Dark on the Waters [Dark Data]

[Proto Man]

Proto Man rushed toward to locations now marked on his GPS. As he traveled, his CPU worked overtime to download as many reports on the darkling attacks as it could. From how things sounded, the attacks had been going on for a while, affecting all of the verses to some extent. Everywhere except for the Ashen Steppes and the Vasty Deep, groups of heroes and mercenaries had banded together to try and stem the tide.

Did the size of this place prevent such actions? Was the Ashen Steppes so inhospitable that people had just let these creatures go unchecked?

The email from Doctor Regal laid out all the information on the creatures. Supposedly, they originated from hidden verses, and they were gradually corrupting the Omniverse through use of some power that stemmed from something called darkchips. The information wasn’t overly detailed, which made sense since the email appeared to be sent out in mass. What was important, however, was that it provided a few coordinates to lead interested parties to recruiters. With those coordinates punched into his system, Proto Man and Rush sped toward the location.

After a few hours and a pair of pitstops to recalibrate some of his subsystems, Proto Man and Rush found themselves descending onto a small fishing vehicle gently swaying in the ocean. Even at this distance from the warzone, the water seemed strange. While there was certainly a large amount of diluted oil and other fuels, a quick scan also showed materials that weren’t commonly associated with the industrial byproduct of the Empire. Whatever this infection was, it seemed to affect everything, much like the Blight.

With a dull thud, Proto Man hopped down from the Rush Jet and steadied himself as the little boat rocked beneath the weight of his metal body. A small vessel, the people manning it rushed from the helm and drew weapons, prompting Proto Man to lift his hands into the air. When Rush dropped onto a boat a few minutes later, he likewise sat on his haunches and raised his front paws in an attempt to show their non-hostile intentions.

“Identify yourselves,” one of the men shouted.

“My name is Proto Man, and this is my dog, Rush.” The answer caused the man to furrow his brow and slightly relax his grip on the weapon. Did his name still carry some value in this day and age? “I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but I received one of those emails from a Mister Doctor Regal. It mentioned something about darklings?”

“You haven’t heard?” Another of the sailors asked. “The fucking things are running rampant in this place. There’s a whole massive chunk of this verse that’s under siege by the creatures… villages and islands crumbling as we speak. The Empire’s engaged in a massive naval engagement near Blue Flame Island. The whole situation is spiraling out of control.”

“I’m here to help… do you guys work for Mister Regal or what?”

“Yes,” the first speaker replied as he set down his gun and vanished into the helm of the ship. He returned a moment later with what seemed to be a wristband. “Doctor Regal had these fabricated for anyone who sought to fight the darklings. It will help you, we promise.”

Proto Man stepped forward and retrieved the wristband from the captain of the vessel. The machine slipped it over his hand and watched as the device constricted so it fit snuggly against his wrist. A few lights flickered before a handful of notifications popped up on the android’s visual display. Although it seemed relatively mundane, the accessory was most certainly an aide—it was generated a light protective field around his body. Further integration into his own systems showed that the device would allow him to read and decipher the dark chips.

“How do I help?” Proto Man asked. “Where should I go?”

“You need to find the stronghold,” the captain said as he produced a rolled-up piece of paper from his belt. He unfurled it to reveal a map of the surrounding regions. While it had perhaps once been a very nice image, it was now marred with dozens of marks denoting points of interest, ‘bad zones,’ and question marks. “We tried to scout some of the outer lying areas before the attacks got too heavy. Blue Flame Island, as we mentioned, is essentially lost. The place has become a factory of sorts...” the man moved his finger to another marker. “We fear Sabaody Archipelago will likewise be overrun by the darklings.”

“So, do you have a guess as to where they coming from?”

The captain shrugged his shoulders as he gestured to a large region at the center of the map. “Based on where the first large-scale attacks originated, it could very well be somewhere here, but the region is too violent for anyone to scout. If we can’t blunt the attacks, the darklings will steadily keep pouring into the Deep.”

“Then we blunt the attacks,” Proto Man stated matter-of-factly as he pressed a thumb against Sabaody Archipelago. “Save these people.” He slid his finger over the Blue Flame Island. “Shatter the factory… then the Empire can help pacify the region.”

“You think they’ll help?”

Proto Man smiled. “Gosh, they better, unless they want to waste more lives and materiel out here.”

“Good point,” the captain muttered as he rolled up the map. Proto Man, who had already scanned the contents and uploaded it to his own files, set a location marker on his HUD and turned to Rush.

“Let’s go, Boy. I hope you’re ready.”

Rush, who had a small language dictionary, opted instead to let out a sturdy bark as he shifted into his Jet mode. Hopping onboard, Proto Man smiled to the crew of the little anchored ship. “Be safe, fellas!” He shouted as Rush and he zipped off into the thick of combat.

As Proto Man left, the sailors exchanged worried expressions. “That was the Proto Man, wasn’t it? The one that hung around with the Mouse?” One of them asked to a fellow crewman.

“Sounds like the Mouse, that’s for sure.” Another sailor snickered. “You remember when that looney in the red suit fed the Mouse his pet and then chopped his hand off to wear as a jockstrap?”

“This ain’t the time!” The captain barked, silencing the two crewmen for the time being.