Chapter 29 - A Towering Descent

512 A.R.** March *2* , *Nexus Tower -* Command Center *,* Afternoon**

The corpses were still twitching as Lydon marched up the sloping Command Center. I could almost feel the tension coming off him as he looked back with a nervous glance. I marched in his wake while Ananke's laugh slowly ebbed away.

Normally, I'd have no problem,but even a brisk walk left me with a strangeand foreign sense ofexhaustion. Something had broken, mechanical or biochemical, and I couldn't figure what was wrong, or even ask someone else for help. It left me with a heavy sensation, as if every step required effort it didn't use to.

I tried to remember whether this is what life used to be like as a human, but there was no time to ponder as we walked up to the edge of the bulkheads. In a way, it felt as if reality had been sped up,likeI couldn't think atthe same pace that I used to.

Lydon leaned in close to the bulkhead and left me space to move in front. Whatever weakness it was that I felt, Lydon couldn't see it, and he still trusted in my abilities.

I took the lead, glanced down for a moment and noticed the severed arm from earlier, a disturbing memento to the sheer blood lust of the enemies we were fighting. With a sigh, I leaned in against the bulkhead and stared into the open gap of the bulkhead.

My ears perked as I listened, and to my relief it didn't seem like my more... primal senses had been affected. I could hear the crackle of fire in the distance and smell the undeniable odor of cooked meat. Charred...human meat.

The scent caught in my throat for a moment, but I pushed past it and focused on what else my senses could tell me. There was... gunfire, in the form of ozone left behind by high powered rifles. There was also the invasive scent of Lusus, like in the forest. A metallic, foul tinge of_wrongness_.

A suddenscream echoed fromsomewhere distant,and it made me twitch in surprise.

"... Something is definitely out there," Lydon whispered.

With the Zephyr broken, we won't be able to climb the elevator shafts...

"Indeed," I whispered. "Themainelevators are to theleft, so that's where we'll be heading."

"Right, lead the way..." Lydon whispered.

I drew a deep breath, poked my rifle into view of the gap, and waited for a moment.

Nothing...

With a claw on the trigger, I moved in one swift swoop to ease myself out of the gap. My heart pounded as I looked to the left, saw that nothing was moving, shifted back to my right in an instant, and once more noted that nothing was moving in the hallway.

As the coast was deemed clear, it was as if the rest of what I was seeing trickled through my mind.

The hallway itselfappearedlikea sceneplucked out of thenightmare that wasthe bunker._Things_grewon the walls--the start of a Lusus hive,originatingfrom the corpses spread around the area.

I was really hoping I'd never have to go through this again...

One of the corpseslaidslumped against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.The guard uniform on its body was dissolving,and fleshy sprouts grew from the neck where a head once stood.The warped flesh thumped like the veins I'd seen in the bunker,whilemore intricate structures pushedtheir way out of the guard's chest-armor, likebloomingflower buds and yellowish abscesses readying to burst.

I could feel the wind in my fur in the same direction as the elevators. It was tinged by the presence of spores, but the air itself seemed clear.

With a gulp, I started walking, then motioned to Lydon, "Try to keep an eye on our back, in case someone tries to sneak up."

"Got it," Lydon said as he stayed close.

Progress was slow but steady as we walked down the hallway, weaving left and right as we avoided the mutating corpses. Distant gunfire rattled off, and my ears perked as another scream cut the noise off abruptly.

"This isn't natural," Lydon whispered from my rear.

"Is any of this natural?" I wondered.

"I mean, the Lusus are uncharacteristically... placid," Lydon said.

"Yeah," I whispered. We were came up to the first cross section in the hallway.

The entire areawas covered in soot and burn marks. An explosion had clearlyripped throughthrough the hallway,onepowerful enough to rip big slabs of metallic plating from the walls. Remnantsofthe explosion'ssourcestill littered the area: an arm here, a leg there. The pieces were big andfitted with thick armor thatcould onlyhavebelongedto one of those Fire Angels.

I peered down hallways to the left and right,only to findmore distorted fleshand a few fires still burning in the corners. Something crawledin the distance, like a beast from the bog slowly dragging itself over the floor.

"Seems clear," Lydon whispered.

"Yeah," I said,thenstarted walking once more.

Straight ahead, I could see what looked like the reinforced area from the cameras, a big open section with plenty of barricades facing the main elevators. Even from a distance, the area was a complete mess. Many of the barricades had been blasted apart, corpses were lining the floor as if they had tried to flee, and a warm orange glow bathed the area as fires still raged out of view.

As we kept walking, my gaze was drawn to movement near the right side of the hallway. It looked like another of those melting corpses as the Lusus spread out of it, but someone or something had set fire to it. Most of the veins along the walls were burnt to ash, and the corpse itself was still smoking. The movement I'd seen came from a blob in the process of breaking out of the corpse. Its surface shimmered like dark oil, and it twitched like a blind animal trying to make sense of the world.

The Lusus I'd seen in the forest had been incredibly violent, yet... this creature barely seemed to register our presence as it wiggled about in confusion. Nonetheless, I gave the creature a wide berth, and kept moving toward the elevators.

Finally, weapproachedthe edge of the hallway as it opened up into the elevator area. There were three elevators in total:one to the leftwithmissing doors, amiddle onewith awarpedframe,andthe last which waslittle morethan agaping hole.

The ceiling appeared to have collapsed in one area,wherewater trickleddown into a massive puddle that covered the floor. Just a few meters away from us was what looked like a fresh corpse.Fresh blood mixedinto the water as it flowed past, and I could hear murmurs in the distance.

A peek around the corner allowed me to see a group of humans in the distance. There were about four or five of them, and they were slowly being forced away by what looked like a couple of infested guards that shambled toward them.

I guess that's where someof the trappedhumansin the Command Center ended up...

As I watched, one of the humans in the group raised a handgun. I moved back to cover and could hear the steady thumps as they no doubt fired on the infested.

Based on the noise that followed, it didn't work very well. Heavy splasheswereheard as the creatures started running, and a set of shrieks followed as the humans ranin turn.

"This is our chance," Lydon said, as he brushed shoulders with me.

"Wait," I whispered, taking another look.

Nothing to the right, and to the left is...

The left hallway waslitteredwithclutter,andjust beyond that, a smoky haze billowed out from another passage.

"We can run if you want," Lydon said.

"... I'm still considering whether this is a trap set by Ananke," I whispered.

"We can try to climb the inside of the elevator shaft using those tendrils of yours," Lydon said.

"No, we can't," I whispered, and started walking.

"... What? Why?" Lydon asked as he followed in my wake.

I glanced back at him, "The Zephyr hasn't worked since I-"

There was a crack of thunder, and a flash as something pierced the air. Ashock waveof air smackedmy face, and Lydon was already falling to the floor as I stumbled back.

Panic. Fright. Shock.Even as my heart scrambled to pick up pace, another crack of lighting tore through the air. I could feel the heat and pressure wave ofthe bolt as if it burned my chest while passing by.

Run!

I slammed my boot on the floor, and lunged back the way I came. As I near flew toward the passage, another crack shook the air and turned a part of the wall into a cloud of debris. A split second later, I tumbled to the floor in panic, half-skidding as my side slammed into the nearby wall.

With my ears shifting and my eyes darting around, I clung to the wall and focused on the elevators.Lydon's bodywas lyingabout halfway acrossthe lobby.His head and the rest of his body appeared intact, but there was nosign of life... This meanthewas nowout of reach, and itmade megrit my teeth in anger as I cursed myselffor not being any faster.

