"We've been driving for three days. Where are we going exactly?" Vash was asleep in the passenger seat, "I'm going to throw you out of this car if you don't tell me."
Vash woke up, "Are we there yet?"
Priest clutched the wheel. He was trying very hard not to punch Vash in the face, "I don't know. I'm not sure where we're going."
Vash looked around, "Not yet. You see that?" Vash pointed to a large rock about a half ile away, "When that Roc is at our three o'clock we'll get out and walk."
"What's over there."
"I'm not sure. I was told to meet someone there."
"Who's that?" Priest looked over, Vash had gone back to sleep. Priest looked behind him, "Rox, how are you doing back there?"
"Just fine. I want a turn to drive."
"Now sister, you know you're to young." Roxanne crossed her arms and muttered something about being glad she was adopted. Priest continued driving.
Vash was flung at the dashboard, "What was that?"
"We're stuck." Priest put his foot down on the gas pedal, "There's quicksand or something." There was a loud creak. The car tilted back.
In the back seat Rox grabbed the cross punishment, "What do we do?"
The ground below the car gave way. The car and everyone in it fell underground.
(insert guitar riff)
Bad Company
Priest looked around. They were in a large room with metal walls, "Where are we?"
Vash got out of the car, "This is an underground base. Wolfwood and I fell into one of these once." Vash looked around, "Can I get some light?" Priest turned on the headlights, "That's better. Now, there's a door around here somewhere. Can you move the car around?"
Priest turned the key. The car started, "Damn, when Wolfwood said he made this thing to last he meant it." Priest drove around in a circle.
"Stop!" Vash saw the door. There was a wall panel on one side, "This is it. The door is about the right size for your car to fit. I just have to..." Vash pressed a few buttons. The door slid open, "That should do it." Vash got back in the car, "Let's get moving."
Roxanne looked around nervously as the car started rolling to the door, "You said underground base. Who used it?"
"Wolfwood and I thought it was aliens who used to live here."
Roxanne unwrapped the cross punishment and pulled out her guns, "Are they still around?"
"I don't think so. The problem is, there are a lot of security drones around here. They're these big spider robots. If we see one, shoot the camera on the head, that'll trigger the shut down program. They move really fast and swarm. We shouldn't have anything to worry about."
"I'll keep my guns on hand just in case."
* * * *
Sebastian had been driving for a while now. The dark hallway opened into what looked like an open area. The headlights on the car went out, "What happened?"
Priest was making a lot of clicking noises. He was flipping the high beam switch on the steering wheel, "The bulbs must have burned out." It was pitch black, "I think we have to walk from here. I'd hate to drive into a wall."
Vash and Priest got out of the car. Priest collected his half of the cross punishment, "Anyone know which way we're going?"
"Toward you I think."
There was a loud humming sound and a crash. Four more similar noises followed, "What was that?"
"Please identify yourselves."
Vash drew both guns, "It's the security drones. We can't see."
Roxanne cocked both guns, "Everybody get down!" Roxanne fired both guns straight ahead. She spread her arms covering a wide arc. While her firing guns made light Vash could see fifty spider drones in the room, "This isn't good." Roxanne stopped shooting, "I'm almost out of ammo. Sebastian, I need to reload."
"I'm over here." Vash fired a few shots, "What are you doing? You can't see what you're hitting." Vash knew what he was shooting. Every one of his shots had hit a robot in the head.
Roxanne and Priest were knelt down. Roxanne couldn't fit her guns into Priest's cross punishment, "I can't do this in the dark! I need light."
Priest put his hand over hers and fit Roxanne's gun into his cross punishment, "There you go. I'd stick with short bursts from here out."
Vash yelled, "I think I found the light switch." The room suddenly became very bright.
Roxanne already started shooting, "Do you know where the control room is?"
"I think it's this way. Priest, we've got to leave the car."
"But..."
"Listen, they won't harm what they don't see as a threat. Your car will be fine."
The three ran to the door, "If I come back and they blew up my car I'm going to be really mad at you."
* * * *
The three ran into a large control room. It was two floors tall. A pair of staircases ran from the ground floor with a lot of flashing lights and control consoles to the upper deck with what seemed to be a glass wall. Priest turned and unloaded some of his ammo through the door they had just entered through.
A voice came from the upper deck, "You can stop shooting. The spider drones won't bother you in here. I told them to escort you to the bridge peacefully. They must not have understood."
Priest cocked his gun and pointed at the upper deck, "You sent those robots after us!"
The voice was calm, "I'd put that away. I have no intention of harming you and I know Vash won't let me kill you. Please, come on up. Let's have a look at you."
Roxanne kept her guns in hand as she walked up the stairs. Vash and Priest followed. At the top floor was a human figure sitting in a chair facing away from everyone. He was doing something on the control panel, "It's been a while Vash."
"Sure has."
The figure turned around and stood up. He was wearing a black trench coat and had short white hair. Otherwise he was exactly like Vash, "Hello brother."
Vash didn't seem intimidated, "I thought you wanted to meet me on the surface."
"Actually, we are exactly at three o'clock to that rock. I was testing a few features on this thing and I accidentally opened the hatch. I used the cameras to figure out it was you but I couldn't use the intercom. Can I have my gun back?"
Vash pulled out the black revolver and tossed it to Knives, "Here. I brought some help."
Knives scoffed at Priest and Roxanne, "We don't need their help. The two of us are strong enough to handle anything."
Priest interrupted, "You have a brother? What in the hell is this place?"
"When Vash and Wolfwood landed in one of these they thought it was a base. What they didn't know is that it wasn't a base at all. It was a ship. I've spent the last few weeks here decoding their language, learning now this thing works. It's been very informative."
"So, this is what you've been up to."
"I've been doing a lot more than that. I remember when we parted company you said you wanted my gun because you didn't trust that I wouldn't use it. Your trust was not without reason. If I had the gun I would have used it already. Three times in fact. I have a very shocking bit of news. The aliens who built this thing, they're coming."
Everyone was immediately paying attention to Knives. The thought had never even crossed their minds. The planet isn't populated accept for animals and now the humans. There had been legends that aliens had once lived here but there was no proof. Now Knives was saying that they were coming back, "They see this planet as their home. We're trespassing. That means that when they find us you can kiss humanity goodbye. They can wipe us out from orbit. The irony is almost beautiful. Vash, I hope you realize that when the aliens find us, they're going to say the same thing about the human race that I have been saying all these years."
