███████ , devourer of souls (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
death_gone_mad) wrote2012-04-02 12:06 pm
death_gone_mad) wrote2012-04-02 12:06 pm
Entry tags:
Distraction
Inch by inch, foot by foot, the Furnace crept closer toward the Gene Worm facility, spitting out angry sparks at the Combine in its way.
In the sky where the Combine's combots but also a growing number of the Furnace's sparks, the white hot Jemr'h, looking for targets. Similar in profile but not in anything else.
In the sky too was a dragon, the flying beasts of the Combine, the Advisors, and the Black Lion, helpfully keeping out of sight of the Furnace. But there was a green eyed monster staring out of its place inside the Furnace, keeping an eye on the Black Lion.
The green eye kept silent about the lion for the sake of theResistance.
But it wasn't the Furnace's duty to immolate the Geneworm though it desired, it yearned to consume this artificial life-form the Combine so fiercely protected. It was a distraction from what was happening elsewhere.
Another Advisor fell from the sky. Dead. Otherwise uninjured.
"AYUNI! I told you to keep an eye out for any approaching Advisors!" Sarah yelled as the dead Advisor burst into flames.
"My apologies, Mistress, I was monitoring how the battle was proceeding elsewhere. It won't happen ag-"
The Combine combots start falling out of the sky. There still are jemr'h in the sky, but combots do not glow white hot. The one remaining combot gets shot down.
"Mistress, something has change on the Combine communications channels," informs the blue masked gorilla, Eruni. "The same message, across all of them."
"I hear the heretic!" hisses Leeuni, the gorilla with the red, bloody, lips. She brings the facemask of an Elite to Sarah. "You should hear, too."
Sarah brings the facemask up to her ear.
"...OW YOU caN Hear mE. iT's BEen a loNG tIme, hAsN'T iT, SinCE wE LASt spOKe? YOUr liTTLe rUSE wAs QUIte cLEVeR, bUT YOU shoulD kNOw By NOw thAT dECOyS woN'T deCEIvE us," the voice continues. "wE HaVE eYES AND eaRS eVERywhERE, aS weLL aS a HOST Of seNSEs thAT a mERE HUmAN CoULdN'T pOSSiblY coMPREheNd, LeT aLoNE uSe. YOUr pLAn wAs DOOMeD fRoM tHe stARt. iT'S alMOST tOUCHing, rEalLY, tHe WaY YOU keeP fiGHTing eVEn WHen iT'S uTTerLY fuTILE. YOUr fATHeR dId tHe SAME THing. YOU THinK he'S gONe, doN'T YOU? gONe to heaVEN OR Hell OR sOme otHeR ethEREal plANE HUmANs iNVEnteD to mAKe DEatH sEEM liKe AnyTHing buT obLIVioN? weLL, YOU're alMOST riGHT, AlyX. wE HaVE hiM."
This message was intended for Alyx. Sarah nearly decides to drop and ignore it, but...
These fools.
They think that there is a chance at oblivion. Oblivion without her. Through death.
"His PERsonAliTY. His MEMOry. eVERyTHing Eli VaNCe eVER wAs, aLL coPIed AND pRESERVeD, reaDY to BE acCESSed aT any tiMe. he'S reMARKabLY fORtunATe, rEalLy. he'S beeN GraNTed imMORtaliTY, IN spiTe oF His best efFORts to preVEnt HUmANiTY frOm aCHieving thAT dREAM."
"he'D beG YOU to jOin hiM. iT'S juST toO Bad YOUr SpeCIes iS nO lonGER ELigiBLe FoR THaT. Of couRSe YOU HaVE onLY YOUrselVes to BLame FoR THaT, doN'T YOU?"
"HUMANITY IS MINE! MY SPECIES! HOW DARE YOU TEMPT THEM WITH IMMORTALITY! YOU DO NOT OFFER THEM ETERNAL PLEASURE, YOU OFFER ETERNAL SUFFERING!" Sarah bellows at the sky. "YOU DO NOT KNOW THE MEANING OF IMMORTALITY!"
"They choose well. They choose salvation. They choose oblivion."
Those humans still atAmascut's side have only a brief moment to stare agape at her before they hear the call from Alyx. They run. Away from the GeneWorm. Away from the Combine. Away from the madwoman. And they empty the furnace.
"The Resistance leader is ordering everyone to fall back," Eruni reports.
"I WILL NOT LEAVE WITHOUT MY ANSWER!
In the sky where the Combine's combots but also a growing number of the Furnace's sparks, the white hot Jemr'h, looking for targets. Similar in profile but not in anything else.
