Edge of Infinity
Prologue – First Encounter
The darkness was thick and the humidity was heavy, while
the hum and sizzle of mechanical-electrical devices echoed in an overall silent
space. Pain lacerates my body
harshly. I can feel the sharpness in arms
and chest, my head pounded slightly while a soft buzzing took up the immense
darkness. I realize I’m lying on a hard
metal table, my limbs strapped to the cold metal by thick leather straps. I test the straps and groan in pain as I find
them quite unyielding. The darkness
continues to be dark and the warm dampness on my skin was equally
uncomfortable, I tilt my head in an attempt to try and pierce the darkness and
find to my amazement the darkness is pushed way as my eyes adjusted to discern
one shadow from the next, the walls, doors, machinery, and devices in the room
are suddenly highlighted with a harsh green outline in my vision. Above me were a series of machines each with
sharp looking needle-like tips, but strange I could not discern the location of
the sound that was mechanical and persistent.
I resist calling out into the blackness, calling a person
might bring someone who enjoyed hurting me.
I laid there for a bit, debating the course of actions that I needed to
take. I was restrained which meant that
I was captured and likely tortured, no hint of this was supported in my memory
which was hard to access at the moment.
My body hurt so there was more than my memory to rely on to support the
captured and tortured supposition, and the straps helped to prove that I was
meant to remain right where I was. It
was pitch dark and only by instinct was I able access the ability to outline
the room in a harsh green light, which may or may not be normal.
Frowning in the darkness I close my eyes, take a deep
breath, and concentrate on my arms and legs.
I had a feeling that if I could, I could perhaps break my
restraints. The pain in my head grew as
I did so but growing with it was a slight humming sound that pierced painfully
to my head with its sound. Cracking open
one eye I note a slightly bluish glow along my arms and legs that slowly began
to cover my entire shapely body.
Tendrils of smoke rose from the leather straps that held me and before
long the straps snap almost soundlessly the edges flickering with fire. I pull my hands and legs away as the light
fades from my body and go to the strap that ran along my tummy, with a bit of
effort I pull the strap apart and roll off the table landing on my bear feet
and catching myself as my legs and balance feel apart. Giving myself a moment I remain leaning on
the table, a hand to my pain filled head and the highlighted vision begins to
get dim and fuzzy. Maybe that was too
much effort, I was unsure now if I could escape this room much less the building
it had to be a part of.
Soon the pain wanes and my sight returns and with a hand
to my chest I make my uneasy way to what I believe is a door. To my surprise the sliding mechanical door
was partially open and I poke my head through the opening to get a glance at
what might have happened. The hallway
beyond the door was empty and devoid of any light as well, but as I looked
closer I could make out a gash in the wall near the corner leading away. Similar doors were evenly placed along the
walls, each also partially opened, perhaps it was a safety measure? I try to squeeze pass the door but the space
between was smaller than chest, and it was quite cold and damp. Turning my attention to the door itself I
grab the door and try to pry it open wider, with a horrible grinding sound the
door budges just enough to allow me to slip entirely through.
Softly I make my way to the gash mark and ran a finger
along its rough edges. Frowning to
myself I consider the gash and suspect something happened to the building. Though I spied no bodies, and no other signs
of combat, so I could not be sure that something attacked this place or
not. With little to go on I continue on,
and walk calmly around the corner. Again
the hall was devoid of interesting things, but another gash along another wall
was apparent, at the end of the hall I spied a shattered door, and a set of
elevator doors that were also open.
Carefully I continued down the hall and came to the shattered door
finding a series of stairs going upwards.
I knelt down to examine the shattered door and found that whatever
gashed the walls came through here.
Perhaps it would be best to not go up the stairs.
The elevator proved to be even less of an option, as I
peeked inside of the doors I realized there was no power, and thus the elevator
would not function. Still other than
that, two holes were burned through the back and someone had smashed the
control panel. Crossing my arms I turn
my eyes to the stairway not too far away and sigh to myself. Curiosity began to rise in me, I was now
intrigued to know what happened to this building. Silently I enter the stairwell and mount the
first step. A strange feeling pass
through me and I shiver where I stand, holding myself and rubbing my bare arms.
