Random Access Memories ||
It was dark. The air was stuffy, humid, heavy with dust and buzzing with tropical insects. It was difficult to see even by torchlight, but what could be seen was nothing short of mesmerizing.
Tree roots grew down from the ceiling of the temple’s foyer, holding stone bricks and patches of earth between their tangled coils. But there was something else--the end of the roots cradled something human in shape. A statue? He stepped closer, raising his torch to light up the object. It was made of sleek black stone, covered head to toe in geometric runes. Some of the roots had grown into the statue’s torso, revealing a chamber just underneath some circular panels on the object’s chest.
The explorer whispered in quiet amazement, prying bits of the stone panels away to further expose what was within the chamber. Some sort of heart shaped artifact, blue in color much like the runes that decorated the statue. Unable to hold back his curiosity he reached to gently grasp the object.
A glow filled the room, the ‘statue’s eyes opened. The temperature spiked dramatically as blue flames sparked to life and the runes lit up, rapidly consuming the roots embracing the stonelike creature until nothing but ashes were left. A feeling of impending doom, and then--
Seil wakes with a start, sitting up and clutching their chest. What was that? Where were they? They glance around. Oh, that’s right... this is Merriton’s lab. Seil was there for a routine tune-up and the doctor mentioned wanting to tweak a few things.
“Mornin’, Seil.” Lester greets them, standing beside the table where they lay. “Did you remember something?”
“Remember something?” Seil repeats, brows furrowed. Of course that could not have been a dream, surely they weren’t capable of dreaming. So it must have been a memory... but whose? “...Yes, but I do not know what exactly was happening.”
Lester smiles, pleased with the answer despite the vagueness.
“Then the tweaking I did must be working. I weakened the Inhibitor just a tad, so don’t be too worried if you get strange visions or whatnot. Just let me know if it ever becomes too much, all right? And if you want, be sure to write down anything new you remember. One of these days we can unravel one of those billion mysteries in that head of yours.”
Swinging their legs off the edge of the table, the hand clutching their chest finally relaxes a tad. There was a strange feeling, something like a quickening of their senses but in a wild, irrational way. Fear...? Whatever it is has at least subsided now.
“Yes... I will do so. Thank you for the help, Doctor.”