I need to-

"I'm going to enjoy this,"avoice called out from nearby.

I looked toward the source and saw what looked like a small black box near one of the corpses.

"Go on, pick it up... I know that you're there," The voice said, as a small light lit up on the box.

Whilethe voice wastinny, I now recognized thatit belonged to either#1 or #2.

One of them is down the hallway... Where's the other one?

I looked down the hallway and gasped for breath.

No tech to help me out... No backup... No nothing...

"Pick it up, or I'll blow Lydon's head into pieces,"The boxsang with their voice.

It was cleartheyknew enough about hybrids to use_that_as a threat, and one had to wonder what else theyknew. Itforced me to comply, and I leanedacrossthe hallwayas Ipicked up the black box.

As I looked the device over, it was clear that it was some kind of small communicator. It had a few knobs, an access port, and a tiny digital display.

"I've picked it up," I said.

"Good, now let's have a talk..."

I need a plan...

"Who are you exactly? The angry one, or the one pleading the other to stop?"

The shot came from the left, the corridor with the haze...

There was a huff, "I'm... I'm no one, but my sister's vengeful spirit."

That means #2 has some kind of gear to see through the haze...

"#2 in other words... Am I to assume that your companion is dead?" I wondered.

Sniping us from beyond the haze...

"You don't spare any time fishing for information that might help you... But it won't work. One way or another, you'll die up here and I'll end myself soon after."

Can I circle around?

"... You should have had a clean shot earlier. Why take out Lydon?" I asked, starting to walk back to the first split in the hallway.

How does the communicator work?

"Because it would have been too simple. My sister wanted you to suffer," #2 said.

"Because of what? A slight?"I asked,as I neared the splitand took a closer look at the communicator.

There's a few buttons, one with the microphone symbol... And there's a switch next to it...

I wonder if I can mute it? The switch might be made to keep the microphone on...

"No... It's more than that. You're the closest thing to a living representation of Sophos," #2 said.

I flicked the switch off, and spoke up, "So what?"

No answer...

I held in the microphone button and tried once more,"Help me understand? Because this makes no sense... Why do you hate us so much?"

#2 answered in a near instant,"I'd stop walking if I were you..."

I figured out how to mute it... But I guess she's tracking me through it...

I switched the microphone on and stopped walking, "You're tracking me through this, I assume?"

"I am,and don't thinkaboutleaving it behind, because I'llblow Lydon's head off," #2 said.

So, sheshouldn'thave camera access...No doubt because of how Ananke has trashed everything...

"Seems like a dead end to me. If you shoot Lydon, I'll be free to move as I want, and if you don't, then..."I said.

What do I do?How do I use this to my advantage?

"True, true... But ifyou step into view again, I'llmake your end quick, and leave Lydon intact."

There has to be something here...

"He's not moving," I said.

Grenades? Maybe? Flash bangs to buy me enough time to grab Lydon and flee?

"He might heal, or not... Your kind is good at rising from the dead, right?" #2 said.

"Maybe..." I whispered, and stepped over to a couple of the human corpses.

I could drop the communicator, run back, and hurl the grenades around the corner... But...

"You decide what happens next.Either way, you'll die...and even_if_you manage to get past me somehow, you won'tsurvive downstairs."

"How so?"I wondered.

"The survivors havebarricaded themselves in the Paradise Dome, and the city is...unpleasant."

No... The grenades are a solution that's too slow...

"Andwhy are you doing this exactly?Whydidyour sister want everything to end so badly?"

I looked around in wonderifthere was anythingI could use. TheZephyr would have helped, but that wasn't an option. Most of the computer systems were down in the area. Running back to Ananke wouldn't work, and evenif I could,it would beuncertain what she'd be able to do. Hackingthe communicator was impossiblewith my current gear...

#2 sighed, "It doesn't matter, does it?"

There was movement near the wall, and I looked over. That gelatinous blob from earlier was there, and it still shuffled around as if blind.

Could I use that somehow?No...

As I walked around, my eyes caught on a room along the hallway. It looked like a big meeting room with big shattered windows. Holes riddled the walls, a lot of chairs were scattered around the place, and a group of corpses along the corner were growing into large, fleshy blob. Several laptops were scattered around the big meeting table, and a holographic projection emerged from the center. It showed a big and flashing evacuation sign for the floor.

"You said you wanted me to suffer, then make me suffer... Make me understand your pain, and what we could have done different?" I said as I walked up to the laptops.

A short but maniacal laughter followed, "Your kind always does this, don't you?"

I tried touching the laptops, but all three were either frozen or caught in some kind of reboot loop, "We do have an emphatic streak, yes..."

Accessing the network on this floor is going to be a no go...

"My sister and I are twins, and your conclusions were right... She's sick with progeria, and we come from an influential family. The fact that she had passed the initial genetic tests made termination rather... inconvenient. They pushed her hard to excel and do her duty for the Empire before she expired. I was there to help her."

How do her sensors work? They can't be optical due to the smoke in the hallway...

Visible lasers get absorbed by smoke... Some kind of infrared sensor in other words?

Capable of peering through a smokescreen... Devious...

"How did your sister's desire turn into this? The Luminaire? To end the world?" I asked.

#2 spoke,"Oh,that desirewas always there..."

Istepped up to the holographic emitter in the table, and reached out with my hand. A fizzling crackle could be heard as my hand moved through the beams.Heat simmered against my pads, and after a few moments, I could see smoke starting to rise from my fur.

Lots of infrared energy, but the beams are too focused...

#2 kept talking,"My sister worked hard, but she did so with hatred in her heart.One day, sheswore that she'd do something amazing enoughthat she'dbe granted an audience withthe Emperor... thenshe'd_slit_his throat."

A square piece of dark glass obscured the emitter, and I raised the butt of my rifle as I readied myself to smash it,"I assume that didn't happen?"

"Obviously. She weakened, despite the drugs and all that furious energyin her heart. So what do you think happened when, out of nowhere, the Luminaire contacted us?"

As #2 was talking, I brought the rifle down, crushed the glass, and watched it shatter into thousands of small pieces. The hologram shuddered a little, but didn't seem to care much.

"She leaped atthe chance...Not onlycould sheend the Empire, but the whole planetas well. To wipe the slate clean," I said,and reached into the chamber which held the emitter.

"Yes, she did..." #2 whispered.

Carefully, I eased the emitter out. It looked like a white box with rounded corners and a finely segmented plate.Sitting above the plate was some kind of focusing array with a couple of knobs.On its side was a bunch of corporate stickers, and along the back were numerous connectors and a single cable hanging out of it.I placed the emitter on the table,andinched closer as inspectedthe focusingarray.

As I adjusted the knobs on the array, the hologram grew in size. Even as it maxed out, it was still far too small and focused for the purpose I needed. With a gentle twist, the plastic that held the array in place snapped off. The hologram grew erratic as I moved the array, and it filled the ceiling with an angry, crackling glare of distorted colors.

"Still there, Vilkas? Or are you trying to sneak off?" #2 asked.

I drew a deep breath, and pushed the button to activate the microphone yet again, "In other words, haven't you achieved what you hoped? The island is dying, Etemenanki is gone, and there's a Lusus plague spreading across the human nations."

#2 spoke up once more, "You'll still be here though... Humanity will live on within your reputed_archives_, and then it'll start all over again."

The ceiling was starting to fizzle as the now unfocused beams bathed it, and I leaned over to grab the power plug. As I disconnected it, the hologram disappeared in an instant.

Damn... But I guess it was a bit much to expect it to be battery powered...

So how do I power this thing? An outlet in the hallway? Can't remember seeing any...

The laptops maybe? Could they be compatible?

I stepped back to the laptops and looked them over again. Several cables were connected, one of them into the table itself, and all of them appeared to be the same type.

Huh...A universal serial bus of sorts... How convenient...

"... Vilkas, it's not smart to ignore me like this,"#2 said.

I was jolted out of my daze, and switched the microphone on again, "I'm still here... Just thinking."

#2 sighed, "This has gone on long enough..."

I pulled the plug out of the table, looked at the backside of the emitter, and saw one of the same type, "But, there's something I don't get. I understand your sister's reasoning, but why_are_ you doing this?"

"My sister and I were going to meet our ends as one. We'd sing and laugh as the world began a new, and then we'd depart like smoke in the wind. You killed her. You took her... from me."

As #2 started talking once more, I brought the cable over, and plugged it into the emitter.

To my surprise--and great relief--the emitter lit up with activity. A few moments later,and the ceiling began to crackle with activity once more.

A remote... There has to be a remote around here?

In haste, I looked across the table, noticed something on the floor, and saw a small white device with a bunch of small buttons on it. I reached down, grabbed it, and aimed at the emitter as I pressed the power button.

The emitter shut down, and the crackle faded as I let out a gentle sigh, "I'm not in control of what has transpired here, nor was Lydon."

#2 spoke, "Oh, but you were... You stood down there, in the museum, and you taunted her. This... all of this , is your fault, Vilkas. You made her so angry... so blind, that she didn't even hesitate to follow you up here. She even raced ahead and stuck her arm through those closing bulkheads."

"... She was obsessed," I whispered.

"Yes... Rather than spend the last of our time together... Free at last, in the echoes of the world's end, she chased after you, Vilkas..." #2 said.

Need to measure the time...

Once more, I pressed the remote to start the emitter and waited. Within a couple of seconds, it flicked on once more, and let loose its beam of crackling light.

This will work... I hope...

"If that's the case, then know that I'm sorry," I said, and unplugged the laptop's power cable before stuffing the laptop under my left armpit.

"I don't believe you, and even if I did... Istill want you to suffer... To feel justa hintof the pain I felt as you took my sister from me,"#2 said.

Next, I stuffed the rifle under in my right armpit and picked up the emitter in my free hand.

"Do you promise that you'll give Lydon a chance and leave him be?" I wondered.

"He's irrelevant to me, really... But I find it interesting that you'd be selfless enough to offer yourself for the small chance that he might survive," #2 said.

"What can I say... We're not human," I said and stepped back with all the gear.

#2 chuckled, "That, or you're going to make a leap of faith, hoping that you'll be able to grab Lydon and flee into the elevator before I blow your head off."

"... You did miss a couple of times," I said as I stepped into the hallway again.

"I missed on purpose... You know? Killing you without knowing why would defeat the purpose."

"Ah," I said, as I looked into the distance and saw the open elevators once more.

"I do wonder what you'll do... Perhaps you'll beg with open arms? Or try to shoot me through the haze?" #2 mused as if grinning with the mere thought.

"You could let us go, you know?" I asked, as I once more neared the edge of the hallway.

"... Maybe. Tell you what, step into my sights and I'll consider it. If not, I'll just end Lydon's existence, and let you have your best shot at taking at taking me out,"#2 said.

I crouched next to the edge, put the emitter down on the side, and angled it toward the hallway on the left. Next, I set the laptop down beside it, and rose once more.

"Well?" #2 asked.

"Give me a moment will you?" I said, and readied the remote in my hand.

"Need to gather your thoughts or something?" #2 asked with a bemused voice.

I gulped, drew a deep breath, steeled myself, and pressed the button as I started walking, "I have a question, would you mind answering it?"

One step... Two steps...

"Sure, what's your-"

The hallway to the left exploded with a burst of light in various colors, and I bolted into action. In a near instant, I had dropped the communicator, crouched down to make my movements erratic, and lunged toward Lydon's still motionless body.

Another crack of thunder tore through the hallway, though I didn't see the projectile itself.

Rather than trying to pinpoint it, I rushed with all my might, reached out, andgrabbedhold of Lydon's uniform with my left hand. It near tore my arm off from the sharp tug, but I managed to keep running as I focused on reaching the other side.

Another crack of lighting filled the room, and a sudden pain hit my rear. I ignored it, forced myself to keep moving, and had almost reached the elevators when athought struck my mind.

Getting into the __elevators_ won't be enough, she'll be able to shoot at us like fish in a barrel..._

#2 had to die, or the elevators wouldn't last. She'd come after, and blast us to pieces as we descended. I did my best to slow down,but promptlyhit the wall between the elevators with a thud.While gasping, I looked to the left for a better view of the angles. From where I was standing, #2 shouldn't be able to see me... at least, not until she got a lot closer.

We still have a chance!

I moved to the right, and flung Lydon's body into the center elevator. Next, I moved over to the left elevator, leaned in, and smacked my hand over the control panel as I pushed various buttons.

A soft ding was heard, and as the door started closing, I stepped back.

The heavy thumping of metal bootswascoming closer, and I once more stepped over to the center elevator as I made my way inside. Lydon lay crumpled in the corner, and I leaned back against the elevator wall as I once more held my breath.

I held the rifle close to my chest, held a claw by the trigger, and listened.

The thumping came closer... closer... closer... and came to a sudden halt.

A guttural scream followed. Full of anger and fury as #2 screamed into nothingness. A split second later, it changed into a guttural, insane laugh.

As the laughter started dying down, I could hear her voice, dripping with malice as#2spoke in what sounded like Imperial, "Jävla idioter..."

I could hear as#2took a few steps closer to the elevator, and was no doubt about to aim her weapons into the shaft. Carefully--in near silence--I faced the elevator opening, readied the rifle as I braced it against my shoulder, and took a step out of the elevator.

#2'smechsuit was big, but looked to be inrough shape. Much of the metal was riddled with scorch marks, and there were even streaks that appeared meltedas thoughstruckby acid.The joints of themechsuitwerepartially armored, but even from here, I could see the sensitive gapslocated alongthe shoulder, hips, andback.

Attached to the right arm of the mechsuit was a large cylinder, no doubt the rail gun. Aiming it would be difficult at short range, which meant that the weapon on the other arm was most likely an alternate short-range weapon. Disabling the railgun wouldn't serve much purpose, which meant I had to deal as much bodily damage as possible and hope for the best.

I aimed at the back of the shoulder, near the big joint, gritted my teeth, and pulled the trigger.

The whole rifle shook with each blast, and I could feel the thumps slamming into my shoulder. Sparks and small flecks of molten metal exploded from the back of her mechsuit as I kept firing while moving closer.

Her movements were ragged as she leaned by the edge while being slammed by the repeated shots.

For a moment, I thought she'd fall into the shaft, but she suddenly seemed to regain her balance as she crouched. I shifted my aim a little, at the neck of her now exposed mechsuit.

The air fizzed with smoke and sparks. The floor glowed with molten spatters, and I could feel the searing cinders as they landed on my fur and nose. Suddenly, the rifle clicked,and aloud series clacksfollowed.Itwasthe worst kind ofsound to hear, and itbecameclear the rifle had either jammed or run out of flechettes.

In the smoke and debris, I could see asthe hulking mechsuitturned to face me. I lungedforward, rifle clutched in both my hands, and slammed it into the front with all my weight. At first, it felt as if I'd slammed into a giant wall, but as the suit started toppling, Iwent along with it.A thunderous thump followed as the mechsuit crashed to the ground.

