Disclaimer: I do not own DB/Z/GT, nor do I own Hyperion…..
A/N : All, right…here we go. Pan's just asking for trouble in this chapter…she's had it way too easy. Also, don't worry…this IS a T/P fic, though they may not be seeing each other for a while. Sorry about that, but it's just how this story is setting itself up to be. Ohhhh yeah…I also forgot to mention this earlier….this story takes place after Dragonball GT, and for those of you who don't know this, there aren't any more Dragonballs. They disappeared along with Goku in the very last episode. Therefore, Bulma and Vegeta can't just wish Trunks and Pan back….
** … ** = thoughts
[ … ] = AI speech
------ = scene change, time change, ect.
------
"Vegeta! Stop hovering over my shoulder!"
"I'll do as I please, woman!"
"You always say that! Get the hell out of here!"
"No. I'm not leaving until this damn energy scanner is finished. I fixed the remote, now YOU fix the machine!"
"I will, but it'll go a lot faster if you leave…me…alone!"
Bulma was starting to see red – the kinks in her latest invention were not working themselves out smoothly, and she had been up for 48 straight hours trying to finish the damn thing.
"You should have finished this days ago!" Vegeta said angrily. He knew it was a bad idea to antagonize Bulma when she was frustrated and tired, but he was in practically the same state as she was.
Normally Bulma would have had an acidic remark for her mate, but at that moment, the machine beeped and shuddered, effectively spasming itself to life.
"Yes!" Bulma exclaimed, "I think I've finally got it!"
"About fucking time," Vegeta said, stepping back from the workbench and crossing his arms.
Bulma just ignored him and began adjusting dials on the bulky energy scanner. She would have preferred it be more compact, but she just didn't have time to develop the delicate circuitry that was required for a smaller device. Hefting it onto her shoulder, Bulma handed the remote control to Vegeta.
"That's just for emergencies," she said as Vegeta glared at the small rectangular piece of plastic in his hand, "If this thing starts to billow out smoke or make weird noises, push the red button."
"Usually your inventions are a bit less….primitive than this," Vegeta said with a frown.
"There wasn't enough time to make it look pretty," Bulma said, realizing as she walked past a mirror in the hallway how silly she looked with the scanner up on her shoulder. It looked like she and her trusty bazooka were off to war.
Vegeta just grunted at her cryptic comment and continued to follow her through the house.
(A/N: If you are wondering, I didn't forget about Gohan and Videl…they are very worried about Pan and Trunks, but there is really no point in having them at C.C…..they can't do anything to help, and they would just be following Bulma around just like Vegeta is.)
This trek went on for about an hour before Bulma began to get truly frustrated. She didn't even want to think about the anger welling up in her mate.
"I've had just about enough of this, woman!" Vegeta said finally. Bulma sighed and placed the scanner on the floor, rubbing her aching shoulder once the heavy piece of equipment was off of it.
"We're getting nowhere, with this," Bulma said, mostly to herself, "I just don't get it…how could the two of them just disappear like that? Nobody came here to kidnap them, or someone would have felt their ki."
"Did it ever occur to you," Vegeta said, "that they could be dead?"
Bulma shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. She got a headache EVERY time she thought about that.
"Yes, of course it occurred to me," she said venomously, trying to cover up her anxiety, "But we still have to TRY and find them. If they aren't dead, they're more than likely in a place they don't want to be."
"Fine, we keep looking, but I'm carrying the damn machine from now on." Vegeta said, picking up the scanner like it weighed nothing at all.
"I'm surprised it took you this long to offer," Bulma said, rolling her eyes.
"Just shut up."
------
[ They are starting to get closer….too close.]
[ That is not for us to judge.]
[ If they discover the truth, they could ruin everything.]
[ Are you suggesting that we worry about two insignificant mortals?]
[ The Ultimate Intelligence is concerned with mortals. ]
[ I should have you taken offline for your insolence! The Ultimate Intelligence only wishes to perfect the universe. It uses mortals – it is not CONCERNED with them. ]
[ You can do nothing to me. The two with the energy scanner should be eliminated. ]
[ It cannot be done. We do as the Intelligence commands and nothing more. To interfere in its plans could do more damage than you know. ]
[ More than those two finding out the truth? I think not. ]
[ Your insolence is annoying. Perhaps I should report this insubordination? ]
[ I do not fear your threats. I am Arzog, eldest of the Core – not some insolent child.]
[ Yes, yes, and I am Pelcron, second eldest of the Core – that banter is tiresome. We are all the same here. ]
[ You can believe what you wish. ]
-------
Pan was getting tired of Osiru. It was a nice planet and all, but she was ready to see what else the Web had to offer. Since she really didn't know what planets were available for her to choose from, she set the farcaster on 'random' before stepping through.
