{A few nice pictures to see}
[What comes before a storm? My son…]
[...]
[You don't know? Well then let me tell you my son…]
[Death… death comes before a storm… for the storm is merely a precursor for the death that follows…]
[now whose death does the storm per tell… my son.]
[...]
[you don't know? Well then, my son… look out there. Over the rails… and through the clouds… and you will see… our enemy is already waiting!]
[But I don't see anything? Father, how are you so sure? About the things that you say?]
[My son… can you not hear them through the humming of our engines… or through the winds that carry their sounds?]
[umm… no.]
[My son… one day you shall lead… and when that time comes you will understand… you will hear them… feel them…]
[But, how father… I'm not you… will I really be able to tell?]
[my son… my precious boy… you already can! You just don't know it yet! For what lays in you, is far better than I] said the loving father as they stared off into the distance from their family ship
DAY 3
BAAAAM!
[Sir Artis! Wake up!! The lighting is getting worse! She can't handle it anymore! We need to make, dock at the nearest town immediately!]
Yelled a man as an engine in the back exploded as lightning struck it dead center.
[Sir! Engine three is gone! We're trailing smoke!]
[This isn't good, Monder! Pirates can smell that smoke a mile away!] replied Artis
[sir with all due respect… pirates are the last thing we should worry about right now!] replied Monder
[why? she should be able to make it to Bredael with the three remaining engines! We're almost there!] replied Artis
[Sir! we can't! She sustained too much damage! The emergency repairs that we did are beginning to fail! Multiple systems are starting to kick the bucket… Sir, we have to make an emergency landing!] replied Monder
[Dammit all! If we head below the clouds the snowstorm is going to get us!] replied Artis
[sir! I would rather take my chance with the snow than the lighting!] replied Monder, as he was fighting for control over the zeppelin in the air
But while Artis was deliberating if they should head down through the storm, multiple lightning bolts struck the zeppelin on all sides, causing several explosions of sharp metal to rain down below the clouds.
[Sir! We're going down now! We don't have any other choice!] yelled Monder
As the citizens of Alemor, worried about their future of uncertainty, the heavy snow that fell brought with it an unexpected guest! For through trails of smoke and falling metals. A Giant ship came into view to all in the city, as it burst through the gray clouds from up on high.
For when the town clock dings true, all while the women and children screamed in the streets, the monsters that lay in the forest watched the collapsing metal coffin fall from the air! But while they turned their heads in amusement, the raging fire ball crashed landed in Alemor! Lucky enough the ship just barely avoided the center of the city and landed just slightly in the outskirts on the opposite end of where the aliens were.
Seeing an opportunity present itself like a gift, Blacky wasted no time and raced with his sisters to open said gift for his father. But while they hid in the dark like swimming sharks, the mayor set out his best for a rescue attempt.
As the fire consumed the ship, from the inside out, the men and women trapped from corridor by corridor, screamed their pleas, as Artis tried to do what he could… but what could he do… for when their howls combined with the black soot, Artis turned and left with Monder, as more mini explosion were going off one by one throughout the ship! While the dogs that they kept tried to dig out their former masters, the cats ran throughout the ship on fire, while the rats just popped within the pipe fragile system!
As the ship quickly began its descent into metal scrap, the rescue team arrived too late to do anything other than pat the fire with what water they could, but even with the snowstorm's help, it was impossible to get the fire under control! The flammable gas contained within the ship was just too potent even for mother nature! Realizing this fact, the rescue team splintered off to save anyone they could!
But as they called out to that void of fire and brimstone, they were met with only silence… silence of the fire kindling… silence of the metal melting, silence of the burned corpse of dogs, cats and pinned humans… they walked past severed limbs that laid on the floor like thrown away napkins!
With lunch wanting to escape their stomach they pushed on through the burned smell of bodies, hair and fuel… they waved away the black smoke that covered their vision… and just as they gave up hope in finding anyone in time, they heard it… they heard a low groan… coupled with the sounds of dragging feet! But it sounded odd… almost mechanical in their ears… confused the brave men continued one until they saw it!
For as the fire parted, the smoke disrupted, a hand at first… then the man… but as the man stood in front of the confused rescue team, he spoke one simple line to break them out of there stupor:
[What are you doing just standing there! Can't you see we need help?]
Said a man who wasn't a man… but a machine that carried a completely burned body over his shoulder! Now this man who was not a man, but whose body moved to the tune of machine and wires, stood there blinking as he tried to pass the body on his shoulder that was nothing but a burnt husk.
