40 lines
1.8 KiB
Plaintext
40 lines
1.8 KiB
Plaintext
"MAIN SCREEN, TURN ON!"
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The front of the cockpit folded in on itself in a technicolor blur
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around the small radar display. Shapes appeared, coming into focus
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and merging around the object labeled "Semi-organic." It was about
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the size of an ammunition box and beset with strange onyx orbs
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nestled in loops of gold filigree, all reflecting the millions of
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flecks of alien constellations.
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Machines whirred to life throughout the ship as I began salvage
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procedures. Cranium was halfway to the cargo hold before I could be
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sure the airlock was resealed properly. Hex and I arrived just in
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time to watch Mr Swarm disintegrate into an thousands of miniatures
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of himself, climbing in and out of every crevice of the box. The
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cargo-scanner showing no dangers on any of it's graphs, only a tiny
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labyrinth of shades of gray.
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"Looks like ancient aliens left us some Swiss cheese, doesn't it?"
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Cranium chuckled to himself, "fancy wrapper, must be expensive."
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Hex rolled her eyes.
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"It appears to be bio-mechanical" Mr Swarms chorused, "some sort of
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neural networked computer, maybe? I didn't recognize any of the
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crystalline structures, but the biology is..." A cacophony filled
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the hull with a deep throbbing vibration as Mr Swarm congealed into
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a form a quarter of his original size.
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"Turbulence! Turbulence!" blared over the ships loudspeaker.
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"I'm not sure what I did, but it doesn't seem to have liked it!" a
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nearly full-sized Mr Swarm shouted over the din, tiny echoes
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trailing behind him.
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"I'm sensing a strange aura - something old - something changing
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like the sea" Hex said dreamily. We turned to look back at the
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strange box, the noise slowly died away as we all stood in a
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semicircle gawping in awe as it finished melting through the floor,
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leaving at an iridescent black sheen.
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