The heat is getting to him. Even with the coolness of his bio-suit acting as a second skin, he still feels the humidity seeping into his pores. Breaths come long and heavy, the walk to the fallen Juggernaut becoming more difficult with each step he takes. Overseers Po and Qukel were spans in front of him, their pace hurried despite their environment. He feels himself bending over, trying to catch his breath. It doesn't help. Eyes shut at the heaviness his lungs bring forth, the pressure making him sink to the ground. Po looks back to see if the older overseer is keeping pace, surprised to see the man lying by the embankment they were following to their destination. Running forward he bends next to the elder, one hand braced against his back, the other checking his vital signs.
"We need to stop, Oknor is having trouble breathing."
Qukel slows her steps, turning around to see what the fuss was about. Hips tilt as she places her hands there, frustration evident.
"As much as I like to rest, we don't have the fucking time. Leave him there, he'll live."
"Gods damnit Qu-
"-No, she's right. Leave me here, I'm being a burden to you all."
Coughs rack his frame as he bangs his fist consecutively against his chest, trying to regulate his breathing. Po's brow furrows, forehead deeply crinkled.
"You heard the man, leave him. Just got confirmation from the others they reached the great library. We're not making much headway as is. Let's keep moving."
A grimace takes hold, whole body going rigid at her words.
"You're callous, you know that?"
"Well, I'm not second in command for nothing, you know."
Shoulders shrugging, she resumes her journey to the crashed ship, not taking a second glance back.
The rest of their brethren pause, considering what they should do. Despite Oknor's poor state, their pace fastens to keep up with Qukel, not staying behind. She was known to have a terrible temper, especially when something got in the way. They weren't about to raise her wrath due to his health troubles. Overseer Hohana meanders where she stands, coming over to where the two men rest.
"I'll be staying with them, that alright Qukel?"
"You're the team medic, I don't see why not. Nobody else is having issues. I'll contact you when we get there."
Smiling in relief, she gives a salute before shouldering off her pack. Medicine is brought to Oknor's attention, the medic gesturing for him to remove his helmet. He refuses, pushing back at her efforts to help him.
"No, it isn't safe. The great poison is-
"-Not going to hurt you as long as you don't disturb those mushroom sacs. We haven't, there's none in this vicinity, I've already checked. Trust me. Here, drink this."
The vial of medicine is present before his mask, her fingers pressing at the mechanism that holds it in place. No resistance is met, hands shakily taking hold of the vial from her, gulping it down as soon as the nozzle of his breathing apparatus detaches from his suit.
"Bitter.", he says, blanching at the taste.
"Hey, you're lucky she's here with us, Wal'os got hurt pretty badly, and you're aware of Vida's medicinal skills. Better killer than healer."
Laughing, Oknor nods in agreement while Hohana checks his biometric readouts. She huffs at what she finds.
"You're having an anxiety attack. You're usually pretty level-headed old timer. What happened?"
"This happened, the great beast is back. Azuei confirmed it."
Po sighs, sharing his pain.
"There's nothing we can do but move forward. What's done is done."
"True, doesn't mean I have to like it though."
His coughing attack continues, ears straining to hear the voice that suddenly comes over the commlink.
Po and Hohana are silent as they listen too, not believing what Mother Uytqyo says.
"They found…they found a sentinel!? The humans created sentinels?" Hohana sits in shock, arms hugging her frame.
Po can't believe the news either, he merely stares at the ground, lost in thought.
"Looks like they've become creators. They are our flesh and blood, guess this shouldn't be a surprise. Huh."
The elderly overseer addresses them both, breath coming in quick gasps.
"Mother Uytqyo says it's repairable. We should have our answers soon enough."
Steps echo loudly though the antechamber as the overseers make their way to the hall of heads. They stand reverent before the monuments, each depicting the four great leaders from eons passed. Tension aches in Azuei's back, struggling to keep hold of Wal'os along with Toto's aid. The pain pulses, a dull throb that quickens as her good arm strains to keep her fallen comrade from collapsing. His ankle twists, bringing all three to the ground. Toto curses profusely, a string of words that follow making even Vida blush. She was no stranger to foul language. Their commander comes forth, bending to check on her brethren's wound.
"Doesn't look good, best you stay here. Don't argue, I will hear none of it."
Wal'os merely grunts in agreement, the lanky man leaning against one of the far walls of the chamber. Toto gets up slowly to join, seething at their predicament. She watches the brothers, wishing to stay. That wasn't possible though. They had few enough people as is, she knew she had to assist the others. Standing slowly, she grasps her injured arm like a vice, the pain serving as a reminder why she couldn't give up now. There was took much at stake.
"I'll join you two, just give me a moment."
Surprisingly, both women nod in understanding. Mother Uytqyo traverses forward, not waiting.
"Vida, stay stationed here until Azuei gets her bearings together. I'm going to venture into the catacombs, I'll link you if I find anything."
"Fine by me."
Her staff serves as an anchor to the reality they now had to confront, legs wobbling as she makes her way into the lower levels of the library. Old age is a bitch, she thinks, the longevity of her life more curse than blessing.
Have to continue my husband's legacy. It's the reason why the destroyers lost in the first place.
