Author's Notes: And we're back. That's the third consecutive year that I've tried NaNoWriMo, and I was doing well until I had a psychotic breakdown that lasted about a week. So yeah, that's no good. I'll write that story in my own time now since I have no desire to give up, but that's an original and not what you're here to read. You're here to read an AU about Prox taking over the world through Psynergy augmentation. Right? Right. Moving on.
As well as this update, I also ended up digging around my computer and finding not one, not two, not even three... but FIVE one-shots, and a couple of other incomplete ones that I wrote a long time ago. Some were for Golden Sun and others for Tales of Symphonia, and I've already uploaded two of them for Golden Sun. If you're interested, please take a look at them. I'd really appreciate some feedback. For now though, enjoy this story.
PROJECT PSYNERGY
Chapter 11 - Fracture
Garet wasn't much of a healer, but then again, there wasn't that much to do while they were driving. He might as well make him useful and help Feizhi patch up her head wound. Gently, he dabbed a damp cloth over the long cut on her forehead to clean it out before wrapping a bandage around her forehead. The cut was deep and there was a chance that shards of glass remained embedded, but this was the best he could do for her now.
"Thanks," Feizhi murmured quietly, leaning back and closing her eyes. Nodding silently, he sat back in his own seat. Her movements seemed a little groggy, and it made Garet a little worried. The cut was a fairly deep cut, and the bandage would only serve as a temporary measure… Feizhi would likely need stitches.
That was a little difficult where they were, however. After the fiasco at the police station, they had quickly escaped in the car that Hama had prepared earlier. It had been a priority to leave Madra as quickly as possible, and while there was a first aid kit on hand, Garet wasn't really qualified to put stitches in for her. For now, this was all he can do.
"How are you holding up?" Hama asked over her shoulder. She was in the front seat of the car, driving down the highway towards the nearest settlement.
"I feel a little weird," Feizhi admitted quietly, glancing at Garet for a moment before closing her eyes again. "I have a headache, and it's not just the cut."
"I see. Garet, there should be some painkillers in the first aid kit."
"Already on it," he replied, removing the pills and handing them to Feizhi. She quickly swallowed one and handed them back. He hadn't said much during their flight… the events had all come at him too rapidly for him to settle down and think them through. He had been a security guard and then a police officer… he hadn't expected to be dealing with anything relating to magical powers or super bacteria or whatever the heck was behind this.
"Garet…" Hama sounded a little hesitant.
"…I'm an Adept," he responded calmly, as if suddenly coming to terms with it all.
"Did you know that you were?"
Garet shook his head. "I didn't have a clue… but after hearing your story and then seeing what I did, I thought it was fairly obvious."
Hama nodded, though her attention remained on the road ahead. Getting out of Madra had been their first priority, and now they were just driving until they found the next good-sized settlement where Feizhi could be treated. Afterwards, they'd go to Daila and plan their next move.
"There aren't any Jupiter Adepts left besides me and…" she paused mid-sentence, then shook her head. "There aren't any besides me. I was taught all about my heritage by my father, and he explained that it had been passed down since the ancient times. He said that there were others like my family that did that for the other kinds of Psynergy, but he didn't know who they were."
"If that's what you're implying about me," Garet interrupted, "then my family has never mentioned anything like this before. My parents have never done anything special like breathe fire or crazy things like... what I did. Neither have my older sister or little brother. So I don't think it'd be like that."
"Be that as it may," Hama continued, "there is a chance that you belong to one of those bloodlines, even if you didn't progress as my family did. Tell me Garet... you weren't born in Madra. Where are you from?"
Garet gasped suddenly, sitting up straight. "No way…"
Hama glanced over her shoulder for a moment while Feizhi opened her eyes and looked at him. "What is it?" they said in unison.
