Gleaming Future

>The wind crashes into your face as your hair flies in the wind, the roar of your bike’s engine deafening all else
>Having left the city far behind, you find yourself surrounded by verdant fields of green
>It’s amazing to you how a place such as this can exist so close to the city, but not nearly as amazing as the structure you see now rising up ahead
>Cresting over a hill, you catch sight of your destination in it’s entirety
>A massive white ziggurat gleams in the distance, it’s marble surface reflecting the brilliant light of the two suns in the sky
“Whoa, incredible!”
>You slow your bike down and take a moment to stare at it
>It’s unlike anything you’ve seen in years, not since you visited the capital itself
>This is where you would meet him, where you would finally be reunited with your brother
>Speeding toward the bottom of the steps, you hit the brakes and kill the engine on your speeder bike
>The engine purrs as the bike begins to list to the side, hovering in empty space several feet off of the ground
>Hopping onto the grass, you take a moment to stare up at the towering structure
>There seems to be no elevator system, which is fine
>You’re in the mood for a walk
>Grabbing your black overcoat from out of your speeder bike, you secure it over your shoulders and begin to march up the white steps
>Suddenly, the light of the sky overhead begins to rapidly dim
>You’re taken aback at how quickly they permit night to fall here
>Reaching into your long-coat’s pocket, you brandish a single scouter which you proceed to secure over your left eye
>The green tinted visor beeps as it activates and cycles through all manner of data in only a few seconds
“6pm exactly, they’re very punctual here.”
>Staring up, you watch as the hologram of the daylight above disappears, revealing the starry reaches of space
>You chuckle as you continue up the ziggurat
“This space station is something else!  You really lucked out little bro.”


>Lanterns on either side of the steps begin to light while the wind blows through your overcoat
>Once you finally reach the top about ten minutes later, you’re greeted by a stunning sight
>Colorful plants of all species, no doubt gathered together from planets all over the galaxy, are planted here
>Roses, Sunflowers, Olive Trees and far more that you don’t recognize lie in view
>Another cool night breeze blows past you, causing you to look behind at the great city in the distance as it’s skyscrapers begin to light up as well
>”HALT.”
>You spin back around as two figures march your way from behind the shrubbery
>Metal servos click and whirl as two beings clad in thick armor plating march your way, each of them carrying what you recognize to be shock staves
>They look like knights in full plate, but the two of them are both seven feet tall and the eyes that you see lying within their dark visors glow a bright red
“The Hell?!”
>”CIVILIAN ACCESS TO THE HANGING GARDENS OF EVERFREE IS STRICTLY PROHIB—“
>The two knights freeze in place just as you were reaching for your sidearm
>Suddenly, their glowing red eyes dim and become a fluorescent blue
>”Subject has been identified as a superior officer.  Current acting Captain of the Guard, Gleaming Shield.  Elder sister of The Creator.”
“The Creator?  Oh I understand.  Paladin Droids, my brother created you."
>The two droids stamp their spears into the ground and take a knee before you
>”Our apologies sir.  Prince Dusk awaits at Victory Fountain. Please allow us to escort you.”
“Uh right then, thank you.”
>You begin to walk towards them and they both immediately rise to their feet and walk ahead as you are led through this vast garden


>This was the first time you had ever seen a Paladin Droid up close
>When you were in the military you saw a few droids that had been designed by your brother, but none looked quite as fancy as these two here
>After a short while, your attention begins to drift away from these machines and back to the garden surrounding you
>As you cross over a small wooden bridge, you glance down at a reflecting pond that lies below
>A clear image of yourself is staring up at you as you look down
>You appear very young for your age, a nice perk that came with the special ‘enhancements’ the military gave you
>Your muscular body, as well as your slightly tall height, seems to be perhaps a little much for your uniform to handle
>A Royal Guardsman’s dress uniform was often a very simple attire, dark clothes with a matching service belt and a pair of black combat boots
>Despite your high rank, your uniform only had a few extra accessories, most pronounced being the large overcoat you wore
>It often felt too warm on most days, so you had taken to wearing it over your shoulders with the sleeves hanging loosely by your sides
>As you take a closer look at your reflection, you notice the few bright medals you had earned during your military service shimmering in the pond as they sat atop your modest bosom
>Finally, you take notice of your sapphire and cerulean colored hair, which had grown quite a bit in length as you took advantage of the relaxed dress code standards that your station afforded
>You patted your hair down a bit before turning away and following the Paladin Droids further into the garden
>Eventually you catch sight of several tall statues as your ears pick up on the sound of rushing water
>It appears Victory Fountain is just within sight, and when you round the corner you are greeted by a full view of the stunning marble statues
>As well as a full view of your beloved brother


