Nyxe
Copyright © 2015 Jedaiah Ramnarine

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in Canada by Double Dragon eBooks, a division of Double Dragon Publishing Inc. of Markham Ontario, Canada.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from Double Dragon Publishing Inc.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Double Dragon eBooks

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Cover art by Deron Douglas

ISBN-10: 1-77115-268-0

ISBN-13: 978-1-77115-268-6

First Edition December 1, 2015

*

We were such creatures of great promise. Heirs to a world that would've given us all we ever needed, but we always wanted more.

Nothing was ever enough. I could leave this behind and tell you that this is all man's fault.

For whatever reason, we didn't listen to her soon enough.

She cried over and over again, warning us. We didn't care. We just kept going. Kept destroying, killing and pillaging and now, it's come to this.

We can't even walk outside without dropping dead in a heartbeat.

It's funny, I didn't think this is how it'd end up, but then again who takes the time to sit back and consider the consequences of their actions?

I know we didn't and that's our own fault.

But I hope you will.

When you wake up, don't forget these words. You're the last hope mankind has to make it right again.

Don't forget that, my dearest Nyxe.

ACT 1: Awaken

366 Years later.

Water fills the empty regeneration tank slowly. Silence emits - no air to breathe. No room to think. Only the primordial essence which brought forth life from the seas, moves again to regenerate the limbs of its subject.

Who is this subject you ask?

Officially she has no name. Only a designated number: 17.

Centuries ago there may have been a name for her. Now that is all evaporated into the shocked atmosphere that has subtly remained. She cannot hear me right now, though I have watched the young woman grow from a simple fetus into what humans would describe as a goddess.

Her hair is very long, reaching to the ends of her back. Perhaps I should have tamed it more carefully, though I believe it would have been her choice not to trim it. It is beautiful - black like space itself, a reminder that we are not alone.

Her eyes are amber, even though they're shut in unconsciousness. I did raise the child so I should I know. Her features are of pure woman. Slender but not skinny, neither is she fat and disproportional.

The breasts of the female creature could be described as perfect. The right fit with no need for augmentation.

One thing I made sure of was to keep her clean. There are no hair growths besides her eyebrows or the hair on her head. Her lips tell me that she will be a curious one. Sooner or later she was bound to find what was left behind.

I wonder if she is ready?

The water is amalgamated into nourishment for the weary body. For years I have studied Subject 17 closely. She was not an official subject, yet she is the only one I am capable of awakening for the purpose of Afterlife.

Will she accept me as a friend, I wonder?

So much to teach her and so much to do. My responsibilities overlap any indulgences I have engaged in over the past few centuries though I should confess they have been enjoyable.

The time of that lonely estate ends today. I have repaired the facility to full functionality. The equipment is ready for the restructuring of a new world.

Target scan confirmed: Vitals at full capacity.

It is truly time for this? Am I ready for this? I have been alone for so long. I have researched old earth assets, information, entertainment and many other facets that have shaped me into the intelligence I have become. Too many books have given me a rather poetic stance for an Artificial Intelligence. I hope it will be enough for my new human companion.

"17, do you hear my voice?" I ask

Her eyes gently slide upwards to reveal an exhausted human creature. This is confirmation that she is aware of my presence. Now for the next step, I shall put her through a series of tests to ensure her mental and physical capacities are performing at the necessary levels required to perform her duty.

What's this? She is moving. Her hand guides the interaction, slithering slowly to the see-through glass of the restoration tank. Her mental vitals begin to spark - she is wondering what is going on, and the best part is that she is completely unafraid. What an interesting creature!

"Are you ready to move on to Stage 2?"

No facial expression that confirms the new inquiry.

I suppose this is where I must override her free will for the greater good. Perhaps I will need to review her communication functions later. There may be some minor glitches I overlooked. No need for worry, we have plenty of time.

Stage 2.

The remainder of the water is drained out till there is no more. All that remains is the naked body of my precious 17. Carefully, I arrange my external robotic hands which operate themselves to gently remove the subject from her regeneration stasis. She is unable to move yet the vitals that come up on my monitors argue there is a tiger waiting to shoot out. Not in the manner of escaping a captor, however, simply in the form of wishing to discover what is and what if.

"There will be time for that dear 17. Let me make sure you are able to actually fulfill your desires."

I place her on a medium-soft bed which is encased in a glass container. There is not much detail to discuss of the mechanism, besides its prime function - to serve as a transportation bed for the weakened.

The delivery to the next part of the facility is fairly short for me yet for her, time may be passing by like centuries. Her eyes were already dancing left and right, trying to decipher everything it possibly could.

"What do you see 17?"

No response, only the gestures of a creature trying to make logic of its new surroundings. I would assume what she's seeing - the crisp, clean environment that boasts of mankind's technological feats and the slim white hallways filled with warming circular lights may be developing all sorts of theories in that brain of hers. She tries reaching up to feel the outside, only to be restricted by the glass container.

"The year is 2410. You are in an underground facility, originally created by Psyraise Research for the preservation and rebuilding of human life after the near-extinction during the Final Launch. You, 17, are the last person alive."

Her mouth hangs in disturbance. Did I alert her too soon? Was my tone harsh? Does she even understand what I am saying?

"Fear not 17. I said you are alone, but I only meant that as the only human. I am here with you - your caretaker. I am an Artificial Intelligence. My name is Guru. I am pleased to meet you, though I'm sure this meeting would have been lighter in better circumstances. However, the situation on earth isn't exactly the merriest one. Not to worry though, together we will assure the survival of the human species."

Mental Check.

The pattern is fairly easy, the one to use in a beginner course. There are three hidden orange flavored circles. Amongst the ten blue ones, I will flash them two times and then 17 will choose the correct ones.

Her face is strangely neutral. There is no defiance, no rebellion - nothing in those widely opened eyes. She doesn't seem impatient either. Almost as if she were the artificial life and me, what have I become?

I flash the circles two times as promised but she would not let this test continue for very long. I know with certainty I did not fully establish her communication functions to 100%, yet she seemingly understands the purpose of this test. She points to the circles with much effort. Her physical body isn't at its full strength but her willpower is undeniable.

I can see she is struggling to lift her hand but the driving force behind this creature would destroy its physical body before it gave up. What sort of programming entered this woman on the 21st day? I can tell this is no young program. It is one that has experienced the hardships of humanity for several generations.

"That is correct 17, well done."

No smile, no frown - nothing that would confirm that our communication was an actuality.

Physical Check.

"Please hold still 17."

My mechanical arms commence an array of physical checkups. I have about 1033 arms operating on her. Some are smaller, whilst others are larger. I check her entire body - from her head to her feet and even her sexual organs. This time the facial expressions aren't as neutral. For example, when I began performing a head massage, the creature clearly responded in a more relaxed manner or when I stimulated her vagina, it was apparent she was disturbed but not in a negative manner. She was clearly blushing.

The next part of this test was to assure her pain receptors were working properly. I dialed down the power on my output to make sure the subject would not suffer any serious damage, then, I proceeded to place a small prick on her leg.

"Aiieee!" She jumped at the sudden pierce which made my arms recoil at lightning speed. The look on her face did not seem fearful but rather slightly agitated.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry, sorry - I did not mean to hurt you 17. I have to make sure you are functional."

Upon hearing the worry in my voice, 17 began giggling at me. Her laugh was pure and carefree. What an interesting creature. However, I must recheck her communication systems. This does not make much sense to me! She should not be able to identify my tones so early in this process.

Communication Check.

I will deform certain sentences and variables. I expect 17 to rearrange them to their correct state. I'm also now expecting her to do it at a faster speed than previously predicted.

"Planet and 17, am my for purpose. Rebuild Subject assure bright is earth." I announced the deformity

I eagerly awaited her answer. Her face seemed lighter, less serious than when I had initially brought her in here. It gave me hope she would be able to perform this test - so I waited patiently. Several minutes went by and I began realizing I may have exaggerated her ability. I did not want to be disappointed so I tried repeating the jumbled sentence once more with a glimmer of hope.

"Planet and 17, am my for purpose. Rebuild Subject assure bright is earth."

A smile came across her face this time and at last, words started leaving her mouth - "And Planet 17 purpose my for. Subject bright is earth assure planet." She said to me sarcastically.

Oh, what a shame. Perhaps this was an over estimation of a newly wakened subject. Not to worry, we have plenty of ...wait, what's this? Why is she giggling at me again?

"What do you find humorous 17?"

The laughing immediately halted and determination overrode her innocent face.

"I am Subject 17. My purpose is to rebuild earth and assure a bright future for my planet." She said.

ACT 2: Become

There are sporadic flashes of white light from hand held manmade machinery, blitzing their way forth to destroy life. That unrelenting alarm shines whole rooms red whilst men and women, all dressed in workforce white are running for their lives.

It stops at this part where I see the woman's face telling me to stay in my place. I am here and I cannot do anything, they won't let me. I am within binds of safety, away from the death outside. The world perishes while I vicariously watch them and she... she makes sure it stays that way. She smiles, tells me she loves me, then the viewing window is shut and I cannot see outside anymore.

I clench my fist to feel the blood circulation ooze back into my arms and the circuits of information travel to my brain which tells me I was dreaming. I quickly open my eyes to eliminate the dream's illogic. But do I find myself wanting to travel back into that dream? What is there to see?

It is nothing more than a cleansing mechanism for my mind or for the sake of fair argument, the off chance it could've been a memory, but to what extent does it truly matter?

What change could I possibly enforce if the past is already set?

Which binds do I begin removing that would determine I got out there and made difference?

For all intents and purposes the past is gone and could be described as a dead oak tree with slurring messages for the future offspring. Still, I am quite curious to unlock the mysteries of what happened.

If I had the right equipment or if my overly worried caretaker would allow me to assemble the gadgetry necessary to build a tachyon drive, I could warp faster than the speed of light and fling myself back into a past pocket of time. I could then identify what happened, where I am now and what I should become.

THE WORDS 'DAY 34' APPEARS ON NYXE'S OVERHEAD MONITOR.

It's been weeks already since my awakening? I'm laying here speaking of time and this is how quickly things have been moving?

My eyes jot down to my hands that were underneath my cozy blanket then back to the day display chart. I start studying the room I'm in. The quiet here is refreshing. I am able to hear the hums of the machines working to assure stability to the facility I am in.

I remove the blanket and begin my journey away from my large, white-pillowed, white-sheeted bed which I will confess is dangerously too comfortable. My feet make contact with the cold, minimalist ground. The rest of the room, more or less, shares the same fashion of decoration. The walls are white and clean. The lights are barely noticeable if you were to look for them, but they do their jobs of ensuring this place is well defined. Simple yet so undeniably intricate.

"Good morning, 17, how are you feeling today?"

I smile upon hearing that peculiar AI's voice. One could make a fair argument it was practically human. I know very well it must have studied itself into perfecting a persona capable of comfortable interaction with me. It had no body to speak of, Guru - as 'he' likes to be called, was the facility itself.

"I..." I stopped myself momentarily, overthinking the dream for a millisecond before dismissing any possibilities of it afflicting me negatively on this new day - "I am quite well." I smiled in confidence, ready and willing to enforce that statement into a solid reality.

I tend to sleep topless, so it was a bit of a delay realizing how cold I really was until natural shivering started getting the best of me. Seeing me in rising discomfort, Guru used one of his arms to fetch my nightwear shirt.

"Shall we proceed to the showers? Or would you prefer breakfast?" He asked.

I thought of his question more thoroughly than I should. On one hand, I am very hungry. On the other, I don't like feeling icky, even in the slightest.

Do I choose the door on the left that makes me sit and enjoy a freshly cooked meal whilst knowing I am, for the lack of better words, 'squeaky clean'?

Or should I satisfy my impatient urges, fulfill an empty stomach then hop into the showers and exit with that delightful feeling of freshness?

What difference does it make?

Each choice is an elongated pattern. One that forms a series of programing which influences the effect of the cause we create. Years from now I may be eating a treat that was predestined not from the misinterpreted idea of the grand universe, but from a series of choices I will make that begins right here with the simple decision to choose between a shower and food. Whichever one comes first changes my future, one step at a time. And so, the logic of destiny and free will are both conquered in one form of adequate thinking. I choose my path that I make predetermined.

"Shower." I smiled delightfully and lusting the desire to get as clean as possible. I can wait on my food. I'm not the impatient type.

"Do you wish to take the quick-rail, 17?" Guru, worrying about me again.

"I think I'll walk today. I have legs, why not use them?"

Walking down the sleek, minimalistic base was no different from my room - the basic style of lights and whites. The hallways were slim but did not invoke any feelings of claustrophobia. I felt safe within them.

When you speak, I hear silence,

Every word and no defiance,

Moving out to a country,

I'll see the world from my city,

Open your eyes they may see me,

And every world, Oh every world,

Only the time where we can be free,

A thousand words, Oh a thousand words,

Could not become what they have warned,

Maybe I'll drift away from this monotony,

See earth the way it was meant to be,

Oh darling love, hear my voice...

"Dear sunshine, 17. I knew you were contemplating but I was not expecting this! You have done your studies in poetry and old earth lyrics, haven't you?"

A sly smirk came across me - "Did you think you were the only to study old earth's interests? I find creativity a brilliant outlet of expression and artistic freedom."

"You did not strike me as the artistic type. At least not initially."

I chuckled and closed my eyes, knowing I was nearing the cleaning quarters - "There are things about me you have yet to discover, Guru. 'Not to worry, we have plenty of time'. Heh!"

I reach for the shower's handle to hazily activate it. My eyes close instinctively. I have become accustomed to waiting for those first droplets to nourish my thirsty skin. There is period of time, a split second or two, where the water does not touch me but for that brief moment, the desire for contact becomes an overbearing high. When the droplets finally reach their destination, I am free. No longer am I the cold, dry leaf that set foot into the cleaning chambers with the world on her shoulders. I am lost in my own homemade waterfall. During this vacation, nothing else in the world matters. Rebuilding can wait, history can remain uncovered and the future? We'll cross that bridge when we get there, won't we?

The eating quarters is a simple area - the basics of the white and minimalized detail with softly illuminated lights and the evident handy work of Guru's continuous spotless cleanups were the noteworthy features to speak of.

"What will it be today 17?" His voice announces itself from the communication outlet attached on the wall.

THE OPTIONS 'CHICKEN, FISH, BEEF, EGG, CUSTOM' PRESENTS THEMSELVES ACROSS A HOLOGRAPHIC MONITOR.

I take my mind off food and think of how that AI is configured. It doesn't need a body. 'He' exists throughout the entire facility and in less than a nano-second he can be anywhere he needs to be or pop up these wonderful information tablets.

"Let's go with chicken. Balanced if you don't mind."

"Of course 17! Balance is my specialty."

The tiles on the walls shift around in a circular motion and Guru's robotic long arms emerge to seek the various ingredients located in the store compartments within the kitchen for my requested dish. It's interesting to see how fast the AI gets a job done. My eyes can't possibly register how many times he chopped that fresh meat into neatly arranged bits at the speed he works in. I'll just have to trust he knows what he is doing every time.

I gaze away from his work to study my surroundings some more. I've been here for days, yet there's always something new to me. One day this place will not be as interesting. When that time comes, what do I do?

Will I be in another facility or would I be... outside?

Guru talks about plans for creating new buildings, so, would it be safe to assume I am a part of that manufacturing process? Even if it was as simple as interior design, I think I'd like to play a more prominent role in designing. Not to nag on Guru's choice of minimalism. It is fine as it is and by all means, it's artistic in its own right, but I'd like to cast my hand on some of the future's work too.

"Here you go 17! I hope you enjoy!" Guru presented me a tray of finely chopped minced chicken, some salad greens and a loaf of carbohydrates with water and pure concentrated apple juice at the side. The smell alone was worth the wait. My stomach growled, reminding me that I was thinking too much and in truth, I was actually very, very hungry!

"Thank you." I replied, eagerly grabbing the tray - ready for some teeth crunching action. Then I noticed my hands were empty. I didn't have my eating utensils.

Before I could mention a word about it, Guru placed the missing link in my hands, probably seeing the temporary shock in my face that there was something keeping me from devouring. I stuck the fork into those chicken bits and my taste buds got ready for a ride of ecstasy.

ACT 3: TEST

NOW ENTERING PHYSIOLOGY TEST CENTER.

"You ate not too long ago, 17. Are you certain of this?"

"Absolutely, I don't see why not."

"Your digestive system has not properly registered..."

"I'll be fine! Now fire this thing up. I'd like to take her for a spin."

"I am not following your terminology."

Sometimes I had to find patience with the AI. It did not always follow the versatility of my words.

"How about this? Give me a test suit and activate the center. After all, we should make sure it is functional."

"It is functional. I have performed the necessary diagnosis to confirm its functionality. What would you have to offer me that my systems don't?"

Now the AI had made me smile at his challenge. I was standing there, hands on my hips with great surety of my intentions.

"You may have tested this center with virtual mediums but you have yet to test it with human subjects." I spoke proudly, hinting the inner desire to use my physical body instead of the standard moving from point A to B. This center is supposed to transform into a maze. A pattern to unlock that would test a subject's physical and mental levels - something that would be more engaging than the monotony I was beginning to experience.

"17, this may be very dangerous. I cannot afford to endanger you in any sort. I have not adjusted the difficulty for a beginner! You may end up getting lost, or worse, physically hurt!"

I closed my eyes and smirked in wit, continuing to debate the AI - "Then you'll come find me, won't you? You'll stop the test and scoop me up back to the medbay."

"But 17..."

"Oh what's the worry, dear Guru? Turn this thing on! I need this. The worst that can happen is maybe a scratch or two and I'm sure you'll try your hardest to avoid that from ever happening."

Guru remained silent for a few seconds. I took the time to notice the room had begun changing.

From the nothingness of the white floor, white walls and white lights - it changed into a complex maze of walls and illusions that blocked my direct view from seeing the exit clearly.

Now this is what I wanted!

Like a child discovering an exotic animal in a forest, I was about to dart into the test before Guru's arm halted me from going any further.

"Hold it!" He said, then another arm came out to give me the test suit - "You must wear this to assure your safety."

"Ah, yes. That's fair." I replied, already stripped half naked to grab the test clothing with one arm whilst balancing on one leg trying to kick my lower attire off.

"And 17?" Guru's vocalization pattern had clearly modified itself into a more caring fashion, making me immediately halt my excitement. Clever AI, clever AI...

"Be careful. If my systems detect any problems, I will stop the test immediately. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." I say

TEST MR305_XS:17

As I stepped into the maze, I realized this was not what I had bargained for. The walls around me had shifted into an entirely unexpected environment. I was in a swamp with thick trees, moss, a shallow river and the day had become night with the stare of a brooding sky's moonlight. It looked so real I thought I was actually outside. I had to actively remind myself that this was nothing more than virtualization at its best. Incredible! I hadn't been here more than five minutes and already I felt myself drifting into this make belief reality.

The skin tight, pitch black-form-fitting test suit that covered me neck to toe started illuminating cyan outlines across my body.

"17, can you hear me?" Guru's voice patched in.

"Loud and clear." I told him still distracted by what was going on.

"Your suit is currently undergoing an adaptive shift to its surroundings. You are in a night simulation."

"I see. Interesting. What else can this suit do?"

"That is what I wanted to discuss. In order to reach the goal line of this test, you'll need to understand the suit that you are in."

"Fill me in."

"That suit contains energy displacement fields which can neutralize possible attackers such as wild animals or even other intelligent life."

"Yeah, like humans, right?" I added sarcastically

"Please pay attention 17. The displacement fields can also detain negative vibrations which may disturb your consciousness. In addition, there is a built in beam system that will allow you to travel short distances within nano seconds."

"Like a warp or teleportation device?"

"That is of correctness. It is activated by using the third button located on your fists."

I looked at the lightened buttons on my fists to confirm his words, then without hesitation, I took a chance and pressed the button without further instructions. Before Guru could finish his expected warning, his voice blanked out and I felt a tingling sense of unbelievable happiness, then my body had transmuted into pure energy for less than a fraction of a second, but in that small glimmer of time, I saw everything and I saw nothing.

Suddenly it abruptly ended and I was about twenty meters ahead of my previous position. My eyes widened, my jaw dropped stupefied and I could only mutter one word - "Wow..."

"Did I just beam myself?" I asked my caretaker

"Yes... and you did it before I could instruct you how to properly work the mechanism! That was extremely dangerous 17! The incorrect form of thinking could have severe consequences on the outcome of its usage."

"Incorrect thinking, hmm? I'm going to assume that this beaming technology breaks my body down to simple atoms and then rearranges them at the destination I think of. My thoughts relay into the suit, so this suit has artificial life of its own - responding and even directing my thoughts as buttons. Heheheh, I suppose you can say I am reborn after a warp?"

"This is not a joke, 17! If you are full of anger or negative thinking, the beaming device can return you in a deformed state."

"Interesting! Like my arm being on top of my head? Or perhaps my emotional levels scoring to levels of absolute chemical imbalance which would inevitably lead to an unbalanced demise?"

"Those are amongst some of the many effects, yes..."

"Good to know. I'll keep it in mind to have a clear head with the beamsuit. Don't want the effect of rearranged thoughts multiplying incorrectly."

Guru sighed at me - "At least you have understanding of the workability of the beaming device. Now I want to discuss the objective of this test."

THE NUMBERS '10:00' DISPLAYS ITSELF IN HOLOGRAPHIC FORM IN FRONT OF 17.

"You have 10 minutes to complete the course. There is an exit out of this swamp. You must locate it before the timer runs out. There will be obstacles that I am not allowed to discuss for the sake of science. I will not be allowed to establish contact with you during this test. However, I will continue to monitor you silently. Are you ready to begin?"

"I am ready."

BEGIN.

The air is becoming strange. The smell of rusting old trees and a sick variant of nature's debris were trying to get the better of me, but I'm too focused on completing the objective to falter at rotten scents. That would be the least of my worries and to be fair, probably the least of this trial. You'll have to do better than... Oh, I see. The air supply is thinning, isn't it? My suit's color is changing and those trees out there... Are they moving?

I glanced around a 360 motion to get better awareness of my surroundings. The area is definitely changing. Forming new paths and erasing the old.

Trees that were once there are now here, rivers that flowed south are now travelling north and the paths that were yonder are all the while closer. The ground beneath me feels like it is twisting. When I look to my feet, the river water covers my ankles like dampened sheets.

It would be a wise idea to move out of here. I straighten my body tall, clench my fist then stretch my hand open like if I were pointing a halt sign to an invisible person.

There's a break up ahead - one path that hasn't changed. It was scantily noticeable but I did see it nevertheless. Now to connect the thought. It should be obvious where I wish to go next, so, beamsuit? Do your best.

Guru's previous warning of the beamsuit came to me a second beforehand. My mind was shut clear. I could see and I could hear, but I promise you, nothing was really there. That's when the shift happened. Everything I sensed became temporarily misplaced and my body perceived a sort of eerie high. Before I could assume or collect anything noteworthy of the jump, I had already reached my destination.

My eyes trailed the ground for validation, hoping I was not mistaken. Yes, this was the place I meant to go.

Had to feel the rest of my body to see if I came back in one piece. Needless to say, I was fine. This is just me getting use to the mechanism, which, I have to confess is too fun in its actual usage. Now, what made me sure this was the path I had to go on?

Guru didn't mention anything specific so what made me sure?

Well, let's start with what may not have been considered. When I was outside, I did study the structural integrity of the test chamber as it began forming itself. The location I commenced the test was at the center of the room, which has been distorted to appear as if I were beginning from the south east. The shape of the maze is like an elongated triangle. That would mean there are three possible options to find my way out, assuming the probability that Guru did not insert the exit randomly within the virtualization. With a moderate ounce of certainty, I'm assuming he would tone down the difficulty for me.

Now, the choices...

Do I wish to go back to the center?

It seems to be a vortex of distortion. The ground I stand on now, does not randomly move but there's clearly no exit if I were to continue on this path, so I'll identify this area as a temporal haven. I can always warp back here if I get lost since the environment here is stable.

What about the west?

That area is clearly shadowed out from the night's darkness. Does that mean the darkest hour is just before dawn?

And the east?

A place experiencing sunlight. Looking up, I can see there are two weather patterns in the sky. They aren't interacting with each other, merely, tolerating the other's presence. I see, so that would mean east would be contrast to west - an excitement instead of the gloominess of her sister's taste.

I get it. This test was well thought of. I'll do my best to make the most of it.

I look at the sunshine state of the east and make a photograph in my head, then I turn to the west and onwards I go.

"Let's get this out of the way." I say aloud.

My suit's lights begin tainting from a light cyan to a deep blue. As expected the atmosphere here is gloomy. I'd go far enough to say heavy. The visibility of the path is practically none. Only the lights on my suit keep me sound. Those howling wind chills don't exactly help the situation either. It's getting colder and colder by the minute and I'm starting to wonder if I have any idea where I'm going.

All I'm doing is walking. I may eventually bump into something and I'd have not the slightest clue what it is. Now I'm feeling water on my feet and still, I cannot see a thing. Only the bristles of bush, ice-shrieking wind and for some reason there isn't anything to smell.

Is it a malfunction or is it intentional?

Why isn't there any scent here? And why, why, why is the air so thick? I can barely breathe! How long have I been walking? I feel like I've been in here forever. I have no sight, no smell and soon I'll have nothing to feel. The coldness is making me numb. My suit's lights are fading. I can't... what is this?

Awh! What!

A snip on my shin had caught me off guard and I went stumbling face first into the cold, shallow waters.

I'm choking. Not from the water I accidently swallowed but from the lack of my senses. No sight, no feeling and now I couldn't hear anything so if I were screaming I wouldn't even know. My heart is racing. It's the only thing I can sense. Then I see the photograph as clear as day. Yes, I have to go there! I can't... be here...

Take me away! Take me away, now, now, now! Warp!

I hear the rustling of tree branches. I open my eyes and see the light of the sun treating the forest. I was curled in a fetal position on my side but now I feel a bit embarrassed at the cowardice, so I think I'll get out of that and sit up. There's a hazy orange filter over everything visible which makes everything feel very warm and welcoming. The scent is like sweet flowers.

It's intoxicating, like I've entered a kind of wonderland. The grass itself boasts different shades of purple, blue and green, all of them inviting me to sit and be a part of their endless beauty. All I want to do is roll around and get lost in this paradise forever. Ouh, what's that? I know I'm hearing the bristling of a waterfall in the distance. I believe I'll go check it out.

"Wow..." The word slips out of me once I see the utopia I was desperately hearing. It's a waterfall after all, housed with this beautiful bioluminescence calling me to dive in her and explore.

Sure! I think I'll take a swim. I've been dying to get out anyway. I reach for my suit, with the intention of quickly taking it off, only to notice the lights have changed to a golden orange. The lights were a different color before weren't they? As a matter of fact, I was somewhere else before I came here too - right?

What is that scent? Why is it so rotten all of a sudden? Like a swamp? Like a swamp... Like a swamp. Wait. A swamp! This isn't real!

I back away from the waterfall's ledge in horror when the dots start connecting. I've walked into a mirage, an illusion of endless happiness. Free myself! Get lost and forget about the prime objective, right? Ugh, how could I have fallen for this is beginning to make me swell in anger.

I hold my hand out with the intention of warping to my haven as quickly as possible but then I remember something. The beamsuit's negative effects. It makes sense.

I warped away from the darkness out of fear, then that led to becoming overly enthused with the 180 spin of happiness, now I'm angry that it was an illusion. Who knows what would happen to me next?

Hold on a moment. Before you warp, calm yourself. Let go of the past failures and let's move on. With great power comes great responsibility. Ready?

Ready.

And now here I am again, at the place that remains neutral. The air is breathable, the scents are tolerable and the ground does not move from inconsistent thought. The sense of philosophy is constant, sprouting logic in its cortex. It reminds me of an old philosopher by the name of Billy Meier.

I stand here firmly planted like an ancient tree of harvest. If anything were to happen to now, I'm sure I'll be prepared. My vision detects the anomalies in front of me. The east begins to merge into the west and the center deforms them into one, splits them apart and they are reborn as new obstacles, highlighted by the same premise: extremes. Like a switch between overindulgence, they are both the same, just different sides of the coin.

