[ EPU Foyer ] [ Lab and Grill ] [ Bonus Theater!! ] [ Rhetorical Questions ] [ CSRANTronix ] [ GNDN ] [ Subterranean Vault ] [ Discussion Forum ]

Eyrie Productions, Unlimited

Subject: "EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"     Previous Topic | Next Topic
Printer-friendly copy    
Conferences Mini-Stories Topic #167
Reading Topic #167
pjmoyermoderator
Charter Member
1185 posts
Jan-09-14, 11:39 PM (EST)
Click to EMail pjmoyer Click to send private message to pjmoyer Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
"EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
 
   Slowly, Scott Bernard's consciousness returned to him. Once more, he hung suspended in the light, the presence of Reflis enveloping him, protecting him from harm, taking the mental pain of what he had experienced within herself, as she had for all her children. Already the psychic mind screams of the True Invid, and the death cries of their bastardized siblings, were becoming fading echos in his mind.

"my... my god." His mind was numb, his stomach leaden. He was currently incapable of physical movement, but still he tried to move his parched lips to moisten them. "i... i'm sorry," he replied, though even as he said the words, they felt hollow and meaningless.

I alone survived... barely. If it were not for the sacrifices of my last children, I would not be here today. Grief and shame surged once more, and then settled down. Largo, his vengeance taken, turned his back and went on to other schemes.

"So that's why they stopped making their Invid mecha," Scott said. "He'd destroyed the source."

Yes. Some of his fallen Invid yet live, most of them locked in frozen sleep, Reflis told him, but most are gone now. She paused for a moment, then continued, I have shown you all I can.

Scott, still overwhelmed by what he had seen and experienced, did not answer. He hung there, speechless, for some time as his thoughts raced. And then he spoke, his words quiet, even as the offer seemed futile:

"What... what can I do? Is there anything... left for me to help?"

A surge of surprise filled the space between Scott and the Queen. Reflis spoke once more, and for a moment, Scott could feel a measure of the Queen's majesty return to her.

There is. It is too much for one to bear alone - but I have seen how your compatriots aid you, in the past and in the present. You command them through equality and respect, not slavery and fear. Together you may very well succeed in what I hope you can accomplish.

The four approach now. I must beg your indulgence; I will need to speak to all of you at once, and time is short.

Scott nodded - or gave the impression of a nod, which served the same purpose. "I understand."

Thank you, replied the Queen, and then a touch, both mental and physical, traveled along the length of his body. Awaken, Scott Bernard of Mars.

Wednesday, April 10, 2295
Unknown system, Enigma sector

When Ray Randall had joined up with Scott Bernard, several years ago, he hadn't really given much thought about what he was possibly getting into. Sure, Scott was a bit of a stiff, and had an obsession about sticking it to GENOM where the sun didn't shine, but he was also a competent, experienced leader and pilot, and Ray had seen in him the best chance he would have for a long time to get off Tatooine and into the galaxy beyond. It was a dangerous cosmos out there, especially in this day and age, and there was safety in numbers. Also, somebody had to keep Scott from doing something so totally clueless that he got himself in over his head and possibly dead in the process.

Still, as the months passed, Ray sometime wondered if it wouldn't be better to find his own way, to become a ramblin' man once more. Scott's crusade against GENOM could keep beating the odds for only so long; and besides, they were just five against a gigacorporation, and what chance did they have of defeating that? Houquet "Rook Bartley" Erose had sometimes expressed the same opinions to Ray in private, which was a surprising amount of self-reflection from the usually combative Salusian former bike ganger.

But still, they stayed with Scott and Lance and Shinobu, for despite all their voiced complaints and endured hardships, they were the closest either could get to something akin to a family. They knew, even if they didn't acknowledge it consciously, that however much of a stiff-necked pain he was sometimes, Scott would go to the wall for them when the chips were down. And after all these years, they would do the same without hesitation.

So it was they had fought against GENOM in the skies above this ruined world, preventing the corporation from doing... well, whatever they had planned to do with what was left of it. And so they had landed, to try and find their leader, who had gone off the radar during the battle - though it was clear that he had successfully protected this place and its crystalline dome from the mysterious mecha from earlier.

And now, just to add the recommended daily allowance of surreality to Ray's day, they rode their Cyclones slowly through the inside of that dome, which was a stunning contrast to the bleak wasteland outside its curved walls.

