Fall of the Phoenix: From the Ashes

Living Arrangement (U-5755)

This spacious room serves as a living arrangement of sorts. One section holds couches and a holoviewer in what is visibly a makeshift livingroom. There is a simple bed nearby. On the other side there is a kitchen with a door that leads into a deposit full of preserved food.

Aside from the iron door leading into the elevator, there is a single doorway on one wall, one sealed and locked with three metal bars across its surface.

"Zhere is small chance, da?" Leyna retorts, continuing to run her fingers gently over the door, searching for any weakness in the structure. "Not going to give up so soon, da? Besides, vhat else do I hafe to do besides study door?"

Novikov crosses his arms, emitting a soft sigh. He shrugs his shoulders slowly, "Vell, I suppose zhere is nozhink else to do." He trails off, eyes on the door carefully, narrowed slightly.

There is a faint sound. It comes from the other side of the metal doorway. It is soft at first, barely audible. Bang. Bang. Bang, bang. The sound of metal meeting metal, perhaps a hammer against a strong surface. It grows louder and louder and then stops altogether. "Hello?" comes the voice. "Still there, visitors? Hoo, boy!"

Leyna jumps back as the noises come from the door, a faint scowl appearing on her lips. "It vould seem zat zee old man is back, da?" she says slowly, glancing at Novikov, one hand falling down to rest against her weapon secure at her side.

Novikov slips his rifle off of his shoulder and manages it into a neutral position, despite the rather angry look that darkens his expression. "Vell, looks like today vas our lucky day, da?" Novikov mutters, not moving back from the door at all, though he is off to its side.

"So sorry to have kept you waiting. There was work to be done!" A number of clicks follow and each bar locking the doorway slides to the side in order, finally granting the group of soldiers access beyond. Standing there at the exit is the same old man, with his stained and ragged labcoat, his long white hair and bear, and that strange mechanical monocle that protrudes from his face as if zooming in on something. "Hoo, boy! Now it's ready! Finally! After years! You will all get to see it first!"

Leyna grips Novikov's arm lightly, tugging on it to keep the rifle down. "Vhat? Vhat is ready?" she inquires politely, hand staying away from her weapon, but hanging down in a neutral position. "Vhy hafe you been keeping us here?"

Novikov lets his arm slip off the weapon, hefting it up to rest over his shoulder. Since it is now pointing behind him, his threatening posture has been significantly minimized. His eyes dart over toward Leyna briefly, before returning to the one-eyed man to await his response.

If the old man was at all threatened at some point, he does not show it. His face is alight with happiness. "It is ready! Oh, Elena, how I miss you." The smile vanishes and is replaced by faint sorrow, the kind of sadness that blooms in a garden of memories. The strange human now seems to be talking to himself, more than the two militiamen. "All our work has come to an end. Soon we will be together again, my princess." The monocle pops outwards and zooms in on Leyna. "You remind me of her. How sweet she was, my beautiful daughter."

"Vhat is ready?" Leyna inquires quietly. "Vhat vork hafe you been trying to complete?" She is taken back at the mention of the daughter, brushing back a strand of her hair as she shifts a little awkwardly on her feet. "Vhy do you hold us? Vhat is vrong vith our Officer?"

Novikov's brows rise rather rapidly at Leyna's string of questions. A faint look of sympathy appears on Novikov's face, only to be blotted out by a vague appearance of understanding. He nods slowly, but does not appear to be responding to either Leyna or the old man.

"I apologize, but your time of arrival matched the point of no return. If I let you go before the machine is activated, chances are it will fail. Failure is not an option," the old man explains. "It was failure that took my wife, my precious daughter and all our staff. Only I remain and it must be done right now. It must be done right for their sake. For the sake of Elena, my daughter." He offers Leyna a weak smile. "You will like her when she comes back. So alike."

"...Comes back?" Leyna asks slowly, brows drawing together. "You can return zee dead to living?" Her eyes float over to Novikov for a moment, resting on him before back to the old man. "Can you do anytzing for our Officer? He has not voken since ve came."

