RE: QUIETUS [S!5] [Round 2: Krei'kii'kelriz]
06-02-2017, 02:30 AM
“It almost looks like she's asleep, doesn't it?”
“She is sleeping...and in her dreams, accomplishing a great work.”
But Florica really looked dead, much more than she looked asleep.
“Be respectful...she's going to do something very important.”
+====+=
Amaranth stared at Robin. Robin didn't look back. Robin was...well, she was still breathing, at least. Although with those holes in her coat...well, she fit right in with her company. Amaranth shivered. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had lost Robin, that Robin had remembered only half, had been swallowed by the other, adrift. But not the...not the usual half. The other one. She shook herself. Swallowed by the sun? Not known of. You're the one who's losing things. This is what Robin wanted, everything's to plan. After all, you brought Mary back.
She looked over at Mary, who was watching her. She let go of the railing she had been gripping.
“Do you, uh, want some air? I'm fine watching the...them. And it might be a good idea to do a little patrol, you know. Don't want to end up like the last guys.”
Is Robin's gallows humor infectious? “...I think I will. Thank you.”
“No problem.” Mary had forgotten both sides. Well, that was fine. Common. Easier.
Amaranth walked out of the room of death, and into its hallways.
The tunnels were as cold and quiet as they had been for millenium stacked on millenium. The churning of machinery, the labor of man—all these mayfly noises were subsumed into that antique darkness. Nothing lived here.
What happened back there? There's no—if there were books about this I never read them.
If there were books about this, they were probably bound in leather and chains and kept in the deepest basement of the library, said a worse thought. I'm more adrift than anyone with a seed has ever been.
Amaranth readjusted her mask-armor, and began to sing softly to herself, an old simple tune. “...the sun shines ever-gold,”
“...ever-gold,” came an echo out of the eternal stillness.
She started, then sang again. “In the grove of ages past, our love grows thousand-fold,”
“...love grows thousand-fold,” sang the echo sadly, wetly.
A titter of birdsong on a distant breeze.
Amaranth wheeled around, almost shouted. “Son-sonora!” she hissed. She was nowhere. There was everywhere to hide. Pick a shadow, any shadow.
“Shh-shh! It'll hear us—Do you think it heard us?” the shadows whispered. Laughter, again.
“What do you want?!” Amaranth fought herself not to run.
“What do you want from meWHAT ARE YOU HERE FORWhat do you, please, I'll do anything—anything—What do you—I-I, I bet they all say that. Ahah, hah ha. Nothing I haven't heard before. Haah, ha. You won't burn. Red, red roses. What could you possibly give to me?”
The wails echoed down the halls. Monster, monster. What can you do against a monster?
Sonora sloshed. “Keep it still in the head. You know, if you don't say anything, I'll have to—Ahah.”
“What do you want?” Robin? Mary? Me? Or are you just—playing with your food—
“Look who's here to see you! There's not a place that's barren of my reach. Red, red rose! Tonight they're calling out your name.
“Don't you know you've kept him waiting?”
A metal hand slammed into Amaranth catching her by the collarbone, and if it wasn't for my antiquated armor this would hurt a lot more and ridiculous, something so large shouldn't be able to move so stealthily as the air went out of her lungs and she was pinned against the rust.
“Where are they.” stated Arokht, cold and authoritarian as ever but maybe, maybe a little worse for wear.
Amaranth would have said something, spat something, but oh god it hurt and she caught mouthfuls of the stale air.
“Where.”
“Why- hhah- should I tell you?” Her heels scraped for purchase at the concave wall.
“You must- you will defer to my authority. You cannot- why did you run? Why did you take Mary?!” His grip tightened and he was leaning in, loud and deep and insect-faced. Amaranth flinched. “Why?!”
“Y- you're a monster.” She coughed out. Explaining to a monster why he's a monster. She could almost laugh.
“You—you are insubordinate. You will tell me, or--”
“Or what?” And this time she did laugh. Starting to sound like Sonora. “Tread lightly, Arokht—we're a delicate species. One wrong move and you'll all be spirited away again.”
