PITCH BLACK〔M〕「Hoef & Hannelorian」

[Dire Hoef]

Having returned to the study in question, the device was tossed into his hands. He caught it and then looked at it, his vision becoming a haze. He glanced away from and refocused his eyes, realizing that cracking this egg was going to be a rather difficult task. So, he found a spot by the stilling burning fire and began reciting a deep incantation.

This spell that was to be conjured manifested itself as several magic circles overlaping themselves in rings around the device. These magic circles spin and various runes ignite with light. Those ignited runes extract some kind of essence from the thing, all the while Hachi is in deeply focused on the spell's effects.

An untold number of minutes go by, and eventually there's a click and operations go off inside the device. The haze that had obscured its physical makeup had dissipated to reveal it to be a great icosahedron. Although this polyhedra fluctuated its shape between that and a dodecahedron. The colors were more pronounced, revealing a greater shade of purple that was a bit hard to look at. However, the device unfurled like a flower and projected a life-like image of the Giantess.

Though this, she was their size and looked like any ordinary human. But the dead giveaway to her not being human was how her emerald green eyes shimmered and glowed with radiance. It was like she was blessed by divine force. Her voice, smooth and as inviting as it was when they first met her, sung as if to introduce herself.

"O' children of plenty, I thanketh thee f'r seeking knowledge. Mine own Fathers' Legacy existeth inside of me. All thee wilt do is asketh me a question. I shalt answ'r t to the most wondrous of mine own ability. Und'rstand, howev'r, mine own c're mem'ries art degregadat'd due to how much timeth hadst past."

Taken aback by this, but not outwardly hostile, Hachi slowly backed away from the projection. He kept his hand near his gun, but did not move to unholster it. He said, "Then.. I have one question to start it off.. What are you?"

"I am a Hom. A living volume. I has't a rec'rd that is currently dat'd at fifty thousand years to this very second."

"Fifty thousand..??" That predates the Emperor's awakening by tens of thousands of years. Just how old is this thing?

[Hannelorian]

Nora followed Hachi to a spot by the fire and made herself comfortable on the floor. Raising her hand the sounds of the locks triggering on the door echoed softly, and Nora nodded, apparently satisfied at her own actions and deeds. Hachi set to work and Nora would come to marvel at his delicate actions and at the object itself, and in due time an image of the giantess herself appeared, though in a distinctly more human form.

"It's magnificent." Nora uttered having never seen anything like this in her life nor having imagined that something like this was even remotely possible. "A digital, holographic representation of herself... this is absolutely remarkable. It's like a databank." When the Hom stated just how many years of knowledge it stored and that due to it's age surely some of the memories had degraded... it was entirely compelling. "Fifty thousand years. That's... almost unheard of." Sure there were some historical records, but never an object like this, never such a source. Where to even begin?

"Alright, you've mentioned your father. Who is your father, who has created you?" Nora watched Hachi's hands as he rested them upon his gun. Nora playfully, gently moved to slap his hand away, as she looked at him and then turned her attention back to the Hom. "Oh, and do you have a name? How do you prefer to be addressed?" Nora would hate to seem rude after all. This was an extraordinary opportunity that she could barely even fathom.

"Oh, oh. I am Eleanor, Nora. And this is Hachi."

[Dire Hoef]

When introduced, Hachiro nodded. He lowered his guard as Nora slapped his hand away from his gun. He sighed, accepting that this magic was far beyond him.

"O' daught'r thee has't hath asked a pleasant question. I insist yond mine own Fathers' art not one, but many. Those gents art a coalition of daught'rs and sons of a people longeth since f'rgotten. Thy language doest not has't the prop'r faculities to speaketh it. Thus, an epithet is most appropriate h're. The 'Kings of the Black Sky' wouldst beest the closest approximation. Those gents art mine own Fathers, mine own creat'rs.

I doth not has't a name. Homs doth not 'riginate with names. Instead, whoev'r cometh to possesseth us grants us our name. Thee may addresseth me howev'r thee liketh."

Hachiro stared at the projected woman for a moment and pondered the name. "The Kings of the Black Sky.. Why does that sound familiar?" Hachi thought back to all the oral stories heard, "That's right.. I remember reading stories about kings in black armor wielding swords of pure darkness.. But I didn't think those stories had an substance. I thought they held metaphorical significance, teaching lessons to younger generations." But then a question arose, "What happened to those Kings?"

