The hum stopped, leaving behind a suffocating silence.
The oppressive psychic presence evaporated, replaced by an eerie stillness that made the hair on Toni’s arms stand on end, even in the suit.
Cracks spider-webbed across the Nexus Core while a low, ominous groan filled the chamber. The crystalline spires all around them trembled, and some toppled over and shattered into fragments of glittering debris.
The temperature plummeted, and a biting cold seeped through Toni’s suit as the room’s energy dissipated. “Elemi, is it—” She began, but the android turned, cutting her off.
“No, not yet. Stay back.” Elemi’s voice was sharper now, her posture tense as she withdrew her probe-like finger from the cracked core.
Sparks erupted from the conduits, minor explosions cascading through the web of connections.
The floor beneath their feet shuddered violently, sending Toni stumbling again. She grabbed onto a nearby crystal spire for balance, and her breath misted inside the clear helmet.
A deep rumble echoed through the chamber as if the entire ship were groaning in protest.
“What’s happening?” Toni shouted over the chaos.
“The collapse is destabilizing the ship’s psychic network.” Elemi’s gaze fixated on the spherical Nexus Core. The urgency in her gestures contradicted her steady tone. “I am quite sure Baelon is aware of this disruption. We need to move. Now.” With her head down, the android sprinted back the way they’d come in.
Nobody had to tell Toni twice. Staying put was a bad idea on a good day. Sprinting after Elemi, she jabbed a finger toward the exit. “Come on, JR14! We’d better get out of here.”
“Affirmative,” the bot replied. His iridescent wings fluttered so fast they were practically invisible. “I suggest you accelerate your endeavor to preserve your biological functionality.”
“Wow, aren’t you just a fountain of good ideas?” Toni glared at the bot as she ran. “Wished I’d thought of that.”
Toni’s pulse pounded in her ears as the light in the room behind them flickered violently.
Its once-rhythmic glow was now a chaotic strobe. The entire crystalline structure around them groaned and vibrated as though the ship itself was in pain.
Shards of crystal rained down in the corridor, forcing her to duck. Thank God she had a helmet on. “I think we’d better go a little faster.” She jogged and caught up with Elemi as the droid headed back the way they’d come.
“Oh darling, must we sprint? It’s terribly undignified.” Elemi huffed. Her neon-pink exterior gleamed even in the dim, fractured light. Her exaggerated trot somehow made it look like she strutted down a catwalk rather than a desperate escape.
“Expeditious movement is a necessity,” JR14 interjected in a calm but firm tone. The small android hovered close to Toni’s shoulder, his red-and-gold body glinting. “The structural integrity of this section is deteriorating at an accelerated rate.”
“Translation: keep up or we’re toast.” Toni glanced at Elemi. “You wouldn’t want anything to scratch your glorious finish now, would you? Let’s get Azazel out of that cage before they have a chance to fix what we broke.”
Elemi tossed her synthetic head, the movement insultingly graceful. “Fine, fine. But if I break a heel, you’re carrying me.”
Toni snorted.Like hell. She’d never attempt anything that stupid.
They rounded a corner that stretched ahead into shadowy chaos.
Crystal humanoid figures, once locked in perfect formation, now stumbled and crashed in confusion. Their faceless heads tilted at odd angles, and their movements were erratic and twitchy.
“What’s wrong with them?” Toni frowned as she slowed to watch them.
“Hypothesis: disruption of the Nexus Core has accomplished our objective. The severance of Lord Baelon’s psychic control over his subjects has resulted in the Krystaliis’ tumultuous state,” JR14 explained. His metallic limbs twitched as he scanned the figures. “They are likely experiencing a feedback loop of conflicting commands.”
“Well, that sounds like fun.” Toni grinned. “Let’s hope they’re too busy falling apart to notice us.”
One of the crystalline beings twisted its head as she spoke.
Its craggy limbs twitched, and it let out a piercing, glass-like screech that sent shivers down Toni’s spine.
“Oh brilliant, darling,” Elemi quipped, stepping close to Toni. “Now you’ve gone and gotten its attention. Should I applaud?”
“Not helping.” Toni hissed.
