Chapter 2: The Dark Ascent
"Will! I'm sure I'll be fine!" I yelled as I sat in the drivers seat of a fully armored G-C.
"Hey! Don't blame me for being cautious, I'm just doing what your father would have done in this position. You know he'd kill me if something terrible happened to you!" The cocoadile hung over the side window by his arms, his feet probably dangled in the air.
"And you can't blame me for wanting to see more of the world!" I argued back.
"I thought this was about finding Kain..." Will snickered, obviously poking fun at me.
"That too..." I rolled my eyes, "but I don't think I'll find him on my first try to be honest."
"By all means, have fun on your journey, but please... Be careful, if not for me, then for your father," the cocoadile pleaded.
"I'll try my best to have a fun trip and be safe at the same time," I giggled, trying to fight back a smile.
"That'a girl," Will ruffled my hair up a bit before I could put my UV reflective helmet on, completing the rest of the END protection gear I already had on. "By the way, there's another UV reflective suit in the back if something happens to the one you have on now," the cocoadile reminded me.
"Okay, I'll make sure I don't break the one I'm wearing," I replied. These suits were pretty durable, you would have to take a really strong hit from either a fall or a bullet for it to even get a dent.
"Good, now remember, twenty-four hours on the spot. If you're not back, I'm sending a search team after you," Will pushed himself off, landing back onto the floor.
"I'll keep my eye on the time," I rolled up the window as I engaged the engine of the G-C. The whole vehicle shook as it started up, scaring me for a moment. I've went through the simulation many of times, but no amount of training could prepare me for that.
Using major caution, I propelled the G-C to towards the lift panel slowly. Once I boarded the elevator, I could feel the ground rising from below, something else the simulation couldn't train me for.
Darkness took over as the light from the hangar was soon cut off by the tunnel to the surface. I tried to fight the fear, but being in the dark alone stirred up the fright in my mind. Though thanks to quick thinking, I remember the simulation and flipped the interior lights on. A sigh of relief passed my lips as I lounged back in my seat, safe in my lighted little haven.
I was shook back into reality once the lift stopped and I realized I was finally graced with the great outdoors. However this occasion was different than the others, not because that I was alone... But because the white glare of the moon shined on my face. My eyes didn't need to adjust much to admire it for a few minutes.
It was when my WMW screamed with static that I knew I was wasting time. I glanced at the small screen of my module to see that Will was trying to contact me. Without thinking, I answered it.
"You know you can move out now Kayla," Will pointed out.
"Yeah... I was just distracted by the moon is all... I never seen the world at night before, only pictures and videos," I replied, returning my eyes at the glow of the moon.
"Heh heh... I understand," Will sounded like he could relate, "just don't dilly-dally too much up there, I'm keeping track of every minute."
"You should take a break to sleep too you know," I joked with him. Surprisingly, I got a laugh out of him.
"I can't afford to sleep, not with you out there. It's too much to worry about to get any sleep," the cocoadile replied seriously, "but if I do fall asleep, I have other piñatas monitoring your time," he added.
"Maybe taking a break in general would help," I attempted to see if I could buy myself more time. Will laughed at my suggestion.
"The END never takes a break, you should know this Kayla," He stated sternly after his shortly lived hilarity.
"Ugh... Whatever," I groaned, throwing my head back.
"Just stay safe and come back on time, that's all I ask. Two simple, easy-to-follow, rules," Will summarized.
"Fine, fine, just give me another call when my time's almost up and I'll head back," I threw in the towel.
"Alright, you know I'm only giving you this crap because your father would do the same," the cocoadile's tone eased up a bit.
"I know, you're practically my uncle. If it was anyone else telling me this, I would have hung up minutes ago," I admitted, having a soft side for Will.
"Well I'm glad I'm not anyone else," he chuckled a bit, "anyways, I should let you head off into the world, I can't hold you back forever... I love you Kayla."
