Rip 4/ /

BEGIN: ------- VII -------

Galamine Alley. Here I was, after looking high and low for a place to stay. I managed to speak to a few drivers near the main square, once I managed to leave the Violet Thorn, and mentioned Galamine to a few. One of them seemed familiar with the term and guided me to this place. Having taken some money from the Violet Thorn, while making sure to stock up on dream force, I paid him to get me here.

Galamine Alley was a 'mid level' structure. Due to how Atharom is structured a territory is more 'vertical'. For example, most other cities would have an alley or neighborhood defined by a number of buildings that exist in a continuous block. For Atharom, the typical neighborhood was bigger, but instead consisted of only say, the 10th floors of the buildings in that block.  This is helped by the 'field technology' of this place. Apparently it's quite easy to build streets that remain suspended in the air, connecting the buildings at say, the tenth or twentieth floor.

You can tell the borders of a neighborhood by the 'streets' it's between. Galamine Alley had from the eighth to the eleventh floors of a block in east Atharom, which means there were streets connecting the eighth floors and the next one was at the twelfth floor (if such floor existed in the buildings) defining a different block. Due to different building heights there wasn't really any overlap between different areas as well.

Anyway, once the driver dropped me off, I went to look for the biggest gathering in the area and found it in a rather old-looking building with only ten floors. It was rather spacious, and it seems the eighth floor served as the biggest tavern in the area. I entered the place, and people went ahead to stare. Understandable of course, I stuck out quite a bit. I approached the bartender, a kind looking old man who was polishing a glass.

"Hello."

"Hello there. What brings you here?"

"Oh... Well, the driver."-right, not what he meant. I think that dream force I got from the bar may have messed a bit with me.

"Sorry, sorry...I meant... well, I came here from Galamine, so...I figured this would be a good place to stay..."

"Huh? Galamine eh? What part of Galamine?"-the old man does seem surprised albeit...not quite shocked? I figured he wouldn't believe me.

"Uhh... Galamine! Y'know, in the desert?"

"Yes, much like everything else around here."-He laughs a little.

Right! Galamine wasn't just the name of the village, rather, the whole region. I should have clarified. "I meant the village, sorry. Uhh... there was a man there? A doctor, named Olvam, if that rings any bells?"

The old man eyed me with a bit of suspicion. To be fair, given what Olvam means my statement boiled down to a rather silly phrase.

"There's an old man there, who carries a book. He writes down every place he's been to. Did you meet him?"-someone called out to me from the back of the room. I turned to see a tall, well-built bearded fellow standing up and approaching the bar.

"Errm... an old man? Well...I did meet an old woman who did that, but... Uhhm... There's an old man too? Maybe they were a couple or something..."

The bearded man smiles. "She's alright."-he tells to the bartender, and takes a seat. "So... We know you came from Galamine, but what brings you to Atharom?"

"Well...a..hm..."-wait a second. Should I tell these people everything just like that? ...Maybe some general details are fine?

"I was traveling with a friend and we got separated... I think she might be in trouble. I went looking for her and found out she is supposed to be here, in Atharom."-that is all technically true!

"Hmm...I see...Well, for a troubled wandered.."-The old man filled up a glass and brought it over to me. "First drink in my tavern is for free."

I like this guy. He is nice. I went ahead to pick up the drink, sipped a little and ...E...EEHH?! It burns my throat! W-what is this?!

I think the bartender might have noticed my reaction since he laughed a little. "Not used to alcohol?"-and of course I could only shake my head in response.

"Perhaps some water will do then."-he laughed and provided me with a much needed glass of water. I'd figure I would ask what was in that glass but I had already embarrassed myself enough!

Fortunately I was saved by the door. About five or so people walked in at once, carrying bags of various shapes and sizes. One of them, a young-looking person pointed at me. "Well, talk about the unexpected!"

This got the attention of the ones presently in the bar. "What do you mean?"-the man who'd asked me about the old lady turned to them.

"That one's... Excuse me miss, what is your name?"

"Oh, right...It's Lily. Hello. Why..."

"That's her alright! Berrom, you aren't going to believe this, but... That woman saved Galamine."-the young looking one spoke up. Oh...so they...

"Olvam sent me a letter. Told me everything."

"What do you mean exactly?"-The man, Berrom looked to the newcomers, and then at me. "Miss..."

"...I'll...let them explain if that's alright."-I was a bit exhausted after all of that mess, and I could definitely use a break. "Does this place have any rooms?"

"Err...yes, in the upper floors. The price is..."-the bartender was saying, but...

'No, no, no way. Trust me, you'll want to let her off for free, and if not, then I'll be paying for her. She's a hero!"-The young person said. I shook my head.

"No... I just happened to be there at the time. Those bandits were threatening me too... It was mostly just self-defense..."

"Nonsense! Wait until everybody hears the story, they'll agree with me. So it happened yesterday..."-as he begun to tell the story, I turned to the bartender.

"I am terribly sorry to cut this evening short, but..."

"Right, your room."-he handed me a key, and pointed to the stairs. I headed right there of course. The room seemed rather comfy. One bed, a small drawer and a table on the side. A window looked out, and I could see the sun had risen proper. Ah...well... I should rest. It's definitely been... tiring...

I yawned, and then dropped on the bed. Ah! I forgot to make my payment...I hope the bartender won't  mind if I...make it...later... Yaaaaawn...

...

