Ch. 9 Cognitive

Joran's attention was momentarily pulled away by the flashing symbols on the display as his visor's text readout provided an unexpected translation of the characters. The confusion etched on his face under his suit was obvious as he muttered to himself, "Something is trying to contact us down here, and I don't like it. I don't like any of this. We're being led somewhere."

Shaking his head slightly, Joran refocused his attention on the situation at hand. He moved away from the primitive display and activated his comm unit. With a clear voice, he addressed the Pinfeather's pilot, transmitting his message in a firm tone. "Pinfeather, can you read me? We've encountered and neutralized a large hostile creature down in the ruin, and we're-"

His words were abruptly cut off by a sudden burst of static that crackled through the communication channel. Joran's brow furrowed as he lowered the comm unit, his expression a mix of frustration and concern.

Joran's quick thinking led him to try reconnecting with Niroth over their comms. He swiftly activated his squad visor, his voice firm and determined. "Prepper, report in if you can hear this." A brief pause hung in the air before Niroth's calm voice responded, "Loud and clear, sir."

Joran's mind raced, considering their options in this uncertain situation. "I can't reach the Pinfeather. You have a better reach than me. Try to get evac down here; this feels like a trap," Joran's voice dropped to a more cautious tone as he spoke, the gravity of the situation apparent.

Niroth acknowledged the orders succinctly, "Understood."

In the midst of the tense moment, Demo's voice cut through the silence, seeking direction. "What now, boss?"

Joran's mind worked rapidly as he weighed their choices. "After we get a better handle on the situation with the Pinfeather, I'll decide what's next," he responded decisively.

At that very moment, Kessa's medical sentry had navigated its way down the stairs, arriving at the melted entrance of the room they were in. Joran relayed further instructions over the comms. "Next room down on the left, can't miss the pile of viscera." With his command, the medical sentry swiftly moved out of view, heading to perform its task.

Up at the surface, Niroth was determinedly extending the range of his communicator, his focus intensifying as he mentally reached further and further out. He closed his eyes, concentrating his thoughts to extend the signal's reach. At the limit of his mental effort, he projected his voice calm and collected: "Pinfeather, we need an immediate evacuation at our location. But all that came back was an unsettling burst of static. A knot of worry formed in his gut, the unsettling silence causing his heart to race.

A chilling notion crept into his mind, and Niroth acted swiftly. Mentally commanding his S.W.I.F.T. AI, he ordered, "Start combing for communication jammers. The AI processed the command and swiftly responded, "No jammers were detected. A sigh of relief escaped Niroth, and he walked over to the stasis emitter that was now casting a golden barrier at the entrance. He pondered, "Maybe a bad storm? Using the interface on his forearm, he remotely created a small window in the golden wall, allowing him to peer outside.

What met his gaze was a scene that sent a shiver down his spine. A fierce snowstorm raged above, accompanied by flashes of red lightning that illuminated the surroundings. But it was what appeared within those flashes of light that froze Niroth in his tracks. Countless cylidrical silhouettes, adorned with multiple long, tentacle-like tails, circled and dove around a central, massive floating creature a little over 2000 meters above the ruin. Its size dwarfed the others, with its body extending to around 32 meters and its long propelling tentacles trailing behind in a twisted dance.

The visor of his helmet instantly lit up with warnings of xenofauna, and even from his underground position, Niroth's AI provided rough size estimates for the creatures. The smaller entities measured roughly 3 meters in body length, with tentacles extending an additional 3 meters, and there were thousands of them. The colossal creature that floated through the storm was a horrifying 32 meters in length, its propelling tentacles stretching an equally terrifying distance. As the lightning flash faded, Niroth's mind worked at lightning speed, processing the sheer horror of the spectacle he had just witnessed. Before he could take action, a warning appeared on his visor: "Physical imbalances detected; dangerously high levels of glutamate, epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin detected; managing now."

A surge of discomfort washed over Niroth, pain and warmth simultaneously flooding his head. He instinctively leaned against one of the consoles near the entrance for support. His S.W.I.F.T. AI, ever watchful, had taken the liberty of managing his physical well-being to ensure he could continue functioning at an optimal level. But this instance felt different, more intense than before. The warning on his visor gradually dimmed, allowing him to straighten up and regain his footing.

However, his S.W.I.F.T. AI issued an additional, urgent caution. "NOT LOOKING DIRECTLY AT XENOFAUNA IS HIGHLY ADVISED," the message flashed in bold letters on his visor. Niroth took in the warning, his heart pounding as he absorbed the implications of the command.

