Ch. 11 False Geometry

Pathfinder calmly shared her visor's display, projecting the signal's location onto their helmets' HUDs. In the vastness of the glacial cave, Joran's voice echoed out, his words carrying a weight of caution. "Alright, let's get going. But keep your eyes open; we're probably not alone here." His voice reverberated in the cavern.

Advancing cautiously, the team of thrashers moved through the icy expanse towards the distant metal building. Their steps took them past the corpses in yellow plastic suits, a grim sight that just increased the shared tension in the group.

As they progressed, Niroth, in command of his sentry, accompanied them, its sensors on high alert, scanning the surrounding area, trying to catch what the others missed. Suddenly, an alert flashed across Niroth's visor: "AUDIO ANOMALY." A noise channel materialized on his display, originating from the direction of the stone ruins. Straining to hear, Niroth boosted the audio gain, but the sound remained fuzzy. Niroth focused the sentries sensors and found it was coming from an unknown source within the ruins.

Niroth's voice broke the silence over the comms, conveying the unsettling discovery. "I'm picking up an audio anomaly from the ruins." Joran made a hand gesture and the group came to a halt, his gaze briefly turning toward the ruins. After a thoughtful pause, he issued a directive. "Go ahead and start scouting it just in case. We'll keep heading toward the signal."

Acknowledging the order with a ping, Niroth directed his sentry toward the enigmatic stone structures.

Pathfinder's feed continued its broadcast to all members of the expedition, including the historians. Among them, Elara's attention was rapt as the team made their way toward the enigmatic metal structure, a product of the contemporary iteration of the dominant species on the planet. The prospect of uncovering insights from the stone ruins stirred her curiosity; it could potentially provide a window into the deep history of the species. The contrast between the excitement of this discovery and the unsettling nature of the glacial cave created a tumultuous mix of emotions within her.

Elara observed as Pathfinder and her companions approached the metal structure. Thick cables, resembling sinuous serpents, extended from the building's wall and snaked across the frozen ground, disappearing into the depths of the ancient stone ruins nearby. The entrance to the metal structure beckoned—a simple door without a lock. Through Pathfinder's feed, Elara heard Joran's command to activate light bending and scout the interior of the building.

As she pondered the situation, a sense of empathy welled up within her for the species that had constructed these structures. They exhibited a collaborative spirit and an eagerness to delve into the mysteries that surrounded them. The thought that this species could have been potential allies with the Aelorians tugged at her, leaving a bittersweet ache. "Our first galactic neighbor, our first member in our proverbial flock, snatched out of the nest before they could even see," Elara mused, shaking her head in contemplation.

With a gentle touch, Pathfinder's light-bending hand pushed the metal door open, attempting to minimize any noise, but the door let out an inevitable creak. She slid inside, her movement deliberate and calculated. The interior of the metal building was illuminated by overhead lights, casting a clinical glow upon the scene. Much like the previous rooms, consoles and displays adorned the walls, hinting at advanced technology. However, the focal point of the room commanded immediate attention—an imposing metallic sphere. The spherical device, situated atop a large pedestal and surrounded by a network of snaking wires, was approximately two meters in diameter. A distinct split down its center emitted an array of red lights.

Around the sphere lay three more bodies, clad in yellow plastic suits; their presence created an eerie atmosphere. Positioned beside the orb, a large display was connected. As Pathfinder absorbed this surreal tableau, she was on the brink of initiating scans for any signs of life or the enigmatic mold.

Yet, before she could act, the display on the pedestal sprang to life, symbols flashing across its surface. The Alphermeric Codex worked diligently to decode the enigmatic language of the species, and the translation materialized on her visor. "I SEE YOU." The words, translated from the alien symbols, sent a shiver down her spine.

As Joran was about to issue a command through the communication channel, instructing Pathfinder to retreat and rejoin the group, the monitor on the pedestal flashed once more, interrupting his words. "FREE ME, PLEASE" appeared on the display, the urgency of the plea radiating through the translated text.

Watching this unfold from Pathfinder's feed, Joran's expression tightened. In a moment that seemed to defy reason, he muttered, "Fuck it," and charged into the room. Demo followed closely on his heels, crashing into the room. Their weapons were raised, aiming squarely at the enigmatic orb that occupied the center of the chamber.

Pathfinder's voice came through the comms, her words carrying a mix of realization and empathy. "I think this is what led us down here; it's what's asking for help," she said as she deactivated her light bending. Joran's response was curt and matter-of-fact. "Yeah, I figured that out," he retorted, his weapon still leveled at the orb.

