Starburst 2 : The Third Mercy
A roaring fireball surged up the shaft, casting intense, flickering light against the cavern walls. Ordo turned calmly to Otto. “The fire will consume you the fastest,” he noted impassively. “You are lucky.”
Without hesitation, Otto and Rabbit activated their shields, bracing against the fiery assault. The rest of the party huddled tightly behind them, protected by the overlapping energy barriers. The intense heat washed over them, buffeting their bodies but causing minimal damage. As the flames receded, the basket swung violently, revealing one of the support cables had begun fraying.
Reacting swiftly, Rabbit grasped the failing cable, wrapping it around his arm and holding the basket firmly. Despite his efforts, the platform shuddered and began a rapid descent, its braking mechanisms unresponsive without someone at the controls.
Ordo swiftly unfurled his whip, snapping it towards an alcove in the shaft’s rocky wall. With a precise, practiced movement, he anchored himself securely, gripping Astro, his robotic dog, firmly in his free hand. Suspended above, Ordo watched as the basket plummeted further into the darkness.
Far below, small glimmers of residual flames flickered, remnants of Tim’s final explosive farewell. Suddenly, a shadowy figure stepped into view, activating an anti-gravity field that gently slowed the basket’s chaotic descent. The party reached the ground softly, stumbling shakily from their precarious ride.
Rabbit immediately stomped onto Tim’s smoldering remains, expressing clear disdain, while Otto dropped gratefully to his knees, kissing the solid ground. Moments later, Ordo joined them, gracefully swinging from ledge to ledge before landing lightly on his feet beside the group.
A calm voice drew their attention. “Well, you’re welcome.”
The party turned, noticing the figure fully for the first time. Cordelia stepped forward cautiously, initiating conversation. The figure introduced herself with quiet confidence as Layla.
As the team offered their own introductions, H’s visor flickered briefly with a blue screen before stabilizing enough for him to speak. Cordelia, impressed by Layla’s tech, asked about the anti-gravity device.
“Just something I tinker with,” Layla responded modestly. “But it’s not powerful enough to get us out of here as it is.”
Cordelia immediately volunteered to assist with upgrading the device.
Rabbit interjected urgently, inquiring about Beckett. Layla nodded thoughtfully, acknowledging familiarity but noted, “Haven’t seen him recently, and I’ve never heard of Ratatosk. But I can lead you to a workshop where we might get more answers.”
Navigating the mines proved challenging—the labyrinthine tunnels twisted unpredictably. Otto attempted to map their route, diligently recording each turn Layla made.
Breaking the silence, Rabbit asked Layla, “Do you know what’s above us?”
Layla replied lightly, “The ceiling?”
“No,” Rabbit clarified, voice serious. “The prison complex.”
“Oh, that,” Layla said casually. “Guards have come down here before—they never went back.”
H couldn’t help himself, blurting out, “What did you do to get sent here?”
Layla hesitated briefly. “That’s a bit personal. Maybe once we know each other better.”
Otto glanced at H, shaking his head. “You can’t just ask something like that.”
H shrugged apologetically. “Honestly, I expected a denial of guilt.”
Ordo’s solemn voice resonated softly through the tunnel. “One day, the Mother will crack open the sky like a ribcage and reclaim her wayward children.” He carefully studied Layla’s reaction.
Before anyone could respond, another tremor shook the tunnel violently, dislodging a lighting fixture above Ordo, narrowly missing him.
Otto quickly questioned Layla, “These quakes happen often?”
Layla nodded, unfazed. “More and more frequently.”
Rabbit, deciding the group needed better visibility, activated his LED bunny ears. Layla immediately winced, startled, and hastily adjusted her night vision goggles, clearly blinded by the sudden brightness.
Layla guided the group deeper into the labyrinthine tunnels, eventually leading them into an expansive chamber dominated by a large power plant. The room hummed loudly with the thrum of electricity, a cacophony of cables sprawling chaotically from the main hub. Two individuals stood by the central console, arguing animatedly. One was clad in a thick woolly coat, the other hefting a heavy canvas bag, gesturing emphatically at an oversized switch.
Cordelia, recognizing the confusion, stepped forward confidently, her gaze fixed on the contentious control. With a mischievous grin, she pressed the button decisively. The console sprang to life with a satisfying hum. Dr. Eton stopped mid-argument, staring blankly at the now-activated display, mumbling sheepishly, “Oh… that’s what it does.”
Otto wasted no time, enthusiastically moving to the console, his fingers dancing swiftly over the archaic DOS-like interface. Cordelia turned to Layla, curiosity evident in her eyes. “Who built this reactor?”
