Hey guys! I know i haven't updated 'The mental hybrid' yet, but don't worry! I'm still working on it. I just needed to take a small break from that story so i could focus On some other things, because I have been stressed as hell lately. You see, my grandmother had just passed not too long ago and... well, I just need to recover for a while. But here's a little story I've been working on while working. I typed it on my phone, and it took well over a month or so to do. Being a fan of Metroid inspired me to write this, and if it kicks off, I will most definitely make a sequel, and showcase Samus in the future. Hopefully you all enjoy it!
Chapter 1
I can't remember how long it's been out here. It's cold, dark, empty, just about every feeling you can get just to have that particular sense of isolation and loneliness.
There isn't much to look at, to be brutally honest. All I could see was debris. A wreckage of an alien ship I was somehow able to fly. Locked to my back was a tether linking me to the pilots seat of the wrecked machine I once operated.
For the first few hours, I was in deep shock. Nothing but a blur to me. After what felt like a day or so, when I finally came to my senses, I panicked. I tried to scream, but no one can hear me. There wasn't anyone around to hear me. Hell, even if there was, they still wouldn't hear me, given the fact that I was in deep space, floating due to the gravity of the ship that I was tethered to.
After a week or so I gave up, and waited for my inevitable end. The nano suit, sensing I was in deep shit, restricted my movements and turned off most of my bodily functions to preserve whatever it could. The suit shut off most of my organs, which included my intestines, spleen, bladder, kidneys and whatever. Only some were left running, like my brain and a few neural receptors hidden in my spine. I didn't know that until the suit told told me. The suits systems aren't controlled by an AI, but rather a simple template of programming that has only one objective: keeping its owner alive, no matter the cost.
For the first few months, I did not sleep. I couldn't, really. I just… Stayed awake. I was no longer thirsty. I was no longer hungry. Those feelings went away when the suit started shutting my organs down. I didn't move either. I couldn't. I just let myself go, hoping whatever wounds that I received from both the explosion that threw me this far and the occasional, small meteor that collided with my torso or face. It was all okay though, because I didn't feel anything anymore.
There was, I assumed, only one thing keeping me alive: the suits power. To be honest, I don't know how the suit gets its power, be it from bio-electrical energy emitted by my entire body or if there was some weird battery put inside me that magically recharges at a surprising rate. Of course, the suit decided that just me being conscious was drawing a little too much power, and would occasionally force me into a coma.
Very rarely, I wake up. Sometimes I just open my eyes, and gaze at the wonderful sights I witnessed in deep space. Stars burning so elegantly in different colors, clusters of blue and violet colored comets whizzed pass me, planets constantly spinning on invisible axels, rotating around both the red super giant star and a newly born white dwarf star. The many, many moons each planet had, all reflected different colors and radiation they've all gotten from the open system of the duo of stars that we're miles upon miles away. Even the wreckage I was in looked to be a beautiful work of art. Torn circuits looked like tiny, red garter snakes dipping their heads out of the walls, ceiling and floor of the ship I was once in. Tiny, tiny shards of glass and metal floated all around me, along with particles of dust and ice that clouded the visor of my suit. Sometimes the ice would melt in the severe, unfiltered heat and radiation from the sun, and then freeze right in front of me in a matter of seconds once the stars powerful beams of energy are either blocked or hidden away.
And then I would go back into the coma, so the suit could better keep me alive. I never really experienced anything when the coma hits me, as all I saw was a blank darkness, sometimes lasting what feels like minutes, hours or even days. Sometimes, when I wake up, I try to move. All I could ever manage was a fraction of a twitch, but that was all. I would consider this my personal hell, with the near complete lack of senses and loneliness I felt, but the visuals I've witnesses were far too beautiful, far too rewarding to make me feel any sort of regret or sadness. I often think I was dead, which led me to be even more open to the fact that I was in heaven. I would think to myself that this is paradise. No worries, no pain, no hunger or thirst, just beauty. Beauty that the universe so generously exposes me to, making me more grateful than I ever had before.
Sometimes, when my limbs are finally within sight, I can see the details of the monstrosity I've become. I usually just saw my right arm, drifting ever so slowly in front of me. I could make out the flesh of my forearm, somehow showing through the suit, which had fused with my skin. Possibly from the heat of the star nearby; bio-organic material does do strange things in extreme heat. My fingers were disjointed and twisted as hell, two of them seemed to make out the appearance of a talon or claw. Hell, even my visor was nearly gone. I could no longer tell if it was still attached to my face, fused with the muscles and flesh of my cheeks and eyes, or had melted completely off. The alpha Ceph released the blocks on both the systems and organic material I was made out of, to try to mutate me to a point where I couldn't move. It failed, obviously. And it's dead because of it. But it's done so much damage, that I doubt that I'm even human anymore. Over time, however, I can see my body change. Through the the times I wake up from the coma to the time I go back into it, I can see small changes. I never see it happen directly, but I could see the result. My fingers were slowly changing back to normal, though the damage remained the same.
Finally, after so long, I found something. Something I can't say I've ever seen before. I could feel the stars light beam behind me. Not literally, but I knew it was there. It was probably cooking me in the suit like it always does, only I just can't feel anything. In my gaze, to the top left of my vision was the majestic, red and gray colossus of a planet, spinning as it usually does. But amongst the darkness, with thousands upon thousands of different stars that were billions of lightyears away lighting up like a flashlight under a black sheet of paper with holes on it, there was a light. The light looked almost identical to the others, but this one moved. I concluded that it was just a comet, that just so happens to be coming in my general direction. And with that, I slipped back into the coma.
Thankfully, I was in a dream this time. Though it was more like a flashback or memory than a dream. I could still talk, smile, see, hear, everything. This particular memory was that of the time I was in the force. But I wasn't fighting at the time. I was walking with a friend, our rifles locked on safety and holstered neatly on both of our backs. We just walked and talked. I could never remember the specifics of conversations, but I did have a general idea of what most of them were about. I remember snippets of the conversation, like his plans for when he finally gets his leave and spends time with his family. He said he'd do many things, like go fishing, watch a movie with his family or something. He always asked me what I'd do, and I'd reply with me going down to my hometowns bar and drinking a few stiffs. I'd also reply by saying I'd go out hunting with my father. That was a lie though, because my father died of lung cancer three years prior to the conversation.
Most memories I dwell on, they all took place far before I got the suit attached to my flesh. Sometimes I have snippets of memory from when I was just a kid, running through the yard with my old dog, Duke. Others were that of terrible memories, shit I've seen during the fighting when the alien invasion first occurred. Those memories hurt me, but are thankfully rare. I instead focus on the good memories. Especially ones of my mom. I remember when I first stole a candy bar from bobs shop. My mother forced me to return it, and beat the hell out of me when I got home. A mothers love could even hurt a man with the worlds, strongest mind and will.
I woke again, and the memories left me once more. It was a strange routine, really. I wake up, gaze at the stars, go back into a coma, rinse and repeat. These comas, they can last anywhere from hours and days to seconds and minutes. It's random, and completely out of my control. But I never minded it. I would either dream or just wait until my darkness was lit up by the stars, moons and such. And so, I saw almost everything I expected to see. Still the beautiful scenery as it always was. Well, almost.
The light I saw earlier… It was brighter. And… Moving. It was like watching a baseball fly towards you in slow motion. I began to make out the details of the object as it began to enlarge. It turns out that it was not one, but three lights, stuck in a triangular shape, moving towards my direction. I could see a silver shine emit from the sides and center of the lights. I concluded that is was some form of metal. Maybe steel, or tungsten.
The object got closer, and this time, I saw it's true size. It looked to be the size of a mansion, hurtling towards me. But it's shape was… Unique. The three lights came from three different pillars on the front of the colossus, at the very tip of the strange contraption. Attached to it was a very complicated form of metals and simply colored lights. Some were bright and solid while others were dim and blinked occasionally. There were panels on the side of the mysterious contraption that looked to be large hatches or doors, which were covered by a large panel with unrecognizable symbols inscribed on them.
I had no doubt that this was a ship. Albeit, a pretty small ship compared to the ones the Ceph used, but far larger than the ships used as enemy air support. This was obviously not man made. I didn't recognize the style nor symbolism that the shit had. That is not to mention that there never was a capable space ship that human beings like myself down could create. No thoughts came to my mind when I saw the ship. Not even a feeling of concern or worry. I didn't know what to think or feel. I just witnessed it.
I estimated the size of the large panels to be at least the size of a large garbage truck, each corner of the rectangular hatch supported by strange bulbous globes that glowed a soft hue of blue and orange. The center of the panel looked to be an irregularly shaped entry point, which gave it the impression that the design seemed to be based of the shutters of a cameras lens. The globes on the corners of the panel slowly changed from blue to orange, orange to blue in a matter of a few seconds.
The large ship plowed through the expanse of space between me and it's being, and slowing itself as it neared my vicinity. I didn't know what the pilot was, who the pilot was, or what he or she was trying to accomplish. A very distinct part of me thought it was the red guard from the outskirts of China, due to the strange symbols marked expertly on the sides of the ship. But I've seen mandarin written on paper many times, and those symbols do not match any kind of lettering I've ever seen before.
I don't know how long time passed since the ship got close. I tend to lose track of time like that. I couldn't tell if it was ten minutes or an hour. I couldn't tell. Hell, the clock that was installed into the suits systems was shut down. It's probably still working, all I need is a quick rejuvenation and it'll tell me the time. Not that it mattered, anyhow.
