…and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl
@HeroCooky holy FUCK this one is long. i hope the ending wasn't too rushed, it was getting late and i was hitting the 2000 word mark
…and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl
Ranjan watched Gopal's white sedan pull up to the parking spot next to him, his hands clasped together expectantly as his eccentric friend jumped from the car. There was a hint of annoyance on his face, and Ranjan spread his arms apart apologetically.
"Sorry, should've told you which lot I was planning on parking in. It slipped my mind."
"Don't worry, we're both excited enough to make mistakes like that."
He turned to face the campus up ahead, Ranjan following his gaze. It was a very nice place for a town this small, three large buildings surrounded by numerous outbuildings and a sizable park. Gopal cleared his throat and turned to Ranjan.
"Let's get going then!"
The two began walking through the half full parking lot, left nearly empty presumably by the end of today's classes, and onto one of the many paved paths snaking across the campus. The well-kept Poinciana trees scattered along the trail were already flowering, each one a startling splash of red in their views. Gopal spotted a trail marker and quickly read it before pointing down one of the branching off paths to a larger building, some two stories tall and made of fine brick and glass.
"I think that's the engineering department. This guy would fit right in there."
"His file did say he was an engineering major. Good eye."
The duo took the turn and began to approach the building, passing by several younger people with satchels and backpacks heading elsewhere. As they neared the building's door, a surge of dread ran through Ranjan's spine, the building suddenly seeming to loom overhead despite its open appearance. The feeling passed as they went through the threshold, however, and he held his tongue.
The building's lobby was a welcome departure from his experience at the town hall; there was a variety of seating areas, the walls were decorated with vibrant murals, and there was even a disassembled engine on display. Gopal walked by it all with a swagger right up to the info desk, and confidently placed his arm on the ledge, Ranjan hurrying to catch up after taking a moment to look around. The woman behind the desk looked up and smiled.
"Hello sirs, may I help you?"
"Hey, we're looking for a 'Professor Nyugen'. He used to work in this department."
Her brows raised as she turned to the computer on her desk, glancing back to Gopal after keying into something.
"Are you looking for where he works now?"
Gopal hemmed, and Ranjan shoved his hands into his pockets.
"He actually uhhh, died a while back. I was wondering if he had a lab or office on campus we…could…check."
Gopal trailed off as the woman stared at him in confusion, an embarrassed look coming to his face.
"If he's no longer part of our faculty I'm afraid I can't help, si-"
"I'll take it from here, Miss Moreno."
Everyone turned to look at the newcomer as he walked up, slowly but steadily. He was an elderly Indian man, his beard gray and his head bald. He was wearing a button up shirt and plain pants but carried himself confidently. His eyes radiated intrigued as he directed his attention to Ranjan and his boss.
"I haven't heard that name for a long time. Come, we can talk about him in my office."
Ranjan and Gopal looked at each other. Ranjan shrugged and turned back to Miss Moreno.
"That'll be all, sorry to take up your time."
She nodded and went back to typing on her computer. Meanwhile, Gopal held his hand out to the man.
"My name is Gopal Shree, and this is my coworker Ranjan Pavagi. Did you know Mister Nyugen?"
The man shook his hand firmly and then moved to shake Ranjan's hand when he stepped forward. His grip was strong and firm despite his age.
"Yes. I'm possibly one of the few people that could claim to to have been a friend of his, but this is a matter best discussed behind closed doors."
He beckoned them forward, and the two followed him, curious about his behavior. He led them through the winding halls of the building silently before stopping at a door practically indistinguishable from any of the other doors in the hall. He quickly unlocked it with a key from his chain and ushered them inside, Ranjan's eyes catching the brass embossed nameplate on his way in.
Professor Vihaan Narula, Computing department
The office was well appointed, with the Professor seating them in two fine leather seats before taking his own place behind a large oaken desk. He scrutinized them silently for a few moments, and Ranjan was about to say something when he suddenly spoke.
"I am Professor Vihaan Narula. You're here about Nikolai's work I presume?"
The two stared at him in surprise, and Gopal responded, clearly shocked.
"How did you know?"
The Professor shook his head ruefully, a small smile growing on his face.
"He told me this day would come. He was a man of many 'coincidences', and I feel that me being here today just in time to meet you two is perhaps the final one in a long line of them."
A whimsical look came to his eye as he continued.
"He was a…visionary. A maniac, perhaps, but still a visionary. He was always the one at the forefront of whatever project the School of Engineering was focusing on at the time, mechanical or not. He would have the strangest yet most thought-provoking insights on the issues we faced, and he never took long to come to an answer."
Ranjan spoke, somewhat rattled by the situation.
"You were his friend, you said?"
"Yes, for many years. His pupil, in a sense. I was one of his research assistants throughout my schooling, and after I graduated, I came back here to continue working with him. He was brilliant, like I said, but secretive. Sometimes he would tell me that he had a 'grand project' in the works, but no one on campus had ever stepped foot into his private lab, and not even I was privy to what flowed through his mind."
His eyes darkened and he looked down at his desk.
"One night, he came to my office. He was almost…frantic, telling me that he needed more time and that his work wasn't done. I couldn't understand half of what he was saying, but when I managed to calm him down this look came to his eyes, and he handed me a key."
Slowly, he took his keychain back out of his pocket and flipped through it, stopping on a timeworn but otherwise normal key.
"He told me to use it when the right time came, that men would come along to continue his work and usher in a new age. He died a day later. Multiple simultaneous aneurysms in his sleep."
The room fell silent, the two men shifting uncomfortably at the revelation. The Professor sighed, his fingers rubbing over the strange key.
"His labs have been locked for thirty years, as per his will. A final reward for his years of service to the university. I believe it's about due time we see what's inside."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It took only a few minutes for them to reach the lab, the Professor walking with seemingly more energy than before as they passed through the tunnels that ran under the university. The plain concrete was broken up only by signage and exposed pipework; the cramped environment was doing nothing for Ranjan's worries. Suddenly, the professor cleared his throat and stopped.
They stood before a security door, emblazoned with the text 'CONDEMNDED'. Above it on a faded placard was listed the name of the owner.
Professor Nikolai Nyugen
They stood there for a few moments before the Professor reached to unlock the door, the two men behind him watching with some fear as he finally swung the door open-to reveal a short hallway leading to another door. The Professor turned to look back at them.
"We use two doors for each of the labs. Helps with security…and explosions."
Gopal chuckled nervously.
"Right, that makes sense."
They entered the small connecting hallway, Gopal gingerly closing the door behind them. The Professor lingered in front of the second door, his hand hovering halfway to the lock. He spoke without looking at them.
"I've wanted to see what lays behind this door for 40 years. Yet now I wonder if I'm ready."
Ranjan patted his shoulder awkwardly.
"We're here to…back you up?"
The Professor sighed and unlocked the door, opening it to a darkened room. He grunted and withdrew a flashlight from his satchel as the two men peered inside, trying to pierce the darkness.
"The lights probably shattered years ago."
After a moment the flashlight clicked on, giving them their first glimpse of the late Professor Nyugen's lab. A workbench laid directly across from the door, surrounded by machining equipment and metal scraps. The three men entered the room carefully, and Ranjan felt a chill go up his spine as they approached the table. Gopal suddenly called out to the Professor.
"Shine the light on the table, I think I see something."
The professor complied, and the three men stared at the table's contents; an array of half finished, mechanical limbs. Each one was different from the other, and all of them were covered in dust or in some cases even rusting. The professor stepped forward and picked one up, a hand with most of the 'fingers' missing.
"I knew the Professor was interested in mechatronics, but I didn't think he had his own cybernetics workshop in his lab!"
Ranjan didn't correct him and looked over to see a shape in the darkness. He pointed to it.
"There's something over there, in the darkness."
