??/??/205
Echo cast furtive glances at the detective as they plodded through the dense foliage of the forest, his mind still wary of the stranger he had met so suddenly. He stole quick, subtle glances at the detective every now and then, attempting to decipher his intentions from his expression and body language. But the detective remained impassive, his gaze fixed straight ahead, seemingly completely unbothered by Echo's wary glances.Echo broke the silence that hung heavily between them.
"So, where and when did you find the time machine?"
The detective paused for a moment, his face a mask of stoic contemplation, lingering on the path ahead.
"I'll rather keep that to myself, if you don't mind."
"Kid, look out!"
In the blink of an eye, a giant red eye descended from the sky, casting a gigantic shadow on the ground. Without warning, a shockwave of energy emanated from the eye, splintering the land and earth as it expanded. Two time machines that were in the line of the path began to glow as their structure was duplicated. In the aftermath, The machine was destroyed, and both Echo and the detective were sent careening through a whirlwind of light and shadows. When the world finally stabilized, Echo found himself standing alone in a completely different world than the one he knew. The detective, meanwhile, had been sent to an entirely different realm, leaving them separated and on their own in unfamiliar territory.
??/??/Dune
As the bright light faded away, Echo found himself standing in the middle of an eerily silent, barren landscape that stretched out in all directions. The only sound was the howling of the wind as it whipped up whirling clouds of sand that blurred his vision. He shielded his face from the stinging grit, trying to get his bearings in this desolate wasteland.
"What kind of place is this?"
"Oh the tech!"
"Wait a minute..."
He picked up the broken time machine, feeling frustuation and put the time machine in his pocket.
"Yeah,looks like I've been teleported to a desert of some sort.But at least i found the tech... or what's left of it.It looks like it's busted.Guess I'll have to find a way to fix it if i want to get out of here.No time to waste standing around and complaining.Might as well keep moving and see what else this place has in store for me."
As Echo trekked through the endless sea of sand, he found himself constantly spitting out grains that had invaded his mouth.
Suddenly, his gaze caught something unusual. A young girl was standing amidst the barren landscape, her form flickering like a mirage. But upon noticing Echo's approach, she suddenly turned and ran away, disappearing into the undulating dunes.
Echo was taken aback by her sudden disappearance.
"Hey you, wait for me!"
he called out, his voice almost drowned out by the howling wind.
Echo sprinted through the endless sands, trying to keep up with the mysterious young girl. But just when he thought he was gaining ground, a sudden, terrifying sound stopped him in his tracks. A massive dust devil was looming in the distance, a towering whirlwind of sand and wind that looked like a giant, monstrous creature.
Without a moment's hesitation, Echo turned on his heels and bolt, running as fast as he could. He was propelled forward like a deer fleeing from a lion.
"Hey kid, wait for me!!"
As Echo darted after the mysterious young girl, with the looming dust devil hot on his heels, they suddenly reached an abandoned spaceship.
"Nice!"
He thought to himself.To his surprise, the young girl phased through the spaceship's wall, seemingly invincible.
"What in the world?"
He cautiously peered into the gaping hole before following suit, desperate for shelter and safety from the pursuing dust devil.
Once inside the ship, broken pieces were stewn everywhere, and heavy cloud of dust hung in the air.Nevertheless, It's provided much-needed shelter from the harsh elements outside.Echo explored further, finding a crumpled cap among the depris.He picked up and dusted it off.
"Fancy!"
He thought to himself while placing the cap on his head.
"What are these files?"
Echo curiously flicked through the various files scattered around the abandoned ship, searching for any hint of its history.As he sift through them, he came across a note hidden among the mess.
"Could this be from the scientist who once operated this ship?"
"Nila, I'm sorry.I need to finish this project that I've started.There's no going back now.Unfortunately, you have to understand that, my granddaughter."
Echo furrowed his brow, sensing something odd about the situation.
"Weird, ...something definitely happened here..."
Echo navigated his way through the mazelike corridors, scavenging for any useful items he could find.
He stumbled upon a room filled with various supplies, a bounty that included a lighter, a pocketknife, and a flashlight.
