Flaw

{Burn's POV}

{12/07/2024- Earth's date}

{Offshore world - somewhere on omnicron}

"So you're saying, we've spent nine days in this planet. But It just felt like three days to me." Ken questioned, scratching at his dusty black hair, trying to process calmly, all that he heard.

"No I'm saying it's nine days back on earth because of the dilation of time across our separate universes." Martha repeated for the third time, dumbstruck by Ken's lack of absorption of data.

" I don't understand what the hell you're saying... Hahaha" 

The sound of ken and Martha arguing about the time differences between our world made me wonder about the flow of time across space. The doctor had explained it before our first reconnaissance but the concept was still mind juggling to me, even after we returned to the massive time difference back on earth at the end of our first mission.

"You see, According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, gravity is not just a force, but it's also the curvature of spacetime caused by massive objects. This curvature affects the flow of time.

So when you're closer to a massive object, like a planet or a black hole, the gravitational field is stronger. This means that spacetime is more curved in that region. As a result, time moves slower in that intense gravitational field compared to a region with weaker gravity"

In that moment everyone, including ken was silent, marveling at how much Martha knew. I too was shocked about how well versed she was with about most of the things we struggled to decipher. It was nice to have someone as brilliant as she was and it immediately reminded me of Kate.

"That's also why time flows different across separate places on earth. Slightly faster at the equator because of weak gravitational force and a tiny bit slower at the poles because of the decrease in the Earth's gravitational speed, right?"

I looked at Rukius who had just spoken, and was taken aback by the words he had just spoke, doubt was written on the faces of everyone in our humvee as well as mine. Nobody had even noticed the awkward silence that had enveloped us until the car jerked from a bump.

"Wow rukius, I never took you for a nerd" Ken muttered.

"Shut up ken, I just heard my roommate talk about it a number of times when he did an essay on it back in college" Rukius retorted in defense.

" So you aren't a nerd then, my bad"

Everyone laughed after Ken spoke, except me, and although I constantly felt like speaking up each time they talked, i immediately held back my words, quietly listening in on their conversation and enjoying the serenity of the moment.

We had been traveling for days and the incessant appearances of negrons had stunted our progress by a lot.

The landscape of our location also changed as we proceeded, a rocky expanse often unfolding the more we progressed.

The air, land, sky and even the extensive layers of soil that governed the entirety of the planet's topography were far different from earth.

I peered outside the window, inhaling deeply as I let the moisture build up within, it was all too strange.

'How can a dying planet still possess so much more life than ours'

I still felt the presence of some entity continuously observing us, but spoke no word of it to the rest of the team in order to not cause a distortion of the positive energy that had been going around for the past three days. 

Joe's team still rode ahead of us, barely speaking with me even when we camped together the previous night. Almost like he felt this huge sense of guilt from the turnout of our previous mission. 

It was better to live with the regret of a mistake so as to continuously feel the need to correct and if possible, avoid an impending one from happening again.

Our vehicle jerked again, this time more fiercely than the former as we entered a rocky route. Everyone grabbed onto their chairs as John tried to maneuver through the unpleasant terrain.

We drove for another hour as nighttime fell on us, eyes peeled in expectations of an ambush but what we received was something more subtle, less disorientating.

A tall dark figure, clad entirely in dark armor approached our humvee from the darkness, a false mystique of ruin lingered on him, slowly perforating our vehicles almost as if the very atmosphere carried along his sinister aura with it.

It's stature was different from any average human, with a height of over 195cm and the bulk build of a wrestler, it's red hair dangled from behind it's helmet.

It's eyes were a blazing red, burning from the little holes carved out on the helmet for sight and it's walk emanated a certain degree of nobility.

I felt the cold sweat on my face drip downwards till it fell from it, awakening a fear from deep within me that I had never felt before, an experience that I could not -even if I wanted to- forget.

I reached towards my symbiote and pressed hard on it's weight as it enveloped my arm, in hopes that my psychic connection with Joe would yield some answers as to what was approaching us.

"He that is born from the dark, must creep in it's undying solace. Watch, with heads lifted, the overwhelming force of the dark."

The vague words that proceeded from its mouth, riddled with less and less meaning, seemed to make the uncertainty grow within us. Joe was not aware of who or what the creature was, as none of us had ever encountered a sentient being in this planet capable of establishing verbal communication with us.