Focus on the short range-

My mind halted in surprise as I noticed thatthere was no short range weapon, in fact...there was no left armat all. Just a big stump and some warped metal. The right armwas out of commission as well--its armor stripped away, the internal components reduced to slag, and the radiant heat was cooking the exposed flesh.

I could hear wheezing coming from the suit, and as I stared down at its big black visor, I saw my own reflection. The image wasn't very flattering--my fur was a mess, exhaustion made my eyes look feral, and there were more than a few scrapes which had left bloody scars.

My heart pounded, but I couldn't see anything on her mechsuit which could be a big threat.

I gasped as I reached up and caught the big helmet while looking along the neck. Whatever locking mechanism the helmet had appeared torn to shreds, and even a gentle pull made the helmet pop as it loosened.

"No..." A raspy voice wheezed from within.

I dropped the big helmet to the side, and looked back.

The missing arm was the first clue, but now it became clear that I had been tricked. The one within the suit was wrinkled, barely had any hair, and had almost translucent skin that revealed a great many veins riddling the face.

You lied... You lost your sister, and pretended to be her... Why? To gain another advantage?

She looked almost amused as she stared up at me. As if she was determined to derive some kind of pleasure from the situation, no matter how grim it was. She hadn't managed to topple me, but she had certainly taken me for a ride.

"You..." I said.

Her expression shifted suddenly, and pain overtook her. She coughed weakly, and something caught in her throat.A sputter of blood bubbled up from her lips, and trickled down the side of her chin.

After a few seconds, she focused on me once more, and whispered, "... Finish me."

What was it Lydon said? That it was almost impossible to capture Imperials?

Why would that be? Because they disintegrate? Because they like to self-destruct?

What would be the last dying wish of someone with this much hatred?

To bring down one last person...

It was cold, but it was to time leave.

A twisted smile spread on her lips, "K- Kill me."

I pushed against the chest of her mechsuit and rose up.

Her eyes became like pinpricks, and her head moved as if desperately trying to sit up, "D-don't-"

Another sputter caught in her throat as I hurried into Lydon's elevator, looked at the control panel, and pressed the dedicated button for the bottom floor.

As the doors started closing, I could hear the last wheezing, but desperate shriek of her voice.

512 A.R.** March *2* , *Nexus Tower* - Elevator *,* Evening**

The elevator door closed, and I could feel the pull as we descended once more. For a moment, I just stood there, staring at the doors. The floor indicator shifted slowly, but for each floor, it became a little easier to breathe.

Things would get tough again, but... for now, there was a short respite.

Pain radiated from somewhere along my back, and I turned my head to look. There was blood dripping on the floor, and I realized that I now had a stump for a tail.

She shot off my sodding tail...

I let out a loud sigh, and for a moment, I was tempted to shut my eyes. With some effort, I resisted it and turned to face the rest of the elevator. Lydon was slumped in the corner, unceremoniously lying with his head against the floor.

It felt awful seeing it, and it brought me closer as I crouched down. Carefully, I settledagainstwall and reached out to him. Ipulled him closer,thenpropped him up next to me like a listless doll.The uniform hid most of his wound, but the dark blood had made his front a mess.

Carrying him would be difficult, but at this point I didn't even have a weapon, so it might not have mattered. A small part of me whispered that I should have looked for a way to cut his head off, but...

My throat tightened. It was absurd how I'd come here with such grand hopes, and now I found myself in a situation like this, pondering how to best cut off someone's head.

I gulped, then drew a deep, shaky breath. A light rumble shook the elevator without warning, and Lydon's head tipped over to rest on my shoulder.

It made me reach up, and hesitate... It was fine like this. Lydon could rest his head if he wanted.

I lifted my gaze to the big window in the elevator. The sky seemed hazy as if polluted, and the horizon glowed with an orange, reddish hue. I would have blamed it on the setting sun, but the colors were... off. It was as if a hue of blood was slowly overtaking the world, and the moon hung high in the sky. It seemed bigger than usual, and I got a weird feeling that it was out of place as well.

If it had been a picture, I'd have called it beautiful. A scene of rich colors with an intense aura of mystery. What awaited beyond the red horizon? How did the desert form, and from whence came all those abandoned buildings? What secrets did the looming moon hold?

My head bobbed for a moment as I almost fell asleep. I gasped in surprise as I caught myself, and straightened up. With a light cough to clear my throat, I leaned closer to the window and peered down.

Curiosity turned to regret as I saw the width of Tel-Adra. The slums which grew as a circle around the city were in dire straits. Fires had broken out all over,entire portions of the shanty townhad collapsed, and I could see alien growths rising along with what looked like smoke trails of spores.

The many skyscrapers told of a similar fate. A couple of them had already collapsed, and the enormous dust clouds were moving away from the city. Others were slowly being consumed, like an inverse candle. There were plenty of aerocars in the air, some of them moving at random, others heading out toward the desert.

One of the aerocarsstarted moving erratically and caught my attention.It wobbled as if someone was fighting for control over it, and then it dipped downinto a u-turn. Like a speeding bullet it headed straight toward one of the nearby skyscrapers, andslammed into it as it exploded witha big ball of fire.Thenearby windows shattered, and a thousandglittering shardsbegan to fall.

My view was suddenly obscured by a big skyscraper, which meant it wouldn't be long before we entered the city-level of the tower. It made me gulp as I pondered what the plan was.

Do I step out into the UCS section? Raise my arms and hope they don't shoot me? Maybe there's a bunch of Lusus down there already, and all I can hope for is that they're as passive as the ones from earlier.

The elevator rumbled, and a sudden screech was heard as we hit something. A moment later, it settled its steady hum once more. Another glance out the window revealed that it wasn't far now. I grabbed Lydon once more and pulled him along as I settled in the elevator's corner, next to the doors.

Should have __tried to_ grab Lydon's rifle u pstairs..._

I waited, counted the seconds, then the view shifted without warning. While the city was a burning inferno from above, the lower portions had become something else entirely.

Adriftingfogofgreenishsporesfilled the air, andthe once vibrant society was succumbing to the infestation.Thefleshy growth of theLusus was starting to cover everything:it spreadalong the walls, climbed the large screens like blooming stalks, and was growingintogigantic piles ofpurple.

Bug-eyed and holding onto Lydon, I watched in silence.

Fighting was still going on in the city. Stray explosions dotted the distance, and people were fighting in the recreational areas. Strange creatures were tearing through restaurants or breaking through doors to get at whoever was hiding within the long rows of apartment.

I couldn't help but hold my breath, and I could only hope that the lower levels had fared better.

Suddenly, something became visible. A throng of big purple tentacles, waving and moving through the air. We were nearing the street level of the city, and I could see as the tentacles moved about, searching for a meal among the survivors.

I could hear my heartbeat, and sat very still as I watched it.

A twitch ran through one of the tentacles near the elevator, and I could feel the tension rise in my gut. The sheer size of the thing was... intimidating, and I imagined it wouldn't have any problem turning an APC into scrap.

How on Earth did it grow so big in just a few hours!?

As the great tentacle swayed, it steadily loomed closer to the elevator. Then, it stopped, and I could feel its presence turn on me. Somehow, it_saw,_ and it knew that I was here.

Oh crap...

I could see as the gargantuan tentacle pulled back, and I reached up to grab the railing. There was nowhere to go, nothing to do, and I could only watch as its great shadow filled the elevator. Internally, my mind screamed, but I could do little else but hold on as it swung toward the elevator.

