Colossus By Choice: Book 1 Verse 22

3001 P.G.E. (Post-Godzilla Era)

[Universal Date: Day 120]
[Planet: Pyrestar]
[Capital: Silver Sun City]

[Location: Silver Sun City – eastern market district]

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With the Anjanath outside having been repelled for the time being, Taum and his companions were able to head through the eastern gate into the market district.

Tarbo Haw, the group’s Rapteaglet archaeological guide and key to accessing the Human ruins beneath Silver Sun Mountain, is currently negotiating with the Defence Watch who are watching the gate. While he’s busy hammering out the terms of their visitation, the others catch up with Pianoto and his family who have made it in safely thanks to their efforts; Taum, Skrill, and Cerato Falc converse with Pianoto while Yun-Tao lifts up one of his hatchlings with motherly joy.


(Pianoto): Thank you so very much, son.

(Taum): It was nothing at all, really. I’m just glad your family made it in.

(Pianoto): How’re you feeling? Getting kicked by an Anjanath is no laughing matter even for veteran hunters.


The Draconi youngling and unofficial leader of the group rubs his stomach and winces a little.


(Taum): I’ll admit, I’ve had better days, but those potions are working their magic right now. So what forced you to evacuate from your home?

(Pianoto): It was a nightmare. A Deviljho came sniffing around the farm.

(Taum): Oh…. I’m so sorry. Is that why…. umm….

(Pianoto): Yeah. Shira did her damnedest to keep it away, even gave us time to whisk the newly hatched clutch away so that we could make our escape. But she didn’t stand a chance against that brute.


The Gameran farmer closes his eyes and breathes in deeply; merely thinking back on that moment clearly fills him with grief and sadness. However, he composes himself once more and looks to his wife and children. Although reflecting on how he ended up like this wasn’t pleasant, looking at Yun-Tao being utterly smitten with the adorable little Gameran hatchlings puts a small smile on his face.

The otherwise blunt and rather physically brash Oxbul forge-widow is very active while fawning over the little babies, she’s still gentle and never carries them in a way that would hurt them. She’s holding one of them up in her hands up to her face while another one is holding onto the back of her head. As she makes unintelligible baby noises to the hatchling she’s holding up to her face, the little one suddenly sneezes a puff of fire that explodes into soot that covers her face; this gets quite a chuckle from everyone present, particularly the baby she’s holding.

Yun-Tao shakes the ashes off her face and laughs as well; she then puts down the baby Gameran back into the stroller; she grabs hold of the one behind her head and puts them into the baby carriage as well. She bends down and waves a little goodbye to them, to which the one that blasted her face responds in kind; she then walks up to rejoin Taum and the others.


(Yun-Tao): You got a lovely bunch of hatchlings there, Pianoto.

(Pianoto): Thank you. They hatched from their eggs just a few hours before we were forced to evacuate. I still can’t thank all of you enough for saving my family.

(Yun-Tao): Part of our mission is ensuring that a beast more monstrous than even the gluttonous Deviljho doesn’t walk free.


Cerato Falc’s eccentric archaeologist uncle comes over to the group after clearing things up with the Defence Watch.


(Tarbo Haw): Sorry to interrupt, but I’ve negotiated our passage into the Human ruins.

(Pianoto): Not at all. I was just thanking this fine group of adventurers on saving my family. We’ll be fine on our own, now.

(Tarbo Haw): Alright then, let’s head out everyone!


Tarbo Haw whistles for a taxi nearby; the Aptonoth-driven cart pulls up next to the gathering. One by one, each member of this little party steps on; only Taum and Cerato Falc are left. The youngling Rapteaglet walks up to the back of the passenger seating of the carriage to step on, but she stops mid-way to look at the unofficial leader of this adventuring group; Taum is still standing in front of Pianoto, his wife, and their 4 hatchlings.

