Aquatic Nightmare

God keeps those safe who keep themselves safe.
-Russian proverb

I rally with Cathy, who is now wearing her mockery of a Victorian-era maid outfit, and she opens a portal back to the outside. Specifically, a small wasteland of destroyed trees. Zombies patrols the area, and ignore us as we enter. Mindflayers, Mermaids, pirates, imperial elites and high ranking demons make up for the undead patrolling the area. At the center of the destroyed clearing, a group of survivors stand. Cathy and Eden among the living, along with an old man that raises another imperial from the dead. Everyone around him looks tense.

"Jimmy! I'll be damned! It is damn good to see you." The old man turns to face me in a small bit of panic, but his expression softens quickly.

"Esstrey! I thought of returnin' tha' favor for breakin' me out a while back. These fine folk' just dunno how to treat the elderly." It looks like he's doing much better than he used to.

A robot joins our little camp, and somehow it manages to not look too happy. "<Missile status: nominal. Communication unit designated 'astronaut' status: damaged. This unit was designed to operate independently away from connection to main servers. Estimated repair time: 14 cycles. Friendlies are hereby being informed of delay.>"

"A lot can happen in fourteen days, that would simply take too long." Eden looks at the robot in annoyance as he says that. He's right... too much could happen if we waited for another fourteen days, not to mention the squids knowing where our ticket out of this mess is. I clench my claw, I know what has to happen next.

"How long would it take to get me ready for space travel?" Eden and Kyla both look at me as I say it, they don't like where this is going. Unfortunately for them, preventing genocide at all cost is part of the job description.

"<2 hours for making the suit, 6 days for training, this facility was designed to be used by biological entities in the case of total failure.>" The robot makes some bleeping noises, and the others are now looking at me with suspicion.

"Skip the training, I have had plenty of that." Before anyone can protest, I turn to them and continue. "Relax, I will be back. We need to handle this as soon as possible. Quick ride over to the goddess and back. No biggie." I glare at the robot while I say so, it better not say anything now.

It doesn't, and goes off towards the silo. I follow, and wave a quick goodbye to the others.

They don't need to know that the missile most certainly isn't designed for two-way trips. Better for everyone that way.

It has been three days since liftoff, the bots got me a spacesuit, and were even kind enough to get me some... utilities. Anything a cosmonaut could use readily available. I left the PKM behind, but I am bringing my crossbow, and my shovel with me. The crossbow should help in poking this thing awake, and the shovel... is nice. There is also a large red flag I wanted to bring with. Americans planted one first back on earth, but with this the Americans will be roundly defeated in the space race. Them being second place isn't enough to simply stop winning.

My internal ramblings about Americans are halted by the sight of the moon, or what the people down below think is a moon. At closer inspection, it becomes clear that the world below was always living at the edge. The moon's surface shifts constantly, and it consists of large tentacles. Closed eyes dot the surface all across, and the entire thing gives off a sleeping god vibe. That vibe is clearly the correct vibe, because that's exactly what this thing is.

It was a shame that I was right about my guess on the missile, since it doubles as a nuclear payload. Completely intended to wake the sleeping giant with extreme force. I move to the airlock, with everything I need on me. It should be enough to wake this thing up, and not enough to piss her off... hopefully.

"Here it goes." If nobody can hear my nervousness, does it really exist?

The airlock opens, and I rapidly drift to the ball of flesh. The missile keeps going into the distance, set to detonate far enough away that I won't be hurt. Reaching the wriggling surface, I find a thick tentacle, and stick the pole into it, halting my momentum.

"Take that Americans! Take that Jimmy! I have proven crime to be a universal constant by being the first pirate on the moon!" The missile disappears from sight, and detonates in the distance. I see light, but there is no noise.

"Wake up Luna! Your planet needs you!" I launch attacks on the eyes of the planet, and it doesn't take long for the eyes to open. At first, they all glare at me, but it quickly calms. I hear some odd noises coming from the planet, and I think I hear some very old language in there too, before the goddess switches to something more known.

"Чего хочет маленькая рыбка?"

The goddess says it with the voice of a babushka.

"Another interdimensional invasion. Can you wipe out this one like you did two thousand years ago?" Instead of responding immediately, the eyes of Luna look around rapidly in... fear? She seems to be trying to find something, until some of her eyes are staring in a direction that does not exist.

"You brought something dangerous here, fate-eater born of Void magic. Something beyond the greatest machinations of those who use Celestial and Void power." Luna reaches with a tentacle to me, and I try to dodge. My attempt is futile, as the tentacle holds me still, and another reaches for something nearby. The world begins to creak before-

Something snapped, and Luna lets Esstrey go. Whatever Luna was looking for is no longer attached to the mermaid.

"It is too strong for me cursed fate-eater. I cannot allow it to say here any longer, it is too dangerous." It is clear what Luna is looking at now, she's looking at You.

Luna opens a tear in space, not one like the invaders. A tear, not one between dimensions, but outside of them. She reaches with a tentacle to Esstrey, clearly intending to shove her inside.

"Wait! The invasion! You need to halt it!" Esstrey isn't giving up without a fight, and she manages to deflect a few of the incoming tentacles, detonating one with blood magic after tearing into it with a claw. While Luna doesn't seem to care, those tentacles do draw back.

"You have my word fate-eater, I wouldn't allow a bunch of arrogant squids to ruin my bed." With those words Luna slams Esstrey into the extradimensional tear. After Esstrey is gone, all her eyes go to You.

For a small while, she just stares. Only one emotion is present in her eyes.

Fear.