Unbroken Curiosity

Chapter 11: The Gunkworks

Captain Sivian Cox

The scalpel drew blood. Lady Lillias stood still, frozen... confused...shocked... Like Cox. She did not move. Her eyes were trained on the blade.

"Don't try it, Lillias," Cobalt said, putting pressure on the blade. She was readying a spell, but the threats gave her pause.

"Why?" She spat.

"I won't bore you with the details, my lady..." Boom! The entire medical bay shook as the dual bulkheads were blown open. A contingent of Grisom soldiers rushed into the room, led by Natalya Reece. "Took you long enough!" Cobalt shouted. "Restrain her." Two soldiers forced Lillias to her knees and cuffed her hands together in such a manner that she could not use her fingers. Once she was restrained, Cobalt let go of the Captain. "Will you corporate, Captain Cox?" Cobalt asked as Reece joined him at his side, handing him a coat and a pouch. He set the coat aside and removed a handful of dust from the pouch. He rubbed the dust on his amputated arm.

"Will you spare the crew if I comply?" Cox asked. You cannot stop what is coming, Donny said. Was this what he meant?

"If they comply... Yes." Cobalt scanned the room. "Where is Commander Wroth?"

"He fled into the Gunkworks..." He does not know about Lady Garland. Let's hope no one tells him about her.

"Order him back."

Cox shook his head. "If I order him back, he will know you have captured me. He will not return, no matter what I say or you do."

Cobalt looked to Reece. "Send a search party into the Gunkworks. Tell them to find Wroth... And subdue the Goblins. If they run amok..."

"It will be done, my love..." My love? Reece took a few soldiers with her and left the med bay.

"You cannot subdue the Goblins!" Cox protested. A nearby soldier hit him in the gut. Cox grunted, but after a painful moment, he continued. "The ship needs them to operate."

"That might be true, Captain, but sadly I have no use for the pesky creatures. It will be a long journey, and I cannot keep track of my prisoners and the Goblins at the same time."

Cox did not protest any further. He hated the idea of sacrificing the Goblins, but if their deaths could spare others...

"Where is the elf?" Cobalt continued.

"Behind you." Donny appeared, giving Cobalt and his soldiers a fright. Donny laughed.

"Restrain him!" Cobalt ordered, unamused by the Elf's antics.

"There is no need. I will not resist." Donny smiled. Still, the soldiers restrained him in a similar fashion as they did Lady Lillias.

Cobalt ignored the elf. With his remaining hand, he rubbed the dust on the stub of his amputated arm. He whispered a word. A second later, his arm regrew. It was pale compared to the rest of his body, but it was fully functional. He made a fist.

"You... You are a Primal?" Lady Lillias whispered.

Cobalt nodded. He then turned to one of the soldiers. "Bring me the Whirlpool." The soldier saluted and ran off. "Bring the Primals to the bridge." He put on the coat, and then to Cox, he said, "Let us hope Burke and the robot comply." With his newly grown arm, he pushed Cox forward and ushered him towards the bridge.

Aryron

They managed to make their way to an intersection. The deeper Aryron and Echo went, the more expansive the Gunkworks became. On the Combat Deck, the Gunkworks were empty and abandoned. The few Goblins that traversed these tunnels only did so to travel to the other levels. Still, the air was stale, and it was very hot. Aryron was sweating, not only because of the heat but stress as well. He did not know who to trust. Erothh Company has been compromised, and his men were trying to kill him.