Cosmic Date: 2122, April 2nd, Unknown Unknown

The whole group settles into the ship as night falls, Hatch and I are busy examining the innards of the cruiser to see if we can’t re-wire the emergency batteries into some overhead lights. Thankfully, the ambient temperature is quite lovely, not that it’d matter with our W.E.T-suits.

Helena and Luci are going through all the gear aboard the Derelictus, trying to get the full-picture of what we’re working with. They’ve recovered the two multi-tools aboard, a couple of solar chargers, and are trying to see if we can’t start recycling the adamantine paneling into weapons.

“There, that should do it.” Hatch says plugging in a final cable, the lights around us flicker, humming to soft warm glow. The rest of the ship remains quite dead, as we only routed power to the lights and nothing else.

Camerai pokes his head through the shattered cockpit window, “Let there be light!” He says before waving us outside. “Come and take a look, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this!” The group pauses what they're doing and follows him to the nose of the cruiser.

The sky is cluttered with stars, an endless quantity of twinkling lights makes the night sky brighter than the world below it. I see stars sparkling in colours I’d never seen before. It’s a chromatic display of beauty that leaves all of us in awed silence.

“I don’t recognize any constellations…” Helena murmurs, and she’s right.

A foreign sky filled with foreign stars.

The reality of our situation should’ve been more pressing, but the beauty before us washes away any worries. I look over at Luci and she is smiling from cheek to cheek. Hatch & Helena are holding hands, while Camerai stares upwards with a rather solemn look on his face for the first time.

In the distance, the colossal mountain is dark, its abyssal silhouette carves out a section of the night sky, leaving a scar of void in its shadowy form.

Eventually the group heads back inside, we sit in a loose circle and Luci breaks the silence.

“I’d like to amend my initial hypothesis.” The rest of us stay silent, allowing her thoughts to flow freely.

“I was quite sure we weren't on Earth… and now I’m being pushed to the rather absurd conclusion that we’re not even in the same universal cluster.”

She speaks the thoughts already on everybody’s mind. Camerai shrugs, releasing a sigh that feels like hes been holding in his entire life.

“Well fuck, at least I don’t need to worry about getting off’d by my siblings…” Camerai says relieved and I chuckle.

“True.” I say, looking at Luci from the corner of my eye. “And I don’t have to become a… how do you say?”

“—Tyrelion Dog?” She finishes for me and I see her smirk.

I continue, “Yes, Thank you. Honestly, it feels like a weight off my shoulders if anything.” To which the whole group grunts and hums in agreement, “Plus, I’ve always wanted to be an explorer, to go where nobody has gone before — to find or, uh, in our case crash into alien ruins.” I admit.

Hatch grins, hugging Helena by the shoulder, “As long as I have this little gremlin by my side I’ll be happy.” He says unabashedly to us. Camerai groans as Helena’s face turns tomato red and she smacks him playfully on the shoulder. Hatch laughs and with each reverberating chuckle of his, the weight on our minds dissipates.

Luci, to my surprise chimes in, “I was going to be sent to the separatist front — you could say this whole fiasco is a rather pleasant surprise.” Camerai’s eyes widen in response.

“What? Really? Old lady Leganto was going to throw one of her precious daughters into the meat grinder?” He asks and Luci shrugs.

“She can always just create more of us.” She says plainly and I grimace. The implied use of genetic birthing pods was never a fun subject to touch upon, though not like it matters anymore.

She smiles, “I’m actually quite fond of our situation as well.” She admits.

There is a minor searing pain at the back of my throat as we continue the topic of being stranded. The uncomfortable thought of leaving my father behind. The sour taste that lingers in the wake of circumstances with the attack on Osiris.

I withhold a sigh, quickly moving-on from the sadness building in me. It was something I had already mentally prepared for when I entered the Space Academy, time dilation was a given when dealing with space in any capacity.

For all I know, whatever got us here has sent us hundreds of years in the future. He could be long dead, dust among the stars.

“So, I take it that nobody is in any rush to get back home?” I ask.

“Heeeeeell no!” Camerai makes clear, “For what? To spend the rest of my life trying to climb and kiss the asses of centuries old fleet admirals? Noooo~ thank you!” He says with relived disgust.

I look over at the couple and Helena stares into Hatch’s eyes for a moment.

“Not particularly, we just wanted something interesting to spice our lives up, and this would easily qualify, wouldn't you say honey?” Helena says, resting her head on his shoulder. Hatch grunts, "Yes."

Interesting indeed.

“We should take the night to recoup, then figure out the what and where we’re working with in the morning.” I say, “I’ll be happy to take first night watch.” I add, knowing the importance of my multi-spectral sights.

“I’ll join.” Luci says and Camerai gives us a mischievous look. Luci rolls her eyes and doesn’t even bother with him.

I also ignore him, mouthing 'shut the fuck up' before following her out into the cool night.

—

I sit down a distance from Luci.

She’s sitting crosslegged with the bronze spear across her lap, seemingly in a mediative state.

Helena is already asleep on a fold-out bed while Hatch continues to tinker around with the cruisers’ internals. Camerai is slumped in a pilot seat with his feet on the control panel, sucking away at a packet of nutrient paste.

My eyes blink to infrared, scanning the western slope for signs of movement. I see some hot-spots here and there, but nothing large nearby or in groups like the goat-men we encountered.

Though I do see some odd sights, on the mountain behind us, a heat-signature stalks a smaller one, moving about like a cat — a lion?

Much further out, to the north I see a slightly worrisome heat-signature flying through the sky. It feels big from the sheer distance, but it’s hard to tell. Thankfully it’s flying away from us rather quickly.

Once I did a full 360 scan, satisfied that nothing is sneaking up on us I blink off my vision, cognizant of the strain building behind my eyes.

I take a deep breath.

The air is clean, a fresh breeze wafts over us carrying a scent I’ve never smelled before. I take another deep breath through my nose, trying to pin down what it is.

“It’s the ocean.” Luci says suddenly.

My eyebrow raise to her sudden input. “How do you know?”

Her purple eyes open and she looks out into the distance.

“This place reminds me… of home.” She says, her words being carried away in the wind.

Home?

“House Leganto?”

“Yes, well, not quite — do you know the origins of our house, Sada?” She asks me.

Hearing her use my name for the first time sends an odd shiver down my spine.

“Uh… not really? Sorry.” I admit, feeling a little ignorant.

“It’s fine. From a surface level it’s said we descend from the legions of Rome. Yet, it’s never quite that simple — our true roots lie in the old country of Greece, on the shores of the Mediterranean.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Luci looks to the north, at the great mountain in the distance.

“The Greece we know is a mere shadow of what it once was, the land stripped of its Olive trees, the oceans dried of its abundance. I was always curious as a kid, about the home we once knew. I’d spend days at a time in full-dive holo’s, exploring the virtual reconstructions of the ancient world that breathed myth and legend.”

“This…” She motions out at everything, “--whole place is eerily reminiscent of those reconstructions, so much so that when I woke up from the crash I thought I was in a dream.”

‘…’

I look out around me, letting her words sink deep. “I think you’re right.” I say, “This place reminds me of the terrible old action flicks filled with half-naked men wearing red capes I used to watch as a kid.”

Silence falls between the both of us.

“Satyrs.” She says.

“Huh?”

“The goat-men, I think they’re Satyrs, mythical beastmen, though I read they were half horse, not goat.”

“Aren’t those centaurs?”

She shrugs. “Regardless, its a better name then goat-fuckers.” She says with a hint of laughter in her words.

I smile, “Debatable.”

I look down below us, where we left the bodies, which in hindsight was a bad move. “So, what did you find in the ruins? You mentioned a glowing obelisk?” I ask.

Luci grins and turns to me with child-like eyes, “I think its magic.”

—

Cosmic Date: 2122, April 3rd, Unknown Unknown

The night passes peacefully, for what feels like the first time in a week. Though its really only been two days.

The break of dawn draws a fiery curtain of orange over the sky, in the distance behind the southern mountain, theres hints of clouds, merely wisps but perhaps an omen for more to come.

