Quorra... a girl that came from the mysterious digital frontier called "The Grid".
I was at an apartment in Los Angeles when she was sent to me by a secret, low-profile friend, Sam Flynn. He told me to take care of her. He never told me why she could change the world, but there was something different from her. Her extreme, almost irresistible beauty hid something among her, something... so perfect to be human... I just couldn't figure out.
I talked to Sam Flynn for a while but he had to leave. He went to his motorcycle, and before accelerating he said:
-"…She can change the world. Please, don't lose her, man. Whatever you do, Keep. Her. Alive". Sam said after he formally introduced me to Quorra.
-"I'll do everything, with my life, my friend". I promised Sam.
Sam left on his motorcycle without explaining anything but he told me:
-"All your questions will be answered soon, alright?"
After that, he just left... and Quorra stayed with me. She was exploring my room with curiosity, until I closed the door. She turned to look at me…
-" What's your name?" Quorra asked.
-"Joseph", I answered, "and I think... your name is Quorra".
-"Yes. I bet Sam told you about me already". She said.
-"Yeah. You're an ISO...a ...human ISO". I said, still amazed.
-"...and you're a User... like Sam". Quorra said. "He's like my big brother, you know. I trust him so much".
-"I know". I said. "I wonder… Why did he leave you here?"
-"He told me I wasn't safe out there". Quorra explained. "He said people were looking for me for…experimentation…"
I went close to Quorra and said:
-"I promise I won't let anybody put a hand on you, okay? Feel free to tell me anything you want. Secrets, concerns, worries... anything". I told Quorra. "I will take care of you with my life…"
-"Thank you, Joseph. So much". She smiled.
Over time, Quorra and I became linked with each other.
(3 months later)
Quorra and I were at a park in the morning. I showed her about the world and its beautiful places. We played in the grass, like kids playing tag. Quorra shouting "Tag!" instead of just touching me, she tackled me to the grass, and we rolled down a small hill, laughing, playing tickle wars, it was beautiful. I never saw Quorra full of joy and life. We sat down under a tree, gasping because of the tiring runs and jumps we enjoyed.
-"You tired, man?" Quorra said, gasping.
-"Nah. I'm just… I'm just warming". I gasped.
Quorra laughed at my tiredness, then she lied down on the grass and I did the same later.
-"I can't believe how much beauty a park has in it. The grass, the sunlight...it's amazing, Joseph, it's... I can't describe it. Thank you for bringing me here, Joseph". Quorra gasped.
-"No problem, whenever you want to come to these places, just ask". I said smiling. "…I never took the time to appreciate their nature". I said with regret.
-"Now you did". Quorra responded softly with a smile as she hugged me.
-"Quorra..." I gasped as I caressed her face. "One day, I'll take you to a wonderful grassland. I promise you that".
Quorra looked at me directly in my eyes and asked
-"... really? Would you take me there?" She smiled.
-"I would take you wherever you want". I whispered to her.
Over time, our connection became stronger. We trusted each other like we never did to anybody. We knew EVERYTHING about each other. Blood type, exact height and weight, our tastes, our ideals, we knew each other ALMOST perfectly, but... there was still something in Quorra that I couldn't see.
-"How old are you?" She asked me.
-"I'm 17, and you?" I asked back.
Quorra stayed silent, looking around, probably thinking.
-"Quorra…you don't know your age?" I asked.
-"I can't age. I'm an ISO, remember? Even if I got materialized in the real world, still, I can't age. My cells…they're different than human ones and, they can't degrade with time".
-"So…you're…immortal?" I asked.
-"Truly, I am not sure". She said.
I looked at her, amazed by fact that she could be immortal.
Quorra and I were in my apartment later in that day's afternoon, sitting on my bed.
-"What's your biggest dream in life, Joseph?" Quorra asked.
-"Changing my world. Making something like an Utopia but, we know that perfection is indefinable so, I want something close to it, make a change not only for me, but for humanity". I answered. "..And you?"
-"Discover the world, its secrets, explore its beauty". Quorra said. "I spent some time in the Grid reading Kevin's books about the Earth, and nature and I became… curious about it".
-"Wow. Q." I gasped, then I got close to Quorra and hugged her, whispering "I…I truly promise with all my heart that I will help you on that".
Quorra gave me a gentle kiss on my cheek.
-"I would love to be with you, accomplishing my dream". Quorra said softly.
As Quorra walked around my room, she saw a picture…
-"What's this, Joseph? What's this picture?" Quorra asked as she took a picture of my family.
-"That's my mom, what a woman, she's awesome, she taught me many things about life and love as well as my dad, he taught me more of the "force-requiring" things like, making heavy works, etcetera, Oh, and the art of Improvisation with the environment". I said.
-"Where are they now?" Quorra asked.
-"They're at home, I came here just for some vacationing, you know, relaxing myself, have fun, etcetera.". I explained. "Part of some kind of emotional rehabilitation….thing I made myself, but somehow I decided to stay here even longer. My parents gave me all the time I wanted to stay here as long as I feel better. I felt tense with a lot of things to take care of".
Quorra looked outside the window.
-"I'm sorry if I interfered with your emotional rehab. Truly, I am sorry". Quorra apologized.
-"No! No! Don't be sorry! Actually, you truly make me feel better". I told Quorra.
-"You just say that to make ME feel better". Quorra said as she walked to the door.
-"No! Don't leave! Listen to me, Quorra. If I wanted you to leave already, I wouldn't have gone out to the park with you, I… Quorra please… don't leave".
-"It's okay…I'm not leaving if you say so". Quorra cleared.
-"Listen! What would I do without you? Be here ALONE! Only behind the computer screen doing nothing but…being in Facebook". I said tensely. "If you leave… my emotions will die again. I was a cold-hearted guy without you! …Thinking that love was only a teeny habit… but you proved me wrong, Quorra. For the first time, I loved! I finally felt something different."
I felt so much relief at confessing my feelings for Quorra that was tearing up as I gently held Quorra's face. She looked at me with her eyes wide open.
-"When Sam brought you, I saw something different in you, something, special, unique, beautiful. Quorra, all these months together…" I gasped. "Quorra… I fell in love with you since you crossed this door. I… I'm sorry for telling you this".
-"Why?". Quorra asked.
-"Why do I love you?" I asked back.
-"No. Why do you apologize for such a beautiful confession?" Quorra asked.
-"Because… wh...What?" I asked in confusion.
I had in mind that a girl like Quorra would never take an ordinary guy like me.
-"I had this feeling inside me, tickling every time I was with you, Joseph. You showed me the world, you take care of me every day. You… you truly love me and I … I just.. Can't resist to your… your happiness, your smile, your optimism and realism. When you took me to those places, I knew that you cared about me". Quorra softly said. "Maybe I never had a boyfriend in the Grid, but I read about love, the way It feels… the way it takes over you in a beautiful way and makes you feel… special".
-"Quorra..." I whispered.
I looked at Quorra, about to kiss her, but I interrupted and held her hand.
-"I got an idea. Follow me". I said.
I pulled Quorra gently with me, holding her hand. I took my motorcycle out of the garage and reached the airport. I covered Quorra's eyes as I picked the destination.
When I told one of the employees, he asked:
-"Is she your girlfriend?"
-"Yes, sir, indeed she is". I responded formally.
-"Give her the surprise of her life". The employee smiled as he gave me the ticket.
We went into the plane and of course, I did took into account that they mention the destination's name about 5 times, so, I told Quorra to cover her ears with some small pieces of cotton, however I did remove the cloth from her eyes.
She looked at the clouds as we traveled for about 5 hours and turned to look at me several times during the flight.
-"I never thought clouds would seem beautiful. In the Grid, they were all grey, dark… they gave the Grid a very sad feeling". Quorra said.
-"Yeah. Sometimes it gets cloudy here, though" I said.
-"But, come on, it doesn't look bad". Quorra said.
After hours, we arrived to the destination. I covered Quorra's eyes and guided her around with me. Everything seemed so green, Grass growing, flowers all around, trees…it all seemed like a fairytale, the villages, and houses… it was beautiful. Soon, we reached a grass field, with hills around us.
We stopped walking and I gently took the cloth from Quorra's eyes.
-"Welcome to Ireland". I whispered.
Quorra seemed amazed, delighted. The face she had at that moment was priceless. Her eyes were full of tears while she had a bright smile, looking at the grassland.
-"Oh…my! Joseph! You… this is beautiful! I can't believe you brought me here!". Quorra said with a huge smile. "I never saw anything like this in… my whole life".
Quorra got close to me. I slowly got closer to her...
-"Quorra, Have you ever kissed somebody in or outside the Grid?" I whispered to her.
-"I never did". She whispered back. "I read about it… they say it feels… unexplainably beautiful. 'Love of man for woman, love of woman for man. That's the nature, the meaning, the best of life… itself', Zane Grey". Quorra quoted with a smile.
And then… I slowly… passionately kissed her.
I felt a warm current running down my spine as I felt her hands wrapped on my neck,…her body heat with mine… I felt relief, happiness, extreme euphoria, so much that I couldn't hold back my tears. I was tearing with joy. I never felt such happiness in my entire life…I felt something different: True love.
-"I love you, Joseph". Quorra whispered.
We spent almost a day together in the grassland, and at night we were walking back to a nearby hotel I previously paid for. Quorra and I slept on the same bed; I hugged her and kissed her goodnight.
However, that night, the TV woke Quorra up. A show called "World's most vicious videos", which was about violent encounters between mobs, people, random riots gone very violent and etcetera, however, the program had some censored parts and Quorra's curiosity drove her to look for the raw videos herself. She took my laptop and browsed on a video sharing site and what she saw... was probably the most terrifying thing she had seen since The Purge that occurred to her and her fellow ISO friends at The Grid.
The first video caught a guy chopping another guy's leg out of anger at a liberal protest.
Another video caught a shooting, full.
The next one was about wars and the most gruesome scenes during them, including World War II, the Vietnam War, The Armenian Genocide, and the most recent, The Afghanistan War.
Video after video, Quorra's eyes were tearing, and the last video impacted her. The execution of a prisoner… fully caught with detail. The prisoner's head was cut with an axe… Quorra's tears were running all over her cheeks, she came to me on my sleep and woke me up, crying.
-"Baby, What's wrong? What happened?" I asked.
-"Why? Why do people kill each other? Why do they kill their own race!"Quorra asked, breathless after crying, sobbing.
I realized that she watched the videos as I saw the laptop on a small table with the video of a vicious conflict.
-"Quorra…wars are since the beginnings of time". I said.
-"I know that but I…" Quorra said, altered, "I am tired of looking at programs killing each other. I thought it was different with the Users, but it's the same"
-"It's in human nature, Quorra. It drove them to corruption, desire for power; desire to fulfill their joy for spilling blood", I explained, "but not all humans are like that. Those who aren't blinded by power know how to suppress that desire without having to think about doing so".
-"I know. Just like in the Grid. Those who didn't believe in Users suddenly attacked those who did. Here, it is the same thing but with different…contexts". Quorra said. "Good thing Kevin Flynn brought his books to the Grid, sharing his knowledge of the real world with me".
-"Quorra…" I whispered.
-"I have to show you something". She said.
Quorra took her sleeping shirt off.
-"Whoa…" I moaned as my face blushed.
Then she turned and showed me her back. She had a huge scar coming from behind her left shoulder and going all the way down to her hips.
-"How did you got that huge scar?". I gasped.
-"A surgery. Joseph, I performed a human augmentation on myself", Quorra explained, "When I read about wars and violence in your world, I knew I had to be ready, However, I never thought I would see this levels of mortality and hate among your own race. They're over the top".
-"But… a surgery, by yourself?" I asked.
-"I'm an ISO, remember? I programmed a surgical machine that I could control while being sedated. They're still not massively produced but, I got access to one". Quorra explained.
I touched Quorra's scar.
-"TSS! Ow!"
-"Oh!… I'm Sorry! Sorry!" I apologized.
Quorra laughed at my apologies.
-"Don't worry, I faked the pain". Quorra laughed, then changing into a more serious tone, "Though, I did the augmentation a year or two ago".
-"You scared me...hahahah!" I said with relief.
-"I know, I know". Quorra replied with gratification and smiled.
We were in a very intimate moment, looking at each other, in the middle of the dark room. Quorra managed to turn the TV and laptop off; however, she took my clothes off as I took hers off too, then she turned on a candle and said:
-"I want to keep looking at your eyes" She whispered. "Stay with me".
We lived the most intimate moment of our lives together, making love. I had never understood the beauty of "two bodies becoming one, together", until that night with Quorra. Nothing compared to what any typical hormone-ruled teen says. This was…true love, pure love, manifesting itself… so beautiful. I felt Quorra all over me, her body heat mixing with mine as she kissed me and… I kissed her back. She caressed my hair; her lips caressed mine…What a beautiful experience shared with my love.
I was afraid to impregnate Quorra... I did not know if an ISO would survive after giving birth to a child. I acknowledged that they were stronger and smarter than regular humans on Earth but I didn't want to risk Quorra. I did use protection, for her safety.
-"Joseph, can I tell you something?" Quorra asked.
-"Sure, tell me". I said.
-"I don't want to have a baby yet. I want to have him, or her, when our world becomes a safer place". Quorra said with concern.
-"We'll have the baby when this world is cleaned". I said softly.
After that beautiful intimate night, we fell asleep.
…But I woke up an hour later, still nighttime. I remembered about Quorra's scar. I lifted the blanket up enough to see it with detail,then I thought about what she said, how humans were killing each other, human nature, my race..my own brothers sinking this planet...then I decided to do it. I decided to perform an augmentation on myself.
I went back to sleep, hugging Quorra.
In the morning…
When Quorra woke up, I was looking outside the window.
-"Joseph?". She asked.
-"Quorra… I need the augmentation". I said, directly going to the point. "We have to change this world".
-"What? We can change it the way you are, no matter what, we will change it, with augmentations or not". Quorra said.
-"Quorra… please. I want to join you. I want to change the world with you". I told her.
(3 hours later)
Quorra took me to the laboratories where she performed the augmentation, a huge basement below the installations of ENCOM at downtown Los Angeles. The building was in some state of hibernation due to Sam Flynn's hiding after he was being stalked by scientists who wanted Quorra for experiments.
-"Here is where I it all began", Quorra said, "…My ambition to change the world, what Kevin Flynn explained to me. ISO's can possess great quantities of knowledge. No offense, you humans contain tons of information in you but…your nature… it is what you can't control".
The basement was cleaner than I expected…It seemed more like a facility…a facility in heaven. There was a very odd bed in the middle, which was actually for surgery purposes and above it, there were mechanical arms used for applying substances or any parts needed in an augmentation. Below the bed, hidden, there were many sensors: Heat, movement (calculating even the slightest movement of any small or big internal organ or tissue, brain activity, body substances, etcetera). There were roses lying on the top of it. In the middle, there was a strange blue-glowing hexagon, and a white-glowing circle on the pillow.
However, I lied on the bed and blue circuitry began turning on the bed and the floor around it.
-"Joseph… your life will change after this. Make me a promise. Use these enhancements for the world's benefits… promise me that". Quorra said, with her eyes tearing.
-"I promise you that, with all my heart. I solemnly promise that I will not use these augmentations for selfish desires". I said.
Quorra smiled. I wiped her tears gently off her cheeks.
-"What will you tell your parents?". Quorra asked.
-"…The truth. They won't reveal it, I am sure". I said as I looked at Quorra's eyes before the moment…before the augmentation.
She took my clothes off to begin and before activating the surgical bed, she kissed me and held my hand.
-"I love you so much, Joseph. Make me a favor and…don't. EVER. Change". She said, crying.
Quorra activated the bed and injected sedatives in me, making me fall asleep. She controlled the bed but also intervened physically into the surgery. My body was being opened carefully. Nanotechnology was used with the implants.
My arms and legs were enhanced by replacing the limbs for stronger ones. My skin was covered by an unnoticeable over skin attached to my original one, protecting it, and regenerating when it became damaged by replacing dead cells with new cells taken from an area in the body where cells were not necessary or fundamental. However if I became damaged repeatedly, it could experience failures due to its best performance with ISO skins.
My eyes weren't removed but my vision was extremely enhanced with chemicals and a few replacements for my optical tissues.
A chemical applied to my brain enhanced the pulses for faster reactions and reflexes as well as logical thinking.
Also, some utility enhancements were applied to me such as a retractable blade on my hands and feet used to climb or fight.
Quorra also managed to bring the identity discs out of the Grid. They could be thrown towards an enemy and their trajectory could be defined by the owner's mind, however, Quorra decided to omit the information storing utility the discs had in the Grid to avoid information theft that could endanger lives. More weapons such as the sword were materialized and new ones such as the lightleash and plasma lightshield were materialized from the Grid as well. Also, Lightcycles, lightjets, tanks and new designs by Quorra herself such as the lightchopper were materialized into the real world using Kevin Flynn's laser.
Quorra also enhanced my body so I could be able to control the weapons and vehicles brought from the Grid.
(5 hours later)
My heart stopped…I flatlined…
-"Joseph? No… no! Joseph, stay with me!" Quorra exclaimed.
She defibrillated me twice with no result and dropped the defib unit, hopelessly staring at me.
Suddenly, my heart went back up to its normal state.
-"You're okay!... Thank God". Quorra hugged me.
I looked around, and felt quite a bit different. Outside me, I was the same, but inside, I was augmented.
-"Quorra…am I ready?" I asked.
-"More than that". She said.
I placed my clothes on and tested the augmentations.
My arms were somehow lighter, but stronger. My legs felt the same. I walked faster than normal, and about my eyes… I could see the world with full detail.
-"Put on your lightsuit". Quorra ordered.
-"Where is it?" I asked.
-"Think about it on you, and you'll know". She said.
I closed my eyes and thought about the lightsuit on me, suddenly it began to morph around my body, like another skin, and then blue circuitry began to run around my body. Quorra closed her eyes and her lightsuit morphed over her, regardless of her clothes. They just disappeared when the suit morphed.
-"We are changing this world… we are changing the future". Quorra said softly.
Quorra threw me a baton and I caught it.
-"They cannot consume our world". Quorra said with a gentle smile as she handed me my own identity disc. "They cannot destroy our dreams".
Quorra and I spent hours of training at a testing chamber, slowly getting me adapted to the augmentations. I could jump higher, perform acrobatic stunts, and even become stealthy.
The circuits in the lightsuits could be turned off when mentally requested by the user, usually in stealth operations.
Quorra and I went into a "practice mission", a gang beating up a group of teens on a street; the police was taking action but couldn't control the situation completely.
We were watching from a building's rooftop.
-"Here's the plan. We'll try to fend off the gangsters. The police might try to attack us as we are taking action by ourselves. Use shields and if necessary, kill them". Quorra advised.
We jumped down and suddenly the gangsters threw rocks, knives, Molotov and frag grenades to us. We used our lightshields to protect ourselves. When they ran out of weapons, they came towards us, like a fierce wave. We had no other choice. They were a threat to humanity.
