Part 2

The darkness had a weight, pressing down on them as Caeli closed the door. “…I can’t see anything,” Velu muttered, no hint of a light source for her eyes to pick up.

“Alfura Signala!” Alina called as quietly but clearly as she could. Nothing. “…Caeli?”

“Alfura Signala!” the half-elf repeated. In an instant, pockets of light filled the area, illuminating it for all of them.

Walls of metal replaced cavernous stone. The rough floor was smoothed into something still stone but unnaturally flat. And all around were objects that they struggled to identify. Obsidian panels in casts of old tech plastic dotted around the room. Hard strings of red, blue, white, and a smattering of other colours strung together different objects seemingly at random, while sometimes paired with thicker black ropes of the same purpose. Tubes like glass pools of water held lizardfolk in an unmoving state. And in the centre of it all was a coffin of metal and glass, a face inside appearing asleep inside the enclosed tube.

Velu slowly walked over to the cylindrical coffin, a tentative hand reaching out. Her fingers brushed the glass. “This has been sealed for centuries …What…Who do you suppose he was?” The being didn’t appear like anything she recognized, with greyish skin, and bald of even eyebrows. His head, though like any human’s in general structure, was longer, and his closed eyes were bulbous even under the eyelids. It was clothed in a simple white gown that would have hung loosely on its arms.

“I… don’t know,” Caeli said as she joined Velu, gazing down at the face. She turned to her other side, asking, “What do you think, Ali—Alina, get over here.” She waved the last girl over but Alina kept back, shaking her head nervously.

“N-no, I’m good.” Her voice shook as she pressed herself against the wall, away from the body. “This is clearly old tech, and I really don’t think we should mess with it.”

“It’s fine,” Velu sighed. She tapped the glass right over his face. “See, it’s just a weird coffin. This dude is long—”

The glass over his face lit up, numbers and letters covering the glass like a book, scrolling past at breakneck speed. The inside of the cylinder lit up as well, small lights inside casting the face in a pale glow.

“Cryogenic hibernation overridden,” a voice unlike any human’s spoke. “Battery depleted. Emergency reserves at 12%.”

The two jumped back, startled as the top of the suddenly popped up an inch, and white vapour poured out of the broken seal. “What did you do!?” Alina asked in a panic. “Is that a gas?”

“How should I know!?” Caeli blurted out, still shuffling backwards. Overhead, a few lanterns lit themselves, burning without a flicker and shining their light downwards, only making the rolling mist more visible and threatening.

“It’s… just cold?” Velu hadn’t been as quick, though she didn’t particularly hurry to move either. “Kinda tickles, but my legs are fine.”

Alina and Caeli stopped their steady retreat, which would have been futile at the rate the vapour was filling the room. It was indeed cold, chilling Caeli’s legs, drawing a slight gasp, while Alina barely felt it at first through her pants. “It’s freezing,” Caeli whined. “Why does it even—”

The thought didn’t finish making it out as the lid suddenly split, each long half sliding over on metal arms that guided the whole process. Cold vapour puffed over the freed edge before rolling over the floor, forming a carpet of mist.

“Is it… dead?” Alina slowly asked, skeptically looking over at the figure inside.

“…Dunno,” Velu whispered back. She toed up to the casket, peering over the edge. “…It looks a bit less grey, and—”

The eyes jolted open, and Velu screamed as she leapt back, bumping into Caeli, who caught and steadied her.

“Is it undead!?” Alina panicked, drawing her sword.

“I don’t think those are real,” Caeli countered, but a proper answer eluded her as the figure slowly sat up.

His hands wrapped around the edge of the tube, knuckles crackling as they clenched. The fingers were long, longer than a human’s would be, taking time to wrap around the frame. His eyes were massive, deep pools of black with swirling pinpricks of white, like stars in a moonless night. Still, each of the girls felt the eyes focus on them each turn before the creature’s mouth cracked open. “…Uhhh… gwuuuuuhh…” it moaned, the sound dry and grating.

The three trembled, backing up further and each clenching their weapons.

The creature took another breath, the effort visible in its chest as it rose and fell and rose again. “Ah… ahem… Greetings.”

The weapons were cautiously lowered, though only slightly.

He rose up, a leg slowly swinging over the side of the tube, soon joined by the other. They were long, spindly things, the bones near perfectly outlined even under the simple dress as his legs bent to a knobby point. They slap the floor with a cold, hard sound, swirling the dispersing vapour under him, before slowly pulling himself up, rising to his full height.

