Chapter 51: Chapter Fifty One

Galactic Calendar 259872/ 2000 [ Sol Year 4387/ Day 152 of 365. Sol standard year]

Days after of Crash landing/ 1

Unknown Island / Unnamed Ruin

Galactic Standard Time / 1900

As she led her team towards the entrance to the cavern again, all Je’ndra could feel was fear. There were so many ways that this could go wrong, from the things inside to having range attacks to them being beasts. She still didn’t know why she let the prince do this, but then stranger things had happened. If they could talk to these things, that would open some doors.

They lived here, they survived here. That meant they had to know where the team had crashed. And they lived near a Precursor Ruin, which had to mean something. If they knew a way out to the surface without going through the ruins, then this would be worth it. If not, they at least knew how to get there. With how dangerous the ruins were, anything that lived near them always wanted to stay away.

All they had was hope, hope the prince’s plan would work. And she had to admit that this was what she hatted, letting the prince do it. In all other cases, they would have him with a protective circle. She would negotiate, but he was the one with the technique to do it. So all she could do was keep him safe, and hope that this went better than she feared it would.

“[All right, listen up. I want Ken’trix and Ro’borlar watching our backs. If anything comes at us I want it burned to ashes],” Je’ndra barked as her mask broadcasts to her team. As she looked around, she saw Ro’borlar stiffen and knew what he was thinking. But he wouldn’t ever get what he wanted from her, and they would need to talk about that soon. Not letting her eyes stay on him, she turned towards who’s reaction she wanted to observe. “[And I need someone to watch them, so you’re elected Tar’lroia. That leaves you to come with me and the guard to watch our prince Olv’xic].”

Olv’xic just looked at her and he seemed to be trying to keep calm. “[Yes mam. I’ve been dropping a few sensor units behind us. Sending the source connector code to Healer Drafrla].”

Je’ndra went still as she looked at Olv’xic, trying to wrap her head around what he just said as the others all looked at him. For seconds, all they could do was stare at him before

“[Sensor units? Where’d you get those things]?” Tar’lroia asked in shock.

Olv’xic just shrugged. “[Started making my own a long time ago, brought a few along to finish as busy work. Anyway, you got the program]?”

At Ken’tricx’s nod, Olv’xic just looked at Je’ndra.

Je’ndra looked back at him, then turned to Kon’gric and shook her head. “[With me then. We will talk about this later].”

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As Olv’xic followed after Je’ndra, all he could do was hope that he hadn’t overplayed his hand. To make sensors like his, he had to have been very smart. To have made ones that could link to their armor with only a program, he had to know a lot of things. Things that just a few people did, things he had figured out on his own. He had disabled and torn apart his armor so many times he could make empty armor move if he wanted to. He had even found a few tricks that most people didn’t think were possible, tricks he was keeping to himself. But by showing that he could make sensors and transfer their readings like he did. He had to wonder if that might have been a mistake.

But the one thing he was, was realistic. Having the sensors helped the team, and helping out improved their chances to stay alive. And if he had to show that he was that smart, so be it. The more of them that stayed alive, the more chances he would have. But again, as long as he kept his secret he might be able to leave this planet with the others.

But if not, at least this place had some kind of ecosystem. If he had to he could escape and live here, food might be a problem. Plus he still had his “bug-out kit”, so he would survive and know what he could eat. He’d be stuck here, but he could probably find something in the Ruins to make a ship, probably. If he was honest with himself, he was an old hand at living off the land, what with how he grew up.

But still, this place might just be a pocket of life in the caves. He had to wait, hope, and strike if he had to, but not before. All in all, he had to stay alive, that was his greatest goal.

After a few moments, the two of them reached Ar’thor and Kon’gric, Ar’thor sill on Kon’gric’s back. As Ar’thor looked back at them, Olv’xic released a deep breath as he tried to figure out how this was going to go bad. The things could be beasts, or they just didn’t want to talk.

He sighed and looked at Ar’thor as Je’ndra talked to him and his guard. He still didn’t feel right around him. He was an impure, someone who the loyal ones would attack. He still didn’t know how he had gotten off the world, even found a mask to hide his heritage. The first few months were hard, with him always looking over his shoulder. It was when he was eating and the server mentioned joining the armed forces and he was intrigued. He researched it and then found out about the Masked, something that spoke to him. It let him hide away, and earn a living. After a while, he had found the team and here he was.

“[So, I have a plan, but I need to know things to make it work],” Je’ndra’s soft voice caused Olv’xic to look up and see her talking.

“[Such as]?” Kon’gric asked.

“[The prince will need to be how close to them to activate his technique]?” She asked.