The doctor put the hand down and swung the flashlight around, the beam of light revealing a strange chair bolted to the ground. There was a strange device mounted to the headrest, some sort of bowl covered in wires, the thick cables leading to worn down computer banks. Ranjan approached it, running a hand along the helmet. The restraints on the arm-wrests weren't very encouraging, but more interesting was the symbol on the helmet; he didn't recognize it, but it looked like it was Chinese.
灵魂
"What the hell is this?"
The two looked at Gopal, his eyes wide as he crouched down over something off to the side of the chair. Vihaan walked over and shone his light down, and the three men inspected Gopal's find. There was a strange symbol stenciled on the floor, some sort of geometric pattern. He realized that the longer he stared at it the more a shape seemed to form, something that hurt his eyes trying to figure out. He shook his head and looked over to the left, breathing deeply.
In the half light of the beam he could just make out a series of rectangular shapes and a larger object, and his eyes narrowed.
"Hey, there's something else along the wall here."
The other men tore their gaze away from the pattern on the floor, and the professor hesitantly turned his flashlight to the wall. There was a row of filing cabinets along the wall, set up near some sort of strange device that he didn't recognize; a glass pod with a thick metal base, covered in tubes and arcane devices. Gopal gasped and rushed past him right to the cabinets, while Ranjan approached the pod. The surface was dusty, but after rubbing a hand along it he could see that it was empty, save for some dried moisture stuck to the wall and strange gunk at the bottom of the tube.
The Professor suddenly spoke up behind him, and Ranjan had to resist the urge to jump.
"What was Nikolai doing with a tissue printer…?"
His musings were interrupted by Gopal shouting triumphantly, a blueprint tube raised above his head. He smiled widely and stared at the two pondering men.
"I think this is what we came for, gentlemen!"
Despite the smile on his boss' face, Ranjan just felt that same sense of dread he had all those days ago when they first began their search.
EDIT: @HeroCooky wait a moment, we have a potential revolution coming up led by a woman at the same time we're developing replikas…
oh fuck we about to go full Eusan
EDIT 2: did some proofreading and fixed a few mistakes
also, for anyone wondering, this is the symbol they found stenciled on the floor:
…and things have learnt to walk that ought to crawl
Ranjan watched Gopal's white sedan pull up to the parking spot next to him, his hands clasped together expectantly as his eccentric friend jumped from the car. There was a hint of annoyance on his face, and Ranjan spread his arms apart apologetically.
"Sorry, should've told you which lot I was planning on parking in. It slipped my mind."
"Don't worry, we're both excited enough to make mistakes like that."
He turned to face the campus up ahead, Ranjan following his gaze. It was a very nice place for a town this small, three large buildings surrounded by numerous outbuildings and a sizable park. Gopal cleared his throat and turned to Ranjan.
"Let's get going then!"
The two began walking through the half full parking lot, left nearly empty presumably by the end of today's classes, and onto one of the many paved paths snaking across the campus. The well-kept Poinciana trees scattered along the trail were already flowering, each one a startling splash of red in their views. Gopal spotted a trail marker and quickly read it before pointing down one of the branching off paths to a larger building, some two stories tall and made of fine brick and glass.
"I think that's the engineering department. This guy would fit right in there."
"His file did say he was an engineering major. Good eye."
The duo took the turn and began to approach the building, passing by several younger people with satchels and backpacks heading elsewhere. As they neared the building's door, a surge of dread ran through Ranjan's spine, the building suddenly seeming to loom overhead despite its open appearance. The feeling passed as they went through the threshold, however, and he held his tongue.
The building's lobby was a welcome departure from his experience at the town hall; there was a variety of seating areas, the walls were decorated with vibrant murals, and there was even a disassembled engine on display. Gopal walked by it all with a swagger right up to the info desk, and confidently placed his arm on the ledge, Ranjan hurrying to catch up after taking a moment to look around. The woman behind the desk looked up and smiled.
"Hello sirs, may I help you?"
"Hey, we're looking for a 'Professor Nyugen'. He used to work in this department."
Her brows raised as she turned to the computer on her desk, glancing back to Gopal after keying into something.
