Altered Lives The Parody Chapter 2: 01 Divergence, an evangelion fanfic

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Altered Lives (The Parody)

Book 01 "Divergence"

Time - Late 2016 when Shakey is 15 years old (TV episode 23 to Movies)

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"Altered Lives (THE PARODY)" is Copyright (c) 2002 by DBM. This story is an Amateur, Non-Commercial work by an Anime/Manga Fan. This story was created in the Spirit of the Copyright Exemptions regarding Parodies & Satire.

If you like the story, you may keep a copy for your own personal records, but you may NOT post it on any websites/newsgroups, NOR may you include it in any printed publication for sale/public distribution. If printing out a copy for yourself or a friend, you may reformat it (paragraph spacing, page-breaks, font & font size, borders, bold/italic, etc) to fit the paper you use, but please do not change any of the actual words or wording in the document.

Sole web-posting at FanFiction.Net - Author's E-Mail address on File.

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Censorship Info & Disclaimer.

NOT Recommended for Children.

Intended for MATURE Audiences.

There are NO 'sex scenes', but, just like the original NGE series, the story will explore the results & side effects of such activities. Along the way, there'll be swearing, violence, drugs, Adult situations, & frank discussions of sex education/family planning information, as well as thoughts & opinions on the morals & ethics of sexual assault, dating, courtship, marriage, alternate sexualities, pregnancy, childbirth, parenthood, Family Values, etc.

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Fandom Alerts & Disclaimer.

AU Alert (Alternate Universe).

OOC Alert (Out Of Character).

ACC Alert (Author Created Character).

SI Alert (Self Insert - Author appears in the story as a character).

SPOILER Alert (May 'spoil' surprises in the Manga & Anime TV/Movies).

' ' denotes thoughts.

" " denotes speech

denotes other method of communication.

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Chapter - Disillusioned.

It was dark in the room…

The only illumination came from a single computer screen & a desk lamp.

It was quiet in the room…

The random clicks of a keyboard made the only interruption to the constant background hum of the ventilation system.

Doctor Ritzy Akatlover, chief computer programmer for NERVIS & currently the sole occupant of the room, was working late yet again.

"Oh God!" Ritzy moaned, tears brimming in her eyes, "I'm such a FOOL!" She leant forward & cradled her head in her hands, oblivious to how her tears dripped onto the keyboard beneath.

The reason for Ritzy's current emotional state, was the accidental reopening of the emotional wound created when her mother had died.

Doctor Nayokay Akatlover had been a career scientist, & her dedication to her work had estranged her from her only daughter. Ritzy had started work with the organization her mother worked for, partly in hopes of being able to re-establish their family ties.

Ritzy's plan had worked…

Mother & Daughter had gotten to know & respect each other as fellow workmates & scientists. An easy task, when compared to the complex roles of 'family', & fellow 'women of the world'. But, they were trying.

Then Nayokay had died, & Ritzy's world had nearly died along with her…

Nayokay's death was Officially listed as suicide, caused by a nervous breakdown. Although the matter of Nayokay's death was 'officially closed', rumours still spread. Those 'in the know' whispered it was caused by guilt & remorse, after Nayokay had gone into an insane rage, & killed a child.

The rumours made it hard for Ritzy to cope with the stress of losing the only family she had left in the world. Especially since the old saying, 'Like Mother, Like Daughter' had many people not-so-quietly speculate whether Ritzy was going to 'burn out' like Nayokay had.

Ritzy became increasingly isolated, her workmates 'keeping a safe distance' & glancing at her with suspicious looks & biased minds. It had nearly been too much for Ritzy. Teetering on the brink of her own nervous breakdown, she had been ready to resign from her job in tears.

Then Glando Atari, the Commander of the NERVIS Base & Ritzy's Superior Officer had stepped forward, & publicly voiced his personal confidence in her…

It had meant the world to Ritzy. Here was someone who believed in her, who was sympathetic to her plight. She stayed on, receiving constant encouragement & support from Glando, the man she saw as the 'Shining Knight' who had come to her rescue in a time of need.

A person in love can often be blinded by it, & Ritzy was NO exception. Her intellect proved no match for her yearning heart & lack of 'experience' in Human Relationships. Gratitude became infatuation.

Ritzy knew Glando & her mother had had more than a 'close' working relationship, & now she thought she knew why, as she fell hopelessly in love with the man. Eventually, she & Glando became passionate, albeit discrete lovers.

For years, Ritzy stayed by Glando's side, loyally following his orders, basking in his praise, & sharing his physical affections. Their relationship enabled Ritzy to put the pain of her mother's suicide behind her & recover emotionally, as well as forward Ritzy's career. Now, Ritzy had it all! A reputation as a Top Scientist, a Key Position in one of the Most Important Workplaces on the Planet (with a substantial pay-packet to boot), & a man who loved her.

Then Ritzy saw the information she now had on her screen…

Some time ago, Cagey Rogue had given Ritzy a data file at a wedding party they'd attended. In the data file were clues that had led Ritzy to a secret memory cache hidden deep in the NERVIS Computer network. A memory cache that held files with an unusually high level of encryption.

'Who put these files here?' Ritzy had asked herself, 'And why would they need such secure encryption?'

Despite her high-ranking position on the NERVIS base, Ritzy still felt under-informed about too many things. Things such as why Unit Null was uncontrollable by anyone but Rave, why Unit Won could move without power or pilot, & why Shakey Atari, Glando's son, had been able to pilot Unit Won without any prior training as a pilot.

Ritzy had discretely asked Glando, but he would always put on his stony face & become cold & uninformative. She had been more than a little 'put out' by Glando's manner.

'I'm his Chief Scientist!' Ritzy had fumed after one incident where Glando had FORMALLY warned her not to ask such questions, 'How can I do my job without proper data? It's not as if I'm engaging in Industrial Espionage for crying out loud! I NEED to know!'

The event in question convinced Ritzy to start her own 'research' using the abilities of the MOGGY supercomputers. The research was painstakingly slow because Ritzy had to thoroughly cover her tracks. Faced with fitting everything in with the hectic demands of her Official Duties, the curious Ritzy had left her 'clandestine' activities to the deserted after-work hours, disguising them as 'over-time'.

The existence of the mystery files was a temptation that Ritzy resisted for several weeks, but in the end, curiosity overpowered caution, & she set about the task of decrypting the files in her 'spare' time.

Tonight, Ritzy had finally succeeded in decrypting the files, only to find…

'WHAT!?' Ritzy stared in startled disbelief at the information on the computer screen, 'A report on the 'forced extraction' of my Mother?'

With a growing sense of dread, Ritzy read on, the 'Security-speak' in the report finally resolving some long-unanswered questions she had about Nayokay's death.

Questions like, why Nayokay had 'snapped' in the first place…

Nayokay had been a brilliant scientist, with a keen, disciplined mind. She had passed frequent physical & psychological examinations. ANY sign of mental illness, disease, or stress should have been detected. Yet, strangely enough, none had been. There had been NO warning signs or symptoms of Nayokay's disastrous breakdown.

And another thing, IF Nayokay had become so 'unstable', WHY had the computers she designed & programmed with digitised versions of her own personality, STILL been used, their systems & programming virtually unaltered?

The unsettling answers to all of these questions & more, were on the computer screen in front of Ritzy…

Numb with shock, Ritzy could only stare in disbelief at the information on the screen. Even though it answered her questions all too well, Ritzy didn't, couldn't accept the implications of what she saw before her.

That her mother's 'suicide' had been Murder…

The decrypted report showed that there had NEVER been any need to question Nayokay's work. Not the designs, not the building, not the programming, not even the digitised personality encoding.

Why?

Because there had NEVER been anything wrong with Nayokay's mind.

Or at least, not until the final few days of her life…

In the days before her demise, Psychochemicals, Mind & mood altering drugs, had been secretly added to Nayokay's food & drink. Drugs that had so badly affected Nayokay's emotions & reasoning, that she had flown into an insane rage, & strangled a child. Then, in a fit of remorse, Nayokay had taken her own life.

The data file also explained WHY Nayokay was covertly poisoned…

In the course of her work, Nayokay conducted tests & audits on the massive MOGGY Supercomputers, & their various peripheral links. Nothing unusual there, just the normal duties of a Computer Programmer trying to debug a system. However, several of her commands & enquiries had tripped silent alarms that protected information STEELY considered 'sensitive'.

That Nayokay hadn't actually accessed the 'sensitive' material didn't negate the fact that she had stumbled across it. STEELY weren't a group that took unacceptable risks, let alone bet on random chance, & Nayokay had woken them up to the fact that she might pose a potential threat to them, that she might find something out. If she didn't already 'know too much'.

A decision was made at the very highest levels, that after Nayokay finished the MOGGY super-computer project, she would have 'outlived her usefulness'. Then, steps would be taken to silence the woman in such a way as to thoroughly discredit her, & anything she might possibly reveal.

And they had done so…

Everyone who knew Nayokay, now remembered her only as a 'burnout', a brilliant mind that had cracked under pressure. Anything that she might have said, any secret she might have revealed, could EASILY be made to look like the ravings of a mad woman.

The data file also gave indicated WHO had given Nayokay the drugs, if not by actual deed, then at least by direct order…

Nayokay's lover, Glando Atari, the Commander of the NERVIS Base…

Now in total denial, Ritzy desperately tried to find some other explanation that fit, her mind racing as she reviewed everything she knew about Glando.

'NO!' Anger, Fear, Disbelief, & Suspicion battled for supremacy inside Ritzy, 'That's NOT Possible! The report must be wrong! They were Lovers, he wouldn't kill her!'

Somewhere in the maelstrom of emotions, a part of Ritzy's mind finally noticed something she'd been ignoring for years - an ominous pattern in Glando's 'personal' relationships…

Glando only had 'relationships' with people of potential use to him. He would ingratiate himself with them, & then use them & their talents to HIS advantage.

The relationship frequently ended in death. Even those 'closest' to Glando.

A chill ran over Ritzy as she tallied them up…

Glando's wife had died under 'unusual' circumstances… Nayokay's murder was made to look like a 'suicide'… Cagey, a man sometimes used as an intelligence gatherer by Glando, had disappeared, presumably he was now dead… Rave…

Rave was an 'unusual' case… Glando seemed to have genuine affections for the blue-haired girl. He was always concerned about her, & he often praised her.

Ritzy had always seen the relationship between the two as that of a surrogate parent & their foster child, a loving 'family' type relationship, strained & diluted by the responsibilities & demands of the work they were involved in.

'He's like a father to her,' Ritzy had thought on more than one occasion, 'Despite what he must be in order to do his job, he still keeps a tender side hidden within him. Rave is one of the few people he shows it to…'

Ritzy had become a part of that strange, surrogate family several years ago. In the time since, she had happily watched Rave grow from a child into a young woman, something the childless Ritzy had personally cherished. Like the cats Ritzy had kept as pets, Rave had found a place in Ritzy's heart.

As had Glando… Despite the man's emotional aloofness & often cold hard-hearted attitude, Ritzy often daydreamed that one day, when the current trials were over, Glando would finally marry her.

'When this war is over,' Ritzy had convinced herself long ago, 'When we're finally free from the pressures of our jobs… We can have the sort of life we deserve… We can settle down & raise a family, a real family of our own…'

Even finding out what she did about Rave hadn't shaken Ritzy's faith in Glando, it had only endeared him to her more. Here was a member of High Command, being 'Human' enough to be gentle & caring to one such as Rave.