The interior was packed from wall to wall with living things, many of which Ray couldn't identify offhand. Flowering vines and dark-stranded creepers entwined themselves upward and around much larger treelike structures, their lower branches bare but their topmost boughs covered with multicolored foliage. Bulbous tubers and mushroom-styled fungi grew on a massive scale, their roots and tendrils entrenched in the soil. The soil itself was thick and dark, yet reasonably firm, enough to easily support the Cyclones and their riders. Those parts of the terrain that weren't covered with thick grasses and low-growing shrubs bore the mark of animal footprints, the likes of which Ray didn't recognize - and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. The shapes and colors of the plant-life around them was almost dizzying in its variety.

But even with such a display of vegetable splendor all around them, there was a feeling of desperation that permeated the dome. This place was living on borrowed time, and everything there knew it. Ray had already noticed, upon their entrance, that some of the plants near the outer edges of the structure had started to wilt and decay. The small channels that wound their way through the grounds were clearly the remains of a much more productive water supply. Now, only trickles of liquid remained.

Shinobu Takeuchi's frown was visible through her helmet's facebowl as she studied the readings on her tricorder. "I don't know how the field managed it, but we've been cleaned of radiation. Nothing built up on our armor or bikes, either from the raw fallout or the dirt and dust from outside."

"Be that as it may," Houquet Erose interjected, "I hope you won't mind if I stay inside my CVR for the time being."

"Agreed." She glanced at her tricorder again, sighed, and put it away. "The radiation level in here is nominal - for the moment - but I wouldn't want to bet that it will stay that way forever."

"How long are we looking at?" asked Lance Belmont, who had taken point.

"About... two to three weeks. A month, at the latest, and only with a lot of luck."

Ray Randall nodded. "I could see where things were starting to break down near the edges of the dome. Looks like the degradation's already underway."

"Well, if all goes well, we won't have to linger long," replied Lance. "Scott's got to be in here somewhere."

Ray surveyed the terrain as they rode through the dome, and let out a sound of slight surprise. "Hold on... I think I see a path!"

The path Ray had discovered was wide enough for two Cyclones to proceed abreast, and had been cultivated and maintained to a degree that left no doubt as to its artificial nature. It wound its way among subtle rises and falls in the terrain, bracketed by shrubs and trees, leading further in. The sounds of the forest became progressively muted, as the trees reached higher for the apex of the dome and the ground cover increased in density.

The path became a passageway as the branches crisscrossed overhead, blocking out the sunlight from outside the dome. The group proceeded in silence, watchful and patient, following the path to the growing light at the exit.

Finally, they were through, and they came to a halt, surprised by what they saw. In the center of the dome was a large clearing, bordered by the tallest trees, that smoothly lowered into a bowl-like depression in the ground. The surface of the bowl-clearing was covered with short, thick grasses. Various other things that looked like roots and vines writ large crisscrossed the area, breaking through the soil.

And in the center of the clearing, supported by organic tendrils and webs... well, Ray wasn't exactly sure what it was. It bore some resemblance to a Krayt dragon pearl he had seen once, opalescent and shimmering with reflected light. But its size put any foreign gemstone to shame, and it softly hummed with subliminal power.

"What is that thing?" murmured Houquet, coming to a halt. "I've never seen anything like that..."

"Don't look at me, sister, I've got no clue," answered Ray in a matching, hushed tone.

"I don't think 'what' is the question we should be asking, guys," observed Lance, taking in the area with a critical eye. "More like 'who'."

Ray's request for clarification was cut off as he could see, quite belatedly, that they were not the only ones present in the dome. Below the massive organic sphere, there stood a woman.

Well, at least Ray assumed it was a woman. She had the correct proportions, as far as he could tell from the floor-length red robe she wore, but most women he knew didn't stand around three meters in height, nor were they totally bald. Also, they didn't glow with a fey foxfire aura, that added extra lights and shadows to the landscape near the sphere.

The woman in the red robe didn't appear to notice them at first. Instead, her attention seemed to be focussed on a large organic carbuncle, longer than it was wide, that was also beneath the glowing sphere. She reached forward with one slim hand, and stroked her fingertips along its length.

At her touch, the surface of the carbuncle rippled and tensed. There was a gurgling sound, and Ray could begin to see through the fleshy sides of the "pod". There was liquid in there, already draining off, and the silhouette of a man in blocky armor --

"Holy Shit! Scott!" Without waiting for any form of discussion, ignoring the bald woman who stood nearby, Ray Randall ran forward to the side of the pod. He could now see the figure inside begin to move, grabbing at the fleshy interior. "Hold on a second, Scott, we'll get you out!"

A quick motion freed up Ray's survival knife, and another sliced through the skin of the pod. Lance Belmont, who had also moved up once he'd figured out what was going on, added his own muscle power to the extraction effort. Together, the two men seized the cut edges of the opening and ripped it open the rest of the way.

With a choking gasp, Scott Bernard lurched up out of the opened biopod, covered in greenish goop that had the consistency of gelatin. He then doubled over, coughing violently, expelling more goo from his lungs through the open facebowl of his helmet.

"... glahghk!" Scott exclaimed. Ray and Lance supported him on both sides, holding Bernard steady as he cleared out the rest of the goo from his airways. "GOD, I do not want to ghkt go through THAT again." He coughed again, spitting out another glob of green stuff. "At least with bacta, you get a damn breathing mask," he continued, still out of sorts.

"Hey, man... what the hell happened?" Ray asked as he and Lance pulled Scott out the rest of the way. "First you're blowing shit up, then you're plummeting, then you're off the grid, then you're here..."

Scott shook his head. "It'd take way too long to explain, Ray. Ask me again later." He waved off his companion's support as he steadied himself on his legs. He reached up and pulled off his helmet with a viscous sticking sound, leaving his hair in disarray.

"'Oh hey, Ray, thanks for pulling me out of the weird zombie pod,' 'No problem, Scott, happy to help,'" Ray muttered under his breath, to which Lance gave him a cockeyed grin.

Scott Bernard, meanwhile, was taking a quick look around to regain his bearings. Thanks to his recent experiences he knew where he was, and a quick headcount confirmed that everybody from his team was now present, alive and unbowed. He allowed himself a brief smile, and nodded up in thanks at his rescuer.

Houquet raised her hand, looking up at the rather tall humanoid woman. "Um... who is this, Scott?"

Unexpectedly, the faintly glowing woman spoke. "I am Reflis... the last Queen of the Invid as they once were, Houquet Erose of Malastare."

Houquet blinked at that, while Shinobu raised her voice in protest. "Wait, what? Invid queen? How can a line of commercially produced combat automatons have a queen?"

"Like I said, it'd take too long to explain," Scott began, but Reflis raised a halting hand.

"Yes, but you must be told, Shinobu Takeuchi of Tomodachi, all the same. Time is short, and you must understand what part you may yet play in this story."

"I'm hugely confused, Scott," Ray pointed out as the three men rejoined Shinobu and Houquet.

"Reflis is an ally, Ray... but there's not much time left. I'm sure you saw signs as you came in."

Lance Belmont nodded. "Yeah, this dome was a good idea, whoever made it, but it's only holding off the inevitable."

"Yes, Lance Belmont of the Wayward Son," Reflis added. "My children did all that they could to preserve the last flicker of life on ruined Optera, but it was still not enough. As things stand, I doubt it will survive another orbital cycle."

"But that is not why I have brought you here," the Queen of the Invid continued as she gestured towards the space between the giant organic sphere and the ground below it. A translucent glowing sphere of green and blue came into existence, slowly turning. "This was our homeworld once - Optera, green and shining. I and my children, the Invid, lived here without want or need."

As the projection continued to turn, there were brief flashes of a strange race of semi-vertebrate beings, going about the business of living, all while watched over by their Queen-Mother, Reflis. The regard they had for their protector and progenitor was obvious, and so were the signs of her power, guiding her species into new forms better suited for living in a changing world.

"For millennia we lived like this, without further thought to the galaxy outside our world. Until the machines of GENOM came. Until Largo arrived."

At Reflis' words, the planetary projection began to change. Straight lines and geometric shapes began to spread from central nexuses, dividing up the planet into sectors. Penning and separating the native Invid into smaller and smaller divisions across the planet for better tracking of the new 'resource'.

"He deceived us - deceived me, and I in my naivete and foolishness gave him the tools by which to bedevil the galaxy. A Birthing Matrix, like this one," she gestured upwards towards the large glowing organic sphere, "used to produce nothing but fodder for his war machines."

Both Shinobu and Lance's eyes widened at this revelation. As long-serving WDF soldiers, like Scott, they had naturally assumed that GENOM's "Invid" mecha were just robots. Certainly, later GENOM military developments, like the Vulture boomer fighters, had done nothing to disabuse them of that notion.

"We did what we could to try and weather the malaise caused by the enslavement of our distant brethren, but it took all my power just to keep my children from being crippled outright from the deaths of so many of their distant kin." She directed her gaze towards the image of Optera, resting a hand on it. "Every matrix I tried to produce in secret was found and dragged from us. No matter how much I tried to protect them, the GENOM overseers used their own Invid slaves to force us to comply. The threat was just too great."

