Phantasy Star: Mechanical Error Chapter 12
Written by Sarah Schoenlaub
The Edge, the boundary between the world in Algo and the True Darkness that threatened to consume it. Never before had there been such a darkness as there was in the Edge. Near the entrance, colors swirled in a hypnotic pattern, yellows, oranges, blues, greens, reds, and purples struggling as the blackness consumed them. Deeper into the maze, the darkness was more prevalent.
The rings, Elsydeon, and the invisible Sa Lews and De Vars provided faint light in that darkness. If it weren't for that small light, the protectors would have been consumed in the darkness.
From within the swirling walls, Dimensworms reached with nasty claws. Cultic mages, in robes of red, purple, blue, and green, walked around, ready to fight. The group was able to take out the monsters, but they were unprepared for what awaited as they came closer to the True Darkness on the other side of the Edge.
A woman stood in the middle of the dark path, her red dress glowing eerily in the darkness. At first glance, Laurie thought she was a Mieu-type android. But as they came closer, she saw that the woman had true, human ears. She breathed like a human, and her form looked more human then even Demi or Kyle. Demi and Kyle had the best in synthetic skin and eyes, but this woman looked as if she had real human parts.
Demi held up her gun, and Kyle did the same. "Who are you? Identify yourself at once."
The woman chuckled. From somewhere above, beams hit the humans of the party and they all froze, completely paralyzed. "You come to me with guns and demand to know who I am? I have not threatened violence."
Demi did not move. "You paralyzed the humans of our party. You are not to be trusted."
"Ah, Demi," the woman said, walking forward. She ignored the guns fearlessly. "Such a lover of humans. I can see why Mother wants you destroyed. She was disappointed that Fuoren was not here."
"Wren is gone, destroyed by the effects of the Black Energy Wave. He was destroyed by creatures that come from this place."
"Identify yourself at once," Kyle ordered. "I will be forced to fire my weapon."
The woman rolled her eyes. "You don't know yet? Surely you know, Demi. Or did we destroy your memory that much?"
Demi's memory hit a small blip, a bit of something she could not recall. It had been too damaged. But something had triggered in Kyle's memory files. He lowered his gun a bit, his eyes still trained on the woman. "Daughter."
Demi lowered her gun completely, looking at Kyle. "Wren destroyed her!"
Daughter laughed. "If only you could remember. You were there when Keri transferred my consciousness. By the time Fuoren arrived, I was only communicating to the Vahal Fort. Keri had successfully patched into Mother here in the Edge, and I was able to escape. Now I am here, in my perfect body."
She looked at her hands and arms, chuckling. "I am a combination of mechanical parts and biological tissue. A cyborg. Mother and Father were quite good to me. If you only understood their mission, Demi. I think you would enjoy it."
Demi raised her gun again. "Your 'Mother' and 'Father' are beings of Darkness. They only wish to destroy Algo."
"To rebuild it! Demi, are you so blinded? You could be so wonderful. A beautiful creation. A cyborg. Think of it! Mother and Father could create us all, Demi, and we could make a perfect Algo. No more humans to destroy it."
"It was humans who made your consciousness! Humans made Fuoren! Humans made Kyle!"
"Fuoren," Daughter spat. "He was lucky he could bring Algo back before it was destroyed. With Mother Brain gone, Algo was helpless. But she was rebuilt, and so was Father, by these cultic mages you so despise. Humans destroy their chances. It is time for a new Algo."
"We refuse to be a part of your 'new Algo,'" Kyle replied flatly.
"I was afraid you'd say that."
Demi fired her sonic gun, and Kyle fired his plasma rifle. But Daughter was strong. She had her gun out, and she knocked Demi's systems out before long. Kyle was too busy recovering to repair her. Daughter had weapons units no one had seen, and Kyle's human comrades were paralyzed around him.
* * *
Erick saw the face of an old, green-skinned man. A Dezorian.
Seems you're in a bit of a bind. The man chuckled. Get it? "Bind?" Ha ha ha.
