Chapter 72: Friends in Classified Places

The facility that houses the Pyramidal Guard Division was secured by an unusual technology. Kay did not understand what such a technology could do, but it somehow removed himself from his swarm, and prevented him from psionically connecting him to the zerg hivemind, which connected each zerg organism into a network of telepathy. He can only assume that after Commander Guik used her 'rebound' attack, Kay was rendered unconscious and brought to this facility that they call 'the dark mausoleum.' After six days of recuperation, Kay had finally awaken within a sterile room while he was contained in a fluid-filled bio-stasis tank, and found out that he was somehow delivered into this strange space. At least he was not without company.

'HAHAHAHAHA ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!' Kay telepathically laughed.

"I'm not lying to you! He really did come into the office that day without his pants on!" Gadral explained, trying his best to contain his laugh. Apparently, their previous conversation had devolved into a hilarious recounting of Gadral's most memorable moments. "Everybody was scared to point it out to him because they thought that Professor Tagang would demote them once they did. Oh, I remember his face after he realized that Commander Kralluf and Commander faddoh had came into the office. And it was at the moment he bent down to pick up a kalumas fruit that fell onto the ground! I swear that he paused for, like, a minute before he said 'Welp, my ass is getting fired!'"

'HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!' Kay's body convulsed within the bio-stasis tank. He didn't mind the pain he experienced every time he chuckled or howled in laughter. He was having a good time. 'Shit man, I would have LOVED to see that in person!'

Gadral chuckled, but then sighed and relaxed in his seat again. "Yeah, Tagang had it coming. Nobody found out what had happened to him after the incident, but we were given the 'official story' by his replacement. He said that Tagang had been demoted, was given a seminar on acceptable public behavior, and then transferred to a different cube research facility. More than likely though, I think he might have been forced to take a short trip into the dark mausoleum. You can expect Kralluf to be the kind of commander that doesn't tolerate any kind or form of a practical joke, no matter how accidental it was. Commander Faddoh tried to explain that it was another one of his tests, but Kralluf wasn't in a good mood that day."

Kay could feel himself crying, even when the fluid that he was submerged in prevented any visible tears from forming on his face. 'Hoooh~! Oh man, yeah. That stunt would definitely piss off a guy like Kralluf.'

Gadral smiled. "Yeah... So what about you? Got any regaling tales that might tickle my sides?"

'Oof. You actually have me at a disadvantage on that regard. I don't really know many funny stories about myself.'

"Can't you remember any?" Gadral asked.

'I mean... Sorta? I haven't told you this before, but I actually developed amnesia twenty years ago.'

Gadral tilted his head. "Really? So there isn't anything you can tell me, other than what your blade hounds often do in their time to themselves?"

'The zerg are not exactly a collective of hyper-evolving comedians. If it doesn't further the evolution of the zerg organisms as a whole, then you can expect them to never develop a sense of humor in the first place. Hell, one of my zerg commanders rarely ever uses pronouns. He thinks that it's supposed to be an efficient way of speaking. He was sort of difficult to understand at first, but I eventually got used to his way of communicating.'

Gadral nodded. "Hmm. That wouldn't happen to be the spider slug organism that I read about in Faddoh's footnotes on his zerg research?"

Kay nodded. 'Yeah. He's my evolution master that's named Corvurn. You could consider him a no-nonsense busy-body.'

"Ah. So he's a lot like Commander Faddoh and Commander Kralluf combined, but scarier." Gadral said.

'... That's actually a good description of him.'

"Actually, I can't help but take notice of what you said. You said 'one of your commanders.'" Gadral stated. "Aside from this 'Corvurn' guy, what are the names of your other commanders?"

'... That depends. Are you going to tell your commanding officers' the names of my commanders?'

Gadral shook his head. "Not a chance in hell. This will stay between us."

Kay nodded. 'Well... Kay then. You already know about Corvurn, my evolution master. There's also Virid, a broodmother that lives on the moon. And then there's Othafurn, which is my advisor that has eidetic memory.'

"... Uh... Wait, you have only three commanders under your control?" Gadral asked, somewhat surprised.

'Well, I could have spawned more I guess, but I didn't want to have any rouge zerg commander that went against my wishes. If I spawned more commanders, then it would become very likely that the nonaligned gilanian populations would get caught in the crossfire in the war between the zerg swarm and Gollog's Golden Star military.'

