I have so many questions, but I'm hesitant to ask them out loud.
Who is this "Grand Facilitator"?
What do they want from us?
Where are they taking us?
I glance over at Major Chang. He's okay, I think...just knocked out. There appears to be no other harm done to him.
We continue down the tunnel in silence, until we approach a glaring white light at the end. At this point, Major Chang stirs and opens his eyes, only to squeeze them shut again.
"So bright! Am I going blind?? What's going on?! Get me out of here!" He shakes his head violently, struggling to get out of the grasp of the native carrying him. However, the native has him locked in place with their robed tentacles and refuses to let him go.
"Major, calm down! I don't think they're trying to hurt us."
"I preferred this one incapacitated." One of the other natives jerks their head towards the flustered astronaut.
When we finally pass through the light, a magnificent, highly advanced-looking city comes into view. What's even more astounding is that there is no sky above us. Instead, a transparent, dome-shaped barrier shields it from the surrounding ocean. Unidentifiable sea creatures of all kinds swim overhead like I imagine birds must fly on Earth.
In the distance, a figure wearing a similar (but much more ornate) robe to our captors seems to be waiting for us. As we get closer, the robed figure lets down their hood, revealing a face resembling a four-eyed elephant, with ears shaped like fish fins. Four tentacles like those of an octopus poke out from under the robe like legs, while two others are encased in sleeves where arms would be on a human. I can't help but notice one of the sleeved tentacles appears to be injured, since it's wrapped in a bandage.
Wait...is that...?
A video from my internal database replays the incident when I was almost pulled deeper into the water after I feel through the thin ice, and I discovered I could defend myself with lasers. The thing that grabbed me had tentacles just like that.
Oh no...
[[TO BE CONTINUED]]
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I Am XIAO: An Inktober Story
Science FictionFirst published on Instagram under the username @leilacreatesthings as a response to Jake Parker's "Inktober" art challenge during October 2019-January 2020. PREMISE: In the year 2520, on the space capsule "Blue Dragon", the sole passenger, a NASA...
