[quote]Violet light fills the massive chamber, as Ronin lies unconscious Acro works frantically to revive him. “Come on Ronin, don’t be dead… WAKE UP!” The others watched as the door became seamless, just like the gate to the fortress. “How’s he doing” Warlock knelt beside them as Ronin stirred in his stupor… Acro furiously slaps his medical equipment, scanning Ronin’s brain for static overload, the technology was malfunctioning due to interference, the readout became clear for a few seconds but he could not be sure of it, there was beleaguered fear in his voice [/quote] [quote]“He’s... be ok… he’s never fallen like this…” tears began flowing from his eyes. Warlock drew him to his feet swiftly, holding him face to face “Acro, get a hold of yourself- It’s the deep, it’s using your fears and sorrows against you, do you remember Ronin’s words?!” Acro, exhaled sharply “You’re right…” He tugged at Warlocks arms and they released eachother “You’re right, I’m sorry” “Guard your emotions Acrocanthus.” “You think I don’t?!” Acro stepped closer, “this… nightmare, this plague! It doesn’t stop…” Slowly the others walked away from the door, amid the confrontation between Warlock and Acrocanthus. [/quote] [quote]“… It isn’t organic, it isn’t synthetic, it’s a paradox in it’s own right… It’s not a disease, it’s not a parasite… It’s something else, and it’s growing… It’s growing right into our world… and nothing we do will ever do more than slow it down… I am scientist; I am a man of fact and reason, and when confronted by the reasonless, something; something! Always stands out… But not here… this is irrationality for the sake of irrationality… virulence for the sake of virulence! And we MUST stop it, warlock… we must…” Warlock studied Acrocanthus as he regained his composure, and said; “… We need to find the Speaker, he’s the only one with answers…” “Ummm guys… are you seeing this?” [/quote] [quote]Warlock and Acrocanthus turned their eyes to the chamber, and their pained expressions melted into wonder and astonishment, they rejoined the others standing in awe… They were standing on a long and broad gallery of concentrated deep metal, a long catwalk lead into the darkness but beyond that, the behemoth floating sphere that was Vault b hovered. It’s glittering dark steel exterior was dotted with thousands of round cog-like doors, a portal and console at the end of the causeway nearly touched the surface of the astonishing metal giant. The great sphered turned like a small planetoid, rotating in a seemingly random and multiaxis fashion… Beneath the giant A pool of shallow water covered the massive antigravity generators powered from deep within the vault, the low hum of the sphere all around… [/quote] [quote]“That’s big…” Nighthawk said “this is it… this is vaultb!” Acro pulled out his scanner, taking readings; new hope rekindled in his eyes. Ronin struggled to his feet and switched on his radio, the twinkling SOS from Ring answered louder than ever. He shook off the episode as his strength rejoined him, and Warlock placed a hand on his shoulder… “Lets go get that -blam!-…” They gathered themselves and moved along the causeway carefully, Acro was already at the console deciphering its codes when the rest of them joined alongside the moving wall of vault doors before them. [/quote] [quote]Nighthawk disembarked from his mech and took in the mammoth vault with still more wonder “how did he build all this?” Warlock sighed... “It is only logical that he had help, but from who?” Acrocanthus looked at him with a confused but unflinched look. “… the Deep?” “ Even if this DEEP, is a real thing, why?... what purpose would a massive treasure trove of wealth serve? I’m beginning to suspect there is less to this speaker than we may imagine…” “What do you mean?” Wripperoni stepped forward, he had been uncharacteristically quiet until now. “We’ve seen it, we’ve seen what it does…” “I’m not so sure…”[/quote] [quote]“Stop!” Nighthawks voice was cutting… “This is what it wants… it wants us fighting amongst ourselves now… first it tried to crush our spirits, and now it’s pushing us to crush eachother… Think! I pulled crime in offtopic for years… I know what a bad guy does to get your number… And I’d want us distracted at a critical time, like when were just about to enter the -blam!-ing vault!” Nighthawk breathed… as they all they waited in stunned silence “It’s what… I would do…”[/quote] [quote]The others considered his words carefully- In a flash the causeway exploded beneath them, and the Raiders were sent flying, like comets aflame Acrocanthus was knocked back on to the causeway, and struggled to regain his feet, he limped to the edge and looked over he could barely make out his companions below as they splashed down below, a sudden sound energy blasts charging and Acro looked up just in time to fire his boosters, launching him off the causeway and out of the way of another void blast… Acrocanthus fell… In the air above the causeway floated the corrupted Mi’qote Bopsheezi, His arm pulse cannon smoking as h aimed at the Raiders, in the water below… “Forgive me… friends…” Bopsheezi descended on the Raiders… The Dark will of the Deep compelling his eyes to watch unblinking… it forced him to hand-load another void round… [/quote]