“What was…” Before the words even left my lips, the green
outlines shifted to a sharp red, and at the sides of my vision small red boxes
flashed, a strange sound echoed in my head and I fell to my knees as I put my
hands to my temples. Damaged? It occurred to me that I was probably more
injured than I had previously thought.
Panting heavily as I knelt on the stairs, I tried to focus on my body,
trying to understand the damages, trying to find the source of my issues. A ghostly display of my body was suddenly
visible to me and I gave an inward sigh as I noticed serious but recovering
damage to several area of my core. I
would have to find a spot and several days to recover from this. Opening my eyes I looked up and gave a sigh,
time to make the ascent.
My climb was slow and my legs tremble with every step but
I keep my focus upwards, I had to leave this place. As I neared the first door I started to hear
an alarm blaring. I felt a sense of
danger as I touched the door knob on that door, and narrowed my eyes. Carefully I opened the door and peer
beyond. Like the room I had rescued
myself from the halls of this floor were shrouded blackness, though every so often a red
light would pulse followed by a loud blare.
Men and women in black uniforms lay in pools of blood across the hall,
their guns broken, their helmet covered faces creepy to look upon. Luckily a section was free of the dead and so
I slip inside and hide behind a cubicle barrier to give the room a better look. It was like some sort of security area, with
high bullet proof glass barriers, and many offices. There was still no power, despite the alarm
and light, but at least I knew there was an access somewhere inside this
place. Whatever had slaughtered these
people was strong and I would rather not have to play with it.
A sound of a mechanical door hissing open caused me to
crouch lower, and before I knew it a beam of light from a flash light crossed
into the room from beyond the bullet proof windows. As much as I wanted out I figured that if
this was one of the people that had captured me it might best to not test my
luck. The light continued to scan the
room, and slowly it moved across the outer edge of the room. The light stopped sudden over me and I
groaned inwardly as I noticed the beam fall upon my head.
“Hey!” I didn’t
give the man a second to continue his vocal complaint, I bolted. Luckily I had noticed the path between this
side and the other side and so I charged for the opening. The owner of the light was a man and I heard
the sound of a weapon being primed. I
ignored the thought of being shot and kept a mental note of his position as I
ran, a small ghostly red triangle pointed to him from the side of my
vision. My movement though was unsteady
and the blood slick floor made it even worse especially when I slip on my way,
falling with a resounding crash across the floor and into a nearby wall. My pain is forgotten as a pulse of deadly
light strikes near my head, quickly tracing the direction of the attack I
quickly push myself on my feet and turn on my attacker. Eye’s narrowed I watch the man with his
energy based weapon approach his light shining upon me. My eyes filtered out his light removing the
disadvantage that his light could bring.
The man stopped and touched his ear. “One, female security zone Omega. There is a possible compromise of Project
T-Edge.” If the man thought he had me
contained he had another thing coming.
My pain filled mind quickly worked allocated speed and distance as well
as direction to my course of actions. My
vision gave a ghostly green line to just the right of the man and I gave a dark
smile. The man paled suddenly his eyes
upon me and his finger tensed on the weapon.
“I do not think I can…” I take a
few quick steps before adding full weight and power to my steps. My attacker cries out and lunges away from me
as he sent a deadly red beam of light at me.
I was away though, and with more stable footing I race around the glass
blocked area and into the main chamber.
He shouts angrily at me though I could detect a hint of fear. I had no idea why he was scared of me, but it
didn’t matter his fear allowed me greater freedom of movement. I sprinted over chairs and slid across
tables, and eventually into another stairwell.
I didn’t slow, but my energy reserves were draining
quickly and by the time I landed not one but two more floors up I am panting
and my otherwise bare body gleamed softly with sweat in the glow of alarm
lights. My hands, legs, feet, and a few
other places were tainted with the sticky feel of blood but I kept going. Survival was first, concern about my
appearance was second. I burst into the
next room noticing many red triangles at the edges of my vision and I groan. Several men and women in weapons turned the
attentions on me and I could see the energy charging for a strike. I detected that there would be little room to
move and debating dodging back into the stair well and the door leading
outside, a big glass door,
“Hold your fire,” a female voice shouts imperiously over
a speaker system. For a place that was
suffering power failure it appeared to be doing well on alarm systems,
communication systems, and observation systems.
