Hadrizahens was too overloaded with excitement to do anything but stand just inside the hermetic doorway and stare at the visage of the Traveller. A real Traveller, right before him. Songs of this Traveler iteration had been sung along the consciousness of the Korvax for some time now. Even Hadrizahens, the Merchant Assistant Entity had heard them in his recharge cycles this far out in the corner of the galaxy. But to have a Traveller standing before him? This was certainly too much.
Before the Great Disconnection, when the Korvax home world had not yet been destroyed by the First Spawn and their Convergence of Echoes had not yet been lost, there were prophecies of the Travellers; visions gifted to the Korvax and other faithful races to The Atlas that showed the ultimate inevitability of a new race of people coming forth to the galaxy. What they were exactly and their purpose was widely unknown, but The Atlas had imparted with them a sense of great importance in these beings that would traverse the stars of many worlds, unfettered. They were to be unhindered and helped.
Hadrizahens had never known what to expect a Traveller to look like in person. Perhaps he had envisioned something more analogous to a Korvax. Something more mechanical than biological. Something encased in a glow, like that which accompanied the familiar glow of the Convergence. He had never given any thought to a Traveller being organic before. Strictly biological. And he was fascinated.
The exosuit the Traveller wore revealed that it's body structure was at least similar to the basic frame of a Korvax, though clearly biological. Hadrizahens recognized the dome atop the Traveller's head to be a helmet, though the shape of it and the tinted visor reminded him of the visor of a Korvax, or rather an empty casing. There was no flicker of light, no indication of electrical life behind it. He knew it was because the lifeform's essence manifested differently than the Korvax, but something about it was still haunting. So similar, and yet utterly unfamiliar. The Traveller also bore a large multi-tool at its hip, a jetpack upon its back, and it's exosuit was the color of the aqua sky outside mixed with golden tan detailing. The plating it wore on it's chest made it seem more Korvax and familiar, as there was a circle of blue light illuminated to show that the exosuit was online, if not the entity wearing it. Hadrizahens wanted to know more.
Something seemed to put the Traveller Entity ill at ease, and it shuffled in its exosuit as it looked at all four of the Korvax Entities staring at it motionlessly.
"I beg of you… I do not require worship. Only the assistance of an allegiance and… materials." The Traveller finally spoke in broken sentences but smooth syllables. Its voice was low but unlike the synthesized hum of the Korvax voice. It spoke like the wind that swept over the hills, as that was what it's voice was made of. Air itself. Utterly foreign but speaking familiar words, wishing to make a connection with their consciousnesses.
"This Entity is attentive. Traveler Entity must designate which materials they require." Merchant Entity Taudi replied with as much reverence as he could manage while still trying to make a sale.
The Traveller took a sharp breath of air into its lungs and shifted its weight to its other foot, still fidgeting in some form of unknown discomfort. Hadrizahens wished he could scan the lifeform and find the source of it's distress.
"...Traveller Entity might elaborate on their mission here?" Taskmaster Entity Orzhoku offered gently, and to everyone's surprise, the Traveller seemed to relax a bit.
"A mission. From the… Great Collective Who Fight. The ones stronger, to protect the weak." The Traveller explained slowly while making grand hand gestures to instill some sort of other meaning that none of the Korvax could interpret.
"Great Collective Who Fight…?" Scientist Entity Podoim repeated slowly, carefully analyzing the sagely words of The Atlas's Chosen. "...The Mercenary Guild?"
"Yes!"
A wash of relief and accomplishment washed over the small group of Korvax, having successfully decoded the strange and otherworldly patterns of communication employed by the Traveller. Solving such a puzzle was a great reward for all of them and they were eager to continue conversing with this foreign entity.
"The Mercenary Guild gave Entity designation Traveller a mission to complete. Mission details? Confidential?" Scientist Entity Podoim asked, leaning forward in the chair that he had not yet risen from. Hadrizahens felt a twinge of unease as he saw the lights in Podoim's visor flicker with a scientific hunger as they observed the Traveller closely, obviously recording its reactions.
"No, not confidential. There is an enemy. a… Pirate? Yes. This One needs supplies to stop the enemy. This One will set up a base, if allowed? A close base… for supplies. Until the pirate enemy is stopped." The Traveller explained slowly, once again waving its hands as it spoke in an almost hypnotic fashion. Hadrizahens was entranced, at least.
"Traveller Entity is welcome to set up a base and engage in trade. Korvax Entities will be accommodating in all things." Merchant Entity Taudi assured the Traveller, bowing their head respectfully.
The Traveller mimicked the gesture, though more stiffly. The tension in its movement and muscles betrayed its continued discomfort.
"Traveller Entity will provide data in exchange." Scientist Entity Podoim finally got to their feet and before a word of protest could be uttered on the Traveller's behalf, even by the Traveller itself, Podoim had withdrawn a needle from a panel in their arm and stabbed the Traveller in the shoulder. Podoim extracted a sample of its biological material quickly and stepped back before the Traveller could push them away, plugging the syringe back into their arm and connecting a few nodules to the tool. Hadrizahens watched, affronted, as Podoim analyzed the material in front of the Traveller. Certainly it was rude of them to steal matter from The Atlas's Chosen without any consent… though he would admit that it was a very tempting prospect.
