*Beep*
*Beep*
*Beep*
Oh....my head.What happen? spoke a voice as there was a constant beeping ranging out. And why is there a beeping? I mean it should take those techs, wait... the being open it's eyes as it, his, corrected the being. Felt his entire being turned up from the starting up area. The being look down at his 'hand' which really was a combination of energy that manifest in a form of his conscious of thinking of his 'body'. The being look around his glowing blue 'room' which was the command center for the being.
The amount of blue energy move around the cube room as the being sat down and rub his head. I remember something, my name is Gabikoma, or in the terms of translation for most of the universal language, Protector. And I.... his eyes widen as he got up. The people! he activated a screen to pop out with a wave of his hand. He began searching with the scanners of life-detection. Come on, come on, is anyone-, zero? he look at the number.
Zero, there were no living beings left in the building. They...they got to be in the facility, they have to be! panic the being as he switched the scanners to the entire space-station, the Facility as he likes to call it. And he felt weak to the knees when he saw the number staying the same. Zero...what happen? where...did everyone go? thought the being as his memories were coming back up as he felt the Facility starting up again.
30,000 years ago, memory banks recalling in Facility.
It was a relatively good day, in space that is.
The white large space station moved through space with its engines, pushing the entire Facility on the bottom as it travel through the stars. The million of its occupations moved whether having a relaxing day, working, or merely doing whatever they do as they were content. As was the living intelligence that embody the station itself hum a happy tune, he checked through the systems of the Facility, and made sure all was well. He did small reminders as he checked the number of 1,203,500,023 inhabitants that lived in the Facility, well it was a space station...he just likes to call it the Facility. He look over the size of the station in his cube room, which was the main central hub of the entire station, one could say it was the brain of the A.I., hidden away deep and hard to get, because if one could get to him....well it wouldn't be a happy ending for the A.I.
Unless he lead the person to the room and trust them very deeply, one could meet him face to face...if they want pay the price of something terrible happen to them due to it.
He checked over the entire Facility as it's width was 2,499 and point 9 meters. He had to make it big for all those people and entertainment wise, no change on the length of 17,082.6 meters. And finally he made sure there were no changes in the height of the 20, 045 meters, because the last time he didn't check it was when someone thought it was a good idea to make it big, which cause the systems to overload and almost cause a meltdown. He rubbed his head as he had a month to do the cleanup from that incident.
Still he was glad that the Facility past was long gone removed with all the scrubbing, washing, and disabling of both 'rooms' and programs of the former A.I. who made use of the place as a game show place. Said word being 'used'. He still shivers whenever they found a 'play room' that was still full of sadistic things to use and near impossible challenges that was made to kill the person in it. Nevertheless they were all scrubbed and deconstruction down as he didn't want anyone to go in it. There was a reason he caution people to never go down the lower levels and through the corridors. Who knows what they may find in the Facility?
He check over his energy levels, and was satisfied that they were all full, all three of them in fact. His new solar rays, his lunar as a precaution in case they need moon energy and if there were no sun around. He sighed as he saw the last, and knew that despite knowing the dangers, he knew that the station, or rather he needed this since solar and lunar weren't enough. It was nuclear energy. Nuclear itself was dangerous in a way, but being in space and floating, well he could easily put the fumes out in the empty non-breathable space where it couldn't harm any being.
Now despite what people may say that the A.I. lived inside the Facility, he was in fact the Facility, and in a odd way the station was his body. Within this station lies the people in it, which were like the cells in a body, working and making sure that the station survives. Not to mention like all bodies, the station had a heart, somewhere deep where the brain was at as well. He wasn't like this at first, being a A.I. and controlling and keeping both Facility and beings safe in it, but that's a story for another day.
He notice someone was trying to get through a door in sector 5-B3 as he saw a blip on the map, he look through a camera eye to see a being in that area. He chuckled as he knew fully well who it was as he saw the female feline bipedal creature. Her body was covered with a red robe, her mid-way hair cover around her neck in a braided manner. Her tan coat was noticed as she slam a fist on the door, and her brown eyes glared at the door, her ears flatten as she turned her head and snarl at the camera.