"O' son, acc'rding to mine own rec'rd a cataclysm yond wast from bef're thy timeth. It claim'd all their lives, and did destroy all their things. Mine own rec'rds showeth their deaths w're not swift. Those deaths w're slow and agonizing, succumbing to a heavy sleepiness wast hath followed by an endless comatose."

"The heaviness from the fog," he connected a dot, "It had the same effect.. Could their cataclysm and ours be similar?" He rubbed his chin, now becoming accustomed to this new feat of technology.

[Hannelorian]

"Alright, I shall call you Lilith, that will be your designation." Nora wasn't entirely sure why she felt that this piece of technology, this personification of a database needed such thing. But it seemed to be rather a waste if she did not respect it, after all it was talking to them, it was providing them a service. Nora's mind was contemplating the Kings of the Black Sky. That too sounded familiar, like something she had either read... or heard in passing spoken from another professor somewhere along the line.

Lilith, or the Hom - was the creation of not an individual, but rather a group of individuals who existed millennia ago. Those individuals were now gone. Wiped away by a cataclysm that sounded at least, similar to what they were enduring now. Time is a flat circle. "So that is proof positive, everything that is happening now, has happened before and stands to reason it would happen again, unless stopped." Nora's words were crisp and clear. The pieces in her own head were beginning to click, now it seemed she had evidence, proof, of what had happened.

"Alright Lilith, a few more queries." Nora smiled softly and remained still and seated on the floor. "If your creators are long past, how are updating? How are you acquiring new knowledge?" Nora's gaze remained focus on the creation that fascinated her. "The Kings of the Black Sky were destroyed, how did the cataclysm come to an end?" Nora was curious to know, but somewhat terrified, one should never ask questions they fear knowing the answers to.

"And lastly, either from your creators or data acquired since, do you have any record, historical or lore related that suggest this has happened either before that or since then?"

[Dire Hoef]

"Pri'r to mine own activation. I didst a preliminary scan of mine own environment, and wast able to procureth enough inf'rmation to maketh a rough estimation of mine own current state down to the second. Any furth'r solidification of current environmental conditions wouldst've requir'd precognition, which is currently outside mine own abilities."

Then her expression soured slightly as if recalling those desparate final moments.

"Inf'rmation hast degrad'd in some parts on this, i wilt apologize, but h're art the final moments of mine own Fathers."

A secondary holographic image appears, manifesting in the form of a sphere. Inside this sphere, are several dozens of humanoids with obisidian-black skin running for their lives. The camera, whose position lied somewhere among the buildings, caught witness to a creature purely made of shadow mauling one of these humanoids. From there, several angles caught the same thing they've seen before back in Nora's lab. The feed cuts after catching the outline of something gargantuan with many legs wrapping itself around a spire.

Hachiro stood there with his arms crossed, and his brows furrowed. He thought about this cataclysm and their own, and found the similiarity between the two. "So they were done in by the same thing..."

"Acc'rding to mine own database, th're is nut one. Although inf'rmation between then and now hadst been c'rrupt'd. I can only pulleth one example, and tis a singular date: sd. 15.276. In thy timeth, t'wouldst beest thousands of years pri'r to now."

[Hannelorian]

The final moments were displayed in full holographic display. It was a chilling end to a people, a true tragedy that occurred so long ago, but they bore witness to this as though it were just yesterday. The limitations and degradations of the memory of the being were made clear, but it didn't make what she had said, what she had shown any less haunting or pertinent. The life of their planet seemed to be a cycle of creation, advancement and ultimate destruction. Lilith, as she had named the image had said as much, even noting a similar occurrence had happened only a few thousand years in the past.

"A singular example." Nora sighed and looked up at the ceiling, searching the patterns for answers, for an idea, for something. "Not as decisive as I'd like, but it fits the pattern. And with your memory degraded, incomplete... this is all we have." Nora was grappling with mixed emotions, and the fears of their world ending were mounting. "At least we know that life finds a way." She forced a smile, the preservation of species of some kind of life, though it was possible none of it mattered when everyone scattered across the stars.

"How long? How long did it take from manifestation to extinction?" The Kings of the Black Sky seemed entirely powerful. And if they couldn't find a way through, how would the rest of them. Nora's eyes looked desperate as she gazed back and forth between Hachi and the projection of Lilith. "The darkness and the creatures that are within are coming, are here and getting stronger. The foothold is mounting and we have no idea what percentage of the population has survived. We need to understand more about the pattern, the source, the ultimate goal. There isn't enough information save for the need to survive."

This was a novel situation for Nora. Never in her life did she not have an answer for something, never could she not craft her own way out. She made herself the best, the worked the hardest, she was always, always fighting for things to go her way. Fighting for her place, and now... now she was lost, afraid. Thankfully not alone, but still... she couldn't puzzle her way out of the box.

[Dire Hoef]

Hachiro just...stood there. For once, he was unsure of their next move. They were given scant information thus far, and that information had only provided context. There was no substance here, nothing to really sink their teeth into. This uncertainty of their next move had started to mount, causing discomfort in Hachi. However, he kept his focused on the now. This puzzle that was now staring him in the face.

He paced a bit, taking in the short silence with deep breaths before Lilith would answer her question.

"From the moment of manifestation to the complete collapse of mine own Fathers', twast four months, seven days, thirteen hours, and seventeen minutes. "

Hachiro's blood ran cold at the time. "Four months..?" He stepped forward toward Lilith, and had a look of creeping fear. "Then.. We don't have a lot of time.." He stepped away, reeling his mind back from the thoughtless chaos that plagued it. They needed answers to questions that were beyond the scope of this semi-sentient database. He looked at Lilith again, "If the time was four months and seven days, when was that footage taken?"

"The footage wast taken one month in."

"One month, huh..?" He rubbed his chin as gears were turning in his head. He realized something, "I think I got something.. But do you know the story of Adachigahara? It was told through oral story, and it spoke of a demoness who fell in love with a mortal man. That unholy matrimony spawned a beast that was known as Bakemono. That beast wreaked untold havoc across the land, but a heroic samurai came and slew the demon; its final resting place being Mountain Ico in Fujioka. What waits for us there is a potential piece to our puzzle." He looked over at Nora, "I only bring up this story because I'm starting to notice that all the stories we read as children were warnings.. Well.. They were always warnings, but some of those stories had a layer to them that I wasn't aware of till now. That layer is evident now.. All the warnings were pointing to this.. They were trying to tell us that this was coming.. But, there's another detail here.. An epicenter, a source! The story, and others like it, talked about there being some great beast of calamity that brings darkness where it goes. But we'd need more information to really confirm it.."

He came over to Lilith and asked, "Do you happen to the know of any potential sites that may contain more information?"

"I has't two currently unc'rrupt'd. The first is a masterless fabricat'r depot locat'd four-hundred-and-fifty miles hence from this lodging. The second is a library that is wat'rlogg'd. If 't be true thee has't a device f'r which mem'ry is st'red, then i can st're the co'rdinates of these two locations on th're."

Hachiro pulled out his mobile terminal, and within an instant the locations were transmitted. He was a little surprised by the speed of the transfer, but recomposed himself realizing that his mouth was agape. "Uhm, right. So the goal is simple.. We got thrown into this hellscape, and so we're going to shut it down. However, we don't know what we're dealing with fully yet. So we learn everything there is to learn about our enemy, and then we strike. By then we'd already have them down to a science." He chuckled a bit at the pun. "Jokes aside, that's our ultimate goal.. We're going to save this fucking planet, because truth be told this whole thing brought with it new changes. And I don't want those new changes to disappear into an artificial night." He came over to Nora and rested a hand on her cheek,, and he kissed her right on the forehead.

[Hannelorian]

Nora listened with intent and found herself feeling heavy with the burden of what was before them, and how quickly a seemingly superior civilization had been entirely wiped out. One month in, out of a total four month period of time. The odds seemed somewhat stacked against them. Hachi approached her and placed the most delicate of kisses on her forehead, with a hand to her cheek and all she wanted to do was embrace him, hold him tighter to her, for fear he might let go. Fear he might die, and she might be left without him in this world. Sobering and somber.

After a time Nora moved to sit on the floor, resting atop her legs. There was a deep sigh that escaped her lips, her eyes now focused on the ground. She seemed to be, as always, lost in a degree of thought.

