Darkside
Moderator: Moderators
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Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
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unpossible
- Posts: 871
- Joined: 10 May 2005, 19:24
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Forboding Angel
- Evolution RTS Developer
- Posts: 14673
- Joined: 17 Nov 2005, 02:43
get Open Office Candleman, or i will write you into a story and toucher you to death!
├óÔé¼┼ôAll right, jarheads, listen up! We are going in and we are going in hard. That bitch took one of our shuttles out, but we still have four more!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted. Shina, now suited up and in combat gear, sat next to Johnny, not even trying to hide the fact she was clutching his hand. Dwain and Keller were opposite from each other in the six man ship, and the last two seats were unoccupied. Sarge was flying, with the Capitan keeping tabs on them from the medical bay until they breached the Shroud. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo we don't know what happens when we go through this fucking thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut even if we drop naked in a frozen wasteland, we are still going to win! And you know why? Because we are marines!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôHooah!├óÔé¼┬Ø The others shouted as one. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow lets get this show on the rode├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, pressing a button ├óÔé¼┼ôLETS ROCK!├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain shouted. The music started up, a continuing tradition to fire up the soldiers before landing. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are on a HIIIIIGH way to hell!├óÔé¼┬Ø the speakers blared. The ship's engines shook more then you would think, and so the marines were jittering so much they seemed to burr from the motion.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe are going to hit the Shroud soon!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said. The ship smashed into the Shroud with all the gentleness of a tank running through a store window. Sarge, for a moment, heard something. Now this is interesting. Then the feeling passed and the ship shot out of the Shroud. Sarge heard loud blaring, not from music over two hundred years old, but rather from warning klaxon's and alarm systems. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted.
They were missing all there weapons and half the engines. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina shouted, looking into the control room. ├óÔé¼┼ôHalf the fucking ship is GONE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted, jerking the controller around, trying to keep the ship from smashing into the ocean that was speeding blow them. The half of the shuttle that was left twisted, turned and finally began to corkscrew until it was over the jungle. ├óÔé¼┼ôBrace for!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge started to say, then they hit something.
The helo's rotary blades roared louder then ever as the night finally fell. Liz was half asleep, looking out the window next to her. The pilot had changed with his co-pilot, both women. ├óÔé¼┼ôSO├óÔé¼┬Ø the pilot shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted back, looking up at the pilot, who sat next to her, behind a small wall that hid the cockpit and the troop transport. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø The pilot said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou splashed the Rodger Young?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut that was a long time ago├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôI was on the Rodger Young├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts war├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAmen to that├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôI just wanted to say that you are one hell of a fighter├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI try to be├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's your name?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman shouted back. Liz shrugged. She had heard odder names then that. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø The other woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôBaby├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked at Tapp ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we have some problems with the damn radar├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats wrong with it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked, leaning over.
├óÔé¼┼ôThere's nothing else in our air space, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø the other woman asked. Then the shuttle smashed into the side of the helo, cutting it in half. Ten people died out right, leaving Tapp, the copilot, Liz and four other police officers. The helo started to spin uncontrollably, no longer stabilized by its back rotor blade. Liz held onto the arm rests, a grimace on her face as the helo spun wildly. ├óÔé¼┼ôfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp muttered, jerking around on the controls. Her copilot was screaming into her head set ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is Helo-001 going down in sector 33-Z-332! I repeat we are going down!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
One of the police threw up, and Liz was glad that it was physically impossible that she could join them. ├óÔé¼┼ôBrace for-├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp shouted. Then they hit a tree. The tree ripped through the middle of the helo and the two hunks slid, knocking some tree's over until they finally slid to a rest. Tapp's eyes opened, and she couldn't breathe. Plastic, something plastic was burning. She could hear someone shouting, someone else screaming. ├óÔé¼┼ôZoe!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp shouted over the flames. Zoe, her copilot and lover, coughed next to her. The flames licked closer.
Tapp jerked on her safety harness, finding it stuck. She jerked again and it gave. Tapp grabbed Zoe and started to drag her out of the cockpit. The smoke filled the air, and every breath felt like having a pillow shoved over her face. Zoe hacked loudly, and then Tapp saw something that almost stopped her. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot again├óÔé¼┬Ø she moaned, looking at the large hunk of glass that was jammed into Zoe's stomach. Blood seeped out around it.
They got into the jungle, joining the five others who had survived. Two police officers were fine, aside from bumps and bruises. One man, a police officer, was sitting against a tree, screaming as Liz bound and splinted his arm. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god! It hurts!├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said through clenched teeth. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut it means your alive now├óÔé¼┬Ø. The fourth trooper had no left leg. ├óÔé¼┼ôshit, Liz├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôZoe's got a big hunk of glass in her gut├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Liz walked over ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep it in, for now, till we can get some bandages├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp nodded, ripping her shirt to make a bandage. Liz walked into the flaming wreck, seemingly not to notice the flames and the heat. She found the medical packs and the guns, grabbing them and walking out. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell!├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the troopers shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôThat thing could have exploded!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt would have├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, dropping the ammo and guns on the ground ├óÔé¼┼ôIf i hadn't got this out├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho can dress wounds?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Two hands raised. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, dropping the med pack on the ground ├óÔé¼┼ôYou get to do what you can├óÔé¼┬Ø. She walked back into the wreck and found what she was looking for. She walked out holding what the troopers called the Big Fucking Gun. The thing was actually a very primitive laser cannon. Equipped with a backpack, you hoisted it up on a crane mount and fired it as a beam, not a pulse. Liz hoisted the back pack on and tried moving the pointer part of the gun around, testing its aim. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho can walk within three hours?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Three hands raised. ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour uninjured├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not leaving Zoe├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôI left Amber's side and she got paralyzed├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...knew Amber?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, grinning ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't walk around telling everyone though├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou stay with the wounded and protect them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp nodded, grabbing a pistol from the gun pile Liz had created. Liz slid the backpack off and set the gun down on the ground. She followed sitting next to a tree as the two medics started to bandage the injured.
The shuttle was slightly better off. Slightly. The tree that it had smashed into was splintered and the entire area around the crash site was in flames. Shina was in good condition for some one who had been dead only a few hours ago. She slowly unstrapped herself, smelling nothing, seeing nothing and hearing nothing but the breathing of her compatriots. Shina was close to panic and claustrophobia, the memory of the tube she had woken in rising. Then she felt Johnny's hand on her shoulder, and he squeezed softly.
Shina grabbed his hand and squeezed it back. Then she dragged it down, below her combat vest to her breast. She leaned over in the dark and kissed Johnny, missing and hitting his nose. He laughed softly, his voice scratchy sounding. Shina tried again, but the lights flickered on. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you love birds are done back there├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou might realize this is neither the time, nor the place├óÔé¼┬Ø. Johnny withdrew his hand sheepishly.
The shuttle bay door slid open, the landing ramp extending at the same time. The marines ran out, guns ready and eye's scanning the area. They had snoopers, eyepiece's that snapped over their left and right eyes, and the entire area was painted in reds and blue's of heat vision. ├óÔé¼┼ôClear├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina said after a few moments, snapping her snoopers up with a jerk of her head. The other marines kept their snoopers down, despite the discomfort, and Shina sighed, snapping her snoopers down as well.
The squad moved through the jungle near silently, soldiers who had been trained by ten years of combat experience and at least three deaths per person. Shina was the only fourth generation clone of the entire group, Sarge being a second and the others being third. Sarge took it as a compliment that he had only died twice. They moved towards whatever they had hit, just to make amends. This was a surgical strike, not a slaughter and as such the marines wanted to apologize to any survivors.
├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm getting a heat bloom ahead├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarge nodded, looking the same direction ├óÔé¼┼ôi'm getting it too. Keller, Johnny you go a head and scope it out. Shina, Dwain, go around the side. I'll take up the rear├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir├óÔé¼┬Ø they said, and started moving out. Johnny and Keller went straight forward, hugging a slight rise in the ground to keep their form's obscured. Johnny was slightly higher up on the ridge, so he saw the survivors around the crash helicopter. Keller went prone at the top, but Johnny simply crouched behind a bush and tapped his helmetmic.
├óÔé¼┼ôSir, this is Johnny├óÔé¼┬Ø He whispered ├óÔé¼┼ôI see two women, one man. The man is missing a leg, one woman has a large laceration in the stomach and the last women is armed, low cal pistol├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, switching to Shina's frequency ├óÔé¼┼ôShina, Dwain├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI want you to approach carefully. One of the survivors is armed with a low caliber pistol. It probably won't even get through your armor├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina said, looking at Dwain. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou go first├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, grinning.
