Infected

[Thaelasan]

There was a silent crack as the air around them broke. The excavation team was confused. The sonar pings on the radio didn't tell them anything. It must have been a blip in the system.

The leader, Sergeant Wicket, peered at the screen with confusion. He was certain... just a moment ago...

"So, another artifact of pre-infection times?"

"That's right, sir. We've discovered a Spire, which seems to have been constructed as a defense weapon by an unknown benefactor. We're trying to find out who the hell made it. Doesn't look American made, or even Japanese or Russian. Might be German."

"Do you know what timeline?"

"For sure, roughly a year before the mutations hit. It's like someone KNEW it was going to happen."

"Well, post back if something new comes up. Just be careful. You're in a heavily Infected area. Government protection can only save you from POLITICAL retaliation."

"Well, the trained soldiers don't hurt." Wicket replied, motioning to a group of cadets who saluted to him jokingly. But they were professionals.

"Sir, that blip appeared again."

"Again? The hell do you mean? Same as before?"

"Yeah. And it's gone the same way." the researcher reported, frowning. "You'd think modern-day sonar could easily tell us what the hell was going on. Must be a fried system or something."

"They didn't send us out here with trash, Jones." Wicket said, shaking his head. "Focus our sonars on that location in particular."

"That won't be necessary. I'll tell you what's down there, my friend."

Wicket turned, only for a force like a megaton shot from a tank to slam him across the wastes. Dead in a moment. His brain didn't even have time to calculate how much pain it was in before the life was torn from it.

Twenty guns or more were trained on a black-grey haired man standing in the center of the camp, cracking his neck nonchalantly. He popped the bones out of his arms, sighing.

"Oh, did I kill him?" he asked, mildly concerned. "Isn't that a shame."

"State your name for the records, **." one of the cadets muttered, gritting his teeth. "And someone go and check on Wicket."

"Woah, are you trying to take the upper hand here? Let me give you another demonstration."

Guns exploded in hands. There were screams of pain as metal fragments embedded themselves in faces and arms. Two people were killed by the detonations. The men stood, stark still, unable to believe what had just happened. The ringing in their ears was painful.

The man who had previously spoken took a deep breath and sighed, blood pouring from a missing finger. He hissed as he put pressure on the wound.

"Alright then... what do you want? You win." the man asked, frowning.

"...That was... surprisingly easy." the boy replied, rubbing the back of his head. "You sure?"

"I'm not stupid. These are my men, and you're the superior force. You don't seem like a maniacal idiot either." the man replied. "And without a trigger finger, I don't have much to go on."

"....I'm actually impressed."

The younger man crossed his arms, shrugging.

"This is the property of my .... my previous master. So buzz off. You leave, and you live." the boy replied.

"You heard him." the leader sighed, turning to the rest of them. "Pack it up."

"But SIR!"

"There are three wounded, possibly dead, and you want to argue with me? What are you going to do?" the man said, giving the other man a glance. "You wanna fight him and die? Go ahead. Learn when it's best to run."

"....Yes sir." the man reluctantly agreed, as the group began to move their things.

 

----

 

"We're going."

Alan stood in the doorway of Erik's own lab, patting the doorframe. He walked into the main hall, then gave a nod to Tina.

"When are you expecting the delivery?" he asked. "Four months?"

"We'll be done with this before that happens. Just tell the kid to stay in there until we get back." Randall joked, slamming a pair of bags on Erik's table in front of them all.

"I wann't just sitting around and drinking you know. I was doing research of my own while Alan was researching stuff to better the DOME economic'ly and such." he said, unzipping one of the bags. "Hope you like some of these enough to use them, Phantom."

An assortment of weapons and devices was in the linings of the bags and inside of them. He pointed to each one in turn.

"So it turns out, Erik, that Aegithium stuff bonds really well with Caldium, but also is a polar opposite to it. I'll let Alan explain real quick."

"Caldium is a catalyst. It accelerates the growth of certain things but my original intention was to use its catalytic abilities to jumpstart celluar growth without causing cancerous growths in return. I was.. partially successful. But it can also be weaponized, since in its radioactive form, it creates vibrating energy waves and plasma-like energy of a superheated variety. However, Aegithium is the exact opposite - it's a stabilizing material. You used it to create frames that could never break and had insane tensile strength. Caldium can't normally be used in most weapons because the more is used, the more force is exerted on the frame. Aegithium removes that problem altogether."

"So, enter this." Randall finished, pointing at the largest gun in the repertoire. "I call it the Mjollnir-3R1K, cuz it was made for you. This thing fires pure Caldium inside of an Aegithium casing. Explodes on impact. Destroys whatever it explodes inside. Human. Infected. Even Aegithium gets scratched. Heavy recoil but amazing precision. Passed every firing test I gave it, though it destroyed the range. Now, I love me some rifles, but I made this one specifically for you. It's got 4 rounds preloaded. Bolt action, so it's for the classic man."

He lifted it out of the bag and handed it to Erik, almost in a sacred way.

"Take your time to appraise it. I can still do some tinkerin' if you don't like it much. It's the only one of its kind, and I ain't about to mass produce them. They're serious firepower, and not just for the hands of some kid." Randall crossed his arms. "But I digress."

"We also have Alan's famous rifle-sword, though I made quite a few changes." Randall said, pulling it out of the bag. It switched into a claymore, the blade alighting in electricity of purple and blue. He switched off the power, grinning.

"The entire frame is now Aegithium. It could cut through a Series V like Fiona - sorry girl - easily if she came in range. No more breaking on impact. Though Series VI are still super-empowered. Don't know what you guys used to make them so tough. Caldium can't even scratch them, even in a super-catalytic state. You'd have to use a full clip of energy and superimpose it to do a damn thing. I tried it on a mock frame. Took too much ammo to be efficient. I'll keep workin' on it though, promise you that. The bullets are similar to the Mjollnir, but definitely not as powerful. Sorry Alan, you want a sword, ya sacrifice power for speed."

"Fine by me. I'll trust Erik can take the shot when he needs to." Alan gave Phantom a glance.

"Right right. Then, for me, this Auto-Rifle, using the same technology as your snipers, but without the strength. Turns out, if you rapid fire Caldium, even in Aegithium frames, it actually loses power. Still don't know why."

"It's because Caldium is a catalyst which requires a certain velocity to reach the maximum amount of force - a velocity auto rifles cannot provide with their rate of fire." Alan put his arms behind his back.

"Makes sense. And for Mina and Fiona, since you two don't need much with those frames, I made you these."

He handed them a pair of dual pistols each, giving them some holsters to go with them.

"Same technology, but the bullets aren't as well made. They're like the ones from my auto rifle. They're not made to pierce, and they're mass produced so we don't run out. But they're not as strong. Apologies."

