[IC] The Dark Beyond

[Estylwen]

The Dark Beyond

---

Coordinates lit up the dashboard, a bright green dot amidst the sea of darkness. The hum of propellers could be heard through the titanium walls of the self-piloting submarine, carrying the newest contractor of HiveMind to their destination far below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea.

Nick would find himself strapped to a seat, feeling the pressure as the submarine dove deeper into inky darkness. Through a small reinforced glass, he could see the frightening depths of the sea swallowing them up as the submarine continued to advance.

"Vitals are stable. Nick, how are you feeling?" Came a buzzing voice through his earpiece, a lead assistant of HiveMind and his navigator for this dive into the dark energy signal's zone. She could track him through the wrist wearable they had equipped him with, able to see basic vital signs and geolocation.

HiveMind had also equipped him with a thin metal headpiece that wrapped from the side of his cortex to the center of his forehead, a thin sheet of plastic coming down over one eye. It was a non-invasive AR sight that also hooked Nick up to the HiveMind's AI companion, which could help guide Nick through the complex labyrinth system that drones had previously mapped. Or at least tried to, before disintegrating in the presence of unstable dark energy. His emergency bag, which was also gifted from HiveMind, held dark energy stabilizers, water, food rations, and emergency equipment like rope, a flashlight, and a first aid kit.

"We're getting close to the site. Be prepared to exit the craft in a few moments." Said the lead assistant matter-of-factly.

There was a slight bump as the submarine came to rest against some type of shoreline and a hiss as the overhead door became de-pressurized and unlocked. If Nick were to open it, he would find a peculiar sight. He appeared to be in an under-cave air pocket. However, this air pocket was massive. Due to the presence of dark energy, the ceiling of the cave, instead of being a rocky roof, appeared like an artificial sky. Purple lightning streaked across this sky, tumultuous clouds circling. If Nick looked in front of him, he would see what appeared to be the broken remains of a ruin, with fragments of stone foundation sticking up and chunks of rock leaning haphazardly in his path.

Further up ahead, there appeared to be some type of cave entrance, and scattered among his feet seemed to be scattered remnants of a broken tablet, among small uncut garnets and emeralds.

"The dark energy signal is deeper in the tunnels of this cave. We've only done preliminary scans of the area, so let me know if you see or sense anything out of the ordinary." Said the lead assistant.

The dark energy, its secrets, and fortunes were ahead. But also ahead was the sense of foreboding danger. The distinct feeling like he was entering a predator's domain. The air was heavy, and an ominous hush fell over the cave.

Within the inky depths of the far cave entrance, Nick could hear slow, heavy breathing.

[Lexisheeps]

S'il vous plaît! Je dois. S'il vous plaît? J'ai besoin. Mais? Pourquoi tu me fais la gueule?!

This is who I am. Who you were. Why are you arguing about this!?
Because I see you making the same mistakes I already have! HiveMind isn't owned by The Louvre...

...Thierry...

No! I will not idly sit by and...
And what? Watch me ruin my life the way you have yours?

That's ...n-not fair.

"Vitals are stable. Nick, how are you feeling?"

The HiveMind assistant caught Nick off guard, he wasn't used to using earpieces and having virtual assistance. He refocused his energy away from the memory of his whimpering spouse and lied, "100%."

"We're getting close to the site. Be prepared to exit the craft in a few moments."

"Roger." Nick had no real desire to carry on a conversation with this disembodied woman. Just get the job done with. Get home. That's how every new mission started off spectacularly more since getting married. Nothing new here.

He unstrapped himself from the seat once the submarine stopped. There was a sense of familiarity as he strapped his EDC belt, thigh and shoulder holster on. Nick mumbled to himself, "Pistol, flashlight, check. Clip. Check." But hushed himself as he went back into deep thought about his gear, or mostly about his gear.

The stride out of the submarine lead him into a deep cave. He'd been in underwater aqueducts similar to this before, but none that also had the playground of ancient ruins. Supposedly ancient, supposedly. It really was a site to behold. The cave ceiling turned sky as the rock legitimately looked like light striking across the dark night, "Pay dirt." It was during this mental noting that he heard the breathing. Nick figured there was no point in beating around the bush when he was in plain sight.

"Hey, I know you're here." Nick paused, lowing his voice a bit, "I know you can see me."

Nick put his hand to his ear piece to talk to the virtual assistant, "Anybody supposed to be down here with me?" As he waited for the assistant to answer, he removed the AR sight from his face. It was starting to give him a headache. He placed the device in his utility watch for safe keeping.

Then spoke out to the ruins again, "We good?"

He muttered to himself with an eyeroll, "...and has no harmful byproducts my ass." Maybe... Thierry was right about HiveMind.

...

...Don't do anything I wouldn't do.

[Estylwen]

Chapter 1: The Trial of the Ruins

@Lexisheeps
Underwater Cave, Ruins

---

"Anybody supposed to be down here with me?"

There was a pause before the assistant responded. "No, Contractor Nick. By all records, it should just be you and a few of HiveMind's dron-"

Suspense weighed heavy in the air as the assistant seemed to check something. "From my dark energy scanner, I'm detecting a large energy signature a-approaching you. That wasn't there before, I don't- I don't know what's going on. What do you see?"

A slight hush came over the ruins as something slithered closer from the inky confines of the tunnel. A glint of ivory and purple, eyes wide in a frenzied madness, blinked open from within the tunnel.