“Prince Shine.”
>Your brother drops the electronic tablet he was scanning and jerks his head toward you
>Over the din of the flowing water and the whistling of the wind, you catch the first full sight of him that you’ve had in years
>His joints groan slightly as he stands up tall from the bench he was sitting on and stares at you
>Upon his face is a pair of Scouters that cover both of his optical sensors, or as most would say a pair of glasses covering his eyes
>His metallic body, mostly painted purple though left an unpainted chrome in several spots, reflects the glow of nearby torches as he tilts his head at you
>Your brother's eyes shine a fluorescent purple, very similar to that of the two droids standing beside you, though his eyes carried far more life to them as they drank you in
>”Sister?”
>Dusk’s chrome face carries a look of dull shock as he approaches, his heavy boot-like feet stomping loudly into the ground with each methodical step he made
>As he approaches, you click your own boots together and salute him
“Should I address you as Prince Shine still, or does Admiral Shine befit you better now?”
>Your little brother continues to stomp towards you until he stands but a few feet away
>Finally, his look of surprise relaxes into a neutral stare, almost like a glare
>”Hmph, Admiral Shine should do nicely Captain.”
“Very well, Admiral Sir…”
>The two of you stare each other down as another cool wind blows between the two of you
>”...”
>A servo motor creaks as his expression abruptly turns into a grin
“Heh heh.”
>Your salute slackens as you begin to chuckle down at him
>“Gleaming Shield!”
”Dusky!”
>Your brother rushes forward and all but leaps into your open arms, very nearly tackling you to the ground with his incredibly heavy frame
>”I can’t believe you’re really here!  Look at you!”
“Look at me?  Look at you!  You look great!”
>”Thanks, did you notice the new paint job?!”
“I DID!”


“What are these?!”
>You reach over to your brother’s pauldrons and play with the golden tassels hanging off of them
>”A little stylistic flair I installed, I AM an Admiral now!”
“I noticed!"
>”Can you believe it big sister?  Me, an Admiral of my own Metropolis Cruiser?  Responsible for an entire city of over a MILLION citizens?!”
“Well what about me?  I’m in charge of protecting all those people now, how do you think I feel?!”
>Your younger brother laughs as he finally releases his grip on you and hops back, twirling on his heel as he grabs your hand
>His grip is tight, and noticeably chilled
>”We’ll get to do it all together now.  Brother and sister working as one, now come!  Come!”
>You let your little brother lead you away as he holds you in his unyielding grasp
>The two Paladin Droids turn about as well and disappear inside the garden together, leaving you and your brother alone as you both sit together on the stone bench
>He’s staring very intently at you with a huge smile on his face
>”Oooooooohhh”
“Hmm?”
>Your brother leans in close, a look of childlike curiosity and wonder on his face
>”Your body has been augmented.  Cybernetics?”
“Nope, all natural.”
>”HA!  I highly doubt that.”
>His scouters emit a series of beeps as he leans in closer to you, his hands still gripping onto yours
>Dusk’s eyes narrow as he lifts one hand up and brushes it over your arm
>”Strange… I’m certain the military did SOMETHING to you.  You honestly don’t believe they didn’t did you?”
>He leans in a bit closer as his hand brushes over your torso
“Well they did do something to me, they—EEK!”
>You jerk back as his cold hand cups your chest
“Dusk!”
>”What?”
“Don’t touch me there.”
>”Why not?  Oh… oh dear.”
>Your brother let’s go of you and leans back
>You imagine his face would be blushing crimson red right now, if it wasn’t made of reinforced steel


