Chương 10: Blue Old Man
[USA (Destroyed), 1 A.M.W (After Mushroom War)]
Simon Petrikov's POV
The ruins of the city stretched out before me, a desolate landscape of crumbling concrete and twisted metal. The once vibrant streets were now silent, save for the occasional crunch of debris beneath my boots. As I navigated the maze of broken buildings, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sorrow. This was all that remained of the world I once knew.
Clutched in my hand, the ancient crown weighed heavily, its ever-present whispers echoing in my mind. I had been cursed by this artifact, my body transformed by its dark power. My skin had turned a pale blue, my nose elongated, and my hair and beard had turned white as snow. The crown had taken everything from me - my home, my beloved Betty, and any hope of a normal life.
Suddenly, a faint sound caught my attention, a familiar melody that seemed to drift on the wind. I paused, cocking my head to the side as I strained to hear it more clearly. It was a song, an upbeat tune that I recognized from a time long before the war had started.
"I will walk five hundred miles and I will walk five hundred more."
The lyrics grew louder, accompanied by the hum of an engine. I turned towards the source, and my eyes widened in disbelief as a sleek, black car with gold trim came hurtling towards me, the music blaring from its speakers.
As the car drew closer, I could see the figures inside – a young girl with grey skin and a boy no older than nine, both singing along enthusiastically to the song. The car slowed to a stop in front of me, and the two heads popped out of the windows, their expressions a mix of excitement and wonder.
"Hey, are you alright?" the boy called out, his voice filled with concern. "We're here to help!"
I blinked, momentarily taken aback by their sudden appearance. "I'm... I'm not sure," I stammered, my voice raspy from disuse. "I've been wandering these ruins for what feels like an eternity."
The girl, who had vibrant grey skin and sharp fangs, leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What's your name? And why is your skin blue?"
I hesitated, unsure of how to explain the curse that had befallen me. "My name is Simon Petrikov," I replied, glancing down at the crown on my belt. "And this... this crown is the cause of my affliction."
The boy's eyes widened, and he quickly stepped out of the car, a glowing device attached to his shirt. "A crown, you say? That's interesting..." He turned to the girl and gestured towards me. "Marceline, can you scan him? I want to know more about this crown and its effects."
Marceline nodded and stepped out of the car, her pale skin and fangs a stark contrast to the boy's youthful appearance. She moved closer to me, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she studied me intently.
"Hmm, your body temperature is way too low," she murmured, her voice tinged with fascination. "It's a wonder you're still alive." She turned to the boy, a curious expression on her face. "Nico, what do you make of this?"
Nico POV
"Hey, FOOTBALL, scan his vitals," I said aloud, addressing the AI embedded in my retina. A blue beam of light swept across Simon's body, and FOOTBALL's voice echoed in my mind.
[Sir, his body temperature is only 12 degrees Celsius. Normally, his body should have already started to rapidly fail. Heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure should have fallen to dangerously low levels, leading to multiple organ failure and clinical death within a few hours. However, Simon Petrikov's body has not succumbed to these conditions. No acceptable conclusion has been reached on how his body hasn't shut down, however his blue skin is a probable byproduct of his body's low temperature.]
I nodded, processing the information. 'Thanks, FOOTBALL. I couldn't have figured out the blue skin thing on my own.' I thought sarcastically before turning to Simon, a curiosity etching in my mind, I wasn't exactly a biology specialist but this was still interesting as heck.
"Wait, what was that?" Simon asked.
"Just a body scan." I answered etching closer. "So how come you're body temperature is so low? And how come you haven't the kicked the bucket because of it."
Simon sighed heavily, his gaze shifting to the crown, hanging on his belt.
'Huh, so that's the answer, but how is that crown keeping him alive.'
"It's a long and troubling story, but I'll try to explain." Simon paused, gathering his thoughts before continuing.
Marceline ran out of the car and sat in front of Simon, I followed her lead and sat at her side, after all if a something were to happen I could put my suit on basically instantly, the Simon began his story.
"I was studying to be an antiquarian of ancient artifacts. I didn't believe in the supernatural stuff myself, it was just a fascination in superstitions, but everything changed when I came into contact with this item," he said touching the crown on his belt.
"After purchasing this crown from an old dock worker in Northern Scandinavia, I brought it home and excitedly showed my fiancée Betty. I jokingly put it on my head, just for a laugh or something and then it started, the visions. Then I realized it wasn't me it was the crown, I quickly took it off and saw Betty looking at me with such contempt, what had I said, what had I done when I wore the crown. After that I never saw Betty again but the crown continued to speak to me even if I wasn't wearing it. My body temperature started rapidly decreasing, my skin turned blue, my nose grew, my hair and beard turned white."
Marceline grabbed onto me for a second, I looked at her. A terrified look on her face and honestly I felt the same, not because of the story but because of the way that Simon was looking at us, like a mad-man, it scared me and for a moment I thought that even with my suit I wasn't safe.
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