The corridors stretched endlessly, and the faint glow of the walls illuminated his path, casting soft shadows that seemed to twist and shift in his peripheral vision.
The symbols on the walls began to change as he moved forward. They were no longer static patterns but seemed to shift and writhe, forming intricate designs that pulsed with a faint, rhythmic light.
He reached out, tracing a hand over one of the symbols, only to recoil as a jolt of energy shot up his arm. His vision blurred momentarily, images flashing before his eyes, fractured glimpses of a civilization long gone, of towering spires and collapsing stars.
Arthur staggered back, shaking his head to clear it. “What is this place?” he whispered, gripping his sword tighter.
The call was growing louder now, not in sound but in presence. It was as though it resonated directly with his very being, pulling him forward. He rounded a corner and found himself standing before a massive doorway, its surface inscribed with more of the shifting symbols. The energy emanating from the door was overwhelming, and his HUD struggled to process the readings, lines of data scrolling across his visor in frantic streams.
Arthur took a step closer, his instincts screaming both caution and curiosity. The doorway pulsed once, a faint ripple of energy brushing against him. He raised his free hand, his fingers hovering over the intricate carvings. The call was deafening now, drowning out every other thought.
For a moment, Arthur hesitated. Whatever lay beyond this door was unknown to him. It wasn’t just alien but was also a relic of a civilization that had reached technological prowess far beyond humanity.
But Arthur wasn’t one to back down due to the fear of the unknown. Steeling himself, he placed his hand against the door. The symbols flared to life beneath his touch, and with a low rumble, the doorway began to slide open.
Blinding white light flooded the corridor, and Arthur shielded his eyes with his arm. As the light dimmed, he lowered his arm and peered into the chamber beyond, and gasped in shock at what lay before him.
…
Arthur stood at the threshold, the red glow at the edge sword dimming as its glow was consumed by the blinding expanse before him. He blinked several times, his vision struggling to adjust to the stark white light.
The chamber seemed boundless, stretching infinitely in every direction without walls, ceiling, to anchor his perception. It was disorienting, a void of pure light yet something about it felt deliberate, designed.
His hesitation lasted only a moment. With a deep breath, he stepped forward, his boots making no sound against the invisible surface beneath him. As soon as he crossed the threshold, the door behind him slid shut with an ominous hiss.
“What…!” Arthur spun around, only to watch in disbelief as the door dissolved into the white void, leaving no trace of its existence.
“Great,” he muttered, clenching his jaw. He glanced at his ‘Map’. A familiar grid flickered to life in his vision, but there was nothing on the map. Even his suit’s advanced sensors couldn’t make sense of this place. No walls, no terrain, no discernible landmarks. Nothing. Just endless white.
“Well, this is new,” Arthur murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. He sighed and took another cautious step forward. The floor, or whatever passed for it, felt solid enough beneath his boots, but the complete lack of air pressure, sound, or resistance was unnerving.
Arthur reached out with his technopathy again, hoping to establish a connection with something, anything. But the response was the same as before, he only received silence. He cursed under his breath, glancing back at his sword. The plasma coating at the edge of his blade was still active, humming softly, but it offered little reassurance.
With no other options, Arthur picked a direction at random. “Here goes nothing,” he said, breaking into a jog. His enhanced speed quickly carried him forward, the white space blurring around him.
He pushed harder, accelerating until he was running at a speed that would have created shockwaves due to sonic booms in the outside world. But here, there was no air to offer any resistance. The sensation was surreal, like moving through a dream where the usual rules of physics didn’t apply.
Despite the lack of wind or friction, the space still had gravity. Each step felt real, grounding him even as the void seemed to stretch endlessly in every direction. Minutes turned into what felt like an eternity, the monotony of the white expanse playing tricks on his mind. His internal clock told him he had been running for nearly thirty minutes, yet there was still no sign of an end.
And then he saw it.
Arthur slowed to a stop, his enhanced vision catching a faint glimmer in the distance. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the anomaly. It was small, barely perceptible at first, but as he approached, its shape began to solidify, a fist-sized orb, floating approximately a meter above the ground.
“What the…?” Arthur muttered, his voice sounding strange in the stillness of the void. He approached cautiously, his sword raised. The orb seemed to pulse faintly, a soft light radiating from its smooth surface. It hovered in place, completely motionless, yet exuding an almost magnetic presence.
Arthur stopped a few meters away, his instincts screaming at him to be careful. The orb’s surface shimmering with an iridescent glow that shifted and swirled like liquid metal. Symbols, similar to the ones he had seen on the walls earlier, appeared and disappeared across its surface, too fleeting to decipher.
He reached out with his technopathy, testing the waters. This time, he felt something, a faint connection, tenuous and elusive, but it was there. The orb didn’t reject him outright, but it didn’t open itself to him either. It was as if it was…waiting.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Arthur circled the object, his sword still drawn. “What are you?” he whispered, his voice low and cautious.
The orb pulsed again, the light emanating from it growing slightly brighter. For a moment, Arthur thought he heard something. He stepped closer, lowering his sword slightly.
“Alright,” he said, his tone measured. “Let’s see what you are.” He then used ‘Analyse’ on the Orb and what he saw surprised him.
//--------------------//
Object: A Control Key, Dimensional Pocket
Purpose: Unknown
//--------------------//
‘A Control Key…but for what?’ He thought and reached out a hand, his gloved fingers hesitating just centimeters away from the orb’s surface. The air around it, or whatever passed for air in this place, felt charged, tingling against his skin. Every instinct told him to pull back, to leave the orb alone and retreat. But he couldn’t ignore the call that had led him here.