Priest cleared his throat, "What do you mean irony? You're human just like the rest of us."
"Oh, Vash didn't tell you…"
"That's enough!" Vash was angry, "How can we stop these aliens?"
There is a way. I've been looking into this. There are already three scout ships. They are going to come in and scan the planet. When they see us the mother ship that has just entered the solar system by the way, will order the ships to start blowing up our cities. By the time the mother ships actually get here humans will be hiding in caves. They'll wipe the rest of you out and there will be no stopping them."
Roxanne spoke, "We can fight back."
At this Knives laughed, "You actually think you can stand a chance? Just because everyone over the age of fifteen carries a gun doesn't mean you have a military. Humans are completely unaware of this."
Vash clenched his fist, "What are we going to do about it?"
Knives calmed down, "I'd like to talk to Vash alone for a moment. I'll call you back to the bridge once we're finished."
Roxanne put her guns in the cross punishment, "Fine by me."
Priest walked to the door, "By the way, I didn't catch your name."
"I'm knives, Vash's evil twin brother."
Roxanne's eyes widened, "Knives! My village was deserted because of you!"
Knives stood on the edge of the upper deck, "You'll have to be more specific, I did that to five cities."
"Try Old Atlas! You bastard!" Priest was physically holding Roxanne back, "You left your name on the town statue!"
"Of course, an artist should always sign his work. I was trying to create a utopia, a perfect city. The only perfect city is one with no people."
Roxanne was trying to unlock her guns from the cross punishment, "I'll kill you!"
"Whoever you are, please, take your friend away. Vash and I need to be alone."
* * * *
Vash and Knives stood face to face, "Why did you bring humans along? We don't need them."
Vash backhanded his brother, "How could you? You talk about the human race like it doesn't matter."
Knives was holding his cheek, "As far as I'm concerned, they don't. Don't forget. The only reason I'm helping you is for revenge. Although you corrected some of my old habits I'm still me. I still don't like humans. If you want me to I can be more civil around them but I make no promises."
"I accept that. Now, what are we going to do about the aliens?"
"First, this thing shows me that three ships are coming and what they'll do when they get there. I don't know what kind of ships they are. I need that information to calculate speed and how much they already know."
"Alright, where can we find out?"
"There's a new observatory in Octobra City. If we can get there we can see the alien ships at a long distance."
"That's over one thousand iles away. We'll never make it."
"You're forgetting Vash. This isn't a base, it's a ship."
"Then can't we fly into orbit and see first hand?"
"No. This thing is the alien equivalent of a sand steamer. It hovers about twenty feet off the ground, that's not much. It can go very fast considering that this thing is three stories tall. At high speed we can be there in under two days."
"What will happens to the surrounding area when we pull out?"
"Imagine the world's biggest landslide. Good thing nobody lives anywhere near here." Knives grinned sadistically, "So, who are the humans?"
"Wolfwood had two kids running the orphanage. They wanted to come along. Besides, they have good weapons."
"Vash, I met Wolfwood. I told him to guide you to me, remember? He was a good fighter. If his kids are like him, they'll be able to keep up with us. The girl could be a problem. She still hates me."
"That doesn't matter to you, does it?"
"No."
"It's a shame. You're the reason she wound up in an orphanage. You shouldn't be so damned careless about it."
Knives ignored Vash's anger, "As I was saying earlier, these aliens feel the same way about humanity as I do. It's funny really. When they arrive the things I have done will seem like nothing. What was it you said, 'Total slaughter, total slaughter, they won't leave a single man alive. Let's begin the killing time, la de da da, ocean of blood."
"Shut up Knives! That was to scare a bunch of bandits."
"Are you sure? I rather like it."
Knives was trying to get under Vash's skin, "You're just mad because you didn't think of it first."
"You haven't changed a bit Vash."
"Oh yea, Priest and Roxanne left their car in the hallways somewhere. Can this ship refuel it?"
"Sure. It's no problem. The aliens have basically the same fuel source as we do. I can refuel the car."
"Good, we'll be using it to travel around. I don't want you parking this thing anywhere near a city."
"I agree. We don't need that kind of attention. There is a room for each of you on the upper deck. You can unpack your bags there. Tell your little friends they can stay here as long as they want. We'll be pulling out in one hour"
"What do you plan to do in the observatory?"
"We're going to break in and borrow the telescope."
"I don't want you killing anybody."
"I know."
* * * *
Priest and Roxanne were standing in the hallway talking, "I'm going to kill that bastard Knives."
Priest was smoking a cigarette, "Look, we may need him to deal with the aliens. He seems a lot more collected than Vash."
"I don't care, Bastion. If he so much looks at me the wrong way I'm going to shoot him in the head. I don't care what Vash thinks of it. He's a dead man."
"Rox, I know what he did to your home town but killing him won't bring your family back."
Roxanne sniffed, "I know that. Wolfwood always said, justice is a very complicated thing."
"Vash says violence doesn't solve anything. Besides, if you take revenge, what's to stop Vash from taking revenge on you?"
"For every sin there must be punishment. I've always said that. He hasn't been punished for what he's done." Roxanne hit the with her open hand, "Why can't I forget?" Roxanne was crying.
Priest walked over to her, "Vash will make things right, somehow, I know it." Priest wrapped his arms around Roxanne, "I know you're angry but killing is not the answer."
Roxanne was leaning against Priest, "Thanks for understanding."
Priest looked up. Vash was standing there watching them hugging, "This is so beautiful!" Vash was also crying.
Roxanne realized she was being watched. She turned around and slapped Vash, 'This is a private moment you insensitive jerk!"
Vash rubbed his cheek, "Common, I'm just trying to be nice."
* * * *
The two days passed quickly. Knives and Vash spent most of the time on the computers trying to find more information. Priest and Roxanne kept themselves entertained with exercise, target practice and some time on the computer. Knives hardly spoke to Priest and Roxanne. When Vash spoke he seemed more worried than usual. Finally the ship set down well outside of Octobra. Priest got in the Mustang, "Okay. I guess we're driving to town. Roxanne, you sit in the back with Vash and the cross punishment. Knives, your robots did a great tune up on this thing."
"Programming the car's information into the computer wasn't to much trouble. Computer!" Knives said some gibberish nobody could understand. There was a similar reply from the computer. The cargo bay door opened.
Priest drove outside, "What was that?"