"It's prestige born from the doubt, fears, despair and pain!!.

Come now humans, for you all have paid for front rows seats to watch your own demise.""

It continued unwavering, silently prancing towards our armored motor.

"Captain??" Ken yelled, beckoning on us to turn tail and run even without words.

"This ain't good"

The intensity of his aura grew exponentially till it hit it's peak then slowly, almost like the cool breeze of the night, it disappeared.

'Fuck'

"Everybody out!!" I screamed instinctively, sensing the reawakened dread once more.

WHOOSHHHHH

THUDDD

Our metal car groaned as it tilted before hitting the bare ground. Although we had all made it out safely, I certainly felt like it was going to get worse from there on out.

I grasped my already morphed symbiote, taking in deep breaths in hopes that it would help calm my distorted breathing.

"Get ready for combat everyone" I beckoned, transferring my symbiote from left to right and back.

As the word left me mouth, I felt something cut through the evening wind and with such great speed, that I could hardly tell where it came from. It hit Ken first, then proceeded to John, knocking them all to the ground one by one.

My fear had grown to rage by the moment, as I felt all the pent up anger I had held back, grow untamed within me.

"Come at me you coward!" I barked, switching my blade to my most dominant grasp finally.

As it approached me, I stepped back and shifted a clenched fist forward in sharp response but it easily evaded it and moved to land a smack directly at my face. Luckily for me, I had anticipated it as I tilted my head to one side, barely with enough time to evade.

I stroke deeply at what I assumed to be it's gut and felt a gush of wind follow my fist as I tore through it's vest. It sprinted backwards, now aware of the threat it was bound to face if it underestimated every of it's opponent in this open field.

The rest of my squad had already dragged themselves back up, and assumed a defensive position with Rita at the front, putting up a barrier that would hopefully withstand the next attack.

"State your name human" The entity beckoned to me, stretching forward it's hand in acknowledgement.

Although it did not point at me, I could already tell that it's request was directed at me. I paused before my reply, careful enough as to not let out a yell because of the distance between us.

"Greny,....Greny burns."

"Burns, what a weird name. You humans really do have a weird taste in naming." It remarked, gazing down at me from its height.

Even at our distance, I could still feel the chill if it's presence, enveloping my senses and making it hard for me to even stand.

Without being told, I could already surmise that it was a being of a higher dimension than us, simply put in the doctor's phrase;

"A fourth dimensional being"

Said to outrank humans in any possible way, and up until now the chances of coming into contact with one were very slim.

My mind began to cross reference every possible scenario which would disapprove of the fact that he must have been in contact with one of our kind and if possible, someone I would know but all I could end up with, was the fact that the very person he spoke of, might have been who I was longing to see.

"What do you mean 'we humans'? Have you met one of my kind before?" I enquired adamantly.

"Oh?... Not that it matters since you're all going to die, but yes. A very annoying young lady as at that, I think she went by the name 'kane', I think that was it"

"Kate!" I corrected, mixed emotions of relief and rage welling up within me.

My face broadened in surprise as I felt sudden relief creep through my entire body, what I was feeling was so pristine that i let out a very silent sigh, silent enough to not be carried by the wind.

"What was that?" It questioned, stepping close to me.

I stepped forward also, moving past my team as well as Joe's, undeterred by all the gazes they had cast at my direction and armed with the news of a slight chance that I would be reunited with an old friend.

"Her name's Kate!. Let's get this over with so I can make you cough up where she is" I raged, fists pointed at my adversary.

My confidence was soaring at the moment and I felt like I could even bring down an entire mountain if I wanted to. No matter the circumstances, I was going to get the information I needed from it's mouth.

"Hahahahaha... Puahahaha... Pfft. Ah, you humans are always fun no matter which of you I seem to meet. Let's see how long your ego can soar before I completely crush it with overwhelming difference in power!".

"I'd love to see you try, coward" I retorted with confidence, staring it right in the eyes.

" Captain, you can't take him all alone" Joe let out, speaking for the first time.

I could feel the tinge of worry tarrying on Joe's voice but my mind was already made up and nothing or no one was going to change it.

"Now human,.....now you're definitely going to die..... Hehehe".