SAKROSANKT

Chapter 1

Based on the horror game "SIGNALIS" by rose-engine


SAKROSANKT

written by Matthew Leonard Oliver Adam N.




AKT-EINS: VINETA

ERSTE BEWEGUNG: SELBST VERTEIDIGUNG

>SYSTEM WIRD HOCHGEFAHREN. . .

>34%

>87%

>100%

>BETRIEBSSYSTEM: BÜROADMINISTRATIONS-/ ELEKTROTECHNIKER REPLIKA "AMEISE"

>ID NUMMER: AMSE-4496

. . .

A glance in the mirror. Peachy complexion, titanium, silver colored framing, blue eyes, reddish hair. It was still him. Nothing about Ameise had changed. He knew where he was. His databank had told him that many, thousands of years ago, before the time of the Empress, that this place was known as the United Kingdom. It, like the rest of Vineta, had been devoured by the waves once the war betwixt the Empire and the Eusan Nation had broken out. What was once a massive piece of land, bound to have its own landmarks and culture, was now little more than small blots of skyscrapers with sparsely populated towers. Despite how peaceful it all seemed, the war between Eusan and the Empire was still going. And it all made sense. With the Empire blocking the route to Vineta by occupying Kitezh, they were effectively cut off. Hence, why there were more Replika workers than Gestalts, as most of them, in order to avoid an untimely death by starvation, had entered cryo-sleep. Ameise's overseeing officer, Nathalia Richter, was not one of them however. For you see, Ameise was not the only AMSE-Unit she had been overseeing.

"Something is happening over at the VK Branch. Gestalts are falling ill, and whatever it is that is afflicting them, it is able to affect Replikas as well."

That was, atleast, her reasoning for it. And here he was, in pursuit. As he left the restroom, he was made aware of a discrepancy in his system. He was where Nathalia said she would be. And yet, he harbored no memory of how he had arrived. A glitch in the system, he tried to convince himself as his eyes scanned various propaganda posters of the Nation plastering the walls beside the Receptionist's desk.

"KÖNIGS-STATION, KRONE VINETAS"

King's Station, Crown of Vineta. Ameise was sure that this sector truly was once a perfect display of splendor, a place worthy of calling itself the Crown of the planet. It could be that the war had robbed it of its prestige. Now it was little more than a cluster of spires, operated by a skeleton crew of EULE and ARAR Units, with their overseeing Gestalts either dead of malnutrition or hibernating, awaiting awakening once those mythical supplies finally arrive. Unless the Eusan managed to crush the Empire in a swift and miraculous fashion, the promise of supplies is what kept a fool happy. A glance at the window. There was no one at the reception. No presence of life, be it a Gestalt or a Replika. As a matter of fact, Ameise hadn't even seen a single EULE Unit tending to janitorial duties, as those were the most plentiful, even at the branch he worked as a Electrotechnician-Replika. His eyes scanned the room slowly, methodically. He had never been to King's Station, and thus, he wasn't able to spot discrepancies and rectify them.

"Hm. . ."

Despite going against etiquette and ruling as is, slow, steady footsteps carried Ameise's frame to the entrance, silver clad hand slowly pushing them open as he entered. The sight was nothing out of the ordinary. Most Vinetan skyscrapers were built with the ancient "castra" system in mind, making them the exact copy of one another, thus, whether the person in question was a Gestalt or a Replika, they could easily find their way around, regardless whether they were stationed in King's Station or the Baltic Sea Branch, where Ameise himself was coming from. Long, abandoned halls, flanked by ivory colored walls, periodically displaying signs of damage and decay. Why was it falling in a state of disrepair? Weren't there Replikas tending to this place. As Ameise moved through the halls, his footsteps were the only sound to echo back right at him. A glance through the oh so familiar windows. Nothing but a vast, deep blue, partially dulled in color by the thick, grey mist outside, making it impossible to tell the weather or time of the cycle.

>ANZEIGE: ZYKLUSZEIT

>. . .

>AUSNAHMEFEHLER

"This is. . .odd. . ." Ameise thought to himself. Did he accidentally suffer damage to his frame whilst en route to King's Station? No, that can't be it.

>SYSTEMSTATUS

>. . .

>ALLE SYSTEME NOMINAL.

All systems were working as intended. There was nothing that would impair the function of displaying the current time. This was not normal. Once Ameise had snapped back to reality, as it were, he grew aware to the shuffling in the distance. Someone, or something, was approaching. Due to the limited light sources, it was difficult to make out any particular details, but by the way the person moved and the shape of the frame, it appeared to be an EULE Unit. Ameise's rapid footsteps seemed to catch her attention as he approached. Grown aware of his presence, the EULE Unit shuffled over to the wall, sliding down against it, leaving a dark red mark as her body ground down. Even in the diminished light, Ameise could tell for what it was; oxidant fluid, or what Gestalts would call "blood". Was she hurt?
Upon kneeling beside her, he could see what was happening. A bruised frame, a dented frame, and someone, or something, had torn a sizeable gash into her side, the wound kept closed my a repair patch she had pressed onto it. Her face contorted into an expression of confusion upon seeing him.

"An AMSE Unit. . . ? You are not from here, are you?"

"No. I came from the Baltic Sea Branch. I am looking for someone."

The EULE shook her hand in disagreement.