Disclaimer: I dont own DBZ/GT or Hyperion by Dan Simmons
A/N : I apologize for the confusion that some of you suffered from my first chapter. The truth is, the book Hyperion took me two times through to actually understand everything, so I plan to trim down the details quite a bit. I don't want to be nearly that confusing....call it mysterious, I guess.... I plan to develop this world in some detail, however, and as I go along, hopefully all of you will get a better feel of everything.
Also, I got a question from one of my reviewers regarding including the other characters, and honestly, I don't know at this point if I will do that or not. I truly hate to leave them out and swamp you all with original characters, but we'll just have to see where this story goes. I have somewhat of a gameplan, but, you know....
** ... ** = thoughts
[ ... ] = AI speech
------ = time change, scene change, ect.
----------
The first thing Trunks noticed as he regained consciousness was that he was floating. The second thing he noticed was a searing pain in his arms and legs.
** Kami, I'm really busted up, ** he thought as he inspected the bandages covering much of his body ** But who helped me? **
He looked around, taking in his surroundings warily. He was inside some kind of pod, surrounded by various types of furniture that seemed to be clinging to the walls. He wasn't exerting any effort to stay afloat, which puzzled him - he could fly, of course, but this was something he was not controlling. It took him a few moments to realize he was weightless, floating in zero gravity.
** I must be out in space - this is just great....**
Trunks cut off his thoughts as two strange looking creatures entered the pod. They almost looked human, but their bodies and appendages were quite elongated. One had a long mowhawk of red hair on his head, but the other was completely bald. Trunks had never seen anything like them.
"Ah, glad to see you're awake, " the bald creature commented softly.
"Yeah, wow....I um....I have no idea what's going on here," Trunks said, utterly shocked.
"Neither do we," the red-haired one said, "It's not everyday we find a Web human floating around on an asteroid."
"What?"
Trunks looked at the two creatures apprehensively. He had no idea where he was, how he got there, or what to do now. These people seemed nice enough, but he really didn't know what to think.
"I'm really sorry," Trunks said carefully, "But something very weird is going on. The last thing I rememeber was sitting in my living room with my mate, watching a movie. Clearly, I am not there now." Trunks reached his hand to his bonding scar at the thought of Pan, and was shocked to feel that it wasn't there. His mind ordered him to panic - he needed his mental bond with Pan. However, he did know a little bit about Saiya-jin bonding, and if Pan had died, he would be in utter emotional anguish at the loss of this bond. Instead it was just - gone. It simply fuled his confusion further.
The bald creature looked at Trunks questioningly as he thought. Then, when it appeared that Trunks had returned his attention to the matter at hand, he spoke.
"I can tell you are confused," the bald man said, "You are currently in an Ouster colony."
"Ouster? Kami, I'm confused....you called me a Web human too...what's that?"
"You mean you don't know?"
"No, like I said, I have no idea what the hell is going on."
"It's weird that you say you don't know what Ousters are, but I'm pretty damn shocked you don't know what the Web is," The red haired creature commented. The bald one shook his head at his companion's lack of formality, but kept quiet.
"We, as you may have guessed, are Ousters," The red haired man continued, grinning, "My name is Raz, and my bald counterpart here is Weiru. We are human beings, though you may not believe it, but we have chosen to adapt ourselves to life in zero-gravity. The Web is what the rest of the human race calls its home. It is a large grouping of planets connected by a system of portals known as farcasters."
"Ok....this still doesn't make any sense. Um, my name is Trunks, by the way. But anyway, the last time I heard, the human race only made its home on one planet - Earth."
The two Ousters looked at each other for a moment, and then Weiru spoke.
"This is truly confusing - the Earth has been gone for three hundred years."
"WHAT???"
"Yes, it was destroyed by a large black hole that was accidentally placed in its core three hundred years ago. The exodus of the human race after the accident eventually resulted in the creation of the Web. We Ousters went a different route and chose to live between the stars, without the luxury of the farcasters."
"HOW is this possible? I know for a fact that the Earth was there an hour ago."
