《Beyond The Logos - Episode 1 - Khaos》


 origine mundi | Prologue

    The world began with nothing. From nothing came Khaos. Greek myth regards Khaos as the first primordial deity to exist, the supposed gap between Heaven and Earth. With Khaos came chaos, energy. The universe began to breathe, and with each exhale the world''s breath blew out onto the many observable and several unobservable universes as the Alpha Force. The Alpha Force is the guiding light that exists within every single living creature. It is life itself. With the Alpha Force we give credit to the entirety of our way of being. We speculated that we weren''t the only ones given existence from the Alpha Force. We believed that there was more life out there to be discovered. We were right.


    </a></a> Beyond the excitement of the discovery of new life comes the opposite, a fear for the climax of our own life. For every alpha there is an omega. The Omega Force is but an absence of life. A nothing that in of itself is its own identity. Within the cycle of Alpha and Omega comes the birth and death of every living creature. While some like the tortoise''s cycle may take hundreds of years to experience the cold rush of the Omega Force, it only takes a fraction of that for a dog to ultimately succumb. So, as entire civilizations and species fall to the act of the Omega Force who then do we as humans think that this force can be stopped? What chance do we think we have against what has regularly and routinely fulfilled its role since the creation of the entire universe? A will to survive, that is how. With a will to live, determination, we know our end is coming yet declare our life in opposition. One day maybe life will listen.


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 Chapter 1

    Your eyelids flutter, light spills in from the outside. You begin to feel. You feel like you''re waking up for the first time. That cannot be right though. You''ve woken up on days just like this tons of times before. Even exactly like this, you''re sure of it.


    Except...something is different. Your body aches and not in a way that is familiar to you. Your entire body shakes with a new fear that everything is wrong. You slowly sit up in what you now know isn''t your bed. You look around to see what isn''t your window spilling light into what isn''t your room. You know that it isn''t yours, but at the same time you don''t really remember what your room looks like.


    You swing your entire body across the bed. It cries out in pain as it feels like you were run over with a dump truck which then pulled you into its heap of garbage. Surely whatever life you lived was a healthy one? Then again, with your luck you probably hit the gym a little too hard last night and decided to binge on fast food afterwards.


    You stand up and lean against the bed to prevent from falling over. You notice you''re wearing a one piece white suit that even covers your feet. You''re reminded of pajamas that small children would wear to bed. Once you regain your balance you look around. There''s a wardrobe at the far end of the room that is closed tight with some weird handle that looks far too ornate to actually be usable. On the other side of the room there''s a tiny mirror hanging up on the wall. Other than that the only other thing in the room is the door standing in-between them. It is made of a black colored wood that rises up near the ceiling, stopping just before the intersection of the wall. It is certainly taller than any door you''ve ever seen.


    At least, you assume.


    You walk over towards the wardrobe. On closer inspection you see that the handles are actually carved into the shapes of elongated dragons swaying into an arch. There is an ineffable amount of detail placed into the carving as you can see the individual ribbings on the dragons'' chests. On the face of the wardrobe there are markings carved.


    You have no idea what it means. Damn.


    Irritated, you try again to open the wardrobe, it doesn''t move. You''ve now become so determined to open this wardrobe that you pull on it with all of your might, sticking your foot up against it as leverage so that you may unlock its secrets. You don''t even care what is inside anymore, not as much as you care that it has denied you carries your energy to open this godforsaken wardrobe-


    It does not open.


    You let go of the handle, defeated and make your way to the mirror. You nearly faint when you see your reflection. That''s actually a lie, you aren''t that prone to fainting, thankfully. You are still surprised by what you see, however. It isn''t your reflection, but that of a man who is pushing forty. You are bummed, to say the least. You aren''t even that good looking. He has short hair kept close to his head.


    It''s darker in color than you are used to.


    Then again, that could also be dirt mixed in because you look like you haven''t been clean in a good long time. His eyes are also darker than you''re used to, the iris is almost pitch black.


    It makes you think you look like some hybrid between a man in his mid-life crisis and a Lovecraftian monster in disguise. You have no memory of your life, yet something screams that this isn''t your face. It is a feeling that you know deep down inside. It puts you off when you look directly at it. Your mind begins racing. Just what does this mean? What happened to your body, your room, your life? There are so many questions racing through your head that do not have answers.


    You know one thing and that is you aren''t going to find any answers by walking back and forth or by going back to sleep. You know that answers for what happened to you must be outside, right? Surely there wasn''t anything else you can do by staying in here. Going back to sleep seemed like a reasonable option, but you have a feeling that wouldn''t be such a good idea after all.


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    You step over to the door and grasp the comparatively boring handle, taking it into your hand and turning it to the left. It opens easily and you step outside. You see towering buildings that seem to tear at the sky. Hooks and claws scratching for their makers. They reflect the purpley light of the sky across a blue-tinted street. Bright in the sky is an orange-almost-white ball that must be the sun. It''s a lot more vibrant than you have ever remembered. The sudden overexposure of color doesn''t stop bothering you.


    What normally would be tar and concrete in front of the small shanty that you have come out of seems to be replaced with a sort of glass-looking substance. It''s translucent as far as you can see and if you look below you can see almost a million reflections of the glass in on itself. It makes your eyes spin and your head hurt as you try to focus on each individual reflection.


    You take a step out and feel the weird friction on the glass road as your covered feet step on it. For a few seconds it is really hot but then immediately after it cools down. You also see there is a light that shines when your feet make contact that highlight your figure like a two-dimensional outline. It follows your feet as you move around, tracking your every step.


    On the other side of the street you notice a creature you''ve never seen before. It looks almost like a giant cricket. If you looked almost Lovecraftian then this thing took the cake. It stands a few feet taller than you, probably around seven or eight feet tall. It has long stalky legs that meet an abdomen that seems to be covered with a sort of wax. It has a pair of wings folded up on its back and its arms end in what look like sharpened claws. Its head is the only thing really unlike a cricket''s. It is oblong and segmented, you can almost make out three beady eyes right in the center of its head. You''d be lying if you said it didn''t creep you out. You feel a deep fear inside of your core. What kind of mad world did you wake up to? Is that thing responsible? Is it here to kill you?


    You know one thing, and that is you aren''t going to let it get that chance. Without a second thought you run towards the creature, your feet pounding against the weird glass. It seems to see you as it stops in its path, looking at you with a blank stare. You seem to have caught it off guard as you jump onto it and begin reeling back your fist. The first time you strike the creature''s face it hurts your hand a bit. You recoil, but only slightly. It lets out a small sound as it flinches back and latches its arms out towards you. Lucky for you, its arms seem to be too long to grab you with enough strength to pull you off. You aren''t going to let this thing take down your confidence. You pound on it once again, this time your knuckle catches its central eye and you can feel a juicy substance pouring onto the back of your fist.


    It cries out a sound unlike you''ve ever heard as it struggles with you on it. You smile wildly as you keep on punching over and over, letting speed take priority over power and letting the rage over the unknown take over you. It is unable to swing you off of its body, it flails viciously yet unfortunately in vain.


    You swing your leg down into the back of the creature''s leg, you can feel your leg pierce the hide of its leg easily. A purplish liquid, presumably its blood, spills out onto the ground below as it screams in agony. You slide your foot out of its leg which empties it of even more blood as it paints your suit with violet. It finally manages to use the brunt of its strength to shake you off as its shrieks pierce the sky. It kneels down and grasps as its now useless leg.


    It looks up to you with a pained expression. You hear the guttural voice call out, ¡°Hath dagon etet?! Sabattat ercoc!¡±


    You don''t let the creature''s pain dissuade you from your mission. You walk up to the creature and stare it down. You look at this creature that used to be taller with a sense of superiority. You pull back and punch it in the face hard. You can feel something breaking beneath the surface, but you know absolutely nothing as to what this disgusting beast has beneath its skin. You don''t care as you punch again. Nothing about anything makes sense, it all could be a bad dream for all you know. You reel back and give it to it so hard it hurts your fist again. You don''t care as you do it again and again. Your entire suit has been tainted purple by the creature''s blood spraying out in spurts.


    You knock it to its back, you grapple it from above and throw punch after punch. The same purplish goo that sprayed out from its leg begins to drip from its face. With each punch you make more progress in completely destroying the facial structure of the creature. It has stopped trying to resist you.


    You feel nothing as it stops moving. You don''t know where you are, who you are, or why you are here. You don''t know what this thing was, and you don''t know why you don''t feel guilty about ending its life. Just then, the ground around you begins to shake. You can see a red light flashing below you inside the ground. Something inside the glass is flashing really bright, and then it begins to emit a loud ringing sound that pierces your eardrums. You fall to your knees, grasping your head for any sign of relief from the sound. Relief doesn''t come. Your head feels like it is about to burst, and you scream out for anything to stop the sound, and that is when you pass out.

 Chapter 2

    The next thing you know is that your back hurts something bad. You''re lying down on something hard, maybe metal. You open your eyes to see what seem to be the vertical shafts of a prison cell, only instead of metal they seem to be made of some sort of electrical current. A bright pulsating green color shooting up and down repeatedly. You can almost feel the heat emanating from the beams from your cot. You sit up and run to the bars, almost instinctively bringing yourself to grasp them, but you realize that is probably a mistake that would cost you your hands. You catch yourself just in time.


    You call out, ¡°Hello? Is anybody there? I don''t know what''s going on!¡± Hearing your voice startles you. It is much deeper than you imagined, and you remember that you aren''t even in your own body. You really don''t know what''s going on. You only know that you killed that creature back there.


    The thought comes and hits you like a tidal wave. It certainly wasn''t a dream. You notice that you''re still wearing the purple-stained one piece and guilt swarms you like bees. You see it in your mind''s eye and your face flashes across your vision as you think of how little you cared. Why didn''t you feel anything? And why do you know? You''d like to believe you''re a good person, who doesn''t? But that cannot possibly be true if that''s how you react. You fall back on the cot and feel lightheaded. All of this is horrible and it doesn''t make sense and you just want to go home, wherever that is.


    That''s when another creature comes into view, it is much taller than the last one. It looks to be about fourteen or even fifteen feet tall.


    Its body is a pitch black, you feel like the light in the room begins to dim as it nears. It is very slender¡ªits legs like stilts that almost look like they originate from the depths of hell themselves. It has three long tendrils that it drags behind it that are vaguely arm-like, and then it ends at a nearly featureless face. You don''t know if it doesn''t have a face or if it is too dark to see it. All you can make out are glowing yellow eyes. It''s almost as if this strange place is challenging you to compare each of these creatures to something made in the mind of a madman.


    You mentally make an image of what you guess the next will look like, an amalgamation of several different animals oozing bodily fluids onto the ground before itself possibly, or maybe even Cthulhu himself. It stops just outside of your cell, you have to crane your neck up to see all of it. You wonder if this is the moment when you''ll die. At this point, you don''t really mind, it''s not like you remember any of your life to begin with. Except that you know Lovecraft, of course.


    ¡°Asatar bonno tu?¡± a voice in your mind asks. Nobody else is around, and you''re sure the creature hasn''t spoken aloud to you. Or maybe it did, and you just cannot see its mouth?


    You answer back to the creature, ¡°I do not understand you! Who are you? What are you? Where is this place?¡± The creature bends down as if to get a closer look at you, it seems to nod up and down a few times before it stands back up.


    ¡°Prara queos human,¡± you hear in your head once again.


    You perk up up at the sound of this, ¡°Human! Yes, I am human!¡± You call out to the creature. It nods a few more times before walking off and out of sight. ¡°No, wait! Come back! I am human!¡± You call after it. It doesn''t come back. You go back to your cot and sit down. There is nothing you can do, the walls at your sides and back feel so restrictive, but then again that is the point. You feel that there is no need to try and break out, the bars in front of you seem to halt any progress whatsoever, and you have no intention of losing your hands. No time for a Luke Skywalker here.


    Wait a second, Luke Skywalker? That name...where do you know it? Then suddenly there is a flash. You remember Star Wars, it had been one of your favorite movies. You remember going to see it in theaters. You remember 1977, that must have been when it came out. That means you must have been alive during 1977. Everything else surrounding yourself, however, is a blur. Just when you thought you were so close to solving the mystery, you are still so very far.


    You see another body enter the frame, but this time it''s one more familiar, another human! It''s a man in a fine suit, he seems to be incredibly pale, almost ghostly pale, but considering all that you''ve seen so far it''s far from the weirdest thing. He looks to be around his mid-twenties. He''s got bright blond hair that doesn''t help his whole ¡°ghost-look¡± situation. His eyes, though are a dark contrast to his face. He stands with his hands behind his back, an air of authority hangs around him.


    You fall to your knees and can''t help from just letting every single pent up emotion in you rush out like a river. Seeing this, the man walks up close to the bars and looks down to you, ¡°Eretat human?¡± You cry out some more at this, just when you thought you could have someone normal to talk to, he is also speaking this crazy fucked up language. ¡°I''m human but I don''t understand what you''re saying!¡± You cry out.


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    He looks at you, and then his eyes open wide. It''s the most emotion you''ve seen out of him yet. He looks up and begins tapping his foot incessantly, it looks like he''s trying to remember something. ¡°You...speak this, right?¡± He says after some hesitation. You pick up your head as you hear the beautiful, yet strained sound of English. ¡°Yes! I speak that!¡± You hear yourself say, not caring how stupid you sound. The man nods his head and makes a motion with his hands that you understand all too well, ¡°Wait here one moment.¡±


    You nod back as you take in a deep breath. You are filled with hope as you take the effort to let loose a single smile. Finally, someone you can at the very least communicate with on the most basic of levels. You go back to sit on the cot as you wait for the man to return. He does after a few minutes of restless waiting. He raises his hand at the side of the cell and an interface appears. It scans his hand and then disappears. So too do the bars of electricity. You find it odd because you had almost gotten used to them there. Now there is nothing between you and the man.


    You walk up slowly and nod your head once, realizing that even if he was able to speak English it was obviously difficult for him. You can see him smile, and you also see that he is holding something in his hand, it looks like a small card. He waves his fingers around in a circle, ¡°Turn.¡±


    You do as he says, turning around to face the wall behind you. An anxious rush fills you with nerves tight enough to strangle a bear. You feel a tickling sensation at the back of your head, you reach back to scratch it and find that your hand meets the man''s partially inside of your head. You step forward and turn around, looking at him in horror, one hand still on the back of your head. You stop touching it, it almost makes you throw up.


    ¡°Look, look, all I was doing was updating your language banks,¡± the man says with sudden clarity. You stop as you understand him perfectly now. The card that was in his hand is gone. ¡°You just need to close up the back hatches there, you don''t know what kinds of things can mess up your system if you leave it open for too long.¡±


    ¡°I''m a robot?¡± You ask aloud. It is the first thing that comes to your mind and hearing it now it sounds insane. Just on the side of your head you also feel the piece of your head that should be just above your neck, but here it sits just behind your ear. In a slow horror you push it back and you hear a click as it closes. ¡°What am I?¡± You scream out, falling back on the cot. The man looks at you with a concerned look.


    ¡°You seem to be having some difficulty,¡± he says, his tone airy. Difficulty? Not knowing where you were last night is difficult. Not having enough money to pay for a cab is difficult. Waking up one day in someone else''s body in this strange world and find out you''re a robot is way passed the realm of difficult.


    ¡°Where...am I?¡± You ask, your voice is shaky, definitely moreso than it was before. The man walks up to you and looks down, ¡°You''re in the county jail. You were placed under arrest on count of murder of Jayon C?, a prolific writer of the C? people.¡±


    This fails to answer the question you asked, but it does bring up the identity of the creature you slaughtered. A C?? Is that the name of the giant cricket creature? ¡°I want to know where I am here. What strange world is this?¡± You ask. ¡°The sky is purple and the creatures are big and everything is so different. Surely this isn''t Earth?¡±


    ¡°Earth? It''s been a long time since anybody''s asked about Earth,¡± the man regards. He looks at you with a stupefied sort of look, ¡°Strange. Well, whatever caused your malfunction, this is Sayar. You remember that?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! I''ve never heard of that in my life...I think.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°I do not remember anything...¡± You trail off, hoping he gives you a name.


    ¡°Jesse,¡± he finishes.


    ¡°Okay, Jesse, why doesn''t anybody talk about Earth anymore?¡±


    ¡°Simple, the Earth was destroyed almost five thousand years ago.¡±


    ¡°Five thousand? What year is it now?¡±


    ¡°7,423...I...oh, I apologize, I seem to have gotten off track,¡± Jesse says, he looks like he is about to throw up. Something''s bothering him big time. He almost looks sick. It''s strange how quickly he turned.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    ¡°You are a prisoner here, and as such I was meaning to only update your language data. I apologize for indulging in your questions,¡± he says before turning around faster than you can even stop him. No! It cannot end just like that! You were so close to finally getting some answers!


    ¡°No, please! I need to know why I''m here and everything!¡±


    So quickly are your hopes dashed, for the slightest moments you believe that he genuinely wanted to answer your questions. He answered a few, at the very least. Whoever''s body this is isn''t fully human, and neither was his if this was so commonplace to replace a drive through the back of your head. Earth is long gone, somehow. All human language probably left with it, that''s why he had difficulty understanding you. Maybe that card he installed was a universal language program? If so you could probably plead your case with whomever is handling your sentencing. All you can do now is wait.

 Chapter 3

    It feels like hours pass when you next see movement. The tall and dark creature you saw before reenters the room and bends down to stare at you.


    ¡°I have been told that you can understand me now?¡± You hear in your mind.


    You nod your head, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°We are Pamen. we are your arresting officer, and we are here to bring you to your sentencing.¡±


    ¡°And what are you? The man who was in here, Jesse, said that I was arrested for murdering a C?. That''s a different species than me or you, right?¡±


    ¡°You are correct.¡±


    ¡°So what species are you?¡±


    ¡°We have told you, We are Pamen. It is our name, it is us.¡±


    ¡°So you''re named after what your species is?¡±


    ¡°Species assumes more than a single mind. Pamen are one given order throughout the universe.¡±


    ¡°So a hive mind?¡±


    ¡°In essence. Now come on, we have little time to waste.¡±


    You nod as you stand up off the cot. You see it reach one of its tendrils down to disable the electric bars. The display appears just like it did with Jesse, and just like with him the bars dissipate. Pamen stands back up to its full height as you slowly walk out of the cell.


    ¡°Do not try anything funny. You have a chip that''s in your body that will electrocute you if you try to run away or anything like it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I won''t do anything,¡± You say, nodding your head as you fully step outside, taking in the atmosphere of the room you''d been entrapped in for so long. The ceiling extends high up, it is no problem for Pamen walking around as it could be three times bigger and still probably fit. You see other cubicles as you two begin to pass, they''re about as big as the cell you were trapped in, but unlike yours there doesn''t seem to be any sort of opening to them. You turn your head, ¡°What''s with those cells?¡±


    ¡°We don''t keep prisoners here for long term. Prisons are mainly Breeton business, but as of the current time they''ve been relocated to the Inner City. You are a special case because you were deemed a threat to citizens of the Inner City, so you were brought here to the Outer Banks for the time until your sentencing.¡±


    Breeton? Perhaps it was another race you were unfamiliar with. ¡°You said something about a Breeton? What is that?¡± You ask as you pass another cell, the last on the block it seems. It''s then you can see the door, sized ten times larger than you.


    ¡°Breeton comprise a large chunk of Sayarian policing due to their build. We are confused at your lack of generalized and common knowledge.¡± Pamen says.


    ¡°I''m not familiar with much on this place to be honest.¡± You say.


    ¡°Well, we are not going to give you a history lesson. We have somewhere to be.¡± Pamen raises one of its tendrils and presses a switch on the side of the wall, raising the door. You can seem to hear all the inner workings of the door as it raises up, an industrial orchestra working the mechanisms of the door. Light fills the room and the first thing that you can see outside is the purple sky. You remember just how strange this place looks. Sayar, this totally strange planet. Just how far from Earth are you? What happened that caused humanity to leave?


    You walk out right beside Pamen, you finally notice that it seems to be exerting a sort of chill in the air. You feel yourself shiver, but decide not to confront Pamen on it. Outside you feel the air on your skin, it feels heavier than you''re used to, maybe you''re just noticing it now, but it definitely feels heavier. There''s also a distinct orangey smell to it, almost like someone threw a ton of them in a blender and hit puree and threw it out into the street.


    Walking your way you see two creatures side by side conversing to themselves. One of them is a C?, it is a little shorter than the one you killed, Jayon C? if you remember correctly. It seems to be talking with a lion beside him. However it is larger than any lion you''ve seen before. Its mane is more relegated to the top of its head like a clump of hair instead of around its head. A thick fabric covers its body that''s outfitted with some weird kind of badges that you don''t understand.


    ¡°It''s almost as if the council doesn''t care, Jiarg,¡± The C? says to the lion, its voice higher pitched than Jayon C?''s foreign tongue. It shakes its head as it steps ahead, ¡°No, you do not understand Kasera, the council must choose what it deals with with extreme caution. If they decide to investigate this without proper cause then the Lunfilios could threaten secession once more, and we don''t need that with the trouble we''re already having with those rumors,¡± the lion says.


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    ¡°The Lunfilios are con men and a half! Surely you see that? I mean, the Garex are fabled for their keen hunches, are they not?¡± The two stop and stare as you pass by them, Kasera C? bends down to whisper to what you assume is called a Garex.


    You don''t know exactly what is said, but based on the look of her face, that is assuming Kasera is a female C? name, but you feel that it is about you. You see the Garex shake its head as it lets out a disgusted sort of sound. You shake a little because you''d be lying if you said the Garex didn''t frighten you a little bit. They pass by and you turn back around to face Pamen.


    ¡°If I may interject, it wasn''t a good idea to have that be how your first impression with a Garex, especially one as short tempered as Jiarg be.¡±


    ¡°You noticed?¡±


    ¡°Your ignorance on the Pamen and your outdated language drives even for a human lead me to suspect you were also clueless about the Garexian people. Which if so, they''re probably the last kind you want to think anything less of you. There is a reason they''re often called the fangs of the galaxy.¡±


    You nod your head and swallow rather hard, you might have to play things a bit more safe from now on. That is, if you aren''t already going to be hanged for your crime. That''s a real possibility that you have to come to terms with.


    You make it to what almost looks like a cylindrical telephone booth. It''s a slick chrome shined to a fault. Pamen steps up to the booth and raises its tendril to the keypad just on the side. The door opens up on a pivot, swinging out and almost hitting you on the way out. You have to step back as it opens.


    The inside is matted with a light brown sort of cover. It almost looks like leather, but considering the oddity of everything else, you doubt it is something so mundane as that. You realize that it is rather small inside, probably enough to fit three normal sized people, but certainly not a human and Pamen at the same time. Pamen is almost a few feet taller so it''d have to crouch to even get the chance of fitting in by itself. You wish you knew if Pamen were a male or female so you could stop saying it.


    ¡°Step inside, this Particle Transmitter will send you right outside of the High Council''s chambers. You will meet back up with Mr. Anderson before you go inside.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Anderson?¡± You ask.


    ¡°Step inside. We shall not say it again.¡±


    You step inside the Particle Transmitter, half hoping it doesn''t scramble your mind the second you step inside. Just then a fear wells up inside you that maybe there is no high council and this is some sort of gas chamber, a lure to lead you straight to a death penalty without even realizing it. You read that in a book somewhere...but you don''t remember where.


    Thankfully, you don''t die as the door closes. There is, however a low ringing hum that begins. It pulses around your being and then begins to rise in pitch. You feel your stomach start to rise and fall, it gives you butterflies and instantly your mind flashes back to a swing set.


    You see a young body swinging back and forth on the magical carriage that took up nearly half of the back yard. A small plot that you could walk from end to end to in less than ten seconds. Just behind the fenced perimeter lies a forest that seemed to extend forever to your young mind. Your face is blurred, you cannot see any detail, but you know it is you. It''s gotta be. Small bits of your memory return, but unfortunately you care about hardly any of it. The real meat of it lies locked away somewhere jut beyond your grasp. There is somebody on the swing beside you as well, but you cannot make out any features on them either. You both look to be really young, maybe around the age of five. You both alternate as you seem to race to swing the highest.


    ¡°Higher Devon, higher!¡± your voice calls out. ¡°We gotta go as high as possible to reach space! Mission command needs to go higher!¡±


    ¡°I''m trying!¡± The voice belonging to ''Devon'' replies back. You see him kick his legs out from underneath him and he flies up out of the swing. He reaches his hands out as if reaching for the clouds. Unfortunately, he ends up falling back towards the earth and you hear something precious break. It was his leg.


