Now
There, with only its head visible above the black, high tech sarcophagus, was Zalthyss.
The angelic alien smiled impossibly wide to reveal a mouth filled with sharp teeth.
“The one that calls himself, Honor. I heard your song. So strong, yet discordant. What weighs on you so?”
Zalthyss was just as disturbingly beautiful as Cal remembered. So perfect, yet so wrong.
Cal forced his jaw to unclench. “Your existence… bothers me.” He told the truth. He felt that to attempt to hide it would reveal weakness and he knew that Zalthyss reveled in inflicting such.
“Ah, but I love your existence. I can feel you. So loud, so strong. It has been millennia since I have tasted one of your caliber.” Zalthyss ran a slender tongue over its lips.
“You are one creepy piece of shit,” Cal said. “The way I remember it, I made you choke on it.” He held up his left hand and wiggled its three fingers in Zalthyss’ direction.
“Perhaps, but that did nothing to take away from your taste.”
“Keep telling yourself that. Next time I’ll shove my fist down your throat,” Cal snapped. “No tricks, no traps, just going to put you down like a rabid animal.”
Zalthyss laughed. It sounded like a choir’s hymnal songs.
It and others of its kind couldn’t be allowed to make it to Earth. Entire swaths of the population would fall down on their knees in worship as soon as they saw and heard it.
Cal laughed right back, but it was forced, strained.
Zalthyss’ head sticking out of the sarcophagus-like device was silly or it should’ve been. Except it wasn’t. The damn alien was making it look dignified, even awe-inspiring.
It was all Cal could do to keep standing. There was something pressing on him. An invisible hand pushing down on his shoulders. The faint sound of chimes, bells ringing out in song drifted in the nonexistent wind inside the sealed room. He had felt something of its like during his first encounter with Zalthyss, but it was much weaker then. There was a palpable weight to it now.
Cal muttered a curse. He forgot about his telepathy. And what was one of the things he had been practicing since then? Building walls. Invisible ones in his head.
He closed his eyes. It was impossible to focus when looking at Zalthyss. The noise in his mind eased tremendously. He didn’t waste time. He pictured a solid steel wall, no, make that adamantium. A fictional metal, but so long as he believed it, then it was true within the realm of his mind.
Cal’s telepathic wall materialized out of nothingness to encase his mind in a perfect, seamless sphere. Mercifully the musical sounds stopped and he was left in silence. He opened his eyes. With his mind blocked off he was unable to utilize his telepathy to reach out. It was a worthwhile trade.
Cal grinned at Zalthyss.
The angelic alien abruptly stopped smiling. “You have silenced it.” Zalthyss’ voice was a whisper. “You dare. When this world and yours is under my dominion there will be no silence. All songs belong to the greater symphony.”
“Bold words from someone stuck in a box.” Cal glanced at the two primes.
Prime Custodian 3 watched Zalthyss with their unblinking eyes. Their posture displayed caution, but no fear.
It was different with Prime Integral Covenant 7. Their body language definitely conveyed wariness, maybe verging on fear. Cal was surprised to see such an open display from a Threnosh, especially a prime. It was sobering to see one of the strongest Threnosh reacting to Zalthyss in such a way. He had to cut the prime some slack. They had reason to fear. After all, their battle in the volcano was a close thing.
“Alright, PC3,” Cal said. “I’m getting kind of annoyed having to stare at this bastard, so maybe let’s get the interrogation started.” The telepathic wall was working. Zalthyss was no longer inspiring awe and dread. It was still a scary-looking alien, but he had plenty of experience with scary monsters and people since the spires appeared and ruined everything. “Do you need me to break its nose? Maybe pull out some teeth?” He stared at Zalthyss without blinking. He could play bad cop just fine.
“That will not be necessary. The restraining device will provide compliance if needed.” Prime Custodian 3 slow-blinked directly at Cal.
“…” Cal narrowed his eyes at the prime. “Really? You’re going to go there?” He remembered the shocks he had endured during his own interrogation sessions. “From what I remember you’ll have to go stronger to get through to it.” He stabbed a finger at Zalthyss.
Prime Custodian 3 inclined their head. “That was been taken into account.” They turned their attention back to Zalthyss. “A simple query to you. What is your biological nature?”
Zalthyss laugh was only that to Cal. No more tinkling chimes or musical song in his ears. More evidence that there was some sort of telepathic effect from the angelic alien. It wasn’t giving any indication that it noticed his telepathic wall, so perhaps it wasn’t something that it controlled.
