>>5220176A second voice croons, “̵w̵H̴o̴ ̴A̸r̴E̶ ̷Y̸o̵U̸ ̶T̵O̷ ̴c̵H̵a̶L̴l̴E̸N̷g̸E̶ ̶t̸H̶e̵ ̵J̷U̸d̶G̵E̸M̵E̵N̵t̷ ̴o̶F̴ ̴T̸h̵E̵ ̷g̷o̶D̶s̵?̸ ̵T̴O̴ ̵T̶H̷i̷n̷K̷ ̶Y̴o̴U̸ ̷c̸A̶n̸ ̴r̴E̵s̶T̷O̷R̶e̸ ̵T̵H̶E̴ ̸e̵A̸r̴T̵H̴ ̴t̸O̴ ̶A̴ ̴g̸r̶o̶t̵e̸S̶q̴u̵E̸ ̶s̸i̴M̶U̸L̶A̵c̵r̵u̴M̶ ̵o̴f̵ ̶i̸t̷s̵ ̷f̴O̷R̷M̵E̴R̴ ̴S̷E̵l̵f̸?̶”̸
“HOPI, send an alert to the Calypso,” you tersely order. “If they aren’t already aware, the Olympia’s command structure is about to go critical. They gotta get as far away as possible.”
“They already know, Sinleq,” she says quietly. “I’ve been muting them. Aalto’s panicking and Geary’s trying to coordinate some sort of rendezvous with the Mackerel and Gully…”
The cultists make no movement as you hit the brakes, stopping at just six meters away. At this range, you won’t miss. Either with your spear gun or the plasma cutter. But what they say next stops you cold as you bring your tools to bear against them.
“̶W̴E̵ ̴k̴n̶o̴W̷ ̷W̸H̸o̶ ̵y̵o̸u̶ ̷A̷r̷E̴,̷ ̶p̴i̷L̵O̸t̶ ̷O̵F̴ ̴T̷h̷E̵ ̸B̴L̸a̸c̷k̷ ̴M̸a̷G̷E̸l̴l̷a̶N̶.̸”̵
“̶s̸I̶N̷L̶e̷Q̸ ̶u̷N̸A̸m̵I̸,̴ ̷o̸F̴ ̴t̵H̸e̸ ̴f̷R̵e̵e̷-̶C̷I̷T̷y̵ ̴o̶f̴ ̵b̸A̵B̷Y̸l̵o̸N̴I̶a̶.̷”̸
“̵f̷i̴R̷s̴T̷B̷O̴r̷n̵ ̴a̶N̶D̴ ̷o̴N̷l̸y̶ ̸s̴o̶N̸ ̸o̸f̵ ̷s̴i̶N̶e̶A̷D̵ ̷a̵N̸D̵ ̷i̵t̸a̶m̵i̴ ̸u̶n̵A̶m̷I̷.̶”̴
“̶D̶E̴B̸t̸ ̸s̸l̷a̵v̵e̸ ̶t̵o̷ ̵b̴A̷r̵t̷h̸O̸L̶o̵m̸E̶w̸ ̴S̴T̵o̴L̴z̴E̴.̷”̵
“̸G̶o̶d̸f̷a̷t̶H̷E̷R̵ ̵T̴o̷ ̸t̶H̴O̴m̵A̶S̸ ̶g̶O̸d̷w̶i̵n̵-̶B̶A̷r̶B̶E̶T̷.̶”̴
Your grip on the stick and throttle turns white. Pale as your face as the blood drains out of your skull. For the first time, true fear grips you like a vice. “How do you know these things? Answer me!”
The divers don’t answer, merely linking their arms together. “̶Y̶O̴U̸ ̷h̵A̶V̸e̴ ̴y̷o̸u̶R̶ ̵R̷O̸l̵E̴ ̶T̵o̸ ̸P̷l̸A̴Y̵ ̴i̶N̸ ̴T̷H̷e̷ ̷C̵O̷m̵i̵N̴G̷ ̵T̶R̷i̸A̷L̴s̷ ̷A̶h̵e̴a̵D̶.̶”̵
“̸m̴a̶y̷ ̶Y̸O̸U̷ ̵E̸m̵E̵r̶g̸E̶ ̵F̶A̷V̸o̵R̵a̴b̷l̸y̸ ̷I̸n̵ ̸t̵H̵e̸ ̸E̸Y̷e̷S̵ ̴O̸F̶ ̸T̴h̷e̸ ̷G̶O̶D̷D̶E̷s̸s̷.̵”̵
Uncaring about the answers, you fire off your weapons. But even as the spear impales the one on the right, and the arc of superheated gas cuts the left one in two…
A sudden flash of light just beyond the port authority graveyard. The cockpit polarizes just before you’re blinded. Gauges and sensors spike into the red, panicking at the sudden change and fluctuations of both ambient temperature and radioactivity.
“Nuclear detonation!” screams HOPI. “Sinleq, you have twenty seconds before the shockwave hits-!”
>>Roll 1d100.>Best out of five. 