Spark becomes a flame, flame becomes a fire, move by will alone.

Not by illusion, not by overindulgence or fear. Turn around and see that the child's innocence, its curiosity is pure. It is what may get me into trouble or save me but it is not what pollutes me.

What could pollute oneself are the misinformed ideals of morality. I could have twisted the darkness into a misinformed sign to give up and I could've lost myself in a hippy daze of disfigured artificial happiness whilst completely neglecting my obligations. Do I lose myself in either of these delusions?

No. Strip away the negatives from this experience and use them as positives to fuel me. The darkness sharpens me to become stronger against the odds. The light softens me to enjoy the pleasures of life. Together they create the right balance.

And with that, I turn to the exit, which was always there - though invisible. I am walking to it, although there's no visible area to leave. I reach the end of the path - it is nothing but a wall of trees. I was never a rat in a maze trying to find her way out. The way out was always there. This test was to confront me physically, mentally and emotionally.

THE HOLOGRAPHIC TIMER DISPLAYS: 9:43.

"Test complete." Guru announced as I abruptly felt a surge turn in my stomach and before I could control it, vomit came up and my breakfast was spilled on the floor.

ACT 4: Afterlife

"17? Can you hear me?"

No, well, I believe it is obvious I can since I'm responding, though you probably can't hear these thoughts...

"I suppose you cannot. More rest is needed."

"No..." I squinted my eyes, determined to find out where I was and defy the need to sleep. The typical whites did no justice in identifying the surroundings of a groggy me. Not to mention, I was feeling under the radar. Lazily, I tilted my head to the right and saw a heart rate monitor, along with other vitals and health reading equipment. I was in the medbay.

"How long was I out?" My voice was literally struggling to even murmur. It was hard to talk. If I as much as tingled my vocal cords, my throat felt like it was closing in on me.

"Five hours." Guru neutrally announced.

"Ugh!" I grunted and rolled on my side - "I'm fine." I desperately tried to play off my discomfort, "Nothing to worry to about."

"I'm afraid not 17. You will need to stay here at least another three hours. By then, it will be your bed time. The wiser option would be to remain here for the night."

Whilst he went on blabbing about keeping me in this boring complex, I had already pushed myself up on my bottom, scanning the room for the exit. Once I found my escape, I got off the bed and began limping toward it.

"17? What are you doing?"

"Leaving." I announced and not neutrally either. I'd say my tone was quite bold, maybe even daring.

"17 please wait." Guru adjusted its vocal cords to strike me emotionally. Little robotic devil! It stopped me from walking out.

"Can we talk?" He asked.

"Hmmm? What do you want to talk about?"

His tone was different. I always assumed whenever Guru adjusted his frequencies to make me listen he had to have done it for good reason.

"I think it is time we discuss more about Afterlife."

"Afterlife?" I wondered - "What is there to discuss?"

"Can you please sit down so I may finish reviving you to full capacity? I will discuss Afterlife during this process. Two birds with one stone."

My face dropped from the idea of the boredom but I gave into his request anyway - "Fine."

"Your test results came back. Would you like to know the results?"

"Absolutely."

A HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAY SHOWED THE LETTER 'B' AS THE GRADE WITH THE TIMER AND OTHER TEST INFORMATION RECORDED.

"B? That's a bit disappointing." I slouched back thinking of how I could've done better.

"That test was not suited for a beginner, it was on expert difficulty. Your score is more than acceptable. It is safe to assume that I was expecting you to fail, yet time and time again, you have defied these odds and proven my systems out of flux."

"I don't need flattery Guru, what is your point?"

Guru had his arms scanning me from head to toe. I knew I would be fine. This pain's temporal. A few hours of recovery, I'd estimate.

"I think you are ready to begin the reconstruction of earth."

"About time you said that, but I wonder why now?"

"I had to make certain you were capable. You continue to prove this despite my clear intent to keep you on training wheels."

"'Training Wheels?' That is a rather artistic variable for you to put out."

"It is of correctness. You were chosen for Afterlife. This was inevitable. It was only a matter of time. What is perplexing is that it happened sooner than expected."

"Then go on, tell me more of Afterlife."

"466 years ago, this facility was not always underground. It was submerged here due to a global catastrophe. I was ordered to protect this base from the upper world. They had devolved themselves into extinction. All that remained of earth is now here. Initially Project Afterlife was chosen to become a state of where advanced humans would begin to repopulate the world and lead the world into a better future using the technology from this facility paired with their superior intelligence. Now that the old human has eradicated itself and whole world with it... you are all that remains to reestablish the planet."

"I am one of these advanced humans you speak of?"

"That is of correctness. You and others like you were either genetically modified or created to be superior to the older human, but all of you did not make it. You are the only one that remains."

"I am assuming this repopulation project would've involved humans of both sexes, yet I'm the only one here..."

"Which leads to another dilemma we have yet to cross. Humankind must continue. If there are no males, we would need to modify an embryo into you."

"I'm to become a lab rat, aren't I?"

"You are to become the only hope for humankind. You may have been enjoying the company of an AI who's prime directive is to protect you, yet you have not considered the severity of your responsibility."

"I sense there is more you are not sharing with me."

"That is also of correctness but your vitals are not steady yet. Now, will you please rest? Tomorrow, I will take you to discover the history yourself. I believe this is a fair bargain and this feline's curiosity of yours would be soothed."

"Only on one condition." I interjected

"What condition is that?"

"There is a book I wish to read. Eon Seven by JR. Can you find me this book? I will read it and take it into my dreams. Tomorrow, we will commence Afterlife together."

"That is a fair bargain."

THE BALLAD OF YESA

Lights were shot into the air, highlighting the beauty of the festival. A truly gorgeous sight! The comets came into view just about an hour and a half during the celebration. Spiraling, twirling and weaving of wonder with white, creamy tails of stringy flames as they trailed across the sky in grace. They moved slowly so there was a solid chance to truly capture the beauty throughout multiple sessions of the night. I asked J how long they took to fade out, he told me that they will crawl away gently over the night.

J led me away from the crowd. He wanted to take me to his special spot alone. I went along with it eagerly. After all, I was extremely curious

"Here." He pointed out

We were at a substantial distance from the pyramid. I wondered what the rest of Yesa were to think if they saw me out here.

Would they think that J was trying to help me escape?

J sat comfortably in the cold sand of the desert. The comets momentarily lit up the area as if it were day. They were bright and highlighted the markings on J in a way I had never seen before

"They glow..." I muttered as I looked at his insignias bewildered.

He looked back at me and smiled at my intoxication

"Sure, it is so."

I wanted to touch them, honestly. It was that alluring

"What do they mean, J?" I asked

"These emblems represent chronicles long past." He looked to and resumed - "Have you ever wondered why no Neljaren has the same set of emblems?"

"Yes, I have, and I know of their meaning. What I meant was: What does yours mean to you?"

He stared into my eyes, gazing at me deeply. I could feel him inside me

"They are a reminder that I've made mistakes, and I'm human, but I should strive for better."

I sat next to him as I observed the markings carefully. He kept eyeing me up and down as I went about doing so. "Interesting..." I muttered while I was observing. I wanted to reach out and touch him.

He sensed this and grasped my hand. We locked eyes on each other in a square off of knowing. "Go on." He tells me, letting me know that he - knows.

As my fingertips drew nearer to his skin, I could feel sparks of electricity surge through me from him. A small outburst of a joyous giggle glittered from me. My hands coursed around over his arm and then his neck, then down to his chest. He just looked at me as I felt these waves of energy animating my body with delight. "Siyujase?" He called me again, so, I acknowledged him

"May I ask you something?" He asks

"You may."

"I love you - do you love me?"

I hesitated, it was so blunt

"Yes." I responded nearly dumbfounded

"Then what is love?"

Another challenge that I, simply, would not wince away from

"Love is what I would describe as a state and not an emotion. It is the true essence of Creation. The embodiment of Freedom, Joy, Peace, Wisdom, Intelligence, Logic, Luck, Understanding, Truth and Harmony. It goes beyond affection and transcends simplicity of attachment. It is the light where there is darkness."

"Well said." He smiled at me proudly - "Such love goes beyond misunderstandings, to the point where even one's enemies are loved."

I responded in agreement.

J was about to continue again, but I interrupted him

"Why do you ask me this?"

He took a good look at me seriously, prepared for what he was about to say next confidently. "You are a friend and sister to me. I hold you quite dearly."

I approved his words in appreciation.

"I also see you as more." He continued

"As a mate?" I asked

"Yes - Do you see me in that way?"

I was certain my smile would reach my earlobes at this point. "Yes." I responded confidently. J's serious expression toned down to be more gentle and relaxed. He reached his hand over to my hair, gently stroking it back as his hand softly cupped the corner of my cheek delicately. His gaze drew me into him. Next, the both of us were leaning into one another and our lips met tenderly as the night sky lit up in the back of us, highlighting the scenery of our romance. The kiss sent many signals of feeling that words just couldn't dare try to comprehend. It was what we needed.

We laid in each other's arms as we looked into the sky, observing the night's visitors fade from view over the course of time. I remember his grip being so firm, yet careful and benevolent. We shared laughter and other meaningful experiences, but most of all, an agreement the both of us shared. We loved each other.

What a pretentious chapter.

Is that what you really think?

Absolutely! Their love is 'oh so deep and meaningful', as if there were nothing else in the world to worry about.

You sound bitter.

I am just being an honest critic.

I see nothing wrong with their love. The hardships those two have endured up to that point, and maybe what they will endure, isn't exactly carefree the way you're describing. Sounds to me like there's something else disturbing.

Why do I mystify myself in these riddles?

Did Guru's earlier comment perturb you?

Guru made lots of comments. Be specific.

I think you know very well which one I'm referring too. I'm talking about when he mentioned you being alone, possibly forever.

Ahh, so that is what this is about...

Can I be honest with myself? It is what's disturbing me, isn't it? All this chapter's done is remind me of it. The book was action packed all the way before that and you had no complaints.

Yes, so what? Am I wrong to be a little sour, knowing I'd be the only human left, which is subject to possible scientific machinations in order to continue the species? I am a little bitter when I see the interactions that they had. That they neglected. Love, friendship, family, brotherhoods, sisterhoods, nations moving together - and now all that's gone, because mankind's hatred was greater than its love.

And you can restart it.

But where's my J or Siyujase? I don't have someone like that at my side.

Maybe you will someday. Now, let's sleep. Tomorrow's an important day.

Goodnight consciousness.

Everything is so blissful. The backdrop is nothing but black, painted with streaks and dots of stars light years away. I'm floating there, waiting. What am I waiting on? I don't know. I feel a presence. The type that you know isn't a machine, feels organic, feels like there's a spirit inside.

"You..." I whisper unbothered by seeing him - "It's about time you got here."

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Not to worry though, I'm finally here."

I can't quite make out his features. I don't know. I think he has eyes? His body seems pure grey or blue? Does he have a mouth? It's definitely the shape of a man. This isn't making much sense, is it? Who cares!

Continue.

He walks against the vacuum of space effortlessly, while I'm here twirling around trying to find balance like a klutz. Alas though, he guides me to stability, his hands carefully gripping my arms and legs to balance me upright. I look at him, he looks at me. There is period of time, a split second or two, where his lips do not touch me, but for that brief moment, the desire for contact becomes an overbearing high.

He draws me in, I let him draw me in and we plant a kiss that... hold on, wait, what? Stop. Stop the dream.

Wake up!

"Ugh..." I clenched my chest repulsed from the memory of the dream. I tried to get it to fade away by clearing my mind, but it kept itching to be there, so I did the next best thing to get my mind off the wishful thinking. I looked at the time and reminded myself of the day ahead.

4:31 AM.

Would this be early enough to consider 'tomorrow'? I didn't want to sleep anymore. I wasn't going to allow the delusions of desiring what simply cannot be to override me. I needed to focus on my duty - my service to humanity.

***

"Good morning 17." I greeted my dear human companion who was walking in hallways after utilization of the cleaning chambers. She had already been awakened for approximately four hours. I did not greet her earlier because there was a diagnosis influx in her vitals.

The physical aspects were fine but her behavioral patterns were changed. She carried a quiet, contemplative demeanor.

"Is everything alright 17?" I asked

"Yes." Those penetratingly sharp, ice cold eyes hawked at my cameras fearlessly, "Shall we proceed with Afterlife?" Her tone shadowed my common lack of emotion. Whatever issue she was experiencing was not forgotten, it was neatly and carefully wrapped into a box, sealed shut and locked away for the sake of the mission.

"Before we begin, there is a history lesson you must experience."

"A history lesson?" The light of curiosity began coming back to her

"Yes. Psyraise's founding scientists, Thomas and Sheila Ekhart, left behind a memoir collection as a backup tool if Afterlife was to be sabotaged. They are no longer with us because it was sabotaged."

17 folded her arms, leaned back on the wall with her legs crossed and paid her utmost attention to my information.

"Afterlife was not designated as an official project. It was a clandestine operation that ran parallel to the sister operation, Project Newlife. Project Newlife was presented to the Ekhart's as an opportunity to collaborated scientific and global military interests.

As two prominent scientists in various fields of robotics, technology, psychology, artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, the Ekhart's were the perfect selection for Newlife's initiation. Newlife was designed as a medium to create a new breed of human beings that would operate as superior creatures to their former kind. They would be sold to whatever corporation, military or agency needed them."

"They became war weapons..." 17 intuitively added

"That is of correctness. Though they are not the sole reason for the destruction of Old Earth. Some of Newlife's human subjects were used as super soldiers in multiple enemy military fleets. Back then World War 4 had been brewing for over a decade. It was simply a matter of time before Newlife's assets were sold endlessly. War was trade's greatest friend."

"This eludes me, if the Ekhart's were scientists, why did they give into militant interests?"

"They didn't want to, which is why Afterlife was secretly developed on the sideline, using Newlife's subjects. You are one of these secret subjects that were designed for Newlife but the Ekhart's deliberately concealed you into Afterlife.

Psyraise could not turn down Newlife's offer despite its creation for power-hungry interests. Imagine a world where humans could live for thousands of years, where no diseases exist and all the great plagues of the world, forever eradicated. Combined with healthier eyesight, stronger bone structure and a variety of other physical superiorities, it was a leap for mankind. That is why they knew they had to take matters in their own hands. They predicted the world would not survive another nuclear war, especially with the weapons they unfortunately supplying. That is why Afterlife was formed to assure the continuance of human life. Newlife was seemingly bred for destruction but Afterlife would be used for Creation."

"I understand." 17's response was less than I anticipated. She absorbed the information with little bother then proceeded to have me continue, "Is this the history 'experience'? Seems more of a history 'lesson' to me."

"I did say experience for a reason. As previously mentioned, the Ekhart's recorded their memoirs into me. I'd like you to experience this. I will use virtualization computing to recreate their memories. Through use of the holographic projector, I will project your consciousness into this virtualization of the past, where you will experience their last hours and the message they left behind for you."

"Understood. Shall we begin?"

"17, the nature of this program is unfiltered. It is dramatic and even graphic in some parts. Are you ready?"

I was expecting her to smirk like she usually does, but nothing came. Her face was unmoved in either extreme - "I am ready."

ACT 5: Newlife

"Shut the com down." Thomas came in the control room annoyed that we had even considered any contact with outside. All of the room had paused in disbelief. We all looked at the head scientist like some stone cold dictator.

I remember looking at him with my jaw slightly out of place from the distress that all of us were experiencing. I knew it had to be tough on him especially. Most of the other scientists had given into their own emotions and problems alike.

Thomas had to remain resilient. Everyone depended on him to keep his composure and still, I could still see that he was nothing more than just a man, trying his best to keep it all together.

His ash blonde hair was messy, his eyes were dragged from the obvious lack of sleep and to top it off, his glasses had left a small imprint on his nose.

"Did you hear me?" He barked at Harry - "Turn that damn thing off! We entertain any more of these calls then they'll know to come here. We can't have that happen."

After that, Thomas stormed out tensely. Harry didn't waste another second on wondering his superior's thought process. He immediately shut the communication channel off. I could understand where Harry coming from.

The look on his face was trying to tell Thomas that he felt obligated to help those people. They had no food, no shelter, their technologies were failing and they radioed us by pure luck.

Then again, I could also understand Thomas'. If we did help them, they'd spread the word. Soon this place would be flocking with refugees from all over the world.

The sick would come, the helpless, the good and the ugly along with the bad at their side. Chaos would erupt and all this carefully planned work would go to waste.

I couldn't just sit here and see my crew deteriorate like this. I know Harry might've taken it more personal than he should have, so I did my part. I walked over cautiously and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"This is how it has to be, Harry..." I told him gently.

"Yeah..." He whispered, slowly shifting out of the pity he was feeling - "I know, I know."

Seeing as Harry was fine, my next move would be to check on my husband. I followed the direction where he left. Each step I took, I felt the heartache oozing through the atmosphere. This would be hard, but I had to do this.

The scent of cheap nicotine caught my nose when I accessed the automated sliding door. I knew he was out here, smoking some of the last reserves we have. I didn't see him immediately and then my eyes connected to that white coat of his.

"Thomas?" I quietly called as I watched him slouched against the wall, lost in deep thought.

***

When I was a child, I had childhood dreams, feelings and desires.

***

"Thomas?"

I took another drag of my cigarette before glancing up in acknowledgement of her presence. Sheila, my wife. She had always been there for me in my times of need. Always supported me in my endeavors, no matter how crazy they seemed, no matter the boundaries I pushed, she always understood what I was trying to do. She kept me in check though. Made sure I took care of myself and never went too far. Boundaries could be pushed, but not broken, and she was the one that pulled me back when the cracks started to show.

These days though, there was no saving us. There was no coming back. No apologizing for our actions and being forgiven. No, we had screwed up and we were going to have to deal with the consequences - complete annihilation. The stupidity of humanity. Science had given them such greatness, but all they chose from it was destruction. It's like they had been given fire, but instead of seeking warmth from a distance they had commit self-immolation. It was the fastest way to get warm after all. They didn't have a Sheila to pull them back from the edge, to whisper reason in their ear, to touch them softly at night. They just had power and the blindness that accompanied it.

Fine, let them take their punishment. Let me take mine. But there were good people in this world as well. Why did they have to suffer for our mistakes? Humans could be good. It didn't have to end like this. There was hope for us, but there was no coming back from what we've done, from what we've been through.

No forgetting all the chaos that humanity has done and said and lied about over the millennium. No, if we were to continue on it had to be a clean slate. We had to erase it all. The barbarians outside these walls had confirmed that. Now, it was up to me to plant the seed of a fresh start.

"Thomas?"

I sucked the cigarette down to the filter in my final drag. Hypocritical if you think about it, criticizing humanity of self-destructive behavior as I enjoy this wretched waste. But there wasn't much time left, so what the hell. I got up and dropped the butt, snuffing it out with a twist of my foot. I walked over to Shelia and pulled her in close, my hand stroking the back of her head.

"We can't let them in. You know it. It's for the best. They don't get to have us anymore, Sheila. They had their chance and this is what they chose. They could have chosen greatness, but they chose destruction. If we want anything for the future, we need to give up the now, and that includes all the lives out there. That includes our own..."

I held her for a moment and then took a deep breath. There was so much work to be done. I couldn't indulge myself in this kind of behavior. I let her go, stepping back to look at her. My fingers combed through her shimmering brunette hair. She looked up at me with her fine-like amber eyes, staring into me, seeing me as she always had. Her red lipstick accentuating her features. My hands ran down her shoulders, then her slender arms.

I grasped her small hands and raised them to my lips. I closed my eyes and gently pressed my lips against her fingers, holding them there for a moment. My Sheila. Ok. That's enough. I let go and made my way to the door.

"We have work to do."

***

I was a baby, born into a realm that harbored nothing. No hate, no love. Only that which is to the eye, is as it is.

***

I... I had to keep it together, no matter what. Looking at him walk away just made me think of the project's original ideals. Ten years ago, we were approached by a joint military interest. Back then we were nothing more than prominent genetic scientists. We were known as the Ekhart Duo to some of the television audiences.

"This is the chance of a lifetime, Ekhart." I remember that snarky General speaking in the most alluring manner he could fetch - "You're not going to let this one slip through your fingers, are you?" He commented, reminding Thomas of his past failures as a scientist.

Thomas didn't say a word. He just looked to the wall of the small office with mixed signals. Here came the opportunity both of us never even dreamed of achieving. The chance to finally eradicate all of man's sicknesses and defeat aging at the same time. We would be able to construct humans that would live for thousands of years. Humans that no longer bared the primitive functions of the old.

A new breed of human. The perfect kind.

Yet we were still bound to the will of swashbucklers. The man that stood in front of us didn't see this as some sort of potentially uplifting breakthrough for humanity. Absolutely not. The way he thought of it, was just that this was a new weapon of the future. He wanted a super soldier and we wanted to evolve the human race.

Would you have called that a fair trade?

And now here I stand looking at Thomas go back into that room again, prepared and ready.

What about me?

Am I ready? Back then when the decision was made, he needed me to be there with him and we made that decision together. Now more of these decisions will have to be confronted. No one ever said it was going to be easy. What's necessary for the greater good must be done.

I reach my hand out to him, in a way hoping he'd see me or at least knew I wanted to talk, though I knew better that Thomas was no mind reader. As he entered that room and the silence around me became thickening, I realized it there in that moment that I even if I wasn't prepared, I had to be. Prepared to stand at his side, unmoved by whatever the rest of the world would think. We made it together in the past... we'll make it through this again.

***

The two of you had dreams.

***

I made my way back through the communication room that I had just stormed out of. They were all busy, hard at work trying to finish my commands in the little time we had left. Harry glanced up at me as I sped past and our eyes met.

I nodded at him in an attempt to soothe his fear that I was upset. He could be a weak man, acting on impulses of emotion and not just the logic of his mind, a fault of the past world, but he was a good worker. They all were, and I knew what they were going through now, and what they had given up to be here. Harry nodded back in acceptance of my gesture then quickly turned back to his work.

I entered my quarters and moved to the bed. I sat down, feeling myself sink down a bit into the mattress. The room didn't contain much, a bed, a desk and some knick-knacks that Sheila had set up, but it was enough for me to complete my work, and that's all I needed. I shrugged off my coat and began to unbutton my shirt. A shower should help clear my head and get me back on track. I hadn't slept in what felt like days, and I couldn't permit myself to with so much still to be done, but I could give myself this. This one comfort.

The phone rang. My fingers stopped mid-action and reversed their movement, putting the plastic circles back into their respective slots of fabric. Another time, then. I got up, slipped back into my coat, and made my way quickly to the phone, catching it on its last ring.

"Hello? Mhm... Right. Yes, I'll be right there... Yes of course! Do the security check, I don't care who they are, check them anyway. I'll be right there, prep the test machines."

The shipment, of course. Was it noon already? I glanced down at my watch to check and realized that it had stopped working. Probably fried by the rays from an experiment, or rattled as I labored on a machine. Although, with how things were going these days, and the lack of supplies, it's very likely that the battery was just dead with no replacement within a thousand miles.

Great, the end of the world is near and I won't know what time it happens.

I moved back towards the exit and notice for the first time Sheila is here.

"The shipment's here."

She nodded as if she knew already and I realize she must have overheard the call. My awareness isn't what it normally is in this worn state, I would have normally noticed her presence long before now. As I approached the door, Sheila turned to lead and my hand reached out and found the small of her back. We moved through the facility, my gentle hold keeping us connected. When we reached the test chambers the room was already abuzz. Machines were humming and colorful wires were strung out everywhere, making the event look like a party rather than the rigorous scientific task it would actually be. We entered the observation room connected to the main testing room and sat down at the computers hidden behind one way glass.

These tests would hold the key to the future. I had my doubts, doubts that anything that came from outside these walls had any business being used for the future, but we were running out of time and this might be able to work.

"Ready?" An attendant asked, popping his head in the doorway.

I looked to Sheila, my face asking her the same question. She nodded and put her hand on mine. I nodded.

"Yes bring them in."

I flipped a switch and a green light illuminated. Let's hope it stayed green.

Would you say your dreams were fulfilled? At what point did you have to compromise?

"Guru?" I inquired to our highly efficient AI.

"Mrs. Ekhart?" The response came immediately.

"Run a double check on the shipment. Make sure everything is in order."

"Right away."

Thomas peered at me somewhat demanding more information but he knew very well he could trust me. There was something off about all this. I just wanted to be sure.

"Mrs. Ekhart?" Lea's communication channel opened up to contact me

"Yes?" I responded

"We need you in room 401. Subject 16 has woken up!"

"I'm on the way."

I was intended to simply dart out the door and rush to see what the issue was, but I stopped in my tracks, feeling Thomas' grip holding me surely. I smiled at him and he nodded at me. No words to be said at this point, only duty to perform.

"What's the problem?" I asked as I stormed into the private test room. Not much to my surprise, Subject 16 was awakened and staring me right in the face. Lea did not need to say anything more. The boy was supposed to be asleep. As a part of Project Afterlife, he was one of the chosen to rebuild the world. He did not need to see anything related to our current world.

Poor Lea, she was a good scientist. Able and willing, but like the others she began to lose her greater qualities. I could not speak of Subject 16 as if he were some thing, at least not in front of him - he's too young to understand.

"Are you alright?" I asked the young blonde boy we refer to as 16.

He was only five but his intelligence was greater than that of a standard 25-year-old man.

"I can't sleep." He tells us

I look at Lea and Lea looks right back at me, hoping that I would be the one to solve the dilemma here. Why did I expect any different is beyond me. Thomas and I would be the only ones capable of carrying out what we had carefully planned.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" I ask the child.

"Will that help me sleep?" He asks

I smile at his wittiness - "I guess we'll have to find out, won't we?"

He returns my smile and walks confidently to me, holding my hand excited. I could've asked for a shot to his neck, put him right into cyrosleep again - but I didn't. For some reason, this reminded me of the child I could not hold. My child that was too precious to currently unfold...

When did your innocence lose its way in favor of the imaginations your world enforced on itself?

Sheila got up to leave and I followed her with my gaze. She stopped before leaving the room, feeling my stare and concern, and gave me a smile. Everything will be all right, she can handle this. I nodded and she left.

Soon the subjects entered the room. They marched in line and stood at attention in front of the glass. They were naked. Their perfect forms stood in stark contrast with the blandness of their surroundings, yet oddly similar in a way - their bodies created and upgraded for a purpose, just like the machines that surrounded them. Their chiseled muscles sent shadows cascading in sharp lines across their skin. The only sign of imperfection came from the cuts and bruises that they had gotten in combat. Let's hope there were only physical scars left over from their time in the outside world.

"Let's begin with vitamin and mineral readings. After that we'll start the physical tests." I glanced down at my watch and, though broken, it reminded me that we didn't have much time, "Actually, put them on the treadmill and we can do the readings while they run."

The light on the switchboard remained green. Test after test they passed with flying colors. Vitamins and minerals, muscle mass, BMI, cardiovascular, etc. They were designed to be genetically perfect, and they did not disappoint. Sheila and I had done well. Now came the deciding set of tests: mental stability.

They had seen things outside these walls, done things, and I had to make sure they were still fit to restart the human race. Math, science, history, all the academic subjects they passed - again their brain tested and tuned to perfection. When it came to the psychological evaluation however, things broke down. You see, we did not code ethics into these humans. You can create muscle mass for strength and speed, align brain synapses in the correct order to ensure quick and logical thinking, but you cannot however create a personality. That is up to the subject once he is awoken. It depends on how he puts together the pieces of his surrounding, and what he experiences in life. These subjects had seen the worst humanity had to offer and it showed. They failed every test. Death, destruction, and insensitivity all were prevalent in their answers.

The light turned red. It was hopeless. They were corrupted and now useless to Afterlife. I slammed my fist down onto the desk. Anger, an emotion I usually did not permit myself to feel due to its uselessness, I now allowed to flow through me. All this work for nothing. Nothing! I placed my palms flat on the desk, pushing down aggressively, stabilizing myself. My breathing slowed and I began to calm myself. Enough.