"I'm… I'm from a town called Vale, in West Angara. It's a little secluded and out of the way, and not much goes on in the way of interaction between other towns." He paused. "However, Vale was well known for its mythology… there was always mention of how the nearby volcano, Mount Aleph, was a holy place. From within its depths come the forces that allowed Weyard to exist as it has for so long… supposedly, anyway."
Hama grinned. "That's how I've heard Alchemy described in many places. This might just be what we need… Vale sounds like it has a lot of relevance to Psynergy."
"Maybe our next stop should be there, then," Feizhi commented.
"It's not that simple, though…" Garet took a deep breath before continuing, looking somber. "The reason my family lives in Madra now is because Vale was destroyed a few years ago in a volcanic eruption. The very mountain that they revered in mythology was what finished its history in the end… it was only a fairly small town, and many people chose simply to rebuild their lives elsewhere. Now we're all scattered."
Hama visibly sank in her chair. Apparently she'd been eager to find an answer to the questions too. Oddly enough, Feizhi was looking at Garet with curiosity… almost concern.
"Did you lose any friends when that happened?" she asked him, drawing her legs against her chest as if for comfort from her headache.
"Not really." Garet shrugged. "As far as I know, nobody was killed when the volcano erupted. There was a lot of warning… on top of the volcano, blocking it off, was this really big boulder. It had some kind of relevance, I don't know… but anyway, when it began to shift, people noticed. That gave us enough warning to figure out that the volcano was going to erupt soon enough, and everyone got away."
"I meant to say when you all got scattered," Feizhi added.
"Oh… I suppose so." Garet sighed. "I had a few good friends when I was growing up. There was a little group of us... a boy and a girl my age, as well as the girl's older brother. Unfortunately, we went our separate ways, and I haven't really heard from them since. I'd like to find them one day, though."
"I see…" Without warning, Feizhi leant over and embraced Garet gently before sitting back down. It happened so quickly that the young man barely had any clue what had just happened.
"H-hey, what was that for?" Garet asked, blinking in surprise.
"I don't know." Feizhi shrugged, closing her eyes again. "I just felt like comforting you… I know what it's like to lose friends that way, that's all."
"Oh." Garet shook his head and sat back as well, realizing that he'd lost track of his thoughts already. That was so unexpected.
"…are you blushing?"
"N-no!" Unfortunately for Garet, he could feel his face burning the moment that left his lips.
"Because that's really cute, you know." Feizhi grinned playfully, looking over at him again.
"Okay, now I know that the medicine is getting to you." He sighed, but smiled a little. "You should rest, it might help your head."
Nodding, Feizhi closed her eyes yet again. Hama was chuckling silently to herself in the front seat. In situations like these, it was always good for people to have friends on hand. She'd been prepared for this since her youth, but these kids had come into this with only marginal preparation. It would be good if they could keep one another company.
"Nonetheless, Daila is our first goal. That has a good-sized airport nearby, so it can take us to wherever we may decide to go." Hama nodded as if confirming this to herself.
"Wake me when we get there," Garet said with a smile, closing his eyes as well.
- - - - -
"Why am I afraid of this place so suddenly?" Isaac muttered as he and Jenna approached the Elementalist hideout.
"Because of what we decided," Jenna replied matter-of-factly, "and because they're most likely not going to be happy about it."
"Ah. So we're still walking into our deaths?"
"Most likely."
"You're still coming with me, right?"
"Well, I was planning to go and hide out by the dumpster, but I might as well be nice." Jenna grinned, and Isaac smirked back.
It had been some time since their escape from the Proxian installation, and they had at last arrived back at Alhafra. During their return trip they had spent some time poring over the data they had collected, learning little but still picking out bits and pieces. However, during a slightly more casual talk of theirs, they had come to a concensus… now they were about to do something that the Elementalists would not approve of at all.
But during those conversations, Isaac and Jenna had become fairly close friends, and so they weren't too concerned as long as they could stick together for the duration of their objectives.