He looked at Alina, Caeli, and Velu in turn. “Hmm, a remnant, a mongrel, and a slave. Not the welcome party I was expecting,” he grumbled as he slowly sat up. His stature was easily head and shoulders over them, with the exception of the already tall Caeli, over whom he only was a whole head. “We’re there no other elves to join you?”

“…Slave…?” Velu muttered darkly behind them as Caeli quickly pushed herself in front.

“‘Other elves’?” she repeated. “You’re an elf?”

“Elv,” he corrected. “But yes… You may call me Ansun. Ansun Hunseer.” He paused, as if waiting for something. “And you are?” he asked, looking at Caeli.

“Caeli,” the half-elf introduced herself. She turned to the others for them to follow but Ansun was already looking around, no longer paying them any mind.

“…Computer, how long has it been?” he asked into the air. “This place is a mess.”

Some of the panels around flowed with numbers before quickly turning black again. “Cryogenic hibernation endured for 748 years, 347 days, 13 hours, and 22 minutes,” the disembodied voice again spoke.

“Seven hundred and— Why was I not awoken on schedule!?” he yelled, whirling around. “Instead I had to wait for these three!”

“Primary battery managing alarm depleted due to significant damage and leakage. Emergency reserves at 11%.”

“No… no no no,” he muttered, stomping around. His eyes seemed to spin in their sockets, the stars shooting through skies in his eyes. “Computer, open door!”

“Wait!” “No!” “Don’t!” the three girls frantically objected, getting in the way. “There are lizardmen out there!” Alina explained.

Ansun barely paid her any mind as the computer redundantly answered, “Opening door,” as it did so. Ansun walked out, looking into the crystal cavern. “…My battery fuel,” he muttered as he knocked on one of the crystals, the bony knuckles reverberating a hollow echo.

A dozen pairs of scampering feet answered, rushing to the sound. “Chit! Tch! Kchit!” Another series of sharp clicking noises came from the leader of the scaly pack.

“Hmm, well you’re a little smaller than you lot should be,” Ansun muttered as he looked them over. “Get in here already; there’s cleaning to do.” He turned on his heel, walking back into the room.

The lizardmen stiffened, slowly turning to look at him. They hissed, sharp, statically sounds that reverberated off of the crystals. And then they followed, marching in single file.

“Good. Get to it. I want this place clean. And careful with the wiring!” he barked.

The three girls watched, gobsmacked as the elf directed the animals like a conductor. “He’s just… ordering them,” Alina said, speaking aloud what they were all thinking.

“How are you doing that!?” Velu demanded, more in awe than anything else.

Ansun continued moving around the room, fiddling with keyboards and panels as the computer spit out scrolling lines of text. “The issue was using the planet’s dominant species as the base,” he lectured as he tapped the screen. “The, uh…” he paused, looking like he was trying to remember a word, “humans, yes, were too resilient, even when genetically watered down.” He glanced over at Velu before his gaze swept over the dozen new workers. “So we switched to a reptilian brain. Less intelligent unfortunately, but far more willing to comply. At least half decent for basic tasks. Genetic memory and all that is quite useful.” He looked around, seeming pleased with the progress as the lizards scurried about. “They make far better slaves than you lot did.” He looked again at Velu.

“…Slave?” Velu repeated. “I’m not a slave! Why do you keep calling me that!?”

He stared at her, looking down with quiet contemplation in his eye. “…We used to muzzle you,” he finally said. “Less useless yipping.”

“Easy,” Alina whispered to her as she put her hand on Velu’s shoulder, recognizing the look Velu got before she exploded.

“Now, I presume you were sent by the Elven council to check on me?” Ansun continued. “Not that they have the decency to show their faces around here, even after all this time.”

“Council?” Caeli questioned. “Were you someone important?”

“S-Someone imp— I told you my name, did I not!?” Ansun sputtered, flabberghast. “Have the pure elves not at least taught you about our history!?”

“Uh…” Alina spoke up. “There are no pure elves. Not for centuries now.”

Ansun just blinked, frozen for a moment. “Well then… that changes things. Computer, give me an analysis of the global status.”

“Analyzing… Analyzing… Analyzing… Analyzing… Analyzing…” the voice droned on, an empty bar on the screen appearing, unchanging behind Ansun as he turned back to them.

“It appears that we may stand at the brink of a comeback, girls,” Ansun said to them, grinning at Caeli. “It is a little cold in here though. Preptolal Kanti!” he called out, beckoning for a small surrounding warmth.

Nothing happened.

“That’s… unusual,” he said questioningly.

“Um, you forgot to call to the goddess?” Caeli hesitantly offered.

“Goddess?”

“Yes, Alfura, the goddess of magic,” she elaborated.

“Alf— No… No, no no no no no…” he frantically muttered, racing to one of the screens. His hands smashed the keyboard as he typed furiously. “Computer, nanite network status, NOW!”

“Nanite network down, disabled for 746 years, 197 days, 2 hours, and 58 minutes,” the voice informed. “Administrator override code required. Racial restrictions partially lifted.”

Ansun stiffened, his shoulders scrunching under the robe. “…lifted, huh?” he repeated. He turned back to the three. “Say, what you girls call ‘magic’… you can’t do it, can you?”

“Yeah,” Alina nodded, “me and Caeli.”

“Ah… I see.” His eyes widened as his lips pulled tight. “And, uh…?” He glanced over to Velu who simply shook her head, and he let out a visible sigh of relief.

“So, you can do magic, too?” Caeli asked, her eyes widening.

Ansun nodded. “Yes, I supposed you could call it that. We filled the atmosphere with nanites. How do you think we conquered this floating rock?” he grumbled darkly. “Last I checked though, the towers were still intact.”

“Towers?” Alina perked up. “You mean… tall metal structures, like big buildings, sticking into the ground?”

“Yes!” He snapped his fingers at her, grinning wide. “Exactly like that! They should be all over the planet.”

“Well… There are two in our city. Just sitting there, practically indestructible.”

“I see, I see… Computer!” he called. “Estimate the damage on the surrounding towers so that the network can be brought back online.”

“Analyzing… Analyzing… Analyzing… Analyzing… Analyzing… Towers not found in network. Calculating from last data.”

“Tch,” he scoffed. “Looks like we’ll have to do this manually. How about it, girls; care to assist me in restoring the great Elven empire?”

“Elven empire?” Carli’s eyes widened as she drank in the offer. “You mean, like in ancient times?”

“Of course.” Ansun stopped what he was doing, giving the girls his full attention. The lights in his eyes swirled as he reminisced. They focussed on Caeli, joining into a single white pupil before dispersing again into little galaxies. “Imagine it… A great multitude of cities. The restoration of our great people. A civilization to end them all.”

“And what about us?” Velu cut in.

Ansun’s eye twitched as he turned to her. “Well, the humans that we left behind and the failures of our past will be… taken care of. Though you two can live, of course. You may serve as my advisor,” he said to Alina, “and you,” he turned back to Velu, “as my pet.”

Alina’s sword slid out of her sheathe, and behind her, Velu had her daggers brandished. “You can’t do that!” Alina objected.

“Ah, but I can!” he grinned. “As soon as the towers are restored, the nanite network will be restored, allowing me to observe and control them across the planet, rather than only locally. And…” he glanced back at the screen. “Computer, what is the estimate?”

“Tower internal integrity hypothetically uncompromised. Manual on-site reset required.”

“Well, you can come with me or stay behind. In either case, I’ll be seeing you.” He stepped forward, to the door, but Alina stayed, blocking him with her sword. “Hmm, impressive,” he noted as he delicately touched the tip of the blade. “Is this supposed to stop me? Is this a weapon to you? It’s so long and sharp, and you swing it like a stick, yes?”

“Y-yes,” Alina said, her voice shaking in line with her legs.

“How perfectly antiquated,” Ansun chuckled. “I would have thought that after all of this time, you primitive savages would have— GAH!!” he screamed, looking down and seeing one of Velu’s daggers sticking out of his other arm. “You… You animal,” he grunted, yanking it out and dropping it, letting it clatter to the ground. Crimson blood slowly seeped into the sleeve of the cloak, showing it had struck true, but he didn’t appear to pay the wound any mind.

“You’re not going to intimidate your way past us!” Velu shouted.

“I wasn’t planning to. Slaves!” He clapped, and the lizardmen all turned to him. “Attack.”

Velu dove for her dagger, rolling as she scooped it up. Alina had her back, decapitating one of the monsters that tried to leap on her.

“Hold on, we can talk this out!” Caeli tried to shout over the chaos, but it was drowned out from the screeching.

Ansun stood back, his arms crossed as two more lizardmen charged, pouncing on Velu and Alina. “If you’ll excuse me,” he muttered, turning to the wall, sifting through some boxes until he found medical tape.

“Caeli, help!” Velu grunted as teeth gnashed over her. It took a second before the lizardman screeched, its eyes widening before they emptied, and it slumped over.

“You ok?” Alina asked, offering Velu a hand up.

“Y-yeah,” the other girl answered, taking the help as she rose to her feet. “Thanks.” She glanced over to see Caeli, standing there, expression unreadable as she watched.

“Get ready for the rest,” Alina warned, fixing her stance, only to look around and see no other lizardmen standing.