His grip softened slightly. He lowered her to the floor, and she gulped in air.
“...No matter. I see you will not listen. But Sonora has been...cooperative.” He looked around, but the darkness was empty.
“Sonora? Hhh...she's a ghost. Haha—you're looking to her for guidance? You might as well chase your own shadow. I bet you would, wouldn't you...”
“...Pull yourself together, Amaranth Benedicta.”
“You're one to- get your damned claw off of me. What am I going to do to you?” I hate you so, so much.
“Run away again.”
And behind the terse retort was a deeper truth. He really is—really truly is hurt.
If only I could get a clean breath of air. “I won't, Arokht. I can't. Sonora—she could be eating Mary right now.” Arokht's eyes flickered. Didn't think of that, did you. “I need to protect her and Robin—we're doing something important. And you-” damn you “You can either go along with it or kill us all.”
He seemed shaken enough. Children do so well with false dichotomies.
“I. Will judge for myself and then conclude. But if Sonora-” And he lifted Amaranth bodily in a rolling motion, sweeping her like a doll under his arm. He started walking quickly, huge feet still blood-stained slamming into the metal. “Sonora!”
“Me, me, I could never. Can't you trust me? Just this once? There's something else out there. It got her—The night that broke the iceman, don'tcha know. It, it came for her.”
She was sluicing rivulets through the texture of the floor.
“Sonora! Where did you go.”
“I-I heard them, all our friends. I...have some bad news.” Birds laughed. “Achilles' heel, I came for you.”
Amaranth struggled against the metal grip. “Take another right and then up the tunnel if you'll fit.”
Arokht glanced down at her.
“Someone's hurt. That's what she's saying.” And it sounds like the message is meant just for you.
Sonora crawled up with them, chirping and hissing. “Ohh, now you decide to help? So helpful. You won't bleed. Pinks and posies. There comes a day and on that day you'll see.”
Arokht pulled them up out of the tunnel, forward, through the door. He let go and Amaranth fell hard.
“Arokht...”
“Hi, Arokht.”
Amaranth pulled herself up as he strode forward. There was a woman like the sun, staring at Arokht and Amaranth, hard and blank. Mary was standing, hands hovering weakly towards a pistol. They heard us coming but she knows it's useless. Robin was still...still. Arokht was kneeling, obscuring a girl sitting on the floor.
“Anila...”
They're both from—they're one of “us.”
“Anila.” He had leaned towards her. Amaranth got to her feet. Was he examining her? “You're hurt. Burned.” He snapped his head towards the sun-woman and growled.
The sun stared at him coldly as the girl on the floor began to protest that no, Rachel had been helping, and maybe she got burnt a little but she didn't mean to, it was a big fight and Rachel saved her and she was lucky to get out
Amaranth moved closer. She met Mary's eyes. She looked scared. She glanced at the girl, back to Amaranth. Fear. “Amaranth--”
Arokht tensed. “Stay back. She is hurt and I will not let her risk any further harm.”
Amaranth felt her face twist and she was thankful her mask was on. What do you think I am, you murderer.
The girl protested. “Arokht, c'mon...I'm sure she just wants to help. Mary said- she said we couldn't wake Robin up until Amaranth—that's you, right? Hey Arokht, move so I can see—we can't wake Robin up until Amaranth is here? Because what she's doing is dangerous?”
Mary was still looking at Amaranth helplessly. Mary was stalling you for time.
“What do you need Robin for?” She began, and just then Arokht moved, and she could see the girl, and the breath went out of her.
“She's been hurt.” Said Rachel, pointlessly.
Amaranth had moved forward involuntarily, as if she could catch her on the cusp of dying, help her, as if she wasn't being held impossibly (unnaturally) right upon that cusp. Her faceplate was off and she was staring. Blue gel welled at her fingertips. She felt Arokht shift, Rachel too, presences with their own gravity giving a warning.