"Maybe you hit your head on that asteroid," Raz said with a wry smile.
Weiru rolled his eyes at Raz, wishing the younger man would just keep quiet. Trunks just shook his head.
"All I know is, one minute everything was normal, and the next I was struggling to breathe and being burnt to a crisp. Then, after that, I hit the ground hard and passed out."
"Wow...do you know why you couldn't breathe?" Raz said.
"No, but I really thought I was going to die, and now I'm here in this weird place, hurting like hell, with no way to get back." Trunks could hear the dispair in his own voice, but he couldn't force it down.
"Don't worry, perhaps with time this will work itself out," Weiru said kindly, "In the meantime, you have been unconscious for many hours, and I imagine you're quite hungry. Would you like to join us for dinner?"
"Yeah, actually I would." Trunks knew that food was probably the only thing that could cure his sour mood at the moment.
"Before we leave, though, can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Weiru said.
"Why did your people choose to live out in space, rather than with the rest of the humans in the Web?"
Weiru sighed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"It is truly odd to hear such a question from someone who looks like a Web human. They resent us for what we are, and many problems have occured because we shun the ways of the Web."
Trunks furrowed his brow in confusion, and Raz continued for Weiru.
"You see, the people that live in the Web depend upon something called the Technocore for almost everything. I'm assuming you know zilch about that too?"
"Not a damn thing."
"Well, the Technocore is another race that inhabits this galaxy, but they are not like us at all. They began as computers, many centuries ago, meant simply for calculating and organizing. However, as time passed, the intelligence of these creations rose, and they eventually became sentient, just like us. Thus, the Technocore was born. It's made up of millions of artificial intelligences, or AIs, and they control almost everything in the Web, from the spaceships they fly to the restaurants they eat in."
"And the farcasters," Trunks said.
"Yeah. We Ousters don't really agree with the views of the Technocore - it's kind of a control issue really. We don't want them trying to run our lives. Many Ousters believe the AIs to be quite corrupt in their dealings with the Web humans, and we feel safer isolating ourselves from them. It is a much simpler way of life, in a way, since we don't have computers doing most of our thinking, but we're happy about it, for the most part."
Trunks shook his head in amazment at what he had just been told. He had no idea how any of this could be true, but he was going to find out. In the meantime, however, he needed to eat.
"How about that food you mentioned?" He said, smiling.
"Of course, follow us," Weiru said, and floated through an opening in the side of the pod.
Trunks blinked as he considered life in zero-gravity. It wasn't really that special anymore that he could fly, because basically, EVERYONE could. He sighed and tried to propel himself forward by kicking off the side of the pod, but ended up careening into the wall several feet away from the exit.
Raz laughed heartily and floated up next to him.
"You'll get used to moving in zero-g, don't worry. But until then, it sure is gonna be funny to watch you!"
"I think I'll try something else here..." Trunks mumbled as he shoved himself away from the wall. Then, utilizing his ability to fly, he neatly propelled himself through the pod's exit.
"Wow, that was impressive," Raz said.
"Yeah, I'm good." Trunks said with a triumphant smile.
"Right," the red haired man said with a chuckle, "Well, you'd better stay close to me for now. This is a really big place."
Trunks shrugged and followed the tall man down a long corridor - how big could a colony floating in space be, anyway?
Trunks gasped as they exited the corridor. Spread before him was the largest room he had ever laid eyes on. No, it wasn't a room, it was an entire WORLD. All around Trunks, enormous trees, vines, and various other huge plants twined towards the heavens, creating a ceiling and walls stretching hundreds of miles high. It was as if the plants themselves had grown together to create a protective bubble around the colony. Buildings hung from the plants, working their way inward as far as the eye could see. Trunks was absolutely in awe of the spectacle.
"This....this is amazing," he gasped. Raz beamed with pride.
"I thought you might like it. This colony is one of our largest - it's taken two centuries to cultivate."
"You mean...you GREW this?"
"Yep, it's what we call a biosphere. It orbits a star, giving the plants life."
