Chương 39: Ch. 36 - A Minor War Crime Anywhere Else

As we took a wide berth, Luna did pick up the goblinoid scouts. They weren't close and at that point we were out of the way for them, heading in a different direction all together. To them, it would've looked like a squad of pilots leaving to go somewhere else. We kept an eye anyway, staying as far as we could.

"I don't see them anymore," said Luna.

"Shouldn't we have set up the gems there before leaving?"

"There would be no point if there is nothing left," I said. Luna's offhand statement about us needing therapy, it rung true. Even I could acknowledge that what were doing was usually under the command of someone more experienced. This was my third delve, I had only slightly more experience. We weren't dipping our toes into the pool. We were jumping head first into the piranha filled lake. I snorted at the thought. We did jump into the piranha filled lake. Maybe not earth piranha's, but still.

It was odd that the humor of it all was keeping us sane. That we were laughing at the darkness of it all. It reminded me of Phil. Of the things he had to have seen. Of Jacob who was still cheerful despite it all. And Eric, who had turned to drink. They haunted my thoughts. Each step was to make sure that wouldn't be repeated. What did Phil say?

"It won't last forever?"

"So I heard," said Jeromy.

"I heard that we are VIPs now. Does that mean I'd get to draw on paper? I heard the feel of drawing on paper is better than on tablet. Are people going to be like-" His voice dropped an octave, "right this way, Mr. Tunsil. Yes we can clear this table for you. Have the finest bio-slop this side of Central can offer." He raised it two octaves, not sounding like himself at all.

"Oh thank you for inviting me, Jeromy. This was the lovliest dinner that a gal like me from Z-Block could imagine. I know you're still a broke low level delver, but I see the raw, unabashed potential in you. So virile and energetic. I am hoping you will do me the honor of meeting my family? He needs a new step-father." He went back to his normal voice.

"Of course, Cassandra. I would love Jeromy as if he were my own."

"Alright," I said.

"First of all, my mom isn't from Z-Block. Second, I will fight you."

"Stefano!" exclaimed Jeromy, in his horsing-around voice.

"Is that any way to speak to your da? If I didn't love you so much I'd have tossed you out an airlock. Your ma chose me to nurture and guide you. She said so herself."

"Her exact words were, 'keep my boy safe,'" I said through gritted teeth.

"I think that's close enough. Don't you, Luna?"

"I'm still trying to figure out the flat earth part. It blows my mind," said Luna.

"That is only the tip of the iceberg," said Caddie, pausing just long enough to answer the obvious follow up question.

"Icebergs are larger underneath the water than they appear."

"Oh," I said.

"Like the crystalline pillars that are all over this floor."

"No exactly, but to an extent, yes," said Caddie.

"Did you look up what I told you to?" asked Luna. There was a mischievous tone that was probably not meant to be heard.

"I did. The pop culture works of Earth are indeed fascinating. I am waiting for appropriate times to use them," said Caddie. I couldn't see it, but I felt Luna grinning.

"What are you planning?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said.

"Don't we have a mission to focus on?" She was right, we were nearing where the settlement was. Whatever it was, wasn't important enough to stop and talk about. From a distance, the settlement was about twice the size of Et'ium. It was like the settlement was on fire as it billowed black smoke plumes from large chimneys. The plume trails suffocated the air and clouds. The whirring of machines across it all churned with efficiency.

Strips of land on the ground cleared a runway for the planes that embarked through the air. Each minute that passed was another plane in the air. There were too many already, but they were leaving. Luna was keeping us appraised of everything that was happening. If they noticed us, we were to flee. But if they didn't notice us we could stay until they were done. They never maneuvered towards us. I wasn't sure if it was that they didn't see us? Or maybe it was that they didn't care?

"They've stopped sending new planes," said Luna. My energy reserves were at about half from idling for as long as we did.

"My energy is at about a quarter." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

"We'll make it," I said.

"Are you sure they stopped sending them out?"

"I don't see anymore leaving."

"Then, we're a go." I launched the throttle forward, flying through the air like a meteor.

"I feel bad now," said Jeromy.

"They wanted to kill you not too long ago," I said. [Settlement of Graxztudum] [Closed Settlement] [Warning: Frame will lock if direct hostile intent noted towards NPCs] I got to just the edge of the border and dove into the water, skirting the edge of the border as we dove. Each settlement was held up by crystalline pillars. Destructible, eventually. There was no real point as the Dungeon would repair them almost as quick as they were damaged. It took something impossibly strong to do it at the same time.

"Will this work?" I asked Caddie.

"Theoretically, it should," said Caddie.

"Although, results may vary."

"Alright," I said.

"Are you guys up to it?"

