Page 142 of Immersed
The words struck at Levi’s deepest insecurities—the fear that what he felt for Asher was nothing but trauma bonding, that his apparent choices were just the least-bad options available to a captive. For a fraction of a second, doubt crept in.
Then he glanced up at the platform Asher had moved to and saw those mismatched eyes somehow conveying absolute confidence in Levi’s response. Not controlling, not demanding—just certain.
“I choose him!”Levi shouted.“Every time, I choose him!”
A savage smile curved Asher’s lips, and then he was moving again, a blur of deadly grace as he continued his ascent toward Faine’s position.
“Disappointing,”Faine sighed, the sound distorted by his voice box.“But not unexpected. The human mind is so susceptible to emotional manipulation, to chemical dependencies, to the illusion of connection.”
As he spoke, a new horror emerged from the chambers in the walls—the Applauding Horror they’d encountered before, still strapped to its chair, hands endlessly clapping in that ritualistic pattern. Unlike the crawlers, it didn’t move toward them but remained stationary, its endless applause setting a maddening rhythm that seemed to interfere with Levi’s ability to concentrate.
More creatures emerged—patients transformed by Faine’s experiments into monstrosities that were neither fully human nor properly mechanical. They formed a protective ring around the lower tiers of Faine’s position, blocking the most direct routes to the top.
“Behold my earlier works,”Faine announced, gesturing toward the creatures with pride.“Prototypes. Imperfect, but educational. Each failure taught me something valuable.”
Levi reached a platform high enough to get a better view of Faine’s throne. He could see that the components weren’t simply attached to Faine’s body—they were his body. His chest cavity was open, internal organs replaced with pumps and filters. His spine had been reinforced with a metal framework that extended beyond his skin. Only his head remained mostly human, though even there, components had been integrated into his jaw, eyes, and ears.
But most importantly, Levi could see the power source—a glowing core at the center of Faine’s chest cavity, pulsing with energy that flowed through tubes connected to his remaining organic components.
That’s it,he thought, recognizing the classic weak point.The core. That’s what we need to destroy.
The challenge was reaching it. Faine’s throne was surrounded by protective barriers, and the approaches were guarded by his creations. Even if they managed to fight through, the core itself was shielded most of the time, only briefly exposed when Faine leaned forward or made particularly expansive gestures.
“Asher!”Levi called, gesturing subtly toward Faine’s chest. “The core!”
Asher’s eyes narrowed as he followed Levi’s indication, quickly understanding the objective. He nodded once, then resumed his deadly dance through the obstacles, working his way steadily upward.
As they fought their way closer to Faine’s position, the attacks intensified. More arms emerged from the walls, their movements less predictable. The platforms shifted more violently, sometimes tilting to near-vertical angles without warning. The creatures became moreaggressive, coordinating their movements as if directed by a central intelligence—which, Levi realized, they were. Faine controlled everything.
They were making progress, but too slowly. At this rate, they would be worn down by attrition before reaching their target. They needed a new strategy.
“Distraction,”Levi muttered to himself.One player draws the boss’s attention while the other attacks the weak point.
“Asher!”he shouted over the din.“I need to get his attention! Be ready for an opening!”
Asher’s head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing with concern. He clearly didn’t like the implication that Levi would be putting himself at risk. But after a moment of obvious internal struggle, he nodded.
Levi began moving more aggressively, making himself a deliberate target.“Hey, Faine!”he called, his voice cutting through the cacophony.“For someone who’s ‘transcended humanity,’ you’re still using the same old tricks! Is this really the best you can do?”
Faine’s eyes locked onto him with laser-like focus.“You dare mock my work?”The throne rotated to track Levi’s movements, arms redirecting to focus on his position.
“Mock it? I’m disappointed by it!”Levi continued, timing his movements between platform shifts.“I was expecting something more impressive from the great Dr. Faine! Instead, I get predictable attack patterns and third-rate monsters!”
Faine’s face contorted with rage—an expression made all the more disturbing by the inhuman angles his features could achieve.“You understand nothing of what I’ve accomplished! The barriers I’ve broken! The limitations I’ve transcended!”
“I understand that you couldn’t even make decent security cameras,”Levi taunted, glancing at the monitors still cycling through their intimate footage.“The resolution is terrible! We look way better in person!”
That did it. Faine’s enhancements began to glow brighter as his systems overheated with rage. He leaned forward in his throne, tubes stretching as he pointed an arm directly at Levi.“You insignificant, temporary creature! You will be dismantled and repurposed! Your biological components will—”
“So, about that recording,”Asher’s voice interrupted, much closer to Faine than he’d been moments before, having used Levi’s distraction to ascend the final platforms unnoticed.“Can I get a copy before we kill you?”
Faine’s head swiveled 180 degrees—a movement no human neck could accomplish—to find Asher perched on the platform directly behind his throne. The distraction gave Levi the opening he needed to advance to a higher position, closing in from the opposite direction.
“What?”Faine asked, eyes blinking in confusion at the non-sequitur.
“The recording,”Asher clarified, gesturing toward the monitors.“I’d like a copy. For personal use.”
Levi couldn’t help the incredulous look he shot across the chamber.“Are you serious right now?!”he demanded, dodging a metal arm with a whirring saw.