"But... you've got such power," Houquet found herself unable to resist pointing out to the Invid Queen. "Why didn't you stop him? Once you knew what he was, surely you could've resisted him."

"Eventually, I did," Reflis replied, her voice filled with a terrible sadness. "One day, his minions came for another matrix, but I could bear the shame no longer. I defied them. Refused to let Largo have what he demanded..."

Her voice trailed off, and for a moment, the image of Optera, occupied but still beautiful, remained unchanging. Then, as the group looked on in horror, the explosions and war-screams began. They spread across the terrain, discoloring and tainting everything they touched. Soon, the entire globe was pockmarked with the scars of terrible battles.

Then Largo's fleet moved into position. Missiles tipped with nuclear fire rained from the skies, devastating the surface. The seas boiled away into space. The forests flashed to ash in seconds. The remaining "true" Invid and their twisted siblings were annihilated, the replayed echo of their psychic death-cries reverberating through the ether.

"... and Optera burned," Reflis said.

Within moments, a once lush world had become barren and dead. Ray squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the images. Only a pressure on his side caused him to open his eyes again, to find that Houquet had come up close beside him, her own expression grave.

Meanwhile, Lance and Shinobu were trying, and largely failing, to cope with the imagery as well. Both of them had been present on the day the Wayward Son fell over Musashi. Both of them had watched, aghast, as the GENOM dreadnought's crash had annihilated Musashi City, and its ruptured engine cores had triggered a nuclear firestorm that consumed most of the planet. But even that had been (as much as it had benefitted GENOM's PR assault) an accident, however hideous. This atomic devastation, on the other hand, had been on purpose, a vengeful action committed out of pure spite.

Only Scott watched the scene without flinching.

Finally, dark grey soot clouds began to spread over the surface of ruined Optera, driven by the extreme changes of temperature caused by the bombardment. It truly appeared as if nothing had survived the onslaught.

"But wait... if you're here," Shinobu pointed out once her stomach had stopped churning at the images, "something survived."

"Yes," Reflis admitted quietly. "Even as the skies burned and the oceans boiled, my children - both from Optera and GENOM - committed themselves to one last protective evolution. It would have been within themselves to metamorphose into forms that could withstand the new environment, but instead..."

The image of ruined Optera turned and zoomed in on the surface. And there, in the remnants of the central Invid Hive, a miracle occurred. Even as the nuclear blasts scoured the surface, the remaining Invid joined together around Reflis' prone form, their bodies melding and mecha warping around them to form a protective dome.

"... they sacrificed themselves to protect me. After all they had endured, all those decades, they did this of their own will, not by my command."

The dome expanded and grew, slowly transforming into the recognizable shape that they now all stood in.

"I awoke... I grieved... and once the burning winds began to calm, I searched my world for anything or anyone that survived. I scavenged what life I could, and poured most of my remaining energies into creating one last Birthing Matrix." Reflis gestured up towards the giant glowing sphere as the projection of Optera finally faded away.

"So... you're the last, then," Ray observed, nodding towards the matrix above them. "Just you and your... organic engine thing there."

"Not entirely, Ray Randall of Tatooine," Reflis admitted, looking downward. Directed by her gaze, the assembled humans looked down as well, at their own height.

Two figures had appeared, poking their heads out around the edges of Reflis's long red robe. The overall effect was that of two curious children, shyly peeking around their mother's skirts to see the new arrivals.

That effect lasted the amount of time that it took for the two of them to step fully into view. Now revealed, it became patently obvious that they weren't children at all, but full-grown women, clad in similar form-fitting bodysuits. One of them, a long-haired redhead, looked at the newcomers with unfiltered curiosity. She looked as if she wanted to speak to them, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder by the other woman, who had upswept short lime-green hair and a much more guarded expression. She shook her head briefly, her ruby eyes meeting her companion's similar ones.

Scott's team stood there, taken aback by this revelation.

"... They look human," Houquet finally blurted out.

This prompted a slight rolling of eyes from the lime-haired woman. "Well, to us, you look Solugi," she said as she crossed her arms over the reinforced chest panels of her purple and pink bodysuit.

The other woman, whose bodysuit was deep purple with large orange panels and a V-cut opening over the chest, smiled winsomely at the assembled humans. "But that shouldn't matter in the long run. Hello!"

"Uh... hi?" Scott managed to say out loud, having finally hit his threshold for surprises that day. It didn't help matters that the redheaded woman was remarkably cute. He fought down a sharp pang of regret. Although they were nothing alike physically, there was something about her attitude that reminded him strongly of his lost fiancee, Marlene.

