"so you just mindlessly macro? fine. let the ignorant feed on their own putrid filth."
-Sp|ne
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| Initiation: Part II | | | Author: | | | IP: | 216.230.XXXX | | Date: | 06/09/00 06:06 | | Game Type: | Starcraft | | Labels: | none | | Report Rating: , # of Ratings: 1, Max: 6, Min: 6
Lifetime Rating for Cracky_The_Peon: 5.6000 |  | Intitiation: Part II
The gateway opened into a large gym like room. Almost immediately the dark gray walls adorned with more protoss symbols stood out against the soft lighting. The floor was a rich black marble, shining against the lights that lingered high above the gym. Three red circles, freshly painted, contrasted against the marble floor. In one corner, a virual reality simulator lay dormat, ready for its next battle with the flip of a switch. Large black banners hung from the gyms simple rafters, bordered in red and bearing the same foreign marks seen on the door.
"What is this place?" I managed to whisper after a moment. "Follow me." came the reply.
Our footsteps rang across the expanse of the empty gym, resounding with an alarming amount of noise. "I thought we were trying to be quiet" I noted. "In here, it doesn't matter", she said. This new revelation startled me for some unknown reason. Stealth had been the empasis of our trip over here and now 'It doesn't matter'. I smelled trouble...
She made her way to the opposite end of the gym with me close behind her. A blank wall. Not only was I beginning to doubt my own sanity, now the very person who I had been trusting as a guide called hers into question. Placing her hands shoulder width apart, she leaned into the smooth gray wall. An electronic beep sounded from within and a hiss of gas later, we were faced with another doorway. A long dark corridor revealed itself as a series of red floorlights came on. She started walking, and naturally, I followed.
At the end of the corridor an automated door slid back to reveal the adjoining room. She turned to smile at me and then stepped into...a church? My lovely host slowly made her way down the aisle of the sancuatry, but I stoop in awe of the wonder hidden here below the training facility. Stained glass windows illuminated the room with an eerie illumanescant glow that seemed to seep into the cold white marble floor beneath me. The Roman-Catholic gothic catheral-type sancuary was immense. It rose well over three stories high. Huge white marble pillars supported countless rafters, each a work of art. I expected to look to the front and see Jesus himself standing there. Instead, I found something just a bit worse...a protoss high templar. He seemed to tower over me even from across the room. An eerie blue aura seemed to seep from his very being. Large intelligent eyes examained me, glowing faintly red. I did what every red-blooded marine who is worth a damn would do: i fainted.
After I arose from my manly display of terran valor, I sat up to find the protoss still beside me. My mind swam as I tried to recover from the shock and at the same time work the implications of its precense here beneath boot camp.
"No one has ever done that before...I guess its SOMETHING to be proud of..." I turned to face Her. Sense of humor intact, I swavly replied, " I meant to do that...honest..." She grinned down at me and swiftly helped me to my feet. "I'd like you to meet K'tagal, a Protoss High Templar". From the bewildered look plastered on my face, K'tagal could see I was in no shape to respond and gave a slight bow to acknowledge me, his eyes flickering with the strange red light for an instant. A deep, rumbling noise that resembled a voice soon graced my ears: " You have been chosen, my child, chosen to follow the path of the N'gamm, the way of the warrior." It obviously came from K'tagal, but I could not find a question to ask, a response of any type. She turned to K'tagal and replied for me " I'm sure he's honored, but as you may expect, slightly overwhelmed. Perhaps a tour of the training grounds would be helpful answer some of the questions he's sure to have." K'tagal must have agreed, because I saw him float away from me, followed by an eerie blue shadow and then Her. I no choice but to follow. I was only a lowly marine, and here an _actual_ Protoss High Templar was addressing me, telling me I had been chosen! Naturally, I fainted again.
I soon recovered and caught up to K'tagal and Her. They had exited the sancuary from the same way we had entered, so I naturally assumed the gym was the next stop. I turned for a final glance into the sanctuary, noticing for the first time the figures depicted in the stained glass. Protoss. The traditional images of Mary and Jesus and whatnot were filled with detailed views of immense space ships, bloody wars where Protoss fought eachother, and lastly, Terrans. I turned to follow K'tagal, swallowed immediately by the darkness of the hallway. As I re-entered the gym, I glanced at my watch. 5 AM. I must have been unconsious longer than I thought...The gym was not the empty shell of a room we had left it as. Instead, marines, much like myself, were lifting weights, sparring each of the three red circles adorning the floor and completing tests in the virtual reality simulator. All of this was quite common place and expected, but what I found myself unprepared for were...Protoss? instructors and other warriors training along with them. "You'll be interested in this", She called. I jogged over to where she and K'tagal were standing and traced her eyes to a raised platform the size of a boxing ring. "The object is simple. Knock your opponent off the platform", she explained. A single Zealot towered over its obvious opponents, two marines. All were unarmed, but I didn't like the marines chances against a Zealot, even unarmed. I had seen footage of these proud warriors fight their way through entire companies of marines, even with firebat support. I knew their power. We were taught to fear them in boot camp. The instructer of a class on Protoss warfare once said to me, " It you ever see a Zealot, fuck the orders...I'd get my ass out of there as fast as I could' Zealots were almost revered in boot camp and I found myself actually enjoying my close encounter with these Protoss. K'tagal spoke in a foreign tongue (Protoss, I guess) and the three fighters began circling eachother in the ring. The humans obviously were trying to circle behind the massive Zealot and attack from behind, but for all of their efforts, the Zealot managed to keep both warriors in front of it. In an instant, both humans leapt across the ring, one high and one low. The Zealot leapt straight in the air and landed gracefully to avoid the assault. The humans regrouped quickly, more intent than ever on the goal at hand. One hopped into range of the Zealots massive arms an began attacking it from close range. The brand of martial arts used by the marine that day was more advanced than any of the personal defence/close combat courses I had ever seen. The Zealot flawlessly blocked and counterattacked each assault and in turn, the marine ducked and dogded the Zealots attempts to counterattack. I had almost forgotten the second marine when he sprang into action. He leapt through the air, tucking his arms close to his body and extending one foot, closely followed by the other. He struck the Zealot directly in the chest, throwing it off balance. For an instant the Zealot hung between falling off the platform and recovering. A swift uppercut delivered by the first marine settled the matter as the giant toppled to the floor. It quickly rose and gave a swift bow to each of the triumphant marines. I stood for a long while in front of the platform and relived the fight in my mind. Was it possible? Could two men overpower a Zealot? Surely there must be more...Countless questions flew threw my mind, each carefully regarded and then dismissed in an instant. K'tagal spoke: " I can see you're impressed. That is why we brought you here to see this. To see your potential..." With this, he turned to observe another battle, this time between 2 zealots and 5 marines. "I know you are having trouble taking this all in. I know I sure as hell did. But you are one of us now. One of the Chosen. In time, you will understand." She turned an squeezed my shoulder and then resumed her place beside K'tagal.
(Ok: All for now, but stay tuned for the final installment of Initiation - IMHO, part one is definantly worth reading, even though it only got a four (Cracky_The_Peon pouts in Drefsabs direction...) |
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