Carpathia IV: Episode 310 - Impossible
Lazmaedia's Fortress
Ryuu: RUN!!!
Aire didn't have to be told, for the floor beneath him was already giving way. He broke into an unsteady stride, struggling to stay upright through the shaking. With a glance back, he turned just in time to see a hole open just under Lazmaedia's body, but she didn't drop into it. Instead, she flew up into the air, nearly to the top of the vaulted ceiling and remained suspended. Aire wasn't sure what was happening until he realized that something had her in a tight grip. Something somehow there and not there at the same time.
Aire stopped, transfixed, his mind desperately attempting to comprehend what he was seeing. An arm, perhaps a tentacle-like appendage, massive in breadth and scale, like a building had somehow rose up through the shadows. Solid, transparent, and invisible, all at the same time. An impossible thing and it was physically painful for him to look at it.
Ryuu: Aire!
Ryuu called out just as the tentacle slammed Lazmaedia's body onto the floor, twice, and then pulled her body through the floor and into the void below. On Ryuu's urging, he ran again in earnest, this time, with even more difficulty than before. Lights flickered. Consoles blinked in and out. Most critically for him was that the gravity in the fortress became variable, sometimes making him feel bone-crushingly heavy and other times, light enough to feel like he could jump a hundred feet. He fell more than once and Ryuu wasn't having an easy time of it either.
Aire: The First One... is it looking for us?
Ryuu shook his head as he stumbled again.
Ryuu: It has no interest in us. It just wants to escape. First Ones are animalistic in nature and they operate on instinct.
Aire: It sure seemed to have a beef with Lazmaedia.
Ryuu: They are smart enough to recognize the one that hurt them.
The entire fortress rocked and the creature growled again, sending Aire tumbling to his knees and Ryuu collapsing entirely to the floor, rolling over once before sliding to a halt. Unable to stand, Aire crawled to him.
Ryuu: I don't think I can make it. You should go.
Aire: Not fucking likely!
Aire immediately stooped and thrust one arm under Ryuu's neck and the other under his tail, taking care not to aggravate his ribs any further. With his arms securely around Ryuu's neck and tail, he pulled. Strained, more like, for he found Ryuu much heavier than he expected. As he struggled, and Ryuu growled in pain, the ceiling started to give way. Debris rained, some stones falling slowly like flower petals and some crashing to the floor as though shot out of a cannon. Finally, after a titanic struggle, Aire got Ryuu to his feet, but kept ahold of his spikes just behind his neck to keep him from falling again.
Aire: We're running together and I'm gonna hold you up.
Ryuu did not argue, perhaps lacking the ability. The tears running from his eyes, tears of pain, told Aire everything. All Ryuu could manage was a nod and they carried on. Through the twisted corridors, dodging debris, and slower than before, they finally reached their destination. Through the fortress exit, they could see the catwalk, the pylon, and the shuttle car still in place, boulders from the outer rim of the moon raining down around it. Safety was within reach.
Until it wasn't.
Just as they started to run for the shuttle car, a boulder fell from above and flattened the shuttle car, the chilling sound of stone scraping against metal filling their ears with despair. If they had any fleeting hope of getting the mangled wreck working again, it was dashed when half the platform broke away. Boulder, platform, car and all, tumbled into the void below. Aire and Ryuu slowed to a stop, both staring out at the nothingness that was once their escape. With a heavy sigh, Aire sat and patted Ryuu on the head.
Aire: I hate it that you're here, but I'm also grateful for your company.
Ryuu: I have no regrets. Joust told me to come, but he knew it was my choice. He can't order me. I chose to follow you and I'm glad I did.
Aire: Joust will be a good captain.
Ryuu: He'll be a great captain.
Aire: They all did an amazing job. I just wish I could see them all one last time.
Together, Aire and Ryuu sat on the steps of the fortress, gazing out at the rain of boulders, and awaited death.
Earlier, Bridge, NCCS Shadowdancer-A
The bridge crew watched in astonishment as the shuttle car passed in front of the bridge windows and headed directly for the shield around the fortress.
Amenaru: Erm, tractor beam, Commander?
Joust pursed his lips, not responding right away. He considered the idea but, against his better judgement, decided against it.
Joust: No. I do not approve of this, but he's the Captain. I sent Ryuu to follow him so he won't be going in alone, at least.