The rescue team confuse in what to do, simply said:
[sir… that man you're carrying is… is already dead!]
Confused, the machine looked at the body and said:
[that can't be… can't you see he is talking to me right now! Can't you see that Monder is still alive! Now quit this nonsense and help him!]
[Sir… what are you] asked a scared rescuer
[what? What nonsense are you going on about now! I'm a regular hum…man...] said Artis as he caught a glimpse of his reflection off the shiny metal wall next to him. Causing him to stop himself mid-sentence.
As Artis stared into his reflection with many booming questions entering his mind, he slowly but surely raised his right hand to touch the face that was but a moment ago made full of flesh and blood, only to feel cold hard iron instead! Shocked, Artis' head began to hurt as he started to remember.
He remembered that when they crashed, the bridge was the first to be consumed by fire… by explosions and debris… by shattering glass and splitting metal shards that flew like bullets in every direction! He remembered walking past former crews' bodies as they bleed out from impaling metal, and crushing stone! He remembered the sounds of sirens and screaming. He remembered the noise of barking and crying… he remembered touching burning hot iron with his bare hands, while walking through chokeing smoke like it wasn't a thing.
He remembered the frightened faces of his crew members as they ran past him, while the ones who called out for help shut their mouths… he remembered all these things, even the dogs that were once friendly with him, now bark at him like he was a monster! He now understood why it was so easy for him to walk past those things and feel… feel nothing at all… for he wasn't a man at all! but a machine! A cold and calculating machine!
With mind shattering as he stared at his shaking hands, as everything he ever believed in turned out to be a lie, the face of his father blinked into his mind! But while he stood in their shell shocked, a rescuer reached out his hands slowly to tap Artis' shoulder. But the second Artis felt that warm touch, he quickly brushed it off not knowing to control his strength, as now he was no longer subconscious of it, he accidentally broke the man's hand!
As the man reel back from the pain screaming, the other rescuers ran the other direction in hope to escape this monster! Artis watched all this unfold before his fragile mind; he finally lost it! With his mind gone that machine took over and controlled him to burst through the thin metal wall that once made up his family business, a ship he called home… a ship he valued more than his life… and with his own hands tore a hole big enough to fully break it!
seeing a machine suddenly burst out of the ship, the mayor yelled:
[Is that what I think it is?]
But before he could get a clear answer, the machine or Artis ran straight into the cold winter storm that surrounded the forest alone! And as he did the mayor said
[I can't believe I got to see a rank 4 augmentation in my life! And by the looks of it, that machine… maybe... just maybe he doesn't know what he is… hurry forget the ship! we need to help that man!]
[sir there isn't enough time! The city] yelled a random man
[what? What about the city] replied the mayor
[ it's under attack!] replied the man to the shocked mayor
Meanwhile back in the forest
As Artis ran through the forest covered in snow, he heard the tree creek, and groaned! He felt eyes… many eyes watching him… as the chilly wind below around him, he suddenly stopped running… and when he did, he looked into the sky and yelled
[leave me alone! I Am but a monster! Leave me to die in this forest! My father... Is this what you meant when you said it was within me this whole time… was I ever human…]
But while he was questioning his humanity, the shadows of the forest fell! As if to respond to his inequality. With dozens of thuds the snow around quaked… with silent hisses the aliens stalked around with a smile. As the sound of crushing snow stopped just a few feet behind him, did Artis turn to see… to look at that in which chased him for a while… for he knew it was following him! For he heard the creature through the sounds of the wind… through the fog of the storm… his eyes never missed a beat… he felt their very breath through the air…
But when he turned, he expected to see a human… or to see anything but what he did see… for what he saw made him shake to his very core… for what stood in front of him was another creature made of metal and stone!
As the black creatures circled around in contrast to the beautiful white snow, that was once in rage, now calm like still waters. The metal one hissed at the others, in what Artis would describe was an order not to interfere with him. At this moment Artis knew this was going to be a fight… a fight he thought he had no hope in winning… A fight he wasn't sure he wanted to win in the first place… but while he stood there a second away from giving up his life.
A memory… a single simple memory flash right before his eyes, that gave him the courage to fight! To fight not for kith and kin or for honor… not to save the world or to have a meaningful death, but to fight to save a single memory! A memory that meant more to him than anything in this life or the next…