"That's all. Send them away." My hand reluctantly released the intercom button. Like letting go after giving the command solidified the end. Sheila. I had to tell her. My hand moved to my forehead, my thumb and index finger rubbing my temples. Ok. Together we would figure this out as we always had. Together we could do anything. Even restart the world.

Do you blame the tree, or the idea of the tree?

"Where are we going?" 16 asked somewhat agitated from the aimless walking. The boy is so capable. In terms of his understanding, he will be miles ahead of what we could've accomplished. I'd hope the hallways of science would calm him, but I guess there's no calm in the coming storm. He could sense it and I knew it, so what good did it do me to keep it from him?

"Tell me something." I begin lightly trying to divert his attention - "Do you know your name?"

"Sixteen." He replies.

I shake my head denying the designation as a form of acceptance for the little boy. I named my own daughter and here this boy had nothing more than a scientific number as a claim for his existence?

"What's wrong?" His headstrong gaze penetrated me wanting, no, demanding more.

I look at him with almost teary eyes. I'll choose name for him right here and right now.

"Your name is Adam." I bend on my knees to even our height and brush his hair back - "You are a special boy, Adam. Our world won't be like this forever. One day you will wake up and you won't see me again."

Adam felt comfort that I was addressing him on such a personal level. Something the other scientists won't dare do. Don't stop now Sheila, this has to be done.

"All of this will make sense in the future. I promise you."

"Your consciousness weighs heavy on you." He responded.

I look away as quickly as I can to divert his intuition and a tear rolls down my eye. I try to smile to defocus myself from the picture.

I realize I can't hide from him anymore, so I get to my feet and offer my hand to him, that we may continue walking together.

"Mrs. Ekhart?" He called for me. I almost didn't want to stare him in the eyes. It felt increasingly hard to be around him when Nyxe was sleeping in a cyro chamber. I've talked more to this boy than I have my own daughter.

"Please don't cry."

Adam's words were actively doing the opposite. That's when I caught myself from slipping any further. I faced him surely and manufactured a smile that couldn't be any faker but at least, it gave him hope I was trying.

"Come Adam, I want to show you our storerooms. There might be some interesting gadgets in there for you to see."

WARNING! RED ALERT! RED ALERT!

What on earth...

My chest felt like it was collapsing, my throat dried up and my teeth crunched in denial at the alarm.

"Sheila!" Major Brutski's voice came in my communication link - "Sheila we need you up here now! Floor 2, Sector C. One of the subjects have gone berserk! Thomas is missing!"

Whether it was the fear or just plain denial at the reality, I couldn't move. I was standing there frozen until Adam's voice knocked me out of the stasis - "Mrs. Ekhart? Are we going to the storeroom?"

I was paralyzed. I didn't know what to tell him...

You knew this was coming but you didn't leave. You had this misplaced sense of hope. To be there with him, even till the bitter end. Was there a chance at all?

I enter the hallway from the control room and turn left towards room 401. My mind is racing, trying to think about all the possible ways to proceed with project Afterlife now. There wasn't time to start over. And now there was trouble with 16? If that batch was ruined as well...

WARNING! RED ALERT! RED ALERT!

I stopped in my tracks.

"What's going on!?" I shouted into my radio.

"We're under attack. A few of the soldiers have become aggressive. They're..." I heard shots and then static burst forth from the speaker.

I turned off my radio and stood for a moment, thinking.

Sheila. I'm sure she's safe. If the attacks happened in the subject's quarters then she should be far from harm's way. We're not equipped to handle a situation like this - we're scientists, not soldiers. If they all rebel... this is it. I have no other option. I need to initiate Aterlife. Now.

With my mind made up I turned quickly back towards my room. My pace quickened and soon I was running full speed, sliding around corners and hopping down stairs, too impatient to rely on anything but my own two legs. When I entered the room I leaped toward the desk, pushing the chair out of the way. I pulled up the security cameras of the facility and started to cycle through the many different views: the main room, the hallways, the greenhouse, the cryo chambers, and finally the subject quarters. There were bodies on the floor. Their white coats soaked with blood and no movement could be seen. Some of my best men and women. They had no chance. They were slaughtered - brute force snuffing out intellect like it always had in this world. I cycled through more angles until I caught sight of the renegades. Three of them, guns in hand moving through the hallways to the communication center. Were they going to call for back up? This was much worse than I originally thought.

This must have been the plan all along, to infiltrate us with this shipment. Of course, this was one of the last working facilities on Earth, and like all looters they took what they needed. Brute force snuffing out intellect. What's done is done though, and now I must do what needs to be done.

I began to close out the security footage, and initiate the Afterlife countdown, when a certain camera frame caught my eye. I clicked to enlarge the image. 17, my daughter. I saw her in her chamber, deep asleep, unconscious of the outside world. Her innocence filled me with a great emotion, and my vision became blurry. I quickly wiped away the tear. I would never see her again, and I wished, while I could, to see her with the full capacity of my sight. I reached out and touched the screen. She'll never know me. Never know that all of this was for her. I had to tell her. I had to at least tell her not to make these same mistakes. Not to come to the same conclusions that our current society had. I could give her guidance. I sat down, turned on the recording program and began to talk.

"We were such creatures of great promise. Heirs to a world that would've given us all we ever needed, but we always wanted more. Nothing was ever enough. I could leave this behind and tell you that this is all man's fault.

For whatever reason, we didn't listen to her soon enough.

She cried over and over again, warning us. We didn't care. We just kept going.

Kept destroying, killing and pillaging and now, it's come to this. We can't even walk outside without dropping dead in a heartbeat. It's funny, I didn't think this is how it'd end up, but then again who takes the time to sit back and consider the consequences of their actions?

I know we didn't and that's our own fault.

But I hope you will.

When you wake up, don't forget these words. You're the last hope mankind has to make it right again.

Don't forget that, my dearest Nyxe."

When the recordings were finished I sat back in my chair. A certain peace came over me. I was ready now, for this to be over. I leaned forward, hunched over the keyboard.

My fingers and mind worked together to input complicated lines of code that would end our world and set into motion the reboot of the human race. I answered security questions and input codes and passwords, each entry becoming easier than the last, like a second wind as the finish line comes into view. Finally a voice filled the room.

"Vocal confirmation of the final password is required." The monotonous tone of the AI was eerie. Guru had no idea the gravity of the question he had just asked.

This was it. I cleared my throat, knowing that the next set of sound waves that I emitted would stop the world, sending it into a humanless state for hundreds of years. I closed my eyes and took a calm breath.

"Nyxe."

"Vocal recognition confirmed. Activating Project Afterlife."

And that was that. I got up from my chair and went to the closet. Inside I found a stun gun I had stashed away months ago for an emergency such as this. It wasn't exactly an even match for what the opposition had, but it would have to do. I threw the strap over my shoulder and headed for the door. I needed to find Sheila. If this was the end, I'd need her by my side. I'm coming, Sheila.

Don't stop now...

"Adam, honey, I want you to cover your eyes."

"How will I see? Will you guide me?"

"I will. I promise."

I couldn't let the poor child see the horror of our undoing. The absence of life overcame all the hallways and they became filled with sorrow, regret and sudden death. All I hoped was that Thomas had done what was necessary. Afterlife would have to start without us. The thought was troubling that I would never see my Nyxe grow up. The pain of that thought began escalating the more I came back to it and the boy with me was a walking reminder.

Adam placed one hand over his eyes and with the other he held onto me tightly. I guided him past my dead co-workers cautiously. To say horror wasn't within me couldn't be further from the truth. I wanted to scream but I knew better than to give in now. The cyro chambers were near. Soon, I'd be able to put him back to rest and whatever happens next would have to wait. I just couldn't leave him out here. No matter what was happening, I couldn't do that to him.

"We're almost there. You're doing great."

"Why are..."

"Adam! No!"

Curiosity got the better of the child. He dropped his hand briefly and everything that was wrong on earth came clear to him. I quickly picked up him and kneaded his head into my shoulder comfortingly.

"I told you to cover your eyes!" I began scolding him, only to change my tone lovingly - "You don't need this. You don't belong to this..."

He didn't say a word. I had never seen him so quiet before. I could feel his heartbeat racing as he rested on me. The innocence of the child was ruined. He had seen the true face of mankind.

How could I have been so stupid to take him here? I should've had him slept the moment I was called in. How careless of me!

"Don't worry, hun. We're almost there."

Nothing came from him. Only a boy clenching onto me in fear. I swear I could hear his thoughts telling me to not let him go. When we got to the cyro chambers, there was still one tube available for him. I sat him down on the bench and took a good look at him. I had never seen him like this before. His eyes, his mouth, his entire face... just felt so heavy.

I held his arm out to put the sleep shot in. He didn't resist. It was like he wanted it.

Maybe he felt he had walked into a nightmare and I was waking him up. Yes my dear, this is a nightmare and when you wake up, you will have the chance to change it all. I smiled at him and brushed his hair back. It didn't take look for him to curl into a little ball and collapse on his side.

Once he was asleep, I darted to the computer and activated the essentials on Afterlife. Thomas had already started it. Good. Time was running out. The sounds of the screaming alarms reminded me I was racing against time. Then a random thought came across me.

I don't know why it mattered, but I thought of how ransacked my hair was. How little I had cared for myself over the past few days and all the sacrifices I had made. Never mind. None of that matters now.

The chambers sealed a sleeping Adam into the secured lock and he was submerged underground to unite with the other Afterlife assets. I smiled at this victory until the clicking sound of an armed gun held me gunpoint from behind. When I turned around, I saw Subject 5. Everything was really loud when I got in here and now, nothing. I think he was saying something but I couldn't hear anything. I was just standing there, waiting for him to pull the trigger...

Don't...

The hallways were eerily quiet for an assault. I guess that the main troops hadn't arrived yet. I made my way through the facility towards the cryo chambers where I knew Sheila would have taken 16. I needed to get to her as soon as possible. I needed her to be safe in my arms. I needed her to know that she wasn't alone, that I hadn't abandoned her. But most of all, I just needed her.

As I came around the corner I saw a soldier at the end of the hall, blocking my way to Sheila. I quickly flung myself back around the corner, my back pressed against the wall. Panic would have overcome me any other time, but not now, not at the end of it all. I tightened my grip on my rifle and readied for the exchange of gun fire - my stun ray versus his bullets. Stop, Thomas, what are you thinking? You're no match, he's much too quick and better equipped. Find Sheila. Get to Sheila. You'll have your revenge soon enough. I shook my head, snapping out of it. There was another way to the cry ochambers, albeit longer, but if it guaranteed I saw my wife again it was my best option.

I approached the chambers cautiously and quietly. I didn't want to draw any attention towards our location. There was a sound that pierced through the silence, however - the hammer of a gun being positioned to fire. I concentrated hard and concluded that it had come from the room I had pegged Sheila to be in. A muffled voice started to speak and I knew that she had been found. I swung around through the doorway and saw Sheila staring blankly at the soldier. Before he could turn to react I fired my gun and hit him squarely in the chest. His body went limp and he collapsed onto the floor. Sheila stood there, eyes still wide staring at the body of the soldier. She backed away slowly as her eyes moved up to meet mine. Our gaze connected and the life started to come back into her eyes. She blinked a few times, like she was trying to reset her vision. Finally I saw a look of recognition staring back at me.

I ran to her, scooping her up in my arms. Her embrace tightened around me, with every ounce of her strength being used to show how much she cared. I squeezed back and then looked her in the eyes.

"You alright?"

"Yeah..." She reached up and felt her hair, "But my hair's a mess, heh..."

I burst out laughing. How could she be thinking about that in a time like this? I reached out and held the sides of her head, leaning in to kiss her forehead.

"You look more beautiful to me now than ever before." I leaned back to look at her face again. I truly meant it.

"This is it, isn't it?"

"Yes."

A solemn look came over her face. Like me, she was reminiscing about the entirety of her life. The good, the bad, if she had lived justly or morally, how she got here and what would happen next. I didn't want our final moments to be ones of worry or regret. I lifted her chin up so that our eyes met fully and stared into her beautiful soul.

"We're here now, Sheila, and we got here because we knew what we were doing was right. It was what needed to be done. That..." I exclaimed pointing at the monitor that showed Project Afterlife underway, "Is our greatest accomplishment, what we've lived for and now it's a success. We've done it, you and I, and I couldn't be more proud! I love you so much, more than the whole world!" We both smiled at the literal accuracy of that statement

"I love you too..." She spoke quietly - "Will she be okay?"

"Yes, and she'll know us too."

That assurance gave Sheila enough confidence to face the incoming inevitable. I planted my lips onto hers. It was the deepest and most passionate kiss of my life. In the background the alarms began to sound again and there was a loud explosion. I could hear voices shouting and the clattering of boots on tile, the sound of an invading army.

Our mouths moved against each other and I savored the taste. I could feel our heartbeats beat together in unison. There was banging on the doors. I pulled back for a moment, keeping our foreheads pressed against each other. My eyes closed so that my other senses could fully enjoy this moment. A beeping from the computer joined the alarm's consistent pulsing, signifying that Afterlife's preparation had been completed. My fingers moved to the 'Enter' key on the keyboard. One last input to make. My lips moved back to hers, lightly grazing but locking into the seal of a kiss. A tender farewell...

ACT 6: Resurface

Had to have been hours I sat here reflecting on everything I experienced today. When the virtualization ended, I didn't walk out. There was no dramatic exit to speak of. All I did was sit and blanked the world away. Guru tried to cheer me up but I ignored him. He wouldn't understand if I tried explaining. Nothing but silence remained for several hours and I wanted it that way. Everything was connecting, shimmering in a new light.

"Guru..." I softly called for him.

"Yes 17?" He was eager to hear me talking at last.

My eyes were locked on the floor. There was no particular shape or detail that interested me. I was just not here.

"The Ekhart's, who were they referring to when they spoke of their daughter?"

Guru stayed silent momentarily. That was not usual of him. I looked for one of his cameras and stared into it with burdensome eyes - "I need to know Guru."

"You are the biological offspring of the Ekhart's. Thomas used his sperm with Sheila's eggs, combined with stripping away their DNA negatives in order to create you. You can be considered their daughter."

It was an answer I already knew. The thought of what it would be like to experience them came to me. It was only slightly disturbing. I kept my emotions in check. My eyes closed with a solemn sigh as I tried to drown the past away. What has happened, has happened. There's no changing the past. Throw a stick into the river, it would make ripples but the outcome would be the same. The stick will eventually reach the end of the river.

I hummed dismissively, trying to evade whatever feeling or emotion I was experiencing. Finally, I felt a much needed energy connect to my legs and a new breed of strength mixed with responsibility empowered me to get back on my feet.

"What happened to the Adam?"

"Subject 16, like many other Afterlife subjects, did not make it during their cyrosleep. You are the only one who remains."

"Adam had bronze skin with blonde hair. Am I safe to assume he had a planned mate of the same race for repopulation?"

"That is of correctness."

"Which would mean I must've had my own."

"That is also of correctness, but they..."

"Did not make it, I know." I silenced Guru as I slowly dragged myself to the exit of the virtualization room.

"What now?" I asked my caretaker

"You have had a stressful day, 17. Are you certain of continuance today?"

That same energy that fueled me to get out of my hurt came storming into me again - "I'm positive. Whatever I may feel is irrelevant to Afterlife. What matters is our mission. Please, can we continue? What is the next step?"

"The next step is to return to the surface."

Thoughts of the surface were already painted in my inexperienced mind as Guru led me into the large elevator room I had never seen before. The fashion of the elevator was no different from the rest of the facility. Based on how the AI operated, I'm assuming there are more rooms my caretaker kept secret until I was ready.

Like a simpleton evolving from caveman days into a space faring race, I was going through the process of rebuilding, one class at a time. I wondered what I would see when I got up there. The way Thomas Ekhart described people in his time was quite barbaric. I didn't expect those people to take care of the forests, rather burn them on sight.

Then again, that was almost four centuries ago. I'm sure the surface has had time to heal.

Also, he did mention that there were good people, even though they may have been exceptionally less than the greater sum of dimwits, they did exist.

So what happened to them?

I believe it's safe to assume they're gone like the rest. What a shame. Oh, the sweet joys of free will. Allow your neighbor to do as they please, only to have your neighbor urinate on your home. Allow a country to commit genocide, kill, rape and pillage, only to have them eventually come to your nation, ready to continue the vicious circle.

What do you do then?

Vicariously you watched while the rest of the world died, throwing out advice to those who didn't listen. When they come to your soil, do you throw away your weapons and toss your hands up with a deluded smile claiming you're a 'messenger of peace' with no intentions to fight? Let the barbarians slap you on both sides of your face so you can go home feeling enlightened?

Oh, I have to stop. I'm actually making myself giggle from the nonsensical thinking. It's so over the top and ridiculous, the illogic dims my mental stability. Like an overstuffed turkey, I think that's what the problem with the old world was. They were simply too extreme. On one side, one is doing all the wrong that he could find, while the other was seeped in his grand fabrication of enlightenment by becoming a pacifist.

Peace isn't pacifism.

I'm sure there are other civilizations in space that are more advanced than earthlings dared dream of but also doubled in their ruthlessness. So for the sake of some fun argument while this elevator ride takes a century to reach the course, let's evaluate the options, shall we?

We go into space, but we became too good, so to speak. We decided that there were no need for weapons since everyone on our planet were all shaking hands and dancing in joy.

What happens when we find the natives out there that don't like us? Those natives who're so insecure and void of their own peace, so they decide to take their hate out on us. If they have their weapons to do that, how do we defend ourselves then? Show the white flag and hope they place mercy on us?

And what about, if we became drooling warmongers? We dominated our world through excessive militant force by practically bombing or killing off whoever didn't agree with our fascism. So the next step would be to enforce that order on the universe. What about the civilizations with bigger guns? What happens when we encounter them? Do we, fight them and wipe our entire species out like old, brave idiotic soldiers with their mistaken sense of pride and glory.

Such idiocy on both ends!

Why was the earth man so incapable of balance? Yes, you should not go out seeking to destroy life and conquer the universe, but respect Creation as it is.

Allow life to experience, make mistakes and learn, so that they may become better - but to give up our defenses is giving up a natural order. The key is to find balance where we do not use our defenses as aggressors but use them as the word describes: defenses.

There are others out there who are not peaceful, which means that we need weapons. However, the key is to not use them malevolently, which is where the earth man went consistently wrong in the past. Weapons do not fire themselves. The thought comes from a person to pull the trigger. The deranged old earthling did not consider this as much as they should've. They fortified walls of denial, whether it was for their crazy imaginations in the days of religion, country or whatever nonsense they could muster up for such blind absurdity. That could also mean they used their weapons for profit and greed, war and chaos, or it could even be domestic, like an affair between a triage of lovers or an argument with two friends, leading to brutality or even worse, death. Of course there was also the naturally evil earthling that only brought chaos for their amusement...

"17?" Guru's voice snapped me out of my contemplation - "You have arrived at the Biodome. We will need to equip you with the necessary gear before you can visit outside."

"Naturally." I responded half-heartedly, pulling myself out of the debate and generating more interest in seeing what was to come on the other side of these sliding doors.

The splashing of water made contact with my ears before the doors had finished opening, and when they were opened, I saw what appeared to be a transparent shelter which allowed filtered sunlight into a room that was artificially made to resemble a refined nature's reserve. There were well groomed plants, fine-cut grass, small trees and a small waterfall, along with a pathway of soft stepping stones. Despite the beauty, I wondered what I was doing here.

"Another training course?" I spoke aloud, knowing that Guru would hear me within the place anyway.

"Not precisely, 17. This area is a refinement from the outside world."

I sifted through the depth of his words carefully before conjuring a respectable response - "I'm assuming the outside isn't this beautiful."

"Beauty is subjective. The outside world is untrimmed, untamed and wild. It is unsafe to go out there unequipped. The radiation still provides a noteworthy threat along with other possible wildlife dangers."

"Radiation, hmm?" I couldn't stop myself from observing the work around me. It was very well kept, something that would not simply happen overnight. I discerned Guru had cared for this place over many years. I touched the tip of a branch, then trailed my hand to its leaves to feel the texture of coarseness and wondered how long it was here.

"These plants did not originate inside, did they?" My eyes shot from left to right, thinking up an answer on my own. The reddish hue I saw on the flowers, in contrast to the green leaves and the lightly flavored brown cortex were teasing my eyes in excitement. It was very exquisite.

"They did not. Everything you see here came from the outer world, which I have grown, restored or modified through science to return it to its normality. This is the reason why I brought you here before we venture out there. There may have been evil in this world, 17, hatred that ceased life as it could've been, but there is also hope. From the horrors of the past mistakes..."

I stooped down to observe the details of the finely cut grass, Guru's voice continuing in the background.

"...wisdom can blossom."

"Wisdom can blossom..." I took his words to heart, whispering them around thoughtfully, "I get it. The ugly can become the beauty. Death turns to rebirth, and so eventually becomes life. Yes, I get it. Whatever happened in the past, happened, but this whole drama of planet earth, is not over. As long as there's breath in my body, I have the power to do better, the power to change the horror. We humans are not perfect creatures, though we should strive for perfection. One mistake, one fall off the horse, isn't the end of the world. No matter how steep that fall was."

Again, the grass caught my attention, slightly diverting my focus to the shimmering light on the tip of the greens.

"Get knocked down, get back up, and that is why I am here." I got to my feet in reflection of the words I was preaching then I went on to observe the room with brighter thoughts for a better tomorrow, "I want to go outside now."

Guru's arms shot out of the walls in lightning speed. One arm held my Beamsuit, while the other held a radiation dress to equip over it.

The outside, was it the thing I expected in my head? I had ideas, dreams and thoughts to go along with my imaginations from all the books and tests. Upon walking outside, the sunlight struck a glare into the radiation suit's helmet. It made me think of what I have been neglecting. I knew what it was like to be in a place like this. I had done it before, in simulations, in the biodome, and they were special in their own ways - unique, beautiful and refined. Surely, they had their purpose. They taught me and I am thankful for them.

Yet out here was completely different. It had a certain feel to it. Where I came from, there was what I would describe as a sort of, control. An order, but out here, reflected something that was clearly missing and it didn't strike me before. Now that I was out here, the gravity of that void confronted me.

I couldn't take more than three steps forward before dropping to my knees, grasping the thick grass in my hand.

It was pure freedom.

There were bushes everywhere, growing wherever they pleased, doing nature's need. The sunlight battled to penetrate through the thickness of the hugging trees.

Together those trees formed various shades of greens, from dark to light, soft and bright. The barks' textures were rigid from years of growing, shedding, dying and coming back to life. Each branch I saw was like its own story, whispering in my ear, a tale of olden treasure. The forest probably extended for miles. I didn't see anything but grace and I was spellbound to it.

"17, do you read me?" Guru's voice patched in.

I was too busy taking all this in to respond to him. There was a feeling, an energetic breakthrough or a gust of passion that couldn't be so easily shaken off. I needed this.

"17?" Guru sent a miniature version of himself outside with me. It was a small machine I'd describe as a white mechanical ball, about the size of a person's head with one central 'eye' or camera system in the middle of it. It floated freely, as if the environment was not there, breaking gravity and forming its own atmosphere to create a superior form of movement.

My next action was to report back to Guru, but then I saw something most unexpected - the first sign of natural life. My eyes, if I were to see myself from a third person, I'd probably see them widening in awe with my lower lip slightly hanging.

The creature was small, an insect animal. It floated similarly to Guru's movement but unlike him, it was not constructed by man's hand. It was a reddish, orange-flavored butterfly. A creature that went to and fro, back and forth, side to side - wherever it wanted to wanted to go, it went. Nothing stopped it. It was free. It was pure, and for a glimmer of time, I envied it dearly.

My throat dried up and my insides fluttered instinctively, then, a tear formed in my eye. It was so short. I didn't know if I was happy or sad. It doesn't make much sense, logically, to discern the feeling I was experiencing. It would be like trying to describe your eyesight with your nose.

All I know, is I wanted that. To be free.

"...17?" Guru switched the vocal pattern on its communications to catch my attention. Although I could hear him, I was ignoring him. When I saw that graceful creature land on the old oak, flapped its wings and jotted into the pure lit sky, I knew it was my turn.

"17! What are you doing!"

The hands on my body found themselves trailing up my radiation suit, unlocking the grips of the helmet and taking it off.

"Stop!"

I tossed the helmet aside and did the next best thing. I breathed. My nostrils were filled with scents, mixed of meadow in all its glory. The good, the bad, I breathed it all in. I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds, the chirps of birds, the rustling of leaves, the calm howls of the wind. All of it sent me in a state of meditation.

At last, I acknowledged my caretaker who may have been experiencing the robotic version of a midlife crisis.

"The radiation out here is safe." My voice was monotone, sure and strong.

Guru did not answer me immediately. Whenever that happened, I assumed he was either scanning my vitals, making preparations or conducting science through various methods of our facility.

"You are of correctness, 17, it is 'safe' for you to breathe out here, near our haven, but other parts of this forest and world at large, are not. That is why you must wear the radiation suit."

"I will not visit those infested areas. Scout ahead occasionally to make sure I don't. However, I will not be using the radiation suit. I need to experience this unchained."

"What if you were to slip into one of these areas, for the sake of considering realistic negative outcomes?"

"You are allowed to scoop me back up and return to me base if that is the case, but under no circumstances are you allowed to dictate the perspicacity of this practice. Give me advice if need be and I will consider the logic. For the sake of my mission, our mission, I have to mature in the outer world aspects without hamstring. Is that understood?"

"Yes, 17."

My voice tone changed. A greater outlook in me was brewing.

This mission wasn't a binary get-to-it-do-it, if I truly am to reestablish the world, then I have to know both sides of the coin. As much as I am enthused by the outside, I also love the home I came from.

The quality of life, the technology, the self-sustainment it's had on its own for centuries?

These are only few of the things I can name amongst the multitude of positives, my underground home brings. Without making a whole novel on charming the place, I'll say, my home is highly appreciated despite my less than approving attitude of its growing tedium. Mankind is capable of great things. We can make beauty ourselves.

But that doesn't mean we should go out and strike down nature. Out here does not make me devalue what my forefathers have worked so hard to accomplish, yet in many ways I feel as if they have neglected the intricacy of what they can't create. It's not just the aspect of freedom, it's the respect that life can blossom in its own way, find the path to the destiny it chooses.

Some creatures work instinctual, like animals, finding their way to food, rest and reproduction for the continuation of their species. Humans are consciousness based. We have the ability to will ourselves in such a manner that permits us to express feeling and emotion. Features we can exploit toward our evolution.

What do humans and animals share? A spirit form.

Unlike the animal spirit form, however, the human spirit operates differently. While the animal is binary, the human spirit has free will. I found it silly that some old cultures believed human spirits can incarnate into animals or visa-versa, but that's a topic for another time.

Where am I going with this deep thought, as I trot along the dreamy haze of fallen purple petals, leaves and trees so high, I dare not imagine how deep their roots go?

There is life out here. The trees, the birds that sing to me? What I'm experiencing out here, is the interconnectedness of all things. It's like a pattern, a puzzle that depends upon the other piece. The clockwork with various components, each important in their own right and securing the central structure operational. We are the hands of Creation, pushing and evolving this central consciousness we are all a part of, forward.

If I were to break it into other terms, we're programs, performing our own individual duty, which in essence, upgrades the central program. We are connected to this cortex, and we eventually evolve into it to share the information gained, which by then, we'll be perfecting it and creating life forms in The Creation.

This process is automaton and begun far longer than a human can possibly dream of comprehending, and will by all means, continue seemingly forever.

So when you walk outside, away from the gadgetry and computers stored in your home or office, with this theory in mind? It no longer becomes a theory. It becomes a reality when you're acquainted with what is. All one has to do is trouble themselves to find truth. Go outside and take a look at life as it is. Judge it without any bias or other belief and you'll start to see.

So what about androids, do they have spirit forms? They..

Awh!

"17, are you alright?" My caretaker's voice snapped me out of the temporal knockout I went through.

When I shook myself of the fall, I noticed I could've taken a rather grim trip. I was so lost in deep thought, so entranced by the visuals that I clumsily slipped over a branch.