A thunderous bang shook the world. Glass shattered, and metal groaned as it was violently twisted. The elevator's window exploded inward, and something nearby made a loud crack.

Without warning, a weightless sensation gripped my insides. My view of the outside and the tentacle was tilted sideways, then promptly disappeared. My body lifted along with Lydon, and I could see the ceiling coming closer as the elevator was now in free-fall.

We hit something. Another rumble shook the world, and I was violently slammed into the side of the elevator. My arm was painfully jerked, and as the pressure kept growing, it was increasingly difficult to hold on.

Another bang--more violent this time--turned everything into a blur, and I lost my grip.I could feel as I was banged back and forth, before catching a brief glimpse of what looked like the elevator shaft itself.

A terriblescream filled the air. Metal grinding against metal as it sounded and felt like I was caught in a malfunctioning washing machine. Suddenly, the elevator got stuck, and the floor rushed closer.

This is going to hurt...

512 A.R.** March *2* , *Nexus Tower -* Unknown Floor *,* Evening**

Broken...

Pain radiated from my body, but it was accompanied by a numb sensation. In a way, it was as if my senses were gradually numbed the more I was hurt. My chestfelttight,myjaw ached, and breathing was difficult.

Somewhere, deep down, my instinctswhisperedto me. Rise carefully, and put yourself together.

I opened my eyes and found that the world seemed twisted. Jagged metal surrounded me, a stream of water trickled down the walls, and I could hear the sparks of electricity in the background.

It felt as if I was on somewhat stable ground, so I eased myself up on all fours. Breathing grew more difficult, but rather than hold my breath, the instincts told me to breathe deeply. I did as the instincts ordered and could both feel and hear a series of pops come from my ribcage.

Breathing grew easier, but something was still wrong with my jaw. As if it was misaligned or something. It made me reach up with one hand, and I realized that my lower jaw had shifted sideways.

Oh my... This is disturbing...

A shiver of unease rippled down my back, but I followed the pull of my instincts.

Open your jaw wide, force it back into place... Simple... Right?

I stuffed a few fingers into my mouth, got a good grip, and carefully pulled my jaw downwards. The sounds were wet and crackling, but it worked as I forced it open. Next, I pushed back toward the center, and felt the pain grow as my nerves screamed.

Suddenly, and with a loud crack, my jaw popped back into place.The remains of my tail twitched asI let out an involuntary whimper, thenleaned down as I put my head against the floor.

There...

I could breathe, move my jaw once more, and lifted my head to look around. The elevator appeared to have gotten stuck on its side, and the doors were to my right. The smashed window was on the left, and straight ahead was what used to be the elevator's ceiling.

Lydon was...

I looked behind me and was relieved to see his body in the corner of the elevator.

For a moment I thought he'd been chucked out of the elevator...

I shuffled back toward him and was interrupted as the elevator let out a pained groan. It shuddered a little, and then settled as if hanging on by a thread.

Careful...

I looked out of the broken window of the elevator, and saw a hint of light above us. Upon leaning closer, I could see that the elevator had stopped near the doors leading out onto another floor.

Fortunately, the doors were open, and within reach from the look of it.

Carefully, I inched backwards, reached down, and caught Lydon's uniform by the scruff of his neck. Next, I pulled him closer and gave him a few tugs to make sure I still had enough strength in my right arm.

Mm, this should work...

I inched closer to the broken window and shuffled off the broken glass as I peered up. Water was pouring into the elevator shaft from above, raining down with a soft pitter-patter.

Another groaning creak rippled through the elevator, and I held my breath. As it stopped, I eased myself onto two legs, and lifted Lydon to hold him close to me.

I reached up... up... and up. My hand felt along the edge of the floor above us, and I searched for a proper grip with my claws. After a few moments, I found the proper leverage in the tracks that themovingdoors used.

A moment's pause allowed me to draw a few deep breaths, and I did my best to focus. Once done, I gritted my teeth, and started pulling. My own strength still amazed me at times. As a human, it was troublesome enough to pull myself up with two arms. As a hybrid--even with the additional weight that Lydon and the Zephyr provided--I could do it with one arm.

Progress was slow though, and I could feel the blood thump in my head as I peered into the next floor and lifted Lydon to heave him over the edge. He slumped onto the floor, and I gave him a good shove before letting go.

Once done, I grabbed the ledge with both hands and pulled myself up onto the floor. While panting, I looked side to side in this new hallway. The aesthetics were certainly human, and there were plenty of UCS flags. A long row of framed speeches lined the wall, and I could see smears of blood along with a bunch of bullet holes riddling a wall at the end of the hall.

My ears wiggled, but I couldn't pick up much noise. In fact, what little I could hear was coming from the elevator shaft. I turned back to look into the elevator shaft, and focused.

Hidden behind the noise of the running water was something heavy, thrashing about, slowly making its way down. It made me gulp with the realization that the Lusus were following, and I looked back at Lydon's body.

Time to go...

I scooped him up in my arms, stood up, and decided to move along the hallway to the right. As I neared the first split, I noticed what looked like a set of directions affixed to the wall.

Elevators... Supply Management... Observation Pod... Quarters...

An observation pod? For what? We can't be far from the bottom right now...

The directions to the observation pod pointed toward the right, into the depths of the hallway. I steadied my grip on Lydon and started walking.

Hopefully the observation pod would be something connected to the Paradise Dome...

The floor I walked on seemed abandoned for the most part.There was blood here and there, along with traces of gunfire. My steps even had a tendency to echo. For each split in the hallway, more directions could be seen, and I kept followingthe pathtowardsthe observation pod.

Finally, I came upon a turn in the hallway, and glimpsed down its length. Not far from the turn were a couple a couple of doors... and a rather macabre sight. One of the doors along the center of the hallway had been broken down, and there were chunks of a corpse left on the floor.

At the very end of the hallway was a door that looked more reinforced than the rest, and there was a big access panel next to it. Another corpse lay in front the armored door, and I could see the streaks of blood on the wall as if the person had reached for the panel.

This... could be risky, but...

I crouched a little, and quieted my steps as I approached. The broken-down door was first, and I threw it a careful glance as I moved up to it. It looked like a supply closet, and whatever creature that had made such a mess wasn't in there any longer... at least not based on what I could see.

Still silent, I made my way across, and set my sights on the armored door.

The person laying in front of it seemed to be a UCS guard of some kind... or rather, the upper half of one. The exposed flesh by his midsection was starting to discolor with strange growths, something that proved that the infestation was going on down here as well.

In the guard's hand there was still some kind of object. A small black card along with a rope of metallic beads. It seemed curious, but as I looked up at the access panel, I could see a slot that might fit the card.

He was desperately trying to get inside when something caught him...

I eased Lydon over my shoulder, crouched down, and used my free hand to pry the card out of the man's hand. Once done, I rose once more, and-

There was a rumble from above, as if something was moving within the ceiling. Banging and clanging as the noises grew.

Vents?

I picked up the pace, slotted the card into the access panel, and locked it in place with a click.

An angry chirp was emitted, and the small screen flashed red.

[Read error...]

The rumble in the vents grew, and then faded as if it took another turn... into the closet with the broken door.

Crap!

I pulled the card out with a click, looked it over, and saw the blood streaked on one end. In haste, I rubbed it across my uniform, then my fur, and back at another clean spot on my uniform. As I did, several glinting strips of metal on the card was revealed.

Something heavy smashed into the ground from somewhere nearby, and I near jumped in fright as I slotted the card back into place. It made another click, and a loading screen started swirling on the small screen.