"The alien's language. I've learned to speak it after working with the computers so long."
Vash had just buckled the cross punishment in. "I thought all the ships were shut down."
"They were. Somehow when the mother ship entered the solar system this thing activated. I haven't been able to receive a signal yet. Maybe once we get to the observatory I can find out why."
Roxanne was sitting in the back with her arms crossed. She still didn't trust knives.
* * * *
Priest drove through town. Cars weren't to common around here but nobody seemed to care. There was a large armored gate between Priest and the observatory. A guard with a machine gun walked over to the car, "Can I help you?"
"We were wondering if we could get the grand tour."
"This place if privately owned, I'm under orders not to let anyone enter."
"Owned? By who?"
"Octobra's Scientist League. They built this thing a while back and there have been several bomb attacks. We've been forced to beef up security."
"So we can't come in?"
"No."
Knives was drumming is fingers on the dash board, "I told you."
Priest tried to be tactful, "Thanks pal. Sorry to bother you." Priest put the car in reverse and drove off.
Priest got the car turned around, "Okay mister let's be nice to people. What are we supposed to do now?" Knives had a small computer on his lap, "This thing is linked to the ship's database. I can use it to run a scan of the area…" Knives waited. A map of the city appeared, "The building is abandoned. There are just fifty guards. I've seen Vash take out a lot more than that."
Vash had one hand over his eyes, "We're not killing anyone."
"The inside is deserted, that means once se jump the fence we're home free. We just don't trip the alarms. I can align the telescope in a hurry."
Priest was looking over Knives' shoulder, "Won't the guards notice when the telescope starts moving?"
"That's why I need you two stationed down stairs to stop the guards."
"I want to go upstairs." Roxanne had remained quiet during the conversation, "I don't want to turn my back on Knives."
Knives spun the cylinder of his gun, "Then stay outside, I don't care what you do, just don't get in my way."
* * * *
Vash stood against the armored gate. He was looking around, "Okay, we've got a second or two."
Roxanne stood ten feet away from him, "How sure are you?" Roxanne strapped her guns to her belt, "I'll haunt you if I die."
"Common, don't you trust me?" Vash knelt down and cupped his hands, "You're wasting time." Roxanne ran at Vash. She put her foot in Vash's cupped hands. Vash stood up and lifted his hands. Roxanne flew just over the wall. Vash heard a loud thud and Roxanne cursing on the other side.
Vash looked around again, "You're up Wolf, I mean Priest."
Priest set down his cross punishment. His half was eight foot long, that was way too large to strap to his belt, "Bring that thing when you come. Okay?"
"Sure, whatever. We only have a few seconds." Priest ran at Vash. He was a little heavier than Roxanne but Vash boosted him over the wall."
Knives stepped out of the shadows, "I can't believe you're breaking an entering."
"You know that black trench coat of yours will stand out on the sand."
"Shut up Vash. Your red coat can't hide in the shadows."
Vash crouched down, "Well?"
Knives picked up the cross punishment and threw it over the wall. There was a loud yelling from the other side. Priest had caught the cross punishment only inches from Roxanne's head, "Vash threw it!" Knives crouched down and jumped. He put his hand on the top of the wall and climbed over.
Vash groaned. "He's always showing off." Vash crouched and vaulted almost completely over the wall.
Vash landed beside Knives, "Okay, where to now?"
Knives was remembering the plans for the building he stole when he did a scan, "I chose this spot because there was a door inside just over there. The guards won't be here for another thirty minutes."
* * * *
The four climbed the flights of stairs, "Priest, you stay down here. When we move the telescope we'll need you to hold off the guards. Don't be a hero. When you think you're being overwhelmed come up here and seal off the way you came."
"I know the drill. We aren't burning bridges, are we?"
"No. We may need a way out."
Vash reached the top of the stairs, "Rox, stay here. If we have trouble you'll have to hold them off. We'll be done in a few minutes."
Roxanne was using her gun as a pointer, "Watch him. I don't trust your brother."
"Don't worry. I don't either."
* * * *
Vash and Knives were standing in the main control room, "From here we can align the telescope. I hooked my computer up to the ship. It'll tell the computer where to look. There's a problem though."
"What?"
There's no power source. This thing was shut down when it the OSL left it. We need a power source."
Vash knew what Knives was thinking, "Which one of use goes in?"
"This thing was salvaged from a Project Seed ship. It'll take either of us as a power source. The plug is on the next floor. I'll go."
Knives ran up a flight of stairs. He saw a small sized plug. It was nowhere near the size of the citywide plants. These things were designed so that the user could just put a plant inside then take them out when they were done. Using living creatures as power, it was barbaric. Knives was glad that he and Vash were the last of their kind. Knives took off his trench coat and stood with one foot on either side of the plug, "I used to sit in these things as a way to get away from life. This is where I was made to be. I guess it just feels right." Knives closed his eyes as the plug tightened around his legs and waist. He didn't put a bulb over himself. He had tried that once. It felt like a tomb. Without the glass it was a release of energy instead of having it siphoned off.
* * * *
Downstairs Vash sat at the computer, "I wish he hadn't stuck me with the computer." Vash barely knew the technology. He was typing in what Knives had told him to, "Coordinates, thirty two degrees west, twenty degrees north, sixty degrees skyward. That should do it."
Vash waited. He could hear the sound of the telescope moving around. Finally a picture appeared on the computer screen. Vash typed, "Clear radiation, outline image."
Vash could hear gunfire from below. A fight had already started. The interference in the picture cleared, "Swing seventy degrees right, twenty up." Another picture appeared on the screen, "Clear radiation, outline image." The gunfire was getting closer. Priest and Rox were standing together and shooting. It wouldn't be long. The image finally cleared, "One more. Swing ten degrees down, twenty-five left. Clear radiation, outline image."
The door to the room Vash was in broke open. Priest and Roxanne fell through, "We can't hold them off for long. They're coming!"
Vash kept typing, "Forward images to ship computer. There, finished!" Vash got up to help, "What happened?"
Priest was using Roxanne for support, "He's been shot. It's a leg wound. We have to get him out of here."
Priest was holding onto the cross punishment, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
Vash typed something on a computer console, "Swing downward, fifty degrees, right seventy two." Vash put Priest's arm over his shoulder, "Common. I've got a plan. The door to the telescope is this way. Rox, I need a favor."
"What's that?"
