Snippet #2687250

"We managed to fight off and capture a few Meltsanders here and there but that was just after the disease took hold," Rowlen continued as the lift stopped on a pristine white floor, obviously finished compared to the rest of the citadel and the town in general. "A disease that the Meltsanders had spread onto us..." Rowlen glanced back at the 'bounty hunters behind him as he led them down a hallway, with various rooms along it's sides. Some seemed to simply house more of the automatons that were aiding in construction of the citadel while a peek through the windows of various sealed rooms allowed the grup to see various Aklarites operating various crystal machines to perform autopsies on the bodies of dead Aklarites who had been stricken with the crippling disease affecting their clan.

"We have dabbled here and there in the sciences, though our specialty lies in engineering and medicine. No matter what we attempt to uncover, we can find no cure for this disease. We don't know when or how it can infect people or whether it is even truly contagious or not...I have seen a countless amount of my people...die. I have seen many suffer. My own son..." he sighed deeply, before his composure regained. "I cannot rest until something is done about this virus," he stated determinedly. "Capturing the Meltsander leaders before they could spread more bloodlust and disease upon our clan, will aid us greatly in that endeavor," he stated, stopping as they reached a room with two sealed doors and small square monitor-shaped mechanism jutting out of the wall with the outline of a hand on it's screen.

"Hmm...hadn't seen one of those things since the University," Uluru commented as Rowlen placed his hand on the screen, a low thrum coming from the machine as the screen suddenly began to glow green and make a beeping noise as the two sealed doors before them began to open. Before them lied yet another machine, housed in the center of a large, clean room. A large sphere attached to a pillar of tangled wires and machinery that extended below the floor they were standing in and deep into the ground. Inside the sphere lay a large number of crystals. More than many of the travelers had seen gathered in one place, all glowing and convulsing with a green light.

"This, I believe is the crowning achievement of the Aklar," Rowlen nodded with certainty as he looked towards the others apologetically. "I hope I haven't bored you with the tales of our plight, but it's been so long since anyone could just stop and listen. It feels good to talk about it," he chuckled somberly before looking at the machine again. "With this we may not have a cure, but perhaps an even better solution."