"Hmm." Gadral hummed in thought.

'Let me guess. You thought that there were more zerg commanders?'

"You've read my mind." Gadral sighed.

'Duh. Telepathic.'

Gadral shook his head and smiled. "It's just odd to me that you and your zerg monsters are able to fight back against Golden Star's military. And with so few commanders."

'Odd had nothing to do with it. If anything, it's evolution baby.'

"... Right." Gadral replied back.

'If it makes you feel any better, I only want Golden Star to disestablish their tyrannical government, and to allow the nonaligned gilanians the peace and free will they deserve to have. I won't have to afford myself too many distractions when I finally start investigating a way to get out of this prison system.'

"... Do you think you could take me away with you?" Gadral asked.

'A request like that should be easy for me, but uh... I can't really promise anything. Hell, I don't even know where to start my search on finding a way to leave Kiln's prison system. I could try asking Gollog, but he's about as reliable as a tyrant that wants me dead.'

Gadral sighed. "Yeah, well Gollog expects and encourages his people to sacrifice themselves for his benefit. That's about as tyrannical as anyone could get. But instead of laying down my own life for him, I'd rather keep my life and live a happy, long, prosperous and fulfilling existence. It'd be nice to have my own life in control, but... I don't want to mark myself as an enemy to Emperor Gollog's empire either. It'd be better if I could just disappear from plain sight."

There was a long pause of silence between Kay and Gadral. It became obvious to Kay that double-crossing the leader you're supposed to serve would have serious consequences following the extradition. But even so, Kay was in a tight spot, and he would rather focus on gaining allies from within Gollog's own military structure. And here, in the dark mausoleum, Kay had that opportunity. Instead of waiting for the next couple of days to arrive, Kay would devise a way to open a way out from his containment and flee from his imprisonment. But at that very moment, Kay was beginning to formulate a means to escape the facility he was trapped in.

The absence of communication continued for another several seconds. Gadral turned to stare at the bio-stasis tank that Kay was contained in. "... Uh... Kay? Is there a shadow assassin outside of the room?"

'Hmm? Oh, no, I was just... making plans involving you. That is, maybe, if you're interested.'

Gadral frowned. "... Uh huh. Will the plan involve angering my superiors, and by extension, making them angry at me if they learned that I took a part in your plans?"

'Not if you get caught. Otherwise, yes, I'd be pissing off your superiors.'

"This sounds very dangerous to me." Gadral said sighing. "If they learned that I had listened to your sedition, then they would have enough evidence to sentence me to death. Or worse yet, send me away into the Pyramidal Guard's immortal maze in the dark mausoleum. I can't imagine on what they would do if they learned that I had agreed to your plans."

'Here's the thing, Gadral. You don't have to be part of my plans if you don't want to, and I can understand avoiding trouble if it means you're going against impossible odds. But when you need to do something that is right, you have to take action and risk everything for what you believe in. I know what it means to survive, and the choice between living under the command of a tyrannical emperor, or discovering a dangerous goal that lets you thrive when you reach it, is hardly a choice at all. If you agree to do this for me, then you can wade within the ranks of the zerg swarm without ever being harmed by my minions. But if you prefer a nice, quiet place to happily live in, then I could transport you to Citadel Gargantua. I recommend avoiding the southern districts of the citadel, but if you can find a nice group home to live in, you can ask your roommates about the neighborhood at your leisure. If you're worried about getting water, then the soup kitchens in the low-income areas hosts a weekly water voucher raffle. It's not much, but it can be a sanctuary that should keep you safe until I find that exit out of here. And when I do find that exit, I'll bring you with me.'

Gadral tilted his head. "How do you know so much about Citadel Gargantua?"

'Er... That doesn't matter. The point I am trying to make to you is simple to understand. If you agree to help me, then I will do all that I can to protect you from Golden Star's penal system. However, I will only tell you my plan if you first denounce your loyalty to Gollog and his empire. It's as plain and as simple as that! So uh... Will you denounce your loyalty to Gollog and his empire?'