“You, who cannot hear the songs of being will never be capable of comprehending my nature.” Zalthyss turned its gaze toward Prime Integral Covenant 7. “You are recognized. You must be commended for successfully fleeing from my hunt. Though you have only managed to delay the inevitable. A suitable appetizer, nothing more.” It turned its intense gaze back to Cal.
Cal forced himself to stare right back.
Next to him, Prime Integral Covenant 7 stiffened where they were standing.
“You claim to be the individual that was defeated by Prime Integral Covenant 7?”
Zalthyss didn’t take his eyes of off Cal. “Did I?”
“Answer or face compliance.”
“You are incapable of hearing the answer.”
“Compliance,” Prime Custodian 3 said flatly. They made a subtle gesture with their hand.
A crackle of energy burst from the sarcophagus-like restraining device that held Zalthyss. The angelic alien’s face froze in its too-wide smile.
Cal smirked. “Ha! How’s that feel?”
Prime Custodian 3 stopped the electrocution after several more seconds.
The smile only grew wider on Zalthyss’ face. “Such exquisite sounds.”
“PC3, you’ve got to go stronger.”
“Negative, Designation: Honor. Data indicates that the outworld invader somehow converted the pain into… unknown. Unable to analyze. Further compliance will be ineffective.”
“Enough.” Prime Integral Covenant 7’s voice was level, but Cal could detect the effort the they were using to keep it controlled. “We will learn nothing from the invader. It is a threat that must be terminated immediately.”
“I do not concur. We require more information,” Prime Custodian 3 said.
“I sort of concur,” Cal said. “Maybe, like, forty-sixty between the more information and kill it now options.”
“The outworld invader is under my jurisdiction. It shall not be terminated until I am satisfied with the information extracted.”
“You hold authority in this place. I accede to your decision,” Prime Integral Covenant 7 said stiffly.
Cal shrugged. “You’re the boss here, PC3.”
“Outworld Invader,” Prime Custodian 3 focused on Zalthyss again, “you have been comatose since we captured you. What precipitated your recent awakening?”
Zalthyss kept its eyes directly on Cal. Its toothy smile seemed to grow wider. The silence stretched for a long moment until someone couldn’t take it anymore.
“Just answer the damn question, you freaky bastard!” Cal snapped.
“There was nothing of interest… until…” Zalthyss inclined its head toward Cal.
Cal’s hand shot out. He held it like a claw, as if he was squeezing an orange.
The smile dropped from Zalthyss’ face. Small indentations appeared on its hairless scalp. An invisible hand tightened like a vise.
“You want interesting,” Cal said flatly. “I can show you interesting. I can show everyone here something interesting. Like, for example what your brain looks like squeezed out of the orifices in your head. How about it, PC3, Prime Integral Covenant 7? That’d make for some interesting data, right?”
“Yes,” Prime Integral Covenant 7 said quickly.
“Designation: Honor, you will cease immediately,” Prime Custodian 3 said. “This violates the terms of our arrangement.”
Cal kept squeezing with his telekinesis. His heart pounded, the heat rose to his face. He could barely hear the two primes. But he did hear them. So he stopped squeezing, but kept the hold locked in place. They still needed answers.
Zalthyss’ smile spread slowly as wide as ever.
“You muffle your sound, but it is too strong to fully conceal. A truly worthy hunt you are.”
“Answer the question,” Cal said. “You recognized Prime Integral Covenant 7. Are you claiming that you fought them? In the volcano? While you were here the whole time?”
“These song-less chattel cannot comprehend the truth of my existence,” Zalthyss said. “You, however…”
“Right, that’s a non-answer, but you aren’t denying it. So, what is it? Hive mind? Clones? If you’re so great and powerful, why are you hiding your true nature?”
“Ah ah ah. Lectures about hiding our true nature?” Zalthyss arched a brow. “Such hypocrisy is unworthy of you… Honor. Are you not a hunter? I heard it in your song. You have claimed worthy prey.”
Cal’s eyes widened. He snarled and started squeezing Zalthyss’ head again.
This time the smile didn’t go away.
One second.
Two.
Three.
“Fuck it,” Cal spat. “It’s doing something to mute or block the pain somehow.” He released his telekinetic grip. “Alright, I’m now a hundred percent on the killing it side.”
“Release me and test yourself. Are you able to kill me with your own hands? Or will you rely on your empty allies’ tricks?”