"Knives is in the room upstairs. He can't get out of the power plant by himself. You'll have to help him."
Roxanne ran upstairs before Vash could give any more instructions.
* * * *
Vash and Priest were standing in a giant room. The telescope was right in front of them, "There's a staircase leading up. We can use that to get onto the shaft."
"Are you insane?"
"Before we left I set it to point slightly downward. We can jump onto the roof of a nearby building if I set it right."
"What about Roxanne?"
"The room she's in connects to this one. Knives will know that and tell her where to go."
Vash and Priest climbed the staircase to the telescope, "Does the room lead directly to the telescope or will they have to use the stairs?"
"Directly."
Priest held up the cross punishment, "Well then, I can't let the guards follow us." Priest fired a missile from the cross punishment. The staircase was destroyed in the impact, "Let's just hope Rox figures it out."
* * * *
Rox closed the door behind her. The guards weren't far behind, "Knives, Vash told me to get you out of here." Roxanne had a sadistic look on her face.
Knives looked a little frightened, "Get me out of here! They'll kill me if they find me."
Roxanne was careful to stand out of Knives' arm reach, "How many have you killed?"
"How should I know? You think I kept count? Just get me out of here!"
Roxanne raised one of her guns, "Do you know how easy it would be for me to shoot you in the head and tell Vash I couldn't save you? It would be easier than what you did. Killing an entire city, you coward. You didn't have to look your victims in the eye before you destroyed them."
Knives looked around. The release switch was out of his reach, "You have to help me. I'm the only one who can stop the aliens."
"Vash can figure it out."
Knives laughed, "That simpering oaf? He couldn't find his way out of a light bulb."
"At the moment, neither can you. Give me one reason why I shouldn't leave you here to die?"
"If you expect me to beg for my life you're out of luck." Knives crossed his arms, "I will never beg to a human. Unlike my brother I am disgusted by the human race."
Roxanne walked around behind Knives, "Suit yourself. I think the exit is here."
Knives chucked to himself as Roxanne walked away, "I was wrong about you. You can turn on another in their time of need and leave them to die. You are better than human, you're not even going to feel guilty. You're just like me."
Roxanne turned around, "I am nothing like you."
"You're not looking into the eyes of the man you have condemned to death. Didn't you say I did that very same thing when I took the lives of everyone in your home town?" Knives heard two guns cock. He didn't even flinch. He had gotten inside Roxanne's head. She wasn't about to prove him right for anything. Roxanne fired on the control panel with the release switch. The moment she did the cylinder holding Knives' legs opened.
Knives jumped out of the way. He grabbed his gun and stood up. Knives found himself staring down the barrels of Roxanne's guns. Knives had managed to put his gun right in Roxanne's face, "Thank you for setting me free, now just put those things down."
"I have automatics, that's a revolver, you put it down."
Knives gave a narrow smile, "Automatic or revolver doesn't matter as long as a bullet hits the head."
"I can risk it, can you?"
"I suggest you run for the door. The guards aren't far behind us."
"Do you think I'm turning my back on you?"
"I'm not going first. You might shoot me in the back. You humans are after all, so fond of that technique."
Roxanne gritted her teeth, "Shut up. What do you have against humans anyway? You're human just like the rest of us."
"You just pulled me out of a light bulb and you haven't figured it out yet? I'm not human! Neither is Vash."
Roxanne opened the door and walked onto the telescope, "That son of a bitch. He angled the telescope down so we could walk across it."
"That's Vash for you. Always with a plan."
* * * *
Roxanne was at the end of the telescope. There was a building right below her. Vash and Priest were lying on the roof of a building, "Common down." Knives and Roxanne jumped down onto the roof. Roxanne breathed a sigh of relief.
Priest locked Roxanne's guns into the cross punishment. He pushed in part of the cross, the two arms of the cross folded back, "I told you this thing was a flame thrower." Priest aimed the long end of the cross punishment at the end of the telescope. He blew a puff of flame at the end of the telescope, "That should keep them from following us."
Knives laughed, "Don't worry. They'll probably blame Vash. They always do. Maybe we could shoot Vash in the head and use the money to repair this thing."
Vash laughed sarcastically, "Are you finished? We have to get back to the ship."
Priest folded the cross punishment back to its cross shape, "Okay, the only question is how we get down?"
* * * *
Priest parked the Mustang in the cargo bay of what Knives had called the grav ship, "Okay, so we got the pictures of the ships, now what?"
Knives was looking at the computer screen, "I thought so. Vash, these are unmanned scout ships. They are doing just what I thought they'd do. These aliens are concerned about safety. The first unmanned ship is going to come over this city. We have one week to get there." Knives pointed to a spot on a map that looked completely ridiculous because the entire planet was one giant desert, "Once we get there you, Vash, will have to use your gun to shoot it down." Knives got out of the car.
Vash's eyes widened, "What?" Vash also got out of the car.
The four started walking to the bridge, "That's right. What did you expect? You have the only weapon powerful enough to destroy a ship in orbit. After all, you did put a new crater in the fifth moon."
Priest hadn't thought about the fifth moon. "How did Vash do that anyway?"
"You'll see soon enough." Knives turned his attention back to Vash, "This is the only way. I was thinking that if the ships were manned I could use my angel arm but they're not. They would glance past my blast but you can stop the ship before they transmit."
Roxanne didn't understand what an angel arm was, "Why can't you just shoot it down from here?"
"No good." Vash was beginning to see the big picture, "There'd be no way to hit it exactly. You're dealing with some complicated trajectories. If we're at the place it would land if it moved straight, I'd have a much better chance of hitting it. The beam from an angel arm explosion isn't that far across."
"What's an angel arm?"
"It's difficult to explain. It's like focusing all the energy in my body into a single focused beam. The problem is it causes mass destruction." Knives licked his lips, "It's what reduced July and Augusta to ruin. Don't worry though, the point of impact is no where near a city. You can use the arm safely."
"What do you mean all the energy?" Roxanne was being a pest, "You said you weren't human. Does this have something to do with that?"
Vash blinked. A single tear rolled down his cheek, "It has everything to do with that. I'll tell you the story later. For the moment, set course for the first point of impact."
Everyone has memories, it is believed that memories make up reality, your soul is the memory you have collected. The fact is, when you die, memories are all you take with you. It is important to make them last. I remember a terrible evil from my past, a woman who saw humans as garbage. I remember those who I traveled with long ago. When the two memories meet which will I remember and which will I forget?
