//------------------------------// // Monsters On Either Side // Story: Mother X: Father // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// The group continued their quiet, careful exploration of the ship, moving through the dormitories until they found another open vent. Col. Saturn and Moondancer once more went in together, moving through the vents to find the switches to open more doors. This time, some of the vent passages were covered with odd liquid and moss, forcing the pair to move across it much to their disgust and dismay. Thankfully, that plant life showed neither intention nor capability of attacking them, leaving them to avoid the moving plants that would try to attack. Still, that didn't stop them from moving as carefully as possible across each patch they were forced to cross, and avoiding any that they could. A brief detour out of the vents through another vent cover led to a cut off portion of the deck with new gear for Zarbol's UFO body, making the trip at least profitable. Rather than make their way back through the vents, Moondancer used her own PSI Teleport to take them back to the rest of the group, able to both lock on and penetrate the field that was preventing Larice from using Recall since it was so short range. After that, the group used the new paths in silence, avoiding the infested Starmen when they could to conserve energy and obliterating those they could not avoid as swiftly and quietly as possible to avoid drawing attention. As they moved on, the PA beeped again. "This is the back of the ship," the voice told them pleasantly. "For the most part, this concludes the alien spacecraft tour. We hope you have a pleasant stay. Leave...or don't." "Do you think that means he's not going to talk at us through the PA anymore?" Moondancer whispered hopefully. "I hope so," Zarbol whispered back. "I jump in here every time that thing beeps, it comes so out of nowhere. It's so jarring..." Further along, they were able to use another Reboot Orb to start up the systems on a repair capsule which could restore Larice's systems, since it was only designed for use on Starmen. Still, it proved a good base where they could rest and recuperate for further endeavors into the ship's interior. As they moved into tunnels off that chamber, the PA beeped to life again. "Oh, I forgot about those tunnels," the voice offered, like an afterthought. "There's no friends back there..." "Then we shouldn't have to worry about more plant things to fight," Alinivar murmured thoughtfully. "Assuming it's being honest..." Before long, the group came to the main engine room. The massive construction was inactive, and several of the rings were damaged. "Don't touch anything," Moondancer warned. "The Nightmare Engine is especially dangerous, and could easily distort our perceptions if activated. Let's just pass through here quickly-" "I can still feel you," the voice called over the PA. "Just because it's quiet doesn't mean I'm not here. I don't know what this room is for." "And that's a massive relief," Moondancer gasped out. "If he had known..." The group quickly moved further into the ship, ignoring the engine chamber. They dealt with more infested Starmen, and at one point a Mook that had been devoured by a plant until it looked more like a tree than a creature. Thankfully, this meant the face was long gone, so they weren't confronted by another sort of existential horror. Finally, the group made it into halls that looked relatively intact, the walls a dark blue that Moondancer remembered. This was the part of the ship she'd lived in, connected to the cockpit. As they started to explore, the PA beeped again. "Your attention please..." the voice called, this time distorted as it was badly mixed with a recording of Niiue's voice. "This is your new commander speaking. Would our visitors please proceed to the bridge up front of the ship and retrieve their reserved upgrades..." Both Larice and Moondancer shuddered, remembering when that segment had been broadcast initially. "And would any friend or crewmen present and listening please proceed to...um...anywhere near there or the science wing." The voice then returned to normal. "So that was my Ship's Captain imitation. How do you like it? Was it okay?" After a time of silence, the voice continued. "Oh...sorry." The group continued along the path, using two more Reboot Orbs to reactivate a couple of doors they had to make their way past, finally making their way to the bridge. As they approached, the PA beeped again. "What are you even coming up here for? You wouldn't happen to be looking for...me, would you? Ha, ha, ha, hee, hee..." Before making the turn to the bridge, Alinivar made his way over to the side, where a stone glowing in the colors of meteors was embedded in the wall. Thinking it might have been Zexonyte, he went to retrieve it...only to find it was a stone filled