Fan Fiction ❯ Human Alloy ❯ The Key to Anywhere ( Chapter 15 )

This was a fun chapter to write…. Yes I know I kept you all waiting for it… so blah! More mysteries, more drama and angst….

 

Reviews are lovely

 

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I was conscious before I was actually awake. I didn't have to open my eyes to feel the difference in warmth with a shadow looming over me, but it wasn't just the shadow of another being: it was also the now darkening clouded sky. Blinking awake, the figure of Kane standing over me was startling. I thought I was still dreaming but no, he really was alive and standing before me. The twins were roused awake with my sudden start as I only stared. Could I trust this guy? Was he free of Alexander's bonds, or forever condemned to his life as a robotic puppet? Cale made some noise, like a cross between a whimper and a short cry, as he recognized our lost friend.

 

“Alexander asked me to retrieve something,” Kane said, his voice monotonous, with no emotions. He was staring straight at us—straight <i>through</i> us. I shivered under his gaze and couldn't help but think, `Is this how Jalene is now? Can I really trust him?' Hugging Jean, I recoiled at his touch after this thought, guilty for having such doubts.

 

“Retrieve what?” I asked, staring Kane back in the eye, my heart as lonely and sorrowful as a wolf with no pack. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of the blonde's lip. He seemed to consider us for a moment, as if our superior, trying to decide whether we were worth telling or not. Finally he raised his hand, his elbow resting on his other hand and pointed at us—at Jalene. I looked to the confused boy, but after a short pause he stood, facing his friend. A glare of something indescribable was in Kane's eye, something I would call a shielded bloodlust. Cale appeared pained a moment with indecision but soon gave into sorrow and despair as he finally accepted that his love couldn't be helped. Kane smirked and stepped forward, still hugging himself, a very cool wind ruffling his green streaked hair. Jalene was ready for whatever would be thrown at him, standing his ground with determination. He knew that Kane wasn't who he should have been. I cursed Alexander silently, with all my heart. Why had he done all this? He said he wanted his perfect race, but how was this perfect? Using people this way….no creating people this way, as if he was some God.

 

“Yue, take care of this,” Jean said softly, taking a thin golden chain from around his neck and tossing me a small vial. The Key to Anywhere…. The leather had been replaced with the chain. I caught it, staring at the small treasure, then, realizing I was in danger of Kane and that what I held was what he wanted, I put it around my neck and tucked it safely under my shirt. Kane seemed to bristle, his face contorting but falling back to a stolid, dangerously snake-like expression. He was a ticking bomb, ready to go off at any moment.

 

“Yue, take my brother with you and get through the mountain pass,” Jalene instructed quietly, his eyes never straying from his target. He shifted his balance, waiting to pounce. I watched the two, not wanting to leave Jalene with his friend from long ago, but not wanting to see the outcome either, for fear that the worst should come to worst, I backed up, taking Cale by the arm.

 

I didn't know if Alexander had taken over Jalene and was just playing us, setting us up. I was waiting for the snow-haired young man to turn around and laugh, saying something like, “Oh it's all a joke! Don't you know anything Yue? Honestly! Thank you for leading the other Legend to you so now we can destroy you properly. Better start running!” but it never came. Jalene had thrown me the vial and was standing against his own friend. Could it be that Alexander didn't have control over him for now, even when in the past, he had every muscle and cell under his command? I near tripped on a rock as I shuffled backward, slowly, not wanting to provoke anyone, Kane's eyes narrowed and boring holes into my soul. Cautiously I turned, wanting to make a sprint for the safety of the mountains, when I heard a short cry, issued from Jalene.

 

Kane had pounced with the skills of a large predatory cat, arcing through the air for me when Jalene had intercepted him, tumbling to the ground, scrabbling in the pebbles and dust. I could help but hold my breath as they fought, glued to the ground, Cale on shaky legs beside me. I backed up a little further, one hand on a large rock. Someone was growling, maybe both of them as they clawed at each other, like two beasts fighting. Jalene went for Kane's throat, pinning him down by the shoulders with his knees. Kane struggled, tossing and turning, trying to wiggle his way out, when he was finally able to throw Jalene off. They backed up, squaring off. Kane didn't wait but jumped into a new fray instead. He jumped on Jalene, ripping at the boy's hair, a cry of pain sounding from Jean's lips as a fistful of hair came out in Kane's hands. Kane growled triumphantly, toppling over on Jean and reinforcing his attack, battering his adversary in the side of the head.

 

I stumbled backwards with Cale in tote. Kane had turned from Jalene who seemed to be in a daze and smiled at us, evilly, a distorted, twisted smile. He laughed, advancing on us. Heart thumping, eyes wide, retreating as his mind pressed against mine, falling to the ground and holding my head as he began a mental onslaught, my suffering was interrupted as Jalene grabbed Kane's ankle, twisting it viciously and bringing him down once more. Kane grunted as he hit the ground, allowing Jalene to start his attack again. He didn't even try to stop him. Kane's face streamed with blood… real human blood, or at least something close to it. Alexander really had made these robots all out. Kane was breathing heavily, Jean panting, teeth grit and eyes on fire atop him. Kane laughed again, a cold-hearted laugh, sitting up and pushing his enemy off quite unexpectedly. The blonde stood, backed up a few steps, slightly hunched; panting. He was bruised, scratched, dirty from the tumble around the floor.

