Factory Reset: Divine Corruption

Chapter One

Chapter One: Divine Intervention

The dark dampness of the room sunk deep into Mason's flesh, gnawing at his bone like a wild feral dog. The harsh light emitting from an old lightbulb was the only light source in the room, blinding Mason who was directly under it, swaying ever so slightly

His black fur shone against it, his almost iridescent green stripe across his neck glowing faintly in the light. He lightly struggled against his bindings, knowing that he couldn't escape it if he tried. His purple eyes scanned the room slowly, making sure to take in every detail.

"Why are you here?" A sultry, passionate voice entered the room. Mason's outward appearance displayed nothing more than arrogant boredom, though his heart always skipped a beat in this situation. Mason glanced to the side, to where the origin of the voice was.

The shadows bled together, though a small patch of darkness remained unperturbed by the swinging light overhead, "I am sure that you know the answer." Mason replied, a haughty air to him. He felt the temperature of the room increase slightly with his voice, alerting him to the species of his captor.

The shadow moved across the wall, almost seamless against the deep darkness, "You are mistaken. This planet is off limits to extraterrestrial commoners, even the lowest scum knows that." The being spat.

Mason turned his head to the side, cracking his neck ever so slightly, "What's to say, then, that I just wanted to see what the xenophobic Igni-Tenbris looked like?" Mason asked, giving a light giggle at the end for extra arrogance.

Mason curled his fingers against the wooden seats arms, unsure as to what was taking his team so long. His struggle seemed to amuse the dark figure, who in a sense of entitlement, strutted out of the shadows, causing Mason to ever so slightly recoil in his seat.

Igni-Tenbris' were often considered on the list of the least pretty species out there. They had skin like burnt leather, with hair growing out of the most unornate places. They evolved in such a cruel and super hot planet that, in more than one way, they can store and produce heat, releasing it through the pores in their skin.

Their face was sunken in, as their skull was more oblong in length than most other species. They had sugary red hair that grew out of the sides of the head, their skin sagging along with it. Mason certainly agreed with most species' opinion on the Igni-Tenbris' appearance.

The saggy face of the Igni-Tenbris gave a short, frustrated smile, "Oh, you just wanted to see why everyone considered us one of the worst looking species? You disrespected and broke well-renowned laws for that?"

Before Mason could answer, he felt a slight pain in the back of his head. Understanding what that meant, and that his team was far closer to him than what he gave them credit for, he decided to ham up his performance.

"Well, I'm here, aren't I. Wasn't my best plan, I admit, but it worked fairly well enough. I do want to vomit right now." Mason retorted, straining against the binds on his arms. The Igni-Tenbris growled faintly.

The being raised their hand, letting a few gases flow from their pores. With a single snap of their hardened, stone like fingers, a small fire came to light in their palm, "I am not partial to methods of torture, you know. But, considering that you broke over ten concrete laws, I believe a punishment is due, hmm?"

Mason sighed, squirming a little in his chair. The gases exerted by the Igni-Tenbris' body were considered poisonous to most species, and even as a relatively 'new' and 'unknown' species in the universe, he knew that it was poison to him as well.

The being slowly walked forward, their sunken-in face sagging outward to an expression of an unnaturally large grin. He added a new gas, causing the fire to slowly begin to glow green. He got so close to him, so close that Mason felt his fur slowly begin to singe.