Trunks stared at the tall man with renewed admiration. Then he blinked as he noticed several large blimp-like objects floating around in the plants above.
"What are those things?" he asked, pointing upward.
"Ah, those are the Zephryn - they help us take care of the plants. They're really neat - I'll make sure you get the chance to talk to one later."
"Talk?"
"Yeah, they have some really funny stories."
Raz grinned and floated out into the biosphere. Trunks just shook his head and followed, gaping at his surroundings.
** THIS is SO fucked up, ** Trunks thought wearily.
--------
Pan growled in frustration at the silver-haired man in front of her. He was being very evasive about her questions, and it was driving her up the wall.
"If you freaks can tell the future so well, why can't you tell me about this damn pilgrimage?" Pan said angrily.
"I apologize for this gap in our information," Arnem said, "We plan to have it all ready for you soon."
"Right, whatever. Tell me about the weirdo church sponsoring it then - surely you're not dumb enough for that."
"Ah yes, the Shrike Church. Perhaps you should know a little about this odd religion."
"Perhaps I should," Pan said dryly.
"It is a very dark religion, always preaching the apocalypse. They prefer to be called the Church of the Final Atonement, but most people just name them after the Shrike."
"Yeah, what is this Shrike anyway?"
"It is a mythological creature said to reside on the planet Hyperion. The Church worships it reverently, and that is why the pilgrimage is sent there every ten years. The existence of the creature has never been confirmed, but it is said to be quite horrendous."
"And you want me to go on a pilgrimage to see this thing?? Yeah right!"
"We are fairly certain that it does not exist at all, though we have not been able to explain the disappearance of the last set of pilgrims sent to Hyperion."
"What? Ok, you're trying to CONVINCE me to do this, right?"
Arnem chuckled.
"Yes, we realize it does not sound too appealing, but we can assure you, every measure will be taken in case this creature decides to make an appearance."
"I still don't get the POINT of all of this. What the hell is so special about Hyperion?"
"Hyperion is a true enigma for the Technocore - it has interfered in more of our predictions than we would like to admit. However, this time, our Intelligence is demanding that we get you there somehow. The pilgrimage is the best way to do it."
"Ok, but couldn't you just plop me onto a spaceship or send me through one of your dumb farcasters or something? It sounds a lot easier than this stupid pilgrimage for a religion I wouldn't even think about believing in."
"Unfortunately, it is not simple to send someone to Hyperion. It is not part of the Web, so it has no farcaster terminals, and sending you on a common transport is impossible because there is threat of an Ouster attack in that area."
"Ok, so now you're saying you want to send me on a pilgrimage with no point, to a planet with a big nasty monster living on it, that's about to be invaded by some crazy aliens???"
"Well, the Ousters aren't exactly aliens, just a mutated form of humans."
"I don't give a shit WHAT they are - I'm NOT getting shipped into a war zone!"
"It's ok - the pilgrimage has been promised safe passage, so you will be in no danger. I swear it on my life."
"You shouldn't make that swear with me."
"I'm well aware of your power, believe me. I have a feeling your stregnth and fighing spirit had much to do with the calculations that were made."
"Right, whatever. I don't like any of this shit at all. I really don't want all of exitence to be wiped out, but this is just too much for me at the moment."
"Yes, I understand that this is all quite overwhelming. In lieu of that, I have spoken to my superiors, and they have agreed to let you venture out into the Web for a few days of relaxation."
"That doesn't really sound that relaxing."
"It can be - we have a universal card for you that will allow for unlimited farcaster access, as well as unlimited credits to buy all the food you could want."
"Now, THAT sounds relaxing," Pan said, smiling.
"I thought you might like this idea. We've arranged for you to be be fitted with an implant that will allow you to access the datumplane for information any time you may need it -"
"Woah, wait a minute...an implant? As in impanting something INTO me?"
"Yes, but I can assure you, it's quite painless and harmless."
"Um, ok...and, can I have it removed any time I want?"
"Of course."
"Well, ok then. So...when do I start on my little tour of the web?"
"First thing tomorrow. We will insert the implant tonight while you sleep, and then you will be free to go wherever you please when you wake up."
