Project Exodus

There was a spark, and then a jolt shot through the room. Simon's hand flailed about from the sudden shock as he expressed the pain in at least three different Tenelean curse words. He cradled his hand, rubbing the think glove he wore over it, feeling the metallic skin that lay underneath.   A groan escaped the creature on the table before him. A boar, or at least it was. It was on its side, and different assortments of wires and artifice were hooked into its veins and arteries. Its eyes were metallic replacements that glowed a Tenelean blue, and with every snort or breath the animal gave, there was a robotic hum to it.   This was Simon's work. The current topic? Experimenting on the best way to augment wildlife. The subject in question at the moment? The boar in front of him. A boar he'd named Muddy.   However, this close, and even with everything Simon had tried to do, he could see clearly the reality of the situation. The shallow noises, the faint rise and fall of her belly, the unresponsive nerves. Muddy was already half-dead.   Simon had known this for a while, but his own master had instructed him to keep going — it wasn't ideal to go against a man like his master. Simon sighed, letting his freshly shocked hand scratch behind Muddy's half-metal ears. "Sorry, girl. I'm trying my best." A shallow groan was the boar's only response.   Simon Lacrish, a recent Metallon apprentice, reached over to a set of vials sorted neatly into a divided container. He plucked one out from the bunch, watching the green airy-liquid swish around like mist inside. On its side was a label: "Augtech".   Having done this dozens of times before, he opened a small hatch on a machine the boar was hooked up to, and slid the vial neatly into the orifice. Closing the hatch, the machine began to whir and the coils around the boar started to glow green.   "Hopefully this helps, girl."   A voice came from behind Simon at the edge of the room. "Mr. Lacrish." He turned just in time to see an alien of a construct walking uniformly up to him. Its entire body was a mess of metal, coils, and green-glowing wires. Where its face would be, four metal appendages draped down from its chin like tendrils. There was a mouth between them all, but as it continued to speak, it did not move. Zalgum was once an illithid, a Lo'orgoron as they called themselves. But now, he was a Lo'orixian. "The Master requests your presence in the main vault."   Simon looked back at Muddy. "For what reason, Zalgum?"   The Lo'orixian came to a stop in front of Muddy. Its head lowered to closely examine the animal, its tendrils coiling in the air like a snake's tongue smelling for anything out of the ordinary. "He did not say, I am afraid. But, I shall take over the procedure of the subject here while you are gone."   "Muddy..."   Zalgum's metal head turned away from the boar to gaze back at Simon. "I did not hear you. Please repeat."   "Her name is Muddy." Zalgum looked back at Muddy and then Simon again.   "It is unwise to become so attached to these subjects, Mr. Lacrish... especially for one which is dying." Zalgum glided over to the machine in the room, looking over the runic designs that ran it.   "Well, we call each other by our names. Shouldn't everything else have that same courtesy?" Simon's voice was quiet. He and Zalgum tended to disagree on many things.   "I address you exactly as I am expected to, and you I. Should an animal such as this rise to greater importance in the future, I shall then call it as necessity dictates. But, in its current condition, I do not foresee that happening."   Of course he didn't. Zalgum never did. "It is also unwise to keep the Master waiting, Mr. Lacrish."   Simon couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, he watched Zalgum running his long fingers over the machine, like he was completely unaware of Simon's presence, then he looked at Muddy, lying still. Then, he turned and left.

Simon walked through the twisting metal corridors of the underground facility, his boots clicking against the cold floor. Around him, other Metallons moved about, their cybernetic enhancements gleaming under the dim artificial lights. Some were deep in their work — monitoring machinery, welding together intricate constructs, or calibrating the pulsating energy cores that powered the facility. Others walked with cold, unwavering efficiency, their movements almost mechanical. He couldn't help but wonder how many of them were truly themselves anymore.   His mind was still on Muddy, on the weak rise and fall of her breath. On Zalgum’s cold dismissal.   It is unwise to become attached.   Perhaps it was. Perhaps he was a fool for caring about a boar that was now more machine than beast. But then why did it hurt so much to leave her behind in the state she was in?   But onward he walked to the main vault where he had been summoned to.   A voice called out to him as he rounded a corner. "Simon!"   His heart skipped a beat before he even turned to see her. Nolani Baro.   She was mid-walk coming down a hall he was merely about to pass by. Her auburn hair was pulled back, revealing the slight sheen of metal grafts where organic skin once was. She smiled, and for a moment, Simon forgot where they were. Behind her was a large group of others; she and they all wore the same robes that anyone about to undergo a procedure would wear.   "I heard you got called to the vault," she said, eyes glinting with curiosity, stopping next to him while everyone else continued on.   Simon nodded. "Yeah, Zalgum came to get me. No idea what it’s about."   "Probably something big," Nolani said, excitement creeping into her voice. "But you’re not the only one with big news!"   "Oh? What news?" Simon asked.   "I got selected for this new procedure Mr. Authorus is undertaking! He calls it the Final Ascension. We're going to have everything changed about us. I'm going to become just like the master in one process, isn't that exciting?"   Simon furrowed his brow. He'd never heard anything about something called the Final Ascension, before. Nevertheless, his stomach twisted into a knot looking at Nolani, imagining everything about her turned into metal... "Oh... that's great news."   "Yes! It's going to be incredible." Nolani's voice was filled with hope. "I'll finally get to be one with Mr. Authorus' design. No more weakness. No more imperfection. I can't even begin to imagine the new state of life I'm going to experience!"   Then, a Lo'orixian from the group Nolani had come with called back after her. "Ms. Baro, please do not delay the master's work. Come along."   Nolani gave Simon once last happy look before she spoke. "Sorry, I have to go. But I can't wait for you to see me after it's all done!"   She gave him a wave as she hurried off before Simon could answer. Despair gripped his heart. This was the type of work he wanted! And yet, thinking on Nolani, for some reason, he couldn't bear to see her change in any way. He wanted to tell her she was already perfect. That her smile, her warmth, her spark of life was already enough. But instead, all he did was watch as she joined the group of other initiates heading towards the different surgical chambers.   Then, Simon turned away himself, and continued on.   This was the work he was helping to achieve...

