The heat was overwhelming. Sweat poured off my face as I was in a sea of sand.  Over the ocean of sweltering heat passed the swirling back drop I could see a mountain side. “Velora, look.” An iron building; rather large, actually. It must have been a military installation or a lab of some sort because it had solid walls built into the side of a mountain, or at least it looked like it from a distance.  The walls of the building had scars upon it, though.  A battle must have taken place there.  Sadly, they must have failed in their defense, as the place seemed vacant now.

“That will work.” she said.

We crossed the large and open field; one could make out weathered lines in the sand, remnants of a parking lot.  This must have been a parking lot. I stopped in front of the massive armored doors to the building. “I think they locked the doors.” I said to her, banging my fist onto the metal.

“That’s not a problem.” She flashed a smirk as she raised her bone laden tail.  Like a scorpion’s telson, she struck the metal, ripping right through the door’s interior.  When she removes her tail silicon circuits and wired followed.  With a loud creaking sound, the door open just like that. “Wow. I didn’t know you could do that.”

She retracts the blade back into her large tail and slides past my face, razor spikes and all. “It’s just my tail, hun.”  I looked at the deep gash in the inch thick iron plating.  It amazed me at how powerful that tail of hers is.  Rather, I was amazed at how strong she was. 

“Well I think it’s cool.” A toothy grin crosses her face as she leads the way into the dark building with an air of confidence that would lead one to believe she was familiar with this building. In the dark lobby of the building stands a massive crystallized tree; it is beautiful.

Deep in aw of the tree Velora’s voice broke me out of my trance. “I am going to search this build out. You wait here.”

“What? I want to go with you though.  This place is stunning!” I cried.

She shakes her head, “I don’t feel comfortable with that.”

As horrible of the things I have seen, there most likely was far more nightmarish evils that I had not.  As much as I hated to admit it.  Velora was right.  Shame. “Fine.” I huff and fold my arms.  Perhaps she would let me look around after she had searched out this place for herself.  Then again, I never knew exactly how large of a complex this was.  If it was anything like the colony I came from, then it was considerable inside.

She made her way into the dull lit hall. I waited for what felt like an hour. Worry set in that Velora was tired of my presence and had left. The idea struck me hard. “Velora.” I called out in vain. “Velora, you didn’t leave me, did you?” I couldn’t shake the feeling. Cowering my way down the hall where Velora had entered, in that shadowed place, all by myself, I decided to venture into that darkness for myself.

It was long. Very long. At the end of the hall was a dull glow. I decided it was best to start my search there. Down the hall I went. Closer and closer to the glow, a room, that was lit by a light. When I had arrived at the threshold, I held my breath before entering. There were polished floors so white you could see yourself as though looking at water.  I looked up to see a bright ceiling, projecting a sky on it just like in the colony I lived in. And white crystallized trees line the room. I walk over to a bench and sit on it. It’s amazing, it really is amazing. The producers of this world knew what elegance was, yet they were lost.

The room entire room was a mix of polished white metal, lined with gold and silver trim.  Crystalized plants with floating lights suspended by nothing, generated seemingly from thin air.  The walls were windows of a march larger complex.  Though shadowed, I could see it too had brilliant lights.  Tube lights surrounded by gold metal shined a bright white.  Down, down, down it went.  I could barely see electricity trapped in blue glowing circular things.  There were rivers of water flowing; all connected to an elaborate network of tunnels.  Also like the room, it had crystalized fauna.

It was all so beautiful.  Turning my head, I met something in the dark hall moving. “Velora?” I call questioningly to the dark. There is no answer; and as I was preparing to call again, I noticed it was not big enough to be Velora.  My body stiffened as the creature started walking towards me.  The creature was a quadruped, walking out of the darkness and into the light to reveal something with the form of a massive wolf but nothing like one.

Its face a mask of nothing, accept a giant nostril and a row of razor teeth. Where it should have had paws or something it had stubs with a large portion of sharp bone sticking out. The creature jaunts into the room, sniffing the air with that massive hole in its head; hyperventilating. I scream out “Velora!” Getting up off the bench I amble behind one tree. The creature moves with an unnatural speed, like stop motion. It sniffs the bench where I just was.

I can’t help but scream again. The thing charges at the tree. I back away from the tree and run into the dark hall. I see another dark body blocking my path. “Velora!” I scream again and huddle up. A hand glides over the top of my head. I look up to see the dark figure was Velora.  She had come to save me. The creature comes out of the room and in an instant Velora had it in all four of her arms, her blade arm spearing through its leg. She tore it as if it was a sheet of paper. Then threw that thing on the ground. The two pieces she created spasmed on the ground, making silent gasps for air. There was blood everywhere.

“Silence.” Velora scolds with a quiet voice.

~

“I told you to wait in the lobby.” Velora said.

The entire way to back to the lobby Velora was silent. Even when she was preparing our meal she was ever quiet. Now she hurled the heavy words at me. “I… I got scared.”

“This colony was comprised. All the humans are twisted. It was a biogenic lab. It means they make monstrosities here. Then released them on the world to ravage and kill what they like.” she explained.

“Why would they do that?”

Velora sat up stretched her limbs. “Not sure why you humans are obsessed with exterminating other humans. Anyway it appears their experiment got out and ended up messing everyone up here.”

I looked at the rations Velora got. “Well, at least we got food and water from this trek.” Brown containers sealed in clear plastic. No doubt the nano-machines in the colony kept it fresh. “Hey Velora, I’m getting kind of sleepy.”

“Very primitive, but I know you require sleep.  I have consulted the others about your needs.  As much as they forgot, they collectively filled me in. Fair enough, I will wait by your side.”

“You don’t sleep?” I asked.

She shook her head. I found myself happy with the thought of being guarded when I slept. Velora while she looked like something out of a horror painting, she was pretty nice. I laid down next to Velora and closed my eyes, cuddled in tightly. It was a strange but welcome feeling as she sailed her finders through my hair.  I closed my eyes and drifted off.

When I awoke it was morning and as promised Velora was right there.  Stretching my arms out I yawned. “Velora, thanks, for everything.”

“Its only because I find you a curious thing.”

“In what way?” I said while picking up a ration and tearing off the top of it.

Velora adjusted herself as I rested my back on leg. “I just do.”

“So, is it night or is it day?” I ask.

“Not sure. The dark haze and the lights in the sky let anyone know. Just that haze.”

I started drinking the mush from the pack in my hand. “Nothing is the same in the world anymore. Hmmm, I wonder what God thinks of all this.”

“It is now the creation of Azergile and the God of man has gone silent.”

I ponder that thought, has God gone silent. “I don’t think he has. Perhaps were just not listening to him. While I can’t remember their faces I remember my Father saying that we had abandoned God. He prayed still though. My Mother did too.”

Looking down at me, Velora said, “Did he heal your illness?”

I was not even sure what my sickness was.  I pondered that thought.  “Well, my sickness is what might save the world.” I told her.  It is true, if they cured me there would be no remedy, no hope for this world.

“It is the science of man that did this. Not your God.  Your God watched the terrible things if he is even there.  He allowed this to happen.  Foolish one, trusting in a God like that.”

“You can look at it that way or you can see it another way. God brought me this far and God will see me through. After all, he brought me you.” I said while drinking from the ration.  Velora was silent.  I could not tell what she was thinking in that silence.  A gentle head pat would come, however.