Resurrection: Phoenix Ascending, chapter 36: Some Revelations

A collaboration between OoBluebubblesoO and Nitebreaker

….

Down in his room, Omega was finishing the installation of the Osiran matrix generator. He'd used it sparingly so far, mostly to maintain his own life (and why had he been dying, anyway? For that matter, why couldn't he remember why? He could remember everything else…), and to complete the matrix generator. In operation, it functioned very much like what the Earthians would term magic: all one had to do was link with it (and he'd have to find a way to manage that for unaltered humanity, but some way that bypassed the human subconscious; Hank had already filled him in on enough horror stories about monsters from the dark underbelly of the human psyche to make him shudder), request a project or a communications link, and the semi-intelligent supercomputers that were part of the matrix handled the rest. Not only was it lightyears ahead of anything humanity had to offer by way of communication, it would also allow them to build literally anything they could imagine.

But finally the last necessary component was installed. Omega accessed the matrix to see what he needed to do to heal himself; with the matrix, it ought to be easy.

And yet it wasn't. Something about him resisted the restoration process. Now what? He wondered, increasing power to the machine. It drew its operational energies from quantum subspace itself, what humans called the zero-point energy field, so it posed no strain on any human power grid.

Why should his body resist healing? For that matter, in what way was he damaged? He sought to use the matrix to find out…only to run up against a most unexpected roadblock.

For some reason, his body seemed to reject the healing capabilities of the matrix. Why? He probed deeper, seeking to restore his memory. He remembered Osira, and dying…..

He'd been ordered to die by a Lord. The Lord's telempathic hold over him ordered his body to shut down. But why?

Memory came to him, of a conversation he'd recently had with Hank: The only reason I can come up with is that the relationship between the Lords and warriors must've undergone some severe changes since my time. But I cannot fathom why.

Now memory came flooding back. Yes, the warriors' relationship with the Lords had undergone some severe changes….and he'd been at the heart of them.

{{Warrior. You have been convicted of crimes against us, the Lords of Osira.

Saboteur

Betrayer

Mutineer

Renegade.

The penalty is death. Die now!}} Omega wanted to sit bolt upright and rip the connections loose from his head, but couldn't. This could not be happening! This was not him! He'd always served his Masters faithfully…hadn't he?

Across the hallway, Hank suddenly sat up, his eyes automatically going towards the door as if he'd heard a scream. Without thinking, he tore out across the hallway to Omega's room. "Omega! Buddy, what's going on?" The Osiran had been lying still on the floor, but now twitched spasmodically. Hank moved closer, trying to sense his former connection with the alien warrior….

Omega's mind was in turmoil. He'd been untrue to his Masters; he'd been fighting against them rather than for them. But their justice had caught up with him, and he was being executed. It was only right. He was guilty. He deserved no less than death for what he'd done.

No! Omega! Buddy, come back to us! Hank's mental voice was frantic.

But the Lords of Osira had decreed he die, and he must die. It was only right.

NO! Listen to me, Omega! The Lords are GONE. They no longer matter! All that matters is, you're here. I personally don't give a rat's ass for what you may've done…if you did it, you must've had a good reason! C'mon…fight it! You have to! And he hit the alarm.

The Titans boiled out of their respective rooms, automatically converging on the source of the siren. Hank appeared to be trying to hold onto Omega's wrist, and was speaking soft and low. He turned to them, and to Raven in particular. "Raven! We've gotta help him! It's the Lords….some kinda posthypnotic suggestion is killing him!"

Raven steeled herself. She hadn't attempted this often, and only then in the direst of emergencies, but now was the time if there ever was one. "Everybody link hands. Focus on me…" She linked up with Hank, and shared the full story with the others: We have to try to reach him.

Can we, Raven?

Only if we work together. Everybody, now focus on Omega.

In Omega's mind, he was already dead. And well he should be; he'd betrayed his Masters, the punishment for which was death. It was only just.

But the Titans' linked minds reached his. Omega….you've got to fight this. All that, that's in the past. All that matters is the here and now. And you're our friend; we don't want to lose you. Fight it! Fight it! You have much to live for!

But why? Why should he fight the great darkness? It was only just…..

What you are calling justice need not be what's right. Come back to us, Friend Omega/Bud/Big Guy. Come back to us. It doesn't have to be this way.

So easy just to let it happen. Just let go and let the Lords' will be done. It was the Osiran way.

{{Omega.}} The Orb's disembodied voice sounded over the clamor of the others in his mind. {{You promised to be the champion of these Earthians. If you are to do that, you must put aside your past.}}

The Orb was right….he'd promised to be the Earthians' champion. But it was all so hard, to fight thousands of years of conditioning, not to mention the terrible power of the Lords.

And yet….he must.

And…..he had something now that he'd never had before: friends. Not just allies, not just comrades in arms, but actual friends, people who really cared about him, beyond their need of him.

He had a reason to live. And, he was being called to fight. He knew how to fight.

In his mind's eye, he envisioned the assembled Lords, as they must have been at his execution. He raised his head to look at them. {{You may well be Masters of Osira. But you are no longer Masters of me. I reject you! I defy you!}}

{{Such insolence,}} echoed through his mind, a slow rolling thunderbolt of horrendous strength. {{Ours is the only way; you must submit. Submit and die.}}

In his mind, the no longer warrior who'd come to be called Omega rose unsteadily to his feet. What he was about to do went against everything he'd ever been taught, conditioned to, or learned. {{No. I will be your slave no longer.}} He pitted the force of his will, backed by his friends' concern for him, against theirs, willing his body to live, to heal. {{I no longer serve you. I am my own Master, now, and will serve my friends, and my new world. Begone from my mind!}} And the force of that final defiance tore through his mind, blowing away the phantoms of the past…

…..which was all they had ever been, anyway.

Omega coughed, not from the need to clear his throat, but from a reflex of breathing. He sat up, removing the connections from his head; the others watched, concerned. "It…is alright. I am well. Thank you. Thank you all. I believe the Earth expression is, 'didn't see that coming.'" He blinked up at them. "Evidently, I've a more checkered past than I realized."