He then gestured to several other things in the bags.

"You wanna know more?" Randall asked Erik, pleased.

[Clown_of_God]

Erik looked back at Alan and Randall as they entered the room, asking how long until TINA was due. TINA, with a hand on her belly, merely smiled and held up two fingers. This would surely be a surprise to the two scientists.

 

"Well, actually, she's developing rather quickly and the current expected due date is in about two months. Of course, that's subject to change as our official doctor said this was the first time he's ever seen a development process as quick as ours."

 

"We're on a time crunch and I'm willing to bet she'll pop in about a month, is my estimate."

 

When Randall began pulling out weapons, Erik was actually a bit surprised at what he pulled out initially. Mjollnir, a rather robust weapon, but the overall specs were certainly interesting. Shouldering the weapon, Erik calibrated his eye so that he could literally just point and shoot the weapon. MINA, on the other hand, tossed her weapons back into the bag and waved.

 

"I'm not accompanying you, got other things on my plate. Big Bro knows how to get in touch, though, so if the situation absolutely calls for it... maybe I'll swing by, but I am absolutely, positively not allowing my sister fight."

 

"Are you suggesting you'll be around the Dome then? Keeping an eye on TINA?"

 

MINA seemed to grow flustered at the remark and turned away, teleporting into the opposite room shortly after and sitting on the sofa.

 

"She can watch herself... but... I'll be around..."

[Thaelasan]

"She's tsundere as all get out." Randall nodded as he heard her whispering in the other room. "But I digress. We gonna do this now?"

Alan was still surprised at the news regarding her development period. What did that mean for Fiona? If they were to...

He'd need more tests. For now, it was time for fighting and defending. Randall motioned to the other bag, smiling.

"So the Aegithium/Caldium grenades, medical packs, emp weaponry... all your basic stuff, is in the other bag. I'll be carrying it as your support medic, and I'll be toting this."

He heaved a shotgun-like gun out from his back and smiled.

"I call her the Dream. And I'm living it." he grinned, rubbing the top. "Pressurized Caldium, fired in slugs that explode on impact. Lethal at close range. Decimates anything, kinda like the Mjollnir, but without all the beauty and pleasantries. More just 'you gonna die now, ok?'"

He then put it back on his back and cracked his knuckles.

"Car's waiting out front to take us back to the underground rails, which can only carry us to the halfway point. Once we hit Utah, gonna have to find other means of transit. The rails broke down near the wall, and no one's been able to work on them."

Alan nodded.

"Also, a distress call was recently sent from an outpost IN Utah which reports that an unidentified person has been calling for an Erik Knight for the last few hours, and he refuses to say why. He's been attacking anyone who comes near him, however. Don't know if we should waste our time with a lunatic, but I thought it might intrigue you."

He looked down at the report, shrugging.

"Grey-black hair. Slim build. Male figure. Erratic and egotistical."

[Clown_of_God]

"Someone who knows my name..."

 

TINA looked at Erik, tilting her head slightly in concern while MINA grew still and quiet. Erik, on the other hand looked over his weapon once more before setting it on the table and looking at Randall.

 

"The weapon itself is fine, but the aesthetics are a little... much. If it doesn't require them, I'd like you to remove them first before we head out. I might have a bionic arm, but weight can be cumbersome to anyone after a period of time."

 

"It does look like something you'd find in one of those video game things that were so popular before the collapse."

 

MINA peered in around the corner, smirking for a moment before returning to her original posture and crossing her legs. TINA actually had to stifle a giggle, as to not be discourteous to Randall.

 

"I have a few things I need to go prepare, so while you are taking care of those adjustments, I'll be in my lab."

 

With that, Erik walked off down the hallway and into a separate room to which MINA followed after him. Once inside, she locked the door behind her and watched as Erik began rummaging through a stack of papers.

 

"I take it there's something important you wish to tell me, considering you went through the effort of sealing my lab."

 

"Don't stop in Utah."

 

"Hmm?"

 

"That distress signal... ignore it. Just get your sister and come back as quickly as you can. You said it yourself, TINA is due soon and if you take too long..."

 

"I don't think I've ever seen you get worked up about something... I take it he's dangerous without you or TINA around."

 

"He's more dangerous if we were..."

 

Erik paused, standing straight and looking back at MINA with a somewhat bewildered expression. Something more dangerous than two of the most advanced dolls to ever exist? Eyes widening, he dropped what was in his hands and practically rushed MINA, grabbing her shoulders tightly and staring directly into her eyes.

 

"Damien?"

 

"His frame isn't as advanced as the ones TINA and myself have... but the technology he's equipped with..."

 

"Did Damien build him?"

 

MINA nodded, looking away from Erik's intense gaze. Simultaneously, her core seemed to heat up ever so slightly.

 

"Please don't look at me like that, Big Bro..."

 

"Ah... I'm sorry..."

 

Dropping his arms back down to his sides, Erik and MINA stood in silence for a moment before Erik returned to gathering various tools that were scattered about a work table on the opposite side of the room.

 

"I'm sure he'll know we're in the area."

 

"Just keep going to the west. Live up to your namesake and become the Phantom again."

 

Turning his head, Erik looked at MINA for a moment and heaved a sigh before throwing the tools he had acquired into a bag that he slung over his shoulder shortly after sealing it.

 

"You and I both know that I'll never truly be Erik Knight again."

 

With that, Erik walked to the door, unlatching the look and opening it, pausing in the doorway for a moment before heading down the hallway and returning to the dining room.

 

------

 

~~ Somewhere in Oregon ~~

 

"Ma'am! We have a breach on our Eastern front. We sent in support to the North as you requested, but if we don't get any reinforcements soon..."

 

A metal hand slammed on the war table that made everyone in the tent go quiet for a moment. White hair that was cropped short danced with the breeze before settling back down onto the female's head only to pick up again. Time seemed to draw out as she sat in silence before her eyes flashed open and she stood from the chair she had been sitting in so abruptly that it toppled over.

 

"Greyson, send three of your men to AE1011 and provide support for as long as you can. The rest of your men will push to AE1017 and wait for further instructions once they're set. Make sure they understand not to fire a single round until I give the order, understood?"

 

"Yes, ma'am!"

 

"Fredrichs and Johnson, gather up a team of twelve each and move as quickly as you can to AE1039. You have fifteen mikes, otherwise you might not have a chance to see your children again, got that?"

 

"Yes, ma'am!" they both shouted simultaneously before dashing off.

 

Unbuttoning the top two buttons of his top, the female set the chair back upright and slumped down into it, looking at the top of the tent before returning her sights on the war map on the table.