[Observation Pod in lockdown... Please await manual override...]

I stared at it, felt as if my heart was about to explode, and then... I heard a voice.

"Who... or what are you?" The voice was tinny and emanated from a small speaker on the access panel, but it still managed to reveal the voice of a rather gruff, human-sounding male.

I swallowed, and tried to shift my voice to sound as clear and gentle as possible, "Survivors from the upper floor. We tried to take the elevator down, but we got stuck on this floor."

"In other words, you're infested," The voice said with something of a huff, and it was followed by the distinct noise of something being gulped down.

This voice... It's familiar... Who is it?

"We took part in Kamilah's vaccination tests, the spores haven't affected us," I said.

The voice was silent for a moment, "... That means you're part of that bitch's entourage."

Do I lie even more? Tell the truth? Who is this and what...

It clicked in my mind, and I remembered that sour voice, "... Colonel, is that you?"

"... Who the fuck are you?" The man asked while the voice grew louder as if he leaned in by the microphone.

"I'll be glad to tell you, but there's something coming down the hallway... Please, open," I said.

"... I'm armed. You try something, and you're dead. Understand?" The man asked.

"I understand," I said.

There was a thunk in the wall as if several locking bolts were unlatched. Moments later, the door slid open. Air rushed out from the room as I made a point of stepping through in one go. Part of me already suspected what I'd be facing, and I wasn't exactly surprised as I found myself at gunpoint.

The Colonel was standing by a small table not far from the door. He was barely outside of reaching distance, and he had one hand on a control panel attached to the wall, while the other held a handgun which he now pointed at my head.

His mouth hung openas if he haddone his best tomentally prepare himself, yet had his expectations ground to dust asa giant wolfcarryinga deer stepped inside.

I stared him in the eyes, "There's_something_ coming down the hallway behind me, close the door or we'll all die soon."

The Colonel blinked, and I caught a bit of waver in his hand as he pointed the handgun. His face was flush red, and based on the scent in the room, he'd been drinking a lot of alcohol.

"Get out," The Colonel said, and gritted his teeth.

I lowered my muzzle a little as I stared him down, "Look at me and ask yourself whether a peashooter like that can take me down. Then consider that the creature behind me will_not_ hesitate to slaughter us both."

I could hear a heavy thump from behind, and I could hear a shuffle as the creature picked up pace down the hallway. The Colonel gulped, and I could see his throat flex. A moment later, he pressed a button on the wall, and the heavy door behind me slid shut once more. As the door closed with a thump, the locking mechanisms engaged, and the wind in the room abated.

The Colonel stared at me, still aiming the handgun, and I glimpsed back toward the door. A few seconds later, a heavy thump could be heard as the creature started banging on the door.

"Thank you," I said as I looked back at the Colonel.

The Colonel's face twisted in a grimace, "... It's not as if you left me much choice."

As I watched, he let go of the control panel, reached down to the table, and fetched a glass filled with some kind of amber liquid along with a few ice cubes. Carefully, he reached up, and took another sip of it.

I eased Lydon down from my shoulder, and held him in my arms as I focused on the Colonel, "We just want to go home, Colonel."

There was a twitch in the corner of his lip, "You want to...go home."

I nodded, and turned my gaze toward the rest of the room. There was a slight curve to the room's layout, and I was standing in a corner to the right. Straight ahead was a wide spanning wall with a big observation window that looked out across the Paradise Dome. From here, one could see the Haven's shimmering dome.

At the end of the room was a large desk, and a few doors, one of which revealed a bathroom. Spanning the rest of the room was a large curved sofa facing the window, and a range of statues along with a bunch of framed objects.

After a few seconds, I look back toward the Colonel, "... Could you put the gun down?"

The Colonel kept his disgruntled grimace, "Tell me... Are you the reason that Tel-Adra is burning?"

Oh, it's a lot worse than that...

"That depends... Neither of us did much, but the Luminaire sure used our arrival as a trigger."

The Colonel squinted, and lowered his gun, "I saw the video of you killing those guards, but it didn't make much sense that you'd kill Kamilah."

I nodded, "Kamilah was already dead... We've been trying to flee since then."

To my surprise, the Colonel seemed to... give up. He placed the handgun on the small table next to him, faced the rest of the room, and sauntered off as he took another sip from his glass.

I followed him with my gaze, "... Do you mind if I put my friend down?"

The Colonel raised one arm as if telling me to do whatever and kept walking.

I walked up to the wall next to the table, eased Lydon down, and propped him up. Next, I glanced back at the door, and noticed that the banging seemed to have ceased.

The Colonel slumped into the big sofa's corner, raised the glass to his mouth, and peered out at the Paradise Dome in silence. I approached the big window, and looked down toward the ground.

A tent city of sorts had sprung up near the UCS exit, and there were a bunch of military emplacements in the area. Tanks had strategically spread out throughout the dome, and kept a close eye on the exits. Based on the various craters, it seemed that they had seen some action already.

The distant opening to the Sophossectionwas still intact, but it hadweathered a lot of damage from the looks of it. As I watched the emplacements, it became that while some of them focused on the Sophos entrance, most were focused on theUCS one.

It was difficult to see the area closest to the window, as if there was some kind of dark optical illusion that made it seem like a void.

I pointed at the window, "I didn't see this when I was in the Paradise Dome."

The Colonel glanced at me, "We dug out this area from behind the holographic generators. At first, it was supposed to be an observation pod, then a sniping nest, and now it's my office."

"Doesn't exactly seem to align with the spirit of this place," I said.

The Colonel rolled his eyes, "It was insurance, in case we ever needed to fight for control."

I looked back at him, and motioned at the tents down below, "Why aren't you down there?"

"Because I didn't want to die at the time," The Colonel answered with a frown.

It made me smile a little, "At the time?"

The Colonel drew a deep breath and gritted his teeth as he lashed out with one hand, "What the hell is up with the questions!? What do you even want? Why are you here!?"

I pointed toward the Sophos section, "I was hoping there would be a way from here to there."

The Colonel drew several deep breaths, reached up to his collar, and pulled until it loosened a bit, "Well, there's a big fucking window if you hadn't noticed. But feel free to take the exit and try your luck with the guys downstairs."

I stepped closer to him, and stopped in front of the glass table that divided us, "I didn't mean to make you angry, but I still value my life... I think you might also value your own."

His face twisted in disgust as he raised one hand and leaned his head against it, "... I did. Up to the point where everyone outside was being eaten, then I locked myself in here. Plan was to get myself drunk to a damn stupor and then put a bullet in my head."

"You let us in... believing we were survivors," I said.

"Your fucking point?" The Colonel asked.

"... You still care, otherwise you wouldn't have bothered answering the intercom," I said.

The Colonel looked aside, "Good fucking lord, may someone put me out of my fucking misery..."

I stepped back to the window, knit my fist, and gave it a hard knock. A dull thump was heard, and it remained sturdy like a stone.

"That's several decimeters of reinforced glass, you'd need a cannon to pierce it."

I looked back at the Colonel, "You said this place was meant to be a sniper's nest, how were they planning to loosen it?"

The Colonel glanced in my direction, "..."

"... You know how, don't you?" I whispered.

The Colonel sighed and reached up to rub his forehead, "It's lined with explosive bolts. The hatch to trigger them is in the floor over by the control panel."

"Which still leaves the problem of getting past the ones downstairs,"I said.

The Colonel started smiling, "The reason I didn't go downstairs was because they blamed me as being part of_your_plan to kill Kamilah and her father."

