Amber slowly opens his eyes, staring at the ceiling as sunlight shines from the small gap in the boards nailed to the windows. His gaze shifts down to the torn leather on his belt, then up to the crown on the table beside the door, a note attached to it. He pulls himself upright, his legs hanging over the side of the bed as he takes a deep breath. As he pulls himself to his paws, his pants sag slightly due to the belt being broken. He stumbles to the closet in front of him, pushing open the door to reveal a collection of clothing.
“I… didn't even notice my belt was broken… I… What is happening?” he mutters, reaching inside and pulling a new belt from the shelf. He starts to remove the one currently around his waist, holding his pants up as he approaches the crown and loops the new belt around his pants. He takes a deep breath and reaches for it, grabbing the note and pulling it up to his face.
“A little while after going to my room, I thought to check outside, since I didn’t remember any of us grabbing the crown. I thought you got it, but it was lying on the grass. I don't want to have to get it for you again; touching it made my skin crawl - Maxwell,” the note reads. Amber takes a slow breath, fastening the new belt around himself and grasping the crown. He pulls it from the table, his muscles aching slightly before he grips the knob and pulls the door open, staring into the hallway past it. His grip on the crown tightens as he steps into the hallway, and the edge digs into his skin somewhat, the floorboards creaking slightly as he moves through the hall. He turns to the others sitting on the couch, his grip on the crown continuing to tighten.
“Maxwell… thank you,” Amber mutters, watching as he turns, eyeing the crown. Maxwell sighs, pulling himself upright.
“You're welcome… Try not to lose it again. Come here, I made something to help you hold onto it.” Amber approaches, watching as Lana turns to him, squinting slightly. Maxwell lifts a thin string out to Amber, a pair of large cylinders on each end. “It’s to hold the crown; the magnets will keep it together until you need it.” Amber carefully takes it, his grip on the crown loosening as he loops the string through it and under his belt. As he presses the cylinders together, they connect, a small mechanism locking them together.
“So… what’s the plan?” Amber asks, sliding to the floor, sitting down as Maxwell clears his throat.
“Well, it is more than likely that we don't have ten years to charge whatever this… ‘Golden Star’ thing is, but we also will not be able to do this without it. What seemed to happen last night was that Gorlac’s… hands… or whatever they were, absorbed the energy from Lana’s guitar, and whatever that energy was, presumably some kind of essence from a goddess known as Puerza, did not mix well with Gorlac’s body when he absorbed the hands. This win was… incredibly situational, and relied on him lowering his guard. He claims that he will be throwing everything at us when he comes back.” Maxwell turns to look at Amber, then down to the crown. “So… I want to try a few things… I want to one, try hooking wires up to the crown, as perhaps it can produce enough energy on its own to charge this thing. If that doesn’t work, I want to try having Fuerza do it. And if that doesn’t work, the only thing left to try is to have Fuerza fight Gorlac himself.” Amber swallows, gripping the crown once again before opening his mouth to speak.
“That… won't work. I tried to use the crown when Gorlac first said he was coming… and it… stopped me. The crown shocked my hand, and Fuerza screamed no.”
“I… don't really understand, why would they do that?” Maxwell questions. Amber glances around before taking a deep breath.
“I… don't know either. I would ask, but Fuerza won’t respond. Ever since I replaced Gorlac as their master, it’s been complete silence.”
“Even if that wasn't the case, Gorlac did say that demons cannot use demonic attacks against each other, and if Fuerza didn't want to fight, that would imply that Gorlac is stronger, so the Golden star seems to be the only option,” Maxwell adds, sitting back.
“And if it doesn't work?” Amber adds, staring at Maxwell. Maxwell turns to Shari, watching as she stands.
“It’s best not to think about that. Maxwell has gotten the coordinates ready, so we can leave any time now.”
“We were waiting for you to get up, as you seemed to be… exhausted last night,” Lana adds as Maxwell pulls the map from his pocket, placing it against the table and allowing it to open. Maxwell clears his throat, putting his hand against the paper, causing a hologram to appear above it. The hologram shows a universe-like display, a purple circle surrounding the one in the center as Maxwell speaks.
“The one with the circle around it appears to be where we are, but I’m not exactly sure how to use this thing, so we will need to rely on Lux.” The small points spread throughout the small section that the hologram shows, identical to the one in the center, drift in random directions, periodically changing direction unpredictably. Amber turns, glancing at Lana as she leans closer, staring at the hologram.
“So… when do we leave?” Amber asks. Maxwell turns to him, his hand still on the surface.
“We leave whenever you’re ready. We’ve got Lana carrying the supplies,” Maxwell answers, gesturing to Lana, who grabs a bag that was sitting on the table as Maxwell speaks again. “Once you’re ready, just give me the word, and I’ll instruct Lux to take us there.”
“I’m… yeah, I’m ready,” Amber answers, watching as Maxwell takes a slow breath.
“Lux, take us all to the coordinates attached to log seven.” Lux chimes, emitting a low hum as text starts to appear in the hologram.
“Inserted coordinates:” the text reads, followed by a long string of numbers. With a loud crack, Amber, Lana, Maxwell, and Shari all vanish, leaving behind the map before it collapses into itself, disappearing.
Amber opens his eyes, taking a deep breath as he feels the damp grass beneath him, the gentle wind blowing his hair into his eyes. He pulls himself to his knees, pushing his hair from his face, looking up at the massive wall made of pure metal before them, stretching into the sky, a large, square screen mounted against the barrier.
“Is… everyone okay?” he mutters, reaching up to feel his head as a faint pain subsides. Lana pulls herself to her paws, stumbling slightly.
“I’m okay.” Maxwell and Shari stand, looking up at the structure.
“Shari and I are fine as well,” Maxwell adds, a purple spiral appearing on the black panel as Amber stares at it, the shape spinning.
“Do you… Think these coordinates are actually here? And do you think this place is guarded?” Amber asks, turning to Maxwell as he answers.
“I’m not sure, but I don't see many alternative options.” Amber stands, both of his hands falling to his sides. A face appears on the screen, the eyes glancing down at them.
“Welcome… I am… name… on the list…” A robotic voice announces, freezing randomly.
“What?” Amber replies, his ears twitching as the voice repeats itself. “Welcome… Athrin’s… please give… so I… list.”
“It sounds broken, but it seems to want our names,” Maxwell mutters, stepping past Amber. “I’m Maxwell, Maxwell Corleno.” The face freezes for a moment before beginning to speak.
“Checking… you are… list,” it begins, an image of a piece of rolled up paper appearing beside it. “Are not… list… apologize… access denied…” Maxwell places his hands on his hips, his gaze shifting to the rail beneath the screen, then to the vines covering it.
“This place seems pretty old… and abandoned. Maybe we can just break in,” Maxwell mutters, turning to Lana. She glances around, then looks back at Maxwell.
“Why… are you looking at me?”
“You’re the only one here with destructive abilities, can you blow it up?” he adds, watching as she approaches.
“Yeah, I… I can do that, just step back.” Maxwell backs away from the screen, gesturing for the others to do the same as Lana flicks her wrist, her guitar appearing in her grasp.
“Do not attempt to trespass or break an entry; doing so will not result in the authorities being called, but will instead result in elimination,” The voice announces, a faint chime echoing after it, as if the message was pre-recorded. Lana turns back to Maxwell, still holding her guitar.
“Should I… still do it?”
“This robot seems to be watching us, so I doubt it would allow me enough time to find another way in, so do it.” Lana swings the guitar, the instrument bursting as it crashes against the screen, the explosion creating large fractures in the surface, sending small shards of glass flying. Maxwell looks up, watching as a square panel opens above the screen, the rusty hinge snapping, causing it to fall to the ground, clanging against the slanted wall before stabbing into the dirt. Sparks fly from the opening as the barrel of a gun is shoved out, falling and hitting the wall, throwing rust around before smashing against the grass, a broken pole sticking from the hole.
“This place… must be really old… and really abandoned,” Maxwell remarks, watching as another guitar forms in Lana’s grasp. He then glances up at the screen again.
“Last… last… last… last warning… elimination… trespassing,” the voice announces, sparks flying from the opening again. Lana turns to him.
“Should I keep going?”
“Yeah, this thing doesn't look like it can do much.” Shari steps beside Amber, watching as Lana swings again, causing the fractures to spread as her weapon smashes against it.
“So, Amber, how did you sleep last night?” she asks, watching as he turns to her.
“I slept okay, but a friend visited before I went to bed.” his ears twitch as another blast echoes past them.
“A friend? Who?”
“His name’s Danial. He wanted me to explain things, but he decided he could wait. He did have good news, though.”
“Good news?” Another blast echoes past them, drawing Shari’s attention, the explosion breaking a small hole in the screen, revealing a hallway behind it as the face continues to shout random strings of words. Amber inhales, watching as Shari turns back to him before speaking.
“He got engaged last night, her name’s Vivian, she seemed nice when I met her a while back. I’m happy for him.” Shari takes a slow breath, glancing around before her gaze shifts to the ground.
“I know this… might be a bad time to ask, but… do you think the people here will… be okay with me staying? I was… I worked beside Maroon for a while, and I didn't… I didn't kill anyone, but I was too scared to try and stop her; she’s… much stronger than me.”