 

"Dr. Westin, what's the progress on those specs I requested? How long until you're finished?"

 

"Once that search party you sent out gets back, she'll be up and running within twenty minutes. Of course, the power source won't be near as capable as those mystery dolls in the east, I can proudly say that she'll be more than capable of performing at a similar level. Just... not as long. Not until I figure out a better way to recycle the energy."

 

"My brother had a prototype power source he had been working on, but I never had the chance to see the blueprints. Otherwise, I'd provide you the details to see if it would be worth a shot. Still, to replicate his self-repairing tech... I'm impressed."

 

"Oh, Mina... you shouldn't give me too much credit. Without the details you provided, such an accomplishment would never have been feasible. It's a pity the materials are so scarce, otherwise I'd like to incorporate into all the dolls and the injured, but your arm and this doll took priority and most of our available Aegithium."

 

Mina smiled for a moment before raising the metal arm she had slammed on the table, the sleeve of her shirt sliding down to reveal more of the handiwork that allowed to appear whole examining it with a rather discouraged expression on her face. A part of her wondered if Erik were able to see her, what sort of reaction would he have? Would he be disappointed in the outcome? Would he be proud? Thoughts like these ran through her mind every so often, but there was the constant reminder that they had been separated. That her big brother was no longer here to help her and that she had to survive, no matter the cost.

 

Clenching the hand into a fist, she stood again and walked out of the tent, following a dimly lit path until reaching another tent. Inside, a cot was set up in the corner and a string ran from one end to the either with an improvised curtain hanging from it. Yes, with her family gone Mina felt the best course of action was to push forward and survive through this terrible incident so that she could be the memoir of the Knight name.

 

"I'll live as an atonement for your sins... Big Bro."

[Thaelasan]

Your coding is beyond imagining, Kure. It's almost as though I didn't craft it. If I didn't have the records of your birth, I wouldn't believe I had. How jealous would my brother be now, to witness you, in this prime form. Genetically and mentally superior. Truly, you are perfect as I made you to be.

 

----

 

What do you mean, he's abandoned me!? He CREATED me! You can't tell me he's forgotten! Mina, if you PRESS THAT BUTTON, ... I'll hunt you down... I won't die, I'll never die.. and you know it. I'll find you, and I'll crush you...

 

----

What a failure... Such power and promise, only to become so arrogant and self-driven. Mina, pull the lever. I have no use for trash.

 

----

 

It's cold.... so cold.... I don't think my heart is even beating anymore. Diagnostics show that a human would have died in this situation... but I'm not a human, am I?

 

----

 

What... am I?

 

 

End of Transmission.

 

 

----

 

 

"I said, bring him here, you weaklings. Erik Knight in exchange for the information you want from this Spire. Not a bad trade, is it?"

"And we've told you, no one exists by that name, living or dead!" the Colonel spat into the microphone. Several tanks were surrounding the area, though they weren't aimed at Kure or the Spire. They were currently inactive.

Only a few hours ago, several megaton tank shots from those very tanks had been fired at the young man standing in front of the Spire, only to be either deflected or rendered useless. Several shells still lay near him, untouched, as though they'd never been fired. The Colonel was seriously considering nuclear weapons at this point - if they'd had any - but he doubted they'd have been useful.

There weren't many soldiers or tanks. Not many could be spared. Since the fall of Damien had been reported to any open lines, several able-bodied men and women had band together to form several coalitions devoted to their own beliefs. The one in this situation was known as the RADS, or the Research And Development Society. They were fully convicted to gaining any knowledge regarding weapons, technology, or medical science destroyed by the Infected to use against them. They had a lot of followers in the Midwest.

Kure, however, didn't care about any of that, though he'd looked it up quickly in his own databanks using the radio, internet, and whatever other means he could that still existed. What a joke. Self-Betterment? They'd just end up turning to blowing each other up again in the end. It was human nature.

Master Damien might have been a pain in the ass, but his culling hadn't been a terrible idea, nor his desire to move to infected and doll-type civilization. Artificial Intelligence was much more understanding than a furious human being. Then again, he didn't care much about that either.

All he wanted now was two things - Mina, and Erik. He sighed.

"We can stand here all day, ya know." he leaned back a bit, hands in his pockets. "You want tech, I want people. Mina Knight and Erik Knight. That's all I want."

"...DAMMIT. WE'RE TRYING!" the Colonel replied. But no one by those names existed...

 

Or rather, yet, in their search.

 

----

 

Alan gave Erik a glance, frowning.

"We'll meet you by the car then, when you're ready." he shrugged, giving a nod to Tina before the group headed to Randall's famous car.

[Clown_of_God]

(( I'm gonna do a little skip ahead, unless you had something in mind for the drive/ride to Utah ))

 

Everything was spinning and the world was a blur as a pair of eyes flickered open, a searing pain settling in as things began to settle back into place. Chaos. Mass chaos was the only sight that could be seen and a new sense began to settle into place. Fear. It was fear of the infected that were starting to swarm the place. Nor was it fear for life. Where the fear derived from was the loss of someone important.

 

"MINA!" A voice rang out, but it was raspy and dry. "MINA!"

 

Again, the voice called and soon the source of the voice was within sight. A rather short male with thick black hair, cut short so it didn't sweep in front of his eyes, and pale skin as well as a tattered white lab coat and jeans mottled with blood stains. This voice was coming from him, despite the chaos around him and the likelihood he was making himself a target, he still cried out the same name over and over again. Who was this person? Why did he seem so calm and focused?

 

Realization kicked in as a wave of pain served as a reminder that the world was still spinning. Pain. Pain and even more pain continued to swell. Then, without so much as a warning... darkness. There had been a crack and the world went pitch black, but the sounds in the area could still be heard. With each passing moment, these sounds became more and more muffled, but gun fire and the sound of bodies collapsing were all too clear. Yet, the most distinct noise of them all, the one that stood out the most was the voice of that boy, calling out to someone named 'Mina.'

 

~~ Oregon Base Camp ~~

 

A set of biomechanical eyes flickered to life and the irises adjusted to the amount of light that was pouring in through a hole in the tent. No, not a hole. It was a flashlight. Suddenly, a series of command prompts and warnings began flashing in the air. Eyes widened even further and there was a sudden jolt, but also a lack of feeling aside from a lightness as if suspended in the air.

 

"Sophie, can you hear me? Nod your head if you can hear my voice."

 

Sophie? A name? Who did it belong to? This man, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, suddenly began asking questions that didn't seem to be directed at anyone. Wait. No one else was there, so who WAS he talking to?

 

"You, with the confused expression on your face. I'm talking to you, is it that complicated? I understand this might be difficult, considering you've technically been dead for the past five years, but I need you to come to your sense and start going through the proper checks with me, okay?"