Blood Eye
Vash woke up, "Are we there yet?"
Priest clutched the wheel. He was trying very hard not to punch Vash in the face, "I don't know. I'm not sure where we're going."
Vash looked around, "Not yet. You see that?" Vash pointed to a large rock about a half ile away, "When that Roc is at our three o'clock we'll get out and walk."
"What's over there."
"I'm not sure. I was told to meet someone there."
"Who's that?" Priest looked over, Vash had gone back to sleep. Priest looked behind him, "Rox, how are you doing back there?"
"Just fine. I want a turn to drive."
"Now sister, you know you're to young." Roxanne crossed her arms and muttered something about being glad she was adopted. Priest continued driving.
Vash was flung at the dashboard, "What was that?"
"We're stuck." Priest put his foot down on the gas pedal, "There's quicksand or something." There was a loud creak. The car tilted back.
In the back seat Rox grabbed the cross punishment, "What do we do?"
The ground below the car gave way. The car and everyone in it fell underground.
(insert guitar riff)
Bad Company
Priest looked around. They were in a large room with metal walls, "Where are we?"
Vash got out of the car, "This is an underground base. Wolfwood and I fell into one of these once." Vash looked around, "Can I get some light?" Priest turned on the headlights, "That's better. Now, there's a door around here somewhere. Can you move the car around?"
Priest turned the key. The car started, "Damn, when Wolfwood said he made this thing to last he meant it." Priest drove around in a circle.
"Stop!" Vash saw the door. There was a wall panel on one side, "This is it. The door is about the right size for your car to fit. I just have to..." Vash pressed a few buttons. The door slid open, "That should do it." Vash got back in the car, "Let's get moving."
Roxanne looked around nervously as the car started rolling to the door, "You said underground base. Who used it?"
"Wolfwood and I thought it was aliens who used to live here."
Roxanne unwrapped the cross punishment and pulled out her guns, "Are they still around?"
"I don't think so. The problem is, there are a lot of security drones around here. They're these big spider robots. If we see one, shoot the camera on the head, that'll trigger the shut down program. They move really fast and swarm. We shouldn't have anything to worry about."
"I'll keep my guns on hand just in case."
* * * *
Sebastian had been driving for a while now. The dark hallway opened into what looked like an open area. The headlights on the car went out, "What happened?"
Priest was making a lot of clicking noises. He was flipping the high beam switch on the steering wheel, "The bulbs must have burned out." It was pitch black, "I think we have to walk from here. I'd hate to drive into a wall."
Vash and Priest got out of the car. Priest collected his half of the cross punishment, "Anyone know which way we're going?"
"Toward you I think."
There was a loud humming sound and a crash. Four more similar noises followed, "What was that?"
"Please identify yourselves."
Vash drew both guns, "It's the security drones. We can't see."
Roxanne cocked both guns, "Everybody get down!" Roxanne fired both guns straight ahead. She spread her arms covering a wide arc. While her firing guns made light Vash could see fifty spider drones in the room, "This isn't good." Roxanne stopped shooting, "I'm almost out of ammo. Sebastian, I need to reload."
"I'm over here." Vash fired a few shots, "What are you doing? You can't see what you're hitting." Vash knew what he was shooting. Every one of his shots had hit a robot in the head.
Roxanne and Priest were knelt down. Roxanne couldn't fit her guns into Priest's cross punishment, "I can't do this in the dark! I need light."
Priest put his hand over hers and fit Roxanne's gun into his cross punishment, "There you go. I'd stick with short bursts from here out."
Vash yelled, "I think I found the light switch." The room suddenly became very bright.
Roxanne already started shooting, "Do you know where the control room is?"
"I think it's this way. Priest, we've got to leave the car."
"But..."
"Listen, they won't harm what they don't see as a threat. Your car will be fine."
The three ran to the door, "If I come back and they blew up my car I'm going to be really mad at you."
* * * *
The three ran into a large control room. It was two floors tall. A pair of staircases ran from the ground floor with a lot of flashing lights and control consoles to the upper deck with what seemed to be a glass wall. Priest turned and unloaded some of his ammo through the door they had just entered through.
A voice came from the upper deck, "You can stop shooting. The spider drones won't bother you in here. I told them to escort you to the bridge peacefully. They must not have understood."
Priest cocked his gun and pointed at the upper deck, "You sent those robots after us!"
The voice was calm, "I'd put that away. I have no intention of harming you and I know Vash won't let me kill you. Please, come on up. Let's have a look at you."
Roxanne kept her guns in hand as she walked up the stairs. Vash and Priest followed. At the top floor was a human figure sitting in a chair facing away from everyone. He was doing something on the control panel, "It's been a while Vash."
"Sure has."
The figure turned around and stood up. He was wearing a black trench coat and had short white hair. Otherwise he was exactly like Vash, "Hello brother."
Vash didn't seem intimidated, "I thought you wanted to meet me on the surface."
"Actually, we are exactly at three o'clock to that rock. I was testing a few features on this thing and I accidentally opened the hatch. I used the cameras to figure out it was you but I couldn't use the intercom. Can I have my gun back?"
Vash pulled out the black revolver and tossed it to Knives, "Here. I brought some help."
Knives scoffed at Priest and Roxanne, "We don't need their help. The two of us are strong enough to handle anything."
Priest interrupted, "You have a brother? What in the hell is this place?"
"When Vash and Wolfwood landed in one of these they thought it was a base. What they didn't know is that it wasn't a base at all. It was a ship. I've spent the last few weeks here decoding their language, learning now this thing works. It's been very informative."
"So, this is what you've been up to."
"I've been doing a lot more than that. I remember when we parted company you said you wanted my gun because you didn't trust that I wouldn't use it. Your trust was not without reason. If I had the gun I would have used it already. Three times in fact. I have a very shocking bit of news. The aliens who built this thing, they're coming."
Everyone was immediately paying attention to Knives. The thought had never even crossed their minds. The planet isn't populated accept for animals and now the humans. There had been legends that aliens had once lived here but there was no proof. Now Knives was saying that they were coming back, "They see this planet as their home. We're trespassing. That means that when they find us you can kiss humanity goodbye. They can wipe us out from orbit. The irony is almost beautiful. Vash, I hope you realize that when the aliens find us, they're going to say the same thing about the human race that I have been saying all these years."