“I don't know how your world handles forgiveness… or how it handles crime, but I’m sure that with enough time, and if we can tell everyone everything, eventually people will treat you the same as everyone else… But I can’t control whether or not people are scared of you,” Amber begins, before glancing at the crown. “The last, and first encounter we've had with the supernatural, was Maroon… so the people back home might be scared of all of us… Having enough power to take over the world can be… it would be extremely… enticing… to abuse it for an easy way out of everything.” Shari looks away, grasping her arm as another blast echoes past them.
“I’ve… seen things like that firsthand…” she begins, looking up as Lana shouts.
“It’s open!” Amber turns to look at the screen, a large hole smashed through the middle. He turns back to Shari.
“We can talk more about how we’re going to get you settled after we’re home, alright?” Shari nods before stepping towards the opening, watching as Amber does the same, turning to Lana.
“You did great!” he adds, leaning against the wall beside her as the screen continues to emit random strings of broken English.
“Th-Thank you, Amber,” she answers, looking away and blushing slightly before pulling herself upright. She turns to Maxwell, taking a deep breath. “So, Maxwell, should we go in?” she asks, watching as he stares into the hall on the other side of the opening.
“Lux, do you know anything about this place?” he asks.
“I apologize, but files regarding Athrin’s base are restricted,” Lux answers. Maxwell sighs, turning back to Lana.
“Yeah, we should. Lux has nothing about this place to share.” he reaches forward, grasping the broken edge of the glass with his metal hand before starting to pull himself through the hole in the thin screen.
“Be careful, the glass is sharp,” he adds, stepping through onto the other side. Shari quickly follows behind, stepping over the glass and keeping her arms at her sides. Lana turns to Amber, watching as he stands. She then exhales sharply, reaching up to grasp her head as she groans. Amber steps towards her, watching as her eyes cloud slightly, flashing pink before returning to normal.
“Are you okay?” he asks, stopping before her as she looks up at him.
“Yeah, I’m… I’m alright, just a headache, I've been getting them since this morning.”
“Your eyes got cloudy,” he adds before turning to Maxwell. “Hey, Maxwell, Shari, don't go too far. We need a second.” Lana blinks hard before pulling her hand away from her skull.
“It’s nothing, really. My vision’s just been a little blurry, but I can still see,” she adds, turning to look at Maxwell, squinting slightly.
“You might need glasses. If so, I’m sure Maxwell can make you some.” Lana turns, watching as Maxwell glances at the long hall ahead of them.
“I know, and if it gets to a point where I can’t see properly, I will.” The screen then flashes red, an alarm blaring from it.
“Emergency shut… lockdown… elimination,” the voice announces before a heavy metal door slams shut, blocking the hole. Maxwell watches as a wall slams into the ground at the end of the hall, blocking both exits. Lana turns to Amber, watching as the crown is torn from his belt, the string snapping as it is ripped towards the ground, smashing into the dirt. Amber quickly grabs onto the curved spikes, attempting to pull it from the ground, but with no success. Lana flicks her wrist, summoning her guitar, only for it to be torn away and smashed into the dirt before she can grab it.
“Lana! Amber! What’s going on?” Maxwell’s voice shouts. Lana turns to face him, staring at the heavy metal door. Amber looks down at the dirt, watching as pulses of blue rise from the grass. His gaze shifts to the guitar on the ground, the small, metallic, wing-like pattern on the side slowly being pulled towards the ground, cracking the wood it's attached to.
“Our stuff’s being pulled to the ground!” Lana shouts before she tries to approach the door. As she gets close, a powerful burst of energy shoves her back, causing her to stumble slightly as Amber stands, watching as electricity crackles through her hair.
Maxwell takes a deep breath, watching as red lights shine through the hallway before turning to Shari. He then glances down at the tiled floor, each square about half a meter wide, light shining from the thin spaces between them. The square beneath him starts to quiver, lowering slightly before Maxwell moves back, stepping off of it. He watches as it flies straight up, stopping at eye level, a collection of vines holding it in place for a moment before snapping, allowing it to slam against the ceiling with enough force to dent the metal. It then falls, crashing back into its original position.
“Try to find a way in! I don't know what’s happening, but we might not have much more time!” Maxwell shouts as every tile in the chamber starts to quake, very slowly moving towards the ceiling, the sound of snapping vines echoing repeatedly through the room.
Lana looks up at the screen, taking a shallow breath before turning to Amber.