"Zhe medicine you gave us did not do anyzhink," Novikov adds finally, a frown coming to his lips as he turns to check on Gasparov briefly, "He has not moved since ve placed him zhere. But he still lives."

"Then the medicine works," the old man states. "If not for the medicine, he would be dead. I do not quite understand it myself, but I can assure you that he will be fine once the machine is activated. Everyone will be fine. Olga, my Elena, Patriv, Olaf... they will all be with us and we will be able to celebrate. Our work of years will be completed. Leave your officer here, with your companions. You, who look so much like my daughter, and your friend -- you can both come. It will be a grand celebration!" He steps aside, leaving the way past the metal doorway unblocked.

Leyna glances up at Novikov, back at the remaining soldiers, then nods her head slowly. "Da, ve vill come, only if you promise to release us once ve hafe finished, da? Ve vill not stay on zhis rock. Ve must return to Ungstir. Ve hafe been gone for many days... I zhink."

Novikov takes an uncertain step toward Leyna, closing the distance between the pair. He nods his agreeance with her statement, eyes now gazing past the man and through the doorway into what lies beyond.

"Days?" The old man chuckles. "Hoo, boy! I have not seen people in... years! Years! Hoo! After the machine is activated and finishes, there will be no reason to stay. We can all go celebrate." He remains there, waiting for the two to step past.

Leyna nods her head to Novikov, taking a few slow hesitant steps forward, waiting, looking from left to right before continuing on at a more regular pace.

Following along, Novikov spares Leyna and the old man each another glance - the former with curiosity and the latter with a touch of suspicion. Still, he passes through the doorway just after Leyna.

Rocky Tunnel (U-5755)

A long rocky tunnel leading in two main directions, with various cables and wires running along the walls. There are several other holes, smaller in nature, which also appear to be exits, yet they lack the same illumination as this main hallway.

The old man trails along after the pair, one hand sliding against the rocky surface of a wall. "This connects with the main power plant. Not the one that sustains us, you see, but rather the one that sustains the machine."

Leyna stands in the tunnel for a moment, scowling ever so slightly before starting to move forward, a light hand trailing across the wall, "How long hafe you been vorking on zhis machine?" she inquires.

Novikov follows Leyna along quietly, eyes examining just about everything he can see in the tunnel, rifle still propped over his shoulder, held by the handle loosely. If he is still paying attention to the conversation, he makes no outward sign of it.

"Well, with the... hmm... and the... that makes it about... oh, and then..." The old man uses his free hand to scratch at his beard. "That would make it... I have no idea. Hoo, boy!" He beams. "Long. Very long. Ah, here we go." He reaches into one of the holes, fiddles a while and then waits for a soft hiss ahead. "There. Door is all opened up. Onwards."

Leyna once again glancse at Novikov, a frown flickering across her lips as she moves on forward. "How vould you make a machine to return zee dead?" she asks softly, rubbing at her arms. "Don't understand at all."

Continuing on his path toward the end of the tunnel, Novikov almost manages a smile. "Vell, zhis is goink to be interestink," he mutters quietly, eyes still bouncing to various places along the way.

"How did they make a ship that managed to vanish all those hundreds of years ago?" the old man asks. "Many theories, no real answers. Sanctuary, was it? Hoo, boy! Let's go, then!"

Phoenix Prime (U-5755)

This room is nothing short of huge: a grand circular cavern full of platforms along the walls. There is light everywhere except the very middle, which consists of a hole leading into darkness -- a hole that is easily as wide as a ship and far too deep for its contents to be gleaned from any of the possible vantage points. The ceiling of this cavern holds what could best be described as metal claws connected above: giant iron hands awaiting the chance to reach below and grasp the secrets hidden in the shadows.

Leyna makes her way in, pausing to stare, her eyes wide. "Vhat zee hoop..." she mutters under her breath as she carefully takes a few more steps in. "I hafe never seen anytzing like zhis before, da?" She turns slightly, looking for Novikov's presence at her side.

