YOUR WORLD - Book 02 of The Neo Trilogy

[jcboyd]

I've said it before and I will say it again.  This is just flat out good writing, worldbuilding, and storytelling.  It's far beyond genre/fetish fiction.  It's just good work.   

[GLKnight]

The amount of work that Daya had to oversee after the meeting was absurd. Orders from within CB Zero. Orders from the Oversight Committee. Filing that needed to be done in order to authorize the use of enemy resources they had on had for Project Remodel, then the needed redactions to ensure that any potential leaks could be managed.

For two hours, she was bogged down in paperwork and responsibilities that the managers of the Secretary and Office Pools foisted on her due to her work ethic and seeming lack of a backbone.

Then came the alert about the containment breach on Level Five. Which, in turn, necessitated the other Levels to be put on lockdown for the safety of all personnel. For one solid hour, the gawky office worker waited with baited breath as everyone else around her panicked. She did her best to alleviate their worries and fears, but it was an uphill battle. No one on site had any real experience with the NAE except for a scant few, which was worrying given just how much of a menace they were throughout the world. The terror of an attack was practically an existential nightmare to many. But Daya always believed that if you kept your head clear and your eyes open, exposure to any danger was easier to handle.

To the pool of her section, she was a rock that evening. A hero for how she handled herself and the concerns of everyone in that office space on Level Two. But as soon as the lockdown was lifted, Daya rushed down to Level Five. Her mind only focused on one person.

As soon as she saw the devastation, however, she truly feared for Desmond. The way walls were sheered or broken, the layer of water flooding the charred floor. The debris and rubble that lay all around. Broken weapons and scattered pieces of clothing. The blackened walls of Desmond's cell. A not-so-subtle pang of despair gripped at her heart as she worried for him. She remembered his first days here. She could see the pain on his face. The loneliness he was struggling with. He was skittish to an uncomfortable degree. And the first time she saw his eyes after he tripped on the third day of interviews, the way he frantically reached for his fallen sunglasses as people actively gasped and screamed when they saw the translucent stones they had been turned into. She had wanted to scream, as well. But on instinct, she muffled herself to keep her voice from the chorus of fear. Heartbroken as she thought about how Desmond must be feeling. All too human, but now forced into a life that bordered on dehumanizing.

She asked part of the maintenance team handling the cleanup what had happened. And her heart sank as she heard the details. The demand for a DNA sample from Desmond. How his sister became enraged. The initial damage done in defense of her brother, and how she had inadvertently harmed him in the process. The transformation and horrifying display. How Desi had subdued him before Medical arrived. Before she heard whatever else they had to say, Daya blurted out a quick "Thank you!" and ran for her life up to Level Three. The elevator doors opening as an entire crew from Level Seven hurriedly rushed to put equipment together, with Merlin and Apollo overseeing the work.

"Directors!"

Both Merlin and Apollo were surprised as they watched one of their most competent office workers running their way, looking pale and sick with worry.

"Ms. Martinez?" Apollo asked, confused at her arrival. "What brings you up to-?"

"Is Desmond okay?" she asked, cutting off one of her superiors as she looked around the Medical bay.

"We don't know yet," Merlin offered, putting her hand on Daya's thin arm. "But we're doing what we can to make sure he is."

The gawky office worker's eyes roamed around, looking over people she recognized as being from the labs on Seven while they were excitedly putting together various pieces of electronics and computer systems out in the main lobby.

"I don't like this," she muttered, her attention snapping onto the directors with a fierce look. "Which room is Desmond in?"

"Room twelve," Apollo croaked, pointing past the check-in counter and awaiting double doors. "But we can't let anyone-"

"Thank you" was all Daya said before rushing off, sprinting as only a Track & Field athlete can and crashing through the doors to the operating rooms and private areas.

Apollo, too tired to chase after her, shook his head and went back to overseeing the scientists building the scanners to begin tests on Desmond. Merlin said nothing, pushing her sunglasses up with an invested look as her interest in Daya grew.

[GLKnight]

Once through the doors, the gawky office worker took stock of the empty Operating Area. Her eyes scanning the walls for guides as she pushed up her round glasses.

"Emergency Rooms. General Practice. Ah! Okay! Private Rooms!"