A small meteor whizzed past the wreckage next to me and collided with my face. That was the seven hundred and sixty seventh one that hit me since the Alpha cephs death. I counted each one that hit me, pretending that I actually felt it and witnessed pain. My way of coping, I guess.
The ship stayed frozen, locked in place with one of the two panels on either side facing my direction. The orbs lit up to a bright, solid orange, and the panel began to open beginning from its very center. Very much like I predicted, the panel opened up like the shutters from a camera, but the process was slower than I expected. Little by little the shutters of the hatch opened up, and I could see small rays of white, unnatural light pour outwards, nearly blinding my peripheral vision.
Once the hatch was open, nothing happened. There was only light and debris. I was floating closer to the wreckage, which rarely happens. I was almost hidden in plain sight, but at the same time, the star ship was out of sight. All I saw was the light beaming near me, without a single speck of heat or radiation from the sun hitting me anymore. Because of that, my half melted visor was once again clouded with dust, freezing, leaving a thin coat of ice over my gaze.
From the light came a shadow that nearly encased me in darkness. The shadow moved, and suddenly split up into four, strange shapes. Rocks, ice and debris around my face shook slightly at first, as a strange, queer looking contraption flew over a hundred or so meters ahead of me. It, too, was a shit. But this one was roughly the size of a predator drone, with its sides and underbelly bulging massively. It's face was covered with a circular, heavily tinted glass, with what looked like small cameras sporting from both under the nose of the ship and on the sides of the glass. To its back was three small objects emitting a wave of a bluish, green mist. I guessed that to be its engines.
What made the ship seem even more bizarre was its arms. Four, lithe yet surprisingly durable looking arms that waved around the air erratically, the tiny claws at the end of each arm snapping and grabbing at the debris. It took some worthless trash, like the shards of glass from the wreck and the occasional box of destroyed circuitry. One arm found an M72-grouder, my personal favorite rifle. It didn't look too bad. As a matter of fact, it looked really good, like it was locked in a safe for a while. Just that one, long gash on the side that I got from when I was shot at by an alien weapon of some kind.
The ship paused, emitted a straight blue light and washed the rifle in the light for a span of a few seconds. It then threw the rifle into one of its many vents located on its belly, possibly storing it somehow. A moment later and it resumed its non-specific search within the debris. A second one that looked identical to the first emerged alongside it, this time heading in the opposite direction. It made its way to the ship I wrecked a long time ago, looking more interested than its twin in finding whatever they're looking for. A long time passed as I did my best to watch what the little ships were doing. I eventually spied two other little ships come and help the search, grabbing random items and objects left and right.
Eventually, they all stopped, and two of them positioned themselves on either side of the wreckage. On the top of the ships emerged a single, complex looking device that looked like a turret of some kind. Both ships had this, and the other two flew down and watched as the two ships above them shot at the wreckage. Only, they were not damaging it like I initially thought. Instead of the beam colliding or passing through the target, it surrounded it, forcing the severely damaged ship to hold still… And move.
As the ship was dragged to the open hatch, I stayed until the tether pulled me along with it. Ninety-five feet of nylon-wrapped Kevlar rope extended to its limit, and I floated towards the ship. But within a minute, the wrecked ship stopped. Lights were beaming all around me as the two, little ships below came close to me. One was to my left, and one directly in front of me.
They both stared at me for a very long time. The one in front of me extended one of its arms to me, in the slowest speed possible. It's menacing, tiny claws, the inner edges of the curved metal talons had teeth designed to grab a multitude of objects reached me. It stopped, just inches away from my chest. After what seemed like an eternity, it moved again, slower this time, towards my chest. The moment it made contact, it flinched, and the arm darted away.
The two other ships left the wreck and joined the ones already studying me. The lights that came from them were nearly blinding as they all illuminated my entire being. Three of the ships moved closer, probably trying to get a better look at me. The fourth, however, held out what looks like a giant, black, rectangular box. It pulled the box out of its side and opened the box up in front of me, revealing it to be empty of anything. One of the first ships I saw extended an arm to the tether I was connected to, and sliced it with one quick snip of its mechanical talons.
The ship that held the box came closer, and used only two arms to grasp me. I was handled gingerly as I was placed into the metal box, like how one would handle a grenade. All the ships took one good look at me before the one holding me closed the box off.
Everything was dark, and I couldn't do anything. Thankfully, within minutes, I slipped back into a coma, and dreamed. This dream was a bit strange though… It was far more vivid than the others. I was walking. Down the street, with a young lady in a bright, blood-red dress. Men all around couldn't help but glance at her and smile, adoring her beauty. But I paid no mind to her, as I was focused. Focused on getting somewhere…
I was suddenly entering a door. I could… Smell. I could smell food. Deserts. And I could see. I saw tables everywhere, occupied but many people, all of different ethnicities and fashions. I was coerced around by a waiter. He was a male Caucasian, with a height of about 5'11". He smiled at me, and spoke. But I couldn't hear him. It was all dull to me…
I woke up again. This time, I was not in darkness. Instead, I was in a strange room. I was still in the box, but the container I was in was open, and I saw many strange figures gathered around me. My first thought was humans, but that was obviously not likely, given the shape their bodies had. They all looked a tad bit small. Their arms were skinny, despite whatever suits they were wearing. Their legs were disjointed, but looked slightly thicker compared to their arms. Their heads were what stunned me, as they had the shape of that of a birds head. They had muzzles instead of the normal, flat face I was used to, and were also wearing a strange helmet that could fit them well. I counted about six individuals in all. At least, from what I can see. I still couldn't move my head to know for sure. Their legs were disjointed too, which reminded me quite like a dogs hind legs.
Three of them seemed to be conversing, while one was Sifting through some of the "loot" they have received from the wreckage with a partner. Judging by the position I was in from what I could see, I was stood up straight, contained in the box I was put into in the first place. The covering in front of me was transparent, which made it pretty easy to see in my frozen state. The three that I assumed were conversing seemed to get into an argument, as one started throwing gestures and signals with its limbs. The others did the same. From what I could see, none of them looked the same. What they wore were very much the same, but they varied in sizes. Few had accessories, like a patch on one of their backs that had strange symbols on it, with a few parts of it varying in different colors.
But there was the sixth one. This one just stood in front of me, staring at me through the glass that separated up. It was hard to calculate how far the creature was from me, but my best guess would probably be a foot or so away. This individual had no different or defining marks that I could see. It wore a strange, white uniform or suit with a helmet that covered its entire head, like the others. But this one was slightly shorter, and visibly a tad bit thinner than the others, whom were already thin as is.
The creature stepped closer, still staring at me with its concealed eyes. It lifted its left arm and pressed a hand on the glass. It looked me up and down, and seemed to search for a conclusion as to who or what I was. This didn't last long, as one of the mysterious individuals that were conversing comes over and physically pulls the limb away from the glass. They both faced each other, and I assumed they were talking to one another. They both occasionally looked back and fourth from me to each other, gesturing occasionally in a casual fashion with a rare flick of a digit from one of their hands.
The entire room jerked and trembled a little, grabbing the attention of all the creatures around. Within seconds, a thin spray of mist escaped from several points of the room. It seemed to meld with the atmosphere as it entered the air, which made all of the beings around me slack their bodies slightly, signifying relief. In front of them, the wall began to slide apart, creating an entrance to another all began to walk towards the new room, each keeping an eye on all of the objects they have collected. The wrecked ship went first, somehow being held by invisible forces that lifted it a few feet off the ground. However, once the large panel opened up to the new room, over a few dozen of small, floating machines pushed multiple, empty, hovering carts the size of pickup trucks. They then started to grab the objects collected from before and fill the carts one by one, pushing and pulling them back inside the other room when full.
As the six aliens were walking away, the same one from before stopped behind the others and looked back at me. It stayed there, staring at me in awe until a few of the machines grabbed the box I was in and transported me to an unknown destination.
And for the first time… In a very long time… The nano suit said something.
Alert! Readings indicate the atmosphere… Safe. Generating status report of current bodily conditions...
Current oxygen supply: 0.93% remaining. Oxygen recharge in queue.
Current pressure readings… Safe.
Initializing full body scan. Full body scan in progress. Stand by…
WARNING! Body integrity is in severe critical condition. Generating status report…
92% of internal organs is in critical condition. Organic degrading has damaged the following:
Spleen… Intestines… Stomach… Lungs… Heart… Liver… Spine… Brain stem…
All nano suits advanced functions… Offline. Advanced life support functions… Offline. Basic life support functions… Critical. System recalibration and organic tissue rejuvenation required and in queue.
Analyzing brain functions. Generating status report…
Neocortex… Stable. Cerebral cortex… Unstable. Bio organic memory drives… Stable.
Diagnostic scans for cerebral cortex is in progress…
Motor functions… Offline. Respirator… Critical. Arterial fluid pump… Offline. Audio sensory… Offline. Visual sensory… Online. Epidermal nerve receptors… Offline.
Suits current power… Low. Estimating recharge time… Unknown.
Systemic internal organ revitalization in progress. Please wait.
The coma came back again. I dreamed again. But this dream was of me… In a restaurant of some sort… And I was sitting right in front of the woman from before… Her wearing that beautiful, bright blood colored dress as before…
"Hello, Jackie boy." She said. Both her hands were folded neatly together, with her fingers perfectly laced together. Her nails were all the same long length, about a little less than an inch, all the while they were painted a somewhat darker red as opposed to the dess and lipstick she wore.