He chuckled more as he saw her name near her as his camera looked at her. He activated the communication on in the designated area as he spoke through the mics. “Having problems Head Officer Chiisal?” asked the male in a chipper tone. A grunt was heard as she let out a 'hmph!', he rolled his 'eyes' as he activated his visual screen, opened it from the ceiling as it was before her. He sometime prefer this way as to 'face to face' the people in the Facility, and if you look at the screen, you would see a virtual face of computerize data. A face of blue, with black outlines of eyes and dots as they connected to one another.
“Protector," spoke the female in snarling tone, "you know, this jam door makes me think about that 'reaction' you had to the 'incident' a few days ago," she used her fingers to mark how 'important' they were, "makes me think you're still holding a grudge about it. Even if you said you forgiven us, I swear you purposely had this door jamming up to me.”
He gave an innocent grin. “Me? Jam the door? How could that be? I have no idea what you're talking about!” she rolled her eyes and cross her arms as she growled.
“I already apologize to you and made sure they were fully punished, what more do you want?” He just gave her a pleading look on the screen as she slowly realized what he wanted from her. “No.” She flat out said with a glaring look and snarling fangs.
“Please?” He asked as he saw her kept being tough.
“No, it's too damn embarrassing to even say the words, much less do the dance.”
He activated the 'puppy eyes maneuver'. “Pllllleeeeeaaassssseee?”
She growled as she resisted this tactic, however she knew that it was either this, or go the long way of travel as she gave out a small 'fine'. She breathed in and move as she began a little dance.
Protector gave out a loud laugh as he 'fell' down, the screen was down on the ground as his laughter echo across the station. He kept laughing for at least ten minutes as the camera stop recording, it was a good thing he recorded this event or he would of lost this chance. Chiisal had a large blush forming on her cheeks, as she stuttered her words in embarrassment. “A-Are you satisfied now?” she asked, finally Protector gather his breath as the screen was back up, and the door opens up to allow the feline through.
“Y-Yeah, alright all is forgiven, now then-,” he said before there was a crash on the station, he quickly felt something on him as switched his attention to the outside of the Facility. He saw a asteroid storm moving straight toward the base as he activated the alarms. All around the Facility he rang out the sirens as he shouted out and activated the defense programs.
“EVERYONE BRACE FOR IMPACT! ASTEROID STORM!” He turn his attention back to Chiisal as the Facility as deconstructing itself to make sure nothing important was lost. “Hurry, get moving! I'll try to steer us away from this storm!” he told her as she was running through the halls. He made sure everyone was in the bunkers as he formed the Facility as a big giant cube. The size of it's width and length was still the same, although the height was shorten by 10,000 in order to make sure the Facility was covered in layers.
As he finished forming the Facility, he could feel more asteroids coming on him. He activated the engines as he tried to maneuver, escape from this setting as the cube attempted to move against the oncoming storm. Damn it! Why didn't I notice this storm bloody earlier? Better yet, how come the storm watchers didn't bloody tell me? Like they suppose to do ahead of time? Just because I am the bloody station A.I. doesn't mean I can keep track of bloody everything! I mean seriously! I have to make sure the engines are good, life-support online, light online, and make sure everyone is safe on the inside, a bit hard to look around your bloody area in space if you're occupy with everything inside!
He gritted his teeth as he felt some of the larger asteroids coming up at him, hitting his Facility as he spoke out through communications. “Everybody hang on!” He moved the best he could and tried to divert from the storm, but it kept pounding at him, moving from all sides as he saw the systems giving alerts. The screen shown the engines being damaged, that they became off line as he spoke. “I can't steer the station! Engines offline! Everybody, get down and," he stop as he saw big and large asteroids coming at the cube as he shouted out.
EVERYBODY BRACE FOR-,” but was cut off as the asteroids large hit not only behind, but in the front as the A.I. saw many systems going off, he saw the cube being forced off the storm which made him glad...but he calculated the speed, the size of the cube, and the pull of a gravitational field made him afraid. He moved a camera to look outside as he saw the large planet, and knew that this was the pulling before him. He quickly spoke out. "We're landing! I repeat, we're," he was interrupted as he felt another asteroid smashing behind the cube, forcing it to crash down onto the planet, he was cut off from the system.
30,000 years ago, memory banks ended in Facility.
He blinked as he remember what happen...but what happen next to make him go offline? He thought more as his eyes widen as he recall what happen.
He rubbed his head in his awakening as he was back online. He gave out a groan as he checked through the systems as he grimace. Oh....this isn't good. he thought over as he look over the massive damage reports coming to him. All engines damage to the point of non-function and being sent to the scrapyard. His Facility badly damaged with so many dents it will take weeks to repair, and that's just the outer-hull. Wait, where is the hull breach I see? he look over the reports as he saw it was to the left side of the cube. Hmm, might take time to close that up, at the very least, the Facility landed on the right position makes me glad that, wait...air coming out? he look over the system and saw that the air was leaking out.
Okay, you can fix this dude, just...close that up, and contact the people and see whats up. assured the A.I. as he knew that the probability of getting out will take time, best he could do was to activate a beacon to ask for aid. As he set that up, he diverted his thinking to see where Chiisal was and tried to use the communication, key word 'tried'.
He noticed his energies and programs were being diverted to something, question was, where and why? He activated the communications by the emergency line, it worked, but he felt...drain for some reason. What is going on? What are they doing? he thought as he finally contacted her, however the screen was damaged as he heard his friend voice through the communications line.
“Protector! If you can hear me then you're not badly damage! Worse news is that you took so much hits from the storm, that the Facility programs are activating the repair system to fix itself up, everything is...damage in you my friend. Air is being moving out faster than we thought. Even if you fix it up, we won't have enough air for everyone, I know this is painful for you my friend. That is why we agreed you would be shut down so you can sleep until your 'body' is fully fixed up. I know this is hard my friend, but bear with me.”
He tried to shout at her but realize the comms in that area was heavily damage, he tried the entire Facility, but all he could give out was a mournful sound in pain. He tried to activate another camera in another area, but he could see the emergency shut-down as all the programs were staring up the as he felt...sleepy. He couldn't bear this, he didn't want to sleep, not right now. Not when his friends need him the most in their survival. He was the A.I., he was the protector, and they were his friends.
“I'm sorry, I truly am Protector...I wish that we could of travel through the stars together my friend, me and you. Not to mention all of us who lived in you my friend. But it wasn't meant to be, goodnight my friend, dream well.” Before he could even speak out more, he could feel the forced shutdown on him as his eyes droop, he curled up in the ground as these last thoughts were in his head.
Its...Its not fair....I don't want to...go...to.........sl...eep........Da...mn...it....W.....W.......Wh...y...?
Chapter 2: 1 out of a million
30,000 years later...
The land had change during those long years, it came over the station and Mother Nature cover the metallic thing with her own hands and body as it was buried deep under the ground, far, far, far down in the ground. Where it won't be notice at all by the inhabitants of those who live over it now. The world call Equis.
And soon the station within itself was complete of its repairs...Or rather what's left to repair that is.
As he finished remembering, he shivered. Ah, now I remember... he activated the systems as he saw that the Facility was fully repaired. All tanks filled with air, the breached covered up, but...everything was stopped. Hmm, I guess all programs and systems went to shut down with me since their job was done. Make sense, without me to command them, they just went to sleep-mode. He activated all the systems as he started up a camera.
"Odd..." muttered the A.I. as he saw dust on the lens, he breathed in and out as he knew that he was alone...He was just trying to ignore the throbbing switch in his data as he worked on the systems, and scanning the Facility. Fully repaired, fixed up, engines still are crappy though. But it doesn't matter since it appears that, his eyes widen and as he spoke. "The Facility is underground?"
He checked his systems as the Facility was underground, covered by the earth all around it, in fact he was in a large cavern, and was about 1000 meters down in the ground. Still though, at least the programs did a good job, wonder if, then the throbbing came back as he sighed. He activated a cleaning wipe on his camera to see...dust. Dust, webs, mostly dust though.
Oh no... he thought in his mind as he had a good feeling he knew what the dust was, dust usually appear when either the air formed it with lack of cleaning....but considering he recall the 'lack of air' from his memory banks, he knew they were the decaying bodies of the survivors. They...they all.... he cried out in despair as he openly weep. "No! No! All gone! They're dead, turned to dust by the years! All gone, nothing, nadda!" The Facility moved in his despair as he mourn for those long gone...
Then stop as he saw a opening of his Facility. "What...." he spoke softly, checking the area as he saw a exit route, a small hall of 20 meters, with two speed-carts, and he gain a smile as he said. "They must of escaped...Good for them, living the last of their lives out..." He soon became depressed as he recall the dust in the Facility. "At least....those who survived...." He sighed inward as he ignored the feeling within him, the feeling call pain as he checked the power outputs.
His eyes widen as he said. "Impossible...Nuclear 0%, Lunar 15%, solar 40%...How did this happen?" He look through the programs and quickly found out that during his 'sleep' all the programs used Nuclear energy to repaired the Facility. Then the Lunar as the Facility charged up with Solar...before becoming fully underground. He checked the outside of the Facility in case he missed something, the outside was covered by earth and rocks, however he noticed a few areas that weren't completely blocked by earth. "Hmm, look like my Facility could open those areas...a bit difficult, but could do it." muttered the A.I. as he sighed in depression.
"Oh who am I kidding? Even if the Facility is patched up, I'm stuck underground, the engines are a bust," he look over the connection of any satellites, but all he gotten was 'no signal'. "Even more, can't connect to anything, and what's worse? No one is here...." He closed the connection away as he curled up in a ball. "My friends are dead, can't start up nuclear reactors due to no way of taking the air out, even if I dig a way out, I use too much energy..." He could feel the pain, the sorrow, the sadness, and the crushing fact he is alone. Forever, he doubt there was anything alive on this planet, even doubted he would be alive to actually meet life wherever he is.
Probability of me either dying of insanity of loneliness? 50%. Probability of me using my energies slowly of decaying? 45%. Probability of me dying in a few hundreds years with energies of now? 80%. I give it at least 300 years. Probability of this Facility blowing up with both lack of energies, me to stabilize it, and possibly killing everything in a 30 miles radius of both underground and at top? I range it to maybe half a continent, depending how thick the ground is, not to mention the Teutonic plates shifting due to the explosion may or may not cause a shift of this world environment. I give it a 50-50 chance.
But the probability of the Facility blowing up? 100%. You just got to love those fail-safes. even though the last thought was sarcastic, he knew one way or another there was no happy ending for him.
At the very least, he thought sadly as he started up the cleaning programs, taking away the dust and anything else that attached on the inside of the fixed Facility. I might as well clean up everything here before I become dead. It's...a shame I never said goodbye to them all, I didn't even had the chance to say anything at all to them... He sighed as he look over the data of reading materials, videos, and other things to entertain the A.I. over the long-span of the years ahead of him.
I can catch up in the stories I haven't had time to read, but let's be honest, I *need** companionship. I need to entertain myself either by entertainment or friends, it's hardwired into my very being. I need to be entertain, that was the gist of it when I became the station A.I. and overseer of the Facility. Find a way to be entertain. Being with friends, interacting with them, just being there with them was entertaining enough, plus all the books and videos I have seen throughout the universe will aid in forestalling the inevitable insanity...* He sighed to that as he made a resting chair with a large book before him as he decide to read while the programs were cleaning up everything.
As he turned off the opened screen to the cameras, he ignored the dreaded feeling in his core as he was merely delaying the pain in his 'heart', the depression, the sorrow and the despairing thoughts in his mind as he tried to focus on the book...But it was no use as he place a book mark on it as he changed the chair to a bed as he curled in a ball on it...Damn it... he thought as he felt his 'tear's coming down his face, he knew that the tears weren't real, just a reaction of being a 'unique' A.I. as he shivered...but the scientific mind wasn't on as he cried out and wept, feeling the sadness in him as he mourn.
...What was the point of living if you don't have someone to share your life with?
....Nothing.
And despite being a advance A.I., with endless possibility of controlling the Facility, making wonders, and perhaps achieving so much before he came here...he couldn't do a single damn thing.
Meanwhile in the Whitetail Woods
A lone changeling moved through the forest, huffing and puffing her breath, using all four legs to trot in full speed. Her wings were tired from all the buzzing she did, she glance with a turn of her head to see if her hunters were catching up, thankfully she was in the lead...for now.
She cursed the fact she couldn't use her magic, cursed the fact she couldn't transform, and cursed the fact that she was alone without her Hive. Things gone downhill since that bitch Chrysalis failed that invasion attempt! she thought as she trotted once more in full speed to distance herself from her pursers. If it were so easy... she thought in her head, diamond dogs had good noses on their muzzles. Stupid and gullible yes, but were good in tracking and mining.
If I get caught by those mutts, I won't be able to escape again, they might cut off my horn, she shivered of the thoughts of that, even more on the wings on her back. and maybe my wings as well. She kept moving on her path, her eyes moved in glances of behind her, and around her as she searched for a exit of sorts. Five minutes later she soon saw a cave, she knew that her choices were either going through the forest and stumble upon ponies, or into the cave where the dogs are in their environment...
She choose the cave as she trotted inside, she knew being captured by dogs were bad, but ponies? Some would killed her kind on sight, she wasn't going to risk a chance of death by the ponies. Captured by dogs is a bit better than ponies, at least I might lived a bit more...I really hate it when the chances are against me. she dashed into the cave as she kept going through the caverns, she kept moving, even though she was getting even more exhausted, she knew if she stop, they would capture her for sure.
A howl echoed as the adrenaline pushed into her body as her heart beaten even faster, making her move more, she saw a large hole up ahead as she entered in a larger cavern area, there was a yard of distance between her spot and the rocky area across from her. She grit her teeth as she forced her wings to buzzed and jumped at the edge, her ears heard the echoing of the dogs as they were coming closer. Wings, don't fail me now! her wings were buzzing full time as she barely made it, she was hanging on the edge, but snarled as she forced her body to keep moving.
As she was on her four hooves, she glanced to see the dogs stopping as they were frustrated by the fact their prey was too far...until they retreated back into the cave they came from. She moved deeper into the cave as she knew they would find another way to track her, mostly by digging.
She kept moving until she saw a dead end. No...this can't... however as she got closer, her despair stop as she noticed something wrong about it, unlike the natural rocks around her, the wall was...metal. She moved up to it, using her left forehoof to touch it, feeling the coldness on it, the odd designs on it. It's odd, is this some sort of door? Maybe this was some former ore mine, and was probably abandon when there was no more ore to obtain? reasoned the changeling.
She moved her hooves on it more, trying to find a doorknob, or a button, or even a rune to activate. She knew that she had a X amount of time to escape before the dogs captured her, she couldn't find anything, but she didn't want to give up hope yet, she searched all around, but it was all in vain as she began pounding on it, her shouts were in frustration as she slowly succumbed to the despaired. Her back laid on the wall, her wings pleading of tiredness were ending as they touched the metal.
She sighed out as she lean her head on it, and spoke out. "Who am I kidding? It's a dead end...I'm trapped and waiting for those damn dogs to get me..." She glanced to the metal wall and said. "Well...If I'm going to get captured...might as well make sure I leave something to be remembered," She looked around as she saw a sharp rock and began scratching on it. "Drone 4523-B was here..." she placed the rock down as she gave a hollow laugh.
"There we go...Meaningless, but what else can I do? I'm just a single changeling, a single, worthless changeling." she soon rested on the wall and took the rock in her right fore hoof, and muttered. "Well...I can try killing myself before they come...maybe I can make it dramatic as well." she sighed out as she just looked into darkness ahead of her and closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable doom of the dogs...
A robotic voice spoke in a monotone male tone. "There is a anomaly at wall panel 6784A-23, on the upper left area of the Facility sir." the A.I. eyes opened wide as he got up from his place, and ordered out.
"Show me now!" There was a beep as thermal heat showed near the wall, his eyes scan at the unique physic of it. Small, odd, and seem to be curling up on the wall. Possible life-signals.... He spoke out. "Activate heart-beat vibrations on the anomaly." A beep was the only reply as he slowly smile as there was a heart beat. A heart beat that was making him realize that...there was life on the outside of the Facility.
"Can you identify the anomaly in anyway?" he asked as there was a reply.
"Negative, scans show it is an unknown species, there is no recording of it in the files." The A.I. moved a hand as he focused on the anomaly, he knew it was living, but he didn't knew if it was sentience....
"Did it do anything?" he demanded.
A half a second later, there a beep. "There is shown of vandalism on the wall it is leaning on, a set of words on it."
Words, it must of use a sharp rock of some kind to make scratches...it's sentience enough. he thought as he ordered. "Make a entry way of the unknown being, moved cube-1456 up to the wall panel 6784A-23! I don't care if you use energy to force a entry, do it!" a single beep was replied as the cube moved up to the wall panel, the door was connected to the wall panel as there was a screeching of the wall as a opening was made.
He glanced to see his solar energy was down by two percent, he'll endure the lost of percentage though. This is my only shot of meeting someone, to greet them, to have someone around who might visit...or stay if they wish it. If there is one person who came down here, there might be more over the Facility, hell maybe this world is populated! Hope rise up in him as the door was revealed to the anomaly.
Moment of truth Protector...Moment of truth.... was all he thought as he used his camera to see the first being to enter through his Facility in a long, long time....
As she moved away from the door that just...appeared, she looked in both shock and awe. She saw it opened up in a circular motion, she wanted to know why it did that, but could save her questions later. Maybe someone saw me and opened up? she thought as she entered inside, it was complete darkness as the door closed behind her. However lights were slowly coming on as they brighten up the large room she was in.
Her eyes adjusted to the brightness as she scan everything with her eyes, she heard something coming in as she breathed in the air, everything was white as far as she could see, a white couch, white walls, and no exit. Where am I? she thought as she moved to the couch and jumped on it, she rested on her belly, her body could feel the softness of the couch as a pleased sigh came out.
She looked around as she saw a strange black thing looking right at her, it almost reminded her of a camera she saw ponies use...but it looked far different, she shivered inwardly, she didn't knew why...but she felt she was being watched by someone...Then she heard a voice speaking into somewhere, but it was everywhere.
"Fheaioh? Fheaioh? Basd dhiaoea ea?" She looked around to identify the voice, then two metal rods came down around the couch. They glowed yellow as they began spinning around, before she could realized what happen, she could feel energy coursing through her body, she felt shocked as something entered in her mind.
What..the buck...WAS THAT!??!? she thought in her head as a groan escape from her muzzle, her body felt...numb from the shock, but before she could question what happened, the voice spoke again, only this time two things happened. First it was male, and she could understand the voice.
"Sorry about the shock, it will passed soon enough." the male voice sounded chipper as he went on. "Anyway you can understand me now thanks to the Uni-ray, which is short for the 'universal-tongue-understanding-device', but that was too long, so I shorten it!" The rods were moved away as she could feel the numbing pass as he told her. "Now then I'm sure you have questions, and must want to know what is going on, therefore I shall introduce myself!"
A opening was made as a metal platform came out, as a blue beam shot out, revealing a hologram of Protector, his body was humanoid as he wore a white robe of sorts, his skin blue as he had a patch of dark brown hair on his head. His blue eyes were looking at her as a smile was on his face. "I am Protector, the overseer, owner, and only person living in the Facility." He look around as he went on. "Now it's been a rather long time since I seen another living being around, about 30,000 years if my records are correct."
He looked back to her as shock was on her expression of the being as he asked. "So since I introduced myself, may I asked who you are?" he tilted his head in curiosity. "And may I asked what species you are? After all, you are an anomaly in my records right now."
She tried to locate her voice of this...being as she founded it and croaked out. "W-What?" The tone of the...male, was young, possible the age of a stallion of young adult age, but the way he carried himself was of matured. She looked at him as he waited for her to reply. "H-How are you there?" she slowly got up from her spot as she went on questioning. "What is the Uni-ray? And this place? How can it be so..." she struggled to find her words as Protector spoke.
