Operator of the End Extra Chapter 2: Never Regret
"Why? Why is the world so cruel?"
The tears streamed down my face as I bawled my eyes out.
The smoke, the fire, and especially the bodies, they were everywhere.
I tightly held the cold unresponsive hand that peeked out from under a pile of rubble.
It was my father's, I knew because when the sky rained fire, he tried to protect me.
And now, that same warm hand was just . . .
He was gone but there was still a chance my brother and mother had lived!
I wiped off my tears and started to look around, we had been together when this disaster had happened.
I looked around and saw that half the floor was collapsed.
So with nothing else around me, I gave the pile my father was under one last look.
"Thank you for everything dad, I'll miss you everyday. We all loved you."
They were simple and fast words, but I don't know if I'd leave if I stayed here any longer.
I slide down the fallen floor and carefully made my way forward.
I noticed something strange in front of me as I realized how deep the darkness actually was.
It was a pod it seemed like, it was the only thing bright enough for me to see here.
I reached to touch it when it sprang to life.
"Recognized: new operator."
It started to hiss and it opened.
I looked inside and saw the figure of something sleeping.
"Are you okay?"
I asked as I slowly got closer to the sleeping figure.
It gave no signs of life but doll.
Just as I reached out to to nudge it, I heard something close by.
"Ugh."
A voice groaned near me.
I quickly turned around and found someone under another strange pod.
"Bro, is that you?"
"Yea, I think I'm dying. Haaughhh!"
He started to cough out blood.
"Someone! Anyone help!"
I shouted desperately in to the dark tunnel.
"Please, stop and listen to me while I still have time."
My brother said as he grasped my hand.
"You need to get out of here before the whole place goes down."
He said with some difficulty.
"What about you? What about mom?"
"Mom is . . . . What about dad?"
"He's with mom now."
"I see, well you need to leave now! Before you join us too!"
"No! You're all I have left! I won't abandon you here!"
"Get out!"
He shouted as he tried to swat me away.
"No! I refuse!"
"Aughh. You fool."
He said with a chuckle as I held his shaking hand.
"At the very least, can you leave when I finally croak? I'm too tired to keep talking and you're very loud. Just let me rest."
"No! Stay awake!"
I said as his hand grew limb.
I drew close to him and heard very tiny labored breaths, they were very shallow
but at least I knew he was still somewhat alive.
I tried my best to push the pod off of him but it wouldn't budge.
I noticed this pod was also opened and sure enough, there was sleeping inside it too.
This one was different, more ominous looking.
I leaned over to try to pull them out of the pod in order to lessen the weight on my brother.
"You are not my operator!"
A voice suddenly rang out of no where.
"Who are you?"
"The Cephalon of this frame. I suggest you back away from this pod now."
"Please, I need your help! My brother is trapped under your pod. Can you please just push it off of him?"
"Your brother? . . . . Recognized, your brother is my operator. But his life signs are close to flat lining."
"Yes, can you please move now!?"
"I'm unable to comply, we Cephalons were forbidden from controlling the Warframes. Without an operator, this frame will not move."
"But you said my brother was your operator?"
"Yes, quite a situation you two are in."
"Can I become what ever an "operator" is and move it?"
"DNA locks have been reset and made to lock in the first new entry.
But your brother has not bonded to the frame.
I could try to purge his data but that would require a good reason to."
"What!? If he dies you're stuck in that "frame" right? So, do it! I'll be your operator and replace him!"
"We had our sense of self preservation suppressed, but this Cephalon was created to support it's operator.
This situation was not accounted for, in order to facilitate continuity I shall accept you as the operator due to your relation to the previously registered.
Please place your hand on the frame."
"Finally."
I sighed in relief and I hurriedly placed my hand on the "frame".
A light started to emerge and blinded me for a bit.
I suddenly felt an intense sense of falling, like vertigo.
Surprisingly, I fell forwards instead of backwards.
When I got up off my knees, I noticed something was off.
"Cephalon? What is this? I'm in the frame?"
"Yes, you are the operator now. And most interesting ,
you seem to have a greater potential as an operator than your sibling.
Your Warframe is called N-"
I ignored it and quickly placed both my new hands under the pod and started to lift.
I pressed tightly for grip and could feel the metal caving in to my new strength.
"Rauuughh!"
I heaved the thing off my brother and raced to check him for injuries.
"Do you think he's fine? It doesn't appear that bad."
I was praying really hard my assumption was right.
"He has severe internal hemorrhaging, it appears my decision was correct. He will die very soon."
"No, no no! I can't have all my immediate family die! I know I'm asking for too much, but can you please help me save him?"
"You are my operator now, so I will help you. I would've suggested you place him in the stasis pod but you damaged it."
I silently cursed at the Cephalon, it seemed like I already had solutions to problems I didn't even know I had.
If I hadn't already discovered the other pod, I don't know what I would've done.
"Don't worry there's another."
I said as I picked my brother's injured body up.
"Moving him is not suggested."
"It's close enough, can the pod really save him?"
"It has life support functions to help keep the frames alive. It should be adequate."
"You better be right!"
I rushed him quickly to the other nearby pod and saw the other sleeping frame.
I reached over to move it, with my brother in tow.
As soon as I touched it, the frame glowed and then disappeared.
Ignoring what just happened, I placed my brother gently in the pod and closed it.
"Carrying the pod is impractical unless you already have a safe place for him to heal."
"What are you suggesting now?"
I asked angrily.
"You will need to let him heal in peace, the fallout in the area will prevent most trespassers.
If you hide it well, I can notify you when he is in a stable enough condition to be moved."
"Please do."
I sternly urged the Cephalon before turning back to the pod.
"I'm sorry but I'll have to leave you here.
There's no telling what will happen if I appeared looking like this,
dragging the pod with you in it.
Dad, you're going to have to keep mom company for now.
But I swear, I'll bring my brother back if it's the last thing I do."