>He folds his arms over his chest and begins to loudly tap his chrome fingers to his arms
“… as I was saying, the military was able to enhance my body.  I’ve been pushed past the limits of what any normal human can be, and it’s all thanks to Bio-engineering.”
>”BIO-engineering?  Bleh!”
>He ceases tapping his fingers against himself and leans in close once more with a dissatisfied sneer
>”Why bother with that?  Your body’s strength and agility will fade with age.”
“Not as soon as you’d think.  You’ll probably go through more than a few oil changes before that happens.”
>”Oh Ha ha!”
>He leans his face up close to yours as you smirk down at him
>”I bet I’m faster than you now.”
“That so?”
>”Wanna race?”
“A race?”
>”Whoever reaches the bottom of the ziggurat and get’s back to the top first wins!  Come on!”
>Your little brother hops up off the bench, taking your hand in his grasp again as he tries to lead you away
“Dusk no, I just got off of work!  I’ve been standing all day!”
>He’s having none of it, and unfortunately for you he has the strength to literally drag you with him now
>At least you still got more than a few inches of height to load over him
>”Is the rest of the family coming soon?”
“Oh yes, they’ll be here within a week.”
>”Superb!  I MUST see my new nephew at once.  It’s simply ridiculous I haven’t met him yet.  You could have mailed him to me Sister!  There’s so much to teach one at that age!”
>You roll your eyes as your brother drags you along through the gardens, a shooting star catching your eyes through the branches above


>Your brother hums cheerfully to himself as the two of you approach the top of the steps, with the city now in view once more
>He grins confidently up at you, and his smile is so bright that it’s hard for you to imagine that this wasn’t the same smile he always showed you
>You smile back down at him as he leads you further
>Then you stop completely, so firmly that your brother is unable to move another step
>”Eh?”
“Dusk, this garden isn’t open to the public is it?”
>”Normally no.  This is my private grounds where I entertain guests, why do you ask?”
“Who is that?”
>You raise a finger up and point at a tall figure looming in the shadows of an olive tree
>”I… don’t know.”
>Your brother lets go of you and raises a hand up to his scouters
>It beeps loudly as he murmurs to himself
>You step ahead of him, placing your fists onto your hips as you call out
“Hello there!”
>The figure steps out from underneath the olive tree, yet you still cannot see who it is
>In the dim light of the lanterns, the stranger is seen to be clothed in a black robe and cowl
>The beeping from your brother’s scouters ceases
>”You’re not registered!  What are you doing on my ship!?”
>The mysterious figure comes closer, and you can see a pleased smile on her lips
>”I was just about to check in Admiral Shine.”
>A chill goes up your spine as the figure speaks
>Something about that voice feels old, and the mocking way in which she speaks has set something off inside you
“That’s far enough!”
>You adopt a ready stance as you unhook your holster and hover a hand over your pistol
>”Oh dear, do I frighten you Captain?”
>She lifts her head up and underneath her dark cowl you spot a pair of bright yellow eyes
“What the Hell?”
>”HALT!”
>"INTRUDER!”

>The two Paladin Droids suddenly emerge from the shadows and land on either side of the mysterious stranger, leveling their shock staves on her
>”YOU ARE CURRENTLY TRESPASSING ON GOVERNMENT PROPERTY!”
>”YOU WILL BE DETAINED FOR QUESTIONING AND PROCESSING!”
>”Trespassing?  Silly droids…”
>The menacing figure raises both of her hands
>Your jaw drops as the two Paladin Droids begin to hover off of their feet
>”… this is my HOME!”
>The strange woman shrieks as the two Paladins are sent airborne
>The one to her right is jettisoned through the sky and is sent flying off of the ziggurat whilst the other is sent crashing through the garden
>Your brother steps back as his scouters go crazy
>”My word!  What was that?!!”
>You reach out your hand and shove your brother behind you as you take aim with your pistol
>The woman smirks as she turns back to face you
>”PALADIN 2 ATTACK!”
>The droid that had been tossed aside through the garden noisily whirls to life as it stomps through the trees and underbrush
>It’s servos shout as it jumps through the air and falls toward it’s attacker with the shock stave raised high to strike
>The woman's yellow eyes widen as she jerks her head aside and looks up at the descending Paladin
>”YAAAHH!”
>A massive red blast of energy bursts from the woman’s forehead and smashes into the Paladin
>You’re blinded by the great explosion that follows, which is shortly accompanied by the shrill noise of metal shards impacting the ground


>”Ahhhh~”
>Your eyes wrench open and suddenly the woman is standing but a few yards in front of you with a content grin
“Shit!”
>You pull the trigger
>No blast comes forth from your gun
>As you attempt to pull it again and again, you see that nothing is happening
>You realize to your horror that you can’t actually pull the trigger
“w-What is this!?”
>”I CAN’T MOVE!”
>Your gaze shifts over to Dusk, whose robotic body is shaking fiercely
>Slowly you watch as he too is lifted from the ground
“NO!”
>You try to drop the gun and pounce on the figure, only to realize you too are frozen in place
>The woman leers at you as she steps closer, a single hand raised toward your sister while the other is trained on you
>”Captain Shield and Admiral Shine, just the pair I was looking for!  If I could direct your attention to my right…”
>vrrrr-BOOOOOM!!!!!
>A bright light tears your attention towards the city as several of it’s skyscrapers crumble into fragments and collapse before your eyes
>“By the Brothers…”
>You can only stare in shock at the destruction before you
>Soon after the buildings begin to fall apart, you are greeted by the familiar drum of blaster fire and fragmentation explosions
>The RSN Everfree has become a battlefield!
>”Now then, Dusk my boy!  I’m afraid I’m going to need to steal your lovely sister for a moment.”
>The woman steps closer to you, as you struggle to make your body move but to no avail
>”Don’t be shy…”
>The figure removes her cowl, revealing her long white hair and her fiendish smile for all to see as she approaches
>”…contrary to popular opinion, I DON’T bite…”
>Your vision begins to grow dark…


>"ROCKET PUNCH!"
>Your eyes wrench open as a wave of heat washes over you and a burst of light illuminates the terrace
>This terrifying woman turns her gaze away from you just as you spot a chrome fist hurtling through the air
>You're close enough to see the whites of your foe's eyes as Dusk's fist collides with her face
>Just as one of her eyes flies free from its socket, you realize you are finally free from her grip
“Steal this!”
>You feel a whiff of energy billow over you as a large bolt of blue plasma booms out of your pistol
>Stumbling back in shock, your foe fails to realize what is happening before it's too late
>The plasma bolt impacts the arm that once held you down, severing it before your very eyes
>"AAAARRRGGH!!!”
>You intensify the assault, undeterred by her screams of pain
>Each devastating shot you fire blows away chunks of her body, disintegrating flesh and splattering blood all over the garden
>A final shot blasts away part of her head
>Whatever that thing was, it not collapses to the ground
>Dead, VERY dead
“Fucking Hell…."
>Breathing a sigh of relief, you twirl the smoking gun amidst your fingers before holstering it
>A ratcheting noise tears your attention back to your brother as he attempts to reattach his arm to its socket
"Dusky!"
>You rush over to his side and grab hold of him, nearly causing him to drop his arm
"Are you OK?!  She didn't tear any bolts loose or anything did she?!"
>"I'm fine!  I'm fine… just a little startled I suppose…"
>Your little brother returns your touch with a very firm one-armed hug, his cool steel body latching around you
>"b-But look... look what's happened to the ship!"
>You glance behind you at the burning city as the cacophony of blasters and explosives continues to fill the air


>You shake your head and tighten your grip over your little brother
>The devastation is unlike anything you’ve seen in years, and perhaps more than anything he’s ever seen himself
>”HOW!?  How could this have happened?!"
"I don't know, this is a nightmare!”
>”This is my fault!  I’m the Admiral, I let this happen!  Whatever THIS is!?  I should have—"
“No, that’s enough!  We’ll… we’ll just have to fix this, together.  Like you said, we're in this together now."
>”r-Right…”
>Your brother’s literal steel grip around you is becoming even tighter, but it’s nothing you can’t handle
>A small smile purses your lips as you look down at him and think of how he used to hug you tight like this when he was only a child
>You reach for his head and aim to pat his hair, only to freeze as you remember there’s only metal there now
>"You and me…”
>Your hand grasps the back of his head all the same, even as you wonder just how well he can feel your embrace
“Me and you…"
>Everything about this feels so surreal
>A part of you thinks you should be on the move
>The two of you should be rushing out to take command and figure out what's gone so wrong, and yet it’s so hard for either of you to simply let go of each other
>He's your brother and it's been years since you’ve held him like this
>You've both changed so much but deep down beneath the steel and circuitry he is still your little brother, just as beneath your uniform you are still his big sister
>Perhaps the sudden danger that surrounds you both feels smaller, as the two of you know you won’t have to face such horrors alone
"As long as we're together..."
SPOILER"The two of you are going to need more than just each other if you're going to get out of this one!”SPOILER
>Your eyes tear open as you stare down at the mutilated body of the woman you had just killed
>Terror seizes you as she lifts her broken one eyed visage, her tongue rolling out of her mouth as she leers

"AH!”
>You wake up in a cold sweat to find yourself within your bed
>Reaching down for your blaster pistol in your holster, you find that no such weapon or holster is attached to the boxer briefs you’re wearing
>Glancing to your side, you see the vague outline of your husband soundly sleeping
“Dear?”
>Staring just a little closer at him, you sigh and begin to rub your eyes
"Was it really just a nightmare then?”
>Gently creeping out of your bed, you slowly walk out of your bedroom
>After something as harrowing as that, you just had to check up on him
>Walking down to the end of the hall, you cautiously slide a bedroom door open and look upon your son
>That young boy of yours, barely more than an infant, is also fast asleep and most importantly, safe
"Thank God.”
>Somewhat content, you shut the door and walk over to your kitchen
>There was no way you were falling asleep any time soon
>Taking a seat at your kitchen table with a glass of water in hand, you simply stare out your window at the night
>Up above the domed naval city of Everfree lies the deep vacuum of space, filled with countless stars and currently dominated in view by a red cluster of gas that seems to cast the city below in it’s crimson hue
>Glancing downwards, you see various skyscrapers connected to one another by a series of catwalks and platforms and skyways
>The Upper City is pristine, clean, and maybe even a little too opulent for your taste
>Looking down further, you see the red glow from space stretch towards the shadowy depths of the Undercity
>It’s hard to make out from up here, but you’ve patrolled down there a few times so you know it get's a bit less shiny
>You’ve been trying to get the people of the Undercity to trust you more, but the Royal Guard has a bad rep and it seems the locals distrust all authority figures
>With the exception of your brother that is
>Everyone seemed to love him
“I don’t know how you do it Dusky.”

>The whole scale of this place still takes the breath out of you, even after a month of living here
"I guess I made out pretty well if I made it all the way up here."
>Your brother is certainly part of the reason you’ve made it this far, but there was only so many strings he could pull
>Part of the reason you've become Captain of the Guard aboard a Metropolis-class Cruiser has to do with what's currently hanging around your neck
>You reach inside your plain tanktop and pull out a simple-looking golden dog tag
>Staring down at it, you mumble the inscription
"M.D. Shield, Most Dangerous Soldier.  Generation III."
>As far as you know, you're the last surviving member of Generation III
>You try not to think about the comrades you've lost on barren rocks in obscure solar systems
>It’s a little harder to forget those who made it out with you but just couldn’t adapt to civilian life
>Your experience after being honorably discharged was an exception from the norm, and your former superiors clearly took notice
>It’s why you were able to move on to here
>Still, despite how big you’ve made it, there are haunting images that just seem to hound you
“Why do I keep having these dreams…?”
>Stress?
>Getting this job, living with your husband and son, and being reunited with your brother has been anything but stressful
>So why…?
>”You have a quick trigger finger.”
>Bolting up from your seat, you knock the table to the ground as your eyes dart across the room
“WHO THE HELL IS—“
>Your words become caught in your throat
>”Hush now Captain, we don’t want to wake the family do we?”
>You try to bolt, to run back to your room and grab your pistol, but…
“I. CAN’T. MOVE!”
>Just like in the dream
>”This isn’t a dream I’m afraid.”
>A pair of long smooth hands, colder than your brother’s, slip around your waist as a woman with bright yellow eyes and long white hair looms behind you
>”Your problems are VERY real.”


>You feel physically powerless to resist as this…creature breathes cold air upon your bare neck
“Get off of me!”
>”Relax Gleamy.”
>Your eyes widen in shock
“Don’t you dare call me that!”
>”Yeesh, I thought you liked that nickname?  Your brother calls you it all the time, never to your face mind you.  Far too embarrassing I imagine.”
“What the fuck!  Get.  OFF!”
>She sighs as she slinks away and steps in front of you
>You try as hard as you can to lift a fist against her, but nothing you do seems to be able to free you
“How are you doing this?!”
>She chuckles, revealing a single sharp tooth in her vile smile
>”You can call it a matter of mind over matter.  I’m using my latent psychic powers to hold you in place.”
“Psychic powers?  What ARE you?”
>She leans in close, her face nearly pressing against yours as she answers
>”My name is Eris, and I am a Vampire.”
“A Vampire?”
>”Oh yes, but not the living dead variety you see drinking blood in old horror vids, oh no.  I predate most of those I assure you.”
>Your arm juts free and nearly socks Eris in the face, missing her only by a few inches as she steps back
>”Easy there, I’m a friend.”
“BullSHIT!”
>”Hmph… well I can BECOME a friend if you want to play nice.  If not, well… it doesn’t matter too much to me.  It won’t stop me from doing what comes next.”
>This really does feel like your nightmares, but you don’t feel like you’ll have the luxury of waking up this time
>Her smirk gains a devious glint to it as she playfully covers her mouth
>”I rather like it here on the Everfree.  I intend for this place to be my new haunt for quite a while, but it won’t do for me to just tolerate all the trash hiding on this station.  There is so much, if i’m permitted to use the word, EVIL lurking here!”
“Yeah…”
>You grit your teeth as your body shakes in fear and anger
“I've noticed.”



>”Yes well that’s why I need you, M.D. Shield.”
>Eris reaches forward and grabs hold of your dog tag
>”A bona fide SUPER SOLDIER is just what I need, and your little brother can also be—“
“You go anywhere near Dusk I’ll break every bone in your body!”
>Eris’ eyes widen for a moment, only for them to narrow in distaste
>”If that last dream was anything to go by, I’d be more afraid of what ol’ Dusky would do to me if he found out what I was going to do to you.”
“w-What do you—“
>Eris reaches out and grabs you by your shoulders as she opens her mouth
>Before you realize what’s going on, Eris is forcing herself upon you in a passionate kiss
“MMPH!”
>You try to tear away, yet she keeps you frozen with both her mind and her physical grip
>Slowly, you feel yourself becoming light headed
>Then you hear her voice once more, inside your head
>”You will become like me Gleaming Shield.  A Psychic Vampire, a being capable of channeling her mind to perform feats of supernatural might.  You will need to feed to fuel these powers, you will need to hunt, but on a ship teeming with life like this and with the skills you’ve already picked up on, I’m sure you’ll do well with minimal supervision  You may even become more powerful than me, mwahahahahaha!”
>Your drowsy eyes blink a few times as she finally lets you collapse to the kitchen floor
>”Now you take it easy for a while Gleamy.  Rest assured, you’ll find that you’ll be needing those powers VERY soon.  Keep an eye on Dusky for me, the little squirt’s going to need all the help he can get.”
>Your eyes flutter a bit as you raise a hand up to Eris, but as you blink once more she suddenly vanishes, leaving you alone
“My…head…hurts.”
>The last thing you are aware of before the world goes dark again is the ominous red glow of the gas cluster lying above in space
>As you pass out in the red glare, you feel as if things may never be the same again