Legends of the Halcyon Era

Episode 78 - Up to Noh Good

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Previously, in Legends of the Halcyon Era...

After foiling a plot by Trevor Creed to resurrect an ancient force of destruction, the Diggers found themselves attacked by groups of robots who had brought down the Sky Shark and badly injured its pilot, Adam Powers.

Things got worse as the same force that attacked them wiped the town of Monroe off the map. While Adam and Janine remained behind, the rest of the crew ventured back to what was once their home to confront the force behind the attack and avenge those lives lost. Instead, an enemy from Black Steel's past thoroughly dismantled the group and captured Celeste, blasting off with her to parts unknown.

The Dragon Knights soon arrived on the scene, and everyone regrouped back at their base, Fortress Dragon Nova. There, Nytetrayn and Steel forged new armor to combat the threat and began to mount a rescue for Celeste, who had been deposited into a tube for "extensive testing"...

Celeste found herself immersed in darkness, alone. That is, until she saw the form of Noh standing before her. She tried to move, but found herself unable to, as if frozen, only able to watch.

One by one, she saw them: Fenix, MegaMan Magnus, Janine, Adam Powers, Steel, Katrina... each tried to attack Noh in turn, and each fell with only the slightest of effort given from the dark form.

She wanted to scream out in protest, but to no avail. As she watched one friend after another fall to the monster before her, she knew it was all her fault. If they hadn't come to rescue her, none of this would be happening.

She continued to watch as Noh returned its attention to her. With a few swift swipes of its blade, it shattered her armor as she remained frozen in the darkness, helpless.

She felt the darkness surround her once again, as the sensation of jolts which had become too familiar continued to painfully surge through her body. She wanted to cry out, but found only silence would result as the mask of Noh twisted and contorted, ready to consume her once again. Before it could, however, something struck out from the darkness, and...

Celeste awoke from her slumber, only to find she was still confined to her glassy prison. Everything was just as it was before. She still had her armor around her, for all the good it did at protecting her. Worse, she was still all alone, and the guilt in her conscience continued to grow.

As she felt another painful surge of power course through her body that would slowly return her to her painful slumber, she could feel something else around her. An overwhelming sensation of power...

***

Elsewhere within the mountain, the rescue party proceeded on their way.

Nytetrayn was in the lead, marching quickly, silently, and with no shortage of urgency. Steel and Janine trailed slightly behind, with Adam and Katrina following them, and Fenix and MegaMan Magnus brought up the rear.

The group halted as they hit a wall, almost literally. It was a strange one, too. It glowed with a blue aura that shimmered like the surface of the water.

Adam tapped his glasses. "Looks like an energy shield," he told the group.

"Shoot it," Fenix said, to which Nytetrayn took a step back and raised his Nyte Buster in response.

"Hold on," Steel said, as he stepped towards the wall and raised a hand to touch it. "Something is..."

A voice echoed throughout the chamber at his touch. "Identification: Project N.E.O.S. II confirmation accepted." The glistening wall then faded from view.

"Didn't think knocking would be the answer," Adam said. "What's that all about?"

"This place," Steel said, "it knows me. And I... I think I know it."

"How?" asked Adam.

Steel tried to think, but winced as he did. "Rrrgh... hurts... It hurts when I try to remember."

"Okay, so forget about it. We can figure that out later."

"One thing I am certain of," Steel said, "is that the answers are inside."

Steel elected to enter first, if only to make himself the target for once. Inside was a rectangular chamber, carved – or perhaps even forged – from a black mineral that looked otherworldly. The walls glistened, sparkling with an inner life that seemed as dark as the substance that formed them, yet still cast illumination in their own awkward, clashing way.

Fenix said "Anyone got an aspirin? This just hurts to look at."

Adam unsheathed his sword, the one containing the spirit of what was once MegaMan Blade, and followed Steel inside. Alongside him was Katrina, who was maintaining her camouflage, yet still carried two of her feather blades. As she kept an eye around them for any signs of danger, Adam kept his focus on Steel and the walls.

Janine moved up to join Steel, while Nytetrayn fell back with Fenix and Magnus. Nytetrayn ignored the walls, and only looked ahead to find where to go next.

At the opposite end of the chamber, a sculpted fountain jutted out from the wall. From two holes above it, a bright, azure water poured, creating what would normally be a lovely sight. In this context, however, it proved to be more unsettling.

"A remarkably lovely piece of real estate," said Magnus, "given what we know of the tenants."

On either side of the fountain stood a doorway, with the one on the right shimmering with another energy shield, albeit with a crimson glow this time. By contrast, the door on the left stood wide open, with darkness filling its interior.

Alongside each door was a statue that stood around 12 feet tall. The one by the left door possessed a large gauntleted right arm and an enormous Gatling gun left arm, while the one by the right-hand door had the same loadout on opposite limbs.

Nytetrayn started for the red door. "This way. Steel, can you get it open?"

"Possibly," the silver-haired Digger replied, as he extended his hand to the barrier just as he'd done before.

"What about Ugly and Uglier here?" Fenix asked, jerking a thumb towards one of the statues.

"Forget them," Nyte replied.

"And if they decide to kill us?"

"We'll worry about it then," Nyte said, a hint of growing impatience in his voice.

"....okay," Fenix relented.

As Steel touched the barrier, the same voice as before rang out through the room. "Access restricted: Project N.E.O.S. II authorization overridden."

Before anyone could do anything, a single red light flashed across the visage of each statue before their heavy frames began to move.

"Unit Obsidian: Online" said the one on the left, as its Gatling gun arm began to whir to life.

"Unit Onyx: Online" echoed the one on the right, as it followed suit.

"Well, shit," Adam said, as he and the others backed up.

"Crap," said Nytetrayn, "we don't have time for this!" He quickly charged the one called Obsidian and slid between its legs before leaping to the wall and rebounding from it to deliver a flying kick to its back. However, it didn't flinch as Nytetrayn bounced harmlessly off its back and landed on the floor below.

"Huh."

Magnus charged up spheres of energy in each hand, while Fenix's arm converted into its own Gatling gun mode. Janine cocked her gun, while Adam channeled energy into the blade of his sword, and Katrina's fists lit up with flame.

Adam swung his sword in an overhead arch, unleashing a wave of energy at Onyx, with Katrina following suit with a burst of flame from her hands. However, neither attack seemed able to penetrate its armored form.

"That's not good," said Fenix.

"Indeed," Magnus concurred, as he hurled his energy projectiles at Onyx's groin instead, only to find them similarly ineffective.

Meanwhile, Nytetrayn grabbed a hold of the back of Obsidian, and climbed towards the top of the giant while looking for any weak spots. All he could find, however, was what seemed to be layer after layer of armor. He grumbled and decided on a new strategy, using his Nyte Buster to open fire on Onyx from his place behind Obsidian's shoulders.

As he did this, Obsidian was peppering the room with its initial volley of rapid fire shots from its Gatling gun. The room echoed with the sound of numerous shells dropping to the ground as the other Diggers ducked out of the way, with Fenix returning fire from his own Gatling arm.

Though Nytetrayn's blasts found their mark, Onyx seemed to remain unharmed. "C'mon," Nyte muttered to himself. "Fire back..."

Obsidian turned its attention to the intruder upon its back by trying to smash Nytetrayn between itself and the wall, but the Digger quickly pulled himself up to the giant's shoulders before it made impact. Nyte lined up and delivered a roundhouse kick to its head, which led to a shower of sparks spraying forth from its cranium.

Nytetrayn paused, surprised that it worked. Then he shrugged and did it again. Before he could make a third attempt, Obsidian reached up for the Digger with its gauntleted hand, but Nyte planted his hands on its head and flipped to the other side before resuming his attack, shouting to the others "Guys! The weak point is the head!"

"Figures," Fenix lamented. "It's always the head!"

He unleashed another round of Gatling fire at its head, while Janine and Adam joined in with their respective firearms. The combined shots staggered the armored beast.

"Hey Magnus," Steel asked, wielding his Soul Sabre. "Can I get a lift?"

"My pleasure!" Magnus replied, as he picked up Steel from under his arms and took to the air. Once the Annihilator Unit stopped at the desired height over Onyx's head, he tossed the Digger towards their target, and Steel's blade cleanly cleaved the titan's head from its body. As the head fell back, the body fell forward.