I turned my gaze to the nearest camera noticing its eye was upon me
while the men and women lower their weapons, the whine of powering weapons
quieting. “Hands behind your head where we all can see them and identify yourself!”
Was there hint of deception in her voice? Was it possible that she did know me? Wincing slightly I felt a stabbing pain in my head and my vision flickered for a moment, my thoughts once again fled. Not that it mattered, this woman likely was the reason for my condition. Did I have enough power to escape?
“Answer!”
Apparently this woman was used to be regarded as the leader she likely
was.
“I do not think I have a reason to answer the way you
wish.” Low power, high speed, there was
a possibility that I would make a hundred feet away from the door before major
failures began to happen. Disregarding
warnings and markers I plot my course.
“You have invaded my tower, killed my men, I think you
have a lot to answer for.”
“I did not kill anyone!
I woke up at the bottom of your stupid building. Something else…” A warning flared bigger than the others and
only my quick movements spared me from a painful strike as something large and
metallic charged through. Still its
force of movement and an energy field tossed me aside causing me to land
unsteadily away from my path. I turned
to look to the dark creature made of metal but found myself unable to determine
any weaknesses or strengths to it, my head pounding left me without
information. It turned red glowing eyes
upon me and I felt a cold shiver pass through me. I felt my body weaken and I knew that unless
I got free, I would likely find myself either dead or once again tied up. It howled terribly loud and I heard weapons
once again being charged.
“Eliminate unknown threat, keep the girl alive,” the
voice of the woman shouted to the men and women of her security detail.
It began to lunge at me but stopped as several read beam
pulses struck at its metallic body, with a look of fear mixed with fascination
I watched its body absorb the light and energy, while deflecting others. It slammed a taloned foot shaking the ground
and causing several to become unbalanced.
I had to leave, and fast. I
stabilized my balance and with a short cry charged forward. Door, glass window, it didn’t matter, I
couldn’t afford to waste more energy here.
Men and women moved out of the way while others blasted at the creature
keeping it from moving, but it began to advanced sending a volley of explosive
tipped spines into the security men and women.
“Don’t let her escape!”
I didn’t matter, I dodged to the side and a pulse of
energy took out the window before me. I
leapt through the shattered window and landed before turning to the right and
moving quickly down a dark street.
Behind me several men were following weapons pointed, but they were
unsure on how to stop me. Still their
persistence might prove beneficial to themselves; my own energy was fading and
fading fast. Warnings were becoming more
persistent, lights at the edges of my vision told me that failures were about
to happen. Still I ran, I had no way to
dissuade their advanced but I would keep my eyes open for a better escape
route.
About several minutes away from the building I started to
slow, my vision began to dim and the men began to catch up. I just needed some power, any power, anything
to allow me my freedom. Then an
aggressive deep voice echoed in my head.
“Unit operation time has reached final limits. Survival system is now overriding primary
systems, rerouting energy from reserve, activating emergency subsystems.”
W-what was that? I
feel metallic mechanical wings unfold from my back, each glowing softly with
power as I am lifted gently off the ground, several smaller devices unfolded
from my upper back and legs. I then
noticed that I was not entirely human, I was composed of many mechanical and
electronic devices working in synch to keep me functioning. If this was so, then why was I being forced
away? Did I have no choice in the
matter? The men near their weapons
poised while two moved to grab me. I
then launched into the sky leaving a streaking blue light as I arc over the
city. Before I get far, my vision
darkens and I plummet back towards the city.
I can’t cry out, there isn’t any energy left.
* * *
The sun was cresting over the valley’s mountains in the
east, and the clouds were stained red.
The city’s prominent buildings were coldly wreathed in fog at the upper
floors of the twin towers, the solar ring that was still under construction encircled
the city, with its jagged edges and microwave antennae roughly placed along the
inside of the ring. The ring
was cut in fourths at the moment, though the west and east rings would be
connected eventually. Underneath the
various buildings were sprawled neatly and orderly. A river ran through the city meandering
through the city and under the twin towers as it leaves the city. Zircon owned this city, its money and jobs
kept it running, and the people were happy.