A sigh escaped Gadral's lips. Can he really denounce his loyalty to Gollog? After all the years he had served in Golden Star's Cube Research Division, under the shadow of Commander Faddoh, and living in fear of attracting Gollog's anger, would he truly give up on everything that he had ever worked for? Could he? There was one other question that plagued Gadral's mind, and it was one he dreaded. Should he defect from Golden Star? Such a decision would make him an enemy of the empire, but he would also have the protection of the zerg. And to add to that, there was also a chance to escape the Kiln Prison System. Even if Kay admitted that his chances to find the exit leading out of Kiln's veil was slim, he also said that he would gain refuge that was well away from Gollog's rule. After a hesitant lapse that lasted roughly twenty seven seconds, Gadral turned to the contained zerg commander. "Dammit. I can't believe I'm considering this."

'Didn't sound like you denounced Gollog there. I know that this is a difficult and personal decision for you to make, but I want you to be completely sure that you would want to help me out of this bio-stasis thingy, and get me back to my swarm. If you want out of this, then I'll find some other way to escape. Bear in mind that I will kill you like any other Golden Star citizen and officer that gets in my way. But if you denounce your loyalty to the Golden Star Empire, then I promise to keep you safe to the best of my ability. Kay?'

"Huagh... I suppose this is better than having a spawner's brain probe turning me against my own government." After another pause, Gadral stood up from his chair and bowed to the zerg commander. "I, Researcher Gadral, of the Cube Research Division, officially denounce my loyalty to Emperor Gollog and the Golden Star Empire."

'Fan-fucking-tastic.' Kay said with cheery gusto.

Gadral sighed as he straightened his posture. "... So uh... What do we do?"

'... We have to plan a breakout.'

"A-a breakout?" Gadral stammered.

'Yeah, a breakout. Listen closely to me, my favorite nerd. We're going to free the prisoners in the dark mausoleum's immortal maze!'

"WHAT?!" Gadral was beginning to have second thoughts. But like it or not, he was now an enemy to Emperor Gollog and his Golden Star Empire.

An hour later, an alarm was activated. Gadral's voice was projected over the Pyramidal Guard Division's facility. [This is researcher Gadral speaking. I wish to alarm the facility of a potential danger occurring in the bug-man beast-master's containment area. There's a growth that is germinating next to the bug-man beast-master's bio-stasis tank, and... Oh gods, it's growing! It's growing something! Slime! Slime! Can I get a response team in here as soon as possible?!]

Within the span of a minute, a team had been assembled. When that team breached into the containment area that Kay was stuck in, Gadral could see that the breaching team consisted of a fire breather, several magic armor specialists, a few heavily armored researchers from the Cube Research Division, and Commander Faddoh himself.

They filed into the room and took note of the gray/purple growth that had already quickly spread across the ground. The fire breather soldier decided to commentate on the scene that was in front of the team. "Ugh. Looks like something a shryik serpent might puke up."

Faddoh nodded as he inspected the ground. "Perhaps a shryik serpent zerg pawn, but I think this is completely different."

A magic armor specialist pointed at a small desk that once had its monitor placed atop of it. "Maybe we should ask the perching krell what happened?" He said, addressing Gadral.

Once Faddoh was made aware of Gadral's presence, he walked up to the perched gilanian and gestured to him in a nonchalant manner. "Gadral. Can you tell me what happened here?"

"I was minding my own business when I noticed a growth that was growing next to the bug-man beast-master's tank. I didn't know what it did, so... uh... I panicked and activated the alarm." Gadral explained.

Faddoh nodded. "And it was a good decision of yours to raise the alarm and request a first-response team. But I have to ask you something."

Gadral paused. "Uh... Yeah?"

"What on Kiln are you doing on your desk?" Faddoh asked.

Gadral sighed. "Ah! Uh. Well... I saw this slime stuff creeping towards me, so I thought it'd be a good idea to uh... Get off of the ground."

Faddoh rolled his eyes. "Gadral, my boy. You should already know that the zerg slime can be treaded upon safely. Unless you have any open wounds or are currently shedding, that is. Do you have any cuts or rashes? Are you currently nearing your molt? Have you developed any medical conditions prior to any encounter with a zerg organism or any zerg-related growths?"

Gadral shook his head. "I don't have any cuts or rashes, I'm about as healthy as a adolescent mongwedger, I am not shedding, and I didn't touch any zerg-related growths. ... If this isn't too much trouble, can I request someone to pick me up and carry me out of here?"

Faddoh chuckled. "I thought you said you didn't have any scrapes or cuts?"

Gadral hesitated. "Well, uh... the thing is... Um... I don't want to tread on it unless I really have to."

