[center][b] The Hall of Records, Cizra Su-lah[/b][/center] A muted light barely illuminated the chamber where Zuril Nu-Báshira stared widely and unblinkingly at the six foot tall monolith that floated across from it. The only semblance of life the golem exhibited was when it spoke a blue line snaked across its surface, and rippled with the intonations and pitches of its metallic queries. The commandant’s credit was on the line, and the cizran took this for what it really was-not an interview like the government said, or debriefing as many military superiors said, but for the interrogation that it really was. An interrogation that would decide the fate of his reputation. All eyes were on him, but if he were cunning, he could deflect to his superior officers. Zuril clicked his beak as he recalled the information of many years prior. Then answered the slate, “Yes, I remember,” of course he did. His status depended on it. He had performed his due documentation as any good cizran would. With an avian twitch he continued, “I had engaged protocol Θ tsathoskr. Our sensors confirmed this due to the breakdown in parallax and astroluminary activity.” “Please, Science Commandant, ‘plain language’ as requested.” The stone responded, the metronome only minorly agitated. He paused for a moment before craning forward onto an appendage, “The stars were gone.” The Commandant continued, “There was precedence for this before. Therefore I was within my authority to engage protocol Θ tsathoskr.” “The Noema is not interested in precedence. Please continue.” Though it couldn’t be told by looking at the strigiformes-like countenance of Zuril, he was flushed with concern. “Very well, our sensory array also confirmed that the military experimentation ground charge to Nenegin zar-Taliļ was destroyed by superluminal backforce.” “By entity Θ?” “No, the inhabitants of the planet refer to it as ‘Aredemos’ and it is classified as a B class entity. Clearly that classification was in error.” The slate took a moment processing the information before it relayed what was likely a new question to it fed by what ever Av’sti or agent of the Noema was on the other side of it. “Commandant Nu-Báshira, do you view Admiral zar-Taliļ’s ability to guide reconnaissance as ‘satisfactory’?” There it was. He paused and considered his words carefully. “The Killamaran Catastrophe calls many aspects of his judgment into question.” “The standing officer, Ezkshi, authorized a konul deployment. Can you confirm this?” A small conflict waged within Zuril. Ezkshi had recommended an extension to his title, a prestige that if and when it cleared would certainly improve his ethos. But, unfortunately for Ezkshi, Cizran instinct reigned supreme. Zuril would look out for himself. “I can. I believe the standing commander acted with authorization of the Liars, but I was not privy to command’s communications with the Noema. We used the artifact to escape a reaction between special magazine of the Nool Al-pas and entity Θ.” “A science report has been established by information relayed from satellites near that section of space, Commandant. This is your opportunity to explain your perspective.” “I can confirm a strange paradox. Our sensors detected elevated levels of psionic energy, but the state within entity Θ was ‘normal.’ The energy emission consequent from the creature and payload was...unexpected. Our independent luminosity tests rate this higher than 32 x 10^57 watts of energy. More than the quasar at the center of the Gamordena sector, more than any recorded energy reading that I could find within the Hall of Records.” “There was an attempt of communication that was tracked across space from entity Θ to Cizra Su-Lahn.” “My speculation would be that the communication was severed when entity Θ was destroyed.” Zuril responded matter-of-factly. Less of a speculation and more of a waste of a question. Nothing could survive that. The kukull paused for a moment before its intonation changed, a different questioner, perhaps. “One final request before the post-interview closed conference proceeds, Commandant. We attained some interesting information from a scrap heap near Gereza that will be presented in the sessions to follow. We are also investigating the connection between a former Gereza warden and the disappearance of prisoner #3091. Tell us everything you know about this text Nenegin retrieved from Killamara.” [center]***[/center] “Cipher… Zeptir… La’Nibity… La’Babity… La’boo…” I… beheld a room of darkness that resembled the vast horrors that dwelled out in space; terrors the Cizran Empire could hardly comprehend. The Cizran Empire their hubris found their only worthy enemy was themselves. A thick darkness entangled all within its strands. All spawned from it and all would return to it. Oily blackness I learned to live with for what seem like eons. Only when its terrors relented did I get time to mull over the existential crisis that wracked my mind before the shade took over. In these periods of lucidity I remember thinking myself a cizran, or an aptosite, neither or both. It would come and go, the darkness felt as if were crawling in my… “Cipher… Shark cape… Electropsionic amplitude...” I… cringe