Page 2 of Alien Guardian's Vow
"So you want me out of the settlement," I stated flatly. It wasn't really a question.
"I want you somewhere your skills can be uniquely useful," Mirelle corrected gently, "and where you might get some relief from..." she gestured vaguely at the humming walls, "...all this."
I considered her words. Busywork or genuine need? Maybe both? Did it matter? Either way, it meant escape from this sensory hell. It meant a real engineering problem to solve.
"What exactly am I looking for?" I asked, already mentally cataloging the gear I'd need: wide-spectrum scanner (the one with the dodgy power coupling), portable energy detector (if I could recalibrate it again), geological stability sensors, basic diagnostic tools...
"Energy fluctuations, signs of structural instability, anything that might explain the tremors. Take whatever equipment you need from the salvaged stores." She paused, her expression turning serious again. "Just be careful, Rivera. The Nyxari warnings about those ruins exist for a reason. That technology is ancient, unstable, and not fully understood."
I nodded, meeting her gaze. "I'll be careful. And I'll find what's causing it."
"I know you will." Mirelle stood. "And Rivera? This isn't busywork. If these tremors continue or worsen, the entire settlement could be at risk." She gave my shoulder a brief squeeze before turning to leave. "Let me know when you're ready to depart."
After she left, I gathered my equipment with renewed purpose, the headache already receding slightly at the prospect of focused work away from the settlement's energy soup.
Whatever was happening at those ruins, I'd figure it out. Engineering problems had solutions. They always did. And if solving this one meant I could think clearly again without my head splitting open?
All the better. The thought of escaping the settlement's constant energetic hum was almost intoxicating. I packed quickly, eager to trade the oppressive resonance of living stone for the potentially lethal but at leastdifferentenergy signatures of the ancient ruins.
Truth be told, it wasn’t just the energy in the settlement I needed to escape from.
It was him.
Varek.
The way his eyes burned when he looked at me, like I was more than just a malfunctioning tool. Like I was a threat that he wanted to understand and subdue.
He was very respectful. Very courteous. Nothing outwardly I could call out.
But there was…a tension.
Something I couldn’t name.
Something that might be nice to think about once I got out of the settlement.
The air changed long before the ruins came into full view. It grew heavier, charged, carrying the sharp, metallic tang of ozone thick enough to taste. Above, dark clouds gathered, bruised and swollen, though no rain fell yet. The humidity pressed in, making my clothes stick uncomfortably to my skin. The very ground seemed to hum beneath my boots, a low, discordant vibration that resonated unpleasantly with my markings.
I paused at the edge of the jungle, surveying the landscape where it met the ancient site. The damage was worse than I remembered from previous brief scans. Cracks spread across the ground like spiderwebs, radiating outward from the crumbling stone structures.
The vegetation nearest the ruins looked diseased—once vibrant blue-green foliage now discolored to a sickly yellow, leaves curled and brittle as if leeched of life. The air itself smelled wrong—not just ozone, but decay, like metal rusting from the inside out.
My handheld scanner beeped insistently, its display struggling to make sense of the chaotic energy readings far above baseline even out here. I adjusted the settings, frowning at the erratic display. Spikes and drops, no regularity, no discernible cycle. Just raw, unstable power bleeding into the environment, interfering with my equipment.
A tremor rippled through the ground, stronger than those I'd felt back at the settlement. I braced myself against a tree trunk, waiting for it to pass, feeling the vibration travel up through the soles of my boots. The discordant hum intensified, vibrating through the rock itself.
As the shaking subsided, a sharp pain lanced through my chest, radiating outward along my collarbone. My markings flared with such sudden, burning intensity that I gasped, dropping to one knee. This wasn't the usual dull ache or sensory static. This was different—a focused, insistentpullingsensation, like invisible hooks embedded beneath my skin tugging me forward.
Toward the ruins.
Toward a specific section I hadn't explored before, partially concealed by slumped earth, tangled vines, and debris from older collapses.
I forced myself to breathe through the pain, sweat beading on my forehead. The scanner in my hand went haywire, readings fluctuating wildly off the scale. Whatever energy source lay within those ruins, it was degrading rapidly, becoming dangerously unstable. Like an engine tearing itself apart at the molecular level.
Dangerous.My training screamed warnings. I should report back immediately, tell Mirelle what I'd found, recommend a full evacuation zone.
Another pull from my markings, stronger this time, so forceful I staggered forward several steps before catching my balance. My teeth clenched against the pain and the unnerving lack of control.
I squinted at the section drawing me in. A new opening had formed in the ancient structure—or perhaps an old one had been revealed by the recent tremors. The edges looked freshly broken.
