[i][b]Alignment[/b] and [b]Balance[/b] stand around a large table in the school that acts as a platform for a massive pile of shining, colorful crystals that [b]Alignment’s[/b] students provided. The crystals surround a smaller pile of droid heads and a single deactivated droid that lays on the table, limbless. The droid was mostly black with dim, blue lining that spread across the body. Some of it seems to have been torn off along with its limbs. Electricity and sparks slowly crackle out of the wiring coming out of the sockets. They knew not how the droids managed to enter [b]Gray Sector[/b], but they knew that they were somehow responsible for the gaping hole in the floor.[/i] [b]Balance[/b]: “I’m surprised that there were so many crystals underground, considering that the surface is so barren.” [b]Alignment[/b]: “The Reckoners never got a chance to get what was underneath the surface of Paradisum, thanks to the King. I was so caught up on restoring the vegetation, I never even considered looking underground. Then again, I didn’t really have the proper equipment.” [i][b]Alignment[/b] keeps walking around the table, examining the contents that sat on it. He accidentally trips over a chest that sits on the floor. The incident causes pain to surge in his legs where wounds he received recently began to reopen. The wounds were given to him by an Exo named [b]Dragoon[/b]. [b]Dragoon[/b] infiltrated [b]Gray Sector[/b] as a student of [b]Alignment’s[/b] classes and left as an enemy that succeeded in a sneak attack. His motives were as much as a mystery to them as the presence of the droids underground. [b]Balance[/b] rushes towards [b]Alignment[/b], willing to help him in any way possible.[/i] [b]Alignment[/b]: “I’m fine. It was just a minor trip. Nothing serious.” [b]Balance[/b]: “It wouldn’t be serious if you didn’t have those cuts on your legs. Try to be more careful. We didn’t fight that man too long ago.” [i][b]Balance[/b] examines the chest that [b]Alignment[/b] tripped on and opens it. She finds a photo that sits upon a throne of gold coins. The coins seemed to be currency of [b]Paradisum[/b]. In the photo, there were 3 men. 2 of them were young children that sat next to a larger, older man. They all wore fancy white and gold clothing, but the older man wore a small crown.[/i] [b]Balance[/b]: “What is this? Where did you find it?” [b]Alignment[/b]: “A student of mine named Pure Vessel found it in the hole. That picture is of Dominance, Emphasis and King Dezi from long ago. Dominance buried it after all of us went our separate ways after the fall of Paradisum. I guess that was his way of moving on.” [i][b]Alignment[/b] gets up from the ground.[/i] [b]Alignment[/b]: “But that doesn’t really matter right now. We need to get some information from these droids. A student named Arwel showed me how these droids function. This crystal seems to be a power source.” [i][b]Alignment[/b] pulls a small black crystal out of his pocket. He inserts it into the limbless droid’s central chassis. The crystal turns blue and shines while the droid begins to power on. Its eyes and the lining glow a bright blue.[/i] [b]Alignment[/b]: “Where did you come from? Who sent you?” [b]Droid[/b]: “Statement: I am prohibited to provide any information to the entity that is currently speaking.” [b]Alignment[/b]: “What do you mean?” [b]Droid[/b]: “Recitation: Protocol dictates that this unit and every unit of Research Squadron #294 can not provide any information of the Grand Colony to entity designated as Alignment.” [b]Alignment[/b]: “Grand Colony?” [b]Droid[/b]: “Statement: Information classified.” [i][b]Alignment[/b] pulls out the crystal and it once again turns black.[/i] [b]Balance[/b]: “I don’t understand. How does it know you? And why does it look and talk so similar to Repetition?” [b]Alignment[/b]: “I’m not sure, but we need to find out immediately.” [i][b]Alignment[/b] grabs a large basket filled with fruits of the Infinite Tree and begins to shove crystals into it. He also takes the droid heads along with him.[/i] [b]Balance[/b]: “What are you doing?” [b]Alignment[/b]: “I’m going to go to the Interdimensional Market and find Päto. He’s good with machinery, so maybe he can extract some data from these heads. I’m also going to find an appraiser to see if these crystals are actually valuable.” [b]Balance[/b]: “Why not take this droid?” [b]Alignment[/b]: “Look at it! It’s spewing out electricity. It’s a health hazard. I’m not going to carry a large piece of exposed electrical wiring on my back.” [b]Balance[/b]: “Well, what am I supposed to do? [b]Alignment[/b]: “See if you can get anything out of that droid. Maybe it’ll listen to you. Also, try to cover up that hole while I’m gone. My students may have dismantled a ton of those droids, but there could still be a few more.” [i]Alignment leaves through the gray door and leaves Balance alone with the droid. Balance carefully reinserts the black crystal into the droid. The droid immediately powers back on and raises its head.[/i] [b]Droid[/b]: “Acknowledgement: The mission in this realm has been completed. Large quantities of information have been received. Reciting information from info bag. Recitation: New realm discovered. Realm designated as ‘OffTopic’. ‘OffTopic’ seems to have a diversity of species and resources that makes it extremely unique and filled with intriguing characteristics. ‘OffTopic’ is home to many entities of power that have small amounts of control over small areas of the realm. Some entities have greater power than others. OffTopic appears to be a possible candidate for assimilation. Adding details to Grand Colony databanks. Recitation: Information about ‘OffTopic’ has been provided by the following entities: Daliah Dislay, TigersFan, Dr. Titan, Tilman, Sylver, Giant and Ult Loot Crate. Adding all information to Grand Colony databanks.” [i][b]Balance[/b] stares at the droid in shock as he recites the information he has collected. [/i] [b]Droid[/b]: “Statement: Scanning process of this realm is complete, as is the mission. Notifying the Omninavis of the Grand Colony. Commencing assimilation protocol.” [i]Once the droid is done speaking, the area begins to rumble and the school shakes. The experience is familiar to [b]Balance[/b] and she remembers where she experienced it before. This is exactly what happened when [b]Paradisum[/b] fell. [b]Balance[/b] begins rushing out of the school, heading straight towards the gray door. She was focused on escaping and warning [b]Alignment[/b]. Above her appeared a massive black ship that ominously hovered over the cloudless gray sky. [b]Balance[/b] reaches for the doorknob and nearly touches it, but she is suddenly stopped. She tries to move forward, but can’t move a muscle as a blue light fills the area. The ground below her begins to crack apart, as does the school behind her. The chunks of the dirt and the school are slowly lifted up along with Balance, picking up speed as they ascend higher. The blue light grows brighter and brighter, reaching a blinding intensity. And then, nothing. [/i] [spoiler]Fades Away[/spoiler]