"Tobias?" KT tentatively called his name. "Tobias, come to me. It's alright, I'm here."
He barely registered anything she was saying at this point; to him, it was all white noise. There wasn't anything he could hear other than static in his mind, a garbled sound that buzzed in his head like an incessant insect.
"Listen to me. You're in danger of being taken for every moment we stay, I need you to come here."
Slowly, he looked at her. She nodded her cylindrical head encouragingly. "That's it, come on."
After a few moments, he took a shaky step towards her. Then another. And another.
"Alright, let's get you … no-!"
Flash.
KT's cry was cut off as yet another distortion swallowed him up, and spat him back into the past. He looked around, at a loss for what to do. Was this it? For him to constantly switch between times until he died from either one of those things or insanity?
Tobias!
Hearing the familiar voice in his head, he turned to look at the entrance to the spire. Outside on the bridge, the Architect was still standing, though barely. He watched as the white being stumbled for a moment, evidently weakened from the wounds on its chest.
The sight of the vulnerable entity kicked him into gear. Here, it was the closest thing he had to an ally. He ran outside, positioning himself under the weaker side of the Architect, and allowing it to lean on him for support. "You're in worse shape than I thought." Its proportionately thin arms wrapped around him for support, and he adjusted himself to the side for the surprising curvature of its large figure and hips. Was it female? Or, whatever passed for a feminine Architect?
It waved him aside. As I said, there is no time to waste on my health. Time is short, we must-
It seized up violently for a moment, the pain causing it to tense up and grip its chest tightly. That same golden-white liquid gushing from its chest began to fill the cracks between its fingers, dripping through the seams and onto the bridge. Unfortunately, there wasn't much Tobias knew in the manner of alien first aid.
After a moment, it resumed its previous stance. We must activate the spire.
Assisting the Architect the rest of the way, Tobias questioned it as they entered the facility. "What are these things? Are they the Amalgamation?"
The Architect shook his head. No. The Amalgamation is not the creatures, it is an event caused by them; one that is still a potential reality if you do not stop them.
"And what's that?"
The abominations spread by converting others into creatures like them, as you saw with the other human. Inwardly, Tobias winced at being reminded of James' fate. They continue to add mass to their collective until eventually they will have consumed all organic matter in the galaxy, probably farther.
That froze Tobias in place. "What do you mean, 'all organic matter'?"
As they reached the shaft that he'd noticed in the other time, the Architect pressed his hand against the wall next to it. It glowed a warm blue color, obviously sensing the print. We became aware of them millions of years ago as we watched them topple far off civilizations, ones we thought were long out of reach.
Its tone became venomous. But they are nothing if not patient; traveling for millions of years, destroying everything in their path there came a time when we came face to face with it. Now, we are on the verge of extinction as well. It will continue to feed until there is nothing left to feed on; they will become an Amalgamation of every living creature in observable space. But we have a plan.
An electric humming could be heard as a blue beam appeared in the middle of the shaft, stretching high above between the pylons that rose from the spire's top. A platform rose from the lower levels, and stopped in front of them. Weakly, the Architect stepped onto it before collapsing to the ground in a sitting position. Tobias rushed to its side.
"Hey, don't give up on me yet."
Death is not so easily staved off, my friend.
He shook his head. "Well, you're not dead yet. So that's something." He tried to think of ways to keep the Architect talking and awake. "You know, I've never known what your name was, other than 'Inferno'. Do you have one?"
It paused for a moment, giving thought to his question. I communicate through means far above your own; my kind do not have a language based on sound; in your tongue, I suppose it would be akin to 'Al'cor'."
Kind of a long winded answer for a short question, but he wasn't going to judge the being for being wordy as he was moments from dying. " 'Al'cor.' Definitely sounds alien. I'm just glad that it wasn't 'Bob' or something," he joked.
Al'cor said nothing, obviously not understanding.
He shook his head. "Never mind, back to the task at hand. What's this plan?"
Al'cor nodded. The Amalgamates share one mind across billions of their numbers. That mind is what directs them, what gives them life. We call it the Seed.
"The Seed?"
We have ascertained their nature. The Amalgamates are not from our realm; the Seed was implanted into it, forced into our reality like a pregnancy. As it spreads, it grows. It evolves, it expands, and finally it transcends its physical limitations. It will be able to 'reproduce' and create another Seed which it will then send into a new realm, where the cycle will continue.
The platform began to rise up the shaft, using the beam like an elevator cable as Tobias stood there overwhelmed with information to process. It was a hell of a lot to take in. "How long has this thing been around?"
