Page 20

KAVAN

T he chamber illuminated gradually, revealing equipment and furnishings in perfect preservation. In its center stood a figure—an armored shape reminiscent of the guardian from the medical facility, but larger, more elaborately designed, its crystalline structure spiderwebbed with fine fractures. Its central core pulsed erratically, flickering between a dull, sickly yellow and an angry red.

The core pulsed once, twice, emitting a harsh, grating sound like stone grinding against metal. Then it moved toward us with jerky, unpredictable purpose, weapon appendages extending. One arm hung at an unnatural angle.

The guardian's arms struck without warning, whipping across my chest. I shoved Selene aside, the blow missing her but catching me hard enough to crack a rib. Blue-white light flared through the chamber as the automaton pivoted on its central axis, its movements accompanied by a high-pitched mechanical wail.

"Get back!" My tail lashed out, steadying me against the wall. This guardian bore no resemblance to our earlier sentinel. Where that one moved with purpose, this one jerked and twitched, its crystalline form pulsing with unstable energy.

"It's damaged," Selene pressed herself against the chamber wall. "Look at the fractures along its torso."

I noted the spiderweb of cracks across its crystalline body. "The facility's deterioration has affected its programming."

The automaton's head rotated a full circle with a shower of internal sparks. The harsh, grating sound emerged again—nothing like the melodic tones of the previous guardian. A projectile of crystalline energy suddenly shot from one appendage, missing us wildly and striking the far wall, leaving a scorched crater in the ancient metal.

"We come seeking knowledge," I said in the formal Nyxari dialect reserved for sacred spaces, hoping the ancient language might penetrate its corrupted programming. "We bear the markings of healers."

The guardian answered with another wild swing. I ducked, feeling air displace above my head where I'd stood just moments before. "It's not recognizing standard protocols," I called to Selene.

She circled to my right, maintaining distance from the automaton. "Maybe it operates on a different system? The other one responded to our combined markings."

I reached for her hand, our markings illuminating at contact, but the guardian grew more agitated, its movements more erratic, its core flashing rapidly between yellow and red.

"Down!" Another energy bolt sizzled past, striking a control panel that erupted in sparks. Selene rolled to her feet with surprising agility. "This isn't working. We need to try something else."

The automaton lurched forward, jerky but alarmingly fast. I spun away from another blow, my tail whipping around for balance as I positioned myself between the guardian and Selene. "This system must predate the unified protocols," I said, recalling ancient texts. "Before the Great Division, different facilities operated independently."

"What about medical terminology?" Selene shouted over the guardian's mechanical wailing. "If it's a medical facility, it might respond to healer language!"

The thought struck me like lightning. "Of course!" I straightened and called out in the most ancient dialect I knew, words passed through generations of healers: "Tivarai nyxl'uran val'ekath!"

The guardian paused mid-movement, its wailing subsiding momentarily to a low, grating hum.

"What did you say?" Selene whispered.

"I declared us as adepts of the healing arts, coming to serve the wounded."

The automaton's erratic movements slowed, though its core still pulsed with unstable red light. It rotated toward me, head tilting at an unnatural angle.

"Syvaris ekath'ulan?" it rasped, the ancient term for healer credentials distorted by damage.

"It wants proof," I translated. "We need to demonstrate our healing abilities."

She squeezed my hand. "How?"

"A diagnostic ritual. The oldest one I know." I positioned myself before the guardian, drawing Selene beside me. "Follow my movements."

I began the ancient ritual, hands moving in patterns that predated even my people's written history. Selene mirrored me with remarkable precision, our connection allowing her to anticipate my movements.

"Revarin sylex," I intoned. "Healer's oath." The guardian's erratic movements calmed further as it observed us. Its core shifted from angry red to a cautious, flickering orange.

"Now we need to incorporate your human medical knowledge," I told Selene. "Show it we represent two healing traditions unified."

Selene nodded, then recited what I recognized as a human medical oath, her hands demonstrating surgical techniques that flowed seamlessly from my Nyxari movements. Our markings brightened, the integration signature manifesting as a visible aura around us.

The guardian's sensors focused on this phenomenon, its core slowly stabilizing to a steady, though still fractured-looking, amber pulse.

"Vayath'uran," it finally acknowledged, the word clearer this time. "Healers recognized." Relief flooded through me. "It accepts us."

"Partial access granted," the automaton intoned in ancient Nyxari. A door slid open behind it, revealing a corridor bathed in flickering emergency lighting. "Facility compromised. Time limited."

"That doesn't sound good," Selene observed.

"No, it doesn't." I approached the guardian cautiously. "What has happened to the facility?"

"Core destabilization. Forty-seven percent systems failure. Environmental barriers breached. Flooding imminent."

A distant rumble shook the chamber, dislodging dust from the ceiling. "We need to move quickly," I told Selene. "The guardian's still unstable, but it's giving us access."

As if confirming my assessment, the automaton twitched violently, its damaged arm sending sparks across the floor. "Warning," it said, voice fluctuating. "Intruders. Warning. Healers. Warning. Protocol conflict."

"Let's not wait for it to resolve that conflict," Selene suggested, already moving toward the open doorway. I followed close behind, keeping one eye on the guardian as we entered the corridor. It made no move to stop us, but its sensors tracked our movement with predatory focus, its core still pulsing an unstable amber.

The corridor led to a control center, consoles flickering with diminishing power. Ancient Nyxari glyphs scrolled across screens, warning of system failures throughout the facility. Another tremor, stronger this time, shook the structure. A crack appeared in one wall, water seeping through.

"We need to stabilize the power core," I said, examining the nearest console. "Otherwise, we'll never access the information databanks."

Selene moved to another terminal. "These configurations look similar to some of the Seraphyne's backup systems. See these energy distribution matrices?"

I studied the patterns on her screen. "Yes, they follow the sacred geometry taught to Nyxari energy adepts."

"On our ship, we'd reroute auxiliary power to maintain critical systems." She pointed to a sequence of glyphs. "Could these represent power conduits?"

I stared at the symbols with new understanding. "Yes! These are the ancient symbols for energy flow. If we redirect power from non-essential areas..."

"We might buy enough time to access the databanks," she finished.

Working together, we began routing power away from abandoned sections toward the core systems. My knowledge of Nyxari energy patterns guided our decisions on which systems to sacrifice, while Selene's expertise with complex technology navigated the unfamiliar interface.

A section of ceiling collapsed behind us, water pouring through. "Hurry," I urged, fingers dancing across the ancient controls.

"Almost there," Selene muttered. "Just need to balance the load distribution or we'll overload the remaining circuits." The facility groaned around us, metal stressed beyond its limits. Water now covered the floor, rising steadily.

"There!" Selene exclaimed as the consoles brightened, power flowing more steadily. "Core stabilized at thirty-eight percent capacity."

"It will have to be enough." I moved to the central terminal. "Let's access the historical databanks while we can."

The screen before us flickered to life, displaying ancient records in Nyxari script. I began translating for Selene, but she interrupted me.

"I... I can read it," she said, astonishment in her voice. "It's as clear as my own language now."

I stared at her. "The neural integration is progressing faster than I thought. Your markings are adapting to Nyxari knowledge structures."

She leaned forward, scanning the text with increasing speed. "These records... they're about the origin of the markings. , look at this." The screen showed detailed diagrams of early marking patterns, alongside images of beings unlike any I'd ever seen—neither Nyxari nor human. An unfamiliar term was used for them, something archaic. "It says... it says the markings didn't originate with the Nyxari," Selene read slowly, sounding bewildered. "That they were interfaces created by... this other, ancient species? To bridge communication?"

I stared at the images, the unfamiliar beings depicted alongside patterns that resonated deep within my own lifelines. "That contradicts millennia of our history," I said, the words feeling heavy, wrong. "Our oldest texts speak of the markings as gifts from our ancestors, symbols purely of Nyxari healing and knowledge." My mind struggled to reconcile the data on the screen with generations of accepted truth. "Can this record be trusted? It implies... our understanding is incomplete."

"According to this, the marks were created as communication interfaces," Selene continued, tapping the screen. "To share complex knowledge between physiologically different peoples... bypassing spoken language."

I scrolled through more records, my worldview shifting with each revelation. "Direct knowledge transfer... facilitated by the markings."

"But then something went wrong," Selene said, pointing to a new section of text. "The Great Division." The records detailed how a faction of Nyxari sought to weaponize the technology, to use it for control rather than healing. The conflict had torn my civilization apart, leading to the technological regression my people had endured for generations.

"There's more," I said, reaching a section about the facility itself. "This place wasn't just for healing or knowledge transfer. It tapped into immense energy sources... look at these core readings."

Selene leaned closer, her eyes widening at the complex energy schematics displayed. "That's power on a scale far beyond anything the Seraphyne possessed. What was it for ?"

"The texts are fragmented here," I scanned the damaged records, "but it mentions... 'stabilization'... 'resonance harmonics'... perhaps related to the facility's own power core, or something larger?" I paused as a disturbing connection formed. "These energy signatures... they react erratically when exposed to the kind of interference patterns Hammond's artifact experiments likely create."

"So his tampering could be causing power surges or feedback loops within this ancient network?" Selene asked, understanding dawning. "Disrupting systems he doesn't comprehend? Could that be connected to the worsening tremors?"

"It's possible," I admitted grimly. "He's meddling with forces far beyond his understanding, focused only on the markings as weapons, blind to the energy systems they interface with."

A blaring alarm cut through our discovery. The damaged guardian appeared in the doorway, its core flashing bright red again, faster this time. "Emergency protocols engaged. Facility lockdown initiated." The door behind the guardian sealed shut with a heavy thud.

"We need to save this information," Selene said urgently, her eyes darting around the failing control center, scanning consoles and debris.

"Save it how?" I asked, watching the water rise and the guardian advance, its movements still jerky but undeniably menacing. "With what?"

"There must be something... some kind of storage..." Her gaze landed on a partially shattered console nearby. She splashed through the knee-deep water, rummaging quickly through the exposed components.

