The Remnants

They were all unaware of stumbling out of the room. No one talked about what they had seen or what it meant. Not only because of horror – they never had seen such brutal reality, even in this miserable future – but because of a sort of despair. Their feet led them on, unthinking, only doing.

"Please follow me." The humming voice of Proto shook them back into reality for a moment. The machine had waited just around the corner, as if the video was merely a part of the guided tour. "This way," it beeped before rolling off around another corner, Chrono, Lucca, and Nadia right behind.

With each step they took, the light seemed to grow brighter, until they were walking not in a hallway, but against a landscape of white. Suddenly there were no walls, just endless light, and nothing around for miles. Proto kept on ahead of them, often disappearing into the whiteness. "Follow me," it kept saying.

Then it stopped. Out of the whiteness came another sound – a strained whirring, then a sizzling. Proto stood still, then toppled over, its eye smoldered, running down the front of its body. And across from it stood another machine. This one stood very short on three legs, though it was obviously supposed to stand on four. In the center of those legs was the head, shaped like a tin can, and supporting one red hole for an eye. This machine stumbled closer to Proto, adjusting to deal with its missing leg. Then, it stopped and swiveled to look at the humans. It was not hard for them to remain still. No one felt like moving, or felt like feeling. But they still felt some relief when the thing swiveled around again and tried to walk away.

There was a moment of pure silence – the humans watching the victory of one machine against another. But it proved too much for Lucca. With an impassioned screech, she jumped at the thing and kicked it with all her might. The machine rolled over onto its side and flailed its legs, trying to right itself. It didn't get a chance. Lucca gave it another kick. Then another. If that wasn't enough, she picked the thing up by one leg and smashed in down again onto the floor – not once, but twice. Then she threw it as far as she could, until it smashed against the white backdrop and crashed to the floor for the last time. It was the machine's last beating.

Lucca dropped to her knees, breathing long, hard, loud breaths, wheezing and choking. Nadia came over and knelt with her. Chrono just stayed and watched.

Finally, Lucca stopped and said, slowly and controlled – "Let's get out of here."

No one disagreed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

An hour later, Chrono sat on his hospital "bed," no less numb than before. The pills seemed to be working too well.

I thought I wanted to go back home, but now it looks like we'll never get there. But what's the point anymore?

"Hello? Chrono?" Nadia poked her head in. "Is your leg feeling better?"

No. "Come on in," he groaned.

"Okay." Nadia sat down on the crates opposite Chrono's bed. "Guess what?"

I don't have time for this. "What."

"Lucca says we have a chance to get back home."

A chance? "What do you mean?"

"She says we can get to Proto Dome by tomorrow and be home not long after."

It's about time. "Then why haven't we left?"

"Oh," Nadia folded her hands in her lap. "She's trying to figure out how we can get there. It's too far to walk, especially…"

Yeah, yeah, I'll slow you down. "I know."

"Listen... um, I know…" she bit her lip. "I know this may sound a bit funny now, but…"

But what? I don't have time for this. "Yeah, I know."

"No, really, when we get home, it'll be better."

Sure. "It" will be better. We'll go back to ordinary life, I suppose? "…"

"I mean, well, I don't know. But if we can just get back and sort things out, you know?"

Sort what out? We go home, we continue living life as if we forget what happens? In 1000 years our world is dead. How can we just "sort things out?" "Yeah, I know."

"What I'm trying to say is – "

Nadia never said it, though, for suddenly the walls shook with footsteps. Lucca. "Hey, Chrono!" She stomped into the room and produced a key from her rag pocket. "Let's go – we're out of here! … forever," she added darkly.

"What is that?" Nadia asked, pointing to the key.

"Oh, this! This is our ticket out. Doan says it operates the 'bike.' We're going to ride out of here." Lucca looked back and forth between Nadia and Chrono. "Well, what are we waiting for? You want to stay here any longer? Well I don't, so if you want to come home with me, I'll be outside. Don't expect me to wait long…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lucca ended up waiting close to an hour. First Chrono had to take another pill, and he went through his whole choking routine once again. Then Nadia felt obligated to say goodbye to Doan. And, of course, Chrono limped around so slowly that Lucca thought she could have walked to Proto Dome by the time he came out.

And then they all had to work the "bike" Doan left them.

"He said he used to ride it around when he was younger," Lucca began. "Can't imagine why." She grimaced and folded her arms across her chest. "Now we're supposed to all fit on this?"

The bike was very large, but no one could tell just where they were supposed to sit. It was similar in construction to the V-mob from Trann, almost shaped like another insect – handlebar antennae, rusted bulbous thorax, tiny head smashed in, two wings. The only thing it was missing was legs.

