POST-MISSION SUMMARY
Objective: To scout the unknown planet "Erebus" for potentially threatening IMC activity.
Members: Lt. Tobias Four, WO Amelia Vale, Sgt. Tyra Crane
Status: COMPLETE
Comments: Vale was reuploaded into another simulacrum in hysterics upon her other body's 'death', and refused to calm down until we heard from the dropship that Crane used to evac from the planet. Unfortunately, she was alone with two of their Titans' data cores. Four and KT-0298 were left behind on the planet.
Both Vale and Crane told us of alien ruins, and dig-sites that the IMC are digging up. They attempted to find out why, but complications arose during their exfiltration. The data-knife upon which they stored the IMC database's information was lost with Four.
I'm going to list him as MIA. But I wouldn't hold out hope.
- Graves
- 17 Days Later -
Out in the frozen tundra, not a thing was seen or heard other than the snow and wind.
Except for one, unusual specimen of interest.
If one were to look at the ground, they would see a trail of footprints in the white fluff, slowly being covered by the snowfall. When followed, those tracks would lead to the top of a small rise in the land, ending at the feet of a fallen figure, who was currently trying to drag themselves through the snow.
Out of sheer exhaustion, his legs had failed him. Tobias was now trying to progress forward on sheer willpower alone, but it was quickly fading. His rations were almost gone, he had no idea where he was going, and his suit wasn't going to keep him alive much longer. It would likely fail, and then he'd freeze to death out in the arctic of Erebus. In fact, he'd have probably given up by now if he wasn't so motivated.
The only thing pushing him forward was the thought of saving KT.
The data core was still in his pack, safe from the elements. But if he died, so would she. Her core would be stuck here in the snow, to be buried and never recovered. Her entire fate rested on his shoulders, and the assumption that he made it far enough to put her core back into another chassis.
And so, he pushed on. Or, he was trying to.
The wind picked up, drowning out his own fuzzy thoughts and thinking. His mind continued to blur the line between reality and delusion. On the surface, he followed his body's basic order; survive. But somewhere deep in his reasoning, he knew that he was shutting down. No human being was equipped to survive in freezing temperatures for weeks at a time, and he was going to become yet another statistic to that fact.
He lifted his helmeted head above the mound of snow weakly. He wasn't sure what he was looking for exactly; just some sign that-
There. A wall of ice off to his left, with an opening. A cave. If there was any hope for warmth or survival, it was there. Grunting, he forced his arms to push himself up and onto his feet, a little bit of energy coming back to him as hope came flooding back into his veins.
Upon reaching the mouth of the cave, he noticed a few marker poles outside of it. Evidently, he wasn't the first to happen across this cave. It was probably another excavation site. Still, if it kept him warm, it'd be worth it. With that thought in mind, he entered.
The ground had a gradual incline to it. He felt his muscles straining to keep him balanced on the slope, but he pushed ahead. He could feel the temperature rising already-
He noticed that the walls of ice that adorned both sides of the cave had quickly transitioned to metal walls. The same metal that the alien ruins had been made of, which meant that this wasn't just another excavation site; he was inside one of the ancient facilities right now. The IMC must have dug it out, but why? Was this place different, or had it been abandoned as well?
He pressed on, though now with a few more questions in mind. He stepped more cautiously, trying to keep noise down from his pack and gear as much as possible. He retrieved the CAR from its strap on his back, and held it defensively, the first time he'd wielded it in two weeks. Finally, the floor leveled out.
The floor beneath him had become metal as well, and now his footsteps made slight echoing sounds when he walked. It was getting darker, and harder to see, so he flicked on the light at the end of the CAR's barrel. It illuminated his path forward, and he was able to see that the hallway he was in stretched for quite a distance.
He felt conflicted. He was more than warm enough now, and he'd be able to rest here. But the question that plagued him was here exactly here was, among others. He entertained the idea of exploring further, and finding out.
He shrugged. He had nothing to lose, and was more than likely to die already. He couldn't put himself in a worse situation if he tried. Not to mention that he had nothing else to do. His mind made up, he continued down the passage.