 

Nodding seemed appropriate.

 

"Alright, your name is Sophie Neuman, seventeen years of age at the time of your passing, born March 23 at 21:19. Do you understand all of this so far?"

 

Again, nodding seemed like the right thing to do.

 

"Continuing on. Let's see, you were an aspiring journalist and also part of the fencing club at your high school. Some of your favorite things to do during your free time was read thrillers, dance in the rain and... LARP?"

 

"It stands for Live Action Role Play."

 

"So you CAN talk. Does any of this sound familiar to you?"

 

"No."

 

"Well, maybe if I continue reading these things from your biography, something will trigger and you'll be able to remember your past properly."

 

"If I might ask, how did you acquire such a detailed biography?"

 

"As I said before, you were an aspiring journalist. We acquired this information from a folder you had written yourself about yourself. Why? I can't answer that, but I can theorize is that you didn't want to be forgotten... again."

 

Something about that last statement caused a tightening sensation that made it difficult to breathe. A sudden ping caused her focus to shift to the left where a rather young woman stood at the entrance to the tent. She was wearing a pair of black short shorts with a white stripe on the left side and a shirt that was clearly too large for her as it hung off her shoulder low enough that some flesh could be seen. A mess of white hair sat on top of her head and the bags under her eyes indicated she had just woken up. That explained the outfit.

 

"I understand this is important and I certainly am pleased of the outcome, but was it necessary to stir me at two in the morning?"

 

"Forgive me, but I was under the impression you wanted her to go into action the moment she was operational. There are a few field tests I'd like to conduct first, but her systems and vitals are all clear. In fact, I haven't seen a merge like this so perfectly synced since... well..."

 

"Run whatever tests you need, I'm going to get a bit more sleep before those insects start to stir at sunrise."

 

"Yes, princess."

 

Something had lodged itself in the metal frame off to the left of Sophie's head, but the scent of iron rose into the air that drew her attention to her front. A thin line formed on the side of the man's head with a small trail of red starting to seep down the side of his jaw and dripping onto his coat. Turning to the left, a crude throwing knife had dug itself within the crease of the framework that was currently holding Sophie in her suspended state.

 

"Who is that woman?"

 

"Mina Knight, our brilliant tactician with a tongue of silver and a heart of gold, but she can be more ruthless than some of the seasoned veterans who are here and as sinister as a demon if not more so. Now, I'm going to disconnect you and we're going to conduct some operational tests, but before I do that I need you to run a few systems checks. Do I... need to explain how to conduct it?"

 

"All parameters are within required operating range. Augments are syncing properly. No spikes in core temperature and frame density is optimal. Everything checks green."

 

"Very good. Now, I'm beginning the disconnection procedures, listen while I explain what your objective is going to be. To the east, there is a certain doll that has been creating a scene. I need you to subdue him and bring him back here, this is vital to our upcoming operation and our survival. From what we can tell, he's able to manipulate kinetic energy or has some form of barrier surrounding him. Regardless, that's where you and your equipment come into play. Which leads me to what I need you to do next."

 

"You want me to go through a test run first and make sure it works."

 

"Very close, but I'm testing the strain on your core. You see, I'm not good at developing high output energy sources like Erik Knight, but whoever constructed that doll in Utah knows what they were doing and I want to... duplicate it and then transfer the tech into you."

 

"I see. So, a stress test."

 

Smiling, the doctor waited until all the checks were complete and the restraints were undone. Sophie stepped out, wobbled slightly before correcting herself and then took a few more steps to ensure she was stable. Next, she shifted into mobility checks to ensure she'd be able to move freely. Lastly, Sophie conducted one last system check before looking at the doctor.

 

"I'm ready."

 

"Very well. On the table to your left, you'll see an unique vambrace and a special glove for your right arm and hand. These two work in tandem, but the vambrace connects to a port on the underside of your arm. This is how it gets it power supply. If you wish, you can go ahead and equip it now so it can register into your systems while I explain what it..."

 

"It emits an electromagnetic current in short pulses to disrupt the surrounding energies either through attraction or repulsion depending on the charge being used. Essentially, my arm is my blade."

 

"Correct, but how did..."

 

"I found some theories online and formed a conclusion based off the physical result I'm currently equipped with and the various ideas that could have been pulled from to construct it. So, where shall I go to conduct my field test?"

 

~~

 

(( Well, unless you wish to put something up... I'll edit something with Phantom at a later period ))

Edited June 7, 2017 by zakku_uchiha

[Thaelasan]

There was a soft click on the radio as the disc Randall had inserted began to read. Creedence Clearwater Revival began to play on a list, one of their albums, as he put the car into drive.

"Not to hate upon John Fogerty, but don't you have any OTHER music to play, Randall?" Alan said, from where he was leaning on the backseat window. Fiona was next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. Erik had been selected to ride up front, and hadn't argued. To him, this wasn't some pleasant car ride. He stared out the window, pondering about his sister, and her possible health. But also, why he had this inexplicable feeling of dread. Some crazy maniac, screaming his name?

"Oh, hush. Alan, it's just background noise anyway." Fiona muttered, smiling. "Besides, you DO carry around your own portable stuff."

"Ah, that's true." Alan conceded. "But then I couldn't hear your lovely voice."

"What a nice turnaround."

"I hoped so."

"If I have to hear yer lovesick words the whole ride to Oregon, I'm gonna throw up several times on the journey." Randall joked, taking a turn from the crossroads. The sound of machinery echoed through the city, as citizens looked on at the car for a moment only to turn back to what they were doing.

Randall had said it was crazy that the Dome should work again. Sure enough, however, following Damien's fall and the announcement of the death of the Omega, survivors had flocked to its walls and gladly dedicated themselves to reconstruction efforts. It wasn't a small city either. Entire residential areas, commercial areas, and industrial facilities decorated the massive landscape - a small country, nestled within the safe walls of Aegithium with Caldium electricity arcing across the surface, keeping out all unwanted guests. The part of the city Erik and the others lived in, however, only had one road - since it was normally meant for machinery and the trafficking of large amounts of material. It didn't need a lot of paths, especially since the need for large trucks had been made obsolete by the development of teleportation devices, the existence of cranes, and the fact that most industries within the Dome were self sustaining.

After all, who needed gas, coal, or even oil when the energy of Caldium was almost, if not literally, infinitesimal? Its discovery had been wondrous, if not miraculous.

Randall stopped for a moment as the security checkpoint halted their progress. They had been driving for almost an hour and a half already. The guard gave them a glance. Not many left the city once they entered. But for those that did, there were still protocols. He walked over to the door as Randall rolled down the window.

"London calling?" he asked, grinning.

