Fluke Episode 2: Old World Treasure

Fluke Episode 2: Old World Treasure The red vessel floated peacefully through the empty void of space, it's thrusters pushed out streams of blue fire and left a lavish trail of light. Almost moving in a endless direction, the ship was actually on course to a nearby sphere. And as it inched closer, the colors of the sphere grew brighter and more beautiful. Inside sat a crew of three who marveled at the approaching blue orb. Their flight had not taken but a couple of hours, despite it feeling like decades. However, their goal lasted for as long as the legendary myth had escaped the minds of man. The icy moon known as Europa began shooting dares to find the fabled treasure, but the three were ready for the challenge. The ship combated the blowing frost, it shook and rattled as it flew down to the nearest clearing. The surface was covered in blankets of white crystals that twinkled when light collided with them. Pillars of ice stood perfectly still all around them, silently observing the arriving vessel. Not too far off into the distance lied a land forgotten by time and conquered by native invaders. Mounds of grand sizes bombarded towering structures that sat dormant and estrange. Even from the view of the glacier's cliffside, the crew could see their designated location; hiding just barely behind jungles of steel and ice, like a blossoming bud on a young tree. The aging exterior was in stable for the most part, which gave the group high hopes that the interior held preserved secrets. The engines faded as the crew gathered their materials and began the preparation process. "Alright guys, you know why we're here but f-" "The FOTC dictates that we review anyways." the silver Titan and dark Hunter said in sync. "Can't we just get on with it?" the Titan jokingly asked, a wide smile grew on his lips. "Daddy needs a new pair of armor plating." "Calm yourself Darian, just let me explain." the Warlock couldn't hide a smile, "We are here only for personal gains. If we should find anything valuable to the FOTC, then we have to bring it with us. As for the Vault; whatever we find, if we do find anything, is ours to keep. Short enough?" "Yes, that's much shorter than last time." Darian nodded while loading his monster of a machine gun. "Alton?" the Hunter spoke up, her serious expression hinted at her question . Alton raised a brow, allowing for her to speak. "What if we don't find anything, I mean it is just a myth you know?" Alton loaded his silver riffle. "Oh Melody, we may not find a single valuable, but we've already found friendship." The Hunter shook her head and chuckled while slinging her long riffle around her back. The three put their helmets on and with a one last nod of agreement, left the red ship and took their first steps onto the frozen surface. "One more thing, we've only got so long until our suits begin freezing so time is of the essence." Alton happily commented. __________ The guardians reached their destination in record timing. Treading through the snowy lands of Europa was a tough one, no thanks to the howling winds that kicked up sheets of ice and snow. The subzero temperatures nipped at their armor, even with all the extra padding and thermal protection. Shivers only multiplied as they walked into the frozen wasteland that was Glacia.The small metropolis had severed as one of the leading hubs in the Sol system, now it stood as a testament to the effects of neglect and little interaction of the human kind. A myth has resurfaced about a key piece of Golden Age technology that lies deep with the heart of the frozen town as well as a grand treasure, but no one has attempted to delve into the unknown. As they walked into a building, Alton admired a large pillar of ice that punctured the building. Clear stalactites hung from the roof while walls of chilled glass remained glued to many of the surfaces. Behind a receptionist desk stood a statue of a once great figure whose piercing stare secured the room. The wind howled with great intensity, warning the guardians that time was dwindling. They split up and began searching for the Vault, though most of the entrances were blocked by aging ice. Alton placed his hand against a sheet and closed his eyes, allowing for the flood of cold to persuade his direction. He received nothing in response. Reconvening at the statue, Alton pulled out a holographic disk and kept it leveled for all to see. "I don't get it, the Vault's location is right here." he said while pointing at their current location. "Maybe it's below us?" Darian shrugged. Melody left the small circle and began walking in a set direction, occasionally flailing her ames about. "Well we can't really go anywhere else. Those streets are covered in snow." "Or we could just go through here." Melody called to her clueless teammates. She was above them, her hands hung on tightly to a frozen guard rail. After finding their way up the stairs to back of the main room, they joined her in staring at a sealed door. The words above the threshold confirmed what they were looking for. "Vault of the Journeymen. I wonder how we're going to get thought this?" Alton crossed his arms. The door, like everything else, was covered in a thick sheet of ice. Plus, the chunks that surrounded the door looked weak enough to collapse if too much force was applied. Melody eyed the door for anything that could be broken into, but to no avail. "I could try to burn a way through but who knows what could happen." Alton commented. "I got this!" Darian yelled while running at the door. Alton had no time to react as his friend sent the Traveler's powerful volts of electricity into his chest. He lifted off the ground as his body collided with the door, causing him more pain as his back screamed. Alton blacked out, only hearing a loud thud as his body blew the door down. The rumbling of ice rattled the room as his eyes slowly open. His body ached and the occasional shock from Darian's Fist of Havoc made him shiver. When his eyes fully opened, he found himself looking at Melody and Darian. "Alton! Are you ok?" her voice soothed the pain in his ears. "Darian, what were you thinking? You could have at least warned him first!" "Well, I expected him to move out of the way." Darian tried to ease the growing anger of the Hunter. "I did yell loud enough, didn't I?" "That wasn't very nice." a feminine voice surfaced. The three guardians frozen in place as Alton stared at a glowing orb that hovered behind his friends. The orb floated around them as Darian pulled Alton to his feet. "What is a ghost doing here?" Alton questioned. "Artificial Intelligence to you." the ghost was quick to correct him, "Model 167-052-B, but they called me Halley. I was created to help manage the exhibits within the many terminals and rooms of this historical building." "That model number, thats what we came out here for!" Alton exclaimed. "But where's the treasure?" "Does that make this the relic we were searching for?" Melody asked. "We came all this way for an nothing!?" Darian whined, added to the round of questions. "So many questions. One at a time please." Halley happily said. The AI looked at each of them as though she was waiting for the right question to answer. Alton raised his hand like a schoolboy whose teacher only answered those that could display the proper respect. "You mentions 'they' earlier. Who are they?" "They are you." she responded, "Well human, more or less. Young and old alike, they would travel from all over here to learn about the ancient history housed in this facility. My jobs were assigned by my caretakers; I helped the tour guilds with prepping projects to running security during closing. Oh and I got turn the lights on and off..... I had such a wonderful preforming my duties! Hehehe." "And what happened to those people?" Melody chipped in. The ghost's eye looked away from the group for a minute, which have off the impression that the news she had wasn't sound. "They told me to go into a standby status one day. I tried to help defend them but I was badly damaged. My...my security failed to protect them from...." "Leave out the cliffhangers. From who?" Darian desperately asked. "From....the D-ERROR ERROR. Security Breach Floor 2 Section 5. Unauthorized Personal Detected, Defense Protocol 69235-S Activated." Halley spat out in a monotone like voice. She fell off and round the room, muttering strange phrases and number sequences. "That doesn't answer my question!" Darian yelled back at the ghost. Suddenly, the room began to rumble as a sealed door opened from the back of the room. "Incoming!" Security drones filtered out of the doorway and began to encompass the room. Alton pulled out his rifle while Halley continued to hover about, now with a nefarious chuckle. He sought cover in the form of a small spaceship display while Darian unleashed a torrent of gunfire. The bots fell to his attack, but the bullets failed to reach the artillery in the back row. Their shots struck Darian in a couple of places, the most server being his upper leg. He dove into cover once the pain actually manage hit him. Melody somehow found her way onto a catwalk above the entrance and provide covering fire. [b]Continues Below[/b]