Tales from Terraverse | Chapter 4

Before you start reading, check out Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and Chapter 3.

After decades of being asleep, Numera takes in the world around it. The super-calculator is buzzing with data, just as it had been on the first day of its creation. Numera is about to approach the calculator when it is gently tapped on the shoulder.

D-Centra flashes a beam of light on X, lying limp by Numera’s side. The ancient droid approaches X and surveys him. With a lot of effort, it turns X to his side. There, it finds two buttons — ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’.

First, Numera hits the ‘ON’ button. A spark seems to emerge out of X, but then dies down almost immediately. Numera tries again, but with little luck. After a few more tries, Numera looks up at D-Centra for some help. D-Centra shines a light beam onto a small lid right next to the buttons. Numera opens the lid and finds an emergency key. Numera presses the little red nub.

X’s body whirs violently and a supersonic, bright-blue hologram projects out of his being. The hologram scrutinizes X’s body, then the surroundings and zooms off into space. X is still lifeless.

Numera and D-Centra look at each other helplessly. Now what? D-Centra continues to hover over X as Numera contemplates what to do. Just as they are about to give up, the hologram zooms back into view, juggling five blue power beads. It drops them next to Numera and disappears back into X’s body. Numera plugs the beads into X and voila, he is recharged!

As X sits up, Numera extends a hand out in greeting. “Thank you for reviving me,” it projects. “Right back at you,” X responds. “Now, I believe you have something for me.” Numera walks up to the super-calculator and punches a few numbers. Then, Numera projects two codes, one from each palm:

X realizes that the first part of the code is a location. Now, it’s the second code he doesn’t know what to do with.

But, X has his next step clearly laid out in front of him. He gives Numera a grateful nod. D-Centra and him retrace their steps back to T-EXPRESS. Once at the gateway, X keys in Area 99. From there, they use the map to go to the location. After a few hours of travelling, they reach a space of utter darkness. There’s complete silence around. D-Centra flashes its light so X can survey the surroundings.

Nothing.

Suddenly, a glitch splits the darkness in front of them. X and D-Centra jump in through the glitch. On the other side is a silhouette of a lean droid.

“I have been waiting for you,” it says, as it slowly illuminates. “I am Digitroid. I am a member of an anonymous community, only here to serve. I will not reveal myself to you, but simply help you on your mission any time you require it.” X knows that his allies on Terraverse are growing. X and D-Centra only get a glimpse of Digitroid before it dims into a silhouette again.

X projects the numbers from Numera — 36.441.400.441.324.1.

The numbers swivel around Digitroid’s silhouette in different directions.

“FUTURA,” Digitroid says finally, before disappearing into the darkness.

What or who is FUTURA? Find out in Chapter 5.