[PROPERTY STATUS: 97% Injuries - Minor Ecchymosis]

[REGENERATION TAPERING]

My nano-bots have done well overnight, I asked Camerai and he informed me that sleeping allowed the little guys to go to town without worry, apparently for rapid repair, (which activates in emergencies) there’s the slight sensation of a thousand ants crawling under skin.

Not exactly a pleasant feeling, I’m quite sure. I pray I never have to go into rapid repair mode while lucid, but for some reason I feel that my prayers have been falling on deaf ears as of late.

The whole group gathers below the ship, the satyr corpses are still splayed about the place. It is a grizzly sight and one that is quickly becoming rancid.

“We really need to move these corpses.” Helena insists with a hand covering her nose.

I nod in agreement, “Yes, the smell aside, it may attract unwanted attention.”

Camerai holds a mock radio over his mouth, “Skrrrrtzz— Clean-up on aisle goat-fucker— over.”

Hatch looks around, eyeing the couple of thin oaks around the ruin. “If we can find enough fuel… we can do a mass cremation.” It’s a morbid thought, but we don’t exactly have the luxury of digging nice little graves for each of our enemies.

Though I hope it doesn’t become a habit.

“Agreed, I think we should also search through the ruins, understand our immediate surroundings.”

“We need a source of water as well.” Helena adds.

I nod, “Clean up, search, and water. The last two can be done simultaneously.” I look around me at the bodies, debating if it’s even worth splitting up.

“Let’s just all pile the bodies quickly, didn’t happen to spot a crematorium while you searched around yesterday, Luci?” I say, realizing it’s the first time I’ve actually said her name aloud.

If she minds she doesn’t show it. “No, but there’s a half-demolished tower that might work well.”

The group makes short work of the nasty task, while also tossing in the rather ratchet looking ‘tents’ and the rest of the butchered meats. With the help of one of the two multi-tools Hatch is able start the fire.

The smell of burning goat-man is worryingly like beef, a savory aroma that could make a man salivate. I make sure to keep my distance. They were far too sentient for my moral tastes. I look over to see Canerai failing to hide a salivating gulp, we make eye contact and both pretend that didn’t happen.

We opt not split up, in a place with so many unknowns like this, such a move would be asking for trouble. Luci leads us through a winding maze of large stone hallways, they’re built of smaller head-sized stones stacked carefully atop one another, forming tight corridors and square doorways supported by partially collapsed columns that end in simple capitals and square entablatures. They look like large polished stone nails, I see traces of red pigments on the shafts and a deep dark blue for rest.

The ruins are eerily empty, yet filled to the brim with fading frescos and hints of a grander past. We pass one particular fresco depicting a large man stabbing a spear at what looked to be another even larger man, though this one had eyes of pitch above two tusks for fangs, with a familiar set of horns that curved maliciously backwards. Clawed hands drew black streaks across the sky, as if the horned man was pulling apart the fabric of the universe itself.

We eventually reached the entrance of the palace I had seen in the distance. It was three stories tall, the front face open to the air with four of the similar red and navy blue columns we had seen on the way here stretching from ground to ceiling. They were impressive, carved of a single piece of solid stone, or at least it looked like it.

When we stepped inside we were greeted with a large open space, four more columns were spread out equally in a square framing. At the far end, a crumbling stone throne. The arm rests carved into the heads of lions while the backrest was perfectly sliced in two, as if someone had taken a plasma blade to it.

In the center of the throne room, a shaft of light streams down from a circular opening onto an obelisk of onyx stone.

The obelisk was so dark I couldn’t properly focus my eyes on its abyssal surface. It stretched up to the height of two men while easily being thick enough to need two men to hug its circumference.

Helena was the first to notice an oddity, her voice reverberating through the throne room as she spoke. “Is it… balancing on a pin-point?” She said incredulously.

My eyes followed the shaft down to from top to bottom, which quickly tapered down to an upside-down pyramid. She was right, the obelisk was balancing on a single point as sharp as a needle.

“Holy shit.” Camerai rightly exclaimed, it was yet another absurd sight.

It looked like it could be blown over by a soft whisper.

Luci walks up the the obelisk, squinting her eyes at the dark surface, “It’s layered in a bunch of writing.”