Novikov's shoulders definately slump as he enters the room. His own eyes widen quite greatly, and he lets the rifle slip from his shoulder, now pointed groundward. "More importantly, how hafe ve never stumbled upon zhis before?" he queries no one in particular.

The old man steps in after the pair. Everyone is standing on one of the various platforms, which connects to several others by thin bridges. There is machinery everywhere, large and small consoles coated with beeping lights. "Ah, yes. I can feel it. Soon. The power is about to finish building up." He smiles at Novikov. "All this is fairly recent. Up until now there was no need for all this energy. Your group arrived a few days after all this power came into use and a few moments before the machine was turned on."

"Zhis is amazing..." Leyna mutters, shifting in closer to Novikov, not quite touching him, but close enough to feel the heat off of his body. "I hafe never seen anytzing like zhis before..." she breathes out, eyes roaming all of the sights.

"So, vhat does it do?" Novikov asks plainly, still staring around wide-eyed. His eyes dart toward Leyna as she nears him, as if startled by the sudden proximity. He quickly goes back to his inspecting, however.

The old man scampers up one of the bridges and begins fiddling with the controls. "Amazing? This? A hole? Hoo, boy!" He laughs, his tone almost made insane by the sheer joy that is clearly visible on his face. "You have not seen anything yet! Ah, yes. This. This." Soon enough, he is off to another platform. His voice still manages to carry out the pair. "Now... now it comes," he adds, an announcement made beside one of the biggest consoles. The ground begins to rumble.

When the ground starts to rumble, Leyna shifts her position slightly, feet spreading out to give her a firmer base so she doesn't go toppling over or anything. "Vhat zee hoop..." she mutters, looking around, hand hovering near her pistol automatically.

Novikov drops one of his legs back, also giving himself a better control over his center of gravity. He shifts his rifle back into a two-handed position but keeps it pointed away from the people and equipment in the room. A quiet curse in his native tongue is the only verbal response he gives to the new situation.

Hark! The wind doth cry and in that shriek does it carry the voices of the dead.

The ground continues to rumble with increasing strength, as if the very bowels of the asteroid were tearing apart. From within the giant hole in the middle of room tendrils of what could best be described as electrical energy shoot upwards -- fiery fingers of an orange hue that sizzle with fury.

And that is when the cries begin: hundreds of voices... screaming, wailing... in pain... in sorrow...

"Timofei!" Leyna's voice is soft but urgent as she presses in against Novikov, fingers now gripping the butt of her pistol while biting on her lower lip. "Zhere is sometzing not right. Sometzing very big not right here..." She gives a little shudder.

Novikov grits his teeth as the voices cry out, giving a firm nod to Leyna as she speaks. His eyes widen as they stare down at the hole, and it's bolts of energy. "Vhat is goink on?" he yells, about as loud as he can manage as he finally tears his eyes from the hole and directs them toward the old man. "Vhat are you doink?"

Reality wavers. Existence ceases to exist. It is a paradox of time and space. The walls around the large cavern seem to liquefy, with ripples extending outwards at the various points the orange bolts strike.

"This is it!" the old man screams triumphantly. "It is coming!"

The hole becomes alive with energy and light, glowing like the mouth of a dragon that now spews forth a huge metal pillar. It rises from the place that was once shadows and begins to reach out towards the ceiling.

"Zhis is vrong. So terribly vrong," Leyna mutters, shaking her head. "Notzing good vill come of zhis." She cradles her head lightly in one hand, body trembling a little bit as she presses closer to Novikov.

"Vhat are you doink, old man?" Novikov calls once again, lifting his rifle some but still hesitating to actually point it at the man. "I vant answers, or zhis vill end -now-!" There is no hesitation in the man's voice, however, or his eyes.

As the pillar closes the distance between itself and the ceiling, the chaos begins to decrease. The rumble softens and the erratic bolts of lightning cease to strike aimlessly, limiting their selves to the area around the machine that now takes up massive space in the room. Even the screams quiet down. At least they seem to do so. There is still a sensation of their presence -- a seed in the gardens of memory.

