Episode 20: A Forest

  Coordinates: Colombian Rainforest (Near Vereda District)

  Behind him, the monsoon continued its relentless assault, flickering with the violent strobes of lightning. But before Drapa lay an expanse of lush, primeval forest stretching as far as the eye could see. He hovered above the canopy, scanning the horizon for signs of civilization. Yet, no matter how hard he looked, all he found was a vast sea of emerald green, seemingly devoid of any human presence.

  His hunger and frustration began to boil over until his patience finally snapped. Drapa detonated his Super Sonic power, surging across the area in a desperate attempt to scout for a village. The roar of his sonic booms ripped through the forest, shaking the very earth beneath him. Massive treetops bent and swayed under the repeated shockwaves, while creatures of all kinds fled in terror, and flocks of jungle birds scattered into the sky in a chaotic frenzy.

  However, the faster he flew, the more the surrounding miles remained silent. There was only timber and void; not a single rooftop appeared as he had hoped.

  Drapa screeched to a halt in mid-air. Self-loathing surged through him, but the exhaustion gnawing at his bones served as a stark reminder: ‘The more power I use... the more I deplete.’ He finally surrendered to the situation, slowly descending until his feet touched the damp, vine-tangled earth.

  “I suppose I really must calm down...” he muttered to himself in the dim shadows beneath the canopy. “Master... I have wandered so far off course. I wonder which generation of lamas is guarding Kailash by now? I wish I could go back to being your little disciple again... Master of the 10th Generation.”

  Memories of the past and the serene teachings of the 10th Generation Lama flickered in his consciousness. Drapa sank down, sitting cross-legged upon the massive roots of an ancient tree. He closed his eyes, striving to extinguish his turbulent thoughts, and began a high-level meditation to absorb the pure energy of this primordial forest to heal his weary body.

  ———————————————————————————————————————

  Coordinates: Amazonas Basin – Special Operations Zone

  Deep within the dim and treacherous rainforest, The Globalist Force—twelve superhuman soldiers clad in obsidian-black V-Sonic armor—glided silently over the stagnant, murky waters.

  Beneath them lay a swamp choked with thick layers of decaying timber and ancient debris. This brutal terrain, a natural fortress impassable for ordinary men, was nothing more than a playground for them. The twelve soldiers headed straight for their target coordinates, searching for "something" under the secret command of Master Hoto.

  Yet, amidst the oppressive silence, hundreds of eyes watched them from the shadows of the wilderness.

  “Switch to thermal imaging... and you’ll see we have plenty of ‘friends’ waiting to welcome us,” the team leader said calmly through the internal comms of his helmet.

  As everyone switched modes, their heat-signature displays flared to life. The screens revealed silhouettes of indigenous tribesmen lurking within the thickets. But what caused the team to pause was the massive thermal signature of a “Giant”standing tall, camouflaged not far away.

  “They probably see us flying through the air and assume we’re gods! Hahaha!” The team leader’s arrogant laughter crackled over the radio, completely unaware that within the silence of that forest, something far "older" than their technology was lying in wait.

  “Commander, Miller just informed us that Master Hoto has ordered Lord Ben to rendezvous with our unit. He is currently en route and expected to arrive shortly. Most notably... Lord Ben is traveling via Master Hoto’s private vessel,” the comms officer reported, his voice tinged with deep reverence.

  “Sending his top disciple like Lord Ben for this?” the team leader frowned beneath his mask. “Even though we are practically at the target’s doorstep already?”

  Despite his doubts, he ordered the team to press on toward the coordinates until they arrived at a colossal clearing in the heart of the rainforest. Before them lay a vast, stagnant lagoon—wide enough to easily accommodate a sprawling mansion.

  “The signal ends here... right in the center of this pool.” The leader ordered a halt, hovering motionless as he scanned the perimeter.

  The atmosphere surrounding the lagoon was eerily silent, enough to make one's skin crawl. Only the sound of the wind rustling through the canopy remained, as if the entire forest were holding its breath, watching their intrusion. One soldier, who still had his thermal imaging active, reported through the comms with a wavering voice.

  “Commander... those tribesmen and that giant, they haven't moved. They’re still lurking in the shadows, watching us from a distance.”

  Those eyes staring from the darkness and the unnaturally calm waters were telling Hoto’s disciples one thing: whatever lay beneath might not be welcoming them with open arms.

  “The object the Master ordered us to find... it must be submerged at the bottom of this lagoon,” one soldier remarked, staring down at the mirror-like surface of the water. “But the question is, who’s going down? What are the depth limits of our V-Sonic suits? We haven’t actually tested these in the water since we put them on.”

  “They are definitely submersible. I just consulted the helmet’s AI system a moment ago,” another soldier replied quickly, trying to ease the collective anxiety.

  “I truly apologize to everyone...” the team leader spoke with a hint of guilt in his voice. “I should have studied the technical specifications of our suits more thoroughly. I never anticipated our mission would lead us to a point requiring a deep-water dive like this.”

  However, he swiftly brushed aside his guilt and snapped back into command mode. “Scanner Unit! Move to the center of the lagoon immediately. Inspect the surface and scan deep beneath. See if there are any obstacles or traps that could jeopardize our dive. Execute!”

  Two soldiers from the scanner unit promptly surged toward the center of the pool. Sensor arrays on their forearms and visors whirred to life, casting blue laser beams that swept across the water into the dark abyss below. Meanwhile, the leader and the remaining soldiers spread out, hovering in a defensive perimeter around the lagoon, their eyes scanning every direction—ready for anything that might leap from the dense jungle or the deadly depths below.

  ————————————————————————————————————————

  The Prom Chamber of Mount Kailash: A Kingdom Rises from Slumber

  After a long day filled with miraculous events, everyone had dispersed to rest in various secure corners of the cavern. They remained under the strict command of Ren, who had forbidden anyone from stepping outside. The situation beyond the mountain remained ambiguous; it was unclear if the Indian army had withdrawn or if new adversaries had surrounded the peak. Furthermore, Kailash’s formidable security systems had completely severed all external communications, making it impossible to contact Yamantau.

  While the others slept, Ren remained in intense conversation with Prom, speaking in an ancient and complex Tefa dialect far beyond any human comprehension.

  By now, the Prom Chamber had transformed beyond recognition. The original foundations had expanded into a vast expanse, now housing colossal automatons and powerful drilling machinery. Suddenly, a swarm of small, eight-legged spider-like robots—each roughly the size of a hen—poured out from conduits beneath the Prom base. They scurried past the ranks of larger robots, heading toward a newly excavated tunnel near the main plaza.

  As these spider-bots descended into the new passage, they emerged into a gargantuan subterranean hall recently conjured into existence. Inside was a cutting-edge industrial facility being rapidly constructed by various specialized robots. The complex included high-impact mining sectors for rare minerals, high-temperature processing units, and precision molding stations for specialized alloys.

  These spider-bots were, in fact, master "Welding Technicians." Once they reached their stations, their eight mechanical limbs moved with blur-like agility. Flashes of welding sparks began to illuminate the cavern hall—a clear signal that a secret project between Ren and Prom was being brought to life, forged in preparation for the impending war.

  Amidst the rhythmic drone of the tireless machinery, a mechanical iris within Prom slid open silently. An object, resembling a sphere intricately woven from delicate metallic wires, rolled out and came to a rest directly before Ren.

  Ren stooped to pick it up, examining it with a somber intensity. He then turned to address the void behind him, as if sensing a presence lurking in the shadows. “Doing this... is far too dangerous.”

  He fell silent for a heartbeat before uttering a sentence that seemed to vibrate through the very stillness of the chamber. “Return to your body and speak with me plainly... there is no need to project your spirit to spy on me in this manner.”

  At Ren’s words, the spirit of Master Tenzin, who had been hovering in an invisible state of observation, recoiled in utter shock! He had never imagined that Ren could detect a spiritual frequency so subtle and refined.

  In a flash, his consciousness surged back toward his physical form, which sat in deep meditation within the ancient Tibetan-style house in the Eco-Dome zone. The old lama’s body jerked violently as his soul re-entered its vessel. He gasped for air, his heart racing in panic, before hastily rising to his feet and heading straight for the Prom Chamber to confront Ren face-to-face.