The Traveller seemed to agree with Hadrizahens' thoughts, as it began barking in some unknown language at the scientist. It was clearly agitated. Hadrizahens had observed behavior such as this in the local fauna when their membrane had been compromised by another lifeform and their biological material had leaked. Hadrizahens wondered if the Traveller had any hackles to raise under his exosuit like the creatures here did. Podoim found the response equally fascinating and began to record the sounds and take rapid notes, which only served to agitate the Traveller further.
"Traveler Entity must forgive That One. Korvax Entity designation Scientist is equipped with a curious mind." Orzhoku quickly apologized.
Surprisingly, the Traveller seemed to calm down at this. "Understood. This One also has a scientist entity. Equally curious and damaging."
Sensing that now was the opportune time to conduct business, Merchant Entity Taudi stepped between the Traveller and Scientist Entity Podoim to stop the scientist from conducting further tests on their customer. "Follow, Traveler Entity. Browse the supplies and purchase what is required. Return to the mission. We will aid how we can. It is an honor."
The Traveller followed Taudi to the center table to do business dealings in propper, casting one last hesitant glance to Podoim. There was clear distrust about the Traveller towards Podoim at this point.
"ASSISTANT ENTITY HADRIZAHENS."
Hadrizahens jumped at the sudden audio input from his superior, standing more tall and alert as he looked at Taudi.
"Yes, Merchant Entity Taudi?" Hadrizahens answered quickly but politely. He was aware of everyone's attention on him.
"Retrieve the shipment manifest for our Honored Guest." Merchant Taudi spoke curtly. His order was swift, just like he expected Hadrizahens to be. The Traveller seemed to wilt even further as it sat in one of the chairs.
Embarrassed and frazzled to be addressed as such a lowly working class Korvax in front of such an esteemed guest. He certainly did not wish to make a poor impression on top of being outed as an Assistant Korvax. With a nod of compliance, he shuffled with purpose into the back room, locating the datapad Taudi was scrolling through earlier that day sitting on a disorganized table full of data structures. He picked up the datapad swiftly and returned to Taudi with it.
As he approached, Hadrizahens was shocked to see that the Traveller was tracking his movement with his helmet. There was no clear indication of a built in analysis visor, but Hadrizahens still felt the Traveller's gaze on him. It had a strange effect on his circuitry. He realized just how close he was to this… holy being. This lifeform that had come from The Atlas itself. This creature of unknown potential was observing HIM. It took everything he had in him to keep his hand from trembling as he passed the datapad to Taudi.
With a small buzz of annoyance and a flash of yellow light, Merchant Entity Taudi snatched the datapad out of Hadrizahens' hand and typed in the input codes to bring up the manifests. Taudi clearly had discussed what the Traveller was looking to purchase while Hadrizahens had been in the other room. The Traveller's gaze was still fixed on Hadrizahens, and Hadrizahens felt as though the eyes of his God were fixed upon him.
"Peace, Young Echo. I will do you no harm." The Traveller spoke this time with no hesitation in its words. Hadrizahens turned to look directly at the Traveller's visor, surprised. The Traveller let out a soft, airy sound that Hadrizahens could only identify as a gentle chuckle. Was it amused, or was it endeared?
"Ignore Assistant Entity Hadrizahens. That Entity is young and often illogical." Taudi said dismissively as he grew more impatient with his disorganized list.
"Illogicality is not always necessary to disregard… even for Korvax Entities." The Traveller spoke, still watching Hadrizahens. "...What is your input, Hadrizahens?"
Shocked to be addressed so informally and so warmly by the Traveller, Hadrizahens had little time to think of a response. Especially not to THAT question. Especially not in THIS company. The Traveller chuckled again. Knowingly this time. Somehow, without possessing any form of mechanical scanner functions, this entity had read Hadrizahens' reactions and predicted the correct response.
The Traveller returned its attention to Taudi as soon as Taudi made a beeping noise of triumph as soon as he located the data he sought. The transaction for materials would begin and Hadrizahens would not have a chance to speak with the Traveller again. He had missed his opportunity, and that caused a great sadness to rush through him, if Korvax were capable of feeling such things. Full of regret, Hadrizahens gave the Traveller one last glance as he walked back over to Taskmaster Orzhoku for further assignment, should Taudi require his tasks to be redirected for the sake of the Traveller. Orzhoku seemed to sense the change in the younger Korvax's demeanour and offered some quiet words of comfort.
"The Traveller Entity wishes to set up a temporary base planetside. Something close to us for supplies but also close enough to not be suspicious if detected by its quarry. There will certainly be more opportunities to hear its wisdom."
"I hope so…"
Several sols had passed since the Traveller had set up its base on the ridge bordering the grasslands and the jungle. The little temporary outpost sat snuggly between the trading outpost and Scientist Entity Podoim's observatory, which greatly pleased both Podoim and Taudi. The Traveller was around for trade and scientific inquiry, though oftentimes the two Korvax would have to seek the Traveller out themselves. The Traveller was quite busy with its missions and didn't often spend much time at either establishment. Thanks to the multi-tool that the Traveller always carried with it, its base took little time at all to construct from the materials provided graciously by Taudi. Hadrizahens had hoped that perhaps he might be tasked to deliver the supplies to the Traveller's base, but the Traveller always transported the materials itself. Hadrizahens also had a suspicion that the Traveller was procuring materials itself.
