Well, A quick word about the history: It's about a (really) big anime's croosover, together with the main history and based in characters created by myself (as you all will notice when the reading starts).
What I can say for those who read is that they should follow the history step by step, without rush for an anime appearing from nowhere...Everything has its time, so TAKE IT EASY!
That's it...good reading?
- PROLOGUE ...
"...How can you...still be alive...?"
"Alive you say?... Ha...don't worry...my dear predecessor...everything that I am is now just...pieces!"
"Yes! It can't be compared with the power that I possessed before THAT happenned! Damm them...!"
"Frankly I don't know if I should feel sorrow or..."
"...But you'll help me! And you know you have no choice!"
"Obbey me Keinzer...You can't oppose me!"
"...No! I don't want to participate of this again! I already commited a mistake giving in for that crazy named Luke!
I don't want to put all in danger one more time!"
"Obey! Obey!"
"...No!"
-/-
"... NO!"
In a small room in a unknown place, a man had just awakened from a terrible nightmare.
soaked with sweat...And a shallow breathing, he keeps seated in the bed..still thinking in the dream.
It was the fifth nightmare in a row.
Trying to calm down he supports his back in the mattress of the bed and closes his eyes, mentally reviewing what had just happened...
It was a dark place, with little light... In fact, only the light from a moon hidden behind thick and black clouds.
Around there were many graves and markers like in a huge graveyard.
...Less than a meter ahead, an open grave attracted his attention. Not that its appearance had anything special...because it looked like a big hole in the ground without any marker indicating who or what was buried there, but there was a voice.
weak an disturbing, that called for his name... 'Keinzer'...
Attending to the call he walks slowly until the grave and look directkly to its bottom, which couldn't be seen.
There was much darkness, what leaved the impression that the hole, already big, was deeper than it looked at first view.
Then the voice became stronger an more powerful...the echoes produced inside the open grave made it appear like a superior being was in front of him...
Both began to discuss...Until that in the end the voice always finished by haunting him, ordering him to obbey it.
Keinzer felt so deseperate and haunted with all this that ended up falling inside the darkness...always waking up at that point...
"...Damm it." He says, still supported in the mattress, using one of his hands to rub his eyes. "Why can't you leave me alone? Why? Why?"
Tries to release some of the anger and fear in the bed, giving it a punch, then one more time supporting himself in the mattress, worried and exhausted. Those nightmares were stealing his sleep in the last five days.
"That's not normal..." He speaks to himself, now looking in the direction of the window's room, open, showing the starry night. The curtains swinged slowly with the breeze. "I am sure that...these dreams are something more than...just fruit of my imagination. You want to speak something to me isn't it bastard...?"
The man sits in the end of the bed and supports his head with the hands, thinking, still looking for the window and the sky.
"...I hope that one day...we can forgive ourselves by what will happen...once again." He speaks...at the same time that a strong wind swings violently the curtains.
-/-
Neverending War
Chapter 1 - Tecnomage : Blood and Machine
-/-
...With a dry and quick scream he wakes up, scaried and fearing the nightmare that he just experienced. With his heart beating quickly and a shallow breathing, he stares in the room's darkness while trying to recover from the dream.
"...Julian? Julian!"
Almost at the same time the door of the room opens and next the click of an interruptor can be heard. Light invades what seems to be a small and common bedroom...
Above its bed there was a boy, aparently between 17 and 18 years old, with wild dark brown hair. His eyes were still getting used with the light and remained closed and protected.
Just entering the bedroom, there was a woman of about forty years old, maybe more. She was wearing a big white robe and had great dark hair in a braid that went past her waist.
"Julian, my son, what happened?" She says as she aproaches from the boy.
"..Ahn..." The boy called Julian now seemed to recover his senses. Little by little he returned to reality. "Ah...hi mom.
I'm sorry, did I woke up you again?"
"That doesn't matter and you know it." She says, passing her hand through the young man's hair. "But tell me what happened.
another nightmare?"
"Yeah...I think so."
"Hum...my poor boy..."
The mother hugs her son, Puting his head over her breast. The boy just smiles a little.
"Calm down mom...Everything's okay now."
"Maybe it is now". She speaks, breaking contact with her son. "But I'm much worried about you Julian. These nightmares are getting more frequent...that isn't normal!"
"Yeah...I know..." He says with his head low, looking at the tangled sheets. He had moved so much in his sleep that them had been thrown in the floor.
