U.S.S.A Umbra

Chapter 12 The violet crusader

 A bright flash of white light blinded me as we stepped into the portal back to the Umbra. Purple particles swept around us as we stepped back onto that familiar metallic floor. We were back. This deck looked familiar. It was dark and grungy but several decks fit that description. We looked around for a deck plaque and saw a blood-covered sign that read, 'Deck 13'. I was back here, where this hell all began for me. "We have to go to the cafeteria."-"What? You're hungry at a time like this?" Tobey asked confused.-"No, there are people there; we have to go back for them."  I had almost forgotten about Frank and the rest. I couldn't leave them behind.

Before we went I saw notifications on this armors HUD. I only had to think about it and it selected it, an audio log from Ch'zzick played. "Hello Damien, this is a demonstration on how to use the Umbral armor, firstly I'm certain you're aware of the arm-mounted energy weapon along with the two bayonets. I won't bore you with how it works, only how to use it, merely aim at what you perceive to be a target and squeeze." I aimed down the hallway and imagined squeezing a trigger; a bolt of red energy came booming out of the cannon's barrel and struck the wall down the hall. It felt amazing. "Be sure to remember that the armor grants you enhanced physical abilities and resistance to Umbra'Keshes reality alteration, simply see for yourself. I wish you luck on your mission, finish what I could not."  I breathed in and out after listening to that, I felt a great weight on my shoulders. I needed to finish this. We made our way to the cafeteria; something wasn't right, there was no light peeking out underneath the door. "Tobey, can you watch Emily out here please?"  I said, my voice trembling a bit. The door wouldn't open, so I stabbed the dual blades into it and ripped the door off. It was pitch black inside but I could hear shuffling. I reluctantly turned on night vision and my heart sank. I was horrified by what I saw.

Splinters were chewing on the bodies of the people that stayed in here for safety; the place I told them was safe. The thud from my footsteps alerted them to my presence. I aimed my cannon at them and put them to rest, the red light illuminated their deformed faces...then they were put to rest. These were the people I was supposed to protect. There was no sign of forced entry which means...everyone inside turned. I walked over to the kitchen to see if anyone was still alive. It was barred from the inside so surely someone still was. It was no trouble breaking through the barricade. There was no sign of anyone here except for bullet holes, I made my way to the freezer to find it was locked. The energy cannon could fire a precise laser to melt the lock. I pulled the door back only to find...Frank. He was slouched on the ground; he was so still, that he was clutching the handgun I had given him. The gun had no bullets left, he must've thought there was no way out...I couldn't bear to look at him any longer. "I'm so sorry Frank" 

 I stepped out of the cafeteria and handed Emily some water, we hadn't drunk much in the time we were in that place. "No one left in there?" Tobey asked. I could hear the dejection in his voice, I just nodded and walked ahead. A strange symbol popped up on my HUD, it seemed to point in various odd directions, we made our way into an area of deck 13 I had never been to. The symbol stopped dead as we reached a strange wall. The wall made a hollow sound as I knocked on it. I punched into it and broke it down. I don't know what I was expecting but this wasn't anything I could've imagined. The architecture looked Umaran, just like the ruins on Umbra.

"Whoa,"  They both said, as they looked in amazement at the ornate bronze and grey-purple metal plates that lined the walls. We turned on our flashlights and traversed the unknown part of the ship. "Has this always been part of the ship? Nothing else looks like it."  Tobey asked. We entered a large empty area, maybe a concourse of some kind. -"I guess so, it looks like it takes up a decent part of the deck maybe even the ship as a whole."  I answered back. There were what looked to be about six giant sarcophagi. Silence filled the room as we looked in awe at the size and beauty of the sarcophagi that lined the room. They looked like the tombs of gods. We heard what sounded like a crowd of footsteps approaching us from behind; we looked behind and saw a horde of splinters behind us. "Cut through the tombs, I'll hold them off here, now go!" Tobey and Emily ran between the gap in the sarcophagi into the hallway ahead. Now it was time to see what this armor could really do. The horde of insatiable former crewmates came spilling through several unknown entrances from above and below.