"Knew I recognized that car. Heading out for another research excursion, Doctor Stone?"

"Nah. This time it's an actual adventure. I'll tell you more later. Need anything?"

"Identifications?" the man asked, looking at each of them.

Alan and Fiona passed up their data cards, but Erik didn't pull anything out of his pocket. He seemed to be ignoring the man.

"Uh, sir, do you have any form of identification?..."

"He doesn't." Randall said casually. "He's actually off most radars, for good reason. You can assume he's doing something dangerous if you want, but he's actually responsible for a lot of the research around here. In fact, you're lucky you get to see any of his face. Aren't you fortunate?"

"But the guidelines dictate-"

"I wrote the guidelines, Officer Nathan Dwight. I penned them myself, following the beginning of the Dome's construction."

Erik spoke up for the first time since the car had begun to drive. Randall turned to him, intrigued.

"Uh..." Nathan began.

"You're 21 years old, barely out of your basic training, and this is a duty assigned to you by your higher-up officials as part of your training protocols. You've been doing this for nigh on three months now, and have seen roughly only... 200 people entering or leaving during the course of your entire career?" Erik continued, still looking out the window. "The numbers may escape me but the fact remains that you've done your job adequately thus far and I'm pleased to tell you you'll be promoted soon to Wall Sentry within another two weeks, as part of your plan. It's how things go here - unless you like your current position?"

He adjusted his arm for a moment, looking down at a phone in his hand.

"Also, you have a family you're providing for in the Northern Sector, Block Seven B. I only know this because your daughter Claire recently came in for two routine check ups and came back positive for Caldium infection, meaning that she somehow came in contact with a walker or something of the like. This information has not been released to the public, nor will it be."

"What I mean to tell you is, Nathan, that I am one of only five people in possibly complete control of your life here in the city, both good and bad, and I'm sitting in a car on a very important mission to an area on the other side of the country and you've taken up ten minutes of my time for a routine guideline. I appreciate the thought, but you didn't see me, nor will you see me return. So long as you understand that.."

He pressed a button on his phone, then returned it.

"Your daughter has already been put higher in the queue for her treatment and your promotion has just gone through. Congratulations, Wall Sentry. You now will see a 50% raise in pay, better hours, and time off whenever you request it to see your loving daughter, son, and wife. Have a nice day."

Nathan stood, stunned, as he turned to his phone where he had just received a message from his superior, requesting his immediate presence. He turned back to the group in the car and handed them back their cards.

"...There was no one driving past me just now." he said, holding up his hand. "And I just accidentally pressed the gate opening key."

He nudged the button with his arm, and then turned to walk away, hand on his face in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Erik had returned to looking out the window, while the rest of car's occupants were staring at him with both confusion and awe.

"All three of you have the same access potential. I don't know why you're acting so surprised." Erik finally said as the car began to reach the open road. "You could easily manipulate any data, make anyone appear or disappear, ruin or bless anyone's life, or eject someone from the Dome and accept someone else whenever you pleased. Yay, almost despotism-like power."

"Yes, but I'm always worried about using it like that. And what was that about Caldium infection..?"

"There was a break in the wall roughly three days ago that was never spoken of publically. A young group of students from a school on their bus ride home and a drunken truck driver ended up meeting poorly and somehow causing a dangerous explosion in a faulty part of the Dome. It left a crack which took seven hours to repair using the finest technicians, and several walkers managed to escape inside. There were no casualties due to the quick response time, and the walkers have been dealt with, and removed." Erik replied, cracking his shoulder from where he had been resting. "I dealt with it, personally."

"....So when we came by your lab that day to inquire about your latest developments..."

"I was busy saving seventeen students and an intoxicated thirty year old." Erik sighed. "The doll response teams ARE adequate but I was already in the neighborhood shopping for Tina. It's quite difficult to buy things for her."

"I understand that much." Alan looked at Fiona.

"...What?"

"It's always difficult to purchase the right thing for the woman you love." Alan replied, patting her lovingly.

"Vomiting soon." Randall interjected.

 

-----

 

The Railway Transportation system had been an amazing find. Soon after the reconstruction of the Dome, a few, eager young men and women had gone on an exploration mission into the wastes. Their results? A half-broken subway system with serviceable trains and destinations all the way from upper New York to southern Texas. The problem was finding the right train.

Alan got out of the car as they parked, shaking his head a bit. A valet came by and grabbed the keys from Randall, bowing as he took Randall's seat.

"Hey, not to put some anxiety on yer plate," Randall began, patting the young man. "But if I see a scratch on it, I'll use every method at my disposal to ensure that your next off day isn't a pleasant one. But I'm sure you're fine."

"....That's a bit... rude sir-"

"I'm a nice man, boy. And I'm sorry to come off as the opposite, but what you're sitting in? I built this thing, remade it, and refined it until it's as comfy and cozy as I like it, down to the plush seats. My love is in this car. My hate will be on you if it gets broken."

"...Understood."

"But if I find it as I left it, I'll give ya a good tip. Promise." Randall said, smiling. "Win win for you."

"As you wish sir!" the valet said, as he sped off towards the parking garage. Randall crossed his arms, worried.

"Damn I hope he doesn't break anything.."

"It'll be fine. Come, we need to get our names in the ledger."

 

----

 

The entire group headed down into the subway's train main, where several people gave them glances. A subway passed by, heading down to who-knew-where. A ticket booth was open near the front, with a happy looking woman behind the counter. Closer inspection revealed she was most likely a Series III doll, made to run the Subway herself. Everything COULD be computerized after all. Randall put a pad on the counter, then began to write while the Doll watched him eagerly.

"Hello sirs and ma'am!" she said, while she watched him, giving them glances. "Welcome to the automated subway transit system! I am the attendant, Mallory!"

"Uh... Hello, Miss Mallory..." Alan said, slightly taken aback. Her voice was as though bubbles had taken sound form and were also very happy. This was slightly unusual.

"HI!" Mallory waved, pleased.

"Alright, Miss Mallory." Randall said, sliding her a piece of paper from the notepad. "Is that the information you need?"

"Let's see... Four passengers, three male, one female, destination to Utah from the Dome, anonymity desired?" she muttered, looking up to him. "Ooooh INTRIGUE!"

"Yeah, adventure ahoy!" Randall said, holding up a hand. "But it's really important."

"I understand! But we have a problem..." she said, making a very disappointed face. "All trains to Utah have been shut down due to a recent decree by RADS, and they uh... kinda aimed missiles at the subway and said if we didn't close, they'd blow up that section!"

"...Are you kidding me?" Erik suddenly said, his brows furrowed under his mask. "...Initiate override code 77 B, Attack Protocols. Code 3332164."

