Chapter 23
To The Gate
Part 1
Day Four
Date: 04/01/01
Location: In the city.
Mission Duration: Four Days
Remaining Time: One Day
Objective: Reach the City Gate
Subject Names: Thomas & Samira Ali
Native: Khorcha (Company)
Previous success rate: 85%
Expected success rate: 70%
Failed Subjects: 250
Successful subjects: 10
Successful Persentage: 4%
Experiment Results: 96% Failure
Experiment Outcome: Termination
Next Stage: Initiated
Objective: Monitoring
Stage Duration: 30 Days
Days Count- Down: 30
This time not panting heavily, Thomas stepped back, surveying the fallen creature. "We did it," he said, a mix of disbelief and triumph in his voice.
Samira rushed to his side, her eyes wide with excitement. "That was incredible! We worked together again, just like before."
Khorcha clicked in agreement, its eyes shining with admiration. "You are formidable warriors. Together, you can overcome any challenge."
As they caught their breath, Thomas felt a surge of pride. They had faced two formidable foes and emerged victorious, but the journey was far from over. They had one day left to reach the City Gate, and the dangers of the city were far from extinguished.
"Let's keep moving," Thomas said, determination etched on his face. "We're closer to our goal, but we can't let our guard down."
Samira nodded, her resolve strengthening. "We've come this far. We can't stop now."
With renewed purpose, they pressed on through the tunnel, the echoes of their footsteps mingling with the distant sounds of the city above. The path ahead was uncertain, but together, they felt invincible. They were no longer just subjects in a twisted experiment; they were a team, bound by their shared experiences and the strength they had discovered within themselves.
As they approached the end of the tunnel, a faint light began to filter through the darkness. The City Gate was within reach, but they knew that the final challenge awaited them. Whatever lay beyond that threshold, they would face it together, ready to fight for their freedom and their lives.
The silence that returned after The Destroyer's final, shuddering collapse was absolute. All that remained of the massive beast was a chaotic pile of jagged, obsidian-like plates and twisted metal. The low, guttural hum that had been its presence faded into nothingness.
The Langkatan survivors, who had been huddled in the darkness of the subway station, now emerged, their faces filled with a silent, profound awe. They looked from the defeated monster to Thomas and Samira, their large black eyes filled with a powerful mixture of fear and reverence.
Khorcha was the first to approach. He moved slowly, cautiously, as if approaching two mythical beings. He looked at the wreckage of The Destroyer, then at Thomas, his gaze lingering on the human who had fought with such ferocity. "I... I do not know how to thank you," he said, his voice a series of low, clicking sounds. "We have been hiding for generations. This monster... it has been hunting us for so long. You have saved us."
Thomas, still panting from the exertion, simply nodded. His eyes were fixed on the wreckage. He felt a sense of accomplishment, but also a growing unease. The System had warned them of a high-level enemy, but it had said nothing of The Destroyer's origin or its purpose. He had a bad feeling that the System was holding back information from them.
Samira, ever the pragmatist, was already using her Data Analysis skill, looking at the creature's data. She shook her head. "There's nothing here," she said, her voice filled with frustration. "No data. No origin. It's just... a monster."
Khorcha saw their confusion. "That creature... it came from the gate," he said, his voice a low whisper. "All the monsters we have encountered so far, the Haigan, the Grambith, the Destroyer, they all come from the same place."
"The City Gate?" Thomas asked, a sudden cold feeling washing over him. The very place that was their objective was also the source of their problems. It all made sense now.
Khorcha nodded. "Yes. It's a legend to us, but it's a real place. We know where it is, but we cannot reach it. No one has."
"Why not?" Thomas asked, his voice low and firm. "What's there? More monsters?"
Khorcha's face filled with a powerful mixture of fear and sadness. "Worse," he said, his voice a series of low, mournful clicks. "The gate is guarded by something… something that no living being can pass. The Consumed are a fraction of the horror. The gate is guarded by the remnants of our military, who were consumed with a different kind of parasite and are now a new breed of monster. No one can pass them. It's a wall of living, thinking machines."
"The gate leads to outer space," he continued, his eyes looking up at the sky. "Our people... the ones who were not consumed... they left. They built a colony on the moon. They are the last of us. The last of our government is based there. We sent a few scouts to the gate but they were annihilated. The System itself does not have the ability to penetrate the gate's defenses. It's a wall of impenetrable military code."
Samira and Thomas looked at each other, and a silent understanding passed between them. The puzzle pieces were falling into place, a dark and terrible picture. The System, the missions, the monsters... it all led to one place.
Samira's face was a mixture of triumph and anger. "The System is a simulation," she said, her voice low. "It's a way for them to test our abilities without risking their own lives. They're up there. The people who brought us here. They are the ones who put us through all of this. They are the ones who are watching our every move."
"They are the ones we are going to find," Thomas said, a cold, hard resolve in his voice. "Our goal is no longer just survival. It's to reach the gate and find our way back home. We have to reach the colony."
Khorcha, who had been listening to their exchange, seemed to understand. He then said, "We have a map. It shows a way to reach the gate. A secret path that avoids the main route. But it's a dangerous path. It passes through the most dangerous parts of the city. We have not been able to reach it on our own. It's a mission to the other side of the city. We need your help to get there."
"We will help you," Thomas said, his mind already racing. "We will get you what you need. And then you will give us that map."
The two of them had a new goal. A goal that was bigger than themselves. A goal that would lead them to the stars and, hopefully, back to their home.
The journey to the city gate was far from over. It was only just beginning.