“Try to find another way in, I’m going to keep trying this way!” She shouts over the pulsing energy. Amber nods, turning before starting to sprint alongside the wall. Lana turns back to the entrance, taking a step forward and shielding her face with her arms as a burst of energy shoots past her, shoving her back, her paws sliding against the dirt. Lana continues to push forward, her ears flattening against her head as another burst hits her, her paws tearing up the grass as she holds herself still.
Amber sprints alongside the barrier, his eyes scanning it. He then glances at the grass, watching as energy continues to pulse through it. He slides to a stop as he looks back at the wall, eyeing a rusty door with a yellow and black pattern along the bottom. He watches as it quivers, struggling to stay up as the force from the ground warps the metal slightly. He races to it, stopping as he inspects the surface for something to grab onto. He glances down at his hands, taking a shallow breath before furrowing his brows. He takes a step back, clenching his fist and raising it. He then swings, his knuckles cracking slightly as they hit the metal, causing him to pull his hand away. He groans, gripping his wrist as he steps back, staring at the unphased barrier.
“Just do it again!” he mutters, his gaze shifting to his fist. “When Maroon attacked, I… how did I do it? Lana said I punched her, and I remember there being a large hole in the wall. What happened? What did I do?” he takes a shuddering breath, flexing his hand slightly as a crack echoes from it. He closes his eyes, closing his fist again before raising it.
“I just… want… to be stronger,” He mutters, hesitating as his knuckles ache. He then swings, his eyes opening as his hand crashes against the metal, a collection of golden dust flying from the impact, causing him to stumble back, tightly grasping his arm as the metal bends slightly. The force pulsing from the dirt catches the top of the door, beginning to forcefully fold it. He takes a step back, a loud shriek being emitted as it is slowly crushed, being squished vertically. The door is then flattened, being smashed against the ground at incredible speeds, exposing the hallway behind it. Amber shakes his hand before running forward, jumping over the heap of metal and stumbling slightly as he lands on the diamond-plated floor. He races down the hall, his eyes scanning the walls as his paws thud against the ground.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Lana plants her paws into the dirt, extending her hand towards the door as the stream of energy becomes constant. She squeezes her eyes shut while electricity pulses over her fur. Her guitar appears below her hand before being ripped open by the opposing forces, the decorative wings being torn towards the ground as the body of the instrument is thrown back at incredible speeds, hitting the ground with enough force to make the earth shake slightly, exploding into pink energy as Lana pushes herself forward, slowly approaching the barrier.
Maxwell turns to one of the tiles, watching as it starts to quiver, the vines holding it down beginning to rip while each of the squares rises at slow, yet varying speeds. With a loud crack, the segment of the floor is thrust into the ceiling, smashing against the cement above before falling down, crashing back into place. Maxwell turns to the heavy metal door, then to Shari, before the two freed squares are rocketed into the ceiling once again, creating a loud crash that makes Maxwell flinch as they remain stuck against the surface. A series of snaps can be heard as three more tiles are ripped into the air. Shari looks down as the floor beneath her starts to tremble. She leaps back as it is shot towards the ceiling.
“There… trouble… defensive… engaging…” the robotic voice mutters, a door opening on the wall beside the entrance. A pair of purple eyes shines from the darkness, a long, jaguar-like leg extending from the hole, its skin made from hundreds of small, flexing metal disks, each held to the bone in the center by a rod. Maxwell turns to look at it, watching as a large beast, its entire body consisting of these disks, crawls from the space, turning to look at him before the door closes behind it.
Amber slides to a stop, turning to look at a door with a sign above it.
