November 19, 2056
2:20 P.M.
Vicerole, Underground Caverns
Renee Luna
"Shit. My light just died."
"Mine too. Military Grade my ass."
Slowly but steadily, our headlamps and flashlights have been burning out with no sign of an opening appearing. At some point, we also lost track of where we were on the map. Currently, we're traveling east but that doesn't mean a whole lot. We could be going deeper underground, and we'd never know. It doesn't help that tension between both our companies isn't making things easier either.
We've been walking for hours and I'm starting to worry that we might never get out of here. If we lose our last source of light in here, we'd surely die. Our last resort would rely on Crimson's Pyromancer creating a sort of torch with his fire, but I think adding more heat to our situation is the last thing anyone wants.
That said, I have my own problems to deal with.
Glancing around to the other shards, I can practically feel their gazes on me, their expressions a mix of curiosity, concern, and fear. Now and then, I'm able to catch snippets of the whispers they say to each other; they each have one thing in common. UnHoly... UnHoly...
I've been holding on to the belief that maybe I blacked out and entered into another rage-induced state like I did in Rambell. Even that would have been better than to hear that I cast an UnHoly Enhancement.
No matter how hard I try to drown out the voices, that same word keeps repeating itself inside my head. I can't make any sense of it or any of their accusations. How could I manage to do such a thing? It can't be true... It's not true. It's not...
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We still have yet to find an exit and eventually reach another resting point where we lay our supplies down and rest our legs. At this point, everyone is starting to lose hope of ever getting out of here, but Cruz persists that there is an exit and that it's just a little further ahead. Even I know it's just a ploy to keep everyone from losing complete faith.
"You keep saying that sir, but I haven't felt any airflow ever since we went down this path."
"Patience my friend. We're close, I know it. Just be glad those machines aren't attacking us down here," Cruz states.
"Speaking of those machines, can we finally discuss what the fuck those things were?"
"I second that," Flash adds in, "The level of complexity they portrayed is not something a machine should be able to do. These things we've encountered seemed to be self-aware and care about their well-being. They screeched when damaged, as if in pain, and had every opportunity to converge on us when we were on that field."
"Aren't you from Nova Union?" A crimson member asks now, "I heard they have state-of-the-art technology with intensive knowledge surrounding AI and robotics. Could they be behind all this?"
"I doubt it. There's nothing the Union would get out of all this. I think we're dealing with something out of our realm." His last sentence causes a commotion amongst everyone.
"You mean like... monsters?"
"No, he means UnHoly things. Like what that girl over there did." The same crimson member from before now points in my direction.
I feel every part of my body tense up as my worst fear comes to pass. I want to disappear as everyone's attention focuses on me now as I try my hardest to sink as low as I can to the ground. But no matter how hard I try, there's nowhere for me to escape.
"I think it's about time you explain yourself."
I open my mouth to speak, but before I can do so Frost is already standing in front of me.
"I think you should be grateful that we're still alive and in one piece," he says firmly while facing the mass of shards.
"Captain, this isn't something you can just dismiss. We all saw it and I'm sure you saw it as well."
"This isn't the time to be discussing this."
"Why not? Right now, seems like the perfect time if you ask me."
Gestures of agreement circulate amongst some of the shards, but Frost still stands unfazed.
"Once we get out here, we can discuss what happened and get our facts straight. In the meantime, I'd appreciate it if you didn't act hostile towards one of my shards."
"Kinda hypocritical of you considering it was your company that gave us this hostile belief surrounding UnHoliness." A new crimson member adds.
"Everyone shut up now!"
Simultaneously, we all turn to Macy who up to this point has been off to the side. I don't know what Cruz talked about with her, but she's been quiet ever since, with her head hanging low. Looking at her now, however, she stands tall and attentive, almost as if she's listening for something.
"Major, don't tell me you also-"
"I mean it shut up!"
I don't understand at first but a beeping sound coming from a shard's wrist tablet makes me immediately stand to my feet. If there's one thing that makes me push aside my emotions, it's the notion of an incoming threat.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"I'm picking up light movement."
"Kill the lights! Deploy shields!"
It doesn't take long for us to form into a somewhat firing line and face the direction where the noise is coming from. It's pitch black but I can tell everyone is trying their hardest to not make a sound. The only saving grace from being down here is that we haven't run into any more of those machines, but that may all change. There's nowhere for us to run and at most only a dozen of us can effectively shoot at something without ending up shooting each other.
I don't know how long we stay like this but soon enough a faint foreign light source appears around a turn in the cavern, slowly getting brighter with every passing second. Just as it seems that whatever it is producing said light is about to pop around the corner, they stop.
"Ciao?"
The voice doesn't a get response back from us as we continue to aim down our sights.
"Non sparare. Siamo amici."
They speak again but still no one answers. Also, what's with that language? I've never heard of it before.
"Frammenti... Shards?"
That last word however is one we do understand.
"Blue!"
I turn to the new sudden voice and see that it came from Macy. Frost is shaking his head at her, but she holds a hand up to him and waits for the countersign. If I remember correctly, it's sphere.
"Common?"
That's certainly not it though.
"Shards, if you can understand me, listen to what I have to say," The voice calls back in a thick accent. "We are not your enemy, and we want to help you."
This guy can't be serious. The others think so as well and begin to ready Enhancements. Not our enemy? Considering they know we're shards, then they must know about White Shard too. Which can only mean that this group is responsible for what happened to them. Or at least knows something we don't.