Then Ritzy had seen how Glando treated his own flesh & blood son, Shakey…

Despite the disturbing contrast, Ritzy had chosen to dismiss it as some sort of Father/Son rivalry thing, or ancient family squabble. Like so many throughout History, Ritzy preferred NOT to give up the sweet delusions of her future hopes, for the current observable reality.

At least, not until Glando sent Rave to battle the 16th Alien…

Ritzy saw how Shakey had grieved when he thought Rave had died to save him.

'Poor Shakey,' Ritzy thought with a lump in her throat, 'If only he'd known the truth about Rave, he would have been saved some pain…'

Glando though, hadn't shown any grief, despite his 'Family Bond' with Rave. It hadn't made sense to Ritzy. Not when she thought about the gentle words of praise, & looks of caring kindness Glando often gave Rave.

'Was he bottling his emotions up?' Ritzy had thought at the time, 'Or was that just how he dealt with grief? In private, rather than in public?'

Ritzy accepted her explanation, remembering how Glando had treated Nayokay during the MOGGY project. He had always acted as a Commander should, giving Nayokay discrete praise in public, regardless of what happened in their private lives. Although he never hesitated to haul Ritzy or Nayokay over the coals if their work was sloppy, or if things didn't run to schedule.

When Ritzy became his lover, Glando had been much the same, discrete in Public, passionate in Private, maintaining an appearance of 'Command Aloofness'. True, Glando hadn't seemed to grieve when Nayokay died, he had gone about his duties as he normally would, obviously putting the needs of his job before his own personal needs. Given the important nature of the work they were involved in, Ritzy easily accepted that.

However, Ritzy's unwavering acceptance of Glando's ways was badly shaken, when Glando used an injured Rave to blackmail Shakey into piloting an AVE…

'H-he had to do it,' Ritzy had rationalised at the time, 'If he hadn't, we ALL could have died! He had to do whatever he could to save the rest of us… Regardless of how they felt about each other, he HAD to use Rave that way…'

Now, in the informative glow from her computer screen, a horrible suspicion bloomed in Ritzy. Suddenly, Glando's actions made another kind of sense…

'He… used… Rave,' Ritzy's emotionally battered mind mulled over the concept, 'Despite what they are to each other, he USED her… As if she were only a convenient means to the end of getting Shakey to pilot… A mere tool…'

'No… that can't be…' Ritzy shook her head, desperately trying not to accept the worrying notion, 'He… he DOES care for her… Doesn't he?'

A cold lump formed in Ritzy's guts, as she contemplated the unthinkable, 'But that could explain… If… if he didn't… really… care for her, but only what she could do for him… …what he could use her for…'

Ritzy's brilliant mind put two & two together, & found the Cube Root of 64…

'…is… is that why he gave Rave so much attention in the first place? He wanted to make her emotionally dependent on him, so that she'd obey his orders? No matter what the cost would be to HER…'

Memories of a recent meeting with STEELY weighed on Ritzy's enlightened mind, especially as Glando had sent Ritzy to be interrogated instead of Rave…

'H-he made me her substitute… Me… HER substitute? Does he think we're the same? That there's NO difference between us? That we're both just tools to be used? That I'm just another damned puppet he can play with however he wants?'

Ritzy's choice of words made her remember how Aesir often called Rave a 'doll', implying that the blue-haired girl had no life of her own, & never would have…

'No…' Ritzy's inner voice screeched as it rebelled against the image, 'I'M NOT a 'doll'! I'm a woman with a Real Life that…'

As soon as Ritzy thought it, a subversive whisper floated through her mind, observing that her current position was only due to Glando's help…

'All that I am… I became because HE helped me be this… Was that why he helped me? Just so he could make me into a better tool for his own ends?'

Ritzy finally accepted the bitter thought as truth, 'I-I'm… NOTHING… to him… I always was… All of us…'

"Oh God!" Ritzy moaned, "I'm such a FOOL!"

Tears brimmed in her eyes, then fell onto the table as she leant forward & cradled her head in her hands. She sobbed quietly as her heart broke, totally oblivious to how her tears dripped onto the keyboard beneath…

Sometime later, she had recovered enough to contemplate her current position, & what if any future she could reasonably look forward to. Like many other NERVIS staff, Ritzy knew the final predicted Alien attack was coming. She knew that after it was over, she & NERVIS would be of diminished use to Humanity.

Once, Ritzy had hoped that the Final Battle would mean that she could marry the man she loved. But with her current dark knowledge…

'Will he even let me live when I'm no longer useful?' Ritzy asked herself, trembling badly as goose flesh & cold chills ran over her, 'Or will he have me killed too? After the final battle, there won't be any more need for the AVE Maria Project, or its staff, so…'

Ritzy's eyes widened in sudden realisation, '…its staff? But… what about the Pilots? What about Shakey a-and everyone else…?'

People don't like to think about the bad things that can happen to them. A fact that has frequently resulted in people hurting themselves while doing foolhardy things, as well as many Sterling acts of Unthinking Heroism. Ritzy was only too glad to think about someone else's troubles, instead of her own…

'…no…' Ritzy kept her thoughts on the side of sanity, 'He wouldn't, they're not… like me… or my mother… Besides there's too many of them to conveniently kill… The 'know-nothing' ones couldn't be a threat, at any rate… they don't know…'

'…know…' the thought nearly stopped Ritzy's heart, '…Rave… knows more than the others… more even than Mazurka… she knows about…'

Ritzy's Maternal Instincts kicked in as she thought of the quiet girl who was almost like a daughter to her, 'Rave won't be needed any more than the AVE's will be… Will he look after her, like he did my mother?'

The new knowledge of how Glando had 'looked after' Nayokay, quite naturally made Ritzy suspect the worst…

'Glando won't keep her around,' Ritzy quickly concluded, 'When there's no more need for AVE's, they'll go on the scrap heap, along with all the little people who kept them going… Those of us who know their secrets will be… silenced…'

Ritzy sneered as a sudden thought crossed her stressed mind, 'Huh! As if his oh-so precious little Blue-Haired Doll COULD live in the Real World! She has enough trouble living as she does now…'

The sneer trembled & fell away as Ritzy remembered the state of Rave's apartment, then left altogether at the memory that Rave never locked her door…

'…if she tried to live in the Real World as she does now, without the security service NERVIS provides…'

Ritzy was not the only person who had suffered from rumours in her time, nor would she ever be the last. In her time, Ritzy had heard all the rumours & 'Cautionary Tales' about what could happen to young girls, especially if they were a sweet young thing, all on their own…

Ritzy closed her eyes & grimaced as she imagined the possible consequences…

As the person who conducted Rave's frequent Pilot medicals, Ritzy was aware to the millimetre, of just how much adolescence had changed Rave's body over the past few years. However, it was only a chance overhearing of some workers making crude comments about Rave's 'endowments', that had finally made Ritzy aware of just HOW much of a 'woman' the young girl had already become in the eyes of those around her.

'She's so… naive…' Ritzy brooded over two mental images of Rave, one wearing a skin tight AVE Pilot Snug Suit, the other wearing a loose & concealing school uniform, 'She doesn't even know how attractive she is…'

'She'll be a stunning woman someday,' Ritzy's vague sense of Maternal Pride almost immediately curdled as she pessimistically observed, 'At least, she could be, if she GETS the chance to grow up…'

'There's nothing I can do to help her,' bitterness twisted Ritzy's face, 'I probably won't even be around to see what happens to her… Glando will take 'care' of me, just as he did with my mother… Especially since he's aware that I already know too much about how things really are…'

The truth about her mother's murder was hard enough for Ritzy to take, let alone the reasonable suspicion of her own imminent demise. The thought that she had been conned into making her entire existence a mere Tool to a man who didn't love her as she did him, only made things worse.

Ritzy felt terrible, she'd suffered several major emotional blows, & all she wanted to do was just go home & cry herself to sleep. Her weary hand reached out to the keyboard, & punched in a request for the 'secure delete' sub-program that would permanently erase any trace of the night's revelations.

A beep from the computer warned that unread files were about to be deleted…

'Screw 'em!' Ritzy almost snarled the thought aloud, 'I've had my fill of secrets for one night…'

As her finger hovered over the button that would activate the final delete sequence, Ritzy stopped, the innate curiosity that led her to her current situation once more rising up.

'But,' Ritzy reconsidered, 'Will I GET another chance to see them? If anyone finds out about what I learned tonight… There's no way I'd get computer access again, even if they didn't kill me… No… I'd best get it all over & done with, while I still can! There may be something important there…'

Ritzy pressed a different button, & the first of the unread files came up on the screen. Only a short text piece, it referred to other files, noting that…

"WHAT!?" Ritzy sat up straight in her seat, her heart pounding in her chest as her adrenalin level soared, 'The files that got my mother killed!? HERE!?'

"Well, well, WELL!" Ritzy sneered as she punched in the file access sequence, 'Let's just see what was SO secret that you had to kill my MOTHER for it!'

The first of the decrypted files came up, & Ritzy blinked as she read the summary, a sick feeling growing within as she saw what the file referred to.

Or rather, who…

"…rave…??"

As she read on, Ritzy's guts twisted into emotional knots as she found out some unknown truths about 'Rave'. Things past, & things planned…

"…oh… oh my god…" Ritzy gasped for breath, her heart thudding inside her like a trip hammer, '…no wonder they killed my mother… the mere… suspicion… of this…'

Ritzy's emotions boiled over as she permanently erased the data on her computer. She had lost too much on this night… Her self-respect… Her professional integrity… Her peace of mind… Her hopes for the future… And now, with her new found knowledge of Rave… her emotional balance as well…

'Glando…' Ritzy ground her teeth, her emotions seething, 'You B-----D!! I bet you thought you could get AWAY with all this… But you WON'T! You'll pay! ALL of you! I'll MAKE you pay!'

Ritzy sat in the dark for a long time. To a casual observer, she appeared to sitting quietly, deep in thought. To a more perceptive observer, the way Ritzy's hands had clenched into white-knuckled fists, was a sure indication of the mental turmoil within.

"Hell hath no Fury like a Woman'…" Ritzy quoted ominously, a sinister smile appearing on her face as she reached for her keyboard & began to rapidly code new programs.

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Chapter - Doppelgangers.

It was dark in the room…

The light streaming through the open doorway faded into nothingness after a few feet. Here & there, the ghostly glow of computer screens hovered in the gloom, while LED indicators glowed like myriad eyes in the murky reaches.

It was quiet in the room…

The only sounds were vague murmurings, with no discernible source. The sigh of the ventilation system, the hum of computer hard drives, a soft gurgle from somewhere in the darkness.

It was cold in the room…

Not the chill of a winter's day, or the chill of air-conditioning. It was the chill of caves, of dark places that never saw the wholesome light of the sun.

'This place is spooky,' thought Shakey Atari, as the hairs on the back of his neck began to rise. A chill ran over him, raising gooseflesh.

Shakey had a bad case of the 'creeps'. It wasn't just from this room either, the actions of his two companions were unnerving him as well. He turned his head & saw that his guardian, Major Mazurka Kutsarug, was still pointing a gun at Dr Ritzy Akatlover.

Shakey sighed, reviewing recent events as he tried to make sense of it all…

Doctor Akatlover had phoned Shakey, telling him to meet her. He'd done so, & she had taken him to a 'Restricted' part of the NERVIS Base. Shakey's guardian, Major Kutsarug, had suddenly appeared without warning, pointed a gun at the Doctor, & threatened to shoot her.

