Andrew, blinded by the sudden increase in light, was still fairly certain he had been somehow transported to a new location. The ambient temperature had dropped, and the standard ship sounds had been replaced by what he could only describe as a very faint heartbeat. Andrew also found that his breaths needed to be much deeper, but what surprised Andrew the most was that it felt like there was significantly less gravity than there had been on the Sled. Which was kept close to earth norm, through centrifugal forces. This gravity wasn’t light that he felt he might bounce around the room, but he guessed it to be around 3/4ths what he considered normal. Even with all of this new data flooding his senses, what was occupying his mind was the fact that he had no clue how he was transported there. One moment he was on his ship the next there was a bright light and then he was wherever this was. No sci-fi teleporter sounds either, only a feeling that was reminiscent of what he felt when the ship folded through space. What he did know is that it seemed that from one blinding blink of an eye to another, he was suddenly in another place, and as his eyes were still flashed blinded he had no clue where that might be.
As his eyes adjusted, he discovered that he was no longer on the Sled. While he wasn’t sure where he was exactly. The area he was in could best be described as a high-tech prison. A prison, if it was made with aesthetics in mind instead of cold functionality like the prison he had been in before. This prison was beautifully arched in a way that reminded him of the inside of a small cathedral, each room peaked at 6 meters or so. From what he could see, everything appeared to be made of white marble with veins of gold running through it. The same appearance as that of the elves, though they had more of a matte skin-like presentation, and this was more of a sleek polished appearance. Andrew could swear the veins of gold were pulsing ever so slightly, though he couldn't be certain it wasn't just in his head.
He was also still floating horizontally, his motion still directed by the male elf they called Gallen. He was also still bound and seemed to be magically floating through the air. With nothing he could see or feel beneath him nor that he could see below Chogan. Though as Gallen was walking between them, still touching them with only a single finger, there may be some small device hiding on the other side of Gallen, but Andrew doubted it. Plus, if there were something there it would either have to be some sort of repulsor or didn't create a shadow. His body somehow immobilized, Andrew could only look around with his head and as he was lying on his back it was difficult to see much if anything. Yet, he was still trying to learn everything he could about this new civilization and their ship designs. Any detail he could use to plan an escape. From what he had seen so far he had a long time before he could expect to launch and escape. Though what he did observe astounded him, he was in a large central room with four slightly smaller rooms adjoining it. The adjoining rooms were arched half spheres with benches along the walls and were separated from the main room by rainbowy translucent energy barriers. It was then that it struck Andrew what else had been gnawing at the edges of his mind, nothing seemed to have a shadow in this place. Light seemed to permeate everything; the source of which Andrew could not find. It seemed to radiate from the ceiling and yet perfectly lit the room.
Andrew’s contemplations on this were rudely interrupted when he found himself being flung away from Gallen by an unseen force. He sailed through one of the energy barriers and into the room behind it. As he passed through the energy barrier, he felt energy wash over the outside of him. Causing goose bumps to rise across his body in a way he had never experienced before. When that energy touched his bonds, they seemed to dissolve as if they were being erased from existence. No smoke, no sound, just as if they simply ceased to exist. Once through he found another effect of the barriers, whatever was causing him to float disappeared as well. This resulted in Andrew flopping face-first onto the floor, his hands unable to move fast enough after being released to arrest his fall. Luckily for Andrew, the floor turned out to not actually be made of marble, but instead gave as if it was thick skin. This only meant his injuries reported their immense displeasure instead of causing more injury.
This all happened in moments and since arriving wherever this was Ziggy had been going crazy. One moment it showed Andrew in perfect health, the next it showed him as hurt as he was, and various other combinations of health statuses. Two of which happened right before he went through the barrier, very much caught his eye:
[You have experienced Castration. Don't worry, your life isn't over. Many people who have experienced this go on to have a healthy happy life.]
[You have died. Don't worry, hopefully, you lived a great life and will be remembered fondly by many.]
Why in the world is there a programmed message for 'castration'?
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
The dead one must have been some mountain-dewed upped developer's contribution provided by late-night hysteria. I mean who would even see it? Also, I hope it's not true either, because if this is heaven, God needs a better budget.
Come to think of it, I think those are the only messages that I've seen that have any compassion in them. After I'm out of this crazy situation I need to remember to see if there are any more messages like them in the database.
[Battery at less than 1%. Power loss imminent!]
Ziggy's display went out, which disrupted Andrew from his thought process enough to notice that Gallen had turned his back to work on something Andrew could not see.
"I guess your mother never taught you about basic manners or consent then?" Andrew said with a smirk.
Gallen's head snapped up and he turned around to glare at Andrew in disgust, "You would do well to watch your tongue, abomination. Accusing an elf of having a mother could get you killed. Especially by one less tolerant than I. As for consent, does a boot ask a bug for consent?"
“You know that's not how that whole boot an ant thing goes right? And I'm pretty sure someone at Marvel will be suing you over that."
With this, Gallen waved a hand and Andrew was again lifted off his feet by an unseen force and sent careening into the back wall. When he hit it, the wall stretched like pizza dough, leaving a cartoonish hole in the shape of his silhouette. Despite the amount of give, he found that the wind had been knocked out of him and his previous injuries all reminded him of their existence. The wall slowly returned to normal, and he found himself deposited onto the bench. Andrew just lay there for a moment catching his breath.
Gallen snorts "You would do well human to remember your position and refrain from talking back to your betters. Also watch your tone, as insolence will not be tolerated here. I am only an Akeoic, you will meet many who are far more powerful and likely very few more tolerant than I".
Gallen sneered at Andrew one last time before blinking out of existence. Leaving Chogan's body to lie, unmoving, on the central chamber floor.
"He's the 'Tolerant' one? Well, that doesn't bode well for this culture." quipped Andrew to Chogan, but there was no response. He stared at Chogan hoping to see his chest rise or fall but couldn’t be sure he saw anything. A tear started to form in his eye and as it did Andrew got up.
"CHOGAN ARE YOU THERE? CAN YOU MOVE? CHOGAN WAKE UP MAN, NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO TAKE A NAP MAN!!" Andrew yelled with tears in his eyes.
Chogan's body showed no signs of a response. Andrew just stared at Chogan and again hoped to see the movement of a breath. Again, nothing he felt sure about happened.
Andrew spent what felt like an eternity at the barrier trying to get as close to Chogan as he could. Hoping to find some way to rouse his fallen friend. To no real avail as anytime he got close to it the barrier would arc a small electrical pulse into Andrew, which more often than not caused his knees to buckle and him having to stumble away. All the while he desperately called to and pleaded with Chogan until his voice started to become hoarse with the effort. When nothing seemed to work Andrew fell bonelessly to sit on the ground and wept.
This has to be some weird D&D mixed with Star Trek right? What if this isn't? What if this is somehow reality and through my panic, I caused Chogan death?
Tears slowly rolled down his face as he sat on the floor trying to reel in his emotions. This went on until his sorrow reached a crescendo, as he realized that his wife's body might be in the debris his ship had been drifting through. She might have been meters away, floating frozen and lifeless in the void of space and he had no way of knowing. Andrew sat in a daze, for an unknown amount of time, trying to push these thoughts aside. Trying desperately to force his mind to focus on figuring a way out of his situation, but instead, he always seemed to end up staring at Chogan in a way that seemed like he was trying to will the man back to life.
"CHOGAN COME ON BUDDY PLEASE GET UP!!!!" Andrew sorrowfully pleaded on repeat, each iteration getting a little quieter and a little more pathetic. Eventually, the soreness throughout his body won out and he was forced to lie down on the bench. Once there he found the bench to be one of the most comfortable things he had ever laid on. It seemed to conform to him in a way that mattress companies always advertised, but rarely delivered. Despite this comfort, he couldn’t sleep. His eyes still locked on Chogan and his mind still locked on the potential that his wife may no longer be alive and that he might have doomed his entire crew by trying to find her.
Andrew was knocked out of his shock when what looked like a solid wall opened like the valve of an artery and a very large man made of living flexible marble walked through the opening. While it wore no clothes and had no visible genitals, Andrew was certain it was a male for some reason. While the elves' skin looked like white marble and gold veins this thing seemed to be made of actual stone. Andrew openly gaped in amazement.
Ok, this has to be a dream, elves, and space whales I can moderately accept as real things, but stone golems? No way. That clinches this as a Star Trek D&D game dream. I mean after all, why would I even have been on the bridge of the Sled when it jumped? I'm just an alternate and even if I could remember why I was here instead of that d-bag Thomas it would make no sense for me to be on the bridge. I'm just glad my twisted brain didn't make that guy anatomically correct, or this would be even more awkward.
"Hey Ken, can you tell me if he's alive?" Andrew addressed the golem while pointing at Chogan’s limp form.
Without a response, the marble golem person wordlessly picked up Chogan's body by the belt and started for the door. Chogan's toes and finger tips dragging the ground.
Andrew ran forward yelling, "Wait, is he alive? Where are you taking him?”
In his rush forward Andrew stumbled and fell headfirst into the energy barrier that separated them. He locked up in pain and as he saw the opening close, his vision went black.