Respin

Why do I always find myself playing long?, wonders Respin miserable.

He knows he shouldn't enable Serfin's thirst for exploration and adventure, but he can't bring himself to stop him. Somewhat torn between wanting to get the job done and indulging in his Bondmate's sense for adventure, he follows.

Soon Respin finds himself, much to his chagrin, interested in the technology present in the temple. His sixth-sense has given him some awareness of the machinery present. Seeing some of those contraptions up close now, there is no denying that they're on par with the technology present in the Empire. Some are big and humming others small and full of blinking lights. The association with a live organism resurfaces in his head.

After a few moments Respin notices the small black creature following him and Serfin. Although difficult to tell, it seems to be watching their every step. There is also a certain reluctance emanating from the creature as it tiptoes after them. Respin doesn't know how he should feel about this tinny watcher. Was his intuition right? Was this small creature really harmless? Or could it be the other powerful presence he has felt?

Serfin stops unexpected in front of a door and Respin walks right into him. As he mumbles an apology he steps Informatives of the door and looks at it. Half carved, half painted in what looked like jet-black ink is a strange eye-like symbol on the middle of the door. While there are plenty of strange symbols carved into the walls none has given Respin the creeps like this one. It looks menacing despite it's simplicity.

"What does it mean?" he asks confused.

"Don't know." Serfin replies and pushes him gently aside. "Let's get in."

He tries to force the door open but manages only to push it wide enough for his hands to pass through. He works a little longer, but he can't get a good grip on it. Before he can cut his fingers on the metal or even break them, Respin pushes him aside and looks at the gap. If they want to proceed, they need something to pry the door open.

"We need a hook," Serfin concludes as well.

"I don't have one," he replies shrugging and points over his shoulder. "And I doubt that the creature has one either."

The creature stops startled and remains in a safe distance from where it can watch them. Serfin turns around for a moment to look at it but as he is more intrigued by the door he soon shifts his attention back.

"Let's go back, get the weapon and return to the ship," Respin suggests as his Bondmate bangs his fist against the door, which results in a hollow echo.

"I wanna know what's inside, Res." he says and makes a pleading face at him. "Pretty please!"

Seeing Serfin's big eyes Respin finds himself giving in faster than he wants.

"Okay," he replies with a weary smile and pulls his knives out.

Serfin looks at him quizzically before he gets what he wants.

"Doesn't this blunt 'em?" he wonders concerned "If it won't outright break 'em…"

"Can you think of something else?"

"Nope."

"Then let's do it."

He gives Serfin one of the knives and slides his own into the gap between the door segments. Upon his instruction Serfin also slides the blade in the gap.

"On the count of three," Respin says and tries to get better footing. "One… Two… Three!"

Metal creaks and groans. The sound almost painful in Respin's ears as they push with all their might to get the door open. Respin can feel his knife starting to break at the point where the carbon-fiber blade connects to the hilt. Just a bit more and the blade breaks off. But before either knife can snap, the door gives in and moves open with a hiss. In the process Respin and Serfin almost fall over each other.

Sorrowful Respin looks at the knife in his hands and sighs. Both blades are bend and unusable.

"Sorry," Serfin apologizes with his ears drooping down as he hands Respin the other knife back.

"They're replaceable," he replies and adds in his mind, Just as we are to the Fleet.

The chamber behind the door is coated in thick layers of dust. Those layers are so thick and old that they don‘t even move as they enter. Respin finds it gross, but Serfin pushes him in before he can back away. Inside he recognizes a console that looks a bit like the ones used in the Starblazer but with far fewer buttons, screens and lights. This strange machine has a keyboard and a few sets of screws connected to a large black screen. The air is cold and has no distinct smell besides sterile dust.

Respin walks up to the console, while Serfin keeps back-to-back with him. It is a reassuring gesture despite being also part of the protocol. The small diodes next to the keyboard are still intact and shine through the dust layer. To have a better look Respin wipes the dust away. He makes a face as he inspects the sleeve of his dark uniform. The dust covering it in a thick layer of light gray powder.

But the sleeve is soon forgotten as his eyes fall on the symbols on the keyboard. Respin doesn't know them except a few, which also appear in the Cetusian alphabet. This alone is enough to sap all the curiosity he feels.

"We should go," he says with a nervous strain in his voice and backs away from the console.

A mere second later Serfin bumps against Respin and pushes him on the buttons. Almost immediately some vacuum tubes explode. With a sharp crack, the console sends an electric shock through the whole system. The two Menkar can barely get away from the screen before it explodes in a loud burst of sparks. Serfin warps his arms around Respin and pulls him down.

A terrible, long second later everything is over. Only a droning hum remains, which vibrates through the structure and both Menkar‘s bones. Slow Serfin lets go of Respin, who stands up with a relieved sigh.

As Respin glances towards the door, he sees the small chitinous creature. It stands outside and waves at him with all four of its arms. The motion conveys an urgency clear enough for him to understand. Without hesitation, he grabs Serfin by the wrist and pulls him along to follow the small creature.

They tail it until they arrive at the tree but something has changed. The branches fanning out over the whole place aren't dead anymore. A thick canopy of dark green leaves sways above them in a breeze Respin can't feel. Suddenly, the giant tree is dead again, green leaves rain down while turning brown, only to crumble into nothingness once they touch the ground.

The pale creature on the tree seems more alive now. Without hesitation Respin decides to finally do what they were supposed to do. He strips out of his uniform-jacket as he cautiously moves towards the figure and folds it over his arm.

"Hi there…" he addresses the creature without expecting or getting any reaction. "I don't… uhm… I don't know if you can hear me or even understand what I'm saying, but… I'm going to pull this sword out of… you know. So… uhm… Please, don't kill my friend or me."

Before he commits to this promise, he looks at the sword. Something about it strikes him as odd, but he can't place it. Maybe it's the flower-crown… he muses and removes it with great care and places it on one of the gnarly roots.

Afterwards, he takes a deep breath and grabs the hilt of the sword pinning the creature to the dead tree. The moment he touches the crimson fabric he feels a sharp pain shoot into his fingers. He gasps as it wanders into his palm, up his arm and into his body. Alarmed Serfin rushes to his help. Yet, Respin pulls the sword out before his Bondmate can reach him. The second the blade is free, the pain vanishes along the sword while the pale creature drops like a doll to the ground.

Respin kneels next to the creature and warps his jacket around her bony shoulders. The memory of the pain lingers but it's nothing more than a faint tingling sensation. For now, he is glad that the creature, whatever it may be, has not woken up to attack him or Serfin.

Gentle he picks her up and warps his jacked tighter around her thin frame. She's very light for her size… Respin wonders, as he shifts her into a better position. Once he has her on his back, he spots two Menkar arriving at the tree from a different direction.

—

Nethra

To Nethra Sunaru this is nothing more than an easy pushover of a mission.

Find the weapon.

Get the weapon.

Get promoted.

All easy-peasy.

Or so she has thought at the start before she and her partner entered the labyrinth. Her partner, whose name she doesn't even bother to think of, also has no clue about where at the moment they are. Perhaps because she does not care to find the right way or even the weapon. All Nethra‘s partner is about is getting her payment to buy herself quirky and utter useless gadgets, that do nothing except take up space. Well, Nethra wouldn't care about this quirk, but the fact that she shares the cabin with this collector changes that. Those gadgets litter the place their narrow cabin offers. On bad days Nethra has to tiptoe around those gadgets and on worse ones she can barely leave or enter her tank. Damn this girl, she thinks while slogging after her partner. One day, I'll go ahead and throw the crap out or better into her tank when she sleeps. Maybe she gets electrocuted that way and I'm done with her…

Soon Nethra's mind wanders from her annoying happy-go-lucky roommate to the hornless Menkar. So, this is his best, long-time Bondmate… she muses and shows her sharp teeth in a humorless grin. Not only has he no horns, but he's also a midget. Remembering the despair in his face when she flipped him off, makes her smile. Serfin never shut up about the small fry but now she couldn't remember his name. For a few moments it hovers at the border of her mind. Almost unreachable.

Respin! That's it, she recollects and snaps her fingers. I wonder if Serfin still remembers me… Maybe I can rough them up for a bit. This'll be fun…

Even thinking about to play around with their minds and perception makes her giddy. But the smile spreading across her face is soon wiped away. From somewhere ahead, the sound of a few explosions echo through the labyrinth. A moment later the smell of ozone clogs the air. Suddenly, the ground starts to shake but before either Nethra or her partner can fall it stops. Both remain frozen for a few moments, then they start to move again. As she moves ahead Nethra unstraps her bow from her shoulder and places an arrow on the string. The glow of the hyperspace-bracelet clinging to the projectile for a few seconds.

"What the hell was that?" asks her small roommate a bit too happy.

"The hell I know," she replies annoyed.

Her partner chuckles nervously and pulls her carbon-fiber sword out from her bracelet.

While they walk ahead, they move through a bubble large enough to cover at least twenty feet of the temple area. A pleasant feeling tingles Nethra from the horns down her spine and to the tip of her short tail as she enters the perimeter. But after it ebbs away, she feels apprehension.

Everything around her is green again. Strange birds and other animals move through the thick-leaved plants. But they don't make any sounds and don't take note of her or her partner. Yet, the smell of flowers, wet earth, and water hover through the air.

A strange irrational fear that takes hold of her. But before Nethra‘s body can tighten up the green place starts to rot away and vanishes.

"What the hell was that?" she wonders aloud.

"How am I supposed to know?" her partner replies with a shrug and continues to move on. "Com'on! I think we're close!"

Although Nethra doesn't like her, she ought to give her some points for keeping calm. But then again she can't stand her being able to stay calm, when she almost freaked out.

As fast as possible and avoiding other such bubbles, Nethra follows her roommate until they arrive a few minutes later in the middle of the temple. Once they arrive by a massive tree, Nethra stops dead. In front of her are Serfin and Respin with a small fiendish looking creature. A moment later Nethra notices that Respin is holding someone or something on his back. But all she can see of this creature is an immense bush of long silvery-white hair as well as pale skinny limbs. The rest of the body is warped into Respin's jacket and some old gray rags.

Suddenly, it makes click in her head. He is holding the weapon the Empress wants! Nethra hasn't thought about the actual shape of the weapon, but now everything becomes clear. Nothing is better than a weapon that can think on its own, she thinks triumphant. But only if controlled and handled properly. The whole thing gets even easier if it can be mind controlled. Brilliant! But the fact that Respin holds this weapon right in front of her nose isn't as brilliant as her realization. It is a disaster.

Another idea strikes her cold and brilliant. I can mind-control this creature and let it kill Respin, Serfin as well as my partner for good measure. Although Nethra knows that it can be difficult to control a being of another sentient species, she deems it worth a try. Careful she stretches her mind out towards this creature.

The sensation is strange.

Despite being dormant the creature is much more aware than Nethra has thought possible. Still, this is nothing to deter a capable mind-controller like her. She knows her abilities and is confident to even bend this creature to her will.

Careful she stretches her mind again towards it.

Slow.

Meticulous.

Confident.

Something is not right.

Nethra feels lightweight all of a sudden. Almost as if her body starts to float. A second later something seems to shatter in her head and a for a split-second she sees an abhorrent monster charging her.

Then everything becomes black.