Erick struggled to think of what was happening. He was in the Edge. He was watching a woman as she talked to Demi. No, not a woman, a—what was that word? Cyborg. He heard the woman talk to Demi. He saw the woman firing all manner of weapons. He saw Demi collapse. But he could not move.
I suppose this is not the time for jokes. Move! You have to hurry, or she'll take out the other droid.
Erick felt his hands on the hilt of Elsydeon. Yes. He ran to the cyborg and struck her with the sword, completely severing an arm. Blood spilled and a mess of wires were exposed.
Laurie blinked at this. She flexed her fingers. Then she knelt, pulled out repair materials, and went to work bringing Demi back.
Mune thrust out his hand, hitting Daughter with blasts of light with his Legeon magic. Feria threw her slashers, slicing through parts of the cyborg.
Daughter staggered back. "How? You were paralyzed!"
She turned to Kyle and blasted him with an electrical jolt, a Spark, meant to disable his systems. But miraculously, it didn't work. Demi sat up and her recovery systems took over. She jumped into the fray, ready to fight.
Daughter narrowed her eyes. "Filth! You reject the perfect Algo."
"Your 'perfect' world would be created by darkness," Mune said.
"By allowing you to continue, the Black Energy Wave would destroy all life in Algo," Laurie explained.
"The Black Energy Wave would destroy everything… eventually, it would even destory you," Feria continued.
"Impossible!" Daughter screeched.
"But look! Fuoren was destroyed from the effects of the Black Energy Wave on his systems. It would destroy your biological tissues," Demi said.
"Eventually, the substance would destroy your mechanical parts and you would cease to function," Kyle stated.
"Your perfect world would bring only more Darkness. You must be stopped," Erick finished.
It was a risk. Erick and Demi jumped forward. Erick used a skill to cause instant death in biological creatures. Demi used Spark, the electrical pulse that would destroy machines. Together, the effect was devastating to Daughter. Her lovely skin, her human parts, were destroyed, and the metal that remained was frozen, the wires burned by the electricity.
Daughter, at last, had been completely destroyed.
* * *
Deeper in the abyss, they heard the shrill mechanical cry.
"Mother and Father know that their Daughter is gone," Laurie said.
Mune nodded. "They must be a new version of the Profound Darkness and a rebuilt Mother Brain."
"They will be difficult to destroy," Demi noted.
"The understatement of the day," Feria muttered. "But we will have De Vars and Sa Lews."
"Where were they when we fought Daughter?" Erick asked.
Mune shook his head. "You misunderstand their roles in our battle. De Vars and Sa Lews will not fight directly. They will show in battle, but not in their forms. They will appear within each of us. They will be our new strength, our new courage. That is all we will need."
"They won't be here for real?"
"You must trust, Erick Ashley!" Mune shouted. "Le Roof sent his guardians to give us what we need. We have the power. We must use it now."
Kyle took the lead. Erick stood behind a moment as the group moved, till Demi walked to him. "Come on. You are ready. Lutz would not have selected you otherwise."
Erick looked up, looked into Demi's green eyes. "There is something I must tell you."
"Yes?"
"Wren… I know you guys don't have true souls. But when I grasped Elsydeon, I saw him. He was there, Demi, with his creators. He said you'll be there, too, someday."
Demi smiled. "I suspected it was so, but never knew. I feel stronger already, with Master Wren at my side."
She went ahead down the passage, and Erick followed slowly. He suspected that if androids had tears, Demi would have shed them in her joy.
* * *
Mother was indeed like Mother Brain had been, a huge, artificially intelligent computer system. She was like a huge being before them, a woman colored in many shades that barely showed in the darkness. Her voice boomed all around.
"You have destroyed my Daughter. You are here to ruin Algo. You must be stopped."
Positron Bolts, Burst Rockets, Tandles, Elsydeon, and Megido were her destruction.
A healing power came over them all at the end of the battle. Feria looked around. "Where did it come from?"
Mune smiled. "By the Light. De Vars. We have been renewed for the final battle."