There wasn't anything out of the ordinary to help him know whether or not this was an active excavation site. He supposed that if he ran into anyone, it'd be a pretty good sign.
"I wonder what this is all about, huh?" he spoke aloud, as though he were talking to KT's data core in his pack. It did not reply.
"See, the other sites all looked like normal structures and buildings, though not aesthetically. But this place..." He shook his head in consternation. "It's different. There's just something off about this place, I can feel it."
Without warning, there was a small red flash. He held his arm up instinctively, and quickly glanced around. He saw a bit of glow disappear around the corner of a hall that connected with the one he was in.
"What the hell was that?" he asked, his eyes wide with concern. The data core was silent once again.
He nodded. "Yeah, I'm not gonna get any answer sitting here." Moving forward again, he cautiously, peeked his head around the corner. There was another incline that led higher up. How complex was this place? Deciding to prioritize his curiosities, he forged ahead.
The faint red glow was never fully in sight, always just out of his vision, keeping two steps ahead. He had no idea yet what it was, but if it was harmful, he guessed he was about to find out pretty soon. The lighting of the sloping passage was getting brighter; was there a working lighting system in here?
No, the temperature was also dropping. Maybe there was a breach in the facility to the outside? Yeah, he could see it now. Not really a breach, but more like a legitimately built opening in the top of the hall. As he walked through it and back into the wintery air, he couldn't help but wonder why-
His breath caught in his chest momentarily. Whatever he'd been expecting, he hadn't been expecting... this.
The facility he'd been walking through was tunneled into the side of a massive crater. In front of him was a platform, connected to the rest of the structure with some sturdy beams. It was artistic looking, like it was supposed to be overseeing something. And by god, did it have a view.
Beyond the platform and taking up most of the space in the crater was some kind of... he didn't know what it was. Yet another structure, but not any kind of building. It was a set of rings, superimposed within one another. They were completely still, and layered with snow from the powder falling above the crater. They were a dull bronze in color, and quite simple. Each one was completely smooth, a perfect ring with flat sides. It looked almost too simple, like it was out of place with the complexity of even the most basic of nature's forms. The only details they bore were the same lines that covered the walls and other structures of the ruins he'd seen already.
The red flash flared up again, and he looked forward to the platform ahead of him. A faint red light emanated from something on the far end of it, buried under ice and snow. He stepped forward, drawn almost hypnotically to find out what it was.
Upon reaching the edge of the platform, there was some kind of pedestal-shaped object buried under the snow. Bringing his hand forward, he scraped away the ice obscuring it from vision. Underneath the white shell of frost was a small indentation. It was concave, like a bowl. There were several engraved lines that started at the ends of the bowl and swirled around the interior until they all connected at a small point in the center. In the center was a circular space, and in that space was a small orb. A ball-like object, he could have fit it in the palm of his hand.
He looked around to see if there was anything else up here, but upon him looking away, the orb pulsed. Staring back at it, he saw that it now had a slight red glow within it, as though it were lit up from the inside. He mind raced.
Did he dare? Should he?
He rolled his eyes.
Screw it.
He reached out his hand, and grabbed the orb.
Rather than something otherworldly happening, it simply hummed in his hand. It was warm to the touch, like it had just been pulled away from the proximity of a fire. He inspected it, turning it at different angles to see if there was anything of interest. Alas, the only interesting detail was how perfectly smooth it was. In fact, he'd go so far as to say-
His earlier suspicion was immediately revalidated as tendrils of red light exploded from the orb, swirling around in the air like a mixture of fire and liquid. He turned his head wildly, trying to make a decision as to what the hell was the correct reaction. Before he could come to a decision, one of the tendrils plunged into his chest. There was no physical penetration of his skin, but he could feel it inside of him. Fire was set ablaze throughout his veins, and his vision went dark.
...
Gates burst into the bridge of the ship, Dimitri at her side. "Why did you call us? What's going on?"
One of the monitors was lit up, and an image of Briggs was being projected in the middle of the room. "Gates, get your team and the other pilots ready. The Griffin is the closest Militia ship we have to Erebus, you're all we've got at the moment."
Gates jerked her helmeted head back. "I thought the Erebus business was done? Has something come up?"