The Draconi youngling pulls out a large sac containing his cut of the earnings he received from Cerato Falc for completing the side quest to drive out the Jaggi that were threatening her farm; he hands it over to his family’s old friend.


(Taum): Here, just a little something to help you get your family back on their feet.

(Pianoto): Oh, you don’t need to—

(Taum): You said the guardian Gamera always encourages Gamerans to give food and shelter to those in need. And right now, you’re most certainly in need.


The giant Gameran farmer reluctantly takes hold of the large bag in his hand; even for his massive hands, the bag is sizable enough to take up most of his palm. He looks down on Taum with immense gratitude before putting his other arm around the Draconi youngling and hugging him tightly. After the warm embrace, Pianoto releases Taum.


(Pianoto): Thank you for everything, son.

(Taum): It’s no problem at all. Stay safe, okay?

(Pianoto): I will, little one. I will.


Taum waves goodbye to the Snapping Sonne family, to which they all respond in kind, hatchlings included. He then joins his companions and steps into the back of the cart to sit next to Cerato Falc and her uncle on the right seats; Skrill and Yun-Tao sit across from him in the left seats. With everyone seated, the taxi driver whips the reins and gets the Aptonoth going at a mild pace.

Taum turns his head to look at Cerato Falc, who looks back at him with a warm smile.


(Taum): What?

(Cerato Falc): You just gave away all of the reward money I gave you.

(Taum): You mad about that?

(Cerato Falc): Mad? I’ve never been happier to see my money be used for a good cause!

(Taum): That’s good to know then. So, Tarbo, what can you tell us about the ruins we’re heading to?

(Tarbo Haw): That’s a good question! You ever hear about--


A large pothole in the road formed from an explosion causes the cart to be shaken a bit, interrupting Tarbo Haw’s train of thought.


(Tarbo Haw): You ever hear about—


Another set of potholes interrupts Tarbo Haw yet again. After waiting a few seconds, the road seems to be clear enough once more for the Rapteaglet archaeologist to begin informing the group once more. He begins to open his mouth, but the passenger carriage suddenly goes over several potholes in quick succession; Tarbo Haw promptly shuts up and peers over the side to look at the upcoming section of road; his niece Cerato Falc and the others chuckle a bit at his expense.

The group’s taxi now enters the eastern business district; the roads ahead are relatively clear by comparison.


(Tarbo Haw): Okay, finally, a good stretch of road. As I was saying, did you lot ever hear about the excavation incident of ’72 beneath Silver Sun Mountain?

(Yun-Tao): I actually have!


Skrill and Taum look at Yun-Tao with a bit of bewilderment; she looks back at them with a bit of confusion before coming to an annoyed realization.


(Yun-Tao): I’m a lot more cultured than you give me credit for, ya dang gears.

(Tarbo Haw): Never doubted it for a second, madam. What do you know about it?

(Yun-Tao): I recall my mother telling me about a rival clan that was working with a dig team back then. Naturally, the Steel Crushers were quite envious of that opportunity to work so closely with Human Nanometal structures.

(Tarbo Haw): I see. Well, my father was also part of that team. They were digging down and exploring the ruins when one of them triggered an alert in the Human facility, which ended up trapping the lot of them in a confined room.

(Yun-Tao): I remember that! They were trapped for nearly 2 days before they were found at entrance, hungry and parched from having exhausted their food and water early on. No signs of them breaking out.

(Tarbo Haw): That’s right. My father didn’t talk much about it when he first came home, but several years later when my sister first got married to Tyrann Falc, I managed to coax out what had transpired while they were stuck.

(Cerato Falc): Wait, you did? I thought great uncle was too traumatized to remember what happened.

(Tarbo Haw): He was for a long time. But seeing your mother so happily married was enough to get him to open up to me in private. He made me promise to keep it in confidence until the day I was set to explore that same section of ruins myself. That day is today.