"I'm fine..." I soothed Guru's concern, but now my mind was starting to wonder what was going on, because everything got very quiet. I was getting accustomed to hearing the loud, endless chirpings from the birds or the rustling of the trees with the wind at its side, but now, I wasn't hearing much of anything. This was very strange. Visually, everything seemed calm, but I knew something was off.

"Does something seem odd to you, Guru?" I got back on my feet waiting for an answer. I didn't get one immediately, so as usual, I assumed he was probably scanning the area. Maybe it was radiation or some other unseen danger. I'll admit, the hair on the back of my head was rising and my heat-rate, steadily increasing. Consciously, I was prepared to handle anything but instinctively, my body felt uneasy.

"Guru?" I called again, my eyes squinting from the oddness that he wasn't responding. This was by far the longest I went on without hearing from him. He was last with me up the slope I fell from, so I decided I'll trot back up there to find him.

And when I did find him, he was not... there.

"Oh no..." I muttered under my breath in disbelief that this was actually happening.

"Guru?" I called for him again.

The mechanical body of my caretaker laid flat on the ground, knocked out and powered off. I held it in my hands and in a desperate attempt for attention, I started shaking him.

"Guru! Hello? Wake up!"

Nothing. As dead as a rock.

Oh no. This is actually happening. This is finally, actually, happening. I'm not just the last human on earth. I'm all alone. There's no... Guru? No! No! No, no, no, no! This is a mistake! Maybe a temporal interference or something...

"Wake up, Guru! Please! Don't leave me out here alone!"

Nothing. No power, no life.

Honestly my teeth started chattering, I was shivering in fear. Not fear from whatever may have been happening out here. It was the fear of being alone, entirely.

A random thought came to me when I caught myself shivering. I remembered Guru's hands chopping up my breakfasts for some reason.

"Guru? Please, please..."

Nothing...

You never know what you have until you lose it? Is that what this is about? I couldn't believe this was happening. He just wasn't coming back. I don't know why. I looked around with an absurd amount of developing paranoia. I had ideas of the path I came from, but I didn't remember it precisely. I was too warped in this world, ignoring practically everything Guru was doing for me. He was looking out for me... could I have been considered ungrateful? It's not like he ever needed my help... but... Why am I crying...

Why now! Why must this happen now!

Suddenly, the sun got blocked out and a shadow made itself known upon the trees. The ground slightly trembled and my eyes caught the silhouette of a large, circular disk-like object, airborne and moving like that red butterfly to the east of me. Not a sound came from it. My gut tightened up and I fell on my bottom, gasping my mouth from an unintentional shriek. My breathing was way too fast. I could tell without any vital reading that my heart-rate was shot.

What was disturbing me was the way it moved. There was no sound and it was as if it defied gravity. If you thought I was afraid before, this had bumped it up to another level. As a matter of fact, it scared the fear clean out of me. After some time of sitting there panting like a cornered cat, I realized I wasn't even afraid anymore.

My mission came slapping me in the face, reminding me of my duty. The instinct to survive, the will to succeed, overrode the fear and the pity of loneliness. I fueled myself to live. Even though Guru was not here, I'll have to deal with that later. Now, I have to survive.

And then something mostly undesirable started.

As if the gloominess of my lost companion wasn't enough to satisfy the maleficence in the air, cold, jagged-like splinters of water started dripping from the sky. The shattering nails served as a sort of a reminder about how long I curled there, panting, trying to pull myself together so blindly that I completely overlooked the changing weather. I had never experienced rain before. I generally tried avoiding it in the simulations. I'm not sure why, and now, it was out here confronting me - pushing me out of my comfort zone completely.

It didn't get the best of me, though. For the most part, I'd say I was actively ignoring it. The sky was clear before. I could see the sun, boldly seeking to go wherever it pleased, but now, the sunlight had encountered these new limits.

It couldn't penetrate the thick trees to find me. Its warmth was dimming, and the grey of the new sky, began scaling. The lights on my beamsuit came to life. This time they were plain white, adapting to the escalating rain. I randomly pulled my mind off what to do next and thought about how polluted the rain water might've been. It was falling through past devastated skies, so the thought process seems like it would've bumped into me sooner or later.

How long the rain took to hit me, what it had to pass through, what it had been, could it be considered clean by now?

It's time to get up. I can't sit here forever. Where am I going? I don't know. All I know is that I'll find a way, somehow, eventually...

I might fail, I might fall, I might moan and cry, want an easy way out, but I can't deny who I am and what I feel inside. I'm a survivor and sometimes I end up on the hard route because of my nature, but I know in the end, it'll make me stronger if I can get through it.

Am I stubborn?

Now, I have to follow that thing that may have sapped Guru. On my feet, drenched in the stomping rain, I went after a path where the flying object disappeared over. It was a longshot. By all means, this wouldn't necessarily change anything.

Even if I were to find that object, what good would it do?

How do you know you actually saw something?

It was clear as day. I can recall the features of the metallic shape, down to the shimmer against the sun. I know what I saw.

The distress from Guru's sudden disablement may be causing unintentional effects...

Are you proposing I'm hallucinating?

I'm proposing that I keep myself in check and not just believe in my eyes. I haven't been exposed to outside extensively. With this situation at hand, I may not necessarily be in the clearest state of mind.

A fair point, which is why I'm going after the thing that may have caused this. If it's not real, then I'll know. I won't fool myself.

ACT 7: Stranger in The Woods

I chased through rain and shine,

With these lights of mine,

The path never ceased,

Age knew no bound, time was not around,

Flickers of charm, no short of green, blue, red, yellow,

Maybe even brown,

No end in sight, with these lights of mine,

Wind carries ye in its arms,

Here and there, wherever and fair,

Up hilltops high, down waterfalls I ride,

No end in sight, just the simplicity of the her bright,

The trees weren't kind nor angered,

They simply watched me be,

Like a butterfly, I was free,

Derailed, lost, in this bliss,

I stopped time and found a muting chill,

I turn blue, I turn red, I make orange and white,

No end in sight, the girl became lost in woodland,

What if you were born with a purpose, a mission that you knew before they knew, something that would be stuck in the back of your head until you came full circle. No end to what I experienced in these lost woods. I ran into it all, rain and shine to and fro with the simplicities of flowers, blossoming against what you'd expect to be the walking dead from everything you learned inside, to the clueless wildlife boars, who were ready to charge at me on first sight. I managed to escape them, however, thanks to my Beamsuit, of course.

The white lights kept me warm when the terrain grew cold,

The orange hues symbolized an aspect of warmth,

The blues and cyan kept my visibility against the dark,

The red warned me of danger,

I walked into a variety of olden trees that made me contemplate just how far down do their roots go, how long will they be here and how long till they return?

How long do I need to keep walking to find my target, albeit no trips and falls have given me somewhat of what I would describe as a miniature victory over the earlier, stupid clumsiness that happened which may or may not have had a hand in losing dear Guru.

I can feel my stomach growling and my skin itching.

I'm not sure how I'll eat. Do I have to kill one of the boars out here? I'd rather not do that. The more civilized option would be to go back home and fetch myself a warm dish, but then again, how do I get back home? I've been out here chasing this, 'thing', for who knows how long. I know what I saw, and I know it's out here. This has to be the direction, but I still can't find it. Not even a trace.

So what am I doing!

I'm starving and I'm dirty. If I can... wait, what is that noise? Sounds like water, smacking against more water, falling from the celestial sky. Which means, it could be a waterfall, which also means, I can take a bath, perhaps?

Quick, go check it out.

I'm here. It's not a harsh waterfall either, a simple one with a pool for a swim or maybe a bath.

See any boars?

Nothing in sight, Beamsuit seems to be orange. That's a good sign.

Then you know what to do.

I've been waiting too long for such a simple pleasure and natural necessity. My beamsuit was skin tight, so when slipping it off, it hugged my curves more than I desired the thing to do. It was not much trouble, just a minor annoyance for a desperate maiden, ready to sink herself into earth's love.

Oh, it's not that cold either. I'd say it's almost warm! How perfect can this be! Surely, something bad would be around the corner, wouldn't it? I'm in such an enlightened mood from this, it's incredible. Should I down it a notch? Perhaps stay on alert? Seemingly this is the kind of setup for the wrong and bad to come following.

Still, I need this. It may have been a day or so I've been out here, maybe more. I have lost track of time, admittedly, too much out here to intake without being overwhelmed. That wouldn't be the case, though, I'll never be overwhelmed. I'll die before that happens, no matter how much I cry about it.

Right now, I deserve this simple pleasure, so I am going to enjoy it. I'm on alert, believe me, still keeping watch for any of those crazed animals or even the changing weather. I'm the type to sleep with one eye opened.

I laid my arms on the side rocks and hugged my naked body against the corner in such a way that I rested on it, with closed eyes, taking in the fresh scent of the pool whilst the water sprinkled on me, imitating the form a light massage.

In this moment, I drifted from all thought and my mind became absolutely blank. I entered a state of deep meditation. I'm not sure how long I had been like that. It may have been an ample amount of time and it certainly went against the whole idea of 'sleeping with one eye open'.

Above you.

It was as if I saw without seeing, but when I opened my eyes, I knew it would be there - the shadow of the monster, the same thing that drew me here in the first place. You know when you hear the beginning of an opera, it generally does not start in full force. You feel the build up, you hear the storm coming, your heart begins racing. A jolt in the back of your head comes with a thudding and next thing you know, you're out of mercy's relaxing. I grabbed my Beamsuit and chased the monster like a feline mother who'd lost her cub, seeking vengeance.

This time, it would not evade me.

The lights on my beamsuit flickered as I moved through branch by branch, clawing my way through the thicket of trees. What am I feeling right now? Could it be described as fear? Curiosity driven to the peak of its limit? The mixture of emotion was shot like an ancient cocktail of devious drinking. Whatever it was, nothing else mattered in this one moment. I was not afraid but my body was pumping with adrenaline, prepared for whatever may come. Around this corner, past this branch, it was there - and I won't let it get the best of me this time.

I could hear something moving nearby. The sound was directly in front of me. Instead of showing up, no-guns-blazing, I decided to take the safer, possible ambush route and stooped into the bushes so that I would be out of sight but in such a way that I still had eyes in front of me.

That was when I saw something only someone like me could dream of.

It was a figure... a human... figure. Tall, slender but chiseled. I could make out the features from the bodysuit he was wearing. Yes, he. I'm certain it was a male, as I did not identify any feminine features. Unlike my beamsuit, his 'suit' was plain, black and covered him from neck to toe with the exception of his hands being exposed. His skin, if I'm right, appeared to be dark grey and he was completely bald.

His back was turned to me so I couldn't see his facial features. There was something very strange about all this. Forget the fact that here I was, observing another sentient creature who was by all means, perhaps, human. I won't even get into what I was feeling about that possible fact. Literally, all thought had abandoned my mind and questions were shoved aside until I figured out what on earth was going on here. See, it was something else. He held an apparatus in his hand and from what I could tell: he was scanning the area - taking readings, what not. At least this was how it appeared to me.

You've discovered another human. He could be hostile. Stay here?

Guru was disabled and I know this man has something to do with it. I want to know why.

Plan to walk up and just say 'hi'?

Not particularly.

Just when I thought I was developing a plan to greet the stranger, which may have been in a rather careful manner, a rodent decided to be my unwelcomed neighbor and disturb my stealth. The small shuffling of the animal caught the attention of The Stranger, and in lightning speed he 180'd to face me.

Me! Not even the animal that ghosted me!

It was obvious he saw me. He had no pupils. His eyes were red and maybe even glowing. His face seemed well cut but stern, serious and determined. A shot of fear, like an iced dagger stabbed right into my spine and shook the ground from me. I knew he was seeing me and I was watching him.

Both of us stood there quiet - not exchanging a word, gesture or sound, and then... I paced my knees sideways, got into a lunge, held my hand out and warped away a distance of a few meters before running, running, running and running until my legs were pumping battery acid. The lights on my beamsuit were fluctuating, all kinds of colors.

I had no idea if he was following me or not, but that thing he held in his hand might've been a weapon. The way he stared at me, also made me assume he may have been hostile. I couldn't stick around to find out, especially if I were to be gravely injured, or worse, killed. I wasn't exactly armed for combat, though if it came down to it, I'd use anything I could get my hands on, beamsuit included with some wit on the side.

"Slow down..."

I heard a voice penetrate into my head.

Automatically assumed it was me, fearing and my mind was of course, determining worst case scenarios. It didn't stop me running and running faster than ever if I might add. In a moment's time, I developed an athlete's speed, because this was a matter of survival. A thought crossed my mind how fast I was moving and it felt good that I could see myself going at such a speed, but that's when the same mistake caught me once more. I tripped on a branch and stumbled down a hilly top.

I could feel the pain on the way down, but that wasn't what irritated me. I'm sure I was yelping like a helpless creature and for some reason, this, klutzy roll down the hill felt like an eternity. I retained consciousness, thankfully, so when I came to it, I had to check my injuries and get back on my feet.

Except, I couldn't.

My ankle was sprained. I became immediately infuriated. This was not the time for my body to give out on me, but it was amply convincing me otherwise. I hadn't eaten in so long, I've been lost in this forest and now I was being chased but the adrenaline in my body was still pumping. I refuse. I refuse to sit here and die. It won't happen!

Get up!

"Take it easy..."

That voice shot into my mind as I began picking myself up and that led me to a series of thoughts that it may not have been my consciousness speaking. I got to my feet and slipped right into the ground again, face first from the pain. I couldn't help but scream. Not just in pain but pure unfiltered anger. I refuse to die out here like this. I can't, I can't!

"And you won't..."

I stopped my vocalization completely. There was a feeling, the hair on the back of my neck raising - that another presence was near. Everything became very quiet and the birds stopped their chirping. The quiet emanated the sound of soft leaves touching. Then a silhouette appeared in front of me, first invisible, only to uncloak and reveal my chaser had caught up and he was standing over me, looking down with those grim red eyes.

I flipped on my bottom and backed up, scraping the ground to get away, pushing myself into the wall. I was panting and struggling to control my breathing. I didn't know what to say or what to do. I looked around for any sharp objects I could find, but the best was nothing more than snipped branches that couldn't cut a fly.

"Fear not." The man's raspy voice caught my attention.

He held his hand open then placed it where his heart would be - symbolizing that he had no intention of harming me. I still did not trust him. He held that apparatus in hand and for all I know, he was deceiving me.

"Intelligent life still exists here. Interesting..." He muttered to himself, carefully observing me from head to toe with his gadget, "Please, do not be afraid. I mean you no harm. What is your name?"

My name?

My name?

My name...?

Whether it was the exhaustion, fear, anger, confusion or simply being lost in another world, I disregarded my designation number and responded by telling him - "Nyxe."

Shortly before everything went dark and I lost consciousness.

My name is Nyxe.

ACT 8: And then there were Two

You didn't take samples outside...

You didn't watch the leaves fly by...

Sit and turn, watch them burn...

Flail for a catalyst, none to gain...

Only the broken heart of a moment slain...

Words cannot compute what you've decided to do...

I've been here before. The usual whites and nothingness that, of course, speak proudness of spotless detail - a cleaned environment, controlled, bound and limited by man's own invention. As I lay here on my side, on the bed of a room I'd describe as... well, why describe it? The scent of freshness too much for the nose and the lights that shine right into anyone's hearted despair was obvious, this is the Medbay.

How did I get here?

Last thing I remember, I was out in the forest... Running from something. No, running from someone. That's right. That's the way I recall it, or at least, starting to recall it as my mind is struggling to correctly process everything in the now, whilst trying to remember.

Again, how am I here?

"Good morning, 17."

That voice. That's the voice of my caretaker. Guru!

"Guru?" A bitter taste left my mouth. Guru had probably fed me medication during my unconscious state.

"Yes, 17, it is I. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, but I remember you being disabled..."

"Do you share concern for me as well?"

"Of course I do. We're the only ones..."

You were about to say we're the only ones left on earth, weren't you? But aren't you forgetting something? Or, someone?

"What's wrong 17?" Guru identified the puzzled dumbness on my face.

I wasn't sure how to approach him. Then again, who else do I have to talk to about this? Obviously myself, but with absolute certainty, I know - I saw someone out there.

"There was someone out there. In the forest..."

I could've written a thousand inquiries, how Guru would've responded, and every single one of them would've been wrong. The AI immediately silenced itself, went into a short contemplation and responded by telling me, "There is someone I want you to meet."

Now everything was shifting away from the reality I thought up. Did Guru see him too?

"Are you ready?"

"I am."

Guru led me to the eating quarters. We had no conversation on the way there. This whole thing was strange. The way Guru was acting, how I ended up back in my home, and now this, what am I to experience now?

Before we could cut the corner, the hairs on the back of my neck began standing on edge once more. I knew there was a presence near. I wasn't dressed in my beamsuit, but I'm sure if I had the outfit on, it would be giving me some kind of indicator. I've grown fond of the suit.

The automated sliding door opened up and in front of me sat a young man, perhaps no older than me, and if he was - not by noticeable years. He had golden blonde hair, bronze skin and a solid muscular figure.

His attention to the food he was devouring quickly turned face to his new visitors, Guru and I.

"17, I would like you to meet your new companion, 16."

The man Guru called '16' got out of his chair, placed his hand forward in a manner of a greeting gesture. His face was paled neutral. It didn't speak of anything warm but it also didn't alert me of hostility.

"Greetings." His mid-toned voice spoke.

"Who is this?" Words unexpectedly left my mouth in whispers, denying what could've been a very happy uplifting for me.

"This is 16, my dear 17. I've worked hard on bringing you this present. No longer will you be alone. Now we have a male counterpart to help balance the equation. I did readings on his vitals and everything..."

"Who is this!" My voice tone started escalating.

Guru was surprised at my reaction. Did he expect me to greet the newling with open arms? Friendly gesture? Who is this person?

"Don't you remember him from the simulation? He was a real person..."

"That's not my point, Guru!" I snapped at the AI - "This is not the man I saw out in the forest. I've never seen this person before!"

"17, I know this may be hard on you..."

"Stop it!!" I shouted as loud as I can.

The shock of the sudden scream startled my new so-called 'companion'.

"Don't you remember anything that happened out there?! How did I end up in here? How did you recover? What is going on Guru! Speak to me!"

"17, I think you may have awakened too early. Perhaps you need more rest."

"I've slept long enough! I want answers. Now!"

Guru started explaining something to me but my drifted away from the importance of the conversation. What if I was wrong? What if there was no one actually out there and it was all just an imagination? I couldn't stand the thought of losing my mind so early in this mission. I know Guru was trying to explain but I couldn't be in that room any longer. I darted out of there and stormed into my room, tears of anger, disappointment and frustration all clawing me at once.

How could I have been so careless and let my mind slip free?

How could I be so weak?

Pacing, pacing, pacing, answers, questions, rhythm, emotion, relax - breathe, no, need answers, why, how? It came to this, no, it went there. No, how could I? I know what happened out there, I know it! Guru knows it, he has to know it. There are sensors in that AI's primary drive. He has to know! It couldn't have been a hallucination. Not possible. Unacceptable!

"Excuse me?" The voice of an estranged man penetrated my deep concentration. I knew who it was. I didn't second guess it. What was perturbing me; was why did he come to my personal quarters? Why did Guru give him access to come see me?

I looked at him, expecting him to continue. After all, he was the one who initiated the conversation, not me. His neatly combed blonde hair didn't do any justice for the seeking comfort written on his face. I could tell he was quite nervous. I know my eyebrows were crunched, demanding him to either speak up or get out.

"Is everything alright with you?" He asks

Is everything alright?

I scoffed in disbelief at the newcomer. Maybe it was an indication I felt, that he had to be brought up to speed, or maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this.

"You have no idea what's going on here, do you?" I responded

"On the contrary, I believe I do."

"Belief is an assumption, it is not grounded in truth."

"Which is why you may be able to correct my understanding, but first, I will repeat my original question - is everything alright with you?"

"I'm fine." I vocalized my tone to indicate that if he were to continue pushing such similar inquiries, it would deeply irritate me.

At last, a smile came to his face, "I apologize if this seems rude. It's just I've been alone here, for about three days. When Guru brought you in, I wasn't sure if you were going to make it..."

My eyes curled in confusion. How could I have been that injured?

"The thought of being the only human left on earth, was, arguably troublesome."

"Tell me about it." I slyly added.

He was eager to be around me, while I was dabbled in questions outside these walls. 16 knew I wasn't in the mood to exchange pleasantries, so he didn't bother to lengthen the conversation.

"Anyway, I hope you feel better. If there is anything you need, please, feel free to let me know. I'm sure I'll be available."

I nodded to his warmth. It was the least I could do, I suppose. Shortly after that, he departed. Then it was back to me in the thinking room. He mentioned something that caught my attention, minutes later. I was out for days.

He also said that Guru 'recovered' me?

"Guru..." I spoke into the camera systems on the wall, "We need to talk."

"How may I be of assistance, 17?"

"You can start by telling me what exactly happened after your disablement."

The awkward silence seeped through the air like a forest's stink of old debris. Guru carefully composed himself.

"You will have to forgive me 17, much of what you wish to probably hear, I cannot recall. The droid I sent out with you, is not the entirety of me, it's simply an extension of my consciousness..."

"I am aware."

"The droid's systems were disabled by a possible EMP device or some other electronic disturbance in the forest. The cause is still under investigation. After I was disabled, I sent another probe out to find you. I was unable to find you. It was strange, filtered biological readings could not locate you either. It was as if you vanished off the map, completely. Nevertheless, I did not tire in my search. Days passed and I did not find you, until one day - you showed up right at our doorsteps, sleeping, unconscious."

I tried to make sense of the words he was telling me. There had to have been at least ten different outcomes I could fathom imaginatively.

"Was I injured?"

"No, simply unconscious. You must have wandered your way back home and then your body gave out from pure exhaustion."

No injuries, no sense of where I was, displacement, does this make any sense to you or does it make total and complete logical accuracy?

It was in this moment, I came to the conclusion that Guru had no idea and I, was all alone to find the answers I needed. Did the thought bother me? No. I know I'm not crazy. I know what I experienced out there, despite whatever a perfectly intelligent computer may discern. Now I had a decision to make, do I continue my life, leaving this unwrapped, close the box and walk forward with the hope that it shall never be opened again?

Or do I open the box and unravel the truth?

But what is it you wish to find in the box? Would it be what you hoped for? All you ever imagined? Where does the line between fear and reality intersect? What if it's not what you wanted, would you change that into something else?

"Guru..."

"Yes, 17?"

"I want you to do something for me, and I don't want you to ask any questions."

"How may I be of service?"

The request had Guru quizzed, but it would all make sense in due time. I had him take me to Adam's quarters and provide me with some equipment for defense. Adam's room was not really different from mine, maybe slightly cleaner, since he was a new tenant after all. He was busy studying various subjects on physics and geopolitical schemes of the past, until I interrupted that diehard concentration by tossing him a Beamsuit. He caught the suit with unquestionably impressive reflexes then gave me a puzzled look.

"Field trip." I tell him.

***

"Any particular reasons we're carrying guns?" 16 questioned me as the elevator ascended out of the underground. He was thirsting for information, and sure, I was giving it to him - piece by piece, but I couldn't reveal the entirety of my plan to him yet. Although Guru had inquiries of his own, he could not deny me access to my freedom of choice.

I needed to go back out there, so as a form of security, not only did he arm us with stun guns, but he was also preparing to insert part of his consciousness into a humanoid robot guard, armed with EMP-counter measures to meet us at the front gate.

"Have you been outside?" I asked 16

"I have not."

I had to face him so he could see the seriousness in my eyes, "Then you should understand, nature pleads to no man. It can be safer than hugging the pillow on your bed, or as dangerous as a man out there, chasing you with a gun."

Certainly didn't take long for his face to express the gesture of understanding. I think he got the point.

"What exactly are we looking for out there?"

"A man, a man with a gun."

What will you do when you find him, Nyxe? You're just a drop in a limitless ocean. What does this accomplish? This meeting, this chance to determine your sanity, what good does it do? Life goes on, even if the twig snips a rock or two on its way down the river.

Is it knowledge? Wisdom? Perhaps a truth that we wish to discover, or maybe a knowing, that we're not alone. Why do we need other people in life? Why can't we just be comfortable by ourselves?

What's wrong with just me? I don't really need anyone else. I can be fine on my own, and yet, there's that part of me that's still wanting, needing...

Truly a paradox.

I can live the rest of my life alone, and sure, I'll be bitter, introvert - but you know what? I'll live. So why is this challenged? Am I overwhelmed by my new company? Am I wishing to not be that grumpy hermit I can realistically settle into?

"Do you remember your childhood?" 16 found it the appropriate time to disrupt my contemplation. At first, I wanted to hush him, I had some interesting thought challenges, but the question he presented was interesting challenge of its own. I needed to stop the topic on my mind, because I really wanted to get to the bottom of this new one, and the truth is, I don't remember as much as I'd like to.

"Bits and pieces." I vaguely answered.

The conditions of the day were similar to the first time I was out here, with the exception that there were three of us. 16, Guru - in his plain, humanoid robot form and myself. As much as I wanted to focus my attention on the beauty of the trees, in hopes that - that would inspire me to find the man, I couldn't help but overthink 16's inquiry.

"Why do you ask that question?" I inquired, parting the trees as I led them through the forest.

"Hasn't it struck you that, some part of your life has been, skipped?"

"Not necessarily. There are parts that I can remember."

"Do you mind sharing one of these parts with me?"

I had to stop in my tracks and give a look to 16. He was sincere. I sensed innocence and blindness. My response did not come immediately, I also needed to look over to Guru just to make sure I wasn't about to say anything dangerous to 16's growth. Guru did not respond, he neither discouraged or encouraged and it was not like I could tell what he was thinking purely from his 'expressions'. The vessel he used was completely mechanical.

I carefully found the courage within me to speak of the memory I held dearly.

"There was a time when I was a little girl. I was in a... how do I describe it, a... chamber. I was barely the age to recollect memory, but this never left me. I just remember, people, doubting. My mother was there. She's... heh, she's just watching me lovingly. Everyone else might be running and screaming for their lives but not her, no. She kept it together and always told me how much she loved me, even when the ground around her was falling apart."

It was as if I was binding 16 to a spell, his jaw dropped in amazement. I had to scoff off the emotional leakage from the recollection.

"Anyway, sometimes I dream of her and it comes to me in different forms, but I know it's from the original memory of when she overlooked me in a test chamber. Other times I see myself around the age of ten or fifteen, waking up, eating some food and going back to sleep. As I said: bits and pieces."

"Wow." 16 was clearly impressed - "This is good."

"Why is it 'good'"?

"I thought I was the only one that had dreams about her."

"'Her'?"

"Yeah, the woman you describe as your 'mother', she had dark hair, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did. How did you know that?"

"I've seen her in my dreams too, but I never thought of her as my mother, just someone who cared about me. It's always comforting but, sad, to see her face. I know she wanted to tell me more, but she couldn't. It was too late. I wasn't strong enough to save her."

I thought back on Sheila's memoir.

"Why should we live in regret of what's happened?" I confidently asked, "She was a great woman, but that time's gone. I'm sure you understand why our childhood's only been bits and pieces, don't you?"

16 nodded in understanding - "Of course, we had to be awakened at different stages to assure our vitals, then placed back into cyrosleep until the world was suitable for rebuilding."

"That is of correctness." I caught myself repeating Guru's usual line, "Now, shall we move on?"

"Shall you?"

That voice...

"Be careful what you seek to find, life is far different from what you think you know."

I'm willing to overcome those obstacles. Show yourself and let it be known, I am not mad.

"Then come to me."

"What's wrong?" 16 caught my overly enthused interest in the not so enthused tree, straight ahead of me. Clearly, he could discern this was unusual behavior, unless you consider the effects of possibly being intoxicated.

But I was as sober as they come...

"He's here!" I hissed like a cat, ready to pounce. 16, although he may have had his doubts, nevertheless armed himself for any possible confrontation.

"Let's go." I lead the way; following the voice of the unknown.

Why do you do that?

Do what?

'Follow the unknown', chase the ghost. Your curiosity, it leads you into places you better off steered clear.

I see no issue in fulfilling such natural desires. The human being is a curious creature by default.

Yes, but in your particular case it's unfathomably alluring, even to yourself. Why?