"Here!" She held up a small, intact crystalline shard, its facets catching the emergency lights. "Maybe this?"

I recognized the crystal structure as similar to memory devices from the ancient texts, but its specific function was unclear. "Selene, even if that is a data crystal, we have no way to access it back at the settlement. Our technology is incompatible."

"Maybe not now," she countered, quickly finding a port on the main terminal that accepted the crystal. She inserted it, and the console flared as it initiated a transfer. "But this knowledge is too important to lose! Maybe Rivera can figure it out later, or we'll find something else. We have to try!"

Water swirled around our thighs as sections of the facility began sealing themselves off with metallic groans. The guardian advanced, its movements jerky but its intent clear.

"Selene, forget the transfer!" I urged, searching the walls desperately for an escape route. "We need to find another way out. Now!"

She glanced at the screen, then scanned the flooding chamber. "Almost... The data transfer is at sixty percent. We can't leave without it!"

I scanned the walls, ignoring the advancing automaton for the moment... "There," I said, spotting a subtle difference in the wall pattern behind a half-submerged console. "That section doesn't match the rest of the chamber design."

Selene squinted at where I pointed. "You're right. The pattern breaks there." She waded through the rising water, now at our knees, placing her hands against the wall. Her markings illuminated, responding to something within the structure.

"There's a panel here," she said. "I can feel it.” Her fingers traced a complex pattern, and a hidden door slid open, revealing a narrow vertical shaft.

"An emergency evacuation route," I confirmed. "It should lead toward the surface."

The guardian lurched forward, sending a blast of energy that struck the console beside Selene. She ducked back, retrieving the data crystal as the console sparked and died.

"Got it! Ninety-three percent transferred."

"It will have to do. Into the shaft, now!"

The water reached our waists as Selene climbed into the narrow passage. I followed immediately behind, my larger frame barely fitting through the opening. The shaft contained metal rungs embedded in the wall, leading upward into darkness.

"Climb!" I urged as water poured into the shaft from below. We ascended rapidly, the sound of rushing water growing louder beneath us. The shaft occasionally branched into side passages, but I kept us moving upward, guided by subtle variations in air temperature that indicated proximity to the surface.

"The water's rising faster than we can climb," Selene called down to me.

She was right. Despite our pace, the floodwater gained on us, now only a few meters below my feet. The temperature in the shaft increased notably, steam beginning to rise around us.

"We're approaching a geothermal zone," I realized. "These shafts must connect to the natural hot springs near the surface."

"Great, so we either drown or get boiled alive?"

"Not quite." I pointed upward where the shaft widened into a natural cave formation. "The ancient builders incorporated the planet's natural systems into their designs. These channels regulate temperature through geyser activity."

We reached the cave, pulling ourselves onto a narrow ledge above steaming pools of water. Below us, the flooded shaft continued filling. Above, a series of natural chimneys led toward daylight.

"Those vents release pressure periodically," I explained. "If we time it correctly, we can use a geyser eruption to reach the surface."

Selene looked skeptical. "You want us to ride a geyser?"

"It's either that or stay here until the water rises enough to drown us." She studied the vents for a moment, then nodded. "The rhythms aren't random. Look at how the steam pulses—there's a pattern."

She was right. The largest vent showed signs of an imminent eruption, pressure building visibly.

"That one," I pointed. "When it erupts, we'll have to jump into the flow. The water pressure will carry us upward."

"And if we miss the timing?"

"Then we'll be slammed against the rocks by superheated water."

She gave me a wry look. "At least you're honest."

The water continued rising, now lapping at the edge of our ledge. We positioned ourselves beneath the largest vent, waiting for the telltale signs of eruption.

"Ready?" I asked, taking her hand.

She squeezed mine in return. "As I'll ever be."

The vent rumbled, steam intensifying.

"Now!" We leaped upward as the geyser erupted, the force of superheated water catching us and propelling us through the natural chimney. The journey lasted only seconds—a violent, turbulent ascent through near-boiling water and steam. Then suddenly, we were airborne, thrown clear of the vent into open air.

We landed hard on wet ground, rolling away from the still-erupting geyser. Gasping and soaked, we lay there for several moments, simply breathing in the fresh air.

When I finally sat up, I barely recognized our surroundings. The landscape had transformed dramatically since we'd entered the underground facility. What had been a forest clearing was now a steaming field of freshly exposed rock and mud. The storm and seismic activity had reshaped the entire area, toppling trees and creating new formations of stone.

Selene pushed herself to her feet beside me, surveying the changed terrain. "We made it."

A strange sensation prickled behind my neck—the feeling of disorientation in a landscape suddenly foreign. I scanned our surroundings, trying to get my bearings through the steam. As the mist parted ahead of us, I went still at the sight before me—where once had been dense forest now stood an impossible formation: a massive arch of newly exposed stone, twisted and gleaming with mineral deposits, spanning across what was a newly formed ravine. The seismic activity hadn't just changed the surface—it had completely rewritten the geography around us.