Putting her long legs into action, she hooked a right as she ran with all her might. Her heart hammering in her chest as she silently prayed Desmond was alright.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Down in the labs of Level Seven, a motley of scientists and assistants crowded around one corner of the work space as Doctor Lai came in from having dinner. She saw how her compatriots were unable to get to close due to the soldiers standing guard. A stern look on their faces as they kept their weapons at the ready. She casually began putting her long dark hair into a ponytail as she readied to do some testing involving Neo DNA when she heard her team starting to get excited at what they were apparently watching.

"What's going on?" she asked a random engineer, trying to look over the shoulders of the taller men on shift.

"Remember the lockdown a couple hours ago?" he asked, only giving her a quick glance before returning to voyeurism.

"On Level Five?" Lai asked, getting a disturbed look as she remembered being locked in her quarters with her partner. "How could anyone miss it? What's that got to do with-?"

"It was the Nowells," the engineer replied, smiling perversely. "Apparently, no one told the Neo the brass wanted samples from her brother. Lost her damn mind."

Lai's eyes went wide with shock. She could have sworn Apollo ordered for her to be notified about the need for every possible type of sample, including genetic material from her brother.

"How many died?"

"That's the thing, Jenny. No casualties. Tons of injuries, though. And a shit ton of structural damage on Five. But she only did the combat portion. Her brother also went Nuclear."

Jenny's mind flashed back to when everyone was given updates after Desmond's outburst during the interviews two months ago. She had seen the footage of his flesh vaporizing instantly, the look of intense pain on his face as his physical body was converted into energy. Heard him screaming about a broken moon and some otherworldly thing as people barely evacuated the room before a brilliant explosion of bright light. It gave her nightmares on a level she had never had before. An existential imprint that remained in her waking life for over a week afterward.

"Jesus," she muttered, shuddering at the thought of Desmond doing that again. "So what has that got to do with us down here on Seven?"

"Directors had a team head up to Three with scanning equipment. Apparently, something's going on with him up there. Meanwhile, she's been placed in confinement due to their rooms being utterly destroyed. And something happened with her, as well."

Lai wanted to know more, giving the engineer a weird questioning look. But all he did was motion her forward. So, with a thread of disgruntled curiosity, she began moving through the crowd. Moving closer and closer through the chattering audience. As she moved closer, she heard a couple of the team counting. Their words buried beneath their eager passive participation.

"522! 523! 524!"

Finally breaking through, Doctor Lai could only stand in rapt attention as she say Desiree, no longer withered, lifting through a simple makeshift bench press machine she had clearly designed. Her eyes laser focused as she pushed rep after rep upward.

"Why are you cheering?" Lai asked a nearby physicist, Dr. Edmond Mowzell, who kept quiet with a huge smile.

"See the machine?" he asked in his thick Germanic accent, pointing towards what Desiree had built. Causing the smaller Chinese-American doctor to question what she was meant to look for.

"Yeah? What am I supposed to-?"

Her words fell short as she realized exactly why Edmond had asked her to look closely. From where she was standing, she could see that the inside of the machine was not an ordinary construct. For within the semi-hollowed out shell that the bar slid around in, she noticed a faint blue glow as tendrils of bizarre, almost sentient light tethered themselves to the bar. Pushing down when she the Neo lifted and pushing down when she guided the bar down to her chest. Her breath perfectly controlled as she blasted rep after rep.

"When did she have time to build this?" Jenny asked her friend, earning a chuckle from him.

"The moment she was put in confinement," he told her, impressed by the work. "It took her all of ten minutes."

Jenny was absolutely floored by that admission. She built the entire thing, practically from nothing but scraps and an idea, in ten minutes? And not only that, but she seemed more energetic- Hell, she looked more alive than she had in her entire stay at Containment Bunker Zero. She had seen what Desiree Nowell was capable of when she was slowly dying before their eyes. But now she was seeing what a Neo was capable of when firing on all cylinders. And she was supposed to be the weakest of them all?

Then a sudden though hit Doctor Lai.

"I take it she's been working out since, right?"

Doctor Mowzell simply nodded his head as he stroked his greying beard.

"So she's lifting what, seventeen hundred pounds?"

Edmond smiled before pointing at a readout on the side of the machine.

"See for yourself, Fraulein."

Jenny scuttled slightly, checking the readout on the attached monitor on the side of the machine.

Desiree was not lifting seventeen hundred pounds.

She was lifting almost three thousand. And from the look on the Nowell sibling's face, she was barely struggling.