Hatch follows her eyes, rubbing his beard in thought, “They look like… symbols?”

“I would keep my distance, a soft brush could likely topple it.” I warn, but Luci just smiles before pressing her hand against the glassy stone and shoving.

The obelisk begins to tip, “SHIT!” Camerai screams quickly scrambling out of the way, yet the impact never comes. I watch with my mouth agape as the massive stone defies the laws of physics slowly floating back to position like a bouy bobbing in the ocean. A small portion of the lower symbols glows an ethereal teal, soft and minor, but visible to the naked eye as the obelisk returns to position, before going dark once more.

‘…’

“What the fuck?” I say aloud to a smug smirk tugging the ends of Luci’s mouth. Her pearly white fangs bared in excitement.

“Like I said, magic.”

—

A part of me was filled with an unease, while an admittedly larger part of me was giddy at the magical obelisk.

This was what I wanted, what I had gone to space academy for, to find crazy alien objects like this!

To think that all I had to do was get caught-up in a war-crime? What a bargain.

Hatch was especially enamored with the obelisk, I could see the same glint in his eyes as Luci’s, albeit a little less… psycho? Helena was keeping her distance and Camerai? Camerai didn’t seem to want anything to do with it.

“I’ve got a baaaad feeling about this thing my friends.” He says, dusting off his clothes from his wild scramble. He shoots Luci a glare only to receive her signature smirk in return.

“Why do you always say things bound to trigger some terrible outcome?” Helena says with a tired sigh.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, I’m telling you right now, my loins, my gut and my balls are all telling me this thing is ominous — without a doubt in my mind!” He said with vigor, his hand cupped in a claw to emphasize his balls.

Luci groans, “Oh your balls? Well, pack it up people, turns out a magical object in an abandoned ruin, on a foreign alien planet, doesn’t exactly scream, ‘come and fuck with me!’ But thank goodness your balls are here to warn us.” She mocks, crossing her arms with a face full of scorn.

Camerai clicks his tongue, “Well! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

I leave the two to their bickering, approaching the obelisk. I examine the symbols that run along its four surfaces. It is an almost invisible delineation in the perfectly chiseled out script. It reminded of… latin? No, perhaps some more ancient forms of writing. I see only the faintest sense of familiarity in the lettering, but yet none at all.

“What do you think?” I ask Hatch, who’s hand was deep in his ever scruffy beard.

“They remind me of ancient futhark and a hint of Linear B? My knowledge on the two is barely… surface level at best.” I nod, letting him continue. “Something that does seem a little bit odd to me however, is how each letter, symbol, whatever you want to call it is conjoined, subtly flowing down to the base.” He says twirling his finger around.

Hmm, I didn’t even notice that. “Did you scan it with the multi?” I ask and Hatch nods, “Came out as, ‘Unknown Unknowns’ real helpful this thing is.” He says waving around the hand-gun shaped scanner/tool.

I stared at the obelisk — and blink.

Nothing glaring infrared, if anything the obelisk was unnervingly cold, inert.

I blink again.

X-ray was surprisingly… blocked. I couldn’t get a single glimpse at the Obelisks innards — which was surprising since I was able to see through most things so far.

I blink once more, turning my vision to Ultra-violet for the first time since I first got my multi-spectral sights, I’d been admittedly overlooking the third sight, not fully understanding its use case.

But the moment I open my eyes I nearly scream in surprise.

The obelisk lit up like a christmas tree, under the smooth obsidian surface I could see streams of hot molten energy streaming from the tip downwards like some kinda lava lamp.

wait…

I pull my field of view back, the energy was everywhere.

I look around me, confusion washing over me as I see the same streams of hot white energy all around. It wasn’t as condensed as within the obelisk however, floating through the air in misty wisps of hot white smoke.

What the hell is this stuff? I thought to myself.

“Sada? Are you okay?” Helena asks, but I ignored her, my eyes trained on the obelisk, then the air around us — how the thinner weaker wisps were drawn into the top of the obelisk before being sucked down and woven into thicker strands. Luci’s previous statement rang out in my mind, like a gong of realization.

It was everywhere — magic!