RE: QUIETUS [S!5] [Round 2: Krei'kii'kelriz]
11-13-2016, 06:10 AM
The shadows of Krei'kii'kelriz moved. The shadows of Krei'kii'kelriz were alive. In the unnumbered corners that cluttered the angles of the vast wreck, things stirred.
Not alien. Not complex. Simple. Human. Very, very, very, very simple.
*****************************************************
Amaranth felt it before it happened. A presence pressing through the stagnant rust. Smoke, incense, delirium.
“Arokht—there's something—”
“Calm yourself. I have detected multiple sounds of conflict already, and altered our route.”
“But ahead—”
“An altercation cannot be avoided. The group ahead is the smallest in number.”
Mary started. “What?!” The sound of footsteps and chanting was growing.
Arokht hhfed his mandibles. “Your concern is unwarranted. I will make a display of overwhelming force and scatter them. Stay back and wait.”
You child! “Arokht, listen--”
But Arokht's mind was only of battle and then they came.
Down the hall and out of the tunnels, out of the woodwork. They were exactly what Amaranth's gut had said. Robes. Talking, singing, reciting. Unearthly voices.
”...she's probably one of those cultists...”
Their weapons were hands and sticks and Arokht ran forward, bellowed alien noise, armored apex threat, but Arokht, Arokht, “--They aren't going to stop!”
Human bodies ran forward and were swept by the cannon arm but more filled the gaps, swarming, Arokht's weapons and Arokht unwieldy in the claustrophobia. Fallen bodies make uneven footing. Arokht swung, was encumbered, seemed to grow desperate. The air changed.
Like a crack opened into the tundra. All of winter and more. Amaranth and Mary clutched behind her shield.
When the brutal blue light subsided, Arokht was surrounded by statues.
Some of them weren't fully finished, not perfectly still yet. All the same, his limbs were locked in their hard embraces, too completely for the leverage to break free.
Arokht, you idiot, didn't anyone ever tell you humans are mostly water?
Mary was lying on the floor.
More cultists trickled in from the tunnels, alerted by the sounds. They crawled over the statues, a haze of intent towards their enemy. Amaranth lifted her cold, cold shield.
Towards Arokht. Her breath fogged. It's like I'm back on that glacier... Her feet slipped on the uneven ice and she grabbed handholds unacknowledgeable.
“Amaranth! Free my right arm!”
A statue held it tightly. I was going to do that already.
The ice chipped under blows, but the cultists had crawled closer. Unskilled, afraid, fanaticism cowed by horror. They took hits to the jaw, the clavicle. Their faith was weak. They stayed where they fell. The statue lost one elbow. The second went faster. None of the cultists were moving anymore.
Arokht shattered his arm free.
“...Thank you.” Amaranth began chipping at his legs.
“They were cultists, Arokht. Not rational. They weren't going to just run away.”
“...I was told that the cultists are peaceful.”
Amaranth paused. “I...think they are...normally. Something happened. Maybe the station turning on, or...”
A troubling thought. “You know the other contestants better than I. Is there anyone...?”
“Not that I have seen. Rachel is a force of destruction with a mind, and Sonora is one without. Both to be avoided. But they cannot do...this.
“...Is Mary harmed?” He had freed his other large arm and was rotating it, checking for damage.
“No, she just...fell asleep.”
He stopped. “Fell asleep?”
“Yes, she--” Arokht was staring hard.
“I--”
She looked around her. At all the cultists. Who had been so slow. Who had just laid down so easily.
I wanted it all to stop.
“...I wanted it all to stop...” She with unthinking shock. The barest murmur, but the silence was perfect.
Arokht's posture shifted.
”What are you.” His arm twitched.
Ha. He wants to grab me, but he can't risk it with his legs still trapped. What right do you have, Arokht?
“Does it matter? It can't affect you.”
The gazes of their helmets met for a long moment.
“...You will tell me.”
He's uneasy. Oh well, might as well let him feel in control! “I can affect the emotions and other physical responses of humans. The cultists are harmlessly asleep right now.”
Arokht worked his legs free, pure authoritarianism restored. “In the future, you will use this ability as directed.
“Now wake Mary up, and explain the details of your technology's functioning.”
Of course, who better to tell me how to use it than an alien who doesn't even understand his own emotions? “I can't. It's not targeted. If Mary wakes up...so will they.”
