Colossus By Design: Entry 0063 - Time To Tell

[Unknown Date]
[Underground Atlantean bunker]

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In the underground laboratory, secluded from the surface, Atlanteans are hard at work maintaining various pieces of technology hooked up to the enormous turtle shell that takes up the majority of space in the room; the bearded old man overseeing operations looks at research notes and checks the gauges of the machinery.

A small boy walks up to the bearded man, tugging at his robe.


(Sun): Excuse me.

(Hephaestus): Oh, hello young man.

(Sun): Have you seen my mommy?

(Hephaestus): No. Tell ya what, though...... I'll help you find her.


The pair leave the room and enter the refugee grounds. Many Atlantean families are present, with barely enough space in each emergency room for a group of five. Many of them give the bearded old man hard glares as he and the small boy walk by; the bearded man does not pay any mind to them, but the little boy is intrigued by the looks.


(Sun): Excuse me, mister.

(Hephaestus): Yes?

(Sun): Why are those people looking at you like that?

(Hephaestus): Well, child...... that's a long story.

(Sun): I don't mind long stories.

(Hephaestus): Good for you. Not many children do anymore.

(Sun): Well?

(Hephaestus): Well what?

(Sun): Aren't you gonna tell your long story?

(Hephaestus): Oh, right, of course-- Wait, what about your mother?

(Sun): To be honest.... I kind of ran away.

(Hephaestus): Why?

(Sun): I did something bad, and she got mad.

(Hephaestus): Well, we all make mistakes. Alright, this looks like a good spot.


The pair sit down at a spare table in a dark and damp corner of the refugee grounds.

The bearded old man begins reminiscing, back to when he was in his secret laboratory, working on several sketches and blueprints, as well as a small lump of organic matter inside a giant vat of unknown liquid.


(Hephaestus): I was once a renowned researcher. That's a person who dabbles in science. I had worked on the Gyaos that were once used as clean-up tools. Now they have brought our society to its knees.

(Sun): Why did they turn on us?

(Hephaestus): Well, after I had completed my work on them, I was ousted by Zeus, left without a profession.


Back in reality, crowds of Atlanteans begin gathering around the old man and the little boy.

The old man continues reminiscing, this time of a later stage of his work: a larger vat of liquid, with an odd creature encased inside. It has a shell like a snail's, but a head like a mouth-less non-feathered phoenix and six long tentacles extending from its body; it moves its head and looks at the bearded man from inside the tube.


(Hephaestus): The Gyaos weren't perfect, for one unfavourable trait they exhibited was easy manipulation by another creature with a similar genetic code and an advanced neural soul connection. I......... created one such being.


Back in reality, a woman pushes through the crowd.


(Moon): Sun! Thank the universe I found you!

(Sun): Mommy!


The woman embraces her son; the old man can't help but smile.


(Sun): Mommy, I'm sorry about stealing those apples!

(Moon): It's alright, Sun. Hephaestus, I don't agree with what you did to start all this, but....... thank you for watching over my son.

(Hephaestus): Not at all, ma'am. I know what I did was wrong, but in this bunker, I'm hoping I might atone for that.