was in the jaws of that beast. He was gone..."
Tears streamed down my face. I tried to get rid of that memory, burying it under every other memory I had. It had seemed to work for some time, until I was shipwrecked on this forsaken planet. I smashed the water, sending a salty spray into my tear-ridden eyes. Bart, who had swam next to me, put his hand on my shoulder. "Marguerit, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you so fast. But I promise, that will never happen again. You're stronger now. I'm sure if you met that shark now, you would rip it apart faster than it could blink"
"Thanks kid. I'll try to get over my Thalat-, Taloss-, Thalanga-" I struggled.
"Thalassophobia." Bart corrected.
"Yeah, that." I replied
The sky and ocean slowly dimmed, and Bart looked up and smiled. "Well would you look at that."
I looked up and saw the nearby planet, 4546A begin to cover the star. "A solar eclipse." Bart remarked, "You know, solar eclipses were considered lucky in the 21st century. Only happened every few decades. This could be the universe telling us that we're going to be alright."
"Yeah...yeah. I bet so."
And we waded in the ocean, simply staring as the light died, and my confidence was reborn.
"Come at me 4546B." I thought, "I'm ready for ya."
SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
Paul Torgal
Survival of the fittest. This was a concept I had to learn very quickly.
I had decided that I didn't want to merely float on the water, waiting for dehydration or something else to kill me. I was the leader of the Torgaljin Corp. I wasn't just going to lay down and die.
After hours of merely floating on that chunk of metal, I decided to slip into the water, no matter how dangerous it would be.
I rolled in, and beheld quite a show. Nature had been kind to this place, that's for sure. Everywhere I looked, there was some kind of fish. Coral lined the various rock formations around the area. I beheld a small fish that lazily drifted past my feet. It was strange shaped fellow, colored a light orange. It made no noise, nor did it even seem to acknowledge my existence. It just swam by, going about its own business. I quickly popped my head out of the water for a deep breath, then dove under the water for a closer look at a nearby coral.
The coral was an odd shape, almost like the top of a deformed mushroom, or perhaps a human brain. As I studied the odd coral, a sucking sound burst from the coral, drawing anything small around it. I backed away from the coral, just in case it was home to a creature that would be none too happy to see a trespasser. Suddenly, the coral recoiled, and pushed out a bubble of air. This bubble was soon followed by two others. Such a curious little coral, I drew near to it once again, only to hear the sound of what seemed to be nails grinding on rock. And no sooner had the grating noise began, a creature sprang out of the coral.
The creature was no more than a worm, maybe as big around as my own arm. A primitive oral cavity lined with sharp teeth was the worm's only defining feature, besides its size. The creature seemed to study me, swaying back and forth, as if trying to see me from all sides. It then slowly bent itself backwards, and very quickly lashing out towards me, shooting a harpoon-sized spike directly at me.
Luckily for my well-being, the spear moved fairly slowly so I was able to dodge it, but it narrowly grazed my shoulder. Despite its speed and indirect hit, it still ripped my sleeve and my skin underneath. I yelped, clutching my shoulder and looked back at the spike. It had lost its momentum, merely floating in the water. It wasn't until that time that I noticed a hair-thin line attached to the spike, and the line was slowly reeling the spike back to its owner.
No way was I going to stay for another volley from this overgrown polyp. And not a moment too soon, as two other worms sprouted from the coral, and reeled themselves back. By this time, I had already hidden behind a large ridge of rock, and I could no longer see them. Once I had acquired safety once again, a small, teal-colored fish darted by. The fish quickly came to a stop, and turned towards me.
Goodness gracious, it had the biggest pair of eyes I had ever seen! Its bright, orange eyes nearly took up the entire fish! With these humongous eyes, it studied me for a split-second, then darted away once again. I watched as it swam off into the ocean, when suddenly, a large, white pair of jaws snapped up this fish. I couldn't see what the creature that the jaws belonged to, but I wasn't too keen on figuring it out.
I swam as fast as I could back to the slab of metal I had floated on. The slab had drifted quite a ways away from where I had left it. I nearly panicked when I realized that the slab had drifted in front of a large beast. The first thing I noticed was its face. It was the exact shape of a gas mask from centuries ago. All the way down to the filter cartridge. The beast was about as big as an Earth cow, and sounded like one as well. The beast sounded like it was a cross between a "moo" and a loud belch. The last thing I looked upon was the bulbous tail at its rear. It was nearly the size of the rest of the body, and lined with yellow, cyst-like bumps.
This was definitely not the most physically appealing creature. And it seemed to only get worse from there. I slowly pushed my way towards the slab of metal, not wanting to incur the wrath of this beast. Everything on this planet seemed to want to kill me, so why would this creature be any different? As I glided my way to the surface, the creatures small eyes turned towards me, and widened. The creature then squealed in fear, violently bucking around. From this motion, the cysts shook off its tail, as they floated in the middle of the water. I watched as about 20 were dislodged from the terrified creature. Then, one of the cysts burst, releasing a yellow cloud into the water. This burst was followed by another, and another. At this point I swam as fast as my feet would carry me, and leaped onto my slab of magnesium-alloy. Soon after I landed on the twisted sheet, the water burst into a sickly shade of yellow. The cloud slowly rose to the surface, and with them, came a hissing noise. It took a moment to realize that the sound was emanating from the metal. I looked down to see the metal steaming and bubbling.
Acid. The clouds were nothing but yellow clouds of acid. I curled up into a ball, trying to keep all my limbs as far away from the now acidic water as I could. The slab continued to drift away from the death cloud, but not before the beast shook of at least two more volleys of the Acid Cysts. I feared that the sustained contact to the acid would melt the metal completely, until I would be forced into the bath. But, the slab had moved quick enough away from the cloud that my fears were quenched in an instant.
I collapsed onto the hard metal, spreading out as far as the size of the slab would allow. Despite a lack of major physical exercise, I was sweating enough to fill a pool. My aged body was obviously not ready for such elongated swimming times. Not to mention the fact that my heart was now palpitating, at a rate I was not comfortable with. The only way I could think to slow such a rapid heart rate, was to rest. My eyes closed, and I almost immediately fell asleep.
And dreams of the Degasi's demise filled my sleep.
Oh, i see, you were taking the concept art of the bubble things(Their name eludes me at this moment) and using it in that!
Exactly!
In Dawning, they arrived nearly a decade before. I wondered, "What could have been alive if the player was earlier? What could have been extinct if he arrived later?"
You'll see a lot of that question throughout Dawning. This was just the first instance of it.
SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
edited October 2017
Paul Torgal
I woke to a wave slamming my face. The salty water pressed my body into the cold metal under me, nearly submerging it. I was then dragged off as the wave receded. I couldn't tell what direction was up, and my lungs burned from oxygen loss. I couldn't see sunlight anywhere. I began to panic. I clawed my way in every direction, trying to find the surface at all costs. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of an orange glow, it was my only chance. I swam towards the glow like a madman. The glow began to dim, as was everything else. My vision narrowed until only the glow remained. My lungs desperately screamed for oxygen. "I'm not going to make it..." I thought.
Inexplicably, my vision cleared, my lungs were satisfied, and my thoughts were filled with surviving. I was able to see the sky above me, and kicked my way to the surface. I exploded out of the water, and I impulsively began to vomit the water I had inhaled. I coughed and spluttered, feebly trying to make up for lost oxygen.
I looked towards the sky, to see that it had dimmed to a pale orange. The star had begun to set, which was actually a stroke of pure luck. If the star was setting, that means I can get a bearing on the directions. The sun set in the West, and from there, I was able to find the rest of the directions. "Wait," I thought, "I'm on an alien planet. Why would the setting of the sun set in the same direction?"
Fantastic, back to square one. My stomach and I groaned in near unison. I hadn't realized how hungry or thirsty I was in my panic. I needed to find some source of food and water, and fast. The task would become near impossible in the darkness of night. And that didn't even account for any creatures that could be active in the night time.
Regardless of the risks, I dipped back under the water. I scoped out my surroundings, and realized that I could see very little. The dying light of the star cast a green glow on everything below me. The ocean floor was covered in a red grass or kelp, and I saw a giant, rock pillar in the distance. But, nothing edible, unless I wanted a red salad. At this point, I would take it. That was, until I saw something dart out the corner of my eye. I turned, to see that fish I had seen earlier, the one with the gigantic, orange eyes. I thought on trying to catch it, but decided that it would be too much of an effort to catch. I could very well lose more calories than I would gain from eating it.
I swam to the seafloor, looking for whatever I could. Any kind of plant or fruit, but all that I could see was this blood-red grass. So, out of desperation, I ripped up as much grass as I could, and swam back to the metal slab. I threw my cargo on the metal, and I began to climb onto it as well, when I felt something brush my leg. I quickly dipped my head under, to see a red maw swimming towards me at high speeds. I jumped onto the metal, when a creature blasted out of the water after me, creating a fountain of salt water around it. The creature was a grey-blue, with a huge, segmented body. It seemed to be covered in something akin to insectoid armor. The creature had two simple, yellow eyes. The eyes, however, seemed just a bit too big for it, so it almost looked as if the creatures eyes were bulging out of their sockets.
The creature's pupil darted around, looking for its prey. It splashed back into the water, pushing the entire slab of metal away. I tried to see it from above the water, but the refraction made it all but impossible. I checked everywhere, trying to see where it would attack from next. I searched for what seemed like an eternity, waiting for it to strike. "Maybe it gave up..." I thought.
Life tip: Never say you're safe until you're 100% positive.
The creature must have slowly circled around until it was directly underneath me, because a force shoved me off the slab, completely flipping it over. I went flying, and slammed into the water where the beast was waiting for me. The beast charged at me, its bright red maw and rows of sharp teeth, ready to take a chunk out of my body. Still clutching the grass, I did all I could think to do. I threw the grass at it. The wet, compact pile of grass floated mere centimeters away from me, my only defense. By some miracle, the beast decided it wanted the clump of grass before me. It snapped up the clump, and quickly pulled up and away from me. It didn't pull up fast enough, however, as the tiny stumps that could only be described as legs swatted my body away.
As it swam away, I noticed it twitch. It quickly twitched again, opening its mouth. It opened wider as it convulsed violently. It shook and shivered, in a way that could only be from a desperate struggle to survive. I soon realized what was happening. The beast was choking on the clump of grass. I would've laughed at the almost comical display of karma that was happening, but truly, it was a horrific sight to behold. Soon, the convulsing stopped. Its jaws went slack, and it slowly drifted downwards.
Almost in a state of shock, I swam back to the slab. I merely sat upon the metal, trying to comprehend what had happened. Then I began laughing. The sheer ridiculousness of the encounter came over me like the wave that swept me off earlier. I laughed harder than I ever had before. It wasn't until I was laughing so hard that I held my sides that I realized that I had a sizable gash running parallel with my torso. The blood had begun to seep through my bodysuit, creating a red line all across my chest and stomach. I would need to get this patched up, and fast.
I dove down once again, grabbing a fistful of the red grass. It saved my life once, it can do it again. I took the pile, and tied it together, creating a ring of grass. Then, I put it around me, and tightened it to reduce the blood flow. I did this several times, until my entire torso was wrapped in the grass gauze. "That should keep things together." I thought to myself.
Shortly after I completed, I heard a splash. Fearing it was another one of those shark beasts, I swiveled my head around to see where the sound had come from. Then, a little ways away, I saw the fish with massive orange eyes once again.
Before I could even blink, I was in the water. My stomach rumbled in anticipation. I swam faster than I ever had before. I didn't see anything else, just the fish. The glorious fish...
I would have it. I would catch it. I would kill it.
After what seemed to be mere microseconds, I caught up to the fleeing fish. I reached out, and grabbed a hold of it, dragging its struggling body into my hands. Wasting no time, I blasted to the surface, and bit into it. The creature chirped and shook in pain. I took another bite. The meat was savory, the smell was divine. It was as if I was eating at a five-star restaurant back in the Sol system. Yes, I was at a table with Hannah and Bart, and I was digging into a prime-quality rib. Hannah had a light salad, and Bart had quite the large portion of steak.
I was so contempt with this reality. I think I'd rather like staying in it. I could have prime rib, every day. Whenever I want. I held my fork and knife, ready to cut into another freshly prepared rib, but they were covered in something. The utensils were dirty! That simply would not do. I would have to speak with the owner of this restaurant, and tell him to fire whoever washed dishes.
And then, the stain on the utensils spread. The faded red spread onto my hands, they spread onto my expensive suit. It spread until all I could see was the faded, red mess. And, like a someone took a hammer to a glass pane, the reality was shattered, and I was left to the work of my hands. I beheld the fish, and what I had done. It was less than half of what it used to be. It's blood covered everything. I held the gory mess, trying to comprehend what happened. I slowly drifted back to my metal slab, still delicately holding the fish in my hands. Once I reached the slab, I knelt, still holding the innocent fish. I stared at its half-disappeared eye, and the pure terror frozen on its lifeless face.
I felt something tracing its way down my face. It was followed soon by another one. I refused to acknowledge them. I refused to admit what they were. I couldn't say.
Still clutching the fish, I cried myself to sleep...
That night I dreamed of a giant green dragon that swallowed the Degasi whole, and it was followed by that inexplicable dream that I had had before. I saw the visions sweeping past my face at breakneck speeds. Suddenly, a hand grabbed me by the shoulder, and a cold and sharp piece of metal was pressed to my throat.
"Well, look what the sea spat up. Not even the water can stand you, traitor."
SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
Great cliffhanger I left for you guys, right? Heh...
Yeah...my bad. I wanted to take a break to catch up on school, but, the catch up game went longer than I wanted it to.
Really sorry about that. Chapters should pick back up. Just as a reward for your patience, two more chapters will be written for this week.
Sylas Deluca
At the risk of losing my professionalism, I will say without hesitation, that this planet is freaking gorgeous.
The water is constantly a clear blue, the flora and fauna around us was both beautiful and non-hostile to us. The rock that made up the spectacular arches all around was a deep blue, and the weather showed nary a sign of disaster coming. Were it not for the situation, I would just lay on a sandbar, and dream life's stresses away. But, as of now, I work for my life.
The others are particularly angry at my past antics, and won't let me forget that little episode. They threaten to kill me at every turn, my life at stake 24/7. It was humiliating. I promised myself that I would get the upper hand someday.
As Kamron and Aerora searched The Blitz for any useful supplies, and Gzad started making our shelter out of the rocks he broke off the side of the island, I set out into the ocean to see what options this planet gave us. And it seems as if this planet has both beauty and functionality. Otcela was extremely helpful in my endeavor, scanning everything within a 20 meter radius. It seems as if a peculiar phenomenon happens on this planet. Upon closer inspection of a chunk of Limestone, Otcela discovered that inside, a chunk of raw titanium was lodged inside it. Using another rock, I smashed open this Limestone, to indeed find a near perfect sphere of metal inside. "Nature's Easter Eggs." Otcela remarked.
Placing this titanium into a pocket in the suit that I wore, I turned to the surface to breath, only to find a shadow above me. The shadow belonged to a strange, buoyant, bulb-looking object. It was a pale, purple color, and bore a resemblance to a jelly fish on Terra. This strange bulb was followed another, nearly identical bulb, and this bulb was followed by another, and another. They kept coming until 7 surrounded me in a near-perfect ring. Fear slowly crept into my mind, even though nothing had yet happened. I didn't like what these, things, were doing. My fears were confirmed when on the right-most bulb, the bottom retracted open, and out shot a creature. The creature was not remarkably special looking. It resembled a small crab with purple eyes. The oddest thing was it seemed to have a segmented tail climbing all the way up to the floating bulb, tethering the creature to it. The crab chirped, flailing its legs in an attempt to inspect me. I didn't move a muscle.
Suddenly, the crab stopped moving. It sat there, floating, completely listless. We stared at each other for what seemed like eternity. It then gave a deafening squeal, rattling its tether. The floating bulb inflated and proceeded to release a noise that was akin to a train horn. Then, one by one, the other bulbs sounded back in terrifying harmony, releasing their own crabs. The first one lunged at my face, but I batted it away before it reached me. Another used its sharp legs to slash at my arm. I narrowly escaped the attack, but another crab behind me wrapped itself around my leg, plunging its front legs into my calf. I cried out, and tried to shake off the crab, but the movement simply caused it to dig in deeper. Blood began to seep from the wound, turning the crab into a ghastly shade of red.
Another clawed my back, ripping both fabric and skin. Yet another latched onto my arm. I wasn't long before half of the crabs were attached to my body, and the other half were beginning to reel me up to the bulbs above. Otcela exclaimed, "10 seconds of oxygen remaining."
My vision began to darken, the crabs around squealed and chirped in delight at their fresh capture. When suddenly, there was an audible popping sound, almost as if a balloon had popped. At nearly the same time, the crab on my leg went limp. A slicing sound whizzed past my ears, and relieved the crab on my back. The other crabs released my body, and began to retract back into their bulbs. That was when I looked up to see a creature dragging a severed crab on its scythe-like tail. The creature was bright pink, with blue stripes marking its sides. It had four legs with webbed feet that frantically kicked to propel itself. The body looked almost squishy, in an amphibious way. With how non-threatening this creature looked, it was shocking to see a wicked looking blade sticking out of its tail.
This creature was followed by another of its kind, and it slashed open one of the bulbs, grabbing the remains in its small mouth. Then what seemed to be an entire pod of these creatures passed, absolutely decimating my previous attackers. Unfortunately, because of my curiosity, I completely forgot that I desperately needed to breathe. Otcela screamed in harmony with my lungs. I tried to kick up to the surface that was so close, but I just couldn't, my energy reserves were completely depleted. I couldn't think properly, I couldn't see properly, I couldn't do anything. And slowly, I closed my eyes, accepting the fate I brought upon myself.
Suddenly, I felt a small nudge on the wound on my back. Then, I was swiftly launched out of the water. I barely had time to gasp by the time I broke through the surface. Otcela yelled as loud as a wristwatch could, "Sylas! Can you hear me! Wake up and breath!"
I gasped, desperately trying to save myself from the icy grip of death. The world soon came back into color, and I could actually breathe. I looked to see what had happened, I saw one of those pink creatures squeaking and twirling. I was prepared to get attacked by it, but the attack never came. It simply stared at me for a second, and dove back under water. Otcela continued to yell at me, saying that I should be more careful without an air supply. I replied to her, spluttering, "Yeah...yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken up. I'll be more careful next time."
"You better. Do you know how bored I would be sitting on your wrist if you were dead? I could be there for centuries!"
I smirked at her comment, whoever programed Otcela was either really good, or extremely lonely. Probably a combination of the two.
I looked back at where the creature who saved my life swam. I made a mental picture of my surroundings.
If a creature as basic as that could be sentient enough to save the life of being that it has never seen, could it feel emotion? Could it recognize others of its kind? Could it be trained?
I needed to research this. Building a rocket could wait, I needed to see this planets IQ.
SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
*Breathes in deeply*
It's good to be back...
I just want to preface this by saying, sorry.
Life decided to sucker punch me multiple times during October, Dawning became a lesser priority, and everything collapsed on itself. After all the crap in my life passed over, I simply couldn't find the motivation to keep writing. For months, I tried to pick the torch back up, but every chapter I wrote didn't turn out the way I wanted. I wrote, edited, re-wrote, re-edited, and continued a cycle that left my waste bin full and my head empty.
But I can say today, finally, that the cycle has broken. I've reworked the plot, revamped the characters, and most importantly, have started an entirely new sub-plot. More on that later
I've finally dug myself out of the rut I put myself in, and have three new parts for you.
One from Bart, another short part from Aerora, and the beginning of the brand new sub-plot. I think you all will really like it.
So, from this day, to the end of Dawning, I'm setting up a new upload schedule.
At the very least, one chapter a week. If life decides to act up again, then one every two weeks.
I promise you all, that a break of this magnitude will never happen again.
And so, as a sort of "I'm Sorry" gift, I'm giving you all three chapters, today.
Happy reading!
And thank you all for reading up to this point. Seriously, thank you.
SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
edited March 2018
Bart Torgal
The dark brought a chill to the island, but along with it cam immeasurable beauty.
As I sat in the clearing with our humble shelter of trees behind me, I took in the natural light show set before me. Plants glowed with an almost ghostly aura. Bright blues, purples, pinks, and oranges shone from every corner, vaguely lighting the darkness around me. I looked up to see the massive face of 4546A staring back at me. The light from Alpha Hydrae 4 reflected of its surface, creating an orange glow that glossed the surface of the blackened water. And, as if the heavens couldn't stand the thought of this planet being dark, another source of light came from a small moon that sat in the sky. The moon was tidally locked with 4546B; so it created the illusion of the moon staying completely still, day in and day out. I had aptly named this moon, Khonsu, after a moon god found in an ancient Terran mythology. As I sat there, contemplating on the beauty of 4546B, Marguerit quietly plodded over to me, clutching two, bright, orange fruits. "Here," she said, "This is the last of the fruit on that tree. I couldn't find any more."
She handed me the fruit, and I held it firmly, turning it over in my hands, looking for any blemishes or signs of disease. Despite my best efforts, I simply couldn't grow enough edible plants fast enough to support us for much longer. Even with the extremely high ecological growth rates, any plants I tried to cultivate only withered and died in my hands. Progress has been made, but I'm afraid that without growbeds, proper fertilizer, or fresh water, thirst and starvation might catch up to us before these plants even have a chance.
I took a bite out of the fruit, sending its inner juices spraying everywhere. The flesh was firm and juicy, with an almost unnatural sweetness. It was not unlike a Terran fruit called a peach, a fruit that was literally eaten from existence, leaving no remaining fruit or trees. A truly terrible time for any decent botanist or fruit-enthusiast, but the Peach seemed to live on in this fruit, which I had named "Lantern Fruit" from both their appearance and bio-luminescence.
Marguerit and I sat there in the cold, munching on our fruit. I glance over at her, to see that she was ravenously wolfing down the large fruit. Marguerit's fear had diminished significantly in the last few days. She's becoming more daring in her explorations, both above and below water. Just yesterday, she was swimming under the island when she came across an opening in the rock. Above the water, was a beautiful cove. When she discovered that this cove was separated from the rest of the island, with no easy way to get to and from the top of the island, she began digging up with her bare hands. She hasn't made it very far, but still, digging into solid rock with her bare hands!
Despite Marguerit's extreme resilience in the face of such trials, our chances of survival until rescue arrives were bleak at best. Given our previous circumstances out in the open ocean, this island is a paradise. But something tells me unless we find a stable source of food and water, fate will begin to hand us challenges we can't carry.
I stood up on unsteady feet. I was still recovering from nearly drowning when the Degasi was shot down, despite it happening nearly a week ago in Terran time. As I slowly shambled away from my seat, Marguerit questioned, "Where you going kid? It's not the best time to go for moonlight stroll."
"I'm just... planting my seed. Hopefully I can get this one to grow." I responded.
"Alright. Just don't be gone too long, we don't know what's out here with us."
"Don't worry, if something was out there, we should have seen it by now."
"Sure hope you're right, kid."
I walked away, clutching the fruit pit tightly. Was I right? Was there truthfully nothing out here? Or am I lying to myself? Maybe I'm just overthinking the situation. Mother always told me my Father and I had such a tendency.
I searched for a spot of land that wasn't already overrun by any nutrient-stealing plant life, and had an adequate amount of fresh groundwater. A process that would have been simple with a spectroscopic scanner, but it was nothing a little guessing couldn't do. I found a spot on a small beach that led into the ocean, and began digging. When I had covered up the hole, a light glinted in the corner of my eye. I yelped in surprise, and looked for the source of the light. And there, out across the ocean, maybe 50 meters out, bathed in Khonsu's pale light, floated a chunk of what could only be metal.
I knelt near the shore, staring at the mysterious metal object, pondering at what it could be. The current seemed to be carrying it closer. I stood, slowly stepping into the water up to my ankles, trying to get a better look. Then, as I strained my eyes for what felt like hours, something shifted on top of the metal.
It's outline unmistakably human.
My vision tunneled, leaving only myself and this person, separated with a vast darkness. "It couldn't be..." I thought.
I had given up hope, and even questioned if I wanted to ever see him again. But here he was before me, his prostrate body calling for an answer to my question. I couldn't move, I could barely breathe, nothing else existed. I could hear Marguerit shouting my name, but I could hardly care. I could only stare at him. His suit came into view, the bright chevrons covering his shoulder, signifying his high rank, were visible across the dark water.
"Father..." I stammered.
Then, like a bolt of lightning in the silent Marvin air, Marguerit appeared; she was clutching her gleaming knife, screaming like a banshee, charging past me into the water, closing the distance between her and Father. "NO! Marguerit, stop!" I screamed as I lept into the water, desperately trying to catch up.
But Marguerit swam faster than any creature or machine I had ever seen.
She lept from the ocean to the metal sheet in one swift motion. She crushed Father's shoulder with one hand, and pressed her knife into his throat. "Well, look what the sea spat up." Marguerit growled, "Not even the water can stand you, traitor."
I fiercely dug into the water, struggling against the current, pleading to the empty air. Off in the distance, Alpha Hydrae 4 began its first step into the sky, basking the ocean in a warm orange and red. Marguerit raised her knife in what seemed like slow motion, its blade catching the new light, reflecting a blood-red beam.
Father simply lay there unflinchingly, as if he had already accepted his fate. Marguerit hovered her knife above him for a moment, then thrust it towards the defenseless, old man.
As a last ditch attempt, I surged from the water, my arms outstretched. I seized Marguerit's arm, snatching the knife from her grasp, and body slammed her, sending her reeling into the water. I landed in a roll on the metal, standing in the most heroic pose I could muster. Marguerit began to clamber back on, spluttering both water and curses as she turned to me. "Bart?! What in the ever loving-" she screamed.
"You can't kill him, Marguerit." I interrupted firmly, surprising even myself at the determination in my own voice.
"You're seriously protecting this murderer?! He almost killed me! He almost killed you! Not to mention the other 10 people he did kill! Even his own wife, your mother! And for what?! To feed his own selfish greed?! This murderous waste of life deserves every bit of what's coming to him! Making him my personal meat-shield and letting whatever sharks live here take little bites out of him until there's nothing left would be kindness on my part!" Marguerit ranted.
We stood in silence, staring at each other in the raising sunlight. The anger seething off Marguerit was palpable. Then, I simply responded with, "You can't kill him, Marguerit.
That would make you no better than he is." I said.
She was caught off guard by my statement, swallowing whatever words she had planned in defense. She stared at the unconscious body of my father, watching him quietly breathe. She growled in frustration, stomping the metal, nearly tipping it over. "Fine," Marguerit furiously barked, "But the second he tries to pull something like the Degasi, I won't hesitate to slit his throat. Understand?"
And with that, she dove into the water without another word. Still holding the shining knife that had almost been Father's reckoning, I looked down at him. He was wrapped in what looked to be red seagrass. But what really caught my eye was the amount of dried blood and salt that covered his body. Whether the blood was his own or not, I couldn't tell. I dropped the knife onto the metal slab, jumped into the water, and began pushing it the rest of the way to the floating island.
Once I had dragged the slab on shore, I tried to wake Father. After multiple, fruitless tries of splashing water on his face, his eyes silently fluttered open. He said nothing,but simply stared up into the empty sky. "Father, it's me, Bart." I said, my voice cracking.
He slowly sat up, looking out over the restless water. It seemed as if he didn't even acknowledge my existence. He just blankly stared. Then, almost inaudibly, he whispered, "We're not alone here..."
SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
Aerora McColl
For the week we’ve been stranded on this blue sphere of pure suck, I was cold, I was wet, I was injured, and I was angry.
Very, very, angry.
Kamron and I had been looting the ship for a few hours, and I was just about ready to crush his skull and leave him to die with the corpse of the Blitz. Not for any reason, just that I was itching to break something. Be it metal or human, I wanted to break something. But most of all, I wanted to grind Sylas to a pulp.
He tears us away from the cushy job of babysitting a pompous billionaire, gets us shot down on an alien planet, and expects us to follow him like the dogs he thinks we are?!
I swear, every time I saw his stupid, cocky face, I had to resist the urge to break all his limbs and watch him try to crawl away.
*sigh*
Whatever. As much as I hated the man and his psychotic tendencies, we did need him. Kamron is essentially useless to us, Gzad couldn’t find his way around a chalk circle, and I don’t know the first thing about rocket science. Sylas could get me out of here. After he does that, then I’ll see what fun I could have with his lifeless body. Until then, Kamron, Gzad, and I decided to let him think what he wants until he could get us out of here.
Anyway, Kamron and I had been looting everything that wasn’t burnt to a crisp, and we found quite the bunch of Torgal tech. Knives, a bunch of plasma missiles, but most importantly, a Torgaljin Solidifier. It supposedly could take any materials, and fashion it into anything you could need. At least, that’s what Sylas told us. Apparently, it’s a big thing in the TSF.
Even though it was a rip-off of an Alterra tool, the thing could make us a good shelter to hunker down in if some storm blows over us. Better than huddling in the cold with a bunch of psychos, that’s for sure.
So, Kamron and I loaded everything that wasn’t still on fire into a handmade bag of burned suits, and hiked back across the barren islands to our campsite. Gzad sat on the sand, comparing two, nearly identical lumps of blue stone.
“Hey, big guy,” Kamron grunted under the weight of his baggage, “you want give us hand instead of playing with your rocks?”
Gzad simply crumbled the solid rock in his hand like sand, grabbed Kamron’s bag, and threw it across the island. He then promptly punched through the ground, ripped another chunk out, sat back down, and began examining every visible inch of it.
“Freak…” I muttered under my breath.
I sat my bag down as Kamron went to retrieve his, and rummaged through it. I ripped out the Solidifier, turning it over and over in my hand. It was simple in design, a simple handheld device, nothing special. But, as I’ve come to learn, looks can be deceiving. Holding the trigger down, a screen popped up, showing a list of construction options, all of which were blacked out. From the bag, I pulled out a chunk of burnt metal. Pointing the Solidifier at the metal, the two projectors in front began translating it into data. After a few seconds, the hunk of metal was no more than empty space, the screen on the Solidifier lit up, showing a picture of a habitation module. Or rather, a picture of a gray, metal box.
Kamron, now standing at my side, said, “You sure that will fit all of us?”
“You really think I would only make one of these things? Like heck would I ever stay anywhere near you people for more than 10 minutes at a time.” I replied.
Kamron grunted, dropping the bag at my feet, and walked away. Poor sod, it looked like I actually offended that stump of a man. “Hmm, someone here has feelings. Who would’ve thought?” I thought.
As I rummaged through the contents of mine and Kamron’s bags, the sea behind me surged. Out of the splash, flew Sylas Deluca. Face planting into the dark sand, he dragged himself up, running as fast as he could to the crate of salvaged medical supplies. His suit was ripped apart, like claws had meticulously run through them. Blood ran from the rips like small, crimson rivers. Without wasting any time, he ripped out the gauze and began bandaging himself. “Hey, what’s the rush, Deluca?” I yelled.
He didn’t answer, and kept hurriedly bandaging himself. Dropping the stuff I held, I stormed over to Sylas, and yelled, “Hey! You don’t ignore me!”
After he was half-hidden in the white bandaging, he tried to jump back into the water. Before he could, I caught him in the air by his neck. “Ack! What are you doing?!” He choked.
“Slow your roll Sylas! Where’s the fire?” I replied.
“Out there! Aerora, this world is alive! There is alien life here! Maybe even sentient life! I need to get back out there, before I lose them!” Sylas babbled.
“Them?! Whose them? Start making sense, Deluca, before I knock some into you!”
“The aliens!” He finally shouted. “The aliens that saved my life! Aerora, there were alien fish that were willing to save me from drowning!”
“So?” I responded.
“So, I need to get back out there! I need to study them! If they’re as smart as I think they are, they could help us survive here.”
I pondered his words. As much as I didn’t care for his, most likely, tall tale; there very well could be something out there, something that could help. And goodness knows we need the help on this corrupted planet. And if I could get Sylas to spill his guts, we might not even need him to get home.
“Alright, Deluca. Take me to the aliens. I wanna see these things for myself.” I said.
Sylas grinned like an idiot, and handed me a spare mask.
“Whatever you do,” He said before diving into the water, “If you see any pink balloons on the surface, don’t swim towards them."
With that, he splashed into the deep blue ocean.
And so, I followed the insane guy into an unknown ocean with possible monsters lurking around every corner.
“Typical day for me, I guess” I thought to myself.
SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
edited March 2018
???
Darkness enveloped everything around it. Nary a sound echoed against its forlorn hallways. The water, still as a corpse cradled the monstrosity in its arms, holding it aloft from the stark black stone below. A haunted cry of a dying creature sounds from afar, writhing and contorting through the dark corridors. The sound soon glides past the still edifice, returning it to its relentless silence.
Inside, the remains of its glory lay strewn about, overtaken by time and nature. Blood had caked itself on the floor below, spread around as if many died at once, and left nothing to clean after them. Plants glowed in the dim lighting, casting an ethereal glow on everything around them. Shards of glass floated haphazardly, broken technology lay scattered without rhyme or reason, forgotten by their creators.
The silence would have remained for an eternity were it not for a decrepit console base, humming with the sound of advanced technology. The user of this console, now broken and aged, lay motionless at its base. The console sat there, humming, for what could be an eternity. Decades passed, and the console still sat, humming and motionless.
Centuries after the console had been switched on, it sparked. Green electricity shot through the water, lighting the darkness that had held the room for so long. This electricity lit everything it touched, switching on lights, moving mechanical joints, shaking the bits of the deceased from every corner of the room. Then, through the console's instructions, the room went to work.
A large, rectangular tube began drawing in the organic material blanketing the ebony metal. Microscopic robots that were held inside the walls began shaping the organic material, manipulating their cell structures. A pillar moved with a groan from its resting place on the ceiling, sliding over to the manipulated material, now in the clear shape of a heart. The pillar cast a green light on the heart, carrying it by invisible forces. The pillar slowly and carefully placed the heart on a table, and slid back to pick up what looked like a brain.
Above the heart, the ceiling opened to reveal two mechanical arms. The arms dislodged from there place in the ceiling, and gently picked up the heart. The arm's three pincers carried it carefully to the center of the room, where a mess of miscellaneous metal and tubes tried to untangle themselves. Soon, the arm suspended the heart in the water, leaving to grab the brain.
