Tempest

15 - Adam's Ale

"Command! This is IMC outpost LD745, can anyone read?!"

"We hear you, LD745. What's wrong?"

"Several massive objects have appeared in nearby space! We've got no idea what they are, but they keep spitting out these rocks or pods or something! They've got creatures in them, some kind of unknown hostile! They're overrunning the base, we need support!"

"We've been seeing similar accounts over the last few hours, we're aware of the situation. Hang tight-"

"IMC outpost RT957 to anyone who can hear us, we're getting slaughtered down here! We need reinforcements immedia- AGH!"

"This is the IMS Helios! Our hull has been ruptured by some kind of massive space anomaly-"

"Our defenses are down! What's happening?!"

"What the hell is this shit?! It just spat in his face, he's convulsing- OH GOD!"

"I don't want to die! Dammit, don't let us- NOOO-"

"Dammit! That Militia bitch was right, it's not just a ploy. She was trying to warn us of this shit. Someone notify the higher-ups. I don't care who, Marder, Spyglass, just get someone on the line!

- Recorded transmissions to IMC Operator

...

JOIN US TOBIAS.

He turned to every direction, finding that he was surrounded by charred corpses, reanimated bodies now fulfilling the will of some higher being. They shambled about, calling out to him with their tortured voices in unison.

STOP RESISTING THE TRUE PATH, AND JOIN US.

He tried to run, searching for an escape from the Amalgamates. He had to stop the Amalgamation from happening, or everything would become apart of this abomination. if he didn't get to those array worlds in time-

His head exploded with pain as some kind of horrible hissing sound began to scream in his mind. If he didn't know better, he'd say it was some distorted, corrupted version of ... laughter.

WHERE ARE THE ARRAYS, TOBIAS? TELL US. TELL US.

It probed his brain, looking for the locations of the array worlds ... it wanted to destroy the arrays, to stop the Tempest! He fought it, focusing on anything he could to avoid its grip of filth on his mind.

He heard something grow louder in his mind, but just as quickly it was suppressed. The Seed was trying to keep him from acknowledging it. He had no idea what it was, but he needed to focus ... focus-

With a start, his entire body jerked out of his slumped position he'd taken as he'd slept. The noise he'd heard was a constant beeping that was emitting from the control console in front of him.

It was a notification from the navigation system that they were approaching the coordinates now. Finally, some good news. He decided to take a look out of the viewport and see what was happening.

Coming up fast was a smaller planet than he'd usually seen; its surface was entirely blue and white, leading him to believe that maybe this was a water world of sorts. He supposed that he'd see once they were down there.

"Tobias, are you alright?"

He heard KT's voice come through the ship's comm speakers. He appreciated her use of the radio instead of the neural link; he didn't need two telepathic voices in his mind.