Pan sighed and nodded her head. It sounded like it could be fun, but she was still slightly apprehensive about the whole implant thing. She did like the idea of being able to access the datumplane for information, however.
"Ok," She said finally, "This will work. I'm tired though - I think I want to go to bed."
"Very well," Arnem said with a smile, "We have set up a very comfortable living area for you."
"Great."
Pan followed Arnem into the 'room' the Technocore had created for her. The whole sense of falseness she was getting from the place was starting to fray her nerves, but she desperately needed sleep, and this would just have to do. She was still very pissed off about everything, but she hoped that her trip to the Web would give her some more answers. She was quite tired of getting the short end of the stick, and she was somewhat confused as to why she wasn't demanding to be sent home.
Pan sighed - it was because of the threat they had mentioned. She just couldn't take the chance with it. She had to be responsible.
--------
If the Organic Entity could have sighed, it would have. It had no control over the situation anymore, and had barely managed to pull the man, Trunks was his name, out of his own time period before the other Artificial Entity had claimed him. It had been a violent battle for control, and all had nearly been lost.
The Organic Entity had very little control over the matter, and it was infuriating - it's counterpart, the one it had warred with for possession of Trunks, had its blasted Technocore to dictate it's whims to. The Organic Entity had no such luck. Everything from here on out would be left up to chance. It could only hope that Trunks would be able to figure things out on his own. There was no way for the Organic Entity to speak to him. He had purposely placed him in the position to be saved by the Ousters, but if Trunks failed grasp the situation, all would be lost.
The Organic Entity knew that the Technocore was furious - it had ruined their calculations and sent their variables spiraling out of control. This was the only satisfaction it could gain from the whole mess. They still had the upper hand in the matter, but at least the Organic Entity had won a small battle against the artificial world.
--------
A/N: Still confused? Man, I hope not, at least not TOO much....anyway, later folks! I'll try to have the next chapter out in a few days.
Also, thanks so much to the folks who reviewed chapter 1 :
lija and Go10
THANKS!!!!
A/N : I apologize for the confusion that some of you suffered from my first chapter. The truth is, the book Hyperion took me two times through to actually understand everything, so I plan to trim down the details quite a bit. I don't want to be nearly that confusing....call it mysterious, I guess.... I plan to develop this world in some detail, however, and as I go along, hopefully all of you will get a better feel of everything.
Also, I got a question from one of my reviewers regarding including the other characters, and honestly, I don't know at this point if I will do that or not. I truly hate to leave them out and swamp you all with original characters, but we'll just have to see where this story goes. I have somewhat of a gameplan, but, you know....
** ... ** = thoughts
[ ... ] = AI speech
------ = time change, scene change, ect.
----------
The first thing Trunks noticed as he regained consciousness was that he was floating. The second thing he noticed was a searing pain in his arms and legs.
** Kami, I'm really busted up, ** he thought as he inspected the bandages covering much of his body ** But who helped me? **
He looked around, taking in his surroundings warily. He was inside some kind of pod, surrounded by various types of furniture that seemed to be clinging to the walls. He wasn't exerting any effort to stay afloat, which puzzled him - he could fly, of course, but this was something he was not controlling. It took him a few moments to realize he was weightless, floating in zero gravity.
** I must be out in space - this is just great....**
Trunks cut off his thoughts as two strange looking creatures entered the pod. They almost looked human, but their bodies and appendages were quite elongated. One had a long mowhawk of red hair on his head, but the other was completely bald. Trunks had never seen anything like them.
"Ah, glad to see you're awake, " the bald creature commented softly.
"Yeah, wow....I um....I have no idea what's going on here," Trunks said, utterly shocked.
"Neither do we," the red-haired one said, "It's not everyday we find a Web human floating around on an asteroid."
"What?"
Trunks looked at the two creatures apprehensively. He had no idea where he was, how he got there, or what to do now. These people seemed nice enough, but he really didn't know what to think.