"Error, sir. I can't initiate that because all weapons have been confiscated by RADS!"

"Ugh. Arrogant ***s." Randall grunted. "First they say they're doing it for peace and knowledge. Now they show their true colors. They just want a dictatorship."

"I'm not going to make an opinion on the matter, sir! Just to be safe!" Mallory said. "Howeeeveeeer, you can take a subway to Colorado's border. They didn't necessarily SAY that one was shut down. But I worry for your safety."

"Don't. We've got weapons made for blowing things up. And I'm perfectly fine with destroying some asses with anger issues." Randall grimaced, slapping cash on the counter. "Forty dollars. Ten per ticket, right?"

"That should do it, sir! Your subway will arrive..."

A train slid up quickly to their left, the doors opening to allow them on board. Randall gave her a look, realizing what she had done.

"Now. You will be the only occupants on this dangerous excursion! Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about it!" Mallory said, winking. "Mister Stone."

"Ah, that's it." Randall nodded. "Thanks."

"No problem. Enjoy your ride!" she beamed, waving.

 

---

 

Soon, Alan was sitting behind Erik, with Fiona to his left. Randall was behind them, already asleep. The train ride began quite uneventfully, as several turns pulled them into their route.

"I have an important question, Erik." Alan suddenly said.

"Of course you do. What is it?"

"Is Mina... like you?"

"I don't understand the question. Is she male? No."

"No, I meant... the real Mina. Is she like you? With her own secrets? Her own... deceptive nature?"

"We all had dual personas, Alan. We were raised from birth to have a facade of nobility and civility because dealing with people, quite frankly, was, and is, a chore. Call it arrogance. Call it pretentious nature. But it's effective at making people believe you care."

"...And do you actually care?"

"I will let you guess the answer to that." Erik closed his eyes, sighing. "Now I'm going to sleep until this train ride ends."

Alan let that be the end of the conversation. He leaned back in the chair, Fiona giving him a glance.

"Why the sudden question?"

"...I suppose I never really asked him much about his family, ... Then again, I never told him much about us." Alan shrugged, looking out the window. "I guess I'm curious about the great Phantom's past. And a train ride halfway across the continent is a good time to talk about something - anything. I do wish to know more about the girl we're saving."

"Makes sense." Fiona smiled. "Though you always were too curious for your own good."

"...I'm just happy you remember those times. The return of your memory was the greatest thing to happen." Alan kissed her. "That, and our marriage."

Edited June 8, 2017 by Thaelasan

[Clown_of_God]

After a few minutes of silence, Erik seemed to adjust himself in his seat, as if trying to acquire a better resting position. A dim red glow peered out from behind the mask that faded away rather slowly.

"Mina and I, we were almost inseparable when we were young and she's the only family I truly care about."

Turning his head, Erik seemed to be watching what little scenery there was outside the window before continuing his little story.

"Damien, being the eldest, always had his eyes set on having some kind of power and often picked on me. Mina didn't like that very much. She'd often point out faults or bring up some kind of information that would always get under Damien's skin. It either made things better or escalated the situation, depending on his mood.

Father, being the CEO of Knight's Capita Bank, was often very busy and rarely had time to be with us. Not to say he wasn't a distant person naturally, he just had an intense focus on his job. What time we had together was typically short and rarely eventful, but Damien managed to make him really angry one time and the ensuing events led the three of us being kicked out into the rain.

Mother... she was either at home for a long period of time or not at all, being on the Council as the representative for the education system. Before the council, she was a certified nurse who helped rehabilitate those who had lost a part of themselves... physically and mentally.

As for Mina herself, some would describe her as a person with a silver tongue and a heart of gold, but could destroy you in over a hundred different ways if need be. Never play her in chess."

Erik stood from his seat and walked down to the end of the car, looking into the trailing behind them and the lack of human life.

"Mina could convince you that elephants are the highest jumpers and fish actually hold their breath. I wouldn't necessarily say we're similar as we're very compatible. Oh! She has near perfect photographic memory. Before the incident regarding my eye, Mina often assisted with remembering some of the small things I overlooked. Anything else you're curious about or may I sleep?"

Edited June 9, 2017 by zakku_uchiha

[Thaelasan]

"No, I suppose that's the end of it. Though if you have any interest in my own story, I guess I never really told it in detail." Alan said, pondering. "Though it's nothing new."

"When I was young, I witnessed the death of my grandfather. It struck me, since he had died of age and natural causes. But I wondered - why? Why let it end? What could I do to fix it?

I met Fiona later in life, and fell deeply in love. My father believed in our marriage and my mother wanted nothing more than for me to be with her. But her parents did not like me. They were outraged when she moved away to be with me, sending us mail and telling us that she'd been kidnapped and hoped she would come back home.

But we stayed together. During that time, I began my studies in the fields of science and bio-technology. I met Randall during college, and we became close friends. It was only natural I ask him to help me with my greatest project. And you know how the rest of the story goes.

My father was a pediatrician while my mother was a librarian. Not the most amazing of jobs, but they both loved to help children flourish."

He leaned back in his chair, his eyes closing.

"Now that that's over, I suppose I'll join you in sleep."

"And I as well." Fiona leaned on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "Nothing else much to do."

Randall continued snoring.

[Clown_of_God]

An empty sky, dark and cloudless with not a single star shining down onto the earth. It was as if the heaven's themselves had given up on the corruption this planet had become. Fortunately, there was no pain. No pain, no feeling at all. Almost as if what had been in pain no longer existed. Unfortunately, that was pretty much the case. From the right shoulder down, where an arm had been was just a mangled and disfigured section of flesh. The left side didn't fare any better, starting from between the shoulder and elbow, chunks had been torn off that left muscle and bone alike exposed. Neither leg existed any longer, one having been torn from the hip and the other just a few inches lower. Several organs had been lost and there was damage to the brain as well. Yet, the heart continued to produce blood and lungs continued to breath.

 

Darkness ensued once again, but soon the starless sky reappeared. A tunnel? Where dust had once filled the air, trees soon began to block the view. Where was this place? Where had they come from? Still, it didn't seem terrible, as long as there was no more pain. Darkness again and then a face. A man's face. Older, probably in his mid thirties and scruff covering his chin. Blue eyes and dirty blonde hair that almost seemed brown.

"She's awake!"

His voice cracked, like it was void of moisture.

"What?! How?! She's practically a corpse!"

Another, deeper voice echoed, more guttural than the first.

"I'm no doctor, but she might as well be a corpse. Her eyes are starting to show signs of the infection, but... how long has it been?"

"They kept her in that tube for, I think they said three years... did it just delay the spread of the infection?"

