Chapter 23: Ch. 23 Fear
With a sense of urgency and an unspoken understanding of the gravity of the situation, Ralios began to relay the harrowing events he had experienced. He spoke to Mattie about everything – the mysterious dream, the cave, the alien-like statue, and the nightmarish worm-like creature. His words flowed rapidly, and he tried to convey the fear and confusion he had felt during this terrifying ordeal.
As Ralios recounted his experiences, he couldn't help but notice the change in Mattie's demeanor. Her expression, which had been stern and unyielding during the encounter with the enigmatic Buyer, softened as she listened to his tale. It was clear that she took his words seriously, even if the events seemed otherworldly and incomprehensible.
After listening to Ralios's story, Mattie went over to her console, powering on the displays again and pensively thinking as the device booted back up. As if she had come to a conclusion, she nodded and pressed a series of buttons.
As Ralios watched, Mattie's fingers danced across her console, pulling up various displays and holographic information. She didn't take her eyes off the screens as she responded, "I'm going to be honest with you, Ralios. That guy freaks me out, and I'm not sure I can protect you from whatever's coming."
With a determined look, Mattie continued, "But I know someone who can." She jotted down a string of numbers on paper, each penstroke short and deliberate, emphasizing their importance.
She handed him the paper with the contact information and said, "Contact this person. His name is Zephyros. He's an idiot, but he owes me. Tell him I sent you and the description of the Buyer."
Ralios accepted the paper, a mixture of relief and trepidation washing over him. Mattie's actions revealed a side of her he hadn't seen before – a vulnerability and a willingness to help when needed. He clutched the contact information, knowing it might be his only lifeline.
Ralios looked up at her and spoke, "Not that I'm not grateful, but why are you helping me? I haven't been working for you that long, and this seems like a big risk,"
To his astonishment, a soft smile, an unfamiliar sight, graced Mattie's face. "First, that guy threatened me, and I have an ego to protect, not to mention this is my fault. Secondly, you're one of my 'boy toys.' It'd be a shame to lose you this quickly," she replied, punctuating her words with a wink. In an instant, her expression returned to its customary stoic demeanor as she focused on her console, fingers dancing across the keyboard. Without shifting her gaze back to Ralios, she issued a final directive. "Hounds, escort him back to his ship. Ensure that freak doesn't take him."
Ralios couldn't help but wonder about the layers beneath Mattie's facade.
Ralios and the two hounds stepped into the lift, silently descending towards the ground floor. The descent was filled with a thick air of unease as Ralios couldn't help but wrestle with his inner thoughts. Questions swirled in his mind like a tempest. What was that guy? Why did he want me? What is wrong with me? These puzzling queries played on a loop, and he couldn't find a rational answer.
The inexplicable fear that had gripped him in the presence of the imposing figure still gnawed at him. He had always considered himself brave, but the experience had shaken his confidence. Ralios sighed heavily as the lift finally stopped at the ground floor.
One of the hounds raised a hand to his helmet, speaking in rapid, hushed tones over a secured comms channel. Ralios struggled to decipher the military jargon and acronyms, but it was evident that more hounds were on their way to assist with the escort.
As the communication unfolded, Ralios glanced at the receptionist, whose composure seemed on edge. Three drones hovered in front of the reception desk: two smaller ones and a larger, more menacing one armed with two apparent beam casters. The receptionist's eyes widened as he took in Ralios's altered appearance, a clear look of confusion crossing his features. But he quickly dismissed whatever thoughts had arisen and returned to his stern demeanor, focusing on the display before him.
After about ten minutes, Hartress and 8 other hounds entered the building. Immediately, Hartress looked down at Ralios and squinted as she spoke a simple question, "Rat?" Ralios thought himself a composed person, so like any reasonable person, he would not say anything to antagonize his protection. "Yeah, hag, it's me. What about it?" he said, antagonizing his protection.
A small smile crept across Hartress's face. "So what? You've been here for less than a rotation, and someone bleached you? Serves you right, I say."
Holding back his anger, Ralios responded, "Yeah, something like that. Are you gonna keep talking, or are you gonna do your job?"
Hartress gave him a quizzical look. "Huh, no time for games, huh? Seems like something's got you really spooked. Fine."
She turned around and gave a command, addressing her fellow hounds, "We're heading out, standard formation. Let's keep the Rat cozy."
With that, they prepared to leave, providing Ralios with their protection.
As Ralios was being escorted by the 10 hounds, he couldn't help but feel increasingly fidgety. He glanced around in a state of paranoia, the weight of dread pressing on him. It was as though stepping back into the streets was the worst decision he could make, even with the armed guards surrounding him. Despite the protection, this ominous feeling clung to him.