"Let's see how this goes then," Isaac said with a deep breath, taking his energy blade out in preparation for turning it over to the doorman.
In a few moments they were ushered into the building, disarmed, and immediately pointed in Kraden's direction. Isaac and Jenna moved quickly through the halls, suddenly not wanting to be here any longer than they had to. Their attitudes had changed considerably since they had left here, it seemed.
It didn't take long before they found themselves outside a room marked as the library. From within, they could hear Kraden's voice talking to someone, but there were pauses in between – it was likely that he was on the phone.
"Kraden?" Jenna called, knocking on the door.
"Just one moment," he responded, and continued speaking for a few seconds. Once that ended, the door opened, revealing the old man standing there with a hopeful expression. "Oh, it's you two! Good to have you back, very good… please, come in."
The door opened wider and he gestured for Isaac and Jenna to come in. Though this room was marked as the library, it was definitely a modern one – very few bookshelves lined the room, and instead a centre row of tables was dominated by a few computer terminals with far more digitized information inside them than a million books could hope to catalogue.
Kraden brushed past them and sat at a table on one side of the room, gesturing at the empty seats on the other side. "You've been gone quite some time. That's to be expected given the distance you had to travel, but still, we were anxious for your return." His expression was one of concern, however. "Ivan is not with you, however… where is he?"
Isaac hesitated, but Jenna spoke immediately. "He got trapped behind in order to buy us some time to get away with all the information. We don't know what's happened to him."
The concern only deepened on Kraden's face. "Are you serious? That's grave news indeed… Ivan was one of the best men we had. So much more capable than many operatives twice his age…"
"Important enough to warrant retrieval?" Isaac asked calmly, studying Kraden's face intently. The old man's expression went from concerned to dark.
"Excuse me? What makes you think you can-"
"The fact that you were quite happy to leave the installation standing so that the experiments could continue is one clue," Jenna interrupted.
Kraden narrowed his eyes, but he didn't refute the claim. "Are you implying something? I have been nothing but loyal to this group since its inception, and I am one of the main people responsible for ensuring that it has gotten this far. Don't you dare impugn my honour…"
"Then do something honourable and have the facility destroyed. Burn it to the ground, make sure that no-one has to be subjected to that kind of experimentation against their will." Jenna's voice was calm and steady as if she'd practiced this speech beforehand. "And if you can't do that, then give us a reason why not."
There was silence. Isaac's gaze drifted between the two of them, but neither faltered. A few moments later, however, Kraden slumped down in defeat.
"What is it you are trying to do, you two? Why must you make this difficult?"
"We came here to stop Prox," Jenna replied with a shrug. "That's what we aim to do, and the Elementalists aren't doing it for us. If they can't then we will."
Kraden sighed. "I will give you your answers then, if that is the case… however, that will get you truly involved in this situation, far more than you may have expected to be going on. And you won't be able to get out of it. If you truly are in this to stop Prox then that's what has to be done."
"I'm game," Jenna replied with a smirk.
"Me too," Isaac added.
"Fine." Kraden reached down for a moment, before placing his hands back on top of the table. Isaac was instantly on alert, but the old man shook his head. "I've merely silenced this room. No guards are coming." He took a deep breath. "Did you find anything of interest in the installation?"
Jenna reached into her bag and retrieved her laptop, switching it on and setting it on the table. With a few practiced motions, she opened the files they had uncovered and displayed them to Kraden. "The big haul was this schematic of something called the Mercury Lighthouse. We assume that's very important. The information regarding that image is, unfortunately, encrypted far beyond our abilities to crack."
Kraden looked over the image, pursing his lips as he did so before nodding. "Alright. I'll get that information shortly and pass it on to someone who can decipher it."
"And you'll start filling in the blanks for us," Isaac said with a small smile.
"Yes I will." The old man eyed them both again. "Firstly, congratulations. You are now the two newest agents serving the government of Lemuria and King Hydros himself."