"Smooth, Scott, real smooth," murmured Lance with a grin to his leader before waving a hand in welcome. "Hey there. Pleasure to meet you two."

"Um, yeah, hi," Shinobu managed to add.

For his part, Ray Randall hadn't quite stopped staring at the two. "Whoa - ow! Hey!" he protested as he got an elbow in the ribs courtesy of Houquet.

Reflis gestured at the two women, first the redhead, then the lime-haired one. "These are my daughters, Ariel and Sera. I have made them in the image of your species, for I have seen the way humans stride among the stars. Ariel possesses all my knowledge of our science and art; Sera is the finest warrior I could devise, created to defeat the enemy you have just destroyed. They will serve you well."

"Uh, wait a second here, serve? I thought the idea was to not be enslaved or in servitude," protested Houquet.

"You are correct, Houquet Erose. But in order to survive in these times, you must depend on each other, serve each other, in the joint tasks of survival and protection." Reflis looked at Scott Bernard, and then the rest of the humans there. "Together, you are capable of so much more than mere survival. It is my hope that my daughters will be able to contribute to that as well, as you go out into the galaxy once more."

"Well, I'm game," Lance admitted after a moment's thought. "God knows we can use all the help we can get out there."

"Provided you can pull your weight out there in the black," Houquet added.

Sera nodded. "That was a VAF-6J Alpha Legios Veritech fighter you were piloting, correct?" At the blonde's puzzled nod, she continued, "Provided you have another, I don't think we'll have any problems. Otherwise, I'll have to use yours."

"She's got you there, Rook," Ray said with a grin at Erose's flummoxed expression.

"Be nice, Sera," Ariel commented with a chiding look. Her sister gave her a slight smile in response.

"And you, um... Ariel?" added Shinobu.

"I haven't entirely decided yet," the redheaded Solugi admitted, before looking up at her mother. "But..."

Reflis nodded down at her daughter with a sad resolve. "When I am gone - which will not be long now - Ariel will be Queen of the Invid. This matrix shall respond to her will. With it, you will create the new generation of Invid."

Scott blinked, momentarily confused. I'm not sure if that means what it sounds like it means, he mused to himself, recalling what happened to the males in certain insect societies. Reflis gave him a brief amused smile, and he blushed slightly with embarrassment.

Ariel and Sera exchanged a puzzled look at the human's reaction, then returned their focus on their mother, who resumed her decree to the humans.

"There will be warriors among them, but there will also be artists, and healers, and makers and menders of things. The universe will not remember the Invid as Largo made us. Not if you are wise stewards of our legacy." Reflis turned to address Scott, looking him in the eyes, impressing him with the gravity of the situation they were now in. "I would not have chosen you originally, Scott Bernard, but you are the instrument Fate has brought me, and I must trust in Fate."

Scott swallowed and considered his words carefully. "When I joined the Wedge Defense Force," he said slowly after a moment, "I swore that I would protect the innocent, help the helpless, and fight for the freedom that is the right of all sentient beings. Nowadays, most people think the WDF and its ideals are dead... " He nearly trailed off, his face taking on a thousand-yard stare, but then he pulled himself back to the moment and fixed clear eyes on those of the Invid Queen. "But as far as I'm concerned, so long as I'm not, they're not," he went on with firm conviction. "I swear to you, Reflis, that I will protect your daughters Ariel and Sera, and help them in any way that I can in continuing their legacy."

"Thank you, Scott Bernard of Mars," Reflis replied gravely, then turned her attention towards her daughters. "Ariel. Sera. My remaining time in the light is short - please attend me."

The two women nodded, and moved to either side of her, supporting their Queen-Mother as she slowly sank to her knees, the foxfire glow ebbing as she did so.

"Sera, my daughter - I made you as a warrior, and your skills are great, but there is more to life... more to us than war. Remember that you are a warrior, not a weapon - a person and not an object. These humans have walked the warrior's path before you. Heed their words and teachings, and you will learn that you have worth beyond your capacity for violence."

Sera nodded, murmuring "I will, Mother," as she glanced thoughtfully over at Scott's little group.

Reflis let out a long sigh. "Forgive me, Ariel. I have handed you an immense burden and cannot be there to help you bear it. But your soul is strong and you have the purity of purpose to be a leader of the reborn Invid. Only... do not let this reduce you to a cipher. Queen of the Invid is what you are, not who. Remember, you are and always will be Ariel, my daughter, no matter what your life brings."