    You see your younger self slow to a stop as Devon''s cry rings out. The air is silenced as it echoes throughout your forested back yard. For a minute you worry that you hear a reply from the forest, but rest easy knowing it was just your mind playing tricks on you. You see your younger self walking up to Devon and kneeling beside him, your featureless face aimed right at his leg.


    ¡°Aw, come on Devon! Astronauts can''t travel space with a broken leg! Come on, now what do we do if we get hurt?¡±


    He stops crying for a moment to look up at you, he''s trying really hard to keep from bursting out again, ¡°We...we get back...¡± he says sitting up, but it is too much. ¡°Owch! Alex it hurts!¡± He bursts back into his loud wail.


    ¡°Ugh, come on Devon! My mom''s going to hear you and we won''t be able to go to space anymore!¡± You say, your voice is strained.


    As quick as it came it leaves. You hear the familiar sound of the Particle Transmitter, its humming slows to a stop and you feel all kinds of weird. You go to reach for the door to open it up, but it makes a high pitched sound and you back away quickly, fearing some sort of explosion. It doesn''t explode, but opens on the same pivot that almost hit you the first time.


    Outside you see an enormous building. It extends far past your view and branches off into different spires that dominate all around you. Just in front of the building seems to be its front lawn, so to speak. It''s almost the size of three football fields combined into one, and makes quick work of your dinky yard.


    In the middle stands a statue ten times your size commemorating eleven figures in various battle stances. You step out of the Particle Transmitter and onto the glass-like street. You jog over to the statue, it seems to grow larger and larger as you approach it. You can recognize that it looks like two of the figures are human, yet you don''t have any idea who they are. You can also recognize that one is a C?, another a Garex, and also a Pamen. You notice there''s also a plaque on the base of the statue with twelve lines of some language you don''t understand written in it. What''s odd is the last line seems to have been chiseled out, maybe there used to be twelve statues here?

 Chapter 4

    ¡°History is a funny thing, isn''t it?¡±


    You jump as you find a hand on your shoulder. Turning around faster than you''d like you see Jesse standing, now wearing a long overcoat and a slim pair of glasses.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It''s completely determined by the survivors,¡± he says, now standing right next to you. ¡°This statue is missing one of its figures, you must have noticed?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and one of the names is scratched out.¡±


    ¡°Each of these figures is a hero. To us, to all of us, really. They''re each the members of the high council, the leaders of the races that inhabit Sayar. They''ve each a laundry list of achievements and honors that would take eons for me to even begin listing right now. The big one is uniting everyone here on this planet, establishing a government for all and creating a lasting peace.¡±


    You think about asking him what happened before in the prison, but you''re so relieved you''re actually getting answers to your question so you decide not to press it. ¡°Did something happen with the person who was depicted by that statue?¡±


    ¡°You''re quick to catch on. That statue belonged to the Dromedan race, to honor their advances in technology throughout the galaxies.¡±


    ¡°What do the Dromedans look like?¡±


    ¡°Well, to say they were a race is almost a little inaccurate, for they were the only race that wasn''t really alive.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°They were a race of machines controlled by artificial intelligence. Nobody knows who created them. Well, maybe except for them, but they sure as hell haven''t told anybody. Anyway, they started by building artificial civilians, then an entire society followed. Its beginnings blurred by time and soon everyone soon accepted the existence of the Dromedans.¡±


    ¡°Things went wrong, when?¡±


    ¡°When Sayar was being established, this planet is not the home world of any of us here by the way, we migrated here as a mutual capital from our respective home worlds for one reason or another. It''s then that the eleven figured here met with the leader of the Dromedans, a large machine that had an intelligence so advanced compared to what everyone else thought it almost seemed sentient. Turns out it was. Nobody knows if they''re all connected like the Pamen are, but at the very least that the Mark VI, that''s what he was called, was capable of full sentience.¡±


    ¡°What happened then?¡±


    ¡°He was an imperialist. Anything he did was to further expand his own reach. What first seemed like a bond of trust between the other eleven races turned to be a ruse for total domination. When the others learned of his true motives they had to take action.¡±


    ¡°They killed him?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. He may have been sentient, but in the end he wasn''t tied to the body that he resided in. They could have destroyed the body and he would have made his home in the hundreds of thousands of other Dromedans.¡±


    ¡°So what''d they do?¡±


    ¡°In the simplest of terms, they starved him. Dromedans require an immense amount of power to function. Their most common energy source is called Queoquartzite. They had an ample supply on their home planet of Nastor, but with enough time they eventually mined it clean. One reason why they joined up with the high council was to trade for more Queoquartzite.¡±


    ¡°So you cut them off.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. They were pushed back to Nastor and stayed until they eventually ran out of it, causing them to shut down. Technically not dead, but for all intents and purposes the equivalent...that is, until recently.¡±


    ¡°Something tells me they haven''t been as shut down as everybody was expecting,¡± You say.


    ¡°Right. Sometime in the last month there have been reported sightings of Mark I units throughout the galaxy. Mark I units being combat oriented, it obviously has sent people into a state of panic.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense, if some combat units are up and moving about who is to say the others can''t join soon after?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. That''s why we''re so understaffed at the moment. A lot of the normal prison staff are being relegated to investigating the cause of the sightings. Normally, I''m not confined to the duties of glorified prison guard, but such are the times we live in now.¡±


    ¡°What is it you do normally?¡±


    He looks to you and nods his head, ¡°Well, my official title is Head of Archives. I oversee the documentation of our planets, and by extension the races that live on its histories.¡±


    ¡°Even if they''re convicted criminals?¡±


    ¡°Technically you aren''t convicted yet,¡± he says with a grin.


    ¡°Well, I will be. I mean, I did it, there isn''t any doubt about that.¡±


    ¡°Judgment is only left to the council. Come, we really must get going,¡± he begins to walk. You almost think to question why he isn''t keeping a closer eye on you, but then you remember that you have an electronic chip in your head. He''ll shock you if you decide to run. You remember Pamen telling you that.


    Except...Pamen didn''t say it was in your head. It just said body. How do you know it''s in your head? You instinctively reach your hand to the back of your head to touch an almost phantom pain just above the small of your neck. It feels wrong, but only for a moment. You must still not feel all that well about learning you''re a robot.


    Totally understandable.


    You follow right behind Jesse, not wanting to be electrocuted in the slightest bit. You pass the statue and see the building coming closer in your view. Even so, it still seems so far away. Surely they could have made the path towards the building shorter? It feels oppressive in how tall it stands, it must be at least three times larger than any building you''ve ever seen on Earth. You notice a bright light shining in your eyes as you look up, ¡°Is the light always so weird here? First the sky''s purple and now sunlight just comes and goes out of nowhere?¡±


    You can almost hear Jesse smile as he chuckles, ¡°You''re more far off than I imagined.¡± You pass off his snide comment, but also realize this might be the chance to finally clear up some things on your mind.


    ¡°There''s a reason for that...I think,¡± you speak up, not wholly confident in your words.


    He slows to meet your pace. You''re staring at him and him at you, ¡°Which would be?¡±


    ¡°I''m not from this time, not originally. This morning I woke up in a body that isn''t mine on a planet that isn''t mine.¡±


    ¡°Is this the truth?¡±


    ¡°My name''s Alex. That much I know, but little else. But I do know I lived on Earth. That''s why I don''t know anything or anyone here, that''s why I murdered that C? I guess. I had just woken up and see the equivalent to a horrible nightmare from a monster movie. Granted, I know that''s a terrible excuse...¡±


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    ¡°Movie?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, okay, so a movie is a recording of a story-¡±


    ¡°I know what a movie is, I''m just messing with you,¡± he chuckles.


    ¡°I don''t think you''re taking this seriously.¡±


    ¡°I''ll admit it is kind of hard to hear and accept with a straight face. It''s not certainly something you hear everyday, even from those that try to escape their guilt. It''s common for one to do anything and everything to escape their consequences if they''re backed up against the wall, but it''s rare to find someone who admits to their guilt with this weird sort of story.¡±


    ¡°I swear to you that it is true. Granted, I understand how totally insane it sounds, but it is ten times as confusing for me being here than anything I could make up.¡±


    He stops and stares at you, ¡°It does explain a few things. It''s crazy to think about and even crazier to consider a reality, but I must admit I''m a big fan of crazy.¡±


    ¡°You really believe me?¡±


    ¡°I''m entertaining the thought. You mentioned your name is Alex?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The body you''re in belonged to a hermit named Roland Duschand.¡±


    ¡°How could I just one day appear in someone else''s body? And just what am I? Robot? Human?¡±


    ¡°Humans needed to evolve to survive the long travel times that plagued them after Earth''s destruction. They needed to effectively ditch their old bodies that would have died soon after their escape in favor for a longer lasting form, being the body you have now. A cybernetic form nostalgic to the true human body with obvious enhancements such as the databank located in the back of your skull. Of course, I shouldn''t say like the body you have now. It is vastly outdated, hence why I had to update your language banks. I''m certain several other of your drives are out of date, I only managed to have a spare language bank in my office. Mr. Duschand had been living off of the grid.¡±


    ¡°Off the grid? I woke up in a house right in the middle of what seemed to be a city. Jayon C? was basically right outside, how could one be any less off the grid?¡±


    Jesse grins, ¡°Roland must have had some sort of secret because nobody has had contact with him for quite a while. Last time was seven years ago.¡±


    ¡°Seven years?! Just how is that possible?¡±


    ¡°Beats me. If we knew that I''m sure he wouldn''t have been missing for seven years.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. So if I''m in his body then where is he?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know. I haven''t heard of anybody entering someone else''s body before. Although, I guess it isn''t fully off of the table since your body is basically a shell. Theoretically if someone''s mind had the ability to travel between hosts there really wouldn''t be a problem entering one specifically constructed for human consciousness.¡±


    ¡°I guess...but just how could something like this happen?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, but one thing is still constant. You''re still set to see the high council for sentencing. This doesn''t change the fact that you''re under arrest for murder, but maybe we can swing them in your favor to lighten your sentence.¡±


    You nod your head, ¡°Well then, let''s go, shall we?¡±


    ¡°We''ll need to stop by Archives to pick up your file. Just official stuff I need to present when I bring you up to the high council.¡±


    ¡°Is that the building right there?¡± You say, pointing towards it.


    He nods his head, ¡°It is that and more. The Capitol houses just about everything major relating to Sayar''s politics.


    ¡°That''s why it''s so huge,¡± You say, admiring the scale of the building.


    ¡°Mhm. Now come on, we''re best to make a good impression if we''re not late.¡±


    You both walk up to the Capitol building. The doors must be almost four times your height. Jesse walks ahead of you and raises his arm to the front of the door. Like how a display appeared in front of your cell one also does for the door. It''s circular and a bright aquamarine in color. Some letters you cannot read are written inside of it. ¡°Jesse Anderson, Archives,¡± he says. There''s a sound of authentication and then you can see the doors opening before your eyes.


    You see towers of what almost remind you of computer systems lining down the entire room. You see some monitors to your right on a desk stretching out around the perimeter of the room. Jesse walks over towards the nearest monitor. He begins typing on the desk face. You turn your head in confusion, but understand when you see that there is actually a light display of what looks to be a keyboard shining from a lens on the face of the monitor. Of course, it is much longer than any keyboard you recognize.


    After a minute of standing in silence you see him press on the side of the monitor. He grabs a small circular chip from it and reaches into his coat pocket where he grabs a small square stick that you notice has a small circular indent on the top.


    ¡°What''s that?¡±


    ¡°It''s your file. Well, to be more specific it''s the storage unit holding your file.¡±


    ¡°So is it going to project like a hologram or something?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it''s also going to shoot lasers and even lift some objects telekinetically.¡±


    ¡°Why do I get the feeling that you''re making fun of me?¡± You ask.


    ¡°Because it''s fun to play with your expectations. Did I word it too harshly?¡±


    ¡°No...I just...am a bit confused.¡±


    ¡°Well that much is obvious.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so nice to me?¡±


    ¡°Well, the truth of it is rather simple. I don''t know if I believe you''re not Roland. It''s totally possible that you''re just saying what you do to get sympathy and a reduced sentence. On the other hand, it''s totally possible somehow you''re telling the truth. I''m not so much a good judge of people. That''s why I work in archives. What''s in these towers already happened, there''s no need for judgment on my part. However, I do know someone who is troubled when I see them. You are troubled. If I can make the process in getting you un-troubled any easier I am happy to try.¡±


    ¡°But wouldn''t you rather do that for someone who isn''t a murderer?¡±


    ¡°We can sit here and talk ethics all day long. Well, I mean not really, but you get me. Of course, what you did is going to have its consequences, but I can sense that if you were in a right state of mind you wouldn''t think to do this even in your wildest dreams, am I somewhere close to the truth?¡±


    ¡°I....yeah.¡±


    ¡°That''s all I need to hear, come on, let''s go,¡± he says, nodding.


    You''re not wholly convinced of his reasoning, but for what it is worth he sees some sort of worth in you as a person. It''s not even close to the worst thing to happen to you. If anything, you feel a little better about yourself.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± You ask, the question only now bothers you.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°You can''t be the only one who works here, where is everyone?¡±


    ¡°Artem and Taylor are off on vacation. They''re the only two who work with me in archives.¡±


    ¡°And they are what, centaurs?¡±


    This makes him laugh, ¡°No, I''m afraid they aren''t. Taylor''s human and Artem is Pscarcian.¡±


    ¡°Repeat?¡±


    ¡°Oh what would be an Earth equivalent...frog? I think that''s what those amphibious creatures were called. Think of a really big frog. Now, it''s not exact, but it should get the idea across. You''ll get the hang of it eventually.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± You say slowly.


    ¡°You''re going to see more people when we go through the main chambers, it''s definitely more populated than archives.¡±


    ¡°Okay, do you have any advice?¡±


    ¡°Don''t kill anyone,¡± he says, bringing up the display on the door.


    You go to argue, but you''re not really in a position to. He speaks up once more, ¡°Jesse Anderson, High Council.¡±


    ¡°Isn''t this the door we just entered from though?¡±


    ¡°This building is used a lot by several different kinds of people, and it dynamically changes itself around depending on who needs it. Of course, they would need to have proper identification, that being the scanner. When the proper room is chosen it shifts around the building. Each room is divided by one one millionth of electromagnetic particles which basically causes them all to be as close to touching without actually doing so. They can then shift around on tracks built stable inside to rearrange themselves to whatever configuration is needed.¡±


    ¡°Does everyone in here have to deal with constant motion? I bet that makes several people sick.¡±


    ¡°It would surely suck if that were the case, ha. No, Sayar naturally emits electromagnetic pulses out into the atmosphere, the tracks synchronize to those pulses so to any inside observer it would not seem like you are moving. Of course, you''d probably feel a little woozy if you look out of any windows, luckily I don''t have any here in archives.¡±


    ¡°All right, I''ll keep that in mind.¡±


    He nods as the door opens, I can see a long hallway extending out with a brown paneled floor. Looking down the stretch clouds your vision and you feel your head getting lighter. Here we go again.

 Chapter 5

    You look around to see a classroom unveil itself around you. Tiny bodies seated in rows of six across four columns. You see yourself sitting in the middle of the class. Out of all of the children you can recognize yourself, your dark hair calls out to you, a familiarity so close to you. You try to remember anything else about your life, what you liked, your favorite color, even what your favorite food was, but it comes up a blank.


    Sitting to your immediate right you can see Devon, the boy from your last memory wearing a cast on his leg that''s propped up on the seat in front of him. He looks a bit scrawny, but then again, most third graders do. Third grade, something that came back so quickly and without any excess effort. This is your third grade classroom. Devon grasps a pencil in one hand and a juice box in another, a perk of being propped up in the cast, no doubt. His hair is kept extremely close to his head, almost shaved, and you can see a bright smile on his face. He turns his head slowly to look straight at you, the younger you.


    You realize you cannot see your own face, it is completely blank, featureless and smooth. The same goes for all of the other students in the class, and even the teacher standing at the front. The boy sitting next to you leans in and whispers something silent. He slides a paper halfway off of the desk so that you can see. It is a crude drawing of what looks like a rocket ship with two stick figures standing inside. There''s a squiggly line that extends from the tip of the ship that goes all the way across the paper to a circle in the top right corner. That must be the moon.


    ¡°We''ll find her, don''t worry,¡± the boy says, his smile turned into more a look of dedication. You see yourself nod, and you must have said something because it makes him smile again. The classroom begins to dissolve as you return to reality. The strange oddity that a school classroom is the dream while this time is the real world crosses your mind. The classroom shifts around you and morphs into something different, something new.


    You see a small bedroom filled with all kinds of toys scattered about the floor and two children grasping two action figures each and waving them around like superheroes. You don''t remember the names of the figures they''re holding, but they do look familiar. In fact, the room itself looks familiar, the white walls dotted by the almost invisible plastic stars that would glow whenever you turned the lights off and turn the walls and ceiling into a brilliant starry night.


    You remember the dark blue carpet that would sometimes get sticky with gum that was snuck into the room and not thrown away properly, and you remember the race car bed that sat just at the end of the room with the bold letters hanging over it ¡°DEVON.¡±


    You look around to see the two children waving around the action figures, on closer inspection you notice that their faces are completely blank. There''s a sound that comes from outside of the room, almost like it comes from down the stairs. One of the children puts both of their figures down and brings a finger to their lips.


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    ¡°Is that your parents?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I didn''t think they''d be home so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so quiet?¡±


    ¡°They don''t know you''re over.¡±


    ¡°I thought you asked?¡±


    ¡°I was going to, but I was afraid they''d say no.¡±


    ¡°Why would they say no?¡±


    Devon doesn''t answer, he is saved by the voice of what you believe to be his father downstairs, ¡°I don''t know what to think, dear! It can happen to anyone.¡±


    His mother comes in next, ¡°They lost their child, Mark. This isn''t a normal every day thing. It''s extremely sad.¡±


    The child at the door closes it quietly, his face begins to get all sweaty. ¡°You asked your parents if you could come over at least, right?¡±


    ¡°I...no.¡±


    ¡°No?! Aw crap.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? You didn''t ask your parents either.¡±


    ¡°I know! Don''t you understand? Your parents must have told my parents about you not coming home from school! Aw geez we''re going to be in so much trouble.¡±


    ¡°How do you know they would do something like that?¡±


    ¡°Didn''t you hear? They lost their child. My parents and yours are like best friends so they would tell them first. They''re worried about you not coming home.¡±


    ¡°Wow...oh this is bad. I should have told them.¡±


    ¡°Well, we should just go downstairs and take whatever punishment we deserve now.¡± The other child nods their head. They both clear out of the room with the action figures left sitting on the floor.


    You walk to follow them, outside of the room is a hallway that forks to both the left and the right. On the right are some more doors that line the walls which leads to a dead end while the left has a single door and ends with a staircase leading down. You step down the steps to see the two children walking over towards the two parents pacing about the living room. Their faces are featureless just like the children''s.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, Alex is right here.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, hello Alex, I didn''t know you were coming over today, do you want me to make you a snack?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I''m fine. I''m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sorry? For what?¡±


    ¡°For not telling you or my parents I was coming over.¡±


    ¡°You practically live here anyway, you don''t need to worry about that. In fact...it actually might be for the better that you''re here right now.¡±

 Chapter 6

    ¡°Alex?¡±


    You blink and in an instant you''re back in the hallway, something brushes by your shoulder and it hardly even registers. You see Jesse in front of you and just next to you is what seems to be a giant bipedal boar cloaked in a deep blue leather. It''s twice your size and looks you down hard, ¡°Watch where you''re going, Min,¡± its tiny eyes seem to flare as its deep voice mutters out.


    You can almost feel your heart stop as you step aside and can almost feel the ground shake as it steps past. You turn your head slowly and mouth out, ¡°What is that?¡± to Jesse.


    He stands still for a moment, timing it as he slowly walks over and nods his head towards the other end of the hall, ¡°Come on, quickly. It''s good he didn''t recognize you.¡± He begins walking and you quickly move to follow.


    ¡°Who is he? Or why would he?¡±


    ¡°That''s Tomboss, he''s the chief of police. Breeton, also, have you heard about them?¡±


    ¡°I''ve heard the name from Pamen, but I didn''t expect them to be that big.¡±


    ¡°He''s known to have his own special...uh, methods for communicating with suspects. Several of them involve beatings.¡±


    ¡°What about those that don''t?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what puppets are?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Did you see how big his arms were...?¡±


    This makes you swallow hard, ¡°That cannot be legal.¡±


    ¡°We don''t usually get a lot of suspects. Compared to Earth our crime rate is relatively low, so you''re kind of unique,¡± Jesse says, ¡°...for better or for worse.¡±


    ¡°What did he call me, by the way? Min?¡±


    ¡°Tomboss ain''t very fond of humans, calls em all Min instead of Man since that''s what he thinks of them,¡± he says.


    You both reach the end of the hallway. Jesse reaches the door first and reaches out to grab it. It opens before he touches the handle and he reels back instinctively, on the other side of the door is a teenage boy. His hair is dark and his nose is a bit bigger than you''re used to on someone as young as him.


    ¡°Taylor? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Oh, ''ey Mr. Anderson. I was just uh, talking with the council about some personal matters.¡±


    ¡°I see, well I hope at least you''ll find some time to relax? We''re going to need you at your prime when you come back in.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I''ll try and get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Good, I''m going in there myself for a case. It''s going to be quite a doozy if what he says is true,¡± Jesse says, nodding towards you.


    ¡°This guy? What''d he do?¡±


    ¡°I murdered Jayon C?.¡±


    ¡°Wow, are you sure that it''s okay that he''s not like, restrained?¡± Taylor asks.


    ¡°I think I''ll be just fine, Taylor. I appreciate the concern, but I think there''s something bigger with this one here.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever you say, I''m getting out of here. Too much work on a day that''s supposed to be free of it.¡±


    ¡°I hear you on that one my friend. Do take care,¡± Jesse says, bringing up his arm. Taylor takes it in his and grins


    ¡°Likewise.¡±


    Jesse nods as Taylor walks off. He looks towards you and his smile vanishes, ¡°Did I third wheel you a bit?¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± You say. ¡°It isn''t everyday I straight up admit to murder so I guess it was moreso me.¡±


    ¡°Cheer up, this day is only going to get a lot weirder,¡± he says, regaining his pep. He holds the door open for you and you step on through. You enter a room that''s more like an open field. Grass grows on the ground and it seems to extend way above your head with some visual display to make it look like you''re outside. The ¡°sky¡± is the same shade of purple as it was outside, but if you squint you can see where the walls meet the ceiling.


    On the far edge of the room you can see a crowd of figures sitting behind a desk that rises almost ten feet high. You can recognize them as the figures from the statue out in front of the capitol building.


    Jesse walks up, ¡°Fair council, I bring you the suspect of the murder of Jayon C?.¡± He looks your way and nods you towards his side. You nod your head and walk up next to him. You can feel each of the figures staring holes into you.


    On the far left is what looks like a dragon. It''s body is slim and all stretched out would probably go well over thirty feet long. It has shined black scales that would look fierce on any creature, much less one so serpentine. ¡°Yaldabaoth of the graceful Yeltian tribe,¡± he says, more to you than him.


    He then moves down the line, you see what you believe is a Psarcian. It''s a rather bloated looking creature with what look to be bulbous sacks hanging from its limbs. It has big red eyes that protrude from the side of its head. ¡°Sarkon, of the Psarcians.¡± You see Sarkon nod its head down and close its eyes.


    Next to Sarkon sits one figure you can recognize. ¡°Pamen, it''s good to see you once again,¡± he says with a smile.


    ¡°You make this joke every time we meet, Mr. Anderson. It has ceased being funny.¡±


    ¡°Right, right,¡± he says, letting his smile fade.


    You can imagine him going for the same joke over and over. You almost smile, but realize it probably isn''t the best time to be doing that. Next to Pamen sits...what looks like jell-o.


    ¡°Did...that council member die or...?¡± You ask.


