Ashlen 6 - "Well, come along now"
I slowly stood up and turned to her, and I towered over her. She ended up being around the midpoint of my torso.
Adren Tarford - "Alright. "
She went through the doorway, and I followed, ducking under the door frame. We step onto a catwalk suspended by cables, and the room I was in was also suspended in the air. Looking down, all I saw was separate catwalks and holding cells going further and further down until I couldn't see the bottom. Seeing this, my stomach began to turn.
Ashlen 6 - "This is only a small part of the E-Table. Get used to being a small ant in a big world"
She pointed up. And it stretched up seemingly forever.
Adren Tarford - "Wow. W-where are we going?"
She put her hand to her face, and I saw that she was giggling.
Adren Tarford - "Are you laughing at me?"
Ashlen 6 - "NO! Why would I, you moron"
We continued, and as we passed, people were black, white, and red camo passed and all gave me weird glances, although it was hard to see. For some reason, my eyes were still blurry. All of a sudden
Shelly - "H-Hello Mr A-Adren Tarford"
I know that voice.
Adren Tarford -"Hello, Shelly, how are you today"
I turned around, and Shelly was holding a giant piece of metal over her head and walking at a brisk pace towards me with a few of the people in camo.
Adren Tarford - "OH! Shelly, do you need help?"
"N-no, thank you."
A snarky whisper from beside me
Ashlen 6 - "Like you could carry that with one arm. Beast"
I thought Beasts are supposed to be strong, Ms Ashlen. Make up your mind, you idiot.
Shelly walked right beside me, then asked the people in camo to carry the metal piece away. As the waked away, they seemed to struggle until a lady wearing all gray came and lifted the thing with ease.
Shelly - "I-i thought they would keep you in holding for way longer, Mr Adren Tarford"
Ya. me too, especially since I killed people. Do they not think I am a threat anymore?
Ashlen 6 - "Well, we need to test his physical capabilities. This is also the 3 time we interacted with him and the first time he has been conscious for 2 days"
Was I suffering from short-term memory loss?
Shelly - "I suppose you're right about that. He is like a magia beast in that regard; they take not too long to heal, but the down side they almost completely stop basic functioning until then"
Adren Tarford - "I am standing right here, guys"
Ashlen 6 - "I would agree with you, but he can't sense our bills or contracts"
Bills contracts? Are the magia beasts waiters, or do they run a business?
Shelly - "And not the rigs according to the report, boy"
Ashlen 6 - "We can only assume he isn't lying"
Shelly -"You're right. But with the heart rate monitor we installed, we can tell if he is lying. Unless magia beasts' hearts work differently"
Adren Tarford - "Umm. What!?"
Shelly -"H-ho W-W-whoopsies. Oh look a-at the time g-got to go"
Shelly pointed and ran off. . . then immediately slipped and turned around
Shelly -"S-sorry Mr Adren Tarford and Commander Ashlen 6"
She bowed and split and fell face first. After she got up, she bowed again and ran away.
Ashlen 6 - "Hau. poor girl"
Ashlen 6 pressed a device in her ear.
Ashlen 6 - "Someone check up on Shelly. . . yep, she is crying again. . . check the break room or the greenhouse."
Adren Tarford - "About installing something?"
She looked at me, then scowled.
Ashlen 6 - "That's right, we installed a heart monitor witch doubles as a small bomb, so don't get any funny ideas with Shelly or myself"
Adren Tarford - "Yes Ashl-"
Ashlen 6 - "You will call be commander 6"
Holy mood swing. What did I do? If she had something implanted in her, she would freak out too. Actually, I am surprised I am relatively calm.
We continued to walk before coming to a wall with a big metal door made of gold with carvings of this woman holding a rifle.
Ashl-. Commander 6 looked at someone in camo, and as quickly as she looked, the door began to open.
Chapter 2 ACUs part 2: Close-up in the Rig
The doors open, and people in black clothing and gas masks walk about holding tools and working on smaller machinery and weaponry.
Ashlen 6 - "Welcome to the armory. Beast"
The halls stretched with these giant metal statues lining the walls. Many of these workers were tinkering with the metal giants.
"What are those statues for?"
I was staring in awe at the metal statues there, glistening bodies, and some of them were painted. Some of them had codes on them like 100-4AL or M10-445.
Ashlen 6 -"These are weapons"
She said, then started laughing
Adren Tarford -"What do you mean?"
Ashlen 6 -"These are both vehicles, weapons, armor, and most importantly, our way of defence"
That's so cool. How did they even make these?
Adren Tarford -"They're the size of skyscrapers"
Ashlen 6 -"What the hell is a skyscraper?"
Adren Tarford -"Well…"
What the hell is a skyscraper?
Adren Tarford -"I dont know. A big object is what I was trying to say"
Ashlen 6 -"I see being locked up made you a little out of it. I will tell Maverick to let you out more often"
Ashlen 6 -"Anyway, come this way. I want to see if you can do something for the repair crew"
She walked, and I followed her. She went up to more of these people in black clothing and gas masks, then asked.
Ashlen 6 -"Is it ok if you absorb some of the magia from this magia beast"
Guy in a gas mask-"Sure, but you're telling Maverick if he gets injured"
Ashlen 6 -"Well, you heard him"
She pushed me into one of the metal giants, and then it sealed.
Adren Tarford -"You didn't need to push me."
Asshole
Adren Tarford -" What do I do now?"
Ashlen 6 -"3. 2. 1"
Pain. Nothing but pain coursed through me, and then nothing. I was lying in shallow water in a black void.
???-"You're not the person I made a deal with, boy"
This grave voice echoes in my mind over and over.
I cover my ears and start screaming in pain.
???-"I dont know what you expected, idiot"
Again, echoing in my mind over and over and over and over and… nothing I blinked
I was standing on a grassy field, and far into the distance was this man wearing a short-sleeve shirt and blue pants. Blood covering his right side. He lifted his right arm and pointed at me.
Ashlen 6 -"Breathe. Just breathe"
Opening my eyes and gasping for breath. My body still in pain, I was on the ground and wrapped in bandages. I tried to speak but coughed up blood. Ashlen 6 was holding me, lifting my head so I could spit out blood.
Ashlen 6 -"Just breathe. " Sorry for making you do that"
???- "It's fully charged; more than that, its output doubled"
I looked over, and the metal giant was glowing at the joints. This crimson glow that brightened the room. I was beautiful.
People in these white coats and with medical equitment and pick me up on a stretcher and walked me out as my consciousness slowly faded.