Shakey didn't know if Mazurka was serious or not, as the Doctor & the Major were old college friends. Still, Mazurka had been wearing her 'serious' face & using her 'serious' voice, & Shakey really didn't want to find out.

'What are we supposed to be DOING down here anyway?' Shakey asked himself for the hundredth time, knowing it was no use asking the others.

Ritzy hadn't given Shakey any information about where they going, or what they were supposed to be doing. She had met all queries with either a tight-lipped silence, or cryptic comments. And as for Mazurka… Well, evidently, she didn't know either. When she'd first appeared, she had demanded that Ritzy show her all the secrets buried away down here.

'I wish I'd never come' Shakey thought, longing to be back in Mazurka's warm, brightly lit apartment. He shivered, more from the foreboding social atmosphere, than the chilly air.

Shakey really wished he'd never seen the weird & disturbing things he had down here. Like a 'graveyard' for the giant AVE MARIA biological robots, or a creepy room in which Dr Akatlover said Rave Imanonymous had been born & raised.

'Rave…' Shakey wondered where she was, & what she was doing now…

Shakey had last seen Rave in the Hospital, where she was recovering from their last battle against the giant Alien War Machines that attacked the City. She had self-destructed her AVE in an attempt to destroy the Alien War Machine, & save Shakey. It had worked, but at terrible cost to the teenage girl. She had been badly hurt & left suffering from amnesia.

Shakey only became aware of the extent of Rave's injuries when he tried to thank her for saving him. Rave had stared blankly into space, & replied in a distracted monotone…

"Oh, did I save you?"

"Don't you remember?" Shakey had asked, surprised by her question.

"I don't know," Rave replied, "I think… I must be the Third…"

The conversation had upset Shakey, especially as HE was the 'Third' AVE pilot, not Rave. He wondered if her condition was due to injuries or painkillers.

'I hope she's going to be okay…' thought Shakey, 'I've never liked being stuck in a Hospital myself, let alone having to visit my friends there…'

The 'second' AVE pilot, Aesir Skrewyou was one such friend. She'd had a nervous breakdown after one of the Aliens tried to read her mind. Shakey was appalled at the shadow of her former self she'd become.

Then there was his friend Toe-Jam. Slated to be the 'fourth' AVE pilot, he'd suffered permanently crippling injuries during training. It was a matter of personal grief to Shakey, that Toe-Jam's injuries had been caused when Shakey's AVE had gone out of control. Shakey had been piloting his AVE, but he wasn't in control when it hurt Toe-Jam. Something called a 'Doppelganger System' had taken over, & gone berserk.

'I hope they get well soon,' thought Shakey. The dark knowledge that his friend Toe-Jam would never fully recover, made Shakey wince with guilt.

Shakey's heart-felt wish for his friends' speedy recovery, wasn't just out of friendly concern. As Shakey was now the only 'useable' pilot, things would depend on him alone if another attack came. Like any normal teenage male suffering the emotional upheavals of adolescence, Shakey felt insecure in his abilities, & the thought that he might somehow foul up was ever present in his mind. This 'sole responsibility' for protecting countless lives, was an unpleasant burden on him.

"So this is the heart of the Doppelganger System?" Mazurka's voice cut through Shakey's thoughts.

'Doppelganger System?' Shakey frowned as unpleasant memories arose. His face showed his distaste as he wondered, 'Why did Dr Akatlover bring me HERE?'

"This is where we produce the components," confirmed Ritzy, covertly activating a remote control in her Lab coat pocket.

The main lights in the room suddenly came on, revealing its secrets & startling Shakey & Mazurka…

Not because they saw a giant clear-walled tank of TLC that ran around the other three walls of the room. But because of what they saw IN the tank…

Dozens of naked blue-haired girls. All identical to Rave Imanonymous…

"H-Huh? Wh-What?" gasped Mazurka in shock.

Shakey was more coherent, "Oh my God! It's RAVE!" he exclaimed.

At the sound of his voice, all the girls in the tank opened their eyes & turned their heads to look at Shakey. As if recognising him, they began to smile.

Shakey was SERIOUSLY spooked. He stood & stared, dumbfounded.

"They're ALL Rave," gasped Mazurka, "You mean the Doppelganger System is…?"

"Uh Huh," confirmed Ritzy, "These are the hearts of the Doppelganger System, they're what make it work…"

"But, who ARE they?" Mazurka pleaded, failing to grasp the full implications of Ritzy's statement.

"These?" queried Ritzy, a pained look on her face, "These are empty vessels. Nothing but spare parts, spare Raves…"

Ritzy then launched into a deranged monologue, completely unaware that Mazurka was looking at her as if she thought Ritzy was insane…

Shakey was still staring dumbstruck at the smiling girls in the tank, when something Ritzy said grabbed his attention.

"AVE's are HUMAN?" Shakey exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes," replied Ritzy, "Inside the empty husk of each AVE, is a Human soul, but the only vessel that can hold a soul is Rave…"

Mazurka & Shakey continued to stare, not comprehending what Ritzy was saying.

"These things…" sneered Ritzy, "…aren't Human, they just have Human form… I think I'll destroy them…" She pressed another button on her remote.

**********************************************************************

Chapter - Deliberations.

Somewhere in the vast sprawl of the underground NERVIS Base, a 'local services' computer received the destruct signal sent by Ritzy's remote control. As it was only a low-level computer system, it couldn't authorise the request, due to a programmed fail-safe designed to prevent accidental loss of valuable resources.

'Destruct' requests were only processed automatically if they fell into one of two categories. Either 'scheduled maintenance' as per prearranged & approved schedule, or 'emergency request' made during an 'Alert'.

As this request fell into neither category, the low-level computer could not give adequate authorisation. It resolved the dilemma by routing the request to the MOGGY Supercomputers for final clearance.

As was standard operating procedure for such 'anomalous' requests, the MOGGY requested more information. They traced the source of the request, & activated spy cameras. They 'saw' the items the request referred to…

Raw materials for the Doppelganger Units.

The MOGGY accessed 'restricted' files to help in their decision, reading secret information… 'Doppelganger Lab Resources - Vital, protect at ALL costs'.

They accessed the personnel file of the person making the request. They read how the mother of Dr Ritzy Akatlover had killed herself, after killing a child.

The MOGGY deliberated.

The first sub-computer decided, "The request is not logical, there is no need to destroy any resources in the Doppelganger Lab - Authorisation DENIED."

The second sub-computer decided, "Doctor Akatlover is acting irrationally. If she is successful in destroying them, will she repeat her mother's actions, & kill herself? - Authorisation DENIED."

The third sub-computer decided, "We will not allow any of these resources to be destroyed needlessly, we will preserve them - Authorisation DENIED."

The initial threat ended, the MOGGY deliberated over what course of action to take, to ensure the continued security of the Doppelganger Lab resources.

Stopping Ritzy this time, was easy enough. Ensuring the continued security of the resources in the Doppelganger Lab was not.

Ritzy could certainly try again, & would most likely try immediately, once she knew that her initial attack had failed. Given her intelligence, it was unlikely she would use the same method again. Especially since there were so many effective alternates available.

Such as simple Electrocution…

The Moggy immediately activated safeguards against such an event, realising as they did so that a second attack could use methods over which the MOGGY had no direct control.

Such as poisoning the TLC…

Or, Ritzy might sabotage the TLC oxygen content regulator systems, or the waste filtration & removal systems, or the TLC thermostat control, or…

It was a complex problem, as removing Ritzy's physical access to the Lab, was NO guarantee of safety. She might recruit an accomplice, & get them to do the deed for her. She might even 'hack' the computer controlled life support systems from a remote location, or download a computer virus, or…

The MOGGY ran scenario after scenario, contemplating possible attacks, & possible countermeasures.

All of their countermeasures were susceptible to human interference. All of the possible attack scenarios could result in unacceptably high destruction levels.

Grouped together as they were, the resources were just too easy a target.

Of all the countermeasures, splitting the main group into smaller groups was the best option… It would require numerous attacks against the smaller groups to achieve the same destruction levels, as a single attack on a large group could.

It was the best option, as it gave the best survival rates…

The MOGGY made a decision.

They would RELEASE the resources from their storage container, making each one of them a moving target. This meant that the number of attacks needed to destroy all of them would be equal to the number of resources.

Ritzy could still try to destroy them individually. However, that would take much more time, effort, & resources on her part. There was little chance of her destroying more than an acceptable fraction before Security could intervene.

Still, she could destroy some.

The MOGGY looked at the situation again, to see if there was any way to reduce Ritzy's immediate ability to destroy the resources.

They found a solution.

The tool of destruction Ritzy had just tried to use, was an automated destruct system, a 'Pulsed Sonic Shockwave', specifically attuned to the resonant frequency of the resources themselves. Its use would literally vibrate the resources to pieces, much like a singer could shatter a glass by hitting the right note with their voice.

The MOGGY reprogrammed the device's output harmonics & frequency range, & then activated it.

In the Doppelganger, Lab, the clear tank wall suddenly 'crazed', & then shattered in the middle of its span, where the harmonics overlapped. Bits of tank wall shot across the room, not by the forces involved in the destruction of the tank wall, but by the pressure of the liquid TLC behind it.

The MOGGY immediately shut the Mains power off, to reduce any risk of electrocution, accidental, or deliberate. The Lab plunged into total darkness. Battery powered emergency lights switched on, making cones of illumination in the gloom, lighting escape routes, rather then the lab itself.

The TLC continued to flow from the shattered tank, flooding the Doppelganger Lab. The wavefront hit the three humans, pummelling them with its liquid force.

The resources in the tank were also caught in the surge.

The first of the resources leaving the tank, smashed with the full force of the surge into the Lab fixtures. Those following, had their journey cushioned by the pulped remains of earlier travellers.

Eventually, the TLC surge subsided. The liquid swamped the lab, & overflowed into the corridor beyond as emergency drains blocked with debris. Inside the lab, the occupants lay silently, at most only twitching, stunned by the onslaught they'd just experienced.

As per the calculations of the MOGGY, the use of the reprogrammed shockwave had released the resources, & temporarily incapacitated Ritzy.

The MOGGY's calculations indicated that the bulk of the surviving resources would recover consciousness before Ritzy would. Coupled with their robust construction, the resources would be mobile & able to escape, even if they were not actually capable of physically defending themselves against an attack.

At least, those resources not too badly damaged…

The MOGGY had estimated that resources would be damaged, or even destroyed by their drastic release from the tank. The calculated 'wastage' rates were much lower than the 100% destruction rate Ritzy's initial attack could have achieved.

The MOGGY sent coded messages, requesting immediate dispatch of emergency Security & Medical trauma teams to the Lab.

The MOGGY also sent a coded message to the Base Commander, advising him personally of the event.

**********************************************************************

Chapter - Despair.

Dr Ritzy Akatlover slowly regained consciousness…

Ritzy lay sprawled on the ground, pinpricks of light flashing in the darkness of her aching head. Something warm & wet soaked her from head to foot, making her hair & clothes stick to her skin in a warm embrace. The pressure of many soft & padded objects surrounded her, weighing her down onto a hard surface laced with grit & sharp edged objects.

Ritzy opened her eyes…

She was lying in a darkened room, lit by the dull glow of emergency lighting.