The rest of the group look to one another with both amazement and worry; their amazement comes from the exciting prospect of a juicy personal story about a hushed-up incident; their worry comes from the potential implications that these details may provide. Despite this worry, Taum, Cerato Falc, Skrill, and Yun-Tao are all eager to hear out Tarbo Haw’s story of what his father experienced nearly 30 years ago when he was trapped. The archaeologist seems quite proud of having gotten their interest in his tale and begins to psyche himself up to give the full details.


(Tarbo Haw): Okay, okay, here we go! So it all started—

(Taxi Driver): We’re here!

(Tarbo Haw): Wait, what?

(Taxi Driver): Everybody must exit the vehicle now. The rest of the way is accessible only by walking.


Tarbo Haw is legitimately taken aback by how sudden he was cut off from beginning his story recounting what his father went through back in 2973. The others merely shrug it off and shuffle out the back of the passenger seating; the archaeologist is the last to get off; he seems quite disappointed about this turn of events. However, he himself soon gets over this and rushes up to the front of the group in order to help lead them into their destination.

The taxi driver has dropped off the quintet past the Defence Watch’s eastern command centre on the street leading into the public entrance for Silver Sun Mountain’s underground cave system. As the group walks down the street, they find the cinderblock-laden road absolutely packed with tourists; there are several times more people here than normal.

Under any other normal circumstances, this would be quite an anomaly given the fact that people mostly only come to see flying Monsters coming and going from the mountain or to visit the publicly accessible underground caverns. However, recent events have made the area quite popular in spite of the damage incurred to the city and its surrounding territories for one reason in particular: Rodan.

After its battle with the Oozaru, the great Kaiju of planet Pyrestar flew back to its nest at the summit of Silver Sun Mountain; due to its explosive awakening, it’s entirely visible to all down below as it slumbers in a cloud of spewing volcanic ash and smoke. Almost anyone who can afford to travel to the city centre has come here to marvel at the sleeping god right in their own city; some have pulled out their surveyor sets to get some photos, some are immortalizing it in paintings, some are researchers engaging in ecological research as best they can, and many more still come from all other walks of life.

No matter who they may be, it’s clear they all hold the Titan of Winged Fury in great reverence; Cerato Falc and her uncle Tarbo Haw are no exceptions.

The 2 Rapteaglets are almost shaking where they stand as they stare up at the majesty of the largest creature they’ve ever seen; not even the huge crowds pushing them around manages to shake them out their almost trance-like state. Out of everyone present, Taum, Skrill, and Yun-Tao are the some of the only ones who aren’t as dumbfoundedly awestruck at the mere sight of Rodan. The 3 of them are well on their way to the cave entrance at the foot of the mountain when they notice that their other group members are lagging behind as they stare up at the Kaiju.

This prompts them to push through the crowd to fetch the 2 laggers.

Taum grabs Cerato Falc by the hand and shakes her lightly; it takes a few seconds for her to snap out of her trance. She’s a little bit startled by this but quickly gets over it and helps get her uncle’s attention.


(Cerato Falc): Taum, that’s—

(Taum): Yeah, it’s Rodan. Now come on, let’s go!

(Tarbo Haw): You’re not the least bit in awe?

(Taum): I got to speak to him up close and personal. Now come on—


This casual drop of such important information gets Cerato worked up enough to throw her hands up and grab Taum by the shoulders to shake him heavily.


(Cerato Falc): You got to talk to Rodan?!!

(Taum): Well yeah, after we helped to take down that Oozaru—


Now it’s Tarbo Haw’s turn to pull Taum aside and shake him by the shoulders, interrupting the youngling’s explanation of events once again.


(Tarbo Haw): You helped kill a god?!?


The former City Scout apprentice turned bounty hunter is now thoroughly fed up with being shaken like a milkshake and grabs the archaeologist’s wrists; he firmly removes himself from his grip. This seems to have gotten the message through, as Tarbo Haw and his niece calm down a little; it’s clear they’re still extremely excited about what they just learned.