with the Essence of Knowledge. He decided to hang onto it, in case it would be useful later...though deciding not to make use of it until he'd conferred about its nature with Niiue. As they reached the bridge, they saw it overseen by a massive bloom, larger than any of them with wide red petals. As they approached, the PA beeped again. "Oh, okay. Here. I. Am. Was it worth it?" Moondancer stepped forward angrily. "You...what did you do to my home?" "It's not your home anymore," the flower responded, its voice half PSI and half broadcast over the PA. "It's mangled, broken...and mine now. There's nothing left for you here. You had no reason to come...except to scavenge from the wreck, just like me. But you came in, and killed my friends..." "Friends?!" Moondancer demanded angrily. "Can you even imagine the torture it must have been for them to be infested by those-" "And that's so different from what the Geeg you respect so highly did to them?" the flower interrupted. "Herded into ships to be transformed into half metal monsters...and then herded onto the ships by the self-same monsters until there were no Martians left...and you call what I did monstrous? The Starman circuitry includes a pain blocking system...not for battle purposes, though. It's to prevent the organic components inside from realizing that the conversion has left them in constant, unbearable agony. The expression left behind from my making them my friends isn't just from my seeds planting...it's also from those systems shutting off. At least when they became my friends, the pain ended." As Moondancer stared in shock, the plant continued. "You know, it's funny...I wanted you to leave. I wanted you to get whatever you wanted here, then turn around and leave. And do you know why? Because I know I can't beat you. That when you hunted me down here, you would destroy me...just like you destroyed Gargiathan, just like you tossed that poor sniffle guy into the river to see if he could swim...just like you destroyed my friends to 'help' the dead corpses they used for homes and bodies. I can't beat you. But I can still win...by making you think. "You'll destroy me, so you can access all that's left behind in this ship so you can try and 'save' your father, the one who abandoned this ship and all inside it to me...but next time you're faced with a confrontation, you might pause and think. Maybe instead of tossing someone off a bridge, you'll show an ID that gives you clearance. Maybe instead of obliterating something, you'll scare it off. Maybe instead of reaching for your gun, you'll hold out a hoof. Maybe instead of slaughtering your way to your goal...you'll focus on freeing your 'father's innocent victims from madness. "Maybe you'll think. And that will be my victory...and you won't even know my name." Moondancer stared at the creature for a time, completely poleaxed. Finally, she spoke up. "What's your name?" Silence greeted her, followed by a chuckle. "Ha. Ha. Ha. You are learning. My name is Master Magnolia. You're still going to kill me, aren't you?" "...we have to reboot the systems by the Nightmare Engine," Moondancer offered sadly. "And...there's no telling what it would do to you...and it can't be left to fall into anyone else's hands once we have what we need." She stared around at the ship, once her home...and knew what had to be done. "I..." "When you're finished, you're going to blow up the ship to protect everyone," Master Magnolia deduced. "Even if I stay, I'm still dead. ...sigh. And just when I'd found a home where I could be left alone, where no one would bother me." "There's an invisible world!" Moondancer spoke up suddenly. "At the edge of the star system. It's only visible if you're near it. There's only a single landmass, and the light is only near there. It's small, and could make a good home for you...and your friends. No one could find you there, because no one would know to look." "...you are thinking. You are learning." Master Magnolia was silent for a time. "I will make you a deal. I will take myself and my friends, and bond to the bottom of your ship. I will leave the vines here for you to explore the wreckage when you return, after dropping us off at this world you mentioned. If you will trust me to not take over your ship...I will trust you to take me to this new world. And then we can be...your kind of friends." Moondancer swallowed nervously, then nodded. "Okay. It's a deal." Master Magnolia was silent. "You really mean that." After a time, the plant disconnected from the computer hub, floating out the broken cockpit shield towards the group's ship. Moondancer opened her mind. Niiue! she called out. The plant floating towards the ship is NOT an enemy! Do not fire on it! Once we all return and everything from this ship has gathered, set course for Eris! After a time, Niiue responded. I hope you know what you're doing. ...so do I...