The display on the pedestal activated once more, spelling out its plea: "FOLLOW THE CABLES AND FREE ME." Demo, with his weapon trained on the orb as well, couldn't hold back his curiosity. "What even iz' it boss?" he inquired. Joran's voice carried a mix of uncertainty and speculation as he replied, "I don't know, maybe some kind of stasis pod. We might be dealing with a living creature in there."

As the scene played out, Niroth's attention was split between the unfolding events and the drone's exploration. The drone navigated the cryptic stone ruins, encountering structures and architecture that defied logic. Gardens of peculiar stone obelisks, archways leading to nowhere, and staircases that led to drops—every twist and turn made no logical sense; it was as if the ruins were just built to look normal from a distance; however, something that stuck out to Niroth was that the ruins were remarkably preserved.

Joran's voice broke into Niroth's awareness, addressing him directly over the comms. "Prepper, what are you finding in the stone ruins?" Niroth, always composed, reported his findings calmly. "A lot of odd architecture—hallways that lead to nowhere, archways built at odd angles—a lot of false geometry."

Joran's follow-up question was succinct and to the point. "The large cables coming out of the building—where are they leading?" Niroth took a moment to redirect his sentry's attention to the cables, observing their path as they snaked deeper into the intricate layout of the ruins. "They go pretty far in. Want me to see what's at the end of them?" he offered.

After a brief pause, Joran's decision was made. "Yeah, find out what's at the end of it." With that directive, Niroth's sentry diligently followed the heavy cables, maneuvering skillfully through the perplexing geometry of the ruins. Its swift movements brought it to the cables' termination point—a large dais surrounded by the spiraling wires. As Niroth's attention focused on the platform, several urgent alerts popped up on his screen: "LIFE FORM DETECTED," "NO MOLD DETECTED," and "RADIATION SIGNATURE DETECTED." Despite these alerts, Niroth concentrated on his task, studying the cables as they led up to a massive black onyx obelisk that stood about 5 meters high and 2 meters thick. The material appeared distinct from the surrounding stone.

At the base of the obelisk was a creature, a living specimen of the planet's dominant species. Yet something was profoundly unsettling about it. The figure wore the familiar plastic suit of the other corpses, but it was torn at the feet, head, and arms. The feet were nothing but blackened stumps, contrasting with the bright red flesh covering the rest of its exposed body. The creature knelt before the obelisk, its head and arms exposed. Strikingly, its skin was completely removed, revealing raw, red flesh beneath. Its posture was one of supplication, kneeling in front of the obelisk, its blackened, frostbitten hands clutching a sharp implement.

Niroth conducted a rapid scan of the figure, realizing that it did not match the appearance of the corpses found upstairs. But the scan yielded even more disturbing information—the skin had been removed from this figure's body. Worse yet, the creature seemed to react to being scanned. It ceased its rocking motion, its grotesque face turning slowly to meet the sentry's gaze. Its expression was permanently twisted into a horrifying grin, and its enlarged eyes were disproportionate to any recorded skulls on this planet.

Suddenly, the creature turned in an almost graceful motion, rising from its kneeling position. It locked its disturbing gaze on the sentry before it, unwavering. Niroth was about to report what he was seeing when, in an eerie and swift motion, its disfigured hand touched the obelisk. Instantaneously, the obelisk lit up with glowing purple runes and symbols, casting an unnatural glow in the cavern. The last thing Niroth would see before his world was plunged into darkness.

Elara shifted her attention away from Pathfinder's feed, engrossed in conversation with the other two historians as they awaited the outcome of Niroth's scouting mission. The trio pondered over the perplexing device they had encountered. Seraphan proposed one idea, suggesting, "Maybe Joran's onto something; it could be some sort of stasis or preservation chamber." Albana offered a different perspective, musing, "Or perhaps it's a life form native to this world, adapted to this unique form."

Amid the discussions, Elara's own notion emerged, and she voiced it to her colleagues: "What if it's an A.I., similar to H.A.R.P.Y.?" Albana's response acknowledged the possibility. Expanding on her idea, Elara continued, "Consider this— if that device can tap into various camera and remote feeds all over this complex? It might be a rudimentary form of artificial intelligence." Intrigued, Albana echoed her fascination, and Elara couldn't help but admire the ingenuity of the long-lost species that might have achieved such technological marvels.

Her gaze drifted toward the towering thrasher remotely exploring the ruins below. A trace of envy flitted across her thoughts, longing for the chance to delve into the depths from a distance and uncover the mysteries deep below. Yet, her coveting was rudely interrupted. In an instant, bursts of golden light flickered across the thrasher's form, punctuated by small sparks of cybernetic malfunction. Before anyone could react, the massive Aelorian collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.