Shina shrugged and walked forward, making sure to make noise. Tapp looked up from Zoe, hearing the foot steps. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho's there!├óÔé¼┬Ø She shouted, raising the pistol up high ├óÔé¼┼ôShow your self├óÔé¼┬Ø she slowly stood, keeping the pistol raised. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a friend├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said, stepping into the light cast by the burning wreckage. The night was beginning, and Tapp was getting nervous. Most predators came out at night. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, of course you are. How friendly, ramming our helo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp snarled ├óÔé¼┼ôdrop the fucking gun├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Shina shrugged, dropping her assault rifle in the loam. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have medical supplies├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina started to say. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck off├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, slowly walking over to the rifle and picking it up ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the second time I've been shot down and someone I care about has born the brunt of it, so you can understand if I'm a little in a non trusting mood right now├óÔé¼┬Ø. Shina nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see that, but your friend really needs a tourniquet, not just a jacket sleave├óÔé¼┬Ø She nudged the legless man lightly. They had bound the wound with a very makeshift tourniquet.
Tapp's pistol slowly lowered ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have medical supplies?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked ├óÔé¼┼ôFine, bring them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Shina nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôSarge we need a tourniquet and a med pack├óÔé¼┬Ø she said into her mic. Keller and Johnny stood up, revealing themselves and keeping their rifles trained on Tapp. Dwain walked into the clearing, and Sarge started to run for the medical gear in the shuttle. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, looking at the two barrels aimed on her ├óÔé¼┼ôI guess I don't need this├óÔé¼┬Ø she dropped the pistol on the ground.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina said ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you the only survivors?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp looked at the ground for a moment ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Shina looked at her obliquely, not sure whether or not to believe her. Shina sat down as Johnny started to pull drift wood into a pile. Keller lit up a cigarette and dropped his lighter in the pile of twigs. The entire thing lit up, and Johnny snapped at Keller about lighting it up to early. He rushed to get blast a branch of a tree with his rifle and drag the new log onto the fire. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy were you out here?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Tapp decided to tell the story of her life, edited a bit. ├óÔé¼┼ôWanted work, so I singed up with a mining corp and joined a high pay scouting mission├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThen you smash into us and kill the others on board, and now we are stuck out here in the middle of no where├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp sighed, cupping her head in her hands ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd now I'm not sure if Zoe will even survive tonight├óÔé¼┬Ø. Shina looked at the unconscious woman, who now had a medical pack strapped to her wound, and to the legless man ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about him?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp snorted ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't even know him├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, looking at Zoe. Shina nodded, understanding.
Sarge tightened the tourniquet and the man lying on the floor grunted loudly. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis will feed some more plasma and blood into you├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo you should be recovering from blood loss soon enough├óÔé¼┬Ø. The man nodded, his head sinking back into the loam and closing his eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat brings you to this planet?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina looked up as Johnny sat down next to the two women. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell you came in from the upper atmo, so I'm guessing...├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts...classified├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Tapp shrugged, but she guessed that they were after Prime. She had read in the papers about the mercs who had tried to go after Prime. And she had dissapeared out here, so what else could they be out here for. ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp├óÔé¼┬Ø Zoe murmured. Tapp jumped, looking down at the semi-unconscious woman ├óÔé¼┼ôZoe!├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, happily. She leaned over the woman. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid I bring her down soft?├óÔé¼┬Ø Zoe asked. Tapp kissed her forehead ├óÔé¼┼ôSoft as a feather├óÔé¼┬Ø she murmured ├óÔé¼┼ôSoft as a feather├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSarge├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain said ├óÔé¼┼ôThere were more people around here then just those three├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked ├óÔé¼┼ôFootprints?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain said, nodding, ├óÔé¼┼ôHeading South, to the pole├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should leave someone here to watch the prisoners├óÔé¼┬Ø. Dwain noticed how survivors became prisoners so easily. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain said ├óÔé¼┼ôI suggest Shina├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShina is out best shot├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge muttered, glancing at the woman. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, but when she approached the surviver...she crossed herself├óÔé¼┬Ø. It had almost been obscured by the growing night, but Dwain had caught it.
Sarge frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought Shina was an agnostic├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHer parents were both part of the Neo-Christian movement back home├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain said ├óÔé¼┼ôHer psych evaluation says that she crosses herself only in the most extreme circumstance├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou went through her psych evaluation?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, looking incredulously ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can get those?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Dwain grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôI wasn't always a marine. Sure i needed to fake the captains signature├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge waved him off ├óÔé¼┼ôStop, I don't want to report this. And just because she crosses her self doesn't mean she has to babysit├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't like those damn evaluations. They never seem to work├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôKeller├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou baby sit. Shina, Johnny, Dwain, your with me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAw fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up solider before I bust you back to private├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am a private!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller shouted back as the four other marines left. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller mutter ├óÔé¼┼ôBabysitting some fucking dykes├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDykes?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. Keller turned and saw the woman grinning lopsidedly at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller muttered. Tapp stepped closer ├óÔé¼┼ôDykes, did you say?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller sat down with a plump, frowning. ├óÔé¼┼ôZoe├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets leave the hetero to his lonesome├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Zoe laughed lightly, then coughed, then was still for a while longer. Tapp sat down next to her and pointedly ignored the marine. Keller started cleaning his rifle. Tapp giggled at something Zoe said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWould you two knock it off?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller snapped, getting irritable. Tapp frowned at him then looked back down at Zoe. ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet he's a womanizer├óÔé¼┬Ø Zoe whispered ├óÔé¼┼ôand thats why he's so grumpy├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Liz batted away another fly and, once again, thanked god that she was a Transcendi. She could carry the laser gun for hours easily. Her men were tired, and beaten, but they were following a trail. After getting everyone set up, Liz had grabbed a scanner and left, followed by the three uninjured soldiers and the man with the broken arm. They all walked without talking, grim at the thought of those who had died. One woman was crying softly, her brother killed as he sat right next to her. The man with a broken arm winced with nearly every step, his arm swelling, getting red and puffy.
Night had crept around them, and Liz broke the single light stick they had gotten from the wreck. Light bloomed at the tip, the phosphorus in the tip lighting up with a fizz. The jungle was brightened with a blood red light, and the group continued its march. Then, almost instantly, the jungle stopped and Liz was forced to gape in awe. The ocean rolled out from under her feet, sweeping away from a cliff she was standing on.
├óÔé¼┼ôStop!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted back, and her group straggled to the stop, the four of them looking over the ocean. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø The man with the broken arm whisperer ├óÔé¼┼ôIts amazing├óÔé¼┬Ø. They stood, stalk still for a while longer. Liz had thought she had seen everything, from the majestic sweep of Leviathan, to the glittering, gray orb of the Homeworld. The gap between stars, somehow huger then anything in the solar system. The Shroud. But this took her breath away in a way that all these sights didn't.
The ocean called to Liz on an instinctual level. Her ancestors had looked over this place, and sailed across, despite all sense and reasons that stated otherwise. Space and the ocean were inextricably linked by that single unbreakable chain of humanity. Liz slowly breathed in the salt air, tasting it in a resolution millions of times greater then she could otherwise. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts amazing├óÔé¼┬Ø One of her police officers said, awe in her voice. The surf broke against the rocks below them, crashing with a thunderous sound.
Liz looked over the ocean and saw the opposite shore, the icy rocks of the South Pole. The temperature differential was enough that it was a chilly day for the edge of the jungle, and only a few miles away it was a tundra that slowly melted into ice. Then Liz saw something. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the fuck is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked, pointing out over the ocean. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrime, mabey?├óÔé¼┬Ø The man with the broken arm suggested. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't think so├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut lets go check it out├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Only a few hours ago and Prime was looking over the same ocean with the same awe as the humans. But this was not the awe the humans had, the connection over millions of years of evolution and struggle to pass an impassible boundary. This was simply the awe and amazement that comes from discovery, true and simple. She stood still for an entire hour, the sun slowly lowering to the horizon. Prime simply immersed herself in the experience of the seaside. She slowly opened her eyes and frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôI wish Daniel was here├óÔé¼┬Ø she murmured.
Prime slowly raised her arms to the side, and her shadow was cast like a cross. She closed her eyes again and slowly pitched forward. After surviving a fall from orbit, you would think Prime would permanently be cured of her fear of heights. But she still flinched. Then she smashed into the water, sank and the she started to swim, her arms reforming quickly into fins, her neck into gills, her legs into bigger fins. She swam very quickly, enjoying the new experience as she enjoyed most things new.