 

He shook his head, threw his head back and laughed. Something was coming. I swallowed hard, shuffling backwards with Cale, scrambling halfway up the rocky slope to watch, hoping back here I'd be safe enough. Jean's twin huddled next to me, cowering by my side, a death grip cutting the circulation off to my arm. Jalene blinked, focusing through the thick haze of dizziness, his ears probably ringing from the blows he had received.

 

“Well,” Kane said evenly, scathingly, “we should duke this out as we were made, little brother. Alexander didn't make us to fight like humans. He made us Legends to fight like Legends!” Kane shuddered, hugging his body again, nearly doubled over and glaring at his fellow sibling Legend. Jalene's expression was set, his eyes belying his sorrow and fear with pure hatred. The blond laughed once more, a shrill, maniacal laugh, before he changed. Crunching, squeezing, popping, tearing noises were heard as Kane transformed, mutating, growing into some… <i>thing</i>.

 

He nearly tripled in size, a hulking mass of brown flesh, hairy, with a jet-black mane. His hindquarters, ending in great lion-like paws, speckled with grey spots, a long tail with razor edged feathers lining the underside, jutting out like great cauliflower-blue tinted teeth. He was still growing, slowly shifting, his transformation stunning us all into paralyzation. He was now the size of a large elephant, cat-like face fixated in a snarl, eyes burning a golden liquid yellow, fangs dripping saliva, large rippling muscle chest skirted with a crest of black plumage, soft and downy looking, creating the creature's mane. Kane's hands had become incredible, almost human hands, large and hooked with raking talons. Curved horn protruded from its skull like a battering ram. It gave a mighty roar, clawing the air.

 

Snapping out of his amazed quandary, Jalene dove to the side in a roll as Kane brought a fierce paw down where his foe had just stood. Kane was now the size of a small two-story building. He had stopped growing, but the protection I had once felt in this mountain was completely sapped away.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” Jalene shouting, enraged. Clearly, he had something to tell this beast, but didn't get a chance, for at that moment Kane turned his surly head and stared straight at us. There was an indefinable silence as my heart stopped, rain beginning to patter down in a drizzling shower. Kane snorted great puffs of breath through his flaring nostrils, mouth agape, a low guttural rumble resonating in his chest as he breathed. His boney hips jutted outwards as he turned lifting himself on his two hind legs to walk like some ancient ungodly guardian beast. He was aiming for us, walking slowly, purposefully, glaring at us, his eyes just screaming, “You're next. I'm going to get you, and when I do, I'll make sure you suffer.” I was extremely pale, weakened by such a horrific sight.

 

I had no idea if Cale was still with me or not. The beast stopped, flicked it's wolfish ear and began to bound in long strides. Several steps and it was on us. I threw my arms across my face, trying to protect myself, despite how frail and inefficient my defense was, but the lumbering beast only past me, it's burly stench musky and wet as the drizzle barely subsided. Its shadow loomed over me as I lay, flat against the rock beneath me and barely breathing, the great tail passing over me as the beast continued on, one tail feather's point catching my shirt and ripping a seam across my belly. It was a superficial scratch. I felt delirious but finally I forced myself to look around, rolling on my belly to survey the scene. Where was the monster going? I saw it leering over an opening with several large boulders blocking the way. The dark entrance was only accessible to smaller animals, including humans. I saw Cale peek out in fear. Hadn't the beast wanted me? I had the key, so why would it attack Cale?

 

I reached to my neck, hoping I could find some use for this `key,' only to find it was missing. Had the beast snatched it while it passed over me, without me noticing? No. Cale had it, and he was hiding from the demon. The monster roared in fury, falling upon the rocks and throwing them aside. The hole created wasn't any bigger just flatter. In rage, the thing raked the scenery with its talons, scraping the rock in an agonizing bone splitting sound. Intent on watching the beast in fear, all courage was drained as my hopes for trying to heroically save Jalene's brother were dashed. Even if I sacrificed my life to save Cale and the key, there would still be nothing stopping what was once Kane to help himself to what he wanted away. I hung my head, unable to find tears. I hadn't planned on Jalene stepping in. He walked past me, or least, I thought it was him. He had transformed too, but not in the same way. He wore a flowing, priestly robe of white, his skin a porcelain snow colored cream to match. His deep blue-green eyes shone in the same way the beasts did, only with benevolence, not malign annihilation.

 

A small pair of pink-tinted wings perched unfurled to Jean's pale green hair, a lighter shade than his eyes. He reminded me of a forest spirit, the sleeves of his robes much too long, the features on his face softened. He reminded me of some holy, divine spirit, here to save everything. He calmly flowed past me seeming to glide, stopping in front of Kane, the beast, to reveal knee high white boots in the folds of his robe, an intricate design woven across the fabric to the flared wings at the knees. A single ovular ruby studded the front of each boot. He held up a hand, adorned with long graceful nails of his own. A greenish aquatic light gave his clothes and face a tinted appearance. Kane stopped, recoiling at Jalene's hand, eyes the only thing moving, following the intruder's every move.

 

Jalene turned to his brother, reaching out a slender, feminine hand, helping Cale out his hidey-hole. Cale brushed himself off, visibly trembling, eyes wild with fear and near delusion as Jean smiled, delicately taking the vial which was clutched in a bone-crushing grip from Cale's hand.

 

“It's all right brother,” Jalene said softly, his voice a melodic, harmony of soft bells, a divine echo of a brass bell resonating against the clarity of his flute-like voice. He was an angel. I nearly forgot to breath in all awe at his sight, a light surrounding him as the rain light drizzle abated completely.

 

“You are safe,” he reassured Cale, giving his shoulder a squeeze. The poor earth raised boy looked like he might collapse out of pure respect, falling at Jalene's feet to worship him like some idol figure. I probably would have done the same.