    Right before your eyes it rises up and forms into the shape of what looks like a stick figure, still a weird sickly yellow-greenish color swirling all around inside. ¡°No, this is Khap-Ar, the head of the Lunfilios. Shape-shifters.¡±


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    ¡°I like to surprise all new faces that come in here, their reactions are half of what keep me here,¡± a smooth voice comes from him.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Next to Khap-Ar is a small thing, probably only a foot tall or so. It''s face covers a good majority of its body, its feet and hands only small extensions of it''s body. It almost looks like it''s only a portion of another creature entirely, but it turns out that''s all there is. ¡°Of the Illith clan, Entria Brant. You look really lovely today,¡± Jesse says with a smile.


    ¡°Oh thank you dearest Jesse. You just get me like these brutes don''t sometimes,¡± Entria says with a smile.


    You see a Garexian propped up in a chair next to her. He''s got a reddish tint to his fur and his mane is all black. You can see he''s also missing an eye, you''re unsettled by the hole left in his skull. ¡°Tiburr Scarr, alpha of the Garexian race. You look really lovely today as well,¡± Jesse says, smiling a really fake smile. Tiburr doesn''t say anything back. You don''t know if he either didn''t hear or is just thinking of all the different ways he could slice Jesse open. Probably the latter.


    Next to him sits a Breeton, much larger than the one you passed by in the hallway a few moments ago. His stomach looks full to bursting and his arms aren''t any smaller, he seems to be whispering something to Tiburr next to him. ¡°Darmande, it''s nice to see you,¡± Jesse smiles a greeting.


    ¡°Much of the same, only if it were under better circumstances,¡± Darmande utters in a monotonous voice.


    Next you see an older human. He looks to be ancient, you couldn''t even begin to guess his age. His hair is a snowy white and has the only look of actual sadness in the room. ¡°Andrew Cress, Human ambassador. Always nice,¡± Jesse says.


    Andrew nods his head briefly. You see beside him is a long-legged bird that doesn''t seem to have any wings. Feathers coat its torso and elongated neck, but its angular head remains bald. ¡°Zyar Harras of the Fal'' Z?Ar. Try saying that five times fast, bet you can''t.¡±


    Fall...Zay-air?


    He looks towards the C? that is sitting beside the bird. You don''t even want to know how that name got decided for a species. The C? sits cross legged, you can feel the hatred burning from its eyes as you could feel the fear from Jayon C?''s in retrospect. ¡°Yes...Uh, Cardus C?. I''m just going to leave it at that.¡±


    Beside Cardus C? is another man, he''s paler than Andrew is. Much younger too, probably only in his forties it seems. He''s wearing a skin tight body suit that''s black and gold down the arms and white down his torso. ¡°Piscar Okset, the voice of the Messian people.¡±


    ¡°Messian? What the hell is that?¡± You ask, out loud instead of in your head and instantly regret it.


    Jesse comes to your aid, ¡°Messians grew in the Black Eye Galaxy light years away from Sayar on a planet called Tetrose. I''m Messian, if you couldn''t tell. We''re nearly identical to humans, in fact your kind almost reached out to ours when Earth was destroyed, but we wouldn''t have been able to help due to the distance.¡±


    ¡°How could you look so much like us...or us so much like you?¡±


    ¡°History has it that at one point we were similar and both from Earth, but circumstances brought us to Tetrose. The closest sun didn''t reach as close to Tetrose as yours did to Earth, or even to Sayar''s to it, so they had to rely on the millions of reflections the ice and dust particles gave to them. That''s why Messian skin is much paler than that of humans. Eras of genetics passed down,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°Your suspect seems ill informed of our world,¡± Piscar says, leaning over to rest his head on his fist.


    ¡°I say we get to the vote already. I know my decision,¡± Cardus C? says.


    You look to Jesse in confusion.


    ¡°So, how the council works is they will vote on your sentence. Majority rules.¡± He turns back to Piscar and Cardus. ¡°I think you''ll want to hear the story that this one has. I believe that you''ll find it interesting, and it may even answer your question, Mr. Okset.¡±


    ¡°I do not want to hear the fairy tales of the guilty, Anderson. I want justice,¡± Cardus C? says.


    ¡°Now now Cardus. We all know this man harmed your people. We would be feeling similar if it were an attack on our own people, but it isn''t like he''s avoiding guilt,¡± Jesse argues.


    ¡°Is that so? Do you admit your guilt?¡± Entria Brant asks.


    You nod your head, ¡°I killed Jayon C? with my own two hands. I am very sorry that I did it, but I would like to believe that there is an explanation as to why it occurred.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I feel that hearing the full story from the source is important,¡± Sarkon says and shifts uneasily in his seat. ¡°What say you, Cardus?¡±


    You look over to Cardus C? and see him contemplating the decision as if it cost him his own life. ¡°Very well.¡±


    Jesse nods his head and looks to you.


    ¡°Okay. I woke up today in a body that isn''t mine. I had no memory of my actual life, but knew everything here was wrong.¡±


    ¡°A case of generalized amnesia it seems,¡± Jesse adds.


    ¡°We remember the human''s ignorance on much what would seem common knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Okay, do we have a record on who you actually are?¡± Yaldabaoth says, his voice incredibly rough sounding.


    ¡°According to Jesse-er, I mean Mr. Anderson this body used to belong to a man named Roland Duschand?¡± You say, somewhat unsure.


    This seems to get a reaction out of them. ¡°Mr. Anderson, are you certain?¡± Piscar asks.


    ¡°Roland Duschand was a revered philanthropist who suddenly vanished from all of our records seven years ago, and you want us to believe that he''s showed up here of all places to commit murder?¡± Tiburr says.


    ¡°You said that it wasn''t your body, would you mind specifying what body is yours?¡± Andrew asks.


    ¡°I''ve recalled things in flashes ever since I woke up, memories I guess of my life. I lived on Earth, and even remembered my name is Alex, but that''s about the gist of it. I do not know how or why I ended up here on Sayar of all places in a time when Earth is destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Tell us about Jayon C?,¡± Cardus says.


    ¡°I was inside a small little shack when I woke up. It was nearly empty except for a locked wardrobe and mirror. Outside of the shack I saw towering buildings and your weird glass road.¡±


    ¡°Taction, a superglass unbreakable by most standards, and a gift to Sayar from Illith,¡± Entria says. You can almost hear her patting herself on the back.


    ¡°Anyway, it was there I saw Jayon C?. Back on earth the closest thing to a C? are called cockroaches, and they''re smaller than the size of my boot. So I was shocked to see something that people on earth would envision in horror movies right in front of me. No offense, of course to the C?.¡±


    Cardus C? doesn''t respond.


    ¡°And you killed him, why?¡±


    ¡°I was scared, infinitely so. Everything I had known just vanished and I felt like anything and everything could have been a part in bringing me where I was. If I had the opportunity now to change my actions I would, but I cannot. I can only explain why I did them and work to fix the mistakes made.¡±


    ¡°Well, that seems to be all, are we ready for the vote?¡± Khap-Ar chimes in, twiddling his thumbs together.


    ¡°I want to see the scene,¡± Cardus says.


    ¡°Cardus, this seems like a pretty open and shut case of misunderstanding,¡± Sarkon says.


    ¡°I don''t believe that Roland Duschand has returned from such a stay away for something like this.¡±


    ¡°Well, if it will solve your concerns, let''s pull it up,¡± Andrew says.


    ¡°How does that work?¡± You ask.


    ¡°The Taction road you noticed outside is outfitted with constant surveillance features. It tracks any life form that makes physical contact with it and identifies it by its heat signature. If someone were to say, commit a crime, it secures any possible nearby suspects by releasing sound waves that drive their systems to unconsciousness,¡± Entria says with a bit of pride.


    So that is that noise that you heard.


    ¡°Let it roll,¡± Yaldabaoth mutters, moving around in an effort to get comfortable.


    You feel nervous all of a sudden. You realize that this could in fact be your final chance to get some answers about why you''re here. You hope that some of the questions you have can get answered before you answer for your crime.

 Chapter 7

    In front of you a holographic display appears. It shows a large city, the very one you saw when you stepped outside of the shack. ¡°Taction Feed, show us crime scene CS: 4/23-0399,¡± Entria says. The view zooms in on what looks like the outskirts of the city, it focuses on a back road that you remember as the one you were on. A figure is highlighted on the display, it was the dead body of Jayon C?. Surrounding the area is a densely wooded forest of white trees that remind you of a winter back on earth, their branches the skeletal remains of the bushy beings they once were.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± Cardus says.


    ¡°Knew what?¡±


    ¡°There is no shack here from which Mr. Duschand could have come out from. The tale he spun was all a big lie,¡± he says.


    You look, and sure enough there doesn''t seem to be any shack nearby. It''s strange, because there should be something just a few yards down from the body, but there is absolutely nothing. ¡°Wait a second, no, this isn''t right. It should definitely be there,¡± you say.


    ¡°Well, it isn''t.¡±


    You think for a moment and then it comes to you. ¡°Maybe if you go back to the time when it actually happened? You should be able to see where I come from?¡± You suggest.


    ¡°I''m sure all that we''ll see is just more reason to see you guilty,¡± Cardus crosses his arms.


    ¡°I say we take a look at it and find out exactly what happened, no?¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°All in favor?¡± Piscar asks.


    You see Darmande''s hand rise up, shake a little and then slowly lower to a half-raise. Andrew is next to raise his hand alongside Piscar. ¡°I,¡± Zyar says, and you notice an irritated look on her face. Probably for the fact that she doesn''t have arms. Entria Brant raises her tiny little hand, Khap-Ar and Pamen follow suit. Tiburr, Yaldabaoth, and Cardus sit in a quieted silence.


    ¡°Well, we know Cardus'' reasons for objecting, but what say you, Tiburr? Yaldabaoth?¡± Entria asks.


    ¡°I don''t care,¡± Tiburr says.


    ¡°Personally, I feel that this human is simply playing the role in order to plea to our sympathies.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Finally someone understands,¡± Cardus says. ¡°You know, Yaldi, sometimes I consider you a hard ass, but I agree with you fully on this.¡±


    Yaldabaoth turns towards Cardus, ¡°And I consider you a kiss ass sometimes. No matter what race was slaughtered I would have my doubts of this human. And you know not to call me that.¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s nice that you two are bonding, but we''re in a majority vote, so can we just get on with this?¡± Andrew asks.


    ¡°Do you have somewhere to be, Cress?¡± Darmande begins, ¡°Hot date, maybe?¡±


    This seems to shut Andrew up completely, he looks back over to you and Jesse. ¡°Right,¡± he takes in a deep breath. ¡°CS: 4/23-0399, time 2:00.¡±


    The display in front of you begins changing as the time of day shifts and you can see Jayon come back to life as it were seeing as its being played in reverse. You wonder why they needed to see you here in the first place considering they have video footage of everything. If they ever needed a solid conviction they have all the evidence they would need. Maybe it''s to get people to fess up, a sort of plea bargain deal if they plead guilty.


    The display slows down as it shows you standing out on the Taction street. It keeps reversing until you see the point in which you were stepping out of the small shack. You step out from what looks like absolutely nothing. There looks to be an outline of what from the outside looks to be a part of a tree and the space next to it. It almost looks like a tear in reality itself that opens up to let you out. There isn''t anything on the inside of the rift, all you can see is yourself emerge and step out onto the Taction road in forward motion.


    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Piscar asks.


    ¡°There should be nothing there, and yet this isn''t true.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an explanation?¡± Entria asks.


    ¡°I don''t. I didn''t turn around to look at it, that much you know. But I did wake up in wherever that is.¡±


    ¡°Well, I see little reason to doubt that statement. This definitely is a cause for more investigation on the matter. However, this does not excuse you of your crime. I pitch the idea that you be tasked to work for the capitol to pay off your debts to our society.¡±


    ¡°Work? I put to it that he be executed!¡± Cardus calls out.


    ¡°Now, now. I find it horrible that someone died, but I believe that the situation isn''t as black and white as you believe.¡± Entria says.


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    Just then a new figure appears in the display, replacing the view of the outskirts. It''s a holographic projection of what looks like another of Entria''s race, the Illith.


    ¡°Guys, there''s some shit going down,¡± you hear it say out of breath.


    ¡°You know it''s serious when you''re forgoing any of the formalities of addressing the council,¡± Jesse jokes.


    ¡°Will you hush up?¡± Entria hisses towards Jesse and then turns to the hologram. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The Dromedans are here. The sentries are pulling in by the dozens. Please call the-¡± the message is cut off by a screeching sound. The display begins to freak out until a new figure appears in it. It looks like a slick humanoid figure with cavernous eye holes and a mouth sealed almost fully closed.


    ¡°You threw us away. Well guess what? We don''t die easy,¡± the figure says before the display cuts out entirely.


    ¡°How quickly can you get the defense force over here?¡± Andrew asks, looking at Tiburr and Darmande.


    ¡°It''d probably be a few minutes at most.¡±


    ¡°Do that. Cardus, throw up the shield. We need to sanction off this building,¡± Andrew says.


    ¡°What about the people outside? You can''t just hide in here while shit goes down out there,¡± you say.


    ¡°I don''t believe we asked for your input,¡± Cardus spouts.


    The whole ground shakes beneath you. You nearly fall to the floor from the tremor.


    ¡°Taro, status on Dromedan menace,¡± Yaldabaoth yells into a speaker he''s clutching.


    ¡°They''ve laced the sentry units with explosives sir! We can''t fight back or else we risk blowing up all of Pandera!¡±


    That must be the name of this lovely city.


    ¡°Damn it all,¡± he throws the speaker across the room and it shatters against the wall.


    ¡°What the hell is up? Aren''t you guys the ones who united this planet? The revered warriors that they made that statue out front commemorating? And now you''re sitting here inside while everyone else out there fights for you?¡±


    ¡°I''d still your tongue quick if you want to keep breathing,¡± Yaldabaoth scolds.


    ¡°He''s right,¡± Andrew says.


    ¡°You can''t be serious,¡± Yaldabaoth groans.


    ¡°I agree, but there''s nothing we can do,¡± Zyar says.


    ¡°We need to think of something, and fast.¡±


    ¡°Pamen are dying out there. Fast isn''t fast enough.¡±


    ¡°No need, the shield''s already up. Nothing is making it inside this building now,¡± Cardus says, finishing inputting commands into a keyboard at his side.


    ¡°Listen, just let me and Darmande go out there and we''ll lead them away, sound like a plan? Yald, you in?¡± Tiburr says, stretching out on the chair.


    ¡°No, because these shields are staying in place. No one comes in, no one goes out.¡±


    ¡°Dude, you literally just threw a bitch fit because one of your own race died. That''s reasonable, but now you don''t give a shit when there are tons of people out there probably dying?¡± You say.


    ¡°He''s got a point, Cardus,¡± Entria says.


    ¡°He has no point! We''re staying safe in here and that''s-¡± Just then the door behind you opens. You see a single figure standing in the doorway. It looks to be made of a slick and shiny metal all over. You feel your body shaking.


    ¡°The family is all here, how wonderful. It''s a shame a few Illith had to be ground into the dirt for our reunion to happen,¡± the cold metallic voice says as it walks into the room slowly.


    ¡°What? How the hell are you here? The shield is up!¡± Cardus yells.


    ¡°Cardus, it is good to see you again. Still as cowardly as ever, I see. Well, it seems absent-minded as well. Did you forget I was the one who installed that very shield in this building all those years ago?¡±


    ¡°So then you''re the Mark VI, huh?¡± You ask, not knowing where your courage is coming from.


    It looks towards you, squinting its eyes almost, you can see a harsh red glow coming from the slits inside, ¡°You don''t remember me, Mr. Duschand? I''m quite hurt...wait a moment. You aren''t him, are you? No, your eyes are different...¡± he says.


    ¡°How are you alive?¡± Entria asks.


    He laughs a sort of hollow laugh that sounds more like the sputter of an engine. ¡°Please call me by my name. It is the polite thing to do. And not by that silly nickname of Mark VI, Cross will do just fine?¡±


    ¡°You didn''t answer my question.¡±


    ¡°And you didn''t honor my request, is that not how bartering goes? One makes a request and another fulfills it? Or should I use the Sayarian bartering method of betrayal?¡±


    Piscar stands up, ¡°You were getting in way over your head, Cross. We had to-¡±


    ¡°I hope you know I didn''t come here to endure your lectures,¡± he says, raising up his left arm. In his clutches you see a small spherical device with weird purple protrusions sticking out of the sides.


    ¡°Think about what you''re doing now,¡± Yaldabaoth says slowly.


    ¡°I have. I''ve thought about it for all of the time you cut the Dromedan race off. Now it''s time we cut you off from the roots up,¡± He says as he walks closer, twisting a piece on the device as it begins to glow a bright white.


    ¡°Your strings are cut free, and from freedom you shall embrace death as I once did.¡±


    The entire scene has you paralyzed. Your mind is screaming at you to move, to run, to attack, to hide, but you stand. Everything inside of you burns to move but all you can do is remember the library you went to when you were little. No! Your memories are not important now! Do not succumb to them! Cross takes another step forward, his smile sends chills down your spine and you''re thrown back into your memories as a blaring sound drowns out all others.

 Chapter 8

    You see the library unfold before your eyes. The corners of the room snap together like a diorama. You''re cradled up on a red bean bag chair with a book titled ¡°The Large Scale Structure of Space Time.¡± Devon, is just walking back with a smaller book in his hand, you cannot make out the title. An older man sits off in a corner reading by himself. The only other person you see is the librarian on the far end of the room just past the shelves with a magazine propped open on the desk in front of her.


    What catches your attention is that you can see the young boy''s face. He looks to be ten or eleven years old. He has a short and stumpy nose that curves down near the end, bright blue eyes and a crooked front tooth from when you two played dodge ball in school. Your name is Alex...you were best friends with Devon...his last name escapes you. You think hard on it and then it finally comes to you, Campton. Devon Campton.


    He lived a few blocks down from you...in San Diego. You lived in San Diego. Your name is Alex...Sharpe. Your head hurts, it doesn''t all come back, but it does in chunks and at the same time you feel relieved. There are still noticeable gaps in your history, but you know your name. Yours and Devon''s.


    ¡°All of the other ones on the shelves were too confusing for me,¡± Devon''s voice calls out, bringing you back to focus on the memory.


    ¡°What book did you get?¡± You ask.


    ¡°The Martian Chronicles.¡±


    ¡°Dev, that''s science fiction! That won''t help us get to space!¡±


    ¡°I told you there wasn''t anything else I could understand!¡± He says, prompting a hushing sound from the librarian reading a magazine at the other end of the room. The older man peeks out from his book and stares at your younger self and Devon. It gives you chills. He returns to his reading.


    ¡°What do you have there?¡± Devon asks, sitting down beside you.


    ¡°It''s a book on space and time, at least that''s what I think.¡±


    ¡°How are you going to understand that?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, I just thought something this big would help. It looks like a smart book, that''s how people get to space, right? They''re smart.¡±


    ¡°You have to be able to understand it first, dummy.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, this was a stupid idea. We shouldn''t have skipped school for this.¡±


    ¡°Come on Alex, you can''t give up that easily. Your parents haven''t been the same since they lost your sister. Don''t you want to find her? Find out who she is?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do.¡±


    ¡°Well then come on, put that stupid book away and let''s go find a better one.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± you see the man in the corner look up from his book once more. ¡°I seemed to overhear your conversation and it piqued my interest. You two are interested in heading to space?¡±


    Devon''s eyes light up at the recognition, ¡°Oh boy yes!¡±


    ¡°Come on, Devon. We don''t know this guy,¡± you say.


    ¡°It''s to look for your sister, right? Forgive me my intrusion, but how did she manage to make it all the way up there? I''m a science professor, so I happen to know a little bit about space and am just curious.¡±


    ¡°See, Alex? This could actually be way better than looking in those dinky books, maybe we could ask this guy about it.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°I don''t like this.¡±


    ¡°C''mon, let''s just ask him some stuff. There''s nothing wrong with that, right? Maybe he can even help us if we tell him about it, okay?¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡±


    Devon''s eyes go wide as he grabs you by the arm and drags you across the room. You notice that you dropped the book you were holding and it lands on the bean bag chair and sinks deep into the recesses. The man puts his book down as you both approach. He''s a relatively small man, his head full of bushy brown hair and a big nose undercutting his hazel eyes.


    ¡°So, you see,¡± Devon begins, ¡°Alex here was going to have a sister. That is until one day they lost her. I don''t think we were supposed to know then, but we mistook it for something else entirely. This was a few years ago.¡±


    ¡°Is there something special with that period of time?¡± He asks.


    ¡°If it had been that long wouldn''t they have found her by now?¡±


    A flash of recognition passes in the man''s eyes, ¡°Oh, I''m sorry, I seem to have mistaken-¡±


    ¡°I mean, Alex''s parents haven''t so much as talked about it since it happened! I mean I know it''s bad to lose a kid but they''ve gone completely silent about it! So, we''ve been thinking, where could a kid go if they got lost? Where would be the perfect hiding spot if you never wanted to be found? Space!¡± Devon cuts in.


    The man is silent.


    ¡°So you see, we''ve been trying to find out anything and everything that we can to get to space. Maybe if we can find a way to get to space then we can find out where Alex''s sister is!¡±


    ¡°I...see. And so that is why you were searching through those books on space,¡± the man says.


    ¡°Yeah...¡± you quietly reply.


    ¡°Can you help us? You''re a professor of science, right? What do you know about space?¡±


    The man seems to think before answering. You don''t like that, you remember not liking that, like he wanted to find the right answer that you wanted to hear. ¡°Space is a very large place, for starters. Some even think that it is almost like the ocean in a way. You know of the ocean, right?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Yeah, the ocean is big and blue,¡± you say.


    ¡°And it has a ton of fish!¡± Devon says.


    ¡°Right, well, some believe that the ocean and space are similar because they are a sort of bridge. Like how each of the bits of land on earth are separated by the oceans, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you believe that space is like that?¡± You ask.


    ¡°I do. I believe that somewhere beyond space there is more life. There are theories about aliens and other creatures living beyond our own planet, and maybe that''s where your sister has gone off to,¡± he winks.


    This seems to almost be too much for Devon, he starts bouncing up and down chanting some sort of ¡°I knew it¡± over and over. ¡°See, Alex? I knew there was some chance that she was out there!¡± You realize the idiocy of the claim, but remember that to a ten year old this must sound like concrete proof. This idea of life beyond the stars, of course it''s crazy.


    But then again...is it?


    You know that life goes back beyond the stars, that there''s something else out there...a lot of somethings actually. But of course you also realize what it meant by ¡°losing a child.¡± You aren''t stupid, but also, you aren''t ten. You see almost a spark of hope in your ten your old self. You realize you now can see your own face. It fills you with a warm feeling inside, like finding an old picture book from ages ago, but living itself out before your eyes. You have green eyes and a small soft nose. Lips pursed as you consider this claim of extraterrestrial life.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I have a tutoring appointment with one of my students in fifteen minutes, so I have to get going, but if you''re ever interested in learning more about space you can come by one of my classes. They''re for all ages,¡± he says, standing out of the chair.


    ¡°Oh no, we cannot do that. We aren''t even supposed to be here today, sir,¡± you say.


    ¡°I suspected as much, two kids not in school at this hour, but at least you''re learning. That''s one thing,¡± he laughs. ¡°My classes are held on the weekends, specifically to help teenagers who can''t make it during the week, but if your parents were willing to give you a ride my classroom is in town. I teach all kinds of wonderful things to those who want to learn, and sometimes we even learn new things. Maybe with all that you''ve learned we could even learn where your sister has gone off to,¡± he says.


    Devon makes a humming sort of sound and brings his hand up to his chin, ¡°Well, I''d have to ask my mom about that one, what is your name? I can ask if she thinks you''re a good teacher.¡±


    The man smiles a toothy grin, ¡°The name''s Mr. Marshall.¡±

 Chapter 9

    The air around you is burnt. The first thing you realize is that is is much thicker than before. You open your eyes slowly to darkness. Your whole body aches. You sit up and you feel dizzy. You''ve woken up this way now three times since you came here to Sayar. It''s starting to get really old. You move to stand up and see a speck of light in the distance. It moves closer and closer towards you as you take each step. You find yourself stopped at a door, once you open it up you see a group of people spread out around a bunker of some sort. Orbs of light are scattered around that pulsate slowly, giving light to the otherwise darkened room.


    In the group of what looks to be ten or so people you find Jesse. He looks up and catches your gaze, walking over to you. The others look your way too as they hear the door open, you feel nervous now with all of this attention on you. You see Andrew, Sarkon, and Cardus amongst the other people whom you don''t know. There seems to be two Breeton, a Garexian, a Fal'' Z?Ar, and three Illith.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Jesse asks.


