Chapter 11: Ice Statue
Hearing the Seraphina's warning, made slithering shivers down in Kai's metallic spine A warning from an all-powerful AI like Seraphina was not something to ignore, even with his new Xerion form.
Kai snatched out the handheld plasma cutter, clutching it tightly, propelled downward toward the impact area, while using a piece of colossus as a shield to sweep the floating debris in the way.
"Careful, careful...," he muttered, using bits of shattered metal as makeshift stepping stones. The first time usage of spacewalk gear made each movement feel stiff and clumsy.
He neared the thrusters, marveling once again at the sheer scale of Xerion engineering.
The temperature kept plummeting, and he saw various cavities with pipes of different sizes, some even thicker than him, snaking in and out of cavities.
Stopping in front of a frost-covered cavity, with visible icicles like stalactites and stalagmites blocking the entrance, gushing out the waves of frigid temperature from gaps, Seraphina says.
[You've reached the leak zone, Master. The scanner got trapped in the ice. Free it, and I can guide you further. These cavities lead directly to the engine chambers.]
"Scanner trapped in there," Kai muttered, as a glint of blue caught Kai's eye… while searching the icicles. "Yeah, looks like I found the scanner," he said, punching at the tip of an ice cone. It shattered, revealing the scanner encased within, carefully chipping away at the remaining ice, finally freeing the device.
The scanner whirred to life and darted deeper into the cavity. Kai follows close behind. With each meter, the cold intensified.
It wasn't just a drop in temperature, but a pervasive, seeping coldness that crawled into his metallic joints, slowing his movements.
The cavity became a frozen forest. Icicles as thick as tree trunks hung everywhere, their sharp tips glinting dangerously in the light of the scanner and optical sensor. Every footstep, every hiss of propellant, echoed through the unnatural silence.
"I must hurry," he muttered, the word a frosty puff in the icy air. "This cold could crack even metal if left too long."
Smaller icicles he shattered with a punch, the larger ones yielding to the plasma cutter's hiss. Frost began to crust his form, breaking and reforming with each movement. Forming a shower of ice crystals around.
"How cold is it that even I'm feeling sluggish?" Kai muttered in frustration, his metal frame protesting against the chill. Seraphina replied with a string of numbers in her own system, a language he instinctively understood.
[hmm, let me see, it should be around -296.16 Celsius in the surroundings and still increasing rapidly.]
"-296... ?" He froze. Thinking in his mind, "Tha.. that's below Earth's absolute zero!" Yet, he only felt a slight chill. A grin spread across his metal face with a hint of satisfaction. "This body...it's something else."
He inched forward, the only sound a rasp of metal on ice. Then, from the depths of the frozen labyrinth came a gurgle, a wet, bubbling echo.
"What was that?" Kai whispered, his voice barely cutting through the chilling silence. Ahead, a wall of icicles shimmered, their jagged edges obscuring the path.
Only narrow slits offered a glimpse into the darkness beyond. He strained his optical sensors, desperate to pierce the icy veil.
His optical sensors suddenly zoomed in, magnifying the scene ahead: a frost-crusted pipe dripping heavy liquid, the droplets hanging suspended in zero-g.
What the–?" He recoiled, a jolt of panic shooting through him. As quickly as it had started, his vision snapped back to normal. He pressed a hand to his glowing blue optical sensors. "What was that? A hidden zoom function?" His mind raced.
Seraphina's voice crackled with concern. "[Master, what happened? Are you alright?]"
Kai scrambled to his feet, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "Uhh... I... Just found a leak. Is that the fluid?"
Seraphina maneuvered the scanner through the narrow opening, her movements swift and precise. After a few tense seconds, she replied.
[Yes, this is the leak. It's critical to seal it quickly but carefully. Unfortunately, the cold has completely destroyed the scanner, so I can't assist from here.]
A flicker of his old resolve returned. "Don't worry," Kai replied, his voice steady. "I'll handle it." firing up the plasma cutter, he sliced through the icicles to carve a narrow opening. He squeezed through, his bulky suit barely fitting.
He emerged on the other side, confronted with a scene both beautiful and deadly. Droplets of cryolumboid, each the size of a fingernail, floating around.
Colorless and denser than water, they gleamed like scattered stars in the darkness, reflecting the scanner's fallen blue light.
The chill here pierced deeper than anything he'd experienced. A treacherous layer of frost crept over his form, sharp icicles sprouting from his elbow and chin like razor blades.
The scanner's dying glow revealed the fractured pipe, spewing droplets of cryolumboid into the freezing air. The pipe hadn't snapped completely, its twisted ends barely held together by a sliver of metal and a thick coating of ice.
A shudder passed through Kai. Not of cold, but a deeper terror. Here was absolute zero made manifest, the power to undo metal as easily as rot consumed fruit.
His joints creaked in protest against the frigid air, his movements growing slower. He felt like a sluggish creature trapped in amber, on the icy floor.
Yet, determination fueled him. He crouched low, weaving through the ice while dodging the errant drops, his optics fixated on the leak.
Finally, he reached the damaged pipe. Frozen condensation coated his metal fingers, making his grip uncertain. Mustering all the strength in his frozen metallic joints, he carefully closed his fist around the cracked metal, the coldness biting at his skin.
"Easy does it..." he rasped. Tucking the pipe into his armpit for leverage, he managed to bring his other hand up, the plasma cutter trembling slightly.
At full power, the plasma cutter roared to life in the silence, its searing orange glow battling the encroaching frost.
The cutter melted away the ice around the pipe, allowing him to realign the broken ends slowly. With aching, precise movements, he began to weld, the heat and hiss of the cutter breaking the silence in the chamber.
Minutes stretched into eternity, his joints burning under the strain. Finally, the weld was complete. A sigh of relief – a puff of steam that instantly turned to snow – escaped his metallic mouth.
"Finally..." Satisfaction filled him. "You won't be leaking anymore, buddy." Pride swelled in him. Perhaps even Seraphina would be impressed with his handiwork.
But celebration turned to terror in an instant. As he straightened, his movements growing stiff from the cold, a chilling realization struck. His feet wouldn't budge.
His gaze snapped downward. Horror flooded him. His lower body was encased in a thick, unyielding shell of ice up to his thighs, pinning him to the floor. "When did my legs..."
Worse, the droplets that had barely touched him before…were now close enough to freeze his form solid. "No way," he whispered, voice trembling with rising panic. "Not like this…"
Waves of deadly cold washed over him as the cryolumboid made contact with his torso and limbs. One by one, they splattered against him, freezing contact points into solid masses, pinning his limbs, creeping the ice upwards toward his neck.
"No... no, NOT LIKE THIS!" Panic surged through him as the ice tightened its grip, sealing him in a crystal coffin. He jerked and thrashed, but his movements were already weak, sluggish.
One final, desperate thought pierced his mind: "I don't want to die...!"
Then, with chilling finality, a crust of ice crept over his optical sensors, cutting out the light. He was alone in a frozen tomb.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
nekrom1
nekrom1 Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Like it ? Add to library！
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone