(no subject)
"The system will use the data to produce a map of each stone, like a climate chart or a relief map, with different colours showing the different types of material that it's composed of. The main computer server is programmed to render the stones, in order, from here. Then, when that one's done, it will move onto the next, and so on, until they're all mapped and displayed and we can compare them and see what they're made of."
---
“The yellow is sandstone,” the Professor explained, “blue: granite, orange for quartz…” Her voice faded out as she watched the screen, a black patch growing amongst the colours. “That’s odd.”
“What is?” Sarah Jane asked.
“Black isn’t defined. The computer uses it for material it hasn’t been programmed with, for anything it doesn’t… recognize.”
A shape emerged in the black slowly, distinct, defined. Mr. Bradbury, the teacher in charge of the trip wandered in and out again to give them a five-minute warning, but they were all too focused on the screen, almost all filled now. All except the centre, still black, a dark silhouette.
“It looks-“ the Professor broke off and gave a nervous laugh. “Well, it looks a bit like a figure!”
“It looks,” Maria agreed, “very like a figure.”
“It is a figure,” Sarah Jane said. “Crouching down, like he’s about to run a race or something.”
The next screen flickered into life, the outline of the second stone traced across it, beginning to fill with vibrant colour like the first. And again, the middle of the swirl was utter blackness.
“It’s a sentry.” Clyde jumped up from his chair and went to the screen. “He’s crouched down, like you said, ready for action! On your marks- Look! This could be a helmet!” He traced his finger along the top of the shape. “And this point here- that’s a sword.”
The rest of the shapes filled in- each with a crouching sentry in the middle, each different and distinct. As one, the group turned to face the final, lone monitor. The thirteenth stone began to take shape on the screen. No one spoke as the same blackness formed in the centre, only this one was different. There was a texture to it, grays and browns, like folds in a cloak that draped around the figure that stood tall and proud inside the ancient monolith. The face etched in slowly, shadowed, dark, angry, twisted into an expression of agony and fear, screaming. They all took a step back-
Except Luke.
He stood to the side of the screen, still staring intently, his face blank.
“Luke?” Sarah Jane said. He glanced at her, but without any sign of interest or recognition, then looked back at the figure on the screen.
And the dark silhouette of the King turned slightly to look back at Luke.
Sarah Jane gasped, Clyde swore, Maria said something too soft to hear, and the Professor shrieked, her hand to her mouth. The other twelve screens blanked out, and Luke collapsed suddenly to his knees. The lights went off, and the thirteenth screen flickered, the image trembling before it, too, vanished.
After a moment, the emergency lights came on. Sarah Jane ran to Luke, pulling him to his feet. His face was still blank, and there was a shadow across it. She turned his head slightly to get a better look at him, and the shadow remained unchanged, defying the light that shone full red on his face. The same shape as the King from the screen, imprinted across his face. A new mouth, overlaid over Luke’s, twisted into a vicious smile. Only now, it wasn’t screaming.
It was laughing.
Sarah Jane and Maria hauled Luke towards the door, and out into the main area containing the stones. As they moved towards the exit, the shadow on his face deepend, twisted and turned, becoming more defined.
Clyde marched on ahead, stopping every few steps to let them catch up, not close enough to see properly. “Hey, what’s up with you, Luke?” He turned to Maria. “Has he got a problem?”
“No,” Maria answered, gritting her teeth, “That’s why we’re helping him.”
Luke stumbled and fell, pulling Maria and Sarah Jane with him. As Clyde hurried back to help, the main doors slammed shut, and the emergency lights flickered on the walls. like torches in some medieval castle.
“We need to get out of here,” Sarah decided, “We need to get help for Luke.”
Maria thumbed her mobile. “There’s no signal. So. Fire exit?”
Clyde stared past Luke and Maria and Sarah Jane, back towards the stones that made up the semicircle in the middle of the dome. He pointed to it and said, voice strangely tight and nervous, “That- That way. But- I don’t think that helps.”
The stones were moving. The whole surface of the monolith seemed to shimmer and pulse. Then, with a loud crack like a gunshot, the nearest stone shattered. A dark line split across the surface of the stone, widened, darkening as the surface crumbled away. A clenched fist punched through black as coal, but shiny, like it’d been dipped in oil. The rest of the rock crumbled and fell, revealing the sentry within. As he straightened up, another stone shattered, and another, until all the stones had released the men within them.
“Guess we should have realized,” Clyde said.
