Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 3

Racing the Reaper

To this day Atropos isn't quite sure what she did, it was all a blur, all four of her hemispheres working on different problems, each arm doing soemthing different, none of it paying attention to the time or location that she was in. she wasn't even sure what order everything happened in. All she knew was the sudden flood of information. Her memory providing her with all the random facts, scientific knowledge and mechanical information that she would need to do exactly what she did.

The tank was hooked up to the hose, the machine had put on the mask. Krill's vital's still existed though they were tanking fast, and she wasn't a doctor.

But with a bit of work, and under her demands the three of them worked like the worlds fastest pit crew to turn this grow tank into a crychamber.

"Do it!" Atropos demanded

And Clotho pressed the button.

There was a sharp hissing noise, and then a sound like soemthing solid hitting the other side of the tank glass.

Bobbles froze mid-stream suspended in the liquid where they had been not moments before. Krill's body no longer floated, but was suspended silent and unmoving. Just like that Star Wars movie that Krill had had them watch in honor of Uncle Adam.

There was noise at the door now, and the group of them turned just in time for it to burst open.

Etium staggered in bloody and disoriented, but armed and alive.

When he walked he trailed little puddles of clear liquid.

Tesraki didn't bleed clear.

He took in the room with one sweep of his eyes, "What's going on!" he demanded

"Krill.... Krill got hurt this.... This was the only way."

Running footsteps up the hall and then Riss was there followed by a flood of other Alphas from the rally above.

"What is going on?" Riss demanded

"We could ask you the same thing. Aren't you supposed to beg going after the council?"

Riss shook his head, "We were going after them. We caught one or two but the rest tried to flee into the caverns under the city, we have people hunting for them now." His eyes lifted to the tank, krill suspended inside, and the missing antennae. He lifted a hand to his mouth, "No!."

The crowd of other Vrul muttered in shock behind him.

Most of them were alphas, maybe some betas, but Atropos recognized Director Vall, "please, please you have to help him, she begged."

The vrul looked between each other awkwardly. Director Vall was the first to shake her head, "i.... I'm sorry but there is nothing we can-"

"Don't say that!" Atropos said, causing the Vrul to flinch in surprise at her outburst. These Vrul weren't used to violence, but she had been raised in close proximity to humans, on Arcadia of all places where spartan and Drev culture mingled with violent glee, "This is not over," she jabbed a finger at the group of them, "The council has been lying to you this entire time, shooting down your ideas and your knowledge. We have the smartest people in the galaxy right in this room, and you guys aren't even going to try?" She shook her head, "No, no now you prove that the council is wrong, and you help him. Now is the time, to innovate, and do it as fast as you can, don't hold back no obstacles.' She waved her hand around the room, "All your confiscated inventions and ideas, right here for you to see, just help me!"

There was hesitation of course, there was always going to be hesitation. They weren't out of the woods yet. Throwing off brainwashing and a lifetime under the hand of the council was going to take some work to get rid of The lies that they were told were going to take some sorting out, but right now Atropos had taken charge, and with the council gone, they fell right back into a pattern of listening for what to do.