Both Isaac and Jenna blinked in unison.
"I'm positive I didn't hear that one right," Isaac muttered.
"You did." Kraden folded his arms before him. "I have been working in Lemuria for some time in many different capacities. When my compatriot was abducted by Proxians during the early stages of Project Psynergy, I volunteered my services and was sent here to Alhafra. It was my mission to connect with the underground of the city and get the best hackers available to act as an information source for Lemuria. Thus, I helped form the Elementalists."
"So… everything that this group has been collecting has been forwarded onto Lemuria," Jenna determined.
"Is that why you refused to give us the permission to destroy that place?" Isaac asked.
"Yes. You were simply an information source to extract what we could without making our presence known. When the time comes – very shortly, in fact – we'll be assaulting the base at Imil. That was not the job of a small group of hackers, it's something that only professionals should be handling."
"I suppose so…" Jenna admitted with some reluctance.
"Since now you know that the Elementalists are merely a front for Lemurian Intelligence," Kraden continued, "I have no choice but to mark you as temporary recruits in its employ. Once Project Psynergy has been adequately dealt with, you will be released from service, though if your performance is exemplary then you could very well find a career there. For now, however, your missions will be a little tougher. But you'll be properly dealing with the Proxian threat and working to end this all." He paused. "Are you satisfied with this?"
Isaac and Jenna exchanged glances, and then looked back at Kraden.
"I guess this is what I joined the Elementalists to do." Isaac shrugged.
"If this lets me stop them from doing things to people, then so be it." Jenna smiled. "You can count on me."
"Good. However…" Kraden leaned in forward. "Let it be known that if you take this too lightly and assume that you can simply walk away from this… you'll find yourself becoming an enemy of the state of Lemuria. Deserters in this kind of business are not taken too lightly. Keep that in mind."
Both nodded.
"Good. That settled… you have a new task." Kraden sat back in his chair. "Another Lemurian agent is en route to Alhafra. When he arrives, you will join him along with another person here in the Elementalists. He'll be here in a couple of days, so be prepared. I'll call you when you're needed. Until then, remain in this hideout. I'll see to it that quarters are arranged for you."
Again, they both nodded.
"You may go, then." Kraden smiled. "In the name of King Hydros and Lemuria."
- - - - -
Why in Weyard did his head hurt so much? Saturos winced and rubbed his temples forcefully, but made sure not to let his hood fall down and expose his features. He was in so much trouble now... the survivors of the Madran police force, along with the national security forces, had found his escape route before he'd gotten to safety. Desperation had kicked in, now that Madra was declaring a state of panic and cracking down after the unsuspecting terrorist attack from Prox. Tensions were high, and Prox was refusing to issue a statement on what had happened, denying any official involvement with the whole affair.
That left Saturos alone and outgunned... which was why he had fled the scene as quickly as he could. The Psynergy hadn't been recovered – had been destroyed, in the fact -, the mysterious Adepts that he'd found had gotten away, and Prox had decided to cut their losses by abandoning him and any other potential survivors by declaring no statement and refusing to send him aid. He didn't stand much of a chance.
Saturos darted through the back alleys of Madra now, flinching whenever he heard a police siren or any kind of group that could be searching for him. His memory was fuzzy, especially given his aching head, yet he recalled that he'd somehow lost control and had gone berserk… in that crazed fit of rage he had unleashed his Psynergy upon the crowd and slaughtered them all. And as a trained and conditioned warrior, he should never have allowed such a lapse in discipline… now countless innocents were dead. It was a precursor to a war that was coming, certainly, but still unnecessary deaths. Could the rage and aggression be a possible side effect?
He wasn't going to be able to escape too easily. His best bet was to find a boat and hijack it to slightly safer ground before plotting his return trip back to Prox or any of their installations. Still, there were military forces stationed around the city blocking most avenues of escape, and the dock would likely be no different.
Within a few minutes, his fears had been confirmed. There were people patrolling the docks here… but interestingly enough, there weren't nearly as many as he would have expected. A second look revealed otherwise, however – the port was enclosed by a breakwater to stall off tsunamis. There was only one path out, and two large navy cruisers were sitting there, apparently stopping and inspecting anyone who tried to leave. This wasn't going to be easy.
First things first, though – he needed to get on a ship. He could worry about them later.
Looking out over the wharves for what could be a good boat, Saturos slipped closer to the waterline, trying to stay out of sight of the nearby people. Thankfully, the military ships may have been working slightly to his advantage… at the very least, hardly anyone was around here given that most would simply be sent back.
But that didn't mean he was going to get away completely unobserved. Just as he was about to step onto one of the piers, two guards spotted him and quickly stepped before him, staring him down.
"Can I help you?" Saturos asked calmly. If he didn't act out of place, perhaps he could slip past without conflict.
"The city of Madra is currently under lockdown and you can't get through without proper clearance." The first guard shrugged, though the second one eyed Saturos warily. His hood was still up to hide his skin tone and hair colour, but enough could be seen of him to give them some idea of what he looked like without it being too suspicious. "Are one of these boats yours?"
"That one is, right over there." Saturos picked an average looking boat that he could use, being careful not to overdo it a little too much. Selecting the most expensive cruiser currently docked there might have set off a few alarm bells. "The one marked…" He hesitated suddenly when he read what the boat was called. "…Sheba."
Either fate had a really strange sense of humour, or something was very wrong here. Wasn't Sheba that girl that they had been planning to use for Stage Two?
That hesitation might have cost him any kind of credibility, however. The wary looking guard placed a hand at his belt, close to his pistol holster. "Funny how the Sheba only arrived in port a couple of hours ago, commanded by a Lemurian who still happens to be on board."
A Lemurian? So that was where he'd gotten to after escaping…
The sudden revelation combined with the pain in Saturos' head must have been dulling his senses, since he failed to notice that he was now only talking to one guard. With a sudden burst of clarity, he span around and swung his fist out, striking the military man in the face and knocking him to the ground, his pistol falling from his grip.
Metal rasped against leather as the other drew his pistol, and Saturos quickly held his hands behind his shoulders and focused. His head hurt a lot, but not enough to completely stem his control of Psynergy. Two bursts of flames shot forth and struck the man, one in the face and the other in the chest. He fell to the ground, unconscious, though untouched by fire. Saturos had at least had the decency to use purely impact type Psynergy.
Facing his first victim, who was scrabbling for his weapon while trying to get into a sitting position, he kicked him sharply in the chest to dissuade any further attempts. Crouching down beside him, Saturos reached forward and struck the base of the man's skull hard, right where it met the spine. He slumped back, unconscious.
Taking a deep breath, Saturos looked around quickly to make sure that his assault had been unnoticed. There was no-one around, so he quickly dragged the two men just out of the way before running onto the wharf.
He had free pick of any of the ships now, but he still had no clue how to go about leaving Madra. That meant that his best chance for now was to inspect the Sheba and see if his suspicions were confirmed.
Just as he was drawing closer to the boat, however, Saturos suddenly felt strange. He looked around, as if somehow looking out for unseen dangers. He didn't think to look down, however…
Suddenly, he was on the ground, too quickly to understand what had just happened. His head rattled against the dock, adding to the already considerable pain in his skull. A strange sensation lingered around his ankles… reaching down quickly as he sat up, Saturos found ice crystals around his pant legs. The sensation must have been his body trying to comprehend cold, something that his augmentation no longer left him capable of doing.
This was impossible… where did all these other Adepts keep coming from?!
His questions were answered as a torrent of water struck him squarely in the chest, sending him sprawling back onto the wharf again. A shadow passed over him, and he realized that he was looking up into a face. Long blue hair ringed by an unusual looking headband, and a furious expression… Piers. The one who had escaped from Prox.
