Deus Ex Machina Archive 47 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by Arcana http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat DeM posts belong to their respective authors, the characters belong to their respective authors, etc etc etc. Comprehensive, from 2000-09-07 to 2000-09-13. Game Year is assumed V-498 unless otherwise stated. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Arcana [ikwan06@home.com] Sent: Friday, September 08, 2000 12:22 PM To: DeM_story@egroups.com Subject: [DeM] [Elly-13] Without the Benefit of the Doubt Without the Benefit of the Doubt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 8, V-498 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The results are in, Captain," said the guard in the Avehnian language. "How many?" "Six-hundred fifty-seven bodies so far. We've had problems counting, however. Many of the bodies were mutilated beyond recognition. I think some of them don't even have solid body parts anymore. The coroners estimate that the body count has a deviation of about fifty." The captain shook his head. "Injured?" "Over two-thousand injured. Although it seems like the Bledavik market covers a small area of the city, the density of the area is immense. The damage done by the attacking gears in the square also contributed to the collateral damage." "And Kislev started all of this?" "The evidence points this way, Captain. There was one man found dead inside his gear, wearing a Kislev Pilot's Uniform. Kislev authorities are looking into his file. One of them was captured alive, and she's a live one. Apparently, she's a little of a local war hero to Kislev." "Really. Then that must be the Captain Belford we've been hearing so much of lately." "I believe so, sir." The Captain sighed, rising in his chair. He stepped toward the window, where the tower provided a vantage point over the horrible disaster area. Blood still stained the walls around the square for metres. He didn't think it would ever come out. "What is High Command's reaction to this entire incident?" "They want to drive Kislev out of the city." The Captain lifted an eyebrow at his calm aide. "What about your reaction? I give you permission to speak freely." The guard's mouth twitched, then his arms dropped from behind his back. "I say that we should roast them." ~~ "How do you plead?" "Not guilty." ~~ The lawyer, who spoke with a thick Ignasian accent, adjusted his hair slightly. "The evidence is clearly stacked in the city's favour. The gear, which is voice-activated, is clearly the responsibility of Captain Belford. How is it possible that anyone could start her gear and use it to a massacre, unless it was the Captain herself?" The other lawyer, also Avehnian, crossed his arms. "It was proven in court that a person only needed to play back a recording of the person saying the activation code to the gear's voice-recognition system. Examination of Arachne showed that tampering had occurred." "Again, we hear reference of this tampering. Do you know who tampered with this gear?" "The court has been presented with a testimony from a very respected Captain that a mechanic named Al was working on her gear a few days before the massacre happened. This man did not appear in any Kislev records, nor was he scheduled to work on that day." "And where is Al now?" "We do not know. This man was not pursued after the arrest of my client." ~~ August 11 ~~~~~~~~~ Athena sat in the secured glass box in the corner of the courtroom. Unlike traditional courts of law, she was being tried under military court. There were no regal flags hanging from walls, wooden banisters, or thick, leather chairs. The room she was in had a low ceiling, was coloured a dull, navy blue, and was dark. She sat in what was known as the "Cube", her hands and legs bound by cuffs. She was chained to a metal rail inside what was essentially her cage. In the military, there was no such thing as being innocent until proven guilty. She listened to the arguments idly. Her mind was slowly wearing down, and she was having problems keeping quiet in the courtroom, which did not help her case. She was usually locked down in a detention cell, and served bread and water a few times a day. Although the cell was fairly large and open, and allowed natural light inside, it was torture for the woman who had served with her life for the majority of her young teenage years. Today, her eyes were puffy and red. She wasn't crying, but was instead fighting the desire to sleep; when she closed her eyes, torment raged within her mind. Screams of children rang in her ears. Blood splashed around her ankles. Limbs flew past her in a sea of red. And above it all, a large, black gear, built to look like a spider, dominated it all. Brynhild, having an alibi, was slightly better off. She was not chained up, but still kept in a cube as well. Her cell was minimal-security; her case was much stronger due to her presence with Medea and her naturally gentle countenance. She rarely ever saw Brynhild, though. She only heard this from Cassandra, who would visit her whenever she was granted visitation rights. Athena heard her name mentioned again. She barely looked up and realised it was one of the lawyers referring to her. More evidence was presented again, especially about how Athena had a lack of alibi. She momentarily thought of the boy she had rescued. If he was found... then perhaps he would... no, that was impossible. She had already given her version of the events. She had described the young boy who she helped in the market, the mad dash for her gear, and the brief meeting with Al the Mechanic, whom she now labelled in her mind as the one responsible for this entire predicament. She entered a fight with the opponent's gear, and she even responded in a voice that was not Brynhild's. But she never received an image to match data with. It was a brilliantly executed plan by someone out there. They managed to get a recording of her voice starting the gear, and used that to power up. They took the gear out to the market and slaughtered people. The in-cockpit data recorders were filled with null data. Somehow, they had even managed to get her outside, close enough to the marketplace to run toward the battle scene, and attempt to stop the bloodshed. Athena chuckled to herself. If she wasn't so damned nice, and attempted to stop the massacre, then she wouldn't have been next to her gear, and she wouldn't have been able to be associated with the battle. Nice guys finish last, they said. She supposed that it was the same for the girls, too. The defending lawyer called up Medea to the witness stand. "Miss Medea," said the defendant, "Where were you at noon, August the seventh?" "I was with Elly and Brynhild at the West Market." "Did you see the gears approach the Marketplace?" "Yes." "Do you know which direction they came from?" Medea hesitated. "Umm, well, we were sort of on the leftish-top corner of the market. They came in from the opposite side, which means that they probably came in from the south. Around there. I really am not sure." "Did you see this gear among the gears approaching the market?" The prosecutor motioned to an image of Arachne." Medea paused. "No." The lawyer cut her off, continuing with his next question. "Did you see the gears open fire?" "No. Athena chased us off before I saw it. However, as I was escaping, I could hear the gears shoot." "How long was Athena with you until?" "She chased us off about half a minute before the machines opened fire." The line of questioning continued with Medea, getting information related to where she was, and where Athena was until she left her sight. "Why did Athena leave you?" Medea smiled. "Elly's always been a headstrong woman... she's brave and noble. She left us because she wanted to bring a stop to it all. Even without a gear, she would be willing to try to stop the machines, and if not stop them, then to save as many people as possible." The defending lawyer beamed, then continued his questioning. He finally finished, ending his examination with a rather sweeping speech. "The point is, members of the jury, two people saw her just as the gears were towering over the market. Brynhild saw the Arachnid-class gear open fire. Is there any possibility, then, that Captain Belford could have initialized the attack? She was present with her two friends on a day's walk. Her gear was moving by the power of another person. They cannot explain how Captain Belford could have opened fire on the civilians when she was elsewhere. They cannot explain how Lieutenant Sigfri reached her gear to start the attack although she was sighted with Medea after the slaughter." He sat down, and Athena nodded, smiling to herself, relieved that they provided her with a lawyer that could put together the facts. The prosecution stood up, looking over his notes to cross-examine Medea. "Mrs Medea, please describe to us your relationship with Athena, or 'Elly', as you call her." "Elly's sort of our special name for her," Medea started off. "Anyone who knows Athena well will call her Elly. Umm, well, I know Athena well. We met when she was about fifteen or so, in Nortune. She was just advancing through the military into Gear Pilot Training, and she introduced me to my now-husband Jason. We're rather close, really. It's sort of like a mother-daughter relationship. I try to take care of her, and she respects me back." "When did you last see Athena before the war ended?" "We hadn' t seen each other for almost a year." "So this was the first time you've seen her in a long time?" "Well, we had been together for about a week or so." "How was your relationship with the accused in that week?" Medea answered immediately. "It was like nothing had ever changed." "Still mother-daughter?" "Well, sort of. We also borrow things from sisters, too." The prosecution nodded. "It says here that you have a criminal record. Is that true?" Medea's face