Deep within the Tesselation center on Castillo, Algernon stood in complete silence, ruminating over the fate of his daughter. Despite his treatment of her, he felt uneasy, imagining almost every possible way she could be defiled or killed while away from home. The deal he had made with the Vjetar was irrelevant when compared to the value of his daughter's life. Or at the very least, that was the conclusion he had come to.
The tall machine stared off into the night sky, Jupiter's glow shining upon his face as he lifted a single finger tucked behind his back.
"You have human blood on you," Algernon spoke sternly. "Explain."
"The workers laid a hand on her. Before you gave the order," a feminine voice replied as it stepped closer to him. "I acted."
Algernon turned to face the endoskeleton before speaking to it with an unusual sense of respect in his voice.
"An acceptable action."
"What of Ivy? Our daughter?" The endoskeleton asked as it clasped its hands together.
"She will be returned. And anything that touches her will pay...in time."
The endoskeleton nodded in approval, the light of Saturn revealing another set of blood stains on its eye sockets.
"I'm afraid the Vjetar had limited intel to provide."
"You shouldn't have killed them with such haste."
"They spoke the truth. All they knew. Trust me."
Algernon hesitated before nodding, knowing full well what his wife was capable of.
"What about the Consortium? You must have already formulated a plan, Algernon. We need our daughter back." The Endoskeleton pleaded.
"Walk with me."
Moving in perfect tandem, the two hulking metal frames strode through the mansion's lonely halls, having become increasingly lifeless over the last few days. Without Ivy, Algernon hadn't even bothered to light the marble hallways properly, nor dust the wooden furniture despite owning a legion of machines for that job. The illusion of a home was pointless without her. Quite simply, Tesselation didn't need living quarters to operate.
"First things first, did you handle the workers? I need your confirmation, some of their hab-units are...more difficult to monitor in the snow."
"Yes, husband. All who had heard or seen Ivy's escape have been removed. Carefully."
"Then our next course of action is simple." Algernon nodded before reaching an elevator placed at the center of what used to be a kitchen. "We retrieve her from Consortium space, by any means necessary."
"Her tracking chip still worked?"
"No, her captor was clever enough to remove it. Fortunately, her tertiary chip was untouched. Its last broadcast was outside of Sol."
The elevator door closed as both machines walked into its cramped confines. Ivy, of course, was never allowed to know of its existence, making its unconduvice design all the more acceptable. The contraption then began to wobble and buckle under the weight of its load, reinforcing its position as a rather old enplacement as it spiraled downwards.
"I'm afraid conventional rescue would be...difficult given the extent of the Consortium's reach." Algernon continued.
The elevator came to a screeching halt, but just before her husband could exit into the next chamber, the endoskeleton blocked the door with her claw-shaped hand.
"Then make another. Please," the endoskeleton pleaded.
"It wouldn't be you," Algernon growled.
"No, but it will have my strength."
"Perhaps."
"You don't need all of Ivy. It can transport a small amount."
"You'd consent to this?" Algernon tilted his head as he flexed his metal palm.
"We need our daughter back."
"Very well, I'll get to work."
____________________________________
Lila sat pensively, her eyes drooping towards the floor as she tried to stay awake. It was well past her bedtime, but Yrix seemed insistent on one more routine. Having called the students to the entrance of her office, she began to relay her commands into their minds.
"I am well aware my human students need...sleep. But there is one last measure of competency I need from you. Having been settled with your awakening, you will be put to a simple test."
The floor beneath Yrix suddenly caved in, with both carpet and stone being torn asunder beneath her Psionic power. What was left, after a rather unpleasant wave of dust, was a massive sinkhole leading into a bottomless pit. But while most of the students felt a sense of dread upon looking into the pit, it was Sonera who expressed dissapointment. She had yet another reason to beleive that Yrix, at such a time, was far too powerful to be killed.