"Are you looking for where he works now?"
Gopal hemmed, and Ranjan shoved his hands into his pockets.
"He actually uhhh, died a while back. I was wondering if he had a lab or office on campus we…could…check."
Gopal trailed off as the woman stared at him in confusion, an embarrassed look coming to his face.
"If he's no longer part of our faculty I'm afraid I can't help, si-"
"I'll take it from here, Miss Moreno."
Everyone turned to look at the newcomer as he walked up, slowly but steadily. He was an elderly Indian man, his beard gray and his head bald. He was wearing a button up shirt and plain pants but carried himself confidently. His eyes radiated intrigued as he directed his attention to Ranjan and his boss.
"I haven't heard that name for a long time. Come, we can talk about him in my office."
Ranjan and Gopal looked at each other. Ranjan shrugged and turned back to Miss Moreno.
"That'll be all, sorry to take up your time."
She nodded and went back to typing on her computer. Meanwhile, Gopal held his hand out to the man.
"My name is Gopal Shree, and this is my coworker Ranjan Pavagi. Did you know Mister Nyugen?"
The man shook his hand firmly and then moved to shake Ranjan's hand when he stepped forward. His grip was strong and firm despite his age.
"Yes. I'm possibly one of the few people that could claim to to have been a friend of his, but this is a matter best discussed behind closed doors."
He beckoned them forward, and the two followed him, curious about his behavior. He led them through the winding halls of the building silently before stopping at a door practically indistinguishable from any of the other doors in the hall. He quickly unlocked it with a key from his chain and ushered them inside, Ranjan's eyes catching the brass embossed nameplate on his way in.
Professor Vihaan Narula, Computing department
The office was well appointed, with the Professor seating them in two fine leather seats before taking his own place behind a large oaken desk. He scrutinized them silently for a few moments, and Ranjan was about to say something when he suddenly spoke.
"I am Professor Vihaan Narula. You're here about Nikolai's work I presume?"
The two stared at him in surprise, and Gopal responded, clearly shocked.
"How did you know?"
The Professor shook his head ruefully, a small smile growing on his face.
"He told me this day would come. He was a man of many 'coincidences', and I feel that me being here today just in time to meet you two is perhaps the final one in a long line of them."
A whimsical look came to his eye as he continued.
"He was a…visionary. A maniac, perhaps, but still a visionary. He was always the one at the forefront of whatever project the School of Engineering was focusing on at the time, mechanical or not. He would have the strangest yet most thought-provoking insights on the issues we faced, and he never took long to come to an answer."
Ranjan spoke, somewhat rattled by the situation.
"You were his friend, you said?"
"Yes, for many years. His pupil, in a sense. I was one of his research assistants throughout my schooling, and after I graduated, I came back here to continue working with him. He was brilliant, like I said, but secretive. Sometimes he would tell me that he had a 'grand project' in the works, but no one on campus had ever stepped foot into his private lab, and not even I was privy to what flowed through his mind."
His eyes darkened and he looked down at his desk.
"One night, he came to my office. He was almost…frantic, telling me that he needed more time and that his work wasn't done. I couldn't understand half of what he was saying, but when I managed to calm him down this look came to his eyes, and he handed me a key."
Slowly, he took his keychain back out of his pocket and flipped through it, stopping on a timeworn but otherwise normal key.
"He told me to use it when the right time came, that men would come along to continue his work and usher in a new age. He died a day later. Multiple simultaneous aneurysms in his sleep."
The room fell silent, the two men shifting uncomfortably at the revelation. The Professor sighed, his fingers rubbing over the strange key.
"His labs have been locked for thirty years, as per his will. A final reward for his years of service to the university. I believe it's about due time we see what's inside."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It took only a few minutes for them to reach the lab, the Professor walking with seemingly more energy than before as they passed through the tunnels that ran under the university. The plain concrete was broken up only by signage and exposed pipework; the cramped environment was doing nothing for Ranjan's worries. Suddenly, the professor cleared his throat and stopped.