The huge growl warned them of the creature that approached. It was a disgusting mix of fur, feathers, metal, slimy skin, scales. And all things imaginable. It was barely visible in the darkness, but the evil presence was almost overpowering. Laurie and Mune drew in deep breaths as it approached. Sa Lews moved among them, and their courage was restored. They looked at each other a brief moment, hands ready.
"This is it," Mune said.
Erick sliced cleanly through parts of the beast with Elsydeon. Feria's slashers cleaved off entire appendages. Her Megido exploded parts of the creature. Demi's Phonon caused pain and dulled the beast's senses. Her Medic Power restored the tired crew. Kyle's Burst Rockets and Positron Bolt were a deadly combo. Laurie and Mune's esper magic caused terrible damage to the beast, and Laurie kept a repair kit ready.
The monster used its own Megido, and it was devastating. Mune and Laurie had to be revived many times. The Black Energy Wave spewed from it, only to be absorbed by the dim lights from the rings and the guardians. As the creature neared its end, Erick jumped high and Elsydeon found its mark in the center of the beast.
He fell off as the creature growled and screeched. The entire group bound together, holding Elsydeon in joy.
Then a pulse of evil, the creature's final death reaction, filled the area. The protectors fell as the evil hit them all. They lay, near death, on the swirling ground, as the last Profound Darkness was destoyed.
* * *
Laurie.
Laurie stood, though she did not feel it. It was as if her mind stood too quickly for her body. It was disorienting, but she forced herself to focus. She looked, and gasped.
Fuoren.
She could not speak, she found. But she felt she could move. It was only her mind.
Wren nodded. Yes, it is me. You are holding onto Elsydeon, clinging for life. You will see us, the souls of protectors from the past.
I'm dying?
Yes.
But what can I do?
Wren put his hand on her shoulder. As I speak, the light is beginning to break the Edge, piece by piece. The True Darkness will be destroyed. The Edge will be gone forever.
But I am still here!
You must escape.
Where is everyone else? Are they all dead?
No. You can only see the souls of the dead protectors here. Your friends are alive.
How can I escape if I am dying?
Demi will rouse soon. So will Kyle. We, the souls within Elsydeon, are protecting you now. We will wake you all from your near death, and you will escape. I promise.
Wren?
Yes?
Does this mean you have a soul?
Yes, it does. Humans taught me to have a soul. It is something you cannot create in me, but it was there. Demi will be here someday. As will Kyle. And you. But not today.
Laurie winced, feeling the pain in her whole body.
You must wake now. Hurry! Time is short.
She blinked and saw around her as the walls were breaking. The light cracked through the darkness, almost blinding. The group stood within a bubble, an aura, from Elsydeon.
Mune grasped her hand. "Demi is back, as is Kyle. Feria and Erick are barely awake. We must escape."
"How? We are too far. Will Hinas work?"
"If we both use it together, it may work."
The group crowded together, and Laurie and Mune closed their eyes, chanted the words, and hoped.
* * *
"The Edge and the True Darkness were flooded with light. The light pierced both, scattering them completely. The Laurie and Mune narrowly helped us all escape from the place before it collapsed.
"However, even with its destruction, evil still exists. It is much smaller, though. Some evil exists for balance. But never will there be a threat like there was. No more threat of the Black Energy Wave. The people of Algo are safe."
Demi shut off the recorder and reviewed it. She knew the story needed to be recorded for future use. After all, she did not know what was to come. The people afflicted with the Black Energy Wave poisoning had mostly recovered. Life was returning to normal, even in Zelan. New scientists seemed to arrive daily.
Laurie walked into the room behind Demi. "Finished?"
Demi nodded. "It has been recorded."
"Hard to believe it really happened. If it weren't for Elsydeon…"
Demi turned around. "Laurie, would you tell me something?"
"What?"
"Did you… did you see Wren?"
Laurie smiled, looking down at Demi. "Yes, I did."
Demi closed her eyes and smiled at the thought. "Erick said that Wren was there, but I could not see him when I held on to Elsydeon. I almost didn't believe him. But I know now. He was there, with the rest of them, protecting us."
"Yes."
Demi turned back to the computer screens. "There is a message for you from Mune."
