A sense of immanent danger snatched the boy’s thoughts from the white limbo they drifted in. His eyes refocused on the padded walls surrounding him and looked towards the door. In an instant, an explosion showered the room with chunks of metal and padded cushion. The boy tumbled and fell, avoiding a deadly chunk that smashed into the wall behind him.
Alarms were the first sound he heard; ringing in his ears in painful stabbing beats. Picking himself up from the floor; hands shaking violently from adrenaline and shock, he looked towards the cause of the destruction.
In the doorway, illuminated by flashing crimson lights of the hallway beyond, a man with vibrant golden eyes stared at him. A slight tremor rolled up the boy’s spine when he seen that his pupils were vertical.
He took a large step towards the boy. Behind him, three massive shadows stood within a cloud of steam in the hallway. He stared at the man. Despite the loud cries of the alarm, a thick stillness descended upon them. The man took another step forward and the boy did the same. Locked within a trance; cloudy grey eyes studied every aspect of the man who must be his son. The blood within the boy, whispered to him the truth.
He wore a sleek black overcoat that descended to the knees. Beneath the overcoat, rested a black metal chest plate overtop of a gold tunic. He wore a pair of baggy black pants and black boots. On the man’s waist, hung two deadly looking steam pistols and strapped to his back was some kind of strange sword. The hair that fell down to his shoulders over his pointed ears was black but faded into streaks of gold at their ends. The man outstretched his hand towards the boy, his face chiseled with grim determination.
“We must leave this place, Father.” He said, and waited calmly while the boy placed his hand into the man’s palm. The hand was firm and reassuring to the boy.
With a smile and a set of wide eyes the boy said, “You are my son, Fafnir. I cannot understand why I didn’t remember, but seeing you now, I can feel that memory in my blood.” He paused. “What’s happening? Why did you break the door like that?”
Instead of answering his questions, Fafnir wrapped the boy into his arms and ran out the room. “No time. I’ve got to get you out.” To the boy, those words became honey to his ears.
In the hallway, surrounded by thick clouds of steam, were three figures dressed in full-bodied battle armor. The boy found his mouth open from a moment of awe. Grey metal gleamed with beads of water created from the huge steam condensers mounted on their backs. Their condensers worked tirelessly, filling the air with trails of steam and a cacophony of strange sounds. Three massive automatic steam rifles locked on to the sight of him. He never seen guns before, but the way the crimson lights gleamed off of their brilliant chrome bodies, made him think of death. Strange bubble shaped helmets covered their heads. Dark tinted glass prevented him from seeing their faces, but they smelled like humans.
“Is that him?” A woman’s voice said, muffled within one of the bubble helmets. “It is him! It is the Father, Tiamat! Praise the Gods, we are saved!” She cried out hysterically.
“He doesn’t look like much.” A deep voice said from the man next to her. “Hey, Spade! Don’t tell me, we came to this living hellhole for some kid!” He waved his rifle in disgust and a stream of steam rose from his back.
“Don’t speak that way in front of, Father Tiamat, Jabe! We have to believe or what was the point of coming here.” The woman stated with firm conviction.
“Believe in him, or not. It doesn’t matter right now.” The man known as Spade, said. “Fafnir, is that the package? The Worms will be here soon.” His gun swept over suspicious shadows and trembled while he spoke.
“Yes. This is my father, Tiamat.” He paused, removed a steam pistol from his waist and secured, Tiamat, with his free arm. “Let’s move. We need to make it to the rooftop. Jaster has got his hands on a sky ship.”
At the mention of his name, Tiamat; the boy’s eyes became glazed and absent. Memories of savage battles between magnificent winged creatures, raced through his mind. His body soared though the vastness of space, marveling at beauties that no man will ever lay eyes upon. There was something forgotten; a sweet voice, buried in the corner of his mind. It whispered his name with longing and undying love. Then he seen the jealousy; deeper than the deepest ocean. He came out of the trance, cold sweat forming on his brow. “Tiamat, is that my name? They wouldn’t tell me, no matter how much I asked.” Tiamat said, still trying to push the strange memories out of his mind.
“Neesa, cover our rear.” Spade said, while heading down the corridor; a wispy trail of steam chasing behind him.
“Yes, sir, commander Spade.” Neesa replied and moved a short distance in the opposite direction.
The five of them began to work their way down the hallway. Spade scouted ahead, Fafnir carried Tiamat with Jabe to his right and Neesa shadowing them from behind. The alarm stopped and the lights ceased flashing and became a solid red. An eerie silence descended upon them.
Tiamat wondered about other doors they passed and what they kept imprisoned on their other side. With deeper thought, he realized that he didn’t care. Freedom was the most important thing to him at the moment. He took no notice of the pungent smell of fear and tension from the humans or the vast metal hallway, decorated with all sorts of pipes and strange steam devices. What Tiamat did take notice of was the pungent odor of rotten meat. The stench made his stomach heave and his eyes watered. He looked at Fafnir to see that his son was afflicted with the same disgust but the humans did not take notice.
“Worms, Level One encounter, multiple contacts!” Spade screamed and a roar of gunfire followed. Monstrous cries and violent howls made Tiamat’s blood run cold. He shot a look towards their source and his jaw dropped with terror.