In response to Nick's words, the beast within the darkness roared and charged forth, its body ripping off bits of the rock off the tunnel. It appeared over the ruins, a massive, writhing dragon-like beast, a dark silhouette painted against a flashing, tumultuous sky. Its skin held the same pearlescent as condensed dark energy, and its eyes were glazed with bloodlust.

A dark energy beast, perhaps defending its territory, perhaps something else. But, one thing was clear as it slowly and ominously advanced towards Nick - it was out for blood.

What Nick would notice, as the beast slowly approached, was that the tunnel behind it was now wide and empty. It may work as a place in which to outrun or hide from this monster, if Nick chose that route.

[Lexisheeps]

Nick noticed the sense of fear in the assistant's voice. He figured she'd be useless if he didn't try to calm her down, so he kept his voice in a bored monotone as he spoke, "Please. Either Mr. Bergman or Nick. Now, I have had a few people start calling me Monsieur over at The Louvre, since getting married, but honestly... that's my spouse. Either way, none of this contractor nonsense."

"...What do you see?"

Hands rested in folded arms as Nick surveyed the dragon-like mass that approached him. While it seemed angry, it was slow and cumbersome. No need to waste ammo over this. He spoke to the assistant pointedly, "I don't think the locals are human, so I'm not going to bother with it for now."

Nick noticed the tunnel the dragon came from, but decided to head over to the ruins instead. As long as he kept his eye on the beast, it didn't seem like too much trouble. Maybe it had a nest and would leave him alone once it realized he was not a threat. The ground was shaky beneath his feet at best, but made him stumble at worst. The bits and shards of stone foundation under his feet, indicated some kind of explosion had happened. He couldn't help but think said explosion had happened relatively recently. Why would HiveMind lead him into believing these were just ancient ruins?

With a bit of a climb, he gained some height and rebalanced himself. Nick looked around at the ruins, realizing he'd lost scope of the dragon. Exactly what had he gotten himself into this time? He wondered about the possibilities as he questioned the assistant, "Is there anything new added to the file about this place? Like, who lived here and why?"

[Estylwen]

@Lexisheeps
Underwater Cave, Ruins

---

The assistant seemed to swallow nervously at this and relax, somewhat distracted by Nick's words. "Right, I'll refer to you as Nick from now on."

A Nick retreated to another area within the ruins, the dragon seemed to circle back to its tunnel and glide inside. From the depths of the tunnel, different sounds could be heard. This time, tiny voices, like chicks chirping for their mother, echoed from the dark tunnel.

"Is there anything new added to the file about this place? Like, who lived here and why?"

The HiveMind assistant's voice seemed to pick up a notch, enthusiasm thinly veiled behind professionalism. "From what my records indicate, when TRUMPET found this site, our initial scans showed the remnants of seismic activities. Our analysts theorized that this place is somewhat of a time capsule. Some type of reaction caused this ancient civilization, likely a fisherman village, to become encapsulated in condensed dark energy and plunge to the bottom of the sea. This is different to other sites, as there's often not so much still left intact."

There's a slight pause before she continued. "Due to a few.... unforeseen circumstances, our previous ventures have proved fruitless at this dark energy site."

She was making a reference to the evidence of explosions at the site. Perhaps they were from previous Contractors trying to defend themselves and cut a way forward.

"We equipped previous Contractors with all means of tools, yet none have gotten the results we have wanted. At least..."

There seemed to be a smirk enveloping her next words. "Until you were chosen. HiveMind is very hopeful of your capabilities, Nick."

Climbing up to what appeared to be some type of roof of a small stone hut, Nick got his bearings. To his far left was the tunnel and the subsequent dragon. To his right, framed against the flashing sky, was the remains of a looming tower. Ahead and in the distance, past the ruins, was an ethereal sight. Trees, or at least, the silhouetted form of trees, bark dancing with the same rainbow perlecent that the dragon's scales held. They seemed to go on for a ways, Nick's eyes getting lost as he tried to see further.

That was when a sudden cry alerted him. To his right, near the tower, the frantic screaming of a young girl could be heard over the howl of a beast.

If Nick decided to follow the sound, he would see a small girl kneeling on the ground and trying to pull her arm out of the jaws of a black, purple-eyed dark energy wolf. It growled, gazing at her hungrily and digging its teeth deeper into her flesh.

[Lexisheeps]

"Good." Nick was relieved that the assistant seemed to be calming down.

"...as there's often not so much still left intact."

"Yeah, but are you sure it's ancient?" Nick questioned his assistant as he knelt down, "Time capsules can be of any age, honestly." The debris between his fingers seemed really fresh. Maybe almost as if the place was abandoned prior to the explosion. Like, they knew it was coming.

This site certainly was not Pompeii by any means. Different ideas danced across Nick's mind as he stood back up.

"...Until you were chosen. HiveMind is very hopeful of your capabilities, Nick."

"Gee, thanks sweetheart. You're making me blush." Nick eyerolled at the invisible charmer, "But I'm happily married."

He'd been looking at what seemed like mountains in the distance and a clock tower a bit closer than that. A high pitched scream caught Nick's attention. He sighed in frustration, "I thought you said I was down here alone." He knew this job had been too good to be true.

There was a bit of hesitation from him until the screaming became a bit more frantic. An animal's growls were thrown in the mix when Nick finally and literally jumped into action. He used the slippery ground under his feet to gain speed as he headed in the direction of the screaming. A girl came into view as well as the attacker. An animal that was either hungry or angry.