Prime felt the water slowly turn from nicely temperate to cold. Then chilling cold. Then a shark attacked her. It was all clear, her eyes peering into the murky dimness, then suddenly something rammed her in the side, teeth clamping down. Black grit bloomed into the water, growing with the sudden cold and pressure change. Prime forced the grit back in, tearing some bits out of the sharks mouth. It was a three eyed thing, with a mouth that rotated slowly as it tried to maneuver around and bite her.
Prime snapped out her blades and jammed one into the creature's forehead. It twisted violently, blood blooming. Prime felt it suck into her gills and was pulled into the joy of battle. Two more shark things were coming and Prime was almost laughing to meet them. She pushed off, her legs beating in the water, the tatters of her torn shirt trailing behind her like a makeshift tail. Prime slit one of the shark things down the side, her blade tearing through it like butter.
Blood bloomed in the water, and Prime grinned savagely as the third shark started to come after her. It struck first, and Prime brought up her arm. The shark's rotating teeth tore through her pseudoskin, then the funnel like mouth closed. Prime jammed her second blade into the sharks belly. It shook violently, not letting go of Prime's arm. Prime kept half her mind on keeping her cells into her body, keeping them from evolving, but she kept half her mind on simple enjoyment. She decided to end this Shark in a different way. She touched the center of it with her mind and suddenly was pushed back, a ballooning force ripping the shark into shreds.
Prime drifted for a moment, feeling the blood on her, around her. In her. She loved it, every moment. The shark's were different, new and savage. She slid her blades back into her hands then started to swim off again, a grin on her face. Prime arrived at the tundra beach. She crawled slowly onto the beach, tired from the swim and energized from the fight. She was dripping, wet from sea water and from blood, and she laughed to the sky. Everything was so new, so fascinating. She rolled over on the beach, feeling her skin prickle in goose bumps.
Prime looked at her hands, covered with shark blood. She licked the blood of her finger tips and laughed again. She slowly got up and straightened her shirt. It still exposed more of her midriff then she would like and she could almost see her left nipple. Then she realized that no one was around, so why should she even bother with the shirt. Prime thought about it and decided, in the end, to keep the shirt. ├óÔé¼┼ôEnjoying your self?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice asked. Prime shook her head, spilling water our of her hair ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø she said to the open air and started to walk to the massive purple column that was were the Shroud met the ground.
She walked until the night, the air getting colder and colder until Prime had to harden her skin, black it out to store heat better, and was still cold. She kept walking however, and was glad that there was nothing big enough to hurt her out here. The Shroud was still visible, dimly so, and she kept going to it. The column touched down at a mountain and Prime started to climb. She slowly walked up, snow continuing to crunch under her feet. She climbed and climbed, walking up the slant of the hills that surrounded the mountain.
Then she saw light streaming out. The light was from a door, open to the night air and brighter then Prime would have thought possible. The light melted the snow, heating it up. Prime let her new skin slough off and slowly melt into her, filling her up again with new cells. She let herself be warmed by the light, readjusted her shirt to cover her better, then walked into the door. The light faded as she walked in. Prime gaped again.
The room was massive, donut shaped, and well lit. In the center was...the Field. It was a shimmering light that filled the room, stretching from pole to pole on a silver column of light. The Field spun, visible only in the distortions it made on the opposite wall. Prime stood still for a moment longer, gaping. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts quite beautiful├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice said. It echoed slightly and was very very much real.
A man stood to the right of where Prime stood, rooted to the spot. He was well shaved, with a clean cut face that looked vaguely familiar His eyes were black, as was his hair, and he had a light smile on his lips. For some reason Prime was instantly attracted to him. And his voice was very very familiar. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime asked softly. The man laughed, walking forward slowly with his bare feet slapping on the metal floor. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am Taraka. Welcome, sister├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, grinning as he came close to Prime. ├óÔé¼┼ôSister?├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYou must be mistaken├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Taraka shook his head slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôPrime├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, grasping her hand and holding it softly ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are the inheritors of the Progenitors. We are the last of our race. We are, to put it in your terms, Species Zero Two├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka laughed loudly, throwing his head back ├óÔé¼┼ôZero two! Those degenerate monkeys are far from the first Species├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime's head was spinning ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...but├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I am...├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôUnique?├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka finished her sentence.
He let her hand go slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôYou silly child├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, looking away ├óÔé¼┼ôYou think that because you can formshift and mindalter that you are king of the universe├óÔé¼┬Ø he walked slowly away to a small table set into the wall, made of rock and ice. He grabbed a cup off the table and poured a drink into it. Taraka drank it in a few gulps ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can't even use your race memory├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, bitterly ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you've been broadcasting for parsecs, damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôBroadcasting?├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe, that is the Inheritors, knew you where here from the moment of your birth. Our specie's doesn't have enemy's, but we do have...annoyances. Id one of them found you here they would take you, toucher you and turn you into a thrall├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said, frowning ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are very lucky that this is the backwards end of the universe├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime slowly walked to the table ├óÔé¼┼ôYou said...race memory├óÔé¼┬Ø she said slowly.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe memory stored in your cells, in your very genetic code├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow that you are here, we can both leave this planet├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLeave?├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't want to leave├óÔé¼┬Ø. Taraka grinned lightly ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat more use could you get from these creatures?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôUse!├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime snapped, suddenly angry ├óÔé¼┼ôI love Daniel├óÔé¼┬Ø. Taraka slowly let his cup fall to the table, clanging lightly as it struck the stone. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...love...that...thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou love that...that...that primate!├óÔé¼┬Ø his voice raised in volume.
├óÔé¼┼ôDaniel is a kind man├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe reached out to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you should have destroyed him!├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka turned round and looked at Prime ├óÔé¼┼ôYou should have manipulated your way into a place of power, and taken control of your own world, then spread S-02 over this globe├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is wrong with you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime was feeling a little cold, and not from the room temperature. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou seem surprised├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said softly, an odd look coming over his face ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...you actually believe the lies?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat lies?├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime asked, anger flashing over her face momentarily. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe whole 'i don't like to fight, i like humans, oh I love Daniel so much'├óÔé¼┬Ø. Something in Taraka's voice reeked of mockery. Prime turned around ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is nothing here worth listening too├óÔé¼┬Ø she said to the air, ignoring Taraka. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrime, stop├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have to get you back to the Homeworld├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime shouted, turning around ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't control me!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She was angry at this creature that had plagued her for so long with his voice, his subversions.
├óÔé¼┼ôPrime...remember!├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka shouted after her. Prime spun around as his mind touched hers, and she flinched. She blocked the intrusion, but Taraka was back, stronger. Prime tired to beat it off, but failed. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour weak├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour...diseased by the humans and their weak ethics├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime jerked as Taraka bound with her mind. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôRemember├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime fell to the ground, her eye's widening till her pupils were nothing but black dots.
Prime gasped as memory's older then time crashed into her skull. She wanted to block it out, hold it back. To not know, to not remember. To not have to face the truth. Trillions dead. Her mind calculated the death toll, the memory of each murdered was seared into her mind as her cell's unlocked the blood that she and her race had shed over the millennial. In the end she couldn't, wouldn't think about the numbers. The lives snuffed out by some of the cells in her very body.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø She moaned ├óÔé¼┼ôHow could we?├óÔé¼┬Ø she clutched her stomach as the memory's slowly faded from her mind, dimming until it was simply a horror lurking at the edge of her mind. Taraka slowly knelt next to Prime, his face an iron mask ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are beyond redemption├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can't see the glory of it? The glory of the slain├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...murdered thousands of civilizations├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said, her stomach convolving ├óÔé¼┼ôYou killed the women, the children!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThey were vermin├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôThey did not matter├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime slammed her fist into the ground, the knuckles face down ├óÔé¼┼ôAll life├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said ├óÔé¼┼ôAll life is unique, and precious. There is no...greater crime then the taking of a life. Any crime can be repented for, any sin forgiven├óÔé¼┬Ø She looked up at Taraka and slowly pulled her hand off the ground, rasping as her forearm blade was jerked out of the metal of the floor ├óÔé¼┼ôTaking one life will not balance the loss of another├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you quoting?├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSome human, i guess├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôBut sometimes a single life├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said, diverging from what Daniel had said near the beginning of her life, ├óÔé¼┼ôneeds to be sacrificed...so billions can be saved├óÔé¼┬Ø. Taraka caught on, but not before Prime slashed out with her second arm, cutting a hole in his stomach. Black grit spilt out and Taraka vaulted backwards, his forearm blades snapping out as well. He landed, softly, against the far wall, slithering down it with his feet. Prime stood and ran straight at him, disgust and rage boiling over in her mind.