“This has become counterproductive. The session is over,” Prime Custodian 3 said.
“You, weak, gray things. Hiding in your shells. Prostrate yourselves to the Dominion of Immortal Light and Joy. You may earn the right to be uplifted after a millennium of dutiful service.” Zalthyss addressed the Threnosh without the smile. “Refuse and become nothing more than chattel for the worthy.”
The walls suddenly slid back into place, blocking Zalthyss’ prison chamber once more.
“Well, that was mostly pointless.”
“We will continue to record data, perhaps it will be more fruitful now that the outworld invader is no longer comatose,” Prime Custodian 3 said.
“So, what’re you going to do now?”
“To what do you refer, Designation: Honor?”
“The invaders.” Cal gestured to Prime Integral Covenant 7. “You’ve got two confirmed incursions now. By, possibly, the same alien thing, whether clone or hive mind or something else entirely. There are thousands of spires and I know that you aren’t watching them all. The ones deep in the earth or at the bottom of the oceans. It’s a certainty that there will be more, if they aren’t already out in the wild, undetected.”
“Our detection methods are sufficient. They will provide immediate warning if another invader appears.”
“That’s not really my point. Like I’ve told you before. You’re being way too defensive. Sure you’re methods might work if the dominion is content to keep sending one Zalthyss at a time, but what happens if they ramp it up? Two, three of the bastards or that, plus other forces. One Zalthyss is about equal with a prime.” Cal nodded at Prime Integral Covenant 7. “No offense, but you barely made it out alive. Can you fight two? I mean how many primes do you even have?”
The two primes stared stone-faced at Cal.
“Fine, be that way. I doubt there are a lot of primes to go around. The longer you wait the chances that you’ll be overwhelmed increase. You can go upworld now. At least scout out the dominion’s world. Can’t make a good plan without that information. Right?”
“The Collective has decided against the risk from aggressive action,” Prime Custodian 3 said.
“Dominion won’t care about you taking aggressive action because they are already invading your world,” Cal sighed. “In my world appeasement has never worked when it comes to assholes wanting to kill you and take your stuff. Look, I think we can all agree that the system the spires have forced upon us encourages conflict. It can’t be avoided.”
“It has been determined that an upworld scouting mission contains to many unknowns. There is simply not enough data to assess the risk to the individual Threnosh selected for the task.”
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“C’mon, PC3. Risk is unavoidable in this spires-dominated existence. That’s part of what our project is all about.”
“This project? The defectives?”
Cal frowned at Prime Integral Covenant 7.
“Perhaps the Collective will agree if the defectives are the ones tasked with the upworld scouting.”
“Okay… first of all, we don’t use that word. Secondly, they aren’t ready for something like that. There’s still a lot of training and upgrading before we can even consider sending them through a spire.”
“I concur,” Prime Custodian 3 said. “The special candidates are proving to be a valuable resource.”
Cal snapped his fingers. “Drones. Why haven’t you considered sending drones to scout?”
The primes exchanged a look.
“The Collective has discussed the possibility, but they dismissed it for the same reason as sending Threnosh,” Prime Custodian 3 said. “Additionally, data indicates that it is unlikely that a non-sapient can be sent through a spire by itself.”
“Huh? Yeah, I guess that makes sense, just brainstorming since you guys aren’t,” Cal said.
“I will take your words under advisement,” Prime Custodian 3 said. “This briefing is at an end. I have duties to take care of.”
“As do I,” Prime Integral Covenant 7 said.
The door to the corridor slid open and the prime stepped through.
Cal hesitated. “What’re you going to do with Zalthyss?”
“We will continue to monitor and gather data,” Prime Custodian 3 said.
“Right… so, if it escapes?”
“You will be notified.”
Cal nodded. “First. I better be the first person you call.”
“That will be permissible.”
“Be careful with that thing, PC3. It’s not like us. I can’t tell for sure, but I don’t think that it thinks like we do.” Cal frowned. He felt a shiver crawl up his back. “There’s something about it… like it’s only pretending to be like one of us.”
“I acknowledge your words.”
Cal let out a long breath. He opened his mouth to say something, but he found his eyes drawn to the wall at the other end of the chamber. Zalthyss was just behind it. He was tempted to lower his telepathic walls just a bit to try again to see if he could penetrate the angelic alien’s thoughts. He ground his teeth. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was too scared to try. He didn’t want to hear the disturbing sounds, like music or a song, both and neither. It touched something in his core and it only brought him a great sense of revulsion.
“Scratch that. If it even looks like it might escape. Bury it. Blow up the lift shaft, like you said you could. First thing. Then let me know.”
----------------------------------------
An emotionless voice came in through the transport’s communications system.
“Cleared for approach. Do not deviate from flight path. Do not move beyond the facility boundary.”
“Acknowledged,” Caretaker said flatly.
A disgruntled sounding noise came through the team-only channel. “Can’t have defectives in among the population,” Primal grumbled. “Why are we even bothering saving their asses? Let the soldiers handle it or their precious elites.”
A slight smile tugged at the corners of Caretaker’s lips. For as much as Primal bristled or frowned at anything Honor-related, they certainly picked up some of what Honor called his naughty words. Caretaker didn’t quite understand the concept at first. Words that weren’t supposed to be spoken in certain situations? Their conclusion was that it was inefficient to have an entire catalog of words that were purely situational. For his part Honor tended to only use them in training or combat.
“This settlement is small and remote. They have already lost five squads in the attempt to retake the facility. They do not desire to risk the remainder. As for elites, Prime Custodian 3 lost all of them against Zalthyss. We are essentially their replacements. This was all in the briefing,” Frequency said.
The sound of more grumbling traveled through the comms.
“Five minutes inbound.” The pilot’s voice.
“Acknowledged.” Caretaker brought up the holographic projection in the center of the passenger compartment. The Threnosh were all held in place in their berths. “We have been over this already.” They gestured at the glowing, three-dimensional schematic of the facility they were about to assault. “Research facility. Twenty levels, five above ground, fifteen below. Living quarters, administration, vehicle bays are above ground. Labs and storage below ground. We are to clear the invasive organisms and rescue any living Threnosh that we find.”
“I do not understand why you have brought me along. I am too large to fit inside most of the facility,” Primal said.
Primal had already been briefed. Caretaker knew that Primal already knew the answer to that. They were just being contrary as was their wont.
“Your firepower is necessary to guard the vehicle bay, which is where we will stage the survivors we rescue for extraction.” Caretaker gestured and the facility schematic shrunk in size. Another holographic image appeared to take its place. “This is the invasive organism we face.”
It was small, about as tall as a standard Threnosh outside of their trueskin. It was bipedal, standing on digitigrade legs, which ended in clawed, three-toed feet. Its arms were proportionally long compared to its relatively short torso. Its three-fingered hands also ended in wicked-looking claws. Leathery wings stretched underneath the arms and connected to the waist. Its face was dominated by a wide mouth filled with sharp teeth and a long, narrow tongue. It had a flat, pushed-in nose. Essentially a pair of long, vertical slits. Its ears were enormous, pointed and ridged. They fanned out on both sides of its blocky head. Its brown body was thin, but taut, well-formed muscles conveyed a sense of strength.
“They flew in during the night. Ignored the rest of the settlement and its defenses. Attacked the facility directly. Sufficient strength in their claws and teeth to tear through standard infantry armor with difficulty. Swarm tactics. Recordings of the attack and subsequent data analysis indicates that they were all after something specific inside of the facility.”
“Settlement leadership refused to clarify?” Adjudicator said.
Caretaker nodded at one of the newer members of the project. “Correct. No one from the facility managed to escape or communicate. Power was lost shortly after the assault started. I do not believe that the settlement leadership was aware of what transpired in the research facility. It has only been in operation for the last three months.”
“The organisms must not have found what they are looking for if they are still in the facility,” Shira said.
“Alternatively, they have and are now going to defend it with vigor.” Dralig crossed their upper two arms across their chest.
Another affectation taken from Honor.
“Both are possible,” Caretaker said.
“Is it possible that they are in the process of creating a new spawn zone?” Frequency said.
Caretaker nodded.
“Doesn’t matter what they want. We will crush them,” Primal said.
“Approaching landing zone.”
“Acknowledged,” Caretaker replied to the pilot. They switched back to the team channel. “We are going in hot,” Honor’s terminology, “weapon’s free.”
The transport touched down and its rear ramp lowered. The eight Threnosh quickly moved down the ramp, Primal’s enormous power armor in the lead. They established a perimeter as the transport lifted up with the hum of its anti-gravity system.
“Anything?” Caretaker eyed the facility a short distance away.
“Nothing,” was the repeated call from each Threnosh.
Caretaker carefully scanned their immediate area, this time with their predictive algorithm. “Move out to the vehicle bay. Defensive formation. Primal has point.”