As he ran in her direction, he withdrew a single M9 from his hip and fired a few shots. Lining up with, hopefully a headshot of, the ink monster.

[WhiteAngel25]

On the other side of the cave and ancient ruins, a separate submarine dove closer to a different entrance carrying a lone young woman with long white hair twisted into a braid and piercing blue eyes.

"This is utterly ridiculous. Why am I doing this again?" Cristella muttered to herself as her submarine docked just outside the coordinates of these ancient ruins. It was just a big, dark underwater chunk of land and caves. Her current employer wanted details of the place before they decided to send down a full team. Stella was honestly surprised when they accepted her bid for the job. Of course, not many people specialized in scouting 'ancient' ruins.

Stella chose to leave the assistant on mute. She preferred her own voice inside her head as she got ready to exit the underwater craft. She slipped her cross-body pack on, secured it to her being, and grabbed what appeared to be a large piece of glass but was her digital tablet to sketch and record her findings. Stella carefully slipped the tablet into her pack before putting on the proper gear and leaving the safety of the submarine.

As Stella clicked the flashlight on the strap of her pack, she vaguely felt the ground shake, followed by the distant sounds of...chirping? What could be chirping down in an underwater cavern? She didn't know if she wanted to find out but she continued on anyway. A paycheck was a paycheck. Honestly, this way she could send her father a figurative middle finger when he learns she was the one to map the coordinates of this ancient ruin.

Once Stella came upon a stone paver in the ground, she pulled out her tablet and stylist pen. Stella began to sketch a crude map of how much she had traveled inward. She calculated the length of the large slabs that made up what used to be a walkway. Only some had been blown up. A lot had been blown up by what Stella had seen.

Stella paused in her sketching when she heard a growl that soon became more growls. She slowly stood up straight to see several wolf-like creatures coming out of the foliage and smaller cavern holes. Her heart rate started to rise as she carefully walked backward but didn't take her eyes off of the creatures.

Soon there were about five, then seven, then ten, and finally a dozen, wolf creatures stalking towards her, blocking the exit to her submarine. The creatures snapped their jaws at Stella menacingly. One of the wolf creatures actually pounced towards her. That was enough to make her turn around and high-tail it further into the ruins. Stella was running as fast as she hoped to lose the creatures when she reached the ruins then she heard a young girl scream and gunshots.

There are more people down here? Stella thought in disbelief as she continued to run.

[Estylwen]

Underwater Cave, Ruins

@Lexisheeps

---

"Yeah, but are you sure it's ancient?"

There was a pause, almost as if there was a slight hesitation, before the assistant spoke again. "My records indicate the preliminary scans suggest this site shows evidence of civilization from 4700 BC. But, if you see anything that doesn't fit that model of thinking, I would kindly ask that you disregard it."

She seemed to be hiding something, but it was uncertain as to what she didn't want Nick to question further.

"I thought you said I was down here alone."

The sounds of whirring and alarms could be heard from the assistant as silver and white drones sped towards the tower. "No, no, that's impossible." Was her soft reply, mumbling to herself in disbelief. "I checked, I swore it- Argh. I'm sending drones to the site, don't-"

But Nick was already moving towards the tower. The assistant quickly chimed in. "Don't risk yourself to save it, I'm telling you right now-"

As Nick lined his sights and took the shot, the hollow thump as the body of the wolf-like creature fell was the only tell-tale sign that the bullets had struck true. The girl tore her arm from the jaws of the beast, the flesh torn and bloodied. Her brilliant eyes locked on her rescuer immediately, a mixture of trepidation and gratitude emanating from them.

But the peace wouldn't last.

---

Underwater Cave, Tower

@Lexisheeps, @WhiteAngel25

---

Howls of anguish echoed from all around the ruins as the pack of wolf-like creatures circled, mourning their loss. There was a gnash of teeth and a new scent, foreign yet familiar with the way of ancient ruins, that mingled with the other two scents. The dark wolves acted quickly, one branch splitting off from the pack to herd Stella off from going beyond the tower. If they were successful, the scene would unfold as thus: three strangers, Nick, Stella, and the small girl, staring at the circling, growling masses as the wolves drew closer to their prey.

Two drones watched from afar, taking in the scene. Back at the HiveMind headquarters, the live feed of a new unknown, Stella, brought with it cause for alarm within the room.

"Who the hell is that?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Not the answer I'm looking for, Brenda. You're fired."

A pause. "Yes sir."

The lead researcher continued, his voice bellowing through the headquarters of HiveMind. "I want details on this new explorer stat. If we can use them to further our own ends on this site, good. If they're from a rival researcher, we will have to guard our secrets very, very closely."

Back at the tower, the small girl seemed to hold back a whimper, pulling herself off the ground and withdrawing a small artifact from her pocket. She held it up, eyes briefly flashing before a beam of concentrated dark energy fired from the artifact, vaporizing the nearest wolf-like creature. In response, the wolves howled, bearing their teeth and preparing to pounce as a collective.

"Quick, the rope!" She said, her voice high and whispery, her hand outstretched to the crumbled entrance to the tower. If Nick and Stella looked, they would see within the tower was a dangling bit of rope that was attached to a rock outcropping 20 feet up, a place they could get away from the wolves if they didn't feel confident enough to take on the remaining ten or so monsters circling like ravens.