This process repeated itself, over and over again. Body parts seemed to fly every which way, filling the center of the room. Soon, it was impossible to see through the tangles of veins, organs, and chunks of exoskeleton. The room itself seemed to slow, as if it was unsure what to do with the mess it had created. Then, faster than lightning itself, the three-pronged arms shot to the mass of parts, piecing them together with both incredible speed and surgeon-like precision. Soon the arms had built the entire body. A silent head, wickedly sharp scythe-like claws, Chitin-clad tentacles. Then, slowly and ceremoniously, the arms slowed to a crawl, placing the heart in its rightful place, and closed the chest.
Soon after the chest was closed, the console whirred back to life, and shot a single arc of electricity, shocking this new being. The green lightning arced across the body, homing in on the heart. And as fast as it had began, the electricity stopped. The various machines came to a stop, as if holding their breath. Then, the heart pumped. The sound echoed throughout the black hallways. It was followed by another, and another. Artificial blood flowed through its veins. Soon after, its dead eyes came alive, practically glowing with newfound life.
̧̙̬̗̪͖͙̦̣̏̐̔̈́̂͊́ "ş̴̢̜͈͈̤͍̓̋͒͆͒̏̚͜͡ṳ̪̗̟̙̯́̇͊̑͆̐͛̑͘͝ͅͅͅɐ̧͍̣̻͓̊͋͋̒́̓͛͒̇ᴉ̶̩̗̖͕̥̱̯͖̣̌̏̿̏͌̈́̀́́͒ʇ̶̛̩̰̱̙͔̗̣̳̽͑̇̅͢ɯ̴̡̛̩̯̥̪̙͐̋̍͜͠ᴉ̵̡͙͉̲͎̗͈́̾̔̄̍̏̓͑̚͢͢ͅɐ̡̧̭͈͍̰̺̱͈͛́̄̍̓ɯ̛̳̹̺̰͕͒̔̀̋͐͊̚͢͝ᴉ̵̢̨̲̳̰͔̣͈̩̮̉̀̑̓̈́͋̓̾͗͠ɔ̸̧̙͙̤̟͈̲̀̐̀͐̃͜͠͞ŏ̡̨̘͚̗̲̈́̀͒̂̏͛͟ɐ̴̧͇̜̫͓͙͖̰̾͒̾̽̊ᴉ̵̮͇͇̬͕͚̮͐̊̌̈́͐̃͘͢͡͞͡ǫ̸̖̞̹̩͖͔̣͓͆͗̿̑̋͠͝͠͠u" the creature gurgled. It moved slowly, cautiously, almost timidly. I stared at its own claws, moving them up and down and up again,
fascinated by their movement. It floated aimlessly, scanning the dark walls. There was a scuffle of movement behind the creature, but it paid no attention." "̵̩̖̯͎̺̯̈̇̉͗̑͐ͅǝ̰͚̦̭̄̓̓̊̅̀͘͜͟š͚̲̯̥̄̌͌̎͊̋͟ɐ̴̣̪͔̍̾͛̾̿̀͢ͅq ̴̤̤̲̩͉̬̣̹͒̍̔̈́͆̿̍̇͢͜͝ǫ̷̤͈̟͉͈̬̱̯͛̊͐̌̔͢ʇ ̸̢̝̝̩͍͔̩̈̈̀͑̂̽̚͡ƃ̵̧̖̳̼̣̲̯͚͍̎̂̊̎̔̓̑̎̓͐ͅư̲̫̻̯̏̌͂̒̀̿͒͘ͅᴉ̴̢̠̜̣̬̽̈̐̽́͆͂̾̊͟͠ʇ̴͖̰̤̖̬̤͖̂̈̃̅̔͒ͅɹ̶̦͈̯͚̯̈́̽͌̐̐̎̔͌͘͡ͅo̸̗̞̞̰̮͔̙̣̭̣̽́̒̅̔̕͠͡d̵̢͈͚͇̭͉̫͈̫̓́̿̑̉͑͌͜ǝ̨̞̫̩̻͖͎̱̈̓̓́̿̈́̈́͐͝ɹ ̷͓̖̲̠͕̩̿̊͐͆͌̒̃ㄥ̷̡̛̱͈͚̲͔̰̩̫̄̍͑̓́̍̚͢͞Ɩ̡̰̟̻̪̬͒͒̿͋͘͜͝Ɩ̷͚̲̼͔̖͔͉̜̌̈́̾̆͐͗̅̌͢͜͝-̤̖̳̭̫͇̬͌͆̂̅͑͂͋̕͡ᄅ̵̧̪̝͚̝̟̯̳̻̄̿̌̑͒͡Ɩ̢̝͙̳̲̲̲̘͇̼̍̑̉͛͠͝Ɛ ̶̬͎̟̻͈͓̺͎̼͙́̈̇̒͋̊̏͌̄͘ʇ̷̨̢̟̬̻͖̼̭̍̍̌̀͠͞͝͠ᴉ̵͓͍͈̩̺̗̖̙͈̇̇͛̈́̓̚͠u̝̭̩͕̪͇͊̓͑̔̈́͛̇̚͡͠∩" it spoke, unsure of the meaning of the words that it used.
It lazily turned, only to find the room hard at work, creating another one of its kind. The being studied the clone intently, searching for sentience in the eyes of the counterpart. As it stared, there was a deafening grinding. The delicate arms sparked and spasmed, throwing bits of organic material every which way. Lights flickered and burst. The console practically screamed. Then, as suddenly as the process had started, the lights dimmed, the machines halted, and the console that had stayed alive for hundreds of years after its masters, slowly died. And the rest of the room followed in suit, returning it to its darkness.
The creature floated in silence, in complete confusion at the sudden death of its mechanical creators. Still staring at the doppelgänger, it poked and prodded at the half made creature. It did not move.
Without warning, the being shredded the half-made being's chest, ripping apart the organs and skin. Artificial blood clouded the water, staining the creature's scythes. "T̵̖̹̫̯͙̠̯̟̺̈́͗̈̿͂͟h̵̬̲̥͎̞̍́͆̂̎̔̄̿ě͉̪̣̘̥̲̞̜̤͗͌̉̒͐̈́̔̚̕ Ç̴͖̱̲͔̇̓̈̃̈́̂͞ā̧̹̖͖̍̈́̾̎͆͛̓͟r̴͍͓̭̞̩̫͖̫̰̋̆͋͐̑̑͡à̷̧̛͉̲͉̼̒̔͌̈́̕͟͞͞ŕ̢̭͚̺̠̱͓̗̲̀̾̍͘͟ m̥͕͚͈̟̬̪̜͋̅̄̉̆̚͢ų̲̦̙̼̞͕̲̮̱̿̅̋̍̾͛̒s̷̬̤̺̼̗̠̀́͌̎͂͌͐̕̕͞t̷͖͕͔̘͇́̽̂̑̚̕ ǹ̶̫̰͖͚̲̺̪͉̳͂̄̑̚ͅơ̧̛̤̼̥̰̤̣͈̿͛̓͑͌͜͜t̴̗̰̫̮͒̏̅̂͆͂̀̄͗͜͞ s̢͙̣̤̩̲͓͓͓͗̉͛̈́̾͛̀͂́́ͅp̸̛͉͎̬̰̤̝̫̰̘͋̒̃̅ͅr̸̡̧̜̲̣̺͉̥̿̆͗̆̀̀̈̌́ͅe̘̫͚̠̗̗̔̓͑̊͢͝͞͝a̡̧̰̹̗̻̍́͘̕͡d̷̪̥̞̪̲̞͔͓̆̏́̊̇̓.̶̨̺̮̤͈̮̒͐̔́̎" it growled.
As the blood settled onto the floor, a voice echoed in the being's cerebral cortex, "T̸̡͕͕̣̪̠͈̱̳̽̉̕͢͡͞h̶͍̠̮͇̣̭̩̥̋̈́̿͑̈́̃̕͟r̴̛͙̹̳͚͛̔͌͗͑̂̋͞͞ͅe̵̲͈̗̲̮͐̽́͛̄̔̕͜ę̢̘͓͉͔͙̻̓̅́́͒̚͞ n̡̧̞̬͉͓͎͋̈́̈̆̐̃͆́͞e̸̮̘̱̼̝̼̲͇͕͂̄̏͑͂͢w̬̳̩̻͚̺̭̓̆͂̑̀͡ b̛̗͔̘͈̝̦͈̝̩̉̍̎̋͠į̛̩̼̮̰̗̍̃̌̕õ̶͇̜͉̗̭͙̙͗̽͆́͜l̛̲͇̱͚̪̪̖̩͆̇̓̆̍̋̋̊̕ǫ̷̧̱̻̩̩̰̞͋͑̍̐̿̑̃̔̕ͅg̵̡̦͈̮̹̱̿̀̓̕͘͢i̶̻̬̜̞̤͇͊͊̓͆̄̄͜͢͟͠c̫̠̳̲̘̪͓̜̹͛͐̉͌̉̀̑͋͟͡a̢͕̲̥̯̯̟̺͋͌̈́͋̊͐̔̚͡ͅl̶͔̥͔̖̝̮̂̋̌̎͌̆̇͜ͅ s̷̡̞̹͈͚̺̰̅̉́̆̋̐̍͋͌͋û̢̦͖̘̹̟̖͑̈́̅͒̋͂͢͞͞b̡̖̬̗̠̦̤̞́̃̾̅́͟͢j̶̡̰̦̭̬̣̼̜͉̍͌̾̕̚͜͞e̢̨̬͍͎͉̮̪̋̿͋͑̒̇̿͟c̴̬̣̻͖̮̭̿̈́͆͂͛t̜͕͎̳̗̲̠̔̽́̏̈́̉̐̍̀͘͜ŝ̵̠̫̣̟̟̘͈̮͐̎̈́̉̎́͐̈̚ d̸̡͎͉̗͇̖̙̞̎̊̌͆͐͂ẹ̴̮̬̥̋̂̎̎̋̽̇͆̑͟͝ş̯͈̣̱̫͈̔̂̑̊̂̈́̓̕̕î̡̛̠̻͓̺̜̄̐͗̊͞͝g̬̘͈̤͓̰̀̂̎͒͋͠n̘̠̬̦̪̹̦͕̓̇̀́͒̑̎a̛̤͕͔͎̭̦̻͔͕̔͌͆͋̎̔ͅt̠̭̺̤̺̻̀́̾͋́̽͋͂̚͟ê̢̟̜̦̤̗̪͌͋̎͌͌̒͠d̴̡͚̳̥͖̓̏̈̆̈́́̇͆.̵͔̙̬͍̥̜̿̊͛̈͒͗̓̚͞ Ṃ̧͖̣̞̙͎̱́̀͐̏̌͂͊͘͟ͅỡ̖̱̰͚̬̱̟̖͗͌̉̂͡ḓ̴̢̙̲̐̍̊͗̐̓͡ͅḙ̵̰̮̘̪̆͗̎̑͑̋͂͡ s̝̦̮̝̤̼̪͕̟̄̄̀́̎͢ẁ̵̻̦͖͙̰̣͔̝̟́͂̽́͗̽̀̆̕i̡͇̞̜̣̗͑̌̀̊̐̓̚͠t͉̭̟͙͈̿̂͋͟͝͠c̶̰̣̳͔̜̤͐̌́͂̕h̯̰̫͔͙́̂͆̆̌̂͛͠͡î͙̯̟̬̗͉̥̃͐͂́̈́̚͝ņ̷̝̪͓͎̟̫͓̙̆̂̉̓͠͠ģ̳̟̤̩̰́̐̒̿̔͛͂͡͡ t̶̮̣͎̥͕̼̓̅́̈̊͑͝o̷̳͕̩̰̪͛̿̋̌̆́̉͢͟͞ͅ,̶͈͙̗̟̩̈͐̀̉̍̊ A͖̦̰̫̐̈́̾̕͘͜n̞͚͎͎̖̙̪̓̉̈̽̊͊̚͘̚͘ă̰͇̜͕̮͆͛̈́̇͜͜͡͡l͓̤͓̠̥̠̤̟͎͇̑̃͆̈̈̀y̵̨̤͖̼̫̖̱͙̠̓̉̄͌̑̔̑͊̿͜z̸̛̙̫̳̖̥͉͆̊̄͐̿̚į̵̢̞̗̮̊͋̓̿͑́͢n̩̳͖̻̩̬̯͛̎͆̀̊̀̕g̵̢̲̪͍͈̭͔͖̏̉̍̈́̄.͇̹̩̜͚̩͓̎̽̐̐͘͝ Ś̴̡̨̛̘̭͚̺͍̯̄͂̌̊͋̾̈͡h̴̖̮̭̤̰͖̮̺͊̀̊̀̋̂̿͗͟ȃ̯͈̼̳̺̣͂̑͌̀̽́̍͟͠ȑ̷̻̘͎̣̘̼̪͍͖̈͊́̄̋͒͘͘͢͞i̧̛̝͇̯̩̲̹̓̈́͑̔̐̒̄̚͜͡n̡͉̳̰̻͈̦̒̇̊̒̀͊͘̚͟͠͝g̢̦̦̭͒̍̈͆͋̄̚͟ s̵͕̝͔̭̬͇̖͖̎̽͐͛̓́́͐̂ù̴͚̤͎̘̇̒̆̂̑̕͢b̨̪͚͇̟͓̘͒̓̄̏̈́̕̚͞͞j̛̭̻̤̞̱̯͖̖͗̾̄̎͐́͘͢ę̝̘̰̘͓͔̾̃͛̽̐̏̓c̸̹̫̮̄̅͌͊̋̍̕͜ͅt̵̢̛̘͉͉̻̠̰̔̔̔͆̉̾̕͡s̶͕̹̯̦̬̮̜͔̝͊͑̀̓̅̚͞ l̜͈̗̮̤̤̜̦̫̠̈̐̽͑̓̊o̸̭̱͚̖͖͚̞̳̲̜͆̇̇͌̈͡͝͡c̸̢̺͍̲̻͉͚̮͐́͌͒̄͑̾͘͟ͅa̴̙͔̺̳͓̖̻̙̅͒͛̃̀t̳̝̼͈͚͈̔͂́͒̄͛̎̇͑͢͡ȋ̸̟̖͔̺̻̰́̒̽̉̀̑͂͆͢͠ö̢̨̞̯̦̖̜́̀̑̆̄͊̎͟͠n̶͎̱̱͈̫̣̳̪̹̆̌̓̍̓̃̊͘͞s̸̛͎̺̳͍̪̿͌̋͌͂̃͋͊͢͡ w̶̫̲̘͇͖̻̼͌̄̑̍̈́̓̾͢͡ị͎͇͙͖̍̂̒̆̾̔͛͝͠t̷̨̛̬̭͈͚̘͔̉̎̊̓̔̐̋̓͜͝h̤̠̲͙̫̱͈̲͖̃̓̃̊̚ ơ̧̖͔͈͈͛̌͢͢͡͠t̵͔̫͎̞̋͗̈́͋̾̓̕̕͢ͅh̛̤͎̥̼͓̦͋͊͒̐̀̉̋̚͠ė̸͙̖̰̞̾̀̿̃̊̏́͘͜ŗ̸̧̛̛̹̪̀͒̆̄̔̄͟ ǎ̞̭̼̮̗̬̬͖̲̫̿̈́̌̕g̴̦̫͉̼͖̹̖̟̭̾̉̒̒͋e̶̱̼̥̹̝̼̎́̾͒̃̓͂n̶̢̧̨̰̻̯͙̱̐̀͊͋͌̋͒͂̿͟ͅt̥̰͖̣̓̑̏̽̿͆́̅̂͜͞ͅŝ̜̘̩͇͎͐̋͌̉̄̾̋̍͜͝.̟͕̝̹̤̘͚̼̫͉̎̐̉͘͘͠͠͠ "
A switch then clicked inside the creature's body. It looked around in surprise, suddenly becoming much more lively and on edge. The tips of its claws glowed with a faint, green glow. Out of curiosity, the creature tapped these two glowing parts together. Suddenly, the water began to swirl and boil. Light flashed around the being. Then, the very water ripped apart, sucking the creature deep inside. When the water finally settled, the creature was completely gone.
Another dying groan echoed through the darkness, shaking the entire structure. Once it had passed, it left the dead room to its long held darkness and silence.
SkopeWouldn't you like to know ;)Join Date: 2016-06-07Member: 218212Members
Aerora McColl
I hadn't gone a meter before a fish had slapped me in the face.
After hesitantly following Sylas into the water, a colorful, white-stripped, crab-fish hybrid appeared from the murk, running directly into my mask. I growled, grabbed the fish who began trying to snap at my hand with its small crab pincers, and threw it away from me. It swiftly flew back into the dim water. "Stupid fish!" I barked.
I looked up to find Sylas silently giggling to himself. When he saw that I had discovered him, he quickly turned his head and motioned with his hand for me to follow him. "Oh just you wait, you unbearable jerk..." I murmured to myself.
Sylas then began swimming into the dense coral reef set before us. The deep, blue rock twisted and arched every which way. Coral and plant-life dominated the seafloor, covering up the sand as best as it could. Fish darted about in a hurry to eat and survive. Even though the sight was fairly simple and common, it was also entirely alien. It seemed as if all these creatures had been shoved together in one place, and forced to adapt to the new home. Fish of every color and size imaginable swam together, chirping and and clicking, deafening even the sound of my arms and legs kicking through the water. Far in the distance, a long, dark shape slowly slithered away from Sylas and I.
Sylas turned back to me, pointed back up to the surface, and kicked back up. I followed him, bursting through the surface, gasping for air. "Tell me," I said, desperately trying to slick back the remains of my long hair, "Where exactly are we going?"
"I don't know." Sylas replied happily.
"What?! Then what are we doing out here?!" I yelled back.
"We're looking. Even if we don't find what we're looking for, just think of what we could find." Sylas said.
"Are you nuts?!"
"Maybe, but at least I'll be able to go home nuts." He said, slipping his mask back on.
He then deeply inhaled, and dropped back underwater.
I growled, muttering a few unpleasant curses about his mother, and followed him under.
As much as I hated this plan, I will admit, the area was pretty nice. I dragged my hand along an arch of rock, feeling some of the hundreds of barnacles that covered the stone. Fish passed by so close, that it seemed as if they didn't fear Sylas' or my presence. A single fish paid me any attention. It had a light pink body, with dull, thin, perforated, yellow fins. Its two, bulbous eyes barely stayed inside its head, its irises were nothing but a simple criss-cross, and it looked like it had a permanent, goofy grin. It would've looked completely harmless were it not for the rows of serrated teeth inside its smile. Despite that, it cheerfully swirled around my head, inspecting my clothes, arms, anything it could find. I came to stop, as did the fish, floating mere centimeters away from my face. I slowly reached out to touch the curious fish, but my hand spooked it, and it fled back into the gloom. "Augh, shoot!" I yelled in disappointment.
I looked around for Sylas, and I found him a ways away, hiding behind an arch. I swam over to him, yelling, "What? Sharks got you scared? Maybe we shouldn't go out into the ocean for literally nothing!" I knew he couldn't hear what I was saying, but it was cathartic.
But Sylas put his finger to his mask, trying to get me quiet. He then pointed over the ridge, and pointed back up to the surface. I looked at what he pointed to, and saw what looked to be a giant, pink frog with a tail. It looked fairly normal, all things considered, except for the scythe at the end of its tail. The creature looked like it was munching on the corpse of a crab with an incredibly long tail, leeching its blood into the water. "Sylas, you absolute idiot! What have you led me into?!" I thought.
I quickly kicked up to the surface, and grabbed Sylas by the back of his neck. "What is that thing!" I demanded.
"What we were looking for." He answered gleefully.
Before I could protest further, he shook himself out of my grip, and slipped back under the waves once again. I wanted to shout and scream in anger to attract the attention of something that would eat us both, but there was a good chance that was going to happen already, so I might as well just make things interesting.
I dropped back under the waves, only to see Sylas surrounded by a cloud of the Frog-like creatures. They swirled around Sylas, nervously croaking and chattering, stirring the water in almost hypnotic fashion. Their large bodies surrounded Sylas on all sides. Many of them whipped their sharp tails around, as if itching to tear their new prey apart. Sylas looked around frantically for an escape, but even if he tried to move up or down out of the creature's circular trap, they would move with him. He held his hands out in a futile attempt to protect himself from the inevitable attack. "Well isn't this just great," I thought, "Now I have to save him from his own stupidity."
I began violently kicking towards the swirling pack, my fists readied, eager to finally break someone after so long. But before I could reach them, the unthinkable happened.
One of the pink, frog creatures broke away from the rest, coming inside the circle. The swirling pack slowed and stuttered, confused by the one's abandonment. The lone creature chirped, slowly getting closer to Sylas. It got closer, and closer, until it was so close, I thought it was going to bite Sylas' upraised hands. But it shoved its head past his hands, nudging his body. Sylas froze, clearly not wanting to anger the creature. The creature seemed to search Sylas' body, looking for some mystery element, possibly where the most delicious part of him was. Suddenly, the creature ripped one of the many gauze bandages covering Sylas with its teeth, releasing a small cloud of blood into the water. It sniffed at the wound, gauze still in its mouth, and it rapidly backed away from Sylas, letting loose a flurry of croaks and squeals. It spun around, throwing the gauze piece to the seabed, excitedly chirping. Slowly, the rest of the pack followed in suit, until all the creatures were twirling and screaming in excitement.
Sylas slowly lifted his hands back up towards the first creature while it was still celebrating. It eventually saw his hand, and silenced itself. It crept to Sylas, and began nuzzling his palm. Sylas calmly rubbed its head, grinning.
I could only float there, gawking at the sheer chaos that was happening below me.
Sylas looked up at me, giving me the "OK" sign, and mouthed the words, "Found them."
Comments
I forgot to mention I bookmarked this some time ago.
I had the most unnerving dream.
I was in a large, empty room. The walls and ceiling were terribly abstract, pieces sticking out everywhere you looked. I was being led to large rectangle of light, under the green light what looked to be a rippling puddle above my head. I couldn't see what was pushing me, but needless to say, they were not friendly. I stood over the rectangle of light, and I feared it. For whatever reason, I knew not what, but I was afraid. Disgusting, I know. Nevertheless, I was afraid, then the unknown...things... pushed me off the ledge. At this point, nothing I saw made sense. Images and scenes flew past my face at high speeds, as if traveling on a shuttle. I saw Sylas being attacked by a terrifying monster, I saw Marguerit wielding a shining knife desperately floating over to a strange elliptical object, I saw a massive structure suspended by large claws over a literal lake of fire and brimstone, and I saw an endless expanse of darkness going in all directions. And it ended with my vision becoming horribly distorted, as if by flames or waves, and a large object stood over me, but I couldn't tell what it was.
It spoke to me, but I couldn't quite make out what it was saying. The voice was garbled, as if it was being shouted from behind a wall. It said something like, "What, have you done?"
And then I woke up.
I woke to my wife staring down at my face, obviously concerned. "What?" I questioned?
"You were having a nightmare, you thrashed about, yelling, attacking your blanket like you wanted to strangle it." She said.
Hmm... what had happened? I tried to hold on to the images I saw, but already, they were fading into obscurity. It wasn't long before I wasn't able to recall it at all. Dreams, fickle things, aren't they?
I stood, brushing past Hannah. "Where are you going? You really shouldn't be up and about. You're still injured, you know."
"I just need to clear my head, Hannah. That's all..."
I brushed past her with no words, and exited my room, almost immediately running over Marcus. "Ah, I'm sorry Mr. Torgal, I didn't see you..." He quickly apologized.
He immediately rushed past me without another word. Poor sod, the man was terrified of me. I don't blame him. I still don't know what happened that day. I only remember waking up in intensive care. The story was relayed to me since then, but I believed nary a word of it. The fools clearly exaggerated it. I have never lost my head, I never plan on doing so. The mind is the most powerful weapon that a person can have. And I consider myself a Warlord in the matter.
I walked to the Main Bridge, surprised to find Marguerit at the panel. She noticed me, and swiftly spun towards me, brandishing a blade. "Keep walking pal, you're not killing anyone. Not while I'm here." She snarled.
I payed her no heed, and continued to walk to the windshield. I put my hands on the glass, and admired the empty space around us. Such beauty from emptiness, I relished in this view every chance I got. As I started, I noticed a bright white dot, slowly moving towards us. "Where are we?" I asked Marguerit.
"Y'know, I've been meaning to ask you that exact question to you. So, Chief... where are we?" She snarled again, with specific distaste on chief.
"I don't know what you're insinuating, but I haven't the slightest idea. Why would you think that I would know? Let us not forget, you're at the panel. Leading us to an ambush of sorts, or are you mercs not that smart?"
"See here," she practically growled, storming towards me, "I could kill you right here, with this knife, and no one here would mourn for you. I would be a saviour to them. Now, be a good boy, and go sit in your bed and wait for age to catch up to you."
"I will have you know, I am still your captain. You will treat me with the respect a captain deserves, or I shall put you in broken life pod, and send you off into open space myself." I leaned down to her for an emphasis to my point, "Now will we have any more problems? Or shall I have to find someone to recover that lifepod, I wouldn't want to waste money like that. Of course, should I have to, I would have to hire some cleaners to wipe up whatever stain you'll become. That would be a fairly, messy job, wouldn't you say?"
"Try me pal."
"Hey, what are we talking about?" A voice said from behind the panel.
I turned to find Bart standing there, looking particularly worried. "Nothing you should you concern yourself with, son. Mrs. Maida and I were just having a discussion on workload."
"Oh, okay." My son said sheepishly.
Marguerit stared daggers at me, sharper than the knife she held. The knife... that knife...
...the same one from...
"Father, could I talk to you?" Bart asked me, shaking me out of my thoughts.
"O-Of course, son."
We walked back to the Scanner Room and Bart showed me a large projection of a planet, which they had named 4546B. He showed me the intricacies of this planet, like the fact that it only had two tectonic plate, and the rest of it was salt-water all the way to the planet's core. The planet had a nitrogen based atmosphere, meaning we wouldn't be burdened to use the Degasi's remaining compressed air stocks to breath, and instead we could rely on basic, fabricated, SCUBA gear to breath under the water should we need to make repairs on the outside of the ship.
"So, Father, we have one hour to landfall. And I need you to tell me something... why did you bring us here?" Bart asked.
I had become tired of people insinuating I had led them off course. I would do nothing to sway myself away from the primary objective. Asteroid B0AGDD was our primary objective, and I have stayed true to that for the past 6 months. Marguerit obviously has found a way to sway the weaker minds aboard the Degasi to see me as the enemy, but I will not be so easily fooled. "I have no possible ideas what you could be prattling on about, but I have not brought us out here. Do not listen to a word that mercenary says to you, son. I expect more from that mind I bought for you." I objected.
"B-But...I saw...yo-"
"You saw nothing, boy. Do not let that fiendish Marguerit into your mind. She couldn't even imagine what knowledge I packed into there. She's unwelcome there, never forget that." I interrupted.
"Never mind, just, prepare for landfall. I assume you will lead the landing procedures, Captain?" Bart said.
"Yes, I must. That is my duty as Captain."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I stood at the panel for the next hour, guiding the Degasi to its landing place, a long, empty sandbar only 50 meters under water. The Degasi could easily withstand that pressure.
At this short of the distance, you could almost see waves sweeping across the surface of this water bubble. The planet almost radiated a calming, light-blue glow. I could see no landmass, not even a sign of islands. Whatever land there was, had to be completely submerged. Not the most comforting thought, but not unnerving. The planet was fairly small, not much bigger than some moons. And it was much smaller than the nearby 4546A, which seemed to be the size of a basic, mid-sized Goldilocks planet.
I spoke over the intercom, "Alright people, we have entered the upper atmosphere, and are now in a decaying orbit. Lock down your seats and anything you don't want falling over. This could get bumpy."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
It took several hours, but we finally made it to the final stages of landing. We were a mere 15 kilometer above the surface, close enough to see small signs of land underneath the waves.
I took in the sights of this small droplet in space, trying to see if any land was visible from this height. I could make out an island in the distance, much too small to land the Degasi on. The island also seemed to be too sheer and jagged to even attempt to land on. I thought I saw a glint of metal on the island, but it was too far to tell. Probably my eyes playing tricks on me again. I must get my eyes checked once we get back home.
I turned on the hull thrusters to stabilize the Degasi in its decent. Everything was going according to plan, when Marcus ran in screaming, "Mr. Torgal! An energy spike is originating from the planet! The energy output is higher than a high level, weaponized plasma stream!"
"Well, what in the dickens does that mean, Marcus!" I shouted back.
"Sir, the planet is firing on u-"
Suddenly, a deafening moan of grinding metal assaulted my ears, followed by a somber groan. No sooner than the sound started, it ended, leaving an eerie silence.
"What...was...tha-"
And all I saw next was a green light, defying the brightness of a star at its highest point. The light penetrated the starboard side of the Bridge, and all went dark...
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sylas Deluca
Finally, after 2 weeks, I caught up with the scumbag. It took a heck of an effort, but I did it. The others didn't see why we needed to get our redemption. I had to, correct, their misguided feelings, but they finally saw reason. As I speak, we were barreling down on Torgal. I could even see that rotten hunk of corrupted titanium, trying to land on the planet. Trying to get away. They knew I was coming, but they could never be ready. I would get them. I will get them. "Karson! Prep the plasma torpedoes!"
"Yes, sir..." He said half-heartedly.
Notwithstanding his lack of enthusiasm, he did as he was told, exactly as I told him to.
"Weapons are hot!" I shouted.
I was so close. So close to redemption.
No one will ever abandon me again. Not now, not ever.
My hand hovered over the firing button. I looked for the words to say, the right words to send Paul Torgal and his band of traitors to their graves. Even if my wife was on that ship, she abandoned me, and she would die for that. I finally found them.
"Paul Torgal, you've betrayed the wrong man. And you will die for such an atrocious act. Hasta la vis-"
Suddenly, a bright green beam shot from the planet. The beam ripped through the Degasi, no doubt killing them instantly, and the beam was heading directly for The Blitz. Due to my swift reflexes, I was able to swerve the Bridge out of the beam's way, but the nuclear thrusters did not fair as well. An explosion rocked the back of the ship, shooting us forward. My head was slammed into the flight panel, and my vision went dark. The last thing I saw was an endless ocean, spiraling towards us...
END OF CHAPTER 1
At first this made me think of the Precursor Gun Chamber (where you deactivate the weapon). The rectangle of green light seems to resemble the power source, and all Precursor architecture seems to be abstract. But that's where the similarities ended. There's also mention of a green, rippling puddle which seems to be a Precursor portal. The only portal near the gun is outside the base, and certainly not in the same chamber as the power source. Which is why I think this is talking about the Emperor's cell, the portal being that which is in the chamber and the rectangle of green light being a crystal of ion.
And this is why I can't determine what the rectangle of green light actually is. I think the things pushing Paul towards the light are Warpers (I wouldn't necessarily call bonesharks or reapers unfriendly; they're just predators. Warpers are best described as unfriendly beings), but I'm not sure what the light is. Maybe it's the one in the Paul's final Degasi log. He sees a light deep down in the ocean. If Paul is seeing his own fate, then he has reason to be afraid.
And here's the trickiest part before things start to go really wild. I think the ledge is the observation platform above the prison, but it could also be a lot of other things. I have no idea, but the platform seems likely.
I'll do all of this together. Sylas being attacked by a terrifying monster could mean that Sylas gets reaper'd, or just killed by any other predatory creature. But perhaps Marguerit kills Sylas? It's obvious Paul and her don't see eye to eye, and Paul thinks that the mercenary is spreading rumour with malicious intent (we'll get to this in a bit). It would make sense for Paul to see her in a dream as no more than a monster.
The Marguerit vision is the hardest to place in the whole of Paul's Vision. She's holding a shining knife (perhaps a diamond one), that much is easy enough to understand. But she is desperately floating over to an elliptical object? Elliptical objects in Subnautica are lacking. Perhaps it's as simple as it being a portal or a hole in the ground blurred by the fast pace of Paul's Visions, and the current is pulling her in. But in the end I have no idea about this one.
The structure above the lava is thankfully easy to place. The power generators over the Active Lava Zone seem a perfect fit.
And finally Paul's vision becomes distorted, and there is a large object over him. I think that this is the Emperor, and it is talking to him, hence the distortion. This is also backed up by what Paul hears next:
I have no idea what Paul did. I guess we'll find out.
This also provides a reason for Paul's urge to "go deeper" in the Degasi logs; he wants to find the source of the voice; a voice that is already calling out to him.
We find out in this chapter that the Federation have never found 4546B before, so it's safe to assume that no other ship has ever been this close. Perhaps Paul was in range of the Emperor's telepathy. It invaded his mind and drew on already existing desire (the desire to make as much of a profit on Plasteel as possible) and amplified it, making him want to go to 4546B wholly. This could also explain why he doesn't remember going off course; because he wasn't himself.
But I have a feeling that that isn't the last we've seen of the Emperor's meddling. In fact, I think that we've seen more of it in this chapter. In fact, I think that this chapter is crammed with Emperor influence.
This feels like the Emperor. Paul's talking about how much knowledge he packed into there, and that Marguerit isn't welcome. That sort of feels like something the Emperor would say to Paul. Perhaps she's not even talking to Bart, but to Paul.
I also have a feeling that something's got hold of Sylas, but I have no idea.
Paul Torgal
Get up...
...
Get up...
"Ughhh, wha..."
Get up...
"Wh-?"
GET UP.
I shot upwards, expecting to find myself in my King-sized water bed. But rather, I was floating on just water. I looked around, seeing I was on a twisted piece of metal, no doubt a magnesium alloy. But I saw nothing on the horizon, nothing but endless sea. Sea spreading for miles around me. Where was I?
Then my memory finally released the horrors I had seen earlier. I saw the beam rip through the hull, vaporizing Marcus where he stood. I saw ship's starboard side explode. I saw Hannah desperately fumbling for a lifepod. I saw myself get ripped out of the ship by the air pressure. I saw the water spiraling towards my face, and I saw my life flash before my eyes. It was great, if I do say so myself.
But that begs the question, how did I survive?
And did anyone else?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Marguerit Maida
If I ever find that Torgal's corpse, I'm gonna kill him again.
I never trusted that unhinged, old man.
After the beam vaporized the room I was in seconds before, I held on to an exterior pipe for dear life, and climbed along the wall until I reached the Bridge. I was able to use the Degasi's remaining stabilizers to slow our fall, but that didn't make the impact any less rough. Once we hit the water, the windshield shattered, forcing hundreds of gallons into my face immediately. A poor first impression this forsaken planet gave us.