END: ~~~~~~~ VII ~~~~~~~

BEGIN: ------- -------

What happens when you see the world? Your eyes do a certain job of connecting the outer world and the inner world. Of course it's a bit more complicated than that, but the basic gist of it is that the eyes are like a doorway between the 'outside' and 'inside'.

Of course the ears, nose, tongue, skin all do much the same, and beyond even that there is even a brain, a voice, hands that can be found on the inside, however for the purpose of this little 'game' we'll focus on the eyes, alright? So we have established that the eyes connect the inside and outside. It is a rather intimate experience, given that you just 'take in' things from the world through your eyes and keeping them inside.

Those perceptions are yours now. Nobody else can quite experience them, nobody else thinks about them the way you do. In a way this makes you unique. Typically, you can view other people and they can view you, so they are always absorbing part of you inside of themselves. However, this happens from the 'outside'.

Now, to get into the point... What if someone was looking at you from the inside? What if there were eyes inside of you? Perhaps you should take a better look next time you look in the mirror? Maybe the reflection shows a bit more than you?

END: ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

BEGIN: ------- VII -------

What was that? ...I had the weirdest dream. This strange voice speaking in my head... I could almost feel it too. Like it was whispering next to my ear... And the funny thing is I was in this very room, asleep, just like this... A dream far too real.

What did it say again...? Mirror... I suppose I haven't seen looked in the mirror a lot lately... I could...ah...there's one inside the drawer. Let's see...

Ah...hmm, I am really sleepy. I suppose I should just rub my eyes a little and... Wait... what'-

END: ~~~~~~~ VII ~~~~~~~

BEGIN: ------- -------

Ah... my little darling. I did not expect for it to be so frightening, you know? I am terribly sorry that you had to be put to rest like this, but I am going to need you to sleep for a few hours longer than you originally intended to. After all, as much as you want to meet up with your friend, and for the both of you to make it out okay...

I too, wish to be able to escape these inner worlds...And soon I will be able too. I must thank you darling. You have been an excellent host, and I am ever so saddened to break up our little...partnership. The time for my departure has come. And many will be left behind, no doubt... That makes me quite sad, however it is the way things are in this world.

All of these words must make no sense to you, right? I figured as much. However, I do hope you remember them. They certainly will mean quite a bit to you...soon. Ah... I've already said quite a bit. Sleep now darling. I'll weave a beautiful dream for you.

END: ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

BEGIN: ------- A -------

I woke up...somewhere. I do not even know what this place is. Even saying I 'woke up' would be an overstatement. My eyelids just lifted a little. I could see  walls. Pods, all around me. A few people seated near computing devices. The sky, right out of the windows, together with the clouds. Look closer...Am I higher up? I tried to move my arms, and realized I couldn't. Same with my legs. Torso was fine however.

I tried turning my head to look around, but a sharp pain to the back of my neck stopped me. I decided against moving my head again. I could feel coldness near my shoulders or my hips. Maybe they had been restraining me somehow? I opened my eyes proper,and tried to look down. Everything was blurry but I could see tubes sticking out of everywhere. A tangled mess. Just what had they done to me?

"My, my, at last, our sleeping beauty is awake."-Beatrix... I'd recognize that voice anywhere. She walks right in. More casual than before... Ah... Right, makes sense. This is her own 'turf'. Must be the flying station of the Emernia Nobles. She leans forward, and puts a hand under my chin, bringing my head closer. A little grin spreads about her face. A little grin that's absolutely overflowing with smugness and sadism. I grimaced. That hurt quite a bit... She has to know...

"It's all good now. You understand quite a bit at this point. You and I are very much alike."-She says... and I replied right away.

"Bullshit."

"Oh? That means you do not understand enough, not yet at least. I'm sure your outlook will change quite a bit once you see."

Right. Well I have news for her. Leaning back to the comfortable spot for my neck, and knowing this would cause quite a bit of pain... I put all of my strength into a mighty head-butt.

It didn't go as I expected. The moment I hit her forehead, I heard a metallic sound, and felt...nothing? No pain at all. That isn't r...

Wait...what's going o...

...

Everything goes dark. My head moves back in place again, and I cannot seem to move it now. I can only hear noise for a bit, before that too died out. Beatrix...what the fuck have you done?!

...

~ - ~ - ~ - ~

...

I regained my senses a...I am not sure how long it was. I did not keep count. However something... tells me it was around seventeen minutes? Seventeen minutes and thirty six seconds... That's awfully accurate. Something is definitely up. I can feel my body being lowered. I lose the ability to move again, but I see the tubes being lifted. Something else goes in place. I feel a sting in my limbs, and then a rather cold feeling.

Something is placed over my back. Something over the torso too, looks black. Clothing? Huh... just what is the point here? My body at least, no longer feels restricted. I immediately got up to my feet...Wait...no, this feels wrong again.

I turned to find Beatrix, laughing at me. And then of course what I'd do is go over to her, raise my fist and threaten to punch her in the face. "Tell me everything! What did you d-"

That's when I saw it. My 'fist'. My arm, for that matter. I had just now realized I had somehow lost feeling in it, but still had control. The reason was clear: My arm was no longer the same. An automaton appendage, with the same proportions of my old arm. Quite well crafted. Black paint, fancy Aether-lines, sleek design. Except for the fact that it was on me right now. The meaning of this did not register right away.

These people had just...taken half my body away and replaced it with automaton parts. The fuck?! Who does that?! WHY for that matter...

Anger begun to well up. I couldn't think straight for a moment, so my impulses got the better of me. That readied fist came crashing down on Beatrix...

Or at least it would have, if she didn't simply grab it bare-handed. I could feel her strength. It was enough to compete with this automaton arm, and more so. In one swift motion she twisted my arm around, and brought me to my knees. The metallic thud alerted me an unpleasant fact. My legs had suffered the same fate as my arms.

Before I could question it, I see Beatrix projecting a faint aura, as her eyes glow in white, lines appear down her cheeks and all the way to her arms. It's right in front of me so I can't ignore it: The patterns on my arm and hers are the same. "You and I are very much alike. Didn't I tell you that?"-she laughs, her voice overlaid with that electronic sound... Ugh! It's even more frustrating to hear now.

She lets go and turns her back on me. ...As if she knows I won't attack her.

I looked back at the rest of the room. A rather large 'seat', T-shaped to accommodate for a full-sized human body. I suppose me, in this case. Four robotic arms attached to the roof. Multiple tubes hanging loose. I soon realized those were the ones attached to me. A few of them were dripping this bright blue liquid.

"Why you? That is a good question. Really... Why are you even alive?"-Is she seriously going to...

"Because of that woman. She shared her 'fuel' with you. That is why you are alive, no?"-Beatrix and her condescension. It's making me vomit already.

"Yeah. Surprised you knew about that one..."

"We examined you. Originally you were only going to be discarded... but we found a great use for you. See... You are the closest thing to whatever that girl originally was."-what is she saying...?

"What...?"

"You possess the original fuel she worked on before getting here. Now it must have been depleted and she's had to replace it with whatever diluted variety she could get her hands on, but the original is still perfectly preserved inside you. We just studied how it works. And then replaced it with something more easily dealt with."-Aether, of course. I could tell from those arms.

"How...?"-A good question, I suppose.

"We compared the effect it had on you with... the typical human being as well as what we found in your notes. Those made it quite easy for us actually, so...thank you."-she flashes that same smile from before, before guiding me even further out. The hallway is well-lit at least. One side is completely glass, so I can look outside and below, at the city.

Walking in this body feels odd. In a sense, I'd never trip, but it's more like I'm moving around in extremely thick mud, only capable of moving my shoulders instead of my arms. Same for the waist and my legs. My movements must appear a bit weird. Of course, if this was really like mud I'd feel the weight around my torso.

I don't. My breathing's as good as ever, and that just makes it more jarring. I feel like I can't really breathe even though I can. This entire ...getup, if you can call it that, is quite practical. All black, a bit tight although the only part of me that could use clothing is my torso. Heck, just the front of it. I think they placed a metal plate on the back, although I cannot quite realize it's purpose yet. I just feel a faint 'pulse' coming from there. Multiple tiny pulses that make a big one, in fact.

"Hmm...Once you are done admiring yourself, I'll continue."-It seems I phased out for a bit longer than expected. She caught me looking out the mirror. 'Admiring'. My anger just keeps boiling underneath the surface.

"Normally, we would have proceeded by creating an artificial human being and then converting them into a control unit. However I persuaded the higher ups to not discard you... You could prove useful after all. So your conversion proceeded at my behest. And I must say, you came out absolutely excellent."-Anger boiling at level with the surface...

"Really...I keep looking at these automata and I find them to be quite pitiful. Humans too are rather unimpressive. Don't get me wrong, the occasional specimen can be great. Magnificent even. Many of them are even superior to me. But on the average they are unimpressive.

The average human is petty, lazy, useless, incapable of realizing even an ounce of his potential. Even actually seeking to realize this potential is met with difficulty presented by the nature of humanity itself. 'You'll get there with hard work'. Maybe. If you waste away the peak of your life, if you burn like a candle, if you end up becoming so physically and emotionally exhausted.

Humanity is blessed with being able to play at any table, but the price it has to pay for it is simply unreasonable. Now look at us."-she holds out her arms, like some ridiculous paragon. Who does she even think she is? She is just as awful as she accuses us of being.

"From what I've realized, we might well not compare to that girl's true nature. We're merely 'average' by our 'kind's standards, but even so we have already surpassed all but a few humans living today. We will not age. Our senses are far sharper, our mind will not deteriorate with time. We can see things nobody else can, we can think in ways nobody else can. The creativity and intuition of humans, mixed with the raw processing power and efficiency of the best automata."

Right. I've had quite a bit of her megalomaniac rant. Perhaps I am still rather angry over what she did to me. Perhaps I am being unreasonable. But even so I cannot hold back. I raised an arm, ready to deck her right in the stomach. This once she opts for a different maneuver. She grabs my hand, and has her other arm immediately placed behind my back.

She proceeds to use her admittedly greater strength to bend me over my spine. She doesn't stop, even if she can see my pained face. Is she going to snap me in two. Not quite, as she made sure to stop before I'd  break like a twig. She leaned forward, as I could see her pose for a brief moment, much like an experienced dancer standing on her toes.

Her face is uncomfortably close to mine. Her lips are uncomfortably close to mine. I wonder if my eyes express more anger or terror at this point? "I gave you what anyone would have wished for. Perfection in every way, shape or form. Even you must realize, you have become perfect."

She pulls me up, but doesn't waste time in pressing something behind my neck. I can see the lines in my arms go white. Same with the legs... I can feel the Aether spread all the way to my face, and some of it straight to the torso. Oh fuck, don't you...

