Ok, so I've been sitting on this chapter for… a week now. So, sorry about that, I've just been a bit distracted from this side-project. I don't know why, but blame my brain.
If you want me to make the next chapter faster, as always, review, favourite, and follow.
—
Retrieving log T:356 Log: 03; "scouts of Eden 22"
Section 01, 0001/02/1 (retrieved from various sources)
Admin 24 translating
—
Recording of Max's retrieval
—
The harbinger towered over Max, midnight armour curated to smooth edges. It stood there, unmoving, observing Max, through Max. He was sure that this man-shaped blackness was going to burn everything. To destroy everything. To kill everything.
Backing away, Max tried to register anything. Anything beyond the ink of the pen before him. Because he knew that since the moment this void-man had even taken notice of him, he was already beyond saving.
The clicking of Max's language reverberated throughout the room, dizzying him. It was a cacophony of clicks and synths, of steel and energy.
"[Who are you.]" The black flame asked.
Max, barely able to formulate any critical thinking, responded. "[Max. Max of the-]"
"[Cease.]" A clamping order whined. "[Your sub-designation is enough.]"
A wet slap hit Max, causing his knees to buckle. sub-designation? But that was his name! Not some kind of word given to a machine!
"[You seem surprised. Come.]" The void-man beckoned, "[We have much to discuss.]"
"[W-what?]" Max stutered.
"I would prefer my commanding officer to tell you." The obsidian man stated, walking into the ship. "[Come, and nobody gets hurt.]"
'Ok, who is-was that?' Max thought to himself. 'Why do I need to go over there? I can trust them, but why do they care about me?'
Max stopped, realising that he was already at the precipice of the ship.
'Might as well.' Max thought to himself, taking a step into the hallway.
As his boot struck steel, he felt like he just stepped on a live wire. Electricity shot up his leg, though the calf, into his chest. It then exploded outwards, causing Max's skin to shift around him.
'w-what was that?' Max questioned, still going inside. The shock wasn't by, it was actually quite… pleasant. Which was strange. This was a completely new emotion! It was right next to getting inside after a long work day, but also adjacent to hugging your parents.
As he got to see the actual insides of the ship, it was… strange. It was an anthill, various creatures scrambled around big chambers, not an inch going unused. Machinery covered the floor, walls and ceiling, the creatures needed to hold onto footholds carved into the more solid machines.
The creatures themselves were spindly, with flesh and metal exteriors. They didn't really follow a rhyme or reason for anything! There were kinds from spindly ones, with a bug-like body scheme and multiple appendages, all the way to normal armoured humans!
The obsidian man continued on, disgruntled at the Max's observation.
"[Don't leave my master waiting.]" The thing warned.
Hurring up, Max tried not to think about what these creatures could do to him. There were all manners of fists and claws and knives and guns and-
The obsidian man stopped. Lowering down, it knelt before a massive blast-door. The door itself wasn't important, but what was inside…
Hearing mutterings, Max looked around. There was nothing else in this hallway, not a panel, speaker or other such existing in the hallway. Just the door.
"Those mutterings are prayers!" Max realised. The obsidian man was praying! He was legitimately, full-on, just sitting down and praying!
"S-so what's he praying to?" There was nothing around. No markings, no busts, nothing of any significance…
Unless he was praying to whatever god was responsible for his protection.
S-so what's this door containing?
The obsidian man couldn't of valued his life already. They couldn't have. They had just met today! That meant…
Whatever was in here was so dangerous, that nobody could hope for a good outcome. That was the most likely explanation! Max was about to face a very bad fate.
What could it be? He wondered. Images of gruesome scenes played through his mind. Of indescribable scenes. Of scenes so horrible they're not worth even mentioning.
Max tried to move. He told his legs to move. He screamed at his nerves to work. To move. He wailed internally as he tried to twitch. To jolt. To even move his finger one bloody millimetre.
But it didn't.
He stood there, stationary as the doom-man stood up to stare a cold gaze at Max.
After a tense moment, the doom-man said something. "[You may see my master now.]"
W-what?
The door flew open, showing the bare room inside. The only thing inside was some kind of entity. A very… disturbing entity.
It was a blob of flesh, with beams and wires protruding out of its rough, doughy flesh. Cold metal protruded from various points, beeping and whirling, no end in sight.
Tearing his eyes away, Max looked down at the ground.
"[What's wrong?]" A slow, metallic chirping whispered.
"[I-I'm stuck in an unknown room.]" Max automatically replied.
"[So, you fear whatever is in this room?]" The chirping inquired.
"[Yes.]" Max sighed.
"[Is the… cyborg in the center what's causing you distress?]" The chirping hesitated.