In the sky too was a dragon, the flying beasts of the Combine, the Advisors, and the Black Lion, helpfully keeping out of sight of the Furnace. But there was a green eyed monster staring out of its place inside the Furnace, keeping an eye on the Black Lion.
The green eye kept silent about the lion for the sake of the
But it wasn't the Furnace's duty to immolate the Geneworm though it desired, it yearned to consume this artificial life-form the Combine so fiercely protected. It was a distraction from what was happening elsewhere.
Another Advisor fell from the sky. Dead. Otherwise uninjured.
"AYUNI! I told you to keep an eye out for any approaching Advisors!" Sarah yelled as the dead Advisor burst into flames.
"My apologies, Mistress, I was monitoring how the battle was proceeding elsewhere. It won't happen ag-"
The Combine combots start falling out of the sky. There still are jemr'h in the sky, but combots do not glow white hot. The one remaining combot gets shot down.
"Mistress, something has change on the Combine communications channels," informs the blue masked gorilla, Eruni. "The same message, across all of them."
"I hear the heretic!" hisses Leeuni, the gorilla with the red, bloody, lips. She brings the facemask of an Elite to Sarah. "You should hear, too."
Sarah brings the facemask up to her ear.
"...OW YOU caN Hear mE. iT's BEen a loNG tIme, hAsN'T iT, SinCE wE LASt spOKe? YOUr liTTLe rUSE wAs QUIte cLEVeR, bUT YOU shoulD kNOw By NOw thAT dECOyS woN'T deCEIvE us," the voice continues. "wE HaVE eYES AND eaRS eVERywhERE, aS weLL aS a HOST Of seNSEs thAT a mERE HUmAN CoULdN'T pOSSiblY coMPREheNd, LeT aLoNE uSe. YOUr pLAn wAs DOOMeD fRoM tHe stARt. iT'S alMOST tOUCHing, rEalLY, tHe WaY YOU keeP fiGHTing eVEn WHen iT'S uTTerLY fuTILE. YOUr fATHeR dId tHe SAME THing. YOU THinK he'S gONe, doN'T YOU? gONe to heaVEN OR Hell OR sOme otHeR ethEREal plANE HUmANs iNVEnteD to mAKe DEatH sEEM liKe AnyTHing buT obLIVioN? weLL, YOU're alMOST riGHT, AlyX. wE HaVE hiM."
This message was intended for Alyx. Sarah nearly decides to drop and ignore it, but...
These fools.
They think that there is a chance at oblivion. Oblivion without her. Through death.
"His PERsonAliTY. His MEMOry. eVERyTHing Eli VaNCe eVER wAs, aLL coPIed AND pRESERVeD, reaDY to BE acCESSed aT any tiMe. he'S reMARKabLY fORtunATe, rEalLy. he'S beeN GraNTed imMORtaliTY, IN spiTe oF His best efFORts to preVEnt HUmANiTY frOm aCHieving thAT dREAM."
IMMORTALITY
IN spiTe oF His best efFORts to preVEnt HUmANiTY frOm aCHieving thAT dREAM.
thAT dREAM.
IMMORTALITY
"he'D beG YOU to jOin hiM. iT'S juST toO Bad YOUr SpeCIes iS nO lonGER ELigiBLe FoR THaT. Of couRSe YOU HaVE onLY YOUrselVes to BLame FoR THaT, doN'T YOU?"
"HUMANITY IS MINE! MY SPECIES! HOW DARE YOU TEMPT THEM WITH IMMORTALITY! YOU DO NOT OFFER THEM ETERNAL PLEASURE, YOU OFFER ETERNAL SUFFERING!" Sarah bellows at the sky. "YOU DO NOT KNOW THE MEANING OF IMMORTALITY!"
"They choose well. They choose salvation. They choose oblivion."
Those humans still at
"The Resistance leader is ordering everyone to fall back," Eruni reports.
"I WILL NOT LEAVE WITHOUT MY ANSWER!
If thou openest not the gate to let me enter,
I WILL DESTROY THE COMBINE MYSELF!I will break the door, I will wrench the lock,
I WILL BRING DOWN THE WALLS THAT HIDE THE WORM!I will smash the door-posts, I will force the doors.
I WILL FIND THE HIDING PLACE OF THESE OVERFED SEASLUGSI will bring up the dead to eat the living.
AND I SHALL SHOW THEM THE TRUE HORRORS OF IMMORTALITY!"And the dead will outnumber the living.