#ahmou

The brown-and-silver Tekoan seemed to try and hide behind the purple-and-black one. Ignoring her friend, she stepped forwards toward the looming Toa, looking him straight in the eyes. 

Her voice betrayed her seemingly brave demeanor . “Y-you’re going to need to leave by the south exit, then go east. If you see the-uh, old iron mine, you’re going the right way.”

Whenua timidly smiled. “Thank you... uh, I’m kinda... new to this. I need all the help I can get...” He was about to get on his way when the purple-and-black one shot out her hand.

“Name’s Komu.”

Whenua paused awkwardly, looking dumbfounded at her hand. She gestured again, sticking her hand out further. Gingerly, he took her small hand in his giant one, and shook it carefully. “I-i’m Whenua.”

“Then good luck, Toa Whenua. May the Spirits of Virtue continue to guide you.”

As He began his journey to the Archives, he heard Komu exhale and begin talking with slow excitement to her friends.

Whenua stared up at the entrance to the Archives. Home, at last. He hoped. It had apparently been at least a cycle since he last stepped foot into the Archives. Maybe he could get back to his old job... no, no. 

He’s a Toa now, and that brings new responsibilities. Like protecting those in his sector. All three thousand metra of it.

Whenua suddenly felt severely overwhelmed.

“You’ve been standing there a while. Would you like to come in?”

The voice of the Archives Head of Staff jolted Whenua out of his trance.

“Nohui, sir!” Whenua smiled, reflexively standing up straight, making the height difference between the two all the more apparent.

The old man gently laughed, shaking his head. “Now, now, you don’t have to do that anymore, Whenua,” Nohui patted the Toa of Earth on the back, ushering him inside. “You’re a Toa now. I should be calling you sir!”

Whenua felt the organics in his face flush. “Oh, uh, n-not really, um... sir. I-ah, kinda like the way we’ve always talked.”

“I see disappearing for three cycles and becoming a Toa hasn’t changed your personality. Good on you.” The Head of Staff tapped one of the suspended animation canisters, observing the small ghekula toads hopping around inside. “It feels like the Archives started to go downhill the day you disappeared. A lot of things did, actually. Oh, uh, would you mind?” He gestured to the canister.

Whenua obliged, picking up the Tekoan-sized canister with ease, and looked around for the proper chamber to set it in. “Where should I...?”

“Oh, anywhere out of the way will do. We’re going to set these specimens free. The stasis fields are starting to fail in this model.” Nohui beamed with pride. “My son, actually, is helping develop the next version!”

Whenua set the canister down with a soft, familiar thunk. “How is Nuhrii doing, anyway? ...Other than his new job, I mean?” He absent-mindedly picked up another canister, and started organizing the stack.

Nohui chuckled. “Oh, you know, he may wear my old mask, but he’s still as fiery as his mother. Quite literally, almost. Had a nice mask-making job for a while. Didn’t hold that for long, let me tell you.” He sighed, looking off down the tunnel. “You two should catch up yourself sometime. He hasn’t seen you since you got a job here...”

Whenua smiled. “I miss the days we would play in the old mining complex,” He placed the last canister in its place. “There. That should be good for a while.”

The Head of Staff put on a mock expression of anger. “You shouldn’t have done that, you’re a guest here!” He couldn’t keep the face, however, and started to laugh. “Old habits die hard, I guess.”

“It...it was day before yesterday last time I did this. For me, at least,” Whenua spoke slowly, “I don’t know how I lost so much time...”

Nohui quickly stopped laughing and looked at Whenua, studying his sullen expression. After a long silence, Nohui spoke, a warm smile on his face. “You’re always welcome to come back and work here, you know. On your days off from being a Toa, of course. I’ll pay you.”

Whenua seemed to cheer up a bit. “I guess doing something familiar every so often would be nice. But are you sure? I mean-”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll work it out somehow,” His old boss interrupted. “Besides, you’re an employee-turned-Toa, obviously you’ll get some benefi-”

Nohui’s words were cut short by a loud rumbling from somewhere in the cavern. Instinctively, the two of them rushed under the reinforced supports, bracing themselves for falling debris. 

Whenua silently counted to five. They should be safe. An automated voice came over the speakers.“Cave-in in section D-16. Repeat: Cave-in in section D-16 . Please stay clear until rescue crews arrive.” The intercom beeped twice, then continued to repeat.

“They might not get there in time.” Whenua looked to Nohui. “Are you alright here?”

The old man sat down, taking care to not strain his knees. “This place is well-reinforced. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Go on.”

Whenua took off as fast as he could.

Nohui smiled and turned to the ghekula toads. “He’s going to do great things, let me tell you.”

“D-16. D-16. D-16. D...16!” Whenua turned sharply, his shoulders grazing the narrow passage. The cave-in was quite severe. The entire back half of the housing section was covered with rocks and earth. Whenua could see multiple people just barely trapped under the rubble.

Whenua wasted no time, using his strength to move the boulders and broken houses, making a path towards the back of the cavern. Others rushed in to those trapped around him, pulling them free as soon as he had cleared the debris. Two... six...nine... Whenua counted to himself as each person was rescued. He ignored his sore muscles. He couldn’t stop, not until everyone was rescued.

“How many?” He yelled out above the commotion. He was quickly overwhelmed by people calling out for their missing family and friends.

“My brother!”

“Mama!”

“Yelu and Teinak!”

“How many people?” Whenua yelled out again, still pulling stones away. 

“About thirty of us!” Whenua looked to his side, seeing Dosne, one of the Tekoans from before, trapped under a crushed building next to him.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you out!” Whenua moved to push the debris off, but was stopped.

“I’m fine! Komu and Ahkmou were behind me when the cave collapsed! They’re back there!” He pointed to a boulder, larger than Whenua himself. “Help them first!”

Whenua nodded, placed his hands firmly on the boulder and pushed, straining against its immense weight. If only he knew how to use his elemental powers like Onewa.... 

Looking quickly over it, Whenua recognized the blotches of silver-blue on the rock face. The boulder was a dense metal ore. Usually they would have to  bring in heavy machinery just to move this thing an inch. But they didn’t have time. If the boulder wasn’t going to move. ... he’ll just have to break it. Whenua took out the thumper tool he had taken from the forge room, and strapped it to his smaller arm.

He braced his larger hand against the rock and punched, using the thumper’s chisel-like head to strike the boulder. 

Thunk.

Whenua could barely see the grey mark left on the stone’s surface. Hardly chipped, he thought to himself. Not good enough. Again.

Thunk!

The rock broke a little more.  Still not good enough. Again! 

Thunk!

Again! As the Toa pulled back to punch, his thumper tool rumbled to life, a strange purple glow emanating from its core. Whenua, not seeming to notice, struck the boulder again. The purple glow spread from the thumper to the boulder, making a fleeting pattern across it’s surface.

With barely a whisper, the rock crumbled away, creating a makeshift tunnel large enough for the Toa of Earth. Whenua, without a second thought, stepped through into the darkness.

It was a short time until he reemerged, carrying an unconscious Komu in his large hand and a weakened Ahkmou under his other arm. As soon as he left the tunnel, the earth shook again, slowly closing the path behind him.

As if it had been waiting for him to leave.

“<Sensors detect no further civilians trapped. Recall, twenty-two, subside.>”

Medical and rescue Vahki arrived, bringing the usual cave-in equipment, setting up protosteel supports around the remainder of the settlement, and had managed to pull free the remaining victims. Recovery canisters, replacement masks, and a few rations were organized on the ground, ready to be used. Whenua set the two gently down in front of the medical drones. 

“<What is the nature of the medical emergency?>”  a Vahki chirped with a comforting (though eerily synthetic) bedside manner.

“How are they? Can you help them?”

The sleek white Vahki looked over them, scanning for injuries with cold, unfeeling eyes.

“<Citizen Ahkmou: Minor lacerations, slight bruising. Status: recovering. Immediate medical aid not needed.>”

The Vahki paused, calling over for medical supplies.

“<Citizen Komu: Major bruising, endoskeleton has been bent in multiple places, mask is dented. Status: Repairable. However, immediate medical aid is needed to prevent further damage. Please stand back...>”

A few Vahki carried over a canister and placed Komu inside.

“<Citizen Komu should be able to return to her duties within a season. Thank you for your cooperation.>”

The Toa of Earth followed the medical unit until they reached the transport station, keeping an eye on Komu and the few others inside canisters. Their safety was his duty, after all. He almost got on board with them. But no, he must remain here.

“Toa-Whenua!” He turned to find Dosne, his torso wrapped in a jumble of dermis bandages, breathing heavily. “Did- did they-just... leave?”

“Erm, y-yes. Oh, but Komu is going to be fine.” Dosne breathed a sigh of relief before wincing.

“I-shouldn’t have... run... here.” He noticed Whenua’s look of concern, smiling back reassuringly, “I’m-alright... though. .” Whenua chuckled softly. Dosne's breathing returned to normal as he looked down the railway at the departing transport.

“You left before everyone could say thank you.”

Whenua was taken aback. “I’m, uh, not too comfortable with a lot of attention put on me. It makes me feel like I’m not... normal.”

Dosne nodded understandingly, carefully adverting his gaze from Whenua’s disproportionate arm. “If I were in your place, I don’t think I’d like having so much attention either.” 

They sat quietly at the station for a little longer, taking in the gentle cavern breeze. Away from everything.

Maybe being a Toa isn’t so bad.