Chapter 8
… I can’t move. My body betrays me as I command myself to move any limb. All I can do is loosely float as I gaze at the line of earths peacefully spinning in front of me.
…Are those even earths? Well, the one in front of me definitely is, but the others lined up on both sides of it…
I don’t recognize those continents at all. Not one of them looks like anything on earth. They don’t look like Pangaea, either. I might not be the best student, but I paid attention in geography class.
The deafening silence around me is only broken by the sound of my breath. However, my eyes go wide as I just begin to process something…
How am I breathing in space?
I look down at my body for answers. It’s… just me. No space suit, no Varialax, just me. I’m no astrophysicist, but shouldn’t I be dying a horrible death right about now?
As I question my existence, my eyes are drawn toward a crimson star sparkling above me. But then, it suddenly starts accelerating toward me. As the star closes in, it begins to dim. My eyes adjust to the new lighting as I start to make out something…
…Or rather, someone?
A shape begins to appear in the light. A woman with wings descends upon me before slowly hovering in front of me. An angel? I try to look up, but my head can’t move either, only my eyes.
No. Something much more than that. This woman has silver and black futuristic, sleek armor with pulsing scarlet lights that outline her body. Parts of the armor point off her body, giving it a very spikey yet aerodynamic look.
The wings she has are detached from her body and are primarily mechanical, but they emit a blood-red plasma. And to top it all off, she is wearing a black aerodynamic mask with a bright, single red light in the middle staring into my soul.
I can only stare at her as paralysis continues to override my commands.
A soft whining comes from her wings as she lifts her hand toward my face. My breathing becomes shaky as her small yet sharp hand reaches my cheek.
She slowly caresses me right before speaking. “Your name…” She says in a soft but robotic. A voice that sounds so familiar…
“How fitting.” She continues before leaning in toward me with her mask. “I can’t wait.”
…
I stare in silence at the peach colored ceiling as I lay on a hard bed. The only noise in this room is the buzzing coming from the fluorescent lights. I break into a cold sweat as I recall the dream I just had.
I…. NEVER dream. Or at least I never remember them. Are all dreams as vivid and strange as that one?
…I have heard that dreams are highly inspired by what we experience. And the things that happened to me recently… Fantasy creatures… And Varialax…
Wait.
As my mind clears up, I look at my body as I rip off the blanket. Just like the dream, it’s just me. No Varialax.
…The general DID say he wanted Varialax off me, didn’t he? They must’ve somehow gotten it off me while I was passed out and then put me in… wherever I am now.
But why here and not a jail cell?
…Maybe whatever Prim said to him stopped him. Besides, with everything going on outside, I’m sure he literally has bigger fish to fry than me.
As I attempt to get up, I hear creaking from the medical bed and my body. “Ughhh…” I groan as I slowly sit up, with the joints in my body cracking. “How long has it been anyways?” I reach for my phone but recall it’s still in the black site.
15 HRS 12 MINS 4 SECS
Those numbers appear right in front of my face causing me to jump back and scream at a high pitch than I’d like to admit. But, as I jump back, the numbers stay the same distance from my face and follow me with perfect tracking.
Shivering, I slightly lift myself while looking at the numbers with wide eyes. A thought crosses my mind and escapes from my mouth. “Varialax…. A-are you still there?!” I ask, stuttering.
A green checkmark takes the place of the floating numbers as I mouth “Oh my god,” under my breath.
The general never got it off me. It’s… still somehow with me!
“H-how?!” I yell out loud with my hands on my head while looking at my body. “There’s no armor on me!”
A holographic battery with lightning running through appears in front of me. The number 42% is written on that battery.
“You’re… charging?” I ask out loud as I try to slow my breathing down. “But you’re… still somehow with me?”
The green checkmark returns to my face.
“...How?” I ask.
CLASSIFIED
That big red word appears in front of me.
“What? What do you mean by ‘Classified?’ Don’t I have that ‘Ring 0’ Permission or whatever?
The green checkmark returns, along with the words: RING 0 PERMISSIONS CONFIRMED.
“So… tell me?”