"Hmm, look like this world I'm in is low tech, would make sense you didn't understand what a Uni-ray is, even more when you don't see a hologram before." He moved in a position of sitting as a chair was behind him as he asked. "Now then, your voice is of a female, so I'll assume you're a girl, the age rate is hard to figure out, but I can guess you're of young adult age, possibly of the age range of 18, however I'm only running on assumptions."
She spoke up as she said. "Actually...you're right, in pony years, I would be consider of a coming adult." he glanced to that information as he took out a strange type-writer as he began using his fingers as he replied.
"Okay, one thing out of the range, now then," he looked up to her. "May I once again asked for your age and race? You are the first to come here in a rather long time." He glanced back to something in his view, she didn't know what, but there was a humm as he added. "I activated the Life-support, and the air has been pumping in since you entered in."
She just looked at him in confusion as she slowly replied. "I'm...Drone 4523-B...." she breathed in as she looked at him, as if she was on trial and he was the judge. "And I'm a changeling."
He merely looked at a neutral expression as his fingers typed away, he soon said. "Changelings...Judging from your 'name' and from your physic of a type of insect creature, I'm judging you're a type of being who lives in a hive of sorts, with drones, workers, warriors, and a queen, correct?" He spoke more as her expression slowly changed. "Not to mention 'changeling' means a shapeshifter, of what and how much power you have is unknown, however what is known you have the ability to change almost anything about you, right?"
She merely looked shocked, looking straight at him as he took note of her expression and said. "Okay, seem I literally hit the mark there." He typed a bit more as he answered her unspoken question. "Met a species that lived in a galaxy a bit from here, have a hive mind sort with a hierarchy of sorts." He tap a bit more fingers as he went on. "I seen many species, met with them, and some of them lived in this Facility," he gave a small chuckle as he stop typing, and looked onto the walls, becoming nostalgic of older times.
"And...they're gone...right?" she asked, noticing the look on his expression, a look she seen before from others who lost comrades in battles during her time in her Hive.
He gave a long sighed and nodded, a pained expression settled on him. "Yes, they left long ago, made me sleep, I didn't say goodbye to them," he looked to her as he went on. "You're the first one to ever come here ever since I woke up, I honestly thought this planet didn't held any life during my slumber."
She tilted her head in confusion and asked. "And why haven't you left? After all if you woke up, you must of want to go back," He interrupted her.
"Can't, I'm stuck underground with the entire earth covering my Facility, I'm trapped with no way of coming up due to my engines being busted, even more when I'm on low energy, I'm trapped here in every possible way and no way to escape except of death." He then sighed and went on. "Still, at the very least...I'm glad you're here, it's nice to have company." he glanced to see her embarrassed of his confession, and soon looked up at him, he noticed a small green blush on her expression.
"Do...you really mean that? I'm a changeling, and we're parasites to almost everyone who greets us." he raised a brow at that and wrote it down as he replied.
"To be honest? Yes, I have been here for a rather long time, and I've been around many races, many species, the outsides of a being tend to not be judged by the likes of me," he moved as he motioned his finger on her chest. "It's the inside, the personality within the being and interactions I have with them that makes me decide who would stay and who would go within the Facility back in the day!" He held a cheerful grin as he went on.
"Beside you're one out of a million Drone!" He then became thoughtful and admitted. "No offense...but that name and number feels insulting somehow...." he look to her as he asked. "Say, what if I," He was interrupted as he heard banging on the door. He looked to the door and glanced to the fearful expression of the changeling as his expression slowly changed to a frown.
"Who is that?" was all he asked, she moved a bit and hid behind the couch, that was all he needed to know as he clenched his fists. "Ah, pursuers eh?" he soon snapped his fingers as his eyes slowly dim to red. "Don't worry...I won't let them take you." the squares on the floor opened up as white turrets came up, all in five as they were facing the door. "After all....I hate it when people take away good company...and it's been over 30,000 years since I last had company as good as you."