Though it was against the core beliefs of the Korvax to unethically take resources from any planets' surface, other lifeforms didn't seem to have these regulations. It didn't surprise Hadrizahens that the Traveller might go off to extract metals from the caves or harvest carbon from the plant life, but it did concern him. After all, the reason WHY harvesting materials in this way was against the beliefs of the Korvax was because of the Sentinels. The little drones no bigger than the helmet casing of a Korvax buzzed around on almost every planet, scanning everything their ocular lenses could register and maintaining the peace. Guardians of The Atlas's creation, the Sentinels were, and they never took kindly to any destruction of the creation. This was why Hadrizahens was concerned for the Traveller.
Of course, there was the chance that the Travellers were excluded from these rules by The Atlas itself. Truth be told, there wasn't much known about the Travellers at all. If not, surely a Traveller would know better than to incur the wrath of the Sentinel swarms. Hadrizahens still found his gaze falling towards the ridge that cradled the Traveller's base whenever he was outside doing maintenance or chores. At times, the young Korvax would find himself wandering towards the base. Just to check in on the Traveller. It would be polite, after all. And it wasn't as though he would bother the Traveller. Whenever he wandered close to the base, he would make sure that he would keep a safe distance to respect the Traveller's privacy, and to be able to deny any accusations of slacking off should Merchant Entity Taudi spot him away from his duties.
Hadrizahens would find himself walking down the trodden down grass path to the ridge on a daily basis, just to make sure the Traveller was still doing well. He was fascinated with watching the Traveller work on its base, performing similar maintenance tasks to the ones that Hadrizahens would have to do at the outpost. It sent a thrill through his circuits to discover that they shared some common ground in that way, since the Traveller Entity was just so alien to him. But Hadrizahens would never approach. He was far too intimidated by the entity, and he was aware of his own insignificant status at the outpost. There was really no reason for them to interact. He envied Podoim and Taudi for being able to speak freely with the Traveller at their own leisure.
But there was something else about the Traveller that kept Hadrizahens at a distance. He couldn't quite place the sensation that would rise up in his systems whenever he watched the Traveller work on his fighter craft. There appeared to be many modifications made to the craft, though Hadrizahens never got close enough to give the ship a good scan, and he was not familiar with spacecraft upgrade technology to begin with. He recognized a few things at a glance, like the weightier thrusters that hinted at a powerful pulse engine and an impressive hyperdrive system. This would make perfect sense for a Traveller. As the name would imply, Travellers were nomadic and preferred to spend their time exploring the galaxy as much as possible… or at least, that was Hadrizahens' understanding of them. But the galaxy was a dangerous place, and to be able to traverse it as freely as a Traveller might, one would need protection. The Traveller's craft bore many heavy modifications to the weapon system as well.
Hadrizahens was not fond of violence, like many Korvax. He himself had never touched a firearm in his entire life. Even looking at the weapons that would come through the trading post from time to time would make Hadrizahens feel nervous. Possessing a weapon would only communicate to other lifeforms that you were dangerous and something to be feared, which would only inspire more fear and violence. The Traveller certainly had plenty of weaponry both on its person and spliced into its spacecraft. Hadrizahens was wary of the Traveller who had come to their base, seeking out a bounty on a wanted criminal. Though there were societal benefits to stopping lawbreakers, keeping the peace, and protecting the innocent, Hadrizahens simply could not fathom how anyone would willingly choose to enter into such a violent and dangerous profession. What sort of creature WAS the Traveller underneath its exosuit and at its very core?
Despite his fear, Hadrizahens felt as though he simply had to know.
The [Cirecnob XV] lunar cycle had begun and the trading outpost had all been shut down for adequate recharging. Only a few core functions powered by batteries were left on, in case a visitor stopped in the night. Merchant Entity Taudi preferred to keep the outpost this way, even if the power output was inefficient in proportion to the sales they might make. Taudi had decreased the inefficiency by attaching the batteries to a solar power network, so at least they wouldn't waste energy resources by staying open all night long. Taudi had also ensured that his stasis rests would stay as light as they could manage, so they might be able to attend to any customers late at night. Any movement in the sales floor would trigger the sensors and Taudi would be woken from their sleep to greet the guests. This was what would make sneaking out of the outpost the biggest challenge for Hadrizahens.
Before shutting everything down for the evening, Hadrizahens had been assigned to clean the dust and organic particulates off of the chairs, tables, and the floor. Using this excuse, Hadrizahens had located the motion scanners and placed a thumb sized glob of organic waste from the dehumidifier system over the lense just in time for the system to calibrate for the evening. His hopes were that the small organisms in the slime would confuse the sensors enough so that he could slip out of the outpost without raising Taudi from their rest. As long as he moved slowly enough through the sales floor, he should be able to make it according to his calculations.
Standing at the door to the sales floor, Hadrizahens centered himself with the statistics of his success. The numbers weren't running as high as he would have wanted them to be, but he kept adding extra variables into the scenarios. What if the slime had dripped off? What if he hadn't waited long enough? Should he come up with a more convincing excuse than what he had should he be caught? No. No, these additional variables were irreliven and only serving to hamper his progress and affect his performance. He shook his head as he purged the unnecessary variables from his processor and finally took a step forward. The door sensed his approach and a little light at the center blinked on to acknowledge the flow of power through the circuitry. The lock clicked and the seal hissed as the door slid open to allow Hadrizahens passage.