[Lexisheeps]

@WhiteAngel25 @Estylwen

The hummed buzzing of several drones overhead irritated him. Not so much for the noise they made, but he felt they showed a lack of respect for the ruins. True explorers, Archeologists, always went in person. Scientists on the other hand, had a nasty habit of muddying things up. Only wanted to index everything they saw. Never truly experience it. Even while he worked for The Louvre Museum, Nick had always disliked Team Science, and stuck with like-minded individuals, such as his spouse. A lot of people assumed he picked bronze over brains, but one could argue that there's different types of intellect.

He wasn't surprised that his assistant seemed to be holding back information. Nick already had an argument with his spouse, about this exact subject. He was more frustrated with the idea of being lied to over whether he was down here alone or not. Clearly he wasn't, clearly these ruins weren't ancient. So what the actual hell was he doing down here?

The humming buzz was indeed audible, but not loud enough to drown out the yelling of someone in his earpiece. It didn't seem to be his assistant that was yelling, but regardless, Nick quickly yanked the earbud from his ear and clutched his ear in pain, "Fuck."

He spoke to his assistant, not really carring if she could hear him or not, "So great. Not only am I not on a solo job, but now I have to babysit and deal with wacky mad scientists too. What next? I'd rather have my car towed and a root canal on the same damn day."

And then he saw her. The long flowing hair, the braid. She had a look about her that felt rather unnatural, Great. A humanoid. Welcome to the story of my life that is now a Marvel Cinematic Universal train wreck. He was very prejudice in his beliefs about bodily augmentation, hell, Nick didn't even have any tattoos. His prejudice for augmentation was ironic, as he had no experience or first hand knowledge of anyone who'd undergone such advancements. But could equally spend all day bitching about how scientists failed to want to explore ruins in the proper manner...

As the woman got closer, Nick stopped his inner complaint and yelled out, "Are you with HiveMind or do I get extra target practice for the day?"

"Quick, the rope!" Came the little girly he'd just saved, but Nick wasn't having any of it.

"No. They're just hungry." Nick pushed at buttons on his watch, disregarding the girl's wishes for him to climb. He pulled out a few jerky rations and threw them in the litter's direction. He stood in silence as he watched the little critters climb all over each other gobbling up as much food as possible. He sighed, knowing full well he'd just secured their doomed fate for survival by killing their mother. Day was too long already, "The mother attacked you because you're big enough to feed them all, but small enough to take on by herself."

As the pups ran with the food, Nick finally saw The Mask from Provadia the little girl was holding. Nowhere in any of his mission's paperwork had they mentioned Bulgaria. The Mediterranean Sea, to the average person, a scientist, would be too far away to make any significate or meaningful theory as to what was going on here. He'd saved a piece of jerky for himself and with a full chewing motion, "And that's why I love my job."

Nick finally noticed the young girl's bloodied arm and turned to the cyborg that had approached, mouth still full, "You a medic?"

[WhiteAngel25]

@Lexisheeps@Estylwen

Stella rounded the corner of the cavern and saw the young girl with the man who must have fired the gun. Her plan was to get to the safety of a ruined building. The man threw jerky and the dozen wolf creatures stopped their chase and she stopped running. Before Stella could even thank the man for distracting the hungry creatures, the man threatened her as a target. She frowned and wondered what his problem was as her augmentations were hidden under her jacket and gloves.

"I was wondering what those buzzing sounds were," Stella muttered as she saw the drones that buzzed around. The young man mentioned her being a medic and pointed at the young girl who clutched an artifact. "I used to be. I can see what to do once we get somewhere safer."

Stella picked up the young girl with ease. She was careful to not disturb the young girl's arm. This also allowed her to get a good look at the artifact the girl was holding. "Your jerky isn't going to last them long and I really don't want to be dog chow. So, thanks but I choose life," she said to the man as she made her way to the tower in a cautious, quick manner.

Once they got to the rope, Stella gave a good strong tug as she was going to have to carry the young girl up if this was the way to safety. When the rope stayed, Stella let out a breath of relief and knelt down in front of the young one. "With your good arm, I want you to wrap it around my neck to hold onto the left side of my jacket while your legs will be wrapped around my waist. Then I will take a look at your arm, okay?" She said with a gentle smile and had the young girl get on her back piggyback style.

"Okay, here we go," Stella said as she used the rope to assist in climbing up the outcrop. She was nervous, however, she refocused and got to the top.

Stella stood up and carefully helped the girl get off her back. She had the young girl sit on an old-looking stone bench. "Let's take a look at your arm," she said as she gently handled the arm. There were a few deep punctures followed by the tearing of flesh. "You pulled your arm out. You should've waited for one of us to pry the wolf's jaws open. You made your injuries worse," Stella explained as she took off her right glove and got out some antiseptic and bandaging materials.

"What I'm going to do is sew up these deeper wounds and just bandage the others," Stella explained with a soft smile as her eyes flickered to the artifact in the girl's hands. "Something like that is very dangerous. How did a young one like you find it?" She asked, mainly to distract the girl from her pouring a little antiseptic on the girl's wounds. The needle appeared from her thumb as she began to sew up the girl's arm.

[Estylwen]

Underwater Cave, Tower

@Lexisheeps, @WhiteAngel25

---

"The mother attacked you because you're big enough to feed them all, but small enough to take on by herself." Nick said.

"I'm not wolf food!" She exclaimed, panicked. "I'm Subject #003, and am un-eatable!"