"Again, I'm not a doctor, I'm just telling you the edges of her eyes have that gross orange hue. Ah! She's looking directly at me now."

Infection? That's right, there was an infection spreading. That boy, there was a boy who was looking for someone. Who was he looking for again? A name... he had been shouting a name. Suddenly, something began to swell... pain, pain began to rampage, like a fire eating a forest.

"She's beginning to flail! Is it the infection?!"

"What do you think, idiot?! Just inject her with morphine and keep an eye on her like we were told. We have a few more hours until we reach the lab."

"Why do you think they want her?"

"Probably to be some sort of lab rat or something. I don't know and, as bad as I feel for her, I also don't really care. It's getting the money I need to put food on the table for my family."

There was a prick and then the pain began to fade. Slowly, the world began to fade away as well, turning back into darkness. Sure, it was a bit scary being in the dark, but at least there wasn't any pain.

 

~~~~~~

 

Sophie's eyes flashed open and she looked around, trying to gain her bearings and soon came to realize she was back in the lab. From the lower section of her spine, she could feel a pulse swelling through her body, filling her with energy and she recalled what had happened.

During her testing phase, a small swarm of infected had appeared and she had shifted to a defensive posture until all the calculations were made.

"It's called Burst Mode."

Dr. Westin responded, having noticed the inquisitive expression on her face as her memory units were still in disarray.

"While searching for a solution to the incoming threat, you applied too much energy to your weapon unit and went into an emergency shut down to cool your core. Based on the results I'm getting now... it's as if you went into a mode of panic. Did you regain any of your memories?"

"I... have these dreams."

"Dreams?"

"I dream of this person, who may or may no be me, who had gone through a lot of pain."

"That's reasonable, considering the state you were in upon your arrival, I wouldn't doubt you yourself had gone through a tremendous amount of pain. Keeping you stable while constructing that body of yours was quite the feat. Fortunately, we were already in the process of collecting the resources."

"What sort of state was I in?"

Dr. Wesint looked away at this point, as if he regretted informing her of such details, but soon locked his gaze with hers once more.

"Since you're connected, I'm certain you can pull up the footage yourself. It dates back two years ago, on July fourteenth. Your delivery was around 19:06 and you were transported to a life preservation tube by 19:49. Between those periods, your body would have crossed through eight different security feeds."

Sophie had been delving into the systems various feeds, searching for the time period Dr. Westin had informed her of. Upon finding it, she began playing each feed simultaneously, eyes widening at what had just been revealed to her.

"Anyway, I've established a block that will prevent you from overexerting your core again. It'd be quite terrible if you panicked again and entered an emergency shut down while in the middle of a fight."

Sophie simply nodded, her eyes still wide as she replayed the footage several times until each feed had been paused on a frame that expressed just how traumatic her injuries were. Just like in her dream, what the man had said, she looked like a corpse.

"Sunrise is in three hours. Get some rest and finish charging. I want you to come meet up with me beforehand so I can discuss what your mission is going to be, okay? I'm assuming you'll be able to find my room, find me there once you're charged."

Nodding once more, Sophie archived the videos and laid down, curling into a fetal position with her arms wrapping around her legs. One thing was certainly returning to her. Emotions. They were beginning to swell and mix within her, causing confusion and a slight sense of fear.

Meanwhile, Dr. Westin had returned to his room, but rather than lay down in his bed he had sat at a desk with stacks of papers that were piling far too high. A dim light hung overhead that gave the room a rather eerie glow.

"Yes, I'll be sending her there shortly. Aside from a slight hiccup that's been resolved, I'm certain she'll be able to handle the situation for you. As promised, I'll take his core as payment, you can do what you want with his body. Scrap it, sell it, whatever you want it doesn't matter to me. All I want to find out is how he ticks. Yes, that will be all. Call me back when she arrives. Bye."

[Thaelasan]

A single, black raven flew over the heads of the men and women in their tanks and tents. It flapped its wings solemnly as it approached, gaining a headwind as it soared and moved towards the boy standing in front of the Spire. His hands were in his pockets now, his mind distracted.

It flapped softly one final time and landed on his shoulder, nuzzling his face. It then vanished, and he shrugged.

"You guys suck." Kure sighed, digging a foot into the sand. "Not only are you developing a weapon to fight against me, but you also couldn't find the easiest target in the world, who is currently heading TOWARDS us. You really serve me no purpose. Get lost, before I just destroy you."

He stomped the ground. Cracks appeared, sending out fractures that caused several tanks to sink into the ground, unable to move or drive. Panicked screams began to burst from the groups as the leaders tried in vain to regain control. The Colonel turned back to Kure, furious.

"DO you KNOW how long it took to get those up and operational!?" he spat, slamming his hand on his table. "You insignificant prat! I'll see you consumed in the flames of ten megaton bombs if I have something to say about it!"

"Do it, and destroy this glorious Spire with me - if you succeed." Kure sighed, hands behind his head. "Now shoo shoo."

 

----

 

A raven was pecking Alan's window. He awoke slowly, confused. His mind, at first, was unable to comprehend what was happening. But then he began to ask the real questions.

"How... why is a bird down here?" he asked, suddenly nervous. The Raven pecked harder at the glass, obviously determined to get in. Alan was equally determined to leave it outside.

It gave him a long look. He stared back at it. He moved to reach for his gun, but the Raven shook its head.

It shook its head.

THE BIRD SHOOK ITS HEAD.

"Did... did it just..." Fiona began, also staring intently at the bird.

"I think it did." Alan replied, confused. "But why-"

The bird began to move further down the train car, towards the door. The train slowed to a halt, ending abruptly before any landing was in sight. Alan cocked his head.

Was he still asleep?

The door opened, and the raven flew in. It didn't attack them. It didn't even try. It soared casually over to Erik, got a good look at him, and then perched on the back of his chair and looked at Alan.

"Well now, isn't this special. I won't waste words, you pack of labrats." the Raven spoke without moving its beak. "Three rockets have been fired at the subway tunnel from RADS to prevent your transport. They'll be hitting within a few moments, and they'll hit the area in front of the train. They would have killed you. Now they won't. But you can't use this train to get any further as a result. You're gonna fake your deaths."

"...Alright." Alan blinked.

"Leave the train. Walk forward seventeen meters. There's a maintenance shaft used by the old workers, based on a few maps I found. You go through there, there's an escape hatch. You're not to Utah yet, but you're halfway through Colorado. If you follow my little Raven friend, we'll all end up happier for it. But I have one problem - where's Mina?"

"She stayed..." Alan began, but shook his head. "Wait, just a minute here. Who are-"