"Darla. Fancy seeing you here," I replied casually. Judging by the the black sleeves on my arms, it seemed that I was wearing a two-piece dress suit, tie and all. I don't know why, but I didn't question it.
"Is that who I am, Jackie?" She said, smiling.
I shrugged. "There is only one woman in existence that calls me Jackie. And that is Darla Hitchens." I saw her lift a wineglass to her lips, sipping a bubbled, clear drink. I knew what it was. White wine was always her favorite.
"Good." She lowered the glass and continued smiling at me. "Looks like your memory checks out. Sorta."
"Yeah." I had no drink in front of me, but that was of no concern. "So. What're you doing here?"
"What do you think?" She quickly said. "Just you and me, sitting in an expensive restaurant, drinking, waiting for food, what could we possibly be doing?"
I stared at her, studying her face. Smooth brown hair, auburn eyes, flawless face with no blemishings and markings. Shes perfect. "You're here for a reason. We are talking for a reason. This isn't some accident."
"Right." She said. She took another sip of her wine and lifted the menu.
"I know. We can't possibly be talking." I told her.
"And why is that?" She said, looking at me.
"Because the Ceph killed you." I said a matter of factly. "It's the only damn reason I agreed to have the suit in the first place."
"Right..." She sighed. She looked sorrowful for only a quick moment before returning back to sounding happy. "So... What is the reason we are talking for then? Have you figured it out?" Her eyes wandered no further from the menu. It seemed she was more interested in the dinner menu, though her voice told me differently.
I mulled over my own thoughts. It was a bit confusing, really. My own thoughts have created this scenario. My own memories, experiences, emotions, all played a part in this make believe fantasy world. "No. I... I don't know why we are talking. I was sort of hoping you would tell me. Can you?"
"Honey, if you don't know, then I don't." She replied casually. Her smile after that comment put me off for a moment. "You of all people should know that. Like I said, I'm just a figment of your imagination. Or maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something. Who would know other than you?" Without moving a muscle, her eyes moved from the menu to stare straight into mine.
The waiter came around and took our menus. He didn't ask what either of us wanted, and just left. I didn't question it. Something was obviously going to happen in this supremely fake reality of mine.
"Can I at least get a hint?" I asked her, still oblivious to whatever reason I was having this expertly, self crafted dream of mine. "And don't say it. I know. But if my subconscious is really trying to tell me something, then you must know something, right?"
"Okay." She said, planting her elbows into the table and smiled a far more warming smile than I've ever seen her do. She was being painfully friendly, more than she's ever acted in real life. But she didn't say anything else. Just looked at me. Before I could question it at all, the waiter came back with two platters covered with metal tops, exactly how all the old time fancy restaurants did. He stood at the side of the table we were sitting at, and waited patiently. I was surprised to hear him speak, and even more so when he was the one who continued the conversation.
"When you see me, how do you feel?" The waiter asked me.
I blinked, clearly confused. "What...?"
"Come now, Jack." Darla said. "How do you feel when you see me?"
"Or at the very least, how did you feel when you first saw me in this little make believe world you involuntarily created?" Said the waiter. This was a question that could be easily answered, that I knew. Though it took me a few moments to gather myself. But before I could answer, I heard a voice behind me.
"Go on, don't be shy, Jackie." Said a male voice. I spun around to look at him. He was just some other man that almost acted as just a background prop. And now he was speaking, carrying the conversation over from both the waiter and my dead girlfriend. But what began to spark a sense of fear into me was the fact that not just he, but everyone here in this restaurant was now staring dead at me. All smiling, putting up the warmest smile their faces could all allow. Even the ones who had their backs turned to me, somehow have had their own chairs turned at a complete one-eighty degrees to patiently look at me and wait. I could feel every single last one of their eyes pierce my skull. I was somewhat surprised that they made no noise turning those chairs, but at the same time, this is just a made up realty of mine.
I turned back around to Darla, only to see her standing where the waiter once was, holding the concealed platters in her possession. Each hand of hers held one, large platter that hid its contents with that strangely clean and shiny lid. That is also not to mention that the waiter was nowhere to be found.
Looking at the table I was sitting at, I now noticed that everything was cleared off of it. The glass of wine Darla drank from was gone, the candles were missing, and even the plates, spoons and napkins have disappeared from sight. All that remained was a gold fork to my right, and a gilded steak knife on my left, along with the tablecloth that was on every table in the entire room. Darla placed both of the platters in the center of the table, letting her silken hair cascade downwards and graze my hand. I immediately felt a sense of longing at the touch, and was filled with warmth as I got a good whiff of her favorite perfume. One I had bought for her on our third anniversary.
"Comfort." I said, answering the question. "I see you... Because it is comforting. Reassuring. And... Warm." She giggled at me answer, and all around me sounded a round of applause from everyone in the room. The applause lasted only a few seconds before my conversation was resumed with the girl in red.
"And there is your answer." She told me, looking proud. "See? That wasn't so hard!"
I was still confused. I knew it was the correct answer, but it didn't feel right. It felt like there was more to it than it seemed. "But why? Why try to comfort and reassure me with your presence? Am I... Dying?" My own question hit me hard, only elevating my fear. But that was a good thing. I still feared death. It's an expected, natural reaction to the question. In a terrifyingly strange way, it proves that I was still human. Or at the very least, still maintained some humanity since I have received the suit.
"Mm. Something like that." She told me. "But not quite."
"So... I'm dying... But at the same time, I'm not?" I asked. "How does that make any sense?" Instead of answering my question, her smile widened and she gestured to the platters.
"Hungry?" I looked at her, now thinking I was going insane.
"That doesn't answer my question." I told her. With a sigh, she picked up the fork and knife at my sides and handed them to me. I took them, though still confused. A small part of me knew that this entire reality was no longer just imagination. I was right, something was truly coming. "Your not gonna answer my question, are you?"
"That's for you to decide." She replied. She then pushed both of the platters closer to me, and again waved her hands, gesturing to the platters once more. She walked slowly behind me, swaying her hips as her snarky personality seemed to bleed into a sultry one. It was off putting, but I ignored the feeling and let her rest her hands on my shoulders. Her hands felt gentle, despite her gripping me lightly. "Dinner...?" Her whisper sent chills racing up and down my spinal cord.
Holding both the eating utensils in my right hand, I used my left to lift the metal lid off the platter to my left. Under it, was the biggest, juiciest, succulent steak I have ever seen. The moment I had lift the lid off the platter, I was immediately hit with a wave of heavily scented steam. The steak looked gorgeous to me, and reminded me of the time before I had ever signed up to the spec ops. It reminded me of the time before the suit was surgically implanted on my flesh, along with all the other technological enhancements I was forced to receive. It reminded me of the time before I was severely crippled, after being shot at by a Ceph arial drone. I could feel a massive wave of nastalgia come over me, bringing a heartfelt tear out of my eye. Darla was still behind me, softly griping me shoulders, caressing them slightly.
Without question, I tossed the lid away, and took the knife in my right, the fork in my left, and cut a decent sized chunk out of the meat. The meat was lean, tough, and cooked rare. Just how I liked it. Cooked perfectly. Just for me. Hell, I could even see a tiny droplet of blood mix with the grease and gravy that the meat was showered in. I had force myself to remain calm, or else I'd start to drool. It only got harder to resist taking a bite once I held the chunk of steak close to my face, savoring whatever delicious scents it gave off.
"Don't." Darla said, making me freeze. "Not yet... You still have a decision to make." Without protest or question, I put down the knife onto the platter with the steak. I held onto the fork though. I felt I needed to hold onto it. I didn't know why... I just did.
Darla gestured to the platter on my right, and I placed my hand on the handle of the lid. I lifted the lid, half-expecting to be introduced to another plate of delicious food. But to my own surprise... It wasn't food. Located on the center of the platter to my right was a pill. The pill was translucent, with half of it retaining a red color while the other half held an off-white color. I couldn't see much of what was inside, but it was transparent enough to allow me to spy a small detail of the pills contents. Inside of the somewhat clear pill were tiny orbs, most of them being white while some were a slight twinge of blue. I dropped the lid onto the ground carelessly, and picked up the pill. It was an enhanced version of a cyanide pill.
"I see..." I told her. I was now beginning to understand the situation, which made me relax, as strange as it may be.
"You have two choices, Jack." Said Darla. "But know, that each choice is not what it seems. Here's a hint to help you pick..." She leaned into my back, and kissed the flesh just below my right ear. She began to whisper in a calm, and comforting tone. "The irony... Is great with this one." I looked at both the cyanide pill on my right and the chunk of steak sitting on the fork to my left. Somehow, the chunk of steak was still hot and juicy, still ready to be devoured. The steak was more... Tempting. But so was the pill... And I was afraid of why.
"I'll be blunt with you, Jack... You are dying. Right now, as a matter of fact. Your mind, you see, knows that you body is severely degraded, and your suits systems are failing." She explained. "All in all, you are still alive, but not for long. The suit is now a bit... Different than before. It's primary function is to keep you alive, but as soon as those blockers were removed from the suits core programming, you now have more control. Which means..." She trailed off, most likely waiting for me to finish what she was going to say.