frowned. "Yes." "You were charged with tax evasion. When did this occur?" "September 15, V-496." "Can you describe this event to us, please?" "It's tax evasion," she said, shrugging. "I had my own business... a hairdressing parlour, actually. I was going under, and because I was worried about it, I failed to pay my taxes. When the Kislev government attempted to shut me down, I closed my shop and ran." "How did you run?" "I just left Nortune and hid." "Where did you hide?" "I hid in a small rural community." "Who did you see in this community?" Medea's mouth went trim. "I saw Elly there. She was training there at the time, to become a gear pilot." "What did she do for you?" Medea's breath was short. Athena closed her eyes at this memory of Medea. "Athena offered to help me pay off my debts, and gave me a place to stay at her old room." "How did this incident end?" "I ended up paying off my taxes with Athena and Cassandra's help, and the government forgave me." "Did you lie to evade taxes?" "Yes." "Did Athena have to lie to help you evade taxes?" Medea froze. There was a dead silence in the room before she finally said, "Yes." The prosecution nodded. "Do you feel that you owe Athena for her assistance?" Medea's eyes went wide. "Well, she is a friend of mine and she wanted to help me out, so she did. I don't owe her anything, per say, but I do what I can to be a good friend." The lawyer repeated, more sternly, "Do you feel that you owe Athena for her assistance?" "Not really," Medea replied, already knowing what response would erupt from the state if she freely admitted it. "No?" The lawyer began to pace the room. "A young lady you've known for about a year or so... she doesn't have much money, but yet, lets you live at her place, and even gives you money to help pay off your debts. You're not grateful to her at all?" "I didn't say I wasn't..." "It sounds to me as if you did, because you don't feel like you owe her anything for the incident." Medea frowned. "I paid her back in cash." "But the simple favour... of her covering you with her own skin. She lied to help chase the authorities away until you found the money to pay them off. I don't know if money can help repay that risk." "She is my friend, and she decided to help me on her own accord." "Don't friends usually return favours with favours?" "Well, yes, but I mean, what you're referring to is a grave situation here. This is a massacre of innocent civilians. I couldn't, in my right mind, defend Elly if I knew she was truly a part of it." "Yet, you have quite a history with her. You claimed yourself that she was like a daughter to you. Many parents I know can easily turn blind eyes to things their children do. In addition, she paid you a favour by lying in your stead. You yourself are not above lying: certainly if you can lie about your taxes, you can fib, just a little bit, about where Athena was during this attack?" The woman half-rose out of her chair. "No! I'm telling the truth there!" "Just like you told the truth two years ago?" Medea let out a gasp and sat back down, shaking her head. "The prosecution rests, your Honour." Medea was crying now in her chair. She looked up for one moment at Elly with the most sorrowful expression in her eyes. Elly met her gaze, and with tears in her own eyes, she smiled. It was a soft, barely noticable smile, but it caught Medea's glance. For some reason, Elly felt strangely at peace despite the fact that one of her alibis was now dismissed as a potential liar. She didn't regret helping her friend out two years ago, and even now, facing death, her mind didn't change. ~~ August 14 ~~~~~~~~~ "They took Nortune, Elly," Cassandra said. "Gebler and Aveh took Nortune." Elly shook her head at the news. She was kept in chains, bolted to a chair, and locked inside a plastic case that isolated her from the outside world. "I can't believe..." "The Kislev government refuses to do anything about it. We can withdraw from Bledavik in an exchange of capitals, but the officials believe that Aveh's not going to honour the agreement and keep their troops in Nortune, almost as a revenge for the massacre." Elly's head bowed down, wisps of tangled reddish hair covering her face. "They still think Kislev did it... if I hadn't been there, then..." "Kislev would have still been blamed," Cassandra said. "It doesn't make it any different that you were arrested instead of someone else. They just want someone to blame, Elly." "I know... I know... but still, I can't help but feeling that..." "Elly, believe me... you're not the only one." Cassandra turned her head away for a moment, trying to recover her composure. "It's a rough case, Elly. They've disproved Medea based on her past incidents with you, and Brynhild because she almost worships you. They've been told about your gutsy attitude over and over again, and how you're ambitious, aggressive, and willing to do what you believe in." "They still don't have a motive..." "They're working on that one now, I bet. I could probably make up a motive out of my ass, apply it to you, and then suddenly they'll believe it like it's fact..." Elly nodded, her neck starting to feel weak from being chained up all the time. "How are you feeling?" "I'm feeling like shit. The feeling never goes away. I can't do much in my cell... my hands are always bound together and it feels like they put the noose around my neck just to piss me off rather than to actually prevent me from going anywhere. I can't exercise, draw cartoon pictures, or talk to anyone else. My body's turning to mush..." "You're not flab... you're skin and bones, Elly." Elly lifted her arm, frail with malnutrition. "Iron rations are good compared to what they give you in here. It's no wonder that military prisons have the lowest return rate... they treat you like dirt. I'll have to remember that in my next life..." "Stop it Elly, you're not going to die," Cassandra retorted. She glanced around for a moment, but witnessing the guard just behind Elly's cage, did not mention her original thoughts. "Elly. You're not going to die." The woman smiled serenely at her, in a way different than when she was teasing or laughing. It was the smile that Elly liked to call the "content" smile: when Cassandra smiled like that, it was as if she was content with everything around her in the world, and ready to accept whatever fate would fall over her and her friends. Elly managed to smile back. Cassandra was always able to look at the happy outlook. "I'll hold you to that, Cassandra." "I'll buy you a beer when you get out." "A gear?" "A beer, you dumb-ass bitch." "Sorry, I heard wrong, slut." Cassandra stuck her tongue out at Elly, then they laughed together until the guard came to notify Cassandra that her time was up. ~~ August 16 ~~~~~~~~~~ They had managed to pin her with a motive after all. Just as Cassandra said, one of the lawyers managed to pull something out of his ass. The whole story, according to the state, was this. Since Athena had always made her living through war, she was not content when it was over. She was the only one who stuck with the military, "unable to move on", while all of her friends went to other pursuits. She was a hero during wartime. Because she didn't have a family, she didn't have to worry about returning to anyone: as long as she got her glory, she was happy. So when peace was declared, Athena was unhappy, and so she started to formulate a plan to reinitiate the war. She used the massacre as her method. By bribing a Gebler soldier (which was the true identity of the man inside the third gear) and a second person, whose voice was heard on the recorder, she set up the gears to activate on their command. She used Brynhild by asking her to start up her gear a couple times during a test run, and later on this second soldier used Brynhild's gear. On the day of the massacre, she told Medea and Brynhild to lie in her stead, claiming that she was on a "noble mission" while she went off to initialize the massacre. During the massacre, her gear shut down accidentally, and she had to re-power it up. In order to attempt to appear innocent, she turned on her companion in Valkyrie and defeated her in combat, but was arrested as a result. To the prosecution, this was an absolutely flawless story. And, unfortunately for her, it seemed flawless to the jury as well. Athena cursed her luck. Who was that other pilot who was inside Valkyrie? She knew her as "Elly". She addressed her like she knew her... asking her why she was attacking her in retaliation. Because they had communicated on the standard Kislev military frequencies, every word of the conversation was recorded, and the prosecution immediately drank it up. They said that the woman knew Elly and was a close friend of hers (as Medea said, only people who knew Athena well called her Elly) and was enlisted to go on this rampage. Of course, because Athena was attacking her, she pretended not to know who the other pilot was. Now, she waited in her cube, waiting on the jury to make their decision. For a fleeting moment, she wondered, half in jest, whether they'd only put her in jail for 700 life terms rather than killing her right away. As she waited, though, she realised that she was beginning to get impatient. For a moment, her mind started to think positively, and she sat up straighter in her chair on the possibility that she may actually live, as Cassandra said. After all, if they were taking a long time, that means that there was a doubt that she was actually the one who committed the murders. However, her hope was short-lived; the jurors walked into the sparse courtroom from the back hall and assembled in their chairs. One of them handed a yellow piece of paper that was undoubtedly the verdict to the bailiff. He walked the paper up to the judge. Athena let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. There was absolute silence in the courtroom, and in her head, as she focussed her ears to listen. "The jurors of this court find that, on August 16, V-498, Captain Athena Elaine Belford, charged with treason against the Kislev Government and mass murder of civilians, GUILTY. In accordance with the War Crimes Act of V-414, the sentence will be death by firing squad. The sentence will be carried out in eight day's time." Elly's head dropped. She scanned the courtroom for her friends, trying to pick them out among the commotion. Just as the members of the court were rising, she managed to catch Cassandra's sad eyes. Elly whispered to herself, "Thanks, Cassandra, but this is one prediction that you didn't get right." When she looked up again, she realised that Cassandra had already left the room. Elly's heart was crushed at seeing her friend absent. She felt her large plastic cage being shifted around as the guards assigned to her began to wheel out the courtroom. But there could be nothing heavier than the lump she felt inside her heart. -- -- /-|rcana Xenogears -- http://project_xat.tripod.com Final Fantasy VII -- http://ArcanaTxM.tripod.com Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Alex Groden [alexsg1@hotmail.com] Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2000 6:13 AM To: DeM_story@egroups.com Subject: [DeM] Caught in the Middle part 2 eGroups My Groups | DeM_story Main Page ?Caught in the Middle part 2, July 8, V- 498 Well this is a fine mess, Alex thought, looking out over d- block. Battlers, thieves, drugies, crime was what d block was all about. This is not going to be easy, Alex thought, jumping from his perch on a building near the entrance of d-block. Quickly checking to see if the guard had heard him, Alex, satisfied that the coast was clear, turned and walked casually into the prison. He got weird glances from some inmates that he passed, and he suddenly realized that they were all wearing collars. Duh, that's why there's only one guard! Alex pulled his jacket collar up, and pulling out a handkerchief, tied it around his neck then he zipped his jacket up, sighing. This was going to be a pain. He came to a bar, stepping in to the noisy atmosphere. "Hey sweet thing, what can I do for you?" The lady behind the bar asked. She was thinly clad, as were many of the people here. "Um, well actually I was wondering where the newest inmate is," Alex said. "Oh, her," the lady said, "why?" "She's... and acquaintance. I have to find her," I said. "Acquaintance, huh?" the lady said, "well..." ------ July 9, V-498 ------ "Oh dear, oh dear," Uncle Barry paced, thinking. "He actually went to find me!" Cali said, smiling. "Yes, but he's not going to find you!" Uncle Barry said, "and knowing him he won't leave until he does!" "Well," Cali sighed, "I guess I'll have to go get him." "What Alex said earlier still applies, Catharine, and I have to say, I don't think it's a good idea," the banker said. "But I..." Cali began. "But sometimes," Uncle Barry cut her off, smiling, "it is better to do something even if there is risk in it. And I do have a few places to go myself today, see what kind of information I can find." "Oh..." Cali said, narrowing her eye's to little golden slits, "I get it. Well, you'd better be off, sir." "Yes, I guess I should. Do take care now," Uncle Barry picked up his brief case, turning to say a word to Cali. "Well... I guess it will wait," he said, staring at the open window, the curtain flapping in the breeze. Alex woke up later than he had wanted to, meaning to get a head start on the day. The lady had given him some information, but not really what he was looking for. But she had told him that newbies to d-block were introduced to the sewers, the place they would have to go if they wanted to earn a semblance to income. Sewers, Alex sighed, nodding at the passing battler. He jumped down to the sewers, hitting the walk with a tap of his boots. He shook out his jacket, his collar falling down, the zipper coming down. Flipping out his dagger, he spun it around. In case of trouble he thought, walking into the darkness... Cali looked down, smiling. So this was d block, she thought. Time to get to work, Alex couldn't be far, this wasn't the biggest town to get lost in. She jumped down, it was an easy matter to get past the one guard, the Kislev guards were mighty sure of themselves. Cali brushed back one of her long strands of hair in her face, wrinkling her nose. Se wished that the Kislev would clean up their air just a little. It was nice of Alex to be concerned for her, but it made her a little angry at him to know that he thought she would actually do something like that. Well, she had tried, but Alex's uncle had caught her, and had a talk with her... "I know what your concerned about," he had said, "you want to cure your mother." "Yes!" Cali said, "but..." "And do you think Alex doesn't want to find a cure too?" he asked. "No, it's not that..." Cali sighed, "it's just, Alex needs me!" "I don't doubt that," Barry said, "and he still needs you. He needs you to stay here so he can help your mother. What he says is right, you know it." "I've seen it. People here have problems. I know..." Cali looked down, "but that doesn't make it any easier for me to stay here." "Don't worry young Catherine," Uncle Barry said, turning back, "your time will come. Let's go home." Well, here we go, Cali thought walking into d block... "Ung!" Alex ran into a pipe, "ow." He rubbed his forehead, shaking the spots away. Man, he thought, these tunnels go on forever. It would be easy to go under here and get away, well, that is if you could get the collar off. Because if you stuck your head out... well, boom. The monsters were getting progressively stronger, Alex was starting to have his doubts about his abilities. Oh well, he though, this had to stop some where. The other ones did. "Hey you?" called a voice, "new here?" " `Scuze me?" Alex turned, seeing a man on the other side. "New? Thought so," he said, tipping his hat, "Mat. With one t." "Alex," Alex said, standing up straight. "Nice to meet you," Mat said, "wow, a dagger, how'd you get one on this side?" "Uh, I... I found it down here," Alex said, "it's pretty nice, huh?" Alex held it up. "Yeah, seems pretty well kept. Float!" Mat said suddenly. "Wha?!" Alex stepped back as Mat ran and jumped. No one could make that, Alex thought as Mat flew through the air. "Whew," Mat let out a sigh, slowly coming to a stop over the ledge, "that takes a lot out of a guy." "H-how did you do that?!" Alex stuttered. "What?" Mat said with a smile, floating for a second and then dropping to the floor, "it's called float. I perfected it down here, sorta helps." "I can tell," Alex said, "can you teach me?" "Practice. It's a matter of wanting it enough," Mat said, "I'll show you later, when we get out." "Cool," Alex said. "So, what are you doing here?" Mat said, "you look like your looking for something in particular, not just these rats and other monsters." "Well..." Alex said, hesitant. "Come on, you can tell me," Mat said, "what can possibly be down here of importance?" "A girl," Alex said, "I think she may be down here." "What would a girl be doing down here?" Mat said, "what'd she do?" "She was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Alex said, "this is the place they take newbies, right?" "Yeah..." Mat said, "I've heard that." "So, why are you here?" Alex asked. "Oh, well, I just did a petty theft, but my trial hasn't gotten around yet. It's been a couple months, I wish they would hurry up," Mat said. "Oh," Alex said. How would he have time to perfect a move like float if he's just been down here for a few months? "Well, since we're together, let me help you. You know, there is safety in numbers," Mat said. "Right..." Alex said, not so sure. Cali looked around her. Everyone in the bar was wearing these collars. Maybe a fashion thing? Or maybe not, she thought, as a few people approached her. "Hump," Alex swore he had heard a sound. He turned again, but this time Mat saw him. "What? Got the jitters?" he said, "don't worry, nothing down hear is /that/ dangerous." "Yeah, right," Alex said. This guy knew his way pretty well down here. Or as it just luck? Alex decided he had better stay prepared. . . "No, I'm not a prisoner!" Cali said again, this time a little irritation showing in her voice. "Listen babe," one said, "don't get smart, k?" "We just want to know why you're here," another said, "that's all." "Well..." Cali said, and explained about Alex... "Ok, take the next turn here," Mat said, "ok." "Haven't we passed this spot already?" Alex said, looking around. "Wha?" Mat said, "well, a lot of the sewers look the same, ya know?" "No, I don't," Alex said, upset. This isn't getting me anywhere, he thought, and I am not liking this. "Dang, that's just so unlikely that it's funny," one said, chuckling. "Hey!" Cali said, "don't laugh." "Ok, fine," one said, "I guess we'll have to help the lady." "Yep, get the stuff, Mac," another said. "Right," the one named Mac said. "Wait, what's going on?" Cali asked as they walked out of the bar. "Uh... well, we think your friend might have met a dangerous man down in the sewers, he kills other inmates, and we don't know why." They were descending into the sewers now. "Really?" Cali asked, watching them unclasp their fake collars... "Ok, this is it," Alex said, "why don't we split up and look, this isn't working." "What?" Mat said, turning, "why split up?" "Because we've passed this block here five times!" Alex said, "I'm looking for something, but you don't seem to have a destination in mind. What's up `Mat'?" "Hump, fine," Mat said, "your right, this is getting us no where." "Huh?" Alex raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess you were a bad lead anyway," Mat said, removing his explosive collar, "and you can put your collar down, it looks ridiculous." "How did you?" Alex pulled his coat collar down. "Mat Raven, part of the Kislev police. I'm a detective," Mat held up his badge, and checked his gun, "there have been some disappearances around this sector, and I thought I had found my man. We were thinking it was another inmate at first, but I got to thinking it may be someone else, a civilian. Anyway, I staked it out, found you, thought you were my guy. Guess not." "That's how you know how to float," Alex said, piecing it together. "Yeah, told you, it helps. Anyway, I guess your telling the truth, because you seem pretty clueless to me." "Hey," Alex giving Mat a look, "that's not funny." "Anyway, I may accomplish something today," Mat said, "tell me more about this girl." "No, not really," one said, smiling. "What?" Cali's eyes widened, then one put a cloth with a funny smell over her face and she blacked out. She didn't even have time to yell for help. "Hum, well, if she's here, there my not be much I can do to get he collar off and clear her name," Mat said, "but maybe I can help you find her." "That would be enough," Alex said, "and maybe this time we won't walk around in circles?" "Ha ha, no, I pretty much have memorized the map for this place," Mat said, "don't worry, I'm pretty sure your not the one doing the killing." "Gee, thanks," Alex said, laughing a little, then turned to see the biggest, ugliest, monster he had ever seen. "Gurrnn!!" it growled. "Uh... heh hee," Alex said, ducking it first swipe with it's long claws. "Holy crap!" Mat yelled and began shooting. "Wait, did you hear that?" "Hear what?" "Sounded like someone was beating their head against a pipe or something. "Yeah, right." "Ow!!" Alex moaned, "damn pipes!!" "Oh, your gonna run away now?" Mat said, running. "Hey, your running too," Alex said, picking up his pace. "I ran out of bullets," Mat said, shrugging. "Well I just ran, ok?" Alex said, gunning past Mat at the sound of the next roar. "Now I know I heard someone yelling." "You know, I think I did too." "You think someone else is down here?" "There's always someone else down here, where do you think we get our subjects?" "Right turn!" Mat yelled, slipping a bit. "Scuze us!" Alex said, running past three guys. "Don't go back there!!" Mat said, stopping to wave at the guys. "Wait a second," Alex stopped, turned, and realized what had set him off. "What the hell?!" Mat said, seeing it too. "Cali!" Alex yelled. "Put your hands where I can see `em!!" Mat yelled at the three. "And put Cali down!!" Alex yelled. "Uh..." one said, "look out!!" "Yikes!!!" Mat said turning, he obviously had forgotten about his gun, the way he frantically pulled the trigger at the monster. "See ya!" the men laughed, then pushed past Mat to go deeper into the sewers. "Oh, man!" Mat said, "there getting away!" "Never mind them!" Alex said, "what are we gonna do about that?!" "Running is off!" Mat said as the thing swiped at him, "I'm out of stun bullets!" "Oh boy!" Alex sighed and prepared for combat... Summary: (this was a little jumbled, but I was going for the frantic feel near the end) Alex meets Mat in the sewers, Cali meets a few guys in the bar. Confusion ensues, and by the time Alex can sort it out Cali is gone! Next: Caught in the Middle part 3! Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Colin Sutton [JakeColin@hotmail.com] Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2000 11:49 AM To: DeM_story@egroups.com Subject: [DeM] "Angel's Exodus" (Adin, Alyson) eGroups My Groups | DeM_story Main Page | Start a new group! (OOG: i know you're all wondering where the Hell have i been. I apologize, senior year is rough, plus there's Chrono Cross and this original story on the side, but mostly the school thing is eating up my time. Sorry all ^_^. Anyway, this should get things moving. and one last note, I would like to thank Dan for giving me this title, cuz i was also having problems figuring out a title in general. Thanks Dan!) "Angel's Exodus" (Alys, Adin) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ August 18, V-498 Captain's Office, Desert Base 9:33a.m. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alyson stared down the corridor while two soldiers from the base escorted her towards the Base Leader's office. As they led her she noticed how bleak this corridors were. White everywhere, except the floors were a greyish color. White must be Solaris' favorite color, she thought to herself. She even looked down at her white gebler uniform, hardly any color on except for the red and blank on in the shoulder area. The only sounds she heard as she was being escorted were the clicking of their shoes. After going through a maze of corridors, elevator rides, and what not, the two soldiers came to a stop in front of a door with the Gebler insignia on it, "In here ma'am." Alys nodded her thanx at them and they saluted her before the door slid open and she entered. The door slid shut softly behind her. The office was medium-sized. A large window was placed behind the ebony desk, which the Base leader was seated at. The carpet on the floor was smooth and greyish. A few pictures adorned the walls, but everythign else was well.....white. "Ms. Alyson Van Treymond, I presume?" Adin Senka rose from his desk. He was older than her by a few years, blonde of course, deep azure eyes that resembled the sky hanging over the desert outside. He was thin and well-toned, but not enough that it looked like he'd been working out or anything. His hair was slicked back and golden spikey bangs protruded, giving him a clean, almost regal look. For someone as young as him, he still had that commanding aura needed for someone in his position. But then again, who was she to talk? She was seventeen and had her own team. "And you must be Captain Senka." Alyson smiled pleasently and let him take her hand only to see him kiss it gently. He motioned for her to half a seat and she did, crossing her legs and folded her hands in her lap. "Excuse me for saying this, but you're rather young for someone in your position. I am amazed you rose through the ranks while still in Jugend." Adin said as he shuffled some of the papers on is desk. Alyson was flustered and wondered what he meant by that comment. She tried to contain every inch of her being from lashing out at him. Regaining her internal composure, she came up with a response. "Captain, I'm sure you've read my report, otherwise you wouldn't know my rank." Adin nodded in reply. "Then you also know that I've been selected to be the next Element of Water should something happen to Shaina Kyouri. In short, I could be your next boss. Don't say anything now that you'll live to regret later." she said calmly. Now Adin was the one who became flustered, but he kept his cool; for she had made a good point. She very well -could- be his next boss. "I know you're hear to pick up the gear. I trust our crew did a good job installing most of the parts you had shipped in with your gear?" "Yes, there were a few more adjustments I had to make, but nothing that I needed the mechanics for." Alyson said. Adin looked through the papers sitting in front of him and then straightend them up into one pile, "Well it seems you filled out all the paper work and identification material needed to get your gear. So I see no problems. Also, I recieved word that your gear's new beam saber was installed on the left wrist for you after you collapsed last night." "Thank you. I'd like to thank you and your crew for keeping her in such good condition." Alys stood up and straightend out her uniform and moved to the exit wehn Captain Senka called out. "Lieutenant," Alys turned to face him. "You were involved in the Bledavik Massacre right? Can you tell me how that went?" "Uh...er...well....that is to say..." Alyson lost her composure trying to find the words to say. Was it a success or not? She told Myaru it was, only because the main objection had been compleated, but still... "Sir," a visual screen displayed itself in front of Adin. "Yes Coporal Nilok, what is it?" Adin asked. "Sir, we just got a message from an Aloysius Kal'haz. He says he'll be arriving at your base within the next few days. That's all sir." Nilok explained. "Thank you, Nilok." he shut off the visual and turned back to Alyson. "Well, it seems that Mr. Kal'haz is on his way here. So, I'd best be going. I'm sure he'll tell you all the details of the massacre once he gets here." Alys was already halfway out the door. Adin reached out a hand to stop her, "Wait, but what about..." "Thanks for the hospitality and taking care of Epiphiany for me. Bye!" and she was gone before Adin could say anything else. ********* ("White Reflection" starts playing) Alys sat in Epiphany, her restraints on and her fingers already flipping on the controls and activating the power to the gear. The the entranceway to the geardocks slid open as Epiphany prepared to blast off. "Alright ol' girl, it's been awhile. Let's show the world what we're made of!" Epiphany's thrusters roared to life and, in seconds, she jetted out of the gear docks into the open desert. A sea of gold ran underneath her as she rose higher and higher into the sky in the direction of Bledavik. "My time serving under Solaris is over. I don't know why, but I feel was meant to fight against them all along. Their methods are just to injust to be allowed to continue." Alys push the two control sticks in her hand forward and Epiphany's speed exploded as her thrusters left a trail in the sky. "Hang in there Elly, I'm coming to get you out! Solaris has just made an enemy they'll soon regret ever creating!" Alyson's indigo eyes were filled with determination as Epiphany continued it's path across the desert towards Bledavik. (Summary: Alys speaks to Adin Senka about getting her gear out. He then asks her about the massacre and she's hesitant to answer. Adin get's a message saying that Aloysius Kal'haz will be arriving at his base within a few days and Alys slips out then, and with renewed determination she heads for Bledavik to rescue Athena.) Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Super Saiyan Seth [cross64@yahoo.com] Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 4:54 AM To: DeM_story@egroups.com Subject: [DeM] A Forest Battle eGroups My Groups | DeM_story Main Page | Start a new group! A FOREST BATTLE ---------------------------- AUGUST 19TH, V-498 NEAR LAHAN ---------------------------- Seth gathered together the stuff he was going to take, and pulled out the bag he was "borrowing" from the ranch. He packed some tools from his basement, a map of the continent he was on, some canned food from his cupboards, and an extra set of clothes (just in case). When Seth was satisfied he had everything he needed, he closed the bag and headed towards the door. Halfway there, he thought about how he had just barged in here and used this guy's house and food. Now he was taking some of his stuff. That wasn't too nice. "HmmI'll leave an I.O.U." Seth said finally. He pulled out his pad and pen, and wrote "I O U some tools, canned food, and two sets of clothes. Seth." After sticking it on the coffee table, Seth remembered that the papers were written in a different language. The ranch owner might not understand his note. Well, he might, Seth thought. If he has a radio link to those "Gebler" people, then he should understand their language. He could probably bluff his way through the note and get the general idea. Satisfied that he had done all he should do, Seth walked out the front door and headed for the forest. After yesterday's meeting with the herd, Seth was expecting another fit of running and screaming. However, the herd had apparently moved on, and Seth didn't have any trouble reaching the forest trail. Seth checked to make sure that no monsters were nearby, and he slowly headed into the small clearing, looking for a way through the forest. Unfortunately, after some searching, Seth found that the only way over the fallen tree trunks and stone hills was the large rock he ended up destroying yesterday. Seth double- checked, but he could see no other path up to the trunks, and they were too thick to jump onto or climb. Seth walked over to the trunk that led through the hills, and examined the trunk. He found that other than being huge, it was still wood, and had been dead for a while, meaning it wasn't green. Behind him, he saw a huge boulder that looked like it had been rolled there, judging from the heavy grooves in the ground. Seth looked back at the trunk, and figured that the boulder previously blocked the entrance through the forest. Seth thought for a moment then got an idea. If he could shatter one rock, then maybe he could shatter another. Seth situated himself behind the rock, making sure that it would shatter in the direction of the trunk, thus allowing him to make some haphazard steps. Seth charged up his ether, focusing it in his cupped palms to the side and back, until it reached the appropriate amount. Seth unleashed the energy wave, which was strong enough to shatter the boulder into a couple smaller shards, just as he had hoped. They rammed into the trunk, either imbedding into the dead wood, or falling to the ground, forming a small platform. Seth smiled to himself, and climbed up the rock platform to the trunk, and headed into the second half of the forest. The trip didn't prove too difficult, until Seth came across a duo of the gray-skinned humanoids, which seemed to be quite angry at something. Seth wasn't sure what they were angry about, but he knew it couldn't be good. They charged at him, ready to tear him limb from limb, but Seth managed to fall backwards enough to avoid their attack. Seth looked for a way to run, but finding that they were blocking his path to the desert, Seth decided he would have to fight them. Seth focused his energies, calling on his Chi, and releasing it with a shout. "Speed burst!" Seth yelled, not knowing why, but figuring it was good as anything to say. It didn't really matter, so long as you release your air quickly and in one or two syllables (again, something his mother taught him in one of her many teachings). The desired effect was achieved. Seth became enveloped in reddish energy, and moved like a rocket around the creatures, who had called some of their brothers with their screaming and growling. Seth wondered if he could really handle four monsters, even with his temporarily enhanced speed. Well, he would soon find out. The monsters attacked in unison, swinging wildly at him, but Seth was faster than they, and was able to block all their attacks. Seth saw everything in slow motion, and felt a rush at the thought of what he was doing. He was holding his own against four monsters. When the monsters finished their assault, Seth screeched to a halt, looking at the monsters with an emotionless stare. "My turn." Seth said under his breath. He launched at the creatures, lashing out with his fists, connecting with a set of punches moving at over twice their normal speed, which were enough to send the creature flying back into the tree, falling unconscious from the impact. Seth repeated the gesture with each monster as they continued their rampage, succeeding in hitting Seth only one or twice in the gut. After finishing them off, Seth again screeched to a halt in the middle of the trail. He watched as the monsters finally fell down. Their bones were shattered from the impact of his punches and kicks moving so fast, and thus they had only a few breathes left until they finally died. Seth cancelled the chi effect, and continued down the trail, feeling a little odd as he neared the exit of the forest. SUMMARY: Seth decides to head through the forest to the Aveh desert. He takes some stuff from the ranch, but leaves an IOU for the owner (written in Ancient Solarian). Seth throws together a rock platform that allows him to climb to the trunk, where he encounters a group of Forest Elves, hungry for fresh meat. Seth used his Speed of Chi ability to fight them and eventually beat them. Afterwards he heads towards the forest exit. Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Joseph Hicks [Arrgh_a_lot@hotmail.com] Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 11:44 PM To: DeM_story@egroups.com Subject: [DeM] Meeting of the mimes eGroups My Groups | DeM_story Main Page | Start a new group! Zak had trailed this intruder since he had re-entered the forest. The battle with the Elves was unimpressive...but a little better than his last excursion. Maybe there was hope for this creature after all! Improvement now boded potential to improve...no matter. First, he had to find out if the creature was friendly. Zak left the bushes, and strolled out onto the path, right in front of this creature, silent as always. The creature fell back, and lapsed into a fighting stance...balanced well for such an obvious herbivore. Nobody who fought that badly would eat meat. Zak smiled without using teeth, a show of friendliness. He pointed towards himself. "Zak." Seth stared in amazement. This was the first person he had seen! He stood up out of his kickboxing stance, careful not to look threatening. He also pointed to hiself. "Seth." Zak stepped forward slowly, and slung his spear in the sling across his back for it. He put both arms out to show he was unarmed. Seth contemplated copying him, but realized that since he didn't use weapons, it would be foolish. He settled for extending his hands, palms up. He tried to speak. "Do you live here?" Zak had heard speech before, even learned a little...very little. But this was completely unlike anything he had heard before! He stepped back, suddenly wary... (Summary: Seth and Zak finally meet...unfortunately, without language, friendship will be hard to forge.) Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Super Saiyan Seth [cross64@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, September 11, 2000 3:38 AM To: DeM_story@egroups.com Subject: [DeM] A Picture is worth a Thousand Words eGroups My Groups | DeM_story Main Page | Start a new group! A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS ---------------------------------------- AUGUST 19th, V-498 BLACKMOON FOREST EDGE ---------------------------------------- Seth looked on, wondering at what stood before him. He just jumped out all of a sudden, like some animal, except he was obviously a man. He was short, but seemed quite tough. He had obviously been in a few battles, because he had two huge scars on his arms, which made Seth a little squeamish. He wore nothing but a loincloth and an emerald ring on his finger, and carried a stone spear that he had put on his back during his introduction. Apparently he didn't speak too well, as he simply pointed to himself and said "Zak" in a deep voice befitting a barbarian (which Seth guessed he was). Seth, not wanting to insult him or anything, did the same, pointing to himself and saying "Seth". The man understood, and crouched down in anticipation of a long conversation. Seth stood there, looking at him, not sure what to do. This was the first human he had seen on this planet, and it spoke badly of this planet if he was like all the others. Seth wouldn't be able to tell what level of culture and knowledge he possessed just be looking at him, so Seth decided to try and ask him some questions. "Umdo you live here?" Seth asked nervously. Zak didn't understand what he said, which surprised Seth a little. Zak looked at Seth curiously, obviously thinking that he wasn't from around here. Seth slowly sat down on a nearby stump, careful not to alarm the barbarian, who probably could draw that spear quicker than Seth could start running. "Hmmhow are we going to do this?" Seth thought to himself. He liked to consider himself a budding scientist, but talking with people of any kind was definitely not his strong point. He talked to himself more than any other person, let alone a barbarian. As he thought, Zak suddenly perked up, as if he just had an idea. Seth looked over, and saw the barbarian start to draw a picture in the dirt. Seth laughed a little under his breath, but knew that this was actually a pretty good idea. This barbarian was obviously smarter than he looked. Zak drew a picture of the forest, making trees and even one of the goat-like creatures were in his picture, and then Zak looked up. He pointed at himself and back at the picture. Seth guessed that meant Zak lived here in the forest. When Seth indicated that he understood, Zak motioned that Seth do the same. Seth kneeled down, wondering what to draw. He wondered if Zak would even understand it, but it was worth a try. Seth used his finger to draw a picture of the planet. He made a circle in the dirt, drawing stick figures of people all over it, hoping that he would get the idea that this was his planet. Seth drew a picture of the sun out a ways, and finished the planet picture with a small forest as well, hoping this would make it easier. Seth looked up, and saw that Zak was very attentive, and seemed to get the picture. He looked up at Seth, waiting for him to point out his home. Seth stepped back a few feet, and drew a picture of another planet, with trees and people like the other one. When he finished, he pointed at the second planet, wondering if Zak would understand it. Zak looked curiously between the two pictures, trying to piece together what he meant. Zak thought back, trying to figure out what this could mean. Having lived his entire life in the forest, he knew only of the sun, moon, and stars as bright objects in the sky that move over him and his forest, as if they watched over him. Now this other human was saying he came from somewhere up there. Could he meanheaven? He had heard of the concept from a friendly traveler that had come through the forest, and knew a little about it. It didn't make sense. This guy couldn't come from heaven. It wasn't possible. He might be a liarbut Zak realized he might be misunderstanding the picture also. Seth saw that Zak was still trying to figure out the picture. It was no surprise he probably had no skill in Astronomy, so Seth decided to try another thing. He looked up, and saw that there was a hole in the canopy above him, which exposed the sky to them. Seth motioned for Zak to stand next to him, and when the barbarian did so, Seth pointed up into the sky, in the general direction of his former home. This got an odd reaction from Zak, who looked at Seth with amazement, and disbelief. Seth did nothing, not wanting to provoke Zak into doing anything rash. SUMMARY: Seth and Zak try to show each other where they come from, with difficulty. From: Super Saiyan Seth [cross64@yahoo.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2000 10:47 AM To: DeM_story@egroups.com Subject: [DeM] The Science Guy eGroups My Groups | DeM_story Main Page | Start a new group! THE SCIENCE GUY Zohar Energy Channel Can also infuse this power into others... the process eventually killing them in a spectacular explosion. Quoted from Kyouran's Persona Sheet, describing the effects of Zohar's energy in large quantities. --------------------------- AUGUST 19th, V-498 SOLARIS, 3:30 A.M A GEBLER LAB --------------------------- Jacob loaded the file he was searching for, happy that he could get something done after really messing up last week. He was new to this job, fresh out of school, and he had already screwed up on a simple job his superior had given him. Jacob hoped to remedy that situation by completing the task before himthe mystery Lamb's data. It was a little under a week since they had discovered him through the memory cube on Ignas, and he had become a hot topic among the small group of scientists assigned to monitor him. Normally this wouldn't be the case, but this one's Ether potential was quite high nearly double what they would expect from a Jugend newbie with no training. That in and of itself was spectacular for a Lamb. However, there was a reasonwell, an excuse, actually. The rough data on him said he had no Limiter, which meant his Ether development wasn't controlled like everyone elses, and he had no tag on him that allowed the scientists a full reading on his biological data. To the Solarians, this was a budding disaster. All Lambs, whether they be Wels, demihumans, Solarians, or the average joe, had a Limiter in them. It was an organic nanomachine system that was automatically built into the Lamb as soon as it was conceived. To say that this one had no Limiter meant one of two possibilities. One, he wasn't born from any woman on the planet which was impossible or two, his Limiter was removed. Even malfunctioning Limiters give off an easily detectable signal, which showed the Solarians that the Lamb must be "repaired" through the Ethos. Thus, it had to be the latter option. It was a truly fascinating situation to the scientists under Doctor Nye. However, the Doctor had given Jacob a special job involving this study of the Seth Lamb. It made him so proud that the doctor recognized Jacob's potential as a scientist, which was why he was still up at three in the morning looking for the appropriate data. And finally he had found it. Jacob had a surprising amount of trouble finding the file, which must have not been used too much recently, since it was considered general knowledge. However, there were some obscure facts that Jacob had to look for. The file was labeled "Study of Ether Potential". Jacob opened the file and skimmed through it, until he reached the section he was looking for. He highlighted the section and saved it to a disk he held. The section read: "Even though Ether potential is determined at birth, and should remain generally the same the rest of your life, some have found ways to acquire more raw energy. Some scientists believe the ancient myth of a "legendary power" involved a true story of a Lamb stumbling upon a raw source of incredible ether energy, which he or she attempted to use. However, this is discouraged, because of our genetic limits. Any ether levels that exceed the limit imposed by nature at birth can cause serious damage to the body and mind, and may result in death via a violent explosion of ether energy." Jacob took the disk, and his cup of coffee, and headed to his room for some shut-eye. He needed to be relatively awake when he presented this the Doctor Nye. He must impress him enough to make him think about a promotion (Same day, 10:30 A.M.) Jacob yawned as Doctor Nye looked at the disk information, and at a diagnostic scan of what Jacob assumed was the Lamb they were interested in. After a few moments, Nye looked up at Jacob, who was practically standing at attention. "What do you know about Solarian experimentation on the Lambs, son?" Nye asked the younger man. "WellI know that the Wels and demihumans on the surface are results of that experimentation, sir." Jacob answered nervously. The old doctor smiled and chuckled, then turned back to the screen. "Not only thatJacob, right? But we Shepherds are responsible for the safety and strength of ether on the planet. Do you know why?" "Uhno sir." "Well, I'll tell you, though you should have learned it in schooldamned teachers these days." The old scientist continued. "In the beginning, ether was a new and dangerous force that nobody could use safely except those with the best genes for it. These were the Gazel Ministry and their direct children. However, over time they saw fit to begin experimentation on the food and drugs we Solarians eat. Do you know what our food is made of, son?" "The ingredients are written on every can of food, sir." Jacob answered, a little confused. "Humph. That's what they want you to believe, but it's better that way for us. Anyway, the food and medicines we Solarians use today are specially designed to enhance the potential we pass on to our children. This is why the Elements and Jugend exist today. However, it is a little known fact that a similar process is done to the Lambs on the surface. We can't collect all the data we need from a few volunteer Solarians, so we experiment with ether on Lambs as well, to see how the human body can be changed to suit ether better. Do you know how we do this son?" Jacob thought for a moment, then answered in an unsure tone. "The Limiters, sir?" Doctor Nye smiled. "Good young man. You're getting the idea. Yes, the Limiters help us keep tabs on the Lambs, but it also can be used to manipulate DNA, although this is done at birth mainly. This is one of the reasons there are demihumans. Some of them possess high ether potential for unexplained reasons. We try to figure out why, but it takes time." The Doctor motioned that Jacob should look at the diagnostics that he was looking at earlier. On one screen were the readings of the Lamb that they discovered, while on another screen was shown a scan labeled "Control Subject X20". This must have been one of the demihumans created by Solaris, as the ether potential was high, and very well defined. Jacob looked at the two, which told the same information potential, growth rate, control, and power. Finally, Jacob noticed something. "The mystery LambSeth. He has a high potential and growth rate, but his power and control are entirely off-key. Why is that, doctor?" The doctor happily said. "You should know the answer. You were up all night looking for it." Jacob remembered the obscure data he found, and looked at the screen as he said. "Wait a secondyou've been showing me the answer all along." Jacob double-clicked the readings of the two subjects' heart rates, breathing, brainwave activity, and compared them. "His control is so low because his body isn't the right type." Jacob looked again. "He's not even close! It's as if the Limiters never conditioned him. That means" "Yes." Nye said. "He isn't from our world. He has come across this ether power from a circumstance involving a great power source, and his body can't handle the stress. He's dying." The doctor