Tilted_Axis
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Chapter 44: Another Of Its Kind
🕑 Added 2021-01-13 00:53:44 +0000 UTC
Presently, Gentleman Ape and I are west of the Terrace and have just concluded attempting to execute a bit of trickery unto those that might be pursuing us. Yet, just as we were about to follow The Lake’s edge to our little hermitage, a message from Earl appeared.
When the message surfaces from the white frost, I halt; the rubbish sled comes to a sluggish stop as I read. I stare at the wall for a moment, cross my arms, and read it over again.
‘Earl, I do not know what this wall is mea—’
Before I may finish my question, I turn toward the seed’s location and notice a hint of red fog rising upward. It seeps from between the plastic blankets that surround the Terrace and is rather clear when illuminated in the obscured light of the morningtide. [1]
The red fog, nay, I recognize it for what it truly is, vermillion haze, and presently it is wafting away from the Arcade and Terrace, fluttering innocently in the crisp breeze of the mid-morn. My head sinks toward the snowy ground, to the rubbish sled, Gentleman Ape, and then back to the Terrace.
‘I… Apologies, Earl. I believe I see the issue. More importantly…’ I peer at the white snow beneath me once more and ever so slowly lift my head, finding the traces of vermillion haze are not an illusion. ‘Earl! From whence does this haze originate from!? Is it from the seed!? Did they discover the seed!? I thought when I initially planted the seed thou stated that it would be difficult to locate the roots, not to mention the seed itself! Wait, is this something else?!’
I stiffen my arms with palms facing the ground, spread my fingers, turn my head upward to look at the cloud-covered heavens, shake my hands, and count to fifty. Dropping my gaze, my eyes settle on the Terrace; everything is silent as if it is abandoned. ‘Do not fret, I forgive thou Earl, and I have calmed myself... Now, this is nary a time to dally; I must investigate while I cannot see any people nearby.’
With haste, I drag the rubbish sled into a thicket. Spinning around, I face Gentleman Ape and point at the rubbish sled and then him. His eyes bounce between the sled and myself before he belatedly dips his head and nods. Likewise, I nod and then dash away along the banks toward the Terrace. I do not make it far before I detect the pitter-patter of footsteps in the snow behind me. Stopping and twisting around, I see Gentleman Ape pulling the sled as if I had mistakenly neglected to bring it. With me in his path, Gentleman Ape tries to stop, only to slip in the snow. He falls flat unto face, swallowing a mouth full of snow. I cannot help but shake my head as I pick up a short twig and approach him.
He lifts his hairy face from the snowfall, leaving the perfect mold of his face in the snow. ‘A funny little Ape, that is for certain.’
Squatting to match his height, I wiggle my pointer finger and give him a light tap on the head with the twig. ‘Nay, thou may not accompany me. If the Arcade is filled with haze, it is far too dangerous for thou to accompany me.’
He lays his hand on his noggin and tilts his head. I point toward some bushes and then him. Handing him the rope to the rubbish sled, I stand, toss the twig into the snow, and gradually back away. While doing so, I point between him and the bushes before turning and hurrying away. I glance behind me, where I witness Gentleman Ape stand and stare at the bushes. He takes a small half-step toward the thicket, stops to gaze at me, and proceeds toward the bushes, dragging the rubbish sled behind him.
When I establish a sufficient distance between us, I nod and shift my gaze forward. ‘Prithee, my Status.’
‘Erysichthon is a tad high, but I believe I shall be able to make do.’ The blue Status wall vanishes, and I hear something splash in The Lake. When I glance over, I spot a small hump poking from the water. ‘Nay! I am being stalked by the dinosaur now also!’
Moving a few dozen feet further from The Lake’s bank, I resume my sprint to the Terrace. The dinosaur sinks back beneath the brown water’s depths, and despite having to keep a distance from the dark, treacherous waters, it is not long before I have arrived at my destination.
I duck behind a plastic blanket that blows in the wind, slapping against some type of silver metal fence it must be fastened to. The fences themselves seem to come in rectangular sections, around eight-feet-tall and five-foot-wide with a pair of metal legs attached to the base to keep it stable. They are placed side-by-side, creating a semicircle from the two grand staircase’s outer railings that run from the road above to the Terrace courtyard where I presently stand. As for the plastic blankets, they are slick and the side facing away is dark silver while the other is a dark brown—dabs of frozen dew clings to the silver side.
Unwinding the cattail, I wrap it around the side of the silver fence and quietly raise it, pulling it toward me to make a break in the semicircle for me to slip through. Small amounts of vermillion haze drift by as I peek between the fences and find the Arcade is blocked with yet more of the same plastic blankets. From this angle, I see that the Consortium’s orphanay bird has been painted upon the silver side of most of the plastic blankets.
Yet, I do not perceive anyone patrolling, but vermillion haze is quite clearly flowing from between the plastic blankets. As the haze departs the Arcade, it sweeps skyward and scatters into scantier pieces before fading into the natural air outside. It behaves a tad differently than the pale smoke that would exit a chimney; it seems to resist splitting apart, at least at first.