“I designed it,” Layla answered modestly, “though the construction itself was done by others.”
Dr. Eton eagerly interjected, eager to regain some authority, explaining the existence of smoother tunnels further down, leading towards what he cryptically referred to as “the sanctuary.” He clarified with a dramatic wave of his hands, “These tunnels weren’t mined, nor are they naturally formed. Their creation remains mysterious.”
The group paused briefly to rest, tension momentarily ebbing. Rabbit broke the quiet, voicing a practical yet troubling question. “After this, are we splitting up or staying together? We’ll need new identities. Anyone ever burned off their fingerprints before?”
Otto quickly reassured him, “No need for extremes—I can sort us out new identities as soon as we find a network.”
Rabbit mused quietly, “I quite liked being Mr. Rabbit. Perhaps Mr. Otter next.”
Otto chuckled lightly, “Name’s already taken, friend.”
H added playfully, “Mr. Hare? You could even keep the decals.”
Rabbit sighed wearily, shaking his head. “That’s not really the point.”
Meanwhile, Cordelia, Ottoo, and Layla meticulously worked on the reactor, successfully pushing it to full operational capacity. In a hushed voice, Otto leaned close to Cordelia, eyes intense, “Could we rig this thing to explode, if necessary?”
Cordelia blinked in shock but replied cautiously, “Maybe… but not right now.”
Rabbit took a moment for himself, stepping aside into a quiet corner. Carefully removing his armor, he revealed a stark contrast to his imposing exterior—a tall, thin, bald man, scarred and frail-looking. He stretched out carefully, his movements precise and delicate, easing tension from aching muscles and joints.
Layla approached Cordelia thoughtfully, offering her gravatron device. “You mentioned upgrading this earlier?”
Cordelia carefully examined it, nodding thoughtfully. “Definitely doable, but we’ll need a proper workshop to get it done.”
The group continued onward, guided by Dr. Eton towards an entrance to one of the strangely smooth tunnels. Layla speculated quietly, “Some kind of creature probably formed these.”
Dr. Eton scoffed dismissively, tapping irritably with his rock hammer. “That’s unauthorized thinking. Remember who holds the PhD here!”
Layla offered diplomatically, “I’ll make sure you’re credited on any research papers I publish.”
Advancing, they arrived at a large, imposing blast door blocking direct access to the workshop. Opting for subtlety, the group detoured through a smaller, winding cave system, searching for a back entrance.
As they traversed the narrow passageways, Ordo quietly transmitted a passage titled “The Butter Churner,” from The Book of Ordo, a stark tale filled with themes of purification and divine retribution. Following this grim reflection, Ordo attempted direct contact with Beckett, tersely messaging, “Your ride is here.”
Their progress abruptly halted as the echoing sound of heavy boots filled the tunnel. Without hesitation, Rabbit aimed upward, opening fire on the ceiling. Rocks cascaded down, accelerated by Layla’s swift use of her gravatron field. Amid the confusion, Layla grabbed Cordelia’s hand, guiding her deftly through the tunnels.
Otto quickly pursued them, while Ordo stood resolutely beside Rabbit. Facing the advancing militia, Ordo’s voice echoed chillingly, “I prayed to the Mother to spare you—they laughed.”
Suddenly, another violent quake rippled through the cavern, collapsing a portion of the tunnel and separating H from the group. Rabbit, unfazed, fired a fierce volley of plasma rounds, immediately downing several militia members. One enemy soldier stumbled clumsily, accidentally triggering an explosive from their bandolier. The blast tore through their ranks, scattering the survivors.
H, alone and separated, swiftly consulted Otto’s map, expertly circling behind the enemy, striving to reconnect with his companions. Layla, Cordelia, and Otto reached the workshop’s rear entrance. Otto immediately accessed a nearby terminal, unlocking the blast doors.
Rabbit and Ordo charged forward, regrouping with H, who felt a sudden, intense heat from behind. Whirling around, he confronted the terrifying sight of an enormous lava worm rapidly approaching.
Inside the workshop, a figure clad in sleek black armor and wielding a sword advanced menacingly towards Cordelia and Layla. Cordelia cautiously raised her pistol. “Do you intend to harm us?”
“You did break into my throne room,” the figure responded coolly.
Without hesitation, Cordelia fired, but the figure effortlessly dodged and vanished into the shadows.
Rabbit aimed carefully, firing past H at the approaching lava worm. From the workshop’s CCTV feed, Otto monitored anxiously. “There’s Rabbit and Ordo—oh, and H34lr—wait, is that a giant worm?”
H dashed desperately past Rabbit, urgently shouting back, “Okay, now YOU get behind the door!”