“Security and generator,” the sign reads. He reaches forward, gripping the handle and pulling on it, exhaling as it fails to turn. He then raises his paw and kicks the door, the small mechanism keeping it locked snapping as it swings open. He pushes through into the room, looking around at the machinery covering it, then to the monitors mounted on the wall to his left. The screen in the center shows the inside of the chamber holding Maxwell and Shari, while the screen above shows Lana slowly pushing closer to the main entrance. Amber’s gaze locks onto the black orb hovering against the wall before him, feeding electricity into the barrier of metal disks behind it. He approaches the disks before attempting to grab onto one, a burst of energy tearing through his right hand, a lightning pattern being burned into the fur on his forearm as he pulls it away, stumbling back. He grasps his arm, the muscles in his fingers spasming as he clenches his jaw, holding his right arm close to his chest and turning to the orb. He then glances at the monitors, watching as the large metal beast starts to circle Maxwell, emitting a low growl. His gaze shifts to the sphere, watching as it pulses purple, the beast preparing to lunge. He reaches forward, hesitating as his left hand hovers inches from the dark surface. He glances back at the screen, his eyes widening as the beast leaps towards Maxwell. Amber shoves his hand into the orb, his irises flickering with golden light as he grasps onto what feels to be a metal rod inside before pulling with all his strength, pulses of electricity crackling along the wall as it holds the orb in place, the lights flickering as he slowly pulls it away. The beast crashes against the ground as Maxwell jumps out of the way, stumbling as the light in its eyes flickers, its joints shaking slightly. The quivering of the tiles beneath them slowly dies down as the orb is forced further and further away from the wall. Amber’s paws slide across the ground as the sphere is jerked towards the barrier, the beast’s eyes becoming purple once again as it shakes its head. The square behind Maxwell is thrust into the ceiling, cracking down the middle. Maxwell’s eyes lock onto the creature’s front leg, watching as the disks spin rapidly, pushing the beast forward before it even raises its paw to walk, allowing it to approach Maxwell. Shari’s blade smashes against its skull-like head, the disks rotating to face her, completely absorbing the force of the impact. Amber’s eyes flash with light as Maxwell pulls himself upright, watching as the beast raises its paw. Lana reaches over her shoulder, gripping the strap of the backpack before shoving it off herself, allowing it to be thrown back as she takes another step forward, reaching for the barrier. The orb begins to separate from the wall once again. Amber watches as the beast freezes, shaking slightly and starting to collapse as energy pulses up his arm, crackling through his fur as a robot voice begins echoing around him.
“Do not… antimatter generator… damage… implosion… unstable,” the voice announces, the glitching becoming worse as Amber continues to pull against the opposing force, the glow in his eyes getting brighter as the pulsing energy pushing Lana back grows weaker. Lana’s hands thud against the metal barrier before her as Amber’s muscles tense, ripping the sphere back further. Her guitar appears above her palm, overlapping with the barrier and exploding in a burst of pink energy, tearing a hole into the door, shoving Lana back slightly and exposing the inside of the chamber as Amber is forced closer to the wall of quivering disks. Lana leaps forward through the opening as the pulsing energy intensifies, ripping the metal fragments covering the ground away at incredible speeds, while the grass is torn apart as the force from the dirt holds them down. Amber slams his paw against the ground, cracking the cement tile and pulling once again, his right hand remaining still against his chest as the golden glow in his iris becomes electricity that crackles through the whites of his eyes, the orb stretching as he forces it closer to himself, the energy connecting it to the wall becoming erratic while the lights start to flicker once again. Lana pulls herself to her paws, watching as the large metal beast turns to her, its body twitching violently in sync with the flickering lights. Lana’s guitar appears in her grasp, her hand instinctively clamping around the neck as she exhales. The creature’s back ripples, the disks shivering as it struggles to move. Lana clutches the instrument, watching as it claws at its face, one of the lights in the distance shattering. Amber’s eyes release a pulse of gold as he pulls the orb further away, his gaze locked onto it as the beast shakes violently, struggling to stay upright. The sphere quivers, the smooth surface becoming jagged before beginning to collapse, creating an hourglass-like shape as it stretches. The lights then shut off, the large creature collapsing to the ground as the glow from Amber’s eyes illuminates the chamber around him. The tiles beneath Lana, Maxwell, and Shari continue to quiver, growing weaker and slower as the sound of hissing air fills the room. A loud snap then echoes through the space, the squares along the wall at the end of the hallway being thrust into the ceiling. The ones along the entrance behind Lana do the same, smashing against the roof and sticking to it, locking them inside.
“Remaining energy… redirected… security… compactor…” the robotic voice adds as the floor starts to shiver once again, the sound of ripping vines becoming louder. Amber closes his eyes, the golden light shining through his eyelids as the monitors around him start to crack, purple electricity violently shocking one of the screens, causing it to explode, falling to the ground and crashing against the floor. A ring forms around the mass of dark energy, shaking violently and flexing as another monitor is struck. Maxwell looks around, his eyes scanning the walls.
“I don't know what’s going on, something’s messing with the power, but it still has enough to push the tiles up!” he shouts, glancing at Lana. he then turns his head to look down the hall, watching as random tiles scattered around the room are thrust into the ceiling, the lights becoming more and more dim. Lana turns to face the pillars behind her, swinging her guitar. The wooden surface smashes against the heavy concrete rectangle, sending fractures spreading through it as she takes a step back. Another guitar appears in her grasp before she swings again, the impact causing the cracks to grow. Another collection of squares is ripped into the air, smashing against the concrete and blocking off a large section of the hall as Maxwell and Shari back away, moving towards Lana.