[GLKnight]

As she looked at the readout, her mouth agape in shock in how much Desiree had been able to overcome her max, the Neo unleashed a disgruntled growl before angrily racking the bar. The machine shutting down with a click as she became upright and slamming her fists into her own knees.

"This isn't a fucking show, damn it!" she shouted at her audience. Startling most in attendance as they hurried to continue their shift or went back to cleanup before going back up to Level Six for some food and their own beds. But Doctor Lai was unperturbed by the outburst. Her mind calculating how the youngest Nowell had been able to nearly double her best in one day.

"How could you make this so quickly?" she asked Desiree, toweling down despite barely having any perspiration on her person.

"Wasn't hard," she grumbled. "Some spare wires, some sensor circuits. Attach a monitor for the readout. Hardest part was making the tether points for the Zaxxzovic relays and the Idanian particles so it didn't run out of power in the first thirty seconds of use."

"The what and what?"

The look of disappointment on Desiree's face was palpable when she remembered how far behind Humanity had fallen compared to the Blues' achievements.

"Programming where the energy ropes that manipulate their own gravity connect and the stuff that powers the battery." she simplified, almost like having to speak to a toddler. "Other than that, everything else was readily available and easy to cobble together."

The look of pain on Jenny Lai's face, who normally would be one of the smartest people in the room, when she was practically admonished by someone both far younger and far larger than her regarding science that she was woefully inexperienced with immediately cut through the gruff exterior that Desiree was projecting. In that moment, she wasn't looking at one of the men and women working to save Humanity. It was like she was looking at Desmond, currently struggling to feel like he was accomplishing something, anything after one of the many times their mother humiliated him. The regret was instantaneous, and she could hear the little voice in her head telling her to apologize.

'I'm sorry. I'm worried about my brother, okay? They took him up to Level Three after the incident on Five. It doesn't excuse my behavior."

Putting on a mask of professionalism, Doctor Lai breathed deep to try and regain her composure from the slip of turmoil.

"Would you like me to call upstairs? See if you can go check on him?"

"This is a good chance. We should take up the offer."

Desiree said nothing, closing her eyes and nodding her head in approval. As cute college aged doctor walked away, the Child of the White had to fight back the urge to scream. For two months, she was under constant surveillance. Every eye on her every move. All the hoops she had to jump through for approval for this or that. All the negotiating she had to do for basic privileges. All the testing of her limits. All of it and not a moment alone all because she needed to protect her brother. It's not like she had a moment alone to herself, anyway.

And in a strange way, Containment Bunker Zero was like a weirdly mundane mirror to the various Mother and Sister Councils that made up the Empire's political structure. Each struggling to get all other arms to comply and work with each other. The inner struggles of the Brain, the Hands, the Heart and Will of each organization. But it was the leadership that completely differed. While her mother and Doctor Bernard seemed very carnal, both in public and private, there was a tension that she couldn't avoid noticing. It was as if there was a invisible battle happening between them. But Merlin and Apollo, while not in a physically intimate relationship, were the exact opposite. The humans were open about their respect and platonic love for each other. They actually cared and were more focused on unification and mutual trust. To someone whose only facet of that sort of love came from her own brother, Desiree couldn't help but be envious with how easy they were able to earn her brother's admiration, as well.

Well, to be completely fair, she wouldn't call Doctor Bernard and her mother the leaders of the NAE. But she was pretty sure that at this point, Humanity was not ready for the real truth about who she and the rest of her kind were truly reporting to. Which is why she had to stay close to Desmond as much as possible. If anything truly went wrong, she was the only one who had a chance at containing whatever he was becoming.

[jcboyd]

"If anything truly went wrong, she was the only one who had a chance at containing whatever he was becoming."

Well... that's certainly a bar to drop. 

[erocha75]

3000 lbs!! Wow!! That is impressive indeed!! Desi more than made up for her 2 months of regression... It would have been so cool if she had held on longer to Desmond and grown/transformed much more...

Also, what an exciting cliffhanger regarding Desmond!! What on Earth is he actually becoming??


PS I do want to restate my doubt that, given that NEOs are so far ahead from humans (both from physical amnd intelligence perspectives, as Desi clearly proves), what is stopping them from taking them the whole world at once? Seems like it should be a walk in the park for them...

[GLKnight]

I do want to restate my doubt that, given that NEOs are so far ahead from humans (both from physical amnd intelligence perspectives, as Desi clearly proves), what is stopping them from taking them the whole world at once? Seems like it should be a walk in the park for them...

I have to point out that what the Neos are doing is more than just outright warfare. They are also doing a Propaganda campaign that the nations of Earth were woefully unprepared for.

Financial institutions. Free care and clinics that provide no cost coverage for every malady and illness. Education and resources beyond First World Nation levels. Social outreach centers and programs designed to improve and care for local communities that State/Regional leadership overlook. Environmental care programs designed to buy, renovate and provide stable shelter and homes for those unable to provide for themselves.

And then there's what Neotech is capable of - rejuvenation, strengthening, cosmetic alterations. Youth, physical power, and the chance to be an individual's idea of beauty and wanted.

All of these things I touched on in Your House. And in Your World, all the people in power care about so far is actual warfare.

Because which is a more damning blow - being able to decimate your opponent with overwhelming force?

Or somehow convincing the people the governments are trying to protect that they should willingly join the side that is able and open to giving them the support they are not getting from their own, even if they are being portrayed as "the enemy"?

Mind you, there's a very dark secret behind it all. But that's coming to light soon...

[erocha75]

I have to point out that what the Neos are doing is more than just outright warfare. They are also doing a Propaganda campaign that the nations of Earth were woefully unprepared for.

Thanks a lot for your answer! The whole propaganda scheme was not evident to me, so it's great to have this broader and very interesting perspective pointed out.

PS Can't wait to find out about that very dark secret!!

[GLKnight]

As the reconstruction of the monitoring equipment was nearing completion, Agent Apollo felt the phone that only worked inside CB Zero vibrate in his pocket. Quickly slipping it out of his pocket, he read that the call was coming from Level Seven. His face screwed into confusion as Merlin looked at him, puzzled by his expression as he chose to answer.

"This is Olympus," he answered, using the codeword for his position as Director of Staff and Projects.

"Sir," he heard on the other end of the line, the voice very familiar to him. "This is Doctor Lai. I saw you put our Neo in residence in the lab due to what happened on Five?"

The groan that rumbled out of his chest was palpable as his mind flashed back to the incident.

"We needed to put her somewhere after all the damage she and her brother caused."

"That's partly why I'm calling," Doctor Lai told him. "She's worried about him, sir. She's clearly showing anxiety issues and wants to apologize about how she acted."

Glancing at his partner, Apollo was praying Merlin could hear the question he was mentally projecting at her. Hoping she would tell him to say no. Instead, all she did was gesture towards him to hand over the phone. Rolling his eyes, he did as Merlin asked. Handing it over as he rolled his eyes while silently thanking God for her intervention.

"This is Camelot." was his partner's quick reply, watching her listen intently as she held up one hand so Apollo would wait. Nodding her head with every beat as she heard everything Lai was asking.

"You have a security detail watching her. Have them bring her up."

The look on Apollo's face, his jaw dropping slightly as a slight sense of indignation ran through him, made it hard for Merlin to not break out in a smile.

"M! What-?"

"When she gets here," Merlin jovially tittered as she handed back his phone. "She'll have to apologize to us before she even gets to see her brother. She can kill us without a thought. But when you train a beast, the first thing you teach it is to respect you."

Apollo froze in place as Merlin casually brushed her long black hair over her shoulder as she turned. Walking away powerfully as she went back to commanding the crew from Seven to prep transport of their tech to Desmond's room.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As soon as she burst through the doors to the private area, Daya came to a full stop. She was struck by just how eerie everything suddenly felt. The emptiness of the waiting area. The strange presence she felt in the air. The silence that bordered on unnatural. She could feel a ringing in her ears before even hearing it, her natural response to when her body was on edge. But she knew she only reacted like this because she needed to see Desmond, to know that he was okay. Her eyes scanned the hall, looking for room numbers as she carefully walked along. She couldn't help but mentally chastise herself for walking slowly, almost quietly. But once again, it was as if her nerves were telling her to be careful.

Soon enough, she found herself before Room Twelve where Desmond currently lay. Letting go of the breath she had been holding ever since she came into the private rooms area, she clenched her large hands twice. Feeling her knuckles gently pop like whenever it was her turn to run in a relay or long distance for a meet before brushing her palms against the skirt covering her long legs, hearing the swipe of her hands along her narrow hips and thighs. Then, once more adjusting her glasses, she pushed open the door that led to Desmond.

His room, like the hallway, was eerily quiet as well. The lone light in the room glowing upon his youthful features, giving him an almost angelic wash as he peacefully lay there. His breathing steady, his body still. As she looked at him in his bed, Daya's mind flew back to when her grandmother Alma died when she was twelve, laying in her bed disconcertingly still but at ease. The way he lay there, his body here but laying empty before her eyes despite breathing deep through medical machinery, coaxed unwanted tears as she realized what kind of state he was in. Her approach was slow, fearful that any sudden movements would startle whatever remained within him. Creeping towards his bedside as she held out her hand to gently take his.

As she touched him, Daya couldn't help but notice two things. The first is how small his hands really were. Practically covered completely by hers, his frail form seemed even more fragile. His pale skin staring out like halogen light against her more sun kissed tanned tone. Her heart broke, seeing the helpless state he was reduced to.

"Hey," she whispered softly as she fixed her glasses nervously. "It's me. Daya, obviously. I hope you can hear me."

Her grip tightened slightly, trying to hold on to him like she was trying to hold his very soul in her hand. Leading to the second realization about Desmond's predicament - the warmth he seemed to be exhibiting. The way his skin felt, it was more than feverish. Resting closer to a low wattage bulb one could grab without issue.

"I know they would have ignored me in the meeting. But I saw the way the General was looking at you. Well, looking at what he could get out of you, really. But I should have said something. Done something. I'm not good with conflict. I'm sorry."

Daya sighed mournfully as she reached over and brushed his light blonde hair out of his face. She recalled pictures of what he looked like before all of this. How he had broader features, was taller and stronger looking. How his hair was a light brown shade like his father's. And then there was his current look - smaller, frailer, more narrow and innocent looking. She remembered what his sister had said about why her mother had chosen this look, saying it was to remind him what he had lost and how he was supposed to be seen as by Neos. Nothing but a toy for their amusement. But that was before the incident at Doctor Bernard's manor. The devastation he caused. The fear and panic he instilled in them. How he had become a living defiance for every law of physics imaginable.

She had seen the reports regarding the aftermath of the Nowell's recovery, particularly the raid on Doctor Bernard's plantation. And the barren state it had been left in. The burnt fields and emptied halls. Not a single piece of technology had been discovered. Not even a single spec of DNA. It was as if the NAE's efficiency went further than even the most ardent investigation team could imaginably go.

"I just hope that you wake up soo-"

The light beside Desmond's bed slowly began to grow brighter, forcing Daya to look away. Its brilliance far too bright than what the bulb inside should have been able to handle as machinery began to stir to life. Each scanner and device surging to life in a frantic display that scared the life out of the gawky office worker as a light began to shimmer from inside Desmond's flesh. His body twitching as it radiated an intense heat.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Are we good to go?" Apollo loudly called out to the engineers in the lobby, quickly getting a thumbs up from a few of the leads.

"Ready, sir!"

"Alright," Merlin cheered, clapping her hands. "Let's get this show on the-"

The lights began to flicker violently, causing every soul to stop what they were doing in surprise. The scanners began to blare, sending out sounds and warnings that immediately sent everyone in the room into a panic. As the chaos unfolded, the elevator doors opened wide. Letting Desiree and the security team watching over her rush out into the lobby. Unlike the humans that were quickly losing themselves in the panic, the Child Of The White needed no such instruments of detection. She could feel it permeating the air. She could feel the vibrations all around her. The pressure mounting. The electric whites of her eyes flaring as the energy flowed through everything. A fear gripping her hearts as she recognized what this sensation was.

She charged forward, rushing towards Apollo and Merlin and grabbing their hands to pull them along.

"We need to hurry!" she shouted.

"What's going on?" Apollo asked, tugging his hand out of her six fingered grip.

"It's Desmond!" she screamed, the terror in her eyes palpable. "They're using him as a conduit!"

"Who are they?" Merlin asked as the warning speakers sparked to life. Crackling horrifically as a low, haunting chorus began to sing through them. Desiree knew their time was short, so she grabbed their shirts and forced them to keep moving to the private rooms.

"The Zhurat! The Mothers Of Power! They are making Desmond into a gate for them to come through! And if we don't wake him up, then this place will be the first of the many tombs of Humanity's last chance at staying yourselves! But we have to move NOW!!!"

Hooking her arms underneath both Agents, the Neo chose to carry them in order to shut down any delays. Slamming through the double doors to the Operating Rooms and other areas of Level Three in a full sprint, praying she wasn't too late.

