The Red Machine

Chapter 6: Finish The Job

Having burnt the Illixi corpses to ash, Mirror must now turn her attention to the factory hovering in Xindyria's atmosphere which casts a horrible shadow over the city of Arcsin.

"It's time to finish the job," Mirror says softly, her eyes focused on the floating machine.

"How are you going to destroy it?"

"My powers are growing stronger by the day. If I can rip through the skeleton of the factory with plasmatic energy, I should be able to overload the systems and ultimately destroy it from the inside out."

"What about the captive humans?" Castor asks. Mirror pauses.

"I don't know what condition they'll be in, but... I'll try to evacuate as many as I can."

"Can I help in any way?"

"...I don't want you to see what's inside."

"I know, I just... I don't like thinking about you being alone up there."

"You've done as much as you could here." Mirror places a comforting hand on his left shoulder. "Please, Castor... return home. I'll call you when my mission is completed."

"All right. Just... be careful, please."

"I promise." Mirror leans in and kisses him on his cheek, then smiles at him. Castor blushes bright red, an embarrassed laugh climbing up his throat. She can practically see the hearts in his eyes. Her expression shifts to something neutral yet resolute. She will drive Illixi forces out of Xindyria if it's the last thing she does.

***

After Mirror drops him off at his apartment, Castor changes into pajamas to try and relax. Her plasma rifle and an Illixi skin suit are still with him. He's too scared to turn on the television, especially after what happened the last time he did. The more he imagines Mirror fighting alone inside that infernal contraption, the sicker he feels. Has he really abandoned her when she needs his help most? God, he's so helpless. He couldn't save her from being tortured almost to death, and now? Now she's going off to fight that very same woman.

What if she dies? Oh God, no. No no no, please!

Before he even realizes what's happening, tears spill from his eyes which are squeezed shut trying to block out all negative thoughts. He shivers. Suddenly his toasty apartment feels so horribly cold and lonely.

Please, Mirror, I'm begging you. Stay safe out there, and come home to me!

***

Now en route to the space factory, Mirror mentally prepares herself for what she will witness. She's kept the full details of what she saw under wraps, trying desperately to bury her horror, her grief, and her disgust. Yet despite all her efforts to keep her composure, her stomach twists violently at the mere thought of seeing humans ripped apart again. How could anyone be so inhumane? She has to learn more about Echthra at all costs. She is the one who started this, and Mirror will be the one to end it.

As her ship begins to leave the atmosphere of the planet, she closes her eyes and opens her mind's eye. Could Wrivin be listening right now? She waits in silence, but nothing comes to her. She sighs. She supposes it's silly to think Wrivin would answer everything for her. She's still new to the scene of goddesshood, so she isn't sure what to expect from Wrivin. Mirror decides to clean herself up before her arrival. Of course, she's bound to get dirty again after the fact, but she might as well not be covered in blood and gore before she reaches her destination. Setting her ship to autopilot, she removes her bloodstained clothes and steps into the glass shower inside the bowels of her ship. As she bathes, memories of the horrible screaming and crunch of metal against flesh fill her mind. The more she tries to block out those gut-wrenching memories, the stronger they become.