I had to abandon the Degasi, much to my chagrin. But not before I kicked out a thinner wall, sucking out objects, and hopefully, people. I scanned below my feet and saw nothing but sand. Then, I saw the sand stir slightly. I didn't stay much longer after that. I wasn't well equipped enough to take on whatever monster could be digging around. I dragged myself to the surface as fast as I could. I saw a figure floating on the surface above me. "Great, I'm already gonna have to bury people." I thought.
Readying my knife, just in case I was looking at Paul's body, I slowed my swim to get a good look at the body. I realized it was the kid. I checked his pulse, "Oh no, not the kid..."
Then a pump. Followed by another one. He was alive! I thrusted his face above water, and looked around for something to keep him out of the water. I saw a wooden crate, likely with food inside, and forced Bart on top. I tried to give him CPR, but I just pushed him under the water. I desperately looked around for some land. There was none that I could see. I tried resuscitating him back, but his lungs didn't inflate. "There's water in his lungs." I thought, "That might be it for him. Unless..."
I dove a few meters underwater, and quickly turned, swimming as fast as I could to the surface. I launched nearly a meter out, and rammed my elbow into his stomach.
Bart momentarily became the first human-fountain hybrid.
He spluttered and coughed, clutching his ribs, shouting to the sky in pain. I held his head in his arms as he flailed, trying to calm him down. "Kid, you gotta stop thrashing! You're going to attract something!"
Almost as if on cue, a roar echoed from the water. That's it, we're out of here. With Bart still on the crate, clearly beyond help at this point, I pushed the crate away. I didn't know where, but anywhere was better than here.
I swam for what seemed like hours. The roars behind me had ceased, but I wasn't looking back. I had seen enough monsters to last me a lifetime. I didn't want to look, I didn't want to feel, I didn't want to be here. I was so absorbed with my fear that I barely heard Bart's whisper. "Shh, you're in shock. Just calm down and don't thrash." I comforted.
"But, I see land." Bart croaked.
I peeked around the crate, and sure enough, the outline of an island was apparent. An immense cloud cover was still obscuring most of the island from our view, but even if it was full of flesh-eating mice-elephant hybrids, I would take that action if it meant getting out of the water.
As we neared the island, our luck seemed to grow by the second. The island was covered in a lush, green forest, with various flowers and fruit trees sticking out over the island's edge. We could see an eroded wall on the island, making a perfect ramp onto the island.
After an eternity of swimming, we reached this paradise in one piece. "We made it..." Bart whispered.
"We-we did." I choked out. I was dead tired. The sun was still high in the sky, but I didn't care. It went against everything I knew about survival, but I needed a rest. Survival was a second priority right now.
And I slipped into a deep sleep.
I woke on an island. Or, something that resembled one.
I was still inside the Bridge of The Blitz, with just a few sputtering fires remaining. I was smashed into the port-side wall, which happened to be facing down at this time. Most of the interior was either mangled beyond further use, or on fire. Besides that, the ship was more or less together. Red-brown stains covered the walls in the ship. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what they were. I shuddered, this atmosphere was all too familiar. I needed to get out of there.
Luckily for me, the windshield was shattered, and not too far from the ground. I lept out of the ship, and realized that there was no ground underneath me. I fell into the ocean, not knowing what could be below. After I had sunk a few meters, I opened my eyes, ready to see a 100-meter shark feasting on my face. But what I really saw, was equally breathtaking. What I saw was the largest amalgamation of coral I'd ever seen. For as far as I could see, coral controlled the bottom, and hundreds of small fish darted in and out of coral. Fish of every shape and size, wriggled around the water. Mighty arches of rock stretched along the seafloor, covered in what looked to be glowing barnacles. It was overwhelming to see, but so beautiful at the same time. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had seen other alien lifeforms before, but the sheer expanse of this place was awe-inspiring.
My thoughts were interrupted with an artificial, female voice called out, "10 seconds, return to the surface."
Without thinking, I swam quickly to the surface. In the midst of my revelings of the life on this planet, that I didn't even pay attention to the burning in my own lungs. I broke the surface, and gasped deeply. I looked at the source of the voice, my wrist, only to find a wrist PDA. I'd never seen it before, so I was immensely surprised. I shouted, "What are you!"
"I am Otcela, your assistance AI construct. I was programed to protect the wearers of these PDAs by any means I have at my disposal. I might not have much at my disposal, but I will be quite the moral supporter." The watch spoke
"Really, that's it?" I replied.
"Yeah, I know..." It said ashamedly.
"Whatever, what do you mean 'others'? Are there others that survived?"
"I am currently on-line in three other locations. All of which are 61 meters due South of you. It seems that they have been doing some fishing for the past 24 hours."
Past day? How long was I out?
I swam to the coordinates that Otcela gave me, only to find another island. It was fairly small, no bigger than The Blitz. The island looked mostly barren of any life, except for the plume of smoke rising from the center of the island. I scaled the walls of the island, climbed to the top, and found a depressing sight. Kamron, Aerora, and Gzad gathered around a smoldering hunk of metal, getting as close as they could to potentially radioactive heat, just trying to keep themselves warm. Aerora turned to me, immediately scowling at me, saying, "Well, what do we have here? Looks like you didn't die after all. Too bad."
The other two men advanced on me. Gzad growled like a cornered animal. I backed up, trying to get back to the water, but Gzad's hands shot out, grabbing me by the collar and lifting me off the ground."You shouldn't have showed up, you could've died peacefully on The Blitz, but now we gotta hurt you." Kamron threatened.
"Look, I'm sorry, I can't even begin to tell you how ashamed of my actions I am. But Torgal got his penance, and that's what mattered." I said.
"Mattered?!" Kamron screeched, followed by a swift punch to my stomach, "Did it not matter that you could have killed us all for no reason? Did it not matter that you practically tortured us to agree to your insane plan? Your a psychopath! And we don't need psychopaths here. Gzad, drop him in the drink."
Gzad effortlessly carried me to the edge of the island. "Wait, wait, wait, you need my help!"
Gzad glanced up me, "Why that?" he said in broken English.
"Who cares? He's just bluffing to try to save his own skin." Aerora yelled to me.
"No! No, no, you really do need me if we're to ever get off this place!" I called out.
"And how are you going to help?" She replied.
"Who here knows anything about thrust propulsion and shuttle construction?"
No one moved. Gzad looked at me as if I was speaking an entirely different language.
"Exactly! I know how to fix the The Blitz! I can get everyone back to their homes!" I said.
"And what if you're bluffing? You're not exactly very trustworthy, you know." Kamron replied.
"Then you can kill me. Drown me in the water, knife me, whatever you want. I'm wagering my life on my claims."
Kamron and Aerora exchanged glances, having a mental conversation.
Aerora turned to me, saying, "And you're sure you can fix the ship?"
"On my life." I replied.
"Fine, Gzad, down."
Gzad dropped me to the ground without any care whatsoever. Kamron then grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look at him, and said, "Alright, you got yourself a deal. Now, how are we going to fix The Blitz?"
"Well, we need to salvage whatever titanium we can. I'm sure shards and scraps are practically covering the floor now. We'll need some kind of fuel. Either liquid or powdered. I'll take wood at this point. We'll need to build some kind of a Constructor or Fabricator to make more complicated machinery and protection, The Blitz might have the materials on-board.
We'll need a base of operations, and sufficient power. I estimate that the entire project should take 6 months at most, 4 months at least."
"That's fine and dandy for the future, but just how do we survive until we get to that point?" Aerora said crossly.
"We'll just have to prioritize a stable shelter, a renewable food source, and clean water." I said.
I pointed to the wreckage of the ship, "The Blitz has the answers for those questions. But one things for certain..." I said.
I looked at the huge extent of ocean spread out before my eyes, "The answers certainly aren't above water.
We'll have to take a plunge."
Oooooo....
Things are gonna get INTERESTING!!!
*shivers with fear and anticipation*
Oh, my friend, you have no idea.
Sylas and co. are going to see things that the would make the Reaper Leviathan cower and hide.
One Thousand!
I can barely fathom that high of a number. I never expected to get this extreme amount of attention for my little idea about what really happened to the Degasi survivors.
Again, thank you so much.
And now, in celebration, here's Marguerit with the next part.
Marguerit Maida
I shot up from my deep slumber, remembering that I actually have to survive on this cesspool of a planet. I laid prostrate on the ground, nearly in the same position as when I passed out. I noticed that Bart was no longer at my side. I tried to lift myself off the ground, but my muscles refused to move. My insane swim had left more than my mind beaten and tired. I clawed at the wet sand below me, forcing myself upwards. It hurt tremendously, and I expended whatever energy I had gained from my nap. I knelt on the ground, panting and gasping. That's when a hand shot in front of my face. I looked at the hand's owner, to find Bart smiling down at me. I begrudgingly took his hand, and he helped me up. I liked the kid, the one good thing that Torgal did in his life, but it was an insult to my Mercenary name to get help from someone so young.
"I'm excited you're up, Marguerit. First thing's first, I need to thank you for saving my life after the crash. I hope to return the favor in the future." Bart said.
"Don't mention it. You found us this island. I would've drowned in than blasted ocean without your help." I replied.
"Alright, second thing's second, I want to show you something."
Bart led me across the island, which was booming with plant life. Grass nearly covered the everything on the ground. Strange trees and plants bloomed in every color of the rainbow. I heard the chirp of a creature, only to see a bird-like creature that looked like a half moon flitting above us. Bart pointed out how to tell what plants were edible, and what ones weren't. The island was beyond beautiful. It was paradisaical.
"I haven't been able to domestically grow any plants yet, but I'm close to figuring it out. Plants grow incredibly fast on this planet, faster than any other planet I've ever studied. I believe that the UV rays emanated from that White Dwarf have the perfect conditions for providing plants with a surplus of nutrients. I've also theorized that the plants on this planet could have extremely efficient photosynthesis cycle. From what data I can gather with just my five senses, I've estimated these plants have a Light Cycle 102.7% faster than Earth plants. As such, plants can grow to maturity in a matter of hours." Bart explained.
I wasn't too keen on plant growth, so I simply nodded and smiled. Man, this kid was in a league of his own. "So, is this what you wanted to show me?" I asked.
"Oh right! Sorry, I just get worked up over plants. They're just so fascinating. This way." Bart apologized.
He continued to lead me over the edge of the island, following along the a sheer drop-off into the ocean. He pointed to a small valley, saying, "Here's one of the things I wanted to show you. I made a shelter for the time being." Bart motioned to a small hut-like structure.
The shelter was nothing special, but it was fairly large. It could easily fit four people with spare room. Not to mention that the entire thing was made out of full-size fruit trees, branches, huge leaves, and dirt. The thing was impressive, especially since it was built by someone so young. "How long was I out?" I asked quizzically.
"Well, you were out for an entire day and night cycle on this planet, but that equates to somewhere around 16 Earth hours. You still tired?" He said, obviously concerned.
"As a bone." I said with a chuckle.
"Good thing I made a bed then. But before you catch some sleep, I want to show you something I think you'll find very interesting." Bart said.
He calmly walked to the edge of the island, and nonchalantly dived off. I yelped, and ran after him. I slid at the edge, swallowing my emotions, and jumped in after him. I looked around to find Bart just a little ways away from me, motioning towards the island. I looked to where he was pointing, and nearly gasped. Huge spires of rock jutted from the bottom of the island, and beneath them...nothing. The entire island was floating at the surface of the water. But, that wasn't possible. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Bart motioned to the surface, and then kicked upwards. I quickly followed him, and deeply inhaled after breaking surface, flinging all my unanswered questions at him, "How is this thing floating? How can rock float? Where are we? How deep is the water under the island? Are you sure that this thing isn't gonna sink?"
"Woah, woah, slow down. I only got one mouth!" he said smiling.
"I don't know the answers to many of your questions, but I can tell you what keeps this island floating. Follow me." He said, diving under the surface.
He swam under the island, and I sluggishly followed. I hated this feeling. It felt so tight under the island, like it was going to crush me any second. Bart pointed to something, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. He pointed to a gigantic pulsating mass. It was bright pink, and had many clear tentacles. I had never been so scared, I swam away from him to the surface faster than I had ever swam before. I broke surface, barely slowing down. I had to get away, fast. Fast. I heard a splash behind me, expecting to see that pulsating mass chasing after me with huge, ugly jaws with needle-like fangs; but rather, I saw Bart jumping from the water, spluttering, "Marguerit, wait! Where are you going! They're perfectly harmless!"
I turned back at him, and yelled, "Not a chance kid, I'm not going with a 100 meters of that thing!"
"Marguerit, stop!" He said with so much confidence and power, that I instinctively stopped swimming.
"Marguerit, do you have Thalassophobia?" He said, almost like how a parent would ask their kid if they were taking drugs. Deadly serious, and full of compassion.
"I-I don't know. What is that?" I asked.
"It's the fear of the ocean and its creatures." He replied.
I stayed silent for a moment, trying to repress the words. I held them in my throat, desperately trying to swallow them. Eventually, I couldn't hold them any longer, "Okay, yes! I'm scared of the water. My brother was killed by a shark on Earth when I was a little girl. We were surfing...I-I was right next to him. And, in a split second...he was in the jaws of that beast. He was gone..."
Tears streamed down my face. I tried to get rid of that memory, burying it under every other memory I had. It had seemed to work for some time, until I was shipwrecked on this forsaken planet. I smashed the water, sending a salty spray into my tear-ridden eyes. Bart, who had swam next to me, put his hand on my shoulder. "Marguerit, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have pushed you so fast. But I promise, that will never happen again. You're stronger now. I'm sure if you met that shark now, you would rip it apart faster than it could blink"
"Thanks kid. I'll try to get over my Thalat-, Taloss-, Thalanga-" I struggled.
"Thalassophobia." Bart corrected.
"Yeah, that." I replied
The sky and ocean slowly dimmed, and Bart looked up and smiled. "Well would you look at that."
I looked up and saw the nearby planet, 4546A begin to cover the star. "A solar eclipse." Bart remarked, "You know, solar eclipses were considered lucky in the 21st century. Only happened every few decades. This could be the universe telling us that we're going to be alright."
"Yeah...yeah. I bet so."
And we waded in the ocean, simply staring as the light died, and my confidence was reborn.
"Come at me 4546B." I thought, "I'm ready for ya."
Survival of the fittest. This was a concept I had to learn very quickly.
I had decided that I didn't want to merely float on the water, waiting for dehydration or something else to kill me. I was the leader of the Torgaljin Corp. I wasn't just going to lay down and die.
After hours of merely floating on that chunk of metal, I decided to slip into the water, no matter how dangerous it would be.
I rolled in, and beheld quite a show. Nature had been kind to this place, that's for sure. Everywhere I looked, there was some kind of fish. Coral lined the various rock formations around the area. I beheld a small fish that lazily drifted past my feet. It was strange shaped fellow, colored a light orange. It made no noise, nor did it even seem to acknowledge my existence. It just swam by, going about its own business. I quickly popped my head out of the water for a deep breath, then dove under the water for a closer look at a nearby coral.
The coral was an odd shape, almost like the top of a deformed mushroom, or perhaps a human brain. As I studied the odd coral, a sucking sound burst from the coral, drawing anything small around it. I backed away from the coral, just in case it was home to a creature that would be none too happy to see a trespasser. Suddenly, the coral recoiled, and pushed out a bubble of air. This bubble was soon followed by two others. Such a curious little coral, I drew near to it once again, only to hear the sound of what seemed to be nails grinding on rock. And no sooner had the grating noise began, a creature sprang out of the coral.
The creature was no more than a worm, maybe as big around as my own arm. A primitive oral cavity lined with sharp teeth was the worm's only defining feature, besides its size. The creature seemed to study me, swaying back and forth, as if trying to see me from all sides. It then slowly bent itself backwards, and very quickly lashing out towards me, shooting a harpoon-sized spike directly at me.
Luckily for my well-being, the spear moved fairly slowly so I was able to dodge it, but it narrowly grazed my shoulder. Despite its speed and indirect hit, it still ripped my sleeve and my skin underneath. I yelped, clutching my shoulder and looked back at the spike. It had lost its momentum, merely floating in the water. It wasn't until that time that I noticed a hair-thin line attached to the spike, and the line was slowly reeling the spike back to its owner.
No way was I going to stay for another volley from this overgrown polyp. And not a moment too soon, as two other worms sprouted from the coral, and reeled themselves back. By this time, I had already hidden behind a large ridge of rock, and I could no longer see them. Once I had acquired safety once again, a small, teal-colored fish darted by. The fish quickly came to a stop, and turned towards me.
Goodness gracious, it had the biggest pair of eyes I had ever seen! Its bright, orange eyes nearly took up the entire fish! With these humongous eyes, it studied me for a split-second, then darted away once again. I watched as it swam off into the ocean, when suddenly, a large, white pair of jaws snapped up this fish. I couldn't see what the creature that the jaws belonged to, but I wasn't too keen on figuring it out.
