Chapter 34 - Rockwell.
-EARTH-
-Abandoned City, A.K.A Sanctuary-
Having awakened from her nightmare, Helena moves her transparent hand from her chest to her head. The Homo-Deus rubs their temple but also ponders on a growing concern.
“How did you do it, Edmund? How did you manage to get an AI unit off of Aberration?” She sighs, lowering her hand as she lifts her head skyward, “I don’t like this. Rockwell is a knowledgeable man—or, more accurately, was a man. There must be an endgame to all of this.”
The Homo-Deus comes to thought as she stretches both arms forward, and with each hand’s index and thumb fingers, forms a diamond shape. A series of light-blue transparent energy fills in the diamond before light-blue hexagons start to stitch together, a sort of computer screen being the result. She spreads her hands apart as a large 80’’ screen manifests before her.
“Let’s have a little chat, Rockwell.”
Feedback starts to present itself on her make-shift screen, and with a narrowing of her eyes with a slight grunt, the POV within the screen begins to move as if she were controlling an entity.
“I’m glad that this Spectator Unit is still functional on Aberration, but now that it’s no longer in hiding, it’s exposed to him. If I’m lucky, he’ll let it go. If not… thank you for helping me, old friend.”
The Spectator Unit moves toward what best could be described as an arena—a sea of irradiated lavender surrounding this landmass. The local environment is cavernous as stalactites and stalagmites reach and pierce the floors and ceilings of the enormous cave. A series of waterfalls comprised of the same substance as the sea roars out in the distance. And high above the arena is a spherical hologram of multiple colorations that acts as a light source.
Helena takes a breath and lets loose a drawn-out exhale, “Alright. Here we go.”
The unit reaches the arena and floats a fair distance away from a pool of irradiated liquid in the arena’s epicenter.
Helena crosses her arms expectantly, and after nearly a whole minute, she exclaims:
“Stop playing games, Edmund! Show yourself!”
Silence.
Helena grits her teeth, “This is serious!” She shouts in anger.
“Aww, you’re no fun,” Responds a David Tennant voice that spreads across the local caverns as it’s revealed that Helena spoke to him through the mechanical unit. “I suppose we should cut to the chase, eh? No time to chat with your prisoner, hmm?”
“Edmund, please,” She responds with a facepalm mixed with annoyance. “Just get out of there,” She lowers her hand, “I don’t have the time for this.”
“Oh, alright. But only because you said please. Well, that, and I’m bored. So I guess this livens things up a bit.”
If Helena were there personally, she’d be able to feel the entire arena start to shake violently. Dust and debris fall from the cavern’s ceiling from the commotion as even the irradiated purple sea starts to form waves on its’ surface.
The pool in the center of the arena splashes and vibrates before four long black tentacles breach the surface. Said tentacles possessing patches of radiated lavender similar to the infected beings on Equus. Then, a few more tentacles emerge before the dreadful form of their owner slowly rises, his head being the first to appear.
What best can be described as a giant eldritch nightmare casts a shadow over the mechanical unit Helena controls. But what was most unsettling is that this abomination possesses clear signs of human features—a disfigured face with glowing purple orbs, an exposed chest with a visible beating heart, and arms that ended with even more elongated appendages.
All accompanied by primal, fear-inducing roars.
“Hello again, Edmund. It’s been a while,” She hesitates. “You look… nice.”
“Oh! I’m so glad you noticed!” The eldritch-like monstrosity proceeds to pose as if taking a photo shoot. One arm on his waist—whatever was left of it—with the other arm behind his head. “I do look quite ravishing, wouldn’t you say? Truly the prettiest of-”
“How did you do it?” Helena interjects. “How did you get an AI AND the infection you harbor to Equus?”
Rockwell blinks twice before bursting out into boisterous laughter. He leans forth and slaps the arena twice with his left deformed arm, his tentacles doing the same as others wrap around the outskirts of the arena.
“W-wait,” Edmund strugglingly says between his laughter. “You mean to tell me that you came to speak to me, thus exposing that unit of yours, which I WILL be removing shortly, just to ask me the most stupid question of all the Arks?” He lets out a loud scoff, “I was once your intellectual teacher, girl. Show some brains; it’s embarrassing to me. Now, why would I ever even entertain the thought of telling you my plans, hmm? Seriously, what do you take me for?”