Ansun looked back over, seeing the three with only two lizardman bodies on the floor in front of them. He looked around, seeing the rest of them all in a clump a few metres away, groaning in semi-consciousness if still breathing at all. “Computer… what happened?” he questioned.

“Attack order given. Slave units attacked the closest entity they saw, other than those with Elven distinctions,” it explained.

“Stupid reptiles,” Ansun muttered as he marched over, making a straight line for the door.

“No, we can’t let you go through with this!” Alina insisted, racing to block his path with her blade in front of her.

“Cute. Move.” It wasn’t an order, or barely a warning, as his foot swung in a full arc. Despite the apparent skinniness of his limbs under the robe, their length added to a superhuman strength that sent Alina flying. She yelled as she slammed into a stone wall, her sword clattering to the ground, and her along with it.

“Alina,” Caeli whispered, the single word catching in her throat as she stood there, unnoticeably fazed.

“Alina!” Velu gasped, eyes widening as she turned between the other girl and the elf. “You monster!” she screamed, running at him.

Ansun caught her by the throat. “ENOUGH!” he screamed, shaking her violently. “You do not defy me, animal! We made you to be more docile than humans!”

“I’m… still… human…” Velu croaked as she was flung around like a ragdoll.

“You’re an experiment gone wrong. Caeli,” he turned to her, “would you like to keep this one in our home? It would be a gift for you.”

Caeli’s eyes widened, and she stepped back, her head slightly shaking. “…Our home?” she repeated, the point not quite clear.

“Yes,” Ansun nodded, smiling wide. “You, the last female elv. Rule with me, as my empress, and we will restore the glory of—”

Caeli’s face twisted in disgust at his proposal, and she swung her leg, kicking him right between his.

Ansun howled, screaming as he doubled over, dropping Velu. “You… you really aren’t true elv stock,” he grunted through clenched teeth as he staggered in place.

“No, I’m human! Just like her!” Caeli yelled. Ansun turned, slowly straightening, looking over the cryochamber at the groaning Alina, but he had misunderstood. “Velu, now!” Caeli shouted, just as Ansun began to look back at her, crouched on her hands and a knee.

Shoes and sharp hands scampered over Caeli’s back as Velu used it as a springboard. “I’m what she said!” the girl grunted as she bodyslammed into the elf, momentum making up for weight. He stumbled back, caught by surprise, and staggered as their heads connected. “I’m! Not! Yours!” she shouted, joining fist to face as the backs of his knees hitting the side of the chamber. He grabbed for her but she was faster, both feet planted into his gut before she jumped back.

The force of it tipped him, and Ansun’s eyes widened as he fell over the edge, collapsing into the freezing pod.

Caeli was right behind her, shoving the disoriented Ansun’s legs inside as he still reeled from the second blow to the head, while Velu held him in, making his shoulder a sheathe for one of her daggers. Caeli tried to force the sliding split doors closed, but they resisted at first before popping in on their directed motion.

“No!” Ansun yelled, flailing as the chamber shut him in, Velu’s second dagger keeping his reaching arms in until the chamber sealed. “I am your better! I am an elv! I am—”

“Computer, freeze him!” Velu yelled as he banged on the glass.

“Voice not recognized. Local administrator override required,” the voice informed.

“Alfura, freeze!” Caeli shouted.

“Authorization fulfilled.” They watched, Alina hobbling over, as the capsule filled with frozen mist. The elf’s body stiffened, his movements slowing to jerking twitches, as his eyes spun, the stars slowly orbiting around the middle.

“Is he… you know…?” Alina slowly asked, unsure what she was looking at.

“Doubt it,” Velu answered. “If he’s frozen, or whatever, then he probably won’t bleed out.”

“We may get lucky though,” Caeli countered, and Velu chuckled, before turning the door.

“…We really should report this, shouldn’t we?” Alina asked as they stepped out of the room.

“Nah,” Velu grunted as she pulled the door shut.

“Yeah,” Caeli agreed. “Let the higher ups know that there’s some weird ancient tech to unify all magic and give someone godlike powers? Not a great idea.” She bent down before a pile of crystal rumble, idly kicking through it.

“I… I guess,” Alina conceded, seeing the reasoning.

The three of them stood in their respective areas, sifting the strewn bits and pieces of the shattered crystal around them. “You know, you would make a cute pet,” Caeli finally teased, breaking the silence as she picked through the crystal fragments, finally selecting the best three she could see. “Ow!” A fourth fragment ended up in her hands as it bounced off of her chest.

“I’ll cut you, too,” Velu warned, but her reply was as empty of malice as the words that goaded it, and soon enough, the three humans left the cave.