I swam as fast as I could back to the slab of metal I had floated on. The slab had drifted quite a ways away from where I had left it. I nearly panicked when I realized that the slab had drifted in front of a large beast. The first thing I noticed was its face. It was the exact shape of a gas mask from centuries ago. All the way down to the filter cartridge. The beast was about as big as an Earth cow, and sounded like one as well. The beast sounded like it was a cross between a "moo" and a loud belch. The last thing I looked upon was the bulbous tail at its rear. It was nearly the size of the rest of the body, and lined with yellow, cyst-like bumps.
This was definitely not the most physically appealing creature. And it seemed to only get worse from there. I slowly pushed my way towards the slab of metal, not wanting to incur the wrath of this beast. Everything on this planet seemed to want to kill me, so why would this creature be any different? As I glided my way to the surface, the creatures small eyes turned towards me, and widened. The creature then squealed in fear, violently bucking around. From this motion, the cysts shook off its tail, as they floated in the middle of the water. I watched as about 20 were dislodged from the terrified creature. Then, one of the cysts burst, releasing a yellow cloud into the water. This burst was followed by another, and another. At this point I swam as fast as my feet would carry me, and leaped onto my slab of magnesium-alloy. Soon after I landed on the twisted sheet, the water burst into a sickly shade of yellow. The cloud slowly rose to the surface, and with them, came a hissing noise. It took a moment to realize that the sound was emanating from the metal. I looked down to see the metal steaming and bubbling.
Acid. The clouds were nothing but yellow clouds of acid. I curled up into a ball, trying to keep all my limbs as far away from the now acidic water as I could. The slab continued to drift away from the death cloud, but not before the beast shook of at least two more volleys of the Acid Cysts. I feared that the sustained contact to the acid would melt the metal completely, until I would be forced into the bath. But, the slab had moved quick enough away from the cloud that my fears were quenched in an instant.
I collapsed onto the hard metal, spreading out as far as the size of the slab would allow. Despite a lack of major physical exercise, I was sweating enough to fill a pool. My aged body was obviously not ready for such elongated swimming times. Not to mention the fact that my heart was now palpitating, at a rate I was not comfortable with. The only way I could think to slow such a rapid heart rate, was to rest. My eyes closed, and I almost immediately fell asleep.
And dreams of the Degasi's demise filled my sleep.
Exactly!
In Dawning, they arrived nearly a decade before. I wondered, "What could have been alive if the player was earlier? What could have been extinct if he arrived later?"
You'll see a lot of that question throughout Dawning. This was just the first instance of it.
I woke to a wave slamming my face. The salty water pressed my body into the cold metal under me, nearly submerging it. I was then dragged off as the wave receded. I couldn't tell what direction was up, and my lungs burned from oxygen loss. I couldn't see sunlight anywhere. I began to panic. I clawed my way in every direction, trying to find the surface at all costs. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of an orange glow, it was my only chance. I swam towards the glow like a madman. The glow began to dim, as was everything else. My vision narrowed until only the glow remained. My lungs desperately screamed for oxygen. "I'm not going to make it..." I thought.
Inexplicably, my vision cleared, my lungs were satisfied, and my thoughts were filled with surviving. I was able to see the sky above me, and kicked my way to the surface. I exploded out of the water, and I impulsively began to vomit the water I had inhaled. I coughed and spluttered, feebly trying to make up for lost oxygen.
I looked towards the sky, to see that it had dimmed to a pale orange. The star had begun to set, which was actually a stroke of pure luck. If the star was setting, that means I can get a bearing on the directions. The sun set in the West, and from there, I was able to find the rest of the directions. "Wait," I thought, "I'm on an alien planet. Why would the setting of the sun set in the same direction?"
Fantastic, back to square one. My stomach and I groaned in near unison. I hadn't realized how hungry or thirsty I was in my panic. I needed to find some source of food and water, and fast. The task would become near impossible in the darkness of night. And that didn't even account for any creatures that could be active in the night time.
Regardless of the risks, I dipped back under the water. I scoped out my surroundings, and realized that I could see very little. The dying light of the star cast a green glow on everything below me. The ocean floor was covered in a red grass or kelp, and I saw a giant, rock pillar in the distance. But, nothing edible, unless I wanted a red salad. At this point, I would take it. That was, until I saw something dart out the corner of my eye. I turned, to see that fish I had seen earlier, the one with the gigantic, orange eyes. I thought on trying to catch it, but decided that it would be too much of an effort to catch. I could very well lose more calories than I would gain from eating it.
I swam to the seafloor, looking for whatever I could. Any kind of plant or fruit, but all that I could see was this blood-red grass. So, out of desperation, I ripped up as much grass as I could, and swam back to the metal slab. I threw my cargo on the metal, and I began to climb onto it as well, when I felt something brush my leg. I quickly dipped my head under, to see a red maw swimming towards me at high speeds. I jumped onto the metal, when a creature blasted out of the water after me, creating a fountain of salt water around it. The creature was a grey-blue, with a huge, segmented body. It seemed to be covered in something akin to insectoid armor. The creature had two simple, yellow eyes. The eyes, however, seemed just a bit too big for it, so it almost looked as if the creatures eyes were bulging out of their sockets.
The creature's pupil darted around, looking for its prey. It splashed back into the water, pushing the entire slab of metal away. I tried to see it from above the water, but the refraction made it all but impossible. I checked everywhere, trying to see where it would attack from next. I searched for what seemed like an eternity, waiting for it to strike. "Maybe it gave up..." I thought.
Life tip: Never say you're safe until you're 100% positive.
The creature must have slowly circled around until it was directly underneath me, because a force shoved me off the slab, completely flipping it over. I went flying, and slammed into the water where the beast was waiting for me. The beast charged at me, its bright red maw and rows of sharp teeth, ready to take a chunk out of my body. Still clutching the grass, I did all I could think to do. I threw the grass at it. The wet, compact pile of grass floated mere centimeters away from me, my only defense. By some miracle, the beast decided it wanted the clump of grass before me. It snapped up the clump, and quickly pulled up and away from me. It didn't pull up fast enough, however, as the tiny stumps that could only be described as legs swatted my body away.
As it swam away, I noticed it twitch. It quickly twitched again, opening its mouth. It opened wider as it convulsed violently. It shook and shivered, in a way that could only be from a desperate struggle to survive. I soon realized what was happening. The beast was choking on the clump of grass. I would've laughed at the almost comical display of karma that was happening, but truly, it was a horrific sight to behold. Soon, the convulsing stopped. Its jaws went slack, and it slowly drifted downwards.
Almost in a state of shock, I swam back to the slab. I merely sat upon the metal, trying to comprehend what had happened. Then I began laughing. The sheer ridiculousness of the encounter came over me like the wave that swept me off earlier. I laughed harder than I ever had before. It wasn't until I was laughing so hard that I held my sides that I realized that I had a sizable gash running parallel with my torso. The blood had begun to seep through my bodysuit, creating a red line all across my chest and stomach. I would need to get this patched up, and fast.
I dove down once again, grabbing a fistful of the red grass. It saved my life once, it can do it again. I took the pile, and tied it together, creating a ring of grass. Then, I put it around me, and tightened it to reduce the blood flow. I did this several times, until my entire torso was wrapped in the grass gauze. "That should keep things together." I thought to myself.
Shortly after I completed, I heard a splash. Fearing it was another one of those shark beasts, I swiveled my head around to see where the sound had come from. Then, a little ways away, I saw the fish with massive orange eyes once again.
Before I could even blink, I was in the water. My stomach rumbled in anticipation. I swam faster than I ever had before. I didn't see anything else, just the fish. The glorious fish...
I would have it. I would catch it. I would kill it.
After what seemed to be mere microseconds, I caught up to the fleeing fish. I reached out, and grabbed a hold of it, dragging its struggling body into my hands. Wasting no time, I blasted to the surface, and bit into it. The creature chirped and shook in pain. I took another bite. The meat was savory, the smell was divine. It was as if I was eating at a five-star restaurant back in the Sol system. Yes, I was at a table with Hannah and Bart, and I was digging into a prime-quality rib. Hannah had a light salad, and Bart had quite the large portion of steak.
I was so contempt with this reality. I think I'd rather like staying in it. I could have prime rib, every day. Whenever I want. I held my fork and knife, ready to cut into another freshly prepared rib, but they were covered in something. The utensils were dirty! That simply would not do. I would have to speak with the owner of this restaurant, and tell him to fire whoever washed dishes.
And then, the stain on the utensils spread. The faded red spread onto my hands, they spread onto my expensive suit. It spread until all I could see was the faded, red mess. And, like a someone took a hammer to a glass pane, the reality was shattered, and I was left to the work of my hands. I beheld the fish, and what I had done. It was less than half of what it used to be. It's blood covered everything. I held the gory mess, trying to comprehend what happened. I slowly drifted back to my metal slab, still delicately holding the fish in my hands. Once I reached the slab, I knelt, still holding the innocent fish. I stared at its half-disappeared eye, and the pure terror frozen on its lifeless face.
I felt something tracing its way down my face. It was followed soon by another one. I refused to acknowledge them. I refused to admit what they were. I couldn't say.
Still clutching the fish, I cried myself to sleep...
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
That night I dreamed of a giant green dragon that swallowed the Degasi whole, and it was followed by that inexplicable dream that I had had before. I saw the visions sweeping past my face at breakneck speeds. Suddenly, a hand grabbed me by the shoulder, and a cold and sharp piece of metal was pressed to my throat.
"Well, look what the sea spat up. Not even the water can stand you, traitor."
Yeah...my bad. I wanted to take a break to catch up on school, but, the catch up game went longer than I wanted it to.
Really sorry about that. Chapters should pick back up. Just as a reward for your patience, two more chapters will be written for this week.
Sylas Deluca
At the risk of losing my professionalism, I will say without hesitation, that this planet is freaking gorgeous.
The water is constantly a clear blue, the flora and fauna around us was both beautiful and non-hostile to us. The rock that made up the spectacular arches all around was a deep blue, and the weather showed nary a sign of disaster coming. Were it not for the situation, I would just lay on a sandbar, and dream life's stresses away. But, as of now, I work for my life.
The others are particularly angry at my past antics, and won't let me forget that little episode. They threaten to kill me at every turn, my life at stake 24/7. It was humiliating. I promised myself that I would get the upper hand someday.
As Kamron and Aerora searched The Blitz for any useful supplies, and Gzad started making our shelter out of the rocks he broke off the side of the island, I set out into the ocean to see what options this planet gave us. And it seems as if this planet has both beauty and functionality. Otcela was extremely helpful in my endeavor, scanning everything within a 20 meter radius. It seems as if a peculiar phenomenon happens on this planet. Upon closer inspection of a chunk of Limestone, Otcela discovered that inside, a chunk of raw titanium was lodged inside it. Using another rock, I smashed open this Limestone, to indeed find a near perfect sphere of metal inside. "Nature's Easter Eggs." Otcela remarked.
Placing this titanium into a pocket in the suit that I wore, I turned to the surface to breath, only to find a shadow above me. The shadow belonged to a strange, buoyant, bulb-looking object. It was a pale, purple color, and bore a resemblance to a jelly fish on Terra. This strange bulb was followed another, nearly identical bulb, and this bulb was followed by another, and another. They kept coming until 7 surrounded me in a near-perfect ring. Fear slowly crept into my mind, even though nothing had yet happened. I didn't like what these, things, were doing. My fears were confirmed when on the right-most bulb, the bottom retracted open, and out shot a creature. The creature was not remarkably special looking. It resembled a small crab with purple eyes. The oddest thing was it seemed to have a segmented tail climbing all the way up to the floating bulb, tethering the creature to it. The crab chirped, flailing its legs in an attempt to inspect me. I didn't move a muscle.
Suddenly, the crab stopped moving. It sat there, floating, completely listless. We stared at each other for what seemed like eternity. It then gave a deafening squeal, rattling its tether. The floating bulb inflated and proceeded to release a noise that was akin to a train horn. Then, one by one, the other bulbs sounded back in terrifying harmony, releasing their own crabs. The first one lunged at my face, but I batted it away before it reached me. Another used its sharp legs to slash at my arm. I narrowly escaped the attack, but another crab behind me wrapped itself around my leg, plunging its front legs into my calf. I cried out, and tried to shake off the crab, but the movement simply caused it to dig in deeper. Blood began to seep from the wound, turning the crab into a ghastly shade of red.
Another clawed my back, ripping both fabric and skin. Yet another latched onto my arm. I wasn't long before half of the crabs were attached to my body, and the other half were beginning to reel me up to the bulbs above. Otcela exclaimed, "10 seconds of oxygen remaining."
My vision began to darken, the crabs around squealed and chirped in delight at their fresh capture. When suddenly, there was an audible popping sound, almost as if a balloon had popped. At nearly the same time, the crab on my leg went limp. A slicing sound whizzed past my ears, and relieved the crab on my back. The other crabs released my body, and began to retract back into their bulbs. That was when I looked up to see a creature dragging a severed crab on its scythe-like tail. The creature was bright pink, with blue stripes marking its sides. It had four legs with webbed feet that frantically kicked to propel itself. The body looked almost squishy, in an amphibious way. With how non-threatening this creature looked, it was shocking to see a wicked looking blade sticking out of its tail.
This creature was followed by another of its kind, and it slashed open one of the bulbs, grabbing the remains in its small mouth. Then what seemed to be an entire pod of these creatures passed, absolutely decimating my previous attackers. Unfortunately, because of my curiosity, I completely forgot that I desperately needed to breathe. Otcela screamed in harmony with my lungs. I tried to kick up to the surface that was so close, but I just couldn't, my energy reserves were completely depleted. I couldn't think properly, I couldn't see properly, I couldn't do anything. And slowly, I closed my eyes, accepting the fate I brought upon myself.
Suddenly, I felt a small nudge on the wound on my back. Then, I was swiftly launched out of the water. I barely had time to gasp by the time I broke through the surface. Otcela yelled as loud as a wristwatch could, "Sylas! Can you hear me! Wake up and breath!"
I gasped, desperately trying to save myself from the icy grip of death. The world soon came back into color, and I could actually breathe. I looked to see what had happened, I saw one of those pink creatures squeaking and twirling. I was prepared to get attacked by it, but the attack never came. It simply stared at me for a second, and dove back under water. Otcela continued to yell at me, saying that I should be more careful without an air supply. I replied to her, spluttering, "Yeah...yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken up. I'll be more careful next time."
"You better. Do you know how bored I would be sitting on your wrist if you were dead? I could be there for centuries!"
I smirked at her comment, whoever programed Otcela was either really good, or extremely lonely. Probably a combination of the two.
I looked back at where the creature who saved my life swam. I made a mental picture of my surroundings.
If a creature as basic as that could be sentient enough to save the life of being that it has never seen, could it feel emotion? Could it recognize others of its kind? Could it be trained?
I needed to research this. Building a rocket could wait, I needed to see this planets IQ.
It's good to be back...
I just want to preface this by saying, sorry.
Life decided to sucker punch me multiple times during October, Dawning became a lesser priority, and everything collapsed on itself. After all the crap in my life passed over, I simply couldn't find the motivation to keep writing. For months, I tried to pick the torch back up, but every chapter I wrote didn't turn out the way I wanted. I wrote, edited, re-wrote, re-edited, and continued a cycle that left my waste bin full and my head empty.
But I can say today, finally, that the cycle has broken. I've reworked the plot, revamped the characters, and most importantly, have started an entirely new sub-plot. More on that later
I've finally dug myself out of the rut I put myself in, and have three new parts for you.
One from Bart, another short part from Aerora, and the beginning of the brand new sub-plot. I think you all will really like it.
So, from this day, to the end of Dawning, I'm setting up a new upload schedule.
At the very least, one chapter a week. If life decides to act up again, then one every two weeks.
I promise you all, that a break of this magnitude will never happen again.
And so, as a sort of "I'm Sorry" gift, I'm giving you all three chapters, today.
Happy reading!
And thank you all for reading up to this point. Seriously, thank you.
The dark brought a chill to the island, but along with it cam immeasurable beauty.
As I sat in the clearing with our humble shelter of trees behind me, I took in the natural light show set before me. Plants glowed with an almost ghostly aura. Bright blues, purples, pinks, and oranges shone from every corner, vaguely lighting the darkness around me. I looked up to see the massive face of 4546A staring back at me. The light from Alpha Hydrae 4 reflected of its surface, creating an orange glow that glossed the surface of the blackened water. And, as if the heavens couldn't stand the thought of this planet being dark, another source of light came from a small moon that sat in the sky. The moon was tidally locked with 4546B; so it created the illusion of the moon staying completely still, day in and day out. I had aptly named this moon, Khonsu, after a moon god found in an ancient Terran mythology. As I sat there, contemplating on the beauty of 4546B, Marguerit quietly plodded over to me, clutching two, bright, orange fruits. "Here," she said, "This is the last of the fruit on that tree. I couldn't find any more."
She handed me the fruit, and I held it firmly, turning it over in my hands, looking for any blemishes or signs of disease. Despite my best efforts, I simply couldn't grow enough edible plants fast enough to support us for much longer. Even with the extremely high ecological growth rates, any plants I tried to cultivate only withered and died in my hands. Progress has been made, but I'm afraid that without growbeds, proper fertilizer, or fresh water, thirst and starvation might catch up to us before these plants even have a chance.