Suddenly, from Edmund’s perspective, he could hear something coming from the other side of the Spectator Unit. It was slightly faint, but he could’ve sworn it was…
“A-are you… crying?” He raises one of his tentacles to the back of his left ear, leaning closer to the mechanical unit. “Oh my Rockwell, you are crying.”
On the Homo-Deus’s side of the spectrum, sobbing and absolute sorrow escapes from Helena’s form. She’s currently on her knees, wailing into her palms before shooting her tearful gaze towards the screen.
“Edmund! Please! C-come to your senses!” She wobblingly rises to her feet. “Please, just stop everything you’re doing and come back! We can fix you, and everything, together! I-I j-just want the real Edmund Rockwell back! The man I looked up to, the man who shared a cup of tea with me as we spoke of the Ark’s wonders!”
Helena closes her eyes with gritted teeth as her tears continue to flow. Her hands clasp tightly into a closed fist before she opens her eyes and screams out:
“THE MAN WHO WAS LIKE A FATHER TO ME!!!”
Her voice echoes across the entire abandoned city as even a few creatures that dwelled on the streets begin to retreat. A moment of silence ensues on both ends, although Helena sobs a few times. Then, the angered tone of Rockwell breaks the silence with a ferocious growl.
“You stupid girl, despicable wench! You dare to talk to me as if you did nothing wrong?! Idiot! You are singularly responsible for ALL of this! Oh, sure, I injected myself with my Edmundium, but you-” He emphasizes with disgust.
“YOU DROVE ME TO THIS, YOU TRAITOROUS SWINE!”
The behemoth roars out in pure fury on Rockwell’s side of their conversation before bringing down his most enormous tentacle onto the Spectator Unit with frightening force. His appendage even released a series of lavender electricity that spreads out in a cone shape across a specific arena section upon making contact.
“Damned girl, the absolute nerve,” He scorns, satisfied with his work. The horror seems to recover its’ composer as Rockwell clears his throat and rises to his full stature in the pool, “Well, I suppose that was a nice little distraction. Heh, Helena, I actually should be thanking you,” The monster chuckles as he looks up and raises his arms above his head, “For it was your actions and my superior intellect that made me a god! Sir Edmund Rockwell, gentlemen and God supreme, was never ‘lost.’ He simply ascended beyond anyone else.”
Rockwell’s laughter roars out as the behemoth slowly resubmerges into the liquid, his tentacles wrapping around his body as his arms crossed his chest.
“What you call my prison is, truly, my heavenly throne. From this seat of power, my will shall spread across the Arks and the Earth! And with all that precious Edmundium, I will spread across the cosmos infinitely!”
……….
Back on Earth, and following the destruction of the Spectator Unit, which cut off their connection, Helena could only stare in sorrow towards the direction of the Aberration Installation. Its corrupted hue is even visible from the abandoned futuristic city.
“Edmund… how could you ever think I’d betray you?” She lowers her head. “You were everything to me.”
Suddenly, an enormous rumbling shakes not only the building she is positioned on but also the entire city. Even the barren outskirts of the iron jungle are affected as various foundations collapse in response.
Helena is drawn out of her sorrowful state and turns in a particular direction.
“And then there’s you...”
-INSTALLATION: THE ISLAND-
The morning transitioned into the day’s halfway point, 12: 24 pm. During this time, Spirit had finished updating the Tribe of Harmony as, naturally, various reactions had ensued:
Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie came together in a tearful embrace, the trio tightly clinging to one another with their forehooves. Spike hugs Twilight’s right hind leg as he wept by her side. And Skitters, still sitting on Rarity’s right shoulder, pats the unicorn mare in comfort.
Rainbow Dash’s mane covered her eyes as she held onto Fluttershy’s crying form, the unconscious Ptera positioned just in front of them. HLN-A floated just above the former pegasi, feeling sympathetic for the hardships their friends and loved ones face on Equus. Vanellope lays down next to them, seemingly sensing the tribe’s uneasiness.