"UGH, not this question crap. Look, we'll worry about it later. I'm slowing the missile's descent but I can't stop them forever. Get out of the damn train." the bird squawked, furious. "I can't have you guys dying here, not when I need your help."

With that, the bird flew ahead of them. Alan turned to Fiona, then Randall.

"I just woke up I thought, but a bird is talking to me." Randall said, rubbing his eyes. "Is thish a dream?"

"I'm uncertain." Alan admitted. "But if it isn't..."

"We can't just trust it, can we?" Fiona asked, concerned.

"We have to. It's telling the truth." Alan said, checking his watch. "My radar tells me there are a few objects within a fifty meter distance, all arranged like explosives. If it hadn't woken us up, it would have been disastrous. But, it could have fired them itself."

"Well, no use sitting around here when missiles are flying at us regardless." Randall said quickly, grabbing his bags. "Let's go."

[Clown_of_God]

Erik listened quietly, adjusting his mask ever so slightly as the raven seemed to perch just behind him. Based on the information they had received, this had to be the doll MINA had mentioned and forewarned about. Yet, he had already delayed their demise and was requesting assistance. What exactly was he after? What did he need from them?

Slinging his pack over his shoulder, Erik followed the others off of the train, but paused right at the edge and peered down the tunnel that would lead them to their destination. Three warheads, Block VI TLAM... such a waste of resources, firing three of them just to halt a subway train. Still, if they were willing to use such force on a single train car, it made Erik wonder what sort of force they used against the infected.

"I'm certain you can hear me. What is your name? It seems you're very aware of who we are, but the only information I have about you is that you're actually quite dangerous."

Upon reaching the maintenance shaft, Erik stopped in place and looked back in the direction of where the missiles had come from. From through the lenses, there was a dull red glow for a brief moment before fading away behind the dark lenses.

"Also... I've disarmed all three, not only turning the payload into a giant dud, but also extinguishing their boosters completely. I've also taken the liberty of tracing their point of origin."

[Thaelasan]

"Huh. Damien really DID have reason to be afraid of you then." the Raven preened itself, impressed. "But you're not out of the woods yet. They're going to wonder why their precious, little missiles didn't go boom."

It flew ahead for a bit before pecking the doorframe. The door opened, revealing an old pathway that looked like the last time it had been used was pre-Infection. Spiderwebs decorated the doorway, all of them old. The Raven sighed.

"Welcome to RADS controlled territory. Over 65% of Utah is already under their dominion, as well as some outlying states. They don't appreciate outsiders coming in and out without permission and they always take all of their belongings without giving anything in return. It's a dictatorship out here. I mean, I haven't been a part of it, but apparently it's pretty bad." the Raven squawked. "Anyway, let's get introductions out of the way just so there are no questions. This Raven is an extension of my mental powers. My name is Kure. And I'm a Doll built based on that gas-mask fetishist, Erik."

The Raven extended a wing before flying further into the shaft. Alan and the rest of his group followed, pushing webs out of the way. Randall flicked on the lights, but the bulb immediately fizzled out. The wiring hadn't lasted through all this.

"Great. Good thing I came prepared then." Randall said, flicking on his wrist-light. It shone dimly in the darkness. Fiona followed with her own light sources. Alan turned on his glasses, which lit up the room a bit more. Several details could be made out, but nothing useful. Old machines used to determine train routes. Emergency gear. Breaker boxes.

"Currently, I'm in a bit of a bind." the Raven continued, as he perched on Alan's shoulder. "See, RADS uncovered something Damien built years ago, a very important artifact which could actually be really bad if, ya know, someone got their hands on it and didn't want to use it for its intended purpose. So I've been keeping them at bay for a while. But now they've gone and began speeding up their weapon processes, and one of those weapons is apparently specifically meant to combat me."

"Not to be rude, but what does that have to do with us? Let Damien's work be destroyed." Alan began, but the Raven gave him a glance.

"Well, we'd be more than happy to help you, but we're on a time crunch as it is..."

"Look, the Spire isn't something you DESTROY. It's an Infected repellent." the Raven squawked, flapping his wings with irritation. "Meaning that someone who had it could keep the zombies off of them scott free. And start embezzling protection funds from civilians in exchange for its abilities!"

"An... Infected repellent?" Alan began, concerned.

"How the hell did Damien manage that?" Randall asked, stepping forward a bit.

"Remember, eggheads, that Erik and Damien were cut from the same cloth." the Raven shrugged. "I don't know the specifics because I never cared enough to ask. My job was to protect Damien while he did his research. Now he's gone, and I got nothin' else to do but around with idiots who mess with his work. It's in my coding."

[Clown_of_God]

"You were built... to protect Damien... and his work? Is that all?"

Erik spoke up, his voice somewhat mocking as he checked his weapon before raising it to his shoulder.

"Impressive that he constructed a repellent spire, I am curious as to how he did it, but there's still the whole trust issue and I have yet to hear a good reason."

Something seemed off about the way Kure spoke, the way he seemed to twist his words. Maybe he was bending the truth, not giving them the full details, but something definitely felt off about this whole situation. It felt... familiar. Like how it felt when MINA used to observe them prior to Damien's fall.

"I agree that RADS is an issue, that they're becoming a tyrannical force out here in the west. I've received numerous requests through my assistance channel near the border. Upgrading defense systems, establishing defensive grids, upgrading Dolls to fight off raid parties, deliver food and other resources... so we're in the same boat regarding them.

Yet, your presence comes out of nowhere and with little warning, but you knew exactly where we were and you probably know where we're headed and why we're headed there. I certainly didn't broadcast my departure and the only people who seem to track me are either idiots who needed me to repair a plane or someone I should consider an enemy until proven otherwise."

By this point, the muzzle end of the weapon was pointed towards the avian, a dull red light glowing behind the lens of Erik's mask as his eye went to work.

"I'm sending you a set of grids. Meet us there, in person and not as a bird or some other creature, and we'll discuss this spire issue. I'm certain you have a way to lock it up long enough to come visit. If there's something I don't like, however, we're bypassing the whole area and continuing on to the west."

[Thaelasan]

If birds could frown, it felt as though the Raven would do so.

"Locking it up?... You must be..." the bird began, but then sighed. "There are a few defensive countermeasures still in place, yes... Fine. I should have assumed you'd be this anal."

It flapped its wings, soaring towards the exit hatch.

"You are Damien's brother after all." it said, sighing again. "If you go out of this hatch, you'll be south of Denver. Your train got derailed after all. You're near Colorado Springs. I, however, am near Boulder, in Utah. Your coordinates are near Glenwood Springs. I'll meet you there, if it will make you happy, Erik."

The Raven vanished, leaving behind a confused group, who turned to Erik, then back to the hatch.

"Guess the only way out is up." Alan finally said as Fiona grabbed the first rung.

"Guess so."