I took a bite out of the fruit, sending its inner juices spraying everywhere. The flesh was firm and juicy, with an almost unnatural sweetness. It was not unlike a Terran fruit called a peach, a fruit that was literally eaten from existence, leaving no remaining fruit or trees. A truly terrible time for any decent botanist or fruit-enthusiast, but the Peach seemed to live on in this fruit, which I had named "Lantern Fruit" from both their appearance and bio-luminescence.
Marguerit and I sat there in the cold, munching on our fruit. I glance over at her, to see that she was ravenously wolfing down the large fruit. Marguerit's fear had diminished significantly in the last few days. She's becoming more daring in her explorations, both above and below water. Just yesterday, she was swimming under the island when she came across an opening in the rock. Above the water, was a beautiful cove. When she discovered that this cove was separated from the rest of the island, with no easy way to get to and from the top of the island, she began digging up with her bare hands. She hasn't made it very far, but still, digging into solid rock with her bare hands!
Despite Marguerit's extreme resilience in the face of such trials, our chances of survival until rescue arrives were bleak at best. Given our previous circumstances out in the open ocean, this island is a paradise. But something tells me unless we find a stable source of food and water, fate will begin to hand us challenges we can't carry.
I stood up on unsteady feet. I was still recovering from nearly drowning when the Degasi was shot down, despite it happening nearly a week ago in Terran time. As I slowly shambled away from my seat, Marguerit questioned, "Where you going kid? It's not the best time to go for moonlight stroll."
"I'm just... planting my seed. Hopefully I can get this one to grow." I responded.
"Alright. Just don't be gone too long, we don't know what's out here with us."
"Don't worry, if something was out there, we should have seen it by now."
"Sure hope you're right, kid."
I walked away, clutching the fruit pit tightly. Was I right? Was there truthfully nothing out here? Or am I lying to myself? Maybe I'm just overthinking the situation. Mother always told me my Father and I had such a tendency.
I searched for a spot of land that wasn't already overrun by any nutrient-stealing plant life, and had an adequate amount of fresh groundwater. A process that would have been simple with a spectroscopic scanner, but it was nothing a little guessing couldn't do. I found a spot on a small beach that led into the ocean, and began digging. When I had covered up the hole, a light glinted in the corner of my eye. I yelped in surprise, and looked for the source of the light. And there, out across the ocean, maybe 50 meters out, bathed in Khonsu's pale light, floated a chunk of what could only be metal.
I knelt near the shore, staring at the mysterious metal object, pondering at what it could be. The current seemed to be carrying it closer. I stood, slowly stepping into the water up to my ankles, trying to get a better look. Then, as I strained my eyes for what felt like hours, something shifted on top of the metal.
It's outline unmistakably human.
My vision tunneled, leaving only myself and this person, separated with a vast darkness. "It couldn't be..." I thought.
I had given up hope, and even questioned if I wanted to ever see him again. But here he was before me, his prostrate body calling for an answer to my question. I couldn't move, I could barely breathe, nothing else existed. I could hear Marguerit shouting my name, but I could hardly care. I could only stare at him. His suit came into view, the bright chevrons covering his shoulder, signifying his high rank, were visible across the dark water.
"Father..." I stammered.
Then, like a bolt of lightning in the silent Marvin air, Marguerit appeared; she was clutching her gleaming knife, screaming like a banshee, charging past me into the water, closing the distance between her and Father. "NO! Marguerit, stop!" I screamed as I lept into the water, desperately trying to catch up.
But Marguerit swam faster than any creature or machine I had ever seen.
She lept from the ocean to the metal sheet in one swift motion. She crushed Father's shoulder with one hand, and pressed her knife into his throat. "Well, look what the sea spat up." Marguerit growled, "Not even the water can stand you, traitor."
I fiercely dug into the water, struggling against the current, pleading to the empty air. Off in the distance, Alpha Hydrae 4 began its first step into the sky, basking the ocean in a warm orange and red. Marguerit raised her knife in what seemed like slow motion, its blade catching the new light, reflecting a blood-red beam.
Father simply lay there unflinchingly, as if he had already accepted his fate. Marguerit hovered her knife above him for a moment, then thrust it towards the defenseless, old man.
As a last ditch attempt, I surged from the water, my arms outstretched. I seized Marguerit's arm, snatching the knife from her grasp, and body slammed her, sending her reeling into the water. I landed in a roll on the metal, standing in the most heroic pose I could muster. Marguerit began to clamber back on, spluttering both water and curses as she turned to me. "Bart?! What in the ever loving-" she screamed.
"You can't kill him, Marguerit." I interrupted firmly, surprising even myself at the determination in my own voice.
"You're seriously protecting this murderer?! He almost killed me! He almost killed you! Not to mention the other 10 people he did kill! Even his own wife, your mother! And for what?! To feed his own selfish greed?! This murderous waste of life deserves every bit of what's coming to him! Making him my personal meat-shield and letting whatever sharks live here take little bites out of him until there's nothing left would be kindness on my part!" Marguerit ranted.
We stood in silence, staring at each other in the raising sunlight. The anger seething off Marguerit was palpable. Then, I simply responded with, "You can't kill him, Marguerit.
That would make you no better than he is." I said.
She was caught off guard by my statement, swallowing whatever words she had planned in defense. She stared at the unconscious body of my father, watching him quietly breathe. She growled in frustration, stomping the metal, nearly tipping it over. "Fine," Marguerit furiously barked, "But the second he tries to pull something like the Degasi, I won't hesitate to slit his throat. Understand?"
And with that, she dove into the water without another word. Still holding the shining knife that had almost been Father's reckoning, I looked down at him. He was wrapped in what looked to be red seagrass. But what really caught my eye was the amount of dried blood and salt that covered his body. Whether the blood was his own or not, I couldn't tell. I dropped the knife onto the metal slab, jumped into the water, and began pushing it the rest of the way to the floating island.
Once I had dragged the slab on shore, I tried to wake Father. After multiple, fruitless tries of splashing water on his face, his eyes silently fluttered open. He said nothing,but simply stared up into the empty sky. "Father, it's me, Bart." I said, my voice cracking.
He slowly sat up, looking out over the restless water. It seemed as if he didn't even acknowledge my existence. He just blankly stared. Then, almost inaudibly, he whispered, "We're not alone here..."
He then slumped forward, unconscious once again.
For the week we’ve been stranded on this blue sphere of pure suck, I was cold, I was wet, I was injured, and I was angry.
Very, very, angry.
Kamron and I had been looting the ship for a few hours, and I was just about ready to crush his skull and leave him to die with the corpse of the Blitz. Not for any reason, just that I was itching to break something. Be it metal or human, I wanted to break something. But most of all, I wanted to grind Sylas to a pulp.
He tears us away from the cushy job of babysitting a pompous billionaire, gets us shot down on an alien planet, and expects us to follow him like the dogs he thinks we are?!
I swear, every time I saw his stupid, cocky face, I had to resist the urge to break all his limbs and watch him try to crawl away.
*sigh*
Whatever. As much as I hated the man and his psychotic tendencies, we did need him. Kamron is essentially useless to us, Gzad couldn’t find his way around a chalk circle, and I don’t know the first thing about rocket science. Sylas could get me out of here. After he does that, then I’ll see what fun I could have with his lifeless body. Until then, Kamron, Gzad, and I decided to let him think what he wants until he could get us out of here.
Anyway, Kamron and I had been looting everything that wasn’t burnt to a crisp, and we found quite the bunch of Torgal tech. Knives, a bunch of plasma missiles, but most importantly, a Torgaljin Solidifier. It supposedly could take any materials, and fashion it into anything you could need. At least, that’s what Sylas told us. Apparently, it’s a big thing in the TSF.
Even though it was a rip-off of an Alterra tool, the thing could make us a good shelter to hunker down in if some storm blows over us. Better than huddling in the cold with a bunch of psychos, that’s for sure.
So, Kamron and I loaded everything that wasn’t still on fire into a handmade bag of burned suits, and hiked back across the barren islands to our campsite. Gzad sat on the sand, comparing two, nearly identical lumps of blue stone.
“Hey, big guy,” Kamron grunted under the weight of his baggage, “you want give us hand instead of playing with your rocks?”
Gzad simply crumbled the solid rock in his hand like sand, grabbed Kamron’s bag, and threw it across the island. He then promptly punched through the ground, ripped another chunk out, sat back down, and began examining every visible inch of it.
“Freak…” I muttered under my breath.
I sat my bag down as Kamron went to retrieve his, and rummaged through it. I ripped out the Solidifier, turning it over and over in my hand. It was simple in design, a simple handheld device, nothing special. But, as I’ve come to learn, looks can be deceiving. Holding the trigger down, a screen popped up, showing a list of construction options, all of which were blacked out. From the bag, I pulled out a chunk of burnt metal. Pointing the Solidifier at the metal, the two projectors in front began translating it into data. After a few seconds, the hunk of metal was no more than empty space, the screen on the Solidifier lit up, showing a picture of a habitation module. Or rather, a picture of a gray, metal box.
Kamron, now standing at my side, said, “You sure that will fit all of us?”
“You really think I would only make one of these things? Like heck would I ever stay anywhere near you people for more than 10 minutes at a time.” I replied.
Kamron grunted, dropping the bag at my feet, and walked away. Poor sod, it looked like I actually offended that stump of a man. “Hmm, someone here has feelings. Who would’ve thought?” I thought.
As I rummaged through the contents of mine and Kamron’s bags, the sea behind me surged. Out of the splash, flew Sylas Deluca. Face planting into the dark sand, he dragged himself up, running as fast as he could to the crate of salvaged medical supplies. His suit was ripped apart, like claws had meticulously run through them. Blood ran from the rips like small, crimson rivers. Without wasting any time, he ripped out the gauze and began bandaging himself. “Hey, what’s the rush, Deluca?” I yelled.
He didn’t answer, and kept hurriedly bandaging himself. Dropping the stuff I held, I stormed over to Sylas, and yelled, “Hey! You don’t ignore me!”
After he was half-hidden in the white bandaging, he tried to jump back into the water. Before he could, I caught him in the air by his neck. “Ack! What are you doing?!” He choked.
“Slow your roll Sylas! Where’s the fire?” I replied.
“Out there! Aerora, this world is alive! There is alien life here! Maybe even sentient life! I need to get back out there, before I lose them!” Sylas babbled.
“Them?! Whose them? Start making sense, Deluca, before I knock some into you!”
“The aliens!” He finally shouted. “The aliens that saved my life! Aerora, there were alien fish that were willing to save me from drowning!”
“So?” I responded.
“So, I need to get back out there! I need to study them! If they’re as smart as I think they are, they could help us survive here.”
I pondered his words. As much as I didn’t care for his, most likely, tall tale; there very well could be something out there, something that could help. And goodness knows we need the help on this corrupted planet. And if I could get Sylas to spill his guts, we might not even need him to get home.
“Alright, Deluca. Take me to the aliens. I wanna see these things for myself.” I said.
Sylas grinned like an idiot, and handed me a spare mask.
“Whatever you do,” He said before diving into the water, “If you see any pink balloons on the surface, don’t swim towards them."
With that, he splashed into the deep blue ocean.
And so, I followed the insane guy into an unknown ocean with possible monsters lurking around every corner.
“Typical day for me, I guess” I thought to myself.
Darkness enveloped everything around it. Nary a sound echoed against its forlorn hallways. The water, still as a corpse cradled the monstrosity in its arms, holding it aloft from the stark black stone below. A haunted cry of a dying creature sounds from afar, writhing and contorting through the dark corridors. The sound soon glides past the still edifice, returning it to its relentless silence.
Inside, the remains of its glory lay strewn about, overtaken by time and nature. Blood had caked itself on the floor below, spread around as if many died at once, and left nothing to clean after them. Plants glowed in the dim lighting, casting an ethereal glow on everything around them. Shards of glass floated haphazardly, broken technology lay scattered without rhyme or reason, forgotten by their creators.
The silence would have remained for an eternity were it not for a decrepit console base, humming with the sound of advanced technology. The user of this console, now broken and aged, lay motionless at its base. The console sat there, humming, for what could be an eternity. Decades passed, and the console still sat, humming and motionless.
Centuries after the console had been switched on, it sparked. Green electricity shot through the water, lighting the darkness that had held the room for so long. This electricity lit everything it touched, switching on lights, moving mechanical joints, shaking the bits of the deceased from every corner of the room. Then, through the console's instructions, the room went to work.
A large, rectangular tube began drawing in the organic material blanketing the ebony metal. Microscopic robots that were held inside the walls began shaping the organic material, manipulating their cell structures. A pillar moved with a groan from its resting place on the ceiling, sliding over to the manipulated material, now in the clear shape of a heart. The pillar cast a green light on the heart, carrying it by invisible forces. The pillar slowly and carefully placed the heart on a table, and slid back to pick up what looked like a brain.
Above the heart, the ceiling opened to reveal two mechanical arms. The arms dislodged from there place in the ceiling, and gently picked up the heart. The arm's three pincers carried it carefully to the center of the room, where a mess of miscellaneous metal and tubes tried to untangle themselves. Soon, the arm suspended the heart in the water, leaving to grab the brain.
This process repeated itself, over and over again. Body parts seemed to fly every which way, filling the center of the room. Soon, it was impossible to see through the tangles of veins, organs, and chunks of exoskeleton. The room itself seemed to slow, as if it was unsure what to do with the mess it had created. Then, faster than lightning itself, the three-pronged arms shot to the mass of parts, piecing them together with both incredible speed and surgeon-like precision. Soon the arms had built the entire body. A silent head, wickedly sharp scythe-like claws, Chitin-clad tentacles. Then, slowly and ceremoniously, the arms slowed to a crawl, placing the heart in its rightful place, and closed the chest.
Soon after the chest was closed, the console whirred back to life, and shot a single arc of electricity, shocking this new being. The green lightning arced across the body, homing in on the heart. And as fast as it had began, the electricity stopped. The various machines came to a stop, as if holding their breath. Then, the heart pumped. The sound echoed throughout the black hallways. It was followed by another, and another. Artificial blood flowed through its veins. Soon after, its dead eyes came alive, practically glowing with newfound life.
̧̙̬̗̪͖͙̦̣̏̐̔̈́̂͊́ "ş̴̢̜͈͈̤͍̓̋͒͆͒̏̚͜͡ṳ̪̗̟̙̯́̇͊̑͆̐͛̑͘͝ͅͅͅɐ̧͍̣̻͓̊͋͋̒́̓͛͒̇ᴉ̶̩̗̖͕̥̱̯͖̣̌̏̿̏͌̈́̀́́͒ʇ̶̛̩̰̱̙͔̗̣̳̽͑̇̅͢ɯ̴̡̛̩̯̥̪̙͐̋̍͜͠ᴉ̵̡͙͉̲͎̗͈́̾̔̄̍̏̓͑̚͢͢ͅɐ̡̧̭͈͍̰̺̱͈͛́̄̍̓ɯ̛̳̹̺̰͕͒̔̀̋͐͊̚͢͝ᴉ̵̢̨̲̳̰͔̣͈̩̮̉̀̑̓̈́͋̓̾͗͠ɔ̸̧̙͙̤̟͈̲̀̐̀͐̃͜͠͞ŏ̡̨̘͚̗̲̈́̀͒̂̏͛͟ɐ̴̧͇̜̫͓͙͖̰̾͒̾̽̊ᴉ̵̮͇͇̬͕͚̮͐̊̌̈́͐̃͘͢͡͞͡ǫ̸̖̞̹̩͖͔̣͓͆͗̿̑̋͠͝͠͠u" the creature gurgled. It moved slowly, cautiously, almost timidly. I stared at its own claws, moving them up and down and up again,
fascinated by their movement. It floated aimlessly, scanning the dark walls. There was a scuffle of movement behind the creature, but it paid no attention." "̵̩̖̯͎̺̯̈̇̉͗̑͐ͅǝ̰͚̦̭̄̓̓̊̅̀͘͜͟š͚̲̯̥̄̌͌̎͊̋͟ɐ̴̣̪͔̍̾͛̾̿̀͢ͅq ̴̤̤̲̩͉̬̣̹͒̍̔̈́͆̿̍̇͢͜͝ǫ̷̤͈̟͉͈̬̱̯͛̊͐̌̔͢ʇ ̸̢̝̝̩͍͔̩̈̈̀͑̂̽̚͡ƃ̵̧̖̳̼̣̲̯͚͍̎̂̊̎̔̓̑̎̓͐ͅư̲̫̻̯̏̌͂̒̀̿͒͘ͅᴉ̴̢̠̜̣̬̽̈̐̽́͆͂̾̊͟͠ʇ̴͖̰̤̖̬̤͖̂̈̃̅̔͒ͅɹ̶̦͈̯͚̯̈́̽͌̐̐̎̔͌͘͡ͅo̸̗̞̞̰̮͔̙̣̭̣̽́̒̅̔̕͠͡d̵̢͈͚͇̭͉̫͈̫̓́̿̑̉͑͌͜ǝ̨̞̫̩̻͖͎̱̈̓̓́̿̈́̈́͐͝ɹ ̷͓̖̲̠͕̩̿̊͐͆͌̒̃ㄥ̷̡̛̱͈͚̲͔̰̩̫̄̍͑̓́̍̚͢͞Ɩ̡̰̟̻̪̬͒͒̿͋͘͜͝Ɩ̷͚̲̼͔̖͔͉̜̌̈́̾̆͐͗̅̌͢͜͝-̤̖̳̭̫͇̬͌͆̂̅͑͂͋̕͡ᄅ̵̧̪̝͚̝̟̯̳̻̄̿̌̑͒͡Ɩ̢̝͙̳̲̲̲̘͇̼̍̑̉͛͠͝Ɛ ̶̬͎̟̻͈͓̺͎̼͙́̈̇̒͋̊̏͌̄͘ʇ̷̨̢̟̬̻͖̼̭̍̍̌̀͠͞͝͠ᴉ̵͓͍͈̩̺̗̖̙͈̇̇͛̈́̓̚͠u̝̭̩͕̪͇͊̓͑̔̈́͛̇̚͡͠∩" it spoke, unsure of the meaning of the words that it used.