    ¡°I have a headache, but that seems to be the brunt of it. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Cross happened. Pandera, that being the city we were in was leveled. A fair amount of people managed to escape, but a fair amount didn''t.¡±


    ¡°And where is this place? How did we get here, I thought we were dead, surely?¡±


    ¡°That''s where we have to thank you, Alex,¡± Jesse motions towards the other members of the high council.


    ¡°Thank me? For what? And you''re not calling me Mr. Duschand anymore?¡±


    ¡°I think it''s better if you saw, come over here,¡± he says. ¡°Cardus, fire up the projection.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± he says, typing something into a small device at his side. It''s compact and square almost like a small computer.


    Beams of light spray out from the machine onto the nearby wall showing heavily damaged video. ¡°Cardus is accessing what''s left of the memory banks of the storage from the council''s chamber. Of course, it''s been heavily damaged by the explosions, but there''s enough there to show you,¡± Andrew says.


    You look and you see the scene from before. The eleven council members sitting behind you and Jesse. On the other side walking closer and closer is Cross. The bomb in his hand glowing a bright white. You see yourself walk forward.


    ¡°You will not come any closer,¡± you make out of the crushed audio.


    ¡°You are something special, aren''t you? It''s too bad that has to be extinguished,¡± Cross raises his arm and lets the bomb fall to the ground. You see a crescent of energy release from the bomb and it stutters for a moment as you see the matter begin to explode. It covers Cross and you can see the metal body he resided in melt away with him laughing. The energy hits you a fraction of a second later, but it doesn''t go past you. You''re like a magnet to the blast, the crescent of energy entering your body like a gust of air.


    You fall to the ground and the camera shorts out.


    ¡°You saved us from total annihilation. That gave us the opportunity to orderly relocate those who had survived the attack to underground bunkers like these. We''re in the closest to Pandera mainly because we had to get somewhere to treat the wounded quickly and find a place for you to recover as well. That''s the moment I knew for a fact that what you told me was true. I mean, I''ve never seen anybody suck in an explosion like that, so this other supernatural stuff you were talking about must have been true as well,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°We agree on this front,¡± Sarkon says.


    ¡°Well, I''m happy you made it out all right, but where are the others? Entria and all them?¡±


    ¡°They took those that were better fit to walk greater distances to a bunker near the oceanside, further away from the damage and less chance the Dromedans find them.¡±


    You feel your head pounding something fierce and take in a deep breath. ¡°Okay, I''m sorry, but this all is still just so much to take in. Like, all of it. Everything seems to be happening at once and I just feel like my head is going to explode.¡±


    ¡°Here, take my seat,¡± you hear a familiar voice say.


    It''s Cardus.


    ¡°Yeah, bug-boy over here wanted to apologize to you, by the way,¡± Jesse says.


    Cardus stands up, ¡°You saved our lives, my life, after I very well may have doomed them. I let fear get the better of me and cloud my judgment. I apologize.¡±


    You nod your head and sit down in his place. You look over to Andrew sitting beside you, ¡°So, is this like a new feature of humanity? Being human vacuums for explosions?¡±


    ¡°No, not ever have I seen something like that happen. Well, I''ve actually seen stuff like it, but not since I was back on Earth,¡± Andrew says.


    ¡°Wait a second, you lived on Earth? So you''re like me?¡±


    ¡°I don''t believe so. I was there when it got destroyed. My trip here wasn''t an instantaneous woke up one morning.¡±


    ¡°How old are you?¡± you ask.


    ¡°Much older than I should be, that much is for sure,¡± he says.


    These substitute bodies can really withstand a lot, then. You turn back to Jesse, ¡°Well, what do we do now? Just wait here for the rest of eternity?¡±


    ¡°We''re here now to tend to the wounded and recuperate the lost. The latter being you and some other unkindly folks who got whipped pretty hard during the attack. If you want something to do why don''t you follow me to check up on our medicine storage?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure.¡±


    ¡°Is that a sure sure, or a whatever sure?¡±


    ¡°Does it really matter?¡± You asks.


    ¡°Fair point.¡±


    You stand back up, your head is feeling a little better.


    ¡°Hey, Alex was it?¡±Andrew asks.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°When you get a free moment I''d actually like to talk to you about Earth, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. What I can remember at least.¡±


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    ¡°Well, things have been coming back to me bit by bit, so maybe then I''ll be able to help you more?¡±


    ¡°I''ll be looking forward to it,¡± he says with a smile. That''s the first time you''ve seen him do so, he looks nice with it. You turn to follow Jesse out a hatch-protected door in the back. You enter beside him in a narrow hallway that stretches down into what you can imagine are the gates of hell. At the end you reach a closed door, locked probably. Turns out it isn''t, but you wouldn''t put it past this place to have some cordoned off top secret places lying about.


    There''s a sign above the door that''s written in a strange language you cannot understand. It looks similar to the writing that was out on the statue out in front of the Capitol building.


    ¡°That reminds me, back before we went into the capitol building you mentioned that it wasn''t just my language banks that needed to be updated. I know you updated me so that I could understand your speech, but I don''t think I can understand your writing,¡± you say.


    Jesse stops and follows your gaze up to the sign, ¡°Oh, that is quite an issue. Well, I don''t have any of those chips on me, I''m sure any I had were in my office. And well, I don''t think I have much of an office anymore. I could translate when it becomes an issue for the moment if that''d help?¡±


    ¡°I think it would,¡± you say.


    ¡°Okay, well for starters that sign says ''medical storage.''¡±


    ¡°So we''re going to go see the wounded? How many are there?¡±


    ¡°A few hundred here in this bunker. We''re not going to go see them directly, too many in there are without proper healthcare and we pose the risk of contaminating them without the right equipment. You know, diseases and the like.¡±


    ¡°That''s actually a good idea, I don''t know if I''m exactly feeling 100%,¡± you say.


    ¡°You okay?¡±


    ¡°Something just feels off, moreso than normal, you know?¡±


    ¡°Can''t say that I do, but I guess that doesn''t help any, does it? Anyway come on. We''re going to look at our reserves.¡±


    ¡°Going to see what we need to go fetch?¡±


    ¡°Exactamundo,¡± he says, pressing a button on the side of the door, walking through and taking a right.


    ¡°Huh, you know, there was this character on this old television show I used to watch that used to say that all the time.¡± You follow him and pass by a Pscarcian who has to scrunch up against the wall to let the both of you pass by him. You utter an apology as you pass and it nods it off.


    ¡°Really now? I have generic knowledge about television on Earth. The furthest it went was how it caused a generation of a nearly mind controlled population.¡±


    You laugh, it feels good to laugh. ¡°It wasn''t ever that serious, at least, not that I can recall. I mean, we basically were slaves to the endless commercial break, but that''s only in a figurative manner. Which reminds me also...¡±


    ¡°A lot of things seem to remind you, huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do say that a lot, right? I''m sorry,¡± you trail off.


    ¡°No, I didn''t mean it like that, I meant it like, it''s good your memory is coming back. I''m bad at phrasing things.¡±


    ¡°That''s okay, I knew someone dear to me who was like that,¡± you say.


    ¡°Oh? Do tell.¡±


    ¡°He was my best friend back on Earth, his name was Devon Campton. He was a very energetic kid. Looking back he probably had ADHD or something similar, but that didn''t stop his never ending thirst for knowledge.¡±


    ¡°He sounds like a good kid,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°He was, but unfortunately that thirst got him into some big trouble.¡±


    ¡°What kind of trouble?¡±


    ¡°I...don''t quite remember.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, if you do I''d love to hear the story, if that''s not too weird.¡±


    ¡°No, that''s fine. I''m sure I will remember eventually. It''s been coming back faster and faster now. Sometimes I''ll see fragments of my life and associated memories will come back to me like that,¡± you snap your fingers.


    ¡°Well, then I guess it''s good the story ends there, because we''re here,¡± Jesse says, opening a set of double doors to a room that reminds you of a post office more than anything, stacks and stacks of mailbox-like shelves in the back all equal in size and shape. Each box has a small glass door with a tiny handle on it for easy access.


    Jesse steps in and walks to a terminal on the right hand side of the room. ¡°Here''s where we keep the storage numbers for all of our equipment. Bandages, scalpels, teriats, et cetera.¡±


    ¡°What''s a teriat?¡±


    ¡°Uh, if someone were to say lose an arm or whatever appendage would be proportionate a teriat is this little symbiote that digs its way into the skeleton of the patient and begins copying the skeletal DNA and branches outward, replacing the old skeleton completely until it fills out and even regrows the limb that had been removed.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like it hurts,¡± you say.


    ¡°Oh, it hurts extremely bad. I haven''t had to use it myself, but I know people who have. Actually, Taylor has, now that I remember that you two met.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, before he got sent to work with me in Archives he used to be on the police force. Kid was excellent at it, I hear. He was transferred when a job went south and he lost a leg. I don''t know the specifics of what happened, I never did ask. It seemed personal, you read me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Well, I do know he underwent the teriat and it sure hurt like a bitch.¡±


    ¡°Why would he need to if us humans are robots anyway? Like, couldn''t they just build a bionic leg or something like that?¡±


    ¡°Something tells me you were a fan of science fiction back on Earth,¡± he smiles.


    ¡°What? Is something like that so far out?¡±


    ¡°It''s a difficult process, preserving humanity. Especially when you are forced to leave your home, technology, and anything resembling any work you''ve done for the past two thousand or so years. Humans basically had to start from scratch learning how to try and emulate what they could do on Earth with what we have here on Sayar. Some things were a success like the data banks, but others like things on that scale have yet to find any suitable progress out here.¡±


    ¡°Yet we have the teriats here? That''s unlike anything on Earth.¡±


    ¡°Precisely. Also, the teriat is of Messian origin, so I''m obviously going to gloat and take full credit,¡± he smiles.


    ¡°Well, while you''re doing that you can also check and see what we need to pick up.¡±


    ¡°Right, let''s check out, shall we?¡±


    You both compose a list of what is running low. More than half of the items on the list you have no clue about what they are, and now that they''re written down you can''t remember which one would be which anyway.


    ¡°So, now that we have this where do we go?¡±


    ¡°First we''ll get in contact with one of the other bunkers to see if we can trade supplies. If we find any that can we find a safe spot to make the trade. If not we have to make the trip to Jakkon, the closest city to us, which is primarily inhabited by Pscarcians who thrive in the swampy kind of environment.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let''s go do that!¡± You say, mustering up all the excitement you can afford.


    ¡°You don''t have to go on the trip if you aren''t feeling well. I''d actually advise against it,¡± he says.


    ¡°I''m going to be fine,¡± you say.


    ¡°And your basis for knowing that is...?¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing, but that also means I don''t really know when I''m not feeling fine as well!¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, fine. But the first instant that you feel bad I''m taking you back, okay? Now let''s go make that call.¡±


    ¡°Those calls,¡± you remind him.


    ¡°I know, I was trying to make it sound dramatic. That''s primarily what filled your televisions, right? Drama?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, don''t even get me started.¡± You walk out and go back into the hallway.


    ¡°Do you think I could at least see the wounded?¡± You ask.


    ¡°Why would you want to do that?¡± Jesse asks.


    ¡°I feel like if I can put some faces to the wounds I can sympathize better. Is that awful? That sounds awful.¡±


    ¡°It''s not awful, it''s quite all right. We can go look in the window if you would like, but I can''t take you inside.¡±


    ¡°Of course, lead the way,¡± You say with your arm outstretched.


    He nods his head and begins walking ahead of you. You follow right behind him and feel a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. You feel a sort of warmth as you feel your eyes flashing back. Your head starts to pound again and all at once it changes.

 Chapter 10

    You can feel yourself diving back into your memories. You see both you and Devon. The both of you look like you''re teenagers, probably fourteen or fifteen. The sky is dark outside and you''re huddled beside Devon as you both sit at the base of a tree. In the distance you think you can see your house past a clearing, so you must be in the wooded area just behind. ¡°I don''t know what to do, Dev. For so long I thought she was invincible,¡± you say, your voice is shaking.


    ¡°Hey, it''s okay. Dude, cancer sucks, but she''ll get through it. She''s your mom. I know how much she''s been through as much as you have. The pneumonia, the miscarriage, the suicide attempt, and even whatever happened before I knew you. Listen, she''s going to get through this,¡± he says, pulling you closer.


    ¡°I can''t lose her. When my dad died last year she absolutely lost everything that made her shine. Dev, I can''t lose her too,¡± you start to break and see tears running down the side of your face.


    ¡°Hey, come on, okay. You know what? Let''s go see Mr. Marshall then. We can see if he has anything to help,¡± Devon says.


    ¡°Okay, I think I could use it. I haven''t seen him at all this week.¡±


    ¡°You said you were going to go on Wednesday.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I''ve been so busy with my mom and school and everything.¡±


    ¡°Well, we''re going to go and we''ll see if I can''t switch back into your session. That way if we go together you might have more a motivation for it.¡±


    You nod your head.


    You both get to your feet, and you hug Devon, holding him close. Your hair is messy, but you don''t care. ¡°Thank you Dev, I don''t know what I would do without you.¡±


    ¡°Well, probably still be studying to be an astronaut,¡± he says with a smile.


    ¡°God, we were so dumb,¡± you say, laughing between your tears. It comes out more as a choked laugh than anything else, but it feels good to laugh.


    ¡°Well, if we weren''t we wouldn''t have learned so much from Mr. Marshall, now would we?¡±


    ¡°Why do you always call him Mr. Marshall still? Just call him Noah like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°He''s our mentor, and should be respected with his full title,¡± Devon says.


    ¡°Okay, weirdo. I''m just going to stick to calling him Noah,¡± you laugh. ¡°Let''s go, I could go for a session right now.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    In a flash everything changes and you see a sprawling mansion before your eyes. It''s intimidating and looks like it could be more expensive than your house ten times over. To your side you see You and Devon walking down the street. Where are Devon''s parents and why don''t they care where you two are? You find yourself thinking. It''s bad enough what''s happening with your own. Granted, you hardly remember them, so it''s hard to be extremely sad about someone you barely know when they pass away.


    Devon knocks on the door, and you look back to focus on him.


    There is a moment of awkward silence as you see you cross your arms, and you crane your neck upward to free a bit of your hair that got stuck between your arms. The door begins to open slowly and then all at once you see a slightly older Mr. Marshall. His brown bushy hair has been tamed a bit by time, although his nose is still quite big. You also see that he''s grown a bit of a goatee since you saw him back in the library, this is probably five or six years since that point.


    ¡°Oh, hello Devon, and Alex! It''s been a few days since I''ve seen you here, has it not?¡±


    You see your head sulk a little bit.


    ¡°Yeah, that''s why we''re here. She just found out her mom has cancer,¡± Devon begins.


    ¡°Oh my, I''m so sorry Alex. Of course you would want the time to spend with her,¡± he says.


    ¡°It''s okay, it just really sucks, you know?¡±


    Mr. Marshall nods his head slowly, ¡°Well, do come in. It''s late out and it must be really chilly out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, January sucks for this kind of weather,¡± Devon says and then he looks to you, nodding to the door.


    You nod as you step inside. You take notice of the ornate decorations hung all around you in the foyer. There''s a grand staircase that leads up to another floor and cuts the rest of the room into two equal halves. Mr. Marshall steps back to let you in and he turns his head, ¡°Honey? Can you whip up an extra bowl or two? We have extra company.¡±


    ¡°N-No, that''s fine. I''m not hungry, I was just hoping we could have a session tonight...or I could join one if you were having one...or-¡±


    ¡°Of course, sure thing. We actually were a few short because Johnny and Todd called in sick. This actually works out perfectly.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Also, Mr. Marshall, if I may I have a request?¡± Devon asks.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering if I could reschedule my next few services to sync up with Alex''s? We need everyone we can here and I feel that''d be easiest for everyone.¡±


    ¡°It''s actually good you bring that up, I was thinking of merging our groups together soon. Bring everyone in for conjoined services.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that''ll work fine,¡± you say.


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    ¡°All right! So we should head on back. I''ve kept Sherry, Craig, and Dante waiting long enough,¡± Mr. Marshall says clapping his hands together.


    You nod your head and follow him deep into the innards of his mansion. You enter a room built small enough for what looks like only a dozen people if they really squeezed themselves in tight. You see an older man (older than Mr. Marshall, probably in his fifties) with little hair on the top of his head, the brunt of it receded to the sides and back. He looks like he''s always sweaty, maybe the excess grease threatened his hair away. To his left is sitting a teenage girl, looking only a few years older than both Devon and yourself. She''s wearing skin-tight pants and a denim vest buttoned up to the top. Lastly, after her is a small boy who looks like he''s around your age, maybe a year or two younger. He''s got huge specs that rest on his face, it almost looks like they''re going to throw his head forwards unless he gets something to counter-balance them.


    ¡°Oh, we got enough bodies to fill the seats after all?¡± The young boy you believe to be named Craig says in a somewhat nasally voice.


    ¡°Yes, since Todd and Johnny are having some issues with their commitments we''re lucky enough to be graced with two individuals who have been extremely committed since they''re first visit here. This is Alex and Devon,¡± Mr. Marshall says, walking inside and towards the center of the room behind a wooden podium.


    ¡°It is nice to meet you,¡± the man who''s name must be Dante says.


    ¡°Well, I''m glad you two have at least a little bit of familiarity. Now, you two can sit over here,¡± Mr. Marshall points to the two of the three empty chairs opposite of the other three. You nod and Devon follows behind you and you both take a seat.


    Mr. Marshall clears his throat and opens up the book propped up on the stand directly in front of the podium, it seems to be a bible, King James edition, you read on the side. ¡°Service of January 29<sup>th</sup>, 1978. Resuming with the patrons Devon Campton and Alex Sharpe. We welcome them to our service.¡±


    ¡°With open arms and comforting souls we welcome you,¡± the chorus of voices chant.


    ¡°Today, my children we speak of each and every one of us. Just as Bonnie and I here have this large and spacious home, you each have your own spacious homes. They are the vessels in which you now control, these vehicles that are constructed for us in hopes that we can go as far as we can, that we can go home.¡±


    ¡°Home is our destination. We are naught but vessels,¡± the chorus says. You can see that both you and Devon had both begun chanting with the rest of them. Is this some freaky sort of cult? What the hell is going on?!


    ¡°Romans 8:9, the good word speaks, ''You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.'' In each and every one of us that spirit dwells, yet it is not our spirit. It is a fragment of a spirit that came from Heaven''s Gate. And since we are not whole, our whole lives goes out to searching for the rest of those fragments. My children, do not end up like the millions of others who waste their lives to never find their fragments here on Earth.¡±


    ¡°I shall not waste my time,¡± the chorus answers.


    ¡°To find our fragments we must wait for our time to ascend beyond human. It is in the beyond that we find our true selves. Now today we also speak on the topic of our vessels. They are nothing but, and as such we treat them with respect as they our only ours for a short time. Of course, this isn''t speaking for accidents, but this message is one of my most important for you to keep close. Under no circumstances should you intentionally harm your own body. If we are expected to ride out our journey to the very end then we must keep our vessels in top condition. This includes suicide, of course, for that is a direct refusal of the Next Level.¡±


    A woman enters the room from behind you, she looks to be in her thirties or so. Her blonde hair is tied up in a bun and she''s wearing a long dress. She''s holding a tray with various bowls set on top. You can''t tell what''s in them, it almost looks like a sort of incense.


    ¡°Right on time, dear. Now, take a seat and we can begin our offerings.¡±


    The woman you think is named Bonnie comes closer and sits next to Devon in the final seat. She regards him with a cordial smile and a nod of the head.


    ¡°Now we shall start with me, I offer up a piece of my Earthly possessions with this,¡± he holds up a sheet of paper. ¡°My doctorate, a piece tying me to this planet ever more, with each service I shall offer up a piece of me as so shall you so we can fully prepare ourselves for the time in which we leave this planet,¡± he says, holding a lighter in his right hand. In one fluid motion he ignites the paper and watches it burn into nothingness. ¡°Now Bonnie, it is your turn, and we shall move down the line.¡±


    She nods her head and takes in a deep breath and closes her eyes. ¡°With this turn I give up my sister. She is my younger, yet now I rescind her existence in relation to me. I am fully committed to my life beyond.¡± And with that she reaches over for the lighter and ignites a photograph in her hand and tosses it into the middle of the room. It wastes away and then dies. ¡°We are as one,¡± she says.


    The rest of the room gives a synchronized nod. Their gazes then shift to Devon, he looks a little nervous, but then he takes a deep breath much like Bonnie did before. ¡°I haven''t done one of these kinds of things before since I mainly kind of watched and listened in past services, but I think I''m finally ready to participate. I will shed my contact with my friends. I feel like the most of them wouldn''t understand why I am here anyway. The only one I need is sitting here right beside me, and hopefully all of you...we are as one,¡± he says.


    You feel an uneasiness in your stomach, a part of you wants the memories to stop coming, but it continues. The gaze now moves over to you. You notice that you''re practically shaking in your chair. ¡°It is okay, Alex. We are one here, there is no need to be nervous.¡±


    ¡°I...I don''t know really what to give up,¡± you say.


    ¡°What I find is easiest is usually what is causing you the most stress. Stress is one of our biggest ties to this planet and shedding that is a major step in preparing our bodies.¡±


    ¡°I...I don''t think I can do that.¡±


    ¡°It is your mother, correct?¡± Mr. Marshall asks.


    You nod your head.


    ¡°I''m sorry to say it, but your mother is only suffering because of her attachment to this world. Her life lead her astray from the path you are living. The universe knows this, that is why it has plagued her body with cancer. It is killing her body because she attached it too easily and quickly to this planet.¡±


    ¡°It''ll make you feel better if you do this, Alex,¡± Devon says. ¡°It''s what we''re here for.¡±


    You nod your head slowly, ¡°Right...I...I shed my connection to this planet through my mom. One step at a time. This will...work, right?¡± You ask.


    ¡°You need something symbolizing your connection towards her.¡±


    ¡°Do...you have any scissors?¡± You ask quietly.


    He nods his head and steps out of the room. You take a deep breath and look to Devon. He returns a look and smiles. You don''t know if you can smile back. He puts his hand on your leg and says, ¡°Hey, it''ll be okay. I''m here with you.¡± You nod your head, but it doesn''t make you feel all the greater.


    Mr. Marshall returns with a slim pair of scissors and hands them to you. With them in your hands you know it is now or never. You raise them up to your head and start cutting. You cut and watch as clumps of your long brown hair fall to the floor around you. ¡°I shed the hair my mother bred unto me, and with this my connection to her is gone. We are as one,¡± you say, finishing up.


    The others around you clap.


    ¡°I know that must have been hard, I remember my first offering, it was extremely difficult,¡± Dante remarks.


    You nod in response and Mr. Marshall takes his place back at the podium. ¡°Okay, Craig, you''re up next.¡±


    The memory around you begins to fade and you return to reality.

 Chapter 11

    Things fade back into the hallway of the medical storage room. It doesn''t seem like any time has passed. Thank God. You don''t know if you can handle waking up after passing out anytime soon. Jesse turns back to look at you. You must have stopped walking because he gives you a weird look that almost asks ¡°What''s up?¡± You shake your head and give him a smile, he looks back ahead and you catch up to walk right beside him. You don''t know how you managed to convince him everything is okay because your mind is like a whirlwind right now. You remembered that Devon had ADHD, but the memories didn''t tell you that. You also remembered that he got himself into some kind of trouble, but didn''t remember what. Up until now you didn''t know what that kind of trouble could be, but now you have more than enough doubt it has to do with that Noah Marshall. And you were a part of it too.


    How stupid must you have been to join into a cult? It wasn''t like you believed that your sister was out somewhere in the vast edges of space anymore, surely Devon confirmed that talking about the miscarriage. So why then did you keep talking to that man who should surely raise a ton of red flags? Why did your parents let you go? Well, actually that one you can probably guess they didn''t know the full extent of Mr. Marshall''s lessons. And it''s possible your mother was so distraught with everything about your father dying she may not have noticed you staying out later than normal.


    The thing that confuses you the most is Devon. It doesn''t take a rocket scientist to see how much he was wrapped in that. You can give yourself the benefit of at least being wary and hesitant through that process, even if you did eventually cooperate. He seemed to have no such hesitations about offering up his friendships. Did he follow through on that promise? You don''t know, but you want so badly to go back and stop you both from making such stupid decisions.