Faddoh laughed and shook his head. "You are being ridiculous, Gadral! Anyway, we'll have this slime cleared away quickly enough. By the time we are done, we'll also install an automated turret right by your work station. Isn't that a comforting thought?" He said, comforting Gadral with gentle pats to his arm. Faddoh then turned to the breaching team. "Alright! Enough standing around! Time to do what I pay you for! Set down some seismic sensors and see if there is a slime node producing this enveloping muck!"

The copper jacketed gilanians nodded as they quickly went to work. After opening up a large briefcase, they quickly constructed a seismic sensor and stabbed it into the floor. Once the sensor was in the floor, they plucked plastic sheets from their persons that connected them to the seismic sensor's data feed. One of the scientists hummed. "Hmm... Looks like a slime node had germinated in here. It explains all this slime, but not how the node got here."

A magic armor specialist scoffed. "A single slime node? I can deal with it. Where's it hiding at?"

One of the Cube Research scientists pointed at a spot. "Right there. It's hard to tell when you don't know what you're looking for, but there is usually a bump in the muck that tells you that something is under it." The magic armor specialist nodded and walked toward the area that the scientist pointed him to.

However, when the magic armor specialist neared the slight hump of creep growth, it had exploded into a fizzle of green cloud. The magic armor specialist screamed as his lungs and scales burned with pain. "UAGH~!"

Everyone stepped back when the magic armor specialist yelled as he fell backwards onto the creep, clutching at his face and chest as he writhed in utter agony. Faddoh sighed. "That was not an ordinary slime node. It was a burster node."

The copper jacketed scientists backed away from the explosion of volatile mist. "Whoa... Sucks for that guy."

Faddoh walked up to the injured magic armor specialist and effortlessly picked him up. "If it wasn't for his ablative magic armor plates, then he would have been reduced to an acidic soup. But as it stands now, we can't have him in our presence any longer. He will have to be honorably discharged, and then directed to the infirmary. You are hereby quarantined until you have turned into a zerg pawn. After which, you will then be permanently terminated. Do you understand?"

The injured magic armor specialist groaned, slightly coughing from the damage done to his lungs. "I'm infected... Aren't I?"

Faddoh nodded sadly as he propped the injured specialist to his feet. "I am afraid so, soldier. We will give you a meal of your request, within reason of course, and we will send condolences to your family members in your living block at the fifth sky ring. May your gods have mercy on their judgement over your soul."

"... That's weird." One of the jacketed scientists said as he inspected the plastic sheet again. "Another slime node appeared over there. Same spot where our magic armor specialist got wounded at."

Faddoh turned to the scientist, then to the spot where a toxic nest had once exploded. Faddoh's LED face showed incredulity. "... Are you spawning them, Kay? How?" Faddoh immediately turned to Gadral. "Gadral. Does your monitor have any notifications? Does it say that there is a tank breach?"

Gadral picked up the monitor and inspected the screen, despite needing to awkwardly squat to see it. After a scant second of time of analysis had passed, Gadral nodded. "Yes sir. There seems to be a micro-fracture in the glass tubing. I guess the contained specimen's brainwaves placed some stresses on the glass when he had woken up."

Faddoh shook his head. "That is a good guess, but we can't assume anything just yet. ... Hmm?" A pulsating glob of zerg growth appeared next to Faddoh as he was talking. He quickly stepped away from it. "Oh-ho-ho! Can't have a moment of peace, can we?! Burner boy! Burn this thing! I think Kay is trying to spawn a burster node next to me!"

The fire breather soldier waddled up to the developing toxic nest and aimed his flame thrower at the growth. "Charbroiling with napalm!" The soldier roared, sending spouts of fire at the growth. The growth popped upon its death, preventing it from growing to its full potential. There was a moment of peace before the fire breather soldier grunted. "As fun as it is to cook what looks like a cancer-covered freshwater pincer's egg sack, I think it might be better to set up some static deterrents. How is the automated turrets coming?"

Faddoh turned behind him. "You heard the man! Set them high up on the walls, so the burster nodes don't damage them!" He ordered loudly.

Gadral sighed nervously as he clutched his lunch box close to himself. "Gosh, this is nerve-racking!"

Faddoh pointed his manipulation field emitter toward Gadral and picked him off from his desk. "I have decided that you're not equipped to survey my specimen, due to the recent changes of your work conditions." Faddoh then turned to the breaching team. "Gentlemen! You will be tasked with ridding every growth that gestates within this room! Remain in this room until I return!" He ordered.

