Chapter 8

Max wonders through the building, the only rock building. That had seemed to be in sight.

"Kiara?" He asks looking at the computer,

"I...Megan was right. Below us is a lab, it creates crystal fiber skinned, machine bodies."

"Crystal fiber? They stopped making that a long time ago."

"Supposedly. Should we take a look?"

"What do you think? Should we get the others first?"

"I'm sure two of the greatest minds can figure it out."

Max smirks and holds his hand out, the computer screens glitch and Kiara transfers back to Max. They continue through a door, Kiara, having seen the schematic leads him down a level into a huge underground factory.

It's covered in thick layers of brown dust and tarps. "This hasn't been touched in years." Max mutters to himself,

"Why would they stop progress? Because they are hidden maybe? No place to sell product to?"

"Maybe. I don't like this."

"I don't either. It's too...untouched."

Max walks up to a computer and wipes the dust off the screen. He looks around and pushes a button on the side of the computer, starting it up.

The sound of it powering up is similar to a jet engine. Once it does yellow letters appear on the purple lit screen.

"You wouldn't happen to know-"

"Haut, Kaj, Kaj, sixti, Ictya, Ictya."

Max smiles and taps the keyboard. "You're awesome."

"I know." She sings,

Yellow words begin filling the screen, every inch of it. The machines through out the room begin powering up, but aren't moving.

"We need to pull the coverings off, they have auto sensors and see when it's their turn to move."

"Interesting."

He goes around and pulls the covers off, on the last one he pulls it off. "Okay, tell me what to do."

"Go back to the computer. We will start the building process."

Max does as asked, following her instructions to the letter. The first few machines suddenly begin moving, Max watches as they move.

"Kiara, reach out to the others, that Janzair didn't come after us."

"....They aren't responding."

He sighs, "Kiara-"

"We can come back, go!"

Max turns and bolts toward the exit.

****

Megan groans and drowsily opens her eyes. Is the ground moving? Oh no! She looks up at Zylis, while searching the floor, got it!

Zylis looks at her and brings a fist down to knock her weak. Megan pushes it away and throws her other hand up, slamming a giant rock against Zylis's head.

Zylis yells and drops Megan, stumbling back from the blow. Megan whines and as desperately fast as she can, she gets to her feet.

Why can't she change!? She's tried and tried! She can't morph! Megan looks up at Zylis who stares her down.

She knows it, she's going to die. "Zylis I need the real you! Think of Max!"

"Shut uuuuup!"

Megan dives as Zylis's stinger legs shoot for her stomach. Megan yells out in pain as she hits the ground, then Zylis stabs her in the back again with a stinger.

Megan screams. Zylis rips the stinger out, rolls Megan over and throws her hand down and around Megan's throat.

Megan releases a sharp ugly sound as she gets choked and hoisted off the ground.

"Zy...Zy-lis." Megan mutters,

"You are nothing."

Zylis walks over to a cliff and lets Megan dangle over it. A thick fog has gathered twenty feet below to watch eagerly.

Megan whines and pulls at Zylis's arm weakly. "Zyl...I can't-I can't...."

Zylis narrows her eyes and squeezes as hard as she can. Megan whines again repeatedly.

"Pathetic."

Zylis drops and then kicks Megan back and watches her plummet into the fog, soundlessly.

****

His heart skips a beat, "That was Megan's scream. I'm sure of it." Kiara says,

Max runs as fast as he can through the trees and makes it to the huts, he moves past them and to almost like a ancient palace courtyard, broken colored cobblestone floor, moss everywhere and a hut that looks like the Chief's.

Max pulls a rifle over his shoulders and looks around, carefully moving closer to the hut.

"Max?"

He turns and aims quickly at Zylis, he lowers his gun, but he sees it instantly.

"Her eyes." Kiara says,

Max aims his gun again, Zylis stares at him in shock. "W-what are you doing?" Zylis asks,

"Where's Megan? Tell, you disgusting beast, and let this one go."

Zylis tilts her head, "Max....you're pointing the gun."

"You're not Zylis! Where's Megan!? You tell me and let her go, I'll give you the chance to escape."

Zylis smiles, "Max, we didn't need Megan. We couldn't trust her. I'm here. It's me."

Max twists cylinder on his rifle, switching to electric pulsers. "Last chance."

Zylis frowns, "Max! Wake up! She's a Sylvie, she tried to ki-aggghh!"

Max watches the electricity pulse spread over her body, she falls to the ground and blacks out. Max puts his rifle back and pulls his pistol.

He switches to gravity rounds and looks around. Suddenly pounding shakes the ground. Max turns and watches the skinny hippo like man running after him, these people are built like ox's. Their skin is tougher than most things.

Max lifts the gun.

BANG!

The shot echoes out, the man flops to the ground and slides to a halt.

Hence the reason for gravity bullets. Max walks over and looks at the exit hole in the back of the head, he fires two more for good measure.

"I've scanned the area, Megan isn't here."

Max holsters the pistol and hurries to Zylis's side. "Hey! Hey Zylis!"

He tries slapping her, doesn't work, he does it again and she jolts upright, gasping for air. She looks around and stares at Max.

"You okay?" He asks,

She covers her mouth. "I killed her, I killed Megan. Max I killed her." She says

She shakes like crazy. "I had no control, please I'm so sorry!"

"Zylis! Zyyyylis!"

She shuts her mouth and hugs him tight. Max closes his eyes painfully, "M-Megan's...stronger than you think."

Zylis pulls away, "Max, I dropped her off the cliff. I made sure she couldn't change races. The Janzair helped me put a device on her, it stops her ability."

Max gets up and bends over. "I'm so sorry for your loss Max." Kiara says softly,

Zylis rises to her feet but hesitated to move or say anything.

"Just, go find the lab, don't touch anything, be on high alert. You'll see when you get there, it's south east."

"Where are you going?"

"I won't leave her body."

"Max..."

"I'm not letting parasites finish off what's left. Go to the lab. I'll meet you there."

Zylis walks past him in the direction instructed. Max sighs and walks to the cliff, he grunts and punches the ground twice as hard as he can.

He stares down into the fog, "How far down can you scan?"

"I've done it, it's hard to see past the fog, but the end is far down from what I can tell. 300 foot drop. Maybe 400."

Max steps off the edge and plummets down into the mischievous looking fog.