Caretaker brought up the rear as the team briskly, but cautiously, marched toward their destination.
The vehicle bay’s enormous door was open. There was no evidence of battle, but Caretaker was expecting that. The fighting from the previous night took place inside the facility. The outer structure of the facility differed. It bore large holes in several locations. No doubt from the invasive organisms cutting their way through the walls.
“Vehicle bay is clear,” Primal said.
“Nothing on my auditory sensors,” Frequency said.
“Set up a defensive position. Focus on the door into the facility. That is were we can expect hostiles,” Caretaker commanded. “Volkharion, send out your scouting drones. Upper five levels only. Shira, ready the door. I want it open just enough to fit the drones.”
“Acknowledged.” A dozen insect-sized drones deployed from compartments at the small of Volkharion’s power armored back. The drones were simple. Tiny insectile wings for flight and a wireless camera that linked directly to the Threnosh. They lacked a true virtual intelligence, but they had enough autonomy to avoid obstacles while following simple directions.
Shira nodded and went to the door. They forced it open a crack. There was a groan of protest from the powerless machinery, which sounded much too loud inside the eerily silent space.
The scouting drones buzzed past Shira’s head and into the dark corridor.
“Shall I link the visuals to the team?”
Caretaker nodded at Volkharion.
The view from each drone was projected on Caretaker’s face-plate in an orderly rectangle. They minimized it to one corner to keep their vision unobstructed.
The corridors of the facility were dead dark. The images from the drones were rendered in shades of gray through the no-light setting of their cameras.
“Cycle vision modes through thermal as well,” Caretaker said.
“Acknowledged.”
As Volkharion spoke the images periodically rotated to show heat or in the case of the corridors the dark blues and blacks of its absence.
It was a prescient suggestion to switch the camera modes. Otherwise, they would’ve missed the invasive organisms clinging to ceiling corners in several of the larger rooms. They were completely still. Even through the thermal imaging their bodies were only a few shades lighter than the cold, metallic surfaces.
The drones continued their search at Volkharion’s deft control. To control twelve distinct drones would’ve been impossible without their power armor’s unique assist systems.
There were scant signs of battle scattered around. Projectile marks were in evidence on the walls. There were broken structures in most of the rooms, perhaps research instruments and other assorted machinery. It was what was missing that stood out to Caretaker. There were no bodies. The recordings definitely indicated that battle took place in these levels, yet there were no destroyed remains of the researchers and soldiers.
Several drones reached the areas where the invasive organisms breached the facility. Upon closer inspection the holes in the metal seemed to have been melted, more than simply clawed open.
Roughly fifteen tense minutes later Volkharion completed scouting the upper five levels. “I have located thirty-seven invasive organisms. Locations are marked and transferred to the team map,” they said. “No signs of Threnosh.”
“Nicely done, Volkharion. You did not alert any of the invasive organisms to our presence,” Caretaker said. They too were taking cues from how Honor conducted tasks. “Okay, the next step—”
A sudden chime sounded in their ears and nowhere else.
Task Received.
Clear Research Facility 287632.
Success Parameters: Destroy or Evict Invasive Organisms.
Failure Parameter: Death.
Reward: 25000 Universal Points.
Bonus Task Received.
Rescue Survivors.
0 / ?
Reward: Reputation gain.
Will you accept?
“Yes.” Eight voices were united.
“Reputation gain?” Frequency looked to Caretaker.
“I do not know, perhaps we can ask Honor after we complete the Task.”
“Is it typical to obtain Tasks in this manner when we perform duties for the prime?” Whoosh spoke for the first time since boarding the transport back at their base.
Caretaker nodded to the new recruit. They were still in awe of the more experienced members of the team, so Caretaker took the time and effort to make them feel welcome. “No it is not. I suspect that this Task will be more difficult than expected, but I trust in our training to carry us through.”
“That is a lot of points,” Primal said. They ignored the warning look Caretaker threw at them.
Shira walked up to Primal and slapped the back of his tree-trunk leg. There was a metallic clang that echoed through the cavernous space.
Frequency winced. “Please keep the sudden loud sounds to minimum levels. I am keeping my auditory sensors at their highest sensitivity level to detect possible movement within the facility.”
“I am just stating factual information,” Primal said flatly.
“Apologies.” Shira meant it.
“Shira, you will go to the top level. Frequency will take Dralig and Adjudicator to the third level under silence. Wait for my command once you are in position.”