    You''re broken out of your reverie as you come to a stop at a large window looking into a hospital room. It seems to stretch far past your view point on both sides. Beds line the room front to back. On them are bodies of all kinds of sorts in varying degrees of completeness. The one closest to you seems to be a Yeltian who is bandaged all the way down its body. Its eyes are closed and you hope at the very least it is just sleeping and not in any pain.


    ¡°This is absolutely crazy,¡± Jesse begins. ¡°I don''t know the full scale of the attacks, we''ll need to wait until we get reports of how the rest of the city is faring, but this is something else entirely. The twelve colonies haven''t seen this much destruction in a long time.¡±


    ¡°Is Pandera just one of those colonies?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it''s the capitol of Sayar as a neutral meeting ground for all races. The environment around is positive for each of the races to spend an ample amount of time in. The other colonies are more specific for each race.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    </a> ¡°Well, you specifically as a human can squat in almost any environment without any hazards to your health, but not everyone is like that. Psarcians for example can''t deal with extreme heat. If the water in those sacks on their bodies dry up it''s game over for them, so the deserts to the north of Pandera aren''t really an optimal place for Psarcians to visit.¡±


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    ¡°Really? That''s all it takes to kill them?¡± You ask.


    ¡°Not sure if I''m digging that tone,¡± he says.


    ¡°No, that''s not what I meant at all,¡± you say.


    ¡°Well, that water is what fuels their body for doing basically anything they do. That''s why they''ll only take temporary stays to Pandera or somewhere where water isn''t as prevalent. They dry up without it and their corpses are nothing more than statues by that point.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that''s crazy. What about Sarkon? Doesn''t he need that to not die?¡±


    ¡°The Capitol building has...er, had an ample amount of stored water free for any Psarcian traveling to Pandera. He''d use that during his stay here to remain hydrated.¡±


    You nod your head and he looks back out to all the wounded. ¡°I want to help each and every one of them, but I know that I alone am unable to help so many people in need. After all, I''m just a guy who reads a lot of history.¡±


    ¡°That''s important, though. Back on Earth we had a saying, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,¡± you tell him.


    He looks back to you and smiles, ¡°Those are wise words.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I totally stole them.¡±


    ¡°But you knew when to say them and how to help someone with them, that is enough credit, is it not?¡±


    ¡°I guess I can agree with that,¡± you say.


    ¡°You know, Alex, at first I didn''t seem much into believing you. I may have sounded different, but I''ve been working this job a long time and it was getting to a point where I almost lost sight of the impossible. Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°I told you I like the crazy. The what ifs of the world. Truth is that I did like them, and somewhere along the doldrums of work and tirelessness of an everyday life I lost that wonder. It wasn''t until I met you that things began to change.¡±


    ¡°What was so different about me?¡± You ask.


    ¡°Really? Do I have to even say it?¡± He laughs.


    ¡°Right...well, I''m happy I could have been of help to you.¡±


    He smiles. ¡°Now, I know it hasn''t been officially mandated, but I think considering the circumstances the charges against you are dropped.¡±


    ¡°That''s good. I mean, I still feel like shit for what happened, but I''ll do what I can to make up for what I''ve done.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, because I''d love it if you would help me help these people.¡±


    ¡°You really want my help?¡± You ask.


    ¡°I think they need it to be honest.¡±


    You look back out to the rows and rows of wounded. ¡°Okay, I''ll do it.¡±


    ¡°Great. Thank you so much,¡± he says, letting go of a breath he hadn''t realized he''d been holding.


    ¡°Well, why don''t we head back to the bunker and make that call,¡± he says.


    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

 Chapter 12

    You greet Andrew and Cardus as you pass by their table. Piscar and Sarkon seem to be somewhere else entirely. One of the Breeton walks over to you and nods its head succinctly, ¡°Do you have what we need to go get?¡± He asks in a deep voice.


    You take a closer look at he approaches. He''s got a hairy sort of snout, in fact he''s hairy all over his body. His black and gray uniform saves your eyes from wandering too far, but unfortunately it seems to be skin tight, so it doesn''t really leave much to the imagination.


    ¡°Yes, quite a bit, unfortunately. I doubt we''ll be able to get it all from one source, but we can try first with Bunker 31, that should be the one Yaldabaoth and Tiburr are stationed at,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°Okay, I think Darmande is preparing Bunker 29 for a scouting mission to locate any surviving Dromedan. Should I have Jonan call them as well?¡± The Breeton asks.


    ¡°I suggest waiting, Bartz. Maybe have him call there as a last resort because if they''re busy with mounting a search we don''t want to interrupt that when they could find important info out.¡±


    ¡°If only Pamen were here we could just as easily just have him scope out any other bunkers he''s in,¡± Bartz moans


    ¡°That would make things easier,¡± Jesse thinks aloud. ¡°Unfortunately we don''t have that luxury, but we can go and scope out some of the other bunkers nearby once we check up on them.¡±


    ¡°All right, that''s fine,¡± he says turning to you, ¡°Would you be going also?¡±


    You nod your head, ¡°Yes, I''m Alex, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Bartz,¡± He doesn''t offer his hand, but then again you think it might be better off because you notice his chubby hand looks like it is bigger than your own head. There would be no feasible handshake to accommodate the size difference between you and him.


    ¡°I can go ask Fayr and the girls if they want to come along if you two want to ask the council members,¡± Bartz asks.


    ¡°Won''t we need someone to stay here?¡± You ask.


    ¡°You think that we''re the only ones in this bunker treating hundreds of wounded? Dear lad we''d be overrun through our gullets. The bunker has a few dozen workers who are right now on the level below us tending to the critical condition patients.¡±


    ¡°There''s more of ''em?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the ones I showed you were a lot, yes, but those are the ones that were at least stable enough to earn themselves rest. This bunker is two levels, the bottom more hidden away in the case of an invasion like this.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that''s good to know.¡±


    ¡°So that''s it then? We good?¡± Bartz asks.


    ¡°Yeah, we''ll go ask them and meet up here. Ask Jonan if he can handle the calls to the other bunkers.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± he says, walking away.


    You turn around to Cardus and Andrew behind you, looking at them expectantly. ¡°Well, you two eavesdroppers know what''s up, you in for an adventure?¡± You ask.


    ¡°I''m all for it,¡± Cardus says, getting up and stretching his stalky legs.


    ¡°I''m going to hang back. I''m getting up in my years and could use a nap,¡± Andrew says.


    ¡°You sure?


    ¡°Yeah, I''m not really all that useful for protecting people.¡±


    ¡°Okay...¡± You say, not really knowing how to follow up with that.


    ¡°Maybe when you get back we can have that talk,¡± he says, standing up from the table slowly.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He hobbles off to the back and exits through a door like the one you''d originally come out of. You look over to Jesse, ¡°What''s his deal?¡±


    ¡°Before Earth fell he lost his wife. He''s felt responsible ever since.¡±


    ¡°That''s like...five thousand years of guilt. How is he still alive?¡±


    ¡°A sick twist of fate? I don''t know the specifics. A lot of Earth''s last years are muddled in the archives...were muddled. Details about the event were few and far between, you''d probably be best asking him yourself, it''s odd for him to want to speak about it with anyone.¡±


    ¡°In all the years that I''ve known him not once has he opened up about Earth to me,¡± Cardus says. ¡°I''d consider yourself lucky,¡± he says.


    ¡°Or maybe the opposite, maybe it''s something totally awful,¡± you begin.


    ¡°Either way it''s nothing we can do with now. I''d like to think the medicine takes precedence than hearing an old man''s tales.¡±


    ¡°Right right, where''s Sarkon?¡± You ask. ¡°We should see if he wants to come along.¡±


    ¡°Sarkon left a little bit ago,¡± Cardus says. ¡°He went to visit Jakkon. I think he has family there.¡±


    ¡°You think he does?¡±


    ¡°Sarkon also isn''t a very talkative individual. He''s more a business kind of guy. Really the only ones super open about themselves is Darmande. That guy loves to boast about himself,¡± Cardus finishes with a laugh.


    ¡°I just thought that a group of heroes would have known more about each other,¡± you say.


    ¡°Then you''ve a lot to learn, then,¡± he says. ¡°Who knows, if we survive this mess maybe I''ll lean on you for a story to tell.¡±


    ¡°That''s always the hardest part, then,¡± You say.


    Bartz walks over to you with Jonan by his side. You can see that Jonan is a little bit smaller and that his tusks are set in his snout a little bit shorter. You don''t know if you''re nitpicking, but his hair looks shorter too, but it''s entirely possible that''s placebo.


    ¡°Okay, we have half the list confirmed over at bunker 31. The rest we can scrounge from the surplus at 32. Tiburr volunteered to organize that bunch for us so we don''t have to spend an eternity there,¡± Bartz says.


    ¡°Okay, good. Do we have a team all set up for going out?¡± Jesse asks. ¡°If possible we might even be able to split into two teams and each pick up our share and come back in half the time.¡±


    ¡°Right now counting us there are nine people willing. Esio didn''t want to come, says she has someone here she needs to watch over.¡±


    ¡°And Esio is...¡± You trail off.


    ¡°She''s a real small thing, that one. I''m okay with leaving her here because she''s the runt of her genome,¡± Jonan cuts in, his voice deeper than Bartz''s which surprises you.


    ¡°Esio is an Illith,¡± Jesse whispers over to you.


    ¡°Ah, small guys, got it.¡±


    ¡°Girls,¡± Jesse corrects. ¡°All female race.¡±


    ¡°How does that work out?¡± You ask out loud by mistake.


    Jesse laughs, ¡°There''s some sort of dust they collect over time which is used in some reproduction ceremony. Think of flowers, you get that analogy, right?¡±


    ¡°I do, though that is kind of weird.¡±


    ¡°What is normal, though?¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Bartz clears his throat, ¡°If we wanted to split it down four and five we could each go to 31 and 32, if you wanted to go through with that plan, that is.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think that will do just fine. Anything to get some more lucradites for the guys and gals in the infirmary.¡± ¡°Adhesive for severe bleeding,¡± he whispers to you.


    You nod.


    ¡°So how about Jonan and Bartz go on different teams? We could use your defenses if one of us comes across any Dromedans,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°Sounds fine with me. Why don''t you and Alex come with me to bunker 31?¡± Bartz asks.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°That sounds fine with me,¡± you say.


    ¡°I''m okay with it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that''s three on my side, Do you want to take Fayr? She''s kind of a pain in my side,¡± Bartz says.


    ¡°Fine, fine, but you owe me one,¡± Jonan replies.


    ¡°I''ll buy you a drink when we''re next available,¡± he laughs.


    ¡°Or you can take Jiarg,¡± Jonan says, a smirk on his face.


    ¡°All right, fine. I had a feeling I wouldn''t be able to get ya'' to take him anyhow,¡± Bartz says.


    Jiarg, you think you''ve heard that name before, and that''s when you remember the Garexian that was talking with the C? before you stepped inside the Particle Transmitter. You remember specifically how he looked at you when you passed by, you can feel your entire body shudder once more.


    ¡°Okay, so my team is about set, we just need to grab Jiarg, where''s he at?¡± Bartz asks.


    ¡°I think he might be on the lower floor. He had a kid who was injured in the blasts,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°That''s awful,¡± You say.


    ¡°This whole mess is.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can go fetch him while you go get your team together,¡± Bartz nods off to the two Illith in the distance. ¡°And go see if you can find Fayr also.¡± Jonan nods and he walks off towards the back of the room. Bartz turns to you and nods before doing so to Jesse and then Cardus. ¡°Well, if you''ve nothing else here we can go down and get Jiarg.¡±


    ¡°I can go, he''s least likely to lash out on me,¡± Cardus says.


    ¡°Why''s that?¡± You ask.


    ¡°Respect for authority,¡± Cardus winks his beady little eyes.


    Weird, you didn''t even think they could wink, but here you go. He begins walking down towards the medical wing and disappears from sight.


    ¡°I feel bad taking him away from his son, are you sure he wanted to come?¡± You ask.


    Bartz nods his head, ¡°Yes, he was quite insistent on it. Muttered something about clawing out my innards if we left without him.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well that''s nice of him.¡±


    ¡°Jiarg''s a...delicate case,¡± Jesse says. ¡°Most Garexians are, but him especially,¡± he begins walking and nods for you to follow him.


    ¡°So he''s got a bit of a temper problem?¡±


    ¡°I mean, wouldn''t you if your son was caught in this disaster?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    You head down a hallway and see another sign hanging above you.


    ¡°Armory and Ammunition,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°Oh,¡± you say, still following him down. You reach an iron door that is barred shut. ¡°I thought things were peaceful here before all this?¡±


    ¡°They were for the most part, doesn''t mean we should remain defenseless. That''s just stupid.¡±


    ¡°That''s true. Do you know how to shoot?¡±


    ¡°Only small stuff really. I don''t get much free time. How about you?¡± He asks, pulling the bar up and opening the vault-like door.


    ¡°I never touched a gun before in my life, and I''m sure what I had access to back on earth was vastly different to what you have here.¡±


    He steps in, you follow in right behind him. You look like you just stepped onto the set of Star Wars with how many kinds of look-alike blasters hang on the wall in front of you. ¡°Sheesh, and you''re the one telling me I''m too much into science fiction,¡± you say.


    ¡°Well, it''s not lasers this thing fires,¡± he says grabbing a small blaster off of the wall. You watch as the lights turn on and it glows a bright green, and the white plating extends past his wrist as a sort of guard.


    ¡°What does it shoot, then?¡±


    ¡°Waves.¡±


    ¡°Like...from the ocean?¡±


    ¡°No, not quite,¡± he laughs. ¡°Everything resonates at a specific frequency, that''s how we exist. These waves break down if they make contact with an exact match, a wave tuned specifically to one another. Organic matter tends to vary, as we all are made up of different amounts of near everything. Finding someone''s exact waveform would be near impossible unless you dedicated an entire lifetime to it, even then you might have different results since we also change as we age.¡±


    ¡°So, what''s the use, then?¡±


    ¡°Dromedans aren''t organic matter. The large of them, anyway. Each of their waves remains the same since their very creation. Of course, they vary from Mark I to say, Mark V units, but every single Mark I unit was mass produced the same.¡±


    ¡°So if you found out the waveform of the Mark I units you could effectively have a weapon against each and every single one.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The one problem is collecting data on those waveforms. We didn''t exactly see the need to research them when they weren''t a problem, so the only data we actually have are on the civilian units, the Mark II and III units.¡±


    ¡°And they aren''t fit for combat, are they?¡±


    ¡°No, I could see them using them for a sort of line of defense, or maybe even recon, but anything combat specific I don''t believe they''d be a part of.


    ¡°Well, what does the process of data collection entail?¡±


    ¡°The gun has a scanner here,¡± he points to a light on the tip of the barrel, it syncs up with any material it scans and gives a preliminary list of possible frequencies.¡±


    ¡°That sounds really simple, how is it that you couldn''t do something like that with you or me?¡±


    ¡°I''m making it sound simple because there''s a lot of complicated technology going into this. Organic matter is always moving and growing, decaying, replacing itself. You can''t get a solid read on something that is constantly changing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I just wanted to pick up a few in case we run into trouble. Cardus is proficient in weapons like these, so he''d really be the one to go for any questions on specifics on handlings.¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to know how to shoot it, to be honest,¡± you say.


    ¡°No desire?¡±


    You shake your head, ¡°I don''t think I could do that. I understand how hypocritical that sounds, but like, I don''t want to become that again.¡±


    ¡°It''s okay, I understand. Why don''t we head back?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s a good idea,¡± You say.


    Back in the bunker you see the door to the medical wing open once more and in comes Cardus followed by Jiarg. Now that you''re focusing on him you do remember seeing him. He''s almost too big to fit in through the door, you can feel your body begin to shake very slightly and you feel really warm. The shaking stops after a few seconds, but you still feel really hot. Jesse walks over to them and hands them each a blaster. Jiarg shakes his head, refusing the gun as he walks passed you. Bartz takes it happily and sets it into a holster at his side.


    ¡°Okay, so Team A is just about ready,¡± Cardus says. ¡°Are we all ready to head out?¡±


    Bartz nods his head, Jesse gives a thumbs up, Jiarg doesn''t respond, and you feel like someone turned up the thermometer thirty degrees. You''re not staying here in this dirty bunker, though. You know that if you tell Jesse that you''re feeling weird he''d make you stay. You know that you''d also listen to him. There''s something familiar about him that feels comfortable. You nod your head.


    ¡°Excellent, so I say that we should head out immediately, that way we can make it back before sundown,¡± Cardus says.


    There''s a sound that calls out and echoes throughout the bunker, it is a high pitched siren separated by two seconds of silence before repeating.


    ¡°It looks like Sarkon''s giving us a call,¡± Jesse says. ¡°Who''s at the calling station?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, we can answer it here,¡± Cardus says, running over to a small desk. He places a small circular device that looks like an eye on top of it and begins pressing all sorts of different buttons on the side of it. A light projects out onto the wall. You see Sarkon''s bloated face in the lights, he looks distressed. Behind him are what look like the skeleton trees on the outskirts of Pandera, but they''re a sickly yellow.


    ¡°There is big trouble,¡± you hear come out of the feed inbetween breaths. ¡°Very big trouble!¡±


    ¡°Sark, calm down. What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°Jakkon has been poisoned! The waters have been tainted and...¡±


    ¡°What? Sark, slow down and tell us what''s going on. Was it the Dromedans?¡±


    The feed disappears for a moment, but then you see the view has just changed, it''s now showing a small village with houses constructed out of the skeleton trees. The ground is covered in patches of murky brown water and a pond sits in the middle of the village. What''s weird are the dozens of statues scattered around the town. There could almost be hundreds, but you can''t even begin to see them all.


    ¡°Gone...they''re all gone. Every single one of them here is dead. It''s a massacre.¡±


    Your mind flashes back to your conversation with Jesse.


    ¡°Psarcians for example can''t deal with extreme heat. If the water in those sacks on their bodies dry up it''s game over for them, so the deserts to the north of Pandera aren''t really an optimal place for Psarcians to visit.¡±


    ¡°Really? That''s all it takes to kill them?¡±


    ¡°If their water supply was poisoned...that means all those statues are...?¡±


    Jesse doesn''t answer, he has a look of pure horror on his face.


    ¡°Sark, you need to come back to the bunker, now. It is not safe for you out there.¡±


    ¡°MY FAMILY IS DEAD HERE,¡± he screams so loud it echoes through the chambers. It seems to highlight the silence that follows.


    ¡°Sarkon, please, we will find out how to stop this from happening, but you need to come back here. Andrew''s here and he can help you through this,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°I WANT THEM DEAD. I WANT THOSE FILTHY MECHANICAL MISCREATIONS TO KNOW WHAT TRUE SUFFERING IS. EACH. AND. EVERY. ONE.¡± The view is shaking and then cuts out.


    ¡°What do you think is out there still?¡± You ask.


    ¡°I don''t know, but whoever poisoned the supply could still be there, and if Sarkon finds them he''ll most definitely want to have them pay for their crime.¡±


    ¡°If he does that he''d use up a lot of energy and water,¡± Bartz says.


    ¡°He''d have no way to replenish it,¡± You realize.


    ¡°I will go to Jakkon,¡± Jiarg says, breaking his silence.


    ¡°Jiarg?¡± You ask.


    ¡°He will need assistance coming back anyway, and you lot need Bartz''s help getting to bunker 31, so I volunteer to travel to Jakkon to bring Sarkon back.¡±


    ¡°What about your son?¡±


    Jiarg looks directly at you, his piercing green eyes seem to stab you, ¡°I trust that you will be enough to bring the medicine back here. For that task I thank you in advance,¡± he nods slightly. For a moment you believe you see the faintest of smiles.


    ¡°Okay, then it looks like we have our plan. I''m sure Team B will be leaving a bit after us, I think they still need to find Fayr. We can head out now,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°Right,¡± you say. You''ve been here for such a short time but you''ve already experienced so much death around you. You just hope you start feeling better, or else you might join them soon enough.

 Chapter 13

    You are lead to an elevator platform. It''s much different as an exit than you would have expected. When you think of underground bunker you think of old war bunkers that are sealed off via manhole cover and used only to avoid nuclear fallout. Jesse was right, maybe you did read too much science fiction. He opens up a display when you are all inside the elevator and then you can feel your head begin to pound. You take in a deep breath and repeat ¡°I am okay. I am okay,¡± to yourself. All at once it feels like everything goes quiet, but then you hear it as a voice drowning out all other sounds around you. It overtakes you and in an instant you''re sitting back in the small confined room that you previously saw your younger self in. Something is different, this feels different.


    You''re looking out at the world from inside. This doesn''t feel like the same out of body experience like the other memories, you''re in this close and personal. The only other figure in the room is Noah Marshall. He''s dressed in a dark pair of clothing, sweatpants and sweatshirt. He''s wearing thin glasses on the bridge of his nose, and just past them are the hazel eyes which you''ve come to be so wary of. He sits at your opposite, the chairs from the last memory are gone, it is only the two of you as you sit cross legged on the floor. Moonlight spills into the room from a tiny window built high into the room, it is the only one in the entire room so it only lets in a little bit of light.


    ¡°You have come at the perfect time,¡± Mr. Marshall says. ¡°I know you have had your hesitations. I had much of the very same before I gathered you all, before this idea even began its life. I also know you''re here because you''re worried about your friendship...maybe more? I have noticed your attraction.¡±


    You feel yourself nodding.


    ¡°I understand your problem. You are worried there will be problems crossing over because of the feelings?¡±


    You nod your head.


    He smiles a toothy grin, it makes you, that being the you observing this mess, wretch inside. His eyes seem to glow, ¡°Well, I''ll definitely keep that in mind when the full session comes around next. Ah, yes. Since you just turned nineteen it means that you are ready for the next step for our services.¡±


    ¡°Next step?¡± You ask, barely more than a whisper.


    ¡°This is a very personal step, one that we must undergo before we wholly separate our Earthly selves, and it is what separates us from any normies on the outside.¡±


    You nod your head.


    ¡°When a student turns nineteen their earthly body is seen as complete as a vehicle to the Next Level. That is the minimum age required to handle the full ascension process, but it isn''t the only requirement. Of course, all of what I''ve told you and shown you up to this has been in part to help you see the beyond, to see what we can become. All of that is useless if your body cannot make the trip.¡±


    You don''t like where this is going. Any of it.


    ¡°I''ve shared this information with Dante a few years back since his body was getting old, almost too old for ascension, but he was lucky. He made it in time and now he''ll be joining us for our ascension whenever the call is made. Sherry became ready on her nineteenth birthday almost three years ago now, and now it is your turn. I must plant my seed within you, of my body as the chosen progenitor of the Next Level shall all our spirits ascend.¡±


    You begin shouting at yourself now. Doing anything and everything to prevent what is about to happen, but nothing changes what has already happened. You remember it. The elevator comes to a stop, and you brush away a tear that began sliding down your cheek. Thankfully it went unnoticed in the darkness. The doors open and you step out, looking out around you. The sky is a light purplish color. The cold metal stops as it meets the planet where it looks like it''s almost tethered together artificially. You take in a deep breath as you take short steps out. Everything''s alright. Now isn''t the time to deal with these thoughts. You hold your chin up as you stare out at the skeleton trees surrounding you. Their white surface almost drained of any emotion around them. You''re almost jealous.


    ¡°This is where we part,¡± Jiarg says, stepping out and stretching out his muscles. ¡°I shall hope to come back to your good fortunes.¡± He nods before taking off, leaping into the boundless distance.


    You begin walking, finding yourself synchronized with Jesse''s pace beside you. Cardus and Bartz are at the lead. All at once you find it difficult to breathe. You look to your left and focus on one of the trees that you pass.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Jesse asks.


    ¡°Just coming to terms with some rather difficult memories,¡± You say.


    ¡°You''re beginning to remember bits about yourself?¡± Cardus asks.


    ¡°What''s this about memory?¡± Bartz asks right after, craning his neck around to look at you.


    ¡°It''s a long story Bartz, to keep it simple our friend here''s an amnesiac,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°It''s weird...though. They come back in flashes and it completely absorbs me into them when I remember things. It feels like I''m traveling back to watch them happen.¡±


    ¡°That is curious,¡± Cardus says.


    ¡°Why do you not just use Rembrall?¡± Bartz asks.


    ¡°Remwhat now? Listen, assume I''ve not heard of any of your technology, okay? I''m getting a little tired of asking ¡°What''s that?¡± to everything,¡± you say.