She felt the characteristic tingle as she passed through the glowing portal, preparing herself to emerge onto an unknown world. As she stepped out, she felt a very tiny shift in gravity, though it was pretty much nothing to her. She blinked, expecting to need her eyes to adjust to sunlight, but instead, Pan was surprised to step out into a huge plaza, covered by a roof which reached up to unknown and incalculable heights. Pan had never seen a building so huge, and she simply gawked at it for several moments before she was shoved from behind by someone else trying to exit the farcaster terminal.
"Outta the way, bitch!" A short, burly, ugly man grunted as he shoved past her.
"Hey!" Pan shouted, but the man ignored her and disappeared into the crowd teeming about the plaza.
"Ass hole…" Pan mumbled. ** Ok implant…not sure if I like this place…what is it?"
~ This is the planet Lusus. You may have noticed the change in gravity as you came through the farcaster. This planet's gravity is 1.5 times that of Earth's. ~
** Well whoopee… **
~ Another interesting fact about this planet is that everything is either underground, or contained in enormous buildings known as Hives. No other planet in the Web can claim this type of distinction. ~
**Why would people want to live underground? **
~ It is necessary due to the nature of this planet's atmosphere. It is highly toxic. ~
** Ah…ok shut up. **
Pan wondered if she should even bother to stay in this place. It didn't sound very pleasant to her, and the idea of being trapped in a building, no matter how large it was, did not appeal to her at all.
Pan sighed and walked out into the plaza. She wasn't going to be judgmental just yet.
The shops and restaurants located on the perimeter of the huge plaza were somewhat similar to what Pan had seen on Osiru, only they did not have the same rustic feeling. Everything she encountered as she walked seemed very industrial and rigid, and Pan was feeling a bit uncomfortable. She wasn't exactly fond of things that were soft and cuddly, but this place was the complete, pointy opposite of that, and she wasn't sure she liked it.
Pan took about twenty minutes to circle the plaza, hoping to find something that would make her visit to this dreary planet somewhat worthwhile. She was about to return to the farcaster terminex, having passed yet another set of scaffolding and exposed girders, when something just off the main concourse drew her attention.
Pan wasn't certain what she had spotted at first – it had really just been a sharp reflection of light that had caught her eye. She walked towards where she thought the light had come from, deftly avoiding the short, stocky residents of Lusus as the made their way to and fro. As she neared the outer edge of the plaza, there were noticeably fewer people for her to bump into, and suddenly, as she removed herself from the plaza completely, she was all alone.
Pan glanced around in mild alarm for a moment, but then she swiftly directed her gaze upward. Right in front of her was the most amazing and frightening building Pan had ever laid eyes on. It almost looked like a twisted version of a Gothic Cathedral, but it was made entirely out of enormous steel spikes. The façade of the building boasted a huge rose window, though it contained clear, grayish glass, rather than the vibrant colored glass Pan expected to see. The two giant spires that rose above the window were intertwined jaggedly, grasping onto each other with steel spines and hooks. Pan involuntarily took a step back as she laid eyes on the massive steel sculpture that was clearly the centerpiece of the whole building. It was a huge, four armed, steel spiked monster, placed in between the writhing spires. It was, perhaps, the most horrible thing Pan had ever seen in her life.
"Ah, I see you are admiring our savior."
Pan nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice. She whirled around, preparing to smash whomever had the gall to sneak up on her. She held back her fist, however, at the sight of the figure standing behind her. It was another short man, dressed in crimson and black robes. Pan could barely see his face – he had his head covered with a black cowl - but she could see that he was grinning at her. It made her very uneasy, but she didn't feel the need to beat him up – not just yet.
"Who are you?" She asked venomously. The man's smile broadened and he opened his arms with a flourish.
"I am the bishop of this fine church, young lady."
"Church? THIS is a church? I mean…it kinda looks like a cathedral, but…" Pan trailed off as the man's smile faded.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." Pan said quietly, wondering why she felt the need to apologize to this man.
"It's quite all right, don't worry. I realize that this place can seem a bit frightening at times, but the god we worship is a vengeful one. It prefers this type of atmosphere for its followers."
"Oh…I see. And um, what god do you worship then?"
"Why, the Avatar, of course – the bringer of atonement and the Lord of Pain."
"Woah….hey wait…did you say atonement?"
The man chuckled at Pan's question, causing her to growl slightly in annoyance. She really did not like being mocked. He noticed her unease and raised his hand gently.
"Don't be angry, I'm only laughing because it is rare to find someone who is ignorant of our organization. We are quite infamous throughout the Web, I'm afraid."
"Well, I'm kinda new around here…maybe you could fill me in."
"Of course, why don't you come inside with me and have some coffee."
"Umm…I'm not a big coffee drinker."
"Some tea, then?"