‘Prithee, do not let this be a trick.’ I lay my hand onto my chest while shaking my head. ‘Nay, certainly they could not set such an elaborate trap... They would have to know more about the Tower and Earl than even I do to hoodwink me so thoroughly.’
I drop my arm and float to the entrance of the Arcade. With prudence, I draw the metal fence and plastic blanket away just enough to peek in— the interior is a disaster veiled in a dense blood-red haze. Amidst the haze, silver tables are tipped over, white papers are scattered, shattered glass dots the floor, plastic blankets lie strewn about, broken shelves creak, some barrels sit neglected, and lanterns brought by the Consortium flicker. Yet, none of that draws as much attention as the mounds of loose soil and rock laid around a square hole that has been hacked into the floor.
‘They have been digging at the seed! Relax Constance; at least with so much haze, it will be difficult to spot me.’ Scanning the interior of the Arcade and the Terrace behind me, I slide between the plastic blankets. Upon entering, I flinch when the nearby vermillion haze rushes toward me. It penetrates the Comrade Cracker layer that covers the outside of my body, sinks inward, and blends with the rest of my form.
The haze stops flowing to me, and one of Earl’s walls appears.
Raising my palms, I can see my ordinarily black palm has been dyed a scarlet-red. I flip my hand over, finding my short nails have grown around two inches in length past my fingertips, and the ends have become sharp. My nails wave gently, almost as if they are the flames that sit atop a wax candle. I tilt my head, and my gaze moves to the cattail. The once dense and oily cattail now has a cloudy, fiery form with vermillion haze that rolls off both it and the tendrils like steam would from boiling water.
‘Is this some type of different cattail…?’ Glancing down at my gown, the tattered ends now curve upward, and like my nails, they sway as if flames upon the wick of a candlestick. ‘Prithee, my chronicles, Cosmic System.’
‘The percentages, my numbers, and my appearance changed…? I suppose it shall return to normal after some time? I pray that shall be so because that Strength is rather low, and it will be difficult to do much with that... Aye, this is fascinating, and I shall ponder it later, but let us get our bearings!’
Dropping my arms, the Chronicles vanish and I am about to search the area when I notice something that I did not before. Around thirty paces in front of me, a bright, glowing red figure in the shape of a person is hunched over and clutching their own legs; amongst them, several other bodies of various shades of red also sit. Freezing, I rush behind one of the tipped over silver tables. I move so swiftly I almost dart out the entrance of the arcade. When I first arrived my speed was just above walking pace, after the skill points, it went to around a light run, and now it’s boarding on sprinting. Since I do not get physically tired, I can certainly see this growing more and more useful.
Now hidden behind the thin metallic table, I find that despite my view being obstructed, I can still perceive the gleaming red shapes of the people through the table. ‘How am I able to see like this… Did the vermillion haze alter my vision as well?’
My eyes dart between the red outlines; there are ten-figures in total. Furthermore, I seem to be able to see other things in different shades of red, including the lanterns, a lap-top, and something that resembles a cockroach. I poke my head out, venturing to scan the room, but the change in my vision makes it more troublesome to recognize things within both the haze and low light. It is as if my ability to see in the dark has been weakened, replaced by this ability to perceive certain things in hues of red.
Noticing my reflection on the shiny silver table, I realize my violet eyes have changed to a rosy-pink. Moreover, I discover my typically charcoal black hair that would stream down my back and then curl upward is also now scarlet-red and stands upright. I shut one of my negating membranes, and when I do so, the eye returns to a light purple.
‘It is fortunate I took the time to partially scan the room before I entered. Just having more vermillion haze can cause so much change.’ I raise my eyelid and gaze at myself a moment longer before attempting to press my hair downwards, only for it to climb back up on its own once more. Shaking my head, the hairs dance and weave like a hearth’s flame. ‘I do not know why I appear so diabolical, but perhaps like this, they will not realize I am the same haze monster! Aye, I am a master of disguise!’
“S-shit! Is someone there!?” a woman whispers in a panicked voice, stifling a cough.
I flinch and take a swift glance at each of the ten glowing-red human figures: six of them lie on the floor, barely moving, three of them stand facing the wall, and the final one is a person that seems to be waving their hand seeking to obtain someone’s attention. This last person also seems to produce the brightest shade of red. Although I am uncertain what these people are doing, I can ascertain they are not prepared to spring any traps.
‘They must be incapable of moving. Should I do something…? I do not know, but either way, they shall have to wait. I cannot give up this opportunity to get near the seed.’
Abandoning my position, I round the table and approach the seed’s location near the center of the Arcade. I peek into the square cavity that has been carved into the Arcade’s floor, finding that it only has a depth of two or so feet. But the reason for its shallowness is rather apparent. There is a multitude of small and large roots, growing from the soil at every angle, all of which intertwine and coil around one another. It almost looks as if someone took a hundred pieces of different sized twine and knotted them together. The small roots are somewhere around the size of a poppyseed and a digit, while the large roots are several inches around—all the roots, big or small, are either black, violet, red, or gray. [2] These colors, of course, match the colors in my Chronicles.