[erocha75]

OMG!! How exciting!! Will the Zhurat come through?? Will Desmond's energy outburst affect Daya?? More chapters pleaseeeeeeeee!!

[GLKnight]

Trusting her senses more than the guides on the walls, Desiree ran with urgency towards the pull. Only stopping when every ounce of her being screamed at her to stop.

"Desmond!" she screamed, dropping both agents on their feet before walking back and stomping forward, kicking the door with all her might. But the door refused to budge. Causing the Neo to scream in rage as she backed up again and slammed against the door with her full weight.

"Desmond! You have to wake up!"

Her eyes flashing with a deep welled brilliance, she once more screamed in fury as she assailed the door once more. Her full weight crashing through the doorframe as a dizzying world of colors spilled through. Both agents following close behind, guns drawn as they became overwhelmed by the sight hovering before them. Desmond, once more clad entirely in energized flesh, as he hovered in the room. Veins of the full Neo Spectrum coursing through his form as he floated in front of a glowing ring of light. And through that portal, a world of static skies and crackling energy that seemed to flow out of the portal like toxic mist. One corruptive reality layering over another as all in attendance stared with horrific wonder at the realm beyond.

All staring deep into the Axzhurat - the Realm of the Mothers Of Power.

"We need to wake him up!" Desiree shouted, trying to piece together the puzzle of how to prevent an apocalypse before her eyes fell on Daya, standing mutely in a corner. Merlin acted quickly, rushing to comfort the poor girl, tears flowing freely from her doe eyes as she looked worryingly beyond the ring. Muttering "no more" over and over as her director tried to get her attention.

"What did she see?" Apollo asked their only knowledgeable voice, his voice sharp and direct.

Desi could only look at her brother's friend with sadness before ripping a cord out of one of the machines.

"She saw them. The Zhurat. The Mothers. They did this to him. They made him into... this."

Moving before her brother, she wrapped the cord around his waist. Hoping it would hold just long enough for her to get him out of sync with the portal. She knew he was the key. She knew he was the gate. The grounding rod for all of their energy. If she could pull him away from the portal for even a second, then he'd have to go back to normal. And once he was back in flesh, they would be trapped once more. They needed to be trapped, above all else. Otherwise, everything would be over. So she held on for dear life and began to pull. Energy sparking all around as the struggle commenced. Arcs of lightning filtering off from the ring as Desiree vociferously fought for not just her survival, but her brother's. The people he trusted. The world he lived in. Even if she knew she didn't belong in it, she had to protect him. Had to protect his world. She made a promise, ever since this new life began for her.

But for the first time, she realized just what kind of battle she was truly in for. As she glanced upward, seeing for the first time with her own eyes as massive hands made of purple essence casually slid through the portal. Each lovingly grasping onto Desmond's glowing body as he began to speak once more, in a thousand tongues lit by the feedback of a thousand broken speakers.

THE PALE PALE MOON HAS BEEN SUNDERED

UPON A COLORED WHEEL!

ON WAVES OF FIVE THEY COME,

AND MEASURED, BLEED THE WORLD!

ALL IS THEIRS BY RIGHT!

ALL IS THEIRS BY FORCE!

COME, CHILDREN OF A TIRED WORLD!

COME TO THE MOTHERS OF POWER

AND BE MADE ANEW!

A NEW LIFE!

A NEO LIFE!

COME, AND BEGIN ANEW FOR YOUR NEW TRUE MOTHERS!

Desiree froze. She had heard some of the things before, whispered among private circles where most of the castes were not allowed to meet. Where those in true power spoke of disturbing plans beyond the current campaign, back when she was just regarded as a mere child left to wander amidst the Sisters. But much of what was said was new to her. The insinuations laced in every word. The true evil behind every voice, every hand. In that instant, that single moment of weakness, she let go of the cord. Doubt and frailty shattering her very core. And as she did, she heard them laughing.

FOOLISH CHILD! HOW DARE YOU DEFY YOUR MOTHERS!

Desiree was frozen from her front row seat as the veins of energy running through Desmond's form turned a deep, unsettling purple. The static corpus becoming tainted by its light as he glowed brighter still. Energy welling up within as he and the hands holding him reached out towards her before an explosion of light shot out.

"NO!!!"