“Do either of you know first aid for humans?” she asked lightly, “Well, I do.”
“Really? You'll be able to help? Cuz...cuz...we came here to get Robin to help...but she's asleep...and I--” A note of fear had crept into the cheery voice. Her eyes were downcast, losing the track of positive thinking.
Mourning doves mourned. Arokht's cannon hummed slightly, and they died out.
Amaranth looked back up at Mary. Now I know what you were trying to say. There's nothing to be done.
But who wants to hear that?
Arokht broke in. “Can you heal her.”
“Not with the technology we have access to.” True enough! “And neither can Robin. Don't wake her up, you'll just jeopardize her too. Don't—argue with that. Do not wake her. Whatever is keeping Anila alive, it's going to keep doing that.”
“Well, that's...my wizard jelly. Or I call it that but it's, it's living inside of me, and keeping me alive, but this-” The girl was beating around the bush. “It's a lot of damage to deal with, it says, a lot of nervous- nerve damage, it would...it would be better if it. If I could be healed instead of it doing it.”
“Yes, yes, we'll do our best to make sure you're alright.” There's something she isn't saying. Amaranth glanced at Rachel maybe she knows something but oh, it's like staring at the sun. She looked away, eyes smarting.
If Arokht and who-knows-who is going to be here, well, time to get them in line.
“I don't know if any of you have an idea of what's wrong with this station or how to stop it. But that's what Robin's going to find out. The machinery starting, the cultists...we don't know if it's us or just coincidence, but some very big events have been set in motion.”
Mary broke in. “What Amaranth's saying is true. I've been communicating with my partner, Ak, and he's been trawling through all the sensor data, everything that's changed in the last couple hours.”
“A transmission went out of this station. Out out. No language he had ever seen. And then...
“One came back.”
The chill settled. Even the soft lap-lap of Sonora's waves seemed to pause. Thanks, Mary. I can feel that one in my bones. I hope they can too.
“So that's what we're working with. Now I don't know what powers any of you have, and I won't try and stop you leaving and wandering around this labyrinth yourself. But if you stay, if you decide to try and deal with this threat, you're going to have to work with us. Robin, and Mary too—they're the experts here. If you won't listen to them, if you're going to act on your own—you're worse than useless.
“So, for anyone who has a problem with that—the door is right there.”
Amaranth looked around the room. Anila seemed slightly awed, and gave a little nod. Rachel was as distant as ever, but tilted her head slightly. She'll help. She doesn't care much, but she'll help. Arokht...Arokht was still, his mouthparts shifting. ”Mulling it over?” He's not going to go easily, I know that.
“I am an expert on tactics. Robin and Mary are experts in their subjects, but tactical decisions will be mine.”
“Mass-murder is not an acceptable tactical decision.” Amaranth said as coolly as possible.
“Then you know nothing of war.”
“Arokht,” Mary spoke, “She's right. We don't know why these cultists—they could be under the influence of something else, it could be some kind of mass hysteria—we can't just massacre them because they're a threat. And I won't be part of any plan that involves doing that.”
“People are going to die.”
“I'm not saying it's going to be bloodless,” Mary said, “I know there's no way—I mean, I've been in this goddamn room for a while now. But it can't be the first resort. It can't.”
“Y-yeah,” said Anila, “People shouldn't,” she touched her eye unconsciously, “They shouldn't get hurt if we can help it. Rachel, you and Arokht, you're so strong... ...I'm sure you can do it.”
“I can say I'll try. If it's the apocalypse you're making it out to be, then none of you have any idea of what it'll be like.”
“I will try as well. To conform to your standard of conduct. But I will not compromise the mission for it.”
“The mission is to save people, if that wasn't clear. But I'm glad we're all in agreement.” Now all I need is to get Sonora on board, and we'll be set.
On cue, as always, Sonora chimed in. “We're a delicate species,” she coughed, “We are of the going water and the gone. At least we can agree on one thing. Exorcists, scientists. You must wake up!”
