"Just like old times, huh." Callen said.
"No. This is nowhere near anything that could be considered like old times." Sam said.
"Kill joy." Calen said.
"The old days usually involved use facing off against three, or four, armed men and women; not some horde of ugly monsters." Sam said.
"I mean, you're not wrong." Callen said.
"Usually not." Sam said.
"Not always." Callen said.
"Name one time." Sam said.
"When we were chasing Omni the first time, and we ran into your buddy at the car dealership." Callen said.
"Shut up." Sam said.
"Just saying." Callen said.
Star Ocean-
Deep in the cave, the four of us were wandering aimlessly. We haven't run into any of those monsters, but that could change at any moment. About an hour after entering the cave, I picked up that signal that led us to this planet, and it was coming in strong.
"Are we going the right way? Roisin asked.
"Technically, we've never been down here, so I don't know the answer to the question." Lady Rothais asked.
"Deeks is on to something, though. The past hour he has been almost running to whatever is down here." Corbin said.
"Deeks." Lady Rothais said.
"Whatever is at the end could be helpful for both of us." I said.
There was a moment of silence, but Roisin said. "I don't know how that's possible, but I'm willing to take it on faith."
"We shall see." Corbin said, and we fell silent for the time being.
We kept twisting and turning, and then everything went dark.
"Everyone be quiet, and don't move a muscle." I said.
I could hear the trio huddle together because the temperature had dropped a few degrees. I booted up my night vision to get a good look at what we dealing with. At first glance it looks like an old mining facility, how all the equipment got here is beyond me, but it's here, nonetheless. I try locating a power source to get all this equipment up and running. I'm scanning the room for the better part of ten minutes before I find a faint trace of electricity in the distance. Also, I see a structure that could be used defensively to keep the three of them alive until the lights turn on.
It's a possibility that we may have to make a quick departure. I thought.
Something about the figures around the room give me the creeps and makes me think twice about leaving them alone. I know the monsters we ran into earlier hunted by heat sensors, but I'm afraid there might be monsters that may hunt by sound. I turn to the three a speak quietly.
"Here's what we're going to do. We're going to very quietly, and very slowly, move through this cavern." I said, whispering.
"How are we going to do that?" Roisin asked.
"I don't care how. Hold hands, or rest a hand on a shoulder, doesn't matter, but we have to get through this cavern." I said.
"And you're going to guide?" Corbin asked.
"Yes, I have a general idea where we're going." I said.
"A general idea?" Lady Rothais asked.
"Nobody has explored these caves to map them out. So, we have to make do with me sensors." I said.
"This is a horrible plan." Roisin said.
"I don't like it either, but I'm the only one who can see in the dark, and it would behoove me to make sure all three of you get back. I said.
"Enough, Roisin. Arguing is getting us nowhere, and Mr. Deeks has a point. Returning without us would be a death sentence for Mr. Deeks and his friends." Lady Rothais said.
"For the record, Roisin is voicing concern that the plan is inherently flawed." Corbin said
"I understand Roisin's concern totally. I have a bad feeling that we are about to learn something terrible." I said.
I stood up and waited for them to make up their minds. I could hear movement, and then I felt a hand reach out and brush my arm. I don't care who's hand I'm holding; I just want to get this show on the road. I take the waiting hand, turn around, and slowly walk deeper into cavern. I sweep the cavern looking for a way to reach the power source, and then I see stairs off in the distance. I look up to the ceiling, and nothing jumps out at me, so I turn and make my way towards the stairs. I can sense the trepidation of my traveling companions, and I genuinely feel sorry, and scared for them.
Heck, I would even feel scared for my team! I thought.
Star Ocean-
The siege of the village had been going on for the better part of an hour, but the monsters weren't actively trying to get into the village or cause grievous wounds. It's almost as if they were testing the villagers' resolve.
"What is going on?" Callen asked.
"What do you mean?" The captain of the guard asked.
"The monsters have us easily out numbered, but it's as if they aren't in a hurry." Sam said.
"Now that you mention it, something is odd." The leader of the village said, joining the group.
"With all do respect, should you be out here on the front lines?" Callen asked.
"I was told to come and take a look." The leader said.
"All right." Sam said.
"What's different from their normal habits?" Sam asked.
"They usually don't attack settlements directly like they are right now. Most of the time they usually wait to catch people out in the wild after dark." The leader's aide said.
"Coud it because of the people we sent north earlier in the day?" Kensi asked joining the group.
"Kensi, what are you doing here?" Sam asked.
"From my vantage point, I saw that we were going to catch a break. My question still stands?" Kensi said.
"That's a valid question." The leader said.
"But." Sam said.
"We don't have a definitive answer." The aide said.
"And going out there is definitely out of the question." The leader said.
"No arguments there." Sam said, glaring at Kensi.
All Kensi did was walk back to the where the archers were posted at. She knew that it was an argument that she was not going to win.
Star Ocean-
Down in the cave, I finally got the four of us up onto the catwalk and there were no injuries in the process. I guided us to the source and found an electrical junction in the back. Before I throw on the switch and turn on all the lights, I look for a place for the trio to hide, but something gets my attention. Behind me there is a door leading to lord knows where, and it has a clear line of sight of the junction box.
Oh, well. Might as well get on with it. I thought.
I reach out and grab the switch as I said to my traveling companions. "It's been a while since anybody has been down here, so be prepared for anything."
"Okay." Lady Rothais said.
"You got it." Roisin said.
"Yes, sir." Corbin said.