Taraka dodged aside as Prime slammed past him, her arm dissapearing into the wall up to the shoulder. Prime jerked out wards and backwards, rock and metal flying everywhere as she ripped out a section of the wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour slow, damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said, leaping backwards as Prime struck at him, again and again. Then he darted forward and cut Prime in the shoulder, sending black grit flying. Her shirt flopped half way open, but Prime simply struck back at Taraka with mental force.
The wavefront of energy struck Taraka, before he could deflect it even a little. He was flung backwards, into a far wall. The wall caved in and exploded as Prime twisted her sphere of energy to explode outwards. Rock and rubble filled the air. Taraka exploded out of the cloud, forearm blades flashing in the light. Prime, however was getting better at this, and dodged. Taraka slit two long furrows in the floor till he slid to a stop.
Both creatures panted, Prime for real, Taraka to let the fight continue longer, to give him some more fun. ├óÔé¼┼ôGetting tired?├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôGo to hell├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said, running forward. Taraka jumped backwards as she ran forwards, and the two of them shot over the room, practically flying. Taraka pushed off the wall, and Prime vaulted off after him, firing at him with a mind pulse. Taraka batted it away, and it smashed into the floor, caving in as it struck. Prime dropped to the floor. Taraka landed next to her and brought his blade around with a flash.
Prime blocked it with her blade and the two blades met with a clang. Taraka kicked, and Prime folded at the side and moved around, attacking in return. There blades met again and again, sparks flying and the swords clanging. Prime was into the bloodlust, glorying in the skill, the energy, the power. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou love it, don't you!├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka shouted, jumping back to put some distance between them. Prime circled around and they met again, a clang and shower of sparks. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe slaughter├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôlicking the blood of your fingers├óÔé¼┬Ø. He slashed down with both blades at the same time, and Prime blocked both. They were face to face. Taraka grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is why we spread, we grow├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime shoved him back and the two of them slid backwards ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd this is why we have to stop!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôImagine what those race's could have been if we didn't exterminate them!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôEnemy's├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôCreatures that would suck us dry in the end. We can't let them evolve├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime snarled ├óÔé¼┼ôCan't you trust anyone?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou live long enough and you see the truth. There is none├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime ran forward and struck at him, almost hit the field in the center of the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôBe careful├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat field will kill you easily├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI though only the Shroud could create things like me├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said, keeping the field between her and Taraka.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôAll it takes is time and some luck├óÔé¼┬Ø. He dived to the left, bounced off the wall and struck at Prime. Prime was off guard and felt his blade slide into her stomach. She was pinned up against the wall, carried there by his momentum. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrime├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôTo this body you are quite beautiful├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime struggled, feeling the blade with her hands and trying to push off. Taraka slowly slid the blade up, and black grit flowed out of the slit. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...so...so beautiful├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka slid the blade up in between her breasts and stopped right at her neck.
Prime reseted her head back against the wall, feeling intense pain in her entire body. Prime tired to close up the hole, and slowly bringing it together. Taraka jerked his blade out of from below Prime's neck. Prime gasped as the hole closed up. Taraka gently brushed her cheek, looking at the small pile of black grit that was collected around Prime's feet ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to fulfill your strongest desire├óÔé¼┬Ø. He jammed his blade into her stomach and twisted it. Prime gasped. Something was different.
Black grit flowed out around the blade, slower then before. It congealed slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy cell's are now in your body├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôConverting you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime gasped, her eye's coming in and out of focus. The black grit globed out of the hole and red began to dribble out. ├óÔé¼┼ôTurning you into what you've always wanted├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said, grinning. Prime felt the blade, closing her eyes. Blood ran slick down the blade, pooling around Taraka's knuckles.
Taraka jerked out his blade and blood flowed freely from Prime's wound. Prime dropped to one knee and her hands splayed out over the floor, leaving bloody hand prints. Taraka turned away, starting to walk away. Prime slowly got to her feet, swaying as blood continued to pump out. Taraka was free, open to attack. She tried to extend her forearm blades, but nothing happened. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...did you do?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI gave you what you wanted├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said. Prime took a step, staggered, and felt herself fading slowly.
Taraka turned around slowly, looking at Prime. Trillions dead. Blood flowing out. Humanity. Prime took a step forward and got slightly closer to Taraka. The field rotated behind him slowly, Prime's vision graying out slowly. Daniel. Liz. Rick. Yalonda. Taraka. All people who she knew. Her intestines splitting open and spilling into her stomach. Prime fell to one knee a step from Taraka. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you going to accomplish?├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSave a single race for only a while?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Love. Hate. Fear. Joy. Ecstasy. Everything Prime had felt. The feel of her blade hitting into the sharks, splitting their skin and blubber. Daniels hand on her, touching her.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...learned something├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said slowly, the blood flow in her wound slowing. She stood, suddenly, quickly, faster then anyone would have thought. She sprung to her feet, her hatred, her rage, her fear, her desire to kill all focused onto her fist. She punched Taraka in the jaw, a vicious upper cut. Taraka was thrown off balance, falling backwards. Into. The. Field. Books. Every word. Doctor Darling, a trashy romance novel. Prime had once thought it was the best thing ever. Then...Beowulf, Shakespeare. Heinlein.
Taraka screamed, long and loud. His body started to stretch, his arms and legs slowly reaching to the pole's of the field. His scream got louder and louder, and higher and higher as he stretched more and more. Prime stood stalk still, wavering slightly. Taraka's head bent backwards, his jaw opining wider then it should. His skin began to bubble, sloughing off. Black grit started to spiral away in the field, away from his body. Birth, life. Death. All of it flashed by.
Then Taraka snapped, like a rubber band, and his half's slithered into the pole's. Then he was gone. Prime wavered a bit more, wobbling on her feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôI learned that├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, spitting onto the floor were Taraka had stood ├óÔé¼┼ôFrom Elizabeth Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she turned and began to walk out of the room, towards the familiar. Towards the colony that she wanted to see one last time. She got to the door, and walked out side.
├óÔé¼┼ôStop right there!├óÔé¼┬Ø The police officer shouted. The marines and the officers stood outside, guns ready. Lights shone onto Prime, shining from the marines headlamps. She raised her hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts her!├óÔé¼┬Ø someone shouted. The guns, however, did not lower. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomething is wrong├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz muttered. Prime took another step forward, and she was out of memory's to see. So now she could focus on the now. Her mind was dull, her vision slowly graying out as she lost more and more blood. Droplets of blood splattered onto the snow, staining it.
Prime took another step, fell to her knee. Then she looked up and saw, in the light, the wavering face of Elizabeth Montoya. Prime slowly raised her hand up, balled in a fist. Liz's eyes widened slightly, wondering what she was going to do. Prime punched the air lightly, a mime of her jaw breaker that she had done only a few moments ago. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust like that├óÔé¼┬Ø She said softly. But she knew that Liz heard. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust like that├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said. She took another step, wanting to tell them all about what had happened.
Then she collapsed onto one knee. Then fell face forward, blood seeping out under her. Prime grinned one last time, seeing the lights wash over the snow around her. "Just like that".
The End
├óÔé¼┼ôHooah!├óÔé¼┬Ø The others shouted as one. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow lets get this show on the rode├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, pressing a button ├óÔé¼┼ôLETS ROCK!├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain shouted. The music started up, a continuing tradition to fire up the soldiers before landing. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are on a HIIIIIGH way to hell!├óÔé¼┬Ø the speakers blared. The ship's engines shook more then you would think, and so the marines were jittering so much they seemed to burr from the motion.
├óÔé¼┼ôWe are going to hit the Shroud soon!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said. The ship smashed into the Shroud with all the gentleness of a tank running through a store window. Sarge, for a moment, heard something. Now this is interesting. Then the feeling passed and the ship shot out of the Shroud. Sarge heard loud blaring, not from music over two hundred years old, but rather from warning klaxon's and alarm systems. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted.
They were missing all there weapons and half the engines. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina shouted, looking into the control room. ├óÔé¼┼ôHalf the fucking ship is GONE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge shouted, jerking the controller around, trying to keep the ship from smashing into the ocean that was speeding blow them. The half of the shuttle that was left twisted, turned and finally began to corkscrew until it was over the jungle. ├óÔé¼┼ôBrace for!├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge started to say, then they hit something.
