A Story For The Ages
Part One: The Party Is Over
Written By: Armina Qi Saxton
Standard Disclaimer: Don't own anything related to or similar to Gaia Online, this is a story made for fun.
Author's Note: I made this story during 2005 and really should have re-written it since then. I'm putting this story up for the sole purpose of keeping it up somewhere safe until further notice. I'll have a bigger Author's Note at the end of Part Three since it contains a bit of a caution to the end of that part and all of Part Four. Please read my bio for additional information. Enjoy!
Prologue: The News
It was all over the Gaian news from the earliest known hour on November 1, 2004: Johnny K. Gambino's mansion was destroyed. No one except for those that were partying the night before knew exactly what happened and those who survived did not want to tell of the things that went on inside the mansion. At least, those that had not been turned into zombies did not want to tell; they were already having nightmares about the events that night, even if they were still awake. Some had to be taken underground, to the G-Corp facilities, for things that no one wanted to talk about.
Those that had not been turned into zombies and walked aimless for hours in the streets of Isle de Gambino, until they were found by others who did not seem so tormented by the events that had happened only hours before. They were eventually calmed and taken to waiting G-Corp personal, who gave them vials of some unknown liquid just in case there was any chances of these people becoming zombies themselves. It seemed like there was more then enough to give most people some, but it was not wasted on those that were too far advanced to be saved. The effects of the zombie bites were too severe in a little over a thousand cases; what happened to them remains a mystery to all but those who work in G-Corp.
The news spread even faster then it was being reported by the news, mostly steaming from the interviews from the Gaian Council that were already being conducted by either the news or the Gaian public. These people were the backbone of the Gaian world, keeping order and peace as best as they could to a growing population. Those that were upon the Council were keeping something from the rest of the population about this; the only one who actually gave any information to the public was Lanzer. He told countless news stations half-truths about the night of October 31st, but at least it was something other then what the rest were saying: "We are just investigating this as much as the News Anchors. There is nothing else to report other then what you hear on the news. Now, go home."
When it concerned the most powerful man on Gaia, that was what the Council said normally. Or, had been the most powerful man on Gaia prior to this night. The news was reporting all this: it was all over. There was nothing else of the mansion or the whereabouts of the man that had been so powerful yet so careless in his life. The man that had now disappeared from Gaian society. The man that many people now did not give a second though to.
The man that would be changed forever.
****
The first thing that he had done every morning before heading off to his Durem store, other then order his usual cup of coffee, was buy a paper at the local coffee shop. It was a tradition he long since had done, even before he had opened his own shop. But today he just stared at the front page as if he was expecting it to be different then the last time he blinked at it. He had felt numb, cold almost, to the headline, before his eyes drifted down to the picture of the person that he knew so well. The face that looked so surprised yet had almost a foreboding expression to it.
Edmund sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them again. He stood there in front of the H. R. Weasly shop front, paper in one hand and coffee in the other, staring almost desperately at the front page. He had half of a mind to stand there for the rest of the day, not even bothering to open the doors to a half-frantic public. The other half wanted to turn around at that very moment and walk all the way to Isle de Gambino to see if it were true. To see if Johnny's mansion had really been blown up into pieces.
He had known Johnny Gambino for years, not only as a business partner but as a friend. Although he, Edmund, had not climbed up to the ranks of power like the other had, he still benefited from things that he could only dream of. Now that was over and, while still doing good in his own right, had to wonder if that was his fate as well: being the powerful person in the Gaian community, if not a powerful person, and going down instantly without a passing thought. Edmund shuddered at the thought of this, rolling up the newspaper before tucking it under his arm. There was no way he, or any of the others, could take Johnny's place as the powerhouse behind everything that went one. He just didn't have the drive to do so and he wasn't going to get any younger.
"Well? Are you just going to stand there, lost in space? Or are you going to tell me what's going on?" A voice demanded from behind him before Edmund could even put the right key in the door to unlock it. He turned around slightly, still trying to find the right key as he mumbled to himself. He glanced up to see Moira standing there, hands upon her hips and her lips pressed in a thin line.
"What do you mean, what's going on? Haven't you heard the news or picked up a paper?" Edmund asked wearily, eyeing the girl as he finally found the right key. He placed it into the keyhole to the front door, unlocking it beckoning Moira into the store. If she didn't know, at least he could tell her in privacy for the time being.