Laurie blinked. Mune? But he had run off, back to the Esper Mansion, back to work as Lutz. Surely it wasn't… but maybe it was? She had thought, a few times, that he loved her. But she was so uncertain.
"What did he want?"
Demi typed at the keyboard, calling up the message. "He wanted to see you! Something important, he said. He misses you."
Laurie laughed softly. "He is Lutz. He has no time for love."
"I don't know everything about humans," Demi said, "but I hear that they make time for love."
Mune's face appeared on the screen as the message played back. "Laurie, I know I had to run off, and I apologize. You've become a legend here. I want you to come visit. The people would love to see you, and I have things to discuss with you."
"See? Business. Nothing else," Laurie said.
"Don't be certain of that."
"When am I ever certain, Demi?"
Demi closed the message and looked at the system montiors. "Nothing can be certain. But trust your heart occasionally. I do not have that gift of intuition. I must work on pure logic, only a little amount of emotion. But you are human. You were born with intution. Do not be afraid to rely on it."
* * *
Laurie emerged from the cold snow of Dezolis with pink cheeks and numb toes, but the warmth of the Esper Mansion blanketed her and helped restore her circulation to normal. She saw the Mune was there, waiting. He smiled at her, his pale face lighting up under his dark blue hair. "I was afraid you wouldn't be able to make it."
Laurie walked to him. "I had to come. It seemed quite important."
Mune nodded. "Very important. I want you to go with me to Rykros."
Rykros. Of course. Business as usual for Lutz.
"Why Rykros?"
Mune looked a bit distant. "I have things to finish up. I want you there with me."
"Finish up?"
"It'll be a short trip," he continued, ignoring Laurie's confusion. "I'd need your help navigating."
Laurie concealed her disappointment. Of course. She was just helping him with business.
"I can do that. When do you want to go?"
Mune finally looked at Laurie again. "Is tomorrow alright with you?"
"Okay."
"I know it's very short notice. I am extremely thankful."
"You don't have to thank me. I don't mind helping you."
"I'll make sure a room is set for you," Mune said. "But that should be no problem. The people are all eager to speak with you."
"I've heard."
"There will be a ceremony tonight… the people want to see Lutz. I hope you'll be there." Mune walked past Laurie and down the hall, toward his chambers.
Laurie watched him till he was out of sight. Her intuition said something was there. But what did Demi know about intuition? She did not have it. Intuition was something easily fallible, often wrong. No one could rely only on gut feelings.
Laurie shook her head, throwing aside her disappointment. This was business. She had to attend to it.
* * *
By evening, Laurie was drained. She had been questioned all day by people. Some questions were those she could not really explain. Many people asked her how the group had escaped. Laurie said they had used a simple technique, but at the same time, she did not believe it. There had to have been something else.
Others asked what it was like in the Edge. Some asked her about her android, and she was more than happy to share. The only face that Laurie was glad to see that day was her brother's.
"So I hear I have an android named for me?"
Laurie chuckled. "Yes, you do. Kyle, based on a modified Wren processor."
Kyle grinned. "I'll never understand your terms, but it is indeed an honor."
"You've supported me all my life. I figured I owed you at least that much."
"Thank you," Kyle replied, blushing. "Are you going to the ceremony? The reverant Lutz wishes to address us all about the recent events."
Laurie bristled, but she made herself nod. She wanted to spread the truth, to tell everyone about who Lutz really was, but she couldn't do that. "I'll be there."
And that was where she was going, walking through the hallways, trying to ignore the gasps and whispers as people recognized her. She had enough questions for the day. She entered the center courtyard, pulling a cloak tightly around her shoulders. The cold wasn't terrible, since the courtyard was surrounded by walls that kept the piercing wind away. It was still a bit chilly, though.
She stood beside her brother in the crowd, watching the stage though she knew so much more than the faithful members of the crowd. They saw Lutz as a god, an immortal, perfect being, when he was not. He was only a man, a simple man she had started to love.
The excited talking stopped the second he appeared. Mune looked radiant in his robes, and Laurie knew how easily fooled she was by his appearance. He looked like the Lutz they all talked about. He seemed to shine in the sun, though underneath the sparkling cloak he was just like any of them.