Priest cleared his throat, "What do you mean irony? You're human just like the rest of us."
"Oh, Vash didn't tell you…"
"That's enough!" Vash was angry, "How can we stop these aliens?"
There is a way. I've been looking into this. There are already three scout ships. They are going to come in and scan the planet. When they see us the mother ship that has just entered the solar system by the way, will order the ships to start blowing up our cities. By the time the mother ships actually get here humans will be hiding in caves. They'll wipe the rest of you out and there will be no stopping them."
Roxanne spoke, "We can fight back."
At this Knives laughed, "You actually think you can stand a chance? Just because everyone over the age of fifteen carries a gun doesn't mean you have a military. Humans are completely unaware of this."
Vash clenched his fist, "What are we going to do about it?"
Knives calmed down, "I'd like to talk to Vash alone for a moment. I'll call you back to the bridge once we're finished."
Roxanne put her guns in the cross punishment, "Fine by me."
Priest walked to the door, "By the way, I didn't catch your name."
"I'm knives, Vash's evil twin brother."
Roxanne's eyes widened, "Knives! My village was deserted because of you!"
Knives stood on the edge of the upper deck, "You'll have to be more specific, I did that to five cities."
"Try Old Atlas! You bastard!" Priest was physically holding Roxanne back, "You left your name on the town statue!"
"Of course, an artist should always sign his work. I was trying to create a utopia, a perfect city. The only perfect city is one with no people."
Roxanne was trying to unlock her guns from the cross punishment, "I'll kill you!"
"Whoever you are, please, take your friend away. Vash and I need to be alone."
* * * *
Vash and Knives stood face to face, "Why did you bring humans along? We don't need them."
Vash backhanded his brother, "How could you? You talk about the human race like it doesn't matter."
Knives was holding his cheek, "As far as I'm concerned, they don't. Don't forget. The only reason I'm helping you is for revenge. Although you corrected some of my old habits I'm still me. I still don't like humans. If you want me to I can be more civil around them but I make no promises."
"I accept that. Now, what are we going to do about the aliens?"
"First, this thing shows me that three ships are coming and what they'll do when they get there. I don't know what kind of ships they are. I need that information to calculate speed and how much they already know."
"Alright, where can we find out?"
"There's a new observatory in Octobra City. If we can get there we can see the alien ships at a long distance."
"That's over one thousand iles away. We'll never make it."
"You're forgetting Vash. This isn't a base, it's a ship."
"Then can't we fly into orbit and see first hand?"
"No. This thing is the alien equivalent of a sand steamer. It hovers about twenty feet off the ground, that's not much. It can go very fast considering that this thing is three stories tall. At high speed we can be there in under two days."
"What will happens to the surrounding area when we pull out?"
"Imagine the world's biggest landslide. Good thing nobody lives anywhere near here." Knives grinned sadistically, "So, who are the humans?"
"Wolfwood had two kids running the orphanage. They wanted to come along. Besides, they have good weapons."
"Vash, I met Wolfwood. I told him to guide you to me, remember? He was a good fighter. If his kids are like him, they'll be able to keep up with us. The girl could be a problem. She still hates me."
"That doesn't matter to you, does it?"
"No."
"It's a shame. You're the reason she wound up in an orphanage. You shouldn't be so damned careless about it."
Knives ignored Vash's anger, "As I was saying earlier, these aliens feel the same way about humanity as I do. It's funny really. When they arrive the things I have done will seem like nothing. What was it you said, 'Total slaughter, total slaughter, they won't leave a single man alive. Let's begin the killing time, la de da da, ocean of blood."
"Shut up Knives! That was to scare a bunch of bandits."
"Are you sure? I rather like it."
Knives was trying to get under Vash's skin, "You're just mad because you didn't think of it first."
"You haven't changed a bit Vash."
"Oh yea, Priest and Roxanne left their car in the hallways somewhere. Can this ship refuel it?"
"Sure. It's no problem. The aliens have basically the same fuel source as we do. I can refuel the car."
"Good, we'll be using it to travel around. I don't want you parking this thing anywhere near a city."
"I agree. We don't need that kind of attention. There is a room for each of you on the upper deck. You can unpack your bags there. Tell your little friends they can stay here as long as they want. We'll be pulling out in one hour"
"What do you plan to do in the observatory?"
"We're going to break in and borrow the telescope."
"I don't want you killing anybody."
"I know."
* * * *
Priest and Roxanne were standing in the hallway talking, "I'm going to kill that bastard Knives."
Priest was smoking a cigarette, "Look, we may need him to deal with the aliens. He seems a lot more collected than Vash."
"I don't care, Bastion. If he so much looks at me the wrong way I'm going to shoot him in the head. I don't care what Vash thinks of it. He's a dead man."
"Rox, I know what he did to your home town but killing him won't bring your family back."
Roxanne sniffed, "I know that. Wolfwood always said, justice is a very complicated thing."
"Vash says violence doesn't solve anything. Besides, if you take revenge, what's to stop Vash from taking revenge on you?"
"For every sin there must be punishment. I've always said that. He hasn't been punished for what he's done." Roxanne hit the with her open hand, "Why can't I forget?" Roxanne was crying.
Priest walked over to her, "Vash will make things right, somehow, I know it." Priest wrapped his arms around Roxanne, "I know you're angry but killing is not the answer."
Roxanne was leaning against Priest, "Thanks for understanding."
Priest looked up. Vash was standing there watching them hugging, "This is so beautiful!" Vash was also crying.
Roxanne realized she was being watched. She turned around and slapped Vash, 'This is a private moment you insensitive jerk!"
Vash rubbed his cheek, "Common, I'm just trying to be nice."
* * * *
The two days passed quickly. Knives and Vash spent most of the time on the computers trying to find more information. Priest and Roxanne kept themselves entertained with exercise, target practice and some time on the computer. Knives hardly spoke to Priest and Roxanne. When Vash spoke he seemed more worried than usual. Finally the ship set down well outside of Octobra. Priest got in the Mustang, "Okay. I guess we're driving to town. Roxanne, you sit in the back with Vash and the cross punishment. Knives, your robots did a great tune up on this thing."
"Programming the car's information into the computer wasn't to much trouble. Computer!" Knives said some gibberish nobody could understand. There was a similar reply from the computer. The cargo bay door opened.
Priest drove outside, "What was that?"
"The alien's language. I've learned to speak it after working with the computers so long."