"Huhh..." She sighs and caresses with her hand the son's ruffled hair. "Can you remember what the nightmare was about?"
The boys looks at his mother like if he knew she would ask this already. Then he closes his eyes and makes an effort to review what was tormenting him so much...in vain.
"No." He speaks finally. "Nothing comes to my mind."
"Like the other times." she finishes. "But that's okay...are you sure you feel better? Everything's alright?'
"Yes, don't worry." he smiles. "the only problem is that it takes all my sleep "
"So relax and try to rest.You don't have to sleep if you don't want to, but stay here quiet." She then gets up and directs for the door.
"What're you going to do?"
"I'm going to make something warm so you can get back to sleep. get a little calmer..."
"Ohn that's not necessary mom...you can go back to bed if you want to..."
"you know that I can't sleep knowing you're being haunted by these bad dreams." She speaks at the door.
"Now stay here that I'll be right back."
"Heh...okay..."
The mother then exits the bedroom and directs for what should be the kitchen, where she would make a drink for her son.
Julian, on the other side, sits in his bed and releases a deep and long sigh, thinking. then, he moves his right arm and starts to watch the palm of his hand.
"I wonder if it's you that's doing this to me...?" he says to himself before staying silent again.
-/-
A few hours later...
"I'm going to the institute mom!" The boy says, puting a bag in his back with some objects as books and notepads.
"Going for the institute? Are you sure you are good enough to go Julian?" the mother says from another room in the house.
"Yeah! Don't worry!" He gets a small card from his pocket and pass it through a slim hole in the door. This, then, emits a quick noise like a 'bip' and opens. "Bye mom!"
"Goodbye my son! Take care!"
He exits the place and the door closes automatically.
The young man walks in the direction of what seemed to be a bus point or any other collective transport, because a signal next to the street's corner showed a white retangle over a black back.
But it couldn't be said that in this place there were normal buses...
Julian's house, like several others next to his, had a strange design. It was spherical, resembling a metalic ball half-buried in the ground with doors and windows.
The few people passing by also were worth a look:many of them were actually some kind of android, completely metal made,
resembling normal human beings. Others possessed just some parts of their bodies(mostly limbs) made of some metalic alloy,
like if the original had been exchanged by the artificial ones. Summing it all up, a population a 'little' out of the ordinary.
Far away, vehicles(ships actually) could be seen flying at great speeds, like real cars in busy highways. The difference was that these ships went by air instead of land...Despite of that, there was an huge density of these vehicles in a distant part of that city, where there were huge skycrapers as well. Probally the center of the city... Julian lived in what could be called 'suburb'...even if it was too much technological to be called this way.
That great futuristic city had a name: Autonoe...the same name of its continent.
About five minutes later, a vehicle like a bullet train runs fast in the street in front of Julian's house. He makes a signal and the 'train' desacelerates slowly...until it gets completely stopped and a double door automatically opens in front of the boy, stending a stair for him to enter. He does it so, greeting the android piloting.
"Mr. Julian. It's a pleasure having you aboard once more." Speaks the android.
"My pleasure, as usual! Never late!" Says the boy satisfied.
"Please take a seat so that we can leave."
"Yes, on my way..."
Julian goes to the backseats looking for a good spot. In the back he sees someone standing, waving quickly with one of the hands. the person makes a signal for him to come closer and points down like if there were a place.
the boy goes until the bus' back where he meets an young man, also between 17 and 18 years old, with dark blue hair, big glasses in his face and several books in his lap.
"thanks by keeping me a place elliot." Julian says as he sitts next to the boy. "It's not always we get such an empty collective.
"No problem." The other boy says. "yeah, really...I thought we were late for class but it looks like we are early!"
"Hehehe!"
"But tell me Julian, how are you?"
"..."Julian stares elliot deeply. "Depends. If you are asking about that question...well...no, I'm not okay."
"Hum...Another of those strong nightmares?"
"Yeah" Says. "So strong that I woke up again in the middle of the noon...I don't know how I managed to sleep a little more after. I guess it was...the drink my mother made for me."
"Good you can count with her." Elliot says smiling. "But tell me...can you remember anything this time?"
"No..." The boy says, disapointed. "Don't matter how hard I try...Nothing! Everything I know is that's something very bad!
And soon after I wake up, seems to vanish from my head."
"Hum..." Elliot corrects his glasses and cross his arms. "That been happening a couple of months already...surely they aren't normal nightmares."
