Surviving the Trials

The dark corridor opens into Union Plaza, an immaculate resort concourse beneath a painted lunar sky. Elegant balconies curve above silent fountains, while dormant service kiosks gleam without a speck of dust.

Lounges line the plaza, occupied by motionless mannequins or frozen guests. Their faces remain turned toward the arrivals, their stillness too deliberate to feel like decoration.

Titus moves toward one balcony while Dagg and Mera inspect the fountains. Delfarius studies the polished walls, and Miko circles a dark kiosk without touching it.

Despite the gorgeous scenery, something feels off. There are no signs of other life.

Heavy metal footsteps begin to shake Union Plaza. A Type 05 emerges between the silent lounges, advancing toward the group with deliberate, relentless force.

Delfarius raises one hand and snaps his fingers. Nothing happens. No spark, pressure, or shimmer disturbs the spotless air, and his confident expression tightens.

Dagg braces himself and reaches for whatever hidden power protects him, but the effort produces nothing. The robot keeps stomping closer, ignoring every hesitation.

The armored robot closes the distance, each footfall ringing through Union Plaza. Its blank face tilts toward the group.

Miko rushes forth and presses her hand against the robot's chest. Holographic symbols flicker once, then vanish. Her connection finds nothing to control.

The group begins running towards a dark hallway, all splitting up. They search for places to hide without worrying about anyone else.

The robot changes course toward the retreating humans. Behind it, the plaza offers only polished walls, silent lounges, and no visible exit.

The Lone Wanderer leaps onto the machine's back, attempting to pull it away and direct its attention to him.

His knee slams metal, and a jagged edge tears through his sleeve, drawing blood.

The armored robot staggers half a step under the added weight, its pursuit redirected. The Lone Wanderer locks both arms around its upper frame as it reaches for him.

The Roman soldier disappears into the hallway with Mera and Dagg. Delfarius follows, glancing back only once, while Miko stops to return to The Lone Wanderer.

The robot shakes violently in an attempt to shrug him off. Pain flashes through the Lone Wanderer's scraped knee, but his grip holds while the others gain distance.

The armored robot catches the Lone Wanderer by the torso and rips him from its back. It throws him hard across the polished floor, where his scraped knee strikes first.

Miko runs to him, heavy armored feet ringing behind her. The robot turns and resumes its relentless advance toward her and the rest of the group.

Miko has no weapons, but nevertheless she fights the robot in hopes to save the stranger she just met.

The rest of the group disappeared into a dark corridor, leaving Miko and the Lone Wanderer to fight the robot themselves.

Miko gets tossed across the room, her combat experience useless against the machine's strength. She is undamaged, but shaken.

The Lone Wanderer pushes himself up, pain biting through his scraped knee. For a moment, he struggles to lift his weight off the ground, but he pushes through the pain.

He reaches Miko and grips her armored hand. The robot's footsteps hammer closer as he hauls her upright.

Miko steadies herself beside him. The Lone Wanderer's knee protests with every stride, but he runs with her toward the dark corridor, leaving the polished plaza behind.

The Type 05 can still be heard stomping after them.

The darkness helps them lose line of sight and soon find themselves in an endless hallway full of doors and booths.

The Lone Wanderer walks with Miko to look for the others. The dark hallways echo with the Type 05's stomping as it searches for them.

He uses his tracking skills to see boot marks on the floor, all leading to a door.

The service door opens into a cramped maintenance room. Titus Aemilius, Dagg Nabbitt, Delfarius, and Mera look up from the darkness as Miko guides him inside.

Dagg drops a rusted tool chest against the door while Mera checks the vents and Delfarius listens at the wall. Titus wedges a broken chair beneath the handle.

The corridor falls quiet beyond the barricade. The survivors are together again, concealed in the maintenance room, with a brief refuge to examine their injuries and decide their next move.

Miko kneels beside him and opens a compact medical compartment in her armored forearm. The Lone Wanderer hesitates before offering his leg, watching her hands carefully.

He lets her work. Miko cleans the torn skin, seals it with careful pressure, and wraps the knee securely. She does the same for his arm.

Miko studies the group as their attention shifts toward the blocked door. The Lone Wanderer reads their tense posture and scattered glances, recognizing that they need a plan before anyone moves.

The bandage holds, his knee and arm are healed. The group remains silent. The corridor outside remains still.

His guarded gaze moves from face to face, measuring who answers quickly and who avoids the question. Distrust keeps his tone spare, but his reading of the room finds a shared concern beneath their defenses.

Miko attempts to run a scan of the area to create a map, it only partially works. She generates a holographic map from her wrist.