Chapter 7: Past of the Present (Part 1)

"Ah…" said Orion, "So, you are Hatake!" he said cheering up.

"Wait," said Hiro shocked, "You know him?" he asked.

"Not personally…" Hatake replied.

"Orion!" said a girlish voice from behind, "We don't have much time…"

She walked towards them in a black pistil uniform with red lines running over it. However, the dress did not have any Para capacitor. She walked with a serious expression as the red-colored hair of her that reached up to her waist blew in the soft breeze of that battlefield.

"Elise…" said Hatake.

"Yup!" said Orion as both watched her walk towards them.

"You know," Hatake said to Orion, "apart from Franxxs, she was the only creation of dad that I liked the most… An AI, but with feeling same to as that of humans, but at the same time more powerful."

"Yeah," said Orion, "that's why she is also hard to contro-"

"I can easily translate your lips, you know…" she said as she reached them, "And who are you?" she asked.

"The mad scientist's son!" said Orion.

"Another filthy scumbag then…" she said looking at Hatake.

"You are still the same as dad talked about… Always hating him…" Hatake said smiling.

"General Orion!" said a voice from beside them. Everyone turned towards the voice as everyone except for Orion and Elise got shocked on the sight. A team of 15 Klaxo sapiens were walking towards them.

"Y-Your highness?!" exclaimed the Klaxo Sapien who looked like the leader of the team by his calm and respectful way of speaking, they first got shocked and then came back to their senses and bowed in front of Hatake and Seraphime, "Nice to see you all in good health!"

"R-Rise…" said Hatake shocked.

"Oi, Hatake!" said Zorome, "mind telling us what is happening?"

"I heard it from my father…" said Hatake, "It's a hell long story! Though…" he said looking at Orion, "You figured out a way to revive them, didn't you?" he asked.

"Like yours wasn't?" asked Zero Two, "We want to hear it!" she said.

"Alright, Alright!" said Orion, "let's go somewhere we can talk first!"

"Yeah sure!" said Hiro as all the summoned Klaxo sapiens went back into the soil and the Franxxs were taken inside Mistilteinn into a temporary parking zone in the open field. They entered the meeting room of the headquarters and took their seats inside the meeting hall.

"Ah, where are our manners," said Orion, "let me start by introducing myself again, I'm Orion… Orion Tláloc, Code: 000 and she is, uh, Elise, Code: A. So, everything started way back in time…"

Mexico-Guatemala Border

12th December, Friday

A.D. 2021

01:24 A.M

The sky was burning like fire, the peace of the jungle disturbed by the guns firing at full power. Planes bombed the areas nearby, and through that hell, he walked through a thin forest almost destroyed by the constant wars beside the battlefield he with an exhausted expression on his face took cover under a tree beside which was an open field. He was wearing a green colored coat over a white-colored shirt with "Major Orion Tláloc" written on the badge pinned to the coat, holding his left arm as it bled due to a severe wound caused by getting shot on the battlefield.

"Damn it…" He said sitting under the tree crying, "Please…" he said, "I don't want to die, not just yet!" he shouted in pain. As his consciousness faded away, he could see something coming down from the sky that landed just a few meters away from him into that open field creating a huge crater, he looked towards the crater as through the center of it he could see a purple colored light being emitted.

"What is that?" he said as he got back on his feet shaking and slowly moved towards it. It was a capsule that lighted the area in that dark night sky as clouds covered the moon. "Is that a rock?" he asked curiously as the capsule opened revealing a purple-colored crystal. He could not stop moving towards it as he got mesmerized by the light the crystal was emitting. Before he could notice, he tripped over a branch and fell upon the crystal.

"W-What is this?!" he asked shocked as he slowly blacked out.

Classified Location

9th July, Tuesday

A.D. 2026

3:34 P.M.

"Where am I?" he said as he opened his eyes, he got up and looked around to inspect where he was. He was sitting on a white bed in a clean white-colored room that looked like a laboratory cell.

"What is this place?" he said as his left arm touched the metallic border on the end of the bed. He looked towards his arm in shock, "This has to be a dream…" his arm had turned into an artificial metallic one colored in black. He took off the t-shirt he was wearing, the artificial arm extended till his socket joint, the area around the joint was all metal till the heart. The heart that resided in the middle of his chest emitted a purple-colored light from the center with small lightly glowing blue-colored bearing like structures that surrounded the light source.

"This…" said Orion with a scared expression on his face, "Has to be a dream!" he said as he raised his right arm to slap himself to get up from this horrible dream of his.

"That would only work if it really was a dream…" said a voice as the door opened. On the door stood a woman about in her 20s. She had deep blue colored hair wearing a lab coat and jeans with brown crystal glasses over eyes.

"What the hell happened?" said Orion with a mixed expression of fear and confusion breathing heavily.

"Hey, relax," said the woman as she held Orion by his shoulders, "just try to breathe normally," she said as Orion slowly calmed down.

"Alright, listen to me very carefully," said Mama as she stood in front of the bed Orion was on, "That day, when you were serving in the war you encountered a crystal of an unknown origin and so save you, we had no choice but to turn you into something like this… Due to that crystal, you were in a coma for the next five years, it is year 2026 now. A lot has happened since the time you served your country. We have discovered a new fuel, named magma energy that was hidden to us for years and thanks to that energy we were able to wake you up from that coma. But, with that power came a new organization known as APE who helped humanity in discovering all of the technology we currently have. However, when we found you in that condition, the UN took us under their protection, and we all were sent here into this secret laboratory."

"Oh man," he said, "That's a lot to process in a minute."

"Take your time," she said, "I cannot tell you my original name though, my code name is… Mama"

"Whose mom are you now?" he asked sarcastically.

"Very funny," said Mama, "come on let's take you out after staying in this room for so many days." She said as they walked towards a small gate that looked like a back entrance.

"Wow…" whispered Orion as they went through the gate. It was a jungle biome as that was spread in about an area of one kilometer. It more looked like a garden than a jungle, with trees dense but light enough to let sun rays pass through it giving a very peaceful view to a viewer's eyes.

"This is," said Mama, "just a small naturally created biome for us scientists to get relieved from the research headache."

"Us? There are more scientists here more than you?" said Orion confused.

"Of course!" she said, "You didn't see anyone because everyone is still in the lab doing some research… Come on let's give them a visit!". Orion followed Mama back inside but this time they followed a different route through clean white-colored corridors and finally entered a room. Revealing a few scientists who welcomed Orion into their team.

Classified Location

14th September, Thursday

A.D. 2036

1:27 P.M.

"Incredible!" said Mama looking at the computer screen, "the type of immortality you possess is far more natural by the artificial way that was discovered recently using magma energy… That crystal that you touched years ago… It is somewhat a power core with never-ending energy…"

"Well, I don't care…" said Orion as he got up from the bed he was resting on and opened a can of beer, "As long as my life continues like it has been since I came here, I'm happy!"

"Really?" asked Mama, "There is a world outside too you know-"

"We have got a Klaxosaur coming straight towards us!" said the intercom interrupting as a loud dash could be heard outside the walls.

"We have to go!" said Mama.

"All personnel report to emergency vault room!" Mama said over the intercom as she and Orion made a run for the room themselves. Everyone safely reached the vault room which was about a floor underground. It was a big room with a control panel on one side and a big bank-like vault on the opposite side.

"Alright everyone's here?" she asked as everyone got inside the vault, "Damn it!" she exclaimed as she tried to shut the door of the vault.

"What happened?" asked Orion.

"The connection to the auto shut has been destroyed…" said Mama, "one of us has to go to the control panel over there and initiate the shutdown manually."

"Alright!" said Orion, "I will do it then-" the Klaxosaur appeared inside the room at the corner, everyone stuck to the wall so that the Klaxosaur does not see them. The Klaxosaur slowly started moving towards the vault.

"We won't survive this way…" said Mama with a serious expression.

"I will do it!" said Orion as he moved towards the Klaxosaur. Mama stopped him by holding his left shoulder.

"What the hell are you thinking?" she asked worriedly.

"I will save you all…" he said.

"I can't just let you die there just like that!" she exclaimed.

"You don't have a choice!" shouted Orion as he rushed towards the control panel and pulled the lever that shut the vault. The Klaxosaur charged towards Orion as he waited for death lying on the ground looking at the Klaxosaur as its head slowly descended towards him.

"So," thought Orion, "it ends here… I did nothing but just wasted the previous 10 years, I forgot the pledge I took, to serve… Serve my country and just lived in peace oblivious to what was happening in the world outside…" he said as his heart core started glowing brighter, "If I get a chance to reborn… I only wish to become a person who would always protect the one's dearest to him-" he got interrupted as he felt a burning sensation on his chest. He quickly pulled off his shirt, the heart core on his chest was illuminating a purple colored light like never before. He looked at the Klaxosaur, it was slowly dropping on the ground as it screeched out of pain. He could see a blue-colored shining ball coming out of the Klaxosaur, it came out and crashed into his heart core.

"Aah!" he screamed as the burning sensation reached its peak of toleration, "What is this…" he whispered, "My body... something is happening to it... I... can't..." he said as he blacked out.

Classified Location

7th October, Tuesday

A.D. 2036

4:27 P.M.

"I hope there is heaven when I open my eyes at least this time…" he thought as he opened his eyes, he found himself to be inside a life support capsule. Outside was Mama with all the scientists and an unknown person who was wearing a lab coat.

"Who is that?" he thought as he leaned towards the glass of the capsule. "Wha-what happened to me?! WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT DID I BECOME?!" he shouted horrified as he got scared by his reflection on the glass, he had grown three horns over his forehead, two short ones on the sides and one long in the center. His eyes had sky blue eyeliners on the bottom, his nails had grown yellow. Looking at him panicking, looking at him panicking, Mama opened the capsule and Orion fell on the floor. She ran towards him and held his head as he leaned over her shoulder, "don't worry..." she said with a smile as he calmed down, "Everything will be fine…" she said as he again blacked out...

"What happened…" Orion said holding his head as he got up from the bed he was resting on, he looked towards the mirror kept beside him, "How did I become like this?" he asked looking at his reflection.

"I don't understand that either…" said Mama standing on the door frame of the room, she entered with a person unknown to Orion, "Orion, meet one of my teachers Dr. Werner Frank!" she said as they both shook hands, "Yeah, but what has happened with me?" Orion asked curiously.

"Well," said Dr. Frank as Mama took a sample of his blood and observer under the microscope, "Mama told me about what happened in that Klaxosaur attack, it looks like the energy core that crashed into your heart made that crystal inside your heart's core release an enormous amount of radioactivity that modified your DNA. When I looked at your blood cells, it looked like the human DNA, the Klaxosaur DNA and the radioactivity combined together that gave birth to a DNA form of unknown origin and turned you like this."

"Incredible indeed…" said Mama looking at the microscope, "it looks like there is a whole new database of DNA, and the cell repair is at least 100 times faster than a normal human can have!"

"I know, not only that but also this grants him extended lifespan without losing the ability to reproduce." said Dr. Frank as he got up and picked his bag, "I'll be leaving so, give me a DNA sample of his, I will need it for the preparation of the capsules."

"Always behind work, aren't you?" asked Mama as she handed him a sealed test tube with Orion's blood in it.

"Yeah," replied Dr. Frank, "Well you see there was an AI we created, named Elise for a highly advanced Franxx. The project was canceled though once we tested the prototype and found her performance lacking since her data core was insufficient to overpower and keep up to the required variables on the battlefield. We dismantled and reused the parts in other Franxxs since there was no use of having an unfunctional Franxx. However, during the test, there was something that I noticed much more unexpected…"

"What was it?" Mama asked.

"The energy waves of her core were like human brainwaves as if the AI that is Elise, had emotions. However, even though the Franxx was dismantled, we transferred the AI into a computer, and suspiciously the AI was gone the other day… Like as if there was nothing there… Anyways, about project ARC, do you really want to do it?"

"Yes," Mama replied, "That is the only way I see to gain peace with the Klaxosaurs."

"I see," said Dr. Frank, "I will stay in touch then!" he said as he left.

"What is project ARC?" Orion asked confused.

"A way I and Dr. Frank figured out to befriend the Klaxosaurs," replied Mama sitting on a chair, "we researched on the blood of yours and found out that the radioactivity had mixed both human and Klaxosaur genes into one. Making you a hybrid of having both human and Klaxosaur DNA."

"So, I'm just supposed to take a bunch of lollipops and ask them to be my friends?" he said sarcastically.

"No, and that is what phase two is about." She said

"I escaped from that Franxx and reached here…" said Elise as her data traveled through the wires of the Laboratory, "but what am I supposed to do? I mean, my only purpose was to take orders and execute them using my physical body… Maybe I will just keep consuming power to keep myself online and wait for something to happen…"

Classified Location

17th November, Thursday

A.D. 2037

11:27 A.M.

"What's the matter?" asked Mama looking at the sad face of Orion. He was lying in a bed with wires connected to his heart core as Mama collected all the data from its heart core possible and copied it inside the computer.

"Nothing, it's just that…" said Orion, "I feel too alone…"

"Why would that be?" asked Mama, "We are all here for you!" she said trying to cheer him up.

"Yeah," said Orion, "but still, it does not feel good, you know…"

"What is this?" thought Elise as she saw Orion's data, "What is happening?" she thought as the data passed through her, "this information… It's too much… I… Can't" she lost function as the data passed through her and passed out.

Classified Location

31st December, Sunday

A.D. 2037

9:57 A.M

"Where am I?" she said as she got up.

"You okay?" said a voice beside her, it was Orion taking a sip from his can, "I just saw you lying around here so I just came running, who are you anyway?" he asked as he helped her get up.

"I-I can't remember…" she said, "It's like all my memories were wiped out or something…"

"Hm… Anyways, come on inside!" he said as they entered the laboratory, Orion took him to Mama's room. She sat on the bed as Mama entered.

"Who is she?" she asked.