  The moment Master Tenzin stepped into the Prom Chamber, he froze in sheer astonishment. The army of robots he had seen only hours ago had multiplied exponentially, as if they were capable of self-replication. The very state of the chamber had evolved, appearing now as if it had been plucked from the most flourishing civilization in the universe.

  “How did you know... that I was observing you through astral projection?” Tenzin asked, the lingering doubt finally finding voice.

  “Because I am the foremost expert in telepathy within this realm,” Ren replied, his voice calm yet radiating immense power. “The spiritual echoes of everyone here never escape my perception.”

  Tenzin scanned the room, which was now congested with machinery. “These countless robots... whether they are microscopic dust-sized units or those with distinct, physical forms, I can somewhat comprehend. But this sphere of woven wires in your hand... what exactly is it?”

  “This?” Ren tossed the symmetrical, tennis-ball-sized object nonchalantly into the air. “Right now, it is merely an ordinary coil of woven wire... but look closely.”

  Ren uttered a specific code in the Tefa dialect to Prom before placing the wire sphere onto a metallic tray. Instantly, Prom’s mechanisms moved with blinding speed; dozens of slender, black filaments—resembling miniature octopus tentacles—shot out and pierced specific points of the coil with surgical precision. Blue sparks pulsed rhythmically, as if "Soul" itself were being injected into the lifeless metal…

  The moment the internal glow flared within the wire sphere, the mechanical tentacles retracted into the Prom base with fluid speed, as if having fulfilled a sacred rite. Ren turned to meet the gaze of the elder lama, who stood frozen in awe.

  “For now, Prom is not yet ready to mass-produce these... but since you are the first to be here, I shall entrust this one to you,” Ren said. Using his telekinetic will, he guided the sphere—now pulsating with rhythmic, starlight-like flickers as if it were breathing—directly into Tenzin’s hands.

  “This is 'Pon' (Blessing)...” Ren revealed its name. “If we were to speak in terms of lineage, it is the grandchild of Prom. Or to put it more simply, it is a spiritual communication interface that will allow you to link with the Prom system from anywhere, without ever needing to step foot inside this chamber again.”

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  Tenzin reached out with trembling hands to receive the object. He gazed down at the sphere, which felt weightless yet hummed with a strange, formidable power. He looked back up at Ren, bewildered. “How does it function, My Lord...? How am I to use it?”

  “In that case... follow me.”

  Ren offered no further verbal explanation but instead drifted gracefully off the floor. He led Tenzin out of the mechanical hall, heading back toward the Eco-Dome zone above to demonstrate the true potency of 'Pon' before his very eyes.

  As the pair entered the Eco-Dome zone, their eyes fell upon Victor and Yuri, who were engaged in a distant discussion amidst the lush greenery.

  “Since you are now capable of communicating fluently with Prom in the Tibetan tongue... from this moment on, you may speak with Prom through this 'Pon' immediately,” Ren said calmly, gesturing toward the wire sphere in the old lama’s hands. “There is no longer a need to travel on foot to the chamber below, nor must you worry that Prom will be unable to respond if it is already conversing with another. Prom’s capabilities far exceed anything you can imagine; it can engage in dialogue with millions of people simultaneously in the blink of an eye.”

  Master Tenzin stood agape, his face etched with astonishment at a capability that sounded more like the divine omnipotence of a supreme deity.

  “Give it a try... speak to Prom right now,” Ren encouraged.

  Despite a lingering trepidation toward the strange new object in his hands, Tenzin decided to follow the instruction. The elder lama sank to his knees upon the grass with the utmost reverence. He raised ‘Pon’ high above his head with both hands, preparing to perform a formal invocation ceremony.

  “You... really don’t need to go that far,” Ren interjected, hiding a small smile at the other’s strict adherence to ritual. “Just speak normally, as you would to me. Prom can already hear your voice.”

  Master Tenzin lowered his hands and returned to a normal posture, albeit somewhat reluctantly. Although Ren insisted this was mere technology, within the old lama’s soul, he remained steadfast in his belief that Prom was Lord Brahma—the Creator of the World, deserving of the highest possible worship.