Quorra and I took our lightdiscs and neutralized them, one by one.
After a tough fight, the gangsters were all around the floor…dead.
Police forces aimed their guns at us.
-"Put your weapons down!" An officer demanded.
Quorra stood frozen…
-"We don't want to hurt you, people!". I said.
-"Again, Put. Your weapons. Down!" The officer demanded again, ignoring my words.
-"Quorra…" I whispered.
She closed her eyes. An officer shot Quorra, striking her shoulder.
-"Quorra!" I screamed on top of lungs, panicked.
She touched the wound carefully, but it seemed like if it had not pierced her skin, like a very superficial wound.
-"It works". She said.
I threw my disc to the officer in retaliation, slicing half his face, taking him down. I grabbed the disc as it came back to me.
-"Oh boy..." I gasped.
-"Damn! we better get moving!" Quorra exclaimed.
More police forces converged to our position. We used our lightdiscs and shields to block the bullets.
The teenage boy and girl who we saved were inside an apartment taking cover. Quorra turned around to look at them and said:
-"Stay safe".
Quorra and I escaped in our lightcycles and some police units followed us.
-"Why can't they leave us alone?" Quorra asked.
-"They reject anything different, any anomaly" I said.
I saw a gun shop and thought about taking a rifle. I deactivated my lightcycle.
-"Joseph, what are you doing?" Quorra asked, confused.
-"I'm getting some help!" I said.
-"I have a lot of those rifles back at the lab!". Quorra exclaimed. "Never mind".
I got in the gun shop.
-"I need a weapon". I said.
The clerk got scared with my outfit and was about to fire a rifle at me, but I cleverly aimed it away from me and took it away from him.
-"I promise I'll pay for them later!" I exclaimed as I went out of the store with two rifles equipped with holographic sights.
I handed one of the rifles to Quorra, and we went back on the road with our lightcycles.
Meanwhile in a secret government laboratory, known as AsterGen Labs publicly by the people, (who thought they were an ordinary pharmaceutics company), the scientists became aware of Quorra's presence. They were looking for her since the first time she was seen.
Quorra and I were riding on our lightcycles when a van came across the way, there were SWAT-like teams with gas masks aiming guns at us.
-"You are the first ISO in our Earth, if I'm not mistaken!" A scientist said. "Let me introduce myself, I am Doctor Stafford, leader of… let's say... a corporation… interested in your genetic composition".
-"What do you want from me?" Quorra asked with desperation.
-"Your DNA, your information, your data… everything" The scientist said with desire.
Quorra knew they were the scientists that were looking for her. She was about to kill them but instead, she placed her lightdisc away and walked towards them…
-"…Wait…you're going!" I asked.
-"Joseph… I have to. I have to stop him already… I'll be fine, I promise". Quorra said in a soft voice.
I tried to pull her back but one of the guards punched me. I noticed a few letters in his shoulder as he turned away: AsterGen.
That gave me a clue, of where Quorra was being held.
Quorra stepped in the van…and they took her.
I kneeled helplessly…looking at the van leaving with her. I couldn't follow it… I could risk Quorra's life by doing so, making the scientists locking her up in a more difficult place to find for me and colder, more harmful place for her.
The police later arrived, about to capture me but I escaped in my lightcycle.
I went to Quorra's lab below the ENCOM building…looking at the surgical bed…remembering the moments we passed together… I was facing the possibility of losing her…forever. I saw the flight tickets to Ireland. Quorra had kept them in her lab to remember that beautiful moment of our first kiss.
I couldn't hold the tears…
-"Why do you take her AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed.
I accidentally punched a wall that sounded somehow… hollow. It was a secret armory, where Quorra held all kinds of rifles not sold in the market, apparently, they were more technologically advanced. They had holographic sights, yet more advanced than regular ones, highlighting targets, bullets able to pierce walls like paper, and a handler with a retractable blade included in all the guns.