“Lana? Do you think you could hurry?” Maxwell asks, watching as another tile rises, beginning to create a chain reaction that causes the segments beside it to follow, quickly growing closer. Golden electricity intertwines with the purple from the orb as it creeps up Amber’s arm. The strands connecting it to the wall begin snapping, creating loud cracks that echo past him. Lana watches as the concrete before her starts to lower. She adjusts her aim, swinging the instrument in an arc that smashes against the pillar at a downward angle, causing it to fall further, shaking as the cracks reach the top. She raises her hands above her head, looking back as the tiles, only a few meters away, smash against the ceiling, her instrument appearing in her hands as she swings down towards the exposed edge with all her strength. The guitar crashes against the ledge, sending it crashing down into the floor, exposing the hole behind it. Maxwell reaches down, grabbing one of the disks from the beast and ripping off as he and Shari run to Lana, who stares through the hole before pulling herself through, stumbling onto the grass. Maxwell shoves the flat disk into his pocket before turning back, watching as the tile beneath the beast is thrust into the ceiling, crushing its body and sending metal flying in every direction. Maxwell then pulls himself through the opening after grabbing Shari’s hand, both of them falling forward, hitting the dirt with a thud. Amber’s muscles shake, the purple energy digging into his skin, before the final string of electricity holding the orb to the wall snaps. Amber is thrown away, still holding the orb as it squashes and flexes, returning to its original shape as lightning thunders past him. He flies back, slamming against the wall with enough force to knock the wind from his lungs, causing him to collapse forward, gasping for air as he hits the ground, lying on his side. He takes a shallow breath, glancing down at the orb as it shakes, spikes stretching from the surface. He releases his grip, allowing it to fall to the floor before the spikes invert, stabbing through the middle as the entire sphere collapses, vanishing entirely.
Maxwell turns, watching as the remaining pillars are ripped towards the ceiling, smashing against the roof before they all fall back down, completely exposing the hallway. Maxwell inhales, his hand shaking as he pulls himself upright, the energy pulsing from the dirt dying down before stopping fully. Lana turns to look at the crown, pulling herself to her paws as she approaches.
Amber stares at the floor where the orb used to be, his body shaking. He rolls onto his back, taking a slow breath before glancing down at his right hand, pulling it away from his chest, a lightning pattern burned into his forearm. The flesh beneath the skin on his palm is visible, tainted purple and still sizzling. He closes his hand again, holding it against himself as he takes a shuddering breath, tears welling in his eyes. The golden light from his eyes fades, allowing the darkness to consume him.
Amber opens his eyes, squinting as a beam of light shines on his face, blinding him. He lifts his left arm to shield his eyes before the beam moves up, allowing him to see Maxwell standing over him, Lana and Shari by his side as Lux acts like a flashlight.
“You alright?” Maxwell asks, his eyes scanning the torn-apart chamber. “What happened in here?” Amber sits up, wincing and pulling his arm against his chest once again as he looks around. The beam of light settles on a collection of burnt flesh stuck to the wall of disks, still smoking.
“I… don't touch the wall,” he mutters, taking a slow breath as the light from Lux shifts to face his hand. Maxwell exhales, kneeling before him.
“Good advice.” He reaches forward, gently grabbing Amber’s arm and pulling it closer, staring at it. “Lux, can you do anything? Maybe scan it?”
“I can perform a scan, but that is the extent of my capabilities when it comes to medicine, as any advice I could give would come straight from your memories.”
“Alright, that sounds good.” A red light flickers from Lux’s pupil, a line moving up and down Amber’s arm before it chimes, beginning to speak again.
“There appears to be severe nerve damage, as well as burns.” Maxwell looks back up into Amber’s eyes, causing him to squint as the light covers his face.
“Again, what happened?” he repeats.
“I… I touched the wall, and it shocked me,” Amber begins.
“Shocked is an understatement,” Maxwell mutters, looking back down as Lux continues to scan Amber’s hand. Amber then continues, his breathing shaky.
“So instead, I grabbed this weird orb that seemed to be feeding power into the wall. I… I pulled until it broke away, and that shut off the power.” Maxwell sighs, looking around.
“Whatever you did, it saved our asses, because it slowed down the defenses… and allowed me to snag some tech I wanna experiment with.” Lux then chimes again, the red light turning off.
“According to the information I have, I am guessing that you were shocked with around twenty to thirty volts of electricity, which scattered acid through your skin, creating burns. Most of it appears to have gathered in your palm, but I cannot explain the discolouration… and there appears to be no lingering acid.” Amber pushes himself upright, stumbling slightly as he stands.
“Well, it doesn't matter right now. We can worry about it later, once we’re home,” Amber adds as Lana steps past Maxwell, staring at his hand.
“Are… you okay? Does it hurt at all?” she asks as Maxwell turns back to the hallway.
“It… yeah, it hurts a bit, but as long as I don't try to use it, it’s mostly just numb.”
