Li stood just outside the entrance of the massive drilling machine. From where he was, it looked more like a tall office building than a vehicle. The exterior was dotted with countless mechanical details, but for the most part, it was covered in yellow-stained and dented plating.
One of the small mole creatures hopped in front of them and led the group into the machine's vast interior. As Li stepped inside, the translation system activated, and it felt like he had entered a world entirely its own.
"Follow me, everyone. Your rooms are a few hundred feet in. Don't touch anything. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!"
This one's English was noticeably better than the one from the night before, but what really caught Li's attention was the vibe… so welcoming. Even as they moved through the narrow hallway, forcing him to half-crouch, he still found himself admiring the intricate machinery and control panels lining the walls.
Every so often, there were small decorations: hanging lanterns, and even an aquatic creature swimming in a tank built into the wall. The space was surprisingly well-lit. For the first time in what felt like ages, Li was surrounded by light. The lanterns glowed dimly, casting a warm, comforting glow across the corridor.
Above them, a few exposed pipes ran along the ceiling. The real surprise came when a small, monkey-like creature appeared, walking along the pipes with its hands. It chatted in fluent Chinese, though the words it said were complete nonsense.
They had been crouch-walking for about ten minutes now, and each Guardian in the narrow line took a moment to appreciate the interior. More diverging walkways were beginning to appear. Here and there, large sealed doors came into view—alongside open entrances that led deeper into the vehicle.
Eventually, they stopped in a wider, cylindrical chamber, heavy doors lining the walls.
"Here are your rooms. Five to a room, seven rooms in total—enough for everyone!"
The Guardians began chatting among themselves. Li glanced around, looking for other humans. Only three were in sight. Taking a chance, he walked up to two of them and asked,
"Hey! Mind if I join you guys?"
"Fuck off! Aren't you that little fucker who almost fell into the hole the other day?"
It was too late—the Guardian had spoken on the public voice channel. Bursts of laughter echoed from the others.
Li opened his mouth to respond, but thought better of it. He was once again thankful that the helmet masked his face. Looking around, he saw that the groups had already formed. Embarrassed, he joined the one group of four that still had space and followed them into their room.
It was small, with two bunk racks and fluffy, worn-out quilts. At the far end stood a little table stocked with snacks and a multi-liquid dispenser. A few scratched-up posters were pinned to the walls, each in a different language. Li was fairly certain one of them was in Arabic. The rest were either from Earth in languages he didn't recognize; or entirely alien.
The voice of one of the Drill team members spoke once more,
"We will begin our official descent in one standard hour. Take this time to relax, enjoy the snacks and explore the vessel. Be sure not to touch anything unnecessarily. We hope you enjoy your stay!"
Li was, once again, the first to leave. He hadn't brought much with him—and more than anything, he wanted to get away from the others. So, without hesitation, he stepped out.
No one else had left yet. It seemed like everyone was either chatting or relaxing in their rooms, with no apparent sense of exploration or curiosity.
He crouch-walked down the same path they'd taken earlier but veered off into a smaller room. It was filled with machinery—cold, humming, and quiet. But there, tucked away, was a small hole in the floor with a ladder leading down.
Li eyed the distance, made a quick estimate, and jumped. He landed in a room darker than the rest and gasped when he realized he wasn't alone.
Around him were decorative couches, and on them lounged several large, unmoving figures. Panic surged through him; he almost screamed, until he took a closer look.
They were mannequins. Aliens, from the look of them. Their heads were separated from their bodies by metallic rods, giving them a haunting, lifeless stare.
Behind the couches, a wider opening spilled out a faint light. Li hesitated, then awkwardly clambered over one of the couches and stepped into the next room.
This one was unlike anything he'd seen before—a gallery of antiquities, all seemingly from some distant planet. The collection felt cohesive, like everything belonged together. Most of the items were pots or sculptures, but many were small trinkets—odd little objects whose purpose Li couldn't even begin to guess.
For now, he knew his way back, and he strived to remember the details of each room to ensure that he got back safely. It would be a stupid mistake to get lost and then be shamed by those jerks again. He took another turn and entered a darker room.
