<\/a> \u201cIt is wonderful to see you again, GR4. I am Doctor K\u00e4seh\u00e4ndler. It is good to meet you, even if this particular meeting shall be fleeting,\u201d he smiled a sad smile. Gratin\u2019s mind was reeling. It was hard to focus with the prickling across his brain but he forced himself to seek clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cMy memories\u2026 are you saying that I do not have any prior to waking up in this place because-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou did not exist before that night, correct. Or rather, you had never been conscious before that point. The moment your pod lost power was the moment you came to be,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am…not real?\u201d Gratin summarised. K\u00e4seh\u00e4ndler shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNonono, you are very much real! You just don\u2019t have a conventional birth! Whatever identity you forged for yourself in the intervening 12 years is very real! You should be proud of that! Nobody expected you to come as far as you have! Just look at you! A grade six mage! That passed through the Tserulian academy with honours! Hand picked to work for the Grand Master himself!\u201d the scientist was beaming with pride, \u201cthere may be some genetic memory at play; maybe Ard\u2019or\u2019s time on the Spire being drenched in aether has granted you with a heightened affinity for aether manipulation\u2026 this will require much more study but we have all the time in the world to search for those answers! You and I will be spending a lot of time together so long as the Alexendrettas allow it…\u201d he trailed off, his hands having let go of Gratin\u2019s and began idly playing with his facial hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…Who are-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy apologies! The Alexendrettas own this facility. I suppose if you wish to see me as your father then they would be your mother. They made all of this possible!\u201d K\u00e4seh\u00e4ndler swept his arms wide, indicating the room as a whole. Gratin failed to be impressed, simply staring numbly forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the guards cleared his throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSir, our orders-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, yes, I know. GR4 needs to go back into stasis for now. Of course, we\u2019ve never put a fully realised mage into stasis before. I would rather not risk upsetting his brain chemistry until we have had a chance to better study him…\u201d he seemed conflicted. The Guards were not as worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Sisters were quite clear, sir…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlright, fine. Remove GR4\u2019s personal affects and we can begin. He\u2019ll be tucked away again before you know it,\u201d he replied irritably, clearly displeased that he would not be able to spend more time with his creation. Gratin tensed up as the guards holding him in place tightened their grip, a third putting down their weapon and approaching with the full intention of removing Gratin\u2019s mask\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suddenly the world was plunged into darkness as the power cut out. Gratin became very aware that the anti-magic that had been preventing him from using his powers was suddenly absent, his mind feeling less fuzzy all of a sudden. He was fully aware of everything around him once more; the exact dimensions and body heat of the people surrounding him; their emotional states; the heat being generated by the computers affixed to the multiple pods lining the chamber and the mass of electronics dangling from the ceiling; the body heat of the half-formed experiments floating within the pods\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The penny slowly dropped for the humans in the room as they realised that no power meant the speakers producing the anti-magic signal were no longer operational \u2013 the rats not having access to this floor meaning that they had been utilising the tannoy system \u2013 and that meant they had a very powerful and annoyed mage in their midsts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShit! Some one grab-\u201d Gratin wasted no time in releasing a blast in all directions, a wave of magical heat escaping the surface area of his body and sending the men around him flying in all directions. Now he was able to properly perceive the world around him, the mage was aware that the group had been standing on a gantry suspended in the middle of the chamber. The guards were sent toppling over the sides, where they succumbed to gravity and fell six stories downwards. The only ones fortunate enough not to plummet to their demise were the doctor and a pair of guards that had been standing directly behind Gratin. All were now sprawled across the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The emergency lighting came on, red light illuminating the platform as Gratin began to levitate, flames igniting around his fists. K\u00e4seh\u00e4ndler stared up at him in awe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMagnificent! Just\u2026 magnificent!\u201d he laughed as he took in the full grandeur that was Gratin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy was I created?