"Abasi Wosretis dead?" I wondered.

The Colonel looked up, "Of course he's fucking dead. The man would never have taken a 'leave of absence' for the loss of his daughter."

"I see... So, did the Luminaire target you because it suited them, or because you did something?"

The Colonel sat straight and idly shook his glass at me, "What is it with these questions?"

I motioned with my hands back and forth, "We can cooperate with one another. It helps."

The Colonel stared, as if both tired and somewhat baffled, "... I am aware of what's happening with the world, you know? The war has already devastated the island, Sophos launched some kind of massive cyberwarfare module to take down everyone's computer systems, and now every city is in the process of becoming giant hives. To make matters even worse is what's happening at the shores..."

"... What about them?" I asked.

"You don't know?" The Colonel asked and raised his brow.

I motioned to the outside, "Ever since stepping into this place, I've been jammed."

"Ah... Well, last I heard before the comm lines above ground stopped working, the shores were being... well, there's biomass moving inland. Like a giant wall of flesh consuming everything in its wake."

"... Well, that's bad," I said.

The Colonel took another sip, "... That's one big understatement. But to answer your original question: No, I can't help you. The men downstairs think I'm a traitor, and they'd be more than eager to shoot me."

I made a slow nod, "This communications system you mentioned, do you have the means to contact Sophos with it?"

The Colonel's gaze wandered for a moment, "Sure, maybe... If the lines across the dome are still intact. But, the ones downstairs might discover it if they're still keeping tabs on the comms."

"I know that you don't have any obligation to help and that I'm intruding here... but..."

The Colonel rubbed his temple as he looked back at me. After a few moments, he squinted as if pondering something, "... How old are you?"

"I'll be 22 in July," I said.

His eyes widened, and he moved his hand as if wondering, 'what the hell?'

It made me smile as I motioned to Lydon, "He's over two centuries old, though he never told me his exact age."

The Colonel looked away, drew a deep breath, and let out a slow sigh, "You're a fucking child."

"... Sorry about that," I whispered.

Another sigh could be heard as the Colonel grabbed his drink, carefully eased himself out of the sofa with something of a grunt, and motioned with his arm, "Come along..."

I spoke up while following him, "If we blow the window, is it possible to climb down, or..."

The Colonel took another sip and threw me a glance as he walked toward his desk, "There's a whole latticework of support beams lining the dome, you can't really see them because of the holos, but it should be more than possible to descend that way."

"Ah," I whispered as the Colonel walked up to his desk, flipped a big screen around, and pulled up a wireless keyboard.

He tapped on it, started some kind of application, and brought up what looked like a long list of records.

"Sophos has this... 'interactive receptionist' we use whenever we need to get in contact with someone. I'm not sure who you'd contact but..."

"It's fine, I'll manage as long as I can get in contact with someone," I said.

The Colonel tappeda record, pressed a re-connect button in the corner, and a small loading screen was shown. After a few moments, a window popped up with the same kind of hazy blue background that Athena usually used.

A voice similar to that of Athena, but simpler and flatter could be heard, "We are listening."

The Colonel looked to me, and motioned at the screen with one hand.

I drew a deep breath as I leaned closer, "It's me."

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, a simple sentence appeared in the blue haze.

• What were the first words I ever told you? -

I thought back and couldn't help but smile to myself as I was reminded of the moment when it all started. An interview with Athena, a first step to see whether I was mentally ready to accept a symbiont. It was the start of an adventure which had taken me to places I had never thought possible.

"You told me to have a seat," I said.

• Your location is known to us - What do you need? -

The new message floated in the center of the screen, simple and direct.

"A distraction," I said.

-Granted - Be ready-

The screen froze and a popup was shown, 'Connection Lost'.

The Colonel perked his brow as if confused while turning to stare at me.

I stepped back, and pointed toward the corner of the room, "Not to rush, but..."

Once more, the Colonel let out a sigh as he stood up and followed in my wake, "I can't believe I'm doing this."

I smiled back at him, "Neither can I... But I'm honestly more curious about your behavior earlier?"

"What? You mean down by the security checkpoint?" The Colonel wondered.

"Yeah," I said, as I stopped next to Lydon's body and crouched down to the floor.

The Colonel glanced back toward his glass on the desk, but seemed to ignore it as he pointed at the floor, "Pull back the carpet."

I dug at the edge of the room with my claws, and caught the carpet as I started to peel it back, "Go on?"

The Colonel crossed his arms while peering down, "I didn't like Kamilah and her plans, but I also knew that there was something far more disturbing brewing in our society. I wanted nothing to do with any of them, and it landed me in this place."

"But?" I asked, as I unveiled a hatch in the floor.

It was simple and flat, with a small indentation to help lift it up. I poked my claw into it, pulled, and the hatch opened to reveal a cylinder with a handle on it.

"Understand me correctly, I consider Sophos the enemy of mankind, but the Luminaire were a threat to creation itself. I suspected that if they were going to pull something, it would be during some big event," The Colonel said.

I motioned to the cylinder as I looked up at the Colonel, "Soyou weretrying to stop us in the hope that the Luminaire wouldn't be able to go through with their great plan."

The Colonel shrugged, and motioned with his hand, "Pull the cylinder, turn it 180 degrees, and push it down. The explosive bolts will blow, and the window should fall into the dome."

I nodded, "Is there a way to turn off the lights in this place?"

He looked over to the nearby wall and a few light switches, "You could say that."

"... Do you want to come along?" I asked, and made a subtle smile as I peered up at him.

The Colonel perked his brow once more, "... You only hear what you want to hear, hmm?"

I let my smile grow, "Is that a yes?"

Ever since seeing the Colonel for the first time, this was the first time that I noticed something akin to a smile on the man's worn face. It was like a mix of amusement blended with a dash of sorrow and regret.

"... No," The Colonel said.

"... I see," I whispered.

His face contorted a little, and I could see his throat flex a little, "...Isit true?"

I stared back at him in wonder, "What?"

"... That you're leaving Earth? That there are ships... disappearing..." The Colonel whispered.

"... I don't know. Maybe? Probably..." I whispered.

"... So, something of the Earth will survive," The Colonel asked.

"One way or another," I said.

The Colonel stood tall once more, and suddenly perked to attention as he looked at the window "... Something's happening."

I leaned closer to the window, and caught a glance at the Sophos section of the Paradise Dome.

At first, it looked like a big cloud emerged from the Sophos opening. A moment later it became clear that a large number of missiles had just appeared. They raced outward in every direction, and the humans on the ground were already starting to panic.

Suddenly, the missiles started exploding midair. With each one that exploded, a strange black smoke emerged. It was as if it swallowed light itself, and growing bloom of a black void spread throughout the dome with a frightening pace. As more of the missiles exploded, the blooming darkness became a wall that raced along the surface.

The encampments simply disappeared in the void, and the light within the dome dimmed as it enveloped the ceiling. Within a span of seconds, the tent city had disappeared from sight, and it raced toward the room we were in.

The darkness hit the big window, and the outside seemed to disappear.

"... Are you sure you don't want to come along?" I asked.

The Colonel looked to me, and seemed to shake off his shock in an instant, "Turn that fucking thing already and get the hell out of here!"

I turned it 180 degrees, and gave the man one last nod, "As ordered, Colonel."

With a firm push downward, the cylinder clicked into place. In an instant, a ratchet of explosions came from the window, and the wind picked up.

As the giant window started toppling, the Colonel pointed to the edge of the window, "The scaffolding is to the right of the window."

I was already reaching back to grab Lydon as the darkness flowed into the room, "Thank you."