"Hmm," Lucca put a finger to her mouth. "I guess two of use could fit in these – side things here. I guess those make good seats. I'll pilot the thing. How's that sound?" She looked to Chrono and Nadia, who both shrugged.

"Well… then let's hop in."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The bike whizzed across the desert so fast that Chrono hardly realized they were at Proto Dome already. Lucca hopped off first, shaking the bike a little. Nadia and Chrono winced. Their seats were so cramped that the extra jostle banged their shins against the rusty metal. Chrono especially did not like that.

Nadia was immediately out and heading for the dome, but stopped when she saw Chrono struggling to get out of the bike. Lucca was doing her best to help. "Well – get out Chrono. I don't want to be here any more than you! Now let's go!" She threw up her hands. "Nadia, he's stuck in there. Can you get him out without banging his leg?" Nadia just gave her a look. "Never mind. Hold on." She grabbed Chrono under the arms and hoisted him up and over the side of the bike, where he flipped over, legs making a huge arc, and fell flat on his back. "Sorry about that. Now can we go?"

Chrono nodded, then rolled over.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

They knew right away something wasn't right when the front door opened by itself, but they couldn't put their finger on it until the door shut behind them, locking the room in darkness.

"Welcome! Good light!" A old, raspy voice.

As quick as the lights went out, they came back on, revealing a large square room. In the center was a circular table of some sort. The walls around it were covered with scribbled diagrams, tables, and mathematical equations.

"You are early!" The voice said again. They all turned to see an old man underneath a screen on the far wall.

The man stood tall, but was visibly aged. His white hair no longer graced his head, but had slipped until it dangled from his mouth, holding on for dear life. But he hid his head under an old cap which must have been a shade of blue many years ago. The cap was flattened and pieces were frayed, though in the past it may have been very tall. His robes were the same shade of blue and hung very loose and thick on his shoulders. Also on his shoulders was a red shawl, which was ornamented with a thousand holes – where jewels once lay.

"Please, sit. I had your meal specially reserved for you." The man hobbled to the table and sat at a rusty chair with only three legs. "Come, come!" he rasped when his guests did not budge. "I will not wait. You have been called for a purpose, you see."

Slowly, Lucca took a step forward. Then another. Before long, she had taken ten, and the old man finally got a look at her. His gray eyes penetrated through her skull – he seemed not to like her at all. "And your family? Are they not present? Come, come out of the shadows to where I may see you."

Nadia stepped next to the table. "Ah!" the old man cried. "Here you are. You have grown more beautiful than ever before, daughter!" At that, Nadia took a few steps back. "Oh, don't let your face grow red. Sit. And your brother?"

Chrono, taking his cue, hobbled out and took his seat. "My, taciturn as always. Keep your head up when I speak! Your voice will come with time."

Lucca traded looks with Nadia and Chrono. "What now?" her eyes asked.

Nadia leaned over to her. "Are you sure this is how we get home?"

"Sh!"

The old man bent over the table. "I am sorry. I have lost my youth. You must speak well to me. Now eat."

Lucca whistled softly.

"Call me a fool," the old man suddenly turned to Lucca. "Yes, you may think me the fool. But I shall never relent. You will destroy yourself, my Queen, with your own power. Did you imagine you commanded the earth? No, it commands you. And the Day of Lavos will come, and you will want for a hiding place. I will say it no more. I am sorry you must all hear me so ungraceful, but I have no time. It is your last chance." Then he faced Nadia. "I apologize. You were not meant to hear. I am sorry you must live to see this day. I weep for you, Schala, but you must never give up. Fear not to love the truth. And finally – " now the man turned to Chrono. "My last words for you, boy. Never forget who you are. Men will seek to mold you and remake you into their images. Do not let them. Fly! Fly on the wings of time itself."

The old man fell silent for a long time after that. Chrono, Nadia, and Lucca just exchanged frightened glances. "I am sorry," the old man began after a long time. "Please, continue to eat. And for my warnings – you will never hear them again!"

As if to compound the mystery, a hidden door burst open across the room and a strange figure crept out. It was almost like a blue orb – with the hands and feet of a man, but the legs and arms of a monkey. Near the top of its giant head were two large blue eyes that seldom blinked, if ever. Its mouth was hardly more than a slit cut in its face. And, to top it off was a small patch of green hair.

Now the creature approached the table, where it began to speak. Only, it never opened its mouth. The words seemed to come from the walls surrounding them. "Greetings. I apologize for my behavior."