"I'm really sorry," Trunks said carefully, "But something very weird is going on. The last thing I rememeber was sitting in my living room with my mate, watching a movie. Clearly, I am not there now." Trunks reached his hand to his bonding scar at the thought of Pan, and was shocked to feel that it wasn't there. His mind ordered him to panic - he needed his mental bond with Pan. However, he did know a little bit about Saiya-jin bonding, and if Pan had died, he would be in utter emotional anguish at the loss of this bond. Instead it was just - gone. It simply fuled his confusion further.
The bald creature looked at Trunks questioningly as he thought. Then, when it appeared that Trunks had returned his attention to the matter at hand, he spoke.
"I can tell you are confused," the bald man said, "You are currently in an Ouster colony."
"Ouster? Kami, I'm confused....you called me a Web human too...what's that?"
"You mean you don't know?"
"No, like I said, I have no idea what the hell is going on."
"It's weird that you say you don't know what Ousters are, but I'm pretty damn shocked you don't know what the Web is," The red haired creature commented. The bald one shook his head at his companion's lack of formality, but kept quiet.
"We, as you may have guessed, are Ousters," The red haired man continued, grinning, "My name is Raz, and my bald counterpart here is Weiru. We are human beings, though you may not believe it, but we have chosen to adapt ourselves to life in zero-gravity. The Web is what the rest of the human race calls its home. It is a large grouping of planets connected by a system of portals known as farcasters."
"Ok....this still doesn't make any sense. Um, my name is Trunks, by the way. But anyway, the last time I heard, the human race only made its home on one planet - Earth."
The two Ousters looked at each other for a moment, and then Weiru spoke.
"This is truly confusing - the Earth has been gone for three hundred years."
"WHAT???"
"Yes, it was destroyed by a large black hole that was accidentally placed in its core three hundred years ago. The exodus of the human race after the accident eventually resulted in the creation of the Web. We Ousters went a different route and chose to live between the stars, without the luxury of the farcasters."
"HOW is this possible? I know for a fact that the Earth was there an hour ago."
"Maybe you hit your head on that asteroid," Raz said with a wry smile.
Weiru rolled his eyes at Raz, wishing the younger man would just keep quiet. Trunks just shook his head.
"All I know is, one minute everything was normal, and the next I was struggling to breathe and being burnt to a crisp. Then, after that, I hit the ground hard and passed out."
"Wow...do you know why you couldn't breathe?" Raz said.
"No, but I really thought I was going to die, and now I'm here in this weird place, hurting like hell, with no way to get back." Trunks could hear the dispair in his own voice, but he couldn't force it down.
"Don't worry, perhaps with time this will work itself out," Weiru said kindly, "In the meantime, you have been unconscious for many hours, and I imagine you're quite hungry. Would you like to join us for dinner?"
"Yeah, actually I would." Trunks knew that food was probably the only thing that could cure his sour mood at the moment.
"Before we leave, though, can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Weiru said.
"Why did your people choose to live out in space, rather than with the rest of the humans in the Web?"
Weiru sighed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"It is truly odd to hear such a question from someone who looks like a Web human. They resent us for what we are, and many problems have occured because we shun the ways of the Web."
Trunks furrowed his brow in confusion, and Raz continued for Weiru.
"You see, the people that live in the Web depend upon something called the Technocore for almost everything. I'm assuming you know zilch about that too?"
"Not a damn thing."
"Well, the Technocore is another race that inhabits this galaxy, but they are not like us at all. They began as computers, many centuries ago, meant simply for calculating and organizing. However, as time passed, the intelligence of these creations rose, and they eventually became sentient, just like us. Thus, the Technocore was born. It's made up of millions of artificial intelligences, or AIs, and they control almost everything in the Web, from the spaceships they fly to the restaurants they eat in."
"And the farcasters," Trunks said.
"Yeah. We Ousters don't really agree with the views of the Technocore - it's kind of a control issue really. We don't want them trying to run our lives. Many Ousters believe the AIs to be quite corrupt in their dealings with the Web humans, and we feel safer isolating ourselves from them. It is a much simpler way of life, in a way, since we don't have computers doing most of our thinking, but we're happy about it, for the most part."
