Bearings and cables groaned as the Temple to the Architect shrunk below. AldaÑ—r rüt-KÅ‚otzcaše trembled with excitement despite knowing he shouldn’t. But why not? It wasn’t often the Security Force actually got to do something…something…exciting! So what if it was dangerous for the entire human race? It’s not like he caused it to happen. And so there he stood in the elevator as it drew inward toward the S7 module, feeling his weight rapidly decrease along with tangential velocity.

At eighteen-year-old, based on some time measurement scale handed down by the Architect, AldaÑ—r stood quite tall.. Although his features were roughly the same as everyone elses, it was AldaÑ—r’s height that stuck out the most, although height wasn’t uncommon for people with the KÅ‚otzcaše haplotypes. But it was this imposing stature that made him a good fit for the Security Force. His dark skin had a few pale splotches, but they were at least hidden under clothing.

                “Is this like it was before?” AldaÑ—r asked his new partner.

                The older man, HirjÅ‚i rüt-Feébжun, grunted as AldaÑ—r felt the last of his weight disappear when the elevator began slowing near the main shaft.

                “I don’t think anything like this has happened in a few thousand years,” the old man said.

                He wasn’t exactly old. At least not for one of the Clergy, who were often able to make it into their sixties. HirjÅ‚i was forty-six, based on the Architect’s time measuring system. Aside from being older, HirjÅ‚i had the same similar features as all the men on Riåдuarökзh – brown skin, black hair – but he had the rounder eyes that often came with the Feébжun haplotypes.

                “But you were a rookie during that riot, weren’t you?” AldaÑ—r asked, excited to hear the story from the man himself rather than just some other kid telling what he had heard.

                HirjÅ‚i grunted again, “I was.”

                “Weren’t you-”

                “Focus,” he said, pulling his weightless body into the S7 module.

                AldaÑ—r’s disappointment at not getting to hear the legend himself regale him with stories of his time in the Security Force was overruled by anticipation. AldaÑ—r pulled himself into the S7 behind HirjÅ‚i, having to hold his hands out to keep from running into the old-timer. There was only an almost indiscernible amount of gravity in the center shaft, coming only from the Kugelblitz drive in the aft of the Riåдuarökзh. But with angular velocity at zero, there was no longer any gravity provided by R7’s rotation. And according to the Architect’s Laws, an object in motion would remain in motion unless acted on by an equal and opposite force. Without gravity, there was no downward acceleration to apply that force into the floor.

                HirjÅ‚i expertly navigated himself forward through the shaft, flinging his weightless body down the long corridor with one arm and catching a hold with the next, and repeat. AldaÑ—r struggled to keep up as they headed from the S7 module toward the S6 module. There was two hundred meters between the R7 entrance and the R6 entrance, but already AldaÑ—r could see where the light stopped at S6. The S6 module in the shaft and the R6 ring were defunct. Out of commission. It hadn’t had power in many thousands of years. Which is why it was strange that anyone would have illegally entered R6, particularly the High Commander of the Riåдuarökзh, Dyaröchus rüt-Дašommed.

                “Stay sharp,” HirjÅ‚i said as the two entered the darkness of S6.

                AldaÑ—r switched on the head and shoulder mounted flashlights of his Security suit, seeing HirjÅ‚i do the same. Already it felt cool, with most of the heat coming into S6 diffusing in from surrounding S7 and S5. Anxiety joined hands with anticipation as the mission became more and more real. It was no longer in the theoretical, as it had been fifteen minutes earlier when the order came in. Others were on the way, but HirjÅ‚i and AldaÑ—r had been the closest. They would get there first.

                Apprehension, tired muscles, and the chill air made AldaÑ—r tremble even more. All of it felt like a dream, his body feeling detached and remote. The only thing he could see were the lights in front of him from his mentor and the circles of light in cast on the narrow wall of the corridor from his own. It was as if-

                “Shit!” AldaÑ—r growled as his eyes stung with light, hand missing the next hold.

                His body tumbled against the sides of the S6 module. The round walls were not smooth, covered in pipes, valves, tools, boxes, and other things that jammed into his flesh. He tried catching on even as he attempted blocking the extra light from his eyes. Finally his shoulder rammed into something, completely stopping forward momentum. Eyes finally used to the new light coming from the lamps strung up along the corridor, he looked ahead, seeing HirjÅ‚i shrinking away in