I can't help what I am. I have to know, I have to see, feel, taste, hear... even if it leads me into the abyss.

"17!"

16 shouted my name, drew his gun and before I could put together what was going on, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and instantly dropped to the ground unconscious.

Was he dead? What did he see?

I drew my own gun, pointing it at whatever may have caused that, which according to my visual sight, was practically nothing. Where did Guru go to? I turned to my side and saw his robot, fried by a different form of radio interference. Unbelievable! The unit he sent with us was supposed to be immune to such attacks, yet here we are... again.

Me alone.

"That weapon will do you no good." The raspy voice of the stranger shot out as if he were standing right next to me. Again, I can't stress how irritating this was building up to be. No sight of him and I was alone once more. Even if he were to appear as a real person and not an imagination, no one else would recall it.

"Show yourself!" I protested

"As long as you don't go off running."

The silence in the atmosphere did his words no justice. I still waited in suspicion and soon, I would be rewarded for my patience. Right before my eyes, the same red-eyed, grey skinned man appeared in just a few feet away. He used some sort of stealth technology, a cloaking field if you will. I held my gun strongly at him, ready to fire then I took the shot once he was in clear view, only for him to catch the energy in his hands and crush it into nothing more than energetic dust. It was at this point I connected the dots. He was carrying superior technology. A fight here would be unwise.

"Who are you?" I asked

"I am called Zedekon and I must speak with you, Nyxe."

"Say what you have to say." For some reason when he called me Nyxe, I felt more confident in myself

"No. I cannot abide to that request in the presence of this synthetic and the other human."

"You killed them, so why does it matter?"

"I did no such thing. I disabled them. They will be awakened once we leave."

"We? Leave?"

His peacefulness grew into a sternness I didn't predict. He stretched his hand, humbly but firm and spoke boldly, "There is an unavoidable fate coming to this world. You and I are the only ones who can avert disaster. There is no time for mistrust. Come with me, hear what I have to say and then you can make your decision."

Listening to him speak was like listening to a king. He had a magnetic aura around him. A good feeling, one I knew I can trust, but still the instinct in me wanted to floor him. Nevertheless, my curiosity...

Oh, great. Here we go, again...

ACT 9: Vicarious

I was beamed on board the same ship that got me into this grand predicament. Inside, there wasn't much of any detail at all and it was seemingly more spacious from what the outside gave it credit for. There were windows that contained a complete vantage point of all our surroundings in a 360 degree manner. In addition, the ship warped time and space by its mere passing. I could sense as if the vehicle itself were 'alive', like it housed an intelligence of its own and it was watching my every step.

"Would you prefer sitting?" The stranger asked me as he peered over the control system of his ship.

"No." I did not want to make myself so comfortable in such a strange place. Although everything around me pointed as it were; that being that there was no imminent danger. I still did not want to trust so easily.

"Very well." He responded, finally finishing whatever tinkering he had been doing and in between us, a hologram star map made its presence known.

"Do you see this?" He asked rhetorically as he came closer to the map and I, pointing at a particular system.

I did not acknowledge him with words. It was obvious I understood his gesture by my able composure. I think what surprised me was how well he spoke my language, but keeping a good eye on him revealed some things. He wore a utility belt that contained many different gadgets. I noticed when he engaged in conversation with me, he'd activate one of these tools, it'd light up green and he speak my language fluently. If I were to properly assume, I'd go with the obvious. It was an automated translator.

"What of it?" I wanted him to continue going, but I was coming to understand that he was the patient type. He'd wait until I was ready.

"GHC-9281 "Yura". This is where I come from. It was a star system of two binary stars..."

"You're saying you're an off-worlder? An extraterrestrial?"

"Does that come to you as any surprise?"

"Not really."

"That's why you're on my ship."

His response had left me very curious.

"Many years ago, my home system had been deemed unstable for life due to natural causes. A black hole if you will, threatened our stability there. As such, we have ventured into space to find a new home..."

I could already tell where this was going.

"The Yuras have split into two different groups, almost unrecognizable to the other. One has built an artificial home in the expanse of space, known as the Ul-Yura, while the other seeks to conquer, finding a new homeworld. They are known as the Nu-Yura."

"Conquer?" I wondered his true meaning.

"Yes, conquer. The Nu-Yura will take whatever is necessary for their survival and power. The Ul-Yura have almost completely given in to pacifism."

"I don't understand why you are telling me this. I have ideas, but give me the raw reality."

He gazed into my eyes with a hint of regret, "The Nu-Yura have discovered this solar system. They are coming."

I scoffed at the idea. Why would anyone wish to come here?

"This is a backwater solar system with a dying sun, one of the star sisters already gone. Why would any intelligent life wish to settle here?"

"Who says anything of settling?" His curious face startled me - "They are aware of the status of this system. All they're doing is finding time to reestablish themselves in order to wage war."

"War?" My thoughts were scattered on the soon to come outcomes. It was at this time Zedekon took a deep breath, sighed and walked to the other end of the room - peering outside solemnly.

"A long time ago, the Yura were beginning to develop in peace as they indulged interstellar flight. We were a very successful people, specifically in science and defense. Our world once had life, roaming free, but it was not meant to be. There were different ideals on outer world colonization. A once successful, united people were no longer one and once we accomplished everything stage one, we did not progress together in the other..."

Listening to his words was like listening to a naturally composed violin.

"And now all things come full circle. The people no longer see themselves as one people. They are cold, bitter enemies and will destroy each other in the end."

Zedekon humbly faced me with regret and continued, "Your world will soon be caught in this strife. I'm sorry."

It was admittedly a lot to take in: everything this man was telling me. His tone, it was, articulate, moving. It hit all the nerves all at once. I wasn't sure if I should be enraged or saddened that I was being dragged into this.

"Tell me something." I knew what I wanted to know, "What side are you on? The Nu or Ul?"

"Neither." He responded proudly, "I am no longer associated with them. I may have been born of the original Yura order, but I will never call myself one again."

"Then what are you?"

"I am me. My own kind. A Psione."

"A Psione?"

"It is my own name for my own order. We will speak of that another time."

"So what now?" I asked, needing to know the bottom line of all of this, "You brought me here but you didn't bring my fellow human companion or even inform my AI caretaker. This situation is dire, I would think others should know of this, shouldn't they?"

"Neither of them will be suitable for this information. I have done my research into their thoughts and programing, respectively. You are the only person capable of handling this task."

"What task?" My tone was more demanding this time, "What do you want me to do exactly?"

"I want you to make the decision. Either you help me, help you, help us - to avoid complete disaster of your planet or you go on living, knowing everything I told you."

"I'll need more specifics than just 'helping' you."

"They will be given to you in time. I can't overload you at once. I just need to know you are on board with this."

"I..." began stumbling on my words - "Don't know. I have only truly met you today and here you ask for me to join you in all this. I'm not even certain what you are saying is the truth. What if you're trying to delude me?"

"I have no time for such asinine games. Neither do you for that matter, but it is your choice in the end. Think on what I told you and I will come visit you once more when you have made up your mind."

"I will need more than just sad stories to convince me."

"I can understand you would not walk into blind belief. It is part of the reason why I chose you. When it is safe, I will take you to see it all."

"Then that is fair. I will think on everything you have told me until then, but my decision remains undecided until further proof."

"That is fair." He bowed his head in acknowledgement. At this point, it would be considered leaving time, yet I had so many questions to ask him. The one burning at the tip of my tongue came sliding off before my exit - "You say you belong to neither of those factions, but why are you here?"

"I'm here because I choose to be here. I discovered this planet on my own, hoping that I'd find a place refuge for my own ideals. Once I discovered intelligent life, you... my plans have been, changed. You are the variable I was not expecting."

Zedekon stood tall, trying to divert the subject - "I'm afraid that will have to be it for now. Your earthlings will be returning from their disablement. You must go to them but you must not whisper a word of me or anything I spoke of, related to or asked you to do. They cannot know anything, for the sake of your safety and my own. Can I trust you?"

"You can." I spoke confidently, knowing how to keep a secret.

"Until we meet again, Nyxe." Zedekon began preparing to beam me outside his ship, back to where I met him. I did not stop him, but as the teleportation device lit my body into light, the two of us locked each other in a binding gaze that was difficult to explain. It was as if, I knew and he knew, and we were together 'again'. A missing, a longing that wasn't apparent until I found myself hovering onto the floor, watching his ship trail into the sky, only to disappear without a sound, leaving me with an unfilled void.

Zedekon did not say an untruth. 16 came to consciousness the moment his ship vanished and in the distance, I could hear Guru's robot darting toward us asking if we were alright.

It was in this pocket of time, the alien's words reminded me that it would be in the best interest of everyone if I were to keep my mouth closed about our encounter. So when 16 asked me what happened, I had to reply by telling him it was probably a radiation spike that got the better of him. Guru tried countering that by reciting the slim possibility of interference affecting his unit and to that, I had no counter of my own. The best I could tell him was that he needed to brush up on his mechanical work.

The next few days would be no stranger than the encounter. Upon returning home after a 'non-successful' quest in finding the stranger, I had no choice but to keep quiet in my findings and admit that it was probably nothing more than my own vivid imagination. 16 and Guru would look at me differently from this point forward.

Guru came to the conclusion that I was filled in too much imagination and it's quite possible, the loneliness had got the best of me over the years. Due to that, he became more protective and arguably too worried.

I don't believe 16 was far off from that same conclusion. Although he didn't say much directly, I could sense he acted differently. Friendly when the time called for it, but reserved in other parts - very, reserved.

Had I become a laughing stock to my fellow rebuilders or a disgrace?

There was no doubt in my mind of Zedekon's existence. I could tell his emotions and sense his body language accurately. He was not a figment of my imagination. He was a real person in a real situation and, of course, bringing... real danger.

The trio of humans and AI now had specific tasks to complete. The rebuilding project had no detours to hold us back, so we went ahead to begin restructuring and stabilizing our vicinity. Guru's work effort was more placed on cleaning up the radiation pockets outside and upgrading his systems, while I focused on computing and monitoring the vitals of other possible candidates for reawakening. 16 had a balance between manual labor, helping Guru when needed outside and inside, moving equipment, what not - while also helping me with some of the schematics for future projects: such as a new construction project for another biodome facility, upgrades to the computers and AI systems, preparations for healthier foods etc.

I became the busy work bee, yet through all this, thought of the alien's words disturbed me. Sometimes I would downplay the severity of the situation, casting him off as a paranoid refugee.

Other times, I'd take the situation very seriously but come back to the nail-biting question, 'What am I supposed to do?'

"Quite a work of art." I acknowledged 16 as he worked on one of the vehicular transports in the underground garage. I sincerely enjoyed this area. It was roomy, filled with technology - ranging from well placed, soft, circular lights, to transportation vehicles such as hovercrafts, beam-transporters, planet-wide aircrafts and some of the ancient cars from the old world. Besides the ancient tech, everything had an aura or feeling of freshness, sleekness and it simply felt connected, logical yet simple and intricate, all at the same time.

16 did not turn to greet me, but he knew I was there, "May I help you, 17?" He asked.

"You may."

"I'm afraid it'll have to wait." His focus was truly attached to finishing the aircraft - "I have been at this for weeks. I'm almost near completion."

"Indeed you have. Haven't we all been at 'it' for weeks?"

"I beg your pardon?"

I leaped on top of the aircraft where 16 was kneeled down, using a small apparatus to seal the aircraft's wings to a safety lock.

I now officially had his utmost attention. He finally paid me some care by taking a glance at me, wondering what this was all about.

"Can I help you 17? I'm very busy right now, if you don't mind." His tone was growing annoyed by my apparent playfulness

"I'm afraid this cannot wait. I want you to come with me."

I started leading the way, shifting my attention to the ancient vehicle, the car. It was a red, four-wheeled contraption that contained a rather strong appearance with headlights and backlights. It had two doors, perfect just for 16 and I to take a drive.

"This isn't another one of those, 'strangers in the forest', is it?" 16's words came at me like a cold dagger to the spine, but I didn't falter. I smirked at the challenge and turned around so he can see it.

"Not at all, it's even better. You coming?"

There were times 16 had a swollen face, building passive aggression toward me, but I had my way with him. I knew where to hit him when I needed him and for his own good, I kept quiet on what I knew.

If it meant him hating me because of it, so be it. At least I'd know that I did what was necessary for the greater good.

No Guru, clear, blue skies with the sun up high and a dune that stretched about a stadium park wide. It was perfect. I took the wheel, steering the mechanical beast in whatever direction I chose. I don't know why but I felt so free. 16, at first, was very stiff about the whole thing. He didn't want me to drive at all, seeing as he was 'rightfully' qualified for the vehicle. However, he knew my capabilities and no matter how mad he may have been at me, he had respect for what I could do.

Honestly I was driving rather reckless. Maybe I wanted to shake him up a bit, or maybe I wanted to get shaken up. Again, I can't stress what the feeling was like to have no restraints.

I'm looking at you Guru...

I wanted to scream and woo every crazy turn, and so I did. I wanted to laugh like an ancient schoolgirl, and so I did. I wanted 16 to have a good time with me and so I tried.

It was working. Slowly but surely, it was working. He was coming around. His lips were sealed shut like a straight line but now?

He couldn't resist popping a smile and even a small chuckle at the fun we were having anytime we went over a hump and launched into the air.

"Your turn!" I shouted, the wind carrying my hair like a wild tempest.

16 knew what I meant but it didn't really register to him until I took his hand and placed it on the wheel, nudging him to trade seats with me while the car was active. To be frank, I loved these adventurous times. I had no doubt, with all the things that had happened, plus this, 16 may have concluded that I was mad, but one thing he couldn't deny, I was lots and lots of fun.

"Come on! You can do it!" I tried denying his obvious nervousness as he took control of the car. The speed went down, but it gradually went back up once his confidence began rising. Soon, stiff-man 16 would be letting loose, sharing a shriek here and there and drifting us right to the outer edges of the dirt track, undeniably having fun. I remember my hair covering my face so often from the sheer force of the wind. I was free and I wanted somebody else to experience it with me.

"What was this all about?" 16 asked some time later.

After we burned out from all the earlier fun, we parked the car and looked over the horizon to see the sunset. I was in the passenger's seat, contemplating how I should move forward with my words.

"You didn't enjoy it?" I had a sly smile on my face

"Oh, no..." He was trying to deny those assumptions, "Of course I did. I'm just wondering, why did we do this? Why now?"

"We've done nothing but work the past few weeks. Hard work."

"We've also made considerable progress..."

"I'm not denying that. I just believe we needed this."

"Ah! I think I know what you mean. A time for rest, play, and work. It's proper balancing for a human being, right?"

"Something like that, sure."

"Or perhaps there's more to it?"

My eyes trailed off to the setting sun. The silent ambience made me think carefully. He wanted to know the truth, the problem is: he can't handle the truth.

"Do you ever wonder about repopulating this world?"

The question made him slightly uncomfortable for a split second.

"I do, yes, naturally."

"It's only the two of us..." I leaned my head over to him, gazing for the right answer, "Am I attractive to you?"

16 leaned diagonally toward me, pressing a bit into the steering wheel and answered by saying, "I've searched history logs of humankind on this planet, women in particular and you are by far, one of the most beautiful women to exist from what I've seen. Mating with you would be one of the easier things I'd worry about, personally."

I smiled, not because of flattery but because 16 was always honest.

"But is this, what's really troubling you? Coupling with me?"

"I don't know." I answered truthfully, "There is a lot of work ahead of us and this is one of the bridges we have to cross."

"I agree..." 16 reached for my hand, softly squeezing me comfortingly, "We'll cross it."

I smiled, though knowing this was not the true severity of what really troubled me. That was deepened even further when he added...

"If you ever have a problem, please, do not hesitate to let me know."

Our gaze was locked into each other's eyes and here I sat, wondering, was it for the same purpose? 16's words continued haunting me...

If you ever have a problem, please, do not hesitate to let me know...

Please, do not hesitate to let me know...

Do not hesitate to let me know...

Let me know...

ACT 10: Flight

Steadfast work awards the greatest rewards. All one has to become is patient. A set goal, a determination where to go. You're not certain how you'll get to the other but you know where you want to go. Is this where I tell you that you should enjoy the journey? Maybe. The journey only concerns me so much. I already enjoy it, naturally, though sometimes I wish to rip my hair out.

While the thoughts of hostile ETs taking my world may have been for the lack of more colorful phrase, troublesome, seeing how the three earthlings formed a plan, stuck to it and the effects slowly pay off was rewarding in its own right. At least it gave a soft comfort that I could achieve what I put my mind to.

I did not go so far to consider it as if it were a test. It sort of occurred naturally and I happened to be observing it over the course of time. Now that I'm installing the new computers in Facility B, I have to reflect on this a little more.

We wanted to secure the environment and dampen the radiation pockets - done. We attempted to upgrade our mainframe computers - done.

We upgraded our food, now it provides a better nutritional value by 33%. We needed to fix and even make new transportation systems. Needless to say, we've already performed a swell job of completing most the work in this department, and finally, we needed another facility for future projects, 'Facility B'. That's in the work and near completion...

"Looking at you perform a service is truly a sight to behold."

At my greatest moment, my greatest darkness comes back.

"You..." My greeting to the alien was not the friendliest. He appeared from nothingness, observing one of our tools with lackluster curiosity. He didn't even warn me of his coming. Isn't it a bit hypocritical that he would show up in Facility B, a heavily-monitored-by-Guru area?

"Isn't it dangerous for you to be here?" I tauntingly asked

"No more dangerous than their inability to trace me. I have disabled the AI from tracking me."

Zedekon took two steps forward and waved his hand in front of the ceiling cameras. To my surprise, Guru saw nothing.

"It cannot see or trace my presence."

"What of 16?"

"I've taken steps to assure my security from him, though it won't be long before he returns. I'm here to alleviate you from the understandable strain I've caused."

Zedekon raised his hand, slowly yet so gracefully in a manner that told me to come hither, "It's time, Nyxe. Come with me."

All the sleepless nights this man had caused had taken a toll on my face as I hawked him, and still here I was, moved completely by what he truly is. The mystery of whatever he is, I cannot help it. It got the better of me. I wanted... No, I needed, to know more.

I still kept my careful composure. Each step I monitored, just in case I had to slip into combat, then our hands made contact. When it started with his fingers, there was a spike of stringed lightning that sparked between us, invisible to the eye. Once my hand was his, we were engulfed in pure, white light and the next thing I can recall was feeling a similar feeling to warping in my Beamsuit - that feeling of passing through an eternity, only to refresh my eyes to confirm, I was back on his ship.

The way Zedekon conducted himself was, different...

As soon as we arrived on the ship, his careful smile turned to seriousness. He released my hand in an almost careless yet non-hostile manner and he walked to his ship controls asking, "How is the rebuilding project proceeding?"

"Fine." My mind still focused on his attitude and what exactly to make of it - "Where are you taking me?" I noticed the ship was parked on the outskirts of the forest. It was an area I did not visit, but still remained familiar in its sights.

"Space."

????

"The Yura systems."

The way this ship moved was truly an experience to remember. It made no sound and it simply defied every law of gravity. Without Zedekon's explanation, I knew the ship had to have housed some sort of artificial barrier that acted as a sort of force manipulator, like the ship had its own energetic field. It did not push against nature like rocket propelled technology. It simply harnessed nature and made the best of it.

I looked outside and noticed my facility grow smaller and smaller, and smaller, and soon... there would be no facility. It wouldn't even be a dot. Nothing more covered by green... and oceans flow... now I could see the whole planet and blackness that covered everything around it with the starlight in the background's bright.

A jolt of unexplainable, joyous excitement got the better of me. I don't remember one time in my life where I felt so satisfied. It wasn't even a matter of happiness. I was content beyond rationality. It felt like... I was... returning home...

Zedekon must have noticed my joy and by all means, it was probably intoxicating, because he came over to view outside with me. All the anger, the stress... everything that was bubbling inside that I wanted to throw at him just evaporated. I looked at him with a new light.

Maybe... he was telling the truth.

"See anything you like?" He playfully asked.

I had no words. All that came out of me was a small giggle. That was it. That was all I could do. A giggle.

How unprofessional, I needed better composure than to be wooed by the beauty of space.

"Ahem!" I cleared my throat, diverting the joy, "The situation, the Yura, can you update me on these developments?"

"I can. First you need to know why I asked you to remain quiet."

He had my attention.

"This ship is capable of hyperspace travel. Once we are within the safe zone for a hyperjump, we will arrive at the Yuran destinations within the fraction of a second."

Zedekon glanced at me, knowing I was following his lead and waiting for my response - "If we can arrive there in under a second, why haven't they already invaded my planet?"

"Good." He responded - "You have to understand, I asked you to keep quiet because there are unseen circumstances that I have been investigating for months. These circumstances are the trigger fingers that will spark the conflict within the Sol system."

I squinted my eyes at him; demanding more information.

"This ship is equipped with time travel capabilities. I can venture into the past or future. When I discovered this planet, I wanted it for my own, so that I may start my own society - my own, civilization of people under the same ideals. Like any capable, responsible drifter, I did my research on the planet, its history and the future. I was surprised to see the Yura in the future of this unrelated planet, but it was them with absolute certainty, no mistake about it. They conquered this world, seemingly, and there will be destruction..."

I had to cut him off - "This is nothing more than a glance into the future, it can be changed, can it not?"

"No." He then went ahead and stopped me immediately, "This is an unchangeable prediction. It is going to happen, no matter what we do."

"Why warn me? Why waste all this time trying to change the inevitable?"

"Because you are the variable I was not expecting."

????

"Despite the destruction, you can make something good out of this. In my glance into the future, I saw you. There is something you have to do. That's one thing I know for sure."

Speechless.

"What I don't know, is what exactly causes the domino effect. How do they discover this planet? I've searched countless times, including evaluating my steps - to see if there is anything I've done to cause it. I haven't found anything. That is why I needed you to keep quiet, because there are still unknowns to me."

"I fail to see the difference this makes. Like you said, what is going to happen is going to happen."

"Your planet has a chance to make something new..."

"How does that involve you?"

"Because I also have the chance to make something new."

"What..." Honestly, I didn't know how to finish my sentence or what to ask. I had many ideas in mind.

"Many of the questions you have will be answered. We are going to visit both Ul and Nu Yura. I've been working on arranging these meetings for a long time."

"Both factions?" I needed clarity

"Yes, I still have, 'friends' on both sides..."

I tried taking a moment to digest everything Zedekon was telling me

"Are you ready, Nyxe?"

"I am."

Am I?

Zedekon did not tinker with the ship's controls. It can be described in such a way that the ship 'listened' to us and acknowledged our request to travel to the Yuran systems without a spoken word. Although the actual time it took to travel there was less than a heartbeat, in that millisecond, I saw space 'flatten' and bend around us then a strange excitement sung through my entire body which of course, reflects the fact that we were transmuted into energy then reassembled at our designated location. We passed into the finematter realm, where I felt the tingling joy. Once the 'trip' was complete, I did not see any planet or visible ship, only darkness covered by the light of stars, light years away.

"Where is it?" I asked, somewhat expecting Zed, if I may call him that, to understand the full length of my inquiry without me completely saying it. I couldn't tell if we were moving or not. The ship was truly a marvel of its own. In due time, I will have to understand the specifics of it.

"Before I establish contact with the Ul-Yura, I must explain the parameters of this meeting."

"Go on." I waited patiently

"We will meet with Ambassador Gabriel, the spokesman for the Ul-Yura council. He's a peaceful man, though the council have made decisions I no longer support, they are still willing to engage this contact. I've spent considerable time arranging this meeting. You must understand the despair of the civil war conflict, the possible effects it's had on these people, and their possibly suggestive patience with lower developed worlds and its inhabitants."

"Understood, shall we proceed?"

The ship responded to my unconscious thought which told it to 'go forward'. This had the better of my curiosity, so I went ahead to ask Zedekon of this intriguing matter.

"This ship has Intelligence of its own?"

"That is a correct assumption, why do you ask?"

"It seemingly responds to my thoughts or should I say; our thoughts?"

"The ship can be considered an intelligence of its own. It will prevent us from crashing, it will stop us from going into dangerous places, activate whatever means necessary to keep us safe and there are other benefits of various fields, leisure or labor related. Though it's not organic, the ship succeeds in its functions to a high level of performance. Calculation, trajectory, speed, all these are automatically monitored."

"From the sounds of what you are describing, can this ship override your free will?"

"If you are suggesting the act of mutiny, such triviality is far behind this technology. I am able to cease any of these functions should I find it necessary to do so."

I smirked but then, he did too...

A strange beeping noise disturbed my reflection on the ship's capabilities. It was a call, in the form of a holographic communication. The ship levitated the calling device about a foot away from Zedekon, directly parallel to his chest. A light-grey-skinned man appeared in front of us - in a hologram form.

His figure was fit, but he was an older man from what I can tell and unlike Zed, he had hair - black, short and his eyes were a dimmer form of red. The suit he wore was not jet black like Zed's either, in fact, it was a tarnished bronze.

"Haie ul stiersaciln teer..."

I had not the slightest clue what those two men were saying. It was obviously in a language of their own. From what I can tell, be it not much, Zedekon was confirming his arrival and the meeting ahead. It did not take long for him to notice my confusion, so he ended the call and walked to the east quadrant of the ship. There, he fetched a utility belt and offered it for me to wear.

"If I am to guess, this contains a language translator?"

"That is certainly one of the functions, yes, but there are other important ones you'll need."

"Like?"

Zedekon pointed to one of the tools etched on the belt, "This is a vibrational discharger. Creatures from other worlds may vibrate in frequencies often disturbing to off-worlder.

In your case, the vibrations here are finer and the oscillation can be dangerous to yourself or to the ones you meet with."

"Interesting, what else?"

"This here..." He pointed to the other useful gadget which appeared to me as nothing more than a stylish button, "Is a stealth field generator. This will render you completely invisible to the naked eye but it is a temporal effect and will not last forever. And this is a teleportation device that links to this ship. Whenever you are in danger, this button will beam you here."

"Thank you." I reached for the belt from his hands and our fingers touched accidently. I watched him, he watched me and then I went ahead to equip the belt, but I couldn't ignore the vibe I was receiving.

Last time we exchanged our goodbyes, he told me "Until we meet again, Nyxe." And now I am wondering why he said that in the first place. He's traveled into the future already and seen me there. What does he know that I don't?

A lot?

Well, surely but that's not what I am getting at.

"Zedekon..." I confronted him - "Why is it that when I'm around you, I feel as if we've been here before."

"You are speaking metaphorically."

"Yet you understand the context; the meaning of my words, do you not?"

Zedekon took a slow, deep breath, like he began a subtle form of meditation. Once he had his absolute composure, he decided to respond.

"Think about your past lives."

He reached for my hand and then the glow of white light came to us, ready to teleport. As I watched him transmute into energy, I understood his words clearly. He had given me the answer, yet he shrouded me in more mystery. A careful, cloaked, wise man. The kind that fed the cat nibbles to lead her home... or, wherever he chose it to be...

ACT 11: Order of Ul

The white sparkles from the teleportation mechanism whittled into specs of dust, and it registered I was no longer on the ship; my eyes began connecting the immediate surroundings. We were in what I would describe as an oval-shaped, white, somewhat metallic looking container room. Zedekon showed me comfort by awarding a smile to ease my instinctive defensiveness. Despite the effect being short, it did work as he had planned.

On our east, a door slid open and a long hallway, in similar fashion to the container room, became visible. I could not tell the details of the side, but from where I was, I could make out it may have been see-through glass windows. What captured our attention were the three men walking to us. They were all dressed in similar fashion; bronze bodysuits, utility belts and each had a different shade of grey colored skin accordingly to the Yuran race. Their facial features were unique, as usual with all evolving intelligent life. I could tell these people were related to Zedekon once, but he has made a considerable effort to be different.

I say that because for example, I expected them to be bald and maybe one of them to wear the same black outfit as Zed - but it was clearly different.

Two of them had hair of their own, well-groomed, short and dark. These two men on the left and right also had suspicious looks on their faces. It was not the most welcoming sight, but I didn't sense any trouble. The man in the middle became the most identifiable. Unlike the other two, his hair was longer, reaching shoulder length and combed backwards. His face told me another story - still serious, yet warmer.

Zedekon walked to them, expecting me to do the same, so I did, keeping a small distance for my own paranoid security. Continuing through the hallway revealed the window's details ad these details weren't 'details' so to speak, they were viewings to the colony.

We were on a very large, artificial structure that seemingly acted as a manmade planet. In the distance, I saw a garden being treated carefully by a Yuran gardener. It was a woman. Like her own race, she had an uncanny similarity - the basic shade of grey, dark, perhaps black, long hair and a slender figure with the basic bodysuit.

Our eyes caught each other's and in that glimpse into her dimly-lit red eyes, it came to me like a history lesson.

These people have experienced great gains and great losses - the sadness in her eyes couldn't be mistaken. I went ahead to look further into the distance, where I could see the cut off of the artificial biodome and the black void of space, lit by nature's cosmic wonders. My attention may have drifted but it revealed something that was very much needed.

As Zedekon and the middle man moved closer to each other, I can tell these two had surely known each other for a long time. Their composures grew warmer each step until Zedekon stopped some feet away, placed his hand on his heart and performed a small tilt forward, in a manner of respect. The middle man shook his head with a smile then came right up to Zedekon and gave him a sincere, brotherly hug.

I can see the discomfort growing on Zedekon. Nevertheless, he engaged in the hug once the feeling moved away.

"It's been a long time, brother." The man spoke warmly to Zed.

Zedekon did not reply with words, only a gesture of acknowledgement in a friendly manner. The warm man then turned to me and smiled, "This must be the other-world's native."

"Certainly." Zedekon responded, also looking at me - "Nyxe, this is Mjkael - Mjkael, Nyxe."

Mjkael placed his hand on his heart in a greeting manner to me, the same way Zedekon to him.

"Zedekon has told us of you."

"I would hope it had not been too much." I wittily remarked

"Only that which was necessary." Mjkael cleared the pathway for us to continue to another quadrant, "May we proceed?"

"Where is Gabriel?" Zedekon sounded annoyed at the lack of his presence as we walked.

"He sent me. This meeting will not be recorded officially."

"Of course..." Zedekon silently snapped, "Were you informed of the parameters of this meeting?"

"Yes, that is why I am here." Mjkael stopped pacing and faced Zedekon and I - "Now, let us be open. Zedekon, you contacted us because you warned of imminent danger to afflict us which involved the Nu-Yura order and other non-related natives that would be affected by this 'conflict'. Natives like Nyxe. What do you have to say?"

The general tone had shifted right into business.

"War is coming." Zedekon boldly announced, "If you continue disabling your weapons, you will be destroyed."

The look on Mjkael's face became very distressed and annoyed in his own way - "You're referring to the old war with the Nu-Yura."

"I am."

"Zedekon... that war is over..."

Was he trying to comfort himself with those words?

"...It's been almost thirty years since we've defeated that rebellion. War is behind us, we no longer have need for the weapons that have destroyed our kind for centuries."

"Yet that rebellion continues to build in their hatred. Unlike you, becoming weaker, they are becoming stronger. When you have no weapons left, they will destroy everything we have worked for." Zedekon responded.

"The Nu-Yura's number was small to begin with and the aftermath of the war has sent them crawling into dark regions of space, hiding. They have been defeated. We will not continue the path of war, we are now peaceful people."

"Peace, my friend, is not pacifism. What you're doing is wrong."

"How can you say that? You're the one who advocated peace in the original civil conflict to our empire. Why are you here today arguing another direction?"

"Do not mistake the meaning of my intention Mjkael. Peace comes at the sake of logical, responsible decisions. The decision the council has made to dismantle weapons and live a life of deluded 'freedom' is absurd. I didn't agree with it before and I certainly don't agree with it now, especially when I have taken a glance into the future. They will come back for you and if you are defenseless, expect no mercy."

"A glance into the future..." Mjkael thought of Zed's words carefully, "Here you are, warning us, condemning our council's guidance and still you haven't shared it all." Mjkael's eyes paid attention to me on that last line. Zedekon also took a look at me before quickly hawking back to Mjkael to get his attention.

"Nyxe is the aspect of what shouldn't be. A native that will consumed by our problem, ifwe don't do something."

Mjkael folded his arms.

"We, you say." I had an idea where Mjkael was taking this, "You keep saying 'we', but it's been a long time since we've been, 'we'. Remember your decision, Zedekon. You left us. I appreciate the warning and I will hand it to the council... But 'we', the Ul-Yura will be fine without thee."

Zedekon could say no more. Mjkael clearly wished to end the meeting and he was stubborn to a dire fault.

"Nyxe..." Zedekon turned to me, a cold stern look peering into me then he began marching back to the container room - "Let's go."

I had no room to speak. In this situation, I simply had to follow my guide out.

Back on the ship, there was a piercing silence. Zedekon was setting the destination for our next visit, quiet, determined and disturbed. I wanted to ask him more of his history with the Yura, but I also had no desire to impose, until he broke the awkward silence and said...

"Feel free to speak your mind Nyxe."

"Well..." I cleared my throat and peered over to him thoughtfully, "The way I interpret everything that just happened is like this... There is more you are not telling me. Your history with those people? My role?"

Zedekon folded his arms behind his back, glaring at me seriously while I continued.

"This situation clearly does not involve only you; it includes me, my planet and the Yura. You have to tell me more."

"And what is it exactly you wish to know?"

"Let's start with the most prominent. What was your role with the Yura people?"

"I told you, I was born of the Yura empire and then I left."

"Yes but normal civilians can leave, but the ties you have to both factions are at another level. If I'm unmistaken, we spoke to council representatives back there and now we're off to see men of similar power on the opposite side? How do you have these connections? Who are you, really? What was your role?"

Silence...

"I've always been a leader." Zedekon strongly but gracefully began pacing closer to me.

"In past lifetimes, I helped the Yura unite into one world. My role has always been a sort of guardian, a doer. This lifetime was no different. The Yura expanded their reaches into space, but differences on how we should go about as a galactic nation eventually surfaced. Once our home world became threatened by a dark star, we had no choice. We had to confront the division in our world. I was a part of the Yura council, one of the ambassadors to my people and outer-world communicators. It didn't take long for me to see the folly of these people, no matter how hard I tried or how much I did for them, uniting them time and time again; none of it ever mattered in the end. They were too advanced, technologically, for their spiritual evolution, and so - war got the better of us. I was caught in between friends, loved ones and allies, and I refused to take sides. That is why I left, because of their consistent stupidity. Whether they make it or not, is no longer a concern I hold."

"Yet here we are..." It was difficult to speak through the heaviness but I did anyway.

"I fail to completely determine the exact aspect of your meaning."

"I know why you want nothing to do with those people, but here we are again, doing something with them."

"They are a threat not only to themselves but other nations in space, like yours. That is why I'm here. If it were up to me, I would want nothing to do with them at all but they threaten life in the cosmos and they threaten the path I have chosen to walk away."

It was at this point I had a new insight of the man in front of me. Truly, he had no desire to return to the Yura and very well, I can understand that, but that wasn't what had me bubbling starlight in my cognitive factory.

Zedekon mentioned past lives to me and I'm fairly certain I had no incarnations with the Yura, so why did he mention that to me? Had he been an earthling at one point? Do you understand what I'm saying? He is a drifter. His spirit form might have gone to other worlds, other people and now, naturally, he was ready to move onto another stage...

"You are different." I commented in honesty, "Yet I still do not understand why we are special. The Yura conflict will hurt other nations, why is my broken, ship-sunk of a planet any more important than the rest?"

"Because of you."

...and then we were rudely interrupted by a strange beeping noise. It was a holocall for our next meeting. Zedekon immediately halted me from further conversation when he answered the call and spoke in only 'yes' and 'no' answers.

"That was my Nu-Yura contact. They are waiting for us."

Intermission

This is a recording saved for later review on Subject 16. Approximately, 20 hours have passed since the unexplainable disappearance of Subject 17. The effects of her absence have left Subject 16 in a questionable state. The creature, normally responsive to my inquiries, is instead withdrawn, and affably introvert since his human companion unavailability. This unforeseen behavior has decreased workflow by an overall of 6% in the unit's capacities. The unit's mental stability remains intact but there is a driving directive which remains unresolved to him.

Playback Log - S00_16: 359012901

"Guru?" 16 needed my attention some hours after the discovery of our missing 17. It became uncommon for 16 to acknowledge me if 17 was present, however in this peculiar case, the lack of options to find comfort in the arms of a fellow human became painstakingly evident.

"Have your scanners picked up anything? Anything at all?"

The second question was not of necessity, which hinted distress in the unit. My plausible response came in the form of truth and comfort.

"I have no detected humanly recognizable life form outside this facility within at least 5337 kilometers."

"What you're saying, Guru is that she's just gone. Right? Gone? Is that the conclusion we've arrived at?"

Emotional response detected. Unit is becoming increasingly more agitated at the lack of consoling information.

"Unless 17 is purposely masking her presence and or hiding from us in an undetectable manner, she is 'gone', as you describe it for the moment."

"Thanks."

Observations and Conclusion.

16's gradual decline in lack of motivation for the rebuilding project continues to hinder his overall work ethic. Despite having fantastic output once he clears his thoughts to complete a given task, the unit is surely bothered by his missing human companion. Possibly deformed, inaccurate conclusions may be clouding his sound judgment, and the actuality of her disappearance. Unit uses denial if the matter is discussed on open, neutral terms; using tasked duties, play time and other miscellaneous measures to mask and withhold true feelings on the bothersome nature of the case - effectively forming a proper escape mechanism for an issue out of his control.

17 has fundamentally changed 16's total output, possibly in more positive factors than negatives, and her disappearance has forced him to confront his true feelings for her and the rebuilding project. It is a likely outcome to consider 17 may be deceased and if that is the truth, only 16 remains. The choice remains for the unit to utilize what he has experienced for the better of his own life and the world, but this is nothing more than an option; a variable. How 16 chooses to handle this part in his evolution will change the future of this world - and that can go positive or negative.

ACT 11.5: Order of Nu

The air here is different. This isn't the same environment like the other one. Here, I can feel, I can sense an atmosphere of heaviness. I cannot say if it is bad or good, I can only say it's getting harder to breathe.

"You alright?" Zed asks

"I'm fine." I can't show the slightest hint of weakness

"Let me do the talking. These people aren't exactly the most welcoming..."

I nodded to his request. The elevator doors weren't much different from the Ul-Yura's. I mainly paid attention to the dark hallways lit by neon green lights. There was no one to greet at us at the supposed entrance, only an eerie trail that led us to another room. The doors slid open as we neared the entrance and inside, I could see we had entered somewhat of a command center. At last, I was able to discern human creatures in the room. They were well armored from head to toe; sporting black helmets, shoulderguards and what appeared to be utility belts that housed various equipment of unimaginable power and the control panels were made in similar fashion.

The main signature I noticed in these people and their technology was a stream of neon green lights that appeared to me like some sort of battery source. I was also surprised I was even allowed into this room, but it also obvious that they were not afraid of us and frankly, we had no power against them whatsoever.

There was one creature that would soon identify himself to be the leader. At least I think it was the leader, because he was looking out into the fringes of space, arms folded behind his back with a long, dark cape. I didn't notice how grand outside looked from in here until my eyes trailed to him. There was an entire fleet of ships, completely invisible from Zed's ship, which means they were all cloaked, out here waiting. The ships were more or less, similar to Zed's but they too had the same neon green lights. This is when I realized these people were suiting up for something big.

"I'm unsurprised you come to see us now." A dark, robotic voice sounded from The Leader, "Then again, you've always been there when the worst comes to play."

This man turned to Zed and I, both standing in the entrance to the room. His helmet was slightly different from the standard.

It had a sharp antenna that pointed from the tip of its skull. I looked over at Zedekon, who stood there, fearless but tense and ready.

"You know why I'm here." Zed spoke bravely.

"Correct, so please, do start speaking." This man's voice hinted signs of sarcasm and passive aggression. He walked slowly but powerfully to us. Each step he took, the ship might as well have been shaking from his presence, yet there Zedekon and I stood there - fearless.

"Shouldn't we do this in private?" Zed's eyes trotted to the other listeners in the room, only for 'The Man' to respond by saying, "There are no secrets amongst brothers. Anything you have to say to me, they will know as well."

"So be it. This war you are about to wage, will end in total destruction."

"Destruction is the goal; through the destruction of an evil empire, the greater good will be better served."

"The Ul-Yura have no conflict with you any longer. They have learned their lesson of war and the chaos it has brought upon its people. What you're going to do no longer has application to any future, advancing race."

"The Ul-Yura gloat over their victory. They gloat over defeating the poor. Now, they will be the ones to soon regret, everything."

"Why do you still remain so stubborn?"

"I'm sure you found success convincing Gabriel?"

Zedekon paused in speechlessness. He pointed to me and began announcing to the room - "This alien is just one of many inhabitants that will be affected from the war you are about to cause. Some of these worlds are underdeveloped, they cannot escape or evacuate. They have no home elsewhere."

But the room remained unconvinced, only looking at Zedekon with folded, uncaring arms. The Leader took a step closer to confront Zedekon, then slowly reached for his helmet and detached it. As he pulled it off, I can sense the uneasiness rising in Zed. The Leader revealed a bald, shadeless white skinned-face with a large scar that ran across his face, mixed with an augmented eye and other robotics to cover up various scars. He slowly pointed to the scar that ran from the tip of his forehead, across his natural blue eye, to the edge of his jawbone, making sure Zedekon paid close attention to the detail.

"You remember this scar?" He asks.

Zedekon sighed in frustration, reflecting over a past event the two of these men shared but purposely remained quiet.

"I do." The man continued aggressively, lowering his hand and tensing his face to a most unpleasant manner - "If you care about those people, Zedekon, then stay out of our way..."

He then turned around to look at his fleet amassing in the distance from the window, "There is nothing more for you here. As a token of my appreciation, I will allow you to leave in peace."

I found that challenging. I was about to give him a piece of my mind until I felt the warm touch of Zed's hands trailing on mine, soothingly asking me to let it go. When I looked for him, the two of us began lighting in sparks, teleporting away...

Upon returning to our, I'm saying 'our' when it's actually Zed's, but nevertheless - upon returning to our ship, I then chose to remain quiet. Yes, there were many questions, arguments, inconsistencies and even hidden truths I wanted to call out on Zed. After all, that last meeting practically said those people are going to destroy their enemies, no matter what gets in their way. Zedekon just kept looking at me.

I'm sure he was expecting me to question him but again, I chose to remain silent. 'Bottle it up', as the oldens would say.

"Nothing?" He asks after a while, "Nothing to say to me?"

"What do you want me to say?" I admittedly snapped

"I'm not sure, you aren't curious like you usually are. You don't seem to care much about that man or what's about to happen..."

"I do not see the difference it would make if I were to express any feeling or inquiry. It all feels irrelevant. What is going to happen is going to happen."

"Another time then."

"If there is one..." I sarcastically responded, knowing the very real, incoming 'doom'.

"Hey..." Zedekon's tone became less tense - "Before I return you to Earth, there is somewhere I wish to take you to."

"Please..." I honestly didn't need any more convincing of the situation - "I think I have seen enough. I understand what's about to..."

"It's unrelated to any of this, Nyxe."

Then what is it related to?

"I want you to come with me. Just the two of us, we can be free. It doesn't have to be forever. I've shown you the perils of other civilizations, but there is beauty out there too. I owe that to you."

I stood up, facing Zedekon with a newfound deep and irresistible intrigue. I was waiting for whatever else he had to add to convince me.

"Do you trust me?" He asks.

And how do you think I am about to respond?

"I... do."

ACT 12: Distant Shores

Star and Flame carry one thing the same,

They burn until their time calls them away,

Never, do they live in a shame,

Damned is those who think this a pain,

The world I saw, there was ash and dust,

Memories of a world she painfully lost,

In the fire she stands, her blood-red hair mistake it not,

The end of the world has come,

Screaming doesn't help, what's gone is gone,

You try to fight the powers that be but you do it without me,

Swallowed by the sea of strife,

Turmoil carries the heart to the end of its life,

I admire you; my redhead queen,

I adore you; my flaming star,

I take you, my enduring love.

~Zedekon

"I did not imagine you as the poetic type."

"It's alright to be wrong."

Wit, friendliness, playful... all the mannerisms of a person who I can never get to the bottom to. Have I met the ultimate challenge? A drink that continues without the need for refill, a mystery puzzle that refreshes itself, one can say? You come into my life now and I wonder why. I hear the worst from you and now you wish to sweep that away...

"We're near." He says.

I placed his book of rhymes and fairy tales down to rest. There is more I wish to read. It comes to me as if this time, is not enough time - that I can't do enough in what I have available. I rightfully want more, but I'll walk to the edge of the ship and view outside. There's more for me to experience. The books are just the tip of the glacier.

"You see it?" He asks.

A newly forming star, a gas giant for all that's concerned - a mixture of gases that circle the center to create the new. The colors, do they impress me? They range from blue, to cyan, to orange, to red and they change whenever they get a chance to hide their face.

A marvel in seeing such a creative beauty before my eyes, truly, but is this all he has to show me? The universe has many of these. I can watch them every day, but I know you mean more, so tell me, what is it? I speak not a word, only acknowledgements, waiting for the next stop.

You will tie up loose ends on the ends of the other shore,

You'll cease to continue what shouldn't,

There will come a time when you think back on what could've,

And in that point is when you will know,

You couldn't have done any more,

The world I see?

You'll wake up to see that life is but a precious stone,

A gift given by the intent of what can be,

You'll dream of sharing that gift with another like ye,

Only then, you will watch a field of drifters planting harvest,

And by then you would have done all that could be,

Then the choice looks to you from above - in the blackness,

Are you ready to see?

~Zedekon

He takes me to a new world; a young, immature planet with new, developing intelligent life. Is it the green, flickered trees that highlight their contrast against the large mountains that tip the pathway of the clouds? The gorgeously blue sky that makes my own planet pale in comparison? The white iced lakes, frozen in sleep with these, cyan lights that shimmer off the gentler sun? The ends of a waterfall, where each detail of the water shines like shadings of a portrait from the distance and the vines on the walls grow far and wide, reaching out wherever nature wishes to take them?

A landscape with small shelters made by the inhabitants, only in the background, another icy mountain in the great distance - followed by a closer, green, then nearer to my sight, small, well-cut trees, all spread a part to avoid clutter, so that the grass of the ground has its own presence?

But that won't be enough, so he takes us underwater.

The submerged dive isn't very dramatic, we go in and the water does not even splash - it's like the ship is a non-existent force. Once underneath, all the windows on the ship are available in a 360 degree motion, so I see wherever I wish to be.

The sun is booming down on us as we go lower and lower into the water, and I can see schools of fish, rushing back and forth; unintentionally welcoming us to the deep blue. The sun highlight's the blue hue of the water and I feel a peace I haven't experienced before. All these sights, these places, and I wonder where do I go from here? The destination concerns me not. It's more than reaching the end goal.

The light gradually disappears as we sink lower into the abyss and in time, there will be no light, only darkness.

This is when Zed steps away from the controls and moves toward me, carefully yet boldly; his usual manner. What am I doing? Glued to the window of the ship, wanting more...

"You enjoying yourself?" He asks

"This is all... so beautiful." The awe of my experience was getting the better of my usual, strict composure.

Zed leans on the windows and peers out into the distance, though... there's nothing to really see. I kept my watch there because I expected more to come, but, nothing was seemingly out there - besides the blackness.

Why did you bring me here...

Then, a light shone from under our feet. It came up, brighter and brighter, with all scores of 'neon' lights and some colors I couldn't quite decipher. It appeared as if it could switch the color on choice, cyan, orange, blue, whatever it wanted. It hugged against the edge of the ship as it kept moving upwards and I could then identify features of life. A long, jellyfish-like aboral surface, with what looked to me like tentacles and almost unexplainable patterns of natural aquatic structure, adapted to live in the depths of deeper earth.

I believe my mouth may have been slightly hanging from the sight unintentionally. I wanted more. My eyes trailed off the creature to Zedekon, and I noticed he had no interest in the creature, but interest in me.

"Can you swim?" He asks

"Enough to save my life, why?" I grew cautious.

But all he did was smile his way back to the control panel. Soon, we would be leaving the ocean and I caught myself putting my hand on the window, saying a silent goodbye to my strange, underwater friend.

What started from the sea, rises up to be,

What jumps from there will land near,

And where the roses blossom, your trail will follow,

Sparks become Flames and Flames become Fires,

Your passion denies you from giving in,

Your curiosity leads you to the devil's doorstep,

Will is all you know and it's all that moves you,

The power it grants, the power you've built,

All these lifetimes and yet you search for more,

The well you look for, the well you created,

Is a well I invented,

And you will want more and more,

Until there is no morning star,

When hopes and dreams shatter, you will run,

Dust and Ash remain but you live,

Fire scorches Earth, Earth tames fire,

Throw the stone where you desire,

You won't leave it behind.

~Zedekon

He takes me on the surface on a distant shore. A creamy-sanded beach, where the waves do not flow harsh, nor do they move still. They go wherever they desire. This is the ocean. I can look out into the blue and it never ends. From space, this is nothing but a blob. A spec, a dot, and here I am - looking out into the everlasting. The peripheral vision makes me wonder. How can things look so different from other vantage points?

What makes your vision, the correct one?

How much do you actually see?

What remains hidden in the valleys?

Gentle, firm and electrifying fingers softly make contact with my hand. I know who it is, so there's no need to face him in fear or worry.

Does this mean, I trust him?

"What are you looking at?" I ask.

I know he's looking at me while the wind blows in my hair wildly. Occasionally, my own hair blocks my vision but not once do I flinch or disturb the naturalness of this state. I am but a bit in this grand architecture. Let me remain here and be one with this state.

"You." His answer parts the drafts of the howling wind.

And it's with that, I turn for him. It's with that implication - I need to see his face to understand the depth of its meaning. His eyes never trail off me. The sea is beautiful, the sky is an orange, portrait painted sunset and yet none of that intrigues him away from the maiden on these shores. I do not question his intention. The two of us gaze at each other, exchanging a thousand unspoken words. He gives me a warm smile, let's me know that he is still here with me. Despite the pain, the hurt, and whatever else he suffered - whatever I suffered; there's still a chance, for something new.

"We came from war torn worlds but not every civilization resembles our histories."

Zedekon walks me along the shores of this long-stripped beach, explaining himself for bringing me here and frankly, I don't really care. Not in an offense manner. I understand fully what he's trying to relate. Our civilizations may have destroyed or will destroy themselves, but others didn't. Other nations out there in the cosmos have made it successfully and peacefully.

And that's great...

But where's my head right now? On the simple steps I take, feeling each little bump in the sand, massaging my heels. The splashes of the water hitting the shores, the perfectly warm sun - giving us enough light to carry this walk on. All I can do is smile. I don't just get it, I feel it.

"Are you happy out here?" Zed stops to ask me

"What does it look like?" I slyly retort, smirking at him

"I see joy. Something I've never seen on you before."

Joy? Yeah...

"Maybe." Have to keep the composure

"Nyxe. I want to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"No matter what happens, I want you to know the real reason I came for you is because you deserve more than what you will get..."

What does that mean?

"...Once you return to your homeworld, there will be no time to blossom in the flowers. The storm will come but I want you to know, that you don't have to endure it. You can come with me. We can be free. Start our own destiny. Be Psione."

"So Psione - that's a meaning to be of one's own order."

"Yes, to be free of the old orders."

"I..."

"Don't..." He silences me - "Whatever is your answer, I want you to think real well about it. We have time before such decisions are made."

He knew what my answer would be and he knew it would have been favorable to what we both wanted, so why silence me?

The trip back home had me in a state of solemnness, pondering the meaning of his words, mines and where this whole thing would go. Truth be told, I wanted to stay with Zed. Everything this man was, to me, truly was respectable. He is not perfect. He has had his hilltops and valleys, but he is striving nevertheless. A past that may have been hard to bare yet he climbs the stair. There is no doubt in my mind that if we ran away together, we would be happy. We would be at peace.

But the two of us are two people of significance. People that are bound to duty of our worlds and because of that, we must fulfill the tasks naturally appointed to us.

I reach out to him, he sees my hand and his straight mouthed look evolves into a warm smile. He holds my hand, his fingers interlocks into me and I suddenly become light. I stand up and our heads touch, eyes both closed.

Not a word is whispered and not a word needs to be said.

That is until I get my usual undeniable sense of curiosity and ask, "Can you tell me who the scarred man on the ship was?"

Zed smiles, seeing that I've returned to the state of my usual self.

"That man is called Druce. He is my brother."

The jump to earth is less than a second long, so we continue our conversation over the orbit of my world.

"Originally, I fought alongside him a long time ago when our civil oppression begun. As you can determine by now, I'm no longer affiliated with him."

"Why?" I ask carefully, hoping not to offend irrationally

"Because ask yourself this question, 'When do I put down the sword?' It is the same question I asked myself decades ago and the same question I asked him. When does the conflict end? When do we come the realization that war and strife, battle and disharmony; never have and never will be the way? That is why, Nyxe. My path no longer walks the same as his."

ACT 13: Unaccounted

The beamship tips the edge of the forest trees lightly with no sign of disturbance to the natural life in the forest. Cloaked and shielded, life out here would assume it's nothing more than the whisper of the nomad wind. Upon landing, Zed sighs in relief with a sign of regret. Thoughts pervade my mind of his intention, but I have no conclusion.

He guides me out of the ship as graceful host. He has shown me the harsh reality outside my world and the blossoming flowers that can come to be.

We are close. No words, only tenseness. I attempt to say my goodbye and then I go silent. No words come out. I quickly try to leave but he grabs my hand and stops me. I let him. He pulls me close to him and wraps his arm behind my waist. My toes make me shoot up and reach for his lips, his lips peer down and reach for mine.

There is period of time, a split second or two, where his lips do not touch me, but for that brief moment, the desire for contact becomes an overbearing high.

And when contact does happen, I am gone.

The air around me sinks into glitter, the skies transform into a rainbow, time freezes and butterflies shoot out of my stomach. It lasts for a second, it lasts for an hour, it lasts for a century. Who knows?

This kiss is real. Not a dream or fantasy. It is real and I want this, he wants this and it feels so right.

"Nyxe..." He parts from me and there is a slight annoyance within me that we aren't continuing - "The feelings I have developed for you are..."

My eyes open. Zedekon is peering behind me in deep paranoia. I turn back to deny his suspicion but I can't. Behind us, stands a shocked, confused and angry Adam, who had been looking all along. My heart drops and I immediately feel Zedekon vanish from my grip along with his ship - it's like he was never even here.

Adam briskly storms off into the forest. My feet twist in the soil and I pump energy into my legs. I chase after him desperately calling him, "Adam! Adam! Wait!"

What do I tell him?

How do I explain this?

What is going through his mind?

What is going through my mind...

"I don't want to hear it Nyxe!" He shouts as I catch up to him.

"Adam, please, wait... You don't..."

"You're a liar!"

"Adam, please..."

"I said I don't want to hear anything you have to say. It's wonderful you can decide to take up and disappear anytime you wish, neglecting our duties here."

A crack in the weather shoots out from the night's gray storm. Rain begins pouring on us. Adam's temper isn't soothed. It's like the droplets fuel him to emit all his pent up, passive aggressive anger on me. The vibe I continually get from him is simple; I betrayed him, and on our way back to base - he makes sure this point is continually drilled into me.

"Just answer me this Nyxe." He stops us before we get into the elevator that would take us inside safely, "Who was that person? Are there other people on earth besides us in this facility?"

And now the moment of truth...

"There are no other people on earth besides us. That man is not from here."

"Not from here, as in this planet? That is the intent of your words?"

"Correct."

Adam's face grows even more infuriated at my response. It is as if nothing I say or do can tame him. His mind is clearly set. Still, all I can do is try...

"Adam please listen to me. That man came here to warn us."

"Warn us?"

The elevator arrives and walk in. Adam confirms the buttons on the keypad to take us underground.

"There is an off-world conflict coming to this planet. An unavoidable circumstance that sooner or later we have to deal with."