maximized the data on Seth's vital signs and similar information, and continued. "At first, he will feel fits of vertigo and nausea as his body tries to use the excess energy. Next, he will start to have paralysis and painful seizures at times when his energy is at peak capacity. As his power grows to higher levels, he will experience even more violent seizures as his body actually rejects the ether energy in his system out through his pores. It will be violently released, causing him great pain and damage to himself and those around him. Eventually, his body will become unable to contain the energy, and he will finally die in an explosion to end all explosions." Jacob stared in disbelief at the screen, and asked. "How long does he have?" Doctor Nye answered. "If his powers develop at a constant ratewith minimal fighting and trainingI give him a year. But with all the combat going on down on the surface, he may become involved. Ether grows quicker when you use it. It could shrink to anywhere between a year to a few months. It all depends." Jacob wondered what it would feel like to have your insides exploding at random, but then he remembered that he was just a Lamb. Lambs were animals who didn't deserve pityeven if they deserve it more than others. "Come son, we have much to report. This information may prove vital to someone out there, but to us it is useless." Doctor Nye said. Jacob took one last look at the screen, and finally shut it down. SUMMARY: A scientist and a student have figured out Seth's "illness", which spells doom for Seth, but is of little use to Solarisor is it? Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Anastasius Dumar [scarletsand@netscape.net] Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2000 11:59 AM To: DeM_Story@egroups.com Subject: [DeM] "Darkening Horizon." (Aloysius-13) -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> GET A NEXTCARD VISA, in 30 seconds! Get rates of 2.9% Intro or 9.9% Ongoing APR* and no annual fee! Apply NOW! http://click.egroups.com/1/9146/3/_/529963/_/968727961/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> "Darkening Horizon." August 18, V-498 Northern Aveh, Early Evening "I hate this shit." A disgusted frown creased Aloysius' face as he paused for a moment among one of the countless, blood-colored boulders that lay strewn about as far as even his keen eyes could see. Running a callused hand through his filthy, sand-crusted hair, he took a moment to draw a mouthful of warm water from a canteen at his side as he observed the distorted waves of heat rolling off the rock-strewn barrens that surrounded him -even this far north of Bledavik, the temperatures still rose searingly high. Two days had passed since the Ministry had contacted him, informing him he was to be at one of many secretly-constructed military bases north of Aveh to act as their representative to one Adin Senka, the commander of the base that would serve as a staging grounds for the northern fork of Solaris' attack. With a day's supply of water, a sleeping bag and a small one-man tent, he had left Bledavik immediately, following only his compass and the map that had been imprinted in his mind by his masters. The attack, they had said, would commence on the twenty-fourth, only eight short days from the time he had been contacted; by the time he had met with Senka, the scattered Gebler forces in Aveh would already be arriving at the base. Shaking his near-empty canteen dismally, he snarled to himself and pushed onwards, realizing that standing in the sun would accomplish nothing more than to further dehydrate his weary body. He had been pushing himself through the desert with minimal rest for the past two days, pausing only for a few short hours when the sun had reached it's zenith to avoid fighting the blistering mid-day heat. His brutal trip was obvious; his chest and shoulders, uncovered, were red and peeling, his once strongly toned muscles now hung loosely from his bones, and his face was worn and haggard. According to his compass and mental map, he measured, the base should now be located somewhere nearby, but where -yes, he could see it now, virtually invisible unless one stood directly in front of it, as he was. The semi-mountainous terrain made an excellent place to hide a base, and Solaris, it seemed, had capitalized on this. Tucked among the barren foothills leading to the North Aveh Mountain Range, the base's massive hangar doors still managed to blend into the surrounding landscape, mimicking the color and texture of the rocky badlands that surrounded them, though being as close as he was, Aloysius could faintly make out the line defining the gates from the earth around them. So intrigued was he with studying the masterful camouflage that he was startled into action as a crackling voice filled the air, "This is private land. State your name and business." Aloysius wasted little time throwing himself into a roll, tearing at the emergency release strap of his backpack as he connected with the ground. Rolling into a low crouch behind a small boulder slightly larger than himself, he felt nothing as the jagged rocks beneath his feet tore into the burnt, exposed flesh of his back. Instinct alone moved his pistol into his left hand as he leaned his shredded back against the rust-colored rock, breath coming in short, quiet gasps. After a lengthy silence, Aloysius dared peer around his right side, leading with his small laser pistol. What he saw both relieved him and disgusted him. A large gear, a good three stories tall and adorned with camouflage similar to that of the hangar doors towered twenty feet away from him, holding in it's hands a massive cannon that was clearly trained on Aloysius' position. Unable to believe he could have missed movement from such a large gear, Aloysius nonetheless threw his pistol to the ground, and stepped out from behind the rock, hands in the air to show his intentions, though he was aware there was little threat to the large gear from him, "High General Aloysius Kal'Ahaz, from the Holy Empire of Solaris. I'm here to see Captain Adin Senka." The pause that followed had Aloysius momentarily fearing he was about to die at the hands of the pilot. His fears, however, were dispelled when the pilot's voice emerged from the gear, "Affirmative. I apologize for this situation, General. We have been expecting you -I have sent a message to Captain Senka informing him of your arrival. Please proceed." With the conclusion of it's message, the gear suddenly faded away, becoming indiscernible from it's surroundings but for a small distortion; if Aloysius hadn't been looking directly at the gear, he never would have noticed it, which much about how easily he had been taken by surprise. Such stealth technology had only been developmental when he had last been to Solaris. Shrugging, Aloysius continued towards the large hangar doors, leaving his discarded pack and pistol behind -they were easily replaceable. He was met at the doors by a young man, perhaps in his early twenties, with unusual golden-blonde hair, spiked backwards, away from his face. He was dressed in a crisp, cleanly pressed and immaculate Solarian uniform, and he saluted Aloysius as he approached, though he looked somewhat taken aback at his superior, dressed only in filthy pants, his body sagging and exhausted-looking, "My name is Aloysius Kal'Ahaz: I'm here to see Captain Adin Senka." Aloysius said, not bothering to return the salute. The young man nodded, "I am Adin Senka. Welcome, General -I apologize for not receiving your message directly. Please come in." "Certainly." Aloysius was admittedly surprised at the youth of Senka; he had not expected someone so young to be charged with such responsibility, though the confident, authoritative manner in which he conducted himself said much for his abilities. He followed Senka through the smaller personnel door into a wide hallway that presumably led deeper into the main area of the base, "You know why I am here, I presume?" he asked, voice weary. "Yes. A handful of soldiers have already arrived; they informed us of the role we are to play in the retaking of Bledavik. I must say, General, it is an honor to be selected for such a task. I have heard that you yourself have played an important part in the preparations for this attack Miss Alyson Van Treymond left here only a short time ago, and I understand she was a comrade of yours." "You presume to know much about affairs that are beyond your concern, Captain." His voice abruptly became chill, almost angry, and the words that followed had an unmistakably hostile tone, " I suggest you remain focused on the subject at hand. I am here as a personal representative of the Gazel Ministry to oversee the preparations here -your abilities are not in question, Captain," he raised a hand, seeing Senka turn slightly, ready to voice protest, "but you must understand how important this base is in this strategy. You, of course, will remain in command -I am simply here to make sure things proceed smoothly." Senka nodded, slowing slightly to allow Aloysius to match his stride as he spoke, his voice somewhat apologetic, "I understand. I fear there are several pressing matters I must attend to -I will have one of my men show you to your quarters and attempt to familiarize you with the base. If you would care to join me for dinner, we can discuss this further then." Aloysius grunted his approval, "Good -I am in desperate need of soap and water, and a meal would be most welcome." Summary: [Aloysius arrives at Adin's base to the north of Bledavik to begin preparation for the coming invasion.] Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From: Super Saiyan Seth Date: Tue Sep 12, 2000 8:11pm Subject: Sociopath: A Memory (OOG: On a side note, this situation is based on a true story of mine. I decided to write this out of boredom, and so I can accentuate the nature of Seth's antisocial quirk. Enjoy.) SOCIOPATH Sociopath, n. someone who may lash out with unreasoning violence, especially in social situations. --------------------------------------------- April 27th, 2000 (Earth reckoning) Prom Night, Earth, many years ago --------------------------------------------- Seth straightened his tie, making sure his tux was in good shape. He wanted to impress this girl as much as he could, so he had to be his best tonight. He had finally worked up enough courage to ask Tanya out to the Prom, despite the fact that she was one of the most popular girls in school, and he was?well, he was Seth. Amazingly, she accepted, which made Seth just about leap out of his shoes in the hallway. With all the guys that had been asking for her to go, Seth was stunned that she said yes to HIM. That was about a week ago, and tonight was the night when he would get his chance. After a senior year of being made fun of and labeled a geek, Seth was going to show them all he wasn't just a guy who was good in science. Seth pulled out the rose he had bought her, and rang the doorbell. Her mother answered, quickly checking him for any obvious faults that could affect her daughter's "virginity" tonight, but found none. She smiled, saying "Well hello there young man. You must be here to pick up Tanya. Come in and have a seat. She's still getting ready." "Thank you ma'am." Seth answered. He walked in and sat down at a cushy chair in the living room, nervously tapping his feet as he waited for Tanya. After what seemed like forever, she came out, dressed in a beautiful black dress, completed with a gold necklace and earrings. She was a beautiful sight with her dark red hair and wonderful blue eyes. She was the most beautiful thing Seth had ever seen. Seth stood up and handed her the rose, saying "For you Tanya." She accepted the rose with a smile, answering "Thank you Seth. You're so sweet." Tanya carefully placed the rose on the table in the living room center, and stood up. "Shall we go?" "Okay." Seth said with a smile. Seth offered his hand to her, but she simply stood and headed out the door. Her mother said good bye to the two, smiling at her daughter, and giving the standard stare to Seth, which he politely accepted. The two teens walked down to Seth's car, which he had borrowed from his father. It was a stylish 1998 Red Corvette with the latest fringes. Seth opened the passenger door for Tanya, who got in gracefully. Seth closed the door and jogged to his side. After starting the car, they made their way to the prom. (At the prom) Seth stopped the car in the parking lot, nestling it among the dozens of other cars parked there. They both looked at the small, but elegantly decorated ballroom where the prom was being held this year. Tanya turned to Seth, quickly asking "Do you mind if I go talk to some friends for a moment before we dance? It'll be really quick." "Of course, I don't mind." Seth answered with a smile. "Thanks." Tanya got out of the car without his assistance, calmly walking to a group of other teens from the school. The group walked into the ballroom as Seth locked up the car and followed. Halfway there, one of Seth's friends stopped him. It was Joe Collins, a fellow basketball player, although he wasn't that great at it (neither was Seth). With him was Danielle - a friend of both of them and a nice looking girl. "How's it going Seth?" Danielle said, as she and Joe strolled towards the ballroom. Seth walked with them. "I heard you got a date with Tanya! Good job!" "Yeah, well. I'm just glad she said yes." Seth answered shyly. Joe looked at his friend with a sad expression on his face, as if he pitied Seth. Seth asked him about it. "You mean you didn't know, dude? Your "date" said to everyone she was coming with Drew to the dance. She never even mentioned you." Seth felt a little discouraged at this, but wondered if Joe was just pulling his chain for laughs. Seth played along. "Well, I guess she didn't want to make the other girls jealous that she had gotten the pick of the litter." Danielle giggled, but Joe didn't laugh, which made Seth wonder if he wasn't playing around. Then Seth remembered that one of the teens in Tanya's group was Drew. Seth dashed into the ballroom, looking left and right at the people on the dance floor. Nestled between several other dancers, Seth saw Tanya leaning on Drew as the first slow song floated through the room. Her face was turned towards the door where he stood, but when she saw him, she quickly turned her head the opposite way, and continued dancing. Seth couldn't see her face, but judging by her shaking, she was laughing. Drew started to smile as well, as they continued to dance. By now Seth had started to walk back out the ballroom. "What's wrong?" Danielle asked as they reached the doorway finally. Seth walked past them, not dignifying them with an answer. They continued inside, and saw the two dancing. As the song drew to a close, the music was temporarily replaced by a loud skidding as Seth raced off. (A distant junkyard, 1 mile outside of town) Seth stopped the car and got out. He walked over to a small area where a shattered car lay, among several other pieces of metal and trash. Seth stood there, his anger building as he thought more about it. It was just another joke by those who thought he was nothing but a nerd. Seth's fist clenched as he remembered the year's disappointments and depression in its entirety. "Nerd!" "Loser!" "Geek!" "You fag!" "Go play on your computer. It's the only thing you can score on!" "RAAAAAAAAAAH!" Seth slammed his fists repeatedly into the hood of the junked auto. The sounds of his punches were punctuated by cries of rage as he unleashed his pent-up anger. He realized that happiness wasn't meant for him. He was a nerd?not a Romeo. The memory of his constant rejections by girls and cliches in general only served to make him angrier. Seth pounded and pounded until his knuckles were bloody. Seth finally fell to his knees, screaming at the sky with all his might. Eventually, all he could do was hold his head in his hands. After what seemed like forever, Seth got into his father's car, started it up, and drove home. When he got there, his mother turned to him from her Bonsai tree, asking "So, how was the dance? Did you have fun?" Seth answered as he walked by. "Yeah mom. It was the Prom that I always knew it would be." SUMMARY: A memory of Seth's last high school dance, showing just why he doesn't talk to people, especially to girls. Just another short story to take up some time, but a very important story. From: Joseph Hicks [Arrgh_a_lot@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2000 8:44 AM To: DeM_story@egroups.com Subject: [DeM] A bond is formed eGroups My Groups | DeM_story Main Page | Start a new group! Zak and Seth walked through the forest silently, for speaking was of no use. Zak had managed to signal that Seth needed help, and Seth had emphatically accepted. So they set out, Zak with his spear, and Seth with his mind. They traveled together out of boredom, really. Seth found nature interesting...for the first 5 seconds. Then it got really boring. Zak knew the forest like the back of his hand, and loved every square inch of it- but like so much else, he couldn't convey that. The elves had learned by now to leave Seth alone...and they had decided long ago to do the same with Zak. Occasionally, one was stupid enough to attack, but it was run through with the spear before Seth even saw it. Soon, it was dark. Seth tried to convey that he was going back, but Zak would have none of it. To go back now would be a waste- besides, who would come halfway through a forest and then turn around again? Such stupidity, this weakling had! They set up camp for the night. Seth had some rations, but Zak motioned for him to put them away. He turned, and scampered up a tree like one of the humanoids they had fought...and came back down with some strange yellow fruit. He handed one to Seth, and then sat back on his haunches, and prepared to laugh- nobodyever ate Elfood right the first time. True to form, Seth started to bite...and then noticed the smirk on Zak's face, and knew the trick for what it was. He took it away from his mouth, and studied the fruit. Yellow and curved, with a stem at the end where it had been attached to the others. He broke off the stem- and a piece of the outer covering came with it. The inside looked soft and white- unhealthy, by any standard he knew. He jumped up, and screamed. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you, you filthy savage?" He lapsed into a fighting stance. Zak looked up at him calmly. This was no what he had expected- certainly not how most people reacted to being given food. Unseen, he had replenished supplies for many people going through his Forest. They had never picked fights with their benefactor...but hey, this kid couldn't do anything anyways! Zak stood up, and slowly walked over to Seth, arms out, palms up. Seth stood, not quite knowing what to do. He pushed down on Seth's shoulders, and Seth sat. Then, Zak stood back. [Point to Seth. holds up first finger. points to woods] "Yes, it's my first time in the forest at night. So what?" Zak only smiled knowingly. Seth's bluster failed. [mimes fear, shakes. holds up hands in surrender. apology?] Zak nodded. He peeled his own elfanana, and bit into its pulpy whiteness. He smiled. Seth mimicked the barbarian, thinking that nobody would be stupid enough to eat poison themselves. After a meal, Seth drifted off to sleep, leaving the spearthrower first watch. Zak looked out into the woods, begging something to come, to show this man from the sky how real fighting went. Then he remembered, you should always be careful what you wish for... (Summary- a tense moment, but it relaxes- it's about to get a lot worse, however.) Deus Ex Machina: http://members.tripod.com/~project_xat/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~END~~