Chapter 27: Ch. 27 Spiral
Ralios slowly opened his eyes, greeted by the dimness of the room. The sun had yet to rise, casting an indeterminate shade of predawn across the slightly dilapidated bedchamber. He took a moment to orient himself, glancing around at the worn surroundings, serving as a reminder of his current predicament.
As he sat up, the previous day's events flooded his mind like a relentless tide. The creepy tablet, the freaky dream, that Horrifying buyer, the impossible journey through Emberspace unshielded, and, of course, the other freaky dream – each memory lingered, leaving an awful taste in his mouth. And now, waking up on an unfamiliar forest planet with a stranger who believed he was royalty or something.
Ralios allowed these thoughts to swirl within the confines of his mind until he eventually lowered his head into his hands. "This feels like an unending nightmare," he pondered, a silent lamentation echoing in his thoughts. "I finally escaped the slums, gained my own agency, working for a boss who gives a shit about him – I'm not Ralios the rat anymore." The weight of confusion pressed upon him, sending him into a spiral. "So why? Why is this happening? I thought I didn't need to be afraid anymore, so why?. Why now?" The room remained silent, offering no answers to his misery.
Ralios felt his world unraveling, the desire to curl up and vanish growing stronger. The sacrifices and efforts he had made in his life seemed futile, and the world began to spin around him. Spiraling into a vortex of despair, he wished to escape it all. His breath quickened, and his heartbeat thundered in his ears, drowning out the world. The relentless rhythm echoed, deafening him as his mind plunged deeper into darkness.
To make matters worse, the unsettling warmth in his chest returned, an internal fire threatening to consume him. The overwhelming heat intensified, making him yearn for an end. Head still buried in his hands, he curled into himself, legs drawn up on the edge of the bed, seeking solace in the darkness.
Caught in the trap of his own despair, Ralios felt that intense heat begin to spread throughout his body; a searing pain inched its way down his body into his limbs. As it moved, the heat gradually transformed into a more bearable warmth. Minute by minute, the unbearable agony softened into a comforting heat, washing away the despair that had gripped him. Beat after beat, his heart and mind surrendered to the soothing warmth, and his entire body relaxed. The grounding warmth became a lifeline, helping him regain a sense of reality. Slowly, he placed his feet back on the floor, taking deliberate, deep breaths, focusing on the warmth until it, too, faded away. Ralios blinked, releasing a long sigh. Observing the sunrise through the small window in the chamber, he realized the night had officially ended. Ralios stood up, taking another deep breath and trying to steel himself for his new reality
Ralios emerged from his room, stepping back into the stark hallway. If he was going to be stuck here, he wanted to acquaint himself with the Galahad, so he embarked on a wandering exploration. As he traversed the desolate corridors and rooms, peculiar details caught his attention. Gathering spaces and sleeping chambers hinted at an unusual pattern. One room revealed small children's toys scattered about the floor and carefully arranged clothes still laid out on a bed, while another showcased old cans of food left to decay on tables.
Faded paper pictures adorned some rooms, preserving moments and memories. Ralios, though not considering himself particularly astute, couldn't ignore the signs that suggested an abrupt interruption in the lives of the Galahad's crew. "Knight Harper had to already figured that much; he was probably just being optimistic for his own sake." Ralios thought.
"But that begs the question, what actually happened?" Ralios put his back to one of the walls and surveyed one of the larger rooms he had found; it seemed to be some sort of mess hall. Strewn about the tables were plates, cans of rotted food, and belongings. "If they were all killed, you would think there would be bodies, right?"
"It's like they just vanished one day, right?"
Ralios jumped as a voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see Knight Harper, still wearing his jumpsuit, but he had a bandage over his right arm, and it looked like he had gotten into a fight.
Knight Harper put up an apologetic hand and looked past ralios to the mess hall.
"It doesn't make sense, does it? People don't just vanish into thin air, and yet..... I've yet to find a single body in 3 cycles."
Knight Harper let out a sigh and shook his head.
"At first, I thought I had died, and this place was some kind of punishment, but I've moved past that; I'm still breathing, I'm still alive, so there's hope."
Knight Harper slapped ralios on the shoulder and spoke.
"Right, Mr Ralios?"
Ralios, stunned for a moment, responded.
"Uh... yeah, I guess."