“A simple problem.” Arokht said, and matter-of-factly crushed a cultist's skull.
Not alien. Not complex. Simple. Human. Very, very, very, very simple.
*****************************************************
Amaranth felt it before it happened. A presence pressing through the stagnant rust. Smoke, incense, delirium.
“Arokht—there's something—”
“Calm yourself. I have detected multiple sounds of conflict already, and altered our route.”
“But ahead—”
“An altercation cannot be avoided. The group ahead is the smallest in number.”
Mary started. “What?!” The sound of footsteps and chanting was growing.
Arokht hhfed his mandibles. “Your concern is unwarranted. I will make a display of overwhelming force and scatter them. Stay back and wait.”
You child! “Arokht, listen--”
But Arokht's mind was only of battle and then they came.
Down the hall and out of the tunnels, out of the woodwork. They were exactly what Amaranth's gut had said. Robes. Talking, singing, reciting. Unearthly voices.
”...she's probably one of those cultists...”
Their weapons were hands and sticks and Arokht ran forward, bellowed alien noise, armored apex threat, but Arokht, Arokht, “--They aren't going to stop!”
Human bodies ran forward and were swept by the cannon arm but more filled the gaps, swarming, Arokht's weapons and Arokht unwieldy in the claustrophobia. Fallen bodies make uneven footing. Arokht swung, was encumbered, seemed to grow desperate. The air changed.
Like a crack opened into the tundra. All of winter and more. Amaranth and Mary clutched behind her shield.
When the brutal blue light subsided, Arokht was surrounded by statues.
Some of them weren't fully finished, not perfectly still yet. All the same, his limbs were locked in their hard embraces, too completely for the leverage to break free.
Arokht, you idiot, didn't anyone ever tell you humans are mostly water?
Mary was lying on the floor.
More cultists trickled in from the tunnels, alerted by the sounds. They crawled over the statues, a haze of intent towards their enemy. Amaranth lifted her cold, cold shield.
Towards Arokht. Her breath fogged. It's like I'm back on that glacier... Her feet slipped on the uneven ice and she grabbed handholds unacknowledgeable.
“Amaranth! Free my right arm!”
A statue held it tightly. I was going to do that already.
The ice chipped under blows, but the cultists had crawled closer. Unskilled, afraid, fanaticism cowed by horror. They took hits to the jaw, the clavicle. Their faith was weak. They stayed where they fell. The statue lost one elbow. The second went faster. None of the cultists were moving anymore.
Arokht shattered his arm free.
“...Thank you.” Amaranth began chipping at his legs.
“They were cultists, Arokht. Not rational. They weren't going to just run away.”
“...I was told that the cultists are peaceful.”
Amaranth paused. “I...think they are...normally. Something happened. Maybe the station turning on, or...”
A troubling thought. “You know the other contestants better than I. Is there anyone...?”
“Not that I have seen. Rachel is a force of destruction with a mind, and Sonora is one without. Both to be avoided. But they cannot do...this.
“...Is Mary harmed?” He had freed his other large arm and was rotating it, checking for damage.
“No, she just...fell asleep.”
He stopped. “Fell asleep?”
“Yes, she--” Arokht was staring hard.
“I--”
She looked around her. At all the cultists. Who had been so slow. Who had just laid down so easily.
I wanted it all to stop.
“...I wanted it all to stop...” She with unthinking shock. The barest murmur, but the silence was perfect.
Arokht's posture shifted.
”What are you.” His arm twitched.
Ha. He wants to grab me, but he can't risk it with his legs still trapped. What right do you have, Arokht?
“Does it matter? It can't affect you.”
The gazes of their helmets met for a long moment.
“...You will tell me.”
He's uneasy. Oh well, might as well let him feel in control! “I can affect the emotions and other physical responses of humans. The cultists are harmlessly asleep right now.”
Arokht worked his legs free, pure authoritarianism restored. “In the future, you will use this ability as directed.
“Now wake Mary up, and explain the details of your technology's functioning.”
Of course, who better to tell me how to use it than an alien who doesn't even understand his own emotions? “I can't. It's not targeted. If Mary wakes up...so will they.”
“A simple problem.” Arokht said, and matter-of-factly crushed a cultist's skull.