Trunks shook his head in amazment at what he had just been told. He had no idea how any of this could be true, but he was going to find out. In the meantime, however, he needed to eat.
"How about that food you mentioned?" He said, smiling.
"Of course, follow us," Weiru said, and floated through an opening in the side of the pod.
Trunks blinked as he considered life in zero-gravity. It wasn't really that special anymore that he could fly, because basically, EVERYONE could. He sighed and tried to propel himself forward by kicking off the side of the pod, but ended up careening into the wall several feet away from the exit.
Raz laughed heartily and floated up next to him.
"You'll get used to moving in zero-g, don't worry. But until then, it sure is gonna be funny to watch you!"
"I think I'll try something else here..." Trunks mumbled as he shoved himself away from the wall. Then, utilizing his ability to fly, he neatly propelled himself through the pod's exit.
"Wow, that was impressive," Raz said.
"Yeah, I'm good." Trunks said with a triumphant smile.
"Right," the red haired man said with a chuckle, "Well, you'd better stay close to me for now. This is a really big place."
Trunks shrugged and followed the tall man down a long corridor - how big could a colony floating in space be, anyway?
Trunks gasped as they exited the corridor. Spread before him was the largest room he had ever laid eyes on. No, it wasn't a room, it was an entire WORLD. All around Trunks, enormous trees, vines, and various other huge plants twined towards the heavens, creating a ceiling and walls stretching hundreds of miles high. It was as if the plants themselves had grown together to create a protective bubble around the colony. Buildings hung from the plants, working their way inward as far as the eye could see. Trunks was absolutely in awe of the spectacle.
"This....this is amazing," he gasped. Raz beamed with pride.
"I thought you might like it. This colony is one of our largest - it's taken two centuries to cultivate."
"You mean...you GREW this?"
"Yep, it's what we call a biosphere. It orbits a star, giving the plants life."
Trunks stared at the tall man with renewed admiration. Then he blinked as he noticed several large blimp-like objects floating around in the plants above.
"What are those things?" he asked, pointing upward.
"Ah, those are the Zephryn - they help us take care of the plants. They're really neat - I'll make sure you get the chance to talk to one later."
"Talk?"
"Yeah, they have some really funny stories."
Raz grinned and floated out into the biosphere. Trunks just shook his head and followed, gaping at his surroundings.
** THIS is SO fucked up, ** Trunks thought wearily.
--------
Pan growled in frustration at the silver-haired man in front of her. He was being very evasive about her questions, and it was driving her up the wall.
"If you freaks can tell the future so well, why can't you tell me about this damn pilgrimage?" Pan said angrily.
"I apologize for this gap in our information," Arnem said, "We plan to have it all ready for you soon."
"Right, whatever. Tell me about the weirdo church sponsoring it then - surely you're not dumb enough for that."
"Ah yes, the Shrike Church. Perhaps you should know a little about this odd religion."
"Perhaps I should," Pan said dryly.
"It is a very dark religion, always preaching the apocalypse. They prefer to be called the Church of the Final Atonement, but most people just name them after the Shrike."
"Yeah, what is this Shrike anyway?"
"It is a mythological creature said to reside on the planet Hyperion. The Church worships it reverently, and that is why the pilgrimage is sent there every ten years. The existence of the creature has never been confirmed, but it is said to be quite horrendous."
"And you want me to go on a pilgrimage to see this thing?? Yeah right!"
"We are fairly certain that it does not exist at all, though we have not been able to explain the disappearance of the last set of pilgrims sent to Hyperion."
"What? Ok, you're trying to CONVINCE me to do this, right?"
Arnem chuckled.
"Yes, we realize it does not sound too appealing, but we can assure you, every measure will be taken in case this creature decides to make an appearance."
"I still don't get the POINT of all of this. What the hell is so special about Hyperion?"
"Hyperion is a true enigma for the Technocore - it has interfered in more of our predictions than we would like to admit. However, this time, our Intelligence is demanding that we get you there somehow. The pilgrimage is the best way to do it."