It lazily turned, only to find the room hard at work, creating another one of its kind. The being studied the clone intently, searching for sentience in the eyes of the counterpart. As it stared, there was a deafening grinding. The delicate arms sparked and spasmed, throwing bits of organic material every which way. Lights flickered and burst. The console practically screamed. Then, as suddenly as the process had started, the lights dimmed, the machines halted, and the console that had stayed alive for hundreds of years after its masters, slowly died. And the rest of the room followed in suit, returning it to its darkness.
The creature floated in silence, in complete confusion at the sudden death of its mechanical creators. Still staring at the doppelgänger, it poked and prodded at the half made creature. It did not move.
Without warning, the being shredded the half-made being's chest, ripping apart the organs and skin. Artificial blood clouded the water, staining the creature's scythes. "T̵̖̹̫̯͙̠̯̟̺̈́͗̈̿͂͟h̵̬̲̥͎̞̍́͆̂̎̔̄̿ě͉̪̣̘̥̲̞̜̤͗͌̉̒͐̈́̔̚̕ Ç̴͖̱̲͔̇̓̈̃̈́̂͞ā̧̹̖͖̍̈́̾̎͆͛̓͟r̴͍͓̭̞̩̫͖̫̰̋̆͋͐̑̑͡à̷̧̛͉̲͉̼̒̔͌̈́̕͟͞͞ŕ̢̭͚̺̠̱͓̗̲̀̾̍͘͟ m̥͕͚͈̟̬̪̜͋̅̄̉̆̚͢ų̲̦̙̼̞͕̲̮̱̿̅̋̍̾͛̒s̷̬̤̺̼̗̠̀́͌̎͂͌͐̕̕͞t̷͖͕͔̘͇́̽̂̑̚̕ ǹ̶̫̰͖͚̲̺̪͉̳͂̄̑̚ͅơ̧̛̤̼̥̰̤̣͈̿͛̓͑͌͜͜t̴̗̰̫̮͒̏̅̂͆͂̀̄͗͜͞ s̢͙̣̤̩̲͓͓͓͗̉͛̈́̾͛̀͂́́ͅp̸̛͉͎̬̰̤̝̫̰̘͋̒̃̅ͅr̸̡̧̜̲̣̺͉̥̿̆͗̆̀̀̈̌́ͅe̘̫͚̠̗̗̔̓͑̊͢͝͞͝a̡̧̰̹̗̻̍́͘̕͡d̷̪̥̞̪̲̞͔͓̆̏́̊̇̓.̶̨̺̮̤͈̮̒͐̔́̎" it growled.
As the blood settled onto the floor, a voice echoed in the being's cerebral cortex, "T̸̡͕͕̣̪̠͈̱̳̽̉̕͢͡͞h̶͍̠̮͇̣̭̩̥̋̈́̿͑̈́̃̕͟r̴̛͙̹̳͚͛̔͌͗͑̂̋͞͞ͅe̵̲͈̗̲̮͐̽́͛̄̔̕͜ę̢̘͓͉͔͙̻̓̅́́͒̚͞ n̡̧̞̬͉͓͎͋̈́̈̆̐̃͆́͞e̸̮̘̱̼̝̼̲͇͕͂̄̏͑͂͢w̬̳̩̻͚̺̭̓̆͂̑̀͡ b̛̗͔̘͈̝̦͈̝̩̉̍̎̋͠į̛̩̼̮̰̗̍̃̌̕õ̶͇̜͉̗̭͙̙͗̽͆́͜l̛̲͇̱͚̪̪̖̩͆̇̓̆̍̋̋̊̕ǫ̷̧̱̻̩̩̰̞͋͑̍̐̿̑̃̔̕ͅg̵̡̦͈̮̹̱̿̀̓̕͘͢i̶̻̬̜̞̤͇͊͊̓͆̄̄͜͢͟͠c̫̠̳̲̘̪͓̜̹͛͐̉͌̉̀̑͋͟͡a̢͕̲̥̯̯̟̺͋͌̈́͋̊͐̔̚͡ͅl̶͔̥͔̖̝̮̂̋̌̎͌̆̇͜ͅ s̷̡̞̹͈͚̺̰̅̉́̆̋̐̍͋͌͋û̢̦͖̘̹̟̖͑̈́̅͒̋͂͢͞͞b̡̖̬̗̠̦̤̞́̃̾̅́͟͢j̶̡̰̦̭̬̣̼̜͉̍͌̾̕̚͜͞e̢̨̬͍͎͉̮̪̋̿͋͑̒̇̿͟c̴̬̣̻͖̮̭̿̈́͆͂͛t̜͕͎̳̗̲̠̔̽́̏̈́̉̐̍̀͘͜ŝ̵̠̫̣̟̟̘͈̮͐̎̈́̉̎́͐̈̚ d̸̡͎͉̗͇̖̙̞̎̊̌͆͐͂ẹ̴̮̬̥̋̂̎̎̋̽̇͆̑͟͝ş̯͈̣̱̫͈̔̂̑̊̂̈́̓̕̕î̡̛̠̻͓̺̜̄̐͗̊͞͝g̬̘͈̤͓̰̀̂̎͒͋͠n̘̠̬̦̪̹̦͕̓̇̀́͒̑̎a̛̤͕͔͎̭̦̻͔͕̔͌͆͋̎̔ͅt̠̭̺̤̺̻̀́̾͋́̽͋͂̚͟ê̢̟̜̦̤̗̪͌͋̎͌͌̒͠d̴̡͚̳̥͖̓̏̈̆̈́́̇͆.̵͔̙̬͍̥̜̿̊͛̈͒͗̓̚͞ Ṃ̧͖̣̞̙͎̱́̀͐̏̌͂͊͘͟ͅỡ̖̱̰͚̬̱̟̖͗͌̉̂͡ḓ̴̢̙̲̐̍̊͗̐̓͡ͅḙ̵̰̮̘̪̆͗̎̑͑̋͂͡ s̝̦̮̝̤̼̪͕̟̄̄̀́̎͢ẁ̵̻̦͖͙̰̣͔̝̟́͂̽́͗̽̀̆̕i̡͇̞̜̣̗͑̌̀̊̐̓̚͠t͉̭̟͙͈̿̂͋͟͝͠c̶̰̣̳͔̜̤͐̌́͂̕h̯̰̫͔͙́̂͆̆̌̂͛͠͡î͙̯̟̬̗͉̥̃͐͂́̈́̚͝ņ̷̝̪͓͎̟̫͓̙̆̂̉̓͠͠ģ̳̟̤̩̰́̐̒̿̔͛͂͡͡ t̶̮̣͎̥͕̼̓̅́̈̊͑͝o̷̳͕̩̰̪͛̿̋̌̆́̉͢͟͞ͅ,̶͈͙̗̟̩̈͐̀̉̍̊ A͖̦̰̫̐̈́̾̕͘͜n̞͚͎͎̖̙̪̓̉̈̽̊͊̚͘̚͘ă̰͇̜͕̮͆͛̈́̇͜͜͡͡l͓̤͓̠̥̠̤̟͎͇̑̃͆̈̈̀y̵̨̤͖̼̫̖̱͙̠̓̉̄͌̑̔̑͊̿͜z̸̛̙̫̳̖̥͉͆̊̄͐̿̚į̵̢̞̗̮̊͋̓̿͑́͢n̩̳͖̻̩̬̯͛̎͆̀̊̀̕g̵̢̲̪͍͈̭͔͖̏̉̍̈́̄.͇̹̩̜͚̩͓̎̽̐̐͘͝ Ś̴̡̨̛̘̭͚̺͍̯̄͂̌̊͋̾̈͡h̴̖̮̭̤̰͖̮̺͊̀̊̀̋̂̿͗͟ȃ̯͈̼̳̺̣͂̑͌̀̽́̍͟͠ȑ̷̻̘͎̣̘̼̪͍͖̈͊́̄̋͒͘͘͢͞i̧̛̝͇̯̩̲̹̓̈́͑̔̐̒̄̚͜͡n̡͉̳̰̻͈̦̒̇̊̒̀͊͘̚͟͠͝g̢̦̦̭͒̍̈͆͋̄̚͟ s̵͕̝͔̭̬͇̖͖̎̽͐͛̓́́͐̂ù̴͚̤͎̘̇̒̆̂̑̕͢b̨̪͚͇̟͓̘͒̓̄̏̈́̕̚͞͞j̛̭̻̤̞̱̯͖̖͗̾̄̎͐́͘͢ę̝̘̰̘͓͔̾̃͛̽̐̏̓c̸̹̫̮̄̅͌͊̋̍̕͜ͅt̵̢̛̘͉͉̻̠̰̔̔̔͆̉̾̕͡s̶͕̹̯̦̬̮̜͔̝͊͑̀̓̅̚͞ l̜͈̗̮̤̤̜̦̫̠̈̐̽͑̓̊o̸̭̱͚̖͖͚̞̳̲̜͆̇̇͌̈͡͝͡c̸̢̺͍̲̻͉͚̮͐́͌͒̄͑̾͘͟ͅa̴̙͔̺̳͓̖̻̙̅͒͛̃̀t̳̝̼͈͚͈̔͂́͒̄͛̎̇͑͢͡ȋ̸̟̖͔̺̻̰́̒̽̉̀̑͂͆͢͠ö̢̨̞̯̦̖̜́̀̑̆̄͊̎͟͠n̶͎̱̱͈̫̣̳̪̹̆̌̓̍̓̃̊͘͞s̸̛͎̺̳͍̪̿͌̋͌͂̃͋͊͢͡ w̶̫̲̘͇͖̻̼͌̄̑̍̈́̓̾͢͡ị͎͇͙͖̍̂̒̆̾̔͛͝͠t̷̨̛̬̭͈͚̘͔̉̎̊̓̔̐̋̓͜͝h̤̠̲͙̫̱͈̲͖̃̓̃̊̚ ơ̧̖͔͈͈͛̌͢͢͡͠t̵͔̫͎̞̋͗̈́͋̾̓̕̕͢ͅh̛̤͎̥̼͓̦͋͊͒̐̀̉̋̚͠ė̸͙̖̰̞̾̀̿̃̊̏́͘͜ŗ̸̧̛̛̹̪̀͒̆̄̔̄͟ ǎ̞̭̼̮̗̬̬͖̲̫̿̈́̌̕g̴̦̫͉̼͖̹̖̟̭̾̉̒̒͋e̶̱̼̥̹̝̼̎́̾͒̃̓͂n̶̢̧̨̰̻̯͙̱̐̀͊͋͌̋͒͂̿͟ͅt̥̰͖̣̓̑̏̽̿͆́̅̂͜͞ͅŝ̜̘̩͇͎͐̋͌̉̄̾̋̍͜͝.̟͕̝̹̤̘͚̼̫͉̎̐̉͘͘͠͠͠ "
A switch then clicked inside the creature's body. It looked around in surprise, suddenly becoming much more lively and on edge. The tips of its claws glowed with a faint, green glow. Out of curiosity, the creature tapped these two glowing parts together. Suddenly, the water began to swirl and boil. Light flashed around the being. Then, the very water ripped apart, sucking the creature deep inside. When the water finally settled, the creature was completely gone.
Another dying groan echoed through the darkness, shaking the entire structure. Once it had passed, it left the dead room to its long held darkness and silence.
I hadn't gone a meter before a fish had slapped me in the face.
After hesitantly following Sylas into the water, a colorful, white-stripped, crab-fish hybrid appeared from the murk, running directly into my mask. I growled, grabbed the fish who began trying to snap at my hand with its small crab pincers, and threw it away from me. It swiftly flew back into the dim water. "Stupid fish!" I barked.
I looked up to find Sylas silently giggling to himself. When he saw that I had discovered him, he quickly turned his head and motioned with his hand for me to follow him. "Oh just you wait, you unbearable jerk..." I murmured to myself.
Sylas then began swimming into the dense coral reef set before us. The deep, blue rock twisted and arched every which way. Coral and plant-life dominated the seafloor, covering up the sand as best as it could. Fish darted about in a hurry to eat and survive. Even though the sight was fairly simple and common, it was also entirely alien. It seemed as if all these creatures had been shoved together in one place, and forced to adapt to the new home. Fish of every color and size imaginable swam together, chirping and and clicking, deafening even the sound of my arms and legs kicking through the water. Far in the distance, a long, dark shape slowly slithered away from Sylas and I.
Sylas turned back to me, pointed back up to the surface, and kicked back up. I followed him, bursting through the surface, gasping for air. "Tell me," I said, desperately trying to slick back the remains of my long hair, "Where exactly are we going?"
"I don't know." Sylas replied happily.
"What?! Then what are we doing out here?!" I yelled back.
"We're looking. Even if we don't find what we're looking for, just think of what we could find." Sylas said.
"Are you nuts?!"
"Maybe, but at least I'll be able to go home nuts." He said, slipping his mask back on.
He then deeply inhaled, and dropped back underwater.
I growled, muttering a few unpleasant curses about his mother, and followed him under.
As much as I hated this plan, I will admit, the area was pretty nice. I dragged my hand along an arch of rock, feeling some of the hundreds of barnacles that covered the stone. Fish passed by so close, that it seemed as if they didn't fear Sylas' or my presence. A single fish paid me any attention. It had a light pink body, with dull, thin, perforated, yellow fins. Its two, bulbous eyes barely stayed inside its head, its irises were nothing but a simple criss-cross, and it looked like it had a permanent, goofy grin. It would've looked completely harmless were it not for the rows of serrated teeth inside its smile. Despite that, it cheerfully swirled around my head, inspecting my clothes, arms, anything it could find. I came to stop, as did the fish, floating mere centimeters away from my face. I slowly reached out to touch the curious fish, but my hand spooked it, and it fled back into the gloom. "Augh, shoot!" I yelled in disappointment.
I looked around for Sylas, and I found him a ways away, hiding behind an arch. I swam over to him, yelling, "What? Sharks got you scared? Maybe we shouldn't go out into the ocean for literally nothing!" I knew he couldn't hear what I was saying, but it was cathartic.
But Sylas put his finger to his mask, trying to get me quiet. He then pointed over the ridge, and pointed back up to the surface. I looked at what he pointed to, and saw what looked to be a giant, pink frog with a tail. It looked fairly normal, all things considered, except for the scythe at the end of its tail. The creature looked like it was munching on the corpse of a crab with an incredibly long tail, leeching its blood into the water. "Sylas, you absolute idiot! What have you led me into?!" I thought.
I quickly kicked up to the surface, and grabbed Sylas by the back of his neck. "What is that thing!" I demanded.
"What we were looking for." He answered gleefully.
Before I could protest further, he shook himself out of my grip, and slipped back under the waves once again. I wanted to shout and scream in anger to attract the attention of something that would eat us both, but there was a good chance that was going to happen already, so I might as well just make things interesting.
I dropped back under the waves, only to see Sylas surrounded by a cloud of the Frog-like creatures. They swirled around Sylas, nervously croaking and chattering, stirring the water in almost hypnotic fashion. Their large bodies surrounded Sylas on all sides. Many of them whipped their sharp tails around, as if itching to tear their new prey apart. Sylas looked around frantically for an escape, but even if he tried to move up or down out of the creature's circular trap, they would move with him. He held his hands out in a futile attempt to protect himself from the inevitable attack. "Well isn't this just great," I thought, "Now I have to save him from his own stupidity."
I began violently kicking towards the swirling pack, my fists readied, eager to finally break someone after so long. But before I could reach them, the unthinkable happened.
One of the pink, frog creatures broke away from the rest, coming inside the circle. The swirling pack slowed and stuttered, confused by the one's abandonment. The lone creature chirped, slowly getting closer to Sylas. It got closer, and closer, until it was so close, I thought it was going to bite Sylas' upraised hands. But it shoved its head past his hands, nudging his body. Sylas froze, clearly not wanting to anger the creature. The creature seemed to search Sylas' body, looking for some mystery element, possibly where the most delicious part of him was. Suddenly, the creature ripped one of the many gauze bandages covering Sylas with its teeth, releasing a small cloud of blood into the water. It sniffed at the wound, gauze still in its mouth, and it rapidly backed away from Sylas, letting loose a flurry of croaks and squeals. It spun around, throwing the gauze piece to the seabed, excitedly chirping. Slowly, the rest of the pack followed in suit, until all the creatures were twirling and screaming in excitement.
Sylas slowly lifted his hands back up towards the first creature while it was still celebrating. It eventually saw his hand, and silenced itself. It crept to Sylas, and began nuzzling his palm. Sylas calmly rubbed its head, grinning.
I could only float there, gawking at the sheer chaos that was happening below me.
Sylas looked up at me, giving me the "OK" sign, and mouthed the words, "Found them."