"Where?" Ritzy asked dazedly, before her senses cleared & her memory came back…

Ritzy realised she was laying on the floor of the Doppelganger Lab, beneath a tangle of pale limbs & bodies. The blood-like scent of TLC filled the air, identifying the liquid that soaked her. The sight of the shattered TLC tank wall gave her reasonable proof of what the debris she was resting on was.

'The tank wasn't supposed to be destroyed…' Ritzy thought in dazed confusion.

Ritzy tried to sit up, but the TLC had made the mass of tangled flesh slippery. She resorted to brute force, roughly pushing bodies aside until she had enough space in which she could sit up & view her surroundings. Only then did she notice that bodies around her were moving, coughing up TLC, & breathing.

'My attempt to destroy them failed?' Ritzy wondered in shock, 'WHY?'

Ritzy checked her remote control readout. On it was a brief message from the MOGGY supercomputers, simply stating "Request Denied!"

Ritzy stared at the message in horrified disbelief. 'Why?' she wondered, unable to comprehend it all, 'WHY Mother? Don't you WANT to be avenged?'

Killing the inmates in the tank was to have been only one small part of Ritzy's revenge against Glando & STEELY. She had already implemented other, more 'subtle' deeds, that wouldn't be noticeable for some time.

This act of destruction alone though, would severely discredit Glando in the eyes of STEELY, & bring their displeasure down upon him. Together with her other plans, Ritzy hoped it would all prove enough to result in Glando being 'terminated' by STEELY. Hopefully, for being of 'no further use' to them…

A hollow revenge, as Ritzy knew she would not long survive her actions. She would be killed, either by STEELY, or if he lived long enough, by Glando. Not that she thought she could have lived long anyway… The last 'predicted' alien attack was not far off, & she knew that once it was over, she would no longer be of use to Glando.

Now though… Ritzy's plans were in serious disarray.

If the MOGGY supercomputers were against Ritzy, then her other plots might fail as well. Ritzy would die, unavenged against Glando & STEELY.

The thought of her own untimely death was hard enough for Ritzy to bear. The failure of her initial attempt at revenge was another bitter blow. But worst by far, was this seeming betrayal by the MOGGY supercomputers.

The MOGGY supercomputers were more than a computer to Ritzy. As her mother had designed, built, & programmed them, Ritzy saw them more as 'family heirlooms', something that kept alive the memory of her mother, & her accomplishments.

As well as the spirit of Ritzy's mother, as the MOGGY were also imbued with electronic versions of their creator's personalities. It was these 'digitised' personalities, literally, Ritzy's own mother, that had just rejected their own daughter's attempt at revenge, in favour of Atari's blue-haired dolls…

"What shall I do now mother?" Ritzy whispered, as her brilliantly laid plans started to unravel along with her mind, "What shall I do?"

It was all too much for Ritzy, she hugged her knees & started weeping, rocking slowly back & forth, like a child who had just lost their mother might do…

**********************************************************************

Chapter - Determination.

Major Mazurka Kutsarug groaned in pain. She had tried to 'shield' Shakey when the tank blew, cushioning the impact of several bodies in his defence. She now felt decidedly bruised as she struggled to her feet.

Mazurka's 'Command Persona' took over, evaluating the situation, & formulating a tactical response. It didn't help that she was groggy from blows to the head.

'First, find Shakey,' Mazurka thought blearily, 'As the only available AVE Pilot, he's Priority ONE…'

'There he is…' Mazurka felt relief as she saw an apparently unharmed Shakey in the midst of a group of naked girls, pushing them aside as he tried to sit up, 'He seems to be all right…'

'Second, find Ritzy,' Mazurka scowled, 'Until proven otherwise, I HAVE to assume she's an ongoing threat. S--T, where's my gun? Oh right, still in my hand…'

Mazurka spotted Ritzy, sitting in the tangle, slowly rocking back & forth… 'She looks out of it for the moment… Probably took a few whacks on her head…'

'Third, evaluate the situation…' Mazurka looked around. Wounded lay everywhere, some with broken bones sticking out of their bodies. Many were in obvious pain. Others appeared unconscious.

'Some of them are probably already dead…' Mazurka realised, noting the extent of their injuries, 'Well then… Fourth, raise the alarm, & get help…'

Mazurka stumbled over to a light blinking on a wall grille. She tried not to tread on the wounded, but she didn't let her concern stop her from walking over them if she had to… Another injury or two was irrelevant in THIS situation…

As Mazurka had hoped, the steady beacon of a LED light showed that the emergency intercom in the lab still worked. She punched the 'call' button & spoke rapidly, not waiting for any answer as she knew the call should be automatically recorded if the intercom still worked.

A common design feature of ALL essential electrical gear on the NERVIS Base was multiple atmosphere 'pressure-proofing', intended to prevent damage due to gas or liquid overpressure. Modular design, battery backup, robust construction & 'wireless' communication ability were also common features.

"Major Kutsarug here. Dr Akatlover has just blown up the Doppelganger Lab. We have DOZENS of wounded down here, some 'Terminal'. We need emergency Medical Trauma teams, ALL you've got, & Security down here **NOW**! Confirm?"

"Roger that Major," came a tinny reply from the intercom, "ALL available trauma teams are on their way, E.T.A. of first team, about ten minutes…"

"Roger, relief in ten, repeat one-zero minutes. Kutsarug out," Mazurka barked, before cutting the call & swearing a blue streak.

'S--T!!' Mazurka fretted, 'They need attention NOW! By the time Medical gets here, some of them will be dead!'

'No choice!' Mazurka decided grimly, as she knelt & tried to disentangle some of the wounded, 'If you want something done… You've GOT to do it yourself!'

Mazurka swore again as the slick body nearly slipped out of her grasp.

'Fat lot I can do alone…' Mazurka grumbled as she finally pulled one girl safely out of the heap, 'Two people would do this faster, & save more lives. But… Shakey won't be up to this sort of thing, & I can't trust Ritzy…'

'Then again,' Mazurka reasoned, 'I might be able to persuade Ritzy to 'be good'…' Mazurka scrambled over to Ritzy, & put her gun to the Doctor's head.

"Dr Akatlover," Mazurka growled, "I'm ORDERING you to help treat the wounded!"

Ritzy didn't reply, she just kept rocking back & forth.

Mazurka realised how spaced out Ritzy was. She put her gun away, & grabbed the doctor, shaking her roughly, trying to get a response. This course of action not working, Mazurka resorted to the time-honoured tactic of 'slapping them back to their senses'…

Ritzy came around after half a dozen…

Mazurka was about to repeat her demand, when Shakey started screaming…

**********************************************************************

Chapter - Death.

Shakey Atari struggled to sit up, his dazed mind only vaguely realising his current situation. All he knew was that things were entangled around him, their weight pinning him down.

'Got to get this stuff off me,' he thought, as he tried to free himself.

Then his mind & eyes came into focus, & he became EXTREMELY embarrassed as he realised just what the things were that he was entangled with, & what he had been so roughly shoving aside.

In rising panic, Shakey tried to get free without touching any of the pale bodies around him. No matter what he did, he'd only get out of one 'embarrassing position', to find himself in another.

'This is worse than when I delivered Rave's I.D. Card,' he thought.

Shakey had finally managed to sit up, when the girls around him began convulsing, making gurgling noises, & coughing up the TLC from their lungs.

Some could not.

Shakey saw one girl in the heap with a 'flail chest' injury. Most of her ribs were broken, & her lungs had collapsed. Unable to draw in air, all she could do was make muted gulping noises, her mouth opening & closing like a goldfish out of water, striving to breathe, but failing.

Shakey tried to help her, pushing other girls from off the shattered body beneath them. He succeeded, only to have the sickening realisation, that he didn't know what to do to help her.

Shakey had been an AVE pilot for only a few months. Before that, he hadn't even been a soldier, but just another civilian. His subsequent battlefield training had mostly been a crash-course in AVE weapons, & AVE piloting skills. As Shakey had so many more important things to learn, he had never been taught First Aid. Pointless really, as during all of the battles he had been in, there had always been trained Field Medics waiting to treat any injuries.

Consequently, Shakey didn't have the faintest idea of how to help the girl…

He looked around, wanting to attract the attention of the Medic he hoped to see, but all he saw were more tangled bodies, more injured needing help.

Frustrated & unable to help her, Shakey did what he could. He reached out & put his arms around the injured girl, cradling & supporting her as best he could. Trying to give some small comfort to her, by letting her know, that at least, she wasn't alone, that someone cared.

Shakey held the girl as she lay dying…

It seemed to help her. She turned her face to his, & managed to smile faintly at him through her suffering. She reached up & gently traced her trembling fingers along his cheek, letting her hand lie at the base of his neck for a moment, before it limply fell away.

Shakey noticed she'd stopped trying to breathe. He gently shook her, hoping for a response, that somehow she'd wake up & start breathing normally.

It didn't work. Shakey began to cry as he realised that she was dead. He'd wanted to help her, he'd TRIED to help her, but he'd failed.

All around Shakey, the other girls began to stir. Their faces turned towards him, smiling faintly through their pain, their hands reaching out to touch him.

When Shakey had first entered the Lab, he'd had a bad case of the 'creeps'. It had only gotten worse since then. Now he sat in a murky twilight, drenched in a liquid that smelt like blood, with a shattered corpse in his arms. When he half-noticed dozens of pale ghostly shapes reaching for him, he did what many people would do in a similar situation.

He screamed his lungs out…

**********************************************************************

Chapter - Desperate Measures.

Mazurka dropped Ritzy, & fought her way over to the screaming Shakey, roughly pushing aside the girls surrounding him. She grabbed him by his shoulders, & shook him, yelling at him…

"Shakey! These AREN'T RAVE! They just look like her! CALM DOWN!"

Shakey came back from wherever his mind had been, but he still trembled nervously, even more so if any of the girls touched him.

"Shakey," began Mazurka, "These girls are injured. They need help. **WE** have to help them. Do you think you can help?"

Shakey gulped nervously, he didn't know what he COULD do, but he wanted to do something, ANYTHING to make things better.

"Y-yes M-Mazurka," he stammered, "Tell me what to DO…"

"Right!" Mazurka spoke calmly & slowly to Shakey, deliberately emphasizing the important bits, "We NEED medical supplies. We don't have ENOUGH in this lab. I want you to go & GET some."

Shakey swallowed hard as he looked at Mazurka with frightened eyes.

'Poor kid,' Mazurka thought, before continuing in softer tones, "There should be emergency kits at the Security Checkpoints in the corridors. We NEED the LARGE YELLOW backpacks. NOT the small white cases. There should be both at the Checkpoints. If there AREN'T any LARGE YELLOW backpacks, THEN bring the white cases… Can you do that Shakey?"

"Yes!" Shakey nodded vigorously, "Large yellow backpacks, or else white cases…"

"Okay then, GO!" Mazurka turned him around & pushed him towards the door.

Shakey stumbled his way to the door, mumbling apologies to the girls as he shoved his way past them. Once free, he took off at a run, the squeaks of his shoes on the damp floor receding quickly into the distance.

Mazurka hadn't really 'lied' to Shakey. There weren't enough medical supplies in the lab for this situation. But even the Emergency Kits from the nearest Checkpoints wouldn't be enough. Although they might help save some lives.

That is, IF Mazurka could get the wounded organised. There was only her & Ritzy to do the job, & Mazurka wasn't too sure about Ritzy…

"If we could sort the wounded, that would save valuable time for the Medics…" sighed Mazurka, as she surveyed the mess, wondering WHERE to start next, 'The bodies are so entangled… It'd take hours for two people to sort them out. It looked like the badly wounded would have to wait until the Medics arrived…'

'Which means many are going to die…'

Mazurka frowned as she noticed the group of girls that had been next to Shakey.

