[WARNING — DISTURBING IMAGERY]
[WARNING — DISTURBING IMAGERY]
monument
As they drove, Egon's voice came through the truck's communication system, announcing the mission's first objective: retrieving the supply shipment. A map appeared beside the steering wheels, showing the northeastern quarter of the Octacore's inner area. The target was marked near the northern gate, close to the rocket launch pad and research labs.
The route appeared as a curved path from the eastern vehicle elevator to the northern gate. This bend was the only path clear of buildings and testing areas.
As they moved forward, the trucks' maneuvering system handled the rough terrain. Egon controlled it, through the maze of black rocks, avoiding all of them, while the trailing trucks mirrored the movements.
As the eastern section's gate came close, something in front of it came into view. Two shapes, one large and one about half the size. From the distance, they could have been hills.
Closer, the scene became clear. A haunting monument, sculpted by death itself. Two hills. The larger towered more than twice the trucks' height, stood as a colossal masterpiece, while the smaller, though shorter, still bested the trucks in size.
They weren't made of stones. They were made of bodies. Shredded corpses, stacked and arranged into a silent tribute — A sign of the world they're yet to face. Eyeless faces stared them, with the same cracks on them, yet there were too few left whole to look.
The trucks slowed to navigate the thicker clusters of black rocks near the hills. The crew beheld this magnificent creation with a mix of horror and silent fascination.
Egon, noticed a trail of bloody footsteps leading away from the smaller mound. As if someone, against all odds, had clawed free from that pile of corpses, leaving behind a crimson mark to their escape from death's grip.
Egon's voice came through the trucks' comms, calling for a brief pause to try reaching the people inside through the gate's screen. Charlotte used her control tablet to try and reach them, as well.
Egon stepped down. Following the trail of bloody footsteps. He found that it gradually faded in the direction of the city, in the middle of the building's area.
Inside the trucks, no one spoke at first. How could they? Most fought nausea. Even inside the trucks' sealed ecosystem and the masks filtering the air they breathed, the sight alone was enough to upset their guts.
Professor Kastner, darkened the trucks' windows via the control screen next to the steering wheel, to shield his daughter from the sight.
"No, I want to see," Monica objected.
He cleared the windows again.
She asked, "Do you think she's one of those people?"
"they're not people anymore."
In another truck, Alfred and Kazimir were staring in silence. Alfred, being no stranger to killing and having witnessed the creation of this monument, could only admire it. Kazimir, a man who had endured prolonged suffering, now found a strange sense of belonging, witnessing suffering on a large scale.
Returning to the truck's location and went behind the hill. A moment later he returned to his truck, saying the path was blocked and that they have no time to spare trying to remove it.
"Observe this closely." he said over the comms. "This is what we're up against out here."
Charlotte's attempt also failed; she couldn't reach anyone inside.
"That's not good." egon said. "but keep trying."
They continued towards the shipment.
On the way, unaware that the communication main line was still active, Steffi questioned, "How did something like this even happen, and we haven't heard of it?"
"Had you known of it, would it've been any better?" wagner said.
"Have you known about this?" Abi asked wagner.
"Yes. So did many people inside."
"Is there anyone we can trust?" Steffi remarked, sarcastically.
"Cut it." Egon said. "Nothing could've saved them."