"Capo, non credo-"
"There is little time. The Stalkers regularly traverse these tunnels. It's a miracle that they haven't found you yet. It's only a matter of time, however, and I'll inform you now that you'll die if you keep going down this path."
"Get ready to cast, they're-"
"Wait a minute Frost," Macy cuts him off in a hushed voice, "let's hear him out some more."
"Macy? What are you saying? You know as much as I do that they can't be trusted."
"I know but don't you think they would've waited for us in the dark to ambush us instead of making themselves known?"
Her assessment makes him pause, including me.
"I'm on the same page as you but do you really want to keep wandering through these tunnels forever? Our objective is to gather intel on our enemy and whoever these people are might be able to give us some answers."
The two continue to discuss amongst themselves for a little longer before Frost reluctantly agrees as he turns back to the foreign group.
"Do you know your way around these caverns?" He calls out to them.
"Yes." The man answers.
"How many are with you?"
"Around half a dozen. We are not armed as well if you are concerned."
"Have you and your men step out with your hands up where we can see you. After that, then we can continue talking. Anything stupid and we kill you."
With everyone's weapons raised we watch as the shadow begins moving again as the first person makes themselves be seen. He's dressed in winter camo clothing bearing no insignias or emblems. There is however a yellow stripe cutting from his shoulder to his chest, possibly signifying his rank as the others that appear after him lack the stripe. Other than the fatigues, they wear no other military gear and do in fact carry no weapons on them that we can see.
With a nod from Frost, we proceed to close the distance to apprehend and search the group and after making sure no more of them were around the corner, they were finally allowed to lower their arms. Soon after, the man with the yellow stripe is approached by Macy and Frost.
"Now that we have that out of the way, who are you?" Frost questions him again. "By the looks of it you're the leader, aren't you?"
"Correct. I am Andino, but my people call me Capo, which I believe is Chief by Common standards."
"Chief huh?" Frost raises an eyebrow.
"They must be squatters," Macy whispers over to him, "Wouldn't be the first time they've been found in unused land."
"Perhaps," he whispers back.
"Capo, dovremmo muoverci." A girl interrupts them as she stands next to Andino. The two discuss in their language for a bit before he turns back to Frost.
"Like I said before," Andino starts, "We want to help you but it's not safe here. I'll take you to my village where those Stalkers won't find us. There I will tell you everything you need to know."
"I-I'm sorry. Did you say, Stalkers?" Frost stutters his words, while also catching the attention of the rest of the Shards.
"That's what we call them." The girl next to Andino explains, "They're six-legged beasts of metal."
Six-legged beasts... the machines.
"The ones that attacked you on surface were Trackers."
"How did you-"
"Your radios." She points at a Shard's radio pack. "They've been giving your position away. Once one catches your signal, the rest are soon alerted. That's how they were able to ambush you."
"I highly suggest you dispose of them or silence them before we go, Shards," Andino adds.
Immediately, Macy orders for all radio packs to be turned off as the rest of us begin to do the same to our short-range radios. This whole time we've been a beacon for those... Stalkers without even knowing it. It truly is a miracle that we haven't been found again.
"Thank you. Now, if you may, follow me." He finishes before motioning his hand towards the direction he came from. With no other choice, Macy orders us to move as we follow behind the mysterious group of squatters.
It doesn't take long for the group to prove themselves as Andino unexpectedly walks over to the side of the cave where a hidden passageway opens. Nothing was indicating that such a passageway existed, yet he knew exactly where it was. Had we never encountered these people we would've walked right past. Who the hell are these guys?
It takes a moment for us to snap out of our state of shock before continuing forward into a separate branch of tunnels.
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"Excuse me miss, If I may, how much do you know about these things you call Stalkers?"
To my right, I can see Flash asking a question to the girl who was standing next to Andino earlier. She's not much shorter than me, with short brown hair barely going over her shoulders and skin that is fair and spotless. I believe I overheard her name is Aria.
"You and your group seem to have a good understanding of them."
"We actually don't know too much about them. No one knows where they came from but as far as I know, they're sentient. They act as one large, organized colony with different roles and even size variations."
Flash tries to note everything down in his head as he asks another question. "Ok so they're sentient tha- Wait, size?"
Aria continues to walk while turning to face him. "Oh yeah! Trackers and Stalkers were the small ones chasing you."
"Small? There are bigger ones?" Flash says, his eyes visibly wide now.
Aria shoves him on the shoulder while laughing. "You're a funny one, aren't you? Trust me, you don't want to meet a Major."
With that, Flash decides not to ask any more questions about the Stalkers, for the sake of his sanity and ours.
"What made your group even come to this island?" Cruz asks now to switch the subject, "I can't imagine anyone that would want to squat on this forsaken island."
"Squat? I don't think I understand what you mean by that." She states which takes him aback.
"Well, you're squatters, aren't you? You don't have to hide it. Illegal as it may be, we're a bit occupied with more pressing matters."
Aria keeps a confused expression on her face as if everything he just said made zero sense.
"I'm sorry, but I really don't understand. We didn't come to this island. None of us did."
"What do you mean? That doesn't make-" Before Cruz can finish his sentence, he's cut off by Aria, and as she speaks her next words, it makes everyone stop in their tracks.
"I'm Vicerolien. I was born here."