All of his men reported in over his wist pad, not wanting to risk being heard over the com link by whatever was out there. The air coming out of the portal had changed to a nasty stench that had the crew scrambling to adjust their air scrubbers on their mech's. Tension was high as every eye was glued to the portal awaiting any movement or advance. Hector typed and asked if they should spool up their weapons and after receiving the ok he and the others began to do so.
Dorien climed into his awaiting Torrent and was greeted by his A.I. (the VOIDER 550) and after he
briefed the A.I. on the situation, was told by him, that he was finished with the translation of the name's under the pictures on the wall and the notebook that was left on the table. Dorien then told the Voider 550 to go to silent mode and give him the translation over his wrist pad. To which Voider said, "humph!" sounding annoyed but responded to his command anyway.
Dorien had just acquired the Torrent weeks before in game called Mech's High ( a game like the earth game Poker) except the stakes are salvage and sometimes mech's if your hand is high enough. He found out that the Ranger that he won it from, traveled the edges of the known galaxy, way out in the void and that is where the A.I. was born, hence the name. He also said that the Torrent wasn't new when he bought him so he had no idea how old it was.
Looking over the rather lengthy report Dorien skimmed the translation. It said how the tower was built by Kellek and Droh using the natives and from the part's that were salvaged from the gating ship and droh's destroyed time machine. The translation is rough do to it being part Forerunner and something called Norunner a different timeline which Kellek visited and was considered a god. Kellek wants to get back to fight Roah and Droh who is really (Drochah oh Thyehgr) has some unannounced plans to use the tower's portal. It goes on to explain about the pictures on the wall being different world's with pictures of different creatures of that world in it and how to operate the portal by the pictures and the hidden keyboard accessed by a button under the desk top. Also different time's could be accessed.
Dorien learned all about how to operate the portal and had figured out how by pressing the green button that the system reverted back to the last setting used in case someone that went through the portal wanted to come back, a kind of safety. He also found out that this present world that was now open was the world of the Nakshi and the reason the picture on the wall only resembled them was because this was a picture of the original race called the General Nakshi. Before Kellek and others started experiments on them. The General Nakshi were formed in the middle of ancient star's or so the legend goes.
The report went on to say that Kellek had made some sort of a pact with the General Nakshi to do experiment on only a few of them but went back on his word increasing the quota of Nakshi he needed for experimentation as he saw fit. This caused the rest of the General Nakshi much distrust which led to all out war with Kallek and his men. As for the pact, Dorien read that his A.I. Could not translate what exactly the pact was, because it was written it in the Norunner language. Here the translation get's sketchy..... something about Kellek and men running , fighting, screaming and flying out of the portal down the tower's step's and into the Tolobin's village with the General Nakshi close behind. Kellek meet's up with Droh who is busy torturing the natives and they both escape to parts unknown. The General Nakshi search but cant find them but before leaving to return to their world they burn down the whole village, people and all and vow that if anyone reopens the portal to their world there will be hell to pay.
Dorien all this time has been reading then glancing up to look at the portal to see if anything new has developed. After reading that last line about reopening the portal he quickly shout's to his men to get back away from the portal. His men are startled by his shout but start backing away sensing the fear in his voice. Just then a strange object is seen just inside portal, some kind of device, a machine that is like a cylinder and as tall as a average man. A nozzle sticks out of it about two thirds of the way up and lot's and lot's of blinking light's. A kind of a whirring sound can be heard along with a high pitched beeping. Dorien goes in for a closer look. Be careful boss shout his men it could be a weapon or some sort of death ray.
His men must of saw it coming because just then the nozzle shot out lots of tiny metal pieces that seemed to be alive. They didn't hit him but fell just a few feet short and scurried up the leg's of his Torrent and attached themselves all over the outside of his mech. NANITES screamed his men as they tried blasting the little boogers off with every weapon they had, but none worked. Suddenly all the Nanites turned a very bright white, bathing his mech in all of their light's array. At the same time the strange machine that spawned them disappeared. Soon all the Nanites fell off in a lifeless pile at his feet.
Hey boss said Dr.No over the com link you all right? Strange energy....(gasp).....raw power.....(gasp). building up came the answer over the com link.The VOIDER 550 has been affected! Came the voice of the A.I. All systems overridden it continued. Rewriting subroutine lines.....Redistributing energy core matrix.... Realigning protocol...... preparing new weapon slot ...building SWORD OF POWER! Then nothing Dorien's mech was motionless and silent all attempts to raise him or get the mech to respond failed. The outside walls of his Torrent was glowing a white hot color.
It was then that his men noticed them, two of the meanest nastiest tallest Nakshi ever to be seen. Their size was tremendous. Their weapons were massive and impressive, like the two harmonic disruptor s
that were being spooled up to use on them, only these were biger and better built. There was no time to see the rest as the disruptors discharged sending three of the five backwords and up against the wall two of them were heavily damaged but still alive and wouldn't be fighting any longer. Flash Frozen got up and shook himself then fired a Gorgon freeze weapon but it might as well have been a stick as it had no effect on them.
Suddenly Dorien's mech sprang to life with Voider 550 yelling REBOOTING! The Sword of Power weapon had made it's way into the launch tube by conveyor\ and was ready to fire.Voider550 asked if it was all right to fire?To which Dorien said don't let me stop you ,FIRE! The Sword of Power went spinning out of the launch tube, found it's mark at it's head and split the Nakshi in half sending the other one running back into the portal which then closed. Dorien and men were left licking their wounds but alive.
Submitted by Marianne Stewig #687261 (and Mark Stewig)