Author’s Note - This is a rewritten version of my Foreboding Excavation story that I wrote back in 2015. This went through a lot of various rough drafts but I’m confident to say this version will truly be the one I want to share with people. Enjoy the first chapter.
Chapter 1
Lone waves of granite fell as stony surfaces gave way to metal tools. flaxen crystals dimly lit an endless viperous maze. They provided very little in the way of sight for this Asteroid’s current residents. Matoran miners, made up of nearly Onu-Matoran shy a single Fe-Matoran were digging their way in fixed, organized fashion. They were spearheading a very important mission that encompassed uncovering entirety of Ores Nui. Creating tunnel lines which revealed a various strange habitats and unique technique terrains that could not be encountered anywhere else on the planet of Spherus Magna.
It was understandable why Onu-Matoran dominated the mining process. They knew the Earth and how to work it far better than any other Matoran. Digging out an asteroid should not be too different. Not to mention their ability to work in harsh underground environments which provided very little in the way of air or light. The miners carried a mutual sense of duty in these monotonous excursions. It was not the same old duty that they used to revolve around. No longer did they simply perform maintenance, run systems, or drive to survive the most dangerous of foes across a multitude of one-sided situations. Not anymore. They did so to learn. To discover. The very pursuit of knowledge fascinated many residents of Spherus Magna. It was a surprisingly fresh concept into Matoran Culture. Plenty of Matoran had hopped from their sheltered dens from the Great Center to the harsh, rapidly evolving planet.
Ores Nui had presented itself as a new opportunity for many. A massive asteroid that nearly brought total destruction to Spherus Magna. It was only through the sacrifice of Sqikus. A Toa of Gravity turned Turaga who foregone all his powers which now perpetually keeps Ores Nui Floating low in the sky. Mining efforts shortly were underway. Agori first started the project. Curious what rare materials they might’ve found within. It was only once the first Rahi-like creature was revealed in an underground pocket that everything turned around to uncovering what other secrets laid in the rock. Not everyone, however, continued to share the same resplendent joy of uncovering new cave systems. Not with the current situation they all were facing.
An Onu-Matoran, by the name of Zystetus shared a different kind of thought that no doubt permeated from his compatriots. He took a tug at his knapsack. The yellow glow of lightstone promptly revealed themselves but did very little to bring even a glimmer to his now dulled eyes. What only truly separated him from the rest was the dread which filled every ounce of his soul. The growing fear which only swelled as every swing of a pickaxe’s tink reminded him they could be heard. It made no sense to Zystetus that he was the only one looking over his shoulder. The group with him was rather small. A team of 4. The head digger, the lightstone liner, his current task, the rubble-man, and the mapper. Stone was dugged through, removed. Lightstones were placed according along tunnel walls. And the whole direction was carefully mapped out. A once standard operation for digging new tunnel lines. But with it Zystetus felt exposed. He felt now was the time to change how they operated. Always had. Never a day gone by for which old scars would resurface. It is why he mined. He mined to dust away harsh memories like the specks of gravel which permeated the air and brushed at their feet. He mined even more so for the trepidation that began only shy of a few months back.
Zystetus carefully examined spots in the tunnel walls. Eying for any weak points to nick away before placing a new lightstone into the various self-made pockets as lines extended.
He dared not speak to his colleagues. There was a time in the past he would’ve chatted away, speaking of any news the Bo-Matoran and Agori might’ve learned from the samples they’ve collected. A time where someone would’ve bragged about being involved behind a fantastical find. Cracking jokes, singing tunes. Laughing in their collective progress of Ores Nui’s layouts.
But now the quiet crumble was all that remained. Zystetus kept his heart raised. To every day, to every operation.