"I rarely even turn on the news much less pick up a newspaper that isn't worth the ink that's printed on it. Why do you think I come to you for things that goes on?" She asked, walking into the store with a slight yawn. Edmund rolled his eyes, locking the door behind him as he moved over to the counter. Moira watched him out of the corner of her eye, watching him move slowly and stiffly without word. There was something about him that was different, something that she had not noticed the last time she had seen him. "Okay, old man. what's going on? What's with the sulking?"
"Johnny's mansion blew up last night," Edmund said, sitting his untouched coffee cup onto the counter. He unrolled the paper, turned around, and held out the front page to Moira for her to see and read. She leaned forwards and read the words, her now wide eyes moving down to the picture upon it. "That's what's going on, Moira."
"Are you sure this is for real? I mean, Johnny has done some pretty wild publicity stunts in the past, even if this doesn't seem like something he would do," She said, looking up at Edmund as he lowered the paper. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking just as uncertain as her words were. "Not even this counts as the one for the last Gaian Olympics. I don't EVER want to be in another bikini ad with Ian again."
"It's no publicity stunt this time. I can honestly that this is something I saw coming to Johnny, as much as I hate to say it," Edmund said, turning the paper over so he could look at it again even though he had read it so many times before.
"Saw it coming to him? What the hell do you mean by that?" Moira asked, her voice going sour. He didn't even look up from the paper, seemingly ignoring the question for a moment or two before looking up again.
"What I mean is, is that Johnny had this coming to him because it is something that will make him think twice before doing something. There were things that he just didn't even care about, regardless of the outcome. I don't know what happened after the Olympics, but Johnny seemed to be a little bit darker afterwards." He shook his head, setting the paper next to his coffee. "I honestly can say he never cared about his action or perhaps even his own son. The point is, Moira, as much as it pains me to say this, is that the mansion blowing up will do Johnny some good. It will give him a chance to look around and see what he really lost. Maybe then he'll change."
"Of course he cared. He just didn't show it," Moira retorted, staring daggers at her fellow shopkeeper. Edmund gave her a raised eyebrow look as he leaned his back up against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. She bit her lower lip, looking down at the floor. She knew that even see couldn't believe what she said, even without Edmund telling her so. There had only been one time she had known Johnny, in which he ever showed even the slightest public affection for Gino, and that time had long since passed.
The two of them lapsed into silence, not knowing what to say to each other now. The news of the Gambino Mansion was still sinking into both of them, even after all the readings of the front pages Edmund had done. It was still a shock that it happened on Gaian soil, even if there were other strange things that had happened before. It would take them not long to feel the sting less and moving on with their lives. If only others could do the same.
****
On the other side of the Durem Reclamation Facility, past the West Barton Field, sat the town of Barton, many of it's inhabitants still waking up to the news of Johnny Gambino's mansion having been blown up. Those that knew about it either tossed the paper away or ignored the news stations, already having heard it more then twice since they had awoken. The initial shock didn't set into them as it did for those that knew the Gambino's, but it was just enough to shake their heads and wonder what was really going on.
There were a few that had gathered outside the Barton Boutique, a single newspaper being passed around from person to person, a few words exchanged between them. They couldn't believe that such a thing happened so closed to them and without any inkling that it was going to happen. Except for Ruby, Sasha, Peyo, and Meredith, none seemed to look like they had little to know sleep the night before.
"If there is one thing I can say about Johnny Gambino, it's that he can sure throw some wild parties," Meredith muttered, as she stifled a yawn. "And that party was one of those that just went in the way of the Gambino's."
"Get some sleep, Meredith. You four look like you haven't slept in days," Agatha said, looking up just a bit as she shared the paper with Logan. Up to that point, which had been at least and hour and a half, she had been quiet, often stealing glances up at the road that lead past Bass'ken Lake, towards the Port of Gambino, and to the island, where there were swarms of people trying to sort out more then what had actually happened.
"We can't get any sleep, Agatha. We've, like all that were on the island last night, have been booted off until further notice. I think it so that G-Corp, or even the Council, won't have any sight-seers clogging up their work," Ruby said instead, a protective arm around a nearly asleep Peyo. The child looked like he was about to fall asleep standing up, leaning up against the woman.
"There are other places to sleep, you know," Ian chirped up, wiggling his eyebrows. Meredith gave him a stern glare, but he ignored it.