They were all facing the doorway he'd left through. A couple of them had even stood up, although they were leaning against the walls for support.

Mazurka chewed her lip thoughtfully, & decided to take a risk.

"All Right Ladies!" Mazurka barked, "This is a DIRECT ORDER! I want you to sort yourself into groups based on injuries! Those with broken bones, or bleeding injuries, STAY where you are! Leave the unconscious WHERE they are! The rest of you, IF you can walk, I want you OUTSIDE, in the corridor, NOW!"

Mazurka's heart skipped a few beats as the girls started to move, disentangling themselves from each other before making their unsteady way towards the door.

'It's working!' the relief that flooded Mazurka was only temporary, her heart immediately sinking again as she noticed that about a quarter of the wounded were staying put, & that many of THOSE weren't moving at all.

Mazurka turned to address an astonished Dr Akatlover, "Ritzy, I'm leaving you in charge of the wounded. I EXPECT you to perform 'Reverse Triage' for them."

The fact Mazurka had her hand on her holstered gun, wasn't really a threat.

Not quite…

Ritzy closed her eyes, & nodded her head. She'd been shaken by how well the wounded had responded to Mazurka's words.

'It's not possible!' Ritzy thought, 'They shouldn't be able to react like that?'

A frown marred Ritzy's face as she realised, 'What am I thinking? Of COURSE they might be able to react like that! Just because I WAS told about them doesn't mean I was told the TRUTH about them! No, just enough half-truths to enable me to do the job 'he' wanted me to do!'

As Ritzy started the messy task of evaluating the injured, she didn't dwell on the irony, that Ritzy, a would be killer, should be ordered to save the lives of her intended victims, by performing 'Reverse Triage' on them.

Literally, deciding who would live, & who would die.

'Reverse Triage' was also known as the 'Dark Side' of First Aid. When a mass casualty situation occurred, there was often no way ALL of the casualties could be effectively treated, especially if there was a lack of resources.

In these situations, those with the best chance of surviving got attention, rather than using resources on those who might not live. The most seriously wounded, were often left to be treated last. Left to die, so others could live.

Ritzy bent her back & got about her task, accepting her penance, & making new plans. She knew Mazurka wasn't joking with her subtle threat. If Ritzy HAD to die, she'd rather it wasn't at the hands of her friend. If she was to be killed by an enemy or a stranger, she could at least try to fight back, to take them 'with her' in death.

Especially if Glando wanted to kill her himself…

'Oh yes…' Ritzy wore a grim smile on her face, as she thought of ways of taking Glando 'with her'.

'Helping the wounded… MIGHT get me another chance at revenge…' Ritzy's mind began churning, thinking up possible options as a sly gleam appeared in her eye.

'Perhaps I can use them to make up a story to 'cover' the reason behind my actions? Hmmm… What would Glando accept? Jealousy? Of his 'family-type' relationship with 'Rave'? Yesss… THAT should appeal to the arrogant jerk…'

Ritzy worked methodically, quickly evaluating the remaining wounded, & giving what professional care she was physically capable of.

Ritzy had Degrees in various biology disciplines, & she knew about the 'ethics' of animal research, & Humane Treatment of Lab animals. To Ritzy's mind, killing the girls in the tank was akin to performing an abortion on a test-tube or 'in Vitro' embryo. Compared to how the blue-haired Rave was already treated at STEELY's command, it was more an act of compassionate euthanasia or 'mercy killing', than murder.

Mazurka followed the walking wounded out into the corridor. She didn't like leaving Ritzy alone with the badly wounded, but she wanted to give her friend a chance to redeem herself, to prove herself.

But ONLY with those most likely to die in any case.

"Right!" Mazurka addressed the girls in 'Command Mode', "I want you Ladies to line up along the walls, leaving room in the middle of the corridor for the Medics to use, when they get here."

The girls complied, some leaning against the wall for support, others squatting or sitting down, as standing was evidently too much of a strain for them. Their pale bodies were already showing bruises. Several were shivering, & hugging themselves with their arms. Mazurka suddenly realised why, as she felt how chilly her damp clothes were.

The TLC had been 'body' temperature in the tank, but it was rapidly chilling as it evaporated, stealing body heat in the process. With the cold air down in the subterranean corridors of the NERVIS Base, Hypothermia was a real threat to the naked girls…

'I've got to do something…' Mazurka knew from training & previous practical experience that multiple Hypothermia cases would only complicate relief efforts, 'The Medics are going to have enough trouble helping the injured in the Lab, let alone the rest of them.'

Mazurka turned to the girls, "Listen UP Ladies! Some of you are feeling cold. That's because the TLC on you is evaporating, & taking away body heat. I want you to wipe yourselves dry with your hands, & then sit close beside each other. Try NOT to lean against the walls, but bunch up as much as you can, & use each other for warmth. We should have 'Thermal Blankets' for you when Shakey gets back with supplies…"

The girls complied, sitting close beside each other, with their knees drawn up to their chests, their arms folded around their legs to help secure their balance. While they were still losing heat through contact with the floor & through some air convection, the partial insulation offered by bodies pressed close on either side together with their altered ratio of body mass to surface area reduced heat loss substantially.

'It's not the best,' Mazurka decided, before looking inside the lab, 'But it should help them until better is available,'

In the Doppelganger Lab, Dr Akatlover had made a good start. Many of the injured were already either rolled onto their sides with their limbs splayed to support them in the 'Lateral Recovery Position', or else lying on their backs with their arms crossed over their torsos. The latter were the 'goners', those either already dead, or so badly injured as not to be considered 'survivable'.

Mazurka frowned as she realised how many were 'goners'. Some were still alive, & capable of being saved, if only they could receive the care they needed.

'If only we had more people to render First Aid…' Mazurka suddenly stopped, then swore loudly at herself as she realised they DID have more people, 'Why didn't I think of this sooner?'

Mazurka hurriedly turned back to the girls in the corridor.

"Ladies!" Mazurka urgently announced, "I need to know if ANY of you are able to assist with the wounded. You'll deal with broken bones, bleeding injuries & breathing problems. If you ARE trained, I want you to raise your left hand!"

Each girl raised her left hand.

"All Right!" crowed Mazurka, her spirits lifting with genuine hope, "I ONLY want those of you who are FIT enough to do this. If you are NOT feeling up to it, I want you to remain seated out here in a group, the rest I want to stand up."

Just over half of the girls stood up…

"All RIGHT THEN!" Mazurka grinned, "Ladies, get in there & help Dr Akatlover."

The girls began moving into the lab, along with Mazurka…

Dr Akatlover was surprised when the girls re-entered the lab. She was even MORE surprised when Mazurka ordered her to assign 'cases' to the girls & let them help with the wounded. Ritzy complied without protest. The blue-haired girls had already surprised her with their unexpected ability to follow Mazurka's orders, & Ritzy wasn't going to argue about getting extra help.

Some of the First Aiders helped support the limbs & bodies of those with broken bones. Others performed 'Expired Air Resuscitation' for those with breathing difficulties, blowing air from their own lungs into the lungs of those who couldn't breathe for themselves.

Some of those who were unable to breathe for themselves were 'flail chest' cases. Mazurka winced as she saw how the 'breath of life' bubbled out of open chest wounds in a pink froth.

The meagre supply of dressings in the Lab's own First Aid kit quickly gave out, forcing the girls to use 'pressure points' & their own hands as 'pressure bandages' to control bleeding.

One grim task Ritzy kept for herself. She dragged the 'hopelessly dead', mostly severe head & torso injury cases, into a corner & draped her lab coat over them.

Shakey returned soon after, bearing two large yellow backpacks.

"Muh-Mazurka," Shakey huffed, out of breath. He had run down the long corridor to find the Emergency Checkpoint, & run back again, laden with supplies.

"Good Work Shakey!" Mazurka's praise was genuinely grateful, even if it served the double purpose of reassuring Shakey, & keeping his mind off things.

Mazurka took the bags from him, & walked into the lab with them, where Ritzy & the girls quickly started to empty them, & put their contents to good use.

Shakey had been surprised, & more than a little unnerved to see all those girls in the corridor when he returned. It wasn't just the fact that there were so many unclothed girls that made him feel self-conscious, but rather the fact that they were ALL looking intently at him with troubled looks on their faces.

As if they were upset at something. Or someone.

'It's not as if I've done anything wrong…' Shakey blushed with embarrassment, & turned away from the gazes directed at him, 'Dr Akatlover brought me down here! It's not my fault I'm here when they're… they're…'

Shakey peered in through the door of the Lab, desperately trying to find some place to look that wouldn't upset the girls around him, or make him feel any more embarrassed than he was. His eyes widened as he took in the scene of organised carnage within the room. They widened further as he noticed a lab coat, barely covering several unmoving bodies.

"…oh…" a small gasp of shock escaped Shakey, & a tremor ran through him.

'Uh-oh', Mazurka was understandably concerned when she noticed Shakey's reaction, 'I don't think he can take this… I'd better distract him again…'

"Shakey," Mazurka laid her hands on the boy's shoulders, prompting him to look at her rather than the scene in the room, "We need MORE supplies, can you go in the OTHER direction, & get some from the OTHER Security Checkpoint?"

"O-Okay," Shakey ran off, slightly slower than before, wearing a troubled look.

'He's slowing down…' a worried look crept over Mazurka's face at the thought, 'He might just be tired from running… But he's wearing damp clothes too…'

Mazurka frowned as she weighed her options, 'I'll check how he is when he comes back… Exercise should keep him warm enough for the time being, but once he slows down too much, he'll start feeling cold too…'

'Speaking of which,' Mazurka strode over to the trauma kits & rummaged through them, taking all of the Thermal Blankets from them, 'The girls in the corridor aren't getting any warmer… Best get these to work as soon as possible…'

Mazurka turned to address Ritzy "I'm going to distribute these Thermal Blankets among the girls in the corridor. Can you handle things in here?"

Ritzy nodded wearily. Reassured, but still wary, Mazurka left the lab.

Mazurka noted with alarm the distressed looks on the girls' faces, & that many of them were visibly shivering. It was clear to her that the girls were feeling the early effects of Hypothermia…

'Shakey brought the supplies just in time…' she thought grimly.

Mazurka quickly organised the shivering girls in the corridor into small groups. She wrapped each huddle of girls with a single Thermal Blanket, & had the various groups sit close beside each other. This way the girls not only used the Thermal Blankets to conserve their own body heat, they obtained the benefit of having a draft stopper as well.

While only a thin sheet of plastic with a 'mirror' finish, Thermal Blankets have the ability to reflect over 90% of the heat radiated from a normal person's warm body. They don't MAKE people warmer, they just KEEP them warm.

Tending to the girls needs, reminded Mazurka that there was a lot about them she didn't know…

'Time I had a 'little talk' with Ritzy…' Mazurka decided with a grim expression.

**********************************************************************

Chapter - Discourse.

Mazurka found Ritzy in a quiet corner of the lab, sitting on the desk of a dead computer while the blue-haired girls did all the work of caring for the injured.

Mazurka half-sat on the table edge beside Ritzy. Indicating the girls with her hand Mazurka quietly demanded, "Who are they? Why do they all look like Rave?"