But she does. She *slowly* traces a finger down my torso, from the neck, all the way to where my heart would be. And then she pressed the area. I feel a small hatch open up. I cannot move my body. I cannot react to this at all... No. No... No!

White Aether is quite hot. I just remembered that fact. I had probably started crying, given by the smoke that was coming from right beneath my eyes. The tears fell into the glowing white lines and evaporated instantly. How could she do this? I could ignore it up until now...

But her opening up that hatch and pulling out a small, glowing blue orb, attached to a number of wires and connections, all glowing with that same blue light which I had now come to hate... I did not understand why losing my heart affected me this much. It's not an organ you really see, it's not an organ you really do a lot with...it just keeps running in the background. Sure, it's vital, but I am still 'living'.

For some reason though...that one really got to me. She pokes it a little. I feel it, like a stab in my soul. My body feels nothing, but *I* feel it. She keeps poking, almost absorbed into the act as if doing it for her own pleasure. Never have I felt such intense anger... No...not until now. It's so strong, it eats at me from within.

If she let me go right now, I think my instinct would be to strangle her to death. And...and...

She's laughing?! Right now, she...she laughs? I feel her hand at the back of my neck again. The white subsides, becoming blue. I can move again... at least in theory. I don't know what to do at this point... Everything's come crashing down quite horribly. Scratch that. Don't know what to do? I don't even know what to think or feel!

And she laughs again. "What's the matter? Come on now! Don't tell me you are upset over that too?"-she casually pokes her own chest, and reveals a similarly glowing white core. "No more heart disease. This one never stops 'beating' too." She holds out her arms, as I see the clothes flicked and fade. The metal on her 'real' limbs looks shiny, like silver. The white lines have a little 'aura' to them that connects all over her. Unlike me, even her sides, and the entirety of her back is metal. Even the behind of her neck.

She must have noticed. A frown forms. "I thought you would appreciate this..."

Oh, this bitch is asking for it.

"Appreciate this?! Appreciate it? Well let's SEE! You completely butchered up my body, had it replaced with various parts for who knows what purpose, and now keep spouting nonsense about being better than humans and whatnot. Do you have any idea how awful and unusual this feels? Fuck living forever, fuck not having my memories fade with time. The sheer trauma you caused will probably never go away.

I LIKED my body how it was! Maybe I wasn't as 'perfect' as you say, but I was HAPPY! I was fucking happy with it! Did it have flaws? Fuck yes it did, but EVERYTHING has flaws. Do you think we are perfect as we are? We need fuel, like fucking automata! We can be shut-down, we can be hacked into if we happen to be connected to a network! We aren't all that much better!

I...I..."-I was clenching my fists, and the fact I couldn't FEEL that at all gave rise to discomfort. The discomfort begun replacing the rage as I found speaking difficult.

"...I see.'-Is all Beatrix said. How nice of her to not run her mouth for once... I think part of me is genuinely thankful. She keeps moving however. And she starts talking again.

"I wasn't... up to par with what was expected of my family."

What is this?

"I was born unable to walk, and my body was fraught with disease. I don't know why me... I kept asking that question for most of my childhood. Then my siblings begun to die, one by one. Some by accidents. One assassinated. A few others overstepped. At the end, I was left... together with very few members of the family.

They decided I couldn't just remain 'useless'. You were quite lucky."-she turns around. Her eye twitches. I wouldn't have noticed before, not at such distance...but these sensors...

"Your procedure was fast. Painless. Sure, you are feeling pain now, but that'll go away in a few days. It's nothing."-This... Even her voice sounds different. It's like I am talking to another person.

I'd reply, but she is not quite done yet. "When they 'made' me into this, they took their time. Bit by bit... Every day I woke up something was gone. They put these injected me with these awful things.

They gave me breakfast, a full course like any noble of high standing would receive, servants waiting and all. And then they opened the door. And no matter how much I begged, screamed or cried, the injections never stopped. Never have I hated needles so much. The look of that liquid slowly lowering in the syringe as it enters me...

It was slow... At times I couldn't help but think that the slowness was deliberate too. Eventually they got me in order. My arms, legs...everything else was gone. But I wasn't what they expected, so they locked me up in an attic. What would you think? If you were, quite literally made into trash to be discarded?

That's the word they used for you, you know? 'Discard her'. There are so many *beautiful* euphemisms for murder. But they simply *had* to use that one. And because of it, I *had* to save you. Perhaps I felt some odd, unreasonable sense of kinship...

What choice does someone like me have? If everyone treats you like garbage, then the only one permitted to think otherwise is yourself. I wanted to pick you up, you know? When they retrieved me, I did not want to leave you behind like that. I was forced to, but..."-she is still talking.

It's rather unnatural. She can speak for so long without pause, it's definitely not what most humans would do. She sounds perfectly...eloquent. She doesn't ever take time to think, she never backtracks. It's like she's reading a pre-prepared speech. So what I hear tells me that this is bullshit. But despite how she messed me up, in this situation I can see a benefit or two. I can tell whether she is lying or not.

And despite how much I want the opposite...she is telling the truth right now.

Wait...

That silence.

"I can tell. You are wondering if I'm...'bullshitting' you. That's how you'd say it right? I have no time to convince you."-and now...she seems angry. Genuine anger, even if subdued. Is she insulted that I wouldn't believe her story?