"No thanks, Ian," She said coolly before turning to Agatha. "Where's Leon? You'd think he'd be running around here, making sure everyone is alright and trying to keep them clam. Other then Johnny, he would know more of what the Gaian Council does then the rest of us."
"I haven't seen him since early yesterday afternoon, when he said he was going to close the Guild office early to go to the party. Don't know anything after that." Agatha shrugged it off as if it was nothing. No more then a few seconds had passed when said those words did a figure walk through the stone archway that lead to Bass'ken Lake, moving towards the center of the town. All eyes looked up and turned towards this figure that limped towards them and holding onto a shoulder that looked almost out of place, even under the armor that the figure wore.
"Leon?" Sasha asked uncertainly as the figure stopped short of the small group that had gathered. A pair of eyes from underneath a helmet looked up, a forced smile coming upon his lips as he stared at them, looking like he had just been to hell and back several times. What looked like blood was on his usually shiny armor, what little hair could be seen from underneath his helmet was tufted and caked with what looked like dirt. His face looked worn and as though he had tried to wipe off whatever dirt was on his face off with just water from the lake. "What happened to you?"
"I'll give you three guesses as to what happened and the first two don't count," Leon grumbled sourly, his smile fading into a frown. "What do you think happened? I'm at Gambino's Mansion, enjoying myself for the first time in months, when the whole place becomes infested with zombies. I don't know where they came from, or why they were there, but those things were nasty. I nearly got bit by one of them and had to be examined by someone from G-Corp not long after the mansion got blown up. I don't know what that stuff was that they were giving people, but it sure as helped with the infection the damned zombies were giving people. I'm just glad that I didn't become one of the poor souls that couldn't be saved."
"Pour souls? You mean there are those that are still infected by the zombies?" Ruby asked, looking horrified. She then reached out and snatched the paper from Logan. She read the article fast, her eyes moving fast then they had done when she had read it the first time, before she looked back up at Leon. "The paper doesn't say a thing about anyone still infected. Why wouldn't that be in the paper if it is still an issue?"
"You think G-Corp wants any more attention then it does now, after it was pinned on them that they were the ones that let the zombies out in the first place?" Leon asked, his frown deepening. "I am sure that there are a handful of people that are still infected by the zombies. There are even some that can't be turned back into humans by the vial. From the little bit of conversation that I heard from several G-Corp lab techs while I was being checked out, there are some who's bodies are too ravages by the infection to even have the unknown liquid be tried on them. What they are doing with the remaining zombies and the bodies of the dead, I don't know. In fact, I don't think, and possibly even know, that there is enough for those who are infected and can be saved by the vial at this point."
"What are they doing with them, then? Are they doing it on the island?"
"Why would they want to do things with the zombies out where the public could see them? G-Corp took them somewhere, I am sure, underneath the island and away from prying eyes. They are just keeping the island off limits just in case."
"Do we have a problem on our hands with this?" Logan asked tensely. He looked worried about this, as did the others, their eyes turned solely upon Leon, who looked down at the ground for several minutes. He didn't say anything during this time, sighing as he placed both of his arms at his sides before looking back up.
"I don't know, Logan. I don't know. If there is one thing I can credit to G-Corp, it is containing something, no matter how big it is. I am sure that the Gaian Council can keep it under control as well."
"Yes, and keep it under wraps as much as possible," Meredith said, shaking her head at him. "We won't know anything now, that is for sure."
"You don't trust them, Meredith, do you? What did the Council ever do to you?" Leon said accusingly, eyeing her.
"It is not that I don't trust them, Leon, nor did they ever do anything to me. I do trust them, and I know they are doing the best job they can do with as little people as they have. It is just that they are poking their noses into something that doesn't concern them right now. G-Corp should be the one to handle it, since it is their mess to begin with."
Leon sighed, a half smile coming upon his lips. "I'm sorry. It's just that I've been stuck on the island for what like seems like days."
"I think some of us needs some sleep too," Ruby said, looking down at Peyo as she shook him awake. The boy yawned, opening his eyes as he looked at her tiredly. "We'll find places to stay until we can go back to the island."
All of them nodded, some more slowly then others, as a few last words were exchanged before the small group went their separate ways. Some went with others to stay until they had clearance back to the island while others went alone. But they knew what had happened the night before and that was something in which would stay fresh in their minds until something else came along.
Until Next Time
