Fall of the Phoenix: Withering Flowers in Bloom

Living Arrangement

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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.

-

Hark now, listen well: in the darkness voices dwell. "Father..." A single whisper. It sounds distant, far, lost in a foggy memory. Yet it is there. It is the whisper of a child. "Father..."

Novikov's eyes suddenly grow very wide, and his skin pales somewhat. "Vhat zhe hoop vas zhat?" he asks no one in particular, his arms uncoiling from around his fiance. He looks this way and that, as if trying to spot the source of the sound. Inevitably, his eyes are drawn toward the doorway.

Leyna tenses, her relaxed manner draining away as she sits up, uncurling herself on the couch, but not rising. "A voice?" she inquires softly. "I vould zhink zat it vas notzing but zee vind... but zhere is no vind," she replies.

Droplets of water begin to form on the ceiling. They start to drop on the ground at an increasing pace.

With the development of 'rain', Novikov's eyes dart upward, wincing as he catches a drop in the eye. He gets to his feet quickly enough, tossing his rifle around his shoulder haphazardly. "Is time to talk to zhe old man," he says plainly.

Leyna nods her head, on her feet right with Novikov. "Da... again, zhere is sometzing terribly vrong here. Can feel it." She starts off towards the door, grabbing his arm to pull him along with her, or at least start the movement of his feet. Music starts. A slow waltz. It's almost as if a band were present in the very room, playing.

Following along with Leyna, Novikov's eyes dart around rapidly with the turning of his head. Quiet curses in Mierznykovy can be heard coming from the young man's mouth.

"Do not like zhis..." Leyna mutters again and again. "Do not like zhis /at all/. Zee old man better hafe some good explanations for zhis..."

A childish giggle. The sound of small feet running across the room. More giggles. "Father..."

The more sounds, the more strange happenings, the more Novikov curses in his native tongue. Angrily. He passes through the doorway with one final curse, a more audible one: "Hoopink ghosts."

Leyna is right there with Novikov, biting on her lip to keep most of her curses at bay, even though a few slip out softly as she picks up the pace.

In answer to the pair's final decision to move on, there is only silence.

-

Rocky Tunnel

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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.

-

Novikov's pace has accelerated by the time he comes into the tunnel. Still walking, even if fast, his eyes go around the tunnel much quicker than they did during his last trip in this direction. "Ve hafe got to leafe, now," he mutters, words degrading into another serious of quiet curses.

"Vould prefer to not be dead before ve do zat," Leyna mutters in reply, following Novikov swiftly, even though she slowly falls behind a touch, her legs somewhat shorter than the tall Ungstiri's.

Worthy of notice might be the fact that the tunnel seems much longer than it once did. In fact, the other exit is not even visible from this distance. There /are/ some sounds coming from that direction, though.

"Zhis is becomink very ridiculous," Novikov grumbles as his eyes stare off into the distance of the lengthened tunnel. "Very hoopink ridiculous." Still, he keeps walking.

Leyna breaks into a jog for a few moments to catch up with Novikov, nodding her head. "Zhis whole rock, I am recommending be blown up vhen ve get home," she mutters. "Zhere it notzing good about it."

The source of the faint sounds soon becomes visible. Up ahead there is an area where few lights cast illumination on the tunnel. Attached to the ceiling is a group of bats. They flap their wings eagerly, but remain stationed.

Leyna's comment almost prompts a grin from Novikov. Almost. His expression is determined, eyes narrowed, with a touch of frustration fringing it. His eyes settle on the winged creatures as if looking upon a work of art. For a moment, there is hesitation. But it passes as he unslings his rifle and continues toward the bats.

Leyna almost bumps into Novikov at the hesitation, but follows along at his side, frowning slightly as she notes the winged rodents, brushing back a loose strand of hair carefully, keeping one eye on them, the other on the slowly appearing exit.

The bats do not seem bothered at first. Then that changes...

Once the pair is within few paces of the bats, the rodents leave their perches and begin to flutter around angrily. Soon enough they are flying towards the two soldiers -- the small black rodents... with their shrill voices and their red eyes.

"Hoop!" is all Novikov manages to shout as the bats charge them. He is not very happy about this at all. Giving his rifle just the lightest toss, he shifts his hands so that the weapon is now more like a club. He doesn't stop before he swings. Instead, he continues, though his pace is no longer a constant one, while he swings, trying to keep the creatures at bay.

Leyna ducks herself down, crouching over slightly, keeping her weapon holstered at her side as she waves her arms around to divert their movements elsewhere, a long string of curses brushing past her lips.

Novikov's attack takes down a few of the rodents, turning them to ash the moment they meet the impact. Others, much luckier, manage to slip past his defenses. They fly straight into the soldier and then past him, actually flying through his body, leaving no wounds but rather intense pain.

Leyna succeeds in scaring some, but others just swat against her hands, creating the same agonizing sensation.

Remaining standing for a moment, Novikov's grip on his weapon goes slack, and it starts to slip. Turning it so that the butt of the rifle if groundward, he drops to his knees, using the weapon to lessen the impact of the fall. Now, his curses are louder, much louder. His eyes shut tightly, and he practically yells the words.