A split second later, it washed over us. Absolute darkness, and a strange... somewhat choking taste on my tongue. In an instant, it felt as if I had gone blind. I fumbled with my hands, felt Lydon's body, and pulled him in.

A clatter could be heard as the Colonel stumbled into something, while I eased Lydon over my shoulder. Carefully, I stood up, felt along the wall, and started walking toward the window.

A big bang could be heard as the window slammed into the ground, and a bunch of shouting followed. The wind had grown audible as my fur fluttered in the darkness, and I found the edge of the window.

I tiptoed my way to the very edge with my boots, and reached out through the window with my left arm. My fingers felt concrete, the rock wall, and... metal. I squeezed my head and shoulder together to maintain a firm grip on Lydon, and carefully grabbed hold of the scaffolding.

I clasped the scaffolding with my claws, eased my boot out, and found what felt like a horizontal strut. The remains of my tail trembled, and I clenched my teeth together as I let go of the window's edge. My heart thumped hard, and part of me had the urge to scream as I caught the scaffolding with both arms. With a gulp, I shifted my boots as if straddling a fireman's pole, and held tight.

Sliding down like this should work...

"... Goodbye, Colonel." I said.

Somewhere from within the darkness of the room, I could hear the clink of a bottle, and the Colonel's voice, "... Goodbye, Vilkas."

Carefully, I eased my grip, and started to slide down the scaffold with my boots taking most of the wear. It didn't take long before one of my boots bumped into another strut, and the process repeated once more.

1... 2... 3...

Progress was slow, but steady as I kept repeating it. After a few more, I stopped for a moment, and pulled on Lydon to make sure he was still held tight.

4... 5... 6... 7...

My legs were doing fine, but my chest felt strained as I panted. A woozy sensation filled my head, and everything from the stump of my tail to my strained neck ached.

8... 9... 10... 11...

It felt as if I should have reached the bottom long ago, but I hadn't. In the distance I could still hear shouting and loud arguing. Fortunately, my eyes still couldn't see a thing. The taste on my tongue was growing worse as well, as if the smoke was slowly settling in the air to create a layer of dust.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, my boots hit solid ground, andaripple of surprise shot through me. It was as if the expectation I had built up caused a short-circuit, and itmade me shudder with aquick but lowyelp. I gasped while my heart pounded, and slowly straightened myself onto two legs.

Now... To navigate myself...

I faced the noise coming from the camp, compared it with my view from earlier, and faced a direction slightly to the right of it. At best, I'd hit the Sophos section from here, at worst I'd wander into the Dyssian section. Once more, I eased Lydon into my arms, reached out as best I could with one arm into the darkness, and started walking.

My ears swiveled as I kept track of the noise from the camp and the way that they seemed to echo across the dome. It made me feel as if I had some sense of its layout, or it might have been nothing more than wishful thinking.

The ground shifted to grass, and I kept up my pace. A minute passed, and the camp now sounded as if it was to my left.

Good progress...

Suddenly, the noise coming from the camp changed. The angry shouting became something more akin to fear, and the pitch rose. A suddenburstof gunfire rippled through the dome, and I ducked in a near instant. The shouting continued, and it was as if panic was starting to break out in the camp.

As I blinked in the darkness, I had some vague sensation that the gunfire had been accompanied by a flash of light. It made me look up, toward the ceiling, and I could see a faint difference. The light from the skydome was starting to break through, which meant the distraction wouldn't last for much longer.

I rose once more, picked up the pace, and started marching in the soft grass. My hackles bristled with a sudden sound from behind, one that didn't need much interpretation to be understood. Shouts of anger had a certain feeling built into it, a scream of panic accompanied by another. Then there was a very primitive one, bound to life and death--the one where you screamed while facing imminent demise. One of those blood curdling screams filled the air, and I could hear something massive shut its maw as if it swallowed someone whole.

Faint flashes of light could now be seen through the darkness, and the screams intensified. My own pace picked up, and-

I bumped into something to my right, and it made me stumble. A surprised cry followed from what sounded like a male human, and I could hear as he tumbled to the grass.

"Dave?" A voice asked, not far from me.

Another voice, coming from the ground called out, "Hey, watch where you're walking!"

"I didn't walk into anyone, you clutz!" The first yelled back.

Fuck...

I gulped, flexed my throat for a moment, and used same voice from earlier, "Sorry 'bout that..."

"Yeah, well..."The man muttered,thenmade a sound akin to brushing off his uniform, "What's going on at the camp?"

"... You tell me," I said, and carefully started walking once more.

The other voice spoke, "I think it's settling... Can kinda make out the skylight now."

In silence, I picked up my pace once more.

Could that have been one of the encampments near the entrance? Bloody hope so...

The voices of the two grew dimmer, but I could still hear them talking to one another.

Suddenly, a loudspeaker called out across what felt like the entire dome, "Suppressive fire! Main entrance and Sophos section! Now!"

Damn it!

I could hear the gunfire as it picked up in the distance, and I turned my fast walk into a sprint. It might lead to running straight into a wall, but it beat being caught in-

It was as if fate hadn't played enough tricks on me, and I almost bounced off the hard wall as my shoulder collided with hard concrete. I tumbled to the ground, almost dropped Lydon in the process, and scrambled to get up once more.

I should be on the right side of the entrance... I hope...

With one hand on the concrete wall, I started marching along as I followed it. Gunfire followed, and this time it was aimed in my direction. Small flecks of light zoomed by above, below, and to my sides in what seemed like random fire.

I could hear each of the bullets slam into the concrete, and it made my ears twitch as I crouched together while still marching.

Please... I just want to go home...

Something smacked the back of my head, and promptly bounced off. A rustle of dust followed, and it made me assume that a stray bullet had hit the concrete near me.

Suddenly, a flash of light could be seen to my left. As if a bullet had hit something hard and broke into a smattering of small pieces.

"Hostiles!" Someone snarled in the distance.

The gunfire grew more intense, and whatever it was that stood in the darkness lit up with the sparks of bouncing bullets.

Could it be...

A sudden pain flared in the side of my body. Like a warm screech of pain that made me crumble as if my legs suddenly gave out. I crashed, straight down into the ground, and I could barely keephold ofLydon.

I reached down with my hand, frantic and confused as my body felt... weird. My hand met something wet... a lot of wetness, like... my left was leg was turned into mush.

No... No... I'm so close, just...

I didn't care. It didn't matter. I just needed to...

My mind was panicking to a point where I wasn't sure if I was breathing, and I leaned onto the wall as I tried to pick myself up. My right leg twitched as if it didn't want to cooperate, and then-

Something grabbed me, and I screamed.

It was as if everything broke at once, and I could feel my eyes grow wet as I lashed out with a scream in my throat.

" Vilkas!" Peter snapped.

Everything froze, and my mind stopped as if a wrench had been thrown into the gears. It felt as if my mind couldn't separate reality from fantasy in this dark nightmare any longer, but...

I wanted to believe it was real.

Cold metallic arms wrapped around me, and suddenly I was jerked up as if lifted into the air.

"I have you," Peter said, as the gunfire kept rattling in the background.

" Lydon!" I snapped and gritted my teeth.

"Allen got him, now shut up!" Peter snapped, and tightened his grip.

He ran, with me in his arms. Each stomp making the world rumble as I held tight and leaned in with my head against the hard plating. Then, the noise shifted from soft grass, to hard concrete.

Safe... I was safe... We were safe... Peter was-

The noise from our surroundings became aringing tone, and my headbegan to feel...