"No," said Jeromy.

"But if all we have to do is runaway, then it's as good as it gets."

"Runaway after you hit the spike."

"You know my mech is really really bad here," said Luna. Crap, I forgot. And she was already submerged with a quarter of energy left.

"Alright, I'll fill in for you," I said.

"No," she said.

"I trust you, but I'd prefer if this was quick."

"I'm not sure bait works quick." I reached into the inventory and pulled a large, gelatinous hunk of meat. It wobbled with the movement of the currents. The particulates it let out colored the immediate area. I held it up for only a moment.

"Uh," said Luna.

"I got something on the sensor."

"Aleady?" I said.

"Dang, that was fast. How far away?"

"Its below us. But it is climbing, fast." As if on cue, tendrils wrapped around the crystalline pillar at the edge of my vision. A single tendril slithered to a curl, bracing itself. Then it launched up, pulling at the pillar, snapping it off. The glowing rock was already repairing itself. The creature itself was as massive as I remembered it. Its face not even in the purview, just the tendrils that could shake the world. [lvl 45 Crystaline Kraken]: This monstrosity usually spends it's time sleeping.

But occasionally, something will stir it awake enough for it to get hungry. In your case, it's the reset. But on normal circumstances, a loud enough noise will have it investigate for it's next prey. It doesn't kill fast. It just pulls you down until you get tired. Or crushed.

"Now!" I yelled. The three of us rammed our weapons at the same time against our assigned pillars. Jeromy used the pickaxe, slamming at the crystal like a miner having just found a vein. He whacked as hard as his mech allowed, over and over, chipping at the fragments as they healed. Luna was balancing the thrusters and her claws. Scratching like a cat on a scratching pole. She slipped and corrected herself, frantically shoving the claws at the pillars. Chunks flew off as she kept clawing the gashes she formed.

I slammed my dagger into the pillar, chipping away as much as I could. Chip. The Kraken was closing in. It tentacles following the scent that was held aloft by a mechanical hand. The gelatinous wobble frenzying the creature each time it shook. It growled in anticipation as it closed in. Chip. Jeromy was the first that broke through. He crashed the pickaxe through. The earth above shifted. The bubble inched closer. Chip. I shoved the dagger in the small opening. Just enough to get the tip to stab.

I pressed the trigger. Water and crystal conjoined. A break in reality as they were forced to fuse. The ripples of reality formed into themselves and… Pop. A gaping gash formed. I didn't hesitate, doing it again. Pop. The pillar broke free. The land above shifted. It sunk another inch. The bubble was another inch too close. Luna wasn't done. She scratched at the pillar that wouldn't budge. Jeromy launched himself at the pillar and made quick work of it. Finishing it off.

"I'm out of energy!" yelled Luna in a panic. Jeromy was already up when he launched his hook, wrapping around Luna's mech. I had to buy them time. I dove.

"Stefano," said Caddie.

"What are you doing?"

"Buying them time," I said. My hands shook. The memory of last time was still fresh in my mind.

"I believe you remember what happened last time."

"Just for a moment. Just a moment." I panted as I pushed through the fear.

"Jeromy! Tell me! Tell me when you're clear!" I was gasping at air that didn't fill my lungs cleanly. But I couldn't let them die. I wouldn't repeat Jacob and Eric. I wouldn't. I danced around the pillars, luring it to the rest. Around the ones we had already damaged. Anywhere that wasn't my squad. My friends. I met resistance and I feared the worst. I blindly swung, slicing at meat. A growl from beneath rumbled my soul. Shaking the metal that made up my Frame. It let go.

"We're clear!" yelled Jeromy. I didn't wait for him to repeat himself. I launched the throttle hard. Skirting the bubble that protected the settlement. If I touched it, that was it. My mech would be locked down. It was why, I realized, why Hernando didn't get closer. At any point, Ilonar could've made it a closed settlement and they would've been in a Frame that couldn't do anything but go home.

"Not the time!" I said aloud to myself. I couldn't move any faster. Each second felt longer than the last. The bait in my hand might as well had been a nuke. I couldn't let it go. But it was gaining on me. I burst through the surface tension. Water sprayed like rain as I climbed up. My head was on the back of my seat. The G-forces keeping me glued to the seat belts. Boom. Boom. Boom.

"Stefano," said Caddie.

"Anti-air flak is being fired upon us."

"I got that Caddie," I said. I couldn't slow down. I'd make for an easier target. Boom. Boom. The shots were getting closer. Following my trajectory. Boom. Meters away. The debris of it rained down on me like droplets of rain. I reached the apex of the bubble. Just over the settlement. Ocean water was infiltrating buildings. Workplaces. Homes. I let the bait go.