The sales floor was dimly lit with an underglow of red light and a slight blue fluorescence from the Galactic trade terminal and Hadrizahens relaxed. If the system was going to power back on due to the movement of the door, at least, it would have done so already. Feeling much more confident about his plan, he stepped forward into the room as carefully and quietly as he could. The routine maintenance of his casing and his precise electronic mind worked in tandem to ensure that his movements were not only slow, but smooth and precise. Hadrizahens glided across the floor steadily without a sudden jerk or a single extra motion of his body. Each step, though nearly silent, was a small agony for him. He couldn't reduce the sound of his boots hitting the metallic floor to absolute zero decibels, but thankfully it was enough that the system remained offline. It took no more than ten steps for Hadrizahens' anxiety to wane. He was going to make it outside, he was going to sneak out without anyone being any the wise-
"Going for an evening stroll, Merchant Assistant Entity Hadrizahens?"
The old, almost rusted sounding voice cut through the darkness, causing Hadrizahens to freeze to the spot as though he had just experienced a catastrophic system failure. It honestly felt as though he had. The confidence he had in himself just a moment before had been ejected from him as swiftly as an old bit of code was deleted from a terminal. He had been caught.
"Oh. I was-... This Entity had made an error in finalizing the chores for the evening. They require correction for the facility to function effectively." Hadrizahens replied in his most polite, robotic Korvax voice. He hoped Orzhoku would not have noticed his slip in the beginning. He was so afraid of being caught that his processing power was functioning at only half capacity. He turned around in the spot to face the elder Korvax, who was sitting in one of the chairs at the other side of the room.
"How responsible of you." Orzhoku responded with a strange lilt to his voice. Hadrizahens didn't move as he felt Orzhoku scanning him very carefully.
"There appears to be a… film… on the motion scanners. Clearly there was a failure in routine sanitation duties-" Hadrizahens began to explain, trying to sound as innocent as he could about the obvious malfunction in the room that the two Korvax were now conversing in.
"Oh, is there? I would not have made that observation since I deactivated the motion detection system entirely. How would you know of such a thing, Merchant Assistant Entity Hadrizahens?"
"I-... Well-... Scanners-..." Hadrizahens stammered uselessly, his mind alight with dozens of excuses to use, but unable to choose the most appropriate one. Hadrizahens was not used to going against orders, or acting out in any sort of way. These were signs of a Divergent Mind, and Hadrizahens certainly was not Divergent. But Orzhoku might think otherwise now that he-... wait… "...Why did Taskmaster Entity Orzhoku deactivate the motion system?"
Orzhoku chuckled, the light on their screen dimming with each rasping sound. With a groan of metal, Orzhoku pulled themselves onto their feet and walked towards Hadrizahens.
"This was statistically likely to happen. Probability dictated this exact outcome, so I prepared for it."
"...You were waiting?" Hadrizahens asked, confused.
Orzhoku nodded sagely, but there was still a twinkle behind the light of his visor as he continued to scan Hadrizahens casually. "Yes. I was waiting for you. Calculating the draw of an anomaly to a young, curious mind was easy to do. I knew you would be drawn to the Traveller eventually."
Hadrizahens felt a hiss of air escape his casing as coolant rushed through his system to correct for the sudden spike in internal temperature.
"I was not leaving to seek knowledge from the Traveller. I am a Merchant Assistant Entity." Hadrizahens retorted.
Orzhoku didn't appear convinced in any capacity, but he didn't press Hadrizahens further down his path of incrimination. Not directly, at least.
"That is for the best, perhaps. Eheu, the Traveller Entity has been gone for some time now."
"Gone?"
Orzhoku glanced upward at Hadrizahenss' faceplate, observing the blue lights turning pale. Hadrizahens was glad that the older Korvax didn't question him on his clearly distraught response and instead elaborated further with his information.
"Not gone for good; the Traveller Entity's temporary base still stands along with the storage for its materials and supplies. The Traveller Entity is simply not within the base and has not been for several Sols now."
Orzhoku explained simply.
"The Traveller Entity is missing?" Hadrizahens probed further, hoping for any good news. Had it not been Orzhoku who had given Hadrizahens the ominous warning about some sort of unrest before the Traveller had arrived? What if the Traveller was in danger?
"It is most probable that the Traveller has sought out or simply scouting for its quarry now. The base is constructed and supplies have been delivered. It is a good time to proceed with their mission." Orzhoku looked away casually. Hadrizahens saw the lights dance across the elder Korvax's visor screen as they stole a glance at him. Whatever little game Orzhoku was trying to play failed to amuse the younger Korvax. Especially after delivering this news about the Traveller in such an intentionally deceptive way. Perhaps Taudi was right. Perhaps Orzhoku was starting to disconnect from the Convergence and his mind was starting to slip.
"Why don't you shut down for a recharge cycle? Your logic processor seems to be faulty." Hadrizahens commented tersely.
Taskmaster Entity Orzhoku walked back over to the chair and sat down once again. "Perhaps you are right. I should run a quick diagnostic of my inner workings to be sure."
Hadrizahens watched as the Korvax's visor light faded slightly, but not all the way. The elder Korvax settled into the chair, drooping slightly as he entered a suspended rest mode. Was this a trick? What was happening?
"Don't mind me, young Echo. Please go about your business. I will just be here. With the motion sensors turned off and the front doors unlocked." Orzhoku's voice faded out as he spoke until he finally entered a good operating level for diagnostics.
Hadrizahens glanced towards the door, then back at Orzhoku. He was deeply confused. He truly felt as though this was a trap, but scans of Orzhoku did prove conclusively that they were in the proper rest state to perform diagnostics. The old Korvax would not be able to reboot in time to stop Hadrizahens should he leave. There was also no way for the old Korvax to pause the diagnostic without having to restart the entire process, so it would give Hadrizahens enough time to check on the Traveller and then return before Merchant Entity Taudi would be any the wiser. It was hard to say whether Taudi would take the word of their subordinate over the older Korvax, since Taudi was predisposed to disliking anyone who wasn't Scientist Entity Podoim… but perhaps it was worth the risk.
