Accidentally Grim

Chapter XI: Zikkurat

A shadow of a creature rose up the higher floors of the zikkurat. It then moved and shifted constantly, going through rows and bays, closed chambers, and open quarters, it moved up quickly. It reached the three hundred and thirty-three floors and just like well-timed automation, the pellucid stand which acted like a lift, swerved within the railings and formed part of its edge.

The spectacle has plodded into another sector of this megastructure.

It then entered a circular theater with dozens of rows around which were already filled with people and a single path to the center. It slowly made its way to the mesial.

There was complete silence and it was deafening for a moment.

"His time has come" The ashen-robed spectacle started, "another candidate is waiting".

The conference stayed with its unreal tranquility and even the concept of time stood still.

"Make the preparations".

The spectacle dismissed the meeting by leaving the center. The whole area was emptied in a flash and while the spectacle was on its way out, another creature came to greet us.

The spectacle passed the exit without saying anything. It turned before it was followed by a woman in a white-silver uniform, the same one that the others were wearing at the conference.

"Where is he?" she spoke.

"Where is who?" The spectacle replied.

"I know, he is here" The spectacle continued while going back again near the side railings, "but should you be looking for the other...".

The woman stepped with the spectacle on the wide transport beam.

"Is this a new task then?" she asked while they both looked at the view of the zikkurat. The beam took them a hundred feet below and the same huge structure with all its population just went through. Most of the environment is standing still and while a few dwellers remained animated, the entire complex is filled with the frugal colors of white, shaded white, and gray.

"You still have a previous one." The spectacle voiced, "he knows who you are."

"He does but does it matter?" The woman uttered and she now leans forward right after the beam delivered them to a new floor. She revealed two pairs of wing-like spires and instead of going to the ramp, she stayed afloat.

"Tamiel".

The spectacle spoke and the woman flew.

The ashen-robed spectacle continued its procession with each flowing step to another part of the gallery of what seemed like endless see-through rooms and halls of equal distance. There were areas where the top and bottom floors were visible and in another part, an unbelievable assembly hall filled with five thousand people. There was still a handful of them wearing the white-silver uniforms from earlier but most of the participants now were sporting marble white muscle cuirass.

And they were all unbelievably still and silent.

"Another candidate," The spectacle said upon reaching the front of this huge gathering.

"Secure and make the preparations".

The top vast ceiling opened and showed the cut-out shape side of the enormous floating tower. There were still hundreds of floors above and the sheer size of a hangar-like base equaled the proportions of the assembly hall. Then one by one, the people in their white armors appeared to ascend to the hangar-like a blink of light. They all boarded the ofanims which all flew away from the zikkurat while the view outside of the tower remained cloudy and red.