Black Feather: Episode XII
"Dormant Calamity"
Astrict Barrens
6:32 p.m., 03/07
Qastor chased the moon, glaring directly in front of him on the HUD as he traversed the night expanse.
"What are you staring at?" Qastor had found a paper copy of the mission contract between Iris and Sphere in her dormitory. It now lied on the cockpit floor; a crumpled orb rolling as the AC swayed.
His palms were moist under his synthetic gloves. The transport lines doubted his intentions and denied him of any use of a transport. He had been boosting and overboosting across the barren plains for twenty-five minutes, worried he might be too late to save Iris.
"First me, then Malirant, and now... No, not Iris. Not if I'm around..." Qastor's thoughts sounded doubtful, but promising. He glimpsed at the left side screen, fixed on his new weapon, Sphere's new Rail Gun. He had wanted to switch it with his old light grenade launcher, fearing that the weapon might not work when the time came, but he needed to get to Iris as quickly as he can. His suspicions with Sphere strengthened as the night grew dark. Qastor turned on the news-frequency.
"...for the best. Sphere, one of the newest surface Corporations, has come under heavy scrutiny as of late. Reports state that many Ravens have turned up missing during Sphere's missions. Here to speak with us is Vulture, a Raven who once worked for Sphere... umm..." Whispers in the radio background stirred.
"Where is he!?"
"Don't ask me! He never showed up!"
"Mmmnnn!!" The reporter's voice returned to its usual loudness. "We apologize for the delay. Our guest is currently absent..." Qastor turned it off. A rise in the terrain, almost a cliff, came into view. He took a better look in the air. There it was.
The crater.
A swirling tempest of darkness swirled in the obscured center. A primordial fear breathed in Qastor's body, screaming and ordering him to turn back, before the nest of shadows devoured him. Iris had experienced the same fear. As did all humans who attempted to enter. who got anywhere near 'its' components.
It was growing ever so black; the shadows in the crater seem to jump devilishly about. Qastor shook his head, trying to ward off whatever it was that possessed his mind. Xanthippius plunged into the swarthy nightmare.
A hole in the ground was visible. Two steel slabs covered its left and right sides. A large object rushed past him. Qastor turned around, the CHD-SKYEYE shifting from left to right, right to up, and up to down left again.
"Computer, what was that!?" Qastor's heart raced. He spoke quickly.
"No movement detected." Was it just his imagination?
A large stomp tremored the ground behind him. Qastor swiveled and something stopped him.
"An AC!? Aaarrgghh!!!" A monstrous pressure was sensed on Xanthippius' neck. A trepidation rung from head to toe.
The AC was choking Xanthippius.
"Dormant Calamity"
Astrict Barrens
6:32 p.m., 03/07
Qastor chased the moon, glaring directly in front of him on the HUD as he traversed the night expanse.
"What are you staring at?" Qastor had found a paper copy of the mission contract between Iris and Sphere in her dormitory. It now lied on the cockpit floor; a crumpled orb rolling as the AC swayed.
His palms were moist under his synthetic gloves. The transport lines doubted his intentions and denied him of any use of a transport. He had been boosting and overboosting across the barren plains for twenty-five minutes, worried he might be too late to save Iris.
"First me, then Malirant, and now... No, not Iris. Not if I'm around..." Qastor's thoughts sounded doubtful, but promising. He glimpsed at the left side screen, fixed on his new weapon, Sphere's new Rail Gun. He had wanted to switch it with his old light grenade launcher, fearing that the weapon might not work when the time came, but he needed to get to Iris as quickly as he can. His suspicions with Sphere strengthened as the night grew dark. Qastor turned on the news-frequency.
"...for the best. Sphere, one of the newest surface Corporations, has come under heavy scrutiny as of late. Reports state that many Ravens have turned up missing during Sphere's missions. Here to speak with us is Vulture, a Raven who once worked for Sphere... umm..." Whispers in the radio background stirred.
"Where is he!?"
"Don't ask me! He never showed up!"
"Mmmnnn!!" The reporter's voice returned to its usual loudness. "We apologize for the delay. Our guest is currently absent..." Qastor turned it off. A rise in the terrain, almost a cliff, came into view. He took a better look in the air. There it was.
The crater.
A swirling tempest of darkness swirled in the obscured center. A primordial fear breathed in Qastor's body, screaming and ordering him to turn back, before the nest of shadows devoured him. Iris had experienced the same fear. As did all humans who attempted to enter. who got anywhere near 'its' components.
It was growing ever so black; the shadows in the crater seem to jump devilishly about. Qastor shook his head, trying to ward off whatever it was that possessed his mind. Xanthippius plunged into the swarthy nightmare.
A hole in the ground was visible. Two steel slabs covered its left and right sides. A large object rushed past him. Qastor turned around, the CHD-SKYEYE shifting from left to right, right to up, and up to down left again.
"Computer, what was that!?" Qastor's heart raced. He spoke quickly.
"No movement detected." Was it just his imagination?
A large stomp tremored the ground behind him. Qastor swiveled and something stopped him.
"An AC!? Aaarrgghh!!!" A monstrous pressure was sensed on Xanthippius' neck. A trepidation rung from head to toe.
The AC was choking Xanthippius.