Arthur closed his eyes and pressed his palm against the orb.
…
Arthur’s gloved hand rested against the orb, the surface cool and oddly smooth, almost like liquid frozen in time. For a moment, nothing happened. The stillness of the void wrapped around him like a cocoon, and he thought maybe he had imagined the subtle call earlier.
Then, the orb began to vibrate.
Arthur flinched, retracting his hand instinctively. He took a step back, raising his sword in defense. The orb, however, didn’t stop. Its vibration grew more intense, a low thrumming sound filling the void.
He watched in disbelief as the object began to shrink, its glowing surface collapsing inward as if being compressed by some unseen force. From the size of a fist, it contracted rapidly, becoming no larger than a mustard seed.
“What the hell…” Arthur whispered, his voice trailing off as the tiny, shimmering dot of light shot toward him like a bullet.
He barely had time to react. The orb pierced through his left gauntlet effortlessly, like a hot knife slicing through butter. He winced as a sharp, needle-like sensation pricked the back of his wrist. “Damn it!” he hissed, instinctively retracting his glove. His eyes widened as he inspected the exposed skin.
There, on the back of his left wrist, was a black mark. It was no larger than a dot, but its shape was distinct, a perfect circle with intricate, swirling patterns radiating outward like circuitry which dimmed and vanished after a moment.
“What the…” Arthur muttered, staring at the mark in confusion. He pressed a finger against it, half expecting it to burn or move, but it felt like a tattoo etched into his skin. Before he could process what was happening, a deep, resonant voice echoed in his mind.
[Welcome, Inheritor.]
Arthur froze, his head whipping around. “Who’s there?” he demanded, his sword lighting up in his hand. The void remained silent, empty, but the voice continued.
[Do not be alarmed, Inheritor. I am the Guardian AI of the Spear of Heaven. You have been chosen.]
Arthur’s mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. “Guardian AI? Spear of Heaven? Chosen for what?” he asked, his tone wary.
[The Spear of Heaven is a top-class battleship, the pinnacle of technology created by the Krozonites, my creators. I have selected you as its new inheritor.]
Arthur blinked, the words sinking in like heavy stones. “Why me?” he asked, his voice edged with suspicion. “I’m just a soldier. What makes me so special?”
The AI’s voice resonated in his mind. [For eons, I have observed the development of humanity. By chance, I became aware of your existence and witnessed you wielding the powers of my creator, technopathy. The ability to communicate with and control technology was a rare gift among the Krozonites. You carry that same gift, a connection to the technological fabric of the universe.]
Arthur took a step back, his thoughts a whirlwind. “Your creator… Who were they? And why would they leave something like this behind?”
[The Krozonites were an advanced species, unparalleled in their mastery of technology. My creator was among the most exceptional of their kind, he was able to communicate and control any technological device just after his birth. However, they found a way to traverse into other universes and achieve biological immortality. They left this universe millions of years ago, according to your perception of time.]
Arthur exhaled slowly, struggling to wrap his mind around the information he received. “So… they just left? All of them?”
[Yes. But before departing, they left behind remnants of their knowledge and creations, the Spear of Heaven. It was designed not just as a weapon but as a legacy of their existence.]
Arthur’s grip on his sword tightened. “Why give it to me, though? Why now?”
[Because the time is right. Humanity stands on the cusp of change, and your actions have proven your worth. You possess not only the ability but the will to wield this responsibility.]
Arthur frowned, his mind brimming with questions. But before he could ask more, the void around him began to shift. A low rumble resonated through the space, and the brilliant white light began to pulse and vibrate.
“What’s happening?” Arthur asked, his voice rising.
[The space you are in is a construct of the Spear of Heaven. It is being reabsorbed into the Control Key of Spear of Heaven in your possession.]
Arthur felt a strange pull, a tingling sensation that began at the mark on his wrist and spread through his entire body. The white void rippled and contracted, the infinite space folding in on itself as if being drawn into the black mark on his skin. He stumbled, his balance wavering as the light disappeared, leaving him in complete darkness for a moment.
When his vision returned, Arthur found himself standing in a massive chamber. His breath caught as he took in his surroundings. He was inside what could only be described as a cockpit, but it was like nothing he had ever seen.
The room was vast, with a panoramic view of the void stretching out before him. Holographic interfaces floated in the air, displaying streams of data in an alien script. The walls pulsed faintly with energy, their surfaces a seamless blend of metal and light.
“Where am I?” Arthur asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
[You are aboard the Spear of Heaven. This is its command center.]
Arthur’s eyes widened as he stepped closer to the holographic displays. The scale of the battleship was mind-boggling. “This thing is huge… How big is it?”
[By human measurements, the Spear of Heaven is 3,000 kilometers long and 1,500 kilometers wide. It is equipped with the most advanced technology the Krozonites ever developed. It is not just a battleship, it is a fortress, a legacy left behind by my creator.]
[A/N: 3000 km- 1864 miles, 1500 km- 932 miles]
Arthur felt a mixture of awe and disbelief. “And now… it’s mine?” he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
[Yes, Inheritor. You are now its commander. Together, we will shape the future.]
Arthur took a deep breath, the weight of the moment settling on his shoulders. This wasn’t just a weapon or a tool, it was a link to a civilization long gone. And it had chosen him.
***