Briggs nodded her digital head towards one of the personnel on station. "Fill her in."
The woman turned towards Gates. "Ma'am, three minutes ago there was an energy reading. A massive energy reading."
Gates narrowed her eyes. "How massive?"
"The pulse it emitted was great enough that it can be detected past the frontier."
Dimitri whistled. "Holy shit, that's a third of the way across the galaxy."
Gates sighed. "And let me guess, it originated from Erebus?"
"You guessed it," replied Briggs, glancing around the room. "I need everyone combat-ready ASAP, you're going in. Looks like your man was right."
Gates felt her gut clenched, much like it had several weeks ago when she'd learned that Four had been left behind.
"Yeah. I guess he was."
...
You have come far. But you have finally arrived.
Tobias glanced around, trying to discern what exactly had just happened. Everywhere around him was black, nothing but void. Red lights flickered on the horizon, like a storm was rolling through constantly, never ending. It looked nightmarish to put a word on it, but he didn't feel in danger; just small, like he was dealing with higher powers.
He felt all over his chest where that tendril had struck him. There was nothing there, no wound or mark. He exhaled in relief.
"Where am I?" he questioned to the void, and to the voice that had spoken. Obviously, he'd just happened across something huge.
We are in a nether world of sorts. I am using it to speak with you. We do not have long.
That surprised him. "You want to speak with me?"
I have observed your plight, and your war from afar. I have seen those who scour our ruins, searching for our key that they wish to corrupt.
"You're one of the beings that built this place?"
An imprint. I am the Inferno.
He tried to process this as well as he could, but the news was somewhat mind-blowing. "You're... you're what the IMC have been looking for?"
Correct.
"I thought the Inferno was an artifact they were searching for, a map?"
The voice sounded disappointed with that description. Only for the purpose they intend it for. The Inferno is not an object, it is an individual. Someone who has been selected to become the holder of knowledge, to keep a record of our race alive for as long as it existed, so that nothing would be forgotten.
He held his head in thought. "So they hoped to find you, and use your knowledge to find whatever it is they're after?"
Yes. As the previous Inferno, I hold all of the knowledge of my race in my mind, keeping it safe. When something is needed, I bring it up to the surface from the depths of my memories and gladly share. But these foes of yours... they cannot be permitted to find what they are after.
Tobias raised his eyebrows. "And what are they after?"
The same artifact that I used to create this nether world and commune with you... the Ark.
"The Ark?"
It was a device we crafted long ago. It can bend space and time, and opened new frontiers for our race to explore. Abilities and powers that we never thought we would possess. With the Ark, a defense system was forged. A network that spanned countless worlds and peoples. With it, we were connected and secure. But now, your enemies try to twist its purpose, and butcher the system we made so long ago. They will unleash a new wave of destruction the likes of which your kind has never seen.
He had his next question ready. "What do I do to stop them?"
The voice seemed proud. If they find this imprint of me, I will be helpless to stop them from procuring the information they desire. Without a living host, the Inferno will willingly transfer to whomever requests it. But if it inhabited a new entity...
Tobias realized what the voiced was asking, and he sighed. "There's no other option, is there?"
You must become the Inferno. They will not risk losing it by killing you, so your life is assured. You can delay their success, create time for your allies to plan and counter their eventual goal. If you don't, then your worlds will burn at their hand.
"How do you know you can trust me?"
If the voice could smile, it sure sounded like it was doing so. I have seen your heart, the one bright spark amongst the many other dull lights that walk this forsaken planet. You seek nothing but peace, and I am here to help you succeed.
He breathed in and out a few times, psyching himself up. There wasn't time to plan, no time to think things over. This was a here and now decision.
"I'm ready," he growled.
Prepare.
A red flower of light appeared in front of him. A burning blaze of all the knowledge that this entity held, compressed into one fiery instance. He watched as it plunged into his chest once more, and red lights spread throughout his body until even his fingertips were shining. Arteries and veins were illuminated by the stunning light, and he felt a white-hot sensation cascade up his spine and penetrate his mind like a needle.
There was the most intense feeling of pain and power that he'd ever known, and then-