“[I need to be within ten feet],” Ar’thor said softly over the comms.

Olv’xic could only sigh as he looked down at his right arm. His space bag had a few more of his inventions, and some of them were drones. The best thing for him to do was send one of them into the cavern, and see if they could figure out the leader. But the prince’s armor had to have the best defenses.

So should he show off his hacking skills or use his broadcaster? Both had advantages and risks, but what was worse for him? If he showed them his hacking ability, that might lead to questions he didn’t want to answer. But if he showed them his broadcaster, that would mean they would know about it and the drones. With the fact he had revealed his skills already, he didn’t know how to handle the questions the others would have for him.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“[So should we try and ask one of the others who the leader is first? With the prince’s technique]?” Kon’gric’s question came abruptly, and it forced Olv’xic to stop thinking.

“[Unless anyone has a better plan, that’s what we’ll have to do. My prince, how many times can you use your technique]?” Je’ndra asked.

Olv’xic looked around, trying to think, trying to make a choice. He could say nothing, but if the prince couldn’t use it too many times, then they were doomed. If those things could talk, anything could happen. They could plan a false leader, and kill the party when their attention was on it. For all they knew those things had a hidden passage to get behind them. Or stars forbid those three-legged things were the cavern things allies. All in all, he didn’t have a choice then. No matter what he thought of, he couldn’t see another way.

For a second kept still, trying to find anything. But after another moment he sighed. “[I have something that could probably find the leader].”

The others went still, Je’ndra turning towards him. But Olv’xic continued talking, at least he lost his nerve and said he was wrong.

“[It’s not finished really. It’s a prototype I’ve been messing around with for a while now. It’s finished enough for what we need].” As he spoke, Olv’xic willed his armor to look around, trying to find any hint of the other's reactions. Trying to find anything that he had to know, anything that might save his life. Any clue that they would turn on him, any clue that they would kill him for what he knew, was, and could do.

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Ar’thor looked up, his thoughts dying as he looked towards Olv’xic, feeling a sense of relief. Already he was doubting his plan, it was the only way forward but the risk. But if they knew who was the leader, then it would be a lot easier for him to talk to what he needed to. This was so good, everything might work after all. All he needed to do was hope that they could find the right being!

“[You have a way….? What is it]?” Je’ndra asked and Ar’thor could only watch as the drone operator pulled out two small boxes from his storage.

Olv’xic bent down and pulled out a small sphere a half-foot wide and tall. A moment later, it floated upwards and started to move around the four beings.

“[You. You solved the Algama principle]?” Je’ndra asked in a shocked tone.

All Olv’xic did was shake his head as he looked at the device. “[No, I worked around it. It will only move as long as the battery is feeding it power. And the battery will only last five hours. I was working on a simpler recharge station, but well. This should be simple enough for now].”

“[Good work. Please send it in now],” Je’ndra said absently.

Ar’thor looked at the team leader, a strange feeling going through him. He wondered for a moment just what she was feeling. She wasn’t acting like this was good she was acting like the drone operator had just said he wanted to kill the emperor.

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All Je’ndra could do was look at him as he brought out a small tripod a foot high. As the drone shot towards the cavern, from the tripod, a holo screen appeared. How could Olv’xic create things like this? All inventors in the service tried to modify their armor, but he used the basic model. She remembered he had gotten a new set just before they shipped out in fact, he had no time to modify it.

Nothing about him made sense, nothing at all. The man and she even wondered if he was a ‘man’, hiding more they anyone. He acted like a Masked, but instead, he seemed to live in the shadows. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was a spy but he lived on base. But now he showed them drones that small. If they could act like cameras, then they could carry digital memory units. If that was possible, then everything she knew about him was in doubt. But then why was he bringing them up now?

If he was a spy, then why would he show these things? A good spy, ones who were brainwashed would only think about the mission, nothing else. Was he a member of the Secret police, sent in to prepare to protect the Prince? Was the mission in the planning stage even so long ago? No, too long had passed, and why their squad? They were nothing, just a new team ready to make a name for themselves.

“[Got it, I think I got it],” Olv’xic said.

Je’ndra looked up and saw the camera looking at the largest one of the false-mites, and she remembered that one. She had seen it before they left, leading the charge. That was a good sign, most alpha creatures would stay back, only beasts and those who could think led. If they were wrong, taking it out as they escaped was a good play. If they could scare things off, then they could get by them.

“[Then we have a plan. Kon’gric uses the sphere shield, walks to them, and lets the prince do this thing. We’ll cover you, if you have to escape we’ll kill the ones around you],” Je’ndra said and for a moment she thought she saw Kon’gric take a step backward.

