Black Feather: Episode XV
"Anoxic Dawn"
Global Cortex Surface Base, Branch GC-05
12:00 a.m., 03/10
"Someone get Security, NOW!!"
"Fire! FIRE!!"
"ALL RAVENS, PLEASE EVACUATE TO A NEARBY ESCAPE ZONE."
"Get to the evacuation zone immediately!!"
"The hangars! They're..."
Disaster struck at midnight. A tumult of rapid footsteps and hollers were overshadowed by the screaming alarm. Global Cortex rumbled again, accompanied by a booming groan.
"Qastor!! NO!! RETURN TO THE ESCAPE ZONE!!"
"I have to get Malirant!!" Just like that, Qastor disappeared into the obscuring chaos. The hallway lights flashed red, then white-tan, and red again, only to repeat the urgent pattern once again.
The infirmary was in shambles. Ruins blocked off the entrance. A violent shock tossed Qastor off balance.
"Malirant! Damn..." His eyes found themselves focusing upon a sector map embedded in the opposite wall. "The northern hangar..." He picked himself up when a fleeing clerk spotted him.
"Mr. Qastor!! Where are you going!?" It was too late, for he was already out of sight. Exasperatingly, the clerk parted ways.
The northern hangar was unharmed, waiting for Qastor's arrival.
_____________________________
"Qastor!? Qastor!!" Iris sought wildly about. A Raven ran towards her. "Excuse me! Have you seen Qastor!?"
"No, I haven't!" The Raven was gone.
"Qastor..."
"Miss Iris!" Security guards came into view, accompanied by a few other Ravens. "Please get to the evacuation zone!" One of the guards motioned her to follow.
Iris found herself sitting in a personnel transport a moment later. She stared at the dying base; flames blanketed the south section, while the east section was annihilated. All of the hangars were destroyed. Scores of fighter jets and a swarm of helicopters repetitively fired at the base. Several massive bombers hung about in the air, the Sphere insignia shone proudly upon its wings.
Two ACs retaliated against the swarm.
_____________________________
Iris opened her eyes. A flood of sunlight stroked against the blankets.
"A...dormitory?" Squinting, Iris looked about the room. Everything seemed the same. She found herself sitting upon a bed. Removing the blankets, she stood on the familiar, glossy marble floor. Iris walked up to the open window and stared into the horizon. She listened...
"No songbirds..." A sun-warmed breeze brushed against her hair. A morning hum in the distance lingered. It was peaceful... no, it was... stagnant...
The aromatic wind returned her memories back to her. Iris hurried to door. It revealed a bustling hall of people as it split open. The ceiling arched twenty-five feet up, and a broad row of glass panels that ran along the center exposed the sky.
The door closed behind her. Iris strolled the hallway, trying to absorb what had happened.
"Sphere..." She thought to herself. "They attacked Global Cortex at exactly midnight... Qastor's gone and Malirant's nowhere to be seen..." Iris was deep in thought when...
"Outta my way! I'm late!! I'M LATE!!" A young lady exploded from an adjacent hallway and collided into Iris.
She almost fell, but the young lady was sitting on the floor, dazed.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Are you ok?"
"Ow... huh? Oh, Iris! It's you!"
"Wha... Rose? Rose! You're alive!" Iris smiled for the first time in five days. Rose stood up with Iris' help.
"I'm so happy to see you! I thought you were..." Rose looked at the ground at the end of her sentence, but looked up at Iris again as soon as she began another one. "Look, we'll talk later. I'm late for my scouting round. See ya later!" Iris looked on as the vibrant young lady bolted away.
Iris came across an electronic map of the entire structure. It was Global Cortex.
"But, how..." Iris' stopped when the name 'Layered' appeared at the side of the screen.
"Welcome home." Iris turned around. A woman was walking towards her.
"Valkyrie!"
"Call my Kyrie." Kyrie peacefully smiled. Iris nodded. "Are you lost?"
"I guess I am." Iris looked away. "Do you mind telling me what happened?"
Kyrie turned her gaze up into the sky. "We are in District 2 of Layered. After last night's attack, all the remaining survivors from Global Cortex's Surface Base retreated to Nephilon City, where Layered's main surface elevator is located. Sphere chased us and heavily damaged a transport ship, the one you were on. We rode the elevator down to Layered and took shelter here, in Layered's Global Cortex."
"I see..." Iris waited a few seconds. "Kyrie? Have you seen Qastor and Malirant?"
Kyrie looked puzzled. "They are...?"
"My friends."
"I'm sorry, but I haven't. But, don't worry! If anyone sees them, I'll make sure you'll be the first to know."
"Thank you."
Kyrie nodded, and with that, she returned to her duties. Iris checked the map again. A cafeteria was located near. Feeling a bit hungry, she headed down, hoping it was still in operation.
Somewhere, deep in the bowels of Layered, sinister eyes dwell in the darkness.