"Um, also, what happened to you? You look like you got into a fight and lost,"
Knight Harper gave him a nod. "I went hunting yesterday evening, and I can assure you I did not lose that fight." A small smile appeared on Knight Harper's face, and he spoke once more, "Come, I'm about to make breakfast. Im curious to see if your thoughts on Fernback meat are the same as mine."
With that, Knight Harper turned and started walking back down the hall.
Ralios blinked a few times before saying, "What the hell is a Fernback?" Before he, too, followed Knight Harper down the hall.
Near yet far.
Above the wreckage of a shattered ship, a sleek and ominous vessel resembling a long, dark locust hovered in silence. A small hatch on its side slid open, expelling a compact disk-shaped drone into the void. With two small arms extending from its disk-like frame and a single large purple lens, the drone maneuvered gracefully among the debris. Its arms deftly moved fragments aside while its lens scanned the remains for any traces of biological matter.
As the drone meticulously conducted its search, an alert flashed on its internal screen. Amidst the wreckage, it had discovered a piece of a destroyed drone. Using its small arms, the drone retrieved the fragment and inserted it into a compartment within itself before resuming its investigation. After a few minutes, a mental command came washing over its code. A deep disembodied voice echoed through its systems, "Broaden your search area; he still lives." Responding to the command, dozens of hatches on the locust-shaped ship opened in unison, releasing a swarm of drones into the vast expanse of space.
In orbit around Mars.
General Zephyros was engrossed in studying a datapad on his command chair when a voice from the bridge crew disrupted his focus. "Sir, scans have indicated a power source on the surface of Mars. Whatever it is, it's releasing a lot of energy." Zephyros raised his eyes from the datapad. "Give me a display of it."
Within moments, a three-dimensional representation of a mountain range materialized on a large holographic display at the center of the bridge. Zephyros stood up and began to circle the display, focusing on the tallest peak in the range. The crew member reported, "There seems to be some kind of entrance to an underground chamber here," highlighting a specific area on the display. He continued, "We're not sure what it is, but it doesn't seem natural." Zephyros nodded thoughtfully, considering the potential significance of the discovery.
Zephyros pondered the situation and spoke, "Interesting. Let's send a team for a more thorough investigation. If anything proves useful, perhaps the Doc can do somthin' with it." The crew member inquired, "Which team should we send, sir?" After briefly contemplating, Zephyros nodded and replied, "Send in the twins; they've been itchin' for a mission." The crew member acknowledged, "Right away, sir."
In the dimly lit armory of the Defiance, two Aelorian twins, Drake and Falken, prepared for their mission. Their matching plumage shimmered in shades of deep blue and silver, and their dark, sharp beaks seemed to darken their faces.
Drake, the elder by mere moments, was known for his seriousness and precision. His plumage bore a more subdued tone, reflecting his focused and disciplined nature. He meticulously checked his EVA suit's and Aurum Beam-caster's mechanisms, ensuring every detail was in perfect order.
Falken, the younger twin, radiated a vibrant energy. His plumage was adorned with streaks of gold from little pieces of golden jewelry he attached to himself. As he geared up, he playfully twirled a small gadget in his hand, seemingly unfazed by the impending mission.
Drake shot a glance at his brother, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. "Falken, could you, for once, take this seriously? We're not on some joyride; there might be a potential threat down there."
Falken chuckled, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Oh, come on, Drake! Lighten up a bit. After what happened in Bandagar, I thought you would start having more self-confidence."
Drake sighed, shaking his head. "Sometimes, I wonder if you have a survival instinct at all."
Falken shot back with a grin, "Survival instincts are overrated, brother. It's all about living in the moment!"
"That is the single dumbest thing I have ever heard, and that's quite an achievement, having known you my entire life," Drake replied dryly.
Falken stopped twirling the small gadget. "Well, whatever, what are we even doing, checking out some weird cave?"
Drake, not stopping his work, spoke without looking up "Not some cave, it's an unnatural formation, which means?"
"Were gonna be fighting some imps?" Falken responded eagerly.
Drake made a buzzing sound "Nope, wrong, dumbass, it means some species besides our own made this place; there could literally be anything in there."
Falken sat up from that. "Wait, do you mean like actual aliens?"
"Possibly," Drake responded.
"This is gonna be a fun one; I can feel it," Falken said with a smile creeping across his face.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone