Chương 199: LOG-190.

There was something almost nostalgic about exploring an unknown, seemingly lifeless environment with two companions. It brought back bittersweet memories of the abandoned city I'd briefly been witness to, back when Vermilion, Brim and I had all been stranded on the Avian's lost home world.

Additionally similar to those bygone days was the irritation I felt at problems and obstacles continuing to make themselves known, with my attempts at progress continuously being countered by nothing ever working half the time, up until I somehow forced it to anyway. Case in point, I couldn't help but glare at the access panel I'd been trying to tinker with for the past few minutes, which still sat stubbornly unresponsive, in spite of my best attempts at sparking some life back into it.

It was nonetheless an interesting find, however. Further exploration of the current wing Patina, Violet and I had wound up in after Periwinkle had brought us in through the Warp pad had yielded interesting results. Namely in that despite the outwardly archaic aesthetics that seemed to pervade most parts of the facility, certain, significantly more modern amenities appeared to be present as well, scattered throughout various points and areas. Modern enough that I could recognise them at least.

If not actually draw any results from them. Which in turn left me to step away from the dead piece of hardware with a sigh, the miniature Gem sitting atop it tilting her head slightly as I did so.

"Any idea why it won't turn on?" Considering my creation's question for a moment, I glanced to the side and watched Patina, the other Pearl currently in the process of attempting to pry open the locked door the access panel was no doubt connected to. Judging by the grunts of effort and slight denting, she was making at least a little headway with her kukri, but not anything truly significant.

"Either it's isolated from the wider energy network, or whatever power source this place used died out some time ago. Judging by the lack of consistent lighting and complete lack of response from any of the doors we'd passed, I'd bet on the latter." Crossing my arms, I leaned up against the wall, watching my creation continue working away at the doorway. Determined to make at least some headway. Has been listening to the conversation. Likely hoping something on the other side might be helpful.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. My lips tugged downward slightly at what I determined to be yet another foreign thought masquerading as one of my own, even as I stepped forward, leaning over Patina's shoulder and gently grabbing a hold of her wrist, causing the Pearl to pause in her latest attempt at jamming her blade through the seam sitting in the middle of the door.

"Let me." Lifting my arms as the green Gem stepped back to stand behind me, I idly noted the sound of Violet's wings beginning to flutter, even as I slipped my claws into the thin line and pushed. With small, subtle clicks, each digit pushed its way in, until I had a half decent grip of both halves of the door, leaving me to begin pulling them apart, their forms giving way with twin groans until the path forward was open.

Peering into the dark, I set aside any hesitancy I might have been feeling at the thought that this wasn't some kind of Atoll, my legs carrying me forward until I was standing at the edge of a balcony similar in structure to the ones at the Reef. Below, the shaded confines of an auditorium met my gaze, leaving me to catalogue the slight differences between it and what I was used to- Movement.

My vision enhanced at once, piercing the darkness and allowing me to see further and with higher detail than I possibly could have without it. Had I still had hairs on my skin, every single one of them would have stood on end as I watched a long, thin, yet horrifically large muted beige leg disappear out of my direct line of sight, bending in absolute silence and vanishing into a hole in one of the walls, like the limb of a particularly languid spider.

The dancing shoe and tattered looking fabric that had been attached to it was noted and filed away, even as I rapidly backed up, briefly bumping into Patina and drawing an annoyed sound from Violet as the small Pearl was forced to swerve out of the way of my retreating lightform.

"Hey! What gives-oop!" The winged Gem made a few more disgruntled sounds, pressed up between my hand and chest, but I was more focused on reaching forward and grabbing her counterpart as well, locking my other hand around her wrist once more and dragging her along with me.

Perhaps the slight panic on my face proved enough for them to realise something was wrong, because both went silent as I practically power walked away from the open doorway and back down a different corridor, Patina doing her best to match my longer strides even as Violet stared up at me, mouth opening to say something. Glancing back to ensure that we weren't being followed by whatever that thing had been, I interrupted her and spoke softly, keeping my voice low.

"I saw something disappearing into one of the walls. A leg. Size of a Pearl at least. We're not alone in here anymore, assuming we ever were at all." The almost inaudible clack of the tiny Gem shutting her mouth would have been comical, if it weren't for the fact that I could hear it. Not her jaw, but something else. My lightform had been improved on all fronts. Audio reception included.

And that meant that, even as Patina clung to my side with one arm while keeping a tight grip on her kukri with the other, I could hear it. The gentle, almost silent thumping of something moving through the maintenance tunnels. Something large enough that it couldn't move through them without bumping against the surrounding metal, in spite of its best efforts.

All five eyes (front and back) kept wide open and limbs primed to throw myself and my creations in any direction, I continued walking towards where I hoped the shuttle bays of this place would be, assuming the internal schematics I was drawing up in my head proved to be accurate. And all the while, whatever I had seen in that auditorium continued to follow us. Unseen, but not unheard.