As he stepped out into the hall, he caught a glimpse of the young girl.
"Hey wait-"
But before he could call out to her, the lights flickered, and she vanished into thin air.
As Echo navigated the ship, he stumbled upon the main room. Row after row of glass tanks held a variety of experimental creatures, their monstrous forms barely contained within.
"Another note?"
"Let me see..."
"Code 1131, the perfect creation i ever created.Don't worry, son.You'll be the one who'll rule over the world!"
"But first, you have to calm yourself.I promise, Nila will be proud."
"Hmm....now i'm really curious.
As he searched for clues, Echo accidentally pressed a switch, closing the door.The sound of metal closing echoed around him.Hearing the sound of shattering glass and a creature's escape.
"Oh no...."
The creature resembled a lizard, but its size was monstrous. It crept like a shadow across the ship, leaving behind a trail of destruction. Echo had to act fast if he were to avoid becoming its next victim. Spotting a vent in the wall, he darted through the narrow opening just as the creature slashed through the metal wall, barely missing him by a hair's breadth.The creature was slicing through the walls with ease, its claws slashing through the metal like paper.The lizard finally got stuck on one of the walls with its claws, momentarily immobile. Seeing his chance, Echo made a run for it, dashing towards the chemistry lab.
As the creature barged into the chemistry lab in a single fluid movement, Echo knew he had little time to spare. He desperately rifled through the cabinets, searching for anything that could help him. He grabbed bottle after bottle of chemicals, mixing them together as fast as he could while also trying to evade the creature's relentless attacks. With each attempt, the creature seemed to grow stronger, seemingly unstoppable. Despite the odds stacking against him, Echo refused to give up.
The creature lunged forward, preparing to deliver the final blow. However, Echo was ready. He clutched a final potion in one hand, and it was now or never.
"This should work!"
"Either you or me, i guess let's find out!"
he exclaimed, hoping with all his might that it would be enough to cure the creature.
But much to his surprise, the potion had an unexpected effect. As it hit the creature, it didn't just cure it, but it unexpectedly killed the creature instead.
"Wait, i wasn't expecting that... but i'll take it!"
The young girl appeared again, clearly visible and no longer like a ghost.The young girl spoked.
"Hello, mister.Thank you.... for saving me and my dad..."
Echo was taken aback by the girl's sudden gratitude.
"Uhmm... why did you thank me?"
I didn't save nobody, well except myself."
"And what's your name?"
As the young girl spoke, the air around her seemed to grow more peaceful, as if she had finally found peace herself.
"I'm Nila.This place was once a laboratory, where my grandfather and his fellow scientists conducting dangerous experiments.Sadly, my father was one of their subjects...."
"But my grandfather is a malicious man, consumed by a desperate desire for power.He believed that by creating superior being, he could rule the world.But in his madness, he sacrificed my father in pursuit of his selfish ambition...But, i don't need to worry anymore.You helped me and my father is free now.I....thank you."
As the young girl finished speaking, her form gradually began to transform into a beautiful aura of light. It was as if she was being called from some higher realm, leaving behind the mortal world.
Echo stood there, still trying to process everything he had just learned. The revelation of Nila's past, the dangerous experiments her grandfather had conducted, it all seemed almost too surreal to believe.
"Wow...That was definitely a rollercoaster ride. Well, I guess it's time I find a way out of here."
Echo pulled out the broken time machine, surprised to see it had somehow repaired itself.
"How in the...?"
But the thought was quickly pushed aside by the realization that the machine was now functional again.
"Okay, so now I can actually use it."
The time machine hummed to life as Echo activated it, its familiar whir blending with the surrounding sounds. Suddenly, the world around him shimmered, colors and spaces shifting in a blur. And just as suddenly, the world stilled once more, but the view was drastically different.
"Ah finally, no more sand in my shoes."
With a deep intake of breath, Echo braced himself for the mystery that Underwater Kingdom held.His journey was only a beginning.But one thing was certain - there were even more secrets waiting to be uncovered in the depths below.