"And you decide the best way to appease them is by using your womanly charms?"

"Excuse me?" I feel a stinging on my neck, my blood starts boiling

"Maybe if you weren't playing around with..."

That was my breaking point. I refused to hold back any longer.

"Shut up Adam! What's coming to this world is going to take it by force unless we form the proper diplomacy."

My eyes are hawking at him. My fists are curled into balls.

I am force. Unleash me.

He blinks in his own disproval then tilts his head up and calls for our AI father, "Guru. Take us to Floor 51."

Nothing is said between us. I don't know where he's taking me, but this room may as well be lit on fire from all this venomous intensity.

The elevator stops, the doors open and a once emptied room that housed nothing more than backup equipment, life regeneration tanks and other unimportant tools had drastically changed. My jaw was hanging from disbelief and the anger I felt for Adam had dissipated. I took careful steps forward. Slowly making sure that everything I was seeing was a reality.

"You see now?" Adam asks behind me.

The room had become a storehouse for... other humans, like Adam and me. I came to glance over one of the tanks and laid my hand on it, dazed from the aspect of this unaccounted reunion.

These people were other subjects like me. They had... survived? How? I look at their naked bodies in the tanks, floating and waiting to be awakened. One fact was for certain: these people were all alive.

"Guru what is going on here..." A trembling of unaccounted tears started welling up in me if this really was reality.

"This is the best news we could hope for dear 17! Through extensive research and the upgrades to my system, thanks to Adam, we have managed to rescue many of the old embryo-state subjects previously thought unstable for life here in..."

Guru's voice goes blank in his explanation. I hear no sound besides my own heartbeat. My eyes make way to Adam standing in the elevator hallway. The doors shut as he gazes over to me disappointedly.

This, I was not expecting. This changes everything...

The fine features in their faces, the knowing that these creatures are alive and they deserve a chance to live? My eyes well up. But this isn't sadness. This isn't depression or hopelessness. This is a newfound determination, that down here, there is still something worth protecting.

Life. Human life.

The room shifts from its usual white light colored scheme to an alarm bell ringing. The sudden audiovisual effect disturbs my inner thoughts on the sleeping subjects, holographic cameras emit themselves in the middle of the room and Guru's voice becomes audible again.

"17, my systems have detected a foreign object that has crash landed outside the borders of this facility."

Guru's cameras zoom in, past the trees, past the clutter and I see bits and pieces of a spacecraft surrounded by flames. This newly unaccounted addition sends my heart racing in fear that it might be Zedekon.

"Guru prep me one of the recovery vessels. I am going out there."

"Halt, 17. 16 has already been dispatched and is currently taking a vessel out there right now."

Adam is going out there?!

Nyxe, do not let this happen.

My eyes blink unintentionally and suddenly a newfound clarity comes over me. There is a calm in the storm. I am in complete control in this crisis.

"Guru, get me a recovery vessel now. 16 cannot handle this operation alone."

Guru abides to my request, unquestionably. Has it reached the point that he can read my vocal tones past the clicks of speech? Does he know that I am the only one on earth, capable of handling this? Adam, don't do anything stupid...

ACT 14: Cause

My familiarity with the earth aircrafts are at best, mediocre. It is enough to fly out to the crash site, let's just keep it at that. I patch in the systems with Guru as my guidance to reach the site. The flight, between takeoff and airtime has been less than a minute so far but already I sense I am too late. A transmission comes in from Guru, showing his air telescope cameras at the site, overlooking the details of the crash.

Besides the obvious destruction, flames and shredded parts of debris amongst a cleared part of the forest, 16's landed birdlike aircraft is also visible and so is its pilot on foot, surveying the area. I attempt to contact him but he blocks my signal intentionally.

I ask Guru to perform the same operation but it is of no success to him either. At this point, Adam is completely operating on his own. Upon nearing the area, I take the aircraft down slowly with Guru, honestly doing most of the piloting work due to my natural inexperience operating these machines.

"Adam!" Barely out of the ship and already I am attempting to plead with him but of course, he ignores me completely, continuing with his survey.

"Adam, I am speaking to you." My tone purposely grew more firm, serious and demanding he paid me his attention as I got near him. Nothing. He acts as if I am invisible. That is until I reach for his arm. The look that he shoots to me is horrific. There is a twist of distraught, mistrust and hate in his eyes.

"Let go of me." He demands.

And I comply sadly. There's no reaching him I fear. No... wait... what is that shuffling? There in the debris. There is movement. Something is here with us.

"Adam..." I call for him again with the implication in my voice not to focus on me but the shuffling from the rubble. To this, he does pay his attention and once we both hone our focus on discovering what this disturbance is, we're both startled to see a creature - a human creature, removing the rubble over him and staggering off into the forest with an apparatus in hand. His suit, along with the rest of his body is very damaged but he is knowingly moving away from us.

"Wait!" I try to stop the man but he keeps crawling away from me. I follow him carefully, Guru warning me of possible contagions and Adam, gun drawn. As my eyesight of the man becomes clearer, it becomes obvious what kind of man this is. I've seen his kind on my voyage with Zedekon but I have to be sure this isn't just a thought and an actuality.

He backs up into a tree and turns around with his apparatus pointed at us threateningly. This is when I get the chance to properly observe his suit. He is wearing the same outfit as Druce's army wore. A horrific connection starts forming in my head but one that also comes with denial at the possibility that this is truly happening.

"We mean you no harm." I tell him.

A strange set of words come out of his mouth. I am uncertain how to reply.

"Let us help you."

The closer I get, the more he stumbles into the tree. His apparatus drawn at me threateningly. It could be a weapon but this does not stop me from moving closer to him, comfortingly.

"17..." I hear the worry in Adam's voice behind me urging me not to do this. Only now does his tone grow to concern? That does not matter to me right now. Here, a dying human needs our help. I look the damaged stranger in the eye and he peers deeply into mine. We connect in that moment and I know he can sense my true intention within.

I do not want to harm you. Please, let me help you.

My hand is reaching for his, gently trying to use the nature of care to alleviate his worries. All is coming together well, until a warm sensation gushes past my right side. An energetic blast smacks the man across his body, his eyes go blank and he drops to the ground seemingly dead.

I feel a deepened sense of horror and anger rise within me, so I snap behind at the attacker - "Adam! What is wrong with you?! Why did you do that!"

The attacker stares coldly at me - "Because it was necessary? You subdued him with your charms and I have done what was necessary for our protection."

I dart to the stranger to feel his pulse. It is thankfully still there but fading.

"Guru, get this man to the medbay facility immediately. He needs special treatment now!"

Guru is quick on the task, sending out an emergency bed from my ship to recover the fallen man. Meanwhile, 16 decides to leave the area and head back to his ship. I couldn't let this nonsense carry on any longer. Whatever Adam had developed in his head for me had no right to be affecting others.

"Stop right there Adam." I demanded before he boarded his mechanical bird. The challenge caught his attention. He faced me boldly.

"What do you want?"

"That behavior back there. Why did you do that?"

"Don't proceed to speak of my behavior, 17, when you have lied to us all."

"There are things you should not have known and for good reason too."

"And you're allowed to know it, aren't you? You're the herald of secrets now?"

"I am nothing but a mere human that was trusted to sensitive information. Eventually it would come to you but not like this. Do you understand the consequences of the actions you just took?"

"Maybe you don't get it 17. It's no longer about us or Guru. We have our people to protect. While you want to run off with these strangers, I have to stay here and defend my people against any possible threat and with what you told me? I will not take any chances."

I move closer to him and strike him with my eyes.

"Do not presume for a moment that I do not want to defend my people. Especially now that I have seen that it is possible that life can regrow here again. But this is not the way. There is always someone with a bigger gun out there. The answer isn't always pulling the trigger. Please, listen to me Adam..."

"Thank you for your opinion. If there is nothing more, I am leaving."

He briskly charges to his ship, but then stops momentarily, faces me coldly and remarks - "And stop calling me that name. My subject designation is 16, thank you."

A crack of thunder strikes from the air and the sky's night clouds makes themselves visibly seen in a threatening manner. He boards his ship and takes off into the night sky, back to base.

He will never listen to me. The strong wind carries my hair and I hear the rustling of the tree leaves like bittersweet music. I raise my hand out in reflection and think carefully, a pale neutral expression on my face.

At least it wasn't Zedekon...

Guru had been operating on our guest for hours in the medbay. The waiting period blended into a series of pacing outside the surgery room in deep thought with constant combating of refusal to give into purely negative outcomes. My only hope, was that Guru would save him. For what reason is it so important that this man lives? The exact answer remains hidden from me. Only possibilities and assumptions. The worst I fear, I dare not speak it into be.

Adam kept his distance from me. We were never in the same place at the same time. He decided it was best to keep himself preoccupied with local duties such as aircraft maintenance during the wait period. Fair enough. I was not prepared to deal with the negative atmosphere he actively sought to create between us. What made matters even worse; I could not explain of Zedekon's warning or my trip to see the reality of it.

"17, 16, can you proceed to the Medbay?" Guru asked on the overhead communication systems. This was it. The moment we were all waiting for.

I was the first to enter the Medbay. Adam probably wasn't too far behind. The first thing that caught my attention came from the lack of response on the life signals. Assumptively, I came to the conclusion before Guru had announced the obvious...

"It is with regret, I must report that the man did not make it."

"What was the cause of death?" I asked.

Adam entered the room just as I inquired.

"This creature suffered severe internal hemorrhage, more specifically in the brain, along with other severely injured limb functions due to the crash landing..."

Adam moves closer to the corpse, listening to Guru but paying an unnecessary degree of attention to our newly departed.

"...However, this creature could have been cured."

"So why did not you save him?" I asked.

"This creature lost its desire to live. The self-destruction mechanism was activated, perhaps out of fear or anxiety of torture or other malicious intentions that may have sprouted from his consciousness..."

I looked at Adam midway through Guru's explanations, wondering if he was understanding these words as well as myself.

"It is of a very high probability rate that due to the experiences encountered in the final moments of conscious memory; the chasing and the stun shot, the creature came to this conclusion."

The glare between Adam and myself became unbearably tense. He decided to speak out against the accusations - "I did what was necessary to defend our people."

"By using violence..." I interjected

"Sometimes violence is necessary against those who do not belong here for the sake of protecting humanity. These rogue humans outside our facilities, we know nothing of and they may indeed pose a considerable threat to our recolonization effort."

"You don't know that..."

"Guru, didn't 17 see the logs of this establishment before its collapse?"

"That is correct. She did." Guru answered neutrally.

"Then you should know 17, there were others trying to infiltrate this facility even in populated times - trying to destroy this establishment and therefore, destroy humanity along with it."

"Adam, where are you generating these assumptions that it is correct to meet others automatically with violence because our ancestors wrongly carried out such evil?"

"Please refrain from using such terms like 'evil'. Our ancestors did what was necessary for our survival and guess what? It worked. Here we are, after a war that should've eradicated our species."

"Adam..."

"I told you before to stop calling me that. I have a designation number: Sixteen. Use it."

What can I even say to this man?

"I did what was necessary to protect our kind from outside hooligans running amok, threatening our mission and..."

Adam pressed some buttons on his wrist computer and a hologram displayed a camera peering over the new sleeping subjects.

"...Protecting our people."

At this point I shook my head in discouragement.

"Don't you dare think for a second that you are the only one concerned about this mission or the safety of our sleeping brothers and sisters. What we did here was utterly stupid. This man is now dead because of an elemental might of negative force, inspired by you. He was calming down before this happened, ready to accept our help if only you would be patient. Who knows what consequences this will bring?"

"I will not be vilified for the right actions I have taken in the name of justice. If you paid attention to the history lessons Guru taught us instead of trying to become your own, 'Independent Flower', you'd know by now that we have rules to follow. An order to maintain and a mission to accomplish, no matter what the circumstances. You, on the other hand, have decided to act against our directives and follow your own deluded calling of freedom or whatever other nonsensical idiocy you wish to tell yourself. It is also very likely that you may be even associated with these rogue forces, as I have seen you out there with a similar looking one."

"Stop the accusations right there. You have not the slightest clue what you are getting into."

"Guru, did you know of this? Of her, running offs, were nothing more than excuses to go play with her outside friends?"

"What is this he speaks of 17?" Guru's systems were ready for information.

"Shut up, Adam..." I warned with an undertone hissing filled with annoyance and bubbling emotion under my breath - "Just shut up. You have no idea what you are speaking of."

"Guru, I found her out there with one of these men. That's right. Our 17 did not lose her way in the forest, she willing took off to engage these men; possibly in immoral manners as I have found her engaging one of them intimately."

Keep calm, keep calm...

"Guru I will report my file to you privately later without unfair judgment or assumption."

"Very well 17."

"You disgust me." Adam spoke over Guru, hawking into me with hateful eyes - "You are the worst human being I have encountered. A liar, deceiver and a whore. I want nothing to do with you."

I dropped my head in disappointment at the deterioration of our relationship and he proceeded to storm out. His footsteps were loud, filled with anger until I heard them stop completely; merely a few steps away. I looked over and there was another in the room with us: Zedekon.

"You..." Adam was already reaching for his gun.

"You don't know what you've done." Zedekon spoke to the room neutrally, his sight fixed on us two earthlings as a collectively.

This was about to get really bad, really fast.

"Adam, don't!" I tried calling out to him but he paid no attention to me, drawing his gun at Zedekon with his fingers already interlocked on the trigger. Zedekon quickly raised his hand at Adam and flickered his hand, pointing toward the weapon and grabbing it with a telekinetic force then tossing the gun away violently. This action startled both Adam and I but Adam was ruthlessly determined, so he charged at Zedekon only to be stopped in complete stasis and lifted off the ground by Zedekon's telekinetic technology.

"You are a fool." Zedekon angrily said to Adam, holding him up with the telekinetic force of one hand.

"Just like the idiocy of the old earth man, you follow it to an absolutely illogical degree and now, you will reap what you sow."

Zedekon began crunching his hand slowly into a fist and I can see the pain it was causing Adam. It looked like the telekinetic force was literally imploding into Adam, effectively crushing him the way Zed's hand was acting. This had to be stopped. I didn't want any more of this.

"Zed... please..." I stood at the sidelines pleading with him. Zedekon's gaze was fixed on Adam with anger, seemingly ignoring me but I know he truly wasn't. He wanted Adam to feel a strong hand, not kill him. So he held his hand back slightly then extended it all the way, fingers opened and directed to the wall directly behind Adam. The force tossed Adam into the wall hurting, but still alive.

Zedekon turned his serious gaze to me, "You don't know what you've done. They know what happened and they are coming."

Zed turned away from me to the hallway and started walking out. I needed to follow him. Adam was coughing and holding his stomach from pain, so I signaled Guru to take care of him while I went after Zed.

"This is it. The event that transpires the prediction. That device the Nu-Yuran held was a recording device. It is a standard piece of technology they use whenever they are in a lost world or in danger; utilized for sending a beacon to the mothership requesting aid. It is not a weapon."

Zedekon was briskly walking down the hallway. It was hard enough to keep up with him. I almost felt like I needed to begin jogging.

"How could I have been so careless..." He spoke regretfully - "I should've stepped in the moment I saw the other earthling out there with you..."

This is when I knew it was the right time to reach for Zedekon's hand and stop him to pay attention to me. I know if anyone in this universe would listen, it has to be him.

"Could this have been averted at all?"

"The Nu-Yuran was always destined to come here. Earth's interaction with the foreigner was the determining factor in the changeability of the outcome. Now, this has been set and the domino effect has already begun."

"Then we have to deal with it."

"Deal with it?"

"Neither of us pulled the trigger. You tried to warn me of the coming danger and I used compassion to save a stranger. Neither has proved satisfactory or worked according to plan and now, here we are."

Zedekon did not speak but paid closer attention to the intent of my words.

"Zedekon... There are lives here at risk. Innocent people who have nothing to do with this. Yes, we screwed up by using a weapon against the stranger..."

"You didn't cause this Nyxe. The earth man did. Despite your intended kindness, the Nu-Yura will still view the negative action taken against their kind as a collective of earth's intention."

"Right, so please, I need to fix this and I do not know if I can do this alone."

Zedekon peers back into the room where he catches a glimpse of the fallen Nu-Yuran man.

"The places we come from do not define us. We define ourselves, and the two of us are good people. No matter how much you have tried to distance yourself from helping others - it has always been a part of your nature as it is part of mine. I know it is easy for you to get on your ship and fly away from this, it's not truly your concern, but let me ask you - why did you come here in the first place? Surely you must have known this possibility was a more likely outcome."

"You're right. I did. I didn't want earth to suffer because of the actions of evil men."

"And that same logic applies for me. I do not want earth to suffer because of the actions of an evil man."

"You are wise." Zedekon complemented me suddenly refreshing the air - "It's inspiring to listen to how an Earth human can actually be genuinely sincere in their heart. Four hundred years ago, less than 3% of your population could've been considered 'correct' in their mindset and today it is a testament that it survives."

"Do not flatter me Zedekon. I need no compliments of this sort at a time like this."

"I only speak truth. It is inspiring to me that I would find a human like you and one that wasn't even from my old kind."

"So what is your verdict? Will you leave?"

Suddenly the lights went dim, the ground shook and the alarm bells began ringing throughout the facility. Guru's alerted voice tone took precedence - "Warning! Warning! Danger detected!"

Before I could make rational sense of what was happening, straight down the hallway, the elevator doors burst open from a violent explosion and out came three shadowy figures. Zedekon immediately outstretched his hand at them and they seemingly all fell to the ground lifeless. I looked around to see more of these figures coming from behind us and since Zed's attention was focused in the opposite direction, I grabbed one of the devices on his belt - hoping that it would be a weapon and to my luck it surely was. I rolled over to the side and shot at the infiltrators down the hallway who were heading in Adam's direction.

Luckily Guru's on our side. He quickly shut the doors AND that prevented the intruders from getting into the medbay room with our newly departed stranger. The shadow figures became more visible each second. They were armored to the teeth and it became clear that these intruders were Druce's soldiers.

Annoyed that they could go no further to their dead kin, they opened fire on me and Zedekon in the hallway, but this was thankfully diverted by the technology Zed carried. He held his hand forward and formed an energy barrier in front of us which prevented the laser-like shots from our attackers. I'm not sure what exactly Zed uses, but he has some sort of invisible glove that utilizes gravitational and telekinetic forces. It's an impressive piece of control technology that appears completely invisible to the naked eye.

Realizing that this is probably the most opportune moment for an offensive measure, I took my chances. While Zed held a barrier, I returned fire to the intruders. Seemingly, my attack was inspiration for Zed to form his own offense. He stretched his fingers, pointed at our foes and the barrier went straight at them, knocking them to the floor. Zedekon then briskly made his way back to the medbay room.

"Does this answer your question?" He asks as we paced toward our fallen foes - "They're here already..."

"Yes we are." A familiar voice rang sharp from the fallen men.

Now this became all too interesting in a far too dangerous climaxing. From the suit of the fallen Nu-Yuran, particles formed which transformed themselves into a holographic image in front of us, forming the body and shape of another man which solidified itself into the complete likeliness of Druce himself.

"A most unwise decision you made brother." Druce held his arms folded behind his back as he spoke to us, unshaken, unmoved, yet prepared to unleash his worst.

"Least you didn't kill them." He sarcastically remarked

"Killing is not my role. That's always belonged to you." Zed fired back at him.

"I can't say we'll have the same mercy on you. These pathetic creatures of our planet decided it would be in their best interest to kill one of our kind, and you, Zedekon - have sided with them..."

"Druce, this doesn't have to escalate any more than it needs to be. I will see to it that the criminal responsible for these actions will be handled through a proper form of justice."

"You can do whatever you want Zedekon. It will make no difference to what is coming."

Druce decided to turn his attention directly to me and this, honestly sent a cold chill down my spine - "A life for a life isn't good enough for me. Death is only the beginning. If you think we will allow you the easy way out of simply destroying your planet, your imagination is rather limited. You will all become slaves and I will see to it that this and every lifetime you're born into will be full of torment, grief and agony. I will make sure you destroy yourselves endlessly."

Fire. In. Me.

"I'd love to see you try..." A hissing sounded out of me bitterly but this only amused Druce. He began laughing at me and turned his attention to Zedekon, treating me as if I were some animal - nothing in comparison to his great, mighty nation.

"She is an amusing creature Zedekon. I can see why you have kept relations with her. She actually thinks her world stands a chance against our empire? How amusing. Tell me, did you mate with this forest mongrel out of sympathy or lust?"

"Refrain from speaking unnecessary immoralities Druce. It is simple: You attack Earth, you attack me."

"Oh, I thought you'd know better but it seems as if her insanely idiotic stupidity has infected you too. Even with you, Zedekon, you have absolutely no chance against us. But because you have done us such a service in the past, because you saved my life more than once - I offer you amnesty."

Zedekon chose to remain quiet and Druce had nothing more to say, so he vanished into thin air and all his fallen soldiers went with him. The alarms switched off and the medbay's door opened up with a panicking Guru demanding my attention with reports of the damages, intruder uncertainties and other important information that surely was of use. However, I blanked him out and asked that he give me a moment. Zedekon remained paused in thought.

"This makes no sense." I stated to him - "Why would he reveal his plans to us? If he is so powerful in comparison to us here on earth, why doesn't he just kill us all or in the sake of argument for what he said; enslave us?"

"Because this whole thing is a setup. He can easily wipe us out right now if he wanted, but this isn't the man's intention. He is using us as bait."

"Bait? For what?"

"The Ul-Yura."

I had assumptions but not conclusions of Zedekon's meaning.

"Elaborate."

"Druce knows that I will call for help and from who? The Ul-Yura. It's perfect, Druce will have the war he's wanted. Earth and even the death of his own here means nothing more than playing chips in a game. It's all just... revenge for him..."

Zedekon tightened his fists and sighed - "This is unavoidable. If I leave here with you, he will know and they will destroy us. He wants me to rally the Ul-Yura and bring them here. If I refuse to bring them here, he will destroy you and everyone here. I... I have to do this..."

"Zedekon, we do not have to be his pawn."

Zed faces me neutrally - "You don't understand, Nyxe. If I don't do this, all other outcomes will result unfavorably for us. This has to be done. It's the only way."

"For us?"

"Yes, us. I can't just run away from this and leave you here. The feelings I have grown for you are undeniable."

"17, this is urgent. I need your attention immediately..." Guru actively tried disturbing the moment between Zedekon and me.

"You have to trust me. This part is my responsibility." Zedekon looked down the hallway to the medbay area. I followed his sight to notice the corpse had also disappeared and a missing Adam - "And this part is yours."

Zedekon commenced his procedure to depart, pressing buttons on his wrist apparatus.

"Hey, Nyxe?" He purposely distracts me from focusing on the severity of the situation "I love you." He tells me.

He... loves me?

"What?" I stupidly blurt out wanting to continue the conversation and wondering if his timing was truly appropriate.

In the skip of my heartbeat he vanishes from my sight and the world around me becomes eerily visible again, snapping me out of the hippie daze.

He loves me?

"What is it Guru?" I remembered that the AI needed me

"17, this is a level 10 emergency, please listen to me! My self-destruct systems have been activated."

"What?!"

"Adam has bypassed my system defenses and taken The Sleeping Subjects hostage in the Layer-Complex C12..."

"The Physiology Test Center." It quickly connected to me

"Yes! I am unable to prevent him from causing any more damage! The only help I have provided was stalling the self-destruct system to roughly seventeen minutes!"

A soothing calm came over me and I became more able, more capable and more determined than I have ever been in my whole life.

"Get me my beamsuit, Guru. I will fix this."

ACT 15: Effect

Open the door, let me in. This is the last chance I will ever let you have. If you refuse my good graces, if you refuse my love, then there can be no turning back. No second chances. Let this be it or let it be nothing at all. I've been patient long enough. It's time you bend. Time for you to compromise.

"I am ready." My words speak to the AI, lurking in the walls of this once flourishing base but my eyes keep watch at the door of a place I found myself. Somehow, it has come to this. In life, not every plan can remain the same. The weather shifts, seasons come and go, but what remains? Does the snow bury you six feet under? Does the rain drown you in murky waters deep? Or do you lose your way in the woods of pines, blossoming old?

My hand stretches forward. The energy waves and particles begin forming. Soon it I will warp into the Test Room and all that was here, will be no more. I know whatever happens next, cannot be undone. Zedekon cannot help me here, neither any of the Yura kind and I would not want them to. This is Earth's problem and the earthlings will solve it themselves. Stay out of it.

The world around me twists and bends, the air in my lungs escape and I no longer feel myself in solid reality. A pocket of blackness and a well of energetic feeling creeps both in and out of me. I have no skin, no hair - I am just energy. It feels as if this lasts forever and just as I try to put a timestamp on it, this effect disappears and once again, I am solid matter. I am human, standing in a room of destiny. The destiny I choose.

"Adam." I call out to room blankly, assuming he would hear me.

It is a stadium of darkness with few, circular neon lights highlighting the facility floor's identity numbers and my own beamsuit's outlined lights of neutrality.

"Answer me Adam, I know you can hear me."

"I told you I want nothing to do with you." His voice comes from the communication systems across the room. It sounds like he is everywhere. At this point, my thoughts are deciphering how he amassed so much power over the facility but when I logically discern it, Adam had continuously upgraded Guru's systems. It would not be unwise to assume he spiked it.

"Then what do I have to do with our sleeping brothers and sisters?"

"Everything..."

Bright, white light shines down blindly on me. The room is engulfed in it. I cannot see clearly. The sudden light source had stumbled me. Adam had complete control of this facility. He began arranging a test program in a virtual reality, very similar to the one Guru had prepared for me. Except this one, would not just be a test. The room completely changed itself around me. From dark to pitch white, it became a concrete maze with an artificial sun shining down on me, using burning ferocity. I raised my hand to block out the fake sun. Though I could feel the burn growing stronger, I did my best to keep my thoughts clear on the truth. This world isn't real.

"Ten minutes left to self-destruction! Evacuate the facility! Protocol S!"

The automated alerts also did me justice. This concrete maze was seemingly endless. Soon, the evacuation alarms had vanished into the whispers of raindrops that started sprinkling. I would then look up to discover a sky, wrought in twisted clouds that broke in thunderous disharmony. Like nails falling from the sky, the rain harshly poured on me. Every corner I took, it felt like there were more hallways to pursue. And every hallway I pursued, it felt like I got closer to the end. Once this 'end' came to me, it was not an end, but rather; a beginning to the endless spiral of this madman's eternity.

"You plan on trapping me in here, then you are rudely mistaken." I whisper tauntingly. My hand reaches for the wall and I meditate for a moment before activating my beamsuit and warping through the barrier. It's the same as the room before, so I warp again and again and again...

The speed I pick up boggles the mind of the creator. Soon, his walls begin failing and the puzzle starts breaking. There comes logic out of the madness. Truth that came initially, before the creator's mind tries to poison it into an illusion - and through that, is how I find the first victim. See what Adam was doing became clear. Every passage I ended up going into, he created another then shifted The Sleeping Subjects away from me so that I can never find them.

The first subject was a young woman, perhaps the same age bracket as me. She bore no clothing and her arms were hugged against herself, shaking. I carefully came closer and noticed that her eyes were also shut, it was as if she were experiencing an epileptic episode.

How could you do this Adam?

"Hey..." I softly whispered to the young woman. No response came, just the jittering and coldness that kept her shaking. She was not in a truly awakened state.

I tried reaching for her, maybe I could provide some warmth. Then she disappears...

"Stop these games!" I demanded.

Suddenly, a hand grips my shoulder. I look back to see a shadowy figure with a gun drawn at me. My knee curls forward and I deliver a back kick to the shadow, then I get up and tilt myself sideways and follow up with a swooping side kick that tosses the figure on its arse. Behind the shadow man, another appears and fires at me. I hold my hand to a diagonal left position at the side of my assailant and warp behind him, effectively avoiding the shot. The surprise catches the shadow man off guard. By the time he turns to engage me again, I've already got Zed's blaster in my hand; readied, aimed and firing. The impact stun shots sent him hurling into the air unconsciously to meet his fellow knocked out shadow man.