"A victory has come to us," he began. "The Darkness has been shut away completely from us. No longer do we face the threat of the Black Energy Wave in our cities and families. No longer do we fear death. No longer do the cultic mages have any power. We are free from the threat that held Algo for so long.
"A new beginning has come to us. Though we all have those people we have lost, at last we have prospered. Heroes took a stand against the evil and were a success. And one of those heroes is here today."
Laurie felt the millions of pairs of eyes trained on her as people whispered in excitement. She forced a smile, though she was upset. Was this his idea? To make a big show, a spectacle of her, to repay her for taking him to Rykros?
"Laurie Johnson. Many of you have heard of her. She is one of the most intelligent scientists in Zelan. But she is also an esper, one of us. She has shown the meaning of true bravery in the face of trouble.
"And now, my people, it is time for you to show bravery."
A murmur rippled through the crowd as the people wondered what he meant. In a flash, Mune threw off the sparkling robe, causing the entire crowd to gasp as one person. The light faded from his face, revealing his dark blue hair, his rougher features. He no longer looked like Lutz.
He raised a hand, and silence fell again. "Espers, the time has come for truth. For thousands of years, you have looked to Lutz for guidance and support. You have believed him to be immortal, a being of infinite knowledge. While the latter is close to truth, the former is not. Lutz was not immortal. Death came to him as it would for any being.
"However, Lutz did not completely die. He left his knowledge, his wisdom, contained in a ball of light, for others to use. It has been passed down from generation to generation, each time containing more knowledge and history.
"My name is Mune. Many of you know me and have seen me. I am an esper, a mortal, just like all of you. I never expected to be thrust into this special position, to have to become the person that everyone looked up to. But espers have always been people of faith. You all survive and thrive on faith, on thinking Lutz is still alive.
"With my store of knowledge, I plan to write many historical texts about my life and the lives of the past generations. But I want to tell you all: my purpose is no longer. Algo needs no more of my protection.
"I know this comes as a shock. But I promise you, as one who has held Elsydeon and seen the protectors of the past, I promise that Lutz is always watching over you. Every generation of Lutz is watching. There is no need to fear."
* * *
Laurie navigated the ship toward Rykros. Mune sat next to her, silent, looking at the black space around the ship.
"That was very brave," Laurie said quietly.
Mune only nodded. He had barely slept. He felt horrible for telling the espers the truth, for crushing their faith. But Lutz had told him, as he hung in the balance between life and death clinging to Elsydeon, Lutz told him that he had to reveal the truth.
Laurie looked over at him, wishing she could help somehow. She was in awe of what he had done, but she knew none of her words would help. Let Le Roof find the words to help Mune.
The yellow crystal building sparkled as they stepped inside, and then became dark. "You have returned," the voice of Le Roof boomed.
Mune nodded. "Yes."
"I see that you are upset. But it is as Lutz wished. The time has come, Mune."
Mune looked up.
"Today you can return to being a mere man."
"That is what I want."
"I see you have brought her with you. Laurie. Welcome back to Rykros."
"Thank you. Your guardians were quite helpful to us."
"Soon Rykros will leave Algo forever. Finally there is peace. Mune! Laurie! My only order for you both is that you follow your hearts. You are people all of Algo look up to."
Mune opened his hand, revealing the rings. "What shall I do with these?"
"Keep them. Their power is gone. They are no longer needed."
Mune put them in his pocket, then removed two. One had the swirling Dezolis on it, the other Palma. "As I return to being a man, I want to tell you something," he said to Laurie. "I never want to be away from you again. I will go with you to Zelan. At last I am free of the role I have had to play. I want to be with you forever."
He held up the ring with Palma. "You have the beauty and purity Palma once had." He placed the ring on her finger. "I have the faith and magic of Dezolis, but I am cold. I hope that together, we can be even better."
Laurie looked at Mune, in disbelief. Was this really happening?
Mune embraced her, and under the stars of Algo they kissed, and Laurie knew for sure it was no dream. At last they could both return to what they loved, without fear. Algo would be safe.