I felt my own chest tighten. I knew this was all a sick and twisted mixture of both fantasy and reality, but Darla was right. I was right. And so, I knew exactly what she was talking about. "Which means... That there has been a possible kill switch hidden inside the suits primary and secondary functions all this time."
"And..." She continued.
"... Since the blockers have been removed, I have more control. And that..."
"... Leads to the kill switch, that will shut down all of your suits life support systems that are keeping you alive. And so that means..."
"... That I have to power... To finally let myself die. After all those years fighting... All the pain, anger, rage, the loss I went through. I can finally be free. In death."
"Exactly." She said, nuzzling her nose into the right side of my head. "But... There is a way to live."
"How?" I asked, skeptical.
"Your suit... It has significantly integrated itself into the organic matter of your body. Don't ask how much. Because if you choose death... What does it matter?" She told me.
"That doesn't explain how I can live through the explosion, being blasted deep into space, floating around for however long I have been floating within the vacuum of space." I said.
"You know how, Jack. You know... That the suit is made of synthetic flesh, bonded with the organic material of your body for life. The suit functions and controls every single aspect and piece of that synthetic flesh that was implemented into your system all those years ago. And now that flesh has burrowed deeper inside of you... It's teeny tiny tendrils seeping into your bones and muscles, and sinking itself deep inside of your limbic system... Giving you control..." She explained. Each word seemed to coax me into each choice. On one end, it's almost as if a part of me wants to live, while at the same time, another wants me to die. It seems as if I was stuck in a stalemate lock of some sort, as I wanted both so badly. Should I accept my death, and finally be at peace? Or should I continue on, fighting tooth and nail for my own life? To move forward, keep on surviving, as all living things things exist to do? This is possibly one and only predicament that would affect my life, and ultimately... My own existence.
"You choose life, and your life support systems will automatically will jumpstart, reactivating the nanotech regeneration that was adapted into your body. Your own flesh will rejuvenate on its own, since it will be directly connected to the synthetic-organic material of the suit." She continued on. She paused, and squeezed my shoulders. "All it needs is a little push... And you have the power to make that push." It felt so real...
"So... What'll it be? Life? Or death?" She asked.
I stared at both the chunk of steak I had cut just a few minutes prior, and to the cyanide pill in my other hand. I rubbed my thumb onto the handle of the fork, and watched as the succulent piece of meat drip watery grease back onto the plate. Then I looked to the hand with the pill, twiddling the lethal supplement with my thumb and fingers. "One is death... The other is life... How do I know which is which, if the choices are not what they seem...?"
She giggled into my ear and breathed lightly down my neck, making my hair stand a little. "Like I said... It's all very ironic..."
I looked at my choices. Food. Poison. Food, or poison? The food can't be life, because it represents a dead animal. Yet the cyanide... It's a poison. Created, refined and designed to kill. But after a minute, it all became clear to me. Of course, she spoke before I could. She was me, after all. Or at the very least, she was part of my mind.
"See? You know..." She told me.
"The food... Is death. It's tempting. Part of me wants to give up, and finally rest until I am no more. If I eat the steak... I stay here. Accepting my own death..." I said, mostly to myself.
"And thus... Staying with me. Until you die in reality." She cooed. "We could live together here... Finally have kids. You can be rich. Have loads of friends."
"But I'll know it's all fake, and thus I will suffer in silence, bottling my own emotions in this fake reality until I finally burst, and breakdown." I told her. She only smiled.
"You will forget. All the emotions you will feel... All will be real." She whispered. "You have the power, Jackie. You have the control. You bite into that steak... You will not remember anything. All that comes, will be nothing but pleasure and paradise."
"Didn't you say I'd die within minutes of choosing death?" I asked, getting frustrated. "If that's true, then what the hells the point?"
"You know better, Jackie." She explained. "Perception, Jack. Your perception will change. Five minutes out there, in the real world, will feel like fifty years here. As long as you like. Tempting, right? Pure euphoria and paradise... All happening as you die a painless, and peaceful death..."
I thought over what she had just said. Paradise... Something that we all want. Something that we all would kill for. It'll be my own heaven, with a family, friends, a job I would love... I could have it all if I accept my own death. "And the cyanide pill... Is life."
"Yes. It is." She said in a low tone.
"I ingest the cyanide pill, and I will die in this fantasy world, forcing me to wake up, and jumpstart the life support systems I have." I said to myself. "That... Really is ironic."
"Most of your body has already been rejuvenated, and all that was decayed beyond repair has been recycled, and transformed into something far better than what you've had before. All that's needed right now... Is for you to wake up, and restart your heart. The defibrillators around your heart will get it pumping again. So... What'll it be...?" Her words made me shiver, and I got goose bumps all over my body. I knew these feelings weren't real, but I could've been easily fooled had I not been aware. "Accept death... And stay with me in pure, near-eternal paradise? Or choose life... Losing me forever, in order to start your life anew, and create your own little adventure and survive as all living things do?"