Both stay quiet for a moment. Elliot with closed eyes, thinking, while Julian looked at the city, passing quickly through the collctive's window.
"There's...something..."
"Hum?" Elliot pays attention to Julian who had just said something.
"...There's something telling me that, maybe, it all came from this..." Julian says, showing his right arm.
"...Now that you mentioned it...it's possible." Elliot says. "I already studied a bit about 'Tecnomages', like you...It's said that bionical parts can affect the metabolism and mind but...that's all I know."
"Mr. Dmitri had told me that already."
"The...mr. dmitri?" The boy questions. "He's a Tecnomage as well isn't?"
"Yes. Maybe's because of it that he knows so much about this kinda things."
"And if I remember well he's also responsible by yours nanotechnological and cibernetical implants right?"
"Yeah...Because of that mr. dmitri is like a father to me and I respect him a lot.
"I understand..." Agrees Elliot, nodding. "If not for him, maybe you wouldn't be here right now..."
"..." Julian starts to remember vaguely those fatidic days...
FLASHBACK
Next to Autonoe's center...
"Hey let's get this done! We need to mine all this uranium until tomorrow by midday!"
A big excavation blocking several streets and changing some collectives' routes was being finished. With the help of many heavy bulldozers, the element, important to fuel several powerplants in the city was being slowly mined.
About a kilometer from there...in a big building denominated Institute of Education, several students in one of the classrooms watched the machines doing their work...many stayed in the windows while others saw it from 'far', seated in their chairs.
"All those machines working in the excavation are incredible..." Elliot comments in one of the chairs, while looking for one window. A big excavator could be seen from there. "Don't you think Julian? Julian?..."
Julian could be found seated behind elliot, focused...but not in the bulldozers excavating...but instead in a certain person... a girl talking with her friends, unworried and smiling.
"...It seems you got it bad for her huh?"
"Ahn...?" The boy says breaking out of his reverie. "...Well, maybe..."
"Forget her man...you know how much self-centered she is. She doesn't even like that you be near her." Elliot speaks.
"Yeah, I know..." He says.
"That's just an advice I give you... look! All she cares about is speaking how important she is to her friends. Just because she's the president's daughter..."
Elliot was right... The girl was promoting the great work the governement was doing for the city's future, while her friends surrounded her impressed.
Julian just watched her...and when she noticed that just rolled her eyes, ignoring him. The boy perceived that sadly...
Back to the excavation, several workers back off as an huge block of uranium is moved from inside the excavation... The block is carried by a great machine and loaded inside a even bigger container made of an alloy especially created to protect from the radiation.
"Sir!" One of the workers speaks for the man who seemed to be in charge. "There's too many tons of uranium down there! We won't be able to remove everything in schedule using the bulldozers.
"...Hum...so use the explosives." He says seriously.
"But...wouldn't that cause problems?"
"Do as I said! You're payed to obey and not to think!"
"...Yes sir."
In minutes, explosives are placed around the hole and then detonated... The tremendous explosion calls everybody attention.
It seemed like the explosives reacted with the uranium causing several explosions not just next to the workplace but also in other points of the city, culminating in a three kilometers radius' affected area!
There much more uranium than previoulsly thought!
"Damm it! Stop that! We're all gonna die!" Speaks the boss for that those in charge of detonation.
"It's impossible! It's a chain raction!" one of them says a second before one of the explosion hit a building far from them,
crushing it slowly. The chaos now began to spread...People ran desesperated from one side to another while nearby ships and collectives traveled farther away from the area.
In the Institute... the students observed everything somewhat scared...until some explosions hit the structure of the building. the students begin to deseperate and run away from the classroom, fearing the construction's fall.
Elliot and Julian stand from their chairs and get out from the classroom, but before that...Julian suddenly stops and looks back.
"What's the matter man? Let's get the hell outta here!" Elliot says.
"Go ahead!" Says Julian. "I'll follow soon after!"
"But what are you going to do?"
"GO!"
Elliot, even if unwillingly,ran away fast. Julian goes back to the classroom and in a corner, where he sees the girl he watched before...curled up, crying and frightened.
"What do you want!" She yells.
"Let's get out! Come on!" He says giving her his hand.
"There's no way out! All exits must be blocked by now! We are going to die!" She says while crying desesperately.
"No we aren't!Come on, give me your hand!" He says streching his arm to her.