They stood before a security door, emblazoned with the text 'CONDEMNDED'. Above it on a faded placard was listed the name of the owner.
Professor Nikolai Nyugen
They stood there for a few moments before the Professor reached to unlock the door, the two men behind him watching with some fear as he finally swung the door open-to reveal a short hallway leading to another door. The Professor turned to look back at them.
"We use two doors for each of the labs. Helps with security…and explosions."
Gopal chuckled nervously.
"Right, that makes sense."
They entered the small connecting hallway, Gopal gingerly closing the door behind them. The Professor lingered in front of the second door, his hand hovering halfway to the lock. He spoke without looking at them.
"I've wanted to see what lays behind this door for 40 years. Yet now I wonder if I'm ready."
Ranjan patted his shoulder awkwardly.
"We're here to…back you up?"
The Professor sighed and unlocked the door, opening it to a darkened room. He grunted and withdrew a flashlight from his satchel as the two men peered inside, trying to pierce the darkness.
"The lights probably shattered years ago."
After a moment the flashlight clicked on, giving them their first glimpse of the late Professor Nyugen's lab. A workbench laid directly across from the door, surrounded by machining equipment and metal scraps. The three men entered the room carefully, and Ranjan felt a chill go up his spine as they approached the table. Gopal suddenly called out to the Professor.
"Shine the light on the table, I think I see something."
The professor complied, and the three men stared at the table's contents; an array of half finished, mechanical limbs. Each one was different from the other, and all of them were covered in dust or in some cases even rusting. The professor stepped forward and picked one up, a hand with most of the 'fingers' missing.
"I knew the Professor was interested in mechatronics, but I didn't think he had his own cybernetics workshop in his lab!"
Ranjan didn't correct him and looked over to see a shape in the darkness. He pointed to it.
"There's something over there, in the darkness."
The doctor put the hand down and swung the flashlight around, the beam of light revealing a strange chair bolted to the ground. There was a strange device mounted to the headrest, some sort of bowl covered in wires, the thick cables leading to worn down computer banks. Ranjan approached it, running a hand along the helmet. The restraints on the arm-wrests weren't very encouraging, but more interesting was the symbol on the helmet; he didn't recognize it, but it looked like it was Chinese.
灵魂
"What the hell is this?"
The two looked at Gopal, his eyes wide as he crouched down over something off to the side of the chair. Vihaan walked over and shone his light down, and the three men inspected Gopal's find. There was a strange symbol stenciled on the floor, some sort of geometric pattern. He realized that the longer he stared at it the more a shape seemed to form, something that hurt his eyes trying to figure out. He shook his head and looked over to the left, breathing deeply.
In the half light of the beam he could just make out a series of rectangular shapes and a larger object, and his eyes narrowed.
"Hey, there's something else along the wall here."
The other men tore their gaze away from the pattern on the floor, and the professor hesitantly turned his flashlight to the wall. There was a row of filing cabinets along the wall, set up near some sort of strange device that he didn't recognize; a glass pod with a thick metal base, covered in tubes and arcane devices. Gopal gasped and rushed past him right to the cabinets, while Ranjan approached the pod. The surface was dusty, but after rubbing a hand along it he could see that it was empty, save for some dried moisture stuck to the wall and strange gunk at the bottom of the tube.
The Professor suddenly spoke up behind him, and Ranjan had to resist the urge to jump.
"What was Nikolai doing with a tissue printer…?"
His musings were interrupted by Gopal shouting triumphantly, a blueprint tube raised above his head. He smiled widely and stared at the two pondering men.
"I think this is what we came for, gentlemen!"
Despite the smile on his boss' face, Ranjan just felt that same sense of dread he had all those days ago when they first began their search.
EDIT: @HeroCooky wait a moment, we have a potential revolution coming up led by a woman at the same time we're developing replikas…
oh fuck we about to go full Eusan
EDIT 2: did some proofreading and fixed a few mistakes
also, for anyone wondering, this is the symbol they found stenciled on the floor:
Last edited:
