They've been running for a while now, exhausted and low on ammunition. When The Infestation came in from the tunnels that led to the only exit, the group was forced to go throught the underground ruins. Communications with the surface became harder when they went deeper.
They risked the chance of being buried in ice doing so, but there wasn't much choice.
After what felt like an eternity, they managed to hide out In a secluded spot.
Xel'Ryah rested herself on a wall, Kel'Zal watched the entryway, Sparrow collapsed onto the cold hard floor and Alysia just sat silently.
"Now this is one fine mess we got ourselves into..." Sparrow moaned.
"For once, I agree," Kel'Zal added, "So, any ideas on how to get out of this mess?"
Xel'Ryah thought silently before answering, "I don't know..."
"So, we're dead basically" Kel'Zal said plainly.
"Dying with pretty girls doesn't seem to bad," Sparrow joked.
Xel'Ryah slapped his face with enough force he would be feeling it tomorrow. He looked at her as she wiped the blood off of his face.
"Stop messing around, we don't even know how long we'll live, let alone how we're going to survive for a while until someone comes looking for us"
"You're the one who made the decision to get the damn thing," Kel'Zal said, "Now were stuck down here, with no way out!"
The team started arguing.
Alysia sat silently, holding her legs to her chest. Then her eyes lit up, a sense of realization on her face.
She quickly got up and said, "Guys I have an idea!"
The three looked at her surprised, she's been quiet the entire time.
"These tunnels, the one the infestation made, they're all connected," Alysia tried to explain, "If we follow the tunnels, we might find a way to other sites,"
"Wait, are you saying we should go deeper into the hives?" Kel'Zal said, "That's suicide!"
"It's better than staying here!" Alysia insisted.
Sparrow looked at Xel'Ryah suspiciously before shaking his head.
"I think it's worth a try," Xel'Ryah admitted, "What are your thoughts Sparrow?"
Sparrow shrugged, "We might as well give it a shot"
Kel'Zal let out a long sigh, "Well then, let's go,"
The group left the hiding spot and continued deeper. They tried to avoid detection, killing some when necessary.
As they continued further, they started to hear a hum.
"Is it just me losing my mind or do I hear someone...humming?" Sparrow asked.
"No, it's definitely someone singing," Xel'Ryah confirmed, "Maybe it's them,"
They continued to follow the humming noise, slowly walking down one of the dark tunnels.
"This is ridiculous" Kel'Zal grumbled.
Finally, they found their answer.
They entered a large cavern of ice, infestation spread across the walls. In the middle of the cavern was another white sphere, similar to one they found earlier but the infestation has spread around it.
Alysia tried to get closer but Kel'Zal stopped her.
"What are you doing?" She grabbed Alysia by her arm, "Don't go near that thing!"
"Hmm?" Suddenly the humming stopped and the sphere started to glow.
The sphere rose up from the ground, detaching most of the infestation around it. It had a a dim blue and purple glow as well as a luminescent ring around it, almost like the rings of Saturn.
It hovered around the group fro a while before hovering back in front of them.
"The Servitor race? here?" the sphere said in a synthetic voice, "Where are your masters?"
"Masters?" Xel'Ryah thought, "We don't..."
"A servitor without a master?" the sphere 'gasped' "I should report you to the authorities immediately, they will know what to do,"
"Whoa wait!" Alysia called out before it could hover away, it hovered back in front of them.
"Before you do that, can you tell us where we are?" Alysia asked in her cheerful tone, "And who are you?"
This surprised both Xel'Ryah and Kel'Zal as earlier she was quiet and wasn't herself. Suddenly she's back to her happy-go-lucky self.
"I am a Cherubim, created to aid Master Abraham, and this is his forge and workshop," the sphere explained, "This is where many Cherubims are created and repaired,"
"Cherubim?" Sparrow questioned.
"Yes, Cherubim," the Cherubim repeated, "A term from the bible for an angel that served god,"
"Now please follow me so I can hand you over to the authorities," It said before hovering away.
It then crashed in the ice and was stuck for a while before it pulled out from the ice.
"Oh, dear..." The Cherubim said, "It seems that the workshop has been encased in ice,"
"Dumb machine..." Kel'Zal muttered, "Alright we had our fun, we should go,"
"Hey! Do even know that humanity is now long gone?" Alysia told it.
It went quiet, almost like it was extremely saddened.
"I see..." It responded, "Then my existence is meaningless,"
"I mean, you can follow us," Alysia said, "We could use some help,"
It went quiet again, then it said, "Very well, I will accompany you,"
"Great, my name is Alysia," Alysia said, "They're my friends, Sparrow, Kel'Zal and Xel'Ryah, it's nice to meet you...ermm..."
"You may call me Vulcan!" The Cherubim said
"Can we go now?" Kel'Zal said impatiently, "I'm surprised that the infestation hasn't found us yet with how much time we wasted,"
"By any chance you anything we can use to get out the ice?" Alysia asked, "We're... sort of stuck down here,"
"Hmm..." Vulcan wondered for a moment, "You can use the Orbital Cannon next door,"
"The what?" Xel'Ryah asked.
"The Orbital Cannon, I believe it's called" Vulcan replied, turning towards the direction where it was.
Xel'Ryah nodded, "Alright, lead the way,"
Vulcan turned and started hovering away as the others followed behind it.
Meanwhile, in the dusty lands of Jupiter.
Naiyan and Vendetta managed to bring back a white sphere from an excavation site.
Naiyan was shot in the shoulder during this mission, but it wasn't fatal.
The Half Canine Hybrid, Tech, was in the workshop. Working on the sphere that was retrieved, which was also another Cherubim
Then the door and in walks a happy Vendetta and an annoyed Naiyan.
"Good morning, Flooftails!" Vendetta greeted him.
"One it's already afternoon, and two, stop calling me that," Tech responded.
Vendetta giggled, making him look at her confused, "But why?" she said innocently.
"...because it makes me sound childish," Tech stated.
Vendetta nodded.
Tech shook his head. Why did he even bother asking that?
"Anyways, how your arm?" Tech asked Naiyan.
"Healing" Naiyan answered for him.
"Well that's good!" Vendetta squealed happily.
Naiyan sighed.
"Anyway," Naiyan changed the subject abruptly as she motioned toward the sphere, "You finally figure out what the hell this thing is?"
"Not yet," Tech answered, "If only I could figure out how to turn it on... if it does anyway,"
"I have an idea!" Vendetta then kicked it.
It went flying and hit a wall, a dent was visible on the sphere.
"Damn it! What the hell is wrong with you?' Naiyan shouted.
Tech turned to look at her, shocked and confused, "...you really think you can figure it out by kicking it?" he said disbelievingly.
"Hey it's worth a try!" Vendetta responded, "I've learned that kicking machines is the best way to get it to work!"
"I said it many times before but I'll say it again," Naiyan sighed, "You're an idiot,"
Suddenly the sphere started to make strange mechanical noises. It then began to glow and hover above the floor, a luminescent ring appeared around it but it kept disappearing.
"See I got it to work," Vendetta said proudly.
"Tech... is it dangerous?" Naiyan said as she pulled out a firearm.
Tech just stared at the sphere as it just hovered silently.
"Oh look... A servitor," A distorted sound came from the sphere, they could barely hear it not much understand it.
"It talks!" Vendetta said.
"Of course I can you lizard! Never seen a machine talk before?" the Cherubim said.
The Cherubim hovered around the room for a moment before hovering back in place.
"This place is quite the mess," It said, "Does this mean that the humans are finally gone?"
"That's... a strange way to guess but yes," Tech answered.
"I don't need to guess, only the servitors enjoy rubbing themselves against the mess they call 'home'" the Cherubim remarked, "I will never understand why humans were so infatuated with your kind,"
"What's a servitor?" Tech asked.
"Your pathetic race," It answered harshly, "Rather than progress, humanity made you just for the laughs and giggles,"
"So that's why..." Naiyan trailed off as realization set in, "We are nothing but entertainment for the humans..."
"That and a bit more," The Cherubim continued, "Humans are disgusting creatures, so selfish, always wanting more, more, more, they can't stand the simplest things,"
"Anyways, I assume you have a purpose for me being here," It said, "What do want? Historical codex? Agricultural technology? Blueprints to terraform planets? Or weapons of mass destruction? humans loved those,"
"I'll just leave you for now but just stand there like a good decoration for a bit," Tech said.
"If you say so," the Cherubim then turned off and hit the floor.
"Well that was... enlightening," Naiyan said, "We should report this to Aryn'Val,"
And with that, the two left, leaving Tech alone with the Cherubim. The first thing he needed to do was to find a way to move it. He started to roll it.
Efficient if I do say so myself
ns 15.158.61.20da2
