SAKROSANKT

Chapter 2

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


SAKROSANKT

written by Matthew Leonard Oliver Adam N.




AKT-EINS: VINETA

ZWEITE BEWEGUNG: ZERTRETEN

Slow, rugged breaths. Shaky arms, their silver frame clutching a kitchen knife in a vice-like grip. Were he a Gestalt, it would be easy to describe his state as a rush of adrenaline, but at this point, Ameise wasn't even sure if Replikas were able to produce such a chemical. For before him, on the floor, crumpled down like a collapsed pillar, lay the remnants of what was once an ARAR Unit. He had seen many such units during his "lifetime", and yet no ARAR he had seen had looked so. . . different. These units used to scuttle about under the floors and in ventilation shafts, essentially creating their own maintenance tunnel where they moved unseen, keeping to themselves and performing repair or maintenance work wherever neccesary.

This, coupled with the warning given by the EULR Unit he had seen earlier, caused a wave of what Ameise assumed to be dread to wash over him. If all ARAR Units were corrupted by this pathogen, then Ameise would need to watch his step and his head, quite literally. Perform an action that may be several decibels too loud, and he would most likely find himself swarmed by corrupt ARAR units, popping out of the floor like garden gnomes. Which was an odd comparison to make, since Ameise hadn't even seen a gnome once. In fact, he didn't even know what a gnome was. For some odd reason, he assumed this comparison to be the most fitting one. With a twirl of his titanium clad digits, the kitchen knife, now covered in the oxidant fluid of the deceased ARAR, found itself in what one would call the icepick hold. Seeing how he managed to dispatch the ARAR, Ameise assumed a stab assisted by gravitational force would cause more damage compared to a vertical or a lateral swipe. If the initial encounter was anything to go by, then it would be easy to assume that several of them shared the same weakness.

Knife firmly in hand, and with a light step, Ameise stepped out of the cafeteria. If his memory was anything to go by, once you step out of the canteen, going left would lead one to the western side of King's Station. Once there, going north would lead to the elevators and stairwell, going southwards would lead to the washing rooms. Using the stairwell would be the most optimal choice, as using an elevator, even if it was operable, would be a surefire way to attract unwanted attention.

Slowly peeking around the corner, Ameise saw the elevator shaft on his right, quite the distance away. Water machines lay abandoned, some even tipped over. Some doors, which would definitely lead to cubicles for worker Replikas were dented and damaged, with some even knocked out clean out of its hinges. A brief, albeit comedic thought of a MHNR Unit using herself as a battering ram entered his mind, but that in itself brought even more questions. This pathogen that the ARARs discovered. . . just how infectious was it. . . ? The EULR Unit did say that it affected both Gestalts and Replikas alike. And the detail of Replikas not staying dead did not miss him, either. From what he could gauge, once the pathogen would reach a certain infection stadium, the afflicted Gestalt would expire, while an afflicted Replika would reanimate into one of those. . . things. As he had made his way towards the elevator, Ameise grew to know this unprecedented level of anxiety. It was hard to keep a silent step, as AMSE Units are not exactly known for their lightweight frame, but the knowledge that even something as mundane as a sharp breath could attract attention was madness-inducing.

Yet. . . no odd occurences happened. As his attention darted betwixt the floor panels and the ventilation shafts above, he wondered whether these corrupt ARAR moved solely on instinct, or if they were able of higher cognitive thought. Ameise assume the former, as all living beings, Replikas included, needed their own control center in order to think and act like a Gestalt would. Or atleast, like the Gestalt that they used the neural imprint of.