    ¡°Rembrall''s a drug to help stimulate the mind when it''s having difficulty remembering things,¡± Bartz explains. ¡°I would have thought that you would have brought it up, Jesse.¡±


    You turn to him, ¡°You knew about something that could help with my problem?¡±


    ¡°Rembrall isn''t consistent enough to get passed the trial phases, and Bartz you of all people should know that.¡±


    ¡°Listen man, it''s not like it hurt any people. There just hasn''t been people to test it on, amnesia isn''t a thing that comes around every day,¡± Bartz replies.


    ¡°I want to try it,¡± you say. ¡°If it can help me remember more about myself. Do we have to pick any up from the other bunkers?¡±


    ¡°No, we have a reasonable amount back there. It''s just unsafe, especially for someone in your condition,¡± he says.


    ¡°Condition?¡± Cardus asks.


    ¡°Humans are periodically updated to withstand common issues with modern medicine and technology, usually if there are problems they are brought up to speed and made compatible with those specific things. Now, I don''t know for certain how far behind you are, Alex, but the fact that you didn''t even have our language banks updated tells me that it is quite a ways from being fully updated.¡±


    ¡°So that means he might be more susceptible to issues concerning the Rembrall, I see where you''re going with this,¡± Cardus says.


    ¡°That''s why I didn''t bring it up, we don''t have enough information on you to safely test anything on you.¡±


    ¡°But you knew enough to put an electronic chip in my head,¡± you say, remembering.


    ¡°Safety concerns. If you were a crazed lunatic we would need some way to stop you, just as we did with Cross,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°Now it looks like there needs to be a part two to that plan,¡± you say.


    Jesse takes in a deep breath. ¡°Yes, yes there does. And it needs to come fast, because what he''s looking for seems to be the ultimate destruction of all life on Sayar.¡±


    ¡°I want to help. I think there''s something about this body that can help stand against him. Maybe it''s not all bad I''m so out of date.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but now we''re just grasping at straws, we need a full analysis before we can come up with any concrete solutions.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can do that when we get back, okay?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I think we can get the help of one of the technicians back there to scope you out,¡± Cardus says.


    ¡°Hell, I could probably pop you open right now and take a peek inside,¡± Bartz says laughing.


    ¡°We need to be able to understand what''s inside, Bartz, not just open him like a walnut.¡±


    All of this him and he business. You think to correct them several times, it has definitely crossed your mind more than enough times, but at the same time, for all intents and purposes you aren''t really a girl anymore. You aren''t really Alex Sharpe anymore, all you are is a body of a man with those specific memories. Maybe it''ll be easier for anybody else new you meet to just say you''re Roland Duschand. At least until you have this whole mess sorted out. You seem to walk for what feels like an eternity. The trees around you all look the same as the ones you saw when you first left the bunker. You''re thankful that the others know the way, because you''d get lost here forever if you were alone. Please don''t let this be one of those trips that forces me to be alone in the creepy woods.


    ¡°I think it''d be good to wait until we get back, yeah,¡± you say. ¡°How much longer do we have until we''re at bunker 31?¡±


    ¡°There''s going to be a clearing out past the forest, we should get there within the next half hour or so. We''re going to need to be careful there, because we don''t have the luxury of cover that we have here with the overgrowth.¡±


    ¡°Do we even know if there are Dromedans on patrol?¡±


    ¡°We don''t, but it would be unwise to think that they wouldn''t have some form of patrolling units given their plans,¡± Cardus says. ¡°I''m not seeing any in the distance, so for the time being we''re...wait a minute,¡± he says, outstretching his arm and stopping on a dime. ¡°I take it back. I have eyes on a Mark I unit.¡±


    ¡°What? Where?¡± You ask.


    ¡°About three miles out. Little bit to the east,¡± Cardus says.


    ¡°C? have trinocular vision. Those eyes of theirs can see from miles away if they so choose,¡± Jesse explains.


    ¡°Wow, that''s incredible.¡±


    ¡°You want to see if you can get the chance to sneak up on it?¡± Cardus asks Bartz.


    ¡°No offense, but you''re asking the largest of us to be stealthy?¡± You ask.


    ¡°That''s kind of rude to be honest,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°No, no, it''s fine. I love blowing away expectations,¡± Bartz says. All at once he begins to change color, his fur dimming to a point where you can only make him out if you''re looking for his figure. ¡°You hang here, I''ll be right back.¡±


    You can slightly see him moving away, but when he gets gar enough he slips out of sight completely.


    ¡°Camouflage? How is that even possible?¡± You ask the others.


    ¡°Breeton have specialized cells in their bodies that can change color at will. It''s extremely peculiar,¡± Cardus mentions.


    ¡°Do you have eyes on the Dromedan still?¡± Jesse asks.


    ¡°Yes, it''s actually looking away from us at the moment, there might be others far passed it.¡±


    ¡°If Bartz attacks that one will he alert the others?¡± You ask.


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    ¡°I don''t know if they''d be close enough to immediately know if something happens to it. I think he should be good.¡±


    ¡°Well then, it''s a shame that you three aren''t,¡± a harsh voice calls out from behind you.


    You turn and see Cross standing behind you, he has three sentry units at his side. You focus in on his stitch-like smile as he regards you.


    ¡°I wanted to come and say hello. I assumed you would have missed me in our short absence.¡±


    ¡°How did you manage to find us?¡± Cardus asks.


    ¡°I don''t think that should be your primary concern right now,¡± He says, cocking his head. He places his arms behind his back, ¡°I think you should be more worried for-¡± A scream erupts into the air followed by a gurgling sound, ¡°...that,¡± he finishes.


    You turn around to see both Bartz and the Mark I unit, closer to you than ever now. The Mark I is eerily humanoid in shape except for its arm, which looks more like a lance. You see the that said arm pierced through Bartz''s throat, holding him high into the air. It''s lifting his weight with no issue at all.


    ¡°Bartz!¡± You call out.


    ¡°You are a special sort of human,¡± Cross says, stepping forward.


    ¡°Don''t you move another step,¡± Jesse says, holding out the blaster and pointing it straight at him.


    ¡°Cute.¡± With a twitch of his head Cross''s eyes glow a bright red and the blaster shoots out of both Jesse and Cardus'' hands and they stick to Cross''s torso. You see him grin and the sight of it makes you feel sick. ¡°Now, I wish to speak uninterrupted to Mr. Duschand here,¡± he says slowly.


    ¡°What do you want with me?¡± You ask.


    ¡°I apologize earlier for calling you Mr. Duschand. I realize the error of calling you by a name which isn''t your own,¡± he says.


    He knows, somehow. You aren''t going to give him the satisfaction. ¡°I don''t know what you''re talking about.¡±


    ¡°Well of course you do. You are just afraid to tell me because that''s your one resolve, right? You have little other connection to this world other than your morality. You choose to hide it because that''s all you''ve ever known.¡±


    ¡°And how would you know so much about me then?¡±


    ¡°I was shown quite the interesting vision when I woke up. I had been asleep for so long, my entire being burned of betrayal the time I slept, but when I woke it wasn''t that feeling at all that kept me company. It was curiosity.¡±


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Jesse asks, surprising you.


    ¡°A human, you. I didn''t know why, I had only met Roland Duschand once before so I knew what he looked like, but things came to me in hot flashes. They burnt into my consciousness like a brand. I didn''t know what to make of it until I realized I could feel you. Sense where you were at all times.¡±


    ¡°That''s how you found us now.¡±


    ¡°I can always rebuild myself, the body that got vaporized in the Capitol is a shell I can rebuild and re-purpose. It was then also I knew you were different than him, than Roland. When you absorbed my bomb like some vacuum. I had to learn more about why I saw you.¡±


    ¡°If you''re going to kill me already then just do it. I don''t care what you have to say anymore,¡± you say, the pain in your head grows immensely. You don''t want to be here talking to him anymore. All of this talking is hurting more and more.


    ¡°I imagined you''d have an attitude,¡± he grins. ¡°No, I''m not here to kill you, not yet. Your existence gives me questions I cannot live to not know the answer to, so for now you live. These two however have been a pain in my side for longer than I would have liked,¡± Cross says. He grabs one of the blasters off of himself and begins to squeeze it so hard until it crumples up like a tin can. ¡°And it''s a shame you had to bring your toys to only have them broken. If there''s one thing positive is they''ll be looking much better than you two,¡± he smirks.


    ¡°No.¡±


    He looks up at you, the first time you''ve seen him visibly confused. It looks satisfying as all hell. You don''t know how you know everything is going to be okay, but it reassures you deeply.


    ¡°You have no power over me.¡±


    ¡°What gives you the power to say no?¡± He barks at you.


    You feel your hand raise, an unconscious effort that seems to feel natural. At your fingertips you see a small glowing light. All at once you feel the light extend off of your fingers and as they wrap around the headpieces of the three sentry units at Cross''s side. The metal burns and showers sparks which causes Cross to raise his arms up in defense as he takes a step back, the other blaster falls to the ground and Jesse wastes no time in snatching it up.


    Cardus leaps towards the Dromedan behind you, and you see him carrying the machine up, the first time you see his wings unfold from his back, and he swings him around before letting him go. It smashes against a tree and falls to the ground, motionless.


    You''re now staring at Cross who seems to look at you with great interest. Jesse''s got the blaster pointed at him, a small ding sounds on his end.


    ¡°It''s coded to your make-up, Cross. One step and you''re vaporized.¡±


    He laughs, a mechanical sound that grains against your ears. ¡°If it was that simple you would have shot already, right? Are you expecting me to apologize? To beg for mercy? I don''t think so. I''m done here,¡± he looks to you.


    ¡°Interesting how you used the aftermath of my own bomb against me, it seems I''ll have to adapt to keep up with you, then. Until next time, then,¡± he says, stepping forward with a smile on his face. It is reduced to absolutely nothing in less than a second. You feel sick to your stomach, bile rises in your throat and you bend over to heave up whatever is in your stomach, because it sure isn''t food.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Jesse asks, walking over and holding out his hand.


    ¡°Yeah, I just need to sit down for a moment, that took a lot out of me,¡± You say.


    ¡°Literally,¡± he says with a grin.


    You stare at him, irritated. He returns a look of pseudo-guilt.


    ¡°That was truly something, you keep on surprising,¡± Cardus says, walking over.


    You take Jesse''s hand and stand back to your feet. ¡°I don''t even really know what came over me to be honest. It just felt natural.¡±


    ¡°Well, that surely saved our hides. To think, the bomb that you sucked in could be reused for good,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°It''s a shame we couldn''t save Bartz, Jonan is going to be upset with this.¡±


    ¡°Do we have a way to bring his body back?¡±


    ¡°I can bring it back if you two want to continue on. I''d hate to leave him out here,¡± Cardus says.


    ¡°You can carry him?¡±


    ¡°Didn''t you see me throw the Dromedan that killed him? You''d be surprised at what the C? can carry,¡± he says.


    ¡°Well, I guess so. Okay, the trip back might be as long as it takes for us to get there, so do you want us to just meet back up with you at the bunker?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think that will work. Well, you two should get on going. I might go help the folks on the lower level when I get back.¡±


    ¡°That''s good, they could definitely use the hand. We''ll be back as soon as we grab the shipment.¡±


    Cardus nods and walks over to Bartz''s body and grabs him with both of his hands.


    ¡°Hey, you two take care now, okay? Don''t get yourselves killed,¡± he says as he slowly lifts into the air.


    ¡°You as well,¡± you call out.


    He nods his head as he flies back in the way that you came, slowly making his way higher and higher.


    ¡°And then there were two,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°C''mon, let''s keep on walking,¡± you say, beginning back out.


    ¡°So we''re not going to completely geek out over the fact that you shot weird lasers from your fingers?¡± He says, joining you.


    ¡°I don''t know what made it happen. I don''t know if it was fear or courage or will or any of that mumbo jumbo they usually say in the movies.¡±


    ¡°The movies you watch must be rather clich¨¦ then,¡± he jokes.


    ¡°I''m trying to be serious here.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I know this all is still very new to you. If anything at all can help you through it, it''s new for me too. I''ve never met anyone else like you.¡±


    ¡°You must have picked that line out of your totally not clich¨¦ movies, then,¡± You say.


    ¡°Got me there,¡± he says, grinning. ¡°But seriously, I''ve never met a human with abilities like yours. Only one anywhere near is Andrew.¡±


    ¡°Andrew''s like me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he kind of has to be something like to do what he did as a part of the council. They don''t just pick anyone, ya'' know?


    ¡°What is it that he can do, really?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know what, all records about his past were deleted and he isn''t really the most sharing of types. I''m sure Cardus could tell you better than I could.¡±


    Or even Andrew could, you remind yourself to stop by and speak to him when you get back.


    ¡°That''s odd.¡±


    ¡°He''s a big guy on privacy, I guess.¡±


    You slow when you see the treeline clear out to stone. Jesse passes you, ¡°We''re almost there, just passed this clearing there''s a trail that''ll lead us to where we need to go.¡±


    ¡°Isn''t it a bad idea to have a trail that leads to a secret bunker? That''s just screaming to be found.¡±


    ¡°It''s not like there''s a sign pointing directly to it, that''d be stupid. It''s along the path, you''ll understand better when you see it. C''mon, let''s keep up the pace,¡± he says.


    ¡°Okay, whatever you say.¡±


    Your whole body embraces the sunlight as you step out from underneath the shade of the trees. A new warmth brightly caresses your skin as you look out around the purple sky.


    ¡°So, why is the sky like this? Purple, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Surely you know that at least? I mean that''s just common physics.¡±


    ¡°The sky on Earth was blue,¡± You say.


    ¡°It seemed blue because of how light entered your atmosphere, it''s the same deal here. Sayar''s magnetic pulses drag in light from the Sun that Earth used to orbit around. Since it has to travel further it comes into our atmosphere as a purple shine.¡±


    You nod and think to yourself. It''s so strange how one small change as the color of the sky could make such an impact, but you''re here living it now. The sky hangs over huge spires of land that rise up and tower over your view. They look so primordial.


    A few minutes pass in silence, you''ve asked all the questions you''ve felt like asking, and for once you take in what''s around you as just what it is. It''s almost relaxing. The thought passes slowly as you pick up your pace. You haven''t forgotten about all of the people who are depending on you to bring back the medicine stock. You smile as you believe you''re doing the right thing, maybe this is your first step at forgiveness for the life that you took, the effort to save more from Cross''s destruction.


    Cross.


    The immediate desire for answers returns again, and you feel unsatisfied. How does he know so much about you? He was supposed to be deactivated, and yet he''s up and around and can find you at any time. The way you see it, you can either let this fear eat you alive or try to find a way to work past it. He can rebuild his body if it gets destroyed and can find you whenever he wants. Maybe that''s why he attacked the capitol, because you were there?


    You still don''t know a lot about this world or why you came to it, but you will find out why. No more whining and sitting back as you watch this monster tear apart everything around him. You''re taking a stand and going to figure out everything and stop Cross in the process, even if it kills you.


    ¡°Hey, stop, we''re here,¡± Jesse says, holding out his arm.


    You look around to see everything as the same as before. Extending trail that forks to the left up ahead and up ahead you can see grass extending far out of the earth...er, ground.


    ¡°There isn''t anything here though,¡± you say.


    ¡°And you said it would be too obvious,¡± he scoffs, and turns around to look at the ground.


    You turn to look with him and see a stone set into the ground, it''s carved into an almost perfect sphere. ¡°A rock? Is that the perfect camouflage?¡± You notice to the right a bit there is another stone just like it. Same with the left.


    ¡°We''re going to bunker 31, so we just input that into the stones. Go on, why don''t you try? Press the third one down there and then the first one on the left.¡±


    You give him a look you''re not quite sure you could replicate if you tried, but you walk up to the stones and bend down. It takes some effort to get it to move, you have to press both of your hands down to get it to move. It slides downward and clicks into place. The stone begins to glow with a faint bluish hue as it does, you can feel your eyes open wider, ¡°Woaaaah.¡±


    ¡°Heh, there''s the reaction I was waiting for,¡± Jesse chuckles.


    ¡°There''s hidden, and then there''s cryptic as fuck,¡± you say.


    ¡°Wasn''t me who designed it, but it sure as hell works. Even if you took notice of the stones, which you didn''t by the way, you wouldn''t know which order to do anything with. Even then, you have to know they have to be pressed downward, since it doesn''t immediately react to you pushing it,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°Okay, I take it back then, that''s pretty smart,¡± you say.


    ¡°Well thank you,¡± he says, standing up straight.


    ¡°I thought you said that you didn''t make it, how can you possibly take credit?¡±


    ¡°Well, I showed it to you, of course! Messians are very proud of knowledge I''ll have you know,¡± he says.


    ¡°Or you''re talking straight out of your ass,¡± you say with a grin.


    ¡°Well, either way we''ve little time to be joking about it. Go ahead and press the first one and let''s get moving.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± you say.


    You stand back up and walk over to the first stone. You try to push it down by stepping on it and putting all of your weight on it to avoid the inconvenience of kneeling down again. It takes a moment, but it starts sliding down as you shift the entirety of your weight upon it. The rock glows a similar bluish hue as it clicks into place, and opposite you on the other side of the trail the ground begins to shift apart.


    You see a metal staircase leading downward just below the surface of stone and grass. ¡°Well then, let''s go, shall we?¡± Jesse asks.


    ¡°Yes, let''s.¡±

 Chapter 14

    The stairs descend into a cavern of silver and black. The tunnel expands as you go deeper, and you hear a sound behind you as the light from the outside begins to draw away. You look behind as you see one by one the individual stairs are rising back to the surface. ¡°They''re set on a timer. That way the way isn''t open for those who aren''t meant to know about it,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°Ah, okay, that makes sense,¡± you say.


    ¡°So who''s here again?¡± You ask.


    ¡°Well, there''s tons of people here, you''re going to have to specify,¡± he grins.


    ¡°You know who I mean. The council members.¡±


    ¡°Well, Tiburr and Yaldabaoth are definitely going to be leading the militants, preparing the armories and going to be overall on edge, so I''d recommend you stay clear of their path.¡±


    ¡°Noted. What about the others?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know, I only know those three will be here since this is the most combat oriented base. That''s also why we''re here, as they don''t require their medical supplies as much as our bunker does at the current time.¡±


    ¡°But surely there are still some wounded here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but only the lights. Ones who need minimal medicine or treatment. The ones who could have made the journey from Pandera to here.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    You both come to a large door almost five times your height.


    ¡°Gotta accommodate for Pamen somehow,¡± Jesse cracks a smile.


    ¡°True. It''s a shame we haven''t run into him.¡±


    ¡°Something you needed him for?¡± He asks, walking to the side and using the scanner.


    ¡°Not specifically, but if he...I''m calling him he from now on, hive consciousness is annoying as shit to keep track of by the way, but if he was around we could get an update on all the places that he''s in, right?¡±


    ¡°True. Out of all of the races, Pamen I find the most interesting, I will say. I still don''t know how their consciousness works, but I do know it does seem just like that. Although it also acts as a double edged sword, as I''m sure Pamen feels the pain of every single one of them.¡±


    ¡°That must be absolutely dreadful,¡± you say.


    ¡°Indeed, now, let''s see if we can''t find our way to the medical wing.¡±


    ¡°It should be in a similar spot as in our bunker right?¡±


    ¡°Jesse Anderson,¡± he says.


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    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, voice confirmation,¡± he says, pointing to the door. ¡°Yeah, it should be.¡±


    You nod your head.


    The huge door slides open on an axis and you can see the inside of the bunker, almost nearly identical to the hallway that lead outward from yours. You step inside and pass absolutely no one on your path. The entire place looks cleaned out from top to bottom.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± You ask, entering the secluded living quarters, empty as well.


    ¡°If you keep going straight through those doors back there you''d eventually reach this wide open area this bunker uses for combat training. The vast majority here''s all probably there being drilled into the ground by Tiburr and Yaldabaoth.¡±


    ¡°I''ll be honest, I''m really glad we don''t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I already paid my debt to society through the army, I''m not really itching to go back.


    ¡°You served?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it feels like a lifetime ago.¡± He says, taking out the list of needed materials from his pocket as he begins strolling off towards the door to the right of the room. You catch up to him and go through the door. The trip is almost the exact same, instead there isn''t a branch for a path to the hospital room. The hallway goes on straight and at the end you see the door.


    ¡°You know, I was thinking we would be meeting up with someone like halfway who would do the exchange. That seems like it would be better,¡± You say.


    ¡°Less risk this way. We have less people out there in the open with the Dromedans. If we did it that way there isn''t any doubt our rendezvous point would have turned into a larger cemetery than it already is,¡± he says, stepping inside. And quite the cemetery it has become. One is enough.


    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± you say.


    ¡°Hm?¡± he turns to you.


    ¡°I''ve been thinking...and a lot of this seems to be my fault.¡±


    ¡°I don''t seem to agree with that,¡± he says, turning back and you follow him inside.


    ¡°Well, I mean Cross says he can find me whenever he wants to. Somehow he knows I''m not Roland and I think it is connected to me being here.¡±


    He begins switching back from the list to the inventory screen in front of him, the storage units extend across the wall. ¡°Whatever reason brought you here, Alex, it wasn''t a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°But if I wasn''t here I''m sure the Capitol wouldn''t be in ruins.¡±


    ¡°You aren''t responsible for Cross''s actions.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to tell me what part is you not being clich¨¦ here?¡±


    He sighs. ¡°Listen, I don''t know how exactly Cross is out doing whatever the fuck he wants to do, and who knows, maybe it was you coming here that woke him up, but you can''t control that, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°You''ve been thrown into a shit situation, and that''s the understatement of the millennium, but you''ve done what you could to be a help to the people here. This right here right now? We''re going to be helping a lot of people.


    You take in a deep breath, ¡°I''m sorry, it is just hard not to blame myself for all of this.¡±


    He puts an arm on your shoulder, ¡°Remember something?¡±


    ¡°I don''t have a conclusive lead on why I''m here yet, but there are hints in my memories, and I just think if maybe I did things different I wouldn''t be here and all of this wouldn''t have happened.¡±


    ¡°All we can do is work to make the future as good as we can.¡±


    ¡°Clich¨¦.¡±


    ¡°I know it''s clich¨¦!¡± He throws his hands up in the air. ¡°Gosh. Like, it''s obviously good advice, that''s why it''s clich¨¦. I''m never going to live this down, am I?¡±


    ¡°We''ll see, and thanks...it really helps,¡± you say, breathing easier. You notice your head isn''t hurting which is a saving grace.

 Chapter 15

    You walk out of the bunker with a small chip the size of your fingernail, and supposedly this chip contains all the different kinds of medicine and equipment you needed back at the bunker. You hold it in your hands and hold it up, gazing it. It reminds you of the small chip that Jesse had that contained your file. ¡°I still can''t believe it.¡±


    ¡°It''s all stored right in there as code. The whole thing acts like a pocket dimension just full of storing things like that digitally.¡±


    ¡°Pocket dimension?¡±


    ¡°Well, there''s rumor out there that there are whole other worlds out there just like our own. Alternate realities that are almost exactly alike, and connecting those worlds are spaces called Pocket Dimensions. They''re like the bridges between worlds apparently.¡±


    ¡°Like gates almost?¡±


    ¡°I guess you could say that. This is of course if you believe all that stuff.¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡±


    ¡°I told you when we first met I''m a sucker for crazy. Pocket dimensions and alternate realities fall under that category,¡± he grins.


    You look to him, and past him subconsciously. Your eyes set on a landmass that juts up almost fifty feet into the air. It''s a spiral hill that stabs the purple sky as it fades into a bright golden at the horizon.


    ¡°Does that tie in at all to you being in the army?¡± You ask.


    He smiles, ¡°I should have known better than to think you would have forgotten me bringing that up.¡±


    ¡°I''m just curious, that''s all. If it''s a sore subject you don''t have to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°It''s not that. It''s just I don''t remember much about it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why''s that?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been a part of something that you thought would never end?¡±


    ¡°I...uh, maybe?¡±


    ¡°Something that seemed so surreal that seemed to almost be dreamlike? Like something you wouldn''t do if you felt you had control? That was me and the army. Something that I felt I had to do instead of want to. You know, this planet is my home here, so I did what I could to protect it back when it was needed.¡±


    ¡°That''s very noble of you,¡± you say.


    ¡°But honestly, if I could take it back I would.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I told you how I almost lost my fire for the impossible?¡±


    ¡°I seem to remember you mentioning it.¡±


    ¡°The army did that to me. It gave me a good job when I got out, sure, but I was so absolutely drained of everything I once was. Everything around me lost its wonder.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you acted so weird when we first met?¡± you ask.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°When I woke up in the jail cell you acted really strange about giving me information. Looked like you were going to be sick.¡±


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    He looks confused for a second before a flash of recognition passes across his face. ¡°Oh...right. In that split second I just was reminded of someone I used to know.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry, but I''m not comfortable with sharing that right now,¡± he says, quiet.


    ¡°I''m sorry.¡±


    There is an awkward silence for the rest of the walk back. You don''t try to revive the conversation, it''s as dead in the water as you want to be right now. His whole demeanor seems to shift as you can feel that he''s self conscious, aware of how much he''s letting out at once, and you want to be able to help him, but you realize that you aren''t really in any position to be of any help.


    You make it back to the bunker with no difficulty. The forest is silent, almost eerily so. Jesse''s mood seems to have lightened up on the trip back, but you didn''t dare say anything that might compromise it. Instead you kept to your thoughts and prepared yourself for what kinds of questions you would ask Andrew when you spoke to him. You''re finally ready to learn what happened to Earth.


    You step onto the elevator platform and Jesse presses the switch to send it down. The light from the outside fades into darkness as you swing your neck around to release the tension that''s probably loaded in your joints.


    ¡°If you want I can take the medicine,¡± Jesse says, breaking his silence. You look over and catch a glance at him before the light disappears completely and shrouds you both in darkness.


    ¡°O-Okay. When we make it back to the common room I''m going to go talk to Andrew.¡±


    ¡°Thought you would. Make sure you share any details, okay? I''m curious about what happened.¡±


    So he is going to gloss over the super-large awkward moment you two had. Seems it''s the only way that''s going to happen.


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    The elevator stops and you see the bright white near-spotlight beams in your eyes. It''s a real shitty spot for them to be set there on the inner walls of the bunker, but then again it is better to have bright light than no light at all.


    The gates to the elevator swing open and you both step out, you hand the small chip over to Jesse and he nods his head, smiling at you. It''s good to see him smile again, you were worried whatever was bothering him took it away.


    You smile and nod back and he''s off on his own pace, walking much faster than you were on the way back. So it turns out he was holding back waiting for you, go figure. You know you couldn''t keep that kind of pace consistently, it''s damn near jogging and unless you''re being chased you''re keeping your jogging to a minimum.


    You walk down the hall and instead of continuing forward like Jesse is doing you hang a left. You go through the door that''s right at the end of the hall and enter through the residential area. Inside you see Cardus sitting at a table close by with an Illith sitting next to him. If you remember right her name is Esio.


    You walk up and nod your head, ¡°Hey guys, how are you holding up?¡±


    ¡°Alex...right?¡± Cardus asks.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± you nod.


    ¡°I''m sorry, it''s just strange seeing Roland''s body and calling it by another name.¡±


    ¡°So this is the one that saved you at the Capitol?¡± Esio asks. Her voice is so high it''s like she has a permanent supply of helium.


    ¡°Not just once, but twice he surprised us all and saved us from Cross,¡± Cardus nods.


    ¡°Well, it''s very nice to meet you,¡± Esio says.


    ¡°You as well.¡± You turn to Cardus, ¡°Do you know where Andrew is?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he should be in his room, I think he is reading. Did you both manage to get the medicine?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Jesse is going to bring it over right now. Before I go, what happened with Bartz''s body?¡±


    You can see him dip, ¡°I brought him to the cold storage. He now sits alongside the others who have perished here. I don''t know how we''re going to break it to Jonan.¡±


    ¡°I''ll buy you a drink when we''re next available¡± Well Jonan, looks like that drink is never coming.


    ¡°Well, we''re going to have to tell him when they get back.¡±


    ¡°Right...we''ll get through it. Together,¡± Cardus says. You nod your head and begin to walk over towards Andrew''s room. ¡°Oh and Alex,¡± Cardus says. You turn back to look at him, ¡°We''re not going to let Cross get you. Whatever he wants with you is nothing good, so I''ll do my best as leader of the C? to protect you as you have us.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Cardus,¡± you say, smiling.

 Chapter 16

    You knock on Andrew''s door. You hear a muffled sound which you think meant ¡°come in,¡± so you press the tiny red button where the door knob would be and it slides open. You see Andrew lying back in a chair that''s reclined back pretty far. His feet are propped up on a small stool and he looks perfectly relaxed with a book in his hands. You see the title is ¡°Radical-9¡± by Taylor Santoro. The text on the cover, but you see an illustration of a young man with a sort of glowing energy around him, it''s like an aura.


    ¡°Am I interrupting?¡± you ask.


    ¡°No, no. Now is a good stopping point, actually,¡± he says, folding the corner of the page over and closing the book. It looks brand new.


    ¡°That''s in English,¡± You say, nodding towards the book. ¡°It''s been so long since I''ve seen anything in it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, one of a kind, too,¡± he says, setting the book aside on an end table just next to the small bed in the corner of the room.


    ¡°Is that the same Taylor that works under Jesse?¡±


    ¡°The very same. I assume you two met on your trip here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he said he was speaking with the council about a personal matter.¡±


    Andrew moves his arm out towards the bed, ¡°Feel free to take a seat, I have a feeling our talk won''t be short,¡± he grins. ¡°And yes, he actually came to speak to me. Taylor''s fluent in English as he was primarily the one to study Earth''s history being human and all. I also heard he was a talented writer, so I tasked him with writing me some stories.¡±


    ¡°Them being that book there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is the first in a series I''m going to have him write.¡±


    ¡°What''s it about, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°The events that lead to the Earth''s destruction. I think it''s been enough time that people should know how it happened from one of the only living sources.¡±


    ¡°It feels so weird to say that it''s destroyed. I mean I was most certainly alive on earth near the 1970s...I was a teenager then.¡±


    ¡°Your memories started coming back?¡±


    ¡°In pieces, yeah. I know I was alive around that point, I haven''t remembered anything from my adult life yet.¡±


    ¡°Well then, that makes you older than me,¡± he laughs.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If you were alive in the 70''s then when we were both on Earth you would have been older than me, almost thirty years older at the least. I was born in 2003.¡±


    ¡°If I may ask, how are you still alive? I mean if it was a case of humanity perfecting these robotic bodies then there should be more of people like you around, right? But I''m going to assume that most humans have a similar lifespan here on Sayar.¡±


    He takes in a deep breath. ¡°I''m alive because I am carrying out an eternal punishment. I am the reason why Earth is destroyed, why 8.6 billion people died.¡±


    ¡°It was you? What happened?¡±


    ¡°In this world, all worlds really, there are two forces, constantly fighting back and forth. They are the Alpha Force and the Omega Force.¡±


    ¡°How very biblical in tone,¡± you say.


    ¡°They were aptly named. They''re the two basic forces of the universe. The Alpha Force is almost everything here in our world, our life, organic matter, inorganic matter, et cetera. Everything that becomes and grows is because of the Alpha Force. Conversely, Omega Force is substance that is it''s opposite, namely an absence of Alpha. When creatures die and decay that is the Omega Force overtaking it.¡±


    ¡°So life and death, what''s so important? Isn''t that just like common sense?¡±


    ¡°It should be, but then again if it was then things wouldn''t have turned out how they did. So, as total opposites, the two forces can never meet on a physical plane, or else reality begins to distort and break apart. Weird shit happens, to say the least.¡±


    ¡°Did the two meet?¡±


    ¡°In 2013 on Earth some scientists managed to do that very thing. They managed to create that very meeting. It was a substance we named Radical-9. Nobody even knew the half of what this stuff could do, it tore families apart, and even almost escaped into the public in 2029. I was one of ten children who was tested with this, the Omega Force, as we now know it as.¡±


    ¡°You''ve got the stuff inside of you now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I told you when it makes contact with Alpha Force, my normal body, reality begins to distort and break apart.¡±


    ¡°Weird shit,¡± you quote.


    ¡°Well, for what it''s worth I basically became a superhero,¡± he says. The grin on his face tells you there were quite the amounts of stories behind it. ¡°Telepathy, Telekinesis, that kind of shit, but don''t get me wrong...it was perhaps the worst thing that could ever happen to me,¡± the grin fades as fast as it came.


    ¡°No offense, but that sounds kind of awesome.¡±


    ¡°Well, it came at a cost. It began to take over my mind, I frequently lost sight of almost everything not directly on my mind. My...wife. She was in pain and I wasn''t around as much as I should have been, even when I was around physically.¡±


    ¡°Did something happen between you two?¡±


    ¡°She killed herself, overdose. That was back in 2029, and it all is still fresh in my mind as if it happened yesterday. That''s what sent me over the edge. It didn''t happen right away, but slowly I began to lose more and more of myself. I became something dark. My power grew with my sorrow, the Omega Force was overtaking the Alpha in my body, blood evolving to a new horrid substance that ran in my veins. I made contact with the first official alien race as a human on Earth.¡±


    ¡°What? You were the first one who met an alien?¡±


    ¡°He was a Lunfilios named Khap-En. He''s the councilman''s son, by the way, but the two couldn''t be more different. Khap-En was rebellious, immature. He was exiled on Pluto''s moon, Charon, with his small band of fools who kept stirring up trouble back on their home. Anyway, Khap-En found his way on Earth some time in the early 1900s to find life to help him make his way back to their galaxy.¡±


    ¡°This is absolutely insane.¡±


    ¡°I assure you it happened, he lived in silence and in the dark for a very long time, shapeshifting and acting human when he needed to.¡±


    ¡°I believe you, it''s just crazy sounding to hear.¡±


    ¡°I met up with Khap-En and he told me of the Alpha and Omega forces. ¡°Each living thing has an expiration date, and Earth''s is coming,¡± he told me.¡±


    ¡°He told you Earth was going to be destroyed?¡±


    ¡°He told me that it was going to be by a comet sent from the stars loaded with Omega Force. It would suck the planet dry as it passed, the inner waves of the planet would synchronize with the comet and both would vanish at the comet''s passing. Of course, it was more than just his words that showed me, but I believed it simply in my state of mind. I believed a comet would come to collect the Earth in its grasp.¡±


    ¡°Even I know that sounds silly.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t have believed it if I didn''t have that kind of stuff flowing in my body already. I thought anything could happen.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    ¡°So, Khap-En worked with me to construct a ship to travel with as many humans as we could bring to their refugee camp out on Charon. I was told there was an entire civilization out there who could help rebuild humanity.¡±


    ¡°Was this ship built?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It transferred the consciousness of its passengers onto a storage unit on the ship that would be then implanted in the bodies they occupy today, though less advanced.¡±


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    ¡°That was to withstand the trip, right?¡±


    ¡°That, and we could fit more people on that way. Even though I grew cold with ones I called friends I still at this point knew a common good, save humanity. If we could digitize consciousness we could store a few million people instead of a few hundred thousand, so that is what Khap-En and I worked on for a few years. In 2042 we set out for space, and it was then Khap-En revealed the true nature of his plan, the destruction of earth and kidnapping of millions of humans for slaves.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ¡°The human brain can be tricked into believing anything you want it to if you scramble the neurons enough. Our memories aren''t physical things in our brains, they''re the byproduct of the connection between the neurons in our brains. They''re called synapses.¡±


    ¡°I think I remember hearing about something like that from biology class.¡±


    ¡°Think of a synapse as an electrical current running through your brain. When those connections are made your brain begins to learn that connection so it can recreate it easier. Human brains are based on the idea that each and every sensation gives off a different reaction, pleasure, pain, sadness, jealousy, et cetera. When these reactions happen over a period of time they create memories.¡±


    ¡°That''s interesting and all, but what does that have to do with the whole slaves thing?¡±


    ¡°When we uploaded the consciousness of the humans to the ship''s database they were no longer a part of their human bodies.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second, if they weren''t in their original bodies how would their new bodies retain their memories?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. They wouldn''t, couldn''t be able to remember anything when they would eventually be placed back into the substitutes. That''s why so few people tell the tale of how Earth was destroyed, because the only ones who could remember it were the two people conscious during the trip from Earth, Khap-En and myself.¡±


    ¡°One question.¡±


    ¡°Ask away,¡± he asks.


    ¡°I''m not in my original body. I lived on Earth, you know this, but why have I been remembering memories of life on my Earth body? Wouldn''t that contradict your explanation?¡±


    ¡°I...guess there might be more to memories than even I know. To be honest I didn''t even really think of you being in this body like that. You''re 100% certain that isn''t your body?¡±


    ¡°100%,¡± you say.¡±


    ¡°Well, then I do not have an answer for you, but a request. If you do ever find out the cause of your memories, do enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°I''ll definitely try. About the memories of all those people back on Earth though, I hope you didn''t know about all of this before the planet was destroyed?¡±


    He shakes his head, ¡°As much as I''d love to blame myself for that fault, I didn''t know of how the human mind would handle being coded into the ship. I took a risk to save as many people as I could, but it turned out to be the wrong decision.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Did Khap-En do something?¡±


    ¡°Something, all right. While I was working on the project for those seven years he would slip away often, secretly rigging the entire planet with an explosive. I learned much too late he set up the equivalent of an Omega Force nuke. He used the compound that ruined my life to make a bomb the size of an elephant that had the destructive power of planet-shattering apocalypse. He let it rip when we''d cleared the atmosphere of the planet, and I watched as it all was ripped apart.¡±


    ¡°And so you blame yourself.¡±


    ¡°I do, because it is my fault. I could have stopped it from happening so many times. Even after it happened I had to act as Khap-En''s right hand to try and keep as many of the survivors alive as possible. I wasn''t good at that. I failed so many people.¡±


    You don''t have anything to say to this.


    ¡°It all finally stopped with my best friend. He sacrificed himself to end those people''s suffering. He was like me, one of the children who was tested on, and as I cradled his body as he died it gave me my punishment. The radiation from his body was too much, it was almost leaking Omega Force in its purest form. My body lost whatever humanity it had left, it no longer had any Alpha Force in it, yet somehow still existed. It moved, walked, talked, and aged, but never decayed.¡±


    ¡°So that''s how you''re still alive.¡±


    ¡°I''ve bled my fair share, and am almost positive I can still be killed, but age doesn''t seem to be a factor anymore.¡±


    ¡°I don''t want to sound rude, but I''m kind of surprised you never tried to like...you know...¡±


    ¡°End my life? I''ve considered it almost every day for the past 5,381 years.¡±


    ¡°What kept you here?¡±


    ¡°It''s a lot of things, really. I''m afraid of what''s beyond life, beyond this. I don''t deserve to die yet and go be at peace, not for those lives I''ve ended. Don''t quite deserve to forget the lives I''ve taken. So, I''m here for as long as I can to try and make things right for as many lives as I did wrong.¡±


    ¡°I''m so sorry, that''s got to be a huge weight to carry on your shoulders.¡±


    ¡°I''m not the only one carrying a weight, so I don''t let that bog me down. I do what I can and just hope each day is another towards making things right. I''m much to tired to do anymore wrong purposefully.¡±


    ¡°That''s heartbreaking, I''m going to be honest.¡±


    ¡°That''s life. You know your fair share of it, right? Being thrown into another world altogether with no rhyme or reason? I''d say I was envious if it wasn''t spitting on those of the deceased.¡±


    ¡°I...I just thought something was off.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± He turns his head to the side, you can see his green eyes more clearly now, they edge on the verge of tears. Something tells you after five centuries he still hasn''t mastered the act of holding it in.


    ¡°That phrase you said Khap-En told you, it sounded very familiar.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I think I''ve heard it before.¡±


    The feeling comes quick. It isn''t the same as earlier, from when you had the energy of the bomb inside of you. It''s the feeling when you''re about to dip into your memories. You breathe once and slide in as if it were a small pool you could stretch out your entire body in.


    You''re lying on a bed, it''s small, perfect size for someone half your size. Your legs hang off the side of it, it''s strangely tall for how short it extends out. You stare deeply into the depths of the ceiling above you, wherever you are it isn''t anywhere you recognize.


    A door opens and you turn your head, it''s Devon. His hair has grown out to a mop around his head. He steps inside and shuts the door after him. ¡°You wanted to talk?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I...I wanted to tell you something.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Not anything to interrupt our date night tonight?¡±


    ¡°It''s about that.¡±


    ¡°Well, what''s up?¡± He sits on the edge of the bed and rests his hand on your leg. ¡°You can tell me anything.¡±


    ¡°I met with Mr. Marshall last night.¡±


    ¡°What''s up with this Mr. Marshall business? I remember you giving me shit back in the day for being so formal with him,¡± he says, looking at you strange.


    ¡°That''s not the point Devon,¡± you can hear your voice on the edge of breaking.


    ¡°Okay, sorry. So what happened?¡±


    ¡°I was talking with him and...it got to the point where we...¡±


    ¡°Where you...?¡±


    You see tears start to form from your eyes, you try to rub them to stop them from coming, but you let out a little sound instead. ¡°We...he...told me that for all of the students'' nineteenth birthday he has to implant his seed.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°We had sex, Devon. I...didn''t want it, but I didn''t say no. I didn''t like it, please don''t hate me,¡± you say as you break completely, grasping a tiny throw pillow to your chest. He slides up next to you and wraps his arms around you, kissing you on the cheek. It hurts as you feel your heart breaking inside.


    ¡°I couldn''t hate you, Alex. Listen, we''re okay, okay? I love you.¡±


    You remember this as the first time he said I love you.


    ¡°H-How can you not be freaking out about this?¡± You ask, you''ve given up on stopping your tears from coming. One streaks down the side of your face.


    ¡°Noah is special, Alex. You know his lecture. ¡°Each living thing has an expiration date, and Earth''s is fast approaching. It''s time we worked to crossing the gate to heaven¡± and if that''s what I have to do when I turn nineteen to be with you forever then I''m going to do it.¡±


    ¡°Devon, this is not okay. I don''t think I want to do this anymore.¡±


    ¡°Alex, come on, you''re just nervous since it was your first time.¡±


    ¡°No, Devon. I''m upset because I don''t like what happened, and I feel like it''s all wrong.¡± You sit up, moving out of his arms.


    ¡°Alex, please, calm down. We can lie down and talk this through, and then maybe go back to-¡±


    ¡°Back? Did you just finish talking to him?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, actually, he sent me to come in here to talk to you. Told me you might be a bit spooked.¡±


    ¡°Devon, I don''t like this. I want to go home.¡±


    He sits up, ¡°Let''s go talk to Noah, it''ll help you I promise. Please.¡±


    You shake your head and then you feel the backside of his hand against your face. It''s a moment that freezes everything in time around you.


    You feel yourself being pushed down onto the bed.


    ¡°Now you''re going to lie down.¡±


    ¡°Devon...¡± You say, your hand on your cheek, absolutely paralyzed.


    ¡°Noah told me that you might need some extra help to calm down. He told me to show you my love. Alex, I''ve loved you since the day I met you.¡±


    No. This is wrong.


    ¡°You''ve been my best friend and kept me company all this time, I don''t know what I would do without you.¡±


    This is all wrong.


    You are unable to move, frozen to the core as he does what he needs to. You barely even feel it, numb to his advances as it all goes on in an ear piercing silence that hums every voice and every grunt in unison. And then you begin to move outside of your body, your view leaving the tiny room you lose your innocence in. There is a tiny hallway outside that leads to a tiny path into a large segregated wing with a bunch of doors just like yours.


    The doors in the house of the madman.

 Chapter 17

    A few hours of passed since your talk with Andrew. You lie on your back, staring up at the ceiling in what others might see as a fascination for the metal that hills over itself in binding that hold''s the whole place together. To you, you''re letting exhaustion over absolutely everything that has happened to you in the past day and however long catch up to you. Your mind is rushing at a million miles a moment trying to figure out everything and for once you wish it would just slow down and be like your body, completely motionless for just a few moments.


    The thing is...thinking about that in some way only brings in new thoughts like how completely meta thinking about not thinking is and it only makes your mind move faster and thus you more tired. What doesn''t help is that you''re acutely aware of the feeling of your back against the hard seat. Cushions seem to be lost to the people of this time it seems.


    Around you are some people that you do not know. Workers from below who came up and some others who you don''t know where they have come from, probably just there for the same reason as you, looking for a chance to sit down and take a moment to themselves. You haven''t looked out to them, but you''ve heard the shuffling of their footsteps as they''ve come in and left. Some heavier than others, those ones you think might belong to a Breeton considering the average weight of a normal one.


    Part of you doesn''t want to look, keep up some of the mystery of your little game of guessing how many are in the room with you now, you guess maybe ten.


    It helps keep your mind off of your memories.


    Remembering is so tiring, and you wish you could just remember everything and get it over with. Either that or just forget everything and know true bliss. Of course, you know you wouldn''t enjoy not knowing anything. You''ve already gone through that once before and it was far from blissful. Ignorance is anything but bliss.


    You hear the door to the medical wing open and you hear lighter footsteps clinking on the ground. Whatever is underneath you must be super hollow. Just then you see Jesse pop is head in real quick, he''s holding back a grin. He must have been trying to scare you, but unfortunately you heard him coming. His blond hair is full of sweat and looks moppy. He looks moppy all over. He has been working so hard down there he must be exhausted, you kind of wish you let him scare you to give him the satisfaction.


    ¡°How''d it go?¡± You ask, stretching out fully on the seat, remaining staring at the ceiling.


    ¡°A lotta work. Storing hundreds of pounds worth of medicine and tools is one thing, unpacking it all and sorting it is an entirely different story. They''re understaffed as it is down there so I helped out. Of course, I don''t know where most of it goes so I had to move a lot of stuff a lot,¡± he leans against his elbow onto the frame of the chair and looks down to you.


    ¡°Definitely sounds like a lot of work.¡±


    ¡°A lotta. You gotta have the emphasis,¡± he says, accenting it with a flick of his hand. You laugh. He grabs your legs and swings them aside as he sits down beside you. You groan loudly, not caring that the others around you would be annoyed by it. You slide up and pull yourself to a normal sitting position. Around you there only seem to be another human, a dark skinned girl with long curly hair and bright eyes; next to her reading some kind of book is an Illith. She''s almost the size of the dictionary sized tome, it''s sprawled out in front of her on a table. It seems you were way off your guess. Damn. Whoever was the owner of the heavier footprints must have returned to where they came from.


    ¡°Sorry, sounds like a lotta work,¡± you say in return.


    ¡°How about you? Should I go get my pen and paper for the biography of Andrew Cress?¡±


    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you it was a long story?¡±


    ¡°Well I didn''t think that he would have told you that he drank a magic potion and poof he''s a million years old. That''s not what happened, right?¡±


    ¡°You actually consider that a possibility?¡±


    ¡°Got to let a man dream, now.¡±


    ¡°Gotta,¡± you say.


    ¡°Okay okay, enough of the making fun of me. Spill the beans.¡±


    ¡°He''s the reason Earth was destroyed. At least part of it. And his long lasting life is a side effect of being contaminated with this stuff called Omega Force which is apparently like really bad stuff.¡±


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    ¡°I was expecting more than really bad stuff,¡± he says.


    ¡°I don''t know, like, antimatter or shit. Physical form of death. I don''t know the specifics.¡±


    ¡°Well, that''s not too far off from a magic potion.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be glossing over the tiny details that I mentioned about him being a part of Earth''s destruction.¡±


    ¡°Eh, I figured he had something big like that considering how down he seems all the time.¡±


    ¡°No way, nuh-uh,¡± you say.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I''m so not letting you nonchalantly play off the ¡°Oh, I guessed it was that¡± card.¡±


    ¡°Okay okay, let me rephrase¡ªand by god if you correct that to lemme...¡±


    You play off a smile. It feels good, a distraction of joy in the heart of darkness. ¡°Okay, fine. Rephrase then, I''ll stay quiet.¡±


    ¡°It makes sense, then, that he feels so depressed all the time because of something like that.