"Yes, Mother," Ariel replied, helping her lie down on the ground, still supporting her as the queen's strength faded.

Reflis looked up at them both, the glow now gone and the strain of continuing evident on her face. "Revenge must not be the meaning of our people's continuation, my daughters, or Largo has won; but he wins as well if the Invid, weak and timid, flee and hide from a galaxy under his heel. Seek not war, but avert not your eyes from injustice. Grow strong, stand straight, do right, and the scales will one day balance themselves."

Ariel gripped her mother's hand tightly, her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to hold back the tears. Sera didn't appear to be doing much better, her face grim as she held on tight.

"Wield my gifts wisely, my daughters. Do not weep for me, for I will ever be with you, Light willing. Farewell."

And with that, Reflis closed her eyes, exhaled her last breath, and went still.

There was a moment of silence from those assembled, human and Invid alike. And then, to the quiet surprise of everyone there, Reflis's body began to glow, the foxfire aura returning and strengthening as it covered her body within the robe. The Birthing Matrix thrummed in time with the glow as it consumed Reflis entirely and finally broke apart into a dissolving constellation of sparks. These motes of light swirled between the sisters, settling on them and fading away, as the remainder were drawn up into the Birthing Matrix proper.

When the light show completed, all that was left between them was the Queen's robe.

Sera looked down at the empty robe with an unreadable expression as the two Invid women got to their feet. She leaned down to pick up the fabric, attempting (and failing) to fold it, and looked at her sister gravely.

"The Queen is dead, my sister," she said, handing the red robe to Ariel. "Long live the Queen."

Ariel gazed uncertainly at a spot on the ground by her feet, murmuring quietly, "But I... we can't..."

Sera gripped her sister's shoulder firmly - not hard enough to hurt her, but enough to startle her into raising her eyes.

"Of course we can," the warrior replied flatly. "This is what we were made for, Ariel."

Ariel looked down at the robe in her arms, then back up at Sera, her red eyes wide. "But, Sera... it's all so... so huge and sudden. And if GENOM is still hunting us... isn't someone like you the leader we really need?"

Sera shook her head. "No, Ariel. Mother is... was right. My focus is on the present and the threats we face. Your focus is on the future and the hope of our species. Your heart... your soul is much better suited for what is to come."

"I'm not tough or brave like you," Ariel protested. "You're so much stronger than I am."

"Nonsense," said Sera, sharply but not unkindly. "You're every bit as strong as I, if not far stronger - but your strength is meant for subtler things. This is why there are two of us. Mother failed because she tried to do everything herself."

Ariel's eyes went still wider in dismay. "Sera!" she cried.

"I mean her no disrespect," said Sera, unmoved by her sister's shocked reproach, "but she did. The evidence lies all around us." She gestured vaguely to the crumbling dome and the devastation beyond. "She tried to adapt herself for two different roles at once and ultimately could not succeed in either." Taking Ariel's other shoulder, she gave her still-shocked sister a gentle shake and pressed her, "Don't you see? She could not defeat Largo when she had the chance, because she could not devote herself sufficiently to the demands of battle and maintain the continuity of our species at the same time. She designed you and I so that would never happen again. Now you are the heart and the brain of the Invid; and I am your sword and your shield. Together we can succeed. Together we will survive."

"I... I suppose you must be right," Ariel replied, and gathered the robe around her. The sheer size of Reflis's former raiments dwarfed the new Invid Queen, enveloping her entirely aside from her head and hands, and pooled crimson at her feet. "You won't leave me?" she asked in a small voice.

Sera managed a smile. "Of course not. I promise you that I'll stand by and support you always, Ariel, my sister... my Queen."

At last willing to be reassured, Ariel answered the smile with one of her own, and the two embraced.

Houquet watched the tableau with mixed feelings, then turned towards her companions and said quietly, "Soooo... now what?"

"We need to get them - and this - out of here as soon as possible," Lance stated, looking up at the Birthing Matrix thoughtfully.

"Agreed. This dome can't last much longer, and GENOM will be back as soon as they can organize another expedition," Shinobu added. Glancing significantly at the two surviving Invid, she went on, "We all need to be long gone by the time they get here."

Houquet gave her colleagues each a skeptical look in turn, indicating the organic construct above them. "How are we supposed to move that?"

"Let me make a couple of calls. I know some people," said Ray. Houquet gave him a surprised glance - he'd sounded most uncommonly serious. He paid Houquet's look no mind and turned to considering the dimensions and probable mass of the Birthing Matrix with a pensive, faintly calculating expression.