The glaring grammar seemed to attest to the fact there was something a bit strange about this young girl. However, she did seem to simmer down as she watched the other wolves quickly devour the food. The wolves began to roughhouse with one another, becoming too distracted with their littermates to bother the archeologists and the girl much further.

"Your jerky isn't going to last them long and I really don't want to be dog chow. So, thanks but I choose life," Stella said.

Subject #003 gasped at that, her eyes welling up. "So I really am gonna be wolf food."

That was when Stella gave a tug on the rope and relayed her instructions. Subject #003 nodded, gulping nervously. "O-okay..."

From the safety of the outcropping, Subject #003 sat patiently while Stella cleaned up her arm.

When Stella looked at the girl's artifact, she tried to hide it in her pocket, anxious. "Something like that is very dangerous. How did a young one like you find it?"

The girl seemed to be entirely caught up in the question, an embarrassed heat flushing over her cheeks. She didn't make a move or a sudden cry in pain as Stella expertly sewed her larger wounds shut. It was almost as if Subject #003's senses were dull to smaller forms of pain. That was when Stella would notice the white collar around Subject #003's neck, blinking green every few seconds.

"Well uh," Subject #003 started, "I uhm.... I sorta..."

Her head dipped down. "I stole it."

She looked at the masterful craftsmanship as Stella finished sewing, her mouth agape in awe. "It looks so much better, thank you."

Her head tilted curiously. "Did you feel that?"

Again, a slight tremor shook the underwater cave. And then again, stronger. Subject #003's eyes bulged, gripping onto Stella's arm. Above the tower, arcing down from the flashing 'sky,' was a single, glowing, white orb.

"אני מתגעגע אליהם"

Strange noises penetrated the air as the orb hovered above them. If either Stella or Nick chose to, their AI assistants could translate this, being well-versed in ancient languages.

The orb seemed to pause, then slowly drifted towards the forest, disappearing in between the trees. Subject #003 watched it go, then turned to Stella and Nick. "I don't know what it wants, but it keeps following me. I figured it's after something. Maybe it needs peace? I don't know, but I've searched almost the entire ruins, and I haven't found anything it likes..."

If Nick and Stella decided to pursue the white orb, their path would lead them deep into the woods, where an old, decrepit crypt lay. However, to get there, they would have to go through the wolves still circling the tower. Having finished the beef jerky, they had started growling again, snapping at them and sizing them up as prey. Delicious prey.

[Lexisheeps]

@Estylwen @WhiteAngel25

Nick didn't understand these two girls. They hastily evaded the wolf cubs prompting him to shake his head, "They're just puppies, Jesus. I've had Rottweilers and a Chihuahua that were meaner than these little guys."

He had no real interest in following the girls up the tower. He knew what time it was. Besides that, he was certain there'd be more masks of Provadia lying around. There just had to be. They were a dime a dozen back on main dig sites after all. But it was still good to know that the masks were even here to begin with. He looked up to the tower, "Thanks for the pro-tip... the mask, I mean."

Instead, Nick invested himself in playing with the puppies before moving on. Some were a bit more agitated than others and after a closer look, they all seemed like they could survive without their mother, "Hey!" He damn near shouted as he shoved aside one cub to rescue a runt, "Pick on somebody your own size."

A few minutes went by as he handled the little thing, thinking up a good name. All the while giving the pup kissy faces and getting them in return, of course, "Ivaylo. I guess for now I'll call you, Ivaylo. Generic Bulgarian name is generic, but it's better than calling you Dark Knight or something. Right, little guy?"

It was around this time that the ground shook and the rest of the rough housing litter scrambled in fear, "Well that frequency wasn't in my mission report, but I can see why they'd want a ruins explorer. That makes three, four? Tremors. Since I got here."

Realizing that HiveMind had no real intentions of telling him the truth, Nick pocketed the earpiece. "Guess Brenda will just have to call me, Rogue Contractor Nick, for the time being." Nick spoke softly to Ivaylo, who had settled down in his inner elbow. Naptime.

And then the orb of light with a Hebrew message in the sky, "Alright. You miss something. Could you be a little less vauge? What does the scary orb demon miss, Ivaylo, huh? Me? Doubtful. You? You're cute. I'd miss you."

Nick calmly followed the orb, sleepy puppy in arm. There was a mystery to solve and it was much more interesting than a couple of scaredy-cat girls. He'd been hoping for a solo job anyways. As he ventured towards the forest, he didn't give any thought as to if the girls would think he was completely insane. He was already well aware that he was. A prerequisite to being an on-the-field archeologist, if you will.

[WhiteAngel25]

@Lexisheeps@Estylwen

Stella raised an eyebrow when #3 admitted that she stole the artifact in her hands. She also found it interesting that this girl didn't wince or attempt to scream while she sewed up her arm. This girl is definitely not a normal human being, she thought to herself. Stella stood up and dusted off her knees when the white orb appeared. Her hands itched for her rifle with how fast the orb appeared but she quickly pulled out her tablet and drew the symbols for later.

"Well, #3, I think it wants you to follow it. I say that's what we should do." Stella said as she put her right glove back on. She looked over the edge of the outcrop as the young man spoke to them. "Which means we have to go back down. I think we should be okay, Pew-Pew-Shooter-Man seems to be completely fine to take these wolves head-on. He even adopted a runt by the looks of it," she explained with slight disbelief and shook her head.