In the center stood a large, shadowy structure. It was a single cylinder, made up of five stacked sections, each with ten small protrusions evenly spaced around its circumference. One protrusion on each section was red, and all the red ones were pointing directly at him.
Without warning, the structure jolted and began to whir. Each of the five sections started spinning, each at its own unpredictable pace; mechanical, yet wild, like the rotating chamber of a revolver. A light flicked on from above. It projected a beam that aligned exactly with where the red protrusions had been a moment before.
To Li's surprise, Chinese characters appeared in the light. They read: "Red Extrusions." Every section spun in its own direction and at its own speed. One spun so rapidly that the red extrusion looked as if it wasn't moving at all. Li knew he shouldn't have touched anything, but an urge, strange and insistent, stirred inside him.
He stood there for a few seconds, watching the machine, then, slowly, he stepped closer.The protrusions looked like buttons. It seemed obvious what he had to do; press them, all the red ones.
He scanned for the slowest one. It was on the second-to-last section, rotating steadily, about as fast as a ceiling fan. Li waited until the red protrusion passed under the beam and pressed it. The section immediately stopped spinning.
The next slowest one sat right at eye level. It spun like the wheels of a speeding car, fast enough to blur. He tried to track it, hoping for a rhythm, but there was none; it was just too fast. He raised his hand, hovering just above the surface. After a few seconds, he pressed. He recoiled instantly. His heart skipped when he realized his finger had nearly been torn off.
It was terrifying, and yet something urged him forward. At this pace, he wouldn't be able to press all the buttons before the vehicle began moving. His mind raced. He had never been taught how to handle anything like this.
Then he remembered those summer days, lying in bed, staring at the ceiling fan spinning overhead. If he focused on one blade long enough, eventually he could track it. The sudden memory made tears well up in his eyes, and he blinked a few times.
That's when he saw it. The red of the top section was just brushing the edge of the light. Li jolted and pressed it. There were only three more buttons left to press.
The middle one was the hardest to reach. He extended his armored boots, scraping the machine. The button made contact, but the machine didn't stop. Li froze. Maybe it only accepted fingerprints.
He reached out, blinking rapidly, this time in a pattern. The red button seemed easier to track now. Focusing his eyes on the fastest one, he closed one eye for better aim. A few seconds later, he struck. BOOM!
His finger began to bleed, but he didn't feel the pain. He kept his eyes locked in place, ready. He tried again but pulled his finger back at the last moment. He would wait for the right time.
The machine spun again. He pressed. Clang—it froze. Two left. He focused hard on the quicker of the two. The world blurred around him as he held his breath and pressed.
Fast as lightning, he shifted down and slammed the final button. Just as it was about to leave the beam, it stopped. Li fell back, clutching his bloody finger.
It wasn't as bad as it looked, but the blood poured out heavily, splattering across the floor. He gasped, his heart pounding. He hadn't focused like that in a long time.
Then, the protrusions slid out like mini cabinet drawers. Inside each one was a small slip of paper, written in Chinese.
On our travels,
Through the Ruins,
And the beauty,
Of the Lost World,
We found.
Found what? Li stood, small splatters of blood dripping onto the papers. Did I do all that just to get this?!
Then he took a closer look.
"The Lost World"; What was the Lost World? There was so much to wonder here. Li thought back to his conversation with Tavo, Wisdom Bank, he called it. There were probably many scholars there who could answer his questions about this universe without negative judgement, or suspicion. Li had stuffed the papers into his medical pouch and took one last stare. Wasn't this considered theft? Something made him move on. It was strange but he thought little of it; It was meant for him to find.
The next room was accessible only by crawling through a narrow rectangular opening, which led into a cramped, cluttered sleeping area filled with tangled wiring and scattered equipment. It seemed to be a dead end, so he turned back. The rooms were all familiar now, but when he stepped into the dark couch room, his heart still skipped a beat.
The bleeding had stopped, leaving only a dull ache. He pulled himself up and crawled back toward where the others were. Just then, the voice of the machine's little critters returned.