‘These are the roots that have been spreading for over a fortnight now. They have already spread and grown so much! And as for the leak...’
I step into the shallow hole, where a sizable red root is spitting significant amounts of haze into the Arcade. A sizzling sound, akin to meat on a fire, along with a hissing sound that is reminiscent of a boiling kettle, only makes the source of the vermillion haze more pronounced. Lowering myself, I lean close and discover that the roots are, in fact, clear crystalline glass, and it is the haze that truly provides most of its intensity.
‘If these are all filled with haze… Good lord, how much haze is buried beneath the soil!?’
Focusing my attention on the leaking root, I notice it appears to be originating from the underside of the root, which is very close to the soil. I attempt to drop low enough to get a view of the root’s underside, yet the kiln keeps bumping against other roots, and I cannot discover a way to maneuver that permits me to examine it from this angle. Hence, I exit the hole, place my hands against the roots at the bottom of the pit, and bend my body so that the top of my head is facing the earth.
With my hands against the bottom of the pit, I bend them, allowing my body to drop enough to get the best possible view of the leak. Plausibly there is some way I could make myself float upside down, but that thought makes me nauseous. Some strands of my fiery hair float to the front of my face, forcing me to brush it away to see properly.
The root’s entire base glows a rich red, making it impossible to see what is happening. I think for a moment and then shut my right eyelid. With one eye providing a pink light and the other now exempt from the red effect, I discover the base of the root dips into a bubbling green liquid, pooled in a short, shallow trench beneath the root.
I eye the green liquid; something about its color and attributes is familiar. The realization hits me like a runaway wagon. ‘It is the same liquid that burst from the walls when I first encountered the Bishop! The one that melted whatever it touches! How is that here? Did the Bishop gift it to the Consortium...? It does not matter, Earl, what must I do to correct this?’
Seeing that Earl actually answered, I read the wall and then test my luck anew. ‘I merely have to do something about the contrarious liquid? [3] That is all I must do?’
He does not answer, therefore, all I may do is presume that it is truly as simple as Earl presents it. I bring the flaming scarlet cattail forth and see if I can force it to consume the liquid. The moment the cattail meets the liquid, a popping noise resounds. Similar to pig fat atop a scorching pan, the liquid spurts melting the end of the cattail and a portion of my face. It blinds me, but with so much vermillion haze filling the room, it is swiftly rectified.
‘Aye, I knew it would not be so simple, yet it is still worse than I suspected.’
Stiffening my arms, I push myself up and float my body away from the hole. I inspect the other roots to ensure I did not damage any of them, and to my relief, find they are still intact.
‘I shan’t be able to use the haze for this task.’ Standing, I glide around the Arcade, searching for an item to assist me. I am careful to maintain my distance from the people.
“A-anyone there!” the woman whispers once again. The sound of metal scratching against the floor echoes. “I can’t move!”
‘Aye! Prithee, accept my condolences for now and allow me a moment!’ Dropping to my knees, I begin rummaging through the papers and items that have been scattered about the room.
“I… I think I can hear you! Please, there is something wrong with the others!”
‘Something wrong with the others…? Nay, I must not get distracted.’ I lift a white paper and wave it in the woman’s direction. ‘Just give me some time, Miss, and then I shall decide if I shall lend thou assistance.’
Tossing a stack of several papers to the side, I discover a metallic tray upon which two orange pills rest. I recognize them as the same orange pills that granted me the unknown superacid element in the past. As if they may attempt to flee my grasp if I am too slow, I bring the vermillion cattail’s tendrils forward to consume them.
A thick orange haze moves through my body with a tart sharpness. I take a moment to savor the flavor, ‘I believe it tastes better than last time!’
As the haze moves through me, I notice a yellow epistle stuck to the base of the tray. [4]
I turn the tray to read the epistle. “Ten gallons of desalinated h2O per one orange Acerb tablet, minimum. Though we recommend you divide the tablets, only making small batches at a time, and moreover dye the water green; otherwise, it will be a milky-white and can be tricky to recognize dangerously contaminated soils. Make sure the tablets are mixed in a properly treated and sized stainless steel container. Once blended thoroughly, it will grow in acidity within twenty minutes, after which it may take a month to lose its properties (Note green color will be lost within 12-hours; add additional dye as needed). A new stainless steel container must be substituted every twelve hours. If you desire to neutralize the Acerb, please speak to one of our devotionalists who will do so.
On that topic, per our agreement, when the Acerb tablets are delivered, please allow our devotionalist access to the roots to determine whether there is a response when our own specimen is brought near another of its kind.”
The final words almost seem to leap out of the paper. ‘...Another of its kind?’
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[1]. Morningtide: The morning; the early part of the day.
[2]. Poppyseed: 1⁄4 or 1⁄5 of a barleycorn.
Barleycorn: 1⁄3 inch or 0.8382 cm.
Digit: 3⁄4 inch or 1.905 cm.
[3]. Contrarious: Perverse; refractory. Opposed; unfavorable.
[4]. Epistle: A letter.
