Dani's translucent form suddenly snuggled up to him beside his seat. Maybe she knew what he was feeling right now. Solitude… he once desired it, hated it, and now he's back here doing things alone again because of Erin. She was a new variable in the equation he didn't want to solve. Being with friends was fun… whatever this being alone thing was not.
Gale pulled out his phone and held the push-to-talk button. "Erin, why am I doing this alone? We've survived this far by sticking together. I get that these artifacts are important, but why split us up? The others could help."
Erin's voice came through almost immediately. "The artifacts we seek require specific talents. Your companions would merely slow the process. Their presence would endanger both them and the mission."
Gale leaned back against the seat. "That's bullshit. We work well together. We had pretty good teamwork up till now, and that won't change."
"Consider your journey thus far. Who has made the greatest impact? Who has ensured survival when all seemed lost?" A pause in between Erin's words. "It was you."
"That's not true. Rachel saved my ass at the airport with that fire gate. And she saved me from that spider mech downstairs and even burned herself for it. And Ollie… he kept everyone alive when we were fighting the virtual guardians."
"There are many more whom your actions have ensured their survival. Without your actions, they would have perished multiple times over. Yet you follow their lead. A child of Cev, taking orders from humans. It is laughable."
Gale's fingers tightened around the phone.
"I see what you could be. Yet you diminish yourself. You hide behind them as if they are your shield rather than your burden," Erin said.
"I'm not hiding," Gale said. "I'm not ready to lead anyone. I'm still learning how all this works. Technically, I've only known Aur maybe for like what… a couple of months? I'm too young for all of this and they're all older than me."
"You belittle yourself," Erin said. "You have lived but a fraction of your potential span, yet your capabilities already surpass those around you. You possess powers they cannot fathom, resources they cannot access."
Gale gazed out the window at the lights rushing by the dark tunnel. "I said I'm still young… too stupid to even know what I'm doing."
"Youth is not an excuse for denial," Erin said. "The gift of leadership is not given; it is taken. Those who wait to be deemed worthy never shall be."
"They trust me to fight alongside them, not to lead them. Even Kyle and Clyde said I wasn't ready yet at the beginning of this rift."
"And yet when chaos erupts, to whom do they turn? Whose skills do they rely upon?" Erin paused. "You have been following Ollie, a man who builds his empire on the backs of others. One whose wealth comes from those he exploits."
"That's not fair to Ollie. He's been through a lot."
"He's a businessman," Erin said. "His priority is profit. His concern for your wellbeing extends only as far as your usefulness. Rachel's feelings cloud her judgment. The twins follow whoever offers the greatest reward. Lily… she is a quiet one."
"Why do you care who leads?" Gale asked suddenly.
"Because potential wasted is an offence against the cosmos itself," Erin said. "You hold yourself back from greatness out of fear of standing apart, fear of alienating those who are supposed to follow you rather than lead you. This mission requires you to embrace what you are."
Gale's grip loosened on his phone. "And what exactly am I, according to you?"
"A leader. A warrior born of ancient Cev's blood. One who sees beyond the veil that blinds others," Erin said. "Your companions hold you down, whether they intend to or not. They bind you to their limitations."
"They're my friends," Gale said.
"Friendship does not require subservience," Erin said. "True allies elevate each other. They do not restrain growth. The woman of fire is horribly guilty of this."
"So you want me to what? Take charge when we get back? Tell everyone to follow me now?"
"I want you to recognize your place in the hierarchy," Erin said. "Your current path leads nowhere. You follow those who should follow you."
The train began to slow. Through the windows, Gale could see lights growing brighter up ahead.
"Look. I'm not ready to be anyone's leader. Maybe someday, but not now. I've never even…" Gale stopped himself from saying those last words. He knew they were lies. Back in the Eclipsed, he was the one that lead the whole convoy. It wasn't Rachel or Ollie or Annett. He made all the calls and got everyone out without any of them dying.
"Readiness is a myth created by those who fear to act," Erin said. "The moment arrives, and one either rises or falls. There is no preparation that can truly suffice."
Gale sighed. "Fine. I'll think about it. I should first focus on this mission. You said the Solace sector was overrun by the abominations, right?"
"The Solace sector was indeed overrun," Erin said. "The abominations have moved most of their army from the Solace sector to a different sector. There are but a couple of remainders left."
Gale ran his fingers along the seat's edge. The same pattern of etchings he'd seen throughout the Tomb lined the metal trim. "And what's the plan exactly? You're sending me in alone against 'a couple' of these things?"
"After you arrive at the transit hub, proceed through the defense lobby into the Core Chamber. It stands empty. You must traverse the next defense lobby into the sector's elevator shaft. Once you reach the shaft, descend to the temple level." Erin paused. "There will be 12 temples in the sector. Vianne's Fragment is located in the middle-most temple, which is the largest one."
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"And the hostiles?" Gale asked, already knowing he wouldn't like the answer.
"There are readings of 8 hostiles. Attuned and Resonant levels."
Gale sat up straight. "I can't take all of those on my own. I'm only Attuned."
"Do not underestimate yourself. The hierarchy of the Dainvs runs on a different path than those of mortal hierarchies." Erin's voice dripped and oozed of condescension that made Gale want to bang his head against the wall.
"One more thing. If you're so smart, why don't you tell me how to reconfigure my pathway? I'm currently only using Seren's pathways."
A heartbeat of silence passed before Erin responded. "That is problematic. When you return, you will reconfigure your pathways to the First Movement of Lucidity, which is Master Lucid's unique pathways. It includes 14 movements, but since you are only Attuned, only the first movement is available for you."
"Fine." Gale sighed, not knowing whether to be happy or not. He wasn't even sure if Guide had that data. Sure enough, with all of Erin's arrogance and annoying way of speaking, she was at least proactively helping him, unlike Guide. One of these days… Guide was going to get a beating even if he had to summon Guide one way or another.
The train shuddered to a stop. Gale stood up and moved toward the exit. Dani floated ahead of him, her bat-like wings beating softly against the recycled air.
"Dani, sit on my head," he said.
The small bat-like eyeball creature complied, settling atop his head. An eyeball that was cute was something he'd never have thought of in the past.
The doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing the transit hub beyond. The platform was empty except for the familiar masses of flesh that basically covered everything.
Taking a step forward from the train, Gale's feet made wet squishing sounds against the flesh-covered floor. He never thought he'd find a surface that he wouldn't dare lick. This thick mass of flesh, whatever it served, was one of the most unappetizing objects he'd ever seen. It was a different kind of meat than what was generally seen in actual meat products. This had a putrid shit-piss mixed smell that would probably give him food poisoning in 3 seconds, even if he was a Dainv.
He sighed. It's not like he needed to do any tracking right now anyways.
Finally examining the transit hub around him, it didn't differ that much from the Harmony sector or Protection sector. Same high ceilings, same metal walls except less rugged than the Protection sector. The only thing different was the mass of flesh. The layout was all the same.
Dani perched on his head, her tiny wings occasionally brushing against his hair. The small eyeball creature shifted, turning to scan different sections of the hub. It was clear from the way she moved that she was uneasy. Reaching his hand up to her, Gale patted Dani calm.
"It's okay, Dani," he whispered. "Just stay alert."
The door at the far end of the transit hub stood ajar, its metal warped and bent inwards and pulled out to the side. The circle-rhombus pattern that usually adorned these entrances was cracked down the middle.
Gale approached carefully, muffling his footsteps as much as possible…
Squelch. Squelch. Squelch.
Unfortunately, it wasn't working. If this was the abominations' plan to not have anything sneak up on them, then it was clearly working. Each time he stepped on a rather large vein, he could feel its pulse rate increase.
Stepping through the broken doorway, Gale entered the defense lobby as Erin had called it. Unlike Harmony sector's straight corridor, this one was a dome. It wasn't massive, but large enough that it made it feel vast. The ceilings curved in to make an upside down bowl, seemingly not having any seams, and its white metal remained uncovered from the masses of flesh.
At the centre stood a strange cone-shaped structure, or at least half of what remained of one. Metal fragments jutted from its base, covered in the same fleshy growth that seemed to writhe everywhere in this place. Thick veins ran from the broken cone to the walls but stopped just a couple of metres before they reached the curve of the dome.
This was probably the defense system. In the Harmony sector, it had the robots. This cone thing clearly gave no clue as to what kind of defense system this dome held.
However, the evidence of conflict said everything he needed to know. The dome's walls bore scorch marks and deep gouges. Bullet holes peppered some sections, while others looked as if they'd been torn open by spinning blades. The flesh growth seemed thickest around these wounds in the structure, as if the flesh was trying to gnaw at the surface damage and into the metal itself.
Gale moved past the broken cone, heading for the far doorway that would lead to the Core Chamber. Every few steps, he paused, feeling for any watchers. Nothing so far.
The Core Chamber doorway appeared ahead, its entrance partially blocked by a tangle of fleshy growth that had hardened into a brittle barrier. Materializing Weber, Gale sliced through it easily. The flesh fell onto the fleshy floor, making wet sloppy sounds as it bounced once. Weber dematerialized back into the space storage right after.
Stepping through, he entered the familiar Core Chamber. Just like in Harmony sector, this room was designed to house one of the massive porcupine like orbs that were supposed to be the Core of this sector. Now, it was just empty space. The flesh monsters probably took the Core to do some freaky shit that Gale didn't want nothing to do with.
[Exterminate the Corrupted]
The description of that mission was complete annihilation. Unfortunately, he was going to find out one way or another unless the option was to nuke this whole planet to bits.
Note to self. Ask Erin if she has a nuke.
Crossing the Core Chamber took less time than he'd expected. The lack of enemies was both a relief and something that set him on the edge. Anything that moves, he'll jump at it almost immediately.
Slash first, ask questions later. That was always his motto in the woods. This place was just a metal jungle covered in sickly flesh things.
The inner defense lobby appeared ahead, structured similarly to the outer one. Another dome-shaped room, another broken cone-like structure at its centre. More fleshy growth covered the walls, ceiling, and floor, though it seemed thinner here, as if it hadn't had as much time to spread.
As Gale was approaching the exit doorway that would lead to the elevator, Dani suddenly stiffened on his head. Her wings extended fully as she stared in the general direction of the door.
Following Dani's gaze towards the doorway, Gale saw nothing at first until he noticed some of the small eye ball sized spiderlings crawling around the fleshy growth. There were six of them, moving along the fleshy growth on the surface. One of them was even massaging one of the bulging veins by the door.
Gale didn't hesitate. In one fluid motion, he launched himself forward, Weber materializing from space storage into his right hand. The blade made no sound, no whistle as he slashed through the first eyeball spiderling before it could react.
Momentum carried him past the first. Weber was in striking range of the second and third now. A single horizontal arc cut through both at the same time. The remaining three noticed him. Pupils stared at him. They scattered, skittering across the wall, digging themselves further into the flesh wall.
Gale pivoted. Fourth eye spiderling slashed mid leap with a diagonal cut. Fifth tried to dig into the flesh, but the same diagonal slash cut through its hiding spot through the flesh.
The final spiderling rushed up top. It almost made it out of the flesh wall and to the bare metal.
One foot pushed off the flesh covered floor. A single upward arc of Weber caught the eye spiderling by the tip of his blade. It fell, dropping down onto the floor.
Six metal eyeballs now lay across the floor. Each one of the eye sacs had its fluids spill its contents from their damage.
[Reward: 60 points]
"Thanks, Dani," Gale said. He no longer needed to just feel the watchers watching him. Dani could reveal their location just by looking at them with her shared true sight. Damn, that's kind of overpowered.
Dani flapped her wings happily, fluttering against his hair.
Gale approached the doorway. Beyond the door, he could see the elevator waiting with a single blinking light. Unlike the clean elevator they had used in Harmony sector, this one showed signs of damage, neglect, and a whole buttload of flesh things that were sticking to its walls.
"Down to the temple level," Gale muttered. He entered the elevator and went to the console at the centre. He pulled up his phone and pushed the PTT button. "Erin, I'm in. Now what?"
"Now, you go down." Erin's voice crackled through his phone.
The elevator's doors closed with a hiss and the platform shuddered. It began descending. The elevator's window showed him the state of the whole sector's temples as it reached a level where he could see a bird's eye view of the whole place. 12 temples, larger than life, covered in veiny flesh that ran through their walls. The veins seemed to be pumping something in and out of the buildings, as if the buildings were part of a larger organism. A part of Gale wanted to ask Erin if it was too late to go back. She'd definitely just tell him to man up with his bloodline.