Chapter 1: In the beginning…
A/N: Greetings readers, you might know me from my other story which shall not be named. This is a story done on the request of another user, he provides me with the details, and I create a story around it. This will most likely feature several POV changes, so no direct focus on one character specifically. Due to my other story still being in-progress, and receiving daily updates, this story will most likely receive a chapter every other day. I hope you enjoy reading~!
An object of questionable origin and purpose had always been the white-gold tower. The stark white of it almost reflecting the sunlight. There were also the gold trimmings that wound their way up the tower, bobbing and weaving to create not only a functional structure; but a work of art. The interior of it followed much of the same principles, metallic white and gold covered plating adorned it, while water, a substance deadly to inklings, can be found spread throughout it in pools. Inside however was one of the most dangerous places on the planet; there was no end of traps and turrets to run into, a most unfortunate way for your life to end. Many an adventurer has met his/her fate like this, in search of the fabled technology that makes its' home at the top of the tower.
The base level was safe, however, all the traps long used, broken, or deactivated. The sight was truly breathtaking; strange white trees shimmered and hummed freely, and water flowed through the sides and walls of the structure. It was an alien place for inklings and octolings alike, but it had been the source of mystery and adventure for several decades.
Most scientists agree the tower is the largest artifact of the Kinshen in the world, the Kinshen being the presumable ancestors of the inklings. What had befuddled the inklings today is what was left of the Kinshen; nearly nothing. And the artifacts that were left behind had immense power and technological prowess, far above anything they had today. The Kinshen also had running water in most places; one of the serious dangers to inklings as their bodies were composed of mostly liquid.
That begged the question; were the Kinshen truly ancestors to the inklings? Or were they an extraterrestrial force?
The video turned off with a small *click*, and an inkling stood up from behind his desk, adjusting his glasses before turning to the rest of the room. "Thank you for attending our special presentation on the history of the Kinshen. Exits are on either side, and merchandise can be purchased at…"
Caleb drowned out the second half of the man's speech, intent on writing down some facts from the video he didn't catch immediately, so it was still fresh on his mind. Watching with an amused look was his friend Jason, who had mostly come so Caleb wouldn't be alone.
"Done writing about Squidiana Jones and his clones raiding the pillar of a classy hotel?" Jason prodded.
Smiling slightly, Caleb looked up and fixed his glasses, before taking a quick scan back over his notebook before standing up. "Yeah, I'm finished. Thanks for coming, I know you aren't really into this history stuff."
"No problem, but you owe me sometime when I wanna go somewhere, got me?" Jason replied, breaking into a smile of his own.
Caleb is what you would find if you searched "Nerd" on the internet. He has monochromatic black 'not' dress shoes, tan khakis, a plaid shirt, and a pair of thick-rimmed circular glasses that was a size too big, causing him to always push it back to its' proper place.
Jason decidedly is much harder to pin down; he speaks and acts like a normal 'punk' but always is dressed like he walked out of a military academy. Dark sunglasses that refused to match its' owner's hair color, a jet black leather jacket that was zipped almost fully, and a pair of equally dark boots, giving him more the look of a commando than a rowdy teen.
A thought suddenly struck Jason, causing his smile to widen even more?
"What now?" Caleb sighed, aware to the fact Jason had something in mind.
"Well my dear friend, you like nerdy stuff, and I like action. What say you we take the weekend and go visit that tower thing we saw in the video?"
"That doesn't sound safe…" Caleb said hesitantly.
"Cmon! The one guy said the base is totally safe, and I promise I won't go up any floors in search of some wicked cool alien tech, alright?" Jason said, giving a fake puppy-dog face.
"Whatever you say." Caleb said, rolling his eyes. "If you get vaporized, it's on you."