The Ark

Experimentation

The conference came and went as more topics that Marth barely understood were preached. Marth could only drink some cold water to refresh her mind as the Rhodes Island team walked through the Rhine Lab facility.

    “I’m kinda surprised that you were able to get clearance to let us study the cube. What strings did you pull?” Closure asked.

    Alyssa could only shrug her shoulders. “The only thing I said is that sharing and working together would strengthen the connection between us.”

    “Then I won’t complain, I’ll send some information back to Rhodes Island so the other engineers can take a crack at it.” Closure said.

    The group didn’t walk for long as they descended deeper into the lab, soon they reached a large metal door with various locks clear on display. Alyssa walked towards the keypad and entered a code, moments later the locks started to be undone.

    As if it was a sci-fi movie the metal door opened fairly slowly as the steam coming from the door was clear as it was loud. Marth, Melantha, and Cardigan were stun locked as the sight they saw.

    Expensive look equipment wrapped the crowded room along with the scientist operating them, but the thing to sell the picture was the objective of this trip.

    In the center stood a large cube, as dark as an abyss. The mere presence of it dominated the room, permitting an overwhelming sense of authority. 

    “Amazing, this is so cool.” Those were the only words Cardigan could say at the sight.

    “Grand would be a better word to describe it, but I can’t disagree with the words chosen.” Warfraim said.

    “I know. I truly wonder what is the origin of this cube. Imagine all the equipment we can build with this material.” Alyssa said as she walked towards the cube. “I almost forgot, if you don’t want to stand around there is the break room that way.” She said as she pointed in a direction.

    The operators not experienced in anything engineering related simply waited in the break room or helped move anything that the scientist asked. However Marth stayed with Closure, Warfraim and Alyssa as they brainstormed ideas.

    “What about this?”

    “We could try this instead?”

    “What if we tried this instead?”

    The three and other scientists threw idea after idea on the wall on how to break it, along with ideas on what the cube even is. 

    “Where did this cube come from?” Closure asked.

    “Could it perhaps be from the Gaulish empire before they fell after all they did try to expand their reach around that part of the world.” Alyssa said.

    “Unlikely, whenever I visited the country nothing looked like this. Then again this could have been some top secret military project.” Warfraim said as she wrote something in her notebook.

    “If that is the case then wouldn’t Sami, Victoria or Ursus have their hands on it already?” Alyssa replied as she rubbed her forehead.

    Marth was zoned out of the conversation as she approached the cube. The already imposing aura was only amplified the closer she got. From Marth’s perspective it felt as if the cube was staring at her, no, it felt like she was being looked down on. 

    The feeling of insufficiency she always felt deep in heart was only made great by the cube. She could tell if it was divine or demonic but being close to made her feel as if it was a sin to speak around it.