“Alright. I’ve put the crown in my bag. Once we’re home, you should grab it,” she adds, gesturing to the bag on her back. Amber nods, swallowing as Maxwell steps into the hallway, looking down at the door at the end of the corridor.
“Once we get home, it’ll need to be bandaged and inspected, but right now we have no medical supplies, and based on the readings, your arm isn't getting any worse.” he starts to move down the hall as Shari follows behind him. Shari turns, watching as Amber and Lana step out from the chamber, beginning to walk down the hall after them while Amber stares at the floor, his breathing quick.
“How long have we been here?” Amber asks, gripping his right arm and looking up at Maxwell as they approach the door at the end of the hall. “It feels like it’s been hours.” Maxwell turns to him, taking a slow breath.
“It’s been less than half an hour.” Amber exhales, turning to look at Lana as Maxwell reaches the end of the corridor. Maxwell grasps the handle, attempting to open the door. He then releases his grip before raising his paw and kicking the door, causing it to burst open.
“This place’s security is… nothing appears to be secure other than the entrances, and only the main entrance has an actual defense system.” he steps into the chamber past the doorway, his paws thudding against the metal floor. He looks around, his eyes scanning the lab equipment and the large, translucent cell against the wall, a tall, somewhat humanoid shape visible through it. Maxwell glances at a clipboard on the table, a bunch of papers clipped to it, the text unreadable due to a hardened stain. Amber glances around as he enters the room, taking a slow breath.
“What is this place?” Amber whispers, his eyes scanning the silhouette. Maxwell grabs the board, lifting it to his face and flipping through, reaching the page at the bottom, which is readable enough for Maxwell to make out what it says.
“This board’s got some writing, listen up,” he announces, turning to look at them as Lana and Shari enter the room after Amber. He leans against the desk behind him. Maxwell then begins reading. “The year is twenty fifty-four. We have only been here for a few years, and now we are already leaving. According to Athrin, the virus has mutated further, making it even more dangerous. He claims that the next base, which is on the other side of the country, is much safer, but we’ve been told to leave all the test subjects behind, infected or not. The government claims to have a solution, but Sarah, our spy, claims that they are creating a new species to replace us,” Maxwell reads, pausing as his eyes scan the next few words. He takes a slow breath, looking up at the others.
“Well? What does it say?” Lana asks, watching as Maxwell’s gaze shifts back to the page.
“They call this new species…” Maxwell hesitates, swallowing before resuming. “Variants.”
“What?” Amber mutters, turning to stare at Maxwell as he continues to read.
“A new species… with a new organ they’ve named the soul, able to convert energy with barely any loss, as well as hold information, making them stronger… smarter… and better in every way… as well as making them immune to the crystallization.” Amber glances around before looking down at his hand against his chest.
“What… does this mean?” he asks.
“I… I don't know… but there’s a bit left.” Maxwell takes a deep breath before beginning to read once again. “It appears they used the same substance that created the virus in the first place… and have made thousands of these creatures. In my opinion, this can only end in one of two ways. Either they create a new race, which will just make everything more complicated… or create an apex predator.” Maxwell sets the board down on the desk beside himself, taking a shaky breath.
“Do you… think it’s true?” Amber asks, turning to Lana as she turns back to the cell.
“I don't know,” Maxwell repeats, his hand sliding across the table as he leans further into it before sliding into a switch, the translucent glass becoming transparent as his hand flips it. Behind the glass stands a human, their body incredibly thin, and their skin unnaturally dry, the ground around them covered in sand. They lack hair, fingernails, and most small features. As the glass becomes transparent, its eyes lock onto Maxwell, quivering. It attempts to take a step forward, its leg snapping in half and collapsing as it moves, causing it to fall to the ground, covering its body in fractures, its right arm breaking away.
“This thing… would have to be over ten thousand years old now, and it’s still… mostly alive,” Maxwell mutters to himself. He reaches up, grasping his head. “This… this is so much information, so quickly. What… what even are we?” Shari takes a step towards him, glancing around.
“Are… are you okay?” she asks, watching as he exhales, clutching his hair.
“I… I’m not sure, this… this… this implies so many things, things that you don't seem to be thinking about.” Amber approaches Maxwell, staring at him.
“All… all I can gather from that is that we were created… but I don't see what’s wrong with that.” Maxwell looks up at him.
“I… I might just be overthinking it, but what does this make us? Can we even call ourselves people if we… were built in a lab? Did our ancestors… what happened to the humans? Did the virus wipe them all out? Or did… I just need to know more… this information is too little for me to make a guess on everything.” Maxwell pulls himself upright, his blade sliding against the desk as he steps around it. He grasps one of the drawers, pulling it open and sifting through the contents. Amber turns to Shari, watching as she grasps her arm, trembling slightly.