Simon walked deeper into the Fikfik labs, his footsteps echoing against the cold metal floors. The further he went, the more he could feel the hum of energy pulsating through the walls, an ever-present rhythm in his Master's domain. As he rounded the last bend, the chamber opened before him — vast and circular, with high ceilings carved from the rock of the caverns, now reinforced with intricate lattices of machinery. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and burning metal.   At the heart of it all loomed the elder core, Xenithiaxyes. What was once an ancient, withered elder brain of the Fikfik, a god of theirs, had been reworked, reanimated, and utterly transformed. Now, it hovered above a bed of thick cables, pulsating with an eerie silver-blue glow. Its form was encased in smooth plating, adorned with intricate runic engravings, and its many optic lenses flickered in rapid, calculated movements. Wires extended from its core into the very foundation of the lab, a web of artificial nerves that fed information back and forth between it and the facility.   His Master, Tal Authorus stood before it, his skeletal frame barely shifting as he listened to the whispers of the elder core. The artificer’s frame was wrapped in layers of green artifice, a suit of Augtech reinforcing the skeletal remains of his body, and he seemed contemplative as Xenithiaxyes' mechanical voice droned through the chamber, laced with static and synthesized reverberations.   "The last of the outbound calculations are complete," Xenithiaxyes reported. "The Prolithian Gate has reached optimal stability. Project Exodus is prepared for activation."   Project Exodus?   Tal Authorus nodded, his fingers tapping on his metallic folded arms. "Good. Then we proceed as planned."   Simon hesitated before stepping forward. The room’s massive Prolithian Gate loomed to the side, a towering arch of ancient dwarven craftsmanship now repurposed with modern Metallon augmentation. Its runes flared to life in a spiraling pattern, the swirling energy in its center displaying a vast, star-speckled void beyond — a gateway to Shiq'Gith.   Nearby, a small, sleek ship of some kind rested on its docking clamps, primed and ready, small enough to pilot only one person. Some kind of ship that could fly, no doubt. The sight of all this made Simon’s stomach twist. Something felt final about this moment.   Tal turned, his luminous artificial eyes settling on Simon. “You are punctual, Simon,” He said, his voice like a whispering spark. “Good. Very good.”   Simon opened his mouth, but words failed him. The sheer magnitude of what was happening drowned out anything he could say. Instead, he simply shook his head. Master Authorus made it sound like this was a small matter, but it didn't feel like it.   Before another thought could form, the chamber doors yawned open once more, and in unison, the Metallons began filing in.   Dozens of them. A sea of bodies, each altered in some way by Tal’s work in the past. Some bore fully mechanical limbs, others had synthetic exoskeletons, and a few were barely organic at all, their bodies wholly remade in gleaming chrome and intricate tubing. The air filled with the quiet hum of servos, the occasional metallic clank as they arranged themselves in a precise, orderly formation before their master.   Tal Authorus turned to face them. His voice, infused with unnatural clarity, rang through the chamber. "My loyal Metallons. Today marks the next great step in our ascension. The work we have done here in these halls has been invaluable, but it is no longer where we belong. Our destiny lies beyond this world. The time has come to abandon this facility and take up a tighter hold in Shiq’Gith."   A ripple of movement ran through the Metallons. Not quite excitement — something more methodical. Calculated.   Tal gestured toward Xenithiaxyes. "The elder core will elaborate."   The enormous mechanical brain’s optics flickered as it processed its cue. When it spoke, its voice projected outward, reaching every Metallon in the chamber. "This facility has served its function, and all necessary data has been preserved. Our expansion must continue without hindrance. The transfer to Shiq’Gith ensures the perpetuation of our progress without the limitations of organic interference. All essential assets will be transported immediately. Completion percentage: ninety-six."   Simon swallowed hard. His mind reeled, grasping at the enormity of what he was witnessing. They were leaving. The entire facility — its knowledge, its people. His gaze darted between the looming elder core, the massive Prolithian Gate, and Tal Authorus himself, who remained as eerily composed as ever.   Finally, he found his voice. "Why? Why now? Why is this all happening?"   Tal tilted his head slightly, as though amused by the question. Then, in the same cold, detached tone as always, he spoke:   "It is unfortunate news, but this lab has become compromised."