For no longer did every Matoran out in these mines return. Naturally, concern was brought to the village head, Turaga Sqikus. Early on, Ko-Matoran and Ga-Matoran rescue teams were sent out to recover those who had been lost. But none of them had returned. There was nothing else in place for the situation. Resources across Ores Nui stretched thinner and thinner with each passing day. Agori merchants had stopped visiting. Even some Matoran had decided to flee back to the Great Center. Those that remained were waiting on Turaga Sqikus to take further action. There were talks of cancelling the operations all together. But no one knew when that would ever occur. Or if it’ll be far too late. Zystetus could very well be the next to disappear. The very thought of it sent a twisting pull to his core.
All kinds of differing speculation were brought up during the initial disappearances. Was it the asteroid’s inhabitants? There were animal-like creatures deemed by Bo-Matoran biologists to be frighteningly like native Rahi species found on Spherus Magna. However, none of them presented any sort of visible danger. Many could simply be avoided without ever even encountering one. The creatures they’ve learned of all happened to be rather skittish and shy with Matoran contact. Others had speculated the terrain to be the cause. Many of Ores Nui’s strange landscapes presented a challenge to the excavation efforts. The Icy Spears required special traction as to not slip and land into one of the many fatal protruding surfaces. Others were avoided entirely since they were considered unhabitable and deemed too dangerous to venture through such as the Gaseous Chasms.
Zystetus held on to a rumor of his own that shook him deep to his core. Perhaps the disappearances were done on purpose by something. Some sort of elusive creature possibly upset at their arrogance to barge into Ores Nui and is now plucking them all one by one. He once spoke of this thought with his peers, but out of so many assumptions; his was met with the harshest backlash from everyone he knew. Those he used to chat with all the time after work began to avoid him. Everyone was speculating the worst, yet for some reason it was his idea that pushed them to sever ties? He musted seemed like a madman to even had suggested such thoughts. Even so, whether it was true or not, it further cemented a harrowing wariness into Zystetus’s very being.
He tried to pay attention to the digging, the lighting. To simply do and not think too heavily on the matter plaguing him. But even if the village wanted to learn of the fascinating creatures that resided in the caves. Surely it wouldn’t be worth the lives of every Matoran? But many a Matoran didn’t care. They simply wanted to continue mining. Zystetus was no different. He was mining in an earnest attempt to regain old friendships. To show that even with all the danger present, he was still risking himself and not trying to run away from the problem entirely. If there truly was something targeting the Matoran, surely his sacrifice would be remembered. But more than that, Zystetus hoped to find proof. Real, tangible proof that could remove everyone’s worries. And if that meant he might ‘vanish’ for a bit. So be it. Through the caves and tunnels he had buried tools and devices to aid him if he was to ever disappear somewhere in the cave. Besides, he was an Onu-Matoran. He knew the Earth better than most. And yet even with the risk that seemingly presented all present in the spiraling caves, it was surely nothing in comparison to the numerous near-death experiences he had on Voya Nui. This was surely nothing in comparison to all the Vorox attacks the Toa and Glatorian had to face out just outside the village on a near constant basis. If someone was going to find the reason behind these disappearances. He was going to be the one behind it. He didn’t know where to start. So, to keep on mining he did.
As the lead Matoran digging the tunnel grew weary. Excavation efforts briefly slowed to a halt. The Matoran nodded towards Zystetus. It was his turn to dig now. He passed the knapsack to another Matoran who stood ready beside him. Glancing fickly as if not truly wanting to make eye-contact. He slowly made his way in front of the carved stone. Unsheathing the pickaxe at his belt as he hefted it up. Zystetus Struck the wall with clumsy vigor. Eventually, he managed to find an even rhythm. Bit by bit he felt the passage of time slow to a crawl. He thought to himself that he was more exposed than ever. He couldn’t see anything behind him. Not even the glow of a lightstone. The only thing that made itself known to his eyes and presence was the gray-blackened fractured surface before him.
Thunk, thunk, thunk . Unaware himself, Zystetus slowly wandered into a trance. His instinct with the Earth pulled him from the worries that he desperately trained himself to never let go. This wasn’t the first time this had occurred. And every time he finally pulled himself from the stupor, frustration at his own carelessness carved itself known throughout his mind. It was only when he visibly felt the walls before him get weaker and weaker, did he break from it. It seemed today they were finally going to discover a new crevice. It had been weeks since they last found one.
