Chapter 5
Half an hour through the woods with the bald trees and dried soil, the vehicle stopped at the end of the road. Where there was a dark deep cave that looked felt full with mysterious just by looking at it. The three people in the vehicle looked at the cave, Maya was full of curiosity written at her face while the AE soldiers seemed to be rather familiar with the sight.
"We're here." Kharkov said. "It's time to pack up and go inside."
"We're going inside the cave?" Maya asked. "I thought you want me to meet with The Host?"
"That won't be long Maya, now I want you to take all your important belongings from the vehicle." Kharkov instructed. "Leave the rest behind."
"Alright." Maya nodded.
Maya exited out of the vehicle and went to the trunk, where her belonging was put. Kharkov and Red also exited from the vehicle but walked a few footsteps further towards the cave. They stopped in front of the cave and discussed.
"Been a long time that we didn't see these types of caves." Said Red. "Are there Eridians in the planet?"
"Before the time of Handsome Jack, there was. It was said that the original Vault Hunters had wiped all of them entirely." Kharkov spoke. "Not to say that it would be significant if they had lived, but still, it would be a one of a kind experience to see them again."
"The forest is a dead giveaway; you could see it from a mile away that nobody had touched this place for centuries. Dried soil, dying trees and different type of air." Red looked around his surroundings. "Add all that up and you get one heck of a Gate."
The surrounding was eerie, the trees had no leaves and the soil that they stepped had cracks every now and then. There were animals at the place, not even the sound Rakks that infested practically the whole planet. But those negatives signs were fortunate cues, cues that the cave was a Gate.
"What do you mean a Gate?" Maya asked.
The duo looked behind and saw Maya slowly approaching, with a bag on her shoulder and a few books at her hand. Kharkov smiled at Maya. "A tool that would meet you with the Host. That is a Gate."
"So it's some kind of teleporter that created by the Eridians." Maya clarify.
"Correct but it does not transport you physically." Red showed his palms. "The physical body has its limitations, it must conform solid laws and cannot change as its please. Skin can't change into meat and meat can't change to skin."
"Woah." Maya expressed her discovery of Red intellectual side.
"The Host is in another world, a world that the solid cannot comprehend. Only the spirit can go there." Red pointed at Maya's chest. "If you think I'm talking about the interdimensional shit, then you are right."
"What!?!?" Maya was shocked.
"The Gate separates the spirit and the body, allowing the spirit to enter The Host's place or Tretho as it called. A normal human can't do such feat without complications but you are a Siren so there's nothing to worry about it." Red finished. "So without a further ado, Khar-"
"Wait." Maya interrupted Red. "So does that mean we have to kill ourselves just to meet with The Host?"
"Kinda." Red answered.
"Haha." Kharkov laughed. "You're scaring her Red. There's no need to fear, it will be just like sleep or a nap, close your eyes and relax."
"Kharkov will lead you to whatever you need to do; I'll stay behind and set a few things up." Red nodded to Kharkov and moved to the back of the jeep.
Kharkov put his hands on his hips. "You heard what he said Maya; it's time to meet with the Host."
Kharkov lead himself to the cave and Maya hesitantly followed the soldier, she looked back to Red just a moment and he was already busy with his job. As they reach into the deeper parts of the cave, the shape of their bodies slowly fade into the darkness of the cave.
Red opened the trunk of the jeep and glanced at the cave for just a moment, the two of them were gone. He proceeded to turn on his eyepiece and take a few tools with him from the trunk. The trunk was filled with personal belongings and he checked each bag. He turned on a mode of his eyepiece and it turned into X-Ray vision.
Every bag was checked but was not touched; he did not want his fingerprints on it. But when it comes to Maya's, there was a bit of a problem. A tracker was put on her bag of belongings; it was small as it was hidden in the seams of the bag. He took a tool from his belt and aimed it at Maya's beg. He pulled the trigger and the tool emitted EMP waves that fried the tracker instantly.