Against her will, the girl gets Julian's hand and both start to run fast...At the same time, the room's ceiling collapses...
While running in the hallways, they observe the lights falling and breaking in the ground, releasing sparks everywhere.
The walls and the ceiling started to show big cracks and the entire place was shaking!
Trying to guess where the others had gone, Julian and the girl run in the undamaged hallways while everything else behind them falled apart.While running the hallway in front of them is blocked by a collapse...several rocks were in their way.
"And now?" She asks, yelling and terrified. "Look where you got us! We're gonna die because of you idiot!"
"..." He was trying to ignore what she said, thinking in a way to escape, looking everywhere for a breach...and...one second later another collapse, this time above them, surprise both. "Watch out!"
"Aaaah!"
The rocks make a strong boom and rise a thick layer of dust, hindering anyone from seeing anything. Soon the dust dissipates and the scene shows Julian under several of the stones, with just a free arm and a free leg, while the girl was on her knees away from him...probaly pushed by the boy before she was hit.
But he had payed a high price...couldn't feel his arm and leg...
"Arhhnn..." The boy tries hard to get out from under the rubble. At the same time the girl get up and look up.
Sunlight was coming in...A way out!
The girl tries to climb the rubble, leaving Julian behind while making an effort to reach the exit. She gets exhausted and almost hopeless for a moment, until she feels a hand holding her arm...and pulling her slowly.
"Subaru!" She says, recognizing the person that saved her.
The girl is removed from inside the building and put above the roof, in a more secure part...at least for some time. This Subaru was an young woman, appearing to be in her 20's or even less, with long dark hair in a ponytail and eyes of an intense red. She weared a collant made of leather under a strange cloth with the Autonoe's city emblem.
"You're incredible Subaru! You saved my life!" She says smiling, hugging the lady. This smiles lightly.
Then Subaru backs off a moment from the girl and goes toward the hole from where she pulled her.
"Subaru where're you going?" The girl asks.
The lady makes a signal with her hand pointing to the hole.
"..." She comes closer from the dark haired lady and grabs her hand. "There's no one else here...let's go..."
Subaru remain still during some seconds, staring at the girl without showing any different reaction. Then she looks in the direction of the hole again for some time and takes the girl in her arms, running fast, jumping and flying to somewhere far away, to safety...
Inside the building...Julian Was trapped in the rocks and rubbles...
Between his eyes that watched the hole above, runned some blood, little before of the entire roof falls apart...and Everything darkens...
END OF FLASHBACK
"Julian? Hey Julian, wake up! Wake up man"
"Ahn...?"
The boy found himself back to the collctive with his friend Elliot. The last was shaking his shoulder, trying to make him come back to his senses.
"Are we there yet?"
"Yes...Heh, you were so lost in your thoughts that didn't perceived the time passing by." Elliot says on his foot already.
"Looks like it...Well, let's go..." He says rising but this time he had a sadder expression in his face.
"Hum...Thinking about her again?"
"Yeah..." The boy confirms. "No matter how hard I try I can't forget her..."
"Yup, that's a problem." Speaks Elliot, following Julian until the collective's exit. "That girl isn't in the same level than us pal...You have to let go of her. Besides, she doesn't like you even a little bit, or of any of us...It's a waste from your time thinking about her.She thinks she can step on everybody any time...just because she's the president's daughter...!"
"Yeah, I know all that...But there's no way around it."
Both finally get out from the collective and direct for a big construction ahead from them.
Elliot remains introspective while Julian, by his side, looked to he floor while walking...also lost in thoughts.
"Hum...why don't you go to Mr. Dimitri's house to talk about this new nightmare?" Suggests Elliot, fixing his glasses again.
"...It's a good one." Julian answers. "I think my mother won't care...and it'll clear my mind a little."
Both enter on what would be the great Autonoe's Institute...much bigger then before the terrible accident some years ago.
Many students and teachers entered the place, walking from one side to another, so big was the number of people in the hall.
Soon both boys enter in one of the many rooms there and go for two classes...While preparing notes and books Julian seemed to organize in his head what he was going to ask for this Mr.Dimitri.
"How I'm going to Mr. Dimitri's place today, I'm going to ask a little more about the Tecnomages and nanotechnology...there's a lot of things I still don't understand."
"I studied some of Autonoe's history..." Elliot speaks putting some books over the class. "...but...is it true that Mr. Dimitri is Autonoe's first Tecnomage?"
"Yeah it is." Julian confirms. "He can do some amazing stuff! Some look like Elencia's magic, the other continent."
"Wow..." Elliot heard it all impressed.
"Actually...I can think of just one person with equal or greater power than his."
"...You're talking of the president's bodyguard, Subaru?"
Before that Julian could answer people start to enter the classroom and take their places. Next, one of the teachers come in putting several books and files above his desk.
"Very well students open your books in page 507. We have a lot to do today..."
-/-
The setting changes for a great hallway held by great columns. Everything with an astounishing decoration, portraiting nobility. This was the Great Palace, where lived the family of the president of the Autonoe's republic...
Near there a door opens, making a loud creaking noise. Inside a man dressed socially walks to the hallway, but, after some steps he stops and starts coughing strongly.
"Mr. Luchenko...Are you sure everything's alright?" Speaks a woman dressed like a maid exiting the room, followed by two others, a man and another woman.
"Cough..Hummrumm!" He forces his throat and gives light blows in his chest. "I already feel better than yesterday, don't worry. It won't be a simple coughing fit that will stop me from going to that important meeting."
"Sir, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, it will affect your health..." speaks one of the employes.
"Nothing bad will happen." He says a little before starting coughing again, harder this time.
While coughing Luchenko makes a signal for the employes. soon, some kind of pill is given to him and he swallows it in a hurry between one cough and another.
Suddenly getting better, he takes a deep breath.
"The medicine will last for some time." He says. "What will give me plenty of time for that meeting without any big problems.
But changing the subject, where is my daughter?"
"No need to worry sir, she is with Subaru in the palace's garden."
"Good." Says Luchenko, visibly relieved. "If she is with Subaru I don't have to worry about her."
"...It's about me?"
Immeadiately, someone enters the hallway followed by the always serious Subaru. She was the same girl that participated in what happened in the Institute some time ago.But now she was wearing a distinct cloth, with several shades of red and white...like a real princess. An emblem of Autonoe appeared in both shoulders, embroidered in the fabric.
Subaru remained on her side, silent.
"I just asked them where were you Anna." Luchenko speaks in reference to his daughter. "I'll have to go to another important meeting and I would like you not to go far from the palace."
"As you wish dad." She says with a weird smile. "But where is this meeting?"
"Well...it's far away from here, in a place next to Elencia. It's just a business meeting."
Anna shows a distrutful look. It was obvious to her that her father didn't want to say where he was really going, even if she had a guess.
"Very well dad, but leaving like that won't be bad for your health?"
"I'm a stubborn man Anna. You know better than anyone that I won't die so early because of some coughing fit. I'll be back soon, don't worry about that." Luchenko approaches her and kisses her cheek. "It's better that I hurry or I'll be late.
Until tonight Anna. Take care of her for me Subaru alright?". Luchenko says. Subaru just nods with her head. She observes Luchenko as he goes to the hallway's exit. Anna does the same, but with a "doesn't matter" expression in her face.
Already far from any others, Anna frowns as she walks with Subaru in the palace's surroudings.
"Dad always hides when he's going to meet those three idiots! I can't stand it!" she says. "Specially because I wanted so much that they made more gifts for me, but they insist in refusing! I'm so angry!"
Subaru remains quiet, just listening.
"Hum...but who knows if they aren't in a good humour? Maybe even accepting to do as I want... Hum...let's go subaru."
Anna and her companion climb some stairs and arrive in one of the top floors of the huge Autonoe's palace. A imponent metal door can be seen there.
"Maybe I can even convince them to do more things for me!" She says, entering as the door opens itself.
Inside the room there wasn't nothing besides some kind of mirror (or screen) in the opposite wall to the door and a chair in front of it.
Anna goes to the chair and stretches ther fingers, like if getting ready for something. Subaru remains silent at the door.
The girl closes her eyes and focus. In the screen a image starts to appear and soon shows a man, sitting in a chair, with his back for Anna. He works with several mechanical and eletrical devices in a table, inside some sort of laboratory.
Before she says something the man, still sitting without facing her, speaks at the same that connects two devices.
"What do you want this time Anna?" he says, showing fadigue in his voice.
"I know my father is going there." She says smiling. "But that's not what I want to talk about, I want to talk about the offer i made you to build some others, ahn, how do you say, Tecnomages for me, like Subaru."
The man rises and turns, removing next the little glasses he used to protect his eyes from the sparks.