"We are preparing the internal gravity generators. Please remain stationary. Descent will begin in five standard minutes. Regroup with your commanders once the vehicle is in motion."
Li froze and sat down. Oddly, the space felt calming. A loud whirring filled the vehicle, followed by a melodic thrumming, then a powerful roar as the machine began to move.
He stayed still as a sudden pull on his back signaled that the gravity generators had kicked in. First came a few bumps, then a heavy rumble—the machine was descending into the tunnel, but the artificial gravity kept him anchored.
He stood and headed back to the group. They had gathered in the center, with a few others returning from their own explorations. Li lingered at the edge just as the leader called his name.
"Li Xuan; Heavy Unit. Proceed down the hallway. Fourth door on the right—join the Heavy Team for your gear."
Li nodded, waited for the last Guardian to clear the narrow hall, then crawled to the fourth door. It opened into a larger room where a few heavily armed Guardians stood.
"Li Xuan?" one asked.
"Yes, sir!"
The Heavy Team leader opened a small hatch and said, "Your gear's in there. It's heavy, but with your training, you should manage—with a little help."
"Yes, sir!"
Inside, a smaller, spider-like Guardian with multiple spindly limbs helped him suit up from a pile of scattered gear. By the end, Li was carrying nearly three times his body weight and struggled just to stand.
His posture was already suffering. This would push his body past its limits fast. He stumbled out, weighed down by layers of armor, weapons, and equipment.
His new weapon, a massive cannon, also served as a system host. The arachnid explained that it had been approved by the S-tiers under strict oversight. As expected, anyone below S-tier was prohibited from using systems.
Then came the next problem: the corridor was too narrow for him to pass through in full gear. The Drill Team had to open several extra doors to allow him and the other heavies to navigate through the vehicle. They were forced to take a much longer path back to the sleeping quarters, though they'd be shedding the heavy armor after each mission or two.
Li and the others sat in a holding chamber, each burdened with gear. His back throbbed, and he struggled to sit upright. The massive cannon rested in his lap, humming with ominous energy. Through his new exo-helmet—a five-inch reinforced faceplate with narrow slits—Li peered out. It felt like piloting a compact mech.
But the exosuit was only minimally powered, and Li had no idea how to boost its strength. There was still 30 minutes standard before the mission began.
…
Boom. A loud crash—followed a few minutes later by the engine shutting off—told Li they had arrived. The massive machine gradually slowed to a halt. They were deep underground now, though Li had no idea just how far. The vehicle's balancing systems were well-designed; he didn't feel any noticeable change in pressure—except the psychological weight of knowing just how far below the surface they were.
"Alright, we're getting off now. Heavy crew, follow Clearance Protocol 5."
Li wasn't sure what that meant, but it sounded like the commander wanted the heavy unit to clear a path for the rest. The massive door in front of them slowly groaned open, revealing the familiar maze. Only now, they had cut through so many layers that Li had to grip the fractured floor of one level and haul himself onto the next. It looked like a cross-section of collapsed structure, and the weight on his back didn't help. He wanted to groan, but he climbed in silence.
"Is your exo on?"
"Uh... no, I don't think so."
"Why the hell isn't it on!?"
"I—"
"I know this place is a fucking nightmare, but did you seriously forget exo training?"
"I—"
The furious commander stormed over, yanked open Li's locked chestplate, and started fumbling with the controls. Li flinched. A second later, the suit engaged—and suddenly, everything felt a lot lighter.
"Don't make me report you to System Command for re-evaluation!"
"Yes, sir!"
Li moved quickly now—partly out of fear, partly out of relief. With the exo finally active, the crushing weight had lifted. The suit brought back memories. Rushing at the large beast back on the Orange Flatlands; How long ago had that been?
"Snap out of it! Move! Move!"
Li climbed out, the weight still holding him down but managed to remain steady. The weight of the suit casting indents onto the ground.
"Alright! Let's move!"
The squad marched, following the leader who seemed to be buried under an extra amount of weight. Behind them, the drill vehicle began moving and the loud engine nearly burst Li's eardrum.
When he looked back, there was just a large empty void where the vehicle once was.