 

Kane had been still. Now he growled lowly in the back of his throat, snorting. Upon observing Jean in all his glory, he reminded me of how motherly and gentle I once was. I was ashamed at how much I changed, having thought about it once long ago, on these very same plains, reclaiming that as soon as we were out of this tight situation, I would devote myself to my older ways, my worshipping, my capriciousness. Jalene touched Kane's nose and a violent tremor ran the beast, staggering it. It stayed, chest heaving. Jalene walked around to its lowered shoulder, weaving his fingers into the long dark, shaggy fur that lined its shoulders. He lifted himself up gracefully, hoisting his form to nestle between to hulking shoulder blades. Still grasping the twining fur, he looked back at me with a knowing look. The hunkering beast reclaimed its form and, with hesitantly forceful steps, slowly turned, walking back down the slope. Jalene seemed to have control over him, maybe with his mind, or some power he had found after having transformed.

 

The beast lumbered past, Jalene swaying as he crouched on Kane's back, heading back toward the tower, for the Black Halo. As it passed, with much more ease and control, I could hear its mumbling growls.

 

`I'm taking Kane back to the tower. He has decided to comply with me so our strength should not be sapped. Since I have the key, he has agreed to come with me. I know he still he thinks Alexander can win but I won't let him,' Jalene whispered in my mind. He sounded the same as the good old Jalene I knew and loved so well. `Alexander must be stopped. I can take Kane far enough and hold him at bay, but I cannot stand against Alexander at the same time. He's probably already positioned an army of Rebounds to defend his tower since we left, but I can lure them out towards Kane and me. Please stop Alexander for me.'

 

“I will,” I whispered, and stood. My legs were wobbly at first, but I was able to regain my carriage after a moment, and reunited with Cale as he stumbled down the mountainside toward me.

 

I caught him in a hug as he tripped. He was still trembling. I hushed him, stroking his hair and murmuring to him. It would be all right, I told him.

 

“Jalene wants us to get rid of Alexander,” I told Cale as I looked across the horizon to where Jalene was riding off in the distance. Looking to the older boy, he averted his gaze. He had been through so much hell. Sighing, I hung my arm around his shoulder and lead him on, following in Kane's trail.

 

 

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The farther we went, and the closer we got to Kane and Jalene, the darker it grew as we entered a night of forever. But, regardless of the pressing darkness, Jalene emitted a golden light, not so bright from whence it came, but like a large bubble, where everything it enveloped turned the shadows grey instead of black. It was like looking through a thin grey fog, but I was grateful that we wouldn't travel in solid darkness. I didn't think I had the mental energy to conjure any light of my own. Jalene stopped.

 

“Get on,” he said as he lowered the beast. Although hesitant at first, I finally trusted the hand that he extended toward me, and allowed myself to be pulled up. Cale fell in behind me. Gripping Jalene's robes, feeling the breathing of the steed below me, I was frightened, although intrigued to be on such a beast. Would they perhaps steal us away? Was this all just a set up?

 

“Hold on,” Jalene told me. Cale hugged my waist, his fingers laced together. I was about to find out why. Kane reared back with a loud, ear-shattering roar, lunging forward on hands and paws, bounding, lumbering, and galumphing toward the tower whence we had come at high speed. We would get there soon.

 

 

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We had been traveling a fair while, but nowhere near as long as we had by foot. We were there in a matter of barely a few hours. The tower still loomed above us, just as dark an ominous. We had just gotten down and were about to wish farewell with Jalene when he told us, “I can't hold Kane for too much longer. He will try to get this key away from me but I shall persevere. Destroy Alexander for me, and nothing will fail.” I nodded as he sat perched upon the back of his friend—no—his enemy. The door stood open for us, just beckoning us in to be swallowed whole. The door did not close behind us. As Cale trailed at my sleeve, we plunged into the semi darkness of the now familiar room.

 

“What do think we'll do,” he whispered, scared, eyes wide and searching.

 

“I don't really know,” I admitted, finding his hand and cupping it in mine. We cautiously pressed onward against the marbled floor.

 

Looking for Alexander wasn't that hard. In the very room we had first met him we found him, sitting high on his throne. He sat placidly, staring down at us with those unnaturally blue eyes. I could feel his cold smirk as we approached. I had no idea what to do or what Alexander had planned for us. All I could do was confront him. Gesturing for Cale to stay behind and flee if need be I ascended the steel steps to the platform on which the creator resided. He looked smug as I kept my distance, still not knowing what I was supposed to do.

 

“Yes, can I help you?” he asked coyly, just as coolly as ever. I didn't know what to say. “It was foolish to come back here.” He paused, eyes glazed over. “My army's attacking that rogue Legend. If you really wanted to be heroic, you might go try and save them.” He laughed, standing up and pushing me gently aside as his footsteps clinked their way down the steps I had come up.

 

I saw my chance. Maybe I could tackle him, but it'd probably result in worse damage done to me instead of him. Cale hailed me down as I hastily descended in Alexander's wake. Together, feeling more secure as the creator crossed the room to the far end and went through the doors, Cale told me his idea.

 

“What if we can knock this whole tower over?” he asked. It seemed like a pretty good idea, but was it necessary? “Everything in here is pure evil. All the Rebounds are brainwashed, I'm sure there are still a lot in here keeping house for Alexander instead of out there fighting his battles for him.” I nodded.

 

“How would we do that?” I asked, folding my arms and looking around.

 

“I don't know, destroy the base somehow?” I thought for a long moment.

 

“Don't you think Alexander has some valuable information? I mean, he <i>did</i> help create the world,” I reasoned. I'm not entirely sure why I was taking sides. Maybe because once a long time ago, I had dreamed of rebuilding the world and now seeing it coming true, it was rising a flare of revolt against those opposing the creator. He<i> did</i> also create the ground we stood on…..

 

“Come on Yue,” Cale said, tugging my sleeve. I met his mismatched eyes, but couldn't bring myself to stare him down.

 

“Okay,” I sighed, “you win. Tell me what we should do. Should we start on the outside or inside? Couldn't we just screw up all his technological stuff instead?” I began walking slowly, not wanting to stay in the same spot too long.

 

“Mmm… let's look around some. There are a lot of rooms that were locked when I explored before. Let's see if we can get back to those and find out what's in them; why they're locked.” I followed Jalene's brother out of the room, past the room where the domed bed and monitor had once been. Half the room was missing, destroyed and black, as if a terrible fire had caught it, electrical wires still buzzing.

 

I followed Cale's slow, nearly unsure pace as he led me down several boring, earth-toned halls, no different from any other wall in this place. We reached a dead end, the door our only lead out, if not turning back.

 

“This is one of them,” he said. I tried the handle, which was, of course, locked.

 

“How do you propose we open it?” I asked, standing back and sizing up the door. It was a heavy steel door, probably near half a foot thick and had several key holes for several different locks. It'd take a battering before it gave in, which meant it must be hiding something worth a high value.

 

“This one I also found most intriguing, just because it's so heavily secured. I think it's also automatic so if we cut the power, the locks should slide back into place,” Cale said, massaging his temple.

 

“Are you okay?” I asked, brushing bangs out of his eyes. He nodded.

 

“Just a headache.”

 

“If I could get to a computer terminal I could probably break into the system and cut the circuits,” I offered.

 

“Guess that other room won't be of any use,” Jean's brother replied, referring to the half destroyed one we had passed.

 

“No, but these other doors must hold something.” I walked back the way we had come, checking the doors. The first one was locked; the second was storage, for boxes of who knew what. Upon further inspection, we found mostly spare robot parts, older versions of robots, failed versions of robots and written blue prints of old toy robots.

 

“Hey, come check this out,” Cale waved me over, sitting on the dark dusty floor in front of a raggedy musty box he had pulled out from several other empty cardboard boxes. They held weapons. All of them were empty, but we found a shoebox full of assortments of ammunition. Cale looked to me, both hands on the box.

 

“Think we should bring any extra?” I nodded. I doubted either of us was any kind of expert at shooting a gun; Cale had a much better chance at it than I did, but at least we felt safer.

 

I also found a can of a strong spray-able solvent which I tucked under my shirt. It wasn't exactly inconspicuous but at least it was comfortable. We left the room.

 

“Do you think even if we find a computer terminal that we'll be able to shut down the circuit?” Cale asked. I nodded.

 

“Probably. I'd assume all the terminals are networked together so I should be able to hack into the power line and disconnect the power from at least part of this building. I'm guessing most of the wirework is probably networked too and not on a parallel circuit so if we blow one fuse the whole thing will go out. Which is good. It can put Alexander at a disadvantage.”

 

“Probably not any better for us though.”

 

“No probably not.” We continued our search. Several doors later, one of them leading to an empty room, we found a computer. It was switched off but we booted it up, clearing the extremely junky desk of old papers, clipboards and Lord only knows what else. The rest of the room was piled with boxes of papers of all sorts: old printer paper, cardboard paper, colored paper, newspaper, magazines, tissue paper, and sketching paper.

 

Once into the system, it was very easy to access almost anything. I wanted to look further into it, or at least make a copy of the entire system, which would have taken hours with such an ancient computer, but I couldn't find anything to write it to either, so I went straight to work, Cale leaning over my shoulder.

 

“Is that the one?” he asked, pointing to an outlet on the screen. Using the obsolete mouse I double clicked the file. It was. All I had to do was input a command and the lights would go out! As soon as I did the computer screen faded as the power was disconnect.

 

“Okay, that's done with,” I said, the room entirely dark.

 

“Save your energy, I'll lead you,” Cale said. Apparently, he had read my mind about summoning a light.

 

“Umm… are you sure?” I asked. I just had to clear things up.

 

“Yeah, if you trust me. Come on.”

 

He pulled me out of my chair and across the room. I felt like every step I took I was about to walk into a hole and disappear, so my blind walking was clumsy.

 

“We're in the hall. Use the wall if you need to,” Jean's brother told me, rubbing my hand between his as we proceeded slowly down the hall. He tugged me gently down a corridor, the only one we had had to take in our search for a computer.

 

“Not too far,” he said. I have to admit that utter darkness is frightening, especially in our situation. We assumed nothing was roaming the halls, but we could only depend on Cale's night vision enhanced eye. If something stealthy attacked us from behind, we'd be dead. My partner led me down a hall, my fingertips brushing the wall to my right. We stopped, I very nearly running into my friend as he stopped.

 

“Okay, here it is,” he said in a whisper, out of instinct and not need. I concentrated, calming and clearing my mind with slow steady, deep breaths, finding the power to summon my light. It tingled in my hand as the blessed rays fell across the steel door and Cale's face. I tried the lock with my free hand and it jiggled loose, allowing the door to slide back, the handle collapsing into the door as it was opened completely.

 

Holding my light out and making it brighter to give us a better view of things, I stepped across the threshold and into the unknown room, Cale at my heels. At first it looked like a boiler room, with great big steam tanks and large pipes on either side of us, but farther back, across the steel floor was another door, heavy steel as well, which fell open at our hands with a mere touch. The next room caught my breath in a gasp. I stumbled as I came to a sudden halt, blocking the doorway, Cale running into me with a protest. Looking under my arm, he stilled. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be amazed or horrified, a little of both. It was something like the half destroyed, dome-bed room, only much larger, much cooler, and had many more tubes that held….. things. It was like a pod of experiments of grown creatures. Some where identifiable as the half robotic humans Alexander was working on. I was unsure if I was more creeped out by the fact that over half these nightmares were dead, or the fact that some of them were still alive. If anyone of them gave conscious movement, I was running. Compelled by interest, held back my utter repulsion, I reluctantly moved forward to the desk in the middle of the room.

 

Farther back, through the dim lighting of my orb I could see what looked like animals of sorts, some of them hybrids but most of them true animals. Was Alexander cloning them? At the desk were scattered papers, and on top of them, a leather-bound, handwritten journal: a diary. Flipping the cover open, I scanned the pages which were thankfully written in English and not some mad-scientist language of another tongue like Gaelic or Swedish or German. Cale had stayed behind in the doorway but hurried to my side, no longer wanting to be alone. He ducked under the arm that held the book, open to its pages, and I wrapped that arm around him, holding him close as I thumbed through the journal, looking for anything that might point us in the direction of this lab. I was starting to believe that unless Alexander was a very messy, negligent person, that he had done what he had for a reason, and that somehow we were still playing into some sort of trap.

 

I landed on a page which explained the episode in this lab.

 

<b>

 

Season 2, Third Quarter of Lunar Moon

 

 

I have perfected many of these new creations. I have perfected the metabolic levels. All the required enzymes are complete, fully functional and able to fulfill their given duties. However, due to the extreme amount of energy it takes for the transmutation to take place, many of the bodies have aged at an extreme rate, causing a lot of the improved functions to fail due to lack of energy and nonrenewable resources within the body. If I could create something within them to produce substances without manually taking them in and without killing them from overproduction, I can succeed! This new enzyme structure that will create the proteins, minerals, and vitamins will only be triggered when the transformation begins to take place.

 

 

It is much like a mutated version of a butterfly, if you will, only I want it at a much faster pace. The genes, after so long, so much research, are in place to create what I will. I cannot lead an army of so-called `Legends' if it takes them months in advance to metamorphosize. I cannot infiltrate places with mutants! No… they must be human long enough to get them in there, then release the chemicals within their brains to stimulate the change. Soon, it will be utterly perfected!

 

</b>

 

Scanning through several of the following dates I found a valuable bit concerning the success of creating the Legends, some of the words blotted out by ink smears and water stains. As far as it was recorded, there were only three in existence: Kane, Jalene, and a name that was blotted out by an impeccably placed drop of ink. Alexander had created them, giving them false ID's, raising them by mechanical parents that posed as scientists, allowing people to think that these `scientists' really were only cloning and genetically enhancing people.

 

<b>

Season 3, New Moon

 

 

My first is complete and oh how I long to touch such a supple body. Alas, Number 1, as I will call her for now, is too rebellious. I fear I might have to put her down for my own safety.

 

 

Number 2 is much more docile. An improvement. As I watch him, I feel a particular attraction to him. The scientists, I've decided, will call him Jalene Banks. To me though, he is only Number 2. He's an improvement, or update from Number 1 if you will. Only half of him is real.

 

 

Number 3 is a strange sort of mix. He's very amusing and fun to play with. No he isn't real at all, maybe that's why. I've given him what I give my other robotic pets: a will of their own, as long as I can subdue them when the time calls. He has a passive aggressive nature which I have suppressed for now. Maybe his rage will be useful later. </b>

 

 

 

Very interesting, but I really didn't want to linger in this crypt for long. Cale, was looking over my shoulder but said nothing.

 

“I don't know what these things are, but I can take a guess. Monsters that Alexander created?” Cale said softly, rubbing his arms. I nodded.

 

“That's what this says anyway,” I replied, indicating the book before setting it back on the desk, still open. Cale nodded against me.

 

“I'm very well-known with the human body. I may not know much about animal's anatomy and their make up, but I'm guessing a lot of it isn't too far off. I could see if I could stop this production if you want,” he offered. It would be good to stop these creations but if we screwed up and created something even worse, then that wouldn't be any better.

 

“I don't know. Are you sure you know what you're doing?” I asked quizzically, brows raised. Cale looked to the ceiling as if thinking his answer.

 

“Mmm I think so.”

 

Cale walked around the lab, searching through lower cabinets and through fridges.

 

“I think without electricity, a fair amount of damage can be done, since these things will depend on it to maintain their homeostasis,” Cale said. Then, “Ooh <i>leukodystrophies</i> very nice.” He looked to me with a smile, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Wouldn't do good for a <i>galactocerebrosidase</i> deficiency now would it?” Why did it feel like he was just making words up? He laughed at my blank, somewhat puzzled look.

 

“It means it will cause Krabbe's disease, which deteriorates the myelin in the nervous system—the fatty tissue that protects the cells. Basically it's completely exposing the nerve fibers and killing them off, like a warrior without armor. That means it will eventually affect the nerve fibers in the brain and impair the subject until it dies.”

 

I nodded. That sounded like a nice way to die.

 

“How do you use it though? Like how will it affect a subject? Doesn't it have to be genetically altered into the DNA sequence?” I asked, shifting my weight as Cale held a vial of <i>leukodystrophies</i> up to my light.

 

“Generally speaking, yes it is an inherited disorder, and until I can reprogram the genes to nourish and produce this enzyme, they will only, at most, be carriers of the trait. If we assume most of this is organized and done by the computer, I think I can encrypt a coding for <i>leukodystrophies</i> into the genetic sequence and hide it as a more common enzyme, like <i>cytochrome P450IIIA4</I>.”

 

“Which means we need a computer.”

 

“Heh… yes.” Cale tossed the vial into the air, caught it, and stuck in a fold of his shirt. “Think we can find another one?”

 

“Yes, but only with my light.” There had to be some area of the building that wasn't devoid of electricity and so we set out to find it.

 

Several twists and turns later, we found it. That meant the building did run on a parallel circuit. Extinguishing my light, grateful to have a break for now, we went back to searching rooms. Our second try revealed a computer. Bingo!

 

“Alright. Yue, I need you see if you can get the computer to an encryption in the very core of the makings of the computer itself. I should be able to find the file on his monsters and rewrite the data, but I can't read anything unless it's encoded or encrypted. That was news to me.

 

“Oh, okay. Let's see…..” It took me a twenty minutes of typing, searching, digging and guessing before I finally tapped the central line. The computer asked if I really wanted to gain access and I said yes. It blinked for a moment, processing before a huge flow of data raced across the screen. Once it had stopped, it only looked like a bunch of dots, like Braille consisting of three letters, and a horribly translated Russian site. It looked like the font Wingdings in some areas, and in others it was just lines of color—no letters—just colors.

 

“Good luck?” I said, allowing Cale claim of the chair. He laughed, scrolling the plasmid screen of the high tech computer with his finger.

 

“Ahh boring, boring, boring,” he sighed, one hand supporting his cheek as he searched manually. After a quick look of what files he was under, he double pressed the screen and found a search bar. Taking the vial out from his shirt, he looked at the numbers on the label. Typing in some alt tags, fingers flying as if he didn't even have to think about the code, he typed something in that foreign encrypted language and entered it. It ran a search and came up with….. teddy bears, smiley faces, lots of red and blue and fancy letters with ticks over them. His eyes scanned the screen before—

 

“Ok found it. Ah he's clever isn't he? Probably not clever enough.”

 

“What do you mean?” I asked, both hands on Cale's shoulders. He looked up at me, one ginger eye and one grey eye staring into my own.

 

“He's using common—well not-so-common to the general public—phrases instead of actually inputting what it is, like `Squeezing the dolphin after sunset.' They're somewhat amusing, and none of them actually make sense with their real meaning but nonetheless.” He sighed, fingers dancing over the number pad as he began to encrypt the code.

 

Five minutes later he laughed, exiting the program.

 

“Alright it's finished. Any robots he tries to create with any of those files will be inflicted with a horrible case of <i>leukodystrophies</i>, and will die a horrible death before they fully develop. If they try to transmute they'll most likely die instantaneously because of the enzyme production.” I nodded in approval.

 

“All right. Now on to what we actually came here to do,” I said with arms crossed against my chest. Cale tucked the vial containing the disease back into a fold in his clothing.

 

“What do you propose we do? Destroy the whole building?” he asked as we plodded along, the air around us chilling.

 

“Yes,” I confirmed in acknowledgment. “I think that will be best.” Cale was silent as we moved onward, with no idea where.

 

“Do you suppose that this place is the only highly advanced place left, technologically anyway, that might be able to support life?”

 

“What do you mean?” My brows furrowed and I frowned faintly.

 

“I mean like, what if the only way to save a lot of the species of Earth, including humans, meant cloning and a genetic `shopping?'”

 

I paused in my steps, then continued, contemplating. Finally—

 

“I don't know,” I answered. “Maybe we can just find Alexander and finish him off, save the building and everything in it. If we can program his robots from his master station, we can keep the half breed humans in check with their normal lives, shut down all the other robots and see what he have left, then keep this building as something of a storehouse for whenever we may need it again.”

 

“Only thing is, where <i>is</i> he?” Cale pursued, walking closer in stride with me. I shook my head. This whole building was incredibly huge with a ridiculous amount of twisting hallways, doors, and walls.

 

“He could be anywhere,” I said softly, head hung as I watched the floor. As we walked I found we were subconsciously heading back for the entrance to the building, to the throne room. I didn't really notice until we had passed the charred, destroyed monitor room and heard our footsteps echo off the marble. I was so content at staring at the checkered floor that I wasn't pulled from my mesmer until Cale very nearly slapped me.

 

“What is it?” I blurted out, confused as to why I was being shaken.

 

I followed Cale's finger. Alexander was back in his thrown, slumped over to one side, slouched in his chair a maniacal grin on his face, eyes wide and insane looking, black streaking his face. He was painted with blood. Crimson liquid dripped onto the floor, staining the metal, and in bright red words, painted on the walls and pipes behind him read:

 

 

<b>Fuel the fire; give me life, my One.</b>

 

 

I was shocked. Taken aback and somewhat aghast at such blatant violence, a small voice in the back of my head was relieved that I didn't have to do the dirty work myself. If Alexander had been murdered, then at least it made our job that much easier. Cale tugged my sleeve. I glanced from the boy to the creator, my eyes unable to leave such a grotesque scene.

 

“Yue,” Cale whispered, just as pale and sickly looking as he had been for a while now, though he seemed used to it after so many inhumane encounters. “If someone killed Alexander and wrote that in his blood, then it's probably still hanging around.” I said nothing, still, staring.

 

“It's his handwriting,” I quivered softly, my mind uncomprehending. “He wrote it, no one else did. But something did kill him.”

 

I shuddered. I really didn't want to go up there and check to make sure he was indeed dead, but if he was missing that much blood, it was safe to assume that he was indeed somewhere in Hell. I shivered again, the creeping feeling of something watching and waiting for the perfect move, crawling up my back. I glanced over my shoulder, but nothing was there.

 

“Let's go,” I breathed, taking Cale by the arm and hurrying him along. Our brisk pace turned into a trot, then a run, as we headed for the still open door. Nearly diving through, I almost regretted not staying inside as I saw the scene before me. Suddenly, I remembered why we had gone into the tower in the first place. Jalene was perched placidly atop the monstrosity, Kane, while an extreme amount of Rebounds darted to and fro midst the beast's legs, all the while attempting to reach the unconscious boy who was wobbling precariously, in peril of falling into the clutches of the robots.

 

Alexander was dead. Was there no connection to these robots? Or was it a final program he committed before he died? Holding an arm out to keep Cale back, although it was unnecessary, I quickly formulated a plan to somehow save Jalene. It involved me diving through the roiling mass of metallic creatures, climbing up Kane's enraged form and somehow rescuing Jalene. That was as far as I got when I heard Cale gasp. Kane was indeed rampant, enraged by either the robots inflicting damage on him in order to reach their prey, or from the fact that he had been enslaved for a short period from his long since dear friend, Jalene. Unable to successfully reach Jalene from his back or to shake the boy off, Kane unleashed a mighty roar, causing the Rebounds to cringe momentarily. I clasped my hands over my ears to muffle the sound, but despite my efforts to block out the tremendous, savage, roar, my ears were still ringing.

 

Robots had been crushed underfoot from Kane's confusion and pain as sharp metallic claws dug into his fur and skin as they attempted to climb up his body. His tail swished dangerously, slicing robots to ribbons, knocking others aside, his mighty paws sending metal flying in various directions. I ducked as approximately one-third of raptor-like Rebound came flying in my direction. Doing the only thing Kane could think to do, swamped with metal animals, he rose with a gravity defying force, standing erect on his haunches, and his ride tumbled, rolling down Kane's back and landing somewhere at his great feline back feet.

 

Robots swarmed, only a hundred or so feet away, the sound of grating metal mingling with cries from both beast and Rebound. Jalene's faint light was still miraculously shining, lighting our way, but I feared it was dimming. Fatigued from our adventure thus far, I didn't want to summon my own light until absolutely necessary, but I felt so powerless, until the light sputtered out like a dying candle flame. Caught within the blindness darkness, I panicked, stock-still and eyes wide and my brain locked. Noise ceased for a solitary second that seemed to last forever, like an echo of an empty ocean's crashing shores. Unable to think as the robots had probably done their job of murdering Jalene, the rebel against his creator, only one thing rushed across my mind: If it's so then let me die.

 

Quite suddenly, I felt a rush of air, as if a draft had swept over the dark land, enveloping everything in a damp rush of dangerous solitude. Something clutched my hand, pressing near to me and I jerked in reflex, surprising the being next to me, Cale.

 

“Sorry,” he barely breathed as I heard a vicious crunching sound. Metal? Bones? It was hard to tell. Cale gasped, squeezing my hand. His night vision!

 

“What's happening?” I asked hastily. “What do you see?” My friend stuttered, trying to put what he saw into words.

 

“W-well, there's another monster that… grew. Jalene, I think.”

 

“Jalene?” I drew back slightly out of fear, fighting the urge to hunker down, cover my head and hope everything would pass.

 

“….yes. It's Jalene. He's uh….well, he's changed. Like Kane, only not like him. He's….another monster. I think he's fighting them—the Rebounds I mean.” Suddenly my brain clicked. A light! But would it really be wise? I had no choice. Whether Jalene lived or died, I wanted to bear witness, to not be left in the dark, so to speak, and have Cale endure all the trauma. I was also terrified of dying from some unknown cause.

 

Taking a deep breath, on my wit's end but able to push things aside for a fraction of a second to clear my mind and summon a light, I held the warm orb over my head, for a better look. My light was weak at first, growing with strength as I felt a little more confident. Another strangled cry rang out, robots flying in all directions as my light penetrated the darkness, falling obscurely over the forms of piles of Rebounds as well as two hulking forms, one being Kane. I shuddered involuntarily, crouching as I noticed how much closer everything had gotten. The beasts had moved, bringing their battle somewhat closer, if even by a mere few feet. I swallowed hard as a creature on the right shifted; the one that was Jean. To the left lie Kane, on his side and looking stunned. The vociferous clamor had stopped due to the fact that all robots either had been defeated or had retreated somewhere. Some were piled in heaps, but most lay scattered like broken dolls, forgotten by their owner and abandoned for better things.

 

I think my heart had stopped beating, for when Kane shook his great horned head, snarling, he had barely gotten up before pouncing, very nearly catching a large, arachnid like creature off guard. It reminded me of Godzilla versus King Kong, only between two God-like creatures. What Jalene had become…..a monster only suitable for defeating another monster? The question arose that perhaps these two would switch their forms back and forth, but why hadn't Jalene transformed into that… thing…. Instead of the angel first? He could have lured it away and the two could have duked it out right then, while the Rebounds were still absent. A flash of arachnid legs, a pale yellow, dark stripped abdomen and an arched, segmented tail ending in a wickedly pointed stinger. Two extremely large, insectile arms, much like you'd see on a praying mantis, with a bat-like hooked claw on eat end, raked across Kane's shoulder, snagging his bone and ripping through it like a hook through a fish. I was taken aback by how much strength was in that thing as Kane was jerked forward, his backward momentum contributing to the ease of the rip through his bone.

 

He slightly limped but that didn't stop him from pouncing onto the back of the large chitinous exoskeleton of the segmented body of his opposer. Jalene gave a shriek, something that sounded like an alien bird as eight spider legs bended beneath Kane's weight. Human hands clutched arachnid legs as Kane held himself steady, scrabbling against the smooth surface of Jalene's thorax from which the mantis arms protruded a murky brown ending in a slight green at the claw. My light got brighter in my fear as adrenaline pumped, coursing through my veins like a drug. An extremely large and fearful head, though proportional in comparison, was just as obtrusively ugly as any other part of the undesirable form. I have never seen an actual army ant in the entire expanse of my life, but the bulbous head with immense mandibles, thrusting forward like tusks, the laid-back feelers or antenna on its head, reminded me of that destructive pest.

 

My stomach churned. Those beady eyes glittered, much larger than they should be in comparison to the flat head, faceted and dome-like. I watched in a stupor, unable to move to save my life as Jalene, the bug assemblage opened it's insect jaws and let loose another piercing shriek. Kane had torn at the thing's leg, succeeding in ripping it off, but the poor beast hadn't anticipated the stinger that hovered above him, arching like a large cobra, about to strike. Unable to see what he was hitting, Jalene's scorpion tail missed, bouncing off his thick exoskeleton harmlessly as Kane's taloned hands tried to puncture the insect's more fragile tail. Jalene was wavering, either going to collapse or in attempt to throw the large beast off. In comparison their strength, I'm sure, was equal, but Jalene was much larger than Kane. Knowing where his prey was now, the monstrosity of an insect did not miss his next target.

 

An ear splitting wailing cry tore though the air as Jalene caught Kane straight in the back, right between and below the protrusive shoulder blades. There was the crunching pop as vertebra with misaligned, the needle burying itself deep inside Kane's flesh and making sure to poison him with no hope of living. A dark purple-red blood, mingling with the milky white venom streamed down Kane's back, running off his shoulders in small steaming rivers. Kane had given up his fight, going limp, claws and fangs both still digging into Jean's flesh in a futile attempt to stop him. From where I stood it appeared that Jalene had suffered some damage during his transformation when the Rebound had attacked: his chitinous shell had gouges along it, nearly penetrating his soft inner body. One antenna was shorter than the other was, and the eye that had been facing away from us, we found—when Jalene turned to see if his prey was still breathing—had been scratched, mashed in, and collapsed like a broken balloon.

 

The beast went into convulsions, growling and whimpering like a beaten animal before its body seized up, rigid as a post before going limp some long seconds later, an audibly soft sigh escaping his throat. Kane stayed, his shuddered breathing no more. Jalene relaxed, his mantis arms tucked against themselves, his head drooping and his body sagging beneath the weight. Jalene shook the body off and Kane slid limply to the ground, eyes dimmed and lost their morbid swirling light. That's when Cale chose to cry out.

 

“Kane!” he screamed, running towards the lifeless form. I meant to shout after him not to touch the still venomous body, but my voice wasn't working properly. I followed weakly behind Cale, walking around the inert bodies of the destroyed robots. I had no doubt that parts of them were still functioning but were merely immobile. Cale… why must you break my heart this way? You resemble your brother so much… why must you fling yourself upon this monster's body without hesitation or second thought? You really loved Kane… didn't you?

 

I couldn't stop these haunting thoughts. Against my will, my mind screaming in terror as I neared what was Jalene, battered though still alive and just as grotesque, I admired Cale and at the same time scorned his chaste behavior. I had convinced myself all along that I loved Jalene, and yet I could hardly dare to near his disfigured, horrific, mangled, insectile being. How dare I call myself his lover when Cale cried such pure tears of sorrow over his lost! Eying Jalene as his bulbous, fly-like eyes watched my warily, I stooped to put a consoling hand on Kane's shoulder. He held out until now, and now he had broken. He sobbed into Kane's fur, slipping his hand into Kane's, tiny by comparison. Poor heartbroken soul. I looked to Jalene, fear embracing my heart. I was terrified of him: absolutely petrified! Pure will had gotten me this far and only because, when commanding my legs, my feet hadn't known what they were getting into!

 

I was vaguely aware of the tears starting to run down my cheeks, caught between hysterical fear, happiness that Jalene was alive, and commiseration to Cale's loss. His mind was so racked. My light gaze in with my mental collapse and suddenly I was much more terrified to be in such close vicinity with this monster, my once love. Slow seconds ticked by that lasted for hours when I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I stiffened but Cale whispered his reassurance. I was sure I'd die of a heart attack at any moment. My mind was screaming.

 

`Can't see can't see! Red alert! Run—' aside from just screaming.

 

“Come on,” Cale whispered, his voice cracked, weary and sodden with tears.

 

`Where?' I thought, but couldn't verbalize it.

 

“I'm sure my brother has missed you.” Was he crazy? Cale! What were you—

 

He pressed me against one extremely large, long, cool mantis arm. I quivered against its contact, knees gone weak as I slid down, grasping the arm for dear life and remembering the claw at the end. I gulped, but I could sense a warmth, a happiness—a smile—from the overly large mutant insect lumbering above me. That's when I passed out.