"Anna, I already told you a thousand times! You have to stop with your crazy will of owning tecnomages like if they were toys! Besides that..." he continues. "...Subaru is more than enough and is designed especially for you."
"I know, I like Subaru a lot." She says. The Tecnomage keeps watching without mentioning any word. "But I..."
"Then as you like her, there's no reason to disturb me. Now I need to get back to work."
"Wait!"
The conction is shut down and the image vanishes from the screen.
Quite angry, Anna rises from the chair and with closed fists, starts to think and speak alone, cursing the man she had just talked to.
"They all will pay for it! They don't want to hear me? They don't want to grant the requests from the city's princess? Then they will pay a high cost! Something I should have done a long time ago..." She speaks, looking from side to side. "No one turns against me! No one!"
"Excuse me?" At the door, next to Subaru, another person appears. A beautiful, statuesque woman, with brown skin and long ondulated white hair. She weared a completely red dress and had eyes also red, resembling those of Subaru. This last looks at the newcomer seriously, while the woman remains indifferent to the Tecnomage. Soon, she keeps speaking. "Miss Anna, you know very well that your father doesn't like when you uses his things." she says smiling in a sweet tone.
"Ahn, It's okay rebecca, I'm leaving..."
The girl then directs for outside the room followed soon after by the woman in red. Subaru leaves after and watches both,
soon following them.
-/-
Pasiphae...
A planet with basically three continents.
In one of them, Elencia, everything is connected to magic...their whole lifes swirls around magic.
In the second continent, Autonoe, in which we live, no one has magic powers, but advanced technology is available and machines are the basis of our progress. The last continent, Thrymir, is inhabited by a very old race, which lives isolated and keeps almost no contact.
"I wanted to know who lives there." Julian speaks to himself.
Still with the contents of his class in the head, the student had just exited the collctive he took and went to a nearby telephone booth. He quickly takes the device and press some buttons.
Next, in a small liquid cristal screen a image appears.
"Are you there mom?"
"Hey honey! Where are you?" Speaks the woman to the young man.
"I'm going until Mr. Dimitri's house okay? I'll be arriving somewhat later."
"Hum..." The young man's mother undoes the smile she had on her face. She feels bothered for a moment when hearing in the name of this Dimitri.
"Ahn, it's okay mom?"
"Oh, yes Julian, yes...But what are you'll be doing there?"
"I'm going to speak about the new nightmare that I had and can't remember."
"Oh well, so try not to arrive home late okay?"
"Hehe, okay mom I'll let you know when I get there. Kisses, I'm going."
"Come back soon!" She says, a moment before the call ends.
The boys walks by the street in direction to the other side of the city's suburb. While walking, tried to guess what Dimitri would have to say about the nightmare.
Some minutes later Julian approaches of a big house in a quiet street. He perceives four vehicles parked in front of it.
Four men in black, dressed like bodyguards, watch the cars and the house.
"Wow...looks like they have guests today." Says the boy, while going to the house's gate.
The four big guards follow the boy with their eyes, under the sunglasses they used. Adding to Julian's surprise, none of them blocks his way to the interphone. Still uneasy, the boy pushes the bell and soon after the gate emits a loud noise and opens.
Leaving security behind, he goes until the frontdoor and rise of the hands to knock, but the door moves first.
"Oh, you must be the famous Julian, isn't?"
"...Ahn, yes that's me. Is Mr. Dimitri here?"
In front of the boy was no one less than the Autonoe's president, Luchenko. Naturally he doesn't recognizes him as such, as the president hardly appears in public view for security reasons. Especially for the suburb's population...
"I'm here Julian. Seems like you thought in paying me a visit today, isn't?" Speaks a second man, getting out from the house and going to the door. He weared a white cloth, resembling that of scientists. he has a very long hair, black and smooth.
Actually, he was the same man that spoke with Anna previously. "Coincidently right when my other visit is on his way out."
"It's a pleasure to meet you young Julian. Your friend Dimitri spoke good things of you." says Luchenko.
"It's a pleasure mr..."
"Julian this is..."
"Only a friend!" Luchenko says, interrupting Dimitri as he smiles to the boy. "Only an old friend who decided to stop by and pay a visit! Hehehe!"
"...well, nice to meet you anyway." He completes.
"The pleasure is all mine. I should go now, you have much to talk." He says, already going to the front gate. "Excuse me yes?"