Simon stood frozen, watching as the Metallons carried out Tal Authorus’ command with inhuman efficiency. The lab was alive with movement, bodies of metal and wire shifting in perfect synchronicity as they secured the final components of Xenithiaxyes’ containment unit. The elder core’s dim, pulsating glow cast eerie shadows against the cold, cavernous walls, and the Prolithian Gate loomed in the distance, its surface rippling with the void of Shiq’Gith beyond.   Tal’s voice cut through the mechanical hum. "Simon, step forward. We have matters to discuss."   Simon hesitated. He had barely recovered from the revelation that the entire operation was being relocated. He had served Tal for years, yet he had never seen the lich-artificer so decisive, so absolute in his actions. Something had changed. Something had gone wrong.   He approached, standing before the grandmaster of the Metallons. Tal turned, the cold glow of his artificial eyes scrutinizing Simon as if reading his thoughts. Then, with a simple motion, Tal reached out, pressing two fingers against Simon’s temple. There was no pain, only a sudden jolt—a rush of information flooding into the tiny neural implant embedded in Simon’s skull.   It was a series of schematics, each one overlaid with flashing red indicators. The entire lab, from the lowest sublevel to the uppermost chamber, was laced with explosive charges. Power sources were marked, structural weak points highlighted. A single command from Simon would ignite them all.   "You are to ensure our departure remains undisturbed," Tal said. His voice was methodical, impassive. "I am afraid insurgents from Ravenna and the Isles of Strife have come to disrupt us, and I cannot allow anything here to fall into their hands. They are approaching as we speak. Should they reach this chamber, you will initiate the detonation. Is that understood?"   Simon swallowed. His voice barely found the strength to respond.   It all just felt like stuff was happening so quickly. "I... I understand."   Tal seemed satisfied. "Good. Then I will entrust the rest of this transfer to you. Once there is not a single trace of us left here, reconvene with me in Shiq'Gith."   Without further ceremony, Tal turned and ascended the ramp of the sleek one-man starship nestled within the chamber. "Zalgum will also remain to assist you. This is farewell for now, Simon."   The vessel hissed as it sealed, the metal plating shifting into place like the closing jaws of some enormous beast. A hum reverberated through the room as the engines powered up, and then, in a flash of blue energy, the ship launched, streaking through the Prolithian Gate and vanishing into the void beyond.   Simon’s attention snapped back to the elder core as the final seals on its containment unit disengaged. A procession of Metallons guided the floating construct toward the portal. Xenithiaxyes drifted forward, its metallic form eerily still save for the occasional flicker of its luminescent veins.   Simon couldn't tell if the elder core was paying him any goodbye glances or not. He only felt the cold electric atmosphere that Xen naturally gave off.   As the last of the Metallons — and Xen — crossed into Shiq’Gith, the lab fell into silence. Simon was alone.   He turned his gaze inward, to the information Master Authorus had embedded inside his neural chip. The detonation command sat there, waiting. One press, and the entire facility would collapse in on itself. Every machine, every experiment, every secret — gone in an instant.   Planes-willing, the transfer would be a nice and quiet process, and it wouldn't have to come to that.   But a frightening realization came to Simon. The flashing red indicators in his mental imagery. They were not just machines. They were people.   Simon’s breath hitched. He pulled up the biometric readings linked to the explosive nodes, and his stomach twisted. Every pulse, every life sign, they were all there. The technicians, the apprentices, the converted Metallons who had once been human—   Nolani.   His heart pounded. Before he knew it, he'd fallen to his knees in shock.   She was among them, unconscious, unaware of the fate that had been sealed for her. He gripped his arms together. The man Simon had apprenticed under for years now. The artificer he'd looked up to. Why this?   A voice spoke next to him. "I sense sadness, Mr. Lacrish." Zalgum's voice was as neutral as ever. "Sadness—"   "Is weakness..." Simon finished, his heart breaking into millions of pieces. "I know..." Simon couldn't let all this work, all this learning, all this progress he'd undertaken under Master Authorus go to waste.   But even still...   "Why is it coming to this..?" Simon muttered to himself.   Suddenly, he felt Zalgum shift next to him, like a cat taking notice of some disturbing sound.   "We have unwanted guests, Mr. Lacrish. They have taken out the Fikfik. Now it is only a matter time before they reach here."   Emotion had long left Simon's face. "Don't worry, Zalgum... nothing will fall into their hands, whoever they are..." Simon watched the closed main door that led in and out of the vault.   "Those are Master's orders, after all..."