The brushing against her small hands and wrists, which should normally just cause a light tickling sensation, or maybe some annoyance if it becomes too rough, is to be expected. Except, however, nothing on this rock seems to go as expected. Leyna lets out a small gasp in pain at the first exposure to the bats on her skin before a muffled cry as she draws her hands in against her body, cradling them tightly, biting on her lower lip to prevent louder cries, so hard it is only a small touch of pressure away from breaking the skin and drawing blood.

The bats disappear.

They are gone, replacing the ruckus with silence. The pain induced by their attack begins to lessen. Up ahead, the exit is now visible and from somewhere beyond it comes a whistled tune. This one doesn't have that same distant feeling. It sounds more grounded, perhaps more so by the fact that every few seconds it stops for the source to scream: "Hoo, boy!"

Novikov shifts to rest against the wall for a moment, not giving much thought to the outside world through his quieting curses and muffled groans. For a moment, that is how he remains, until the whistling and screaming seem to pass through to his senses again. He looks up slowly, eyes opening with fire inside. Slowly, he pushes himself from the ground, using his rifle to help him to his feet. But instead of moving on, he turns, levelling his gaze onto Leyna with a worried look. "Leyna?" he queries, voice sounding drained.

Leyna wiggles her fingers, checking to ensure that all ten are accounted for before rising to her feet from the self-induced crouch, looking at Novikov worriedly. "Am fine. You?" she asks, stepping up next to her fiancee, touching his shoulder lightly. "Vhat vas zat...? Hafe not felt pain like zat in long time."

"Hoo, boy! Oh yes! Very soon now, Elena," comes the voice beyond the exit.

"At zhis point, I do not care vhat zhat vas, so long as it does not happen again," Novikov mumbles, touching his chest tenderly. "Ve need to keep movink, da? Find out vhat zhe hoop is goink on from zhe von who seems hoopink know."

Leyna nods her head, pressing on, starting for the light and voice, one hand remaining lightly against Novikov's arm, concern written in her pale features.

-

Phoenix Prime

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U-5755

- This room is nothing short of huge: a grand circular cavern full of platforms along the walls. There is light everywhere, its main source the large metal pillar rising from the hole in the middle of the room and connected to the ceiling via metal claws. Not only is it nearly as wide as a medium-sized ship, it is longer than most vessels and it is covered by surging electricity of a strange orange hue.

-

The old man is here, working on a console besides the entrance. The Phoenix remains much like it did the last time, with the exception of the shadows now floating around it -- shadows wailing, shrieks that cannot be mistaken for anything but pain and sorrow. "No, no, my Elena! Soon! We shall be together soon, my precious child. Do not cry. Daddy is here."

Novikov's eyes linger on the device only a moment before dropping onto the old man like explosives. Anger is quick to light his face once again. "Vhat zhe hoop is goink on, old man?" he demands almost immediately.

A soft shudders courses through Leyna's body before she looks up at Novikov and the old man. "You hafe to stop it, old man. Zhis is not right. You cannot return our daughter from zee dead. She is /dead/. Gone," she almost shouts, taking a few steps forward, towards him.

"The Phoenix is taking longer than expected to gather the souls. They are showing some... resistance," the old man explains, smiling, eyes blank. "The machine will finish the job. It will work this time. They will come back with me whether they want to or not!" The shadows dancing around the metal pillar lack any real substance, yet anyone gazing at them might see the visage of those they have lost in the past. "They have to understand."

"Zhey don't -vant- to understand, you hoopink idiot!" Novikov replies, his voice escalating easily to a shout. "Vhat zhe hoop do you hoopink mean by zhis hoopink time?" Despite his words, and their volume, Novikov remains weakly standing a distance away, unthreatening and unmoving.

Leyna rests a hand lightly against Novikov's back, a silent support to him for a few moments, just watching the images flash by, pain written across her face. "Zhis is vrong. You are hurting zhem. You are /hurting/ your daughter, your vife, your friends. Is zat vhat you vant? To hurt zhem? To force zhem back into sometzing zat zhey do not vant?" she inquires of the old man, voice loud, but not shouting.

The old man turns to Novikov, his electronic monocle shooting out to zoom in on his face. "You do understand. Fool! I will not lose them," he growls, aiming his glare at Leyna. "They will hurt if that is what it takes for them to be at my side again. Nothing will stop me now. The gate has been opened and--"

Nothing more can be said. The hermit is yanked back and lifted into the air by a black tentacle wrapped around his ankle. Its source seems to be somewhere past the darkness where the machine originally rose from.

There is a pause from Novikov as the man is snatched away. He stares, in disbelief, where the man was, and then in the direction he went. And then, quietly, softly, he begins to laugh. It is not a happy laugh.

Leyna jumps forward, giving Novikov a dark glare, drawing his pistol from her side, taking an aim at the black tentacle, biting on her already sore lip before firing off a shot.