"Sir, yes sir!" They responded, and they followed the command that the commander of the Cube Research Division gave them.

After the command was given, Faddoh carried Gadral out from the room and to a more safer place. When Faddoh and Gadral walked past the edge of creep, Faddoh gently placed Gadral back onto the floor, letting his feet touch the black and purple floor first before letting him go. Gadral almost lost his balance, but he stood upright and sighed. "Hooh... Wow, this stuff can spread pretty far away, huh?"

Faddoh nodded, but sighed. "In my hubris, I didn't think that such growths were capable of growing this far within the mausoleum. However, it does make me wonder how such growths could gestate within the containment chamber. I first assumed that such growths were often produced by the caretakers and their many varieties, but it looks like I was wrong to assume that."

"Should I be worried?" Gadral asked, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Hmm... I would say to you to keep your wits about you. This is still a minor incident. It's hardly something to alert the other higher ranking commanders about. But uh..." Faddoh neared Gadral and whispered. "As an aside, perhaps you can not tell Commander Guik, or the other shadow assassins, what happened here?"

"Uh..." Gadral was hesitant to answer.

"If Guik learned that burster nodes developed within her dark mausoleum, she would slate my specimen as a dangerous variable in her facility. She would get rid of Kay, and I would have lost a specimen to experiment on! I can't have that happen."

"... Okay. I'll try to keep this a secret between us, sir. You have my word." Gadral replied.

Faddoh smiled and nodded. "Good!" He paused for a few seconds with a neutral expression. He then pointed at the box that Gadral carried with him. "What is with the box you're carrying?"

Gadral looked down into his arms and stammered. "Oh! Uh... It's just my lunch from earlier. I kind of panicked when you took me with you, so... Uh... I'll just throw this away, sir."

Faddoh nodded. "Well, that is your business. Once you get rid of your garbage, you should check yourself with the infirmary. Can't be too careful when it comes to your own health. Farewell." After gesturing a final goodbye to Gadral, Faddoh turned around and headed back to Kay's containment chamber.

Once the clanking feet had joined with the sounds of cackling chemical flame and the occasional bullet being fired, Gadral waited for several more seconds to pass. He breathed in deeply and sighed in relief. "Okay, I'm clear of the commander and the breaching team. You now need to tell me where I need to go."

'Kay, but I can't give you too many directions at once.' Kay warned. 'I might be able to fool the minds of the living, but robots are a lot more difficult to fool.'

"How do you know that?" Gadral asked. He felt as though he might already know the answer.

'Remember the hydralisk that gave you a hug a while ago? Well, that was all in your head, because I had put him in your head. Whatever I can imagine, I can make anybody see what I want them to see. Most of the time, that is. I can't really affect Faddoh's perception of reality.'

Gadral didn't like the answer. "Is it because he is a robot?"

'Yes. It is because he is a robot. I can trick any flesh and bone being into thinking that everything is alright, but his machine mind is a lot more difficult to manipulate. I mean, sure, I can push stuff with my mind using shear willpower and effort, but creating illusions in another person's mind takes finesse and concentration. Can't really do any kind of finesse with Faddoh. ... Uh oh! Speaking of Faddoh, he's getting near! Listen. Head to the lowest section of the mausoleum! Do that, and you're about halfway there!'

"Wh-what?!" Gadral stammered.

'I'll telepathically talk to you later! Just take the stairs down or get on an elevator!'

After that exchange, Gadral was left alone again. And now, he had to pass through the halls of the Pyramidal Guard Division's facility without being able to know where a shadow assassin might lurk. It was a worrying thought. However, with his denouncement to Gollog's loyalty on his consciousness, he knew that if he backed down from Kay's plan, then the zerg would come after him, and he knew that even the safety of the shadow assassins' dark mausoleum cannot protect him. But he also knew that if he went along with Kay's plans, then he would become Golden Star's number one enemy. He might even be moved to the top of the list as Golden Star's most dangerous criminal! And if the shadow assassins find out that he was acting as a double agent in their very own facility, then they would act within the fullest of their power to incapacitate him, interrogate him, torture him, and then permanently send him to the fabled immortal maze of the dark mausoleum.

Gadral sighed. "Huh... Time to commit treason." He then began his walk to the nearest staircase of the Pyramidal Guard Division's facility.

A/N: :EDIT: Spellchecked. :3