Chapter 7: Something Mysterious

The journey in the Sandust Land region, which contains barren sand, begins when Aether and Beatrice are walking leisurely, both of them are a bit anxious when they see each other. The silence lasted a little longer and finally Beatrice started talking, even though it was awkward

"Aether, haven't you thought about challenging your father or mother?" However, Aether answered with Nervousness "Hmmm..."

Aether's face immediately changed which indicated that Aether seemed to still be thinking about his parents, that in today's days he only talked about Auriel, not his own parents.

"It seems you are still thinking about it, but what I wonder is why you are always looking for Auriel?, Aether"

"Aren't you worried about your father and mother who are your dearest family?"

With mixed feelings, Aether seemed to be holding back his sadness that had been buried for 10 years, "I can't talk about it, Trice!" Aether answered a little emotionally, but suddenly there was a mysterious voice from Aether's Vault Boy.

The sound of the radio echoes which startles Aether and Beatrice in the midst of their sad situation. " |~|H|~|e|~|L|~|P|" A signal that suggests a request for help.

"This signal sound, someone who wants to ask for help, but the signal sound is not very clear," said Beatrice

~Unexpected Signal~

Static rippled across Aether's Vault-Boy radio channel, bringing him from the gloomy silence of Sandust Land. Amidst the waves of noise, a faint voice rang out—a message.

Then Aether turned the radio knob, trying to clarify the signal. "|I|~|f|~|~|Y|~|o|~|u|~|~|h|~|e|~|a|~|r|~|~|t|~|h| ~|~|i|~|s|~|,|~|~| I Need help!~|. The Coordinates: 10.20, -45.32.

Aether frowned. Location It was in the middle of a high radiation zone, an area rarely visited by people, even by explorers like him. However, curiosity and the urging of a voice on the radio prompted him to check.

~Dangerous Journey~

The sun began to fade in the western sky as Aether turned on the Vault-Boy and reset its frequency. The sound of static greeted him, replacing the silence of the windy dusk in Sandust Land. Without warning, the mysterious signal appears, playing in an intermittent rhythm, as if carrying a message from a long-lost world.

Armed with curiosity and a little encouragement from the feeling that nothing could be lost again, the two of them followed the direction of the signal. Each step takes them deeper into the ruins of Sandust Land, where destroyed buildings and ravaged streets tell the story of a tragic past. The signal grew stronger, directing Aether and Beatrice towards a darker and more remote area.

Aether prepared himself with weapons, carrying a Medkit, and a radiation antidote pill called RadAway. With strong determination, Aether and Beatrice left the problem behind temporarily and began their journey towards these mysterious coordinates. Along the way, Aether must evade attacks from nuclear-induced animal mutations, defeat vicious Marauders, and survive a scorching sandstorm.

The map on the Vault-Boy shows its destination: an old building that appears to have once been a laboratory. The walls were covered in moss and had cracks here and there, as if they were ready to collapse at any time. Aether took a deep breath and entered the building, preparing himself for whatever awaited inside.

The neon lights flashing along the hallway added to the tense atmosphere. Every step echoed, creating the illusion that I was not alone. At the end of the hall, a heavy metal door was half open, as if beckoning the two of them to enter. Aether grabbed his gun and pushed open the door carefully.

Behind the door, a large room greeted them, filled with old and worn scientific equipment. In the center of the room, a computer terminal that was still on was emitting a soft green light. Aether approached and began reading the terminal screen, looking for clues as to the origin of this signal.

The messages on the terminal spoke of secret experiments conducted before the war. They are trying to develop technology with Magical Rituals for Demons that can turn magical Demon Stones into a new energy source. However, something was clearly wrong. The latest data shows a huge energy spike, followed by the disappearance of the entire research team. Aether began to understand that this signal might be a belated distress call.

"How's the aether?" Beatrice asked

"It seems this signal is an emergency call, the call was several months ago because they were testing something with a new magic devil," answered Aether

"What! Do you mean that, Magic Stone?" Beatrice answered while contemplating

As Beatrice pondered the information, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway behind me. Aether turned around quickly, preparing himself to face the new threat. However, what appeared was a young woman, her appearance was a bit dirty and disheveled, but her eyes showed sharp intelligence and her body gave off a kind of magical aura.

"Who are you?" he asked hoarsely, his hand gripping a simple weapon. "And what are you doing here?"

"Heyy Chill!!!, we both follow this signal," answered Beatrice, trying to calm the atmosphere. "ki...we...We don't mean any harm."

The woman nodded slowly, still looking at me warily. "My name is Elena," she said finally. "I've been following this signal for months. I thought I was the only one who heard it."

We talked for a while, swapping stories about our respective adventures in Sandust land. Elena turns out to be an explorer who is looking for answers about experiments that were carried out in this place. Together, we decided to dig deeper, find out what really happened and whether there was anything that could be salvaged from the ruins of this Magic Ritual.

As we continued our investigation, I got the feeling that this mysterious signal was more than just a distress call. It is a legacy from the past, a message held for the future, waiting to be discovered and perhaps bring new hope to this broken world.

With Elena by my side, we are ready to face whatever comes, determined to uncover the secrets buried within the ruins of this laboratory. Each step brings us closer to the truth, and perhaps, to a better future.

Elena typed some commands on the computer terminal. The screen flashed, then displayed a series of strange coordinates. "This appears to be the location of the main data storage area," She said. "We have to look for it if we want to find answers."

We moved out of the room, towards the basement. Narrow, rusty stairs lead to a dark corridor lit only by flickering emergency lights. Every step made a rustling sound that echoed throughout the room, making us even more alert.

At the end of the corridor, we found another metal door, larger and more guarded looking. Elena used an ID card she found on one of the tables earlier. The door opened with a soft whoosh, revealing a larger room with old servers lined up neatly.

We started checking the servers, looking for data that could still be saved. Elena worked quickly, connecting her portable terminal to one of the servers. "We need time," She said. "This data is huge."

While Elena was busy downloading data, I kept an eye on the surroundings. There was something uneasy about this room, as if we were being watched. I heard the sound of footsteps again, this time clearer. The voice came from behind one of the servers. I raised my gun and moved slowly, peering behind the large server.

A handsome man with straight red hair and eyes full of madness stood there. "You guys shouldn't be here," he said in a low, threatening voice. "This is all ours. You guys should leave now."

I held my breath, trying to assess the situation. The man appeared to be unarmed, but something made me feel uneasy. "We're just looking for answers," I said calmly. "There is no intention to take anything that does not belong to us."

The man chuckled, a bitter laugh. "Answer? All you seek is doom. Trust me, you better leave before it's too late."

Before I could respond, Elena shouted from the terminal. "I found it! All the data about the experiment is here!"

The man changed expression, becoming increasingly angry. "You guys don't know what you're doing!" he shouted, trying to get to us. I was forced to hold him down, pressing him against the wall carefully but firmly.

"What actually happened here?" ask me. "Why is this experiment so important?"

The man was silent for a moment, his eyes filled with tears. "We tried to create a new source of energy. Something that could save the world. But we were too greedy, too fast. That surge of energy… it opened something that should have remained closed. Something that was not of this world."

I looked at Elena, who also looked surprised. "What do you mean? About open?"

The man looked down, his hands shaking. "Portal. To another dimension. They came through that portal. Creatures we can't understand. They killed everyone, destroyed this laboratory. I'm the only survivor."

A chill ran down my spine. "Are they still here?"

The man nodded slowly. "They're hiding in the shadows, waiting. They know you're here. You have to leave before they find you."

Elena stopped the download and turned off her terminal. "We've got the data we need," She said in a tense voice. "Let's get out of here."

We moved quickly towards the exit, leaving the red-haired man standing there, looking at us with sorrowful eyes. By the time we reached the surface, the sky was completely dark. But we know, the real challenge has only just begun.

With data in hand and newly uncovered threats, we were determined to find a way to stop the catastrophe in its tracks. The mysterious signal may have led us to a place full of danger, but it also gave us new hope for the future. And every step of the way, we know, this fight is not just for us, but for the entire Wasteland.