-Hmm, Carl... I said through the connection - Man, where exactly are you? - I still could not detect any physical existence behind the sphere I was communicating with.
-Uh, I am here - the voice from the other side cheerfully answered.
I thought I finally fell off of my rocker and I am talking to myself, but the person on that other side sounded nothing like me and I was definitely talking to something alive and something very human.
-Listen... - I started thinking what would be the best introduction - How do you feel? I feel... - I continued after a few seconds of the silence - I feel really strange.
-Yeah, me too - a voice answered quickly - I think it is because of what happened.
-Ok, Carl, can you please try to move the Arpitrax a bit. Just to see if everything is ok.
The Arpitrax wobbled left-right which surprised me a lot - Yes, I think everything is fine! - A voice answered - I think I can move it.
-Ok, Carl, listen, I will put us on the plane so we can talk properly - I said to him wondering what this fellow look like.
-Aw, no problem, I am already there... - he answered back.
-What...? Ok, just hold on I am coming in. Just sit tight there and don't do anything.
I had no idea what to expect, so I armed myself with as much of fury I could but my zeal kind of immediately plummeted when I landed on the plane. Just for the record I left the plane in complete darkness lit only by the clashes of the lightnings and landed in the sunny day with my feet sinking into a ... green grass. What a hell! - I remove my vizier to see better. Jezzz.... even the sky was blue. What a hell happened here?
I turned around and saw a silhouette of the huge man sitting on the platform. He waved at me and he seemed to be extremely happy. In fact that dude was high as fuck on happiness. I estimated that he is not aggressive so I removed my shields and walked towards him. He greeted me appropriately merry and I instantly noticed that he is a bit insecure on his feet same as I was, so after an initial blast of euphoria to see me he sat back on the platform.
Guy had a blond hair, blue eyes, all parts of the Arpitrax's armor were perfectly aligned with him and he was monumentally big. Not like an NBA player, but really big, like some statue of the Greek or Nordic god. And he was grinning ear to ear. I was just confused.
-Carl... what are you? - I squinted my eyes at him, trying to feel anything inhumane or artificial behind his face and shoulders, but man, nothing...
-I am your symbiont... he chuckled - Your companion. -
-Oh, ok... - I didn't know what to say partially because of the booze and partially because whatever happened launched me in some sort of the heavenly condition of the absolute bliss. - What have you done with my place?
-Aw, it was a bit dark so I redecorated it... - he said wobbling and smiling - I thought you will like this better, you have a sunlight now, eiii...Do you like it?
-Yes, it is fine, it's fine. In fact perfect. - I was still looking him trying to estimate what he could be; he definitely felt as a human and not like some energy being. Nothing on him was suggesting otherwise.
-Where you came from... How this happened - I asked but Carl had no answers aside from the obvious that he is here. The white sphere had no memory before, but now it seemed to be quite busy. And the feeling of an euphoria just intensified minute after minute.
-He should not call you Carl - I said feeling my brain is going to fuckz - He should call you the cocaine.
-Hahaha! - he was obviously entertained same like me with this condition - No, no drugs. I think He set us up, to feel this good, so that we like each other, this is crazy...
-Why your sphere so shiny white ...?
-Why yours so red, you are a bit fumy eh?
-Fumy? LOL -
I never saw something like a white sphere to be honest, but my brain was a mush and his was no better, we tried to talk serious but in our current condition it was impossible, apparently the world "squirrel" is funny as fuck, and ... after that everything turned into a bat shit crazy chaos and giggles.
The next I know, I woke up floating weightlessly above him and judging how my armor looked like and his was not there, things must have been interesting... I barely opened my eyes and landed full weight on him. I was never more sorry to own a pair of boobs. My Nordic friend just wiggled comfortably and buried his face in his forearms, obviously being too comfy to move right then. I crawled up to his chin and shook him - Hey!- I mumbled - Sky God! Hey! Zeus! Are you awoke? - Of course he was, but he didn't want to be. - I have to go and check on something, you... this was great by the way, umm, you just try to land from the cloud, I will drink some coffee, will be back in a minute.
I wobbled out of that fantasy world pretty groggy, the euphoria was still holding, what ever that shit was made off, it was way out my league. I think I might overdo a bit with the recipe, or a raven added a few ingredients too many.
I checked for the Illuyanka, but there was no trace of his signal, though - it seemed to me as nothing happened to his body. His mental sphere was gone, so that was also confusing.
-Hey! - a voice blurted through the connection - Hey, boss! All ok on your side?
-Yeah, all seems ok... - I answered drinking a coffee -
-So, what we are having for the breakfast? - Carl continued
-Uh, what...? Erm... How about tuna sandwich with everything?
-That sounds good... -
I came back to Carl when I thoroughly checked everything and came up with no explanation, of course. The dude was chirpy as a chipmunk but in a more sober condition than yesterday, so we finally had a normal conversation.
-I don't get it... - I said to him - Illuyanka just disappeared.
-He probably turned into a human, as it should be - Carl said - You said yourself that he should not have been "created" in the fist place. So, probably he never existed.
-Oh... - I had like hundred thoughts running though my head after he said that -
-Do you miss him? - I nodded yes, I became used on him - It is normal. But, now you have me, you just need time to let it go...
-Unlikely! I never forget things... - and I was thinking - And it is quite amazing how the Boss made you to fit both into an Arpitrax and to fit me on the another end... -
-How about this... we go and check what is happening with the Illuyanka, I dislike the idea, but if it will help you...
-Fine. But, we don't do anything, we just observe. -
-OK, understood...-
After a few seconds we were at the spot where Illuyanka usually hovered, but his mind sphere was not there, so we sunk down on the level one, and found a hardened pebble at the bottom of it.
-Well, it seems it hasn't left much of it - I said lifting it up and turning it around -
-You were sticking your head inside of that? - Carl pointed at the bottom of the hollow pebble - Those things looks like teeth...
-It seems empty... I said watching inside of the middle part and cavity
-Maybe it hatched... - he said with the deeper voice - And crawl ... somewhere..
-Hey, come on - I giggled at that thought but before I could finish it something cold and slimy touched my hand - Eeeeeks! Something is inside! - I was joggling with the pebble which suddenly grew a very short and slimy tail sticking out of one of it's openings.
-Just... put it back on the ground! - Carl moved back and pulled me away - Get away from that thing!
-Ok, ok! Stop panicking. - I was trying to wiggle out of Carl's grasp - It is not dangerous.
-Nope! It is not! - he was not letting me near that - I think that thing does not belong in here. We should toss it in a black hole or something...
-You think it doesn't belong here? Black hole? Like where? - I stopped and thought for a second -
-What is under this level one? - Carl asked observing the pebble suspiciously - It could be something that belongs to those lower levels.
-Well, I don't feel Illuyanka inside of it, that is for sure - I thought for a second about how Carl illuminates too much familiar energy, while this whatever was inside of a pebble is far from the energy of Illuyanka.
-How about we take it down below and see what happens? - Carl said dead pan - Come on, pick... that thing, and don't let it touch you.
-Umm, hold on, what do you mean by down below, that below is an entire ocean of oblivion, it is not a lovely place... -
-Great! Let's do it! - he closed his own helmet and waved at me to take the pebble - Just slow, very slow... -
I picked the pebble that was not moving at all, and when we started to sink I said hell nah! and jumped on the Carl's back who started to sink as fast as possible through the bottom of the level one.
-What are you doing?! -
-I just feel safer this way... -
-Hey! - It was not the most comfortable thing I bet - Just make sure nothing goes out of that thing... - We continue to sink down and very soon we were in the darkness - Uh, - Carl said - Why it is so dark?
-An ocean of oblivion... - I said calmly - What have you expected it looks like?
-And what now...? -
-Well, a bit of the light, just don't freak out - I ignited myself and the space around us lit up with the scarlet red -
-Oh, wow - Carl mumbled - Wait, what is that black thing under us ...? - He frosted looking down below us in the endless pit into which we were sinking.
-Black hole... What have you expected it looks like? - I looked at the pebble I was holding in front of us - Aw, shit...
Pebble was decomposing and whatever was inside of it was uncoiling and getting out like some sort of the undefined shapeless mass of tentacles.
-Ok, let it go now! - Carl yelled while both of us were feeling nauseous at such a low energy level we dropped at. The creature uncoiled completely and the whole pebble disappeared. - Well, I think we are on a correct depth now! Drop it!!
-I don't feel my thoughts... - I said watching a creature unfolding in front of us.