It turned to face all four others individually – first Nadia, then Lucca, then Chrono, and finally the old man. "I am sorry you must see me this way. I am Balthazar. I am pleased to meet you." As if it read their minds, it continued. "Do not be frightened by my crazed pleas. I lost my mind to age many years ago, here at Keepers. Now I am afraid I am trapped with my past acquaintances and my former choices – my mistakes. But please, do not be frightened. Understandably, you are concerned or even afraid of me. I can do you no harm.

"Do you wonder what I am, and how I am Balthazar, yet not Balthazar? It is too late to explain. Now look upon me – see how far I have fallen since the Day of Lavos. See the man who once built miracles, who walked on air and talked with the creatures of the deep. Look at the drawings on my wall – remember how I mastered the elements and brought them to reason. I never served the earth; it served me. I was its master, but now it is only time that separates me from the earth now. How fitting that the master should be the servant, for in our world all things are upside-down – the servants are always the kings, the fools are always the wise, and the weak are always the strong. Look at who I was – I was the kings, I was the wise, I was the strong. Now how kingly am I? I who served no one am now a great servant. How wise am I? I who spoke with creatures of the deep can no longer speak with you. And how strong am I? I who walked on the air can now hardly walk on solid ground. I can only hope I have no time left to lose what pieces I yet have of myself. For it cannot be long before new healing begins – no death can be complete because life is stronger than death. Surely even half-witted children such as yourselves understand. Dead men do nothing but stay dead. Life is for the Living. Only then will you truly understand.

"And now it is fitting that you leave me. I have no more time. You have heard my story. Do not forget it, even long after I have been forsaken by the earth, my servant. I must go alone, as I have lived for many years. Now go – with the hope that the next time I open my eyes the fog and the dust will have lifted, and I may walk in the skies again."

There was silence for several minutes, after which the strange being backed out through the doorway it had come in. Chrono was the first to stand, though his legs shook. Nadia and Lucca soon followed, and they all tiptoed to the front door – casting one last look at the pale old man at the table before leaving Keepers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The remainder of the bike ride was in uneasy silence. Chrono couldn't even hear the roar of the engine or the thud of the bike hitting small bumps on the red desert. He still thought of the old man.

It didn't matter that the man was out of his mind. He acted as if he knew them. Fly on the wings of time itself? Does he know we're from the past?

He looked at Nadia on the other side of the bike. She was looking out at the desert, away from him and Lucca. What about her? Oh, what did the old man call her? I can't remember – maybe he was… guessing?

Chrono looked to Lucca, who gazed ahead intently. She never moved, save to turn the bike from side to side. I suppose I should have laughed, now that someone finally gave Lucca a good telling off. But how would he know anything about us? Come on! He's a crazy old man who doesn't remember anything! Why should I be afraid of him? He was just babbling about nothing. Nothing. Why should I care if he gives me his advice? He can't know me.

Off in the distance, something caught his eye. Proto Dome. He knew it – it had to be the place. Slowly he returned to the world around him – the sounds of the wheels roaring over the dust, the sights of the sky turning from gray to black, the feel of the brittle metal against his back and legs. If this is the future, I don't want it. I just want to go home. To live a normal life – to forget this ever will happen.

Life will be different from now on. Even if I get home. I'm still a fugitive, too. Wonder what that's going to be like. And then what? Suppose I do survive – suppose I'm never caught again. I'll still die eventually – and this will happen. All of it. Chrono bowed his head, tired of holding his neck up.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Finally. Yeah, there's no note after Chapter eight. I just forgot to put one in.

Question for discussion: What to do about the next character? I'm sure you all know who's coming next. And I haven't the slightest idea what to do with him, because he's such a mystery. I'd appreciate some ideas from you, though I may not take you seriously... heh heh. But I want reviews. Mostly because I still have no clue how this whole story is working out for you. I don't need huge critiques of course.

Also, what is the future doing for you? I realize it's a bit depressing. That's why the updates are so slow (well, maybe not, but it's a good excuse). Is it too far from the real game? Of course I can't be perfectly in sync with the game, but I try to keep basic story elements the same. On that note, I will also give you a warning: later game events have great opportunities for development, and be sure that I will use them! But when I do one of these "developments," I want to know if they're appropriate or if I'm just trying to be weird.

Specifically - Balthazar. Now that was a fun part to write. I'm pretty sure most of you have played the game through and so know pretty much everything about him. Did I portray him well, or was I totally off? Do you know what he's talking about, or am I TOO cryptic? Did you figure out who he was talking to? Are you wondering about the significance of the mysterious creature's"speech?" Let me know, so I don't forget what to deliver in the next chapters.

That's all. I know I've banged you over the head with this, but: review! That's the only way I can figure out if I'm doing this right!

Mission 316