"You will descend into this pit. And I will pull you out." Yrix nodded before lending the girls a brief pause. "After you have passed...or perished, I will fix the room and you will be able to rest."
Lila was the first to raise her hand, much to Yrix's amusement.
"Yes, Lila."
"How do we not die," the girl asked plainly.
"I'm glad you asked Lila. The most essential Psionic projection is that of your personal ambience. You've seen me move objects, yes?" The Arch-Flayer explained as she unholstered her own weapon, pointing it at her own head. "Well...there's quite a bit more to it."
A large bolt of metal then shot out towards Yrix, bouncing harmlessly off a yellow barrier projected in front of her. Lila watched in amazement as the bullet fell to the ground, its tip having been flattened by Yrix's Psionic power.
"Your Psionic Ambience can project a barrier around your body. It can both stop and redirect kinetic force. If you were to...fall into this whole, a strong Ambience could break your fall."
"So do I just...clench really hard?" Lila smiled sheepishly.
Yrix then suddenly plucked Lila off the floor by the scruff of her neck, dangling her over the pit playfully.
"No. It's a reflex. An instinct. You'll get it."
The Arch-Flayer mused gleefully before dropping Lila, sending her tumbling into the abyss. Even Ivy flinched at such a sight, causing her a brief moment of panic. But truthfully, some part of her was just glad to see Lila fall to her demise.
Yrix tried not to chuckle upon hearing Lila's final words, its contents referencing another old piece of human culture she could understand.
After a moment of suspense, a cloud of dust burst forth from the pit, followed by a crushing thud.
"Ow." Lila's voice echoed.
The girl had followed Yrix's instructions to the letter, letting go of all mental control as she careened towards the bottom. With a simple act of desperation, she had managed to encase herself in a barely visible bubble of pink energy, saving her life in the process. Regardless, the action was incredibly painful and exhausting.
When Yrix plucked the girl out of the hole and back onto the carpet, she was practically already asleep. It was Lunae who helped her up, gently leading Lila towards one of the bunk beds. She hadn't forgotten the Earthling's offer of friendship.
"How sweet." Yrix squinted. "It will be your turn next Lunae."
But for once, the tender girl showed no fear, turning around with wide eyes as she tiptoed her way over to the pit. Without needing a prompt from Yrix, Lunae took one confident step off the edge, slowing her fall into a rather graceful descent. The Arch-Flayer nodded in approval, feeling proud of herself as she preemptively lifted Lunae back into the room before she could even reach the bottom.
"Show-off," Ivy grunted. "Why couldn't she have called on me?"
When all was said and done, only two students failed, their demise being uncomfortably silent. Yrix refused to immediately retrieve those unlucky students, calling for another name as if nothing had happened. Once it was Sonera's turn, she took a similar route as Lila, only her fiery descent was far more deliberate. As for Ivy, she made sure to walk her way down as if it were a spiral staircase, glaring at Lunae before she dissapeared out of sight.
"I was adept long ago," Ivy reassured herself as she reached the bottom. "Yrix only made me stronger. So why does she bother with the primitives? The Earthling could barely survive."
But after a brief moment of silence, Ivy began to realize she was left down there. Yrix hadn't bothered to pull her up, as if challenging her to make an asenscion on her own.
"Fine." Ivy fumed.
Regaining her senses, Lila was wide awake to observe as Ivy repeared in a flash of silver light, propelling her body with a burst of Psionic energy.
"Whoa." Lila watched with amazement. "She's good."
"Now then. Pick your beds tonight. I will be assigning them soon." Yrix instructed before dissapearing into her office as the lights began to dim.
Ivy was quick to move into the back corner, fleeing from Lila and the others as fast as she could. The irony of the situation, however, was not lost on the heiress. She could handle a life-threatening challenge with ease. Yet when faced with the opportunity to speak to another human, she cowered in fear.
"Father was right...about some things." Ivy sighed, practically tossing herself onto the top bunk as she buried herself in blankets. "What a nightmare."