Footsteps echo in the wide space of the hallway. And it's quite the reverb, that indicates just how expansive this place really is. But contrary to that sound, where they originate from, it's a totally different story altogether. Paul and Vessel, both of them follow quietly behind me. Well Vessel doesn't have feet, but he's the same quiet as Paul. It somehow makes the space feel eerie. I look up, the ceiling so high, as if it is I who's been shrunk.
"Come on, now," I say with a level voice, drowning my anxiety. "I didn't give you a punishment you know. You can still talk."
"I'm contemplating on my actions and why it elicited an outburst of enrage from you," Vessel says. "I do identify what my mistake is. But I am trying to understand you better, if you know what I mean." It's as if he's calculated every word he said just now. That's how careful he's being. It's almost ridiculous to think about how seriously he took me. The scolding and shouting worked wonders. I try my best not to snicker.
"It's fine," I say, "I get it. It won't happen in the span of hours. It'd take time. I'd have to just bear with it for the moment."
...
Again.
"Paul. You're gonna say anything?"
He groans in a low baritone. "This entire dynamic is weirding me out. I'd be frank. What is this relationship you two have? And how come you have a giant alien accompanying you as well? It's just not normal."
"Oh. So you saw Uranus I take it?"
"Saw? That thing was a giant walking among us. Of course I happened to notice!"
I pull my lips taught into a wry smile. "Hmm," I respond, simply. He raised a good point though. I ruminate on what he just said. That was when I last saw Uranus off.... I frown. I can't quite figure it out but, there's just something poking at my mind. Something feels amiss. "This is strange. You never saw Uranus, did you Vessel?" There it strikes me. "How come you spoke about him to me even before I talked about him to you? You mentioned him as my companion. But you never saw him." There's a puzzled look all over my face now that I've finally put my finger on the discrepancy.
"Remember I left pieces of myself in your mind? They feed me your memories as well. Micro signals. Everything that I need to know. I have full access to your brain. Fully there to help you be the best you can be!" He makes himself appear so conscientious saying that, despite the root of the matter.
I frown at the thought of it. "It just feels wrong. It's as if you're keeping track of my entire being."
"Precisely," he says, proudly.
"Hey, I didn't mean it as a compliment!"
Paul walks ahead of me now to show where I should move off to next. A door slides open from my side to present a little walkway that leads to a different section out of the building. All this time we've been walking in a curved line. Going around the perimeter of the ground floor of the hive. The structure is quite tall need I comment. There are many floors above us and there's this curious looking noodle like appendage spiralling around it, like some water slide you'd expect to see in an amusement park. I'd definitely like to ride it if it's something like that. But do they really care about stuff like amusement? Well, if they can prepare lavish baths for us, I don''t see why not!
"Hey Tiana," Paul stops in his tracks.
I halt right behind him. "Yeah? What is it?"
He slowly turns around and meets my eyes, with that same mysterious look from before. "There's something I'd like to show to you. Since you have apparently two assets now. It can prove to be a game changer for me."
I get closer, tilting my face upwards, whispering sharply, "What is it?"
He swallows. "There's something happening right beneath your feet."
"Huh?" I raise my foot up. There's nothing there. "What are you talking about?"
"Come on. Do you really think it would be stuck on your foot? Really?"
I frown. Then place my hands to the ground. That same sensation as before in the warehouse I woke up in, when I detected Uranus. Tremours... A sudden shiver runs throughout my body thinking about the encounter and how scared I was. That means— I press the side of my body on the floor of the metal walkway, myself now about a quarter ways in between the two buildings of the hive and the temple which also houses the meditation hall. The walkway is almost like a bridge, connecting the distance between the two buildings, as there's a gap between them. A rectangular gap that lets me see the underground. There is some sort of a basement down there. But there's no way of getting down from here.
"There's clearly something happening under there," I say, feeling the vibrations though the side of my body come up through the plate of the walkway.
"Tiana," he calls my name. It makes my heart flutter. So I look up. And when I do, his expression almost causes a gasp to come out of my throat. "They are building something. Hidden from our sights."
He looks so pale. I didn't notice it earlier but he has dark circles underneath his eyes. "How do you know? What have you seen?"
He looks away. "What I've heard..."
Uncertain, I repeat, holding his arm, "Heard...?"
He nods. "Yeah. I'd show you. You can observe it as well. It was just an accident for me when I stumbled on this. But, I'd never forget what I felt. I've been running towards it ever since. It's become a wild goal of mine. I can never catch rest if I don't reach a conclusion."
"Paul, you're scaring me." My hold on his arm grows tighter.
"Do you mean to say the yikkims are doing something shady behind the reach of your senses?" Vessel says, having heard the entire conversation.
"Yeah...yeah. I- I'm sure. I'm sure they are doing something that they are afraid of showing us. Maybe if they do, we won't sit still. We won't obey. We'd want to fight back or... or escape. The voices want to escape after all. I can hear it. Their desperation and yearning. Even though I don't understand the words. I feel the emotion."
"What voices? The yikkims'? I mean, the voices of these aliens?" my voice has automatically grown high.
The horror grows in his eyes. "No," he murmurs. "It's different. It's not them."
"Then who?" I ask.
He turns his face ever so slowly at me. "That's what I want to find out, Tiana," he wraps his fingers around my arm. They are cold to the touch, yet so strong in their grip. As if it's a death grip, never meaning to let go.