Saturos groaned, partly from pain and partly because of the situation. "Somehow, this isn't the kind of Piers I was looking for," he said sarcastically, trying to draw himself into a sitting position once more.
"Real funny." Piers stood beside Saturos and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him to his feet and forcing him onto the nearby Sheba. It was an average looking ship as he had observed earlier, but it seemed very sturdy and was still well-designed enough to coax speed out of it. If he could dispose of Piers, it would be perfect.
With a shove, Piers sent Saturos sprawling onto the floor inside the cabin. While the Lemurian was acting calmly, there was still clearly anger in him. Apparently he hadn't forgotten his captivity very easily.
"Fine. So you've somehow got the Mercury strain in you, you're now an Adept, and you just beat me up. What now?" Saturos glared at Piers, though a small smile crept onto his face as an idea came to him. "If you kill me, everything I know disappears and you're back at square one. However, I'm a wanted man, and they're coming for me. I need to get out of here quickly, and if they find you with me, you'll likely get in trouble too."
Piers stared at the Proxian, eyeing the smug expression. He was right, too. This man likely held a number of secrets relating to this Project Psynergy, and killing him would serve absolutely no purpose. He needed him alive for now.
"…you're right." Piers sighed, but then a devious grin crossed his face. Saturos immediately lost his own smile. That couldn't possibly be a good sign.
In moments, the Lemurian pulled him to his feet again and took his captive down a level, revealing this boat to be considerably well equipped. There was a full array of living quarters here, including a small bathroom and kitchen – apparently this boat was equipped for long trips. Piers pulled Saturos to the back of this area, and tapped a small section of the wall.
Something unseen must have been there, because Saturos heard a click and saw a floor panel on the ground next to them open up slightly. This wasn't a typical holding compartment – it looked designed for use by smugglers.
"Get in," Piers said calmly, holding the floor panel up for him.
"You can't be serious."
"Do you have a better way to get past two navy cruisers that will likely board and inspect me?" Piers' devious grin remained. "Get in now, or I'll brick you with an ice cube and dump your unconscious body in there myself."
"Fine, fine…" Saturos sighed and climbed into the small compartment, which was barely large enough to accommodate his frame. As soon as he was in, the hatch closed above him, blanketing him in darkness. There was no room to move, let alone try and escape… it was a good thing that he wasn't claustrophobic.
"You know, I don't think this was designed for human habitation, so there might be no way for air to get in there…" Piers' voice was muffled and laced with laughter, but it still set Saturos' heart racing. He wouldn't dare… before he could try and respond, however, footsteps were heard heading back to the deck. No chance for anything else but to hope that Piers would be benevolent…
- - - - -
Alex pressed a button on a remote control, switching off the screen that mounted the wall to his office here in the Jupiter Lighthouse. Menardi and Karst continued to stare at it for a few moments, however, as if the deactivated piece of technology would yield more answers if they focused long enough.
"I'm sure you're aware just how bad this situation is," Alex said, gesturing for them to return to their seats before him. Karst promptly moved to the desk, then hesitated and pulled Menardi into action as well. Her sister seemed in a complete daze, and given the situation, Karst didn't really blame her.
"We're aware," Karst said bluntly.
"But just how aware?" Alex looked a little pained, and it wasn't just from the failure of the retrieval operation. He had other Jupiter sources if all else failed, and concentrated bacteria of that strain wasn't required for the next stages anyway. Besides, the odds were that it had been destroyed in the failed operation, so that was good enough. As long as it was out of the immediate public's hands.
No, what concerned him was what he was about to tell Menardi regarding Saturos.
"Proxian bodies were found in a ruined building having just conducted a terrorist attack – all of them except Saturos one, presumably Saturos, were accounted for. No matter how silent Prox chooses to remain, or what they do about it, that's a fair bit of suspicion that will arouse a lot of unwanted interest on their affairs." Karst pursed her lips, glancing at Menardi repeatedly.
