A Game of Gods: A Multiversal Challenge

I Knew It!. Narumi said as he chuckled. Now you know how I felt in Verona.

"Anyways..." Hahli's voice suggested that she was quite embarrased, "this is an amazingly large creature, is it not?"

edited 27th Oct '10 4:54:39 PM by CrowT.Robot

Yeah...we pointed it out several times now. Another chuckle. I know you feel like a fool, but you're not, okay? You've proven to be a very valuable part of this team. I just want you to be more careful in a fight, is all.

Hahli nodded before turning her attention back to the whale.

-Saren is laying on his side atop an iceberg, his head propped on one hand-

So long as it does not obstruct the rest of us, increased aggression will broach no objection from me. Why do you prefer melee strikes though?

Kirby looked at the behemothly large blue whale.

Wowwww... He must eat a lot of stuff...

An amused clicking came from the Big Blue as Hahli touched it. Then it gently rolled about to fix one eye on Jorge, its wise gaze seeming to stare straight through the Spartan's body and into his soul. There was no malice in the mighty cetacean's eye, however; just a bemused curiosity...and a hint of sadness, long dead, rekindled.

I KNOW NOT OF ANY EARTH, SMALL MAN, BUT THE MEN OF ATLANTIS CALLED THIS WORLD GAIA IN HONOUR OF THEIR ANCIENT MOTHER. THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO, HOWEVER; MANY GENERATIONS OF SINGERS, THE CROSSING OF COUNTLESS MIGRATION ROUTES, HAVE COME AND GONE SINCE THE LAST OF THE MEN DISAPPEARED. NOW ALL THAT REMAINS TO SHOW THE ATLANTEANS EVER EXISTED ARE THE RUINS OF THEIR NESTS AND THE ROTTING SKELETONS OF THEIR FALSE WHALES, ALL OF WHICH LIE CRUMBLING IN THE DEEPEST DEPTHS OF THE WARMER SEAS.

A low, mournful rumble came from the mighty leviathan.

IT ALWAYS SADDENED ME WHEN LIVING THINGS GO AWAY FOREVER; IN MY LIFETIME I HAVE SEEN THE END OF MEN, AND NOW YOU SEE THE END OF THE BIG BLUE. WHEN I AM GONE, OUR GREATEST AND WISEST OF ALL SONGS SHALL RESOUND THROUGH THE SEA NO MORE.

Ravage prowled up onto an iceberg, shivering in the cold. A touching tale, to be sure, but the Decepticon had seen plenty of majestic things disappear into extinction in his time; some he had even exterminated himself.

Craft nodded.

"An end of an era, I guess you could say."

-# How is your kind going extinct when the humans are gone?#

Jorge pondered on Atlantis and the 'false whales'. Perhaps humanity had advanced far enough to create an undersea colony. False whales sounded a lot like boats and submarines. As wondrous as Big Blue was, it was still an animal, unable to fully comprehend human technology.

The Spartan gazed back solemnly into the ancient whale's eye. It was such a wondrous being, but its time was almost up.

You may not be around anymore, but that doesn't mean your song will be forgotten. Surely, those who have heard your cries will repeat them, pass them on to future generations. In fact, even if the denizens of the sea forget it, we won't.

edited 28th Oct '10 11:29:54 AM by Nimitz

The Big Blue fixed an eye on Saren.

YOU HAVE SEEN HOW EMPTY THE SEA IS, HAVE YOU NOT? AMONG MANY OTHER LIVING THINGS, THE TINY ONES WE RELY ON FOR FOOD HAVE DWINDLED; THERE SIMPLY WAS NOT ENOUGH LEFT TO SUSTAIN US. WE TRIED TO ABSTAIN IN ORDER TO ALLOW THE TINY ONES TO RECUPERATE THEIR NUMBERS, BUT IT TOOK TOO LONG; MANY OF US STARVED TO DEATH, WITH THE YOUNGEST AND THE SICK EXPIRING FIRST. BY THE TIME THE TINY ONES HAD RECOVERED, THERE WERE SO FEW BIG BLUES LEFT, AND THOSE OF US THAT REMAINED WERE BARREN, INCAPABLE OF BIRTHING NEW CALVES...

The azure colossus trailed off then, silent save for a low and quiet chirping. After a moment, Ecco realized that the Big Blue was crying.

HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE I LAST SAW THEM? I CAN BARELY REMEMBER...DO YOU KNOW HOW THAT FEELS, SMALL MAN, TO FORGET THE SOUND OF YOUR OWN MATE AND CALF? TO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU ARE GONE, NOTHING WILL REMAIN TO SHOW THAT YOUR KIND EVER EXISTED AT ALL? I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRYING TO COMFORT ME IN MY LAST DAYS, BUT THE MEMORIES OF MEN AND SEALIFE ARE SHORT; EVEN WHEN THEY DO NOT MEAN TO, THEY WILL FORGET EVENTUALLY.

edited 28th Oct '10 12:00:07 PM by SullenFrog

As much as Jorge wanted to argue with the Big Blue, he couldn't, for he knew that the creature was right, as heartbreaking as it was. The Spartan simply placed his hand on Big Blue's skin and lowered his head, shutting his eyes.

...I'm sorry.

edited 28th Oct '10 12:24:32 PM by Nimitz

Hahli placed a hand on the whale's forehead.

"Fear not, brother, for we shall do our best to save what remains," she said.

"Your music will live on... I promise you."

No tears escaped form Narumi's cold exterior, but inside he still did not feel sorry for Big Blue.

Gordon would've liked to say something, that he would help to preserve what remained of this Big Blue's species back in his home dimension, but they were all dead there, too.

So, instead, he was silent.

