《Every Planet We Reach Is Dead》The Underground That Nobody Could Fathom: TWO

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Lower into the abyss they went, Svartur following behind the Gambler attentively as they go lower and lower into the blackness of the underground below. "You both went this far?"

"I was curious, I wondered how far it went and continued on, deeper and deeper."

"The underground is quite... full."

"I can tell..."

They continue to make their way through the monolithic labyrinth that was the underground, a staircase leading them lower and lower, only the occasional window shining light from the outside into the grey stairs in front of them, giving a light glow against the ground until at some point, that greeting of light was no longer. Svartur lets out a light chuckle, "Oh... it's deep." He comments, going down the stairs faster and faster, the Gambler stunned by Svartur's endurance.

After running for a few minutes they finally reached the bottom. A pitch-black room with a door in the middle of it, shining through, a stark contrast to the darkness around it as it does not blend with the darkness, it merely parts it. Svartur enters the door without hesitation while the Gambler creeps quietly behind him, taking careful steps as he peaks through the door, his back pressed against the wall beside it. "I didn't manage to make it this far down before encountering it..." The Gambler mentions.

"That explains it," Svartur says with a nod, making his way across a long and wide white bridge hanging over what appears to be a city painted in black below. Svartur stops to look at the city, attempting to get a closer look by leaning off the bridge slightly, nailing a hook into the side of the bridge to make sure he wouldn't fall off. Svartur stands up, clipping a thick rope against his belt and attaching it to the hilt of the hook, lowering himself again with a hammer in hand and slamming it farther into the bridge. Svartur stands up, testing the rope by pulling it some, the rope coming out from a small compartment in his belt, all of it tied onto it like a yo-yo. Svartur distances himself away from the rope, the rope expanding as he goes along the bridge, the sound of which scratches the Gambler's eardrums, irritating him some.

The Gambler presses his lips together and his neck cringes, "Fuck that sound!"

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Svartur chuckles as he continues across the bridge.

"How long is that rope!?" After the Gambler's question, he recoils back into the room because of how loud it actually sounded, echoing across the empty walls of the underground.

"No need to yell." Svartur casually comments on.

"Right," The Gambler peaks his head out from the corner some more, "How long is the rope?"

"It's an entire building's length."

"All of that is in that small compartment there?" The Gambler points from afar and Svartur looks to his belt.

"Yep, the rope is thin but strong." Svartur nods as if reassuring himself, continuing to go across the bridge until he finally reaches the other side. His belt clicks as he reaches the end of the bridge, a door engulfed in black meeting him. Svartur pulls the rope some, seeing if it had finally ended. Svartur nods, lightly jogging back to where he placed the hook, kneeling over it. "Won't go down there..." Svartur mumbles to himself before standing back up and heading back down the bridge.

Svartur reaches the door once again, unhooking the rope from his belt and throwing over to the Gambler, perfectly managing to reach the other side. The metal cartridge for the slides into the doorway after clocking against the ground. The Gambler lowers himself to the ground and grabs it, placing it onto his belt and walking out the door. "What's with the rope?"

"We won't ever know when something might come and knock us off."

The Gambler arches an eyebrow, not visible since his visor blocks his face. He makes his way across the bridge, hands on the rope, grabbing it as tightly as he possibly could. Reaching the other side, the Gambler hands the cartridge back to Svartur.

Svartur grabs the rope and in one quick jolt comes both the rest of the rope and the hook, taking some of the bridge with it as it screeches across the ground. Svartur jolts again, pulling the hook to his hand, catching it in mid-air, putting it away in his bag swiftly.

Svartur nods to the Gambler, "Let's move then?"

The Gambler nods, "Alright."

Svartur and the Gambler make their way into the pitch-black doorway. The Gambler turns on a light on the side of his helmet but Svatur quickly taps the Gambler's shoulder, shaking his head. The Gambler complies, turning off the camera. Svartur flips his bag around, grabbing an orb-like object from within it and throwing it into the depths. It collides against the ground and as it does, lights up, brightening the path and floating into the air, a few meters off of the ground. The Gambler moves into the light's range and Svartur stops him. The Gambler realizes what was going on and steps back, only a faint glow touching them in the darkness, the goggles on Svartur's gas mask shining as the light moves forward, both Svartur and the Gambler following behind slowly.

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The orb makes a slight humming noise as it moves, a smaller orb inside it whipping across its surface wildly, examining its environment closely. The hum grows louder, its eye-locking onto something within the darkness. It stops, halting its movement and staring deeply into the darkness, the orb inside of it growing thinner and thinner like a retina.

Svartur pulls the Gambler back and lowers himself to the ground, the Gambler does the same.

The Gambler shakes his head and thinks, 'What the hell is wrong with me today? I keep making mistakes...' The Gambler tightens his fist, shifting himself to be behind Svartur. Light slapping could be heard on the cold hard ground below them, coming from further in the darkness, a low growl accompanying it.

From the darkness, is not a beast, but a being. Making fake noises sounds through its smooth robotic body as it emerges from the darkness, enveloped in the orb's light, it's eye following closely by. Lines separate parts of its body from one another, none of his body parts being of the same color, gaps between legs yet they move as flesh would. No response from anything. 'Budvarittsma, that is not... what is that?' Svartur thinks to himself. Svartur leans close to the Gambler, "Is..."

"No." The Gambler's simple response startles Svartur. The being's limbs crack as it moves, looking over to the orb, the low growl not subsiding, it's rigid jolts of move casting shadows in the light as it circles around the orb. Its hand rises into the air, fingers cracking as they wriggle about. Quickly it grabs the orb like a wild animal about to run, grasping it rightly within its shaking, off-kilter, off-balance. The skin on its body moves like scales as it shudders, the light coming out from within it and for a brief second, they saw what it had done.

The Budvarittsma was killed. In a corner of the room, its purple blood stained the walls as its guts were strewn about the floor like confetti, its head hung low, spine visible, poking from its rough skin. The Gambler swallowed a knot in his throat, fearful of what was to come.

Carefully, Svartur takes the rail pistol from his side and point it at the being, the clacking giving away their position. The being whips its head around, Svartur quickly putting the pistol back on his waist, emerging from the darkness with his hand raised. "What are you doing!?" The Gambler yells in a whisper.

"You knew we were there the entire time right?" Svartur asks, hands still pointed to the ceiling.

The beings voice cracks as it mimics Svartur's, "You knew we were there the entire time right?" It clicks and another voice comes from it, not of anyone, only from itself, "Yes."

"Why didn't you do anything?"

Again, it mimics Svatur, "Why didn't you do anything?" A gulping sound comes from it, mimicking the Gambler, "No hostility unless I show hostility. Fact..."

"What are you?" Svartur's voice became more stern, taking one step closer to the being in front of them.

Once again, it repeats, "What are you?" As if short on breath, a sound emerges replicating someone shuddering, breathing wildly before cutting it off abruptly, "I don't... know."

"So you won't attack us if we don't attack you?"

The being nods in affirmation, repeating, "So you won't attack us if we don't attack you?"

"Do you have a name?"

"Do you have a name?" It bleats, repeating it but changing the tone. "No." It says, the tone of voice becoming deeper than before.

Svartur drops his hands to his waist, "What are you doing right now, why are you mimicking my words?"

Svartur expected it to mimic him again but instead; "Processing."

Svartur takes another step forward. "Are you willing to become allies with me?"

'What is he doing?' The Gambler thinks to himself, raising himself from the ground slowly.

"How about it?"

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