Seems im in a Dead Space mood for now. Wonder how long that will last.
Chapter 15: We're Back to Walking Again
Smoke and fire filled the area, cargo boxes were scattered around. The remains of the tram burn and smoulder as the corpses of the Necroes burn to ash. Only the cackling sounds of flames could be heard until one of the cargo crates moved slightly. Then again, until it was forced from its position. Landing on the ground with a crash, three figures move out into the open, making their way to the ramp leading out.
"Everyone okay?" Isaac asks with pained breaths as they rest on the ramp, his RiG hovering just above red. Sora and Kairi placed their hands on their knees, taking deep breaths themselves as they looked to answer.
"Yeah." Sora replies before he straightens out. He glances at his hand before holding it out, trying to summon his Keyblade. But, like on the tram, it couldn't come forth. "So much for hoping it was a one-off thing." He says before dropping his arm. Isaac sighed in irritation before looking over himself, hoping he had a Medpack for their injuries.
"Heal!" Until the sudden smoothness of a healing spell washed over him as he turned to look at Kairi, her left arm in the air as the signs of healing magic faded away. "Guess not all our magic is locked away." She says with a hidden smile.
"Yeah, but even so, our more powerful spells are locked away along with our Keys." Sora says while crossing his arms. "And you're stuck with Kinesis while I only have Stasis. Without a proper way to defend ourselves, we're stuck."
"Let me worry about that." Isaac says with determination. "But for now, we need to get moving." Standing up and walking up the ramp, he opens a comm link. "Daina, we need a new route."
Her reply was instant as it was confused. "What happened? We saw you get on the tram, but then we lost you!"
"Unscheduled stop, along with a bit of complication." He says while giving the couple a concerned look. "But that's not important. What is important is where we are now and how far from Cassini Towers we are." He could hear typing from Diana's end as she looked up where they had crashed. But her reply left much to be desired.
"How did you end up there?" Was all she said before more typing could be heard. Wherever they ended up was something they were to avoid. "Alright, I've got a route. It's not the most pleasant route or the quickest like the Tram, but going through the Residential sector will be your way to getting to Cassini Towers." Before she could say more, her communication began to break up as she cursed that Tiedemann was homing in on them before ending the call.
"Since when has there ever been good news." Isaac mumbles before taking point, Sora and Kairi close behind with Stasis and Kinesis at the ready. But as they entered a connection hallway, they saw a shadow of a new Necromorph. Surprisingly, it was more human-shaped than anything else, other than its long clawed fingers. It lets out a screech as if it knew they were there before the shadow vanishes as the sound of a vent breaking echoes through the hall. "And as if we need more bad news…."
"Do we need to go through the Residential area, Isaac?" Kairi asks as they continue up, passing by the mutilated corpse of a technical worker. "That's where the Necromorphs will be at their strongest, right?" Isaac looks at her, his helmet hiding his pensive face at the thought of entering the sector.
"Believe me, I don't want to enter that place like you. But if this is the only route we have, then we must take it." Isaac says bitterly as they enter another hallway, shops lining the walls behind them as the city skyline loomed ahead, the once vast lights throughout now almost all gone.
"Don't worry, Kairi." Sora says before wrapping her in a hug. "No matter what happens, I WILL protect you. No matter what." Kairi smiles at Sora, resting her head against his as his words ease her fears. But still, what could they do in their current state?
"I think I can make that task easier for you both, Sora." Isaac suddenly says as a grin can be heard through his voice. "For we have a silver lining right next to us." The couple tilts their heads at him, wondering what he means until he points to something they hadn't seen since they left the Hospital.
A Shop kiosk was still operational and ready to help.
"I may be an Engineer, but there should be something I can find that can give us an edge." Isaac says as he walks up to it, the kiosk opening as a selection appears before him. Due to being an Engineer, his choices were minimal. But after thinking it over, he comes to his choices before punching a few buttons.
Soon, a side compartment opens, revealing the items Isaac had picked.
One had a red cylinder on the bottom, connected to a metal grip and trigger, while at the top was a brass nozzle. As for the other, it was the same Plasma Cutter that Isaac had back on the Ishimura. As Isaac picked them up, along with spare Plasma packs and more red tanks, he walked over to the couple before handing the items to them.