Amaranth turned to look at Robin first, then the others followed her gaze.
“She is sleeping...and in her dreams, accomplishing a great work.”
But Florica really looked dead, much more than she looked asleep.
“Be respectful...she's going to do something very important.”
+====+=
Amaranth stared at Robin. Robin didn't look back. Robin was...well, she was still breathing, at least. Although with those holes in her coat...well, she fit right in with her company. Amaranth shivered. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had lost Robin, that Robin had remembered only half, had been swallowed by the other, adrift. But not the...not the usual half. The other one. She shook herself. Swallowed by the sun? Not known of. You're the one who's losing things. This is what Robin wanted, everything's to plan. After all, you brought Mary back.
She looked over at Mary, who was watching her. She let go of the railing she had been gripping.
“Do you, uh, want some air? I'm fine watching the...them. And it might be a good idea to do a little patrol, you know. Don't want to end up like the last guys.”
Is Robin's gallows humor infectious? “...I think I will. Thank you.”
“No problem.” Mary had forgotten both sides. Well, that was fine. Common. Easier.
Amaranth walked out of the room of death, and into its hallways.
The tunnels were as cold and quiet as they had been for millenium stacked on millenium. The churning of machinery, the labor of man—all these mayfly noises were subsumed into that antique darkness. Nothing lived here.
What happened back there? There's no—if there were books about this I never read them.
If there were books about this, they were probably bound in leather and chains and kept in the deepest basement of the library, said a worse thought. I'm more adrift than anyone with a seed has ever been.
Amaranth readjusted her mask-armor, and began to sing softly to herself, an old simple tune. “...the sun shines ever-gold,”
“...ever-gold,” came an echo out of the eternal stillness.
She started, then sang again. “In the grove of ages past, our love grows thousand-fold,”
“...love grows thousand-fold,” sang the echo sadly, wetly.
A titter of birdsong on a distant breeze.
Amaranth wheeled around, almost shouted. “Son-sonora!” she hissed. She was nowhere. There was everywhere to hide. Pick a shadow, any shadow.
“Shh-shh! It'll hear us—Do you think it heard us?” the shadows whispered. Laughter, again.
“What do you want?!” Amaranth fought herself not to run.
“What do you want from meWHAT ARE YOU HERE FORWhat do you, please, I'll do anything—anything—What do you—I-I, I bet they all say that. Ahah, hah ha. Nothing I haven't heard before. Haah, ha. You won't burn. Red, red roses. What could you possibly give to me?”
The wails echoed down the halls. Monster, monster. What can you do against a monster?
Sonora sloshed. “Keep it still in the head. You know, if you don't say anything, I'll have to—Ahah.”
“What do you want?” Robin? Mary? Me? Or are you just—playing with your food—
“Look who's here to see you! There's not a place that's barren of my reach. Red, red rose! Tonight they're calling out your name.
“Don't you know you've kept him waiting?”
A metal hand slammed into Amaranth catching her by the collarbone, and if it wasn't for my antiquated armor this would hurt a lot more and ridiculous, something so large shouldn't be able to move so stealthily as the air went out of her lungs and she was pinned against the rust.
“Where are they.” stated Arokht, cold and authoritarian as ever but maybe, maybe a little worse for wear.
Amaranth would have said something, spat something, but oh god it hurt and she caught mouthfuls of the stale air.
“Where.”
“Why- hhah- should I tell you?” Her heels scraped for purchase at the concave wall.
“You must- you will defer to my authority. You cannot- why did you run? Why did you take Mary?!” His grip tightened and he was leaning in, loud and deep and insect-faced. Amaranth flinched. “Why?!”
“Y- you're a monster.” She coughed out. Explaining to a monster why he's a monster. She could almost laugh.
“You—you are insubordinate. You will tell me, or--”
“Or what?” And this time she did laugh. Starting to sound like Sonora. “Tread lightly, Arokht—we're a delicate species. One wrong move and you'll all be spirited away again.”