It was the brightest star amongst the country, a beacon of hope to all
who live in the less prosperous cities.
The city was quiet this pre-dawn morning, no vehicles
were moving, the people were sleeping.
From the east a hover-truck moved sleepily towards the industrial block,
its hum the loudest thing outside the city.
The northwest road however was busy, if not quiet. At the
top of her tower Helena Zircon crossed her arms as of her captains stood before
her. She was a strong independent woman,
with grey eyes and a slim figure, she wore the right amount of makeup, and her
suit and skirt was sleek and dark colored, her blonde hair bound in a
ponytail. On the desk before her was a
computer screen showing the Northwest exit to the city, her lips were
pressed tightly as she stared at the after effects of two of her strike teams. It would be hard to claim the girl that was
there if she were to leave the city now.
The problem lay in acquiring her, in her blank reactionary state the
girl had decimated two teams.
“I want her more than ever now,” Helena said turning her
gaze to the man. “Acquire her at all
costs!”
He slammed a fist on his chest and turned sharply. “I will send the Argus team to acquire her
then. It appears that she is better than
the Alpha that broke free from cell two.”
“Just make sure no one else gets her, we cannot afford
for her to be reverse engineered by our rivals.” The man nods and leaves, the door hissing
open then closed at his passing. Helena
threw herself into her chair and turned back to the large windows, her eyes
falling upon the ring. The Alpha that
had likely caused the black out, and countless deaths had been destroyed, the
loss of that creature was staggering, the cost to reorganize her security teams
would be difficult. Thankfully she still
had a few other tricks to play to keep Zircon from the government.
A knock on her office door causes Helena a heavy sigh,
and she turns to the door looking a bit more professional after a short brush
of her hand against her hair. The night
had not been fun, and she doubted she’d last the day without a nap.
“Enter,” she said coolly and raised an eyebrow as her
secretary walked in. In her hand was an
e-workpad with a set of applicants to the Energy Development branch. This would likely prove to be a good way to
burn up a few hours. Her eyes turned to
the northwest exit and frowned for a moment noticing the girl had remained,
unmoving. This was either a trap for the
Argus team or it was a hint to the inner workings of the girl.
The secretary stops and bows, “I have the week’s applicants
that you wanted to review.” She hands
over the pad to Helena who takes it softly.
Turning to the smaller screen she touched the edge and sent the first
non-descript woman applicant to the back of the list. Apparently the city its surrounding area was
full of low talent fools, not that those were useless to her, but she was in
need of someone to correct the Ring’s deviances when testing began. For that she would need someone intelligent,
loyal, and strong. Helena was about to
turn the pad back but the last applicant caused her to freeze.
Could it be? Was
it at all possible? Helena stared at the pad her frown deep and eyes glittering with countless ideas.
“Ma’am?” Helena
put the pad face down then looked to the computer screen and as she stared at
the immobile girl her look darkened. “What
is the meaning behind this, a joke perhaps?
Or maybe something more.” There
was one thing Helena trusted explicitly and that was that the Universe had a
funny sense of humor, and that humor had birthed the Solar Ring Energy
Initiative. The secretary tries
again. “Ma’am?”
Helena turned to the secretary and nodded handing back
the pad. “The girl Infinity Te’Vance, I
want to have a talk with her during the Interview.”
“Understood,” the young lady answered and bowed her
head. “I will arrange for it to happen
in three hours, since you should be done with the breakfast with the Senator by
then.”
Helena almost forgot about the pompous deceitful man that
kept the government from looking too close at her operations. Too bad he was useful to her, she hated the
man otherwise. “That is likely, give me
a call fifteen minutes before the interview if you will.” Her secretary was not a very talkative woman
but then, that was why she was Helena’s secretary. She disliked excitable people who didn’t know
when to stop talking.
“As you wish ma’am,” she said giving Helena another short
bow before turning and leaving. Helena
turned her attention back to the screen and poked at the spot where her target
stood motionless among the dead of her two teams.
“You can’t escape toy.
You are mine after all.”