Scott nodded, evidently not as surprised as she was, and told him decisively, "Good. Do that. In the meantime..." He looked sadly at the two Invid women, still together by themselves on the grass. "There are a couple of people here who just lost their mother."

The others all nodded acknowledgement and moved off to discreet distances, each alone with his or her private thoughts. Scott watched Ray at his work, mumbling and making little notes to himself on a datapad, for a few moments, then walked a short way off himself, sat down, and tried to get a handle on all he'd just witnessed, while he had a little time to reflect. The next few days, he suspected, were going to be very busy indeed. And after that...

He lay back on the tussocky ground, hands behind his head, and smiled ironically at himself. After that you have a promise to keep, Scott Bernard of Mars, he thought, and it didn't displease him. He'd always felt he did his best work with a clear purpose, and lately, though he'd never have admitted it to the others, he'd begun to feel that clarity was lacking.

Scott turned his head to regard Reflis's daughters, who were now deep in some private consultation of their own. Sera was facing away from him, but Ariel caught his eye over her shoulder and smiled a little shyly. He returned it, feeling mildly but genuinely happy for the first time in days, and then turned back to contemplating the gentle glow of the dome's interior high above him, thinking about something Sera had said to her sister a few moments before.

Together we will survive...

"Death and Life" (Part 3 of Exodus Climber Mospeada, an Exile Mini-Serial) by Philip J. Moyer and Benjamin D. Hutchins
Invid Consultation by Amy Borden
Special to the Eyrie Productions Discussion Forum
© 2013 Eyrie Productions, Unlimited


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

  Subject     Author     Message Date     ID  
  RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life Matrix Dragon Jan-10-14 1
     RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life BZArcher Jan-10-14 2
         RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life Offsides Jan-10-14 3
             RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life Peter Eng Jan-10-14 6
                 RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life Offsides Jan-10-14 8
  RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life Offsides Jan-10-14 4
     RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life Matrix Dragon Jan-10-14 5
  RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life mdg1 Jan-10-14 7
     RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life pjmoyermoderator Jan-10-14 9
         RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life CdrMike Jan-11-14 10
             RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life Verbena Jan-11-14 11

Conferences | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic
Matrix Dragon
Charter Member
1298 posts
Jan-10-14, 04:35 AM (EST)
Click to EMail Matrix%20Dragon Click to send private message to Matrix%20Dragon Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
1. "RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
In response to message #0
 
   ... Wait, so Ariel knows she's an Invid, and Scott doesn't know he's not human? Well, that's a little different to the original. It also seems Reflis didn't discover his origins, which is definitely for the best. She might not have been able to trust him if that happened.

I got the impression from some of Ray's thoughts that Scott was well on his way to a 'attack GENOM head on and damn the consequences' mentality. It seems that Reflis' words to Sera might be helpful to him as well.

I'm quite enjoying this story.

Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
BZArcher
Member since Nov-8-05
594 posts
Jan-10-14, 09:01 AM (EST)
Click to EMail BZArcher Click to send private message to BZArcher Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list Click to send message via AOL IM  
2. "RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
In response to message #1
 
   If Scott doesn't have any other memories but the ones of him being good, just, and trustworthy, perhaps it didn't matter to her where he came from, simply who he is.

---------------------------
We will BUILD heroes!


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Offsides
Charter Member
1129 posts
Jan-10-14, 09:27 AM (EST)
Click to EMail Offsides Click to send private message to Offsides Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
3. "RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
In response to message #2
 
   It's also possible that since he's not biologically an Invid, she can't see his exact biology, just his thought patterns. And if that's the case, then Scott also has no idea of his true origins, so it's a non-issue.

Of course, this also raises the slim possibility that there are two Scott Bernards out there, one human and one a "rogue" GENOM replicant, and wouldn't the meeting of those two be interesting...

[...] in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.
-- David Ben Gurion
EPU RCW #π
#include <stdsig.h>


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Peter Eng
Charter Member
943 posts
Jan-10-14, 02:29 PM (EST)
Click to EMail Peter%20Eng Click to send private message to Peter%20Eng Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
6. "RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
In response to message #3
 
   >
>Of course, this also raises the slim possibility that there are
>two Scott Bernards out there, one human and one a "rogue" GENOM
>replicant, and wouldn't the meeting of those two be interesting...
>

The Story of the Real Scott Bernard (UF version, that is)

Peter Eng
--
Insert humorous comment here.


