The Sketch Survivors: The Enemy Among Us

Coordinating Insanity

The INS Grid loomed just as the SMPE Grid Soal had originally stumbled across had, and although it had only several dozen Sketches, it seemed to stretch almost as high as Death's Door itself. It was shielded by a thick sheet of persistent glass that always glared at Soal whenever he attempted to peer up at it. Thronost was especially estranged, considering all of the Genesis Stories was unfamiliar to him. The Facility in particular, the only thing he had ever experienced in his time outside of Iminentia, was frightening not only to Thronost, but the rest of Safer's Legion as well, as they came across more and more disturbing truths.

Bridget and Heather appeared unimpressed, but they were the epitome of patient. "Take your sweet time," Bridget gestured to an alienated Thronost as he analyzed Morrison's page, detailing the whereabouts of each of their targeted Sketches. "As civilized as we are, we need naught of your hasty psychological state."

Once Thronost located the "K" Sketch on the Grid with a muffled grunt (he rarely spoke here in the Facility), and the Legion nodded, going to work immediately. With a great effort, Irene carved a rift in the glass with her trans-dimensional sword, Arshel, and the legionnaires poured into the narrow space, barely five feet in thickness. These Sketches were primarily for display, so not much work was entered into making it hospitable.

Thronost, who was the tallest of the group, reached out with his bearlike paws to snatch their first Insanity Sketch from the low coordinates at which it was placed. Concerned that it would tear under the sharpness of his blunt claws, Heather, still silent, grabbed it off of the Grid first, preventing it much harm. "Thank you," Thronost muttered under his deep breath. The Legion exited the walled-off portion of the Grid to examine their destination.

There was no image plastered onto this Sketch; only emblazoned were the letters LCINS in a long diagonal line across the crumpled sheet. Beneath it were the small, spaced-out characters "Yassón", presumably the title of this "K" Sketch.

Heather unnervingly offered Yassón to Soal, who gladly accepted it without words. "We must find a safe place in which to enter... ah, Yassón," he held it out in his hands, the rest of his team inspecting its design. "It will only be a matter of time before Lint Corp discovers Safer's Legion."

"They already have, Commander," Bridget remarked grimly, regarding the matter of Lint Corp children involved in their legion. Hopefully, they would be faithful enough to join the cause themselves. From the path on which they were going, however, that was doubtful.

"There's a dark alcove in that wall," Yuirus pointed out exactly that on the opposite wall to the INS Grid. "We could all enter in there, and it would be too shadowy for any to notice. Besides the shattered hole in the glass, that is."

"Alright then. Let us enter," Soal ordered, and his original legionnaires went right to it. Within minutes, all but Soal and the Lint Corp sisters remained in the Facility. (Thronost had learned to reenter Iminentia when he returned after the battle with Cheshire.)

After quickly instructing them of the Sketch access procedures, Soal himself concealed himselfin the dim reaches of Yuirus's alcove. Moments passed, and he was yet again descending into the void of ones and zeroes. But, this time, they seemed more realized than they had ever been prior.