The helo's rotary blades roared louder then ever as the night finally fell. Liz was half asleep, looking out the window next to her. The pilot had changed with his co-pilot, both women. ├óÔé¼┼ôSO├óÔé¼┬Ø the pilot shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz shouted back, looking up at the pilot, who sat next to her, behind a small wall that hid the cockpit and the troop transport. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø The pilot said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou splashed the Rodger Young?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut that was a long time ago├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôI was on the Rodger Young├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman said. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts war├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAmen to that├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôI just wanted to say that you are one hell of a fighter├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI try to be├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat's your name?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman shouted back. Liz shrugged. She had heard odder names then that. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø The other woman said ├óÔé¼┼ôBaby├óÔé¼┬Ø she looked at Tapp ├óÔé¼┼ôI think we have some problems with the damn radar├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats wrong with it?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked, leaning over.
├óÔé¼┼ôThere's nothing else in our air space, right?├óÔé¼┬Ø the other woman asked. Then the shuttle smashed into the side of the helo, cutting it in half. Ten people died out right, leaving Tapp, the copilot, Liz and four other police officers. The helo started to spin uncontrollably, no longer stabilized by its back rotor blade. Liz held onto the arm rests, a grimace on her face as the helo spun wildly. ├óÔé¼┼ôfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp muttered, jerking around on the controls. Her copilot was screaming into her head set ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is Helo-001 going down in sector 33-Z-332! I repeat we are going down!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
One of the police threw up, and Liz was glad that it was physically impossible that she could join them. ├óÔé¼┼ôBrace for-├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp shouted. Then they hit a tree. The tree ripped through the middle of the helo and the two hunks slid, knocking some tree's over until they finally slid to a rest. Tapp's eyes opened, and she couldn't breathe. Plastic, something plastic was burning. She could hear someone shouting, someone else screaming. ├óÔé¼┼ôZoe!├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp shouted over the flames. Zoe, her copilot and lover, coughed next to her. The flames licked closer.
Tapp jerked on her safety harness, finding it stuck. She jerked again and it gave. Tapp grabbed Zoe and started to drag her out of the cockpit. The smoke filled the air, and every breath felt like having a pillow shoved over her face. Zoe hacked loudly, and then Tapp saw something that almost stopped her. ├óÔé¼┼ôNot again├óÔé¼┬Ø she moaned, looking at the large hunk of glass that was jammed into Zoe's stomach. Blood seeped out around it.
They got into the jungle, joining the five others who had survived. Two police officers were fine, aside from bumps and bruises. One man, a police officer, was sitting against a tree, screaming as Liz bound and splinted his arm. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god! It hurts!├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said through clenched teeth. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut it means your alive now├óÔé¼┬Ø. The fourth trooper had no left leg. ├óÔé¼┼ôshit, Liz├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôZoe's got a big hunk of glass in her gut├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Liz walked over ├óÔé¼┼ôKeep it in, for now, till we can get some bandages├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp nodded, ripping her shirt to make a bandage. Liz walked into the flaming wreck, seemingly not to notice the flames and the heat. She found the medical packs and the guns, grabbing them and walking out. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell!├óÔé¼┬Ø one of the troopers shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôThat thing could have exploded!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt would have├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, dropping the ammo and guns on the ground ├óÔé¼┼ôIf i hadn't got this out├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho can dress wounds?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Two hands raised. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said, dropping the med pack on the ground ├óÔé¼┼ôYou get to do what you can├óÔé¼┬Ø. She walked back into the wreck and found what she was looking for. She walked out holding what the troopers called the Big Fucking Gun. The thing was actually a very primitive laser cannon. Equipped with a backpack, you hoisted it up on a crane mount and fired it as a beam, not a pulse. Liz hoisted the back pack on and tried moving the pointer part of the gun around, testing its aim. ├óÔé¼┼ôRight├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho can walk within three hours?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Three hands raised. ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour uninjured├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not leaving Zoe├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôI left Amber's side and she got paralyzed├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...knew Amber?├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, grinning ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't walk around telling everyone though├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFine├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou stay with the wounded and protect them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp nodded, grabbing a pistol from the gun pile Liz had created. Liz slid the backpack off and set the gun down on the ground. She followed sitting next to a tree as the two medics started to bandage the injured.
The shuttle was slightly better off. Slightly. The tree that it had smashed into was splintered and the entire area around the crash site was in flames. Shina was in good condition for some one who had been dead only a few hours ago. She slowly unstrapped herself, smelling nothing, seeing nothing and hearing nothing but the breathing of her compatriots. Shina was close to panic and claustrophobia, the memory of the tube she had woken in rising. Then she felt Johnny's hand on her shoulder, and he squeezed softly.
Shina grabbed his hand and squeezed it back. Then she dragged it down, below her combat vest to her breast. She leaned over in the dark and kissed Johnny, missing and hitting his nose. He laughed softly, his voice scratchy sounding. Shina tried again, but the lights flickered on. ├óÔé¼┼ôIf you love birds are done back there├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou might realize this is neither the time, nor the place├óÔé¼┬Ø. Johnny withdrew his hand sheepishly.
The shuttle bay door slid open, the landing ramp extending at the same time. The marines ran out, guns ready and eye's scanning the area. They had snoopers, eyepiece's that snapped over their left and right eyes, and the entire area was painted in reds and blue's of heat vision. ├óÔé¼┼ôClear├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina said after a few moments, snapping her snoopers up with a jerk of her head. The other marines kept their snoopers down, despite the discomfort, and Shina sighed, snapping her snoopers down as well.
The squad moved through the jungle near silently, soldiers who had been trained by ten years of combat experience and at least three deaths per person. Shina was the only fourth generation clone of the entire group, Sarge being a second and the others being third. Sarge took it as a compliment that he had only died twice. They moved towards whatever they had hit, just to make amends. This was a surgical strike, not a slaughter and as such the marines wanted to apologize to any survivors.
├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain said ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm getting a heat bloom ahead├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sarge nodded, looking the same direction ├óÔé¼┼ôi'm getting it too. Keller, Johnny you go a head and scope it out. Shina, Dwain, go around the side. I'll take up the rear├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes sir├óÔé¼┬Ø they said, and started moving out. Johnny and Keller went straight forward, hugging a slight rise in the ground to keep their form's obscured. Johnny was slightly higher up on the ridge, so he saw the survivors around the crash helicopter. Keller went prone at the top, but Johnny simply crouched behind a bush and tapped his helmetmic.
├óÔé¼┼ôSir, this is Johnny├óÔé¼┬Ø He whispered ├óÔé¼┼ôI see two women, one man. The man is missing a leg, one woman has a large laceration in the stomach and the last women is armed, low cal pistol├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôGood├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, switching to Shina's frequency ├óÔé¼┼ôShina, Dwain├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI want you to approach carefully. One of the survivors is armed with a low caliber pistol. It probably won't even get through your armor├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina said, looking at Dwain. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou go first├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, grinning.
Shina shrugged and walked forward, making sure to make noise. Tapp looked up from Zoe, hearing the foot steps. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho's there!├óÔé¼┬Ø She shouted, raising the pistol up high ├óÔé¼┼ôShow your self├óÔé¼┬Ø she slowly stood, keeping the pistol raised. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a friend├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said, stepping into the light cast by the burning wreckage. The night was beginning, and Tapp was getting nervous. Most predators came out at night. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, of course you are. How friendly, ramming our helo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp snarled ├óÔé¼┼ôdrop the fucking gun├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Shina shrugged, dropping her assault rifle in the loam. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have medical supplies├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina started to say. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck off├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, slowly walking over to the rifle and picking it up ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is the second time I've been shot down and someone I care about has born the brunt of it, so you can understand if I'm a little in a non trusting mood right now├óÔé¼┬Ø. Shina nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôI can see that, but your friend really needs a tourniquet, not just a jacket sleave├óÔé¼┬Ø She nudged the legless man lightly. They had bound the wound with a very makeshift tourniquet.
Tapp's pistol slowly lowered ├óÔé¼┼ôYou have medical supplies?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked ├óÔé¼┼ôFine, bring them├óÔé¼┬Ø. Shina nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôSarge we need a tourniquet and a med pack├óÔé¼┬Ø she said into her mic. Keller and Johnny stood up, revealing themselves and keeping their rifles trained on Tapp. Dwain walked into the clearing, and Sarge started to run for the medical gear in the shuttle. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said, looking at the two barrels aimed on her ├óÔé¼┼ôI guess I don't need this├óÔé¼┬Ø she dropped the pistol on the ground.