CLASSIFIED
…Something tells me playing 20 questions isn’t going to help right now.
“Ok…” I say while rubbing my temples. “Let me think for a moment.”
Ok. Here’s what I know. My city- or country- or possibly the entire planet is being invaded by what I assume to be a fantasy world… or possibly even more, considering that Bell girl said she saw an angel-
No, no, no- don’t lose your train of thought, Monarch!
Right. We’re being invaded. Is it apocalyptic? Maybe. Things looked crazy, but most of the military sounded like they were doing well over the radio.
But according to Varialax, that was 15 hours ago. A lot can happen in that time.
Before sighing, I put my hand in my pocket where my phone once was. Without it, I don’t know anything about what’s going on outside. No internet, no Prim…
I wonder if my parents are ok…
But in the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of the door leading out of this room. Perhaps I could just… walk out and ask someone?
As I slowly hop out of bed, I can feel the cracking traveling throughout my body. I stretch my limbs to feel loose again. Varialax wasn’t kidding about those 15 hours.
I carefully reach the door and rest my hand on the knob. I breathe a sigh and give the knob a slow twist.
…Of course. I am in possession of classified technology. Why wouldn’t the general have this door locked? I am essentially under arrest, just not in a dirty cell.
I raise my fist to knock on the door for attention but stop just before contact. Letting the general know that I’m awake might just make things worse.
But then again, I AM in possession of classified technology. Varialax could break us out of here, so why wouldn’t the general put me in a harder-to-escape place or tie me down?
Prim could have something to do with that. Or the general literally has bigger problems to deal with. We are being invaded, after all.
…But escaping would earn us a lot of enemies, wouldn’t it? And, I’d land Prim in even more trouble than she already is.
Societal pressure wins once again as I return to the bed and take a seat on its side. I ransack my brain as I try to figure out what to do…
…Maybe Varialax knows something? It might be worth a shot.
“Hey, Varialax,” I begin while staring straight ahead of me. “Do you… know anything about what’s happening outside?”
The word “INTERPRETING” appears and hovers before me. Then, just as quickly as it appears, the letters vanish into thin air.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
A few seconds of silence pass before a floating screen flickers on in front of me. A news channel pops into view; its sound somehow plays directly into my ears.
The anchorwoman sits at her desk, frantically rushing through papers and scrolling through a tablet as visible sweat drips down her face. She babbles incoherent sentences and apologizes as she tries to put together her words.
The words “WORLDWIDE INVASION?!” appear in the headlines below her.
A hand off camera comes into the frame and offers her a water bottle. The anchorwoman responds kindly by instantly snatching it.
As she gulps down the drink, an emergency alert system beeping noise rings in my ears, and a bar appears below the headline that says “Civil Danger Warning” A list with affected counties, including my city, flashes on the screen.
I lean in closer as I focus on the newscast. Although this isn’t quite what I had in mind when I asked for answers, I’m not going to stop it either. I need everything I can get right now.
As the civil alert passes below, the anchorwoman takes a deep breath before looking into the camera and finally speaking.
“I’ve… been informed to tell everyone watching to remain calm.” She says in a shaky voice before continuing. “This… ‘phenomenon’ in which multiple creatures and entities are ‘spawning’ seemingly out of nowhere is confirmed to be indeed global.”
My heart sinks when I hear that last word. But I keep listening as she continues.
“U.S Congress has declared a national emergency; the president has declared total mobilization for the military. The U.S military has stated that this threat will be taken care of, but they will start with major population centers.”
Visions of the A10s flying toward Grand Bay return to my head as I listen.
“The military urges citizens to lock doors, close windows, and curtains. If necessary, take up arms to defend yourself and your loved ones. DO NOT INVESTIGATE STRANGE NOISES OUTSIDE. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE UNARMED,” the anchorwoman shouts.
“As 911 is currently overwhelmed, the military has asked that all calls pertaining to this phenomenon be directed to the number on your screen. Someone will be dispatched to your location, depending on the degree of threat and how many threats there are.” She continues as her eyes follow what I assume to be a teleprompter.
Never have I been happier to be trapped in a military base right now.
“The U.S government has also asked citizens to check their social media for updat- GASP” The anchorwoman jumps out of her chair as slightly muffled gunfire rings out from what I assume to be outside their station. She stands and breathes quickly for a few moments before opening her mouth. “…Th-That’s the… barricade the police has set up for us… ummm…”
She looks off-camera as if someone is silently communicating with her.
“...We'll be back after the police outside have given us the all-clear. The hotline will stay displayed on the screen. Again- Please stay indoors and arm yourself if necessary. Help is on the way.”
The screen transitions to the hotline, with affected counties continuing to scroll on the bottom of the screen.
Just as quickly as the number came on the screen, another screen appears next to the first one.
Is Varialax trying to show me something else?
Footage of green meadows and cliffs appears on the screen. The top left corner of the screen tells me in small text that I am looking at live drone footage of the Isles of Skye in Scotland. 4K 60FPS. Not bad.
As the drone pans up, I view one of the taller cliffs. Standing on top of the cliff with its chest puffed high, a beautiful white horse with enormous wings to accompany it stares out into the sea before it.
“...A pegasus?” I mutter in disebelif.
However, my attention is drawn to the two arrows facing opposite directions of each other floating right below the screen. My eyes narrow as I look at them before raising my finger.
You don't think…
The intrusive thoughts win as I bring my finger towards the right arrow. I don’t feel anything as I make contact; however, the screen before me changes to a much darker scene.
Literally. I can barely see anything. No sound, either. The text tells me we’re somewhere in Paris called Gare du Nord. I think that’s a subway station.
A few seconds later, the area is lit up in a dark crimson red as the emergency lights do their job. But they illuminate something that gives me shivers.
Statues. Highly realistic stone statues stand in random places on the subway. They look like ordinary people in various poses yet share one thing.
They look terrified.
Red lasers shine next to them as a group of armored individuals approach them from what I presume to be the entrance—likely spec ops. They are armed with assault rifles, shotguns, laser sights, and night vision goggles.
I watch them slowly approach the statues and investigate them. The sculptures don’t respond to anything the infantry does.
Just as the soldiers look like they are about to move on, one snaps their head toward where the figures are looking.
The soldier raises their gun like their life depends on it, but then a bright blue flash lights up the whole subway. The soldier is still in firing position but isn't pulling the trigger for some reason. I take a closer look, and my heart sinks.
That soldier is now stone.
The rest of the squad reacts by twisting themselves to the direction where the flash came from and fires at the source with no hesitation.
The constant flashing from the muzzles of the guns and whatever is ahead of them makes the battle hard to witness, but I begin to hold my breath when I notice the soldiers stop firing one by one. Some are standing completely still, and others cover their eyes while turning around.
As what’s left of the squad beings to go, one of them reaches into their pocket and pulls out a grenade ripping out the pin and throwing it behind without looking back. The area is lit up in a brief explosion before the camera cuts out and only displays “error.”
Heavy breaths escape my body as I try to come up with an explanation for what I just saw. What even causes that?! To turn someone into stone in a literal flash…
I look at the right arrow once more as I slowly bring my finger before hesitating.
Do… Do I even want to keep going? Anything could be out there! Half of that squad was turned into stone at, as far as I can tell, the speed of light! What if I see some monster that can affect me THROUGH a camera?!
“...I’m losing my sanity,” I say to no one as I slowly lower my finger and let my body go limp on the bed.
The screens ahead of me disappear. I guess Varialax knows I’m not interested.
Speaking off… There’s one thing I’m curious about.
“What’s your battery percentage now, Varialax?” I ask, facing upwards.
38%
…I knew it. Everything Varialax does costs energy. Even the little things. When I was fighting the griffons, that must’ve taken a ton of energy for Varialax to pull off.
And when I reached zero percent, I…
Best to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
“Do you recharge when I’m sleeping?” I ask.
CLASSIFIED
It won’t tell me if it does, but maybe… It’ll tell me what can’t charge it.
“Is there any technology on this planet that can charge you?” I ask inquisitively.
