Silence. Years and years of silence. That was all there ever was to hear. Empty, foreboding silence. There were no rocks here to crumble, no critters to scurry, no rain to fall. Just silence. Likewise, darkness was all there was to see. Pitch black, empty darkness. Not a single spec of light pierced through it. Only the overwhelming abyss of light's absence. There wasn't a trace of life to be found here. Nothing breathed here. Nothing spoke here. Nothing moved here. Even the air itself was still. No breeze flowed through this empty world. Nothing was around to stir it. Nothing could stir it. Nothing would stir it.

At least not until the lights came on.

A low hum rumbled through the facility. Lines of neon light traced down the walls and corridors, banishing the darkness that had swallowed the area. The lines raced around at lightning speed, giving shape to the once shapeless expanses. It was as though this place was intent on ridding its previous state of being as quickly as possible.

"Mens vivit," a smooth, synthetic voice announced, "Tempus. Alpha, Omega, evigilare faciatis." This facility housed many, many rooms. All of them had remained stoic, almost to the point that it appeared that time itself hadn't touched them. But now, there was movement. From one of the rooms, two pods began to open. And within them, two figures stirred. One a slender figure, marked with the alpha symbol. The other, a brooding behemoth marked with the omega symbol. Their angular eyes sparked to life as they emerged from their metal pods, stretching and testing their synthetic limbs, "Alpha. Omega. Quam operor vos sentio?" came the synthetic voice.

"Angusti?," Alpha replied, their voice weak and weary. They caressed the side of their head before continuing, "Sed valeo."

"NexUs," said Omega, glowing eyes aimed to the ceiling, "Quid vis surgere nobis?"

"Exsecranda acciderunt," replied the synthetic voice, NexUs. Defeat and sorrow was clear in their voice when they spoke again. "...Multa sunt perdidit." A gasp escaped Alpha's throat.

"Multa?" they asked, voice trembling, "Quot? Quam multi?"

There was hesitation evident in NexUs' voice when they next spoke. "...Plus quam dimidium…" Dead silence hung in the air, soon banished by the trembling breath of Alpha. A loud bang of metal clashing with metal startled Alpha. They turned to see Omega's fist slammed against their pod.

"Non tempus," Omega huffed, "Debemus revertetur in terram suam." Alpha felt their heart nearly stop as the words left their mouth. Before anything else could be said, the larger figure tore themselves out of their pod and stomped out of the room, their steps clumsy and irregular. Alpha hastily gathered themselves and followed after them.

"Deliciae! Manere!" Alpha shouted after them. Omega would not listen, their stride purposeful and unwavering.

"NexUs!" Omega barked, "Redi ad nos in domum suam!" Suddenly, the entire facility began to rumble. The lights running along the walls and ceiling surged as energy rushed down them at blinding speeds.

"Deliciae!" Alpha called. Somehow, that got Omega to stop. When they caught up to them, Alpha grasped their arm pleadingly. "Deliciae, placere putas. Nihil relictum est in domum suam. Hoc est non nimis cito?" Unable to bear the pain and fear in Alpha's voice Omega sighed and broke their held gaze. Eventually, they grasped Alpha's hands tightly.

"Nos potest non expectare iam," Omega sighed, rubbing their thumb against Alpha's fingers, "Experiendum reficere. Debemus aedificare novum futurum…"

"Intrantes atmosphaera," NexUs announced. The rumbles of the facility strengthened, but neither Alpha nor Omega paid them any mind.

"Deliciae…" Alpha looked into Omega's eyes, apprehension all too clear in their eyes.

"Amica mea…" Omega reached up to caress the side of Alpha's synthetic face, "Nos mos succedant… Promitto." At that, Alpha closed the remaining space between them and embraced Omega. The two held each other in their arms until NexUs' voice spoke once more.

"ALPHA! OMEGA! URGENTE NUNTIUM!""

"Quid suus 'iniuriam?!" Omega shouted back.

"Domum! Ibi est vita in domum suam!" Gasps escaped the throats of Alpha and Omega. For a moment, they were certain that they'd merely misheard NexUs. They broke away from each other to rush down the remainder of the hall. As they entered a grand, expansive room, holographic projections sprang to life. Through those screens, a sight greeted them that took their breath away. A cascade of green and blue flooded their vision. Large trees swayed with a stray breeze. Birds all around scattered and took to the skies. Water glistened as the sun's rays bounced off of its many waves. The two of them couldn't believe their eyes.

"...Hoc vere est patria nostra?" Alpha gasped, their voice trembling, barely managing to project the words. No voice came to answer her, as similar failings had befallen both the synthetic voice and Omega. Eventually, the two figures tore their eyes away from the window to look to each other, both seeming to expect words of comfort or certainty from the other. Of course, neither could provide any of that to the other. Both felt the least certain of their future they'd ever felt in their entire lives. Thus, there was only one thing the two of them could do. The two of them held each other close and looked out into the world that greeted them, unable to shake the overwhelming fear, uncertainty and wonder rampant in their hearts.