Stella knelt down to be at eye level with #3. "We're going to piggyback again, okay? I don't want you using that arm until it is completely healed." She said as she didn't know why she was so motherly towards this young girl. This girl was down here left alone to defend herself, it reminded Stella of her own childhood.

Once the two were back on the ground, Stella kept #3 on her back. It would be faster to catch up with Nick. "Do you not have a sense of self-preservation? You walk straight into an unknown forest with your newly adopted pup without fear?" Stella asked Nick when they caught up.

[Estylwen]

HiveMind Head Quarters

---

"Sir?" the assistant spoke, a tremor in her voice. "Nick has gone rogue."

There was a deep chuckle as the lead researcher responded. "Good."

"Good, sir?"

"Yes. A bit earlier than planned, but I couldn't ask for a better outcome. Our little Contractor will provide the results we want, the outcome we need, better like this. I want as minimal interference as possible until the time is right."

"Yes. sir."

"Sir?" Another voice. "A report on codename 'Stella' is complete."

"Let me see." There's a pause. "Fascinating. So you're telling me we have no idea the real origin of her augmentations? It's certainly nothing we've produced, and HiveMind is a proud near-monopoly nowadays. Any mention on who she's working for?"

"None, sir. We will keep trying, though."

"Don't bother. I have a plan for her, when the time is right. For both of them, really."

"...Yes sir."

Underwater Cave, Crypt

@Lexisheeps, @WhiteAngel25

---

Subject #3 smiled as she rode piggyback on Stella again, quickly catching up to Nick. "Thank you, miss."

She stared bewildered at the small dark wolf he held in his arms, clearly showing signs of PTSD from the sewn wounds on her bandaged arm.

Soon enough, the trio found themselves in front of the crypt. The entrance was covered in dark energy vines, entwining more deeply here. Upon descending what remained of the crumbled stone steps, Nick and Stella would need a light source to see what was in front of them. The white orb, faintly illuminant in the distance, seemed to be hovering over something.

If Nick and Stella gave it a closer inspection, they would find the bones of a man, aged with time and half emerging from the stone. There were two marks in the dust near its folded hands. These two marks were distinctly shaped, like two specific objects had been sitting there for a long time before getting relocated, or stolen.

The orb continued to hover here, giving a hint to its pain. Subject #3 gave it a long, hard look as she held tightly on Stella's back, before finally saying. "It feels... sad."

If Nick and Stella decided to explore the crypt, they would be met with similar burial graves, some with objects left on them, some without. There were a few more masks littered here, if one was watchful. Even some scant cultures and cracked pots. Some were lifeless, yet some were strangely infused with power, a dark glow emanating from them.

Near the far edge of the hallow, there was a crumpled stairwell leading down two ways, one to the left, and one to the right. There was the sound of fluttering coming from the path to the left, and bubbles from the path to the right. Perhaps these paths led to what the orb was seeking.

[Lexisheeps]

@Estylwen @WhiteAngel25

"Do you not have a sense of self-preservation? You walk straight into an unknown forest with your newly adopted pup without fear?"

Nick sighed.

"Please. If you're gonna follow me, could you not pretend to be my spouse?" He eyerolled before continuing, "I get enough annoyance from him as it is. But if you insist that you're gonna follow me, I suppose we should be on a first name basis. Nick."

Nick deliberately ignored the Pew-Pew-Shooter-Man comment Stella had made. It wasn't completely inaccurate after all.

He hadn't turned around or halted to chitchat as he'd spoken. Didn't notice #3's glances at his... puppy. Just continued on until reaching one of several crypts. His mind was whirling with all that had happened up to this point. The many things that led up to the argument between him and his spouse. The Louvre Museum and it's many facets. Knowing full well that HiveMind was up to something and that The Louvre was not thrilled. He had matrimonially taken sides, then chose party realignment at the last minute. How could he do that? Risk his very marriage over proving something that honestly didn't need proven? It felt like a lose-lose situation all around. He felt sick.

HiveMind might have won this battle, but he'd be damned if they won the war.

The orb seemed fixated over the body of a dead man. Nick finally noticed #3's glace at his new puppy as he'd turned to them. He spoke calmly to her, "Where'd you find your mask at? I'll trade you my puppy for your mask. But you gotta be nice to him. He's little. His name is Ivaylo. It's a Bulgarian name that means wolf."

Nick held the cub out to #3 and spoke softly, "Maybe if you trade me, I can see why the man and his orb feels sad, yeah?"

[WhiteAngel25]

@Lexisheeps@Estylwen

Stella smirked softly at Nick's comment about not acting like his spouse. "I was mainly teasing earlier. I could see that if someone loved another, how they wouldn't want their spouse to work for HiveMind. I am Stella. Thank you for the jerky distraction earlier." She said as they got closer to the crypt. Stella's blue eyes began to glow slightly as her eyes started to spot differences in the environment.

"This is incredible. Pieces of a lost culture, preserved by the forest." Stella commented as she paused when they got to the crypt door. She put #3 down as Nick tried to offer the pup in exchange for the mask she held. Stella began to sketch and take notes of the symbols and what she saw. She gently picked up a mask that was similar to #3's.

"Nick, I don't think you need to trade your new pet. Look at this. There are a few dozen of them within a ten-meter radius," Stella said as she handed him one of the intact masks, careful not to disturb the graves too much. She heard #3's comment about how the orb feels sad. The young woman looked at the orb and her mouth dropped open in slight shock at the realization.