The group marched on, returning to the large doors Ralios had initially negotiated his way through. With little hassle, the doors swung open at the command of his guards. They proceeded back to the landing pads, and although he had his EVA suit on, the familiar comfort provided little solace. As they approached the Tailwind, that sense of dread grew stronger, casting a dark shadow over him.
To Ralios's despair, one of the hounds broke the silence with a tense question, "By the tailwind, is that our guy?" Everyone's attention was ripped forward, and Ralios could see his death before him. The Buyer was there, his imposing figure standing between the group and the Tailwind. His drones were nowhere to be seen, but standing next to him was a person who appeared to be one of the dock workers based on their uniform. Ralios was the last in the group to notice, but the Buyer had a wicked-looking blade pressed to the back of the worker.
The Buyer's voice, still in that low, robotic tone, cut through the tension. "Give me the pale one."
Hartress, standing firm, stepped forward and said, "Why don't you let that man go, and we can talk about it?" All the hounds had already trained their beam casters on the imposing figure. But the Buyer shifted his stance and responded chillingly: "I tire of talking."
With ruthless swiftness, the Buyer thrust the knife into the worker's back, causing the man to let out a gurgled cry and collapse to the ground. In response, the squad of hounds opened fire on the Buyer.
However, to the shock and confusion of everyone present, what should have been a swift and decisive confrontation took an unexpected turn. The Buyer simply vanished, leaving their beams to slam into the side of the Tailwind instead. In an instant, he was there, and the next, he was gone, a baffling and unsettling disappearance that defied all logic.
Even worse, the corpse of the man the Buyer had stabbed started to writhe. In a macabre dance, it flailed and shook until, to everyone's horror, it stood back up, emitting a blood-curdling screech, "AAGHGGGGGGGGHH." Long, inky tentacles burst forth from the round helmet of the worker. The hounds wasted no time, lighting up the creature with their beam casters. Horror gripped Ralios as he watched this abominable creature charge at the group on all fours, its tentacles flailing about in a grotesque display.
Ralios was paralyzed, his gaze fixed on the nightmarish creature shrugging off the relentless blows from the hounds' beam casters. His mind couldn't process the horror unfolding before him. He felt a sudden, powerful push from behind, and in a tumbling somersault, he skidded to a halt. Turning back, he saw that one of the hounds had shoved him aside. Standing behind the hound was the Buyer.
"This can't be happening... it's impossible... this is a nightmare... this isn't real," Ralios muttered to himself, his thoughts spiraling. He watched in terror as the Buyer effortlessly lifted the hound by its neck and slammed it onto the ground. The hounds were biotically enhanced, towering above Ralios, but the Buyer was a monstrous presence, dwarfing them all.
ralios heard a sharp voice that snapped him out of the spiral. "Ralios!" it was Hartress, locked into melee with the creature. At some point, she had lost her beam caster and had ignited a talon blade. She yelled out again, "Run, you idiot!" Ralios, shaking his head, stood up and started to do just that. He began to make a break for the Tailwind, running as fast as his shaking legs could take him.
After a mad dash, Ralios reached the Tailwind's ladder, fear propelling him forward. His heart raced, and he stumbled up the ship, quickly opening the depressurized hatch and collapsing into the cockpit, gasping for breath. The sounds of chaos echoed outside as the nightmarish battle raged on.
Desperation guided his movements as he initiated the ship's startup sequence. The Tailwind's systems hummed to life, responding to his frantic commands.
As the Tailwind's engines roared to life, Ralios plotted a course for escape, ready to get away from this nightmare and to somewhere, anywhere safe. The ship lifted off the ground, shuddering slightly as it did.
In a nightmarish sight, Ralios found himself frozen in disbelief as somehow the Buyer loomed on the nose of the Tailwind, wielding his gruesome blade, dripping with, orangish-brown blood. Step by menacing step, the Buyer advanced, threatening to shatter the heptaglass protecting Ralios within.
Ralios was gripped by a harrowing realization: there was no time to flee. The Buyer was too close, and death was imminent. Driven to the brink, Ralios made a rash, suicidal decision. His trembling hands raced across the control panel, pressing buttons in haste. V.A.N.D.E.L., fully aware of the reckless maneuver, warned him urgently, "Ralios, I strongly advise against this!"
However, it was too late. In the blink of an eye, the Buyer vanished into thin air, leaving Ralios stunned. In the next instant, a blaze of golden flames consumed the Tailwind as Ralios initiated a blind jump into emberspace, while still in port.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone