Edge of Infinity: Prologue v1

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.”