I become frozen in my place, unable to move. But thankfully, he lets go of my arm, and walks forward. "I've pulled you in Tiana. You can't back away," that's all that he says, as he treads the walkway more and more...like a ghost.
"He's emotionally scarred, it seems," Vessel says from under me, his tone thoughtful, and might even a bit concerned.
"What made him that way is what scares me the most," I say, pulling my fingers into a fist. It has no strength at all.
_____________
We pass by the meditation hall into the corridor that I passed by when I was here with Uranus. The corridor is narrow, something you'd expect from an underground establishment. These lights glow bluish, iridescent when I look back to see them grow more purple. And the carvings carry on over these walls like roots, covering it in a snake-like fashion. Having an almost... organic feel to it. It's unnerving. I just can't put my finger on why I get that feeling. But no matter the unsettling nature, there isn't an out of it for a while as it goes quite a few ways until the opening slowly hitches near and welcomes us into a grand space. The temple.
Up until now, it was the usual. The metallic surroundings with swirling golden fluid lines. Curves and spirals. There were also some holes up near the ceiling back in the dining hall, and I think I also saw some piston shaped mechanisms on the inner walls in the hive.
But here?
My eyes dazzle at the sight. The beauty.
The art is impeccable. Immaculate. This level of artistry. It's a blessing in itself, to my eyes. Carvings. Sculptures... An entire alien culture dancing in vibrance before my eyes. So much detail that it's nigh impossible to take in at a glance. And there is that same oculus above my head here. Only, the proportions of this one outscales the one in the meditation hall by several orders of degrees. The complexity is almost daunting. I can also see things like vases set periodically around the perimeter. What seems like handholds jut out at places. I don't know what anything is for. It's all so mesmerising in its otherworldly nature. The space makes me feel so small, and at mercy of the greater unknown. This is what makes you feel the divinity— the awe-inspiring transcendent quality.
"Ah, Tin. You're finally here," I hear a voice say. The ground quakes a little underneath my feet as a huge mass shifts above it. Uranus comes into my view, his huge form intimidating. Until he stops, his form growing stiff. "What happened?" the tone of his voice suddenly changes to sound chiller, more constricted in it's delivery. "You managed to get your suit off?" he says, sounding almost panicked.
Well, glad he noticed. That's what I came here to show him after all.
"I'm right here," suddenly a voice chimes, from right beside my feet. "I wouldn't leave her so easily. Though it's been some real work staying with her so far, if I dare say," the black jelly-like form of Vessel says.
"Uktaf ahsil!" Uranus exclaims, then bends his body unnaturally in an inverted 'U'. My eyebrows jump up in bewilderment as I bring my palm over my mouth. I didn't know he could do that! It's such a scary display that I'm glad when in the next moment he reverts back to normal. Then, he keeps his think trunk-like arms pressed against the ground, his legs perfectly stretched to the sides into a line, then bending inwards the same way, touching each other by the foot. It's something the human body can never allow because our bone structure is just so different. "It's an honour to be in your presence. To see you speak. I wish I could hear the Holy Trinity speak like you get to everytime. Nothing could make me more happy!"
"You're devout in your ways. I commend on that. I wouldn't say I hear from them all the time. But it's a pleasure nonetheless whenever I get to."
I get lost in between their otherworldly conversation. "Hello? What are you guys talking about?" I haven't even introduced Paul. This is like some kind of unexpected reunion. And Uranus is treating Vessel quite the same way like that yikkim did back in that room. What's the deal with this thing?!
"And the Eternals," his voice crackles (it's suffice to say neither of them heard me) "Do you have any insight on them?"
"Why of course. You'd ask that. The j'kumb'siàni are tasked with finding the palace. However, it'd appear they have hid themselves rather well. Even with all the hosts our kind has gathered so far. The Eternals couldn't be tracked down. We've grown weak, it's true. But they haven't broken down our spirit. We're more than our planet! They can't crush what we represent. They shan't expect us to cower before what they believe. There is purpose! You hold the responsibility to show it to them! Only then can the war truly stop."
"Revat rehbar! I have the keys! And this girl should prove instrumental in being the guiding light if you share the power of Yttr with her eventually. The Holy Trinity are benevolent. Surely they will serve our cause."
"I haven't tried it out with her yet. But she holds potential. And I personally quite enjoy her body. It's firm on the grip, for one. The curves make it cozy to latch on. That's why I like how I fit on top of her—"
"Hey now!" I shriek, embarassed, holding my other arm close to my chest.
"Ah that again. She gets rather worked up whenever I bring up her body or she has to get naked. I don't understand why she doesn't want to just keep me on if it's that, and then take me off when it's time for bathing. She really likes washing herself."
"Vessel, would you just shut up! These are not things you openly blurt out!"
Paul snickers at my back. I grow even more embarassed. He quickly mouths an "I'm sorry" right after as courtesy, but it does little to help the situation.
"Well, Tin here is a unique individual. I can vouch for her wellness in conduct. I shall help her if she has trouble or difficulties with you or anything else really. She was chosen by you after all," Uranus says his arm bent to the side, a gesture aimed at me.
"You could just try and be as nice as him. That would solve half the problem, really," I say to Vessel, in almost a teasing tone.
"A rather unique individual. I agree!" Vessel bobs, in almost a mocking tone.
Finally Uranus stands upright again. He takes notice of Paul at last. "And who might you be?"
In return, all Paul gives back, is a bemused grin. Uncanny in its proportions.