  Finally, Tenzin gathered his courage and spoke to 'Pon' in his familiar Tibetan tongue. Instantly, the wire sphere in his hands vibrated subtly, and a voice resonated back in flawless Tibetan, with a clarity that was unmistakable. Tenzin’s eyes widened with pure joy.

  “You should bestow a name upon your 'Pon',” Ren suggested. “From this moment forth, this object belongs to you alone. Prom’s system has already recognized and recorded your identity, marking this as your personal interface. If you choose not to name it, you may continue to address it as Prom, but I recommend having a unique name for it.”

  Ren continued to explain the capabilities of this new tool. “This 'Pon' will grant you access to a vast treasury of knowledge, no different from Prom itself—provided the connection remains stable. Within these caverns, there are no issues. However, should the day come when you must step out into the outside world, I will need to install a network of signal relays at intervals to maintain the link back here.”

  “'Pon' can act as Prom’s surrogate in almost every respect...” Ren paused, glancing toward the shadows beneath the earth. “However... should you command the production of any objects or materials, you must travel to the Prom base or the processing facility I am currently constructing to collect them yourselves.”

  Victor and Yuri arrived just in time to join Ren and Tenzin. Ren decided to recount the story and explain the mechanics of "Pon" to the pair once more, choosing to keep no secrets from them.

  “In that case, it is no different from a cutting-edge communication network,” Victor analyzed with a strategist’s eye. “As long as there is a signal relay, we can access Prom’s colossal database from anywhere.”

  “It’s a supercomputer masquerading as a deity, plain and simple,” Yuri added, gazing at the wire sphere in the old lama’s hands with awe. “Prom is like an AI that has consolidated the wisdom of the universe. But what sets it far above the AI of our world is that it doesn't just generate images or videos upon command... it can actually ‘Gen’ or manifest physical objects into existence.”

  She paused for a thought before blurting out her hypothesis. “Does that mean the underlying mechanism involves commanding a massive swarm of Nanobots to assemble and function according to a set program? Is that it, Lord Ren?”

  Ren offered a satisfied smile at the young woman’s brilliance. “Precisely, Yuri... and that is the origin of the title you have bestowed upon him throughout the ages: ‘Brahma the Creator.’ For Prom does not merely create imagination; he constructs ‘Reality’ through the systematic organization of those microscopic particles.”

  “Upon your chest... why is there a light flickering like a warning?” Tenzin asked in confusion. He had only just noticed a certain device concealed within Ren’s attire.

  Both Yuri and Victor moved closer to inspect Ren’s chest simultaneously. What appeared was a weave of exquisite metallic wires, interlaced in a manner similar to 'Pon', yet flattened and perfectly flush against the fabric of his chest. Its shape resembled a five-pointed star radiating outward like the sun—a design that looked cutting-edge and pulsed with the energy circulating within.

  “This?” Ren looked down at the emblem on his own chest before meeting Tenzin’s eyes. “Take the 'Pon' in your hand and press it against your chest... then, simply say, ‘Become one with me.’ Use any language you desire, for at this moment, Prom has already accessed all of your spirits... and you shall witness a miracle with your own eyes.”

  The surrounding atmosphere suddenly fell into a dead silence. Every gaze was fixed on Tenzin’s trembling hands. He slowly moved the wire sphere toward his chest, following Ren’s guidance, while Victor and Yuri watched on, their breath held in suspense.

  Master Tenzin, his eyes still brimming with clear trepidation, gathered his resolve to follow Ren’s instruction. Seeing the encouraging, excited gazes of Yuri and Victor, he slowly pressed 'Pon' against his chest and uttered a faint vow... “Become one with me...”

  In that instant, a miracle laced with horror unfolded!

  The wire sphere in his hand suddenly stirred like a living organism. It sprouted hundreds of needle-thin metallic tendrils that latched onto his lama robes before piercing through the fabric, burrowing rapidly into the skin of Tenzin’s chest!

  “Aaarrghhh!” The old lama let out a harrowing cry of agony. He turned to Ren with a look of betrayal, frantically trying to wrench the deathly coils from his body. However, Ren remained eerily calm. He used his superior telekinetic will to pin Tenzin’s hands at his sides, rendering him unable to move an inch.