The shuttle car slowed as it approached the shield carefully slid inside, sending a brief ripple throughout the area. Then, it headed into the fortress.
Shep: Commander, the wormhole just closed, but something came through just before it did.
Trex: Interference from the collapsing wormhole is interfering with scans. Working on it... wait. I'm getting a registry. CDF-773. It's the Cerberus!
Kit: Incoming communication from Captain Azrael. Putting him on viewer.
As promised, Azrael and his bridge appeared on the viewer, cool and composed as always.
Azrael: Commander Joust, what is your status?
Joust: We are standing sentry at Lazmaedia's fortress. She is inside and there's a shield up. Captain Valro and Ryuu took a shuttle car and punched through the shield. We don't know what they are doing now. The shield prevents any scans or communications. Do you have a shuttle car on board?
Azrael: Negative. The prototypes were for exploration ships only. How is your ship?
Joust: Heavy damage, but mostly still functional. We're not up for much more fighting.
Azrael: Our damage is moderate. We shall stand guard.
A guard they would need, for Cerberus's tactical officer picked up something on sensors.
Lyari: I'm picking up a vashta ship approaching from the planet.
Azrael: That's our cue. Mind the fortress and we'll take care of them for you.
Joust: Much appreciated. We'll keep an eye out for any other ships approaching, but I think nearly all of them went to Carpathia.
Azrael: Agreed. Remain vigilant. Azrael out.
The viewer went dark and the Cerberus moved to intercept the incoming vashta ship.
Joust: You all know what to do.
Trex: Yes, Commander. Monitoring the fortress.
Shep: Continuing to scan the vicinity.
Amenaru: Coordinating repairs, Commander.
Bridge, NCCS Cerberus
Twenty minutes of battle passed with the Cerberus and the vashta ship trading blows. Azrael gave orders with grim stoicism, mostly concerned with keeping the enemy ship away from the Shadowdancer. If that weren't his priority, he could take more risks. For now, he had to settle for whittling down their defences. Finally, they got what appeared to be a lucky break.
Riven: Reading critical power fluctuations in the enemy ship. Shields are weakening.
Lyari: I can take them out now with the nacelle cannons.
There was a risk any time they used the nacelle cannons. A bad shot could put them at a disadvantage while they waited to recharge, a process that took ten minutes. Azrael decided that now was the time for a risk.
Azrael: Take the shot.
Lyari: Acquiring target lock.
With the nacelle cannons, this took time. Azrael waited patiently for the moment.
Lyari: Firing.
Cerberus unleashed all its fury at the weakened vashta ship and made short work of it. The ship exploded while the crew wasted no time turning to other matters.
Riven: Something big is happening. The shield around the fortress is also weakening and Shadowdancer is punching through.
Azrael: Helm, set course. Riven, give me full scans.
Cerberus came about and streaked to Shadowdancer's last position, to where it was before it entered the shield while Riven studied his console with an increasingly furrowed brow.
Riven: I have no idea what the hell I'm looking at. This data stream says something is emerging from the fortress, something huge, but not there at the same time. This doesn't track with any of the data or scans we have of Lazmaedia. It's all just... impossible.
Azrael: Keep scanning. What of Shadowdancer?
Lyari: They're through the shield and headed for the entrance.
Azrael: They'll probably need to make a fast escape. Can we hold an opening in the shield for them?
Riven: Their shield is weak enough for that, Captain. First, we'll need to make shield to shield contact and match their modulation. Once we're in, we can turn the ship sideways and expand the shield bubble to keep the largest opening possible.
Azrael's weakness, the science of it all. Though he received praise from academy professors for his quick adaptation to modern Carpathian life, the numbers and equations never fully clicked. It was why he chose Riven, a former science officer, for his number one and this was one of those times he had to trust him entirely.
Azrael: Understood. Execute.
Riven nodded as he stood, giving detailed orders to the bridge crew on how to proceed. Contact with the fortress shield was bumpy, but the Cerberus finally slid inside, creating a wide opening.
Azrael: Now we wait. Continue scans and be ready when we spot Shadowdancer coming out.
Riven: We'll be ready, Captain!
Commissioned art in this episode from:
AvareonArt
Zelbunnii
Less_End
Colourbrand
Falke2009