Since before my kind. Perhaps billions of years, perhaps since before the conception of our universe itself. In any matter, we know this; it has not yet been defeated in any other reality. Otherwise, it would not be here.
That was a horrifying aspect to consider; the Amalgamation had to have happened somewhere else for the Seed to have been shoved into their own universe, and the same went for that previous iteration. This enemy had no weakness, no limit to its numbers, and it had potentially been completing this cycle for billions of years, maybe even longer depending on how many other universes existed.
Assuming that their reality wasn't the first, and considering that the observable universe was estimated to be roughly fourteen billion years old, that meant that the possibilities were endless. Maybe they were the second; maybe they were just one of hundreds that had been consumed already. This shit could be as old as the universe, or hundreds of billions years older. That amount of time was incomprehensible to a human, with lives extending to only a hundred or so; nothing more than half a blink in the length of eternity.
He swallowed hard. "So, about that plan to stop it?"
If the Seed controls every Amalgamate, then the Seed is what must be targeted. However, it cannot be killed through normal means. Al'cor seemed to deflate somewhat as they spoke the next part, the platform coming to a stop high in the air. Up here, Tobias became more nervous about their current location; it didn't seem like there was anything preventing him from falling off, and the winds were still quite vicious.
Though its form is physical, its mind is tethered to a place outside our universe; that is what keeps it from dying. You can't kill a thought, or an idea. This whole monstrosity is one massive abstraction, some mad entity's horrific concept of a species, incepting itself into reality after reality. The only way to destroy it is to sever its connection to whatever other counterpart there is in the void outside our reality. The Seed is a parasitic embryo, and that connection is a metaphysical umbilical cord.
Tobias finally felt that he understood. "That's what the array worlds are for; to sever its inter-dimensional connection?"
Al'cor shook in pain again, and he heard some kind of echo of static in his mind; likely the equivalent of a gasp or cry in the Architect's unique language. Yes. We call it the Tempest. When all of the arrays are activated, they will form a reality-bomb. It will destroy anything that transcends the limits of our realm, including the Seed's bond with its other. Once that is gone, the Seed will die.
Finally, he was getting some answers. "So, where is the Seed?"
A roar rang out again, far beneath the ground of the planet, and suddenly Tobias felt his head being split apart. There was something else in his mind with him, some other presence probing and cutting through his being, probing him. He lost control of all bodily functions as pain overwhelmed him and there was nothing but the screaming void in his head.
JOIN US. JOIN US.
It wasn't one voice talking to him; it was the distorted, screaming voices of billions that had fallen to the Amalgamates, crackling with hoarse sounds as though their throats were splintering apart from the very effort of speaking.
WE HAVE CONSUMED ALL. ONE IS ALL, AND ALL ARE ONE.
JOIN US. JOIN US.
Tobias!
He opened his eyes to see that he was dangling off the edge of the platform, only kept from falling off by Al'cor's hand wrapped around his wrist. The Architect was weak, but they were using the last reserves of their energy to keep him from falling off. Reaching his other hand up, he quickly grasped the edge of the platform and pulled himself onto it.
Rolling onto their back, Al'cor looked exhausted. We must activate the Spire quickly!
Tobias was at a loss for words. "That- that's the Seed? It's in the planet?!"
We transported it here with what you call, 'fold weapons'. We have used them and their Arks to bend space, and place it in the core of this world so we know where it is. Now, the Arks must fulfill their second purpose. They pointed to a small pedestal in the middle of the platform, with an angled pad at the top. The Inferno must be the one to activate them, and send the Seed away.
"You can't do it?"
Al'cor shook their head. I have transferred the power of the Inferno within me to the orb that you will find in many millions of years, ensuring our meeting and that this moment can happen. You are the one needed to activate it; it is up to you.
That wording caught him off guard. "Why wouldn't I do it?"
Al'cor stared at him, and he could feel nothing but regretful feelings and sorrow from them in the explanation that followed. The array worlds are not yet ready. We need to construct them properly, to ensure humanity and the rest of the universe's survival in the future; but we need time. The Amalgamation is nearly at hand here, extinction is at our door. We need to send the Seed far away into the future where its mind cannot control the current Amalgamates, to give us ample opportunity to have the array worlds ready for you in your time.
It was then that Tobias understood the horror of his task at hand. "You want me … to send it to my own time?"
Al'cor sadly stared at him. It is your choice.
"Well, what happens if I don't?"
The array worlds will never be finished. The Amalgamates will wipe us out here, the Seed will have consumed the last resistance against it and proceed to evolve before sending its offspring into the next universe to harvest. You will cease to be, as humanity will never evolve far enough before being feasted upon. Instead, all life will have been added to the mass of the Amalgamation.