“We should have put two and two together,” Sarah agreed.
“Four,” another voice said.
{{The above has been snipped and adjusted and re-written a bit, but is still essentially Justin Richards'.}
---
“The yellow is sandstone,” the Professor explained, “blue: granite, orange for quartz…” Her voice faded out as she watched the screen, a black patch growing amongst the colours. “That’s odd.”
“What is?” Sarah Jane asked.
“Black isn’t defined. The computer uses it for material it hasn’t been programmed with, for anything it doesn’t… recognize.”
A shape emerged in the black slowly, distinct, defined. Mr. Bradbury, the teacher in charge of the trip wandered in and out again to give them a five-minute warning, but they were all too focused on the screen, almost all filled now. All except the centre, still black, a dark silhouette.
“It looks-“ the Professor broke off and gave a nervous laugh. “Well, it looks a bit like a figure!”
“It looks,” Maria agreed, “very like a figure.”
“It is a figure,” Sarah Jane said. “Crouching down, like he’s about to run a race or something.”
The next screen flickered into life, the outline of the second stone traced across it, beginning to fill with vibrant colour like the first. And again, the middle of the swirl was utter blackness.
“It’s a sentry.” Clyde jumped up from his chair and went to the screen. “He’s crouched down, like you said, ready for action! On your marks- Look! This could be a helmet!” He traced his finger along the top of the shape. “And this point here- that’s a sword.”
The rest of the shapes filled in- each with a crouching sentry in the middle, each different and distinct. As one, the group turned to face the final, lone monitor. The thirteenth stone began to take shape on the screen. No one spoke as the same blackness formed in the centre, only this one was different. There was a texture to it, grays and browns, like folds in a cloak that draped around the figure that stood tall and proud inside the ancient monolith. The face etched in slowly, shadowed, dark, angry, twisted into an expression of agony and fear, screaming. They all took a step back-
Except Luke.
He stood to the side of the screen, still staring intently, his face blank.
“Luke?” Sarah Jane said. He glanced at her, but without any sign of interest or recognition, then looked back at the figure on the screen.
And the dark silhouette of the King turned slightly to look back at Luke.
Sarah Jane gasped, Clyde swore, Maria said something too soft to hear, and the Professor shrieked, her hand to her mouth. The other twelve screens blanked out, and Luke collapsed suddenly to his knees. The lights went off, and the thirteenth screen flickered, the image trembling before it, too, vanished.
After a moment, the emergency lights came on. Sarah Jane ran to Luke, pulling him to his feet. His face was still blank, and there was a shadow across it. She turned his head slightly to get a better look at him, and the shadow remained unchanged, defying the light that shone full red on his face. The same shape as the King from the screen, imprinted across his face. A new mouth, overlaid over Luke’s, twisted into a vicious smile. Only now, it wasn’t screaming.
It was laughing.
Sarah Jane and Maria hauled Luke towards the door, and out into the main area containing the stones. As they moved towards the exit, the shadow on his face deepend, twisted and turned, becoming more defined.
Clyde marched on ahead, stopping every few steps to let them catch up, not close enough to see properly. “Hey, what’s up with you, Luke?” He turned to Maria. “Has he got a problem?”
“No,” Maria answered, gritting her teeth, “That’s why we’re helping him.”
Luke stumbled and fell, pulling Maria and Sarah Jane with him. As Clyde hurried back to help, the main doors slammed shut, and the emergency lights flickered on the walls. like torches in some medieval castle.
“We need to get out of here,” Sarah decided, “We need to get help for Luke.”
Maria thumbed her mobile. “There’s no signal. So. Fire exit?”
Clyde stared past Luke and Maria and Sarah Jane, back towards the stones that made up the semicircle in the middle of the dome. He pointed to it and said, voice strangely tight and nervous, “That- That way. But- I don’t think that helps.”
The stones were moving. The whole surface of the monolith seemed to shimmer and pulse. Then, with a loud crack like a gunshot, the nearest stone shattered. A dark line split across the surface of the stone, widened, darkening as the surface crumbled away. A clenched fist punched through black as coal, but shiny, like it’d been dipped in oil. The rest of the rock crumbled and fell, revealing the sentry within. As he straightened up, another stone shattered, and another, until all the stones had released the men within them.
“Guess we should have realized,” Clyde said.
“We should have put two and two together,” Sarah agreed.
“Four,” another voice said.
{{The above has been snipped and adjusted and re-written a bit, but is still essentially Justin Richards'.}