The Nexus Wyrm
#1 of Scene Collection
An as-of-yet unplaced scene planned to be included in the Dark Between series.
The pool glistened with a crystalline light, waves rolling outward from the center, though nothing could be seen which disturbed the surface. The waters glowed from within, obscuring sight of the pool's walls, and anything else below. The glow brightened along the crest of the waves, and elsewhere in whirlpools where it was disturbed by wires or K-C screens that had fallen down from the roof above.
The crew stood on the warped, metallic shore of it, looking down into the waters. The two felids rumbled in anticipation, their long tails twitching nervously. The wolf held a fat finger on the trigger of his gun shakily. His ears perked forward tensely, his tail erect and wagging gently. Their animalistic urges mounted with the anticipation.
The wolf whined, "Are you sure this is it?"
"It has to be," Nomori said, glancing at her scanner, "This is the only liquid module in this quadrant. All the others are drained." She rapped a claw on the scanner screen a few times, summoning a holographic image of the map.
Suddenly, the light of the pool began to change. The rich blue became a deep red, with dark black veins stretching out from a central point in the water. The ripples gave way to jaunty, choppy waves which splashed loudly within the chamber. A dark shape moved below, whipping a powerful surge towards the crew. They stepped back, the water sending electric sparks where it touched the metal.
The dark shape reared its back to the surface, the water's light illuminating its thin, serpentine back. It was covered in dim globules, and deep pits in fine rows. Its flesh was a mixture of sickly green and beige. What looked like black horns grew from the thing in a single row.
A distant roar sounded in their minds.
Then, the dark shape sank back into the light. The waters grew still as the sparks faded on the metallic beach. They stepped forward, they claws rapping on the metal. Their breaths misted in the chill air as they waited.
A dull chittering noise echoed from somewhere in the chamber, followed by a belching sound as slime dripped from one of the half-rotten tubes that dangled down from the roof. A moment later, the water grew dim as it issued a great splash. That thing rose out of the water, the dim light illumining its wrinkled head as it reared up out of the water. It let fly a hiss as electric light sparkled along the ridges and pits of its face.
It opened its twisted maw wide, and let out a roar which reeled through the minds of the crew. Their heckles rose as its massive tail splashed down behind it.
"Fire, damn it!" Nomori commanded.
The wolf let out a whine, then a grunt, and shot out several rounds of his light-cannon.
They had found it. The Nexus Wyrm.