Maxwell turns, reaching for the other drawer and pulling it open. Amber glances at Shari, watching as she takes a slow breath. Maxwell pulls another board from the drawer. He takes a shaky breath before starting to read it aloud.
“I’ve been researching the virus for about four years now, and have made a few discoveries. First off, while everybody knows that direct moonlight turns the infected and the residue they leave behind into crystals, and that shining an ultraviolet light through moon dust does the same, I’ve discovered that the crystals that the light turns the residue into can redirect soundwaves into a singular direction, allowing it to make one-way glass that blocks sound on one side, while allowing it to pass through the other. This doesn’t mean much, other than that it can save us some money in the future.” Maxwell pulls the page from the clip, tossing it aside and reading the one under it. “I have made yet another discovery. We originally thought that not all residue was infectious, and that infectious residue would convert through touch alone, but it appears that how it actually works is that skin is naturally resistant to the virus, and the people who were infected must have had small cuts or wounds when they stepped outside, causing the residue in the air to get under their skin. It appears that a singular grain of this sand-like residue is enough to convert a person if it gets into anything deep enough to draw even a small bit of blood. It appears to do the same if it gets into your eyes, nose, mouth, ears, or any other openings in your body. This isn't good news, per se, but it allows us to better predict and act against the crystallization. And even better, I’ve heard that the government has created a new police force made specifically to fend off Flares, which is what we’ve decided to name the infected.” Maxwell flips the page again, staring at the last page as Amber, Lana, and Shari stare at him.
“The government has officially started sending out groups of people to deal with the Flares, but they act weird. I’ve seen them straight up refuse to follow orders they don't like, as if they don't fear their superiors, and they are much taller than people usually are. They are oddly friendly, and their entire bodies are covered at all times, but I could have sworn I saw one with a tail sticking from a rip in its suit. Our population has gotten so low, but these new officers give me hope; maybe I’ll be able to safely leave the lab one day.” Maxwell sets the board down, taking a slow breath before he stands, looking at the others as they stare at him. Maxwell’s eyes scan the room, searching for anything else. Shari inhales, exhaling heavily before looking away.
“I… I didn't realize you didn't know… that Variants were… made. I don't… I’m not an expert, but I knew that much… It’s something some humans back home liked to bring up.” Maxwell places his hand on the desk, leaning against it as he glances at the door.
“It’s… There’s nothing we can do about that now… let’s just get the coordinates and go home,” Maxwell mutters, his gaze shifting to the creature in the cell before he steps away from the desk. Lana turns to Amber, taking a slow breath as he stares at the humanoid, watching as it attempts to crawl forward.
“You… don't think we’ll end up like them, do you? You know, wiped out?” Amber mutters, his breathing still quick as Maxwell approaches the door across from them. She continues to stare at him for a few moments before looking at the creature.
“I don't know. All we can do is our best… and maybe that will be enough.” Amber turns to her, tears welling in his eyes.
“I’ve just… never been so unsure of myself… of what we’re doing. At least with Maroon, she was predictable… and kind of stupid, and her threat only extended to us… With Gorlac, we know next to nothing about him, and if we fail, he kills so many more people.” Lana places her hand on his shoulder as Maxwell opens the door, staring into the chamber past it, the ground covered in lush green grass, with a circular bench in the center. In the very middle of the chamber is a small pedestal with a dark disk with a purple sphere inside atop it.
“It’s a lot, but for now, we just have to do what we can. Once we’re home, and you’re bandaged, we can talk more. But for now, we need to get moving,” Lana adds, walking past him towards Maxwell. Maxwell approaches the pedestal, his eyes locking onto a small note beside it, the edges covered in moss.
“Athrin, it’s me, Ayu. I have received your delivery and have brought it to the center of the break area just as you’ve asked. Thank you for trusting me after nearly ten thousand years of silence,” the note reads. Maxwell reaches down, grasping the disk and lifting it.
“Is this it?” Maxwell asks before Lux chimes.
“The coordinates have been downloaded and saved to the database,” Lux answers. Maxwell turns around, looking at the others as they stare at him. He sets the disk back onto the pedestal, reaching into his pocket.
“We got the coordinates, it’s time to go home,” he adds, pulling out the rolled-up map.
“We… that’s it? The coordinates are just here?” Amber mutters, watching as Maxwell approaches.
“I guess so… Lux, can you get the map to send us home?” he adds. A low hum emanates from Lux, the map in his hand quivering slightly before a loud crack echoes around them, causing all four of them to vanish, the map following soon after.