  “Endure just a moment longer... this pain is only fleeting,” Ren spoke in a flat, steady tone. “I neglected to warn you that if you wish for less pain, you must command it with a gentler spirit... Command it again, Tenzin! My voice cannot interfere with the system; only you, as its master, can control it!”

  The surrounding atmosphere was thick with shock. Yuri and Victor’s faces went pale at the sight. Even the divine beasts guarding the gates—the bull and the giant serpent—reared their heads in bewilderment at the chaos. The energy surging from this symbiotic fusion vibrated throughout the entire Eco-Dome.

  'Pon' gradually shifted its form, flattening itself against Tenzin’s skin. However, the resulting shape appeared distorted and asymmetrical—resembling a tangled wire "fried egg" slapped haphazardly onto his chest, much to the lingering bewilderment of the onlookers.

  As the searing agony began to ebb away, a profound tranquility took its place. Even the divine bull and the giant serpent, which had slithered closer to investigate, stood perfectly still.

  Tenzin opened his eyes, and the gaze within them had transformed as if he were a different being entirely. “I see it now... I can feel His profound depth. I am one with Brahma... I perceive all things far more expansively than my eyes have ever seen!”

  Ren offered a satisfied smile, while Victor, Yuri, and Chris remained baffled by the unfolding events. “As for the rest... you shall have to ask Tenzin yourselves what it feels like when the spirit merges with 'Pon'.”

  Ren swept his gaze across the group with grim earnestness. “Ultimately, every one of you must receive this tool... including Vasu, Nonthi, and O-ku. Everyone must carry this to prepare for what is to come.”

  He paused for a heartbeat before speaking, as a radiant energy flared from the emblem on his own chest. “My Pon has just signaled a notification... a new 'Pon' unit has just finished production.”

  Ren turned to face the remaining members, his eyes searching each of them with heavy expectation. “Now... who should I bestow it upon next?”

  ————————————————————————————————————————

  The Dead Lagoon: Descent into the Infinite Abyss

  At the heart of the mysterious lagoon, two Globalist Force soldiers hovered motionlessly above a water surface that appeared as smooth as a polished mirror. However, the data flashing across the HUD (Heads-Up Display) inside their helmets told a far more unsettling story than what the naked eye could see.

  “Commander, the pool is choked with ancient branches and decaying trunks, piled into a dense thicket beneath the surface...” the scanning officer reported, his voice tight with tension. “But here’s the anomaly: our scanners cannot determine the depth of the lagoon at all. The signal seems unable to reach the bottom, as if there is an infinite void lurking beneath us.”

  “It seems a dive is truly unavoidable,” the team leader replied cautiously over the radio. “Since we didn't bring any underwater reconnaissance drones, Scout Unit—check your V-Sonic pressure compensation and oxygen systems immediately! Verify your depth limits and operational window. Most importantly, ensure the scanners transmit a live, real-time feed back to the command center so the tactical team can evaluate the situation as it unfolds. Execute!”

  “Copy that!”

  As the command echoed, the two scouts plummeted from the air, slamming into the water with a heavy "Splash!" Their figures, clad in cutting-edge armor, vanished into the murky depths, leaving only expanding ripples on the surface—all under the suspenseful gaze of their teammates hovering in a defensive perimeter around the lagoon.

  The footage transmitted from the helmet cams of the two soldiers revealed an alien underwater world. Unfamiliar creatures darted through ancient, gnarled roots as they descended further. As they plummeted deeper, the absolute darkness began to swallow everything, forcing them to ignite high-intensity floodlights to pierce the void below.

  “Depth at 100 meters, sir... still no sign of the bottom!” The soldier’s voice began to distort, breaking under heavy interference. “But... the signal coordinates provided by Master Hoto... they’re... they’re getting stronger... It feels like we’re closing in... static... crackle...”

  Suddenly, both video and audio feeds from the two soldiers cut out completely, leaving behind nothing but a screen of cold, empty static. The team leader screamed into the comms in a frantic attempt to re-establish contact, but only an eerie, chilling silence answered back.

  Amidst the growing panic, the environment surrounding the lagoon underwent a violent transformation.

