Respin
Why do I always find myself playing long?, wonders Respin miserable.
He knows he shouldn't enable Serfin's thirst for exploration and adventure, but he can't bring himself to stop him. Somewhat torn between wanting to get the job done and indulging in his Bondmate's sense for adventure, he follows.
Soon Respin finds himself, much to his chagrin, interested in the technology present in the temple. His sixth-sense has given him some awareness of the machinery present. Seeing some of those contraptions up close now, there is no denying that they're on par with the technology present in the Empire. Some are big and humming others small and full of blinking lights. The association with a live organism resurfaces in his head.
After a few moments Respin notices the small black creature following him and Serfin. Although difficult to tell, it seems to be watching their every step. There is also a certain reluctance emanating from the creature as it tiptoes after them. Respin doesn't know how he should feel about this tinny watcher. Was his intuition right? Was this small creature really harmless? Or could it be the other powerful presence he has felt?
Serfin stops unexpected in front of a door and Respin walks right into him. As he mumbles an apology he steps Informatives of the door and looks at it. Half carved, half painted in what looked like jet-black ink is a strange eye-like symbol on the middle of the door. While there are plenty of strange symbols carved into the walls none has given Respin the creeps like this one. It looks menacing despite it's simplicity.
"What does it mean?" he asks confused.
"Don't know." Serfin replies and pushes him gently aside. "Let's get in."
He tries to force the door open but manages only to push it wide enough for his hands to pass through. He works a little longer, but he can't get a good grip on it. Before he can cut his fingers on the metal or even break them, Respin pushes him aside and looks at the gap. If they want to proceed, they need something to pry the door open.
"We need a hook," Serfin concludes as well.
"I don't have one," he replies shrugging and points over his shoulder. "And I doubt that the creature has one either."
The creature stops startled and remains in a safe distance from where it can watch them. Serfin turns around for a moment to look at it but as he is more intrigued by the door he soon shifts his attention back.
"Let's go back, get the weapon and return to the ship," Respin suggests as his Bondmate bangs his fist against the door, which results in a hollow echo.
"I wanna know what's inside, Res." he says and makes a pleading face at him. "Pretty please!"
Seeing Serfin's big eyes Respin finds himself giving in faster than he wants.
"Okay," he replies with a weary smile and pulls his knives out.
Serfin looks at him quizzically before he gets what he wants.
"Doesn't this blunt 'em?" he wonders concerned "If it won't outright break 'em…"
"Can you think of something else?"
"Nope."
"Then let's do it."
He gives Serfin one of the knives and slides his own into the gap between the door segments. Upon his instruction Serfin also slides the blade in the gap.
"On the count of three," Respin says and tries to get better footing. "One… Two… Three!"
Metal creaks and groans. The sound almost painful in Respin's ears as they push with all their might to get the door open. Respin can feel his knife starting to break at the point where the carbon-fiber blade connects to the hilt. Just a bit more and the blade breaks off. But before either knife can snap, the door gives in and moves open with a hiss. In the process Respin and Serfin almost fall over each other.
Sorrowful Respin looks at the knife in his hands and sighs. Both blades are bend and unusable.
"Sorry," Serfin apologizes with his ears drooping down as he hands Respin the other knife back.
"They're replaceable," he replies and adds in his mind, Just as we are to the Fleet.
The chamber behind the door is coated in thick layers of dust. Those layers are so thick and old that they don‘t even move as they enter. Respin finds it gross, but Serfin pushes him in before he can back away. Inside he recognizes a console that looks a bit like the ones used in the Starblazer but with far fewer buttons, screens and lights. This strange machine has a keyboard and a few sets of screws connected to a large black screen. The air is cold and has no distinct smell besides sterile dust.
Respin walks up to the console, while Serfin keeps back-to-back with him. It is a reassuring gesture despite being also part of the protocol. The small diodes next to the keyboard are still intact and shine through the dust layer. To have a better look Respin wipes the dust away. He makes a face as he inspects the sleeve of his dark uniform. The dust covering it in a thick layer of light gray powder.
But the sleeve is soon forgotten as his eyes fall on the symbols on the keyboard. Respin doesn't know them except a few, which also appear in the Cetusian alphabet. This alone is enough to sap all the curiosity he feels.
"We should go," he says with a nervous strain in his voice and backs away from the console.
A mere second later Serfin bumps against Respin and pushes him on the buttons. Almost immediately some vacuum tubes explode. With a sharp crack, the console sends an electric shock through the whole system. The two Menkar can barely get away from the screen before it explodes in a loud burst of sparks. Serfin warps his arms around Respin and pulls him down.
A terrible, long second later everything is over. Only a droning hum remains, which vibrates through the structure and both Menkar‘s bones. Slow Serfin lets go of Respin, who stands up with a relieved sigh.
As Respin glances towards the door, he sees the small chitinous creature. It stands outside and waves at him with all four of its arms. The motion conveys an urgency clear enough for him to understand. Without hesitation, he grabs Serfin by the wrist and pulls him along to follow the small creature.
They tail it until they arrive at the tree but something has changed. The branches fanning out over the whole place aren't dead anymore. A thick canopy of dark green leaves sways above them in a breeze Respin can't feel. Suddenly, the giant tree is dead again, green leaves rain down while turning brown, only to crumble into nothingness once they touch the ground.
The pale creature on the tree seems more alive now. Without hesitation Respin decides to finally do what they were supposed to do. He strips out of his uniform-jacket as he cautiously moves towards the figure and folds it over his arm.
"Hi there…" he addresses the creature without expecting or getting any reaction. "I don't… uhm… I don't know if you can hear me or even understand what I'm saying, but… I'm going to pull this sword out of… you know. So… uhm… Please, don't kill my friend or me."
Before he commits to this promise, he looks at the sword. Something about it strikes him as odd, but he can't place it. Maybe it's the flower-crown… he muses and removes it with great care and places it on one of the gnarly roots.
Afterwards, he takes a deep breath and grabs the hilt of the sword pinning the creature to the dead tree. The moment he touches the crimson fabric he feels a sharp pain shoot into his fingers. He gasps as it wanders into his palm, up his arm and into his body. Alarmed Serfin rushes to his help. Yet, Respin pulls the sword out before his Bondmate can reach him. The second the blade is free, the pain vanishes along the sword while the pale creature drops like a doll to the ground.
Respin kneels next to the creature and warps his jacket around her bony shoulders. The memory of the pain lingers but it's nothing more than a faint tingling sensation. For now, he is glad that the creature, whatever it may be, has not woken up to attack him or Serfin.
Gentle he picks her up and warps his jacked tighter around her thin frame. She's very light for her size… Respin wonders, as he shifts her into a better position. Once he has her on his back, he spots two Menkar arriving at the tree from a different direction.
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