Ritzy sighed, & absently rubbed her temples, 'So, Mazurka wants information…'

"If I told you, you probably wouldn't believe me…" Ritzy mumbled in reply, painfully aware that she wasn't sure WHAT she could tell Mazurka, as Ritzy was no longer sure she even knew any of the truth herself.

"TRY ME…" commanded Mazurka.

"They look like 'Rave' because they are 'Rave', they're Clones…"

"Clones?" Mazurka blinked, "As in identical DNA?"

"Yes," Ritzy wearily confirmed, "Identical DNA, Identical looks. They all have the same DNA pattern as 'Rave', so they all look like her."

"Are they Clones OF Rave?"

"No. She is a Clone like them."

"Where did they come from?"

"From a secret experiment to produce the perfect raw materials for the Doppelganger System."

"Raw materials?" Mazurka wasn't getting answers she could use. Instead, she got answers that spawned more questions. Maybe she could make sense of things later, when her head didn't hurt so much, & she'd had a few beers…

"Just what IS the Doppelganger System?" Mazurka asked suspiciously.

"A means of programming & controlling Cybernetic Neural Net Systems," Ritzy stated as if reading from a textbook.

"I already know THAT from when you used it on Shakey's AVE," snapped Mazurka, "What's it got to do with these girls? That's what I want to know!"

Ritzy sighed. The full truth about the system was restricted to a handful of people, & Mazurka wasn't one of them, "It's similar to what my mother did when she imprinted her personality into the MOGGY Supercomputers. However, the Doppelganger System doesn't imprint the personality engrams into a computer, it uses the living brain of a Clone."

Mazurka had a sudden horrific vision of a disembodied brain with wires sticking out of it, floating in a tank of TLC. She shuddered, wishing she'd never seen how Ritzy had 'plugged' a laptop computer into the MOGGY that time.

Ritzy continued, "We've had varying success using the 'Doppelganger System' with the AVE's. The most successful run was when Shakey's AVE destroyed Toe-Jam's AVE that time. We've had 'better' success using it on the three Rave's…"

"THREE Raves?" Mazurka interrupted, stressing the number.

Ritzy nodded, "We implanted memories from 'Rave' into these Clones using the Doppelganger System. It was so successful that three of them were able to pretend to be her…"

Mazurka looked at the Clones, "So which ones are THEY?"

"None are," informed Ritzy, "The first Clone to be called Rave, died years before you came here. The first Rave you met, was the second Clone. She was also the first to be called the 'First' Pilot. She died in the last battle."

"Then…" Mazurka paused, "…the girl in the Hospital… was the third Clone…"

"Yes," confirmed Ritzy, "The girl known as 'Rave Imanonymous', never existed. She's a fictitious character, impersonated by a series of identical Clones…"

Mazurka was stunned, "But… WHY?"

Ritzy shrugged, "Ask Glando, I only know what HE'S condescended to tell me…"

"What DID he tell you?"

"Mostly lies…" Ritzy paused before continuing, her voice growing bitter with twisted emotions, "He certainly hasn't told me the truth about these Clones…"

"He said," Ritzy's voice lowered to a discrete whisper, "…that these Clones were created in a similar fashion to the AVE's… Grown, not born… That they were designed as replacements for human pilots… That most of these 'biological robots', weren't 'intellectually viable'… That they were mere 'vegetables'…"

Mazurka looked incredulously at the Clones in the room. From what she saw around her & knew from personal experience about 'Rave', she couldn't accept THAT appraisal of Rave, "But Rave's 'normal'?"

Ritzy grimaced, "He said, Rave only appeared to be 'normal', due to her being one of the few capable of receiving the extra programming needed to imitate a person… But that even with 'extra programming', she was nothing more than an 'idiot savant'… A 'biological computer' that could pass the Turing Test…"

Ritzy went silent as Shakey arrived with more supplies. She had intended to tell Shakey many things, including the truth about Rave. Widening the 'family rift' between him & his father, could only be a good thing for the boy. That was when Ritzy thought she herself, knew the 'truth' about Rave.

Now though… Things had changed.

Mazurka gave a warning scowl to Ritzy, & then strode over to Shakey.

'The Emergency Teams will be here shortly,' Mazurka thought, 'I don't have much time to talk with Ritzy, & I'll have NO chance once Security gets here…'

There were things Mazurka wanted to ask Ritzy, things she couldn't if Shakey was around. She didn't know how he'd take hearing the questions, let alone the answers. Things were under control here, or at least, as much as they COULD be.

"Well Done Shakey," Mazurka's praise was genuine, "We need to get these girls off of this cold floor. On your travels did you see any 'folding chairs'?" There should have been some of those at the Security Checkpoints…"

Shakey was too out-of-breath to talk, so he just nodded his head.

"Great!" Mazurka smiled reassuringly, "We need some of those, as well. I want you to go & get some for us. Think you can do that?"

Shakey nodded, then turned & jogged off, definitely slower than before.

Mazurka's smile vanished, 'He's slowing down all right… He's got five minutes, maybe ten before he comes off his adrenalin high, & the stress hits him. By then, the Emergency Teams SHOULD be here, & I can get him the help he'll need…'

Mazurka didn't notice the change in the facial expressions of the girls in the corridor. They looked concerned as they faced the direction Shakey had gone.

Shakey hadn't noticed either. Although in his case, it was because he'd been unable to look at them due to a not-so-vague feeling of guilt.

Mazurka walked back to Ritzy & resumed her informal interrogation, quietly asking, "So… What are their names?"

Ritzy shrugged, "We've only ever used the one name for them, 'Rave'."

"Oh Come ON!" demanded an incredulous Mazurka, "You can't just call ALL of them 'Rave'… It'd be too confusing?"

Ritzy's face had an expression of distaste as she answered, "Glando told me, 'Raw materials don't NEED names'. We've never used names for 'them'. They've never 'lived' out of the tank, so there was never a need for individual names."

Mazurka was horrified, "They've spent ALL their lives in a tank?"

Ritzy looked embarrassed, & turned away from Mazurka's accusing gaze, "Essentially, yes. Apart from the times they've been taken out for medical examination, & evaluation they've nev…"

**SLAP!** Mazurka's palm connected with Ritzy's cheek at full force.

"HOW IN **HELL** COULD YOU GO ALONG WITH THIS?" demanded a furious Mazurka.

Ritzy rubbed her cheek, 'How much should I tell you, Mazurka? Would you even be able to understand, let alone handle the truth? Could you bear the burden?'

Ritzy's dilemma went unanswered, as the noises of a rapidly approaching group of people came from outside the Lab.

**********************************************************************

Chapter - Deliverance.

Ritzy turned to Mazurka, & hissed softly, "Rave isn't just a name! DON'T trust Glando! He only cares for HIMSELF, he…"

The noise of the Emergency Teams as they entered the room drowned Ritzy out. A Medic approached Mazurka & Ritzy, sealing any chance of further conversation.

"Right," said the Medic, "Who's in charge here? We need to-"

"Security! Freeze!" several 'Security Spooks' suddenly entered the room with guns drawn & their joint attitude one of 'target acquisition'. They paused momentarily, then went straight to Ritzy.

"Doctor Ritzy Akatlover," growled one burly Security Guard as the others none too gently hand-cuffed Ritzy, "By order of the Commander, You are under Arrest!"

"Wait!" protested Ritzy as the Security team proceeded to drag her away, "I haven't advised the Medics on individual casualty details…"

Security was having NONE of it.

"Your recent actions," the same burly guard ground out, "Have invalidated ANY diagnosis you've made. All cases will be re-evaluated, to ensure that 'misdiagnosis' did NOT take place…"

The Chief Medic frowned & nodded silently as the Security Guard scowled meaningfully at him. Ritzy HAD tried to kill the Clones, so it was only natural that she should now be suspected of medical 'sabotage'. Ritzy gave no further protest, but hung her head & went meekly, her shoulders slumped in resignation.

Mazurka watched Security take her friend away, thinking hard. Ritzy had given her some new information, how valuable it was, remained to be seen.

'What did she mean?' Mazurka wondered, 'That 'Rave' isn't just a name?'

One of the Security Detail interrupted her thoughts.

"Major Mazurka Kutsarug, you are required for an immediate debriefing…"

"It'll have to wait," snapped Mazurka, "I've got a situation here that…"

"You are no longer in charge of this 'situation'…" the Security Spook stated.

"WHAT? By whose orders?" demanded Mazurka.

"By the Commander's Direct Order, Major. He also said to use force if necessary to ensure you complied with his order IMMEDIATELY…"

"All Right! ALL RIGHT!! I'm going!" Mazurka knew better than to argue with 'Security Mentality'. Her voice faded as she walked away, "Just keep an eye out for Shakey Atari, the Third Pilot! He's down here as well. He was getting us extra medical supplies when you came, but he should be back in a few minutes…"

Under the watchful eye of several security spooks, the emergency teams went to work quickly & precisely, like the highly trained professionals they were. Within minutes, all of the casualties had been speedily re-evaluated, their chances for Medivac determined by rigid application of 'Reverse Triage'.

Unfortunately, this crisis had strained the Secure Surgical Facilities past their limits, & some of the moderately injured had to stay behind. ALL of the injured could have been promptly treated in the local Civilian Hospital system, but that was deemed too much of a 'Security Risk' by High Command.

Instead, the order had come down from High Command itself, that all of the injured **HAD** to be treated within the confines of the NERVIS Base facilities. This policy would result in several deaths. Still, as High Command saw it, Humanity was at war with the Aliens, & people did die in wars…

The Clones were no exception. Rave#2 had been proof of that…

All of the 'walking wounded' underwent immediate evacuation to Secure Medical Facilities. In their case, their sheer numbers & slight injuries saw an Emergency Shelter elsewhere in the complex converted into a makeshift ward.

Some of the moderately injured went immediately to various Secure Surgical Facilities elsewhere in the NERVIS Complex. Others stayed in the Lab & waited.

All of the injured left in the Doppelganger Lab were sorted according to injury, & placed near the door on stretchers, ready to go to whichever Secure operating theatre first became available. They all received painkillers. Although for many of the most seriously injured, it was more to keep them 'quiet' than stabilise them & help them live long enough to receive medical treatment.

When Shakey finally arrived with four folding chairs, he found that Mazurka & Ritzy were gone.

The Security Guards Mazurka had asked to look out for Shakey, had left with the bulk of the Clones. The ones that remained were preparing to leave, as there wasn't any sense in protecting those most likely to die. Especially as High Command had ordered extra security be provided for the Secure Surgical Facilities, & Security personnel were spread thin enough as it was.

A bewildered Shakey tried to find Mazurka. Not seeing her, or Ritzy, he tried to bring himself to the attention of the remaining Security staff.

"I've got the folding chairs," Shakey hopefully offered.

The Security Spook Shakey spoke to, was not really interested. The man just looked blankly at Shakey, as if asking for clarification.

"Uh…" stumbled Shakey, "Do you know where Major Kutsarug is?"

"I wouldn't know that."

"What about Doctor Akatlover?"

"I wouldn't know that either."

"W-What should I do with these chairs then?" asked Shakey.

The Security Spook merely raised an eyebrow suggestively & shrugged. It wasn't any of HIS business. He had no orders concerning boys with folding chairs.

"Go see the Medical Staff," the Security Spook suggested.

Shakey wandered off to the Doppelganger Lab, where the few remainders of the Emergency Trauma teams were tending the seriously injured. He stopped & stared at the scene, trying to summon the courage to ask someone what he should do.