Vash had just buckled the cross punishment in. "I thought all the ships were shut down."
"They were. Somehow when the mother ship entered the solar system this thing activated. I haven't been able to receive a signal yet. Maybe once we get to the observatory I can find out why."
Roxanne was sitting in the back with her arms crossed. She still didn't trust knives.
* * * *
Priest drove through town. Cars weren't to common around here but nobody seemed to care. There was a large armored gate between Priest and the observatory. A guard with a machine gun walked over to the car, "Can I help you?"
"We were wondering if we could get the grand tour."
"This place if privately owned, I'm under orders not to let anyone enter."
"Owned? By who?"
"Octobra's Scientist League. They built this thing a while back and there have been several bomb attacks. We've been forced to beef up security."
"So we can't come in?"
"No."
Knives was drumming is fingers on the dash board, "I told you."
Priest tried to be tactful, "Thanks pal. Sorry to bother you." Priest put the car in reverse and drove off.
Priest got the car turned around, "Okay mister let's be nice to people. What are we supposed to do now?" Knives had a small computer on his lap, "This thing is linked to the ship's database. I can use it to run a scan of the area…" Knives waited. A map of the city appeared, "The building is abandoned. There are just fifty guards. I've seen Vash take out a lot more than that."
Vash had one hand over his eyes, "We're not killing anyone."
"The inside is deserted, that means once se jump the fence we're home free. We just don't trip the alarms. I can align the telescope in a hurry."
Priest was looking over Knives' shoulder, "Won't the guards notice when the telescope starts moving?"
"That's why I need you two stationed down stairs to stop the guards."
"I want to go upstairs." Roxanne had remained quiet during the conversation, "I don't want to turn my back on Knives."
Knives spun the cylinder of his gun, "Then stay outside, I don't care what you do, just don't get in my way."
* * * *
Vash stood against the armored gate. He was looking around, "Okay, we've got a second or two."
Roxanne stood ten feet away from him, "How sure are you?" Roxanne strapped her guns to her belt, "I'll haunt you if I die."
"Common, don't you trust me?" Vash knelt down and cupped his hands, "You're wasting time." Roxanne ran at Vash. She put her foot in Vash's cupped hands. Vash stood up and lifted his hands. Roxanne flew just over the wall. Vash heard a loud thud and Roxanne cursing on the other side.
Vash looked around again, "You're up Wolf, I mean Priest."
Priest set down his cross punishment. His half was eight foot long, that was way too large to strap to his belt, "Bring that thing when you come. Okay?"
"Sure, whatever. We only have a few seconds." Priest ran at Vash. He was a little heavier than Roxanne but Vash boosted him over the wall."
Knives stepped out of the shadows, "I can't believe you're breaking an entering."
"You know that black trench coat of yours will stand out on the sand."
"Shut up Vash. Your red coat can't hide in the shadows."
Vash crouched down, "Well?"
Knives picked up the cross punishment and threw it over the wall. There was a loud yelling from the other side. Priest had caught the cross punishment only inches from Roxanne's head, "Vash threw it!" Knives crouched down and jumped. He put his hand on the top of the wall and climbed over.
Vash groaned. "He's always showing off." Vash crouched and vaulted almost completely over the wall.
Vash landed beside Knives, "Okay, where to now?"
Knives was remembering the plans for the building he stole when he did a scan, "I chose this spot because there was a door inside just over there. The guards won't be here for another thirty minutes."
* * * *
The four climbed the flights of stairs, "Priest, you stay down here. When we move the telescope we'll need you to hold off the guards. Don't be a hero. When you think you're being overwhelmed come up here and seal off the way you came."
"I know the drill. We aren't burning bridges, are we?"
"No. We may need a way out."
Vash reached the top of the stairs, "Rox, stay here. If we have trouble you'll have to hold them off. We'll be done in a few minutes."
Roxanne was using her gun as a pointer, "Watch him. I don't trust your brother."
"Don't worry. I don't either."
* * * *
Vash and Knives were standing in the main control room, "From here we can align the telescope. I hooked my computer up to the ship. It'll tell the computer where to look. There's a problem though."
"What?"
There's no power source. This thing was shut down when it the OSL left it. We need a power source."
Vash knew what Knives was thinking, "Which one of use goes in?"
"This thing was salvaged from a Project Seed ship. It'll take either of us as a power source. The plug is on the next floor. I'll go."
Knives ran up a flight of stairs. He saw a small sized plug. It was nowhere near the size of the citywide plants. These things were designed so that the user could just put a plant inside then take them out when they were done. Using living creatures as power, it was barbaric. Knives was glad that he and Vash were the last of their kind. Knives took off his trench coat and stood with one foot on either side of the plug, "I used to sit in these things as a way to get away from life. This is where I was made to be. I guess it just feels right." Knives closed his eyes as the plug tightened around his legs and waist. He didn't put a bulb over himself. He had tried that once. It felt like a tomb. Without the glass it was a release of energy instead of having it siphoned off.
* * * *
Downstairs Vash sat at the computer, "I wish he hadn't stuck me with the computer." Vash barely knew the technology. He was typing in what Knives had told him to, "Coordinates, thirty two degrees west, twenty degrees north, sixty degrees skyward. That should do it."
Vash waited. He could hear the sound of the telescope moving around. Finally a picture appeared on the computer screen. Vash typed, "Clear radiation, outline image."
Vash could hear gunfire from below. A fight had already started. The interference in the picture cleared, "Swing seventy degrees right, twenty up." Another picture appeared on the screen, "Clear radiation, outline image." The gunfire was getting closer. Priest and Rox were standing together and shooting. It wouldn't be long. The image finally cleared, "One more. Swing ten degrees down, twenty-five left. Clear radiation, outline image."
The door to the room Vash was in broke open. Priest and Roxanne fell through, "We can't hold them off for long. They're coming!"
Vash kept typing, "Forward images to ship computer. There, finished!" Vash got up to help, "What happened?"
Priest was using Roxanne for support, "He's been shot. It's a leg wound. We have to get him out of here."
Priest was holding onto the cross punishment, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
Vash typed something on a computer console, "Swing downward, fifty degrees, right seventy two." Vash put Priest's arm over his shoulder, "Common. I've got a plan. The door to the telescope is this way. Rox, I need a favor."
"What's that?"
"Knives is in the room upstairs. He can't get out of the power plant by himself. You'll have to help him."