Meanwhile, Katrina used her agility to get up to Obsidian's other shoulder opposite Nyte. "Super kick party?" she asked.

"Sounds like a date!" Nyte said, as the two lined up their shots and delivered side thrust kicks to each side of Obsidian's head, crushing it in an explosion of sparks between them. The pair leaped down as the giant fell like its companion.

The others walked up to Nyte, who was staring back at the red barrier guarding the door.

Steel caught on, and said "I guess I should give it another shot." He pressed his hand once more against the cold, liquid-like field.

"Warning," said the voice. "Second attempt at unauthorized entry. Upgrading security measures."

Before he could react, a pulse of energy ran through the field and into Steel, setting off a large spark with a loud bang as the Digger was hurled across the room into the far wall. Janine quickly rushed to his side.

"Funny," Steel said, as he shakily got to his feet and held his head. "I don't have any memories of that."

"Great," Nyte said, as he looked around. His gaze fell upon the fallen form of Obsidian. He said "Let's try this, then!" as he grabbed its gauntleted arm and began pulling it towards the field. It was no lightweight, and Nytetrayn found dragging it along like dragging a car with no wheels.

After finally getting the limp form within reach, Nytetrayn tried pressing its hand to the field. There was no response.

"...DAMMIT!" the Digger shouted, as he chucked the arm aside with surprising force. "Maybe it needs both," he said, as he started for Onyx.

"Forget it, Nyte," said Steel. "Whatever is running this place obviously wants us to go left."

Nytetrayn growled. "Let's hope so."

"Nyte, stay calm," Steel said, as Janine stroked his hair soothingly. "Don't be like me and lose your cool like an idiot."

Nytetrayn just started for the other door, and made sure to spit into the fountain along the way.

"That seems uncalled for," Magnus said, as he and the others followed.

"So was kidnapping Celeste. Now come on."

The hallway beyond the door lit up with the same strange lighting as they saw in the previous chamber, and the long, cold path before them stretched on for quite some distance. As they walked along it, they could see the light begin to shift to crimson as it opened up.

Soon, they found themselves standing upon a railed balcony which overlooked a room that was large enough to defy description. Everywhere about them stirred many various machines, going about their dedicated tasks endlessly. Some processed various components for some unknown purpose, others moved them along to their next destination in the line. Others on the ground level far below sparked and whirred as they churned out one humanoid-looking construct after the next. Enormous sheets of metal were cut into predefined shapes and sent on to their next destination. Along the ceiling ran large vats of a molten material that lit up their surroundings with an orange glow.

The room they had stumbled upon was one enormous factory. A few stairs led downward, but the lower levels seemed lacking in any side passages. It would appear that those were for the working drones, and them alone.

"Sweet Jebus," said Fenix.

"What the hell is this place?!" Steel asked.

"I say we tear it down," Nytetrayn said, bringing his Nyte Buster to bear.

"Nyte," Janine said, "this place is brimming with robots that are probably made to blow shit up. We've already got our hands full with finding Celeste and getting out of here alive..."

Nyte grumbled.

"Do not make me smack the stupid out of you."

"So what, you're saying we should just let them keep making this stuff? There's got to be some way to gum up the works!"

"She's right. If we attack this–" Steel started to say before reaching for his head again, wincing in pain.

"Maybe we should look up the foreman?" Fenix suggested.

Steel began on his way around the railing towards another hallway to their left, the light glistening from the walls as it seemingly detected their motion. As he moved along, the intensity of his headaches only increased, and Janine stayed close by to support him.

Nytetrayn muttered, "I am so asking the Commander to nuke this place when we're done."

This hallway proved to be much shorter than the previous, ending before another wall of liquid, this one violet. To the left sat another open hallway, which seemed to lead downward. This time, however, Steel was fixated on the barricaded door.

"I... I need to get in there."

"Why" asked Adam.

"I... don't know. I just..." Steel glanced at the door to their left. "We're being herded."

Nytetrayn cracked his knuckles. "They obviously don't want us in there. All the more reason we should find a way in, I think."

"A key," Steel continued. "There are keys... accessed from... terminals." He looked again to the open door.

"Keys are in there, huh?" said Adam.

Fenix cocked a rifle. "Then let's do some accessing."

The group ventured into the hall, which did indeed lead downward. Considerably so, as the climb took nearly ten minutes of steady descent before it ended at a steel door, which looked out-of-place against its surroundings.

"No," said Steel. "This isn't right, we aren't supposed to be here... not on this lev–AGH!" Steel held his head as another jolt of pain surged through his head. "It's... condemned."

"Kinda like our old apartment," Fenix said.

"But didn't you say the keys were down here?" Katrina asked.

Steel shook his head "no," but quickly came to regret the motion and stopped in mid-turn. "No... the terminals, they're in this compound, but... this isn't where we need to be."

Before he could say anything further, the steel door screeched horribly as it suddenly opened, unleashing the smell of ancient air followed by thick dust into the hallway.

"Crap, this better not be more zombies!" Fenix said.

"Let's hope not," said Nyte.

"Dammit, Fenix!" Janine shouted. "I'm going to kill you!"

Fenix reared back and raised his hands to protect himself from any fury Janine might be planning to unleash. "It wasn't me this time!"

As Katrina looked on at them in confusion, Adam told her "Long story. I'll fill you in later."

The room waited beyond the settling dust. It was dark, but illuminated somewhat by actual lightbulbs that flickered on and off from the ceiling.

"Let's get on with this," Nytetrayn said as he led the way in.

The room appeared to be the remains of an ancient laboratory. A number of tables and dusty monitors were spread throughout the chamber. The paltry lighting fought against the thick dust that rose with every step taken, seemingly overtaken for a second before ultimately winning out before the next disturbance repeated the cycle.

As they looked around, they found that a large cylindrical structure occupying the center of the room was some sort of stasis tube. Two more sat in the back of the room, and all were surrounded by monitoring equipment. However, it was only the one in the center that still seemed to somehow have a working display.

Katrina circled around to get a closer look, and found that the tube had been shattered, its contents apparently having long departed for other pastures.

Nytetrayn checked out the monitor., which read:

"Yggdrassil Omega Lab - Kilimanjaro
Project Label - Perfect Weapon
Codename: Galiant
Status - Growth Completed
Subject Vacant - Unknown Time"

Nytetrayn scratched his head as he asked "Galiant?"

"What...?" Katrina said, as she came over to see for herself. "That name..."

"What's up?" asked Adam, as Katrina thought back.

"Galiant was the name of a very strong human Maverick Hunter, from back before we left Earth– er, Terra. But he turned, and sided with the Mavericks. Could this be...?"

"How does this crap keep turning up?" Nyte wondered.

"Wild," said Fenix. "Hey, so does this mean you're like, a few millennia old?"

Katrina smiled as she chuckled a little. "I guess so. I quit counting after the first couple. That, and we quit counting by Earth years sometime after we settled on Avion. Didn't seem right, especially with the different time scales going on."

As they talked, Steel moved around the lab and found a set of double doors. He pressed the button on the wall beside them, and was surprised when it lit up, complete with a "ding!" sound, and opened to reveal an elevator.

The others joined Steel and looked inside, finding numerous buttons. "So, which do we push?" asked Nyte. "To the top? Or bottom?"

"I... I don't know," said Steel. "I have no memory of this place... none."

"Crap. Well, we could split up..."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Katrina said.

"Well, what if it screws us if we go the wrong way?" Nyte asked.

"Then at least we'll all be screwed together," said Magnus.

"Yay," Nyte said in a dry monotone.

"Well, standing around here isn't going to do anything," Steel said. "I say we stay together. We don't need to get split up here, of all places."

"Then I guess we should head downward," Nyte said. "That seems to be how this place runs, right?"

"Let's go, then," said Fenix.

Before boarding, Steel took a look down at the floor. "We're not the only ones here."

"Huh?" said Nyte.

Steel pointed at footprints in the dust that led right up to the elevator, and into it.

"Huh. I wonder who that was."

"I don't think we want to know," said Katrina, as she stepped into the elevator.

The others followed suit, and it soon became apparent that the elevator was really not designed for this many people, and of such varying size and statures. Steel was crunched into a corner by Magnus's tail. "Dammit, can't you do something about that thing?!"

"I don't see you doing anything about humping my thigh!"

After a pause, Steel bit down on Magnus's tail, eliciting a yipe from the Reaverbot. "AAH!! It bites!"