(Cerato Falc): I just…. What?! How can you be so casual about it?!

(Taum): Don’t get me wrong, the past few days were crazy. But I’ll tell you 2 all about it as we head down into the ruins, alright?

(Cerato Falc): Okay, but you owe me a real nice story filled to the brim with juicy details. Don’t leave anything out!

(Taum): Got it. Can we go now, Tarbo?

(Tarbo Haw): Right, of course. I promised I’d take you down, and I aim to keep my end of the bargain. Studying one of the greatest natural wonders of the universe will have to wait.

(Taum): Let’s get going, then. I’ll see ya around, Rodan!


Against all probability given the extremely low likelihood that Rodan could’ve possibly heard Taum from all the way up at his roost at the very summit, the gigantic fire bird actually wakes up from his slumber and looks down at where Taum is situated.

This tiny gesture stirs the crowds into a real frenzy as they all begin to close in on Taum. Fortunately, Cerato Falc and Tarbo haw manage to grab him by an arm each and fly him over the crowds and down into the cavern entrance; the security guards stationed in front have a hard time keeping the tourists at bay, but they manage to keep them from swarming in.

Now that the group is altogether at the cave entrance, they head further down the publicly available route. Even with the installed electrical lighting and lit lamps illuminating the path, the dark stone-laden tunnel is still relatively dark.


(Tarbo Haw): Alright, follow me, folks. We’re gonna be heading into the private zone where only authorized personnel and their guests can enter.


Right on cue, the group comes towards a fork in the path.

On the left, the caverns continue on as normal aside from veins of Nanometal streaking down the walls and ceiling and some ancient Draconi drawings. On the right is a highly technologically advanced door that no modern sapient species could’ve possibly made with a contingent of armed security guards keeping watch in front of it to ensure only authorized personnel may enter.

On the surface, it seems to be a simple set of rectangular doors not too dissimilar to Oxbul-made metal sets today, the interface situated right next to it sets it apart. It looks like a simple pedestal or podium, like something a politician or other kind of public speaker might use to put their hands on or leave talking notes. But instead of a hard surface, there is instead a glowing pattern made of light floating just above the flat surface with writing on it but no apparent means of the writing getting there.

Now Taum, Skrill, and Yun-Tao are the ones in awe at this technological marvel; the sight of the illusion of solid light that nonetheless remains interactive is quite the surprise. Meanwhile, Tarbo Haw looks quite nonplussed about the whole thing, as though he’s seen it all before; this is much like the youngling Draconi earlier.


(Security Guard): Hold it, this is a restricted area.

(Tarbo Haw): I’ve got an archaeologist’s mandate with guests. Here’s my paperwork.


Tarbo Haw hands his papers to one of the security guards. After checking it over a few times, the guard gives it a stamp of approval; him and his partner move out of the way to allow the group through.


(Security Guard): You’re cleared to go through.

(Tarbo Haw): Thank you. Come on, everyone, time to find us some answers.


Cerato Falc’s archaeologist uncle steps up to the interface to the side of the door. Rather than fiddle with it with his hands, he speaks into it instead.


(Tarbo Haw): Requesting visitator access.

(Mechagodzilla): ACCESS GR-GR-GRANTED. HAV-HAVE A NICE DA-DA-DA-DAY.


After the great Titan spirit Mechagodzilla speaks, the light interface disappears; immediately afterwards, the doors open up. Rather than opening up traditionally, however, the doors seem to almost melt away like they were being heated up into molten slag into the door frame. This, combined with hearing the voice of Mechagodzilla himself, puts the rest of the group on edge; Cerato Falc and Tarbo Haw aren’t perturbed in the slightest and walk through the opening into the entirely Nanometal hallway. The Rapteaglet uncle motions for the others to follow behind him, to which they reluctantly comply.

Once the quintet passes through, the doors reform from the frame in the same liquid metal state as before into their original structures, sealing the group off from the public caverns.