Ahead, blocking the lift to the next floor was a group of the most disgusting creatures Tiamat ever seen. They appeared human in shape but that’s where the resemblance stopped. Some of them possessed tails; others used wings and claws for hands. They were green, black or red, and some were mixture with all colors. A glossy slime covered pulsating coats of scale that was their skin. Lizard-like faces filled with rows of razor sharp teeth, spoke in their own guttural language and some even carried vicious looking steam guns and crude short swords.
“Damn!” Jabe shouted. “Don’t let their blood touch you!” He snatched a large metal ball that hung on his waist, pulled the ring from the top and threw. “Steam grenade! Spade, take cover!”
Spade fell back, spraying the Worms with waves of hot bullets that tore through flesh and bone. The condenser worked furiously, spewing a column of steam into the air.
The steam grenade blew. Tiamat screamed in pain from the sound wave of the sudden explosion. A mushroom cloud of scorching steam enveloped the corridor.
Fafnir shielded Tiamat’s body while he dove to the floor. Hot shards of deadly shrapnel cut though the air and the horrible screech of the worms raked their ear drums. Then silence descended and Tiamat only heard the frantic beating of his own heart.
In the distance, away from the aftermath of the explosion, Nessa’s shrill voice shattered the fragile silence. “There coming from behind!” Neesa’s condenser erupted with steam while her rifle spat death. She backpedaled towards them, “Fafnir, I need help!” From the floor, Tiamat watched as the mass of worms charged down the corridor towards Neesa. Gunfire and hurling machetes bounced off of her armor sending a shower of sparks flying.
“The worms are reforming!” Spade shouted from behind a large pipe he used for cover. Tiamat’s eyes left Neesa’s plight and watched the remains of the worms in front of the lift. Horror washed over him, and his gaze held a certain fascination in their depths.
With a life of their own, chunks of flesh and bone molded into each other with frightening speed. Despite the number of them, they began to form into one massive creature. Above the rapid sounds of Jabe and Neesa’s rifles and the savage inhuman screams echoing behind them; the suckling and popping noise from the regenerating worms filled the corridor.
“Level Two forming; what the hell are you doing, Fafnir?” Jabe screamed, firing bullets into the mountain of flesh.
“Stay down, Father.” Were the only words Fafnir said; he stood, ignoring the chaos of gunfire around him. His face was calm, like the surface of a still pond when he drew his sword. The blade rang free and something in Tiamat’s mind told him that it was an extension of will. The metal of the blade shimmered and waved as if it were liquid, then it became solid. Fafnir ran his hand down its crescent edge and his blood spilled along the surface. Then it was liquid again; blood and metal danced lazy above the hilt while Fafnir walked towards the lift.
In an instant, two rope-like tentacles lashed out and seized Jabe’s legs pulling him to the floor. “Gods, get this shit off me!” Jabe’s screaming voice made Spade leap to his aid but not before Fafnir reacted.
Fafnir raised his sword above him and the liquid shot towards the monstrosity. On contact, its flesh began to wither and decay. A putrid yellow smoke wafted into the air and globs of blood sprayed against the walls. Not bothering to witness the damage, Fafnir ran towards the surrounded Neesa. With a wave of his sword; the reddish-silver metal assaulted the pack of worms and within moments they were dust.
Neesa’s chest heaved with relief; she slapped a button on her thigh and the condenser surrounded her with steam. Remains of the dangerous blood washed off and she sagged to the floor.
Spade pulled the remains of the tentacles from Jabe, while Fafnir returned the now normal blade to its metal sheath. Tiamat stood on shaky legs. “What were those things?” He paused. “There is some of our blood in them.” He said to Fafnir, still trembling with shock.
“Worms.” Spade said, helping Jabe to his feet. Both of them slapped buttons on their thighs and steam immediately surrounded them. “Men, who have been tainted, transform into worms.” He finished, stepping out the cloud of steam.
“Poor bastards, nobody is going to remember their damn names.” Jabe said, checking his rifle and ammo packs. “What the hell is this all for, huh! The whole world has already turned to shit.” He paused, and pointed his gun at a pile of grey flesh. “I know one damn thing; I’m not going to turn into this.”
Neesa walked to the lift and began inspecting the controls. “Life is still worth protecting, Jabe. What do you want us to do? Sit back and hide until we are extinct?” Spade came to lean over Neesa’s shoulder as she worked and Fafnir led Tiamat towards the lift.
“It is the blood, Father.” Fafnir said. “It changes any organic life it touches, but that was not our blood. Only a female’s blood can do that to a man.” That said, Fafnir remained quiet and Tiamat thought on the weight of those words.
“Let’s just hope we don’t run into any females, were not equipped to handle them.” Spade said as the large metal doors of the lift opened with a puff of steam.
The group stepped into the lift and waited for the doors to close. A dark dread descended over Tiamat. Spade did not understand; Fafnir and he were speaking of two different types of female. He did not sense their presence, but they must be close. He just wanted freedom from this awful place. Yet, Tiamat understood that there were ones who loved him will not let that happen. Their love will not stop hunting him, and the reality is that there is no escape.

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