"Would someone just press the damn button already?!" Adam asked.

"I would, if I could reach past your sword without cutting off my arm!" said Janine.

Nyte, who was pressed flat against the wall off to the side, managed to reach and push the button for the bottom floor. With a jolt, the elevator shifted, and began its descent. "I hope we're not over capacity," he said. "Fenix, you been keeping to that diet?"

"Yeah, I only had three steaks and eight beers last night."

"Good job."

After an increasingly tedious wait, the doors opened.

The group gladly piled through the elevator doors, with whatever lay beyond being a secondary concern at the moment. As they got their bearings and looked around, they saw another hallway, this one as archaic as everything else they'd seen to this point. It went straight ahead, with no doors or passages off to either side. The pale yellow light above provided a stark contrast to the deep grey hues of the walls and floor.

Nytetrayn wasted no time in starting to make his way down the hallway, and the others quickly followed in step. Awaiting them at the end of the hall was a thick metal door with a single window in the center. What's more, the door appeared to be opened just ever-so slightly.

He took a peek inside through the window, and while it was too caked with ages of dust to see anything clearly, he was nevertheless able to detect movement.

"We're not alone here. Weapons at the ready," Nyte said as he armed his Buster before moving in.

The door made a loud, grating sound as it opened. If there was going to be any element of surprise, it was now long gone. "Hello...?" Nytetrayn said aloud, as he inspected the room.

The chamber was a simple square shape, at least as far as any of the group could tell; the walls were practically invisible from all the equipment set up on and in front of them. These ranged from monitors to regulators, ventilation, conductors – a mesh of electrical and mechanical Hell that all seemed to lead to one large stand in the wall at the opposite end of the room.

Upon the stand sat a bare-boned humanoid machine with overly-large fingers, which seemed to be just as connected to the web of wires, cables, and cords. From its shoulders jutted small mechanical transport tubes, making it look like some sort of awkward robotic carrying case. The machine regarded the newcomers with its circular, lens-like optic sensors.

Nytetrayn walked up to it, and cleared his throat. "Ahem... Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep ni ni bong?"

The machine looked over the group and tilted its head as it attempted to decipher the odd words that came forth from the foremost newcomer. After a moment, its gaze came to rest on one particular individual from the group.

"Ah, Project N.E.O.S. II," it said in a tone that was surprisingly cheerful, peppy, and altogether pleasant for a place like this. "Good to see you again. It has been some time, indeed. LENEIS has been looking forward to your return."

Steel looked around at the others before realizing that the machine was addressing him. "Me?" he asked, pointing to himself.

"You know anyone else who's been called that?" Adam said.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," the machine continued. "You are not yet aware of your status. Please forgive me. What ever brings you down to this area? It is off-limits, after all."

"Uh... I'm looking for a key...?" Steel started to reply, when Nytetrayn cut him off.

"We're looking for Celeste. Where is she?!"

The machine turned its attention to regard the foremost, angry individual. "Celeste? Ah, yes. The new sample."

Nytetrayn's eye twitched. "Sample?"

"I am afraid that information is classified, and not accessible to a drone like myself."

Nytetrayn growled and spat out an irritated "Bah!" before turning away and looking around. "Useless..."

Magnus gently patted Nytetrayn on the shoulder. "Easy, it's nothing personal. It's just a drone."

"But if it is a key you require," the drone continued, "then perhaps I can be of assistance."

Steel approached the machine, taking up the spot where Nyte once stood. "Why do you call me that?"

"Call you what?"

Steel's brow furrowed in frustration. "I mean that 'Neos' crap."

"Ah, I see. Well, that is your assigned designation, of course."

"Designation? Just what the hell are you trying to say? That I'm one of you, or something?"

"I am afraid I am not at liberty to divulge any further information regarding yourself, N.E.O.S. II. I am sure that LENEIS will be able to assist. Topmost level."

Meanwhile, Nytetrayn's search through the room turned up a monitor set up alongside the central stand. On it were the words "Advanced Artificial Soldier: Revenant".

Katrina joined him, and looked over his shoulder. "Revenant?" she asked. "Of what?" She turned to the machine. "Hey, what was this 'Revenant' thing?"

