Pt.11 In his mind, there is only a frequency, a familiar sharp note that modulates up and down in waves. The note reminds him of being, and it hurts. He recognizes where he felt it, its pain, incredible pain. He wakes up lying on his back, on top of a pile of himself and others, inside a warehouse lit only by a red light.
He feels himself, and his hands don't meet his skin, entering the cavity that is his wide-open chest. - Awake? Already? - Say the incorporeal voice, but it feels very close now. He looks around the room, and besides himself and a few crates, a large mask decor on the wall is looking at him. Forcing his eyes, he makes out that it is made of many layers of thin metallic sheets overlapping each other in a perfectly symmetrical form. It crawls closer to him. - You are going to die. You can now rebuild. If you feed. - says the voice as he feels himself losing consciousness. - I will feed you. - His right hand rises by itself and grabs a handful of guts from the pile. He blacks out before taking a bite.
The frequency spikes up and gradually dies down until it is just in the background of his mind. The room is now all dark, but he can feel his chest whole. - Are you there? - Paul asks bravely towards the dark. - I am. - It replies. - I am alive. It was horrible, but I'm alive. - He tells himself, pushing away the gore from his skin.
The light comes back, faint but not red anymore. The mask is still in another spot on the wall. - You can now rebuild. You cannot survive. Your world will not survive. You cannot escape. You are still aging. - Paul listens attentively to his words, standing up from the pile. - And you can? Why did you help me twice? What do you want? - He means it respectfully. - This is new to me. I do not understand it; I want to understand. - It responds. - Then help me; can you kill those things before they get to land? - He says, clenching his fists. - I am not with you. It is just a symbol. - The mask changes form; it is now closer to an insect - I can make you capable of it. If you tell me what is your need. - Paul gets close to the mask. - Like you saved me? - He touches his chest. - Yes. - It says.