A big red X appears in front of me.
“Is there any living thing that can recharge you?” I ask.
CLASSIFIED
Then that confirms it. Just one thing to do then…
“Varialax, could you do something for me?” I ask, only to be met with silence.
“Could you tell me the energy requirements of everything you do before you do it?”
… More silence.
Maybe it didn’t like th-
My thoughts are interrupted by a green checkmark appearing in front of me.
…Ok, that’s three things to remember about Varialax.
1. Anything it does costs energy,
2. It charges when I’m asleep/unconscious, and…
3. If it reaches 0%, I pass out.
Varialax should tell me how much energy it plans on taking now, so I at least know when I will pass out. But, of course, passing out at a critical moment could be fatal, so…
The best course of action is to…
I snuggle deeper into the bed and gently close my eyes.
…
…
No dreams. As it should be.
I slowly lift myself, feeling a bit more refreshed than last time.
“How long was that nap, Varialax?” I ask while lifting my arms and stretching.
2 HRS 2 MINS 8 SECS
“And what’s your battery at?” I ask while smacking my lips.
44%
“Wh-that barely went up at all!” I exclaim.
There’s no way I’ll be able to sleep back up to 100%! I groan as I throw my back on the bed.
…This is stupid. Varialax hardly charged at all, the world’s going crazy, and nobody has come in over 17 HOURS!!
Forget societal rules. I’m outta here. I need answers.
Standing straight up, I march towards the door without regard and twist the knob with supremacy…
Only to be humbled by the lock on the door. But I refuse defeat. I’m not a caveman. I have technology.
“Anything you can do about this lock, Varialax?” I ask, expecting anything.
I wait a few moments as the words “Interpreting” appear in front of me once more. Then…
VIOLENCE?
YES- NO-
HIGH ENERGY USAGE LOW ENERGY USAGE
…I spend a much longer time than I’d like to admit fighting the intrusive thoughts before saying no.
OBJECTIVE: UNLOCK DOOR
ITEM: REACTIVE MOLD
ESTIMATED COST: 44% —> 42%
CONFIRM? V/X
All that sleeping… just so a door can be unlocked. Let’s just hope that reactive mold is as nonviolent as Varialax implies.
“Do it- I mean, confirmed,” I say with a slight fear.
My right hand, arm, and shoulder all glow that familiar green. The squares cover my entire arm as I look in awe and fear.
Suddenly, the squares disperse, revealing the familiar green and white armored arm, its lights and shine radiating in all its glory.
My eyebrow raises as a holographic arrow starts at my index finger and floats to the door’s keyhole before disappearing, then reappearing, repeating its route.
That’s…weird. Varialax usually just takes control of my body. Why is it…
Nevermind. This is a nice change, so I won’t complain.
I follow suit and put my armored index finger on the lock. A series of prompts type itself out as soon as I make contact.
REMAIN STILL
INJECTING REACTIVE MOLD…
EXPANDING + SENSEING…
…
…
SHEAR LINE REACHED
HARDENING…
MOLD COMPLETED
A rotation symbol appears, telling me to twist my finger to the left.
Click
No lock is safe from me now. I look at my finger to see a newly formed key on the tip. I only get a few seconds before the key disperses into the air along with the armor.
With all prompts and symbols gone, I look back towards the door, giving it a slow turn and an even slower push to open.
A gust of wind reaches me as multiple people rush back and forth through the hallway, some in armor and with weapons, but most not. Some carry papers, tablets, laptops, and even obscene amounts of takeout.
Judging by the voices, some are on the phone with their friends and families, giving them instructions.
I take a deep breath. This is good. They all look way too occupied to be concerned about me. Just act like you belong, Monarch.
I straighten myself, step out of the room confidently, and begin a moderate pace throughout the hallway.
…So far, so good-
“OUTTA THE WAY, EVERYBODY!” A voice rings out from behind me.
Turning around and moving towards the hallway wall, I catch a glimpse of medical officers and soldiers pushing a stretcher down the hall. As they rush past me…
“Tell the med center I need a torch ready for me there! Did I stutter?! Yes, the kind that’s hot!!” The medical officer screams into her phone as she runs with the team.
In the stretcher is a man whose’s body is halfway frozen in a block of ice, as if his right side took a swim in the arctic sea. Just what the heck was he fighting out there?
But that stretcher and those officers… They’re headed for the med center! That has to be where Prim is, right? She might be getting her burns treated!
I trail the group just close and fast enough not to appear suspicious. I tell myself to keep a casual stride.
I wish I had my phone. It’d be easier to blend in by staring at it. But instead, I can tune in to bits and pieces of random conversations around me.
“I heard our Apaches just downed a giant orc. It’s one heck of an ego boost, but I heard clean up will be a pain…” One staff member says to her crew.
“My LAV got shot by a few archers. They looked like they came straight out of the medieval era. The arrows didn't do anything, so we shot back, and most of them surrendered immediately. We’re getting so many prisoners, and I’m not sure what we're gonna do with them…” A soldier says on his phone.
“Listen, sport. You need to get away from the water. The entire east coast is… what? Mermaid? Singing on the rocks? No- get away from that! You don’t know what that is! Son?! Hello?!” A person yells on their phone before sprinting away.
“I’m making the call. Pull all units out of the sand dunes until we have a safer way of killing those worms. Until we can confirm-”
That last voice… That’s the general! He’s up ahead! Something tells me if he sees me, I’m boned.
I need to hide. Fast. My heart rate jumps up as my body begins to shake. I look around me for anything. Good lord, I don’t even know where I am! How far did I follow that stretcher?
A door! It looks like it’s reinforced by steel, but…
I run up to the door and give it a good yank.
…Locked. Of course. I put my hands on the knob and lock.
“Varialax,” I say in a quiet but aggressive voice. “Open this door right now. I don’t care what it takes or how much energy is required, just do it quietly, and don’t take me to zero.”
I feel armor wrap around my hands and arms, but I focus on the oncoming general. He hasn’t noticed me yet, thanks to him being nose deep in his tablet. Every second feels like an hour. With every step he takes, I can feel my heart-
Click
Without hesitation, I rush in and close the door behind me. I keep it closed as my breath begins to slow down. I listen to steps and voices outside as they stride by. As my heart begins to slow down, I begin to make out a sound behind me.
… Scratching?
I twist around quickly and scan the area for the source. The room is barely lit at all, but I can make out a figure below my waist. As my eyes adjust, my heart rate rises.
Below me is a person scrunched over with their back facing toward me. They’re scratching- no, drawing on the floor with… I can’t tell, is that chalk or a crystal?
Whatever it is, it radiates a grey and golden glow. The person is drawing what seems to be a very convoluted and detailed circle with many symbols that I don’t recognize.
Suddenly, the person stops drawing and sits up on their knees. They begin whispering gibberish quickly and softly.
I press my back against the wall as the circle below them begins to glow the same grey and gold the object from earlier did.
I may be a STEM student, but there is no mistaking it. This has to be magic.
As the circle glows, I can get a look at the figure. She looks like a girl wearing a long brown robe with a golden hoodie. She appears to be a brunette with double french braids. As far as I can tell from the back of her head, she is wearing glasses.
The circle grows brighter and brighter until… it’s starts flickering. Then it goes completely dark, like a circuit dying.
“No, no, no! Not now! I beseech thee…” The girl pleads with the dead circle, earning no response. She continues as she turns around and reaches into a back pocket. “Verily, perchance if I… GASP”
Yeah, maybe I should’ve said something.
The girl’s eyes widen as she jumps away from me, landing on her back. She scrambles up just enough to face me. She reaches into another pocket.
THREATENING MOVEMENT DETECTED
AUTO ENGAGE (LTD VER.)
DESERT EAGLE (RED DOT + LASER)
As green squares engulf both of my arms, an azure magic circle begins to form and glow beneath the girl. She points a crystal at my face as the armor on my arms develops.
I lose control of my arms as they are now holding a desert eagle with a red dot sight pointing directly at the girl.