Heavy boots echoed through dark tunnels as Acolyte Davros Savilette made his way toward Lab 13. He took a stiff breath of humid air, rubbing sweat from his bald head in annoyance. Davros hated making this trip. Venturing into the Districts at all was a chore, but District 13... Even with the Lord's efforts there was no way to dispel the scent of poverty. But he had chosen his master, despite having more lucrative offers, and sometimes a man of his caliber was needed in a place like this.

"Should we tell the Lord, Sir?" A blockish looking Acolyte asked beside him.

"Let's not be hasty, Dipple." Davros replied. "I'll need to make a thorough assessment before anything else."

Dipple was a good Acolyte, even if he was from some hayseed house in the Skirts. Unfortunately, being a hayseed meant he could never be trusted to report on a incident like this. A proper Executive was needed. Someone who could tell the difference between a problem and a crisis.

The stout Dipple nodded, handing Davros the blue crystal lantern. The man moved towards the heavy steel door before them, swinging it open with a mighty pull.

The two Acolytes were greeted on the other side by a short man in purple and white scholars robes. The scientist had his head bowed low in acknowledgment of their arrival.

"Qorvast." Davros addressed the man. "What vile miscreation have you cocked up this time?"

The scholar raised his balding brown head from its subservient tilt. He had a harried look about him, which was not unusual for the fidgety academic, but the purple bags under his eyes were.

"Apologies, My Lord." The man squeaked out, voice nasally, glasses pinching the bridge of his nose. "I would not have sent for you if it were not truly urgent."

Davros squinted at the man, eyes struggling in the darkness of the cavernous lab. The scholar gestured to the door, inviting them in, glowing lights of multiple colors and shades hovering in the distant dark behind him.

"Let's walk and talk." Davros suggested, allowing Acolyte Dipple and the anxious Qorvast to take the lead. "What are we dealing with?"

"It's subject 9, sir." The researcher spoke as they moved, glowing lights beckoning ahead. "We've lost containment."

"Naturally." Davros replied. Subject 9 was the only thing in this place that would merit his presence. "When did this happen?" He asked, as they approached three equally spaced rows of massive standing glass tubes, each extending from mounts on the floor and into a network of thick tree roots along the ceiling.

"We don't know." Came the hushed response from the scholar. The shifty man turned his head slowly, shying away from the smoldering intensity of Davros' gaze. "There is evidence that the breach may have been concealed from us. I'm looking into it." He blurted, words tripping out of his mouth as the scientist rushed to answer the questions in the Acolyte's stare.

Silence lingered as the group moved between an aisles of tubes. Most of the cylinders were dark and empty. But some were still lit. Filled with a viscous liquid and wretched masses of who knew what. Each occupied tube glowed with the distinct hue of whatever magical particles were harmonizing with the creatures inside.

"So, why am I here, Qorvast? We have protocols for events like this, yes?" He asked, throwing expectant look at the scientist.

"Of--Of course, Sir." The man stammered, stumbling over himself as he tried to look Davros in the eyes. "Protocol is to liquidate the subject when a containment breach is discovered."

"And?" The Executive pressed.

"Well-- It's--" The researcher began, struggling to find the right words. "It's just--"

"It's best you see for yourself, Sir." Dipple cut in.

"Hmm." Davros murmured, intrigued.

He'd never had much of an interest in Qorvast's work here. Always feeling sick after his quarterly inspections. But with the way the two men were describing things, a hint of excitement was beginning to take root in his chest.

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Thunk.

A muffled thud caught his attention to the left. Davros slowed. Searching for the source of the noise.

It was one of the glass cylinders parallel to him. He focused in, eyes alighting on a tube with a deep purple glow.

Davros smiled at the familiar creature within. Soon my sweet. The Acolyte thought, observing the struggling specimen within. We'll have our time.

"It's this way, My Lord." Came the hesitant voice of Scholar Qorvast. The two men had moved ahead while he was distracted. They were waiting by a dark hallway at the end of the aisle of tubes.

Davros moved to join his colleagues, not sparing a second glance for the purple cylinder and the writhing woman within.

"It's just down this hall, Sir." Dipple commented, gesturing down a long curved corridor.