├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina said ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you the only survivors?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp looked at the ground for a moment ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. Shina looked at her obliquely, not sure whether or not to believe her. Shina sat down as Johnny started to pull drift wood into a pile. Keller lit up a cigarette and dropped his lighter in the pile of twigs. The entire thing lit up, and Johnny snapped at Keller about lighting it up to early. He rushed to get blast a branch of a tree with his rifle and drag the new log onto the fire. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhy were you out here?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Tapp decided to tell the story of her life, edited a bit. ├óÔé¼┼ôWanted work, so I singed up with a mining corp and joined a high pay scouting mission├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThen you smash into us and kill the others on board, and now we are stuck out here in the middle of no where├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp sighed, cupping her head in her hands ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd now I'm not sure if Zoe will even survive tonight├óÔé¼┬Ø. Shina looked at the unconscious woman, who now had a medical pack strapped to her wound, and to the legless man ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat about him?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Tapp snorted ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't even know him├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, looking at Zoe. Shina nodded, understanding.
Sarge tightened the tourniquet and the man lying on the floor grunted loudly. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis will feed some more plasma and blood into you├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôSo you should be recovering from blood loss soon enough├óÔé¼┬Ø. The man nodded, his head sinking back into the loam and closing his eyes. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat brings you to this planet?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina looked up as Johnny sat down next to the two women. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell you came in from the upper atmo, so I'm guessing...├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Shina said ├óÔé¼┼ôIts...classified├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Tapp shrugged, but she guessed that they were after Prime. She had read in the papers about the mercs who had tried to go after Prime. And she had dissapeared out here, so what else could they be out here for. ├óÔé¼┼ôTapp├óÔé¼┬Ø Zoe murmured. Tapp jumped, looking down at the semi-unconscious woman ├óÔé¼┼ôZoe!├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, happily. She leaned over the woman. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid I bring her down soft?├óÔé¼┬Ø Zoe asked. Tapp kissed her forehead ├óÔé¼┼ôSoft as a feather├óÔé¼┬Ø she murmured ├óÔé¼┼ôSoft as a feather├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôSarge├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain said ├óÔé¼┼ôThere were more people around here then just those three├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôReally?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge asked ├óÔé¼┼ôFootprints?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain said, nodding, ├óÔé¼┼ôHeading South, to the pole├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôFuck├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôWe should leave someone here to watch the prisoners├óÔé¼┬Ø. Dwain noticed how survivors became prisoners so easily. ├óÔé¼┼ôSir├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain said ├óÔé¼┼ôI suggest Shina├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShina is out best shot├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge muttered, glancing at the woman. ├óÔé¼┼ôYeah, but when she approached the surviver...she crossed herself├óÔé¼┬Ø. It had almost been obscured by the growing night, but Dwain had caught it.
Sarge frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôI thought Shina was an agnostic├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôHer parents were both part of the Neo-Christian movement back home├óÔé¼┬Ø Dwain said ├óÔé¼┼ôHer psych evaluation says that she crosses herself only in the most extreme circumstance├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou went through her psych evaluation?├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said, looking incredulously ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can get those?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Dwain grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôI wasn't always a marine. Sure i needed to fake the captains signature├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge waved him off ├óÔé¼┼ôStop, I don't want to report this. And just because she crosses her self doesn't mean she has to babysit├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't like those damn evaluations. They never seem to work├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôKeller├óÔé¼┬Ø Sarge said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou baby sit. Shina, Johnny, Dwain, your with me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAw fuck!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller said. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up solider before I bust you back to private├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am a private!├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller shouted back as the four other marines left. ├óÔé¼┼ôDamn it├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller mutter ├óÔé¼┼ôBabysitting some fucking dykes├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôDykes?├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp asked. Keller turned and saw the woman grinning lopsidedly at him. ├óÔé¼┼ôShit├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller muttered. Tapp stepped closer ├óÔé¼┼ôDykes, did you say?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Keller sat down with a plump, frowning. ├óÔé¼┼ôZoe├óÔé¼┬Ø Tapp said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets leave the hetero to his lonesome├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Zoe laughed lightly, then coughed, then was still for a while longer. Tapp sat down next to her and pointedly ignored the marine. Keller started cleaning his rifle. Tapp giggled at something Zoe said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWould you two knock it off?├óÔé¼┬Ø Keller snapped, getting irritable. Tapp frowned at him then looked back down at Zoe. ├óÔé¼┼ôI bet he's a womanizer├óÔé¼┬Ø Zoe whispered ├óÔé¼┼ôand thats why he's so grumpy├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Liz batted away another fly and, once again, thanked god that she was a Transcendi. She could carry the laser gun for hours easily. Her men were tired, and beaten, but they were following a trail. After getting everyone set up, Liz had grabbed a scanner and left, followed by the three uninjured soldiers and the man with the broken arm. They all walked without talking, grim at the thought of those who had died. One woman was crying softly, her brother killed as he sat right next to her. The man with a broken arm winced with nearly every step, his arm swelling, getting red and puffy.
Night had crept around them, and Liz broke the single light stick they had gotten from the wreck. Light bloomed at the tip, the phosphorus in the tip lighting up with a fizz. The jungle was brightened with a blood red light, and the group continued its march. Then, almost instantly, the jungle stopped and Liz was forced to gape in awe. The ocean rolled out from under her feet, sweeping away from a cliff she was standing on.
├óÔé¼┼ôStop!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted back, and her group straggled to the stop, the four of them looking over the ocean. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø The man with the broken arm whisperer ├óÔé¼┼ôIts amazing├óÔé¼┬Ø. They stood, stalk still for a while longer. Liz had thought she had seen everything, from the majestic sweep of Leviathan, to the glittering, gray orb of the Homeworld. The gap between stars, somehow huger then anything in the solar system. The Shroud. But this took her breath away in a way that all these sights didn't.
The ocean called to Liz on an instinctual level. Her ancestors had looked over this place, and sailed across, despite all sense and reasons that stated otherwise. Space and the ocean were inextricably linked by that single unbreakable chain of humanity. Liz slowly breathed in the salt air, tasting it in a resolution millions of times greater then she could otherwise. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts amazing├óÔé¼┬Ø One of her police officers said, awe in her voice. The surf broke against the rocks below them, crashing with a thunderous sound.
Liz looked over the ocean and saw the opposite shore, the icy rocks of the South Pole. The temperature differential was enough that it was a chilly day for the edge of the jungle, and only a few miles away it was a tundra that slowly melted into ice. Then Liz saw something. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the fuck is that?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked, pointing out over the ocean. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrime, mabey?├óÔé¼┬Ø The man with the broken arm suggested. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't think so├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut lets go check it out├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Only a few hours ago and Prime was looking over the same ocean with the same awe as the humans. But this was not the awe the humans had, the connection over millions of years of evolution and struggle to pass an impassible boundary. This was simply the awe and amazement that comes from discovery, true and simple. She stood still for an entire hour, the sun slowly lowering to the horizon. Prime simply immersed herself in the experience of the seaside. She slowly opened her eyes and frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôI wish Daniel was here├óÔé¼┬Ø she murmured.
Prime slowly raised her arms to the side, and her shadow was cast like a cross. She closed her eyes again and slowly pitched forward. After surviving a fall from orbit, you would think Prime would permanently be cured of her fear of heights. But she still flinched. Then she smashed into the water, sank and the she started to swim, her arms reforming quickly into fins, her neck into gills, her legs into bigger fins. She swam very quickly, enjoying the new experience as she enjoyed most things new.
Prime felt the water slowly turn from nicely temperate to cold. Then chilling cold. Then a shark attacked her. It was all clear, her eyes peering into the murky dimness, then suddenly something rammed her in the side, teeth clamping down. Black grit bloomed into the water, growing with the sudden cold and pressure change. Prime forced the grit back in, tearing some bits out of the sharks mouth. It was a three eyed thing, with a mouth that rotated slowly as it tried to maneuver around and bite her.
Prime snapped out her blades and jammed one into the creature's forehead. It twisted violently, blood blooming. Prime felt it suck into her gills and was pulled into the joy of battle. Two more shark things were coming and Prime was almost laughing to meet them. She pushed off, her legs beating in the water, the tatters of her torn shirt trailing behind her like a makeshift tail. Prime slit one of the shark things down the side, her blade tearing through it like butter.