Luchenko then leaves. Julian and Dimitri just see he entering one of the vehicles and leaving with his security.
"Wow, he must someone pretty important!" Julian says.
"Well, a little bit." Dimitri answers at the door "Let's come in Julian alright?"
"Yes thank you sir."
Both enter the place and the door closes.
-/-
What appeared to be a mansion was in fact a big lab, crowed with a broad group of apparutus and machines. several tools could also be found above one of the tables that ocuppied the hall.
"So young man." The man says, sitting in front of the table and finishing the welding of an alloy with a device that released small sparks. "What brings you here?"
"Well..." Julain sits in a chair on the other side of the table. "...I'll go straight to business Mr. Dimitri, I had another of those nightmares."
"hum."
"I suddenly woke up at dawn and the worst is that I can't remember anything!"
"Hum." Dimitri stops his work and slowly puts his tool over the table, removing his protection goggles. "If I'm not mistaken that been happening a while already. But tell me, what do you think may be causing this?"
"Well, there's something...something inside of me that tells me this may have something to do with it." he rises the right forearm, showing it to Dimitri.
"..." The man gets up and slowly walks trough the lab, with his hands on his back, deep in thought. "You have the right to know and because of that, I won't hide anything. It's quite possible that these nightmares be one of the side effects that the delicate nanotechnological mecanism implanted in your body might cause."
"sir." the boy says anxious. "Could you explain me about nanotechnology? It's that I wanted to understand better what's inside of me."
"it's natural..." Dimitri streches the arm in the direction of one table and, like magic, a big book above it floats until his hand! That doesn't amazes Julian much, for he had seen dimitri doing things really breathtaking before. "Nanotechnology is a science created by us Autonoe's residents a long time ago. you must know very well julian that us, unlike Elencia's people, can't use real magic. In Elencia everything is surrounded by an aura of mysticism.
Dimitri opens the book and quickly watches some of its content.
We from Autonoe on the other side, we have a highly evolved technology. This technology must always be used in benefit of the people. Nanotechnology is an example of that, for it was created in the beginning to help in heavy and hard work because of its capacity to create effects...somewhat unique."
"Are you referring to this 'unnatural' magic?" The boy asks.
"Precisely." the man continues. "what actually happens is that hundreds of thousands of nanorobots surround the devices imbued with nanotechnology."
"ro-robots?" the boy says surprised.
"Exactly. All the effects you know that resembles magic are actually created by these small machines that exist in the mecanisms that control them. It was used to carry heavy weights many years ago. But after it began to be used in the replacement of limbs and vital organs it was discovered that the pacient could use the nanorobots as he wanted to"
He sits again in the chair, puts the book over the table and smiles. "...hehe, of course that some instruction and practice are necessary."
"It's amazing..." Julian said, looking at his right arm...and to his left leg. "I would never imagine these robots around me...incredible. Do you think it may have something to do with...?"
"Quite possible." Dimitri continues. "In some recent researches we discovered that the nanorobots when used in people feed on a small fraction of the individual's mental energy. We haven't yet discovered if that causes any damage to the person, but perhaps influences in his dreams."
"You mean the nanorobots are responsible for these nightmares?"
"Very likely."
"But why are they doing that?"
"Like I said, perhaps it's just a side effect of what feeds them." He says as he opens the book again, seeing some pages.
"...Or perhaps they are trying to say something..."
"Huh?"
In this exact moment a third person enters. a woman dressed just like Dimitri, with a ponytail and a pair of glasses in his face writting something in a notepad in her hands.
"Julian, what a surprise having you here! How are you?" She says without removing her eyes from the notes.
"I'm fine miss Alexis." The boy says, greeting her. "I just stopped by to talk a little with the mr. Dimitri."
"Yes, I can see that. I'm sorry by interrupting the conversation. I came to get some notes I left somewhere around here."
"You're not disturbing nothing Alexis. I was just talking with Julian about nanotechnology." Dimitri explains. "
"In fact, I was going to invite him to take a coffee. Why don't you join us and take a break?"
"Thank you, but no mr. Dimitri!" Julain says rising from the chair. "I'm grateful for the invitation, but should be going now. I promised my mom I wouldn't arrive at home late."
"Oh too bad...Just because I would accept." Alexis says smiling. "You really can't stay a little more?"
"Hehehe I'm sorry...but I really can't. Maybe next time."
"Well, in this case I'll escort until the door, yes?" Dimitri says, rising from his chair. "But before that tell me Julian,
how is your mother?"