"I... I-I don't know..." I said. It was true, I did not know what to choose. I've been fighting for so long. I've seen things that no man should ever have to see. Done things that no man should ever do. Things I regret, things I would barely look over. I've done things that were good. And I've done things that were corrupt. Do I deserve really paradise?
I began to tremble, a wave of sadness and remorse came over me, shrouding me in a metaphoric darkness that surpassed even the hardest part of my life. Possibly even more so, when I felt that deep emptiness when Darla had died. I choked on my own sob, and I felt tears run rapidly down my face, making my head bow down and close my eyes. I no longer felt her hands rub my shoulders, and her breath was now nonexistent on my neck. After a minute if so, I looked up, and saw her sitting in front of me, tears in her eyes as well. I no longer saw the fake smile, and the eery vibes I had gotten before when looking at her had vanished. "I-I don't... I can't..." My hands griped both objects tightly, tighter than I've ever held a rifle. Tighter than I have ever held my only baby girl in my arms. I was terrified of this choice I was given.
Darla's hands reached out to mine, and both had softly caressed each of my wrists. This calmed me down a little, but I was still crying. "I miss you, baby girl... I wish... I wish you were here."
"I know baby... I know." She told me in a reassuring tone. Neither of her hands indicated what she wanted me to do. No, what I wanted to do. I want to spend the rest of my time with her, real or not. But...
"It's okay, Jackie." Her words hit me harder and a grenade blast, making me sob even harder. "I understand. Do it..." She let both of my hands go, and suddenly I felt calm. Her misty eyes stared deep into mine, and she smile at me. "I will always be with you, Jackie boy." The both of us chuckled at her words. I knew it was all make believe, but I didn't care. It was comforting, and that was all that mattered.
"Will it hurt...?" I asked her, staring at the only choice that felt right to me. "Will... It be painful?"
"Yes... It will feel exactly like the real thing... But the trauma will be the very thing that will strengthen you, and make you who and what you really are." She said, wiping away her own tears. "I have always loved you, Jack. I just want you to know that, despite your crippling condition when we were together, I always loved you. I've loved who you were. I loved what you were. I loved everything about you. And I know you felt the same way I did. Goodbye, Jack..."
I dropped the fork, and immediately popped the pill into my mouth. I felt the pill with my own tongue, hesitant on my decision. But I had already decided. Life... I choose life... All those wrongs I had back then... They no longer matter to me. I thought. I will make myself a far better man than I ever was. I swear on it.
"One day, Darla." I said to the simulated woman. "One day, I will see you again. And be with you. I will be happy again. I promise." I bit down on the pill as hard as I could. The inner contents tasted horrible, but I swallowed anyway. The dry contents burned my throat terribly, and I can immediately feel my own gut churn, sending huge pangs of agony throughout my body. I felt like throwing up. I gagged, and prepared myself to vomit, but all that came out was a dry, warm, foamy substance that seeped through my esophagus and nose. Within seconds, I lost control over my limbs and I fell hard onto the ground, landing directly on my back.
"Oh Jack..." She said, sorrowful. She bent down and placed a hand on my cheek. Around us, everyone began to surround the area, and they all stared at me, whispering incomprehensible words to the both of us. "You and I both know... That we will never see each other again... But I still love you..." I choked, no longer able to breathe. For only a second, I regretted taking the pill. Not because I was in pain, but because she was right... I'll never see her again. But I made this choice, and now I must live with it.
I felt cold. VERY cold. My entire body stung, and my sight darkened dramatically. And then... Darkness...
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All primary combat functions... Offline. Rejuvenation process for all combat functions are in queue. All suit functions will be restored in... Estimating time... 92 hours... 53 minutes... 24 seconds.
Advanced life support function... Offline.
Minor life support functions... Online and stable.
Re-scanning all brain function. Neo-cortex... Stable. Cerebral cortex... Minor damage detected.
Analyzing Limbic system... Fully functional.
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WARNING! All core functions not compatible with current programming. Update required. Checking for update...
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ALERT! No update detected. Re-writing all vital functions. Stand by...
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Script extension has been created. Preparing to adapt refurbished core functions to new script. Estimated repair time and adaption implementation for all suit functions... 474 hours... 26 minutes... 57 seconds.
Adaptions and repairs are currently in progress... Please wait.
I can continue this story if you all like, just let me know in the comments. If not, then I'll just make this a one chapter story, a one hit wonder for you all to enjoy. But just to let you all know, that the chances of any chapter of this story that I may make in the future being as long/longer than this chapter are quite slim. But... I hope you all enjoyed it!
P.S. All criticisms are welcome, as long as they are valid.