Hadrizahens escaped the outpost with just one last look at Orzhoku to make sure that they were still running the diagnostic cycles. The old Korvax showed no sign of movement, so Hadrizahens proceeded. The night air was cooler than the day, mostly due to the humidity that clung to the atmosphere relentlessly. Had Hadrizahens been organic, he might experience a chill. Thankfully, it took much more than that to slow his inner machinery down so he kept walking. The sky was mostly clear this evening, with a few clouds gathering overhead for an impending rainstorm. Hadrizahens made a mental note to order more resin-wax once he returned to the outpost; he would need to put some on the external machinery of the base to protect it from the rain, which could be 83 degrees Celsius, and they were almost out. Despite the harsh rainstorms, Hadrizahens loved this planet. Cireenob XV was a lush, tropical paradise filled with exceptional fauna and flora. As a prospective biologist, Hadrizahens loved everything about the planet.
The path that he traversed was a trodden down grass and dirt path that had first been worn down by the local wildlife. The ungulates of Cireenob XV were migratory, moving to follow the superheated rainstorms as they moved across the planet's face. They traveled in small family herds, following both the weather and their instincts to feed off of the lush flora that flourished in the scalding rain. The plants fibers were tough to withstand the damage and hard to digest, but they were rich in nutrients as a result. Fauna would need plenty of room in their bodies for digesting the tough plant matter, but the sustenance provided was well worth growing so large. The paths both trodden and grazed down by the lifeforms were perfect for bipedal electroliforms such as Korvax to travel along as well. Hadrizahens had imagined it quite thrilling for the first Korvax settlements on this planet to discover that paths had already been provided by the local wildlife. There was no concern of disrupting the Sentinels that hummed and buzzed around the planet, stewarding all of The Atlas's great creation. Even with the Korvax setting up small settlements and outposts, the impact on the environment had been so minimal that lifeforms still used the pathways that had first been stomped down thousands of years ago.
That was why Hadrizahens felt very little apprehension as he continued walking down the path when he heard a rustling sound in the taller growing grass. Though the grass grew far past his knee joints the further away from the outpost he walked, he felt no reason to fear when something other than the gentle wind disturbed the plants. There were a fair amount of creatures that made their home in the tropical grasslands of Cireenob XV, one of which was Hadrizahens' favorite. A shy avian creature that spent its whole day flying and would only descend during the night to feed and drink. They nested in burrows under the grass that they would dig with their talons, beaks, and membranous tails. Their diet consisted of the fruit produced by the Star Bramble plants that flourished in tropical conditions. A beautiful plant tendril that produced a bioluminescent fruit that glowed like the stars in the sky. These birds would fly to the brambles at night to gorge themselves on the fruits, then return to their nests to regurgitate the fruit for their young. The movement in the grass accompanied with a faint glow was no cause for concern for Hadrizahens.
Out of the grass beside Hadrizahens, a figure rose into the air. It was not accompanied by the flap of wings, but rather the hum of a motor. The light that he thought was from the glow of star bulb juice was actually coming from an ocular lense from the center of its orange outer armor. The drone was larger than Hadrizahens' head and propelled by small thrusters on the back of its geometric body. Hadrizahens recognized the mechanical entity to be one of the ever patrolling Sentinel Drones that wandered each planet's surface throughout the galaxy. It was rare, but not unheard of to get this close to a Sentinel by mistake. They usually seemed content in their own work and minded their own business as long as any subject remained nonconfrontational and nondestructive. Having no excuse to spend prolonged periods of time outdoors, Hadrizahens had not had many run-ins of any kind with any of these drones. He marveled as the small robot fired up its thrusters to move forward, but the thrusters sputtered and the Sentinel was jerked ungracefully through the air. Something was wrong.
Not wanting to interfere with the Sentinel, for fear that any approach might be misread as an act of aggression, Hadrizahens watched anxiously as the drone continued to move strangely through the air. It tilted slightly on its axis, leaning on its right side as it lurched through the air. It appeared to have no awareness of its malfunction. Perhaps it was just a temporary systems glitch? Nothing outside of the Sentinel would indicate damage, and their hull was usually crafted with alloys strong enough to withstand adverse weather. Hadrizahens thought to leave the Sentinel alone and continue on his trek down to the ridge. As soon as his foot hit the grass in his path, the Sentinel suddenly wheeled around and focused it's scanner lense on Hadrizahens, narrowing it for detailed analysis.
Hadrizahens didn't move, he was too startled by the sudden aggression in the movements of the Sentinel. Knowing he had done no wrong, he stood in place and allowed the Sentinel to perform a rapid scan and allow him to go on his way. The blue scanner light passed from his head to his feet as the Sentinel buzzed around his head.
The Sentinel made an angry buzzer sound. The cogs inside of its frame began to whir angrily. Hadrizahens took a step back in alarm. The Sentinel's ocular lense flashed from blue to red. Hadrizahens recognized the color. It was a transfixing deep crimson, yet somehow cold. He couldn't look away as the Sentinel began charging and redirecting power to its offensive systems. There was a sudden, secondary glow of red light. Hadrizahens spotted it just in time. He jumped to the side just in time to avoid a bolt of laser fire from the Sentinel's side mounted blaster. The Sentinel made a second buzzing sound, sounding frustrated if Sentinels were capable of anything outside of cold efficiency. Suddenly, as though materializing out of thin air, three more drones rose out of the grass. Their scanner lights were all red and fixated on Hadrizahens.