"So... we need to traverse hundreds of miles of unknown terrain, to something unknown. Or rather, an automated fabricator of sorts." Nora was processing, what would this fabricator provide? A means of defeating their enemy? A weapon? 450 miles, a reasonable drive. But that was when the world was not drenched in darkness. When it was bathed in light and everything was reliable and safe. But in this new world, it was dangerous to even go a few feet, let alone a few hundred miles. "Is this distance to the second location closer? Where do we begin?"

For Nora it had ceased to be a question of if. She would do this, she would see it through. Even if it meant she sacrificed her life along the way. It would be worth it, and perhaps in that... there might have been some small hope for her family. For her brother. The few people she might have still cared about, the few people she might have still loved, adored, depended on. Her entire world right now was Hachi, and while she was glad to have him... the gravity of what she had lost was beginning to hit her like it hadn't yet. A tidal wave of pain and anguish, profound sorrow.

"We have to take Lilith with us. I won't risk letting anyone else find her..." She was their resource. She was a gift to Nora personally, the last thing the giantess would ever do, right before Nora murdered her in cold blood. "I won't let Kei... or that Imperial bitch get her hands on this." Nora was still angry, but she needed to let it go, for even just a few minutes she had to let go and embrace the challenge. "We need to prepare, take whatever supplies we can and figure out a way out of this shithole." It wasn't a shithole, but Nora was... exhausted and her patience was nearly extinguished.

[Dire Hoef]

Hachi looked at his terminal for the second location, the library. "It's two hundred miles closer, and it looks like it's in a major town.. If we follow the roads, it'll lead us straight there. We begin with finding the road that leads out of this town, and to the next. After that it's only a matter of traversing there. Though I don't think vehicles are a good idea, especially when visibility is as hampered as it is."

Hachiro felt the sorrow bellow deep within Nora, and he understood all too well the mounting dread of not knowing if the people she knew were still alive. Hell, Hachi had his own sorrow for the people he had come to know as family.

Coming up from his sorrow, he nodded to Nora. He too agreed that Lilith was too precious to be held in the hands of Kai or Yoriko. "Right, let's start with the kitchen and work our way to back to the armory. I imagine we'll find the others along the way." Which reminded him of Professor Nabuo, and wondered what room he was in. He had questions. Questions that needed to be answered before he left this place.. this..shithole.

He positioned himself over by the servant passage, and waited for Nora to deactivate Lilith. "The sooner we can leave, the sooner we can find some other respite than this coffin.."

[Hannelorian]

Nora approached Lilith and the cube from which she emanated and smiled softly. "Thank you for your help." Though it made little rational sense, a part of her felt bad about deactivating Lilith. She was well within the depths of seeming so real, so much like a person, but yet not. With a quick movement of her fingers against the device which was slowly warming, Nora looked up at the projection. "We'll talk again soon." She deactivated the device and picked it up within her hands. "Right." Nora turned to Hachiro now turning her attention to the plan at hand.

"A car would be like a beacon, calling to everything and screaming our presence. I agree it's a poor idea." Nora wished she had a better idea, but alas, for the time being, the simple ideas would have to do. The little things, like taking a step back in time. "As for the others..." Anke had a grim look on her face. Though it did not lie with the Professor, or even the timid one who seemed like little but a waste of space. "I will not take unnecessary risks to guarantee their safety. You and I. That is all I care about." It was perhaps a rather dramatic statement, and perhaps above all it was exceedingly cruel, but it was the truth. Nora did not care for the others the way she cared for Hachi.

Perhaps this was the greatest thing she had in common with Kei, a woman who she dare not even think of, lest she betray her own morals. Nora would not save those who were not useful to her. She would not risk her life to save those who would only be a burden. She did not know them really, she did not love them, or care for them in any special manner. She was selfish. Nora was becoming more selfish, but at the same time she would grow ever more angry. "Aiko will meet her death at my hands if she dares cross me again." Anke shook her head.

Perhaps Professor Nabuo would be the only one of use, and even he now had reason to hate Nora. Nora had taken his arm off after all. "To the kitchen then." Nora rested a hand on Hachi's shoulder before she gently moved past him and toward the kitchen, or what she assumed would be the kitchen. Nora meant little by taking the lead, save for her own anger propelling her to move.

"One might assume there are bedrooms along the way... closets. Though it is possible they will all be together. To be honest, I'm not sure Kei would have cared where they were put." Funnily enough, this was not a dig at Kei or her character. Rather it was indictment of Nora herself, knowing she may or would likely have done the same. Pity.