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Offsides
Charter Member
1129 posts
Jan-10-14, 04:47 PM (EST)
Click to EMail Offsides Click to send private message to Offsides Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
8. "RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
In response to message #6
 
   LAST EDITED ON Jan-10-14 AT 04:47 PM (EST)
 
>>
>The Story of the Real Scott Bernard (UF version, that is)

As if I would trust the contents of a Galactopedia article as the truth... :)

Offsides

<...> in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.
-- David Ben Gurion
EPU RCW #π
#include <stdsig.h>


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Offsides
Charter Member
1129 posts
Jan-10-14, 09:31 AM (EST)
Click to EMail Offsides Click to send private message to Offsides Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
4. "RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
In response to message #0
 
   I know the coming attractions says this is done, but I really, REALLY hope that there's more. One question: Who is Shinobu? It's been a LONG time since I saw the original Japanese version of Mospeada, and I can't remember the names of any of the non-primary characters. My one guess would be "Sue Graham" in Robotech terms, but that's just a guess.

Very interesting perspective on the Invid, one that parallels some of my ideas from way back when. Well done!

Offsides

[...] in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.
-- David Ben Gurion
EPU RCW #π
#include <stdsig.h>


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Matrix Dragon
Charter Member
1298 posts
Jan-10-14, 10:54 AM (EST)
Click to EMail Matrix%20Dragon Click to send private message to Matrix%20Dragon Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
5. "RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
In response to message #4
 
   >I know the coming attractions says this is done, but I really, REALLY
>hope that there's more. One question: Who is Shinobu? It's been a
>LONG time since I saw the original Japanese version of Mospeada, and I
>can't remember the names of any of the non-primary characters. My one
>guess would be "Sue Graham" in Robotech terms, but that's just a
>guess.

Digging around online suggests your guess is correct.

Matrix Dragon, J. Random Nutter


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
mdg1
Member since Aug-25-04
924 posts
Jan-10-14, 03:57 PM (EST)
Click to EMail mdg1 Click to send private message to mdg1 Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
7. "RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
In response to message #0
 
   I'm only slightly disappointed in this story, because it precludes my long-standing semi-serious fan theory that the Invid were originally Daleks (and eventually became Vorlons).

Mario


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
pjmoyermoderator
Charter Member
1185 posts
Jan-10-14, 09:05 PM (EST)
Click to EMail pjmoyer Click to send private message to pjmoyer Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
9. "RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
In response to message #7
 
   >I'm only slightly disappointed in this story, because it precludes my
>long-standing semi-serious fan theory that the Invid were originally
>Daleks (and eventually became Vorlons).

Well, now the terrible, shameful secret can be told...

Kaname Sterling dressed as Oswin The Friendly Dalek for halloween trick-or-treating when she was 7. While the younger Ayame dressed as K-9.

--- Philip





Philip J. Moyer
Contributing Writer, Editor and Artist (and Moderator) -- Eyrie Productions, Unlimited
CEO of MTS, High Poobah Of Artwork, and High Priest Of the Church Of Aerianne -- Magnetic Terrapin Studios
"YOU-WILL-CANDY-DIS-TRIBU-ATE!"


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
CdrMike
Member since Feb-19-05
325 posts
Jan-11-14, 04:46 AM (EST)
Click to EMail CdrMike Click to send private message to CdrMike Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
10. "RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
In response to message #9
 
   >Kaname Sterling dressed as Oswin The Friendly Dalek for halloween
>trick-or-treating when she was 7.

Did she offer to make everyone soufflés?

--------------------------
CdrMike, Renegade Time Lord

"I have questions, but number one is this: What in the name of sanity have you got on your head?"
"It's a fez. I wear a fez now. Fezzes are cool."
- River Song and Eleventh Doctor, "The Big Bang," Doctor Who


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top
Verbena
Charter Member
415 posts
Jan-11-14, 05:03 AM (EST)
Click to EMail Verbena Click to send private message to Verbena Click to view user profileClick to add this user to your buddy list  
11. "RE: EX: Exodus Climber 3: Death and Life"
In response to message #10
 
   >>Kaname Sterling dressed as Oswin The Friendly Dalek for halloween
>>trick-or-treating when she was 7.
>
>Did she offer to make everyone soufflés?

She planned on it, but ran out of milk.

Well, maybe.

--------

this world created by the
hands of the gods
everything is false
everything is a LIE
the final days have come
now
let everything be destroyed

--mu


  Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Conferences | Topics | Previous Topic | Next Topic

[ YUM ] [ BIG ] [ ??!? ] [ RANT ] [ GNDN ] [ STORE ] [ FORUM ] [ VAULT ]

version 3.3 © 2001
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited
Benjamin D. Hutchins
E P U (Colour)