Eventually, peace returns. It is then that the old man heads back to the platform where Leyna and Novikov are. "This," he announces, one hand gesturing gloriously towards his invention, "is the Phoenix." He still does not seem alarmed at the prospect of getting shot. "Lower your weapon. I cannot die here, nor can you. We are no longer in a place where such things matter. Be welcome!"

Leyna nods her head, placing a hand against Novikov's arm, pushing to lower the weapon. "Now is not zee time to do zhis..." she mutters. "Answers. Ve need answers..." She turns, looking at the old man. "Vhat is zhis? Vhere are ve? I do not understand vhat all of zhis is... how does zhis bring back zee dead?"

Novikov frowns, once more being called off by Leyna. His eyes narrow into an unhealthy glare at the old man. "How can ve not die here?" he adds to the load of questions posed by Leyna.

"It does not," the old man answers Leyna. "It takes us to them so we may bring them back ourselves." He turns to Novikov. "That is the reason we cannot die. You see, we are no longer alive."

"Ve are dead?" Leyna asks, drawing her brows together slightly. "How do ve bring back zee dead? None of zhis makes sense..." She shakes her head before looking at Novikov. "Your fatzer?" she inquires hesitantly.

Novikov's frown severely deepens at the news of his own death, and his eyes narrow into slits at the mention of his father. "So, how does zhis bring zhe dead back to life, old man?" he begins acidly. "If ve are dead, vhat does zhis help?"

"You will understand soon enough. For now, let us rest," the old man says, leaning against the wall wearily. His monocle zooms in on Novikov. "For the moment, content yourselves with knowing that at least if we are dead, nothing can hurt us. Hoo, boy! Or so I hope." He cackles and nods towards the exit. "Rest. I need to work on the machine, calibrate it. The window to act will be small. I shall need help from you soon."

"I do not understand any of zhis..." Leyna mutters under her breath, but says nothing to Novikov or the old man, instead rubbing at her temples, taking a few steps away to stand on her own.

"Vhat help vould you expect from us?" Novikov asks next, obviously no less angry after the explanation. "-Vhy- should ve help you, for zhat matter, da? If you are correct, zhen you hafe killed us. Zhat, I zhink, is not very good incentive for cooperation."

"Ungstiri," the old man sighs, his monocle easing back inwards into his skull. "Good soldiers, brave fighters... but not very smart. If you do not help me," he adds, his voice now down-to-business, "I will not bring you or your friends back to life when the times comes. This is not a negotiation. I will carry my work on with or without your help. The latter might at least ensure you survival, however. Now... go rest."

"Back to vhere ve vere before?" Leyna inquires, turning to look at the old man. "You vill not lock us in zhere? Ve cannot take being locked in zat room any longer." She shudders a little bit, glancing between Novikov and the old man.

Slinging his rifle back over his shoulder, Novikov mutters a quiet curse under his breath. He turns toward Leyna, watching her with a look of concern. He seems on the verge of speaking, but instead shakes his head in silence.

The old man shakes his head. "You are free to roam at will. Even go to your ship. Do not try to leave, however. You might find that we are no longer exactly where we were before." He offers the two a friendly smile. "Try not to worry so much. Soon Elena will be back with us. My precious Elena. Perhaps there are those you wish to bring back yourselves. Consider that and leave me now to my work."

Leyna gives a nod of her head, taking Novikov's arm, starting to lead him back towards the way they'd come. "Your fatzer, Tim," she encourages softly. "If you could return your fatzer..." Her eyes lower a little bit as she gives a weak smile. "Zhink about it, da?"

Novikov follows along with Leyna, seeming somewhat unstable on his feet all of a sudden. "My fazher is -dead-," he murmurs, eyes looking ahead. All in all, he has an air of confusion and doubt about him.

The old man watches them go, then turns to smile widely at his machine... his creation... his salvation. "From the ashes you have risen, my Phoenix. Let us soar through the skies of eternity together." And that cues his silence.