As Kon’gric carried him into the cavern, the false-mites looked at them. Ar’thor felt a twist of fear as he looked at them. All Kon’gric had to do was get him to the creature, but if they brought down his shield they would both die. As Kon’gric stood still, Ar’thor smiled and looked down. “[ You can do this Guard Kon’gric. You’re the bravest and strongest of all the Guards of the Empire]!”

Kon’gric said nothing as he slowly put his arms up. As the shield formed around them, some of the false-mites spat a yellow liquid at them. As the liquid went down the shield, Kon’gric started to walk towards what they thought was the leader . “[My prince, I will protect you until I die]!”

Ar’thor looked ahead as they moved toward the leader and took a deep breath before he called up his aura. As golden energy surged and covered him, the sight of it caused the false-mites to move back. But what they thought was the leader stepped forward, but it didn’t fire at them.

All Ar’thor did was look at the leader and aimed his arms at it. Golden energy flowed from him towards the leader slowly. The leader stopped and looked at the energy. For a moment Ar'thor hoped it would stay still, but then it lunged forward. As it shot towards it ran into the energy, creating a connection between Ar’thor and the false-mite leader.

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As the creature looked around it found itself in a white void. As it started to curse itself for letting the strange thing kill it, a strange sound was heard. It turned towards it and saw the strange biped that killed it and the creature growled.

“Not enough to kill this one, now two walker taunts brave one?” The creature snarled and then it blinked.

“No. My goal is not to kill you. I just want to talk,” The biped said and the creature stared at the biped in shock.

“How do two walker talk like people? All two walkers talk like people in own way?” The creature asked and the biped bowed.

“Yes, we do talk to each other. Great one this one must ask, are you the leader of your kind here?” The biped asked and the creature looked at him.

“Yes, leader is I! Leader is great and powerful Clawbash! What Two Walker want? Two Walkers didn’t attack group before, what want?” Clawbash asked and the biped looked at it.

“Great and Powerful Clawbash, I am Ar’thor. My group begs leave to walk through your lands to this,” The biped said before an image of the gates to the Ruins appeared.

Clawbash looked at the image before it reared away from it, a strange chittering coming from it.

“Two walker wants to go to Creator’s place!? Why want die? I kill you all, fast like. Not even feel it,” Clawbash said and the biped shook its head.

“No, my kind can raid those places. Unless you know how to get out of this cavern and see the sky, then we must go through that place,” The biped said.

Clawbash only looked at the biped, trying to understand the words it used. “What mean, sky?”

The biped only looked at Clawbash and tried to think of how to explain it before it just sighed. “The sky is the long empty thing that stretches to the horizon. There are things called clouds there, white things that look fluffy. From it comes rain, drops of water that……”

“THAT PLACE?! WHAT WANT THAT PLACE!? Full of other things that hunt and kill my kind! No place for my kind! We hide away here! Only way out back way two walkers came!” Clawbash said and the biped looked away.

Clawbash looked around, taking in how the white void was so large it couldn’t see the end. This was unlike anything that it had ever seen before. The space could hold all the beings of the dark under! The battles that could happen here! The kind could handle all their enemies and feast on their remains.

“Great Clawbash! My kind must travel there, we have no choice! Please grant us this boon!” The biped said and Clawbash looked at it.

Clawbash only looked at the biped, trying to think. If Clawbash could understand the biped’s meaning, then it wanted to see the “sky”. But why did it have to go to the Creator’s place? Why couldn’t it go back the way it had come?

“Why two walkers want go to Creator’s place? Why not go back way come?” Clawbash asked after a few moments. The biped turned, looked away and an image of the collapsed tunnel appeared.

Clawbash looked at the image, trying to understand. But after a few moments, it felt joy as it saw what the two walker was showing it. If the path it had traveled was blocked, then the three walkers might be also. For a time, Clawbash’s kind could handle the only threat left. If they could use that time to grow, to hunt the other things here……… there was a chance. In time they could grow enough to kill the many-legged.

But then Clawbash thought that maybe, just maybe the fall hadn’t blocked off the three leggers. If they were locked in with Clawbash’s swarm, then they would have only one way to get food. Then that meant that the whole swarm could eat well in the time ahead for a while. There was still danger down here, but this would make their lives that much better.

But then Clawbash saw the two walkers run into a three-legger and fight it off. Already Clawbash could see what those things would do, and it was nothing good for their kind. The last time they found something like the two-leggers, they hunted until all were dead. This was worse than Clawbash thought, he had to get them away, now! If the horde came and these creatures were still here!