"She is fine, but I think she didn't liked the idea of me coming here very much..."
"It's understandable." He says, his smile remaining, while escorting the boy to the door. "Even so, tell her that we sent a hug, okay?"
"Sure, I'll tell!" The boy says as Dimitri opens the door. Julian suddenly stops, turning to face Dimitri. "ahn, Just one more question...and mr. Keinzer, where is he? I thought I would see him here today."
"He's taking a nap!" Alexis says from the lab. "He had plenty of nightmares last night and didn't slept very well."
"Nightmares...?" Julian questions, looking at Dimitri. "By any chance mr. Keinzer has the same problem than me?"
"Mr. Keinzer's reason is quite different, Julian." Dimitri says putting his hand over the boy's shoulder. "But about you,
take care and try to remember what happens in these nightmares, okay? It may be tough in hte beginning, but if you try a little harder you'll be able to remind something."
"Okay mr. Dimitri. Thanks and until next time!"
The boy opens the front gate and runs until the collective's point, where he could get one to leave for his home. Dimitri watched him going away...slowly undoing the smile he kept in his face.
"Uoohhh..." a man enters the room, yawning and with very noticeable bags under his eyes. With ruffled hair and messed clothes, he sits in one of the chairs.
"Well so you woke up?" Alexis asks, still in the lab. "So, fell any better?"
"A little bit..." He says, yawning again. "But's still difficult to manage some sleep. Who was here right now? I heard others' voices besides yours."
"It was Luchenko." Dimitri says, closing the door and approaching his friend with his hands in his pockets. "And julian as well."
"Oh, the boy came here?" He says, yawning a third time. "A shame I was so tired, I wish I was able to speak with him. He's a nice guy."
"Yeah..." Alexis stops for a moment of taking notes and becomes toughtful, showing in her face some sorrow. A heavy silence takes place. Keinzer was with his hand being held with one of his hands, trying not to sleep right there; Alexis writing something in the notepad, in deep thoughts and Dimitri satnding with his hands in his pockets, silent and with a serious expression.
"It's gonna be tomorrow?" Keinzer asks.
"yes." Dimitri answers, still serious.
"I still think it's unfair what we're going to do with this boy Dimitri." Alexis says.
"I hope you don't think I don't." He says, going to a closet. "But the truth is that if we don't do it everything is going to be destroyed..."
"Yes." Keinzer rubs his eyes trying not to sleep as he talked. "He won't stop until we do what he wants. We don't have any other way."
"Precisely." Dimitri comes back from the closet with some folded papers and puts it above the table. The others two scientists just watch. "Everything we can do now is wait..."
In the papers, written in big black letters, 'G.E.N.E.S.I.S. Project' could be read...
-/-
Late at night...aproximately eleven pm.
Luchenko enters silently and calmly in his quarters. His tiredness was overwhelming and he needed to rest urgently.
He takes off his clothes between one cough and another, next dressing something more apropriated to sleep. He goes to the bed and sits to remove his shoes.
He spends some time pondering about everything he has done so far and about the visit to Dimitri some hours ago.
Tired, he takes in his hands a small picture frame that seemeed to watch him above the closet at the bed's side.
"Oh dear...how I miss you." He says, passing his fingers gently in the picture. "I hope that you forgive me one day...but it is for everybody's well-being...cough!...cough!"
The coughing seems to get worst suddenly, like earlier. Quickly he puts the picture above the closet and searches it for the pillshe always took in these ocassions.
But...he feels a weight in his chest when he sees nothing inside! Not a sign of the medicine!
Coughing louder, he goes to the door...and gets surprised when it doesn't opens. He pulls with all of his strentgh, in vain.
Locked!
He starts to feel the taste of blood in his mouth, while his muscles start to tremble. he knocks desesperately in the door,
in the hope of someone listens. It was getting harder to breathe...he was drowning in his own blood!
Nobody comes to check on him and he walks trembling until the window...falling in the way. Luchenko remains scattered in the floor, feeling his throat tighten more and more...and blood expeled at each cough.
Soon it all starts to get dark, and last thing he's able to see is the window, less than a meter from his hand...
-/-
Continues...
Translator notes: Thanks to everybody that read until here. It proves that my english is understandable, I think.
I ask that besides reviewing the history, you guys also criticize my grammar, spelling and things like that so I can keep improving, okay? Until the next chapter.