    ¡°There''s something more, it deals less with Andrew and more with me.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do tell.¡±


    ¡°I''ve been remembering bits about my life. I told you before when we were going to the other bunker that I was dealing with some rather difficult memories.¡±


    ¡°I do recall you mentioning that.¡±


    ¡°I''ve been having difficulty understanding why I am remembering the things that I am. I recognize it as my own life, surely, but according to Andrew what''s happening to me shouldn''t be.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean shouldn''t be?¡±


    ¡°According to him memories are a physical thing specific to the bodies that create them. Once a body gets used to certain reactions it stores them as memories. I''m horribly simplifying that, but that''s the main point. If I''m here in this new body that''s completely and wholly different to my old one I shouldn''t be remembering anything of my life. If anything, I should be remembering Roland''s life, considering he was the one living in this body.¡±


    ¡°I see, that is quite the puzzle.¡±


    ¡°There''s all of that mess, and to add onto it I''ve been remembering a life I''m not proud of. I feel ashamed and confused and I just have a feeling it''s somehow connected with why I''m here. I mean, it seems the answer is right in front of me, but just out of my reach, you get what I''m saying?¡±


    He throws his head back and stares up at the ceiling, ¡°Yeah, that''s terribly annoying. I take it you still don''t remember it all yet?¡±


    You shake your head. ¡°I want to so bad, but it doesn''t come. That''s why I want to test that Rembrall stuff Bartz was talking about.¡±


    Jesse lets loose a sigh. ¡°I should have told you about it, yes I know, but I at least wanted to wait until we got back and had a chance to breathe. Everything''s been so hectic and I''ve basically done nothing but be your caretaker since you woke up in that prison cell.¡±


    ¡°I...I''m sorry. I know this must be difficult to deal with,¡± you say, but he shakes his head.


    ¡°I''m okay, I didn''t mean to phrase it like that. I mean like, normally I feel like I''d have a plan for how things would go in a situation like this, and all this stuff with Cross coming out of left field. We need every body we can get and if you reacted poorly to the drug because of a miscalculation on my part then I''d be racked with grief.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I didn''t really think of it like that.¡±


    ¡°There is a way that we can try it out, but it might hurt, a lot.¡±


    ¡°What''s that?¡±


    ¡°Updating your entire system. If I''m certain that the Rembrall won''t like, totally fry your system I''d be totally up for convincing one of those tech guys down there to help us out with the Rembrall.¡±


    ¡°Well, how do we do that? Is it like my language bank thingy that you updated back in the jail?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately it won''t be as easy as that. Some parts will be, like your reading ability. Others however, like immune system upgrades and any maintenance on your internal structure, like if you have any lung problems or anything like that will be much more difficult, especially considering how out of date Roland must be.¡±


    ¡°I want to do it,¡± you say, stretching and then finally standing up. It''s definitely time to move around a bit.


    He looks at you, something like pride shows in his eyes and you can see him nod his head up and down briskly as he stands. ¡°Okay, we''ll have to go find someone who isn''t busy helping out any of the wounded. I think I know someone down on the lower level, she''s a Psarcian, name''s Hatta. She''s one of the best I know at human updates. I just hope she''s still around,¡± he says, nodding to the door at the end of the room. ¡°Let''s go check the lower level.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn''t she be down there?¡± you ask, cocking your head.


    ¡°She''s kinda flaky with staying in one place too long, I hear her coworkers get upset with her often about it, always moving, that one.¡±


    ¡°Thought you said we were going to find someone who wasn''t too terribly busy. She sounds like the opposite.¡±


    ¡°Moving around a lot doesn''t always mean busy. She''s got a bad habit of trying to keep busy to avoid actually becoming busy.¡±


    ¡°My mother was like that,¡± you say, remembering.


    You don''t remember much about your mother. You think your guilt over what happened shrouds most of your happy memories with her. The first thing that you remember is that you left her to die to cancer to join Devon in his crusade with that damn cult.


    Your mother loved the smell of morning glories.

 Chapter 18

    You fondly remember the garden that was displayed around your backyard, just to the side of the swing set you and Devon played on as children. That swing set would eventually be taken down when you became too old to use it. It was sold off in a garage sale, but you don''t remember who to. It mustn''t matter too much as you never saw it again.


    The garden remained. Your mother would tend to it in her early mornings before work. She cared for it as much as she could after she had the miscarriage. She was absolutely devastated. You remember your father being sad as well, but it completely ripped your mother apart.


    She hated feeling how she did, because she knew that you knew she wasn''t the same after that day, but she couldn''t help it. She tried all that she could to recreate that feeling in her garden. You don''t know why you weren''t enough to be enough to satisfy that feeling, but you weren''t.


    You like to think that if the Earth weren''t tiny pieces of rubble millions of miles away that garden would still be there right by your tiny little house. Your swing set, father, mother, and even yourself may be gone forever, but that garden would last eternal in your memory.


    You remember the last time you saw your mother. She was in the hospital, critical condition. The cancer had gotten to her real bad. It manifested in her brain and took most of her motor functions. She was almost vegetative. You walked into her room with a horrified look on your face. It wasn''t your first time seeing her like this, but it still gripped your heart every time it did. You remember feeling absolutely helpless. She''d been there to care for you when you were sick so many times and here you were on the opposite side of the situation and the only thing you could do was watch her die.


    You bring out a flower from behind you, plucked straight from the garden and placed in a tiny pot, the purple petals almost too bright for the dreary atmosphere around you. You place the pot on the window sill just beside your mother. Her eyes track you as you walk across the room, that''s the extent of what she can do.


    She doesn''t thank you and you don''t say anything else until you step outside and keep from crying. You see Devon out in the hallway, his hands stuck in his pockets as he stares at the floor, looking up when you come out. You shake your head and walk to him. The memory fades and you find yourself short of breath as you see Jesse right in front of you.


    ¡°Something happened to your mother, didn''t it?¡± he asks.


    You don''t answer, he seems to understand, the look in your eyes says enough. You wonder how much it told him, but don''t dare ask.


    ¡°C''mon, let''s go find Hatta, it''ll help keep you from breaking down, sound like a plan?¡± He asks.


    You nod your head as you try to find your breath. It feels like the wind was knocked out of you, but it slowly becomes easier. You hate this feeling, but it is what you want. You want to remember, and that means taking in all the negative feelings and filtering them out. You''re one step closer to remembering fully who you are. Then you can worry about what''s next, like Cross coming to do whatever he wants to you anytime that he feels like it.


    That''s a worry for another time. Hopefully if you keep telling yourself that it''ll become true.


    You nod your head as you walk to the door. Jesse opens it and you both walk through. You find yourself staring at him as you walk. There are so many things you want to learn about yourself, but you can''t help wondering about him as well. How long did he serve in the army? What did he do?


    You think about how you don''t know what to really feel about him. Is this a crush forming? Or did it already? Or is it just a longing for a friend in a time that''s confusing a million times over? You don''t know if you can truly feel that way about someone, that seemed to be clear enough from your memories. You have no interest in romance but you don''t think that''s what this is. You want answers.


    But that will wait. Your priority is finding out where this Hatta is so that you can begin figuring out more about yourself. It feels good to have a plan, to have an idea of what to do and how to do it. Big scale, you don''t have an idea. What are you going to do after? Keep on hiding until Cross finds you, or perhaps you take to the offensive and go find him? Nothing sounds too good, but you''ll have to make that choice eventually, and you''re scared of what you might pick.


    You reach the elevator, it is the same one that you used to leave the bunker. The gates open and you see there is already someone inside, Pamen looks up as you step inside.


    ¡°Mr. Anderson, Mr. Duschand, it is nice to see that you are okay from the blast.¡±


    ¡°Hello Pamen. I am sorry to hear of the passing of one of your vessels,¡± Jesse says, stepping inside.


    ¡°It is a sorrow, but we survive. You have as well, and we should thank you, Mr. Duschand. You saved lives.¡±


    You feel a rushing sense of humility. It isn''t like you to accept praise constantly, with everything that''s happened you almost forgot. Back when you were visiting the Capitol. Ha, visiting. More like waiting to be sentenced for the murder of Jayon C?, but details schmetails.


    ¡°Where''re you headed to?¡± Jesse asks, stepping inside, motioning you in.¡±


    ¡°We were going to rest this body, actually. We''ve several others out there looking for wounded and some of them were caught in altercations with the Dromedans. It tires the rest of us out,¡± Pamen explains, you realize for your sake.


    ¡°There should be some free rooms out there,¡± Jesse says.


    ¡°I know that the one furthest on the left is occupied, Andrew is in that one,¡± you say.


    ¡°Thank you for the notification,¡± Pamen nods its completely round head to you. ¡°If you ever need anything you will know where to find us. Also, if you decide to head to any of the other bunkers where we are at we would love to join up with you to help repay our gratitude.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Jesse nods and looks back to you, ¡°We''ll keep it in mind good friend,¡± he smiles.


    ¡°Definitely,¡± you say.


    Pamen steps out of the elevator, long black legs take silent steps out of your field of view. With steps as silent as those there could have been hundreds of Pamen with you in the recreational room. That thought alone gives you chills how it can...fuck it, he can sneak around so soundlessly. You wonder what kind of things you could do if you could move that efficiently.


    Jesse nods him off and then bends down to press the button on the face of the wall to head downwards to the lower level. You feel like a strange curiosity is being sated. After hearing so much about the lower level you''re relatively excited to finally see what it actually looks like.


    ¡°You know, the planet itself is actually to blame for all the different bunkers we have here,¡± Jesse says as the elevator begins to descend.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Apparently the original plan was to have five or six large scale bunkers spread equidistant from any neighboring cities. Something impregnable in time of war or what have you. The original idea would have each of these bunkers specialize in certain attributes. One of them would specialize in medicine and healthcare for example, but the way the planet is prevented them from burrowing too far into the ground, so they could only make it two levels deep.¡±


    ¡°It''d be pretty lame if the major safeguard for people couldn''t do what it was intended,¡± you say.


    ¡°That''s why the original architects took the option of designing one hundred bunkers across the planet, two levels each. Each of them were spread and made more balanced in their skill sets. That''s why we didn''t have all the medicine and tools we needed, since we had to spread them thin between the hundred bunkers.¡±


    The elevator comes to a stop and the gates open in front of you. Jesse steps out first and you follow. One day you''ll trust yourself to walk around this world by yourself, but that day isn''t today. You still have much to learn.


    ¡°Why couldn''t the original architects dig below two levels?¡± You ask.


    ¡°I told you about Sayar''s magnetic pulses did I not?¡±


    ¡°Something about them, like how they affected the color of the sky and how back in the Capitol building the rooms synced up to the waves or something like that.¡±


    ¡°Sayar emits powerful waves out into the atmosphere that come from the planet''s core. Think of it like an orbit on steroids.¡±


    ¡°So then we must be somewhat close to the Milky Way Galaxy, right?¡±


    ¡°Close in a relative term. Enough so that humans could travel here before their planet went ka-plooey.¡±


    ¡°Does that pulse prevent people from digging down?¡±


    ¡°The core''s so dense to keep that level of pulse emitting constantly, so yes. There was an accident near the old Messian capital, Andem, the location of the first proposed bunker. There''s where we learned the dangers of digging too deep. It caused a fission reaction that annihilated everything within a three hundred kilometer range, settlement and all.¡±


    ¡°Three hundred kilometers...that''s...how many miles?¡±


    ¡°How many what?¡±


    ¡°Miles, I never cared for metrics,¡± you say.


    ¡°You were American weren''t you, back on Earth?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°The .01% of the galaxy that uses the imperial system and not even the majority of your species. You''re the one percent of the one percent,¡± he says, chuckling.


    ¡°My measurement skills are not what''s important here,¡± you say.


    ¡°Fair, but it doesn''t mean they''re any less outdated.¡±


    ¡°Well okay it''s not my fault I learned it that way. Blame the American educational system.¡±


    ¡°They''re kind of defunct now so it''s impossible for me to.¡±


    ¡°Getting back on topic...¡± you say.


    ¡°That was basically it. People dug too deep, people went boom. The land out there to the north is still a ruined mess because of it, nobody''s gone back for fear of setting off anymore reactions. Six thousand lives were enough to be lost from that one mistake.¡±


    ¡°Six thousand?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was a large city that housed quite a bit of my people.¡±


    You nod your head as you look around you. The walls are a concave metal wrapped in bands that repeat to a door in front of you. The hall also extends to your left. You can see through what looks to be translucent glass to a wide open expanse beyond the door. Of course, it''s not much of an expanse when the majority of it is filled with hospital beds carrying what look to be almost a thousand different people. And if those up top were the ones in better condition you don''t even want to know what kind of pain the people down here are going through.


    ¡°Anyway, yeah. Two levels is the max here, and that''s how we got so many bunkers all over the place,¡± Jesse says, bringing you back from your thoughts. You begin walking down the path in front of you.


    ¡°Hatta should be down here, although should is the keyword. I haven''t seen her at all today, and seeing as I was with some of the main technicians around here that should help us narrow down where she could be.¡±


    ¡°So anywhere away from any actual work?¡±


    ¡°Bingo. That other path down there is where a lot of the other workers are basically going 24/7 to keep as many people alive as possible. It''s a tough job, but one I and I''m sure everybody in their appreciates with their lives.¡±


    ¡°It definitely sounds like a tough job. I don''t know if I could ever do something like that, much less do it for as long as humanly possible.¡±


    ¡°Some of them are doing it longer than is humanly possible,¡± he says with a smirk.


    You groan.


    At the end of the hall you open up the door to a huge open space. It fills you with wonder as you stare out to what is almost as large as a marketplace, full and bustling with bodies shifting and going about their business. It''s a far cry from the constricted hallways that barely seem to be able to hold a Breeton, the ceiling rises far above your head. This must be why you were able to hear so many footsteps upstairs, the floor to the top level must be pretty thin to give this space enough room to hold all the supplies that is needed for the bunker.


    ¡°You didn''t think the entire place was a compact dormitory, no?¡±


    ¡°It felt that way,¡± you say. ¡°I mean I saw the storage units for the tools and the armory but I didn''t expect anything of this size down here, especially after what you said about the core of the planet.¡±


    ¡°This is the main attraction, people come down here to trade goods, eat, rehabilitate their bodies after their healing process.¡±


    ¡°And goof off,¡± you say.


    ¡°Precisely,¡± he says.


    You look back out and still find your breath hard to come. It almost feels like a world separated by what''s above you, and you think you like that.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°Hey, I think I found her,¡± Jesse says, pointing to the distance.


    You follow his finger to a stall in the distance. You see what looks to be like a ton of vegetables piled in all kinds of different baskets. The stall is manned by a gooey Lunfilios that seems to be auctioning off the different baskets. Near the back of the small gathering is a large body that you can only assume belongs to Hatta. Jesse begins to walk closer and you follow. You hear the gathering''s noise as you approach.


    ¡°Sixteen credits!¡± A Messian cries out from the front.


    ¡°Eighteen credits!¡± An Illith matches.


    ¡°Five hundred thirty two credits!¡±


    The crowd becomes silent and some even turn around to find the owner of the gargly voice that called out the ridiculous number. Hatta seems to stand tall as if to say ¡°Yeah, what of it?¡± Her greenish-brown skin shines and almost makes you want to puke. You keep yourself together.


    ¡°We''ve got five hundred and thirty two credits going once...twice...sold to the Psarcian in the back!¡± The Lunfilios calls out, a slimy appendage wrapping itself around the large basket on display with all kinds of foods; apples, oranges, even some kinds of vegetables you don''t recognize. Some are bright and orange and shaped like little bells while others are more dull greens and reds and not bigger than the size of a baseball.


    The crowd separates, letting Hatta step up to claim her goods, but you can hear the murmurs from the crowd.


    ¡°Who has that kind of money to spend on something like this?¡±


    ¡°Doesn''t she know the rest of us have to eat too? This is the fourth time today she''s outbid me!¡±


    Hatta accepts the basket and hands over a small chip to the Lunfilios who seems to regard her well. When she begins walking back it''s Jesse who steps forward. ¡°Well, well. If it isn''t Miss Hatta Divine, it''s been a while,¡± he says with a smirk.


    When she sees him her giant lips seem to perk right up as if someone pulling her strings were just hit with a double caffeine rush. ¡°Mistah Jesse Anderson! It is delightful to hear that you''re still a-breathin''!¡± She walks your way, her entire body shifting towards you with the large basket in tow.


    ¡°It is a delight to see you as well. I hope we''re not bothering?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no not at all! I was just gathering some food is all!¡± She says, coming closer and then stopping just before you. You notice an odd smell, something like a decaying corpse mixed with rotten food. You pray it''s coming from the basket.


    ¡°Big purchase?¡± Jesse asks.


    ¡°Oh, you know, gotta get as much in before the world ends and all that jazz.¡±


    ¡°World ends?¡± You ask.


    Hatta turns to face you fully and blinks both of her eyes after another, ¡°Oh my mistah Jesse. I didn''t know you were a-settlin'' type of man!¡±


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Jesse shakes his head, ¡°You always seem to not think I''m a settling for anyone anytime I see you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry hun, force of habit. I want to see you move on from dear ol-¡±


    Jesse clears his throat. ¡°Anyway, we''re here because I need to speak with you about a job. You interested?¡±


    You don''t like how he acted, but it is his right to privacy.


    ¡°Well, it''d depend. I just wen'' up and quit from the service tanks down there in the lab just a little while ago.¡±


    ¡°Quit? What happened, Hatta?¡±


    She sets down the basket beside her and rests her arm by her side, breathing heavily. ¡°Be a darlin'' and help carry that for dear ol'' Hatta, won''tcha now? I need to find a place to sit down,¡± she begins to wheeze as she hobbles just passed you.


    Jesse sighs quietly and bends down to pick up the basket. Looking at it now, it''s much larger than you originally saw. It looked so normal against Hatta''s body because she''s so...big boned. Jesse needs to grip the handle with both of his hands to keep it upright. You find a bench off in the distance just past the square and nod your head towards it, ¡°How about there?¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Jesse struggles.


    ¡°I quit when the boss started being a conq,¡± Hatta continues.


    You look to Jesse almost instinctively, and he says, ¡°Jerk.¡± You assume he''s toned down the inflection in the word.


    ¡°He was screamin'' all loud like something about termination and fire. I didn''t know half of what he was so mad about so I quit.¡±


    ¡°Let me ask, Hatta. Were you on one of your breaks when your boss found you?¡±


    She makes it to the bench and sits down, making a sound not unlike a balloon letting all of its air escape. ¡°Yessir, I was. I was on my sixth one of my day and was plannin'' on goin'' onto my last later on.¡±


    Jesse chuckles as he knows what''s going on. You do too, she didn''t quit, at least, that wasn''t the reason why she isn''t working anymore. She was fired. You''re almost amazed that she managed to actually keep a job with that kind of schedule.


    ¡°Well, Hatta. This job won''t require you to be at your job. It''s a human update.¡±


    ¡°Ah I think I see now! You''re talkin'' about mistah lowbrow here,¡± she says, pointing a globbed hand in your direction.


    ¡°Correct. I''ve been told I''m out of date by quite a few years and would love to be brought up to standard,¡± You say, letting the lowbrow comment pass.


    ¡°Well, why didn''t ya say so sooner? I can be of help, but you''ll need to promise me something, mistah Jesse Anderson.¡±


    ¡°Something tells me I''m not going to like this,¡± he says.


    She beckons him to come closer, a curved smile forms on her wrinkled face. Jesse sulks his shoulders and goes in close, bending right beside her. She leans forward and begins whispering in his ear. It is too quiet for you to hear, but it kills you not knowing what it is.


    You are quite the nosy person...but someone else would have the same curiosity, right? You''re not alone in this...right?


    ¡°O-Okay.¡± Jesse says, standing back up.


    ¡°Excellent. Now, help Miss Hatta up, I need a good drink before we begin our work.


    ¡°You''re going to update me drunk?¡± is the first thing that screams at the apex of your mind, but then you remember that Psarcians need to keep a healthy supply of water in their pouches across their body to live, and that she obviously meant about refilling those...right? There is no Psarcian equivalent for alcohol...right? She wouldn''t consume alcohol before operating on you...right?!

 Chapter 20

    Everything moves at a breakneck pace, a blur of movement and the next thing you know you''re facing up towards the ceiling. You lie prone on a table normally reserved for those injured in the med bay. The only difference is unlike those in the med bay you''re not. It''s some side room that Hatta assured was ¡°perfect¡± for the job. You don''t know how much stock you put in those words, since there was some strange liquid sprayed about the table like it was recently vacated.


    You hope it was just someone''s juice box busting open on them.


    ¡°Now, dear. I don''t know how you think I''m going to look at your core when you''re lying all down like that,¡± Hatta says, stepping over you.


    The smell of the corpse and rotting food pervades your mind, confirming it is her that carries the smell. Great.


    ¡°What should I do, then?¡±


    ¡°Turn yourself around, I need to see what the damage is, and I do that by opening the panel in the back of your skull.¡±


    ¡°Oh...right.¡± You say, as if it were the most natural of requests.


    ¡°This''ll be the easiest stuff,¡± Jesse says, speaking up for the first time in a few minutes. He''d been sitting off in the corner of the room with his arms crossed. You still don''t know what Hatta made him promise to do, but that''s probably what has him all sullen-like.


    You sit yourself up and flip yourself over, lying face down into the table. You notice there is an even worse smell in the table than Hatta, and it really makes you miss the smell of corpse. You feel Hatta''s cold hand on the back of your head and feel the hatch open. It''s such a strange feeling that it sends chills down your spine.


    ¡°Calm down. I don'' want no strugglin'' around when I''m in here. Could really mess you up a ton...wait a second...is that a second generation language code?¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± You mumble out.


    ¡°This...oh my.¡±


    ¡°Hatta...? What is it?¡±


    ¡°This framework...this is more than a few years old.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jesse asks.


    ¡°I mean what I mean. Second generation technology.¡±


    ¡°I still don''t know what that means,¡± you say.


    ¡°Oh...I understand,¡± Jesse says.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Humans update their inner works very frequently. Never satisfied with themselves, those ones. This tech in your head, save for the vocal component, is from the second generation of fixes to the body. This tech is nearly five thousand years old.¡±


    ¡°What?! How can that be possible? This body only went missing seven years ago!¡±


    ¡°Well, that may be so, but one thing is clear. This body was created at least five thousand years ago...wait a second. I think there''s something else in here.¡±


    ¡°Do I even want to know?¡±


    ¡°I...don''t know what it is,¡± she says.


    ¡°How do you not know?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know what I don'' t know. It''s a small chip here but I''ve never seen this kind of model. It''s located in your memory banks if that means anything.¡±


    ¡°Wait...memory? Hatta, can you maybe investigate that chip further?¡± Jesse asks.


    You know where he''s going with this. Maybe this chip is why you''re remembering pieces of your own life. Maybe it''s what caused the disturbance Andrew was talking about.


    ¡°Well, I can try. I''m not going to go too far because I don''t want to mess anything up with it, but I can give it a look through. You''re going to go dark for a second here, hun.¡±


    ¡°Wait wha-¡± Your voice is cut off as everything goes dark. In another second your eyes open wide and a blinding white light pierces your vision. You feel like garbage, everything comes back slowly.


    ¡°Hello? Auditory check. Please respond if you hear me,¡± Hatta says.


    ¡°Wh-what happened?¡± You ask.


    ¡°Name please.¡±


    ¡°Alex Sharpe,¡± you say without thinking.


    ¡°Strange, this body seems to be under the name of Roland Duschand,¡± Hatta says.


    ¡°Long story, but I promise I knew that before...whatever just happened.¡±


    ¡°Well, without a memory bank installed you would just be a lifeless husk. Not a person. That''s your core. When I took it out to look at it you were out like a light.¡±


    ¡°That''s...wow. Very scary actually to think that something like that could control my entire being.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, there was quite a lot odd with your core. Usually it''s locked tight in the chest component. You know, for safe keeping. Strange thing to keep in your cranium, as that''s where they were placed in the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Why''s that?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. I guess you humans were fond of your brains so much you made your cores in your dome there. Not too smart, that''s why they modified them later on. I did notice something else with your core, though. There seemed to be a small inhibitor of some kind attached to it. Don''t know what it inhibited, but it''s gone now.¡±


    ¡°Well...okay. I guess I''ll let you know if-¡± A pounding resounds loudly at the base of your skull. Your words stop coming and you feel a burning sensation all across your body. You try to let out a scream but nothing comes. All at once you are sucked into your mind, the one safe place from all of the pain.


    You are in a realm of pure white. Standing, you find no weight in your body. You cannot move and your breath does not come. You are completely still. In front of you there is a being. You feel them close to you. It is a figure curled up in a ball.


    ¡°Hello? Who''s there? Where am I?¡± You call out.


    The figure stops for a second and unfurls. It stands slowly and almost takes your breath away. You are standing face to face with Roland Duschand.