Swiftly reacting to the warning from his S.W.I.F.T. AI, Niroth closed the window he had created in the golden wall, blocking the chilling sight of the xenofauna and their disturbing activity. He then took a quick survey of the room, his gaze falling on Kessa and a couple of historians who were huddled around a projection she had set up. However, his attention was drawn to the smaller historian who was looking at him with a knowing expression, having witnessed his struggle earlier. Despite their silence, the mutual acknowledgment lingered in the air.

Keeping his demeanor composed, Niroth transmitted a calm message over the communications channel. "Bad storm outside, sir, along with thousands of flying xenofauna. I'm guessing the Pinfeather managed to clear the area before it hit." He omitted the personal details of his encounter with the xenofauna, considering it best to handle the matter on his own and avoid undue concern among the team. He believed that the unsettling experience might simply be S.W.I.F.T.S body regulation routine needing some adjustments or calibration later on.

Elara's concentration had been fully absorbed in the data she was analyzing, her mind engrossed in the intricate details of the pile of mush the thrasher had left downstairs that the medi sentry was now scanning. However, her focus shattered as she caught sight of the tall thrasher's sudden actions. Her heart skipped a beat as she watched Niroth approach the stasis emitter, his movements purposeful as he seemingly created a window through which he peered outside. She observed the shift in his posture, the stumble towards a nearby console, and the swift recovery that followed, all of which sent a ripple of unease through her.

With a growing sense of apprehension, Elara's eyes followed his actions, her mind racing to comprehend the implications of what lay beyond that window. The air in the room seemed to thicken with tension, and when Niroth's gaze briefly met hers, a chill ran down her spine. She felt a deep intuition that this was not the right time for questioning or speaking out.

As Niroth closed the window and regained his composure, Elara noticed something even more unsettling: no one else in the room had seen what she had. The realization sent a shiver down her spine. It was as if she had witnessed something she should not have. With a silent nod to the thrasher, she returned her attention to her work, knowing that the enigma of the situation was far more complex than she could grasp in that moment.

Elara's eyes remained focused on the holographic display before her, her fingers dancing over her suits remote controls as if she were deep in her analysis. Yet, her mind was far from the data that scrolled across the screen. Instead, it was consumed by the vivid mental images of the thrasher's recent actions—the deliberate creation of a window, the glimpse outside, the stumble, and the subsequent closing of the window.

As Niroth's calm voice transmitted over the communication channel, relaying the information about the xenofauna and the storm, Elara's imagination kicked into overdrive. She couldn't help but picture the scene he must have witnessed: a dark and tempestuous sky, the flashes of crimson lightning illuminating a nightmarish array of shapes. Her mind conjured up grotesque forms—monstrous beings with teeth and tails, countless eyes watching with an unsettling malevolence.

The scientist within her was desperate for answers, eager to understand the true nature of what lay beyond those walls. But at the same time, a primal instinct warned her against seeking that knowledge. The thrasher's reaction had been a testament to the horror that awaited anyone who dared to directly gaze upon those xenofauna.

With a subtle shiver, Elara forced herself to focus on her work once again. She typed commands into the console, attempting to lose herself in the technical intricacies of the data. But no matter how hard she tried, the mental images persisted.

Kessa's words cut through Elara's spiraling imagination, grounding her back to the reality of their situation. "The genetic makeup is utterly grotesque. We've identified 14 distinct DNA samples within the remains. What's particularly alarming is the pattern we're seeing; the same as the corpses up here, the remaining brain tissue is burned except for the motor controls." Her words were punctuated with a mixture of intrigue and unease.

Before Elara could respond, Albana's voice added a layer of revulsion to the discussion. "It's an amalgamation of multiple unique creatures, but the word that immediately comes to my mind is 'grafting'." The implications of such a process carried a disturbing weight.

Elara, now back in the conversation, picked up on the thread of speculation. "Given the composition of this creature and the odd fusion of that corpse with the wall, along with the mold's properties, I suspect there's a deeper connection linking the re-atomization of cells to these phenomena."

Seraphan chimed in, offering his observations with a hint of casual cynicism. "Yeah, and when that monstrosity went down, the corpse with the mold had its own fit, prompting our big friend over there to turn it into vapor." He gestured playfully towards Niroth, his words acknowledging the weight of the situation with a touch of humor.

Niroth's unmoving gaze lingered on Seraphan for a moment, the tension palpable. Seraphan quickly sensed the discomfort and, ever the one to defuse tension, shifted gears. "Well, with a storm outside, we've got time to sift through all this data, right?" he said, trying to inject a hint of optimism into the conversation.

Elara, however, couldn't find solace in the idea of being stuck in this eerie place any longer than necessary. Her thoughts swirled with unease, and she quietly pondered the implications of their situation.

Interrupting their thoughts, Joran's voice broke through the tension. "Alright, I've made up my mind. Prepper, send down another one of your sentries. I want the first one to hold its position and guard this hallway. Let's press forward and see what's brought us here."