But of all the members of this tribe, one took the news the hardest. Applejack sat on her flank a short distance away from them all. Her hat covered her eyes, and after a short time, the cowmare kicked off and stampeded towards the direction of Sanctuary’s entrance.
Seeing this, HLN-A cries out:
“Applejack, wait!”
“Helena,” Comments Spirit, approaching the AI with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy nearby, not to mention the Ptera and Vanellope. “We must give them time to mourn. In truth… I hated having to do this. But it wouldn’t be right to keep this information from them all. If you all resent me for speaking out, I’d understand. And I won’t hold it against any of you.”
The AI lets loose a sigh, “No, love. You did the right thing, and If our roles were reversed, I’d have done the same. But this seriously complicates things.”
A moment of silence ensues before the AI starts, “Ok. I think it’ll be best to send these survivors back to Equ-”
“I’m afraid that is impossible,” Spirit interjects. Having overheard his words, both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy turn their attention to the UNI-CRN.
“What do you mean?” HLN-A responds. “Why is it impossible?”
“Both your creator and my own have come to a unified agreement: Equus…” He hesitates. “Is hereby placed under quarantine. No one is permitted to enter that Installation, but its’ residents are secured to leave in an emergency,” Spirit closes his eyes, “In other words…”
“They’re on their own…” HLN-A finishes with dread.
-Sanctuary-
Applejack forced open the door to the tribe’s home and ran over to the adjacent door, prying that one open. It gives her access to a patio with a singular chair, stone railings acting as a barrier.
Sadness consumed her deeply, but her expression showed something else entirely. It could only be described as fiery anger blended with an emotion that often occurs when one feels wronged by another:
Vengeance.
“Edmund Rockwell…” She scornfully comments, looking skyward. “Ah’ promise you. Ah’ will ascend these Arks in no time, and when ah’ finally meet ya,’” Her eyes narrow, “Ah’m gonna end ya'.”
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ooh this remined me of when goliath's daughter angela was badly hurt in gargoyles ajs face has the similar reaction
Ok, I burst out into laughter at this. Not only did I hear it in David Tennant's voice, but seeing that thing pose like that is downright hilarious.
11121804
OMG! I had the same thought! I need to binge Gargoyles again.
11121804
Ah, a person of culture I see.
11121805
I had a good laugh writing that part, and It's definitely how Rockwell would act in that situation.
awesome chapter dude, keep up the good work!!!
11121822
Thank you very much!
So the Alpha King Titan is still in the picture. That doesn't bode well. Also Rockwell is an ass, but that's nothing new.
And now our little party has discovered their home is lost and there's nothing they can do for it. The fun and games of taming and building have just ended for them, and now it's time to get into the true story of Ark.
11121878
Couldn't have said it better myself.
The time for awe and inspiration is over for the ponies, granted, there will be moments of shock upon meeting more creatures. And while they were in the process of taking this seriously, Spirit's information really kicks things up a notch. Now they MUST prepare dino armies, start breeding "super dinos", get Artifacts, and fight the Bosses to get them closer to fighting The Island's Overseer.
HLN-A wanted to ease them into it with her challenge and her teachings, but things are gonna be racked up now.
However, there's another obstacle, and I can't wait to reveal it in the next chapter.
This obstacle could also be a potential blessing in disguise.
Shit got real!
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11121982
Awww, yeahh!!!!
11121911
It's horny gigas, right? It's always horny gigas...
11122155
In all Honesty, Half the fun of this story is that as Ark players, we wrap our heads around trying to figure out the next course obstacle, is AJ suddently gona turn into another Rockwell? will someone from Equus Escape and join them? Will it be a High Level Rhino that they tame to make short work of the boss? and thats leaving out any possible side effects of them being Ponies....my head is spinning and i enjoy it.
On a random note; when I think of subnotica. I can’t help but imagine twilight being the main character.
11122629
Oh definitely. Twilight and Rainbow Dash are the two among the ponies who'd make a great Subnautica protagonist. Spike is another, and I think there's a fic that has Spike pretty much take the place of Riley.
11122451
I appreciate that!
I often challenge myself to keep Ark fans guessing. I don't want it to be too predictable in situations, so I like to throw curve balls now and then.