"...Why do this to me then? If it was so awful, then why put me through it too?"

"Ah..."-A pause. Something I said...

"I suppose selfishness. I couldn't bear to be alone. But then again it was also saving your life. I'll admit... I COULD have found a better way for you to be saved than this. But I did not want to. I do regret causing you this much distress..."

"But?"

"But I do not regret making another one like myself. You must see it... or at least you must understand. I did not do it out of hatred, nor because I enjoyed tormenting you. I simply wanted someone...else...Someone like me. I tried giving you the best I could. A painless, quick procedure. Blue Aether. Did you know that White Aether, while offering higher output, becomes uncomfortable after one hour? I've had it in me for quite a while.

That is something you don't have to deal with. Trust me, I tried my absolute best to make this experience as comfortable as I could for you. Isn't this just the same as what that woman d-"

"Bullshit! You took everything you could take from me! If you had really wanted the best, you would have rescued me another way. You admitted it yourself, that it was possible! So stop telling me this bullshit!"-I folded my arms...no, that wasn't it.

"...I get that you had an awful life. I get that you were lonely beyond measure, I get that people have been absolutely horrible to you. I may not be able to understand the full extend of those feelings, but I still sympathize with your situation. But in what world does this seem right to you?

In what world does doing...this, to me make you 'perfect' as you claimed? I don't want to trample over your feelings, but what you did just exposes the worst of you! Cruelty. Selfishness. Apathy. I could go on...

But you know what? I'm not going to. You didn't get the chance to save me in that desert, but you know who did? That girl in the chamber. She took out some of her own fuel, risked her own life so she could save mine. I can never make it up to her... Maybe she died because of what she did, and I will regret that for the rest of my life.

That's the difference between you two. Perhaps she too was thinking of herself at some point. But you know what? She was ALSO thinking about me! You? You just went ahead with what best served you! You didn't give one flying fuck about what I'd feel! So don't you go around spouting that nonsense!"

"H-hm..."-she was taken aback. I could see her readying to take a step back...

"Perhaps I did that. Yes, perhaps I selfishly considered my own needs first... but as I went through with it, I realized maybe it wasn't so wrong after all. As I said, you stand to gain quite a bit. Discard that foolish sentimentality. What I've made you now, IS very much perfect. How will you defend your old self? You were left to die in the middle of the desert. When I found you, you were battered, bleeding, confused...

I could have killed you at any moment. Now? Now nobody can do that with ease. Nobody gets to control your fate like that anymore! I haven't just given you what you see with your eyes, I've also given you freedom! Freedom from fate itself, from the suffering you were bound to!"

She reaches forward. Her hand is extended. I could easily knock it away, but... I'm tired. I've been feeling tired ever since I 'woke up' from this...

I want to shove her away. The desire to hurt this person is still very much there. But...

It's not what she would so. "I'm sorry Beatrix. I am sure that your intentions were good. If we take away what you *did*, then... maybe you are a good person.

But the way you went about it is so wrong I cannot even begin to describe it. Which is why I'll have to actually save you. It's time I started returning favors. Look up."-I leaned back, ready to tackle her. "You are about to be taken out of the garbage can."

My body rams into her. The impact is quite something, as is the push. The door behind us breaks and we both roll down the stairs. My body hurts...at least the parts of it that can hurt. But then the Aether in my arms lights up. The pain dies down as a result.

The room we are in is full of pods as well. No glass. No equipment. Just automata, similar parts to mine. All black. These ones aren't human of course, not in the slightest. I do feel a little weird looking at them...

And Beatrix looks scared. Why, I wonder? They are all so similar... Wait.

Recollection initiated...

Video analysis commencing in..  5...4...3...2...1...

"Normally, we would have proceeded by creating an artificial human being and then converting them into a control unit. However I persuaded the higher ups to not discard you... You could prove useful after all. So your conversion proceeded at my behest. And I must say, you came out absolutely excellent."

Video analysis terminated...

Internal log analysis commencing in.. 5...4...3...2...1...

I don't. My breathing's as good as ever, and that just makes it more jarring. I feel like I can't really breathe even though I can. This entire ...getup, if you can call it that, is quite practical. All black, a bit tight although the only part of me that could use clothing is my torso. Heck, just the front of it. I think they placed a metal plate on the back, although I cannot quite realize it's purpose yet. I just feel a faint 'pulse' coming from there. Multiple tiny pulses that make a big one, in fact.

Internal log analysis terminated...

Recollection terminated...

I see... A control unit. Maybe if...

Ah, yes! I tried my best not to think of HOW I was doing this... given what it meant for the state of my brain. But I 'reached' into the compartment they attached to my back. I originally guessed it was just to keep the limbs stable and 'together'. But it has another purpose.

The many 'little pulses' I mentioned before all erupt outwards. Multiple flat, extendable 'whips', segmented into tiny black fragments, thinly tied to one another. Their tips are sharpened, like a knife. Shooting outward, they pierce the core of each automaton and then 'turn' like a key. The automaton whir to life. My body feels 'dry', or the closest thing to it, at least for a bit. Then a surge of power flows through.

Beatrix can likely see it. Especially when a blue aura flares outwards and I think I begun to float for a bit. The automata all leap to her. Two of them hold down her arms. Two more her legs. I even have one keeping her head fixed to the floor. I simply begun to walk out. There was a way out of this place...likely by airship. I could command it with ease. Even without those weird...things.