"That's because it's a memory AI. Someone preserved their consciences in that orb. Incredible." Stella murmured as she walked towards the stairs in a cautious manner. "This place seems to be like what was their tomb mausoleum. Basically, everyone that passed away in their culture was buried here," she explained while she walked further into the crypt towards the stairs.

Stella's eyes flickered to the steps of the stairs to determine which path had been the most traveled. While both paths were well used, she chose to go to the right.

[Estylwen]

Underwater Cave, Crypt

@Lexisheeps, @WhiteAngel25

---

"Where'd you find your mask at?"

She stared up at him sheepishly as Stella set her down. The mask was clutched in her pocket defensively. "I... When I was traveling around dark corridors, I saw a room filled ceiling to floor with-- Arrrgh!"

Her knees buckled as the white ring around her neck activated, sending a convulsing shock through her body. She tried to speak, or at least finish her sentence, but would receive more shocks that inhibited her ability to speak without crying out in pain.

Finally, gasping for air, she staggered back to her feet. "I didn't find it here." Her eyes were wide, trying to convey some sort of meaning beyond what she could actually speak.

At Nick's suggestion to trade him his puppy for her mask, she stared hard at the small wolf. Uncertainty painted her expression as her clash with the pup's mother replayed behind her eyes. She gave the mask a squeeze, teetering on making a decision. Nick would have to say something to sweeten the deal.

"Maybe if you trade me, I can see why the man and his orb feels sad, yeah?"

At that, her eyes lit up, and she willingly offered the mask to Nick, a huge smile on her face. "Would you really? Oh, that would mean so much to me! You don't know how much I've wanted to help him. I just... don't know how to."

"Nick, I don't think you need to trade your new pet. Look at this. There are a few dozen of them within a ten-meter radius,"

Indeed, Stella's eyes proved fortuitous. There were some masks similar to the one in Subject #3's possession, but with a chipped face, and different stylized lines. If she tried to 'activate' any one of these masks, it was similar to activating an augmentation. One would simply just have to think about it willfully.

All of the masks in this crypt appeared to have the same power, strangely enough. Upon activation, dark ice crystals would grow out from the mask, slowly enveloping anything it touched in a frighteningly icy grip. Although the power differed from Subject #3's mask, the dark ice power could prove useful.

"That's because it's a memory AI. Someone preserved their consciences in that orb."

"So... like a spirit?" Subject #3 asked, eyes bulging, trying to consider the mind-boggling process of having one's essence encoded forever.

She turned to Nick, arms outstretched as she held her breath. She waited for her new pet puppy.

"Don't bite me, Ivaylo..." She said tentatively, forgetting all about her traded mask.

If the path to the right was explored, Nick and Stella would find the eroded stairs circling down many levels before opening up into a large cavern. The heat would increasingly rise on the descent until they made it to the bottom floor of the crypt in the dark energy-created cave at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.

Before their eyes, Nick and Stella would see a floor ringed with several rivers of molten lava, cris-crossing across dark patches of volcanic stone. On the far side of the room, beyond the rivers, was a pedestal with a small sculpture on it. Stella's eyes would be able to pick up that the shape of the scultupre's base matched that of the dust markings on one side of the bones that the orb hovered over.

The way to the sculpture was nearly impossible. The rivers were too wide to simply jump across, and dangerously hot to even consider wading through. However, the walls seemed cool and reliable. Perhaps another way that guaranteed everyone's safety could be found...

[Lexisheeps]

@Estylwen @WhiteAngel25

Stella was right, there seemed to be tons of masks all over the place, now that he looked closer. However, he was beginning to think that maybe #3 shouldn't have the mask and continued to trade with her regardless. He felt this as she seemed fragile. And after further looking, most of the other masks seemed broken or missing decorative parts. A broken mask didn't seem as useful as one that wasn't.

Nick paid no mind as Stella headed down the right set of stairs. He focused in on #3, "Memory AI?" He repeated #3's words before continuing, "I've had a few... run-ins."

He wasn't too thrilled with the idea, but it was all starting to come together. The information he'd been given about HiveMind from his spouse, the collar around #3s neck, the Memory AI. There was absolutely no way in hell that this was an ancient dig site like HiveMind had tried to convince him of. Something else was going on here, but what?

The ground shook again. Great, another tremor. Nick thought to himself as he examined the newly acquired mask. It seemed as though the frequency for the earthquakes were increasing over time. He'd already counted 25 of them, not counting mini tremors. It was all very alarming, if he was to be honest with himself. He just couldn't figure out why HiveMind wanted an ancient ruins explorer, or more specifically, him down here.

The Mask from Provadia seemed to be in near perfect condition. It glowed in his hands. A strange shade that was similar to the orb that still rested above the dead man. With the information he'd already known about Provadia, Nick didn't hesitate to put the mask up to his face. It was a well established belief that the masks were either for necklaces or masks. This mask's string attachment wasn't long enough to be a necklace by any means.

The glow from inside the mask made him dizzy. It was as if he was wearing a VR mask. It wasn't showing Nick memories from the dead man as he'd thought it would do. It was showing him his own. The memories seemed to not be in chronological order. It was almost as if putting the mask on was like him uploading his very mind to the device. Dumb little stuff, stupid shit he'd said, his senior class field trip, embarrassing things- the day he'd met his spouse. All the memories that flashed before him however, the ones that stood out the most, were ones of great sorrow. Seemed almost as if the dead man was trying to explain the sadness he felt through Nick's own memories. They dug pretty deep and reliving some of them in this manor, almost broke him. A seasoned gunman: in tears.