Blood bloomed in the water, and Prime grinned savagely as the third shark started to come after her. It struck first, and Prime brought up her arm. The shark's rotating teeth tore through her pseudoskin, then the funnel like mouth closed. Prime jammed her second blade into the sharks belly. It shook violently, not letting go of Prime's arm. Prime kept half her mind on keeping her cells into her body, keeping them from evolving, but she kept half her mind on simple enjoyment. She decided to end this Shark in a different way. She touched the center of it with her mind and suddenly was pushed back, a ballooning force ripping the shark into shreds.
Prime drifted for a moment, feeling the blood on her, around her. In her. She loved it, every moment. The shark's were different, new and savage. She slid her blades back into her hands then started to swim off again, a grin on her face. Prime arrived at the tundra beach. She crawled slowly onto the beach, tired from the swim and energized from the fight. She was dripping, wet from sea water and from blood, and she laughed to the sky. Everything was so new, so fascinating. She rolled over on the beach, feeling her skin prickle in goose bumps.
Prime looked at her hands, covered with shark blood. She licked the blood of her finger tips and laughed again. She slowly got up and straightened her shirt. It still exposed more of her midriff then she would like and she could almost see her left nipple. Then she realized that no one was around, so why should she even bother with the shirt. Prime thought about it and decided, in the end, to keep the shirt. ├óÔé¼┼ôEnjoying your self?├óÔé¼┬Ø the voice asked. Prime shook her head, spilling water our of her hair ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø she said to the open air and started to walk to the massive purple column that was were the Shroud met the ground.
She walked until the night, the air getting colder and colder until Prime had to harden her skin, black it out to store heat better, and was still cold. She kept walking however, and was glad that there was nothing big enough to hurt her out here. The Shroud was still visible, dimly so, and she kept going to it. The column touched down at a mountain and Prime started to climb. She slowly walked up, snow continuing to crunch under her feet. She climbed and climbed, walking up the slant of the hills that surrounded the mountain.
Then she saw light streaming out. The light was from a door, open to the night air and brighter then Prime would have thought possible. The light melted the snow, heating it up. Prime let her new skin slough off and slowly melt into her, filling her up again with new cells. She let herself be warmed by the light, readjusted her shirt to cover her better, then walked into the door. The light faded as she walked in. Prime gaped again.
The room was massive, donut shaped, and well lit. In the center was...the Field. It was a shimmering light that filled the room, stretching from pole to pole on a silver column of light. The Field spun, visible only in the distortions it made on the opposite wall. Prime stood still for a moment longer, gaping. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts quite beautiful├óÔé¼┬Ø A voice said. It echoed slightly and was very very much real.
A man stood to the right of where Prime stood, rooted to the spot. He was well shaved, with a clean cut face that looked vaguely familiar His eyes were black, as was his hair, and he had a light smile on his lips. For some reason Prime was instantly attracted to him. And his voice was very very familiar. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime asked softly. The man laughed, walking forward slowly with his bare feet slapping on the metal floor. ├óÔé¼┼ôI am Taraka. Welcome, sister├óÔé¼┬Ø the man said, grinning as he came close to Prime. ├óÔé¼┼ôSister?├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime asked ├óÔé¼┼ôYou must be mistaken├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Taraka shook his head slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôPrime├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, grasping her hand and holding it softly ├óÔé¼┼ôWe are the inheritors of the Progenitors. We are the last of our race. We are, to put it in your terms, Species Zero Two├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka laughed loudly, throwing his head back ├óÔé¼┼ôZero two! Those degenerate monkeys are far from the first Species├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime's head was spinning ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...but├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut I am...├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôUnique?├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka finished her sentence.
He let her hand go slowly ├óÔé¼┼ôYou silly child├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, looking away ├óÔé¼┼ôYou think that because you can formshift and mindalter that you are king of the universe├óÔé¼┬Ø he walked slowly away to a small table set into the wall, made of rock and ice. He grabbed a cup off the table and poured a drink into it. Taraka drank it in a few gulps ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can't even use your race memory├óÔé¼┬Ø he said, bitterly ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you've been broadcasting for parsecs, damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôBroadcasting?├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe, that is the Inheritors, knew you where here from the moment of your birth. Our specie's doesn't have enemy's, but we do have...annoyances. Id one of them found you here they would take you, toucher you and turn you into a thrall├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said, frowning ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are very lucky that this is the backwards end of the universe├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime slowly walked to the table ├óÔé¼┼ôYou said...race memory├óÔé¼┬Ø she said slowly.
├óÔé¼┼ôThe memory stored in your cells, in your very genetic code├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôNow that you are here, we can both leave this planet├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLeave?├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime asked ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't want to leave├óÔé¼┬Ø. Taraka grinned lightly ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat more use could you get from these creatures?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôUse!├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime snapped, suddenly angry ├óÔé¼┼ôI love Daniel├óÔé¼┬Ø. Taraka slowly let his cup fall to the table, clanging lightly as it struck the stone. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...love...that...thing├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou love that...that...that primate!├óÔé¼┬Ø his voice raised in volume.
├óÔé¼┼ôDaniel is a kind man├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said ├óÔé¼┼ôHe reached out to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd you should have destroyed him!├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka turned round and looked at Prime ├óÔé¼┼ôYou should have manipulated your way into a place of power, and taken control of your own world, then spread S-02 over this globe├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka frowned ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is wrong with you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime was feeling a little cold, and not from the room temperature. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou seem surprised├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said softly, an odd look coming over his face ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...you actually believe the lies?├óÔé¼┬Ø
├óÔé¼┼ôWhat lies?├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime asked, anger flashing over her face momentarily. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe whole 'i don't like to fight, i like humans, oh I love Daniel so much'├óÔé¼┬Ø. Something in Taraka's voice reeked of mockery. Prime turned around ├óÔé¼┼ôThere is nothing here worth listening too├óÔé¼┬Ø she said to the air, ignoring Taraka. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrime, stop├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have to get you back to the Homeworld├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShut up!├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime shouted, turning around ├óÔé¼┼ôYou don't control me!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She was angry at this creature that had plagued her for so long with his voice, his subversions.
├óÔé¼┼ôPrime...remember!├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka shouted after her. Prime spun around as his mind touched hers, and she flinched. She blocked the intrusion, but Taraka was back, stronger. Prime tired to beat it off, but failed. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour weak├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôYour...diseased by the humans and their weak ethics├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime jerked as Taraka bound with her mind. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôRemember├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime fell to the ground, her eye's widening till her pupils were nothing but black dots.
Prime gasped as memory's older then time crashed into her skull. She wanted to block it out, hold it back. To not know, to not remember. To not have to face the truth. Trillions dead. Her mind calculated the death toll, the memory of each murdered was seared into her mind as her cell's unlocked the blood that she and her race had shed over the millennial. In the end she couldn't, wouldn't think about the numbers. The lives snuffed out by some of the cells in her very body.
├óÔé¼┼ôOh god├óÔé¼┬Ø She moaned ├óÔé¼┼ôHow could we?├óÔé¼┬Ø she clutched her stomach as the memory's slowly faded from her mind, dimming until it was simply a horror lurking at the edge of her mind. Taraka slowly knelt next to Prime, his face an iron mask ├óÔé¼┼ôYou are beyond redemption├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou can't see the glory of it? The glory of the slain├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou...murdered thousands of civilizations├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said, her stomach convolving ├óÔé¼┼ôYou killed the women, the children!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôThey were vermin├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said softly ├óÔé¼┼ôThey did not matter├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime slammed her fist into the ground, the knuckles face down ├óÔé¼┼ôAll life├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said ├óÔé¼┼ôAll life is unique, and precious. There is no...greater crime then the taking of a life. Any crime can be repented for, any sin forgiven├óÔé¼┬Ø She looked up at Taraka and slowly pulled her hand off the ground, rasping as her forearm blade was jerked out of the metal of the floor ├óÔé¼┼ôTaking one life will not balance the loss of another├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you quoting?├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSome human, i guess├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôBut sometimes a single life├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said, diverging from what Daniel had said near the beginning of her life, ├óÔé¼┼ôneeds to be sacrificed...so billions can be saved├óÔé¼┬Ø. Taraka caught on, but not before Prime slashed out with her second arm, cutting a hole in his stomach. Black grit spilt out and Taraka vaulted backwards, his forearm blades snapping out as well. He landed, softly, against the far wall, slithering down it with his feet. Prime stood and ran straight at him, disgust and rage boiling over in her mind.