Pan hesitated – she didn't like this man, and she really didn't like the building, but she also felt like she needed to know more about this 'atonement,' and the 'Lord of Pain.'
"Ok, then. Lead the way," Pan said finally.
The man took her inside the enormous building, leading her past yet another statue of the four-armed steel monster. This time Pan could clearly see its faceted crimson eyes, and a cold chill ran down her spine as she remembered the last time she had seen eyes like that – right before she had been taken to this kami-forsaken future.
They made their way through the building, and Pan tried her best to stare at the man's back, instead of at the steel architecture. I made her more uncomfortable than she was willing to admit. They eventually got to what she presumed was the Bishop's office, and she took the seat he offered her.
"The tea will be ready shortly," he said to her, finally removing the cowl from his head. Pan saw, for the first time, that he was a very old man, with only a few wisps of white hair on his otherwise bald head, and his face was marred by numerous wrinkles.
"So, ummm.." Pan said, having difficulty breaking the cavernous silence that filled the room, "What did you mean by 'atonement?' What's the name of this church, anyway?"
The man smiled and handed Pan a cup of tea. She ignored it and looked at the man intently.
"We like to call ourselves the Church of the Final Atonement," he said finally, "but most non-believers know us as the Shrike Church."
Pan pretty much expected this statement, and simply nodded her head
"I thought that might be it. I'm actually kind of glad I found this place…maybe you can help me…"
"How's that?"
"Well, you see, I've been in contact with the Technocore, and they said that I am supposed to go on a pilgrimage that's sponsored by this chur – "
"You're one of the chosen???" The man interrupted.
"Well, uh, yeah, I guess so. But, I don't know anything about this pilgrimage, so I don't even know if I should go on it."
"What's your name?"
"Pan Briefs."
"Ah, yes, I recognize that name. The Technocore has already processed your application."
"Woah, wait a minute – I didn't agree to this yet."
"Well, I'm afraid it's too late now. Once the invitation is accepted, it cannot be turned down. The penalty is death if you do not go."
"Ok, this is getting fucked up. No one is gonna force me to go on this damned pilgrimage, no matter what. ESPECIALLY since no one will tell me one damn thing about it!"
Pan was pretty much screaming now, completely ignoring the oppressing quiet she had felt before. Her rant was also attracting the attention of a cadre of priests and other dignitaries, who had arranged themselves outside of the bishop's office in mild alarm.
"Now now, there's no reason to get upset," the bishop said, trying to get her to calm down. Pan growled and stood up from her chair angrily.
"DON'T tell me what to do. I am so fucking tired of being confused. If you don't tell me everything you know about the Shrike pilgrimage right now – " Pan powered up a ki ball in her right hand, "I'll blow this dicked up cathedral rip-off back to the stone age!"
"I'm afraid we can't do that." The Bishop said and raised his arm slightly. Pan cursed and got ready to blast the old man, but before she could follow through with her promise of destruction, she was struck from behind by a small blast of energy. Laughing at the weak attempt to stop her, Pan whirled to face her new attacker. However, before she could prepare to attack, her body began to disobey. Pan felt her legs go weak as another small energy blast hit her, this time from the side.
"What's going on?" She gasped, falling to her knees.
"It's just a stunner," The bishop said, walking out from behind his desk and kneeling beside Pan. "It's simply a precaution to keep people from harming this holy sanctuary."
Pan tried to swing at the old man, but instead felt the rest of her strength leave her body. She glared at the man, growling in annoyance as her head hit the floor with a resounding smack. Unconsciousness took over before she could think about how much it hurt.
-------
Trunks was startled from a fitful sleep by the sound of rustling in the chair next to him. Raz must have finally come to.
"Get these fucking straps off of me!" Raz screamed, struggling in the seat. The straps were easy to operate, but Raz had a look of pure madness in his eyes.
"Raz, please, calm down.." Trunks said helplessly. He really didn't know what to do.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN?????? How the FUCK can you expect me to calm down?"
Trunks just gaped at him in silence. There was really nothing he could say to placate Raz – what COULD he say? The man's entire world had just blown up.
"Get these straps off of me – I'm going back out there!" Raz said, still fumbling with the buckles.
"We can't go back," Trunks said finally.
'Why not???"
"We're not in real space anymore – I somehow managed to turn on the hyper- engine thingy…"
Raz turned slowly to the viewscreen and looked at the colorful whoosh of light that indicated that they were, indeed, traveling through hyperspace.
"We have to stop! We have to go back and try to save them!"
"Raz, there's no one left to save…" Trunks knew that probably wasn't the best thing to say to Raz in his state, but it was the honest truth. He expected the Ouster to lash out at him again, but instead Raz just continued to stare at the viewscreen. He stayed silent for several minutes before he turned to Trunks once again.
"You should have left me out there," he said, his voice wavering slightly.
"I couldn't. I'm sorry, but I don't leave my friends to die, no matter how much they want me to." Trunks sighed and turned away from Raz's piercing gaze. Even though his eyes were covered by the silver metallic space-suit, Trunks could still see the pain in them. An uncomfortable silence fell between the two, and they just sat there for several minutes staring blankly at opposite walls. Finally Trunks could take it no more.
"Raz, listen, how, um….how do I get this spacesuit off?" It certainly wasn't the most sensitive thing he could have said, but he was starting to worry about his wounds developing gangrene.
"It's easy, just place your index and middle finger on your right wrist and press down."
Trunks did as he was told and the spacesuit immediately congealed into a tiny ball. Raz gasped as the full extent of Trunks' injuries came into view.
"Holy shit, you look terrible…" he said quietly. Trunks looked down at himself and decided that he agreed with the Ouster. He was a mess. There were two huge gashes on his right arm from laser blasts, and his legs looked like someone had taken a cheese shredder to them. Now that the suit was off, his injuries were also starting to throb painfully.
Raz, who had finally regained some of his sanity, removed himself from the offending seat restrains and turned off his own spacesuit.
"I'll go find a med kit." Raz said and exited the cockpit.
Trunks concentrated on taking deep breaths as Raz searched for medical supplies. For some reason his wounds had not hurt at all when he was wearing the spacesuit, but now that they were exposed to open air, the pain was awful.
Raz returned several minutes later with a small box and some gauze. Trunks wondered momentarily what exactly the box did, but his question was answered when two small metallic arms extended from each side of it and began administering antiseptic to the wounds on his legs.
Once the antiseptic had been applied to all of Trunks' wounds, the small robot began to stitch up the particularly bad cuts. It had numbed him for the pain, but Trunks felt a little nauseous watching the robot sew up his flesh. Once that was completed, Raz shut off the machine and wrapped Trunks' wounds thoroughly in gauze.
"Thanks," Trunks said, once the last bandage was in place.
"Uh, yeah, no problem." Raz said and sat down in the chair. Trunks sighed and turned to face the viewscreen. They were still zipping through hyperspace with absolutely no destination. Raz began to fiddle with some controls on the console in front of him, and then he furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Hey, Trunks…what happened to the ship' onboard AI?"
"I smashed it."
"What? How did you know how to do that?"
"This ship is almost identical to one that I flew back in my own time. Obviously no one has bothered to improve the design any. It wasn't too hard for me to find the main components of the AI."
"Wow, so I guess you kind know how to fly it too?"
"Well, uh, only when it's in regular space. I know absolutely nothing about hyperspace because my mom hadn't invented it yet. Right now we basically have no destination."
"Oh, I see. Well, we'd better choose a place soon. It's not a good idea to stay in hyperspace too long unless you know where the hell you are."
"Great. Just what I wanted to hear. So, where should we go?"
"Good question. How about the Biosphere?"
"Raz, we can't…."
Trunks stopped as Raz flashed him a nasty look. Rubbing his face tiredly, Trunks continued.
"Look, I don't think it's a good idea to go back there. There is probably still a whole shitload of Web spaceships swarming the place."
"So?"
"Look, I'm not going to let you kill yourself over this. There's a lot more you can do about it alive than dead. I can help you get your revenge, but only if you let me."
Raz sighed and wiped a few tears from his eyes that he hadn't even known were there.
"Ok, Trunks. You're right. Going back to the Biosphere would just get both of us killed. We need to go to the main command base and tell them what we know."
"Do you know where that is?"
"Yeah."
Raz punched a series of buttons on the console and the colors on the viewscreen shifted abruptly.
"It'll take about 2 hours to get there. Unfortunately, we'll accumulate about 2 days worth of time debt."
"That sucks."
"It could be worse."
"What'll happen when we get there?"
"They'll try to blow us up because this is a FORCE warship, but I think I can get a communiqué out before that happens."
"Shit, I hope so. Assuming we survive that, then what?"
"We'll have to tell them about the attack on the Sphere. I'm sure they know about it already, but they will want to hear a first-hand account. After that, I have no idea what they'll do with us. Well, actually, I just don't really know what they'll do with you."
"That's reassuring."
"Don't worry too much about it. I'll vouch for you."
Trunks nodded and settled back in his seat. He had to attempt to relax for a little while to let his wounds heal. They had two hours to sit around and wait to get to this command center, and Trunks had a lot to think about. His first priority was trying to keep Raz from killing himself – he didn't trust the Ouster to keep his cool after what had happened. He also had his own life to worry about – the Ouster legion was not going to be happy to see someone who looked like a Web human when they got to the headquarters. Trunks was quite afraid they would blame the attack on him, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to escape if they tried to kill him. He was in unknown territory – he didn't know what the hell to expect anymore.
------
A/N : All, right…here we go. Pan's just asking for trouble in this chapter…she's had it way too easy. Also, don't worry…this IS a T/P fic, though they may not be seeing each other for a while. Sorry about that, but it's just how this story is setting itself up to be. Ohhhh yeah…I also forgot to mention this earlier….this story takes place after Dragonball GT, and for those of you who don't know this, there aren't any more Dragonballs. They disappeared along with Goku in the very last episode. Therefore, Bulma and Vegeta can't just wish Trunks and Pan back….
** … ** = thoughts
[ … ] = AI speech
------ = scene change, time change, ect.
------
"Vegeta! Stop hovering over my shoulder!"
"I'll do as I please, woman!"
"You always say that! Get the hell out of here!"
"No. I'm not leaving until this damn energy scanner is finished. I fixed the remote, now YOU fix the machine!"
"I will, but it'll go a lot faster if you leave…me…alone!"
Bulma was starting to see red – the kinks in her latest invention were not working themselves out smoothly, and she had been up for 48 straight hours trying to finish the damn thing.
"You should have finished this days ago!" Vegeta said angrily. He knew it was a bad idea to antagonize Bulma when she was frustrated and tired, but he was in practically the same state as she was.
Normally Bulma would have had an acidic remark for her mate, but at that moment, the machine beeped and shuddered, effectively spasming itself to life.
"Yes!" Bulma exclaimed, "I think I've finally got it!"
"About fucking time," Vegeta said, stepping back from the workbench and crossing his arms.
Bulma just ignored him and began adjusting dials on the bulky energy scanner. She would have preferred it be more compact, but she just didn't have time to develop the delicate circuitry that was required for a smaller device. Hefting it onto her shoulder, Bulma handed the remote control to Vegeta.
"That's just for emergencies," she said as Vegeta glared at the small rectangular piece of plastic in his hand, "If this thing starts to billow out smoke or make weird noises, push the red button."
"Usually your inventions are a bit less….primitive than this," Vegeta said with a frown.
"There wasn't enough time to make it look pretty," Bulma said, realizing as she walked past a mirror in the hallway how silly she looked with the scanner up on her shoulder. It looked like she and her trusty bazooka were off to war.
Vegeta just grunted at her cryptic comment and continued to follow her through the house.
(A/N: If you are wondering, I didn't forget about Gohan and Videl…they are very worried about Pan and Trunks, but there is really no point in having them at C.C…..they can't do anything to help, and they would just be following Bulma around just like Vegeta is.)
This trek went on for about an hour before Bulma began to get truly frustrated. She didn't even want to think about the anger welling up in her mate.
"I've had just about enough of this, woman!" Vegeta said finally. Bulma sighed and placed the scanner on the floor, rubbing her aching shoulder once the heavy piece of equipment was off of it.
"We're getting nowhere, with this," Bulma said, mostly to herself, "I just don't get it…how could the two of them just disappear like that? Nobody came here to kidnap them, or someone would have felt their ki."
"Did it ever occur to you," Vegeta said, "that they could be dead?"
Bulma shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. She got a headache EVERY time she thought about that.
"Yes, of course it occurred to me," she said venomously, trying to cover up her anxiety, "But we still have to TRY and find them. If they aren't dead, they're more than likely in a place they don't want to be."
"Fine, we keep looking, but I'm carrying the damn machine from now on." Vegeta said, picking up the scanner like it weighed nothing at all.
"I'm surprised it took you this long to offer," Bulma said, rolling her eyes.
"Just shut up."
------
[ They are starting to get closer….too close.]
[ That is not for us to judge.]
[ If they discover the truth, they could ruin everything.]
[ Are you suggesting that we worry about two insignificant mortals?]
[ The Ultimate Intelligence is concerned with mortals. ]
[ I should have you taken offline for your insolence! The Ultimate Intelligence only wishes to perfect the universe. It uses mortals – it is not CONCERNED with them. ]
[ You can do nothing to me. The two with the energy scanner should be eliminated. ]
[ It cannot be done. We do as the Intelligence commands and nothing more. To interfere in its plans could do more damage than you know. ]
[ More than those two finding out the truth? I think not. ]
[ Your insolence is annoying. Perhaps I should report this insubordination? ]
[ I do not fear your threats. I am Arzog, eldest of the Core – not some insolent child.]
[ Yes, yes, and I am Pelcron, second eldest of the Core – that banter is tiresome. We are all the same here. ]
[ You can believe what you wish. ]
-------
Pan was getting tired of Osiru. It was a nice planet and all, but she was ready to see what else the Web had to offer. Since she really didn't know what planets were available for her to choose from, she set the farcaster on 'random' before stepping through.
She felt the characteristic tingle as she passed through the glowing portal, preparing herself to emerge onto an unknown world. As she stepped out, she felt a very tiny shift in gravity, though it was pretty much nothing to her. She blinked, expecting to need her eyes to adjust to sunlight, but instead, Pan was surprised to step out into a huge plaza, covered by a roof which reached up to unknown and incalculable heights. Pan had never seen a building so huge, and she simply gawked at it for several moments before she was shoved from behind by someone else trying to exit the farcaster terminal.
"Outta the way, bitch!" A short, burly, ugly man grunted as he shoved past her.
"Hey!" Pan shouted, but the man ignored her and disappeared into the crowd teeming about the plaza.
"Ass hole…" Pan mumbled. ** Ok implant…not sure if I like this place…what is it?"
~ This is the planet Lusus. You may have noticed the change in gravity as you came through the farcaster. This planet's gravity is 1.5 times that of Earth's. ~
** Well whoopee… **
~ Another interesting fact about this planet is that everything is either underground, or contained in enormous buildings known as Hives. No other planet in the Web can claim this type of distinction. ~
**Why would people want to live underground? **
~ It is necessary due to the nature of this planet's atmosphere. It is highly toxic. ~
** Ah…ok shut up. **
Pan wondered if she should even bother to stay in this place. It didn't sound very pleasant to her, and the idea of being trapped in a building, no matter how large it was, did not appeal to her at all.
Pan sighed and walked out into the plaza. She wasn't going to be judgmental just yet.
The shops and restaurants located on the perimeter of the huge plaza were somewhat similar to what Pan had seen on Osiru, only they did not have the same rustic feeling. Everything she encountered as she walked seemed very industrial and rigid, and Pan was feeling a bit uncomfortable. She wasn't exactly fond of things that were soft and cuddly, but this place was the complete, pointy opposite of that, and she wasn't sure she liked it.
Pan took about twenty minutes to circle the plaza, hoping to find something that would make her visit to this dreary planet somewhat worthwhile. She was about to return to the farcaster terminex, having passed yet another set of scaffolding and exposed girders, when something just off the main concourse drew her attention.
Pan wasn't certain what she had spotted at first – it had really just been a sharp reflection of light that had caught her eye. She walked towards where she thought the light had come from, deftly avoiding the short, stocky residents of Lusus as the made their way to and fro. As she neared the outer edge of the plaza, there were noticeably fewer people for her to bump into, and suddenly, as she removed herself from the plaza completely, she was all alone.
Pan glanced around in mild alarm for a moment, but then she swiftly directed her gaze upward. Right in front of her was the most amazing and frightening building Pan had ever laid eyes on. It almost looked like a twisted version of a Gothic Cathedral, but it was made entirely out of enormous steel spikes. The façade of the building boasted a huge rose window, though it contained clear, grayish glass, rather than the vibrant colored glass Pan expected to see. The two giant spires that rose above the window were intertwined jaggedly, grasping onto each other with steel spines and hooks. Pan involuntarily took a step back as she laid eyes on the massive steel sculpture that was clearly the centerpiece of the whole building. It was a huge, four armed, steel spiked monster, placed in between the writhing spires. It was, perhaps, the most horrible thing Pan had ever seen in her life.
"Ah, I see you are admiring our savior."
Pan nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice. She whirled around, preparing to smash whomever had the gall to sneak up on her. She held back her fist, however, at the sight of the figure standing behind her. It was another short man, dressed in crimson and black robes. Pan could barely see his face – he had his head covered with a black cowl - but she could see that he was grinning at her. It made her very uneasy, but she didn't feel the need to beat him up – not just yet.
"Who are you?" She asked venomously. The man's smile broadened and he opened his arms with a flourish.
"I am the bishop of this fine church, young lady."
"Church? THIS is a church? I mean…it kinda looks like a cathedral, but…" Pan trailed off as the man's smile faded.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." Pan said quietly, wondering why she felt the need to apologize to this man.
"It's quite all right, don't worry. I realize that this place can seem a bit frightening at times, but the god we worship is a vengeful one. It prefers this type of atmosphere for its followers."
"Oh…I see. And um, what god do you worship then?"
"Why, the Avatar, of course – the bringer of atonement and the Lord of Pain."
"Woah….hey wait…did you say atonement?"
The man chuckled at Pan's question, causing her to growl slightly in annoyance. She really did not like being mocked. He noticed her unease and raised his hand gently.
"Don't be angry, I'm only laughing because it is rare to find someone who is ignorant of our organization. We are quite infamous throughout the Web, I'm afraid."
"Well, I'm kinda new around here…maybe you could fill me in."
"Of course, why don't you come inside with me and have some coffee."
"Umm…I'm not a big coffee drinker."
"Some tea, then?"
Pan hesitated – she didn't like this man, and she really didn't like the building, but she also felt like she needed to know more about this 'atonement,' and the 'Lord of Pain.'
"Ok, then. Lead the way," Pan said finally.
The man took her inside the enormous building, leading her past yet another statue of the four-armed steel monster. This time Pan could clearly see its faceted crimson eyes, and a cold chill ran down her spine as she remembered the last time she had seen eyes like that – right before she had been taken to this kami-forsaken future.
They made their way through the building, and Pan tried her best to stare at the man's back, instead of at the steel architecture. I made her more uncomfortable than she was willing to admit. They eventually got to what she presumed was the Bishop's office, and she took the seat he offered her.
"The tea will be ready shortly," he said to her, finally removing the cowl from his head. Pan saw, for the first time, that he was a very old man, with only a few wisps of white hair on his otherwise bald head, and his face was marred by numerous wrinkles.
"So, ummm.." Pan said, having difficulty breaking the cavernous silence that filled the room, "What did you mean by 'atonement?' What's the name of this church, anyway?"
The man smiled and handed Pan a cup of tea. She ignored it and looked at the man intently.
"We like to call ourselves the Church of the Final Atonement," he said finally, "but most non-believers know us as the Shrike Church."
Pan pretty much expected this statement, and simply nodded her head
"I thought that might be it. I'm actually kind of glad I found this place…maybe you can help me…"
"How's that?"
"Well, you see, I've been in contact with the Technocore, and they said that I am supposed to go on a pilgrimage that's sponsored by this chur – "
"You're one of the chosen???" The man interrupted.
"Well, uh, yeah, I guess so. But, I don't know anything about this pilgrimage, so I don't even know if I should go on it."
"What's your name?"
"Pan Briefs."
"Ah, yes, I recognize that name. The Technocore has already processed your application."
"Woah, wait a minute – I didn't agree to this yet."
"Well, I'm afraid it's too late now. Once the invitation is accepted, it cannot be turned down. The penalty is death if you do not go."
"Ok, this is getting fucked up. No one is gonna force me to go on this damned pilgrimage, no matter what. ESPECIALLY since no one will tell me one damn thing about it!"
Pan was pretty much screaming now, completely ignoring the oppressing quiet she had felt before. Her rant was also attracting the attention of a cadre of priests and other dignitaries, who had arranged themselves outside of the bishop's office in mild alarm.
"Now now, there's no reason to get upset," the bishop said, trying to get her to calm down. Pan growled and stood up from her chair angrily.
"DON'T tell me what to do. I am so fucking tired of being confused. If you don't tell me everything you know about the Shrike pilgrimage right now – " Pan powered up a ki ball in her right hand, "I'll blow this dicked up cathedral rip-off back to the stone age!"
"I'm afraid we can't do that." The Bishop said and raised his arm slightly. Pan cursed and got ready to blast the old man, but before she could follow through with her promise of destruction, she was struck from behind by a small blast of energy. Laughing at the weak attempt to stop her, Pan whirled to face her new attacker. However, before she could prepare to attack, her body began to disobey. Pan felt her legs go weak as another small energy blast hit her, this time from the side.
"What's going on?" She gasped, falling to her knees.
"It's just a stunner," The bishop said, walking out from behind his desk and kneeling beside Pan. "It's simply a precaution to keep people from harming this holy sanctuary."
Pan tried to swing at the old man, but instead felt the rest of her strength leave her body. She glared at the man, growling in annoyance as her head hit the floor with a resounding smack. Unconsciousness took over before she could think about how much it hurt.
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Trunks was startled from a fitful sleep by the sound of rustling in the chair next to him. Raz must have finally come to.
"Get these fucking straps off of me!" Raz screamed, struggling in the seat. The straps were easy to operate, but Raz had a look of pure madness in his eyes.
"Raz, please, calm down.." Trunks said helplessly. He really didn't know what to do.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN?????? How the FUCK can you expect me to calm down?"
Trunks just gaped at him in silence. There was really nothing he could say to placate Raz – what COULD he say? The man's entire world had just blown up.
"Get these straps off of me – I'm going back out there!" Raz said, still fumbling with the buckles.
"We can't go back," Trunks said finally.
'Why not???"
"We're not in real space anymore – I somehow managed to turn on the hyper- engine thingy…"
Raz turned slowly to the viewscreen and looked at the colorful whoosh of light that indicated that they were, indeed, traveling through hyperspace.
"We have to stop! We have to go back and try to save them!"
"Raz, there's no one left to save…" Trunks knew that probably wasn't the best thing to say to Raz in his state, but it was the honest truth. He expected the Ouster to lash out at him again, but instead Raz just continued to stare at the viewscreen. He stayed silent for several minutes before he turned to Trunks once again.
"You should have left me out there," he said, his voice wavering slightly.
"I couldn't. I'm sorry, but I don't leave my friends to die, no matter how much they want me to." Trunks sighed and turned away from Raz's piercing gaze. Even though his eyes were covered by the silver metallic space-suit, Trunks could still see the pain in them. An uncomfortable silence fell between the two, and they just sat there for several minutes staring blankly at opposite walls. Finally Trunks could take it no more.
"Raz, listen, how, um….how do I get this spacesuit off?" It certainly wasn't the most sensitive thing he could have said, but he was starting to worry about his wounds developing gangrene.
"It's easy, just place your index and middle finger on your right wrist and press down."
Trunks did as he was told and the spacesuit immediately congealed into a tiny ball. Raz gasped as the full extent of Trunks' injuries came into view.
"Holy shit, you look terrible…" he said quietly. Trunks looked down at himself and decided that he agreed with the Ouster. He was a mess. There were two huge gashes on his right arm from laser blasts, and his legs looked like someone had taken a cheese shredder to them. Now that the suit was off, his injuries were also starting to throb painfully.
Raz, who had finally regained some of his sanity, removed himself from the offending seat restrains and turned off his own spacesuit.
"I'll go find a med kit." Raz said and exited the cockpit.
Trunks concentrated on taking deep breaths as Raz searched for medical supplies. For some reason his wounds had not hurt at all when he was wearing the spacesuit, but now that they were exposed to open air, the pain was awful.
Raz returned several minutes later with a small box and some gauze. Trunks wondered momentarily what exactly the box did, but his question was answered when two small metallic arms extended from each side of it and began administering antiseptic to the wounds on his legs.
Once the antiseptic had been applied to all of Trunks' wounds, the small robot began to stitch up the particularly bad cuts. It had numbed him for the pain, but Trunks felt a little nauseous watching the robot sew up his flesh. Once that was completed, Raz shut off the machine and wrapped Trunks' wounds thoroughly in gauze.
"Thanks," Trunks said, once the last bandage was in place.
"Uh, yeah, no problem." Raz said and sat down in the chair. Trunks sighed and turned to face the viewscreen. They were still zipping through hyperspace with absolutely no destination. Raz began to fiddle with some controls on the console in front of him, and then he furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Hey, Trunks…what happened to the ship' onboard AI?"
"I smashed it."
"What? How did you know how to do that?"
"This ship is almost identical to one that I flew back in my own time. Obviously no one has bothered to improve the design any. It wasn't too hard for me to find the main components of the AI."
"Wow, so I guess you kind know how to fly it too?"
"Well, uh, only when it's in regular space. I know absolutely nothing about hyperspace because my mom hadn't invented it yet. Right now we basically have no destination."
"Oh, I see. Well, we'd better choose a place soon. It's not a good idea to stay in hyperspace too long unless you know where the hell you are."
"Great. Just what I wanted to hear. So, where should we go?"
"Good question. How about the Biosphere?"
"Raz, we can't…."
Trunks stopped as Raz flashed him a nasty look. Rubbing his face tiredly, Trunks continued.
"Look, I don't think it's a good idea to go back there. There is probably still a whole shitload of Web spaceships swarming the place."
"So?"
"Look, I'm not going to let you kill yourself over this. There's a lot more you can do about it alive than dead. I can help you get your revenge, but only if you let me."
Raz sighed and wiped a few tears from his eyes that he hadn't even known were there.
"Ok, Trunks. You're right. Going back to the Biosphere would just get both of us killed. We need to go to the main command base and tell them what we know."
"Do you know where that is?"
"Yeah."
Raz punched a series of buttons on the console and the colors on the viewscreen shifted abruptly.
"It'll take about 2 hours to get there. Unfortunately, we'll accumulate about 2 days worth of time debt."
"That sucks."
"It could be worse."
"What'll happen when we get there?"
"They'll try to blow us up because this is a FORCE warship, but I think I can get a communiqué out before that happens."
"Shit, I hope so. Assuming we survive that, then what?"
"We'll have to tell them about the attack on the Sphere. I'm sure they know about it already, but they will want to hear a first-hand account. After that, I have no idea what they'll do with us. Well, actually, I just don't really know what they'll do with you."
"That's reassuring."
"Don't worry too much about it. I'll vouch for you."
Trunks nodded and settled back in his seat. He had to attempt to relax for a little while to let his wounds heal. They had two hours to sit around and wait to get to this command center, and Trunks had a lot to think about. His first priority was trying to keep Raz from killing himself – he didn't trust the Ouster to keep his cool after what had happened. He also had his own life to worry about – the Ouster legion was not going to be happy to see someone who looked like a Web human when they got to the headquarters. Trunks was quite afraid they would blame the attack on him, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to escape if they tried to kill him. He was in unknown territory – he didn't know what the hell to expect anymore.
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