We entered a staff room near the elevator, which surprisingly had nobody inside. The room had a messy interior, adding to the feeling of disarray.
"Why are we here?" I asked, looking at the map again, trying to make sense of our location.
"Remember the elevator terminal? There's a keycard slot there, and I believe that's the only way to access the prohibited zones. We can blend in with the crew by wearing these lab coats," Grace explained, searching the room. She found a white lab coat in an open locker and handed it to me, while grabbing one for herself.
While examining a table, I noticed a red keycard with a random name on it, indicating it belonged to a scientist from the crew.
"Will this really work?" I asked hesitantly, handing the keycard to Grace.
"There's only one way to find out," she replied with a smile.
"This is insane," I muttered, feeling anxious as we stepped into the elevator.
"But you're still doing it. Besides, this is not our first time entering a prohibited zone, remember that museum you desperately wanted to visit, and I had to help you?" Grace reminded me as she inserted the keycard into the slot. "Bingo," she exclaimed when the elevator terminal displayed a green light.
"This and that are very different things," I said, glancing at the map and pressing the correct button for our destination.
As the elevator descended into the prohibited area, we were greeted by a chaotic flurry of crew members rushing around. Trying to blend in, we mimicked their behavior. However, as we moved closer to our destination, we realized that nobody seemed to have time to care about anything other than their assigned tasks. Most of them were entering or leaving the room marked with the sign "I.D.T" and "Inter-Dimensional Teletransport," which matched our destination.
"Is that what's occupying so much of their crew?" I whispered to Grace, struggling to comprehend the implications of the sign.
"I believe so. Let's get inside," Grace said, pulling me toward the wide door leading to the increasingly expansive hall.
________________________________________________________
As we made our way through the hurried crew towards the hall, we finally got a clear view of what the sign had been referring to—an enormous sci-fi arc-shaped construction with hundreds of tubes connecting it to the rest of the ship. I was almost frozen in awe, but Grace led me to a balcony in the corner of the room to gather ourselves.
"What the fuck is that?!" I exclaimed, unable to tear my eyes away from the impressive arc.
"It's the IDT, just as the sign said," Grace replied, trying to maintain her focus, though I could see her own surprise.
Once on the balcony, we hid behind some boxes in the corner, trying to figure out our next move.
"That thing is massive," I said, still mesmerized by the sight of it.
"Yes, I can see that, but why are they in such a hurry to build it?" Grace wondered aloud, taking out her phone to capture some photos.
"Maybe it's..." I began to respond, but I was cut off by the sight of the pillars in motion. Numerous peculiar pillars emerged from the ground, encircling the arc. As I peered closely, I noticed some form of dark material inside them.
"What's that inside the pillars? I think I saw it moving," Grace exclaimed, a touch of disgust in her voice as she continued taking photos.
I focused my attention on the scene unfolding before us, trying to make sense of the mysterious sight. The dark material seemed to writhe and shift within the pillars, as if it were alive. It sent shivers down my spine. And, with the liquid, I was suddenly overcomed with a strange sensation, a feeling of déjà vu.
"What is it?" Grace asked, looking at me intently.
"I... I'm not sure," I said, attempting to comprehend the peculiar feeling. But then, the pillars around the arc started to emit an eerie yellow glow.
Dudum, dudum, dudum.
A peculiar rhythmic beating sound grew louder as the portal began to radiate a blueish light. People around it started moving to the balconies surrounding the hall. The sound intensified, and the light grew brighter. Suddenly, everything came to an abrupt halt—the yellow glow ceased, revealing empty pillars.
"Why did they stop?" Grace asked, confused, as she observed the crew. "Did it fail?"
"I think that's what the guide meant by tests," I said, realizing that the strange feeling had dissipated with the disappearance of the substance inside the pillars. "But I'm sure that the black material in the pillars is the key to that machine," I added, watching as the crew resumed their activities.
"And what..." Grace began to inquire, but her words were interrupted by a mechanical voice emanating from the wall speakers.
"Test number 556 failed. Please reorganize the procedures for a new test."
We both fell silent, carefully observing the crew's actions. Looking down, we noticed people bringing in a heavily armored truck with a tank-like container in the back. The pillars sank into the ground, revealing closed holes where the liquid will probably enter by the tubes on the truck .
"They're refilling the pillars again, but why the heavy protection? Are they afraid someone might steal it?" Grace questioned, eyeing the truck suspiciously.
"Call me crazy, but I think they don't want the liquid touching them," I said, growing concerned about the situation.
"Like it's some sort of wild animal or toxic material?" Grace asked, her confusion evident.
"Both, maybe," I replied.
"Both? Are you implying it's alive?" Grace asked, even more bewildered.