\u201d Gratin\u2019s voice boomed, the black glass of his mask boring down on the scientist. A small part of the doctor\u2019s brain began to wonder if he was in danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…The Sisters…The Alexendrettas…they wanted you to open The Spire for them!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI do not know what that is. Explain!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the key to the Nexus! You can unlock everything! The secrets of magic! Maybe even the very universe!\u201d The doctor proclaimed, \u201cYou, GR4, are the most important thing in the galaxy to them! They will do anything to have even the smallest piece of you!\u201d this only seemed to anger Gratin, the flames around him intensifying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am not a thing and that is not my name!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, I know you prefer Gratin!\u201d the Doctor started to break down into another laughing fit, \u201cbut where do you think that came from? You only ever saw your serial number written down before you became aware of us haha!\u201d the doctor could barely contain himself, \u201cGR4-71N! GRA-TIN! Don\u2019t you get it?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t as humorous as you make it out to be,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe not from your perspective! What you call yourself hardly matters though. You won\u2019t escape! Haha!\u201d Gratin began to float closer to the man only to hesitate when he realised the guards behind him were still conscious and had radios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need assistance in 6C! GR4-71N is-\u201d the guard\u2019s request for aid was cut off the moment Gratin flung a fireball as him, incinerating him to a crisp. This hardly seemed to intimidate the doctor, who was still laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t assume the sisters won\u2019t have you executed! All they need is your DNA! The original sample was lost the night you awoke but if we can just get a new sample from you then we can start the whole experiment over!\u201d he babbled madly, \u201cI don\u2019t want you killed though, there\u2019s so much I can learn from you! Just surrender! There\u2019s no limit to what we could do if you just work with us!\u201d he stared up at Gratin with mad eyes, extending out a hand as an offering. Gratin\u2019s lip curled in disgust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cForgive me for not leaping at the opportunity,\u201d said the mage in his usual deadpan manner. He was reaching out with his senses, expanding his gaze to beyond the room. He could detect a squad of men running up the stairwell carrying weapons. He threw himself to the side as the door was flung open, the squad rushing onto the gantry ready for a fight, opening fire the moment they were clear of the door. Gratin catapulted himself upwards with the hope of using the machinery that controlled the pods for additional cover from the sustained automatic fire rather than expend the energy using his shield magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What he hadn\u2019t been expecting was for K\u00e4seh\u00e4ndler to pull himself to his feet and fling himself at the firing squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo! Don\u2019t kill him!\u201d the Doctor screamed, knocking a gunman off balance. Bullets sprayed wildly across the chamber, impacting the machinery Gratin was hiding behind. Electronics began to spark and a klaxon began to sound. Gratin could sense movement from below as the pods began to open, the bodies within sliding out as the contents were dumped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The guard pushed the scientist off of him, sending the large man sprawling into the rail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cInterfere and we will not hesitate to shoot you too!\u201d the guard announced. K\u00e4seh\u00e4ndler wasn\u2019t listening. His attention was drawn to the shifting mass below that he could see through the grating of the gantry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Groans could be heard echoing up the chamber as naked figures rose. Not all of them were humanoid; some bore the basic shape but others had additional limbs or exoskeletons. At least one was a shifting mass of flesh that attempted to form an approximation of a human shape only to collapse back into itself as if someone was moulding a lump of clay or putty. It was hard to pick out specific shapes in the din of the lower levels but there were enough shifting in the shadows to realise that there was a lot of movement and some of it was beginning to skitter up the walls, travelling up behind the machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…M-Mr Garret?\u201d the Doctor began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSomeone get the Doctor out of here! Does anyone have eyes on GR4?\u201d the lead guard, Garret, was far more interested in dealing with the mage problem. Gratin was still up near the ceiling somewhere, hiding amidst the cables, tubing and machinery. K\u00e4seh\u00e4ndler began to back away from the walls, edging down the gantry towards the centre of the chamber. His eyes were wide, darting back and forth as he glanced between the darkened pods for any signs for movement. Were those tentacles in the dark? Or more cables? And what was that clicking noise just on the edge of hearing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMr Garret!