The Concealed Puppeteer

[Tomtomrawr]

<Location: Open space, Omega space>




***...Learn...***

Nimsala sweated nervously in the cramped confines of the cockpit as he gingerly flicked at switches. He knew they were right, as his host held the memories of piloting the craft on many different occasions. The problem was that he didn't believe he was ready. He had followed the man, woman and Incubus (who the two had carried in a sort of cradle so as to move at a faster pace) to the hangar, where they had instructed him to enter one of the ships and activate it. The memories of his host told him it was known as a Wraith. It was the same green as his jump suit, with a sort of three-dimensional right-angled triangle at the centre with a wing at the rear on either side. The back of the ship held a circular disk, which resembled the curled up tail of a scorpion waiting to strike.

He was still in the hangar, preparing the "steel-skinned beast", as he had seen them referred to in the genetic memory of the birth-Incubus, for launch. He flicked switches and pressed buttons, watching the screens slowly report a fully operational beast. He grabbed at the controls, following the memories of similar takeoffs by his host as he carefully piloted the craft out of the hangar, keeping his engines to a minimum to avoid collisions with the cave walls.

Eventually, he managed to steer the Wraith out of Meerbusch Base and into the light of open space. Nimsala immediately felt the urge. The urge to rid himself of his host, of his steel protection, and to venture out amongst the stars. He knew immediately that that was a dream that would never be fulfilled.

***...(Satisfaction)...***

The female was in her own beast, which the memories of Nimsala's host immediately identified as a Bergelmir. He had watched her take off from the hangar while he was still fumbling with the controls, and had known that she had been waiting for him outside. He had sensed it.

***...'Follow'...***

Nimsala sensed her intention before she made any moves to make her intention a reality. She activated the cruise engines of the steel-skinned beast, and he matched it. He watched the build-up of energy around the engines of her beast. It appeared as if light globules were being sucked into the engine as it charged, and then released to provide the ship with thrust.

She must have sensed his tense feelings, because Nimsala immediately heard the soothing voice comfort him.

***...Worry not...'Follow'...***

He did as instructed, entering into a formation with the Bergelmir before observing the view out the cockpit. The sun shone brilliantly, indifferent to any suffering in the Universe. But the Darknames would extinguish the Light, and fill the Universe with only Darkness. Nimsala turned his attention instead to the memories passed down to him, and began to search. What for, he did not know. Just anything to distract him from the fear of the Darkness.