[GLKnight]

The flash of light was blinding. Dazzling all who were aware into a stupor as the howling buzz from the Axzhurat portal filtered through. All was a world of light, rung into existence by the high pitched whine that filled the ears of every fleshy being in the room. Though she could not rightfully hear anything, Merlin was the luckiest of them all from the extra layer of protection provided by her prescription strength sunglasses. Her sight only filled by the hovering flare of her optic nerves superimposed over liminal space.

"Can anyone hear me?" she called out, stumbling and waving her hand around as her senses slowly came back to her. "Are you alright?"

Her hand slapped against the wall, and immediate worry took her. A section of the bunker wall, made of seven inches of reinforced concrete, gone in a manner of seconds. She scrambled through the hole, hoping there was no one on the other side. But once out into the hallway, the scent was unmistakable - the harshness of burnt hair and cloth and the char of meat beyond the scent of ozone and tingling odor of electric discharge. Horror gripped the director, praying that whoever it was hadn't been killed by the explosion.

"Don't move," Merlin whispered, climbing onto her knees awkwardly. "You'll be okay. You'll be-"

As soon as she put her hands on the body, she froze. Pain tearing through her soul as enough sight had returned to see the victim laying on the floor.

"M?" Apollo called out. "What's going- Oh God!"

As she lay on the floor beside the bed, Desiree's head reeled. She was ground zero for the attack. She was dead to rights. Then she felt hands pushing her before the burst of light. She was thankful for whoever had pushed her out of harm's way. Then she saw through the sheered wall, to the scorched and decimated hallway beyond. She saw the despair on Apollo and Merlin's faces as they screamed out for help. Her head whipped around the room as truth dawned on her.

The person who pushed her out of the way...

"No!" Desiree screamed as she jumped to her feet, staring down the being that her brother had become as it floated between worlds, held by the hands of the inhuman gods that the NAE worshipped. "No more! You are like his mother! You are not his mother! No more! NO MORE!!!"

The Neo howled in fury as she struck out, her talons fully extended as she dove forward. Each black claw sinking deep into their Avatar's chest, unleashing a desperate and terror filled scream in a thousand voices as the spectral hands holding him unwillingly gave up their tether to this side of reality. A sensation none of the Zhurat had ever felt before, true and absolute physical pain, filled their screeching chorus.

A thousand voices, forced to experience one of the truest and most learned lessons of existence - with bodily form and function, there must also come pain.

Merlin and Apollo could, at least, feel the flow of pressure that they knew Desiree must have sensed. Turning to watch as the disembodied hands quickly vanished as their cries faded. The ring around the hovering inhuman form of Guest One, Desmond Nowell, began to flicker and pulse. The stability of the anchor wavering like a broken light as the static world vanished from their side of the connection.

Then, with a quiet gasp, the bond was severed. And for a brief moment, the being her brother had become tilted its head towards her. His eyes, filled with the cascading light of the Zhurat's castes, becoming gentle and tired.

"Desi...?"

Startled by his voice, Desiree retracted her claws from his body. Tears in her eyes as his form gently burst into light and was replaced by flesh and blood once more. Limply slipping between her arms as he fell to the ground. She embraced him, holding him tightly as she wept and stroked his hair.

"You're okay," she sobbed. "Thank goodness, you're okay!"

Desmond's bleary eyes looked through the wall, watching as a gurney quickly came into view while Apollo and Merlin panicked. His mind was too fuzzy to comprehend what was going on as they helped gently lift a severely burnt body for transport.

At that moment, only one question came to Desmond.

"Desi? Where's Daya? I thought I heard her earlier, but it was like she was coming through an old speaker..."

Desiree said nothing, silently apologizing to Desmond for failing to protect him from even this moment of agony he was too dazed to really understand.

[jcboyd]

GL.  Dude.  This writing...

"All was a world of light, rung into existence by the high pitched whine that filled the ears of every fleshy being in the room."

SPECTACULAR

 

[erocha75]

GL.  Dude.  This writing...

"All was a world of light, rung into existence by the high pitched whine that filled the ears of every fleshy being in the room."

SPECTACULAR

 

Totally agree. Fantastic writing. More chapters please!!

PS We need to know what happened to Daya, pls!! Was she killed by the explosion??

[GLKnight]

The morning after the reality breach, the tension hung heavy in the air like the coming of an apocalyptic storm. Nerves were fine tuned to extremes as news of the incident filtered from on high to the lowest maintenance staff member. A silent knife on the throats of every human in the bunker as the true extent of what Humanity was facing bore down on their consciences. A simmering violence was brewing, fostering a growing hatred for all things Neo.