Terrified and disoriented, Hadrizahens turned down the path and began to run. He had no idea why the Sentinel Drones were initiating an attack, but he had no time to puzzle it out. All he could do was run. The drones left the tall grass, hovering quickly after him. He didn't turn his head to check if they were behind him, but he could hear their thrusters kicking into a higher mode of speed to pursue. The trading outpost was still closer than any other building or shelter, but the drones made sure to herd Hadrizahens further away, creating a barrier between him and safety. He had no choice but to continue running down the path. He knew what would happen if he slowed down or allowed them to catch him. His only choice was to hope that whatever malfunction the drones were experiencing was affecting their aim as well.
The Sentinels began to open fire on Hadrizahens as soon as they were at their maximum speed. The Korvax let out an involuntary yelp of fear as he saw the first of the laser bolts streak past him and char the ground at his feet. Even in the humidity of the tropical atmosphere, the laser bolts were hot enough to burn the grass and dampened dirt to a dark, scorched color. It frightened him to think what firepower like that might do to the synthetic flesh of an electroliform like himself. Luckily, he could see the pathway cut behind a small grove of deep green trees. Beyond the grove was a downwards slope that created a small bog thanks to the near constant rainfall. Beyond the ditch bog was the ridge. Beyond the ridge was the Traveller. Hadrizahens was getting close.
The Korvax took the turn around the grove at a sprint, not bothering to slow down. The grip on the bottom of his boots failed him momentarily on the damp ground and his feet slid out from under him. He flailed his arms to counter the sudden shift in his balance and only just managed to stay on his feet as he ran down the slope of the hill. The sudden turn, the tree cover, and the decline of the terrain seemed to throw the Sentinel swarm momentarily. Hadrizahens heard a series of beeps and buzzes as the Sentinels slowed to scan the horizon for their quarry that was no longer there. Unfortunately, one of the drones spotted Hadrizahens sliding down the hill into the bog and alerted the others. The pursuit continued, but Hadrizahens had been blessed with more of a lead. Their blaster fire was not as accurate at a distance, as their weaponry relied on heat and energy. He only had to maintain the distance. Once at the bottom of the hill, Hadrizahens' boot sunk through the grass and into a shallow pit of mud. He knew he was at a disadvantage now.
Even though the bog was only about 20 meters wide, it was still slick and wet from rain and decaying plant matter. The tendrils of fibrous plants rotting in the mud acted like thin fingers, grasping onto anything with weight that sunk into the mud; refusing to let go. Still, stepping on the clumps of plant matter was the better option. The risk of getting tangled temporarily outweighed that of being swallowed and sucked into a deeper pit of mud. One misstep and it would be all over for the young Korvax. He lept from island to island as quickly as he dared, ripping his feet from the grasses and roots before taking another leap. He couldn't slow down. Unlike him, the Sentinels could hover. Terrain like this would not slow them. They followed across the bog, still buzzing and grinding angrily. Hadrizahens was so close. The incline of the ridge with its sturdier, rockier ground was just within his reach.
A searing heat skirted past his side, taking Hadrizahens off balance and sending him forward and into the ridge. He threw his hands out to catch himself, grasping desperately at the grass growing on the incline of the ridge lest he slip and fall back into the mud of the mire. His left hand jolted and seized as the palm hit something hard. Without even having to inspect the damage visually, he knew that he had split the synthetic material on his hand. As a programmed response, his fist balled up tightly to protect the delicate machinery within the hand from dirt and other damaging material. His side was pulsing with a white hot sensation as he received multiple damage alerts. He pushed himself to his feet with some difficulty, glancing down at his side as he heaved himself further up the ridge. He caught a glimpse of the damage but could only stand to keep it at a glance. It appeared as though a blaster bolt had seared through the material of his side and melted it down. He thought he saw circuitry, but he pushed the data out of his mind. He couldn't perform a damage report or a diagnostic scan at the moment. He needed to keep running or risk irreparable damage at the hands of the Sentinels.
He covered the tear in his synthetic skin with his already damaged and useless hand as began to climb. He dug his elbow into the dirt and rock, grasping at gravel or grass as he ascended the side of the ridge. It was slow and terrifying. The other side would be even more steep. But a descent would be easier. If he could make it to the top, he could put distance between him and the Sentinels once again. Especially since they seemed to struggle with sudden changes in terrain when moving at high speeds. Hadrizahens put all other thoughts out of his mind. He ignored the approaching buzz of the swarm and their continued fire. He ignored the hot sensation in his side and hand. He ignored the damage alerts. He just kept climbing. If he thought of anything else, if he slowed for a second, the Sentinels would catch him. They would blow him to pieces. The Traveller's base was just on the other side of the ridge.
It became easier for him to calm his processors as he kept up the monotonous climb. There was a quick rhythm to his ascent. Elbow, grasp, left foot, right. Elbow, grasp, left foot, right. Elbow grasp, left foot, right. The mechanical nature of the rhythm soothed him ever so slightly, centering him amidst the pulses of Sentinel fire. Truly, what did he have to fear? Organic lifeforms fear death, but the Korvax did not experience that same sensation. Disconnection was not a ceasing of existence, it was rejoining the collective mind of his people. Though he had hoped to stay and collect more knowledge to bring back to the Convergence before. He preferred to continue this stage of his life cycle further. Of course he did. The Korvax didn't lack a sense of self preservation, otherwise they would have no hope to continue as a species. But the fear of death was lessened enough for Hadrizahens in the rhythm of his climb enough for him to keep panic from overtaking his systems. There was logic and calm within him. He only hoped that it was not in vain. He could only hope that he would see salvation once he got to the top.