His grip softened slightly. He lowered her to the floor, and she gulped in air.
“...No matter. I see you will not listen. But Sonora has been...cooperative.” He looked around, but the darkness was empty.
“Sonora? Hhh...she's a ghost. Haha—you're looking to her for guidance? You might as well chase your own shadow. I bet you would, wouldn't you...”
“...Pull yourself together, Amaranth Benedicta.”
“You're one to- get your damned claw off of me. What am I going to do to you?” I hate you so, so much.
“Run away again.”
And behind the terse retort was a deeper truth. He really is—really truly is hurt.
If only I could get a clean breath of air. “I won't, Arokht. I can't. Sonora—she could be eating Mary right now.” Arokht's eyes flickered. Didn't think of that, did you. “I need to protect her and Robin—we're doing something important. And you-” damn you “You can either go along with it or kill us all.”
He seemed shaken enough. Children do so well with false dichotomies.
“I. Will judge for myself and then conclude. But if Sonora-” And he lifted Amaranth bodily in a rolling motion, sweeping her like a doll under his arm. He started walking quickly, huge feet still blood-stained slamming into the metal. “Sonora!”
“Me, me, I could never. Can't you trust me? Just this once? There's something else out there. It got her—The night that broke the iceman, don'tcha know. It, it came for her.”
She was sluicing rivulets through the texture of the floor.
“Sonora! Where did you go.”
“I-I heard them, all our friends. I...have some bad news.” Birds laughed. “Achilles' heel, I came for you.”
Amaranth struggled against the metal grip. “Take another right and then up the tunnel if you'll fit.”
Arokht glanced down at her.
“Someone's hurt. That's what she's saying.” And it sounds like the message is meant just for you.
Sonora crawled up with them, chirping and hissing. “Ohh, now you decide to help? So helpful. You won't bleed. Pinks and posies. There comes a day and on that day you'll see.”
Arokht pulled them up out of the tunnel, forward, through the door. He let go and Amaranth fell hard.
“Arokht...”
“Hi, Arokht.”
Amaranth pulled herself up as he strode forward. There was a woman like the sun, staring at Arokht and Amaranth, hard and blank. Mary was standing, hands hovering weakly towards a pistol. They heard us coming but she knows it's useless. Robin was still...still. Arokht was kneeling, obscuring a girl sitting on the floor.
“Anila...”
They're both from—they're one of “us.”
“Anila.” He had leaned towards her. Amaranth got to her feet. Was he examining her? “You're hurt. Burned.” He snapped his head towards the sun-woman and growled.
The sun stared at him coldly as the girl on the floor began to protest that no, Rachel had been helping, and maybe she got burnt a little but she didn't mean to, it was a big fight and Rachel saved her and she was lucky to get out
Amaranth moved closer. She met Mary's eyes. She looked scared. She glanced at the girl, back to Amaranth. Fear. “Amaranth--”
Arokht tensed. “Stay back. She is hurt and I will not let her risk any further harm.”
Amaranth felt her face twist and she was thankful her mask was on. What do you think I am, you murderer.
The girl protested. “Arokht, c'mon...I'm sure she just wants to help. Mary said- she said we couldn't wake Robin up until Amaranth—that's you, right? Hey Arokht, move so I can see—we can't wake Robin up until Amaranth is here? Because what she's doing is dangerous?”
Mary was still looking at Amaranth helplessly. Mary was stalling you for time.
“What do you need Robin for?” She began, and just then Arokht moved, and she could see the girl, and the breath went out of her.
“She's been hurt.” Said Rachel, pointlessly.
Amaranth had moved forward involuntarily, as if she could catch her on the cusp of dying, help her, as if she wasn't being held impossibly (unnaturally) right upon that cusp. Her faceplate was off and she was staring. Blue gel welled at her fingertips. She felt Arokht shift, Rachel too, presences with their own gravity giving a warning.
“Do either of you know first aid for humans?” she asked lightly, “Well, I do.”
“Really? You'll be able to help? Cuz...cuz...we came here to get Robin to help...but she's asleep...and I--” A note of fear had crept into the cheery voice. Her eyes were downcast, losing the track of positive thinking.
Mourning doves mourned. Arokht's cannon hummed slightly, and they died out.
Amaranth looked back up at Mary. Now I know what you were trying to say. There's nothing to be done.
But who wants to hear that?
Arokht broke in. “Can you heal her.”
“Not with the technology we have access to.” True enough! “And neither can Robin. Don't wake her up, you'll just jeopardize her too. Don't—argue with that. Do not wake her. Whatever is keeping Anila alive, it's going to keep doing that.”
“Well, that's...my wizard jelly. Or I call it that but it's, it's living inside of me, and keeping me alive, but this-” The girl was beating around the bush. “It's a lot of damage to deal with, it says, a lot of nervous- nerve damage, it would...it would be better if it. If I could be healed instead of it doing it.”
“Yes, yes, we'll do our best to make sure you're alright.” There's something she isn't saying. Amaranth glanced at Rachel maybe she knows something but oh, it's like staring at the sun. She looked away, eyes smarting.
If Arokht and who-knows-who is going to be here, well, time to get them in line.
“I don't know if any of you have an idea of what's wrong with this station or how to stop it. But that's what Robin's going to find out. The machinery starting, the cultists...we don't know if it's us or just coincidence, but some very big events have been set in motion.”
Mary broke in. “What Amaranth's saying is true. I've been communicating with my partner, Ak, and he's been trawling through all the sensor data, everything that's changed in the last couple hours.”
“A transmission went out of this station. Out out. No language he had ever seen. And then...
“One came back.”
The chill settled. Even the soft lap-lap of Sonora's waves seemed to pause. Thanks, Mary. I can feel that one in my bones. I hope they can too.
“So that's what we're working with. Now I don't know what powers any of you have, and I won't try and stop you leaving and wandering around this labyrinth yourself. But if you stay, if you decide to try and deal with this threat, you're going to have to work with us. Robin, and Mary too—they're the experts here. If you won't listen to them, if you're going to act on your own—you're worse than useless.
“So, for anyone who has a problem with that—the door is right there.”
Amaranth looked around the room. Anila seemed slightly awed, and gave a little nod. Rachel was as distant as ever, but tilted her head slightly. She'll help. She doesn't care much, but she'll help. Arokht...Arokht was still, his mouthparts shifting. ”Mulling it over?” He's not going to go easily, I know that.
“I am an expert on tactics. Robin and Mary are experts in their subjects, but tactical decisions will be mine.”
“Mass-murder is not an acceptable tactical decision.” Amaranth said as coolly as possible.
“Then you know nothing of war.”
“Arokht,” Mary spoke, “She's right. We don't know why these cultists—they could be under the influence of something else, it could be some kind of mass hysteria—we can't just massacre them because they're a threat. And I won't be part of any plan that involves doing that.”
“People are going to die.”
“I'm not saying it's going to be bloodless,” Mary said, “I know there's no way—I mean, I've been in this goddamn room for a while now. But it can't be the first resort. It can't.”
“Y-yeah,” said Anila, “People shouldn't,” she touched her eye unconsciously, “They shouldn't get hurt if we can help it. Rachel, you and Arokht, you're so strong... ...I'm sure you can do it.”
“I can say I'll try. If it's the apocalypse you're making it out to be, then none of you have any idea of what it'll be like.”
“I will try as well. To conform to your standard of conduct. But I will not compromise the mission for it.”
“The mission is to save people, if that wasn't clear. But I'm glad we're all in agreement.” Now all I need is to get Sonora on board, and we'll be set.
On cue, as always, Sonora chimed in. “We're a delicate species,” she coughed, “We are of the going water and the gone. At least we can agree on one thing. Exorcists, scientists. You must wake up!”
Amaranth turned to look at Robin first, then the others followed her gaze.