I equipped myself with grenades, 2 rifles and 2 pistols, a grappling hook, my light disc, a lightsword and I also took Quorra's new vehicle: The lightchopper as well as another baton for the lightcycle.
-"Hang on, Quorra". I whispered. "I'm going for you".
I rode my lightcycle, navigating until I found the AsterGen lab, a tall building in downtown Los Angeles.
I stepped off the lightcycle and placed the baton away.
-"Hang in there, baby, I'm coming". I said.
I was enraged…extremely mad at everyone in the entire building, especially with that Doctor Stafford. I threw a grenade at the door, making it explode, alarming the guards and everyone in the building. I threw my lightdisc inside, slicing and neutralizing many of the people inside.
I stepped in, and saw a scientist crawling on the floor.
-"Do you have a family?" I asked him in a threatening tone.
-"Yes, sir… w-why?" He asked with fear.
-"Take me to the ISO, Quorra, or I'll send your head to your wife,". I threatened him with my lightdisc.
Later, the scientist guided me to Quorra. According to the scientist, she was being held in a large cryo-room on the highest floor.
I neutralized waves of incoming guards using my guns, firing with no mercy at them.
-"I…want…my…love…BACK!". I shouted in extreme anger as I killed the guards.
Meanwhile, Quorra looked at me in the monitors from the cryo-room where she was in a water-filled tube and an oxygen supply. 2 guards and a scientist were holding her captive. She bashed the crystal from the cryo-tube.
-"Hey! Hey! Stop it! Those are worth a lot of money!" The scientist complained.
Quorra received an electric shock, yet she still bashed the cryo-tube until she cracked it, then the water pressure broke it open. She landed over the scientist, punching him once and knocking him out.
-"Not so tough, aren't 'cha!". Quorra teased.
The two guards tried to capture her again, but she managed to disarm one of them, and use him as a shield, killing the guard she used a shield by covering herself from the other guard's shots and then firing at the attacking guard.
I kept walking to the cryo-room, killing guards. One of them tried to tase me, but I grabbed the taser's wire without being affected as my second skin absorbed the shock, I pulled the taser towards me and shocked the guard, then kicking his head for a knock-out.
Finally, before reaching the room, I found Quorra fighting off 5 guards herself after she retrieved her lightdisc and other.
-"There she is!". The scientist guide exclaimed.
-"Thanks". I said. "Take good care of your family. I advised him
The scientist ran away.
I intervened with my lightsword, slicing the guards one by one, helping Quorra.
Finally, we were alone in the cryo-room.
-"Quorra…" I gasped as I hugged her tightly.
-"Joseph!" She gasped. "You came back for me".
-"I guess… you kind of had the situation under control". I joked.
-"Hey! The princess wanted to fight the dragon to help her prince". She said.
I smiled and told her.
-"You truly know how to help a prince, then". I whispered.
I kissed Quorra gently, her lips touching mine…Oh I truly missed her soft lips on mine, her beautiful kisses.
Many AsterGen guards were converging near the cryo-room.
-"Here, take the rifle". I told Quorra as I handed her a rifle.
We prepared for survival.
-"Here they come". Quorra said.
I got closer to the door.
-"Joseph? Are you out of your mind?". Quorra exclaimed.
-"A little bit". I joked.
I opened the door a little bit and threw a grenade at the guards, killing almost all of them.
-"Quorra…we're blowing this place up". I said.
We both ran out of the cryo-room, attempting to find Doctor Stafford.
-"Where is he? Come on…come on". I insistently kept searching.
We searched non-stop around the building, until we found him in one of the offices.
-"Ah, the boy who tried to ruin my research. Don't you know what you just ruined? Immortality! The cure against cancer! The cure against many sicknesses!". The doctor exclaimed.
-"By harming a girl?" I exclaimed with anger.
-"A girl? She's no girl! She's an ISO!". The doctor shallowly answered.
-"What?". Quorra whispered with sadness.