  Giant trees that had stood in serene stillness for centuries began to shudder. What started as a subtle vibration escalated into a bone-shaking tremor that made the earth groan. Withered leaves cascaded onto the water's surface like a brown rainstorm. Wildlife bolted from the undergrowth in a desperate flight for survival, and hundreds of birds took to the sky, momentarily blotting out the sun.

  A deep, grinding roar echoed from beneath the crust... as if this entire forest were not merely a collection of trees, but a colossal “Living Organism” stretching its limbs to welcome the intruders!

  The remaining ten soldiers ground to a halt, forming a tight defensive circle with their backs pressed together as they retreated toward the center of the now-turbulent waters. Eyes behind V-Sonic visors were locked onto the edge of the forest, which had descended into total chaos. The tribesmen and the giant who had been silently lurking now broke cover, fleeing from the dense undergrowth in a desperate, life-or-death scramble.

  “Even that giant is running... what the hell is about to come out of there?!” one soldier shouted through the comms, his voice trembling with dread.

  The lagoon's surface, once as still as glass, began to churn with massive bubbles. What started as a few ripples quickly escalated into a violent, frothing boil. The ten soldiers decided to fall back from the center, seeking firmer footing at the water's edge. Each gripped their weapons tight, ready to open fire on whatever might surge from the forest shadows or the deadly depths of the pool.

  The tremors intensified until the water surged into massive waves crashing against the shore. A low, guttural roar vibrated from beneath the murky surface. The surrounding atmosphere was thick with a crushing pressure—a force that the V-Sonic technology simply could not quantify. Every soldier held their breath, eyes wide and unblinking, staring at the heart of the lagoon as the Great Transformation began…

  BOOM!!!

  The churning surface of the lagoon erupted violently. A massive surge of water shot toward the sky, drenching the ten soldiers as a thick mist of foam and spray momentarily blinded them. As the curtain of water finally fell back into the pool, the sight that emerged nearly caused their hearts to stop.

  A massive, bright red forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air amidst the lingering foam. But the most horrifying detail was the bodies of the two scout soldiers—still clutched beneath those jaws, limp and powerless!

  As the mist cleared, the grand and terrifying truth was revealed... it was a Great Anaconda, of a scale far beyond anything ever recorded in human history. Its head was as colossal as a car, with iridescent black scales that reflected the armor’s lights with an eerie sheen. Amber-yellow eyes, burning with predatory instinct, scanned the perimeter before locking onto the group of ten soldiers with chilling focus.

  In an instant, the giant serpent flicked its head once, whisking the two unfortunate soldiers into its dark, gaping gullet—swallowing them whole right before their teammates' eyes!

  “FIRE!!!”

  A command roared through the comms. The remaining ten soldiers didn't hesitate; they unleashed their fury, raining down every weapon they possessed upon the beast. A hailstorm of heavy machine-gun fire shrieked through the forest, while flamethrowers spewed tongues of orange-red fire at the giant's frame, hoping to incinerate its thick scales to ash!

  “We are under ambush! Repeat—we are engaged with a colossal lifeform!” The team leader’s voice shrieked as he reported back to Command. The live feed from the V-Sonic suits and reconnaissance drones surged through satellite links, bypassing Navy systems, and funneled directly into the secret control room at Area 51—landing right before the eyes of Master Hoto.

  While the command center screens were bathed in the crimson glare of emergency alerts, a single vessel drifted silently above the fierce battlefield, coming to a dead halt in mid-air.

  “How shall we proceed, Master...? I have arrived at the coordinates and am witnessing the situation firsthand,” Lord Benspoke through the comms. His tone remained eerily calm, contrasting sharply with the mayhem unfolding below. Two pilots held the craft steady, hovering directly over the frantic group of ten soldiers.

  Beneath them, the remaining troops desperately unloaded their entire arsenal. A hailstorm of bullets and incendiary explosives slammed into the Great Anaconda’s frame without mercy. Yet, the miracle of advanced weaponry failed to manifest... The giant serpent, having just engorged two victims, remained poised and towering. Its thick, armored scales deflected the incoming rounds as if they were hitting a wall of solid steel. It showed not a single flinch of pain, nor the slightest hint of distress.

  The beast’s amber gaze remained fixed on the soldiers, watching them as if they were nothing more than bothersome insects!

  —————————————————————————————— Ruth VT-Hin ————