and hiss like the creature of the night that I am when the idiot with questions flips the light on. He returns like a specter every eve to haunt me; this is my curse. The pawn on the cizran chessboard never knew my secrets until far too late. Were the cizrans not interfering with my abilities I would have used my edges to slash him to pieces. That I have paid the price for unification is a trifle in the face of the glories Karzar the Lord of Edge will reward me with when he finishes his invasion. The throw-away shuffles his paperwork and sits down across from me in the stark box room they call an inquiry chamber, and I call a prison. He looks at me with unsuppressed enthusiasm, calling himself “Executive Auditor 224.” I know him as well as every other cizran knows each other now that their hive mind is restored. He greets me, laying his papers out in front of him. “Cipher… Cradle of Life… Cradle of Civilization… Cradle of Filth…” I… hate him. [center]***[/center] As Executive Auditor 224 entered the inquiry chamber he did his best to remain incorrigibly pleasant. Even if Zeptir Zuchrinchen didn’t want his assistance, it was his purpose in life to present it. Cizran process dictates a benefactor in the entire ordeal, and process was what made the world work. The auditor flipped the light on and the insectoid creature recoiled on the other side of the desk, hissing and rattling as he slashed at air. Unfazed, EA224 approached his side of the desk, ensuring his paperwork was in order. “Greetings Zeptir, do you remember me? Executive Auditor 2224.” “I am not Zeptir. Zeptir is dead. I…. AM… CIPHER!” The insect roared. Over the stretch that EA224 had continuously visited Zeptir he had begun to pity the creature. He was probably the closest thing that the insane creature had to a friend, and certainly the furious insect was one of the closest things to a friend he had. It was sad how the creature’s mental state had continuously decayed into madness. And how rapidly the onset occurred. The doctors were unable to provide any sort of assistance, as whatever he had contracted was beyond the scope of caste-available medicine as they knew it. “How are you feeling today?” “Astraelis empowers me this day, feeble pawn of paperwork!” EA224 wrote that down, before continuing with a gesture, “Let’s talk about the day we captured you the…” he consulted his notes, but before he could speak Zeptir interrupted him, finishing his sentence, “--Great Mergence Event!” “Yes, yes, that…” the auditor responded, in his notes he found the report filed by the apprehending cizran task force. ...Subject captured skittering through Ja’Regia, babbling and nude while smearing questionable substance upon other dwellers and attempting to build a cocoon in the busy district. When cited subject became combative and was apprehended. [i]Right… the exhibitionist.[/i] “What can you tell me about this? What were you trying to accomplish?” “The Great Mergeance event is complete! La’Nibi and I have solved a great problem for your race. How are you adapting to the adjoining of your people?” EA224 glanced at the psychiatric notes and absently tapped the section on delusions. Were this insanity the insect spouted off true, then it would headline every news station in the Cizran Empire, but ever since Zeptir’s outburst, nothing had changed. Then he looked back to CIPHER and nodded patiently. “This cocoon you created was empty, was this where you were attempting to metamorphosize?” Cipher hissed and flailed at the mention of the empty cocoon, but EA224 still couldn’t tell if it was because deep down the Cizran-impersonator knew he failed at whatever he was attempting to do, or because he truly believed he succeeded. This question continuously struck a nerve. “You attacked the wrong me! You stupid shadow! You attacked the WRONG [I]ME[/I]!” EA224 grew a little nervous, he was unsure how much further he could push Cipher before the caretakers would intervene, but he still had more questions, and he still had his most important question. “Cipher, what can you tell me about this Cradle?” The creature recoiled as if it were struck with a heavy blow. His insanity bore in full effect. If he did have accomplices, it could be inferred he might have some heavy conditioning present. Especially if he were some sort of deep agent. EA224 wasn’t sure he really believed that, but someone very important wanted it looked into, so it was his duty to oblige. “Snil… Kazar… Cradle of Life. Astraelis, Gaiyana, Obathera, Killamara and Deimobos are watching!” The insect began twitching, and the door opened as two spherical golems entered the room to apply a sedative. A third sphere approached EA224, as he gathered his documentation. Turning to the open doorway, he could hear the faux-Cizran screeching behind him “The Pantheon is assembled! The Pantheon is assembled! The Pantheon...!” EA224 knew what the presence of the caretakers meant--that his time was up here, and that he would get no further useful information. That was alright, there was always tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that. Until whenever whoever up high was convinced there was nothing left useful to glean from the vagrant.