-"THAT ISO HAS FEELINGS! THAT ISO SHOWED ME HOW TRUE LOVE FEELS!" I exclaimed, enraged.
I bashed the doctor's face with my bare fist and he fell, then he pulled a gun and fired at my chest-
-"Ack….agh…" I choked… he had wounded me. His weapon's bullet was hard enough to pierce through the second skin. I felt a huge pain and fell down.
-"Joseph!" Quorra exclaimed, her eyes tearing.
She was about to hold me but Stafford punched her on the face, fending her away.
-"You're mine now, ISO". Stafford said, with a greedy smile.
Quorra took her lightdisc and blocked Stafford's shots, but Stafford did not stopped and lunged towards her, placing his hand on her neck, choking her.
-"Alive or dead, you're still useful". He whispered with evil.
I stood up… apparently the wound did pierce my real skin, yet it didn't touch any vital organ, nor made it into my flesh completely. I extracted it with my hands, and kept walking towards Stafford.
I activated my lightsword and stabbed Stafford right on his chest, piercing his heart.
-"She's not only an ISO… she is The Miracle". I told to Stafford.
I pulled him back away from Quorra, and then I pushed him to a window, breaking it and making him fall down his own building.
-"You alright, Joseph?" Quorra asked, with concern.
-"I'm alright, just a little pierce". I said. "I got the bullet out".
Quorra hugged me.
-"Can we go home now?" She whispered.
-"Sure". I whispered back. "Let's just erase this place from the map. Grab my shoulders".
Quorra and I jumped from the building; I took a baton and opened it, rezzing a lightchopper, and then fired at the AsterGen building, destroying it little by little, firing missiles and bullets, aiming at the upper then the base floor.
I saw the building crumbling, losing its balance from the first floor's support, then, it fell, luckily there were no civilian casualties.
Quorra and I flew to a rooftop, deactivating the light-chopper.
-"What a ride...woo!". She laughed.
-"Well that was one hell of a dragon! I'll surely need a nap…with my rescued princess". I flirted.
Quorra giggled.
…and walked back home without attracting too much attention.
(At home)
Quorra sleeping on our bed…I was outside, looking at the horizon from the balcony, then I saw a dark figure behind me and he said:
-"Good work. I saw what you did". He said.
-"Sam". I gasped.
-"Joseph. All these months…". Sam said.
-"I'm sorry about what almost happened to Quorra". I apologized.
-"You said it yourself: 'Almost'", Sam said. "It's not about what almost happened; it's about what is happening, and what really happened. You saved her… you took care of her all these time, you even showed her how love feels".
-"…yeah, I love her with all my heart". I said. "I guess she'll go back with you".
-"No, Joseph, she won't". Sam said, laughing gently.
-"What do you mean?" I asked, curiously.
-"She found who she was destined to be with, man. You". Sam stated.
-"…but you..." I was interrupted by Sam.
-"She's like my sister…not my girlfriend. I will still keep an eye on her sometimes... for her own good, don't tell her though, but you are her guy". Sam explained.
-"Thanks Sam. I promise I will protect her with my life". I said.
-"Sure you will. I truly know that". Sam said as he shook my shoulder.
-"I have to go now, man. You know where to find me if you need help". Sam said as he climbed down the apartment's ladder and got on his motorcycle.
-"Where?" I asked.
-"Flynn's Arcade if you want!" He said. "Come over for some Space Paranoids!"
-"My favorite". I whispered.
I went back into the apartment, with Quorra.
-"Joseph? Everything okay?". She asked.
-"Yeah. Perfectly". I whispered.
(The next day)
Quorra and I were standing over the L.A.X. control tower's roof, looking at the horizon.
-"We're not done yet, right?" I asked.
-"No…we're just beginning the change". Quorra said softly.
-"Where's our next destiny? Afghanistan? Russia? Somalia?" I asked.
-"All of them, and wherever the world needs us". Quorra said as she looked to a plane flying up.