Zystetus grew a small smile. Seemingly only growing aware of it a second late, it quickly faded, and his eyes hardened as he sharply drew in air. He was in no situation to sit nonchalantly as if this was the good old days of cave extrapolation. He needed to be aware of his surroundings. He needed to be careful. Judging by the hollowed sound of his pickaxe on the stone. He should have only a couple more feet to dig through. Although growing tired, Zystetus was going to push through. A new crevice meant his team could leave earlier to report their finding. Not wanting to waste time, Zystetus mustered as much energy remaining in him to chip away the stone. Bit by bit a grander hole formed. The entire surface eventually collapsed to confirm the cavernous pocket. Waves of relief rippled beneath his mask as he turned towards his coworkers, perhaps happy to show that they wouldn’t need to work further for today. But to his horror, not a single Matoran was present. The only thing Zystetus could make out was a tiny, yellow glow of lightstones strewn across the cavern’s floor in the distance far beyond where he was now.
Zystetus felt chains hold down his feet, strangling him more so than ever before. The quiet silence was a dagger to his throat. And so, like a small animal, he found himself quickly rushing into the uncovered cavern in front of him. His muscles moved before his own brain even had the chance to react. He held his pickaxe tight to his heart. Without the presence of lightstones, Darkness quickly swallowed his surroundings as he blindly motioned forward. His thoughts were scrambled more than ever. He relied on instincts as a Matoran of Earth to get through. He stumbled and tripped past unseen rugged protrusions. The beating of his heart roared throughout his mind. He tried to piece his thoughts to understand what just had happened.
What got to his coworkers? They were all in the mining tunnels they made. There was no Rahi, no terrain within sight that could’ve done this. The pit forming within Zystetus’s stomach only pushed to confirm the very idea he hated to think the most. Perhaps there was indeed a something. A something that was targeting the mining tunnels. A something that was targeting him and his team.
He had to escape. To let the others in the village know. To realize the weight of the danger before them all. He might have not seen anything. He might not have the solid proof he so earnestly hoped to obtain. But that didn’t matter. This was beyond strange, and he could at least rule out everything about the old rumors. Almost everything at the very most.
Zystetus’s heavy thoughts clouded his judgement as the muscles which moved so independently before collapsed in confusion. He found himself colliding straight into a wall. Pain seared the Onu-Matoran’s body thoroughly as sharp rocks flayed him. A maddening pulse overtook his psyche. His breathing grew unstable. He needed to catch his breath. To desperately hide where he was. He suspected that the ‘something’ knew he was still here. He didn’t know if all the running was helpful to whatever lurked in the shadows, but it was too late to think about that. He needed to stash himself away and wait. He didn’t know how long he would have to sit still. Every minute felt like an agonizing hour.
Zystetus slowly drew his bearings. A lurch of fear resurfaced as he gazed from the direction he came from. A light had appeared. But it was not the golden hue of a lightstone. The light bled a bright red. Constantly shifting as if made of water. Zystetus held tightly to the wall behind him, trying his best to keep calm. He needed to look for a way out, but he found his entered body was paralyzed. He was going to be found. He knew it. He internally screamed to get moving. The Onu-Matoran took in another sharp, painful breath. He closed his eyes, feeling his chest close to bursting.
He heard a boom as dust was kicked up in the darkness. Was that a rock? He thought to himself. He did not dare move his gaze from the red, swirling light. It was still quite far from his location. He must’ve ran a fair distance. But the Onu-Matoran didn’t have time to register anything further. He felt something wrap around his body as he was lifted from the ground below. The sudden attack behind him made the Onu-Matoran drop his pickaxe, the only real weapon he had. The echo of its sound clattering to the ground caused his eyes to frantically swing between the crimson light and the silhouette grasping him. He failed to pay attention to the crumbling of stone being brushed away by his captor until a slight tightening sensation made him aware that he was ascending. The figure’s actions confused him. He was cornered, wasn’t he? Zystetus believed that his captor would’ve brought him straight to the red glow. Not farther away from it. Not like he had the agency to freely think given his current predicament.