"Anoxic Dawn"
Global Cortex Surface Base, Branch GC-05
12:00 a.m., 03/10
"Someone get Security, NOW!!"
"Fire! FIRE!!"
"ALL RAVENS, PLEASE EVACUATE TO A NEARBY ESCAPE ZONE."
"Get to the evacuation zone immediately!!"
"The hangars! They're..."
Disaster struck at midnight. A tumult of rapid footsteps and hollers were overshadowed by the screaming alarm. Global Cortex rumbled again, accompanied by a booming groan.
"Qastor!! NO!! RETURN TO THE ESCAPE ZONE!!"
"I have to get Malirant!!" Just like that, Qastor disappeared into the obscuring chaos. The hallway lights flashed red, then white-tan, and red again, only to repeat the urgent pattern once again.
The infirmary was in shambles. Ruins blocked off the entrance. A violent shock tossed Qastor off balance.
"Malirant! Damn..." His eyes found themselves focusing upon a sector map embedded in the opposite wall. "The northern hangar..." He picked himself up when a fleeing clerk spotted him.
"Mr. Qastor!! Where are you going!?" It was too late, for he was already out of sight. Exasperatingly, the clerk parted ways.
The northern hangar was unharmed, waiting for Qastor's arrival.
_____________________________
"Qastor!? Qastor!!" Iris sought wildly about. A Raven ran towards her. "Excuse me! Have you seen Qastor!?"
"No, I haven't!" The Raven was gone.
"Qastor..."
"Miss Iris!" Security guards came into view, accompanied by a few other Ravens. "Please get to the evacuation zone!" One of the guards motioned her to follow.
Iris found herself sitting in a personnel transport a moment later. She stared at the dying base; flames blanketed the south section, while the east section was annihilated. All of the hangars were destroyed. Scores of fighter jets and a swarm of helicopters repetitively fired at the base. Several massive bombers hung about in the air, the Sphere insignia shone proudly upon its wings.
Two ACs retaliated against the swarm.
_____________________________
Iris opened her eyes. A flood of sunlight stroked against the blankets.
"A...dormitory?" Squinting, Iris looked about the room. Everything seemed the same. She found herself sitting upon a bed. Removing the blankets, she stood on the familiar, glossy marble floor. Iris walked up to the open window and stared into the horizon. She listened...
"No songbirds..." A sun-warmed breeze brushed against her hair. A morning hum in the distance lingered. It was peaceful... no, it was... stagnant...
The aromatic wind returned her memories back to her. Iris hurried to door. It revealed a bustling hall of people as it split open. The ceiling arched twenty-five feet up, and a broad row of glass panels that ran along the center exposed the sky.
The door closed behind her. Iris strolled the hallway, trying to absorb what had happened.
"Sphere..." She thought to herself. "They attacked Global Cortex at exactly midnight... Qastor's gone and Malirant's nowhere to be seen..." Iris was deep in thought when...
"Outta my way! I'm late!! I'M LATE!!" A young lady exploded from an adjacent hallway and collided into Iris.
She almost fell, but the young lady was sitting on the floor, dazed.
"Oh, I'm sorry! Are you ok?"
"Ow... huh? Oh, Iris! It's you!"
"Wha... Rose? Rose! You're alive!" Iris smiled for the first time in five days. Rose stood up with Iris' help.
"I'm so happy to see you! I thought you were..." Rose looked at the ground at the end of her sentence, but looked up at Iris again as soon as she began another one. "Look, we'll talk later. I'm late for my scouting round. See ya later!" Iris looked on as the vibrant young lady bolted away.
Iris came across an electronic map of the entire structure. It was Global Cortex.
"But, how..." Iris' stopped when the name 'Layered' appeared at the side of the screen.
"Welcome home." Iris turned around. A woman was walking towards her.
"Valkyrie!"
"Call my Kyrie." Kyrie peacefully smiled. Iris nodded. "Are you lost?"
"I guess I am." Iris looked away. "Do you mind telling me what happened?"
Kyrie turned her gaze up into the sky. "We are in District 2 of Layered. After last night's attack, all the remaining survivors from Global Cortex's Surface Base retreated to Nephilon City, where Layered's main surface elevator is located. Sphere chased us and heavily damaged a transport ship, the one you were on. We rode the elevator down to Layered and took shelter here, in Layered's Global Cortex."
"I see..." Iris waited a few seconds. "Kyrie? Have you seen Qastor and Malirant?"
Kyrie looked puzzled. "They are...?"
"My friends."
"I'm sorry, but I haven't. But, don't worry! If anyone sees them, I'll make sure you'll be the first to know."
"Thank you."
Kyrie nodded, and with that, she returned to her duties. Iris checked the map again. A cafeteria was located near. Feeling a bit hungry, she headed down, hoping it was still in operation.
Somewhere, deep in the bowels of Layered, sinister eyes dwell in the darkness.