"These should do you until we find a way to get your Keys back." Isaac says as he gives Sora the Plasma Cutter and Kairi the new tool. "You've already seen how I use it, so it should be easy for you to use the Cutter Sora. As for you, Kairi." Isaac points to the item in her hands as she looks over it. "What you are holding is the PFM-100 Hydrazine Torch Flamethrower. The flames it can put out can hit between 4000 and 5000 degrees. It should be more than enough to match your fire spells. The red cylinder is what holds in the fuel, so when you run out, you'll need to replace the tank."
"Right." Kairi replies as she holds it up. A single blue beam emits from the device as she holds it up at head height, a small jet of flame emerging from the nozzle. "It's not as heavy as I thought it would be."
"Just treat it like how you would with your Keyblade, and you'll be fine. Just don't point it at us, okay?" Isaac says, earning a nod from Kairi. Satisfied, he looks at Sora, who is busy switching between the different modes on the Cutter. "Getting used to the different functions, Sora?" He asks as he and Kairi walk up. Sora nods before lowering the cutter.
"Yeah. I'm just surprised at how light it s. And the switching is rapid and easy too." Isaac nods, but before he can comment, a screeching sound suddenly fills the hallway. Turning to the source, the three are greeted by a sight they never want to see.
For running towards them was the source of that shadow, an entire pack of zombified children.
"Oh crap!" Isaac shouts before he fires on the charging pack, the creatures falling quickly by his blasts. He was joined by Sora and Kairi, the former of the two aiming for their arms. At the same time, the flames from Kairi ended them almost instantly, the blue flames burning away at both them and the floor beneath them.
"Blue fire?!" Kairi asks as she sees the damage she has caused to the floor. "What was this designed for?"
"For breaking down rocks during mining operations to get minerals!" Isaac replies as he fires another plasma burst at a Necro. "Also, for breaking up meteors to get the frozen water in them!" Kairi only grunts an acknowledgement as she opens up with the flamethrower again, being mindful of her surroundings so as not to melt the glass separating them from the vacuum of space.
Eventually, the horde of Necroes ends, leaving the trio surrounded by countless bodies of zombified children. "Man, those things were like a pack of lions." Isaac says as he looks around them, breathing heavily. "We should be careful when we face more of them. I doubt this will be the last we've seen of them." He ends bitterly. Just how many children were on the Sprawl? Seeing the couple seemingly deflate at his comment, Isaac switches tracks. "So, how did you two find the tools?" That seemed to do the trick, as they seemed to perk up a bit.
"The Cutter is really simple and easy to use." Sora says as he brings it up, quickly holding it with one hand. "Not only is it lighter than how it looks, but changing the packs is also quick as well. It doesn't have as much of a recoil either."
"It's the same with me." Kairi adds, holding the flamethrower with one hand as well. "The flames surprised me a little, but I managed to adjust. I don't think we've seen blue fire before, not counting those with darkness infused in them. I don't think even Lea, our resident pyro, has ever used blue flames."
"Wonder how he will react when we tell him about it." Sora chimes in, a smile hidden behind his helmet, earning a giggle out of Kairi. Isaac gives exhales softly, happy at seeing the two adapt well to their 'new' weapons. Until they regain their old ones, of course, but before they could continue, Isaac's video comm flared to life. On it was the patient from before, his face still panicked.
"Isaac! You still alive?" He asks before shaking his head. Isaac rolls his eyes from under his helmet as the man continues. "I can't talk for long. I think they're tracking our signals. Are the memories coming back to you? They're coming back to me…both good and bad…." He grimaces as he holds his head, raising the eyebrows of the three. "I keep seeing the symbols, and my head hurts…do you see them, Isaac?"
"What would you say if I did?" Isaac asks cautiously. This man was clearly suffering from the same dementia as they were, but it looked to be even worse for him. Must have a weaker mind… I think that's what saved us from the worse effects so far, anyway. The man was about to reply to Isaac's question before suddenly looking up in fear and closing the comm.
"That was sudden. What do you think got him scared?" Sora asks as they enter into an elevator heading to the Residential Sector. Kairi shrugged her shoulders at his question while Isaac had a hand on his chin.