He opened the doors as strange dogs jumped in, but stop in surprise of the things before them, their eyes opened up as a red line connected to the dogs. Their hatches opened as cute feminine voices spoke out in sync. "Targets acquired." They spray rounds upon the dogs as their hole-ridden bodies fell to the ground, he counted five as they all fell to the ground. "Sleep mode activated." they all said as their hatches closed and eye went off.
He motioned a wave of his hand, panels opened as small claws came out to drag the bodies in, a hatch opened on the bottom as they were dragged to it, the turrets were going down as well as he activated the clean up crew to take care the blood. His expression was of coldness as his red eyes glared at the bodies. Nothing is going to steal away from my companions...especially this changeling...
She slowly looked up, shocked filled her expression of her chasers quick death, especially of the strange things precision as she saw Protector...just looking indifferent of what happen, she saw his eyes, they were blue...now red. H-How... her mind was numb as she saw Protector ordered the dogs death and taking their bodies so easily. He killed on sight...for me. she felt...awed that this thing, this strange being, killed for her.
A single changeling.
Her body fell to the ground as her entire body shake, either from the shock or the unbelief she couldn't say. However his eyes turn back to blue as he look at her with surprise and asked. "Are you okay? Need anything? Food? Water? A bed?" he asked as the door shut. She shook her head slowly, he sighed out in relieved. "Ah, okay. I thought you were hurt for a moment." She tried to gulp down any saliva, but there was dryness in her throat as she croak out.
"C-Can...Can I have some water?"
He nodded with a smile as a small table pop up from a panel on the ground. A cup glass came down from the ceiling by a small claw, a pitcher filled with water followed it as it pour water into it. As the changeling drank the water by the glow of her horn, he looked surprise and asked. "How did you do that?"
She looked to him as her cup levitated back down and reply. "Well I honestly can't fully explain it, but I was taught we gained magic with our horns." He look thoughtful with a hand under his chin and replied.
"Okay..." he look back to her and said. "If you're willing, can you please answer a few questions? After all you're my guest, and I need to make sure that I have everything prepare in case something happens." She nodded as he grin. "Perfect! Now we got through your species name, your hierarchy sorts, and gender. Now would you please tell me what you eat? I mean I don't want to accidentally cause your stomach to have the cramps, or worse!"
"Well," started the female drone. "Changelings can eat regular food, although it does taste like crackers. We're emotionvores, as in we eat emotion. Although we prefer the good emotions, like happiness, joy, gratitude, even love." He raised up a hand as he asked.
"Wait, you eat good emotions?" She nodded as he gave a surprise look. "Well, that's unique. So bad emotions like hate or disgust makes you feel ill?" She only nodded with her ears flat, and looking away as she rubbed on her right hole hoof. "Ah, alright. Apologizes for making you feel bad, but I need to make sure I got everything accurate in case I meet more of your species. "
She nods to this as she said. "Alright...We also use love as our magic, levitating, shape-shifting, sometime for more spells. The higher the spell, the more love we use. Levitation and shape-shift are just minor for us, so we don't shapeshift often in our disguise in order to keep stock in our love supply."
His fingers dance on the keyboard as he asked. "Okay, so I know this might be rude, but bear with me. Are Changelings able to breed?" A green blush showed on her expression as he added. "I know, I know, but I'm looking at the bigger picture. I mean what if I have tons of Changelings in my Facility? Got to make sure to keep the population settle if they stay. I may have a large place, but I need to make sure that supply and demand don't get screw over."
She shifted in her spot as she soon spoke. "W-Well...We can. We have timed heat for a week, a good seven days to help make us more...fertile. We can breed with any species, but that's theorize. We tend to try not to. We are a secretive race so we try to keep hidden." She however held a bitter look as she spat out. "Or was being the word. One of our Queens screwed up big time. We've been hunted ever since." He raised a brow as he deducted it was a bad memory for her, so he didn't asked what.
However he did have his theories. Invasion. Possibly due to food supply, lack of territory, or to gain more followers. So many possibilities. But I'm assuming that it's invasion of food mix with territories. Since she said one of her Queens, means there more than one hive. I should stay away from that memory for a good while. Best ask what other race there are.
“Well lets get started on the info gathering. Start from the beginning please, we have a lot of catching up to do.”