The machine turned to regard Katrina. "Ah, the current study subject. Apparently, this Revenant was some form of melding of machine and flesh. An interesting documentation I am to report on."

"A 'melding of machine and flesh'? Do you mean a hybrid, or a cyborg?"

"Neither, it would seem. The original sample seems to have been vacant for quite some time, leaving behind only this." The machine then lifted the sample, a mechanical arm and hand which extended to the elbow.

Fenix winced. "That brings back memories."

"Wait, you're saying it cut off its own hand and escaped?" Katrina asked, as she examined the hand more closely.

"Indeed," the machine replied. "An interesting sample, is it not?"

"It looks unfinished. What's with that?"

"On the contrary: If you'll notice, the endings show signs of inflicted plasma damage. Intense heat scarring. I suspect the arm was severed."

As Katrina took a closer look, she couldn't help but note in a low voice, "These look like Reploid systems..."

"Um, you said you can give me a key?" Steel asked.

"Ah, yes!" the machine answered, its chest plate opening to reveal a holding tray that shifted outward, containing several thin pieces of metal in myriad translucent colors.

"Take my pick, I guess?"

"Of course! My current data indicates that you are to be granted access to any level you require!"

"So take 'em all," said Adam.

"The companion male is correct," the machine said. "You may take whatever you need, N.E.O.S. II."

Somewhat reluctantly, Steel took all of the keys. "Eh... thanks."

"My pleasure."

"There's gotta be someplace around here to find the info we need," Nyte said to no one in particular. "Where would they take new... hostages?"

The machine then turned its attention to Nytetrayn. "Hostages? Ah, samples." Nytetrayn twitched at hearing the word again. "Various places, depending on LENEIS' priority rating," the machine concluded. I am afraid I do not have access to the data you seek."

"Then where do we find that 'Noh' thing?"

"N.O.H. can be found in its respective chamber on Level 27," the machine replied.

As Nyte returned to the elevator and began to impatiently press the button repeatedly, he asked "Hey, while we're waiting: What the hell does 'N.E.O.S.' stand for, anyway?"

"That information is available at present," said the machine. "It stands for 'Nanite Enhanced Optimized Soldier'."

Steel paled, and his head began to hurt. A lot.

As he grabbed it, Janine put an arm around him. "Do you need to rest a minute?"

"No... no, we have to keep moving..." he told her.

"Okay, so what about the 'II'?" Nyte asked, paying more mind to the elevator than to Steel. "He have a brother or something?"

"II?" the machine asked. "It is the indication of the subject."

"And what do you do around here?" Adam asked.

"I am a science administrator drone, designation 5,345. I study relative samples, as per the order of LENEIS."

"No, I'm talking about this facility..."

"I am receiving updates. Ah, such information is classified."

"Fine," said Nyte. "So how many 'N.E.O.S.' are there? And why does everything have a damn acronym around here? What's 'LENEIS'? And 'N-O-H'?"

"That is also classified... classified... classified... classified," the machine said cheerfully.

"You know, you could stand to be less cheerful about it," Adam said.

"Is that a fault? Perhaps I can have my programming altered, if it is identified as a faulty reaction."

"...eh, forget it."

Nytetrayn grumbled something about having more acronyms, with "STFU" and "WTF" among them.

Finally, the elevator dinged, indicating its return. Nytetrayn held the doors once they'd opened, and said "C'mon, let's move it. Where to?"

"Up," Steel said, as he tightened his grip on Janine while they entered the elevator. "We need to go up."

As the rest piled in, Magnus floated to the top to allow them a bit more room this time... and so his tail wouldn't jab anyone.

Before Nytetrayn stepped aboard and let the door close, he hesitated, then turned to the machine. "You wanna come with?"

"No, thank you," it replied in the same cheerful tone. "I must attend to my studies."

"Eh, suit yourself," Nyte said. "Though I don't know if your studies are going to last the day..."

"They end in precisely two hours and forty-seven minutes."

"...whatever," Nyte said as he let the door close behind him.

"My, such interesting specimens traveling with N.E.O.S. II! I do hope I meet them again," the machine said before returning to its tasks.

As the elevator proceeded on its way up, Steel remained pale. His head hurt as it swirled with the words that had been imparted to him, the memories he had once sought after now becoming something he was beginning to fear.

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