Roxanne ran upstairs before Vash could give any more instructions.
* * * *
Vash and Priest were standing in a giant room. The telescope was right in front of them, "There's a staircase leading up. We can use that to get onto the shaft."
"Are you insane?"
"Before we left I set it to point slightly downward. We can jump onto the roof of a nearby building if I set it right."
"What about Roxanne?"
"The room she's in connects to this one. Knives will know that and tell her where to go."
Vash and Priest climbed the staircase to the telescope, "Does the room lead directly to the telescope or will they have to use the stairs?"
"Directly."
Priest held up the cross punishment, "Well then, I can't let the guards follow us." Priest fired a missile from the cross punishment. The staircase was destroyed in the impact, "Let's just hope Rox figures it out."
* * * *
Rox closed the door behind her. The guards weren't far behind, "Knives, Vash told me to get you out of here." Roxanne had a sadistic look on her face.
Knives looked a little frightened, "Get me out of here! They'll kill me if they find me."
Roxanne was careful to stand out of Knives' arm reach, "How many have you killed?"
"How should I know? You think I kept count? Just get me out of here!"
Roxanne raised one of her guns, "Do you know how easy it would be for me to shoot you in the head and tell Vash I couldn't save you? It would be easier than what you did. Killing an entire city, you coward. You didn't have to look your victims in the eye before you destroyed them."
Knives looked around. The release switch was out of his reach, "You have to help me. I'm the only one who can stop the aliens."
"Vash can figure it out."
Knives laughed, "That simpering oaf? He couldn't find his way out of a light bulb."
"At the moment, neither can you. Give me one reason why I shouldn't leave you here to die?"
"If you expect me to beg for my life you're out of luck." Knives crossed his arms, "I will never beg to a human. Unlike my brother I am disgusted by the human race."
Roxanne walked around behind Knives, "Suit yourself. I think the exit is here."
Knives chucked to himself as Roxanne walked away, "I was wrong about you. You can turn on another in their time of need and leave them to die. You are better than human, you're not even going to feel guilty. You're just like me."
Roxanne turned around, "I am nothing like you."
"You're not looking into the eyes of the man you have condemned to death. Didn't you say I did that very same thing when I took the lives of everyone in your home town?" Knives heard two guns cock. He didn't even flinch. He had gotten inside Roxanne's head. She wasn't about to prove him right for anything. Roxanne fired on the control panel with the release switch. The moment she did the cylinder holding Knives' legs opened.
Knives jumped out of the way. He grabbed his gun and stood up. Knives found himself staring down the barrels of Roxanne's guns. Knives had managed to put his gun right in Roxanne's face, "Thank you for setting me free, now just put those things down."
"I have automatics, that's a revolver, you put it down."
Knives gave a narrow smile, "Automatic or revolver doesn't matter as long as a bullet hits the head."
"I can risk it, can you?"
"I suggest you run for the door. The guards aren't far behind us."
"Do you think I'm turning my back on you?"
"I'm not going first. You might shoot me in the back. You humans are after all, so fond of that technique."
Roxanne gritted her teeth, "Shut up. What do you have against humans anyway? You're human just like the rest of us."
"You just pulled me out of a light bulb and you haven't figured it out yet? I'm not human! Neither is Vash."
Roxanne opened the door and walked onto the telescope, "That son of a bitch. He angled the telescope down so we could walk across it."
"That's Vash for you. Always with a plan."
* * * *
Roxanne was at the end of the telescope. There was a building right below her. Vash and Priest were lying on the roof of a building, "Common down." Knives and Roxanne jumped down onto the roof. Roxanne breathed a sigh of relief.
Priest locked Roxanne's guns into the cross punishment. He pushed in part of the cross, the two arms of the cross folded back, "I told you this thing was a flame thrower." Priest aimed the long end of the cross punishment at the end of the telescope. He blew a puff of flame at the end of the telescope, "That should keep them from following us."
Knives laughed, "Don't worry. They'll probably blame Vash. They always do. Maybe we could shoot Vash in the head and use the money to repair this thing."
Vash laughed sarcastically, "Are you finished? We have to get back to the ship."
Priest folded the cross punishment back to its cross shape, "Okay, the only question is how we get down?"
* * * *
Priest parked the Mustang in the cargo bay of what Knives had called the grav ship, "Okay, so we got the pictures of the ships, now what?"
Knives was looking at the computer screen, "I thought so. Vash, these are unmanned scout ships. They are doing just what I thought they'd do. These aliens are concerned about safety. The first unmanned ship is going to come over this city. We have one week to get there." Knives pointed to a spot on a map that looked completely ridiculous because the entire planet was one giant desert, "Once we get there you, Vash, will have to use your gun to shoot it down." Knives got out of the car.
Vash's eyes widened, "What?" Vash also got out of the car.
The four started walking to the bridge, "That's right. What did you expect? You have the only weapon powerful enough to destroy a ship in orbit. After all, you did put a new crater in the fifth moon."
Priest hadn't thought about the fifth moon. "How did Vash do that anyway?"
"You'll see soon enough." Knives turned his attention back to Vash, "This is the only way. I was thinking that if the ships were manned I could use my angel arm but they're not. They would glance past my blast but you can stop the ship before they transmit."
Roxanne didn't understand what an angel arm was, "Why can't you just shoot it down from here?"
"No good." Vash was beginning to see the big picture, "There'd be no way to hit it exactly. You're dealing with some complicated trajectories. If we're at the place it would land if it moved straight, I'd have a much better chance of hitting it. The beam from an angel arm explosion isn't that far across."
"What's an angel arm?"
"It's difficult to explain. It's like focusing all the energy in my body into a single focused beam. The problem is it causes mass destruction." Knives licked his lips, "It's what reduced July and Augusta to ruin. Don't worry though, the point of impact is no where near a city. You can use the arm safely."
"What do you mean all the energy?" Roxanne was being a pest, "You said you weren't human. Does this have something to do with that?"
Vash blinked. A single tear rolled down his cheek, "It has everything to do with that. I'll tell you the story later. For the moment, set course for the first point of impact."
Everyone has memories, it is believed that memories make up reality, your soul is the memory you have collected. The fact is, when you die, memories are all you take with you. It is important to make them last. I remember a terrible evil from my past, a woman who saw humans as garbage. I remember those who I traveled with long ago. When the two memories meet which will I remember and which will I forget?
Blood Eye