Tobias clenched his fists. "Doesn't sound like I have a choice."
We needed you to see that it is necessary. If we did not care for the greater good, we would have sent it to the future long after our race had died out and it would not affect us. But we cherish life, and this is the only way to prevent the absolute destruction of our universe.
The Architect had truth to their words; it was harsh, but this was the only way. He took a few deep breaths, then looked at Al'cor. "Here, come with me back to my time! I can get you help, and you can assist me as I try to find the arrays-"
They were already shaking their head. The portal I came through should be set to take you to the first array world in your time; use it.
"But-"
Again, it almost seemed like the Architect was beaming at him in spite of the situation. Save yourself. I am not afraid of death, only that mine will have meant nothing. I have spent my last moments preparing you for your destiny, and laying the groundwork for humanity's survival. I hope it is enough.
With that, Al'cor fell onto their back. They weren't dead, but it looked like they were utterly exhausted from their wounds and distress. They were near death, or unconscious, or both. In any matter, he was alone once again.
He thought about that line; save yourself. How many times had he put himself before others in the IMC? How many times had he put his own skin first? Was that who he still was, deep down? Or was he a changed man?
There was no doubt about it; he wasn't going to let Al'cor die here if he could help it.
He remembered the Manticore and the Cyclops appearing in the sky; they had been entire ships, taken with everyone on board. Maybe, time distortions affected their target as well as anything else in close proximity with them. After all, he'd have lost his suit the first time he'd jumped if that weren't the case, it's not like it was a part of his body. Did that mean he could take something with him?
It was worth a shot; he hadn't seen anything concrete in the future that said Al'cor was dead. Ellen, Marcus, and James' skeletons had proven that there was no saving them, but maybe there was an exception to be found here.
Another quake rumbled deep in the core, and he looked around. He saw several of the Amalgamates clawing out of the snow, where their pods had buried themselves deep in the powder. Soon, they'd be free and able to climb up here.
He took a few deep breaths, steeling himself for what needed to be done. Grasping Al'cor's arm tightly in his grip, he moved to the pedestal and placed his other hand above it. With one final bout of courage to forgive himself for this, he activated the spire.
The same beam that ran through the spire shot into space, high above the planet. After a few seconds, several other beams traveling from the far off reaches of space connected with it, and shoved it back down. The beam accelerated downward, losing hight rapidly until it disappeared down below, presumable into a duct that led to the core of the planet where the seed was.
The quake stopped in its midst, and the Amalgamates fell over far below, their collective mind no longer able to control them. Soon, they'd be buried underneath the ice and wind, and forgotten.
As his vision began to deteriorate to a blinding white at the edges of his sight, Tobias sighed. "I just bought you all a lot of time. Better make it worth it."
Flash.
He blinked a few times, adjusting to the winds and darkness once again, as nightfall had finally taken over the sky. He was back in his own time, hopefully for good this time.
Moving slightly, he was surprised that he was being weighed down by something. Glancing to his right, he saw that Al'cor was still alongside him, their arm still being held by his own. He felt his heart leap with excitement for a moment; at the very least, he'd managed to save one person.
They were still on the platform, frozen high above the spire's pylons. He looked down, and called out. "KT!"
There was a pause, and then he saw a blue Vanguard walk onto the bridge from the spire's inside. She spoke to him through their neural link, Tobias? How did you get up there?
"Long story," he said, postponing the conversation. "Right now, we need to get-"
A massive quake suddenly shook the planet, as something massive in the core of it vibrated angrily. KT looked around from her position on the bridge below. What the hell was that?!
"Shit," he muttered under his breath, "we need to get out of here now."
Suddenly, he saw something streaking down towards the mountains, far off in the distance. It almost looked like one of the pods, but how would that be possible? There were no Amalgamates in this time, no sources to draw from-
Either way, he couldn't waste time figuring out how when he needed to figure out what to do about it, as he saw more pods falling from high above, these ones aimed a bit more directly than the last.
Most of them missed the spire, but one came to close and managed to crash right through one of the pylons holding up the platform he and Al'cor were on. Evidently, despite its durability, it wasn't invincible.
Without half of its support, the platform tilted and forced Tobias and Al'cor to slide off. He made sure to hold on tight to the Architect as they fell, brainstorming ideas. Fortunately, his left arm was free of Al'cor's weight, and he aimed it at the bridge below them. He shot his grappling hook at its side, feeling satisfaction as he heard it lock in on the edge near KT's feet. They plummeted past, but the cable slowed them down without snapping his arm, then began to pull them up.
