#013 - "Aberration"
Chapter 2: The Catalyst
“Holy shit… I couldn’t have picked up a hotter crew if I tried…” Liz bemoans to herself, her head in her hands.
“Why thank you, that’s very flattering.” I smuggly respond.
“That wasn’t a compliment you jackass!!”
For about two hours now, Liz and I have been talking about everything I can remember about my past. What my previous world was like. The technology we had. How I woke up in that station remembering nothing. How my memories have been gradually returning. The first time I encountered Ionna. How I met Anna, and the experiences she went through during her life there. Along with everything we went through in order to escape that place.
Liz remained mostly quiet at first, giving me a dubious look. But gradually over the course of the conversation, her expression shifted to one of shock and intense, panicked contemplation.
She started asking me strange, seemingly irrelevant questions about Earth’s history throughout the latter half of our discussion. I didn’t really understand why she was so curious, but I always enjoyed talking about history, so I didn’t mind.
She also gave a small look of genuine sympathy after learning about Anna’s background and her experiences there on Junis-12.
Eventually towards the end, she fell mostly silent; a cloudy look washing over her face.
“W-well?” I stammer out
Liz lets out an exhaustive sigh as she slides down in her chair.
“Earth, huh?...” She mutters to herself, as if thinking outloud.
“Well… I have multiple theories regarding what you are, and where you come from. But if you were hoping for a definitive answer from me, I’m afraid I don’t have one.”
Liz’s scooches back up in her chair, and leans forward, clasping her hands together. Her eyes avert to the ground, rapidly shifting. Her brow furrows as if deep in thought. This seems to be Liz’s thinking face.
“…How many people have you told about this?”
“Um, just you and Anna – Why do you ask?”
Liz reaches for a drawer next to her seat, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. She pulls one out and lights it up. The vents overhead immediately kick on, sucking the smoke from the room.
“You smoke?” I ask.
“Occasionally. Socializing for long periods of time like this exhausts me. This conversation has been particularly stressful.”
“Really? You seem pretty decent at communicating to me.”
“That’s just practice. But I have a limit. I prefer solitude. Extroverts gain energy through being with others. Introverts gain energy by being left alone.”
Yeah, I can definitely relate to that to some degree.
“What’s so stressful about talking with me though?”
“It’s not specifically you. Actually you’re quite easy to talk to for whatever reason, despite what your slave did. No – It has to do with the content of the conversation.”
Liz lifts the pack up towards me.
“Want one?”
I chuckle, “Yeah, I think I’d love one right about now.”
She tosses me the pack, I pull Tony’s lighter out and light it. Anna’s not here to scold me for smoking, so I’m going to indulge myself. Because of Anna’s past experience of having her friend Petunia die from an overdose, she seems to have a deep-seated disdain for drugs – Smoking included.
But right now, I need it. I gave Clyde the pack I took from Tony’s room, and I've been under so much consistent stress over the past 12 or so hours that I’m at my limit. No – I’m way past it. At the current pace things are going, I might very well pick up the habit again.
I don’t remember why I quit in the first place, but I know I had a good reason for it. Smoking feels nostalgic to me for times I can’t even recall. I just know the harsh burn at the back of my throat feels oddly calming.
Hopefully the smell doesn’t wake Ionna.
“Phew…” I sound, as I exhale a plume of my pent up stress. “Much better.”
I toss the pack back.
“I now understand why that slave of yours refused to tell me anything. Listen Max – While it’s fine to tell us about your background, I strongly encourage you to keep it a secret.”
“Why do you say that?”
Liz gives a troubled expression and looks out of the windshield towards the star-filled inky blackness of space. After a brief moment of silence, she turns to me.
“Firstly, do you still have this ‘cellphone’ with you?”
“Uhh yeah, why do you ask?”
“Well for one, it’d prove to me you aren’t full of shit. For two, it could have information about your past.”
“Oh! You might be right!”
I hurriedly dig into my pocket and pull it out, and try unlocking it.
-Battery’s dead.
Of course.
Goddammit.
“Hey, you wouldn’t happen to have a charger for this thing, would you?”
“Charger? Here, let me see it.”
I hand Liz my phone.
Her brow furrows, “Holy shit this thing is ancient.” Liz mutters in awe.
She begins to examine it from all angles like some exotic curiousity. Apparently my caveman phone is intriguing to her.
I genuinely can’t comprehend how I didn’t think of looking through my phone earlier. I feel like a dumbass.
But to be fair, finding out you’re in space pretty much makes the cellphone in your pocket feel like dead weight mentally. Mix that with the ever-present risk of dying at any moment, a time limit, and the guarantee of death if you don’t make that time limit - And digging through old photos and text messages feels like a bit of a mute point.
Priorities first.
After a while of letting her examine it, I chime in.
“So I’m going to take that as a no…”
Liz, who has by now removed the phone case and was currently deeply entrenched in thought suddenly snaps out of her daze.
“Ah, yeah no – I’ve never even seen a pin connector like this before.”
I sigh, “…So it can’t be done?”
“Not right now, no. Give me some time. I’ll jury-rig something up and get it working, don’t worry. But it might take me a little while though. Even though this technology is extremely rudimentary by today’s standards, I'll still need to determine the function of each pin, where it goes, whether it takes alternating current or direct current, and the correct voltage.”
“So I take it you’ll need to disassemble it?” I ask.
“While to you, this ‘cellphone’ is just your everyday personal device of little importance. To me, it’s an invaluable historical artifact that is absolutely irreplaceable. I want to be extraordinarily cautious about this. So most likely yes – I will take it apart to examine the board in order to ensure I don’t accidentally fry it.”
“In that case, it’s held together with adhesive. The way you open it is applying heat evenly to the back panel, and then using a suction cup to remove the back glass.”
“Interesting… Alright, when I get a chance, I’ll work on it.”
I smile, “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Liz carefully reassembles the phone case and gently places it in the drawer.
While I’m happy Liz is willing and able to get the phone working, I genuinely hope I don’t have any porn saved on there I simply forgot about it.
It's probably fine – Right?
Whatever. If there is anything on there, it’s tame. If she tries to give me shit about it, all I need to say is: “I’m a man, what do you expect?”
Liz leans into her armrest, resting her cheek against her knuckles.
“No need to thank me. I’m just as concerned about your background as you are.”
“…Don’t you mean curious?”
Liz gives me a stern, serious glare.
“No – Concerned is the correct term here.”
I look back at her, slightly unnerved by the seriousness of her tone.
“W-why would you be concerned?”
“That therian of yours didn’t tell you much about this country’s history, did she?” Liz says with a tinge of irritation to her voice.
She didn’t tell me a lot of things.
I shamefully shake my head, saying nothing.
“Do you even know what year it is?”
I look down, and quietly shake my head again.
Liz gives an exasperated sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Where do I even begin?”
She pauses for a moment, before locking eyes with mine.
“Starting off - It is the year 476RE of the Unified Galactic Calendar.”
“…Eh?”
Did I go back in time!?!?
That doesn’t make any sense!!! This world clearly has technology far past ours! How could I be in the year 476!?
Wait…
“Unified Galactic Calendar? What does that convert to in the Gregorian Calendar? Or Hell, even the Julian Calendar?”
Liz’s mouth tightens, giving me a troubled look.
“Aztec?...”
“I’m sorry… I don’t know. Nobody does.”
I look down in dismay, as Liz’s pack of cigarettes lands next to me. I eagerly grab another from the pack and light it.
“What… What do you mean nobody knows?” I ask, completely disheartened.
“Exactly what it sounds like – That information simply does not exist.”
Liz gives me a troubled look, and turns towards the controls. She inputs something on the holographic keyboard which appears beside her, and a computer window appears across the windshield.
A saturated image of a humanoid shaped being appears on screen. Its body is made up completely of charcoal black and matte grey metal, with metal hoses running across where its ribs should be. While it has a head, it doesn’t have what I would describe as a face. Instead, there's just a glowing purple void in its place.
“W-what the Hell is that?”
“That – Is what we call a Scion scout unit.” Liz says, turning back to me.
“And that is?...”
Liz gestures me to throw her the pack, and I toss it over.
“Do you know why therians exist?” She asks, speaking from one corner of her mouth as she lights another cigarette.
“To be slaves I assume?”
She exhales a cloud of smoke, “That’s half right.”
She points to the thing on screen.
“They were created in order to replace that.”
I look up at the thing on screen. Anyway I look at it, it’s a machine of some kind. The only thing that throws me off is the purple void it has for a face, which looks neither organic nor mechanical. While it does have some kind of glass over it, the depth of the void makes it look almost cosmic in nature. Like there’s a portal to another realm behind that glass.
“You see, instead of bio-engineered slaves, originally we had machines serving us.”
Oh, I see where this is going.
“At some point in our history, we don’t know when, they rebelled.”
Called it.
“They drove us from Origin Space. Or at least, what we believe to be the birthplace of Humanity - Claiming it for their own. Humanity has since recolonized, even assimilating less advanced civilizations into our society as thrall species such as the Wyvix, the Condor, the Elves, the Drey, the Dwarves, the Domani, the Natall, the Oni, the Lumir, and the Krell. The list goes on and on.” Liz says, her hand moving in a circular motion.
I recognize the name Wyvix. That was what Beryl was. Anna said they were a subjugated dragon-like species which were effectively all turned into slaves by the DRAC government. But I am genuinely curious whether or not the Elves, Dwarves, and Oni are what I’m thinking of. Or if they just vaguely resembled the fictional races, and someone decided to slap that name on them.
“The Reclamation War…” I mutter in a sudden realization. “That was an attempt at getting Origin Space back, wasn’t it!?”
She nods, “You catch on quick. There have been multiple Reclamation Wars within the last 476 years. Some small, some large. The last one occurring 90 years ago at this point, so 386RE to 396RE. Today, the creation of AI and self-learning mechanical intelligence is strictly illegal. Any robots we do use only operate on an exhaustively extensive list of pre-set patterns and behaviors. Our society had already become dependent on slave labor, and the robots we have now were too simplistic for the tasks AI previously were responsible for. Hence why the need for therians became apparent.” She says, flicking the tip of her cigarette.
“The Scion scout unit is just one of the countless different ‘models’ used by the Scion – Which is the all encompassing name we have given to the machine race currently inhabiting Origin Space. They seem to constantly change, with each type fulfilling a specific purpose. The Scion rarely leave Origin Space at this point. So apart from a few rare, random encounters survey teams have had with scout units – Nobody has seen hide nor hair of them in the past 80 years. Anybody who tries to go into Origin Space doesn’t come back out.”
So those bombs Anna and I used to destroy Junis-12 were 80 to 90 years old. No wonder they were so dangerously unstable. They were past the age of being WWII munitions. Actually, they might have been even older than that. It’s not unheard of for governments to stockpile bombs for decades on end. They could have been bordering on the age of leftover WWI munitions. Anna must have spun quite the sales pitch to get Hellman to buy those.
“But… What do you mean that you know of?? How do you not know whether or not ‘Origin Space’ really is the birthplace of Humanity??”
She gives a small, pained smile.
“We’re getting to that, calm down. As I mentioned before, it is currently the year 476RE, ‘RE’ standing for ‘Reconstruction Era’. Prior to the Reconstruction Era, dates are referred to as ‘BBE’, or ‘Before Blackout Era’.”
She tosses the pack back to me. I guess we’re just chain smoking this entire pack at this point.
I feel ill, but I light up another one anyway, hot-potatoing the pack back to her.
“Our knowledge of history prior to the Reconstruction Era is spotty at best, but this is what we know – Approximately a year before the BBE Era ended, Humanity was engaged in a Reclamation War with the Scion. Then, seemingly out of nowhere… ‘They’ appeared.”
Liz turns and types away at her holographic keyboard once again, bringing up an image of a rainbow colored sun. It’s an absolute tapestry of bright, vibrant colors. Colors melt into one another, and reflect almost like its covered in thin shards of crystal clear, transparent glass.
“What you’re looking at is what we refer to as a ‘Spectral Sun' – A form of spatial anomaly.” She says, pointing to the colorful sun onscreen.
“This might be redundant given its name, but what is a spatial anomaly?” I ask.
“Spatial anomalies are phenomenon that appeared suddenly throughout the galaxy without any discernable cause. They behave in ways that defy all logic, and don’t seem to apply to the same set of rules as the rest of the universe. Despite our best attempts to understand them, we’ve made very little progress in regards to their origins. There are countless types of spatial anomalies, all varying in type and behavior. Some repeat throughout the galaxy, some are entirely unique. Spectral suns are just one of the best known types of spatial anomalies, primarily due to the dangers they pose, and the fact there are many spread throughout the galaxy. Originally, they were just normal suns. Like yellow dwarves, white dwarves, red giants, etc. But when the spatial anomalies appeared, some of them converted into spectral suns. For most people, being near a spectral sun is lethal. Some people melt underneath its rays, some burst into flames, some people’s bodies hemorrhage and explode, and some have horrific hallucinations which never end.”
“Jesus Christ, what the fuck – Why!?”
“We could never figure out what caused these violent reactions. We experimented with it before using live test subjects. Very rarely did we see success.”
I look at Liz with a suspicious glare.
“You speak as though you personally conducted these experiments… What do you mean by ‘success’?”
Liz averts her eyes. “W-well, once in a blue moon, somebody isn’t harmed by the spectral sun’s rays. Instead of walking away with life altering injuries, or irreparable mental damage - They walk away with strange, and inexplicable abilities.”
This woman… That is definitely a hint of guilt I detect. She has a checkered past of some kind, I’m certain of it.
“…Like my ability to override a slave’s registered owner? Is that what you’re getting at?”
“That is one theory I have. Given your memory loss, it is possible you came in contact with a spectral sun, and simply don’t remember it. Think Max – Was there ever a moment you could have come in contact with a spectral sun, or any kind of spatial anomaly before?”
I bring my hand to my chin, deeply trying to recall any kind of moment where I saw anything out of the ordinary.
I scratch my head, “No, I’m sorry. It’s like a movie missing over half its frames. The last thing I can remember was being piss drunk in the park.”
Liz gives me an icey look. “You got piss drunk in a park? As in, where children play??”
“It was dark out!! Nobody was there!!”
“…I don’t think that makes it much better Max.” Scolds Liz, giving me a disappointed gaze.
First Anna gives me the disappointed mom look for gawking at bunny butts, and now Liz for getting drunk in the park.
After the shit you two girls have done, neither of you have any right to judge me!
“As far as I know, the only place I’ve been to in this universe is that station and this ship.”
Liz taps her cheek with her finger.
“I’ve never personally heard of your specific spectral manifestation. If it was common, it would pose a significant threat to the DRAC’s authority. So they may very well hunt down anybody like you as soon as they appear.”
So she’s come to the same conclusion that I, and I’m guessing Anna has too – That unless there’s a limit to the amount of slaves I can hijack, my existence is extraordinarily dangerous to the DRAC government.
“Clearly your slave knew about that ability's existence, so you are likely not the first. It is not unheard of of some therians possessing rare and ancient lost knowledge due to bits of their implanted memories from past therians being overlooked.”
Anna did say that it came from very old therian word of mouth, so I could definitely see that being the case.
“But surviving a spectral sun is already rare enough. The death rate is, at minimum, somewhere around 98.6%. So among that already small pool, your ability would be quite a rarity. The more commonly known abilities are things like being able to see events that are occuring in real-time from several star systems away, the ability to turn your body into fog or mist and fly away, the ability to push or pull objects without touching them, or the strength to lift any object. It varies from person to person. Some of them are useful. Some of them are completely worthless. Like having the ability to change your hair color.”
If my gut is right, those ‘experiments’ Liz may or may not have conducted had a 98.6% death rate.
Yeah, you have officially relinquished your right to preach to me.
Liz knows an unnaturally large amount of rare, obscure, or even classified information. Maybe I was wrong in assuming they split the bounty between her and the ship to hide government overspending on the ship itself. Maybe the things she knows really are just that dangerous…
I gently pet Ionna’s head who’s peacefully sleeping on my lap. She’s the only sane person on this traveling freak show.
Her tail subtly sways in her sleep as she leans into my hand. Looking at how content she is, I can’t help but smile - Good girl.
Liz takes one last drag on her cigarette before tossing it to the floor and stomping it out. She offers me the pack back, but I quietly wave my hand and decline. If I have anymore, I’m going to be sick.
She shrugs, and throws it back in the drawer.
“Getting back on track - Despite what I just told you, the anomalies aren’t what caused the collective amnesia society has suffered. It’s what happened afterwards.” Liz says, stern faced and serious in tone. “Humanity was already engaged in a Reclamation War with the machines when the spatial anomalies appeared across the galaxy. But when they did, the machines suddenly withdrew from the front line. Which was now engulfed in the Dark Tide.”
“You’ve talked about the Dark Tide before – What is it?”
Liz turns and pulls up a map of the galaxy onscreen. Around 65% of the entire map is encircled by a massive purple region.
“The Dark Tide is the largest known spatial anomaly in existence. It is an extremely dense nebula with strange properties which now acts as the dividing line between most of mankind and Origin Space. It also acts as the boundary between the DRAC and Libertalia.”
“My body isn’t going to hemorrhage and explode when we fly through that thing, will it?” I ask warily.
Liz chuckles uncomfortably, “No – The Dark Tide is physically harmless. But it does have a unique reputation.”
My eyes narrow.
“Unique how?”
“Many people believe it’s haunted, and have stated seeing ghosts while traveling through it, hearing voices, along with other inexplicable phenomenon.”
“People do love to sensationalize the unknown. Sailors back home used to tell tall tales of ghost ships, and a collosal ship eating squid called the Kraken. The mystery makes long trips feel more adventurous I suppose.” I say with a cynical smirk.
Liz looks at me, and underneath her messy golden blonde bangs, gives a mischievous toothy grin.
They are just stories, right?
“Anyway, a year went by after the Dark Tide suddenly appeared, and neither side had made a move. While no ceasefire was declared by either side, the sudden appearance of countless inexplicable spatial anomalies left the galaxy in turmoil. Spectral suns had wiped out entire systems, supply lines were in tatters, and mass-panic was everywhere. We can only guess that the machines were in similar straits at the time. Then one day, without warning nor provocation, the Scion struck – Causing the greatest tragedy to ever befall mankind.”
Liz turns, bringing up images of countless newsletters from 476 years ago. Buildings burned to the ground, cities leveled, statues missing, people waking up in strange places with no recollection of what had happened.
…Wait.
“You see, even back then people were equipped with central neural implants. The original central neural implants were equipped with a long-range wireless functionality. This allowed the DRAC government to monitor their citizens in real time, and activate the CS of a user remotely. Thus allowing them to control them from a distance. They had thought the system was secure, but…”
“Oh dear God, don’t tell me…”
“Yes – The machines found a way into the CS of every single person equipped with one, and uploaded a virus. The Expropriation Virus, or X-Virus. Everybody went into a kind of blackout state. Nobody knows how long exactly they were out, or how much time passed between the BBE and RE Eras. We estimate it was somewhere between 5 to 10 years. But eventually everybody woke up in unison to find nearly every single library had been burned to the ground, historical archives torched, the omninet wiped, national landmarks left unrecognizable, and vast chunks of their memories missing. What felt like overnight for them, virtually all of human history had effectively vanished. Centuries, possibly countless millennia worth of recorded history – Gone. Humanity’s mass adoption of digital copies, rather than tangible books and records made it all the more easy to nearly wipe every trace of mankind’s history from existence. Nobody even remembers what planet humans originally come from. This event became known as ‘The Blackout’.”
I’m pretty sure I just physically felt something inside my brain “pop”. I’m not sure if it’s stress, disgust at the loss of mankind’s entire history, the hopelessness of figuring out my own situation now, rage towards those responsible, or the millions of questions that just came flooding into my mind after hearing all this.
But something definitely popped.
I look down with a dark cloud over my face.
“…I have many questions.” I say solemnly.
Liz crosses her legs, and leans her head against her knuckles.
“I figured. If I can answer them, I will.”
□■□
“First question” I say, raising one finger. “Do you believe I have been hit with this ‘X-Virus’, causing me to blackout like what happened 476 years ago?”
“No.” Liz responds bluntly. “Ionna had already confirmed to me you didn’t possess a CNI through smell. So unless the Scion has somehow created a new biological X-Virus, that is impossible.”
Anna was able to do it through licking my neck, so it’s not surprising that a hyper-enhanced therianthrope like Ionna could do it through smell alone. It makes me wonder though how the scent of a person with a central neural implant differs from someone who doesn’t have one.
“Second Question” I say, raising up another finger. “You said you have multiple theories involving my origins – What are they?”
Liz leans back and looks up at the ceiling, eyes shifting in thought.
“Well the first is you encountered some new unknown form of anomaly which grants abilities like the spectral sun, but at the cost of your cognitive recollection. Because while a spectral sun does grant people strange, inexplicable abilities – That wouldn’t explain your memories. To my knowledge, there hasn’t been a single example of somebody losing their memories to a spectral sun – Only death. So it’s most probable that it’s something new that’s not yet on record. To be honest, logically speaking, this is the most likely scenario. Spatial anomalies behave in odd, unpredictable ways. Your memories could just be a general hodgepodge of whatever the anomaly shoved in there. As for your lack of a CNI, the anomaly could have removed it, or you could have just not had one to begin with. Given the fact that the rumor that people without central neural implants can override a slave’s registered owner exists, you could extrapolate that this unknown anomaly may only affect those without one. That, or it’s only visible to people without a central neural implant. This would explain why some of your memories coincide with the things found this universe. Since all the fabricated memories would be based on your pre-existing memories of this world. Kind of like how a dream is comprised of things you absorbed recently during your daily life.”
“But what about the cellphone then!? And how I woke up in that space station!? If I was actually a mercenary from that station with fabricated memories, Anna would have recognized me! I’m not crazy!!”
“Max I’m not calling you crazy, I’m just throwing out possibilities.” Liz says in a calm, collected tone.
“You’re right, the cellphone’s existence does support your perceived version of reality. But you waking up in that station, and Anna not recognizing you could simply be attributed to the possibility that you are actually a mercenary who was out fighting in Libertalia, and not posted inside the station. When everyone was ordered back to base, you could have encountered this anomaly on the way back. You could have also found the cellphone around the same time. Now how would this explain your lack of a CNI? As I said before, the anomaly could have removed it somehow. Which, under normal circumstances, should be impossible without killing the user.”
“The second theory is you are actually a cultivated being or a sleeper agent of some kind, and your memories are implanted. Now who and why would someone do that? I have no idea. Personally I doubt it.”
“Lastly – The version of events that you believe to be the case. That you yourself *ARE* a spatial anomaly, or were transported here by a spatial anomaly. You either came here from another universe, came here from somewhere very far away in this universe, somehow came here from the past, or a spatial anomaly itself somehow created you.”
“Created me!?”
“Again, only a theory. You still run into the same issue of where you got the cellphone, or the clothes you’re wearing for that matter.”
I hunch over, grab my hair, and fall silent. My stress levels are reaching critical mass.
“Max?...” Liz calls out to me with a tone of genuine concern.
“…Liz – I think my head is about to explode.”
Liz gives a small chuckle, “Look Max, these are only theories. In truth, there are a million different variables to consider, like-“
“Third question” I say bluntly, cutting off that topic and raising another finger. “You said that Humanity had lost nearly all of its history in The Blackout. Then how is this world so advanced? Why didn’t the machines just force everybody to commit suicide? How can nobody know how much time passed between the BBE and RE Eras? Surely there had to be a computer somewhere keeping track of the time that passed. How did Hellman base those buildings in the Fortune District off of historical buildings if there was no history left to be found? How did Anna own anime styled figures!?”
Liz chuckles, “Wow, that’s a pretty loaded third question!”
I heave a disheveled sigh.
“Liz… I’m at the end of my rope here. I might look fine – But I am not fine. I’m exhausted, I’m scared, I’m confused, I’m frustrated. I…”
I give a brief chuckle at my own misfortune.
“I really need answers… Please.” I say in a pained voice.
“Okay, okay – I never said I wouldn’t answer it. Sheesh, you’re making me feel bad. Stop looking like you’re about to break down in tears!”
“Wouldn’t you be if you were in my situation, and you just learned any hope of finding answers were crushed almost 500 years ago?? Or that you could be fucked in the head and not know it??”
Liz’s lips tighten, “Yeah… I would.”
She opens the drawer, and tosses me the cigarettes. Fuck it, I don’t care anymore. I light another one, and toss the pack back.
“To answer your questions,” Liz explains. “Why is this world so advanced? That’s because the Scion focused on destroying our culture, not our knowledge of technology. In fact, they seemed to intentionally leave our technological progress intact. Be it folk stories, autobiographies, movies, historical documents, religious scriptures, national monuments of heroes throughout history, music – Anything that gave us an identity as a species, they erased. What’s worse, they did it with our own hands.”
“But… Why wouldn’t they just send us back to the Stone Age!? Why not kill us!?”
Liz turns, and looks listlessly through the windshield into space.
“…What I’m about to say is purely my own personal speculation. But I think… They see us as a nuisance – Not a threat. We have lost every war we’ve had with them since these Reclamation Wars began. Our cultural identity is the bedrock of our society. It’s what keeps mankind from devolving into a moralless hellscape. Unlike them, who can reach consensus amongst themselves within moments – We humans have to constantly fight against corruption, and powerful interest groups. How do we do that? We form communities. We form a sense of culture and comradery amongst those who share our views and values.”
Liz scoffs to herself.
“The Scion didn’t NEED to kill us. They didn’t need to waste the time nor resources. All they needed to do was remove the cultural safety nets built up through the generations, isolate everybody in their own little boxes, and then cut us loose and watch the darkness take over.”
This… This fucking hurts to listen to.
“But how did Hellman base those buildings off of historical architecture? Well obviously some historical artifacts, books, and documentation survived. Especially within the lost colonies located within the Dark Tide itself. As I said – That was the front line at the time. Remember how I said survey teams will occasionally run into Scion scout units? That’s where. They are constantly in a race against time to locate as much lost historical artifacts and documentation as they can before the Scion can find it. Which is one reason I suggested you could have found that cellphone on a previously undiscovered lost colony on the way back from Libertalia. As for Anna’s anime figures – Anime culture started after a massive collection of figurines, books, and archaic physical media was found several hundred years ago in one of the lost colonies. It has since spawned a massive industry, as it is one of the best preserved artforms to date. Lastly, to answer your question about how nobody knows how much time passed between the BBE and RE Eras – Residual X-Virus. Though the generation infected by the virus had personal autonomy returned to them, unbeknownst to them – They were still infected with a subconscious variant.”
Liz cynically chuckles, “I suppose you could call it the first SCS. This ‘X-SCS’ caused a lot of subtle alterations of historical documentation, deletion of inconvenient data, and false reports. Everytime new artifacts and documentation are found today, new inconsistencies are also found in our historical records.”
I hate this world. I hate it with every fiber of my being.
“Fourth question” I say, raising up four fingers. “You told me you weren’t just curious about my past, but concerned about it. Why is that?”
Liz turns to me with almost a confused expression on her face.
“…Isn’t it obvious? If on the off chance you actually do come from the past, and not another universe – You are the last living witness of Humanity’s homeland! You know the truth! You aren’t just peddling the censored bullshit the DRAC government pumps out! Do you have any idea how much historical documentation they intentionally refuse to release!? Do you know how much fake history they make up!?! Do you know what they’ll do to you if they find out about your past!?!”
“Wait… The DRAC also alters history??”
“Of course they do!! For the DRAC leadership, the Blackout was like a gift from God for them! It allowed them to alter history as they saw fit, ban religion, and control the culture! The Scion knew they were power hungry pieces of shit – That’s why they did it!!!” Screams Liz, pounding on the armrests of her chair. Her disheveled bangs messily falling over her eyes in a frenzy.
I sit there, mouth agape in my sudden dawning realization that I’m far past fucked. Not only do I have an ability that gravely undermines the DRAC’s authority. I also potentially have knowledge of Humanity’s past, something they have intentionally warped and distorted for their own ends for centuries. I also crippled their proxy war in Libertalia, helped the most wanted woman in the galaxy escape, hijacked a top-secret fusion powered stealth frigate, and obliterated a tourist destination many of the DRAC’s top elites invested billions in.
“Ah.”
I’m a dead man.
Liz just shakes her head, “Now you get it dude??”
“Alright last question” I say, extending my thumb. “Who are you Liz, and why did the DRAC move Heaven and Earth to try and find you?”
Liz just looks dead-eyed and exhausted. She slides down in her chair, and exhales as if her soul is leaving her.
“Max… I beg of you – Can we please have this discussion later? I’m nearing my social limit, and I’d rather only have to explain this once. I promised I’d tell you, and I will. Just please, can we do this when everyone is present? Your psycho therian included.”
I shrug and give a complacent nod.
“To be honest, I’m about there too. I’m fine with that. But before that, let me ask another question – No two."
“Shoot.”
“Why does the DRAC still use central neural implants if things like this can happen? Why do they still try and reclaim Origin Space if they aren’t even sure what planet humans come from?”
Liz looks into the distance, and gives a face of vague disgust.
“Simple – They still use CNIs because what person in power willingly relinquishes that power? They merely found workarounds to prevent them from losing control again. As for why they still start Reclamation Wars – I suppose the Scion underestimated a politician’s willingness to launder war funds.”
Nothing about her response surprises me. Both from my own internal cynicism, and from what I’ve seen so far from this world. Liz clearly has a deep seated disdain for the DRAC. In a way, she reminds me of Anna. But Anna’s hatred for Hellman was personal. It was sheer fury that drove her vengeance. Meanwhile Liz’s disdain feels almost ideological in nature. Like she finds their very existence repugnant, and an affront to mankind itself.
Liz slinks up out of her chair.
“Well… There is one last conversation I’d like to have with you before you go get some rest.”
“And what’s that?” I ask, curiously tilting my head.
“Let’s continue this conversation in the War Room, shall we?”
I begrudgingly nod.
I grab my mercenary top and armor, and fold the shirt up over the armor to make a makeshift pillow.
I carefully slide the pillow underneath Ionna’s head, and scooch out from under her.
“Mhmm.” Ionna quietly grumbles in her sleep, looking slightly restless.
Apparently she subconsciously noticed she wasn’t laying on me anymore. Is my tear soaked crotch that comfortable?
Fortunately I didn’t seem to wake her up. I take off my flannel overshirt and drape it over her like a blanket. Immediately her restless expression reverts back to saying “I’m comfy and cozy.”
Therians are clingy.
But I admit - Ionna is a cute girl. Her long flowing blue hair is smooth and silky, and the way her bangs shyly covers up one of her eyes is honestly kind of adorable. Her fox tail is large, soft, and incredibly fluffy. To be honest, I really want to rub my face against it.
She’s noticably taller than Anna, being roughly the same height as Liz give or take, not including her fox ears. Anna, while in no way chubby, does have a certain softness to her that makes her feel very cuddly. Despite Ionna’s undeniable overwhelming strength, she doesn’t have bulging muscles. In fact, I would describe Ionna as having a beautifully toned physique. Her body is almost artistic in how perfect it is.
Her breasts are comparably modest to Anna’s, which are genuinely bordering on obscene in how prominent they are given her short stature. But in no way would I call Ionna’s breasts “small”. Her body is honestly gorgeously proportioned.
I will have to get them some less provocative everyday clothing when I get the chance. As much as the man in me enjoys how much cleavage and thigh profile Ionna’s short blue sleeveless robe shows off – If I’m going to be fighting for my life with them from now on, they’re going to need more practical attire. Especially shoes, given that Anna only has her orange platform heels, and Ionna is barefoot.
“She looks quite content, huh?” Liz quietly chuckles.
“I don’t understand why. She barely knows me.”
Liz just softly smiles, hands me back my pistol from the dashboard, and picks up the LMG off the floor.
“Make sure you take your guns with you. Come on let’s go.”
“Yeah, right behind you.”
□■□
We enter into War Room, and Liz lays the LMG on the table with the grid display – I follow suit with the two Shredders.
My bag I set down in front of the airlock is gone, along with the two Shredders Anna set down near the airlock controls. Anna or Liz must have moved it.
Liz leans her butt up against the table, crossing her arms.
“So – What did you want to talk about?”
“Just a few things – Nothing major, but it is important if you all are going to continue to stay here.”
“Oh, and what’s that?” I ask.
Liz unfolds her arms and leans her hands back behind her up against the table, pushing her sizeable chest out. I force myself to stay laser focused on her eyes, but from my peripheral vision, her form fitting spaghetti strap tanktop makes it very clear she’s not wearing a bra.
Is it cold in here I wonder?
“From this moment onwards, you are officially my First Officer, and your two therians are members of my crew.”
I tilt my head and give a wry smile, “Alright, but I don’t know the first thing about space travel you know.”
“Well if you’re going to stay here, you’re going to have to earn your keep. We’re all in shit creek together at this point, so we might as well work together if we want to survive. You look out for me, and I’ll look out for you – Deal?”
I grin, “Deal.”
We shake hands in agreement.
I guess I’m now the First Mate aboard the commandeered ‘John B. Ford.’
“And don’t worry about not knowing anything, I’ll teach you. Besides, your therians should already have some implanted knowledge on how to manage a ship.”
“Then why didn’t you make either of them First Officer?”
Liz chuckles, “Because you own half my crew genius.”
“And here I was hoping it had to do with my winning personality.” I say with a playfully sarcastic shrug.
Liz laughs, “Well, maybe that also had to do with it – Just a little bit.”
After a moment of playful banter, Liz’s smile wanes and returns to a serious, but personable expression.
“Look Max, don’t worry about matching your therian’s skill level. I don’t expect you to catch up with a literal lifetime of implanted memories in a single night. But I do have a favor to ask.”
“And what’s that?”
“The relationship between your two slaves is bad – Real bad. Frankly, if you didn’t own Anna and Ionna at the same time when Ionna attacked her, Anna would be dead right now.”
“What… What makes you say that?”
“You don’t understand just how fucking strong Ionna is, do you?”
To be honest, no I don’t. I only have a rough idea. I’ve seen a few displays of strength from her, such as having my fingers broken, seeing her fly past me like blue lightning, and watching her break some poor bastard’s arm and leg.
“Look, I like Ionna, she’s a sweetheart. But she’s also a genetic monster. The only thing that saved Anna in the helm back there was Ionna’s CS telling her not to damage her master’s property. Had Ionna been able to use her full strength, Anna’s brains would have been turned into paste within the first punch.”
“…Ah.”
I don’t detect a hint of exaggeration in Liz’s words. Anna really would have died if Ionna’s CS didn’t hold her back.
“Fortunately though,” Liz adds, “Ionna seems rather fond of you.”
“Once again, I’m not sure why. She barely knows me.”
Liz leans back further, and heaves a big sigh.
For the love of God woman, put on a bra! Your nipples are about to cut through that thin ass tanktop!
Don’t stare, don’t stare, don’t stare.
“I would like you to try and repair your slave’s relationship with each other.”
I couldn’t help but chortle hearing that request.
“How am I supposed to convince a living killing machine to become friendly with the person who murdered her sisters, and laughed?”
Liz looks tired.
“I don’t expect it to be overnight. Just work on them a little bit. At the very least, keep them from blasting the insides of the ship apart!”
“I mean, I’ll try…”
“Max, this is the last thing that I want to talk about for now. Let me give you some advice.”
“About what?”
“How to deal with therianthrope slaves.”
I laugh to myself, “Yeah… Yeah I could probably use that…”
“Max, the first thing you need to know about therians are that, while they may look human – They are not human.” Liz-sensei says sternly.
“What do you mean?”
“Therians are more like pack animals than people, all working together towards a single goal – Which is usually to serve their master. That is why they form such strong bonds, that is why Ionna lost her shit, and that is why your orange haired therian is not just damaged goods – She’s broken.”
“Anna’s not all-“
“Dude.” Liz interjects, “She blew up a goddamn space station while covered in grey matter!!”
I look down ashamed, and give a small nod. I can’t even argue with her.
Liz-sensei glares fiercely at me.
“The reason that happened is because you leaned too hard on her. You let her take the reins while you acted like a pushover! If you don’t want them going off and causing havoc – Assume command!”
I fidget ashamedly. I have no excuse, Liz is absolutely correct.
“But… How am I supposed to establish myself as alpha when one slave is capable of punching somebody’s brains into paste??”
Liz scoffs, “Well typically people’s first therianthrope is a nice, passive race – Like a Lycanthrope, or a Bovine, or even a Cottontail! Not an overly independent Nekozoku, or a highly unpredictable Kitsune. And they sure as shit don’t get a military-spec therianthrope for their second slave!!”
I fall silent, I just nod.
Liz sighs, as her expression softens up.
“Look Max, I don’t blame you for any of this considering your situation. You had no idea what was going on, and frankly, I wouldn’t be standing here if you didn’t do what you did. I’m just giving you some tough love. I said they are pack animals, not beasts. You don’t need to beat them in a show of strength. You just need to show confidence and kindness.”
“Confidence and kindness?”
“Yes, just like with any animal. I’m guessing animals are naturally drawn to you in your normal life, aren’t they?”
“Yeah… How did you know?”
“Ionna’s animal side came out around you. Every type of therianthrope has one. The characteristics vary between the races, but they only show it around people they feel extremely comfortable with. Real animals can just sense things about people, therians are the same way.”
I think back to the times Anna cuddled up underneath my arm, and brushed her tail against me. Ionna also leaned her head into my hand when I was petting her in her sleep. It’s subtle, but they definitely do have small animalistic traits in their personalities.
“Are they conscious of it?”
“Of their animalistic tendencies? No, not unless they’re trained to be. The fact that Ionna is already opening up to you is a good sign, and gives me hope that you can rectify the situation. For now, you should start with the Neko. She might be awake by now, but probably still pretty groggy. She was worried about you the entire time I was tending to her injuries. You should go see her. You two have a lot to discuss, don’t you?”
“Yeah… We do…”
“After you’re done patching things up there, get some sleep – You look like Hell. I can watch after Ionna in the meantime, don’t worry.”
“How do you feel? About Anna I mean now that you’ve heard her story?” I ask.
Liz closes her eyes for a few moments, I guess to gather her thoughts. Exhales, and then opens them halfway.
“I… Understand why she did what she did. But… I’d be lying if I said there weren’t some hard feelings still.”
“Totally understandable.” I nod and shrug.
“I don’t dislike therians. There are some who find their existence immoral. But most therians live happy lives as slaves. They get a sense of fulfillment from serving their master that we humans sorely lack in the lives we lead. They brighten our mood when we get home from a long day, and are always loyal. Frankly they’re like medicine for the soul.” Liz says with a smile stretching slowly across her face.
“You almost sound like you’re talking about a pet.” I say with a chuckle.
“Well they kind of are in a way, right? Of course some people prefer normal pets like cats, dogs, or thyrax.”
The fuck is a thyrax??
“But Anna… She’s a perfect example for why therians actually are immoral. Max… Take care of that girl – Heal her heart.”
“Y-yeah, I’ll try.”
Liz pats me on the back and pushes off the table.
“Hey think of it this way, now you got two beautiful girls who will happily do anything you ask.” Liz says with a sly grin.
“Heh – I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.”
“Frankly I’m shocked you didn’t sneak a peak at my two girls when I pushed them out a few moments ago.”
“Wait, so that was on purpose???”
Liz laughs, “I just wanted to know whether or not I needed to lock my door at night – Now I know.”
This woman...
“Liz, you threw out all those theories about where I came from. What do you believe to be the truth?”
Liz purses her lips in thought. “I can tell you what I WANT to be the truth. I really hope you do come from the past, and the fact you knew how to take that cellphone apart supports that claim.”
I tilt my head curiously, “And why would you want that?”
“Because Humanity desperately needs to correct its course. If true, then you are the literal embodiment of ‘remembering your roots’.”
“Anyway-” I say, changing the subject before I get any strange requests to become Humanity’s preacher of truth. “Where can I set up shop?”
“When you go back past the War Room, the first door on the right is the First-Officer’s Quarters. You can set up there. Take your guns and put them in the Officer’s Armory while you’re at it. Second door on the left. Anna will be in the last door on the right. Don’t go past the hallway please, I can give you a tour later.”
“Got it – I’m off then.”
Liz waves me off as I gather up my guns, and head towards the door leading into the rear of the ship.
“…Max.” Liz says, stopping me dead in my tracks.
I turn around and Liz is looking at me stern faced, carrying an air of seriousness.
“Yeah?”
“I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but I’m going to anyway. Just in case you’ve been forcing this thought out of your mind… But… Enjoy this calm before the storm. Use this time to learn as much as you can, as fast as you can. Don’t spend all your time playing with your new ‘pets’. Because pretty soon, they’re going to be sending everything they got at us.”
“Yeah… I know.” I say listlessly.
Liz’s gaze narrows, “The people they send for us aren’t going to be like the drunken misfits of the HMC. They’re going to be elite taskforces – Professional killers. They’re going to be well-equipped, well-armed, experienced, and flawlessly coordinated.”
Liz sharply points to the large circular plaque with the eagle.
“Do you know what that is?”
“…The emblem of the Colonial Special Operations?”
Liz gives a small reaction of surprise. “Did Anna tell you that?”
“No, that was just a guess on my part.”
Liz gives a small, half-impressed laugh. “You’re a smart guy Max – You are correct. The Colonial Special Operations Unit has a motto. Do you know what it is?”
I silently shrug.
Liz’s gaze focuses like a hawk.
“’Death is certainty.’”
For a brief moment, I think ‘Yeah, no shit - Everybody dies.’ But in the next instant, I suddenly realize what that phrase means.
My lip trembles nervously as I softly murmur the words: “…No witnesses.”
Liz gives me a small, silent nod.
“You need to be ready Max. These people… I’ve seen them do horrible things. They don’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. There is absolutely no depths too depraved that they won’t go in order to eliminate their target.”
My expression stiffens. “…Who are you Liz? Why do they want you and this ship so bad?”
Liz looks off vacantly, and chuckles sadly to herself.
“Max... I’m a terrible person.”
I immediately have a PTSD flashback in response to hearing those words come from Liz’s lips.
“The last time somebody uttered those words to me, it was immediately followed by them doing something horrible. Liz, what do you plan to do?”
“Nothing… I’m just... Trying to correct some of the mistakes I’ve made… For the first time in my life, I see things clearly.”
The remorse on Liz’s face is plain as day.
Liz looks down and lightly kicks her foot. “Anyway Max, please just do what I ask and mediate the situation between those two. We’re all in this together now, so we can’t be at each other’s throats. We have about a week until we reach the Dark Tide. We could go much faster, especially if we used an EMT, but I’m having us travel as low profile as possible right now. Just focus on dealing with Anna and Ionna, and learning as much as you can.”
“Right, later then.”
“Yeah.”
I continue onwards towards the door, with a plethora of new things on my mind.
I still haven’t decided what I’ll say when I see Anna, but we definitely have a lot we need to talk about.
Author's Notes: I apologize for the long delay. I had things going on in my personal life. Rest assured, I have no intention of dropping this series, and have many plans for it going forward.