"There are several I can think of right now, but it doesn't matter for now. Let's just get through here as fast as possible. Hopefully, the waypoint can show us where in this place we need to go." Isaac says as the elevator doors open. Before them was a commercial area, with a giant window on their right showing off the Sprawl in its former glory. But what caught their attention, and in Isaac's case, a frown was a banner with the Unitologist logo directly across the gap from them. "Of course, they are here." Isaac says bitterly as he activates the waypoint. But to the three's dismay, it leads them right into the building with the banner.
"Really?" Kairi asks in exasperation. "Our way leads us through there? Please tell me the waypoint is just joking with us?" Isaac looks at the hand before opening up a map of the local area, groaning in irritation.
"Nope. This is our route. Right through a damn recruitment area." He sighs deeply before closing the map. "When we go through, just ignore everything that's in there. It's all propaganda." Isaac tells them before opening his comm. He had a few things he wanted to ask Daina before they moved on. "Daina, I have some questions I need answering. First, who is this man that keeps calling us? He looks to be from the same hospital as us. Said he was called Patient 8."
"Patient 8? You must mean Nolan Stross." Daina replies with what sounds like a frown. "He was a patient on the project, just like you. Apparently, he was exposed to a Marker fragment that sent him mad. Killed his own wife and child." A chill went down the spines of the trio. A fragment of a Marker still had that much influence over a person? Just what are these things?!
"Right, thanks for that. We'll be careful around him." Isaac says as the three, begrudgingly, head towards the Unitology building. "But other than that, WHY are we going through a Unitology Recruitment Center? Are we still on the right track?" He asks, not attempting to hide his dislike in any way.
"Yes. There's an old maintenance access point in there that will take you through the waste disposal system and into Cassini Towers. Stay sharp." Daina ended the call right after that. After noticing how clean the room was, with no blood splatters, the three entered a lift. Unitology merchandise is shown on all screens around them. It only worsened when they exited the lift, as a pre-recorded voice sang through the halls.
Have you ever felt like you were meant to be part of something bigger? Then maybe Unitology is for you. Founded two hundred years ago by our saviour, Michael Altman, Unitologists believe that one day, all mankind will be united through the power of a sacred artefact known as the Marker. We call this process, Convergence.
"More like mass suicide." Kairi hisses as they pass through the corridors. All around them were holographic banners broadcasting the creed of Unitology, yet there was not a soul around. Turning a corner, they spot a glass window before them as two Slashers and an Exploder shamble out of two meeting rooms on either side. Giving a nod to Sora and Kairi, Isaac blasts the window as it sucks out the Necromorphs while the trio dig their feet into the floor, slowly being dragged forward. But as soon as the Necroes were pulled out, Sora shot at the emergency override panel, bringing the emergency shutter down.
"That saves us on ammo." Isaac says as the three pick themselves up as air is pumped back into the room. "Let's keep an eye out for any more opportunities like that." The two nod at Isaac before Sora spots a particular hatch in the wall.
"Isaac, I think I've found what we're looking for." He says while walking over to it. Isaac and Kairi join him, with Isaac nodding at the panel before placing a hand on the holographic image. It opens up, revealing the maintenance way to waste disposal. Climbing in, the glow of their visors lighting up the dark vent way, the three crawl along the shirt vent before exiting into an area that reminded them of the Ishimura's hallway. Including the ominous fog and dim orange lights. It didn't help they could hear the sound of a crusher in the next room.
"Suddenly, it feels like we never left." Sora says as they walk forward, entering the room properly and finding a dead man slumped on a chair next to a table. "Even here, we're finding bodies…." Kairi had her head down in sadness while Isaac walked up to the corpse, ready to dismember it to prevent an Infector from getting their hands on it. But as he did, his RiG suddenly came to life as it played a video of his last message. He shows how he had managed to survive by using the blades of Slashers to fight back and telling anyone who found his message how to do it. It soon ends with him revealing that he had been slashed across his stomach and was dying from blood loss.
"Don't worry, man. We'll use your info well." Isaac says softly to the dead body before gritting his teeth and snapping his head and arms off. Sora and Kairi looked at the vents as Isaac did this, weary of any ambushes before they felt Isaac tapping their shoulders. "It's done. Let's get through these pipes and get to the towers." The couple nodded before following Isaac to the door leading to the compression chamber. However, as soon as he opened the door, they were greeted by a still-working piston it crushed waste before them.