Nick removed the mask as the last argument with his spouse started up. He'd seen enough. He'd broken out in cold sweat. He looked down at #3, terrified she'd had a hold of the device. If it was able to damn near break him, he could only imagine the emotional damage it could do to someone as seemingly fragile as her, "I'll hold onto this for you, alright? You can keep Ivaylo."

And he didn't want anybody getting a literal hold of his mind... if that was what HiveMind was after. Secrets of the Temple of Karnak? Hamunaptra: The City of the Dead. His spouse's work information? Louvre secrets.

He calmly put the earpiece back in his ear, wiping cold sweat from his forehead, "You realize you're not going to get away with this, right? Killing off a group of researchers that..." He paused, "Didn't work for you? The Louvre Museum, The Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and their many allies. They know. That's the only reason I was able to sign on with you. Intelligence. They've always considered me above the A game. And if you didn't know before... Just know that you're a fool if you think you can win this. Monopolizing the energy crisis by causing the energy crisis isn't going to work. How do I know this?"

"Because I'm involved. And I'm pissed." He stormed out of the former research center. He wasn't necessarily the biggest fan of lab geeks, but felt their safety still mattered on and off the field as well. They were people too after all.

Buzzing overhead got louder, perfect. Target practice. He pulled out a 6 gauge shotgun from his utility watch and called out, "Stella, we need to figure out what the scientists here were working on. Whatever it is, I think it's what's causing the tremors. I think it may be in some kind of energy device and is in critical mode about to blow. And we can't let HiveMind get ahold of the research."

Three drones down... Only God himself knows how many are left.

[Estylwen]

Underwater Cave, ???

@Lexisheeps, @WhiteAngel25

---

Another tremor, and then another.

Then, static as loudspeakers from within the depths of the forest rang out.

"Silly Contractors, did you really think you were in control of anything?"

It was the same voice as the lead researcher Nick had heard screaming.

"We have you here for a specific purpose. And you will complete that purpose."

Subject #3 seemed to visibly cower, recognizing the voice. In response, there was a chuckle.

"Oh, don't worry, Subject #3, we haven't forgotten about you. Consider this an extended punishment for your failure before we... close the file on you, permanently."

She whimpered, holding Ivaylo closer. "Y-you don't scare me."

"Oh really, now."

"Y-Yes! This time I have friends. You can't push me around like before!"

"Oh, my dear," there was a pause as the lead researcher chose his next words carefully. "What do you think is happening to your 'friends' as we speak?"

Her eyes widen, staring at Nick and Stella. With an expression of pure dread on her face, she looked as though she saw the two contractors the same way as her - prisoners.

There's a low chuckle over the loudspeakers as more drones encircled Nick and Stella. "Now you're starting to realize. Perhaps a demonstration is overdue."

The loudspeaker suddenly cut out before a static charge filled the air with cracking light. Slowly, like unzipping a Ziploc bag, the fabric of reality tore itself asunder.

Crackles of white burned away at the dark forest, the crypt, and everything surrounding them. In the end, they were left in a stark white cube room with only a handful of objects. Drones, scattered artifacts that had been purposefully placed in the simulation, and the glowing orb. No Ivaylo. Not dark dragon. And no escape.

At least, not at first. Beyond the line of 10 or so drones was a stainless steel door, a hatch on the front of it that was locked, glowing hazard symbols encircling it. Upon closer inspection, it would appear that it had a weakness in its hinges.

The orb hovered closer to Nick for a moment as if in understanding, having shared some pain with him, before it fired a white bolt at one of the drones, incapacitating it.

The drones blocking the way hovered closer, undeterred. They had their stun batons deployed at the ready, prepared to beat down any resistance as they attempted to subdue Nick and Stella.

Another, more fervent tremor shook the ground.

[WhiteAngel25]

Stella watched Nick put on the mask. She was a little shocked when he did so. The mask had dark energy to it, no telling what it was exactly. Stella put her sketch pad back into her pack when Nick showed signs of wanting to take it off. She was nervous that the mask would stick to learn all it could about him and would have to help take it off. Stella sighed in relief when Nick managed to get the mask off but noticed the tears that managed to escape his eyes.

When they reached the lava river, Stella raised her eyebrows. This wasn't right. The lava would be dark and crusted over from exposure to being underwater... Suddenly, everything disappeared, replaced by a white room. Stella gritted her teeth and cussed under her breath.

"Another fucking simulation. I should've known," she muttered as she didn't like the way the drones were nearing them. Stella quickly grabbed #3 and pulled the girl behind her to protect the young girl.

Stella rolled her eyes as the lead researcher spoke over a loudspeaker. "Well, this will be a fantastic time for target practice. She said as she pulled over her rifle from her pack, lined up her sight on her scope, and fired three shots at three drones. She hit each of her targets. The bullets went through the middle of the floating orbs of steel, where the memory bank and power source were. With a destroyed memory bank, nothing that was recorded by the drones would survive.

"These people are ridiculous. We need a plan, fast," Stella said to Nick as she ejected the empty casings and reloaded new bullets before taking down three more drones. Then the tremor hit, and her eyes widened slightly as Nick was right. They needed to get out of here fast.

Stella looked at #3 and smiled reassuringly down at her. Although her eyes flickered to the white collar. We need to get that off of her, Stella thought as she spied the door. She quickly reloaded her rifle and shot at the hinges of the door.