Hadrizahens' pulled himself up on the crest of the ridge and looked down into the valley. His circuits ran cold as he stared. The Traveller's base stood dark and empty below him. The star fighter was nowhere to be seen. There was no sign of the Traveller. He had hoped that the Traveller would have returned. That maybe the Traveller would be able to help him. It was a foolish and illogical hope and he realized it now. No. Hadrizahens had come too far to allow himself to be overtaken and melted into scrap by the swarm of angry Sentinels. There was still a structure and Hadrizahens was not totally helpless. He could hide around or within the base until the Sentinels moved on, there might be supplies to repair and recharge himself, there might be a way to call for help. There were many courses of action to take, all of which sounded much better than Disconnection.
The only thing standing in his way now was the stretch of flat, open ground between the bottom of the ridge and the structure of the small base. There would be nothing to protect him from incoming fire, and the open grassland that Hadrizahens would have to cross was at least 40 meters in length. Descending the ridge, the Sentinels would also have an advantage of higher ground and a perfectly unobstructed view to fire at him from. But he was so close. He could make it. He didn't have time to hesitate. He braced his arm more tightly over the melted tear in his side and he leapt over the side of the ridge.
The dirt and gravel was loose from the constant superheated rain erosion, making it a challenge to balance but much easier to descend. Hadrizahens slid down the ridge quickly and easily, creating a cascade of earth beneath and behind him as he went. All he had to do was keep his center of gravity as low to the ground as he could. Through the sounds of the shifting earth, Hadrizahens could hear the sound he had been counting on. The Sentinels let out a loud blaring sound as soon as Hadrizahens had suddenly disappeared beyond their line of sight. They were agitated but disoriented and struggled to track the direction that their quarry had taken. Hadrizahens was stumbling onto the flattened ground at the bottom of the ridge, trying to keep his balance on all of the loosened earth that had fallen with him by the time the Sentinels had spotted him once more.
He took off at a mad sprint towards the base as soon as the Sentinels began to fire at him once again. The distance was great enough that their accuracy was suffering. The hover technology used in the Sentinels also meant that their descent would not gain momentum. Hadrizahens had a chance. He dedicated every ounce of power inside of his casing to propelling himself forward as fast as his mechanical joints would allow him to go. He didn't think. He didn't feel. He only ran. He was so close.
A sharp burning sensation erupted on the back of his leg and the joint locked up, sending Hadrizahens tumbling into the dirt once again. This time, he couldn't get up. A laser bolt had penetrated the back of his boot, through his synthetic skin, and into the circuits within his leg. The damage had completely locked up the joint. Even if Hadrizahens could override the lock up procedure meant to prevent further damage from occurring, he was fairly certain that the direct hit had welded the alloys and wiring inside his leg together. It was useless. He couldn't stand. His systems were overloading with damage alerts. He felt hot. This was it, this was the end. He tried pulling himself forward with his one good arm and one good leg, but the sealed door of the Traveller's base was still at least 13 meters away. He wouldn't make it after all. The mad Sentinels would gun him down.
A cloud of hot air and old grass was kicked up around Hadrizahens by a powerful wind, and he braced himself against it. The wind passed over him as quickly as it had started in the first place and he sat up to see what had caused the irrational weather pattern. Blue bolts of photon fire rained down from the darkened sky onto the swarm of Sentinels, drawing their fire effortlessly. As the Sentinels aimed towards the sky, they were scattered off course by a gust of heated wind as a metallic arrow shape raced overhead. The trail of blue light left behind by a powerful thruster hung in the air as the craft turned towards the sky, avoiding hitting the ridge, then turning back and diving back at the swarm of Sentinels. Hadrizahens was horrified to now see that their number had grown in size during the pursuit. There were now at least 16 Sentinels descending the ridge. 11 now. The photon fire had blasted a few of them to unrecognizable pieces. Even in the darkened sky, Hadrizahens could recognize the blue fighter with yellow-gold accents.
Hadrizahens watched the fighter class starship fly past the base quite some distance, then turn towards the swarm again. The hull lowered closer and closer to the earth and Hadrizahens watched in awe and horror as the thruster boosters let out a thunderous noise. The ship lurched forward with a frighteningly dangerous boost of speed as it skirted along the planet's surface towards Hadrizahens and the swarm. The grass beneath the ship was pushed with such great wind force that it stayed flattened against the ground even after the ship had shot past. The swarm of Sentinels seemed confident, standing their ground and firing uselessly at the fighter. The deflector shields rendered their small blaster bolts useless against the vessel as it bore down on them. An uneasy buzzing sound came from the swarm and their ocular lenses began to blink and strobe. Hadrizahens ducked as the star fighter opened fire once more on the swarm, feeling the heat from the photon blasters as they flew overhead. Four more Sentinels were blasted to pieces but the ship didn't slow down or change course.