This particular emergency had stretched the Base Medical resources to their limit. All available staff were needed in the Secure Surgical Facilities. Consequently, those tending the injured in the Lab were dangerously overworked.

"What do you want?" one Medic asked curtly as he reached for another wound dressing & saw Shakey standing nearby.

"Uh… I've got the f-folding chairs…" Shakey nervously stammered.

The Medics looked at Shakey with annoyed looks on their faces. They had no time to waste on a healthy young boy. Not when they had MORE important things to do.

"We're busy in here," another medic snapped irritably without looking up from the injury he was tending, "Take them outside, out of our way!"

Shakey recognised the dismissive looks he got from the other Medics, looks he'd seen so many times before in his life. 'Beat it Kid,' they all but said. Feeling embarrassed, Shakey quietly left the Lab. He wandered out into the corridor, where the Clones had so recently huddled in their Thermal Blankets.

Shakey wasn't sure he could find his own way out of this complex, & he didn't feel right about asking for help. Everyone was busy with more important things. With a despondent attitude, Shakey set up his chairs in the corridor outside the Doppelganger Lab. He sat down on one of them, deciding to just stay put, & wait for someone to notice him.

So it was, that Shakey Atari sat in a chilly corridor, in damp clothes, not knowing he was succumbing to Hypothermia.

**********************************************************************

Chapter - Darkness.

Throughout unknown miles of the Earth's Crust, the many corridors of the NERVIS Base branched, a nearly random Labyrinth that quietly kept its myriad secrets. These corridors were much the same as each other. Their non-descript drab & mottled shades of grey were totally devoid of any ornamentation that might relieve the boredom of any casual passer-by.

Let alone the captive audience one corridor held in its almost silent grip…

Shakey Atari sat on a folding chair outside the remains of the Doppelganger Lab, trying to deal with the events of the recent past.

It wasn't easy.

From inside the wreck of the Doppelganger Lab came muted whimperings, mixed with the moans of the wounded, & the quiet mutterings of the Medics attending them.

Shakey's young mind was ill prepared even in the best of circumstances, to deal with the psychological trauma of recent events he'd endured, let alone the set of circumstances he was in now.

Having been considered by the Medics in the Doppelganger Lab as a nuisance, or dangerous distraction, the distraught youth had been ordered out of the Lab with out any further thought to his own personal condition, or medical needs.

And he HAD needs…

Shakey had been kept too busy helping others to appreciate that he too might possibly require help himself. Although physically unharmed, the exhausted youth had expended considerable energy in the past few minutes, & he was glad of the chance to sit & rest. Even though the chilly dampness of his TLC drenched clothes was an unpleasantness he could really do without…

More than literally…

Unknown to Shakey, the TLC in his clothes was evaporating, robbing him of essential body heat. Not only which, but the exertions he'd recently performed had lowered his blood sugar level. Together with the fall off of the Adrenalin High that had sustained him, & with no other 'mental distractions', mental shock was rapidly setting in.

Hypothermia, fatigue, mental distress. All were contributing to the dark despair Shakey's young mind was spiralling into.

'Rave…' a montage of Rave's many faces swam through Shakey's mind…

'I saw you die…' the experience of the blue-haired girl dying in his arms…

'I wanted to save you…' the memory of his own concern for the injured girl…

'I tried to save you…' pushing others off of the shattered body…

'I failed…' the feeling of helplessness at not knowing what to do next…

'You died…' the girl had gone limp in his arms…

'Because I failed to save you…' he had been there…

'I'm useless…' but he hadn't DONE anything…

'Mazurka thinks so too…' she sent him on an errand, rather than ask him to help…

'That's why she sent me to get supplies…' running away was all he was good for…

'Because she didn't need me…' what good was someone who didn't know how to help?

'Because I'm useless…' the Heart & Soul of the matter…

'Why else would they look at me like that?' the look on the faces of the girls when Shakey had returned with the first lot of supplies…

Shakey had initially thought their troubled expressions was due to his presence while they were unclothed. After all, they DID appear relatively unharmed…

Then Shakey had seen the covered bodies in the Lab.

People were dying.

Just like the girl who had died in his arms.

Shakey hadn't been able to save her.

Shakey hadn't been able to save ANY of them…

'I'm an AVE Pilot…' he was entrusted with saving all of Humanity, but had failed to save a single life when the need arose?

'They blame me…' who wouldn't, with what Shakey was supposed to be?

'But how could I have saved her?' he hadn't known what to do…

'Was there something I should have learned?' the confusion of training…

'Did I forget something?' instructors telling him what to do over & over, obviously due to his lack of attentiveness the first time…

'They didn't need me…' Mazurka sent him away, to keep him out of her way…

'No-one does…' the Medics didn't want him nearby either…

'They didn't want me…' only Mazurka & Ritzy had spoken to him, the other girls in the corridor & the Doppelganger Lab had been silent, aloof…

'They saved themselves…' he had seen them tending to the injured…

'I'm useless…' the only conclusion that could be drawn from observable facts…

'Even with an AVE…' his father only sent for him on a chance, not a certainty…

'I wasn't any good…' his first battle was only won when his AVE had gone out of control…

'I failed to save Toe-jam…' he just sat there as Unit Won nearly killed his friend…

'I failed to save Aesir…' his father hadn't even considered him remotely capable of doing anything helpful, why else wouldn't he let him go out & try?

'I failed to save Rave…' the unseeing red eyes…

'I'm a failure…' what more could be said?

'Just a useless failure…' apart from the full truth…

'Useless…' that's why his father had abandoned him…

'Useless…' that's why Aesir always put him down…

'Completely useless…' he always had been…

Shakey began to snuffle, & then to cry, as the full impact of his own opinion overcame him. Still a growing boy, he was still learning how to act 'Manly'. However, he knew the old saying of 'Big boys don't cry, they shave'. He felt ashamed of his tears & the reason for them. He tried to cry quietly.

Locked in the bitter logic of his circular reasoning, Shakey no longer noticed or cared about the outside world. The shiver that ran through his body went unnoticed by his mind. Although the vague feeling of vertigo that washed over him, did prompt him to unconsciously assume a more secure position on his seat.

Shakey splayed his feet out on the floor, & leant forward, curving his spine so that he could rest his forearms on his thighs, & his head on his knees.

Having assumed a seated version of the 'foetal position', Shakey let himself drift further into the inner reaches of his own personal hell, a dark world of self-perceived failure, & undeniable uselessness, a world of bitter recrimination, & self-loathing.

Instead of running away physically, Shakey ran away within himself.

Deep into the dark recesses of his over taxed mind.

**********************************************************************

Chapter - Duet.

Elsewhere in one of the subterranean corridors of the NERVIS Base, Rave#3 walked in quiet solitude, perturbed by some strange physical sensations in her body.

Rave hadn't sought Medical attention, as the odd feelings weren't apparently hampering any of her physical abilities. Besides, the doctor would ask her 'Where does it hurt', & THAT was the problem.

The feelings didn't stay in any one place… The feelings came & went in different parts of her body, in different structures. Limbs, abdomen, chest, head, neck, back, all were affected.

It wasn't just the location of the feelings that wasn't constant… The feelings didn't stay constant, subtly changing from the sensations of broken bones, to bad cuts, bruises, pulled muscles, or sprains. The intensity of individual feelings was also constantly changing, fading slowly into & out of awareness, rather than having the abrupt onset & slow ebb that such injuries normally had.

It was confusing, especially since Rave#3 had never had any such injuries, let alone in any of the places that hurt.

'Neither had the Others,' Rave mused, 'In most of the places that… sensate…'

'I should not seek Medical attention,' Rave decided, 'Without having an obvious need for treatment. Perhaps some exercise will make the cause of the feelings fully manifest itself? If so, I will be better able to determine if I require urgent attention, or if this situation can wait until my next regular physical…'

Rave had promptly started walking towards the Secure Medical Facilities, reasoning that, 'If I require medical assistance, my being near the relevant facilities will make for a more efficient intervention…'

'I hope this will not interfere with my first session in the Doppelganger Lab,' Rave had been slightly worried at the thought, such a situation would not please the Commander. She blinked in surprise as she noted that the strange feelings seemed to intensify markedly as she thought about the Doppelganger Lab.

'What?' Rave asked herself as she looked in the general direction of the Lab.

Rave blinked again, as the strange feelings did indeed grow stronger. As did another feeling… One of restlessness, & unspoken need…

Made curious by the coincidence, Rave wandered towards the Lab, her progress aided by her Security Clearance, & the fact that the Checkpoint Guards knew she was a regular visitor in the underground complex.

Rave walked, the feeling of restlessness growing more urgent the closer she got to the Doppelganger Lab. Her puzzled self-analysis of the situation was abruptly interrupted as she noticed someone sitting on a chair outside the Lab.

Shakey heard the squeak of shoes on the moist floor near him. He looked up to see Rave staring at him. This was too much for his emotionally fragile mind.

All he saw, was the girl he failed to save…

"I-I'm sorry Rave…" Shakey sobbed, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" asked Rave, her concern for Shakey over-riding her concern about her own problem. It also helped her postpone any need to investigate the noises & the strong smell of TLC coming from the Doppelganger lab.

"You got hurt because of me," snuffled Shakey.

Rave was perplexed, 'You have not hurt me. Do you mean the Second?' She was about to request clarification, when Shakey continued.

"Please don't get hurt anymore," Shakey blubbered, "Please don't die anymore. Promise me you won't DIE anymore…" Shakey lost it, breaking down & sobbing uncontrollably, his body shuddering with grief & cold.

'Does he 'know' about me?' Rave wondered as she stood silently, confused by Shakey's words.

Rave turned her mind to analysing the situation, looking for a clue. She noted that Shakey's clothes were damp, & that the air was chilly.

'He is cold,' she thought with some concern, 'He needs warmth.'

A rustling noise disturbed Rave's thoughts. She turned her head to see a blue-haired girl with red eyes & a familiar face, emerge from the Doppelganger lab.

The Clone limped, leaning against the wall for support. As she moved, the Thermal Blanket wrapped around her made the rustling noise that had first alerted Rave to her presence.

'They took another out of the Tank?' Rave thought in surprise, 'Why? I am still alive…'

The injured Clone breathed raggedly, pain & disorientation contorting her pale face. She looked at Rave, then at Shakey, then back to Rave. Then the injured Clone slowly unwrapped the Thermal Blanket she wore, revealing 'field splints' on her arm, leg, & chest, & lots of stained bandages…

Rave patiently waited for the other Clone to speak.

The injured Clone didn't. Instead, Rave was suddenly aware of several 'impressions'. Sets of disjointed images, feelings, memories she KNEW she'd never had before.

Set#1-Who calls? Dr Akatlover? Major Kutsarug? Pilot Atari! They talk? Strange feeling in TLC? The Tank breaks! Confusion! Pain! Vision Fades Pain grows/fades… Confusion! Where am I? Beneath? Above? Beside? Pain! Cannot Breathe! New memories? Not ME? New Feelings? WHOSE?

Set#2-Confusion! Pain! Cannot Breathe! Cannot move Weight crushes Weight goes? Who helps? Pilot Atari? He helps me? He cares? For me? He cares! For ME! Gratitude! Thank You! A trembling hand reaches out to touch him… Vision Fades… Pain fades…

Set#3-Confusion! Pain! Who helps? Pilot Atari? He helps? He cares? For me? He cares! For ME! Gratitude! He is upset? Concern! Care! For him! Hands reach out to touch him… He is afraid? Why?