Particularly the Nowell siblings, who now served as the faces of the NAE's overarching malevolence in the minds of the staff. Desiree didn't need anyone telling her this, either. She could see it on their faces - the looks in their eyes, the sneers or horrified expressions they were unable to control being in her presence. The muted whispers they thought she couldn't hear, wondering why they had to put up with her and her brother or what her true motivations were to be here.

The thing that hurt her the most, though, was the new nickname they were giving her and every Neo. The refusal to call them Neos at all, and instead calling them Blinkers. A reference to blinking Christmas lights, annoying to the eye in brighter spectrums and easy to snuff out. A small gesture to control the narrative for their own sakes about which was superior - the naturally made Human or the artificial Neo seeking to take over.

Desi fought back her urge to lash out, swallowing her pride and pushing her anger down into a pit inside her gut. She could destroy all of them in an instant. Break them with her strength. Overwhelm them with her intelligence. Flash her talons and let the glow of her eyes freak them out into submission. Or simply be too much in their presence, dominating their puny wills with a look, a gesture and her mass alone.

But she had other things on her mind. She had made her way down to Level Nine - the bottom of CB Zero where the nerve center of the entire base resides. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she was caught in a brand new chaos. Bureaucracy in mania as the soldiers on guard readied their weapons on her approach. Desi didn't want to fight. Not after last night. All she wanted to do, really needed to do, was talk to Apollo and Merlin. After what they saw on Level Three, the devastation they witnessed. The truly inhuman degree they and the rest of Humanity was facing, she knew she had no choice but to finally tell them what was actually going on with the NAE. The volatile nightmare that was on the way and more.

Holding up her hands to show she was not here for any malicious reason, she looked at the guards with a visible expression of weakness.

"I need to speak to one of the directors. Are they here?"

There was a brief moment where she began to second guess their reaction. Would they shoot? Would they tell her to leave? She had no clue. All she could gather was the pressure in her chest from holding her breath waiting for a reply, same as them from what she could see. Then, before anyone could say anything, the aggressive clicking of heels chipped through the chaos of arguments and barely restrained aggression from the peons at work. A woman who looked like an assistant to the directors, badly dyed blonde hair in a stern ponytail putting her blocky executive like appearance on full display as she stormed forward in a power dress suit. Her thin lips tight in annoyance as she moved to take control.

"Guest Two," she said, her voice carrying a slight lisp as she eyed the resident Neo. "You are not allowed down here and you know it."

"I'm sorry, Allie. But I need to-"

"You will refer to me as Deputy Director Milton or Miss Milton, Guest Two." she replied, her tone harsh and authoritative as she gave a cutting look. Desiree, more frustrated than angered, heavily sighed as she rubbed her eyes.

"Deputy Director," Desi grumbled, clenching her jaw as she tried to keep herself in check. "Do you happen to know whether either of the Directors are available?"

Deputy Director Milton gave a self-satisfied smirk as the Neo put herself in place, relaxing as she finally felt she had put Desiree where she belonged.

"You are not privileged to that information. You can go looking elsewhere. I'm sure there are sectors a Neo like you are allowed to be."

Desi's eyes flashed as the Deputy Director waved her hand, shooing her away with a pleased smile before turning and walking away joyfully. A low growl rumbling in her chest as she cracked her knuckles.

"First time meeting her?"

Desi looked at the guard who spoke up, his head turning to his right to watch the Deputy Director swing into action. Dictating the technicians and others like a sycophant eying the throne. Taking a deep breath, the Neo calmed herself. Focusing on the meditation practices that her teacher, Safira had taught her.

"She'd fit right in with the NAE," she grumbled, causing the guards to chuckle.

"I don't doubt that," the other soldier morosely offered, frowning as he glanced to his left. "We hate her guts, too."

"I can see why. I'm sorry about... Well, everything."

"Don't be," the guard on her right sagely replied. "You're not to blame for the actions of others."

Offering her a quick salute, the guards resumed their duties. Desi could only weakly salute back, demoralized as she walked back into the elevator to head back up to Seven. She knew she'd need to get this aggression and frustration out of her before interacting with anyone else. At this moment, maybe some weights were the solution. Or even some junk. She wanted to throw something around, just not at the cost of more fear and hatred.