-I don't feel my face... - he continued
-What is that? - I said amazed by the mollusk-looking being - This doesn't look even remotely like Illuyanka - I reached towards it and before me or Carl could do anything to prevent it, a mollusk-like tentacle mini-monster wrapped around my forearm and started to dig into the arm plating.
-SHIT! - I screamed trying to shake it off -
-I told you not to touch it - Carl yelled - Take it off!!
-I can't! - I was shaking my arm in vain, little jelly monster was holding strong - What now!? We go back up??
-No! If we go up it will harden around your arm, you will not be able to take it off... maybe it even breaks your arm. We go down.
-Are you sure about this? - but we were already sinking further down, at one point tantalizer start to shiver, unwrapped from my arm and swam back up on his level. We followed it back. It swam in circle and then went again straight at us.
-No you will not! - I placed my shield in front of it and a creature stopped for a moment, then started to circle leaving its tentacles as a trail trying to wrap us into them .
-Well, hell all! - I ignited my entire armor and stick out the wings that burst in fire. Creature froze at spot and shrunk to a one-unit size observing the light spectacle. Then it touched the shield with one of its extensions that slipped sideways and start watching us through the semi-translucent pink shield.
-Um, - Carl finally managed to utter a word - Does that thing has eyes? -
-Yeah... -
-Erm, I think we better leave now and leave this thing to his business, you know. What ever that business might be.
-Aha... -
-He is really, really where he should be.
-Ok... -
-Like... now? - Carl yanked my arm softly - He doesn't look friendlyyyyy...
-Sure he doesn't ... - I removed shield in front of me slowly, creature was not moving, just observing us.
-What are you doing? -
-I want to look him in the eye... -
-Are you kidding me...-
-I want to see what that thing is... -
-Probably some grotesque ancient being from the beginning of time... - Carl was gently trying to pull me back from it - Can you please ...
-Ancient...? _ I was looking straight in what I believe were a pair of large empty eyes, completely emotionless, and a bit pissy... - You mean like extinct?
-Don't know, but I know it does not want to be friends... -
-Aha...-
-It is looking at you like you are about to be his next meal... - a few tentacles detached from the main bunch and whipped around my head piece and face - Are you not disturbed at all!? At least move your face from it!
-Not at all... - I was staring straight into a creature's face - You know what is funny? - I said addressing the tantalizer - You motherfucker actually think that you can somehow scare the fuck out of me, don't you? - I grinned at it - Well, breaking news mollusk, I'm the devil here... - and then something moved in the transparent head that disturbingly looked like a set of very unsettling teeth.
-Ok, that's 'nuf, we done here!! - Carl yanked me upwards starting to dive out - Let's go hellgirl, we are done, nice and slowly - he was pulling us both upwards while I was keeping the creature away fuming like a fireball.
At the certain depth a creature simply stopped following us, we dived out and returned to the plane.
-Can you please not do something like that again? - Carl asked me after he came back to his senses -
-I didn't do anything... -
-Aha, and what does it look like when you do...?
-Did you see that? -
-Yes. I saw an idiot almost pissing off some "stuff" and almost getting her head chopped off... -
-Not that... That creature was not Illuyanka. It is not even a human being. Illuyanka was a guy, that is some archaic thing, an animal, who knows what... -
-What does it matter? - Carl shrugged at it trying to calm me down - Everything is fine, it is down there, can't get out..?
-I have no idea what is going on... -
-That makes two of us...-
-My head is shredding in pieces... -
-Yes. I see the smoke coming out.-
-That is my intelligence rapidly burning... - I said starting to feel extremely stupid
-You are over-thinking, and you should take some time and relax, adjust to all of this, everything is going to be fine, you have me and we will sort all of this together...-
-Aw, I really hope everything will be fine, please , just please do not do something stupid... -
-I will not do anything. I don't even know what I suppose to do about all of this.-
- I just do not get it; how can you manipulate a para-body of a person if you are not that person...? -
-I don't know either... Magic? You are the one who done it.-
-Ok, fine. I will just leave it to that. - I looked at the Carl - I really like you. I mean it. I simply had too many catastrophes to believe that this is somehow anything but a manipulation that will develop into some gruesome bad shit again...
-Good. And no gruesome manipulation from me. I will be fine if you just try to trust me. And you will see for yourself, just give it some time.
Manipulation or not, my head is exploding...
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