KT yanked the hook out of the bridge, and began to pull them up herself. Once they were safely on the bridge, Tobias began to pull Al'cor towards the portal on the end of the bridge. KT gently picked them up herself, and then stared at him. "Who or what is this?"
"That," he explained, "is the person who made any of this possible. We need to get to the rift at the end of the bridge, it will take us to the first array wor-"
He was cut off in the middle of his sentence as a pod crashed through the bridge near its base, practically severing its connection to the spire. There was a lurch, a groan of metal, and then the ground was yanked out from under them.
Tobias couldn't see anything but spinning snowfall and black skies as he tumbled through the air. He tried to get a bearing on his orientation so he could land properly-
Whump. He landed hard on his side in the massive piles of snow below. Fortunately, it was deep enough to keep him from majorly injuring himself. Popping back above the top layer of snow, he looked around at his surroundings; debris from the bridge was everywhere, making it hard to see where his metal Titan was. "KT?! Kay!"
A blue eye shone out of the darkness to his right, and he made his way over to her. She walked over to him, the Architect still clutched safely in her hands. "I'm fine, it's not the first time we've fallen off a cliff."
He looked around. "The portal is gone, we can't use it to get out of here." He scanned the scene before spying a much larger piece of debris, still relatively undamaged. "The ship! It's our only ticket off of this rock. We need to boot it up and get them on board." He pointed to Al'cor, signifying their importance. KT's hull opened, and he hopped in to reduce the load. The transition of control was smooth, and then he was Piloting her. He looked to see Al'cor still in their grasp; still bleeding, but alive.
He walked to the ship, and set Al'cor on the frozen ground as he maneuvered around the ship, using KT's massive strength to lift semi-buried sections of it out of the snow. Suddenly, KT gave him a warning on the HUD.
"I'm detecting movement approaching us on all sides, possible hostiles."
He'd completely forgotten about the pods that had fallen, not to mention the numerous counts of Amalgamates that had to be buried under the snow. "Shit, alright. The ship's relatively clear anyway, let's do this."
He grabbed the XOTBR-16 chain gun from KT's back, and held it out in front of him. The sight before him was a horrific one; blackened creatures rushing at them from all sides, the wind and snow obscuring their vision and creating strobing levels of visibility.
He wasted no time in pumping lead into each and every one of the creatures that approached them, taking satisfaction in the way the bullets tore apart their targets. Inside the cockpit, KT was nonplussed.
"What are these things?"
"These are what I've been fighting for the duration of our time here!" he responded frustratedly, "And I just can't seem to get a damn break from them!"
KT lit up his HUD with Al'cor's position. "Get them on board and start up the ship, I'll continue to hold these things off."
He nodded, and quickly hopped out in one smooth motion as KT leveled the chain gun at yet another target. He could hear her firing without pause as he made his way over to Al'cor, and began to drag them over to the ship's ramp. Slamming his hand into the outside button in haste, the ramp descended and he was able to pull them up into the vehicle bay before heading to the bridge.
KT stayed near the ramp of the ship, ensuring that none of these horrific creatures made it onboard. They seemed to go down easily enough, it was just that there was no end to their numbers, no respite from the fight.
Finally, she heard the jet-like sounds of the engines cycling on. Tobias' voice came through her radio a moment later, "The light is green, let's go!"
Not spending another a second longer on this god-forsaken planet than she had to, she raced onto the ramp and into the vehicle bay as the ship lifted off. She forced the doors to close remotely and yelled, Punch it!
With everyone on board, the ship shot up and out of the atmosphere towards their next objective; the first array world.
A/N: So there's a Titan, a human, and an Architect on a ship …. not to mention that two of them have been/are the Inferno. What a crew, huh? Now, to address some things about this chapter.
As some of you know, I tend to improvise writing, or at least not have a solid idea of what I'm going to write until I'm actually there. I was very conflicted about Al'cor's fate on this one, but I figured it would be more interesting to have them alive than dead. They were a hair's breadth away from being killed off, but here we are.
Somewhat related to that, Alcor actually means 'assistant', so I thought that was too good to pass up.
Their gender hasn't officially been stated yet, but I do think of Al'cor as being female, or the Architect equivalent of that. In my own mind, Architects are not a purely three-dimensional based race of people, so sexes are probably a bit more complex to explain than ours; but yeah, calling Al'cor female is probably the simplest way to explain it.
And I hope that some of the lore that you can see for the Amalgamates is original enough for you guys; spent hours thinking about it, bouncing between different ideas. I told you that there was some interesting stuff behind their origin.
If you liked this chapter, please leave a review below! I love reading your thoughts.
Until the next time,
- Matteoarts