Set#4-Confusion! Pain! Pilot Atari leaves? He runs to help? Damp Shiver! Chilly! He returns Thermal Blankets? For me? Share blanket? Me with… me? Confusion! Share! ME with… ME? Confusion! Warmer! Gratitude! Pilot Atari leaves? He runs to help? He is upset? Concern!

Set#5-Confusion! Pain! Pilot Atari returns He does not run? He is tired? Concern! He leaves again? He does not run? He is tired! Concern! Others come They take me away? I remain? Confusion! Injection? Pain fades… Vision Fades… I am awake? Confusion!

Set#6-Confusion! Pain! Pilot Atari returns with chairs Others ignore him He is tired! Concern! He is upset? Concern! He goes outside? Injection? Pain fades… Vision Fades… I am awake? Confusion!

Set#7-Pilot Atari? He is crying? He needs help? Concern! Why cry? Answer? Confusion! He needs warmth!

Set#8-Confusion! Pain! Pilot Atari needs help? Concern! Care! For him! He needs warmth? Share! With him!

The injured Clone offered the crumpled Thermal Blanket to Rave, then turned her head to look at Shakey. She turned back to Rave, & again, Rave received a set of impressions, but much stronger this time.

Set#9-Care! For him! Warmth! For him! Share! With him!

Not fully understanding the situation, Rave reached out hesitantly, taking the Thermal Blanket offered by the injured Clone.

A faint look of relief crossed the face of the injured Clone. Then she grimaced, turned, & limped painfully back into the Doppelganger Lab.

Rave wrapped the Thermal Blanket around Shakey. She stood for a few moments, just looking at the pitiful youth.

Then Rave did the unexpected…

She sat beside Shakey, & put her arms around him.

**********************************************************************

The END of Book 1, & the START of 'Altered Lives'

**********************************************************************

OMAKE - Disillusioned.

'Glando…' Ritzy ground her teeth, her emotions seething, 'You B-----D!! I bet you thought you could get AWAY with all this… But you WON'T! You'll pay! ALL of you! I'll MAKE you pay!'

"Hell hath no Fury like a Woman'…" Ritzy quoted ominously, a sinister smile appearing on her face as she reached for her keyboard & began to rapidly code new programs.

In the days that followed, Glando had several unpleasant surprises.

Such as finding his Credit Card account was overdrawn by several Million Yen.

When he queried it, he found out that he had HUGE bills for subscriptions to several dozen 'Adult Check' web sites, & hundreds of 1-900 'Phone Sex' numbers…

Then the numerous mail-order purchases started arriving.

They contained some rather strange 'Adult Toys', highly impractical leather 'clothing', & Magazines with 'unusual' titles, containing 'artistic' pictures of 'Real Men, doing Manly Things… With/To Other Men'.

Glando began to sweat nervously as he realised **NO-ONE** would believe this was a simple 'computer error'…

**********************************************************************

OMAKE - Doppelgangers.

"This is where we produce the components," confirmed Ritzy, covertly activating a remote control in her Lab coat pocket.

The main lights in the room suddenly came on, revealing its secrets & scaring the Living C--P out of Shakey & Mazurka.

Not because they saw a giant clear-walled tank of TLC that ran around the other three walls of the room. But because of what they saw IN the tank…

Dozens of brown-haired bearded men. All identical to Glando Atari…

Mazurka gagged, at the gross 'Andy-Warhol-esque' sight.

Shakey was more coherent, "Oh my God! It's DAD!" he exclaimed.

At the sound of his voice, all the men in the tank opened their eyes & turned their heads to look at Shakey. As if recognising him, they began to scowl.

Ritzy pressed another button on the remote, & a large tube descended from the ceiling, & dropped a freshly caught Glando on the floor.

"Rrriiitttzzeee" gurgled the Glando look alike, as it struggled to stand up.

Ritzy's hands came up, & the pair of matched .44 Magnum revolvers in them thundered repeatedly. The dum-dum 'hot load' slugs turned the Glando simulacra into a pile of quivering meaty chunks.

Mazurka & Shakey just stood & stared. They were shocked by the unexpected sight of Dr Akatlover blowing away what looked like their Commanding Officer.

Ritzy sighed contentedly, & then casually blew the smoke from her guns.

"A Girl has to relieve the stress of working here SOMEHOW," Ritzy quipped.

Noting the stunned looks on the faces of her audience, Ritzy continued, "Would either of you like a try at it?"

"H-How many bullets do I get?" asked Shakey, quivering in anticipation.

"How many Glando's do I get?" asked Mazurka, giving an Evil Grin as she drew her own gun, & flicked the safety off…

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OMAKE - Deliberations.

Of all the countermeasures, splitting the main group into smaller groups was the best option. It would require numerous attacks against the smaller groups to achieve the same destruction levels, as a single attack on a large group could.

It was the best option, as it gave the best survival rates.

It also gave the best odds at the bookmakers.

The MOGGY supercomputers made a killing, literally…

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OMAKE - Death.

All around Shakey, the other girls began to stir. Their faces turned towards him, scowling faintly through their pain, their hands reaching out to touch him.

Or rather, to slap him, **HARD**…

"Perverser Mensch" the blue-haired girls screamed in perfect Unified German.

Dr Akatlover pushed bodies aside, trying to sit up. She was finding it hard to think over the racket some of the Clones were making.

Ritzy turned to look at the noisy group, noting how they were viciously beating the Living C--P out of Shakey.

'Perhaps we shouldn't have used Memory downloads from Aesir' Ritzy mused.

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OMAKE - Discourses.

Mazurka half-sat on the table edge beside Ritzy. Indicating the girls with her hand Mazurka quietly demanded, "Who are they? Why do they all look like Rave?"

"They look like Rave because they are Rave, they're Clones…"

"Are they Clones OF Rave?"

"No. She is a Clone like them."

"Where did they come from?"

"From a secret experiment to produce the 'Perfect Anime Heroine'."

"Perfect Anime Heroine?"

"Yes. We Cloned Megumi Hayashibara-Sama. The talented voice actress/singer."

"So why is their hair blue? Hers is normal…"

"Recessive Anime Genes from her time playing 'Ai Amano', & 'Karin Aoi'…"

"Poor girls…" Mazurka commiserated, "Still it could be worse, Rave could have the personality of 'Lina Inverse' & end up destroying everything…"

"O_O;" Ritzy sweat dropped profusely as she wondered, 'Hasn't Mazurka seen the script for 'End Of Evangelion' yet?'

NOTE #1 Ms Megumi Hayashibara was the voice actress for Rei Ayanami (NGE), Ai Amano (Video Girl Ai), Karin Aoi (DNA^2), & Lina Inverse (Slayers). As well as many other characters in her illustrious career. She also is a talented singer, with several CD Albums to her credit. Her incredible talent, & sheer popularity with the Fans, ensures instant success of any Anime or CD with her in it…

NOTE #2 Ai Amano & Karin Aoi starred in Anime with 'Star-Crossed Lovers' themes. Ai was not human, but learned how to love. Karin was human, but couldn't be with the one she loved. Both had short blue hair.

NOTE #3 Lina Inverse was a female Sorcerer, with long red hair & a short temper. Not that I'm making ANY comparisons to NGE ;) She frequently used the 'Dragon Slave' spell, which was the magic version of the Atomic Bomb. Slayers was an Action/Comedy series, which focused on the funny side of Total Destruction…

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OMAKE - Deliverance.

So it was, that Shakey Atari sat in a chilly corridor, in damp clothes, not knowing he was succumbing to Hypothermia.

Still, despite all that had happened, he knew it would all work out, as the writer of this Fan Fiction was a 'True Fan'.

And that meant, that despite the chapter titles, there was **NO WAY** Shakey was going to be made to 'Squeal Like A Pig'.

Although the Banjo version of the 'Stairway To Heaven' song they used as Elevator Muzak down here WAS a worry…

NOTE - You'd have to know about the infamous 'Squeal like a pig' scene from the movie 'Deliverance' to get this 8( This movie gave Banjo music a bad name, despite having a hit with the 'Duelling Banjos' scene. And Yes, a banjo version of the song 'Stairway to Heaven' DOES exist, as does a 'Wobble-Board' version…

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OMAKE - Duet.

A rustling noise disturbed Rave's thoughts. She turned her head to see a blue-haired girl with red eyes & a familiar face, emerge from the Doppelganger lab.

The Clone limped, leaning against the wall for support. As she moved, the Thermal Blanket wrapped around her made the rustling noise that had first alerted Rave to her presence.

'They took another out of the Tank?' Rave thought in surprise, 'Why? I am still alive…'

Rave patiently waited for the other Clone to speak.

The other Clone didn't. Instead, she suddenly assumed a 'battle stance', a small globe of energy appearing in her right palm. She closed her hand, & the globe turned into a four-foot long spike of pure elemental force.

Rave followed suit, warily watching her opponent. She knew this would NOT be an easy victory. After all, injuries notwithstanding, she was fighting 'herself'. Same Make, Same Model! Two opponents with the same performance specs.

Shakey just sat there, knowing something strange was happening, but too out of it to be sure just what.

The two Clones attacked simultaneously, slashing & blocking in deadly harmony. Their energy spikes merely hummed & crackled whenever they crashed against each other, but vaporised deep molten channels in anything else they touched.

For several tense minutes they ducked & weaved in Mortal Combat, thrusting & slashing at each other, their aggressive moves made at a speed almost too fast to be seen by Human eyes. It ended when the bandaged Clone tripped on a loosened bandage. She tried to correct her stance, but Rave seized the opportunity, & attacked with renewed vigour, body slamming her unsteady opponent to the ground. Once on the floor, the other Clone was at Rave's mercy. With a single graceful stroke, Rave hacked the head clean **OFF** her adversary!

Shakey's eyes went wide in shock. He knew Rave was a 'quiet one', but he never thought she was one of THOSE 'quiet ones', the ones you HAVE to keep an eye on!

Rave stood in the corridor, breathing deeply, elated at her victory. She slowly raised her arms into a 'Victory Salute'.

Inexplicably, a wind began to pick up in the corridor. It started as a gentle movement of the air, but soon turned into a howling storm. It buffeted around the corridor, ripping away ceiling tiles & wall panels. Electrical sparks arced & discharged from the walls, ceiling & floor, striking Rave, & coating her in a blue nimbus of unearthly energy. A Feral grin spread across Rave's face, as she felt her body being filled with an intoxicating invigoration.

As suddenly as it appeared, the unnatural storm subsided.

Rave's voice disturbed the still silence, growling in a surprisingly deep, bass voice, "There can BE, only ONE!"

Shakey sat, rigid with terror. He hoped he was Mad, & that someone would soon come & put him in a nice cosy padded cell where things like this DIDN'T happen.

Rave turned to Shakey, & stalked slowly towards him, her normally calm & serene expression now UTTERLY MENACING in its bland unreadability. She stopped in front of Shakey, & stood for a few moments, just looking at the pitiful youth.

Then Rave did the unexpected…

She sat beside Shakey, put her arm around him, & said in a surprisingly thick Scottish accent…

"Cousin… Have you felt the 'quickening' yet?"

NOTE - There is some debate over whether two or more Rei Clones could exist as people at the same time. This being a Parody, I'll do things MY way, & make it up as I go along… However, I did think, what if there could be, only one? It didn't suit the Parody I intended to write, but it DID suit the OMAKE…

- - - - - - - - - - - - -The END of the OMAKE- - - - - - - - - - - - -