Eventually the scrapping stopped as the invisible force which held him found purchase. The Onu-Matoran saw an opportunity and began to struggle for release. His captor let him go in response but before he could do anything else he felt a new pressure tighten upon his body as his captor pinned him down with what felt like serrated claws on his back. He tried to struggle a moment longer before exhaustion fully took over. Giving up, his stricken gaze shifted to try and get a better look at his captor, but the darkness prevented seeing anything. He tried to peer back to the red light instead, seeing it ever farther now, far below.
The shifting red light motioned eerily slow through the cavern. Following the very path, he had taken. It didn’t move with confidence but rather a shifting motion as if it was exploring the path. As the light’s approach persisted, Zystetus started to make out the thing more clearly. It wasn’t a simple light, but rather a flame. A large one at that. The very glow of the fire revealed some bits of its holder as it flared in the gloom.
The being looked terrible. Its body laid hunched to the ground. It had a rather long neck which constantly moved about akin to a snake. And a blade-like tail which constantly gleamed from the fire beside it. The thing came to his pickaxe, shifting its head ever more erratically. It crawled to another side of the cave just a few feet from Zystetus’s original location. The flames motioned over revealing a massive chasm below. Zystetus lurched wondering what could’ve happened if he was just a bit unlucky in his blind escape.
Unfortunately, Zystetus couldn’t make out anything further from the creature before it shirked away. With the being gone, the Onu-Matoran tried to ■■■■■ back to his captor, recovering a bit during the reprise to try and find a way out. But his captor didn’t give him much opportunity to try. He felt his torso tighten once again as the rush of still air brushed past him. The black sight before him didn’t give away much but clearly, they were traveling through some winding tunnels. Helpless to try anything else, Zystetus helplessly waited. He would have to abide for an opportunity. One of which involved getting to one of the sites he had prepared. He was going to get out of this situation. No matter how long it took. He needed to tell the village that the Matoran are being targeted in Ores Nui. Everyone needed to know.
Zystetus couldn’t tell how much time had passed as he waited. But as the gale settled down, he heard a phenomenon he never once encountered in all the months he had been operating in Ores Nui. A small ring. Like the musical blow into bamboo.
Zystetus found his eyes adjusting to the blind array of colorful crystals. The tune left him mesmerized as his captor gently dropped him in front of it all. The gesture puzzled him. He peered back as to get a more sufficient picture of his captor, but it quickly dashed off. All he could make out was a silver sheen of a four-legged beast.
He turned back to the song presented before him. It was an arrangement of crystals that showcased a mystical beauty. Its fragile hum comforted him, washing him away from all his fears, anxieties, and troubles. He felt compelled to touch them. Particularly drawn to one that gleamed like a brilliant onyx. The song grew louder and the cloudy vision felt like no pillow before. Wondrous memories came back to him. Of when he first signed on to the Ores Nui project. Of joyful times with his fellow Matoran. But equal sights of horrors reminded him of his scars. His slavery on Voya Nui. And the terrible red flame which prowled in the dark. He reeled back. Brought back to reality from his own terrors. His gaze hardened. No . He thought to himself. He shouldn’t be going about getting serendipitous with some crystals right now. He needed to travel back and report the thing he saw.
Zystetus’s steeled himself, allowing his mind to travel back to the memory of the bloody fire and its monstrous companion. Now that he had likely put that thing behind him and regained his bearings. All he needed to do is find a way out to warn the Turaga Sqikus of what he saw. Escaping shouldn’t be too hard as a Matoran of the Earth. And it truly is about time everyone learned of the terrible secret behind the disappearing Matoran.