...THANK YOU.

The Big Blue then fixed his gaze on Ecco, who felt very small under its scrutiny.

BUT ENOUGH OF THAT; I BELIEVE YOU NEEDED MY HELP, YOUNG ECCO?

The young dolphin squawked in surprise, having nearly forgotten why he had come thanks to the Big Blue's sad tale.

I, TOO, AM ALONE BIG BLUE. MY POD WAS TAKEN FROM ME BY THE WINDS OF WATER, AND I WAS TOLD YOU MIGHT KNOW WHAT CAUSED IT AND WHERE THEY WENT.

THE WINDS OF WATER?!

A loud, deafening blast of sound erupted from the azure colossus as it loosed a mournful howl. Ravage grimaced, then promptly smashed his head into the glacier in an attempt to block out the noise.

SUCH ILL FORTUNE...TO THINK THAT THE WINDS WOULD COME A SECOND TIME IN MY LIFETIME!

THEN THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE? sang Ecco, confused.

OH, YES, YOUNG SINGER...THIS DISASTER HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES BEFORE. THE LITTLE SINGERS DO NOT REMEMBER IT, FOR IT PASSES FROM THEIR SONGS OVER THE GENERATIONS, BUT ONCE EVERY FIVE HUNDRED SEASONS THE SEAS RISE AND WHORL, AND ALL LIFE AT THE HEART OF THIS MAELSTROM IS SUCKED INTO THE SKY, NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN. I WAS BUT A CALF WHEN IT HAPPENED LAST TIME; MUCH SEALIFE AND MANY MEN DISAPPEARED THAT DREADFUL NIGHT.

The mighty whale fell silent then, clicking and chirping to himself in contemplation. Then a plume of water erupted from his blowhole, and he fixed his gaze on Ecco once more.

I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSES THESE FELL STORMS, BUT I DO KNOW OF ONE WHO DOES—THE ASTERITE.

Ravage blinked in confusion. "The what?"

THE WHAT? said Ecco almost simultaneously.

THE ASTERITE IS THE OLDEST LIVING THING IN THE SEA BY FAR, OLDER EVEN THAN THE BIG BLUES; IT WAS OLD WHEN THE GRANDMOTHER OF MY GRANDMOTHER'S GRANDMOTHER WAS STILL A CALF, AND ITS UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD TRANSCENDS EVEN THE SUM TOTAL OF OUR ACCUMULATED KNOWLEDGE. FIND IT, ECCO, AND YOU WILL BE ONE STEP CLOSER TO FINDING YOUR POD.

Ravage was about to make a snide comment when he noticed that everything suddenly froze; even the water remained stuck in place, completely and utterly motionless.

"Victory."

edited 28th Oct '10 1:01:51 PM by SullenFrog

-Saren stuttered to a halt, annoyed-

edited 28th Oct '10 1:05:30 PM by Colonial1.1

Hahli awoke with a cry as she sat up in her quarters. She shook her head and took note of her surroundings; still trapped in this strange place. She stood up and gazed at the fake Ga-Metru landscape that she might never see again, doomed to an eternity of combat.

Gordon blinked, and found himself back in Kliener's lab.

I really should be expecting this more next time, he thought.

No use in hanging around in the lab, Gordon left the room and made his way through the hall to the central room.

Travis found himself back in his room. He shook his head and found that he was completely dry.

"Huh...It's over? Just like that? Kinda abrupt..."

He jumped off his bed and his cat, Jeane, started pawing at his leg.

"Oh, Jeane. You're probably hungry, right?"

Travis fed his cat, before heading out. However, he accidentally left the door open and Jeane, curious about the new world outside her home, stepped outside and explored.

-Saren stalks from his quarters, looking a bit surly; the main room transforms, changing into a high-ceiling duraglass chamber; what can be seen through the glass is a purplish sunset above yellowish clouds, several moons visible in the skies; there are rows of teal wood chairs set into the metal floors, various symbols cut into the glass; Saren sits down in one of the front row seats, staring out at the horizon-

Jorge awoke in his room once again. He looked around, frowned, and hit the mattress with his fist in frustration.

"You're fucking joking, we were just getting started! Dammit!"

edited 28th Oct '10 1:24:19 PM by Nimitz

As Gordon entered the room, he looked around at Saren's works, and then proceeded to concentrate on the ideal physics lab.

In accordance, the half of the room he immediatly occupied became a slick and, as far as Gordon knew, up-to-date lab with numerous consoles and various machines.

He sat down on a swiveling chair, weapons stowed for the moment.

Ravage shook himself like a dog at the abrupt change in temperature when he abruptly appeared back in his quarters. It was a foolish action; the jaguar could clearly see from his reflection that he was not wet in the slightest, yet he still felt cold and drenched from his recent experience.

The Decepticon examined himself, noting that his rocket was back to normal with some satisfaction. Then, feeling that it was better to be safe than sorry, he prowled into the CR chamber and immersed himself in the tub, allowing the nanites to repair any injuries he may have accumulated.

Gone was the earlier satisfaction from having such a bath; his trip to the ocean had robbed him of any joy to be found in being wet. Instead Ravage pondered over the day's events, wondering at the many things that had not been revealed. There had been no sign of any sort of pollution, and the water did not seem to affect those creatures living within it, so why had it been so devoid of life? What caused the so-called winds of water? What was this asterite organism, and why had he never heard anything of it during his time on Earth during the Great War?

And what, for that matter, had happened to that shark? Even in that strange world, such a transformation seemed completely out of place.

Ravage prowled out of the tub and entered the hallway, silently querrying his computer as to the progress of its hack. 17.5% complete...a surprise, but a welcome one. Still, it could go faster...