Fade (Walker #74033 fanfiction) Book 1

Chapter 14

The sun was starting to dip below the horizon as the Walkers finally arrived at their destination. Jevden could barely remember the route they'd taken; he'd found himself slipping in and out of a weightless sleep, only waking when the bright rays of light pierced his eyelids, or the car jarred him a certain way. Many times, when he'd closed his eyes the memories, he wished that never happened would resurface, accumulating in storms of dust and red-hot flares of energy. He'd watched the disaster, the Solar Storm, as it had unfolded on the world, bringing the wrath of casualties with it, and he experienced the sensations over again in his mind. During the moments when he was awake, he'd watch the buggy driving in front of them; they had decided to take two cars to ensure there was enough room for the disk and the passengers. #20's face was still and solemn, his eyes glued to the road in front of them, and Jevden had felt the anticipation come and go like ocean waves amidst his grogginess. It felt like they were embarking on a journey that was only imaginary.

However, when the car finally lurched to a stop, Jevden felt alert and wide awake. They had stopped at a structure that looked vaguely like a temple, highlighted impressively against the setting sun. The ruin and wear on the stone was unmistakable; it had clearly stood guard for years untouched by the modern world. Multiple graffiti scribbles dotted its surface, but nothing stood out more than the AW symbol inked on the front. Jevden got out of the buggy, looking on in awe. Of all the places he was expecting to find, this wasn't one of them.

"It's there," #20 said, snapping Jevden out of his thoughts. "The disk is inside."

The group of Walkers glanced at each other and approached the temple, feeling cautious for reasons unknown to them. #24990 was carrying a large white box made of a metal similar to the diecasts. The same AW symbol sat on top of it, and Jevden figured that was what they were transporting the prophecy disk in. #20 entered first, his drone clasped tightly in his hand. The others followed behind; the sense of uncertainty sharp in the air around them. Jevden was expecting it to be dark inside but found that glass windows on the walls let in enough sun to light up the room. He looked around curiously. The area was mostly bare, save for multiple chunks of stone sitting around on the floor, having broken free from the walls. Multiple pillars lined the sides, and at the far end was a slightly raised platform, with a few steps leading up to it, which displayed a big pale container with a keypad on top. Light flowed through the ceiling, illuminating it in the circle of a warm glow. Jevden's heart raced; that had to be the time capsule.

#20 picked up his pace, his boots echoing ominously on the hard floor, and walked up to the capsule, observing it closely. He pulled out his messaging device and scrolled through something Jevden couldn't see. A short moment later he returned it to his pocket and typed a string of numbers on the keypad. The effect was instantaneous; the time capsule beeped twice and the door on the front of it pulled open. The shadow that the metal barrier was casting slow receded, revealing a circular carving of gold, gleaming brightly in the evening light. Multiple images were carved around the center, in which sat the AW symbol. The images had no meaning to Jevden, but he knew they were things for the Researchers to handle.

#20 looked back at them and grinned, "Looks like we got it."

#34296 cocked her head to the side. "It looked different than I expected. Not like any of the others I've seen."

"That's a good sign," #20 replied. "#24990 can you bring the carrier?"

#24990 obliged and walked up to him, "Are you sure this will fit?"

"Of course," #20 said, gesturing for #77284 to help him pick up the disk. "They made it a little bigger just in case." The two Walkers lifted up the prophecy disk, and judging by the strain in their eyes it was rather heavy, and slowly turned it on its side to place inside the container.