With a loud, blaring buzzer sound, the Sentinels scattered just as the ship lurched to a stop where the swarm had been moments before. The landing gears extended and the ship's rear thrusters died instantly. The nose of the ship lurched upwards as forward thrusters swiftly engaged to compensate for the momentum as the ship landed. As the vessel was landing, the pressure was released from the cockpit and the hatch lifted. With its multi-tool raised in its fist, the Traveller swung out of the cockpit and hit the grass running.
The swarm of Sentinels began to regroup, their lenses flashing crimson now. Something about the Traveller had sent them into a full rage. Hadrizahens could sense it in their circuits. He had never seen anything upset Sentinels like this before, and it terrified him. Perhaps it was the sheer amount of violence that the Traveller had entered the situation with, or its intent to continue the violence with its multi-tool drawn. Nevertheless, Hadrizahens did not wish for the Traveller to put the multi-tool away.
"The Sentinels! They are enraged!" Hadrizahens called to the Traveller desperately. He pointed towards the regrouped swarm that had just begun pursuing the Traveller. A volley of blaster fire was sent towards the organic entity, but the Traveller shot suddenly into the air. Startled, Hadrizahens stared towards the sky where the Traveller had rocketed upwards. The Traveller turned in midair and trained its weapon on the Sentinels, firing several rounds in their direction. One, two, three direct hits. Three Sentinel Drones fell lifeless to the earth, their ocular lenses pierced and their internal systems fried. Residual heat from the backpack the Traveller wore registered on Hadrizahens' scanners. Of course. A jetpack.
The Traveller landed on the ground, stumbling for only a moment before it turned back towards Hadrizahens. Before the Korvax knew it, he was being swept off of the ground and set back on his feet. He leaned backwards in both fear and awe as soon as he saw the blank visor of the Traveller's helmet right next to his. He nearly lost his balance, but the same strong arm that had pulled him off of the ground caught him behind his back to keep him steady and push him along.
"Run!" The Traveller ordered urgently, pushing Hadrizahens again.
"No, I can't-!" Hadrizahens had to grip the Traveller's arm tightly as he received another push forward. Without it, he would have fallen on his face once again. "There's too much damage…"
The Traveller looked Hadrizahens over in obvious dismay, its glance finally falling to Hadrizahens' leg once Hadrizahens indicated to it. Still supported by the Traveller's arm, Hadrizahens was close enough to not only hear its exhale of alarm, but feel it as well. Maybe the Traveller was weighing its options to leave Hadrizahens behind and escape by itself. It stood mostly motionless for a moment, only shaken back to the present when the Sentinels' fire shot past its helmet.
Decision made, the Traveller suddenly tightened its grip on Hadrizahens, holding him much closer and refocusing on the approaching Sentinels. It aimed its firearm at the Sentinels, shielding Hadrizahens with its own biomass as a hexagonal lattice appeared before them, deflecting the blaster bolts from the Sentinels. The shield was suddenly deactivated and the Traveller fired a few more shots, destroying two more Sentinel drones and heavily damaging two more. With that distraction, the Traveller swept Hadrizahens into its arms once again and ran towards the base door.
All Hadrizahens could do was cling awkwardly around the Traveller's neck as he was carried to the base. His fear was starting to return as the helplessness of his situation sunk in. The Sentinels were following again, the base still appeared to be powered down, and the Traveller was using both arms to carry him and therefore could not hold its weapon. The Traveller was thankfully lighter on its feet than Hadrizahens, even while carrying the mechanical lifeform.
The Traveller ran up the ramp to the door of its base, dropping Hadrizahens to his feet but still supporting him with one arm. It jabbed its fingers wildly at the keypad on the door, entering a sequence in as quickly as it could. Hadrizahens stayed close, watching in fear as the Sentinel drones rushed ever closer. Their aim was getting better with the decreased distance. The Traveller only looked up from the keypad once Hadrizahens let out a fearful yelp as he ducked out of the way of a blaster bolt that scored the hermetic door behind him. The Traveller tensed up and shoved Hadrizahens behind itself once again, shielding him from the swarm. The shield lattice appeared once again, but suddenly faltered as the power failed. Still, the Traveller stood between Hadrizahens and the Sentinels, as resolute as ever.
The Traveller began to fire at the Sentinels, less accurately than before. Had the direct hits been a fluke? Or was the Traveller just trying to keep the Sentinels at bay?
"Six, zero, five, nine!"
Hadrizahens was shaken out of his reverent trance, feeling foolish for having stared at the Traveller for so long. They were in a life or death situation, and Hadrizahens had been daydreaming? How shameful. "...What?"
"Six, zero, five, nine!" The Traveller repeated more urgently, nodding over his shoulder to Hadrizahens.
A rush of understanding hit Hadrizahens like a bucket of ice water and he was suddenly fully alert. He turned his back towards the Traveller and punched the number sequence into the keypad. A deep hum suddenly erupted from the base, startling Hadrizahens. He jumped back, bumping into the Traveller as power flooded the base systems and the lights flashed on. The Traveller caught and steadied Hadrizahens, neglecting the drones in front of him. The Sentinel swarm ceased their fire as the sudden light blinded their ocular lenses. The swarm turned away to reorient the receptors to the shift in light. Then, the door hissed and slid open. Hadrizahens was pushed inside, tumbling to the ground with the Traveller falling at his side as a hail of blaster bolts flew overhead. The Traveller got to its hands and knees and crawled across the floor quickly to the control panel next to the door and slammed a fist into one of the buttons. The light blinked red, the door slammed shut, and a lock tumbled into place. The Sentinels were locked outside. Hadrizahens and the Traveller were safe.