"I love you too Will," I felt that special father-daughter... Or uncle-niece moment well up in my heart. The communications soon clicked out, leaving me more empty than when I left. But I didn't let it get to me for long as I realized that freedom was surrounding me. I pressed down on the gas pedal and allowed the G-C to take me into the horizon.
I shifted around against the suit uncomfortably. My body couldn't stand sitting around in the armor for long and seeing as it was the dead hours of the night, I figured there would be no harm in stretching myself out by taking a brief walk around the grassy field.
Slowing the G-C to a halt, I turned the vehicle off and hopped out. Already feeling more unusual, I had to adjust my footing to the uneven ground below. As soon as I stabled myself on the grassy floor I wasted no time peeling away the armor. The helmet was the last to go, it felt as if I was entering a new world as the visor was lifted from my head.
I took a deep breath of the outdoor air and instantly I fell in love. dropping to the ground, I rested my back on the greenery, becoming intoxicated by the scent that tickled my nose. Rolling around in the grass, the leafy blades began to stir underneath my mache, forcing a giggle or two to escape my lips. Curious, I pulled a handful of grass from the soil below and had myself a taste test.
"Iiiick!" I blew a raspberry as flung the ball of grass away from my face. My distaste turned into a chain of laughter as I recognized what a stupid act I pulled. Taking a long sigh, I yanked a few more handfuls of grass blades only to throw them up into the air. Giggles escaped my smile as I watched them all flutter down on me.
"Aaah-Aaah-...Choo!" A few pieces of grass bushed against my snout, enticing a loud, messy sneeze out of me. "...Ewww," I wiped the mess off on my arm and from my arm onto the grass. Scooting away from the area, I parted myself a few feet away from the snot cover grass, not wanting to find myself rolling into a gooey mess.
My eyes came across a large patch of longer grass that was almost towering over me. Their height and groove to the light breeze provoked me to jump into them. Sprinting as fast as I could, I took a daring leap into the gathering of tall grass, losing myself in the mass. Rolling around a bit, I cleared out a little area for myself. I felt somewhat feral from the outdoor scenery, and to be honest, if felt rejuvenating. The thought gave me energy to burn.
Flipping over onto my back, I gazed up at the stars above. It was then my mind started to wonder. I couldn't help but imagine what kinds of life thrived beyond my planet. The sight had me in it's grip, the only thing that could yank me free was the task of finding Kain.
As I climbed up to my knees, I began to feel nauseous. The sickening sensation didn't show any signs of leaving soon. There was no strength to pull myself all the way up as I was stuck on my knees. And before I saw it coming, I found myself throwing up my dinner... Or at least what I thought it was at first.
In the midst of puking I tried to get a good glimpse at what was coming out, but as soon as the dark matter hit the grass, it began to dissolve. I couldn't keep my eyes open as the pain had me in it's grasp. In the chaos, I could only pray that this would end soon. Thankfully it did, but the experience left me more disoriented.
I tried feeling around the area where my bile would be at, but there was no such evidence that it existed. I came to the conclusion that this was probably just a wacky hallucination, and I never really did throw up at all. I scrambled my way out of the tall grass, blaming them for my fit of delirium. But being clear of the grass only made my delusions worse.
"Ohh... Won't this headache go away?" I desperately kept balanced as my paws rubbed my head. My world was spinning around as I found myself back on my tail. "If I can get back to the G-C, I can at least pass out in there without the worry of dying in the morning sun," the determination pushed me back up to my feet. It forced me to wobble, and eventually crawl on all four to the door.
"Almost there..." I groaned as I pulled myself onto the door and pried it open. The force sent me onto my tail again. "Nnnh," no amount of grumbling could help my vision straighten out, but hell did it feel good to release the frustration. I mustered up all the strength I had to triumph over the short stairs. After struggling to close the door, I crawled all the way into the back to rest. It would be best to regain my strength and drive back home when I'm able.
But for now, all I could do was rest.