The Threnosh complied. Shira pushed the door open all the way. They slipped into the dark corridor as silent as a shadow. Their black power armor seemed to become part of the darkness until it was difficult to make them out even with the visual enhancements provided by the power armors’ helmets.
Caretaker counted to thirty then they nodded to Frequency.
“I will send the radius of my sphere of silence to your trueskins,” Frequency said to Dralig and Adjudicator. “Stay inside my range and make no unnecessary noise.”
“I remember our practice sessions,” Dralig said.
Adjudicator merely nodded.
Dralig took the lead. Their upper arms held a recoilless rifle. While their lower left arm held a thick, rectangular shield that reached below their knees. It also had a small, U-shaped cut-out at the top where the rifle could be placed. Their lower right arm held a short, stabbing blade of unknown material. All of the equipment, aside from the rifle, were purchased from the spire and consequently were superior to what the Threnosh were capable of making.
Frequency occupied the center of the formation. The speaker-like devices built into their power armor were broadcasting a mixture of sounds that in effect canceled out the sounds that they were making. They had obtained the information on which specific sound waves to utilize in the mixture from the spire.
Adjudicator brought up the rear. The blue and white surface of their power armor was still fairly pristine. It was their first task outside of Honor’s direction, beyond the handful of spawn zones and encounter zones that surround their base. The tips of their two flexible, metallic tendrils wriggled in apparent nervousness or excitement as they strained to emerge from the circular openings in the underside of their gauntlets.
“Volkharion, ready your close combat drones.”
“Yes, subleader.” Volkharion’s canine drone unfolded from their back, while the feline drone emerged from their right thigh. A third drone, ensconced down the entire length of their left side, down to their feet, transformed into a squat, bipedal figure with a head full of sharp metal teeth with two clawed hands and two clawed feet. Honor had dubbed it a gremlin when he had first seen it after Volkharion had purchased it from the spire. There had been a strange look on Honor’s face at the time. “May I select their ambush stations?”
“Yes. You know their capabilities best. Just keep the main corridors clear for Whoosh.” Caretaker turned to the strangely named Threnosh. “Have you selected an optimum path through the first two levels as the plan requires?”
“Yes, subleader. I am confident that I can carry out my part,” Whoosh said.
“Good,” Caretaker said. “Once the others are in position we will begin the first stage of the plan.”
Several elements of the Task bothered Caretaker. First the invasive organisms went directly for the research facility. They had completely ignored the perimeter defenses and the losses inflicted. They hadn’t reviewed every single mass invasive organism attack on defended settlements, but they were fairly certain that this was a first. Typically, organisms threw themselves at the defenses. They weren’t focused on specific goals. They simply attacked the closest things with a tendency to go for soldiers and automated weapon systems before moving to noncombatants.
The facility itself was an obvious question mark. Caretaker hadn’t been able to find anything about it in the database, besides the information that it was only recently established. There was no staff list. Nothing on the defensive complement. There was nothing about what they were studying.
They had requested more information, but were rebuffed. Honor, himself, had tried directly with Prime Custodian 3 with a similar result.
The only thing Honor had received was a reiteration of the task and a request to have it carried out with all possible speed.
They were to go into the facility. Kill all of the invasive organisms. Then leave immediately as soon as they were done. Notably, they were warned not to disturb anything inside.
Caretaker’s thoughts were interrupted by the blinking icons at the bottom corner of their face-plate. They were the silent signals from Shira and Frequency’s group. They were in position.
Caretaker gestured at Whoosh.
Whoosh’s reflective face-plate slid shut. Their helmet was streamlined and tapered to a narrow point toward the back end. The rest of their power armor was a contradictory mix of sleek lines and thick plating. There were several small jet thrusters located at the arms, back, waist and legs. They deployed the many, small, omni-directional balls at the soles of their boots and sped off into the dark corridor. As they pumped their arms and legs the thrusters fired synchronized bursts with the movements. Their predominantly yellow power armor left Caretaker, Volkharion and Primal with a powerful gust of air.
Honor had describe Whoosh as a speed skater on steroids. The words were unfamiliar to Caretaker, but they understood why Whoosh had chosen that name for themselves.
As Whoosh had said. They liked the sound of the wind rushing past them as they zoomed across the ground.
Caretaker counted to thirty, the estimated time it’d take Whoosh to get to the second level. Even without power to the lift they would be able to roll up the wall fast enough to reach the next level.
“Begin,” Caretaker said into the comms.