\u201d His voice sounded more strained this time, his eyes settling on the pod closest to the door. The pod that now appeared to have an extra cable poking out from the top. A cable that was dripping some sort of viscous fluid\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTilo, get the fuck outta hereaaAAAHH!\u201d the cable \u2013 no, tentacle \u2013 the Doctor had been focused on slivered to one side and then shot out towards the yelling guard, side swiping him and lifting him into the air as it began to wrap around him, dragging him back down into the dark where his screams were suddenly snuffed out. The other members of the squad barely had time to piece together what happened before something large and armoured and slobbering erupted from out of the blackness between the stasis units, landed on the back of one of the other guards and dragged him back over the edge of the gantry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By this point, the other guards had noticed the creatures from the pods moving in the shadows. Genetic experiments developed as weapons or tests to see how different biological traits could be added and enhanced to create a superior creature. The guards wasted no time firing on the mass, survival instincts kicking in. There were yelps of pain and strange screeching noises before something roared so loud the walls seemed to shake. Three hulking creatures leapt out of the din below, landing on the gantry so heavily the entire bridge buckled and warped under the impact. The were large, muscular and covered in a thick exoskeleton that could withstand the sustained stream of bullets that was being fired their way. If anything, the gunfire only made them angrier, the creatures rushing the guards and battering them with their massive, meaty fists, pummelling so forcefully into the ground that \u2013 when the screams finally ceased \u2013 all remained was a bloody smear. Two of the creatures began to feed on whatever fleshy chunks remained, the third sniffing the air and slowly turned to face the trembling doctor, who was in the process of attempting to crawl away. A growl escaped its lips. It looked like a cross between a gorilla, rhino and some manner of beetle, horns sprouting above its nostrils and mandibles surrounding its lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
K\u00e4seh\u00e4ndler closed his eyes tightly, fearing the worst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a sudden burst of heat, the force of an explosion and the sound of startled whimpering. The next thing Dr K\u00e4seh\u00e4ndler knew, someone was gripping him under the armpits and they were moving at speed out the door, angry animal cries sounding in their wake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
K\u00e4seh\u00e4ndler opened his eyes, shocked to see Gratin was his rescuer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGR4-?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo not thank me. I still have questions and you may be the only hope I have of rescuing my friends,\u201d the mage informed him as they zoomed back towards the stairwell, tension evident in his voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat were those things?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cErr…weapons developed to be sold to various security firms and military outfits. They\u2019re unfinished, programming yet to be applied. They\u2019re working purely on instinct right now!\u201d the doctor explained. Gratin grunted in reply, sickened by the work that took place here. He did not have time to dwell on it though, a siren beginning to blare around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe fire alarm?\u201d K\u00e4seh\u00e4ndler queried, surprised. That was a cause for concern, Gratin further stretching out his senses to find the source of the fire. What he found caused the colour to drain from his face, a familiar force at work in one of the other sections of the facility\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…Abaddon\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cQuickly, direct me to the warehouses! Now!\u201d the note of panic and desperation in Gratin\u2019s voice struck a nerve somewhere deep inside the doctor. This was serious, what ever it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…We need to get back to the ground floor.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gratin\u2019s journey through the facility was similar to his friends\u2019 with the one exception being that the anti-magic signal accompanied him throughout. The others regained the use of their faculties the moment they left the vicinity of the mage, Gratin being the focal point the sound wave was produced from….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[105,138,128,103,106,33,137,139,119,9],"class_list":["post-349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-mercenaries-tale","tag-anti-magic","tag-doctor-tilo-kasehandler","tag-forest-canyon","tag-genetix","tag-gr4-71n","tag-gratin","tag-mad-science","tag-mutants","tag-polaris","tag-the-mercs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=349"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/349\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}