"Alright." Davros muttered, leaning forward, eager to witness the mysteries at the end. He stopped, seeing neither of his companions had made any steps to follow. He looked to Qorvast who offered out a ringlet of gold, two dark stones attached to either end.

"You'll want to wear this, My Lord." The researcher muttered, not meeting Davros' eyes. The skeptical Acolyte looked at the device, then over to Dipple who was busy fastening one around his own neck.

"It's called a suppressor." Qorvast explained, seeing his superiors apprehension. "It's a necessary precaution. It will help prevent the Entity's more volatile energies from corrupting you."

Davros' raised an eyebrow at the nervous researcher. A thin film of sweat now covered the mans face. Seeing Acolyte Dipple was unaffected, he took the risk.

"You might feel a bit of dissociation at first." The Researcher warned.

Davros' eyes widened, the device clicking into place around his neck. The effect was immediate. Like his mind had been disconnected from his body in some etherial way. He'd been detached from his very soul.

Concerned, but not quite panicked, the Acolyte tapped into his well of Magic, finding its power a bit harder to reach, but accessible. This calmed his nerves, and soon, blessedly, the feeling faded. His body adjusting to the new sensation.

Davros gave the Scholar a withering look, causing the man's cheeks to twitch with panic.

In the end, Qorvast gave shaky smile. "Shall we continue?" He asked, motioning into the dark corridor.

The trio began moving along the tunnel, the Acolytes hard boots echoing against the walls. With each step the fervor in Davros' chest grew. He could feel the air ripening as they approached their target. The lights of the lab behind them winked out as they crested the horizon of the curved hall. Only the subtle light of Dipples lamp remained.

They continued on, blue light casting jagged shadows across the corridor.

Something shifted. There was a new presence in the atmosphere around them. A foreign energy. It pushed against them, pulsing through them. It was not malicious, Davros could feel that somehow. But there was something else... a deeper motivation... the energy... it wanted to change them...

He was suddenly very glad for the suppressor around his neck. He could tell the effect of the entity was not quite as potent as it might have been.

They continued forward. The energy pulsing through them. Growing stronger with every step. They must be very close now. The waves of power were acting on them like a physical force. It was constant, like a warm gust of wind lapping against their skin. Even the stable blue light from the lamp was rippling in tune, their shadows danced against the walls.

"Here it is." Qorvast said, voice quavering under the pressure of the Entity's presence.

They arrived at a heavy steel door. This one had a hatch-wheel set in the center. The light changed, as Acolyte Dipple dropped the lamp, moving to turn the wheel. He grabbed both sides, giving a great heave.

Thunk.

The Sound echoed down the corridor, thrumming through them. A terminal note. Dipple looked back to Davros. He nodded.

The door swung wide on its creaking hinges, exposing the trio to the full power of the Entity.

It washed across Davros like an ocean current. His eyes widened. The Acolyte stepped forward, his colleagues flinched back.

He stared at it, gaze trying to draw in its beauty, as its oppressive darkness stole the light from his eyes. It was incredible. He could not comprehend it. Its existence was transcendent, its power immediate.

"Magnificent." Davros whispered, the words disappearing into the cacophony of power crashing against him.

A smile blooming on his frown lined face.

"My Lord?" He heard a yell beside him, jostling him from his reverie.

"What am I looking at Qorvast?" Davros shouted. Waves of energy echoing through his ears.

"The inner core, sir!" The Researcher responded, obviously having the same auditory struggle.

"Inner Core?" He asked, giving the man a confused look. He raised a defensive hand toward the entity, trying to block the violent energy from reaching him.

"There's an area of effect that extends far beyond this chamber. It's almost undetectable." The Scholar shouted. "We don't know what it's doing, but we're calling that the outer core."

"How far does it go?" Davros asked, turning his head toward the bookish man, still casting reverent glances at the pulsing mass of power.

"We don't know." The man said, entranced by the Entity as well.

"We'll you'd best figure it out, Scholar!" Davros laughed. "'I don't know' is not an answer our Lord accepts."

He continued to laugh. Beautiful joyous laughter. It had been years since he'd done anything more than chuckled. But he couldn't help it. In this moment, all he could feel was a rising jubilation within.

Glorious. He thought, gazing into the swirling miasmic depths of a virgin unknown. Absolutely glorious.