"[... yes.]" Max hesitated.
At his response, the room shook to life, hidden compartments leaping open, secret doors somersaulting on their hinges, wires and cables springing into action, walls bouncing up and blocking Max's view.
When the brief flurry of action was concluded, Max was staring at…
A human. A normal human.
It looked exactly like a human, it's flesh was toned and muscular, it's arms bulging with muscles beneath skin, it's eyes having that same spark of life that Max and the dragons shared.
Yet, it didn't move. It chest didn't rise with breath, it's arms didn't twitch with muscles, it's eyes didn't adjust with Max's. Wires snaking out of its rubber feet like veins, melding to the floor, anchoring it to the ground. It was a picture given form, except everything around it moved.
"[Is this form satisfactory?]" The same low chirping asked, except the 'human' moved in a vague mockery of form, it's muscles contracting to keep up with the movement, instead of leading it.
"[It's…]" Max shifted though his mind to find the words. "[satisfactory]"
"[Good]" The chirping responded in kind, the 'human' mimicking a flourish. "[Now, we must get to the first order of business, mainly who, or what, are you?]" It said, pointing with a ghoulish finger, barely holding back any pre-tense of human.
"[I'm-]" Max froze. He was a… he was a- he
zzz was suddenly frozen by fire. He was standing, but he was being attacked! He was being destroyed! He was trapped! All memory of moving vanished! Evaporated!
Trying to move his zzz, he tried to flee! To move! But they didn't exist! Blood was flowing out of his body! Blood was being drained from him!
The 'human' retracted his hand, chanting and chanting, growing in size and strength with each repetition.
Swatting away whatever was daining him, zzzalso found that blood was being pumped out of him! He was being devoured! Blood must've been pooling on the ground!
Increasing in intensity, the chanting continued. "[What are you? What are you?]" The voice hammered in. Whatever form it took was staring at zzz growing as it only mouthed the words.
Trying to tense anything, anything at all, zzz stopped feeling his heart. What was a constant thrum in his ears suddenly stopped. Suddenly froze. Nothing remained.
As zzz looked up at zzzzzzz , the thrum was quiet. It was still. Everything didn't move.
zzz felt it. The numbness that happened when the zzzzz stopped working finally came. It crawled, at a mind-numbing pace. It crawled up his neck, up his face, until it reached the eyes.
Breathing in one last breath of cold, filtered air, darkness came for zzz.
Max was in a white void, no indication of up, down left or right. An impenetrable floor stretched out beneath him, no distinction from other parts of the void.
"Hello little flower." A chilling voice filled his mind.
A visage appeared, like ink spilling onto the paper of reality, it formed. A grinning mouth, with teeth sharper than any knife or sword adorned a cloak of black void. It's only features were the black tendrils going up and out of the mass, forming and contorting in every way imaginable.
There was nothing else, except Max, this void-cloaked figure, and the white void they were standing on.
"C'mon now," The figure's smile grew. "You can't even recognise one of the most powerful beings on your own watch-list?"
It moved forward a step, Max stepped back. "I'm not even here to fight! I'm here to help."
Unsure of what to do, Max stepped forward.
"That's it. A token of trust goes a long way."
Max was finally face to… mouth with this creature. It towered over Max, stretching up and blotting out the void. Everything was this creature, for its mass was so gigantic that not even the distant stars-forged chains could hope to contain it.
"Now, currently, your boss has killed you." It said, the mouth stretching and contorting to match the words spoken. "I know, it's complete heresy to even think that, but c'mon. You've gotta know that they're not really out for your best interests."
"Now," It continued. "I know you don't know what's going on, but I have a little plan."
The mouth moved a few centimetres away from Max. "All I need for you to do, little scout, is make a deal."
At this close, Max saw the teeth of this creature. They moved and shimmered, warping and tearing at their own edges, clashing and slashing against one another, a giant cacophony of flesh made fluid.
"Hey!" it yelled. "It's rude stare."
"But." It said, backing off slightly. "I guess I am the first one of my kind you've encountered in full glory. I suppose a little bit of showmanship isn't unprecedented."
A gauntlet formed out of the silhouette, a cruel black design made of a carapaca, with sharp blue accents. In its palm was a fount of power, wicked and cruel, ready to bind anything touching it.
And Max shook it.
—-
Firstly, IF YOU THINK YOU KNOW THE NEW CHARACTERS, you don't. There's probably going to be some overlap with other characters, but they're different. For one, the last character won't be really be seen for the rest of the fic.
Secondly, the next chapter will be more light hearted, and not so… grim? Serious? I dunno, but it won't be exactly the same as before.
Also, if you have any speculation post it in a review. Nothing makes me more excited than seeing someone engaging with my work.