With everybody understanding the current situation we found ourselves in, I threw the switch. Nothing happened at first, and then I heard the hum as the electricity started to flow through the circuits. The lamps started to glow as the electrical current was flowing through them again for the first time in lord knows how long. A couple of the lights exploded because of the sudden rush of electricity.
"Do you have any idea what you have done?" A voice said.
We all turn to see a man in torn clothing standing behind us.
Star Ocean-
Back at the village, the defenders were starting to feel the strain of being vigilant, as well as the exhaustion. Callen looked out over the horizon and could see the first colors of daybreak. As Callen was about to call out to Sam something changed. Callen watched the monsters and he saw off in the distance there was a small group. As if there were communicating.
"Sam!" Callen shouted.
"Yeah!" Sam shouted back.
"Look in the distance. See that group." Callen said.
Sam looked in the distance and saw what his partner was talking about. Sam saw the group for a split second, and then it dispersed heading back north. Two more monsters broke off with the group that headed north.
"Do you have a contingency for emergency purposes?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, why?" The leader asked.
"Now is the time to enact it." Sam said.
The leader debated what he just heard; he didn't want to say but he had no choice. "Execute Kénosi Protocol." The leader said, and then walked away.
The leader's aide fired a signal flare, and then followed the leader.
Within seconds of the ordered being issued, a new alarm sounded. Kensi, Sam and Callen weren't sure what to make of this new alarm but stayed in their respective areas. Sam and Callen looked behind him to see that the civilians were being evacuated.
"What is Kénosi Protocol?" Sam asked.
"Sound the alarm for the civilians evacuate the city, meeting at the sanctum. The defenders will their make way to the lookout tower after the evacuation has been completed."
"Kensi." Sam said into his earpiece.
"What's going on Sam? What's with the new alarm?" Kensi asked.
"Change of plans. We're to buy the civilians time to evacuate, and then head to the lookout tower." Sam said.
"Roger that." Kensi said, and then the earpiece fell silent.
Star Ocean-
Down in the cave, we were verbally accosted by a man who knew more than he was letting on. I scanned his person, while Lady Rothais kept him busy, to understand who we were dealing with.
"Don't you understand what you have done?" The man asked again.
"No." Corbin said.
"You throw a switch without having the slightest idea what it does. That's dumbest thing ever." He said.
There was more back and forth while I continued to scan the man. As I was scanning his brain, I noticed the pituitary gland had been partially turned to metal. Now that was strange turn of events, this man didn't grow on this planet, judging by the scan I just took; as well as the thread used to make his clothing.
"Got a name?" I asked.
"I don't have a name, just a number." He said.
"What's your number?" I asked.
"It's 375461." He said.
"That's a prisoner serial number." I said.
"This planet was originally a penal colony." 375461 said.
"Penal colony?" Corbin asked.
"Place for prisoners label to dangerous for society." Lady Rothais said.
"This place was worse than any triple max security place." 375461 said.
"Triple max?" Roisin asked.
"Stay away from him." I said.
"What's triple max?" Corbin asked.
"Maximum security." 375461 said.
"But you were part of a triple max security facility, originally, weren't you?" I asked.
"I was…but you already knew that." 375461 said.
"You share a similar physiology with the monsters outside." I said.
"Your not human." 375461 said.
"More of a cyborg." I said.
"What's a cyborg?" Corbin asked.
"His body is that of robot, but the brain is that of a human." Lady Rothais said.
I glared at Lady Rothais, but she waved me off.
"That is a conversation for another time." Roisin interjected.
"You better have a good explanation." I said.
"How did you escape?" Lady Rothais asked.
"Why is that relevant?" 375461 asked.
"Because certain penal colonies experimented on their inmates." Roisin said.
"So, death row colonies existed. I thought those were only a myth." I said to no one in particular.
Now that I think about, 375461 was most like an official at a death row colony before becoming an inmate. I thought.
Something gets my attention. I noticed that 375461 is getting jumpy, so I did my search as quickly as possible. I bring up the scan of the monster I did earlier and compared it to the scan of 375461 I just did. I lay the to superimpose the two scans, and I almost crapped a brick.
"How do we shut this place down?" I asked.
"Your answer is two-fold. The simple answer is you can't. The crueler answer is you can't without destroying the planet." Lady Rothais said.
"It's not going to matter now." 375461 said.
"Why?" Corbin asked.
"Those things are going to over run this place—long story short if you want to keep those monsters from getting off world you have to destroy this facility." 375461 said.
"Do you have a way to get you people off world?" I asked.
"Yeah, but uh… we shouldn't discuss it here." Lady Rothais said.
"I can buy you some time." 375461 said.
"You sure." Corbin said.
"375461 is slowly turning into the monsters that we are currently trying to escaping off world." I said.
"I want to die a human, while making sure humans get off world." 375461 said.
"How do you plan to do that?" I asked.
"She knows how." 375461 said.
"For arguments sake, I'm guessing that's going to be later conversation." I said.
"Yeah." Lady Rothais said.
"More or less." Roisin said.
"Okay, now how do we keep those monsters from escaping?" I asked.
"Deep in the facility there's a machine that needs a code to be put initiate the self destruct sequence. It will cause the planet to be destroyed in a matter of hours." 375461said.
"Do you need any help getting to the machine?" I asked.
At that moment, we could all hear the distant roar of the monsters returning.
"Time to go." Roisin said.
"The only thing you can do is save as many people as possible." 375461 said.
"Which way to the exit?" I asked.
"This way. The passage was designed to withstand a cave in." 375461 said, pointing to the door from earlier.
I didn't even say goodbye, I just took off for the exit. I heard a clank, and a hiss, and I knew that the door had been sealed behind us.