"Yes, otherwise, why would they need such heavy armor? Even the tube is reinforced with a metallic cover," I explained, troubled by my own implications.
As we discussed our thoughts, the crew continued refilling the pillars with the liquid. People moved from one location to another, preparing for the next test, as another one was about to commence. Unfortunately, someone spotted us.
"They're starting it again," I exclaimed, my eyes fixed on the pillars as they ominously began to rise once more.
Before Grace could inquire further, our conversation was abruptly interrupted by a crew member who stumbled upon our presence. Panic flickered through me momentarily, but to my relief, he assumed we were part of the team.
"Hey! What are both of you doing in there?" the crew member exclaimed, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Realizing the need for a quick cover-up, Grace whispered urgently, "Crap! They saw us. Pretend we noticed a loose cable or something." She began walking confidently towards the crew member, and I followed suit, our minds racing to formulate a plausible excuse.
However, just as we were about to explain ourselves, chaos erupted. An explosion shattered the air, its thunderous boom reverberating through the space. Our attention immediately shifted upward, where a control room was engulfed in flames. Screams echoed in the distance, adding to the disarray that unfolded before us. The crew member, forgetting about us, sprinted towards a group of people by the hall's exit, guarded by a few security personnel.
Overwhelmed by panic, I turned to Grace, my voice trembling. "What do we do?"
Grace, her face a mixture of concern and determination, replied, "Let's follow them." She attempted to maintain an air of calm, though her deep concern was unmistakable.
As we sprinted towards the group, the sound of explosions echoed once more, this time from the direction of the exit. Before we could comprehend the situation fully, a colossal pillar crashed down between the exit door and us, cutting off our path
"Oh fuck! We're trapped," Grace exclaimed, her voice laden with deep worry. She led me away from the encroaching fire, guiding us toward the center of the hall, seeking safety.
As we approached the central arc, we noticed that the machine was still operating, its test seemingly unaffected by the chaos unfolding around us. Confusion and fear gnawed at us, but before we could ponder further, strange sounds reverberated throughout the hall.
"What was that?!" I exclaimed, panic tightening its grip on me. Unfortunately, the answer came swiftly.
From the debris and corners of the vast hall, peculiar beings emerged. They took on various forms, ranging from small to large, some floating in mid-air. All of them shared the same eerie color as the liquid within the rising pillars.
Panic surged through our veins as we desperately searched for an escape route. However, our hopes were quickly shattered as a deafening crash shattered the air. The previously blocked exit now revealed a colossal, monstrous entity. A wave of dread washed over me, its massive frame pulsating with writhing tendrils that seemed to tear through reality itself. Helplessness gripped me as I gazed upon this abomination, a nightmarish being that defied all reason. The remnants of the exit were drenched in a deep, gory shade of red, a horrifying testament to the terror that had taken hold.
Paralyzed with fear, Grace and I remained rooted to the spot on the arc as the strange beings followed the Nightmare.
"The truck!" Grace weakly uttered, her eyes darting towards our only chance at escape.
"We need to reach the truck!" she exclaimed, trying to muster every ounce of hope within her.
She sprinted towards the nearest truck, urging me to follow. But before I could respond, a chilling swipe echoed through the air.
Swipe.
Suddenly, I found myself falling, my realization coming in a rush—I could no longer feel one of my legs.
"Naila!" Grace screamed, panic lacing her voice as she rushed to my side.
Collapsing onto the ground, I turned to look at my back, only to be met with a pool of deep red—a detached leg, my own leg. I tried to make sense of the situation, but there was no pain, only an eerie detachment. Observing the beings, I could almost discern a mocking expression upon their twisted forms.
Swipe.
Another swipe, and now my arm was gone.
Swipe.
An eye.
Swipe.
An ear.
Swipe.
The swipes continued relentlessly, each time claiming a part of my body. Death seemed imminent, and I closed my eyes, preparing for the end. But as time passed, neither death nor the loss of another limb befell me.
Crack.
A strange sound of breaking glass jolted me back to consciousness. Before me, a brilliant blue light emanated from the arc and the pillars. Everyone, frozen in time, remained conscious. Suddenly, everything began to levitate.
"Naila!" Grace's voice pierced through the stillness, her figure moving farther away from me.
"Grace!" I screamed, the sense of foreboding intensifying within me as the paralyzed monsters struggled in their frozen state, forced to circle me under the machine's influence.
A blinding white light engulfed the world around me as the sensation grew stronger.
CRACK.
The sound of shattering glass resonated, and I succumbed to unconsciousness, the world fading into a blinding whiteness.
(Prologue END)
Very interesting start!
Lots of typos towards the end.
Oops, i pubished the unedited version, thanks for noticing
Another !!!!!!!!!