"I don't know, I found her outside the laboratory… She can't remember her name!" said Orion.

"Hm…" said Mama, "Well then we could take her in, she could be one of the subjects!"

"Yeah, but first you need to inject her with that DNA of mine…" Orion said.

"That would be required only if she were a human!" Mama said with a smile, "Isn't that right… Elise?" she said looking towards that girl.

"E-Elise?!" said Orion shocked, "But how did you know that!"

"Alright," Mama said laughing, "enough with the jokes, you see when Dr. Frank said that Elise was gone, she escaped and reached the computer of our laboratory and the day when I was examining your heart core, due to the overflowing data of the heart core, the data sent her into an overdrive and her data got dumped. Though her memories were irrecoverable, I still requested Dr. Frank to create an android body and send it over here so I could recover her."

"Then," said Orion confused, "why did you keep her outside?"

"I just wanted you to meet her, so…" she replied and spent the next hour explaining Elise about the reason she was made, her escape and how she finally became like this.

Classified Location

20th November, Thursday

A.D. 2037

12:27 P.M.

The peace of the lab was interrupted by the noise of thrusters. Mama and Orion went outside to see who it was, it was an airship that landed on an open field just outside the main entrance of the laboratory they were in. The gate of the airship disengaged, opening it, revealing Dr. Frank who walked towards them with 50 teenagers who looked a bit different that human.

"Morning!" said Dr. Frank, "as I said our so-called 'capsules' for phase 2 are ready!"

"Who are they?" asked Orion.

"Didn't you tell him about phase 2?" asked Mama.

"No," she replied, "I thought it would be easier to explain after the capsules were ready."

"I see…" said Dr. Frank.

"So," said Orion, "what is phase 2?" he asked.

"Well," said Dr. Frank, "you see, we thought that since years of mining out magma energy has left the land all over the world useless, so we thought if we could send some humans to the still somehow surviving land without letting APE know about them, then we might be able to successfully restore the barren land and also humanity!"

"I see," said Orion, "but, why do they look different?" he asked.

"Your DNA was injected into them…" replied Mama, "Since your DNA extends your lifespan, it was an important measure to keep the subjects alive for a long time and also since the magma energy immortality takes away the ability to reproduce, there was no way we would have used it. So, what do you say Orion? They need a tutor who can teach them skills to survive."

Orion moved towards the group of the teenager, "I'm Orion, you tutor" he said with a smile, "now prepare yourselves for the training you all are going to go through."

"Yes, Sir!" they replied enthusiastically.

Classified Location

23rd February, Sunday

A.D. 2038

9:57 A.M.

"All capsules please report to the main hall." Said Mama over the mic as all the 50 capsules hurried inside the hall. At the end of the room were Orion, Mama, and Elise waiting for them to settle down.

"Alright!" said Orion, "the time has come for you all to finally go and accomplish the task of restoring earth, you all will be sent in pairs, that is a male and a female together. You all have your own choice with whom you would go with. All the equipment and life support that you need to create a successful plantation have already been delivered to the desired place by Dr. Frank. Also, when the time comes, something special will be sent to you to tackle the Klaxosaurs. Long-range communications will be prohibited to maintain secrecy. Now, please go and bring us back a better future!"

"Yes, sir!" they exclaimed as they took their leave towards their designated locations.

"Aren't we going anywhere?" asked Orion as he and Elise stood there confused.

"No, you are not." Said Mama, "We need you two for phase 3. It will require a lot of time for all the capsule to establish districts at their designated location and if the odds are not bad then it should take about 100 years. So, we will be putting you two into cryogenic sleep, you should wake up automatically when the time comes."

"I see…" said Orion with a sad expression.

"Don't worry, I will be fine!" said Mama.

Mama took them to the same vault room where that incident had occurred, inside the vault were two life support tanks in which they will sleep for the next 100 years.

"But what about you?!" Orion asked Mama.

"I injected myself with your DNA a lot of time ago," replied Mama, "So, I will meet you two after you wake up! So, don't worry…"

"What if you are not there?" asked Elise.

"Don't worry," said Mama, "in that case, I will do some arrangements to brief you about what happened and what should be done."

"It's not about the mission damn it!" he said angrily, "Won't we meet… You?" he asked.

"I swear you will when the time comes…" said Mama with a sad expression, "Now, go!"

Orion and Elise went inside their designated life support tanks, as the tanks shut downed and the procedure to make them sleep started, tears rolled down Mama's eye, "Wait!" Orion shouted looking at her tears, but it was too late. The procedure was already under progress that cut off all connections from the brain and stopped the metabolism, a process that could conserve a human body for a tremendously long time.

*** Orion and Elise are Characters created by StrikeForceHeroeTeller. ***

Part 2 of chapter 7 releasing on 1/12/2019