ASOTAI ACT 1 | CHAPTER 1- Awakening (PART 1)

Instructions

A Song Of Thunder And Iron Act 1- Birth Chapter 1 (pt. 1) 8 Falling Feathers was carefully checking over every bit of detail. Vitals were stable- and they had been for the past 50 cycles. She was fully grown. She was ready to be awakened. 8.F.F. was relieved. Her latest creation was a success so far. 08 could be released into the world. Feathers pulled up a screen, greeted by a black background with glowing cyan text reading “AWAITING COMMAND”. A sub-screen popped up below it, showing various symbols. A keyboard. Feathers tapped at the keyboard, and the screen now gained the words “AWAKEN SPECIMEN: 08”. It took a moment to load the response. “ACTION CONFIRMED. AWAKENING SPECIMEN: 08.” —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The lab was dark, lit only by fluorescent fluids and glowing columns of electrical machinery. Whirring, buzzing, and other mechanical noises could be heard as the workings of the structure maintained the state of the lab and tended to the only inhabited “growth womb”, a tube or vat filled with glowing liquid that creatures could grow in. The inhabitant of the growth womb, specimen 08, was hooked up to both a gas mask and various tubes and wires. A wire connecting to her head delivered a small electric shock right to her brain, triggering consciousness. She began to wiggle around, flexing her fingers and toes, twitching her eyes. She was allowed to gain full motor control before the liquid started draining. Once the fluid was fully drained, 08’s gas mask detached. She wobbled around the drained growth womb, pawing at the glass walls and letting out small yips. Antennae-like whiskers on her neck flicked with each yip and chirp she made, transporting information to her brain as it picked up the area around 08, using vibrations from her sounds to detect surroundings. The womb was gigantic compared to her, the area maybe being about 5x as large. This caused the little creature to become very overwhelmed, and start to desperately find a way to escape. It was only a few seconds before an autonomous system decided 08’s motor functions were stable, and one of the tubes still attached to her delivered a moderate amount of a paralyzing substance into her bloodstream. Within a minute, she lay still on the floor, allowing the tubes and wires to disconnect harmlessly. Being paralyzed also allowed 08 to be transported out of the growth womb. A hatch on the top of the tube opened up, a “hand” with four opposing claws reaching in. It wrapped its claws around 08’s torso, lifting her up and out of the vat. 08’s ocular and vocal systems were still functioning properly, allowing her to let out chirps and “miws” to get a better sense of the labs. Her eyes only picked up glowing blurs among a dark background, but her echolocation told a different story. It was sprawling, with containers of fluid, vats, growth wombs, and other structures arranged neatly on the “ground”. Out of the wombs, which had their own contained gravity to prevent weird incidents, there was no gravity at all. The arm moved along a series of rails, going towards what looked like a source of light- it was hard to tell for 08. But, sure enough, 08 was soon being handed off to another thing at the source of light. The arm that was carrying her looked more mechanical, but this new one looked more biological, with a black color with a texture of solid light. Three heads protruded from a core, which had thin mycelial strands and paddle-like wings as well. Each head had a ring of mandibles and one white eye. It swiftly wrapped a ring of mandibles around 08’s upper back, gaining a firm yet harmless hold. Her new carrier transported 08 slower, prompting 08 to get drowsy after a while. After all, she was very worn from her first hour or so of being conscious...