Taraka dodged aside as Prime slammed past him, her arm dissapearing into the wall up to the shoulder. Prime jerked out wards and backwards, rock and metal flying everywhere as she ripped out a section of the wall. ├óÔé¼┼ôYour slow, damn it!├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said, leaping backwards as Prime struck at him, again and again. Then he darted forward and cut Prime in the shoulder, sending black grit flying. Her shirt flopped half way open, but Prime simply struck back at Taraka with mental force.
The wavefront of energy struck Taraka, before he could deflect it even a little. He was flung backwards, into a far wall. The wall caved in and exploded as Prime twisted her sphere of energy to explode outwards. Rock and rubble filled the air. Taraka exploded out of the cloud, forearm blades flashing in the light. Prime, however was getting better at this, and dodged. Taraka slit two long furrows in the floor till he slid to a stop.
Both creatures panted, Prime for real, Taraka to let the fight continue longer, to give him some more fun. ├óÔé¼┼ôGetting tired?├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôGo to hell├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said, running forward. Taraka jumped backwards as she ran forwards, and the two of them shot over the room, practically flying. Taraka pushed off the wall, and Prime vaulted off after him, firing at him with a mind pulse. Taraka batted it away, and it smashed into the floor, caving in as it struck. Prime dropped to the floor. Taraka landed next to her and brought his blade around with a flash.
Prime blocked it with her blade and the two blades met with a clang. Taraka kicked, and Prime folded at the side and moved around, attacking in return. There blades met again and again, sparks flying and the swords clanging. Prime was into the bloodlust, glorying in the skill, the energy, the power. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou love it, don't you!├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka shouted, jumping back to put some distance between them. Prime circled around and they met again, a clang and shower of sparks. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe slaughter├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôlicking the blood of your fingers├óÔé¼┬Ø. He slashed down with both blades at the same time, and Prime blocked both. They were face to face. Taraka grinned ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is why we spread, we grow├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime shoved him back and the two of them slid backwards ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd this is why we have to stop!├óÔé¼┬Ø she shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôImagine what those race's could have been if we didn't exterminate them!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
├óÔé¼┼ôEnemy's├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôCreatures that would suck us dry in the end. We can't let them evolve├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime snarled ├óÔé¼┼ôCan't you trust anyone?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou live long enough and you see the truth. There is none├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime ran forward and struck at him, almost hit the field in the center of the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôBe careful├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat field will kill you easily├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI though only the Shroud could create things like me├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said, keeping the field between her and Taraka.
├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôAll it takes is time and some luck├óÔé¼┬Ø. He dived to the left, bounced off the wall and struck at Prime. Prime was off guard and felt his blade slide into her stomach. She was pinned up against the wall, carried there by his momentum. ├óÔé¼┼ôPrime├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôTo this body you are quite beautiful├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime struggled, feeling the blade with her hands and trying to push off. Taraka slowly slid the blade up, and black grit flowed out of the slit. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo...so...so beautiful├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka slid the blade up in between her breasts and stopped right at her neck.
Prime reseted her head back against the wall, feeling intense pain in her entire body. Prime tired to close up the hole, and slowly bringing it together. Taraka jerked his blade out of from below Prime's neck. Prime gasped as the hole closed up. Taraka gently brushed her cheek, looking at the small pile of black grit that was collected around Prime's feet ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm going to fulfill your strongest desire├óÔé¼┬Ø. He jammed his blade into her stomach and twisted it. Prime gasped. Something was different.
Black grit flowed out around the blade, slower then before. It congealed slightly. ├óÔé¼┼ôMy cell's are now in your body├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said ├óÔé¼┼ôConverting you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Prime gasped, her eye's coming in and out of focus. The black grit globed out of the hole and red began to dribble out. ├óÔé¼┼ôTurning you into what you've always wanted├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said, grinning. Prime felt the blade, closing her eyes. Blood ran slick down the blade, pooling around Taraka's knuckles.
Taraka jerked out his blade and blood flowed freely from Prime's wound. Prime dropped to one knee and her hands splayed out over the floor, leaving bloody hand prints. Taraka turned away, starting to walk away. Prime slowly got to her feet, swaying as blood continued to pump out. Taraka was free, open to attack. She tried to extend her forearm blades, but nothing happened. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...did you do?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI gave you what you wanted├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka said. Prime took a step, staggered, and felt herself fading slowly.
Taraka turned around slowly, looking at Prime. Trillions dead. Blood flowing out. Humanity. Prime took a step forward and got slightly closer to Taraka. The field rotated behind him slowly, Prime's vision graying out slowly. Daniel. Liz. Rick. Yalonda. Taraka. All people who she knew. Her intestines splitting open and spilling into her stomach. Prime fell to one knee a step from Taraka. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you going to accomplish?├óÔé¼┬Ø Taraka asked ├óÔé¼┼ôSave a single race for only a while?├óÔé¼┬Ø. Love. Hate. Fear. Joy. Ecstasy. Everything Prime had felt. The feel of her blade hitting into the sharks, splitting their skin and blubber. Daniels hand on her, touching her.
├óÔé¼┼ôI...learned something├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said slowly, the blood flow in her wound slowing. She stood, suddenly, quickly, faster then anyone would have thought. She sprung to her feet, her hatred, her rage, her fear, her desire to kill all focused onto her fist. She punched Taraka in the jaw, a vicious upper cut. Taraka was thrown off balance, falling backwards. Into. The. Field. Books. Every word. Doctor Darling, a trashy romance novel. Prime had once thought it was the best thing ever. Then...Beowulf, Shakespeare. Heinlein.
Taraka screamed, long and loud. His body started to stretch, his arms and legs slowly reaching to the pole's of the field. His scream got louder and louder, and higher and higher as he stretched more and more. Prime stood stalk still, wavering slightly. Taraka's head bent backwards, his jaw opining wider then it should. His skin began to bubble, sloughing off. Black grit started to spiral away in the field, away from his body. Birth, life. Death. All of it flashed by.
Then Taraka snapped, like a rubber band, and his half's slithered into the pole's. Then he was gone. Prime wavered a bit more, wobbling on her feet. ├óÔé¼┼ôI learned that├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, spitting onto the floor were Taraka had stood ├óÔé¼┼ôFrom Elizabeth Montoya├óÔé¼┬Ø. Then she turned and began to walk out of the room, towards the familiar. Towards the colony that she wanted to see one last time. She got to the door, and walked out side.
├óÔé¼┼ôStop right there!├óÔé¼┬Ø The police officer shouted. The marines and the officers stood outside, guns ready. Lights shone onto Prime, shining from the marines headlamps. She raised her hand. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts her!├óÔé¼┬Ø someone shouted. The guns, however, did not lower. ├óÔé¼┼ôSomething is wrong├óÔé¼┬Ø Liz muttered. Prime took another step forward, and she was out of memory's to see. So now she could focus on the now. Her mind was dull, her vision slowly graying out as she lost more and more blood. Droplets of blood splattered onto the snow, staining it.
Prime took another step, fell to her knee. Then she looked up and saw, in the light, the wavering face of Elizabeth Montoya. Prime slowly raised her hand up, balled in a fist. Liz's eyes widened slightly, wondering what she was going to do. Prime punched the air lightly, a mime of her jaw breaker that she had done only a few moments ago. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust like that├óÔé¼┬Ø She said softly. But she knew that Liz heard. ├óÔé¼┼ôJust like that├óÔé¼┬Ø Prime said. She took another step, wanting to tell them all about what had happened.
Then she collapsed onto one knee. Then fell face forward, blood seeping out under her. Prime grinned one last time, seeing the lights wash over the snow around her. "Just like that".
The End
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unpossible
- Posts: 871
- Joined: 10 May 2005, 19:24
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unpossible
- Posts: 871
- Joined: 10 May 2005, 19:24
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Forboding Angel
- Evolution RTS Developer
- Posts: 14673
- Joined: 17 Nov 2005, 02:43
I would like to have a request. Could someone please critique the story, and not just gush about how great it is? My ego is big enough already 
And compliments don't make good storys. Neither do insults, for that matter, but i really do need some complaints (politely of course) so I can reevaluate my writing style and get better. So if somone could write up a short synopsis of what they think, that would be grand.
I have sent my book to three other people (A man and two girls) and a fourth or fiffth person would be very good. Thanks
And compliments don't make good storys. Neither do insults, for that matter, but i really do need some complaints (politely of course) so I can reevaluate my writing style and get better. So if somone could write up a short synopsis of what they think, that would be grand.
I have sent my book to three other people (A man and two girls) and a fourth or fiffth person would be very good. Thanks