3.04 – A world of losers

I blew the first door out of a childish pleasure I hadn’t felt in a long time. We found more corridors and stairs to door leading to an upper level. Tash extended our map and found exactly the same topology: four cubic rooms and a new door. Fortunately these rooms were empty.

Found one with a table. It had some strange devices on it. There were small metallic boxes we couldn’t open. I demanded a projection to be opened.

“What is this?” I asked picking up a strange metallic cylinder.

“‘Gneir’s work tools.’” The Mausoleum answered.

“What is this one for?”

“To analyze the composition of bionectars.”

I placed the cold cylinder on my hand scales and a little projection opened with some mutating alciric characters. I placed the cylinder over an artery and a bunch of information appeared, including a reptilian small figure. I decided to keep the tool. We looked about in all other objects to confirm if none of them was the Book. On other room we found some containers that looked light frost chambers. I think they served to stored bodies. The third room was more interesting. It was a private room.

A metallic bed was in the center. Apparently there only lived one person and lied on that bed that looked like the most uncomfortable thing in the world. We tried to raise projections, but nothing turned on. There were large boxes but we couldn’t open them as well. Ripped old clothing was over one box. They were really old and full of dust. A shirt had the name Gneir printed.

“We have here what remains of our builder… tell me something… Pleadeans used to sleep in beds like that?”

“I don’t know Daik.” The biologist replied.

“Pleadeans may not sleep at all.” Tash commented.

“They are immortal, they must sleep at least now and then.”

The fourth room and heavy machinery. There was a metal cutting machine and another to shape it. There was a very large organic tissue processor and a very old computer, which the processing unit was three meters high, a meter wide and two meters deep.

“It is an automaton repair room.” Recognized the biologist.

“You know this technology?”

“Perfectly. It’s obsolete, but recognizable.”

The biologist turned the computer on and observed with surprise.

“This is an unknown language, but shares some similarities with solar.”

“Solar?”

“Yes, from solar humans from the astral system of Sol.”

“Let’s see… we have an intelligent building that looks like it was built with Pleadean technology, we have Pleadean tools, and in the middle of all this, there’s a room with old and archaic human technology? It makes no sense.”

We decided to blow up the door to the upper level. I got nervous when I saw that this level was a titanic hall with a curved glass ceiling. One more time, total centralization was the word transpired by the architecture of this place. It was completely empty and in the center were stairs that leaded to two lying cylinders. It was a funerary chamber and maybe the existence of the whole building. We went there without hurries. The walk seemed way more long than it really was. The feeling of being observed never went away. Half of the cylinders were glassed and there were some thick cables that probably provided life support. On the cylinders were a human couple, and right in front of me, hugging the woman’s cylinder was a human. I got near, his skin was worn out and the eyes were focused.

“It’s a machine.” Said the biologist.

“And what do you think of the humans in the cylinders?”

“They show similiarities with the original humans created by Mikel, but they are not from those originals. They are too slender and tall. They are also not solar.”

“Can you wake them up?”

The biologist pushed a projection from the cylinder and learned they were dead. “I don’t think so.” The cylinders were not for life support but for preservation.

“And the automaton?”

“Hold on.” Said Tash.

I turned and saw the glutton Alfin with his staff pointing at us. The small blade on the end was threatening, but I was relaxed.

“Walk to the side.” He said. The biologist didn’t understand what was going on, so Tash had to pull him to the side. Went to the automaton and picked up the ring he had on one of the fingers.

“Who are you working for?” I asked.

“To the government.”

“Damn alligator. I knew I shouldn’t trust you.”

“Unlike reptiles like you Daik, there are employers who know what they are doing and know where to look for things.”

“Well… that might be true, but…” I produced my plasma gun from my thermal suit, “but it looks like you brought a knife to a gun fight.”

He kept the ring. Held the staff at 45 degrees and told me to step aside.

“It is nothing personal against you Daik, but this will tailor our future Empire and cannot fall into the hands of someone who is greedy and selfish.”

“This is also not something personal.”

He held the small ring in his nails and projections came out of it to show us a glimpse of the Book of Mikel. I aimed to the head and shot. It was when I understood that all was lost. The super heated projectile deflected on an oval invisible shield emitted by the staff.

“If you had brought gunpowder maybe you had had more luck. Now begone.”

I charged him to try hitting with my fists, but a subtle hit with the staff left me stunned. The second blow threw me to the ground. The biologist also tried charging the Alfin, but he also refrained from using the blade and dismissed him with a blow. There I was on the ground. I was a arm away from getting the Book and who got it was a sad glutton Alfin. Total frustration followed. I just wanted to lie there and die. The biologist got up first, looked at me from up there to here, the world of the losers and asked me if I was all right. I didn’t answer.

I heard an explosion and finally my ship taking off. The pilot cooperated with the mercenary, but he couldn’t do anything. I decided to get up. We walked through the corridors and confirmed that the Alfin tried to detonate the atrium and the entrance was completely closed with debris. I picked up my Sha-9 and opened a communication channel with the stolen ship.

“Astral system of Shagorrah to Teta Draconis… acknowledge… ship type GS-322 with plate TD2-891774 in Shagorrah… acknowledge? Ah… you fuseless pilot. Are you reading me? I will transmit now the Tanscription of my diary.”

“Mister Daik… transcription received, but I want to warn that there is a Pleadean ship in orbit.”

“Send them the transcript too.”

“Open channel… Sending… Sent.”

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