"How about we turn that off first before we go through?" Kairi suggests as the three slowly back out. The boy rapidly nod their heads before moving up to the control room. Inside, they are greeted by a layout similar to what they saw on the mining deck, with numerous screens glowing orange, with only one terminal glowing blue and working. As Sora and Kairi stood behind Isaac, he worked on setting the chambers into maintenance mode to allow them to cross. Soon, the piston before them slowed considerably before finally halting as it retracted into the roof.
Diagnostic mode initiated for Waste Compression Chamber 752. Compressor piston offline. It is now safe to enter the chamber. Authorised personnel only.
"There's our exit. Let's get moving." With the compressor deactivated, it was now safe for them to enter the chamber and head to the towers. At least, that was the plan. But as soon as they left, a swarm of Necroes charged up the service ramp towards them, with Slashers, Pukers and an Exploder all aiming for them. Knowing her weapon was more dangerous, Kairi moved to the front and activated the flamethrower, scorching the Necroes as they charged while avoiding the floors and walls. Sora and Isaac stood behind her, aiming their utters at any Slasher that got too close to her. Running out of fuel, Kairi moved behind the boys as she reloaded. At the same time, Sora and Isaac took out the remaining Slashers with little effort. "Nice initiative there, Kairi." Isaac complement as Sora gives her a one-arm hug. "Think that's how we will handle combat from now on."
"Well, I am holding something that spurts out dangerous fire. Standing behind you would not be the best idea." Kairi says while holding the tool up, earning a chuckle from the two before they move on. Moving through the door and bulkhead, they entered into the compactor room, as the automatic voice informed them they were entering a Zero-G area. Not that they needed telling, as the familiar feeling of weightlessness fell upon them. Isaac activated the thrusters on his suit, hovering in the air before shifting his body forward, sending him forward towards the platform on the other side.
Sora and Kairi mirror him, the thrusters on the back of their armour reminding them of flying through Neverland even more than when they were on the Ishimura. All that was missing was the golden sparkle around them. Travelling across, they looked down at the pit before them, a vast deep black hole that seemed to swallow anything and everything as the piston hovered above them. Landing next to Isaac, they follow him into an area with a giant glass tube. At the same time, a console at the end displays the Sanitation System for Cassini Towers.
"If we want to get to the towers, we'll need to turn this part of the system back on. Unfortunately, it will mean we will get pelted by garbage, but it's the only way forward." Isaac tells them as he turns on the system. A giant turbine activates in the tube, while a bright light tuns on behind it as garbage floats through the tunnel. Moving back to the crushing room, the three take to the air again before making their way through the tunnel, moving past the garbage coming towards them. Approaching the spinning fan, they find a landing spot with a door leading to Cassini Towers waiting for them, which they enter without question. But as they move up the service corridor, which reminds them of the walkways in the Ishimura's engineering area, the power suddenly goes out as a loud bang echoes down the hall.
With a startled jump, the three move into a circle, back to back, as their visors and weapon lights illuminate the pitch-black room. They move slowly, their hearts beating fast as they walk up a ramp, entering into a room with several dead bodies and a power core lying on the ground. It didn't take them long to guess what had happened in the room.
Using her Kinesis, Kairi lifted the power cell back into its holding, returning power and bringing the nearby elevator back online. Leaving the bodies behind, they enter the lift and head up, but the room they entered sends waves of unease down their spines. Before them was an apartment complex, its lights off or in a low orange, as candle lights dotted the hallways. At the same time, senseless scribbles were written on the walls and floor.
"I'm going to take a guess, but I think this place is where the Unitologists lived." Sora says bluntly as they walk past the closed doors, not a sound echoing behind them. Isaac gives out a light grunt while Kairi looks around them, tool at the ready while Isaac looks at the route again. He grimaces when he sees it leading into an open apartment for some reason, but seeing as there is no other way, he begrudgingly leads the two into the room.
Not a moment did they step inside did they encounter a Marker model sitting on a shelf right at the entrance. Isaac scowls at it as they pass by, with Kairi ignoring it altogether. At the same time, Sora 'accidentally' knocks it off and breaks the glass model. Looking around, they saw the pointer leading them into a child's room, the toy lamp still on as a patter of horses spins around it. But no sooner do they step inside, they feel an intense pressure building in their minds.