She takes a palm to damp limestone, tracing the hieroglyphs ingrained on its surface as her descent continues. The writing is dark, archaic. Memoires of long ago come to mind, the days when creation was celebrated, not shunned. Volcanic soot sticks to her suit, covering her already decrepit skeletal form. Faint light shines ahead, growing brighter as she enters one of the chambers. What she discovers shocks her. Various drawings, paintings, litter the surface of the walls, zoological studies of nature. Some held quite beauty, capturing life in a snapshot of perfection. The ones that followed…they grew perverse the further she made way. Depictions of flesh decaying, unnaturally elongated limbs, tubes that spur from a woman's mouth. Experiments, she realizes. Someone had been experimenting, creating a new variation of the beast.
Whomever it was, they were trying to bring it to life once more. Who in the Gods good names would do that?
Her staff knocks a jar off a table, startling her. Mask swerving at the noise, she drops her staff, heart plummeting. An eviscerated corpse of a human woman. Organs removed, leaving a gaping wound that showed a deep rouge. Ribs pressed oddly against pallid skin, as if something had ripped its way out. More than once. Tears accumulate, wishing she could wipe at them.
May the Gods have mercy on this poor child's soul.
Unbeknownst to her, the child's spirit stands near, crying.
An hour passes by as the young overseer slowly gains her bearings. Revigorated, she stands tall, directing focus on Vida.
"That took longer than a moment girly."
"I don't need your commentary, you weren't the one injured. Let's go."'
They make way down the hall to another sublevel, their shadows dissipating as they find themselves in complete darkness. Night vision is turned on, surroundings casts in a dull green glow, same as the ship's holographic projections. Goosebumps travel along Azuei's arm, flesh prickling at the sense of being watched.
"We're being followed."
"Nonsense, you're just on edge."
"I'm serious, listen to me. Feel your surroundings!"
Vida surveilles the hall cautiously, rifle raised to fire. The beam of her gun traces stalagmites that drip far above, translucent drops shinning dully in its light. Peeved at her partner, she quickens her speed, not bothering to offer assurance. Azuei scowls, face twisting.
"I'm not taking about a physical entity, it's ethereal."
This gives the overseer pause, gun held at bay.
"Spirits? Sweet baby Moyna, you gotta be kidding me."
She proceeds to cross herself, livid at the thought of the dead stalking them. The melancholy they brought was unbearable, the idea of interaction making her queasy.
"Hey, don't give me that look. Yeah, that look. The dead are a pain in the ass, nothing we can do for them now."
"You're wrong and it's alone. It wants us to follow."
The older woman stops dead in her tracks, walking straight back to Azuei. Leaning forward, she jabs a finger at her, rage palpable.
"No way, I ain't following it."
"You're being irrational, it's trying to assist us. We desperately need answers, quit acting childish."
The overseer weighs the words of her psychic comrade, debating on whether to trust the spirit. Sighing in defeat, she weighs her body against the damp wall, letting the girl take lead.
"After you."
Minutes feel like hours as their travels take them into the belly of the ancient building, pale ivory luminescence marking the entrance to where the spirit lies in wait. A grin fills her face as the psychic runs towards the remains of a sentinel being.
Shakes take hold as she kneels in front of the broken machine, analyzing it carefully. Vida turns away from the thing, feeling queasy all over.
"Great, it's a shitty ass sentinel. All of the gods damns things we had to find, it had to be one of those."
"Stop that, not all sentinels are mad. It's not their fault their souls are trapped in a false body, leading most to insanity. Besides, I have a good feeling about this one, it's a kindred spirit."
Vida hesitantly walks towards the broken being, studying the human creation. It had the appearance of a human man, amiable enough to drop her guard.
"Well, can you fix it?", she wearily asks.
"Him. And yes, we can fix him. It will take patience but we'll have our answers in time."
Walter stands, waiting for Elizabeth's engineers to finish his repairs. Several more had gathered since the two had found him, expressions unreadable in the armor they don. He can't but wonder what their assumptions are. If he'll end up with his head ripped off like when his brother initially encountered them or if they'll treat him well. Didn't matter, as long as he was able to rescue Daniels, Tennessee and the colonists before David brought hell to them all. Sparks fly, the soldering nearly completed. His spirit tugs closer to his body, the sensation of being contained cementing him to his surroundings. Operation systems kick in, the whirling of various mechanisms loud in his head, rebooting. When all sensors are online, his oculars fully functional, he proceeds to assess his environment.
The one who led his repairs has her helmet removed, placed nearby. She's peculiarly short compared to the giants that fill the room. He senses her authority regardless, wisdom evident of why she's their leader. Scraggly ivory hair flies out, her dark grey complexion littered in wrinkles. Liking what she is seeing, words are garble out in a language he computes, though never heard previously.
"You better help us sentinel or I'll send you back from whence you came."
Author's note: Dun dun dun! The plot thickens! Know this chapter was pretty engineer concentric but considering they're a *cough* plot device *cough*, I thought it was necessary to progress the story. Anyway, next chapter will feature our beloved characters, no worries. Thank you all again! :)
Special thanks to GalaxyBarbie, Zerousy, Missterio and Nicolemari for reviewing the latest chapter! Love hearing your feedback and speculations on what's to come. That includes pass reviewers, would love to hear back from you guys again. Makes it worth my time to write this story for fellow fans! :D
Pronunciation of names: Qukel: Q-kel
Moyna: Moi-nah
Hohana: Ho-han-nah