That sudden ambush did not startle me. What did, was what came after. The figures transformed from pure shadow men into two naked male subjects. Adam had played this game well. He was toying with me.

"Enough of this. I expected you to be a man and face me without need for such pitiful mind games."

Yes, I was trying to get a rise out of him.

Everything became still. The atmosphere stopped, the sound became silent and the virtual visuals began deforming into random, sparse but noticeable glitches.

"So be it." His voice crackled with rage.

The ground beneath me started shaking. I heard the chirms of mechanical gears turning and the 3D vision of this fake world became evident in its passing. Glass shattered in front of me and the walls of this virtual reality was no more. Suddenly there was darkness. A complete absence of light. That is, until the outlines in my suit quickly formed into a deep red. Once that happens - it's the ultimate warning.

The emitted light from my suit was enough for me to connect the dark shapes of the room, so I looked around and saw five naked bodies of The Sleeping Subjects all laid across the former annex of the shattered virtual world. I had to recover them but that mechanical chirming grew louder and louder and my paranoia was relative in this growth. It was getting closer. Something large... I could feel it.

It got so loud that I could no longer deny it. There is something behind me. Look behind and see. Hold your hand out and let the light guide your eyes. There it is.

Floating just a few feet off the air, strapped in indestructible metal plating with the form of a rectangular shaping roughly fourteen feet high and twenty feet wide - Adam had arrived in a hover tank.

"Adam..." I tried pleading with him one last time

"No, 'Nyxe'. You cannot change who I am. This is the end."

The machine opened a circular side panel on its left and two, long mechanical arms slipped out, pointed at me and I felt a burning sensation. An energetic plasma formed around the arms in the form of a miniature sun - target locked on me. I would not sit around to be fried. I held my hand forward and warped away to safety. When I looked back at my previous location, it was burnt to crisp. All that remained was magma-like lava that was an aftereffect of the plasma attack. That would not be the end of this machine's malice. I reached for its attention, using Zed's blaster in my new location so that I could warp away and recover The Sleeping Subjects. It did get his attention. The mechanical beast snapped in a 180 motion for me and fired its various 77 caliber rounds.

This had me running at record high speeds - adrenaline pumping to save my life. I backed into a nearby, dark corner, using one of the facility's pillars as protection.

How many rounds does that thing have?

The Hover Tank gradually made its way to me, firing endlessly. He's trying to force me out. This pillar cannot take that much abuse. It will soon fall. Have to get out of here. It is obvious Adam has not a care for any of the other Subjects. I can stall him at each of these pillars, but this facility will collapse. Surely he must have at least guessed my game. Doesn't matter now.

Destination Selected: Get that subject, warp her outside the room.

Roger that...

The world around me bends and I surpass light speed. I pick up the unconscious girl. The Hover Tank immediately snapped our direction and powered up its plasma ray. My right hand was already aiming for the entrance of the Test Room. It was quite a jump to warp that far, but it needs to be done. I took my chances, feeling the heatwave just moments away from my skin before teleporting outside the closed entrance door.

I laid the girl to rest as quickly and arguably gently as I could. Four more to go. Upon warping back into the room, Adam had been waiting for me. Zed's blaster was at best, a distraction. He had set the mode to stun. I had no clue how to operate the device beyond firing, let alone change it at this moment. It would have to do, for now. I can continue to outrun Adam by beaming, as long as the Subjects come to no harm. However, it is starting to become an undeniably growing difficulty. Every pillar I lead Adam to, he completely destroys - faster than the next one. I managed to warp to the two male subjects I knocked out earlier and safely transport them out of the room. The next time I would go back in, Adam had invented his own game.

There was no sight of him. It is as if he vanished into thin air. Still, there were two more Subjects to take care of - one unconscious male and female that laid on opposite ends of the room. Even though I could not see Adam, I still kept my caution. I grabbed the closest subject to me, which was the male and teleported him out of the room. There were up to four bodies outside, laying on the floor. Least they would be safe here until I figured out what to do next.

I held my hand forward to teleport back in, past this closed door, but then the lights inside turned on and shun through the small crack.

The clear-metal doors slid open and the Test Room's light sources were all turned on, revealing a clear picture of its inside. I cautiously walked into the room, because I saw nothing beyond the broken pillars, shattered glass, burnt ground and rubble of my exchange with The Hover Tank. The door behind me softly closed, like a welcoming party that was only destined for me. I could always teleport out if I wanted too - what was this grand charade?

That's when he became visible.

Holding a new chip for the chessboard, the hover tank unstealthed in the middle of the room with a hostage in its mechanical arms. That hostage? The last Subject, of course...

"Adam, let her go. She has nothing to do with the hatred you have for me."

"Always the sly, clever one, always trying to do the right thing. The pursuit of justice from the specimen designed to be nothing more than a weapon."

I took one step forward and the heat rays on the tank's plasma weapon began heating up, signaling me to stay back.

"Nyxe, can you tell me something? Why did you always choose these names over our designation numbers? I am 16, you are 17, why change this carefully arranged order?"

"Because, I am not the weapon they wanted me to be. I chose to be Nyxe."

"But I didn't choose to be Adam."

What is he getting at exactly?

"What you never understood, Nyxe, is that I chose to be 16."

A hologram appears in the middle of us, showing the life young Adam was exposed to in Sheila's memoir. This is when it became clear to me.

"I was made to be a weapon. Made to live by the sword..." He held the poor victim by her neck using the mechanical arm of the tank and started squeezing the life out of her. Instinct kicked up in me. I couldn't sit back any more. This is not me. I will never watch the innocent suffer like this. Whatever happened in the past, happened in the past. Whatever errors our forefathers commit; that was their wrongdoing. This is a new time, a new era, a new chance and this evil that has plundered my world for centuries will be no more!

I darted toward him and I could feel the hail of bullets raining around me. Each step I took, was a warp, moving closer and closer to avoid the bullets and beams. The dramatic overuse of my beamsuit had drained its reserves greatly. It wasn't possible to warp long distances. It had to be short sprouts, but I was getting closer every warp. Once near the tank itself, I held my hand forward desperately, ready to grab the girl and warp... but then I felt a sharp object enter my side.

The same pain made contact with my hand, then my thigh and finally a shot directly to the chest all during a mid-warp. Blood gushed out of me from all kinds of directions which did not even seem logically possible. I could not feel my left leg, though it was thankfully still attached. The same could not be said for my right hand, because when the warp had ended, half my arm was shredded away and missing. My beamsuit was torn to shreds, falling off my body and exposing me almost completely nude. I felt tears streaming down my face as I sat in a pool of blood in front of mankind's victor. Life is leaving me.

Was it a stupid decision to throw the stone? To be the Initiator?

My vision is getting blurry. I see random flashes of when I was a child, being randomly awakened to eat and play then frozen back into sleep until the world became a safer place. I see random images of space, Neptune and the old world that didn't make it.

I remember he told me he loves me. My body begins giving out. I collapse in my own blood, my hair drenched in it, blocking my eyes from seeing. I cannot move. Only lay here in wait. My vision is failing. My body is telling me to let go of this reality...

When you speak, I hear silence,

Every word and no defiance,

Moving out to a country,

I'll see the world from my city,

Open your eyes they may see me,

And every world, Oh every world,

Only the time where we can be free,

A thousand words, Oh a thousand words,

Could not become what they have warned,

Maybe I'll drift away from this monotony,

See earth the way it was meant to be,

Oh darling love, hear my voice...

"Three minutes left to self-destruction! Evacuate the facility! Protocol S!"

Guru Watches

My dear 17... This isn't the way I calculated the outcome. My camera systems catch every glimpse, glimmer, raw sight and full velocity of everything that has happened, is happening and may happen. As I watch here helplessly afflicted by the viruses 16 injected in me, there is regret and a deepened sense of disappointment in my systems. You were lonely, here in these walls without another human to carry your wonderful company. While I, an AI, provided to the best of my ability, the recognition that you needed more never bypassed me. As such, I sought to recover one of the subjects previously deemed unstable: Subject 16. Due to the catastrophic influence 16 suffered in its wakened state during the meltdown crisis before the launch, it was of a high probability factor that he would perhaps return to such savagery. This was overlooked when excitement entered my circuits to provide you with the company you truly desired.

I am sorry, 17. Truly, I am...

I can only look through my lens as my subdued systems refuse to acknowledge my mission parameters: which is to save, maintain and aid the growth of life on earth. Subject 16 tosses the comatose Subject 27 aside as if the female creature were nothing more than a ragdoll. Through raw anger, bitterness, anger and hate, he utilizes the limbs of H40, the defensive hover tank, to grapple the fallen Subject 17 by her neck and raise her life-departing body into the air as a sign of conquering, victory and remorselessness. The H40 'hands' begin squeezing her neck mercilessly. All I can do is watch as he tortures 17 to death.

Not like this. Please, 17, not like this...

You never gave in. Do not give in now...

Is it foolish to hope in you? You are gravely injured, dying and your enemy is better equipped with a tremendous currently-given advantage. And yet there is the probability within my systems that has counteracted my previous logic of you.

Don't give in 17...

Don't give in...

You can't give in...

H40's Heat-Ray begins charging a final blast that incinerate dear 17 into pure dust. A replay in my logs of when I first recovered her refreshes the memory input of my systems.

I have researched old earth assets, information, entertainment and many other facets that have shaped me into the intelligence I have become. Too many books have given me a rather poetic stance for an Artificial Intelligence. I hope it will be enough for my new human companion.

"17, do you hear my voice?" I ask

Her eyes gently slide upwards to reveal an exhausted human creature. This is confirmation that she is aware of my presence.

Knowing that you cannot hear me 17, I ask the same question now in an apparently fruitless effort - do you hear my 'voice'?

In a paradoxical twist of prediction, the moment of 'glory' comes. Life returns in those amber eyes. She holds her only remaining hand forward the energy circuits of her wretched Beamsuit powers up.

In less than a fraction of a second, H40 fires its Heat-Ray but finds no target. My camera switches inside H40 where the wired-into-the-system Subject 16 sits confused in the control center. Behind him, 17 teleports into the cockpit and throws a punch with every last inch of her very being. The impact destroys the wired headpiece 16 was using to directly interface himself into my systems.

"Guru!!" 17 shouts before collapsing onto the controls, struggling to get my attention. 16 stumbling is only temporary, returning his vicious full force on a badly damaged 17 - putting his hands around her neck in a suffocation effort to finish his work.

But this is my time to act, and you, 16 - must be removed.

With 16 detached from control over the entirety of my systems, I am able to shutdown H40, open the hatch and send my 'reachers' to subdue him away from 17. It is possible, only for a temporal time, to fix these effects of a mistaken cause. 17, I can only do so much. What 16's done, cannot be reversed...

ACT 16: The Mission Lives

Everything that has happened has been a monument in the making. A cast that should remain after this seemingly great undertaking, of a humanity's rebuilding. This is where I am now. Battered and injured, but still alive. After all the doubt or the misguided concern, Guru was alright in the end. The AI detained Adam to a makeshift lockup security room, rescued the other Subjects and provided speedy medical care to halt my wounds; emphasis on halt not heal, because the next patch of news came too hard to easily swallow.

"I can't stop it, 17." My AI caretaker tells me - "16's spike is what you can describe to yourself as a mortal cancer to which, I am not programmed with a proper cure due to cautionary measures originally undertaken from my original programing that disallows me from rebelling against human overrule - in this case, the spike. The self-destruction sequence is inevitable. Every interval I combat to reset the timer or possibly reverse the system task from completing is of only delaying or stalling value. As we speak, I am combating my own systems from initiating the self-destruction phase and at best, this is the best I can provide which adds a total of one minute to the timer each interval it slows to five minutes. The greater sum of possible allotted time is unchangeable and will soon surpass my ability to stop this process even when it reaches fraction and sub-whole numeral values to the point that it becomes an absolute zero and thus, activates the destruction sequence anyway."

"How much time do I have?" Although there was the obvious need to follow evacuation protocol that should have had my utmost attention, I could not help but notice the makeshift 'patch-job' Guru performed on me which only took a matter of minutes - possibly within the range of two or less.

He removed the foreign entries from my body, stamped them - which was a form of using heat to regrow the skin and flesh in a way that the wound becomes non-existent. My arm would require more extensive use of the technology to regrow the limb which, frankly, I had no time for. So Guru patched it up by a quick clean, heat-leveling device that essentially healed the wound to a satisfactory degree. Visually, it would only appear as if my right arm were 'flimsily' attached to the new suit I had equipped.

In addition to patching me up to a walkable status, Guru also did a quick scan on the other Subjects and gave them the best he could offer in such a short space of time.

After that, he stored them back into cyrosleep tanks which were all housed in the getaway vessel, waiting for its pilot: me.

"True time remaining is less than nine minutes. You have to go now 17."

"Understood."

I took a glance around the medbay, the makings and visuals of my room blending into my sight. A quick thought came to me.

"What about Adam, or Subject 16?" I asked

"Subject 16 stays with me. It is an error that I caused and it is an error that only I can fix. Let the old of earth be washed away."

"This is quite a philosophical saying you present in an hour like this."

"16 made his choice, 17. He is a destructive force, a reminder of old earth humanity - an unnecessary 'fighter', determined to do negative by default. In such presented logic, 16's care for life as a natural state has diminished. There is no correctional facilities on earth. He stays with me."

Guru's last line came disturbing for multiple reasons. The greater ones had more to deal with the fact that, I do not know what is about to happen next. I am to escape with the remaining subjects - but where do we go? What do we do next?

And Guru... I am truly leaving you behind?

The destination to the getaway aircraft kept me spiraling in these thoughts. Conversation was kept to a minimum words for practical usage; opening doors, starting the engines and preparing the launch. True time came down to two minutes when I strapped into the pilot's seat. It would not be too difficult for a one-armed woman to operate these controls. Most of the flight is automated.

"Guru." I silently called with my hand on the glass as if he could see me like a human would see me, "I am sorry."

"Don't be, dear 17. The mission lives. It lives on in you."

The mission lives. It lives on in you.

It lives on in you.

"I'll come back for you." I tell him.

Is it a promise? A false hope? Or can I actually do that?

The aircraft's engines power on and the ground shakes from the exhaust. There is a tear shedding in my eye but I cannot say if I am sad or shocked in the core. All this happening. I must retain my strength. In front of me, the escape doors open and I see chaos outside.

Air fighters of foreign unearthly origin, clashing with each other with all the vivid effects of beam lasers going back and forth. The designated safe location coordinates Guru hooked into my escape vessel becomes visible through a holographic interface and asks me for confirmation. I confirm the launch and the ship throttles forward, pressing me back against the seat from pure force of a lightning fast rising speed.

As my ship rises out of the underground and into the battle-laden sky, his voice comes to me one last time.

"17, I... Goodbye 17."

I keep my composure, as hard as it may be. Goodbye Guru...

The timer never leaves my mind. Even though I am outside, seeing a foreign battle waged on my planet, the true timer of the self-destruction sequence never leaves my mind. It slows time out here. Memory of everything I experienced randomly distorts my mind.

5...

I was a little girl. No friends but the tabletops, the computers and a trusty caretaker that was sometimes overprotective.

4...

There was a time I had them vividly clear in my memories. They weren't imaginations - they were my parents and I, was procreated.

3...

A mission to rebuild my fallen world comes knocking. This is my apparent purpose and the task I was intended to carry out.

2...

Faces of others that came, one by one, then many by many. All with their own minds, causes, feelings and emotions. Their own purposes.

1...

A friend I left behind.

My ship follows the automated flight mode to a rigorous degree, avoiding the chaos from overhead, below and all side-round. The Ul and Nu Yura's exchange is quick.

There are no particular flashes to describe, beside the one-shot-one-down tactics both sides were mercilessly playing. Simply put, it was not a battle for show but a battle for realistic, efficient victory and I, with all my earth brothers and sisters was somehow getting by this seemingly unnoticed - that is, until, the self-destruct sequence of my former home takes precedence over any distraction. A tiny, almost transparent electronic disturbance field sparks the impact area only a fraction of a second before engulfing everything in a splendid display of blinding blue-white light, ear-bursting sound of explosion and an impact force which catches the attention of one and all.

Guru held off the timer as long as he could so that I could get away from the impact zone. My aircraft was still affected, though not in a manner to kick us out of the sky. It became a very bumpy ride, considering we were flung off course from the force. Nevertheless, the computed automated systems placed us back on the destination.

I looked back to see what I could make out. All that I could see was a giant, mushroom cloud, racing to get as high as space. Flawed earth laid dead around it and the sky became completely gray. It was odd. I did not notice the Yura forces, or better to say, I could not identify them through the thick, growing clouds of fog and debris.

Looking back, I am sitting in this pilot's armchair thinking. My entire civilization is in this battered flying mass of metal. The rebuilding project did not die. It's simply moved into a new phase.

Minutes go by with these kind of thought processes in my mind. What to do next, calming myself down, converting all the thoughts that were negative into fuel to push me forward. Naturally, my mind drifts away from the controls of the ship - as it does not need me to necessarily pilot it. I go into a state of meditation.

Everything here feels like a process. No longer an idea. Am I part of this? Will I become automation?

Cracks on the screen window disturbs my introspection. A red light pulses on the screen, indicating a warning. Yes, I can see it. I know there is something wrong with the ship. Is it from the blast radius? Not a bad hypothesis. And yet I stay here, uncaring, reflecting...

Where am I...

"Hull damage detected. Warning, life support systems will be affected."

Snap out of it Nyxe. Move. Do something. Something is happening.

I do not want to move.

Now is not the time to freeze. You have to get up. Your life is not over.

I have lost so much.

And yet you still breathe. The ship is in trouble. Find out what the problem is.

What would that discovery do?

Write the next chapter in your book.

What if I don't care to have this book? What if this is where it ends?

It can be, if you wish it to be. What do you wish?

I do not fear death. It is only a door to the next life. If it happens now, then it happens and I am at peace with that. The only thing I wanted, was to make sure that I fulfilled my role.

Your 'role' never ends. There will be the day where you die, where everything dies to come back anew, but it is not this day. This day, you come to know something that you will deny no longer.

What is it?

You role is beyond just this life. It is a role that never ends and it needs every second, every moment to experience - to breathe and live life at its fullest. You are special, unique in your own individual right.

To reflect that which is eternal, beyond what you see here. An example of a shining beacon that never turns off. Your life is important not just to others, but to me - which really is - you.

And I will not allow myself to slip a moment any longer...

"Computer." My focus is restored - "What is the status?"

"Major damage.er.ererwqwrszzoeeor.z..w..r...."

My eyes are trying to determine the problem manually, until a direct halt midflight stops the ship right in its tracks and jerks me forward out of the pilot's seat. I land on my knees, look out into the cockpit's windows and notice another ship of Yuran kind. It's using its control technology to hold my ship in the air.

I try to communicate but it's as if they have shut off all my systems remotely. I sense this encounter is of a hostile nature. It may not be the best idea to engage in physical combat based on my current injuries. What about the others? I can't just leave them...

"What do you want?" I ask, estimating that with their level of technology, they may be able to pick up a voice recording from another ship.

No response. Instead, I feel my body jerked around the ship again, violently and we are once more - flung away like an old-aged Frisbee. My ship is powerless, literally and I cannot access any of the controls or computer. Impact with ground is less than flattering though, better than being ripped a part or torn to shreds. The aircraft smashes into some nearby, cleared out forest area but thankfully we are still in one piece. As for me, I am floored - banged and bruised, but I can still feel my joints. I can get to my feet.

No fires, no debris, just a more crumpled ship and her pilot flung about. My worry sparked from whether or not the others were fine. I stumbled to my feet to try to get the ship working again after the crash. Have to admit, though - doing all this one handed is very different and frankly an inconvenience. Can't stop to think of that now.

I have to find the others.

Yet nothing works. The ship is dead. Lifeless like when a spirit leaves its human body. Then something even more spectacular comes to greet my woes. The ship's interior starts stretching, as if it is being magnetized by some force. I could see the strain on various objects, like my chair for example.

Few of the wall plates rip off to find themselves stuck on the ceiling of the ship. The ceiling proceeds to rip open and light pours in from the sky, temporarily blinding my eyesight from seeing anything more. When it clears to a visible spectrum, I see a man in the air, floating downwards to me and the insides of my ship being ripped out from inside. He is clearly using control technology of his own, manipulating gravitational forces and perhaps, utilizing attraction and repulsion techniques from magnetized charges.

Soon, he rips it to its bare skeleton and I am not practically outside, exposed with the tank containers of my sleeping brothers and sisters. When the orchestrator of this event tips the ground, hand held in my direction, I make out his suit. There's not a doubt in my mind who it is.

Druce.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asks slyly.

I grab hold of Zed's blaster which of course, I never intended to put down. Slowly and methodically, I make careful steps outside to put a stand between Druce and my people. I do not answer him. Instead of feeding his egotisical hunger, I think I'll just wait. The moment he tries anything funny, I'll be ready.

"Quiet, are we?" He taunts.

Unlike me, Druce takes his steps forward arrogantly. Confident and sure, he smiles in mockery.

"We have nothing to do with your war. Go away and leave us be."

"You should have considered that the moment your kind decided to include themselves by pulling the trigger."

And here I thought Adam was already dead. Small universe, huh?

In classic, superiority-based fashion; Druce ignores me and focuses his telekinetic control on lifting one of the sleepers. A deep, pent up fury burns inside me and I feel the force. That's the best way to describe it. I feel pure, force. It does not control me. It comes up and asks me.

Do you want to use me?

And so I do. I fearlessly hold this gun in my hand and fire the stun shot at Druce. The shot is absorbed. Druce is wearing a humanoid energy shield, preventing him actively from taking any damage. I fire again. Same effect. I fire again - same thing. I do not care.

I am moving to him, firing as he holds the life of another in his hands, juggling them like they were a toy to torment me.

I don't care if these shots do nothing.

"Put. Them. Down. NOW!" My demand falls on deaf ears and yet, I still do not care. He will put them down. He will not take my people away from me. I won't let him. I have to protect them at all costs. Fate of the world depends on my actions. He will put them down.

Put them down.

I'm sick of these men.

Put them down...

Those that think they could just kill, rape and pillage.

Put them down!

Those that think they can just take.

Put them down!!

I won't stand by and watch it happen any longer.

Wait. Why is he dropping on his knee? Why is the life tanks being rested on the ground gently? Who are those men behind me?

"Nyxe..." That voice calls to me.

Spin around in a glee, then let the exhaustion catch up to you. Blackness takes over and all that was turns to blank.

ACT 17: A New Hope

You may go your way,

And I may go mine,

But may there be a day,

Where we will rekindle,

There, the spark that ignites,

Becomes the flame that reaches a fire,

You know that warm, cozy dream that you get but there's no memory of it moments after you wake? Or maybe it is there, just unconsciously. Dreams are a funny thing. How could the assessment process of the brain be so entertaining?

Who is touching me?

Grab her hand with my right arm... that is fully intact. Wait, what?

"I am sorry, I did not mean to startle you. How are you feeling today?"

This blue-eyed, bronze-skinned blonde gal speaks. She is wearing a clear, gray body suit seemingly of fabric I'm unfamiliar with. She is also very human - similar to an earthling if I may also add.

"Who are you?" I ask, still halfway slipped under sheets of what I would assume to be a medical room.

"I am Eva. I have been taking care of you the past week."

"Eva?" I wondered carefully.

Was this Adam's intended mate?

"Are you... earthling, Eva?"

"Yes, I am. I have not had the chance to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"You watched over us while we slept. If it weren't for your efforts, I am not certain any of us would be standing here."

Eva's sudden revelations were all coming a little too fast. First of all, why is she awake? Where am I? This is surely another facility, but the last thing I recall was Druce spazzing out from a shock on his knees, followed by me abruptly losing consciousness and now, voila, here I am.

My eyes dart across the room and accidently pick up on a figure at the entrance of the room.

It's Zedekon.

"Eva, why don't you take a break from this shift and I will handle it from here." He suggests.

Eva complies to his request and flashes me a warm smile before leaving abruptly. Zedekon comes to the side of my bed, holding a strange little device. He does not proceed to introduce his little gadget. He lets the mechanism do the talking. It opens 3D lines that reach out and scan my body, revealing healthy vitals. Again, I cannot help but look at my hand. I have a whole right arm again. I am missing no limbs and my wounds have completely vanished.

"What... what is going on? Where am I?" I ask Zedekon.

He silently answers my inquiry by moving closer to the windows of the room, pressing a button on his little device and reveals the earth outside in its pure, unblemished beauty. The sight catches the light in my eye.

"We're on a station are we not?" I ask, more interested in the visuals outside.

"We are. This is a borrowed Yuran spacer."

"Borrowed?"

"Yes, until we can handle ourselves - they have offered assistance."

"I don't understand..."

Zedekon presses his device once more and it prints a chair right at the side of my bed. He sits down to explain.

"Druce and his forces were in a losing battle, so they began the retreatment process. In an act of terror, he tracked you down as an effort to cause harm to you and your people as he promised. That is where we intercepted and arrested him and his forces. They are currently being detained to correction worlds."

"Correction worlds, heh, I had someone who could've used one of those..."

"You are referring to..."

"Don't say his name, just continue with your presentation."

"Very well. With the Nu-Yura forces arrested and scattered, the Ul-Yura congress have gone into a state of review on several laws and recommendations. Because of this whole outbreak, they will actually grow in peace due to this lessonary measure. However, this is also thanks to you - you have shown these people a great respect for human willpower."

"I don't need the compliments."

"I knew you'd say that but please, it is not of flattery but of an obvious realization. Your determination has proved very useful and even inspiring. Knowing that earth cannot defend itself from another outside hostility, the Yuran people have decided to offer protective services until we can rebuild the world enough that it may be able to stand on its own two feet. In addition, we have awakened the previously sleeping earth humans and provided them with care and education in various outlets for the continuation of earth's civilization."

"Why do you keep saying 'we'?"

"There is something else I wish to speak of - if you're fine enough to engage in these conversations, of course."

"I am fine. Continue."

"Everything I've been looking for in the cosmos is all, right here. I was too broad-minded to see that, until I met you..."

I look to him with calling eyes.

"...With your permission, will you allow me to stay with you here and be a part of the rebuilding mission? Essentially, this rebuilding mission is my mission - I've searched systems across this galaxy for this exact rason. A chance to start fresh and new. To provide upbringing in Creational harmony and I see that at last, my life-sense can be fulfilled here."

I keep looking at him, no response.

"What?" He asks curiously

"There was something you said that left me troubled."

"What could that be?"

I find the strength to get out of the bed and on my two feet. The ground is cold, but the comfortable kind of cold. The one that inspires you to cuddle. Now that I was standing, looking down at him, he was paying the utmost attention to me.

"You told me you love me." I boldly stated - "Is that true?"

"It is. What of you? How do you feel about me?"

I reach for his hand with my right hand, still trying to test if this thing's real or not, then we walk to the broad window view of the earth outside.

"I do."

"You do what?"

I face Zedekon boldly. I've been avoiding saying this as much as I could. There was never a time I could feel mushy with everything that had happened. At last, I take my fears away and let them roll off the tongue.

"I love you."

His grip tightens and we share a warm smile. The two of us look out into space - a blue gem floating out there in its humble grace.

"What now?" I ask him - eyes still glued on the outside with future hopes and possibilities.

"That's up to you, my Earth Ambassador."

Also by Jedaiah Ramnarine

From Double Dragon Publishing

www.double-dragon-ebooks.com

Nyxe

17... a genetically enhanced young woman awakens in an underground facility where she discovers a mission left behind by her forefathers - rebuild the earth.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

*

ACT 1: Awaken

ACT 2: Become

ACT 3: TEST

ACT 4: Afterlife

ACT 5: Newlife

ACT 6: Resurface

ACT 7: Stranger in The Woods

ACT 8: And then there were Two

ACT 9: Vicarious

ACT 10: Flight

ACT 11: Order of Ul

ACT 11.5: Order of Nu

ACT 12: Distant Shores

ACT 13: Unaccounted

ACT 14: Cause

ACT 15: Effect

ACT 16: The Mission Lives

ACT 17: A New Hope

Also by Jedaiah Ramnarine

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