Red made a second check of the trunk then put away his tool to his belt, the coast was clear. A big disappointment for Red as he expected the journey to be easy. Seeing the tracker, it was put by secret, chances were by her friends. Red closed the trunk of the jeep and pushed a button on his eyepiece. The jeep lights blipped a few times and slowly it disappeared from his sight.
Cloak Mode Activated Stated Red's eyepiece.
Red took a deep breath and breathes out, a lot of work need to be done.
Red moved around dead forest, digging a few holes and putting some sensors. He would fill the hole back with soil as if it was a land mine, hidden from anything. Then he climbed on the trees, putting on sensors sensitive enough and could differentiate between a Bullymong and a human. Putting a total of thirty sensors, it occupied the whole radius of the cave surrounding as far as one kilometre.
Sitting on a tree trunk, Red took a rest after a whole day worth of putting sensor. He set every sensor using the touchscreen on his forearm, making sure that no sensor be faulty for the next month or two. All thirty sensor were checked, he swiped all the programs away. A SMG started to appear on his hands and Red made sure it was ready to shoot.
"All right, time to do the most boring thing." Red sighed. "Waiting..."
...
Inside the cave, the place was pitch dark despite Maya's eyes adjusted to the darkness of things. Yet she stepped forward out of insistence of Kharkov. Apparently his voice was enough for the Siren follow, despite the rocky road that the cave had. The moment she entered the cave she felt something different, her senses spiked and her mind started to vibrate. As weird as it sounded, it was true.
"Stop." Kharkov ordered. Maya followed precisely. "This is where we proceed on doing the next step. Sit down."
Maya sat down with her legs crossed; she felt Kharkov presence in front of her sitting as well. His breath was calm and the situation was calmer.
"We are proceeding for the next phase." Kharkov held Maya's hand and gave a pill to her. "You have to eat this pill so the phase would continue."
"What is this?" She asked.
"Poison."
"You want to kill me?" She was shocked to the bone.
"You said that you are entirely trustful towards us."
"Yeah but killing myself? That's insane."
"Then we have no choice until you decide to take that pill. Whether you are sane or insane." Kharkov argued. "You said that you learned about your race but here you are looking otherwise."
"There's always a sacrifice…."
"Now we are in the same page." Kharkov giggled. "You get it?"
"How cliché." Maya annoyed. "Well here goes nothing."
Maya ate the pill, ignoring every second thought that she had. She swallowed it completely, pass through her oesophagus and into her stomach. She breathed in deep and readied herself to whatever would come next. A few seconds had passed and nothing had happen. Soon two minutes had passed and nothing happened. Maya was clueless as no symptoms or effects had emerged.
"So what's next?" Asked Maya.
Without warning she started to shiver, her hands became numb and she was experiencing the heaviest head ache that she had ever experienced. She instantly trembled and laid down to the ground, fortunately Kharkov was there to hold her back from hitting the ground badly.
"There you go." Kharkov face was visible for Maya to see. "Now everything will fall into place. Let it flow."
"What did you….." Maya wanted to speak but her throat became sore suddenly.
"Shhhhh…." Kharkov put his finger on his mouth. "Let it do what it meant to do."
The pain was nothing that she had experience before. Tremendous agonizing pain in a small amount of time. Her veins started to emerge from her skin, bubbles of saliva formed on her mouth and her eyes had reddened. She wanted to scream but her throat was gone. She want to grip on something but she had lose control of her whole body. Her whole started to spasm; too much for the Siren to bare.
"Mmmm…." A word came out from her mouth. "Mama….."
Blood went out from her nose, eyes went up and Maya's head lolled. She was dead. Kharkov looked at her whole body and her Siren mark was not glowing. Kharkov sighed while shaking his head; he closed her eyes and laid her down to the ground.
"Kharkov, this is Red." His radio sounded. "Did she pass?"
"Well her marks are not showing any hope." Kharkov spoke through the radio.
"Did you tell her that there's no guarantee and she could die from the pill?"
"There's no need to tell. Sirens have wings, it's their decisions whether they fly or die."
"Poor girl."