"Ok, but couldn't you just plop me onto a spaceship or send me through one of your dumb farcasters or something? It sounds a lot easier than this stupid pilgrimage for a religion I wouldn't even think about believing in."
"Unfortunately, it is not simple to send someone to Hyperion. It is not part of the Web, so it has no farcaster terminals, and sending you on a common transport is impossible because there is threat of an Ouster attack in that area."
"Ok, so now you're saying you want to send me on a pilgrimage with no point, to a planet with a big nasty monster living on it, that's about to be invaded by some crazy aliens???"
"Well, the Ousters aren't exactly aliens, just a mutated form of humans."
"I don't give a shit WHAT they are - I'm NOT getting shipped into a war zone!"
"It's ok - the pilgrimage has been promised safe passage, so you will be in no danger. I swear it on my life."
"You shouldn't make that swear with me."
"I'm well aware of your power, believe me. I have a feeling your stregnth and fighing spirit had much to do with the calculations that were made."
"Right, whatever. I don't like any of this shit at all. I really don't want all of exitence to be wiped out, but this is just too much for me at the moment."
"Yes, I understand that this is all quite overwhelming. In lieu of that, I have spoken to my superiors, and they have agreed to let you venture out into the Web for a few days of relaxation."
"That doesn't really sound that relaxing."
"It can be - we have a universal card for you that will allow for unlimited farcaster access, as well as unlimited credits to buy all the food you could want."
"Now, THAT sounds relaxing," Pan said, smiling.
"I thought you might like this idea. We've arranged for you to be be fitted with an implant that will allow you to access the datumplane for information any time you may need it -"
"Woah, wait a minute...an implant? As in impanting something INTO me?"
"Yes, but I can assure you, it's quite painless and harmless."
"Um, ok...and, can I have it removed any time I want?"
"Of course."
"Well, ok then. So...when do I start on my little tour of the web?"
"First thing tomorrow. We will insert the implant tonight while you sleep, and then you will be free to go wherever you please when you wake up."
Pan sighed and nodded her head. It sounded like it could be fun, but she was still slightly apprehensive about the whole implant thing. She did like the idea of being able to access the datumplane for information, however.
"Ok," She said finally, "This will work. I'm tired though - I think I want to go to bed."
"Very well," Arnem said with a smile, "We have set up a very comfortable living area for you."
"Great."
Pan followed Arnem into the 'room' the Technocore had created for her. The whole sense of falseness she was getting from the place was starting to fray her nerves, but she desperately needed sleep, and this would just have to do. She was still very pissed off about everything, but she hoped that her trip to the Web would give her some more answers. She was quite tired of getting the short end of the stick, and she was somewhat confused as to why she wasn't demanding to be sent home.
Pan sighed - it was because of the threat they had mentioned. She just couldn't take the chance with it. She had to be responsible.
--------
If the Organic Entity could have sighed, it would have. It had no control over the situation anymore, and had barely managed to pull the man, Trunks was his name, out of his own time period before the other Artificial Entity had claimed him. It had been a violent battle for control, and all had nearly been lost.
The Organic Entity had very little control over the matter, and it was infuriating - it's counterpart, the one it had warred with for possession of Trunks, had its blasted Technocore to dictate it's whims to. The Organic Entity had no such luck. Everything from here on out would be left up to chance. It could only hope that Trunks would be able to figure things out on his own. There was no way for the Organic Entity to speak to him. He had purposely placed him in the position to be saved by the Ousters, but if Trunks failed grasp the situation, all would be lost.
The Organic Entity knew that the Technocore was furious - it had ruined their calculations and sent their variables spiraling out of control. This was the only satisfaction it could gain from the whole mess. They still had the upper hand in the matter, but at least the Organic Entity had won a small battle against the artificial world.
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A/N: Still confused? Man, I hope not, at least not TOO much....anyway, later folks! I'll try to have the next chapter out in a few days.
Also, thanks so much to the folks who reviewed chapter 1 :
lija and Go10
THANKS!!!!