"That's true. But we can live with that. Stage Three is almost ready, and you two have both seen what I plan to do. Any suspicion now comes far too late." Alex sighed. "The seriousness of the whole affair is Saturo."
Menardi instantly paid attention, as if her superior was about to launch into a wonderful plan about how to help him. "What about him? Is he alive? Can we do anything?"
"Unfortunately, I don't know." Immediately, Menardi's expression sank again. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to send someone to try and locate him. Regardless of how many Proxians now possess Psynergy, you three and Agatio are the ones I trust the most, and I consider you to be the most useful – and powerful – of all my assistants." Alex smiled for a moment.
"Save the flattery," Menardi said quietly, meeting Alex's gaze with a determined expression. "Just send me there right now."
Alex sighed. "That I can't do. At the moment, this situation requires a large amount of tact. Any more Proxian agents in Madra will trigger alarm bells, and we don't want to let this get any more out of hand. Even if I could send you in there safely, there is the matter of your… how shall I put it… feelings for him. That kind of raw emotion is strong – and a good thing to have, don't misinterpret me – but it may lead you to making rash decisions." He shook his head. "That's something we can't have, not now."
Menardi was about to protest, but stopped. She seemed a little dizzy now, almost, and Karst absently placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "Yeah… I know… you're right…"
"That said, I'm not leaving him alone." Alex's smile returned. "I have one young Adept in my employ who is well acquainted with Saturos and will be quite happy to try and intervene. Even better is the fact that he's not even Proxian."
The blonde woman blinked. "You mean you're sending Felix?"
"That's correct. He may not be the most trained or experienced, but he's what we need for this kind of thing, as long as he keeps a tight leash on his powers." Alex pursed his lips, then looked at Karst. "The nearest port to Madra is Alhafra, and so it's probably better that someone is there as well, just in case Saturos cannot be found. Perhaps you'd care to go there?"
Karst nodded, exchanging glances with Menardi. Neither of them protested – they knew the reasons. "I guess I'll be asked to stay under cover and keep my heritage a secret?"
"That would probably be smartest." The Lemurian opened his desk and began flicking through some papers. "I'll make the arrangements for you now, and you'll be able to leave later today. Menardi, as much as I understand how you feel, it is better if you stay here and continue helping me oversee these operations rather than being out in the field in this situation."
"Of course." Standing abruptly, Menardi gave a stiff bow and departed quickly, leaving her sister there for a moment longer.
"You noticed the feelings too, huh?" Karst asked Alex wryly.
"I've seen giant neon signs that were less conspicuous than those two," Alex responded with a grin. "Which is why I hope you and Felix are able to get him back safely. I'd like to have peace and happiness in the ranks."
"I have to hand it to you," the young Proxian woman said, "you're quite the caring one for someone who is about to plunge the world into chaos."
"I'm doing this for a reason that will benefit Weyard in the long run," he answered. "The immediate consequences may seem harsh and severe, but one day they'll all be thanking us, and at the very least Prox will be restored to a better place in the world."
"I hope so." Karst smiled and turned to leave. "Let me know when I'm all set to go."
Alex watched her leave, then resumed ransacking his desk in search of the appropriate documents. No sooner had Karst cleared the doorway did the intercom buzz. The screen on the communication device indicated that it wasn't from within the Lighthouse… not this Lighthouse, anyway. He pressed the button. "Alex here."
"I'm sorry to bother you Alex," Agatio's voice came through the speaker, "but we have a serious problem."
"Why am I not surprised…" Alex muttered. "What's wrong?"
Author's Notes: And in case anyone is wondering, I'm trying to fit Sheba into the next chapter. We haven't seen our godchild of Lalivero in some time, after all. I'm going to be on vacation for all of January, and I'm known for getting some of my best writing done then, so with luck I might have something for you when I return. Until then, peace out.