Forcibly staying on their feet, they were shocked to see Nicole sitting on the bed, holding her left arm. But that was not the only thing, for hovering behind her like demonic wings were Sora and Kairi's Keyblades. Yet while they could recognise them, their look was drastically different. All colour was gone, replaced by bone white and bleached black and grey. The flowers on Kairi's had wilted and died, the crown on Soras was chipped, and the once angelic guards were replaced with demonic wings. And on top of that, blood marks were splattered over them as though someone had run through a hoard of Necromorphs.
Then she looked at them in the eye, the white lights emanating from her eyes and mouth dimming as she spoke.
I'm afraid, Isaac. I don't want to die. But it's the only way out.
Around them, the projected horses spin faster as they morph between skulls and Markers. A screeching noise echoes in their mind as an orange hue enters their vision. Yet they would not break to the Markers will. "You're not Nicole! Nicole is dead! You're not really here." Isaac says defiantly as he stands tall. Sora and Kairi nod their heads, standing up next to Isaac.
"You tried to make us make a way into our universe. That's not going to happen." Sora says, his left hand clenched. "You will NEVER get to our realm!"
"You think you can make us do what you want by playing around with images of our friends? That's not going to work anymore." Kairi says with equal determination. "You may have tricked us on the Ishimura, but we won't be your puppets anymore!" As they stare on defiantly, the pounding in their head increases, most likely the Marker trying to force them to submit. But it eventually recedes, beaten back by the mental wall the three had erected. But they knew it was only a matter of time until they broke them down again.
Not letting Nicole's phantom slow them down, they exit the child's room and enter the other side of the apartment complex. All around them was the same atmosphere as before, hammering home that Cassini Towers was the home of Unitologists.
"Why did Daina want us to meet in a place that was the home base of Unitologists?" Sora asks as they enter the connecting walkway. Kairi shrugs her shoulders while Isaac looks at the ground in thought. He was starting to get suspicious about her true identity, but that could wait until they saw her in person. For they were soon set upon by giant spotlights from outside as an armed gunship looked at them through the giant window. For a moment, it looked as though the guns would tear them to shreds, yet it did not fire at them. Most likely due to the obelisk-like monument in front of the window. Soon, the gunship flew off, but the damage had been done.
"Tiedemann has found us." Isaac says grimly to the couple. "That gunship will be back for us. We need to get to cover now!" Not disagreeing with his observation, the couple quickly follows Isaac into the second wing of the apartment, with Sora and Isaac dealing with a Slasher that bursts out of one of the rooms quickly. Isaac couldn't help but smile at how quickly they were getting to use the tools, but he still couldn't help but feel they needed more than they needed.
But he could only access tools as an Engineer. They were stuck with what they had until he could find a way to get around that. Soon, the elevator reached the bottom, with more writing and dead bodies greeting them as they entered the main foyer. Yet where the pointer was taking them was very unnerving.
"It's taking us into a Unitology Church!?" Isaac says in disgust as they see the very ornate doors before them, along with countless writings around them. "This is where Daina wants us to meet? Is she out of her mind!?" While Isaac let out his anger at where they were going, Sora and Kairi looked out the window behind them. The Sprawl was completely dark now. No lights were on as an orange hue settled in.
"Isaac, we know how much you hate the Unitologists. But we have no choice." Sora begins as he walks up to the pissed-off engineer. "That gunship will be back, and we have no other way of getting out of here. Plus, this Daina has the cure we need. As much as we hate going into a den of our enemy, we have no choice." Isaac looks at him through his helmet, breathing deeply. Soon his breathing eases as the tension in his shoulders eases.
"You're right. You're right. Sorry, I lost my cool for a second." Isaac says as he shakes his head. "As much as I hate to agree, we need that cure for whatever the Marker hit us with. I just wish it was someplace else."
"As do we, Isaac." Kairi says as she joins them. With a grim atmosphere between them, and checking their tool's current status, the three enter the church of Unitology.
While from behind the metal grates above them, five glowing eyes watch them enter.
For those interested, Sora and Kairi are limited to 2 magical spells. they can both use heal, but Kairi can only use Kinesis while Sora can use only Stasis. And i do plan on giving them all 2 tools each, and the one for Isaac may be obvious. But for Sora and Kairi, I'll keep that a secret to myself for now.