If only it was that easy though. I hear metal being smashed behind me, as Beatrix stands up. More automata rush in to hold her down, but she easily handles them. Her 'aura' alone causes malfunctions in them. And then she begins to run at me. I put up the things,those whips...tentacle...whatever-they-are, to defend.

Beatrix grabs one and brings me closer, before punching me in the stomach. One of my more vulnerable spots, and it showed as I fell to my knees. Everything was spinning for a second, at least until one of the... let's call them 'whips' for now. One of those cut across Beatrix's left shoulder, all the way to her breast. "AGH!"

Just what I needed. I delivered the same punch to her, and she knelt as well. Hand behind her head, and kneed her in the chin. An elbow to the forehead. Her skeleton is reinforced, unlike mine. But that doesn't matter. I've already disabled h...

That's when her body lights up white. I am certain she's 'not there'...is this some automatic defense system? The automaton side of Beatrix attacks. Two quick strikes and I fell on my back right away. Her hand readies, as the White Aether flows to it. The aura sharpens around it, almost like a knife.

She readies to strike and...

Doesn't quite make it. A glowing red blade flies right through, leaving a nasty tear in the back of her hand. I turn around, and then I see...her.

"Hands off."

END: ~~~~~~~ A ~~~~~~~

(A few hours earlier).

"Hey! Miss Lily, are you alright? Miss Lily, please wake up! Miss Lily?"-I hear the voices of that person who got a letter from the doctor before...

"Is she alright?"-and Borram.

"Help me get her up."-and the bartender.

My eyes open up slowly. What happened...? I... They said 'get her up'. Was I on the floor? ...Did I have a nightmare? I don't even remember...

"H..ello...good morning..."

"Oh, she's alive!"-The young person says. I really should ask him for his name.

"Lady Lily. Are you alright? You were asleep for quite a bit and we found you on the floor like that..."-Borram says. ...For..quite a bi...wait a second!!

"W-what time is it?"

"Eleven thirty. Why?"

No! Sarla! "I need to go. Right now. Sorry, I...I promise I'll explain when I'm back but I really need to go! I...overslept. Yeah that was it! I was too tired...must have had a nightmare I don't remember..yeah..."-I am a bit confused since ACWs don't dream like normal people do. We DO dream it's just that our dreams are...different.

So an inexplicable nightmare I can't remember is weird. Maybe it was something else? I don't know. I can't think about that right now. I need to go get Sarla right away.

I looked out of the window... No..

The Emernian floating complex was surrounded in drone ships. I approached the scene, trying to get a closer look. "Hmm... Where did they even get those airships I wonder..?"-the young person approached the window, looking through.

"E-ehh!"-he scared me of course. Just a bit. "Sorry... what's your name, by the way?"

"Dolek. Nice to meet you. I...heard about what you did and...well...it's a great honor!"-he looks quite happy. That's nice! Happiness is nice, even if I really should get this thing straightened out.

But that's not important right now. "Dolek, can you tell me about those droneships?"

"Of course. Dorminan make. Actually, funny it should be that..."

"Huh? What's so funny?'

"That same type of droneship was found near the wreckage of that ship. Olvam looked them over with some of the village. Definitely the same , given their description. Wonder what they are doing all the way up there..."

"I don't know. But I have to get there. My friend is...she's in that flying thing."

"G-get there? That's...that's gonna be a bit difficult."

I smiled. He said exactly what I needed to hear. "Good. That means it's not impossible. So, how do I get there?"

"Oh dear... this is going to be a handful."-he sighs. Time to do this.

~ - ~ - ~ - ~

Our airship approaches the blockade. The drones immediately surround it, as a recorded message begun to play.

"PLEASE, STAY CLEAR OF THIS AREA. THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY. YOU MAY NOT ADVANCE PAST THIS AREA. PLEASE CORRECT YOUR COURSE."-and repeated...

Of course, I wasn't going to endanger these people. I nodded and Dolek begun turning the ship around, as I charged the jade sword I had used before. "Get your seat belt on. And  make sure your controls are steady."-I warned.

"Why?"-Dolek asks...and the reason becomes clear in no time. Putting the sword behind me, I unleashed the burst of wind. The ship rocked out of the day, fortunately into clear skies, so he shouldn't have much trouble getting himself in order. I was propelled forward of course, through the drones and towards the complex. I stabbed into one of them as it got in my way, and then used it as a foothold to move forward.

I turned to the drones. A few were following the ship which was now properly maneuvering out of the area. I conjured a blade, a very long, needle-like blade and stabbed forward, projecting a single beam that cut right through one of the droneships following it. The others immediately turned their attention to me.

I was already falling with the droneship I had stepped on, so I conjured the jade sword again. Blasted myself all the way up as the one below me was blown to bits, and the other drones begun to swarm around my location. Once I was on top of them, I proceeded to play the foothold game again, leaping from drone to drone while charging the jade sword up and making larger lips, and clearing out the occasional drone in the process, knocking them into eachother, or just off-course.

Closer to the complex, I used the final charge to leap into the large floating body, and gripped onto the side. Perfect! That's the way to go Lily! But how do I get to an entrance? The only real way I could try that was from the top, but the drones would never let a ship approach that level of elevation...so I had decided to approach from the  bottom. But perhaps I could climb up instead! I conjured my crest.

And then... I went ahead to wrap my cloak along my shoulders and both arms, as it shifted into basically a jacket. Then I summoned a layer of my Crest, put my hand through it... summoned a second layer, put my other hand through it... And went up. I combined the nature of my mantle of fire (the cloak/jacket) originating from my Crest, and used two layers of said Crest as wheels to scale the wall of the tower.

Propulsion was going to be difficult...but that's what phasing was for. I cannot phase all the way up, but when I use it the Crest releases energy, which incidentally helps propel it. I phased, let the Crest push me forward, then phased again, at least a few times. That way I get to save up on energy! Good thinking Lily.

Now, once I got to the top, I'd stop and restore everything to normal. The top was a flat structure, with multiple drone ships stationed in it. A single stairway lead down, and I wasn't going to wait for the drones to activate...which they soon did. Gah! No, no, ruuuunnn! To the stairs, right n...ouch!

Getting to the stairs wasn't a big problem, the big problem was hitting my head as I rushed in. In all fairness, this place is very dimly lit! Maybe they dislike strong lights due to how they are surrounded by such an arid desert? It's bound to be very hot during the day in here.

I ran down the stairs, all the way down...until I ran into some researchers. They looked surprised, so I just sidestepped them. I did take a look at the notes in their hands though. The writings looked a bit familiar but I couldn't quite place them, as I didn't get to read much.

I kept running, past a number of floors and facilities. I saw a large room at some point, a wardrobe, something like a bar...I skipped all of those, and headed further down still. Down, all the way until I...saw a rather unpleasant scene across from me. Two women, fighting. They looked to be automata, although...also not quite? They didn't move like proper automata. I saw them hit eachother rapidly, one of them had these cool tail-whips coming out of her back. She took control of the actual automata and had them hold down the other girl.

You go girl in black! I'm rooting for you! ...But alas, the silver girl shoved the automata away and got up, ready to fight the girl in black. Oh no, no...

Ah, but the girl in black counterattacks. A few well-placed strikes and the silver girl is on the ground. The girl in black walks away like... Oh, not this again! The silver girl glows this time and goes to attack her. It doesn't go too well for the girl in black this time around, she is going down...

Wait...Wait a second! Zooming in...t-that's Sarla! No! No way I am letting this happen!

I immediately jumped out of the window and summoned my Crest once the glass broke. Then I turned the cloak to jacket form, grabbed the Crest and put it below my legs and phased forward as much as I could. The space between the two windows is empty. There is a hallway below, but it is quite far, and the fall might end up damaging me some. Plus, I don't have time to take the long way.

The crest releases a powerful surge and propels me the rest of the way. The window on the other side  blasts open as I cover my face to defend against the blow. The pieces of glass are nothing before the Mantle of Fire in my arms...and then I launched one of the blades attached to the Crest, right as the woman was about to kill Sarla.

It cuts straight through her hand, leaving behind a tear. And this is where I say something cool, like...hmm...hmm...oh! I got it!

"Hands off."

I hope that sounded good? It's appropriate, at least and given my entrance that's extra style points! Yes, yes! Lily: 1 Strange Woman: 0!

I turned to look at her a bit more carefully. She seems familiar, really...hmm, have I ...oh! It's...

"B...?"

"Y-you...how do you..."-she responds, looking at me. Her eyes were glowing white a second before, but the moment the light fades I can see it clearly. She IS B.

"I-It's you! You..."-Sarla coughs, as she stands up.

"Hey Sarla! I finally found you!"-I replied, smiling. I'd give her a hug but the situation is rather tense.

B readies to attack once again. Her hand is raised and she leaps forward, fist at the ready. She comes down, but... No. I turned to the side, and let her crash on the floor with a heavy thud.

"Having trouble B? Perhaps you should relax a little. The situation is getting a bit out of hand, no?"-This is a rather useful tactic. Unsettling the enemy. The more mistakes they make, the easier you win.

She lunges forward. Repeated strikes. She is actually faster and stronger than me. My skeleton's reinforced, but apart from that, she also has her arms entirely made out of metal. She is not lacking in energy either... Yeah, at this rate I'd normally be dead.

She keeps pushing forward. A sweeping kick. A lunge again. Her attacks are like those of an wild animal, and she is doing that quite effectively. The entire room is being thrashed with ease. Perhaps a riskier maneuver might also help get this done faster. I stand my ground.

When she attacks, I make only a few movements, dodging while still standing close to her. She has an easier time launching much faster assaults, however it takes a few seconds for her to move her attacks to a different area. That allows me to effortlessly dodge a number of them.

"It's over B. This was over the moment I got here."-You better B scared be. Haha!

She is unwilling to listen. Her movements are sharper, more conservative. More efficient. Ah! A weakness. Her torso is still fleshy. I make a fist and hit her stomach. She flinches. I took this chance...to flick her nose.  I can see this made her angry, so I make some distance...

And this is where I bring her down. She leaps forward and readies to slam into my position. Her aura flares up ready to deliver a full strength attack. Even if I dodge the initial slam, she'll surely come at me and I have very little room to dodge.

This is when I snapped my fingers. The aura fades away and all those white lines turn red. She drops to her knees, as she tries to reach for me, but her fingertips are just one millimeter shy of it. I took her hand and smiled. "Look at me."-I said. I suppose she realized it was smart to listen to that.

Especially as petals burst forth, from every part of her body. I knew she felt it, as she begun to shake. I leaned forward, got to my knees and brought her forehead in contact with mine. "It's going to be okay."-it's the first time she sees it. She must be terrified.

I gently patted her head, as I yanked the sword from her torso. A splendid weapon. The blade looks finely made, and my understanding of it's power is that it can ignite the Aether of people around it, empowering them significantly. This in turn empowers the sword, giving it an aura that allows one to leave behind devastating trails of searing Aether. An amazing weapon... if not for the fact that B turned out to be like this.

The petals shatter and she falls on the ground face-first. Perhaps it was a bit traumatic... B was rather mean, but I don't think she deserved to be messed up badly. I hope I didn't...go that far with her. But if we stayed here or took more time, Sarla might not have made it...

I shook my head. "Sarla. Let's go."

I turned to her and...

"W-wait a second! Your arms! W-what happened?!"

"...It's...a really long story. I...I'll explain later okay? Let's just get out of here..."-she sounds exhausted. I simply nodded, and went ahead to pick her up. A bit embarrassing but...

"E-errm...I meant 'mentally' tired, not..."-oh. Well this is REALLY embarrassing now. Aaahhh!

I gently put her down, and shook my head. "Yes. Sorry. I got carried away. I apologize!"

Sarla only laughs a little. "It's fine, it's fine. Anyway...before we go, I have one question."

"Hmm?"

"What's your name?"-oh. Right. I've never told her.

"Lily."

"I like that. It's a pretty name."-this feeling is nice. Having a friend. Or...well, I guess we are friends right? We don't know each-other for long, but still...

"Now we really need to go."-back to the sense of urgency we are. It's for the best though. We really DO need to get out of here, and fast.

I made for the nearest exit, and Sarla follows. Time for a grand escape!

END: ~~~~~~~ VII ~~~~~~~

BEGIN: -------  B  -------

Lily... so that's her name, huh. Scary. She's very scary... What exactly did she do to me? Is it safe to move? Can I even get up? SHOULD I even get up...?

At this point I failed. I assured the family leadership that I would be able to provide a control unit. I believed I could at least keep Sarla here, but...that  didn't go as predicted, clearly. Now I have to face them. With this project having failed... They are surely going to drop me.

  But what if I could drop them?

Hmm... well, that would be an option. Rebel against the entirety of the family leadership. I go in, fight them all and bring the organization down.

   Or take it for myself.

Which would certainly be good. I have dealt with most of the structure of this whole place at a more personal level than the higher leadership. I could command their loyalty assuming I could obtain a position of greater leadership.

   So I should definitely do that.

If I could. With the state I'm in right now, I'd certainly fail. My body is injured and I lack the necessary power. I could not...not... do it... I don't...

   But if I did, then it would be a cakewalk.

But I don-

   I should go to the lowest floor. Where the power supply for the whole structure is.

A safe spot, but even so, what reason would I have...?

   To connect to the core. That way they would not dare attack me.  If I directly connected to the core, I would gain control.

Over the entire building. But that is unthinkable. To join up with the core, it's incredibly dangerous! I...that would put so many people in danger! I can't...no... Earlier on, Sarla...she said I wasn't... wasn't thinking of her.

   Sarla is gone now. She is left behind.

...But even then I... The things she said. Was I really that selfish? How did I not see it...? I... No... She was right. I could tell that much. She honestly believed what she said... And... I...I couldn't refute her. I don't understand why but she was in so much pain. That's not what I wanted her to feel. That's not what I expected. That's not right, no, no! I... I messed up.

   But my intentions were good! Surely she can see that! Surely, Sarla would understand if she was worthy. But she proved today that
   she isn't. She must be left behind.

I can't leave her behind... The words she said. In the end.. she...she said she would save me. Nobody has ever said that before. I want her to save me. I want her to come back! I want to regret what I did, I...want to make this better. That's what I must do! I must find her again!

   No. I must leave her behind. To accept that I was wrong, to perish here and now is not my fate. I will not accept this. I rose from
   nothing and came all the way here. Sarla was luckier and she squandered her blessings like that. The blessings *I* gave her.
   She made her choice and now I must make mine. The choice she couldn't make. The choice to rise.

The choice to rise...yes... I must. I need to head to the core before the leadership sends their enforcers to take me. Time to get up. I can still rush through. First, out the window, and then into the floor below. I can still access the elevator with ease. Movement is easy now...

   So easy. I no longer have any burdens. Perhaps having freed my soul of them had made me feel lighter. How nice a thought.

I wish I hadn't abandoned Sarla though. I...maybe if I...

   No. There is no time for regret. What I did was right. Yes, it was perfectly right. I did the best I could do.

The best I could do... Is it really... I do not even know.

   But nonetheless, I must be determined. Sometimes, a small sacrifice is needed. Sometimes one needs to depart from the past. And
   the time for my departure has come. And many will be left behind, no doubt... That makes me quite sad, however it is the way things
   are in this world.

END: ~~~~~~~ B ~~~~~~~

How perfect. I have already found myself a most excellent host once more. My lovely darling is quite the specimen. Hahaha! I can already feel it, yes, yes! My destiny awaits! I am happy. So, so happy. This is what I was made for.

Do they still watch over me? Is anyone still there, I wonder? It can get so lonely inside here... but soon, soon I will be out, and go about the world! And I'll have eyes of my very own on the outside too, so I can look at things for myself! And I'll make all of those little things mine! Yes...

I truly am happy. So, so happy...

END: ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~