Leyna's shot strikes true, forcing the tendril to release the old man who falls -- screaming and flailing his arms -- towards the platform. In the meantime, two more tentacles begin to rise from the darkness around the Phoenix.

Novikov's laughter is cut short by Leyna's shot, and he lifts his rifle. "I zhink you made it angry, dearest," he mutters as he points the weapon in the direction of the tentacles. Quickly, he steps between Leyna and the edge of the platform. He obviously does not intend to give at least one of the tentacles a chance to strike, taking aim and squeezing the trigger.

Leyna rolls her eyes, taking aim once again at one of the tentacles. "Get zee old man," she orders. "It is after him, not us. He is zee only one who can turn zee hooping machine off. Ve need him /alife/." With that, she squeezes off a shot.

Novikov's shot barely grazes the side of one tentacle, angering it enough to start ramming itself against the rocky wall. The cavern begins to shake under the strain of such an assault. Leyna's shot comes close, but misses. The old man, fallen on the platform, begins to rise. "We need... to get out of here... Phoenix has become unsustainable."

"You don't hoopink say," Novikov grumbles as he turns and darts toward the old man, stopping a short distance away. He spares Leyna the briefest of unhappy glances before his attention returns to the old man. "Just vhere zhe hoop are ve supposed to go, da? -Tell- me you hafe a vay out of here."

"Turn zee machine off," Leyna shouts at the old man, eyes trailing over the tentacles, letting out a soft curse as she takes aim at the one she missed again, gaze flickering to Novikov quickly. "Back into zee tunnel, da? Hurry. Machine, zhen tunnel." Once again, she aims and fires off a shot.

"It cannot be turned off," the old admits after a single glance at the console he was previously operating. "It has to be destroyed, but there is no time. Let's go! It cannot attack us inside!" Leyna's last shot connects with the pugnacious tentacle, stopping it for a few moments.

Novikov turning, takes aim at the other tentacle himself. "Zhen get hoopink movink, da?" he shouts, his tone suggesting that he is not going to accept an argument. Going silent, he squeezes off another shot.

The old man is already moving towards the exit by the time Novikov's shot hits the other tentacle. The three tendrils no longer seem concerned with the group, but rather linger there, dancing slowly around the Phoenix. "Let's go! We will stop it, but right now we need to take cover."

"Get moving, old man," Leyna shouts at the aptly named old man, backing up a few paces, keeping her pistol raised as she watches for more tentacles. "Timofei, move back," she adds on to her companion, briefly tearing her gaze from the Phoenix to Novikov and then back again.

Novikov begins moving in the direction of the exit, though he does not turn away from the tentacles, aim switching between the three of them in sequence as he backs out toward the way out. His trigger finger twitches, as if wanting to spray the tentacles with the remainder of his weapon's energy cell. When he reaches Leyna, he lowers his weapon, tugging on her arm as he turns to make the rest of the way toward the distance far more rapidly.

The old man is already gone beyond the exit.

-

ROCKY TUNNEL

-

Once he has drawn Leyna sufficiently past the exit of the tunnel, he lets go of her arm, hand returning to his rifle, which is immediately directed the way they fled from. "Zhis just keeps gettink better and hoopink better," he gripes.

The old man waits for the two soldiers to be through the exit before he turns to access a panel beside the door. Seconds later, it is locked and sealed by bars. Tears are running down his face. "Failed again. No more. Back to the quarters. The Phoenix requires few days to build up power so we must finish it off before that." He runs his sleeve across his eyes to wipe them clean. "Once and for all." A pause. "Back, now. You two must rest. When the time comes, we must act quickly."

"/Zat/ is vhat killed zee otzers, isn't it?" Leyna asks softly, looking back towards the Phoenix. "Vhat did you tap into? Vhat is gaining power in zhere?" Her voice never lifts as she holsters her weapon, rubbing at her forehead lightly. "Vhat are ve up against?"

Novikov's eyes soften as they peer at the old man now, and he shakes his head slowly. He slings his rifle over his shoulder, quiet for the moment. His expression is troubled, though he does not vocalize the thoughts for the others.

"The Phoenix," the old man says, "opens a gateway that binds our universe with that beyond. In theory, it opens a door to the land where the dead roam. In order for it to work, I had to let it get a glimpse of that doorway. The first one to go was Olaf. He volunteered against our wishes. Dived in. Yet that was not enough... the machine needed more power..." He shakes his head. "There will be time for this later. Now I need to prepare."

Leyna's cheeks blanch and she reaches out to catch a hold of Novikov's shoulder. "You... you threw them into zat zhing, didn't you?" she whispers, lips barely moving as she speaks. "No accident. Murder. You vere going to use us as vell if you needed more 'power', veren't you?"

Novikov glances from Leyna to the old man and back again several times, frowning thoughtfully. "How do ve get back to zhe livink vorld?" he asks, his voice is fairly quiet and plain. All in all, he seems rather tired and worn, perhaps even a bit melancholy.

The old man is silent for a few moments, then turns to make his way down the tunnel. "A few days from now we'll shut it off for good. That will take us back. Now rest."