She was exhausted. Floating on a sea of data, scanning with her mind. She'd
been at this for hours, and the mental strain had almost become too much.
It was a new experience for her, not being able to access the information
she needed. She'd begun to feel like she was omniscient as long as she was
jacked in. no data was beyond her reach. Until now.
"It's no use," she said, aware, despite the fact that she could neither hear nor see the physical world, that someone had just walked through the door. She didn't know who it was, but it didn't really matter, they were all there. Everyone back on the Bebop. it felt just like old times.
She slid the visor from her head with one hand, while the other absently stroked the fur of the Welsh Corgi that had been by her side the whole time, and found a very strained looking Faye. She hadn't even changed her clothes, still wearing the same blue jeans and burgundy sweater she'd worn the day before. Ed bit her lip, sorry she didn't have better news to share with her friend, but Faye just smiled absently, and slipped down beside the girl.
"No big deal, sort of figured it was a waste of time, anyway." She pulled a cigarette out of her back pocket, and started to light up, but a quick search of her other four pockets revealed that she'd once again forgotten her lighter... oh well, she didn't really need a cigarette anyway, she thought as she stared longingly at the stick of paper and tobacco, before hurling it away.
"Oh," was all Ed could manage by way of a reply.
"You said yourself, finding just what you found was exhausting, finding his lab was a long shot." She smiled at Ed's frown. "not that I doubt your ability, but considering the time constraints and all."
Ed nodded, pride effectively smoothed, "so why bother?"
"Because it would have made things so much easier."
"Easier? What's the plan now?"
Faye sighed, "Wait for that moron to act predictably, then follow him." Her face was dark as she whispered the words, "different, but the same."
He wanted outside, desperately. The feeling of titanium and steel surrounding him on all sides seemed suddenly crushing. He felt like he was in a tin can. All he wanted to do was step outside. just for a moment, just for the time it took to suck the spark out of a cigarette. He wanted to feel the wind against his skin.
Last night he'd dreamt again of the barren landscape, and the cliff. He'd dreamt again that he was being called by Eve, called for Father, called to war. He thought he was going to be sick.
He looked at his hands, clasped together on the table in front of him. Fingers laced, while a cigarette smoldered, wedged between them.
And sighed.
He'd always been one to avoid responsibility, when at all possible, and now. Now it appeared to be unavoidable. That was probably more crushing than the 20 tons of spaceship wrapped around him. And he wondered how long he'd known this day was coming, how long he'd known, without knowing. Probably all of his short life. It had been ingrained in his mind, that's what had caused the dreams.
He shuddered again, at the memory of Eve's voice inside his mind.
He was not just Subject 26 any longer. He had a name. He was his own person. He would not let anyone change that, not Eve, not Father, not even an army of modified humans.
Corbin stood up from the table, taking one last drag of his cigarette before tossing it into the ashtray.
They'd decided to go after him. The three of them, he, Jet and Faye, with Irma flying drop-off and pick-up, and Ed supporting them from the ship. The three of them, against an army. But Father had proved impossible to trace. Not even the Master Hacker, Radical Edward, could manage to pry his whereabouts out of the mass of electrical impulses that was her domain.
They couldn't fight him, if they couldn't find him.
Of course, there was always the other option...
He smiled, looks like he was going outside after all.
She sat up, brushing the flame red hair from her eyes with the back of her white hand, and glanced at the clock. 4:23 am. A smile tugged at the corners of her ruby lips, and she parted them, indulging herself in a laugh. The time had finally come. He was giving him self up.. or perhaps it would be better to say 'giving himself over,' rededicating himself, and ultimately, realizing his potential. But that didn't matter, what mattered was that he was coming to her. She could feel it.
"Like I said, it was just a matter of time before he did the predictable thing, and charged off on his own... for Christ's sake, when is he going to learn..." Faye continued under her breath, and through gritted teeth for a few more lines, as she kicked her zip-craft into high gear.
"Come on Faye, give the guy a break, he's been under some stress," came Jett's voice across the com.
"Believe me, if we get out of this one alive, I plan on giving him a break!"
"But Faye," Ed cut in, "weren't you expecting this?"
"Doesn't mean I can't be pissed about it!" She pushed the accelerator all the way in, hearing her engines groan in protest, before resigning themselves to their burden. Speed seemed to be the only thing that cooled her raging temper, so Jet said nothing, just followed her trail, hoping she didn't do anything stupid, knowing that she would, and worrying more about her than he ever had for either of his poofy haired companions.
Yeah. I know it's short, I'm sorry, I seemed to have written myself into a corner, and had a little trouble backing out of it, but the ink is once again flowing. Enjoy!
"It's no use," she said, aware, despite the fact that she could neither hear nor see the physical world, that someone had just walked through the door. She didn't know who it was, but it didn't really matter, they were all there. Everyone back on the Bebop. it felt just like old times.
She slid the visor from her head with one hand, while the other absently stroked the fur of the Welsh Corgi that had been by her side the whole time, and found a very strained looking Faye. She hadn't even changed her clothes, still wearing the same blue jeans and burgundy sweater she'd worn the day before. Ed bit her lip, sorry she didn't have better news to share with her friend, but Faye just smiled absently, and slipped down beside the girl.
"No big deal, sort of figured it was a waste of time, anyway." She pulled a cigarette out of her back pocket, and started to light up, but a quick search of her other four pockets revealed that she'd once again forgotten her lighter... oh well, she didn't really need a cigarette anyway, she thought as she stared longingly at the stick of paper and tobacco, before hurling it away.
"Oh," was all Ed could manage by way of a reply.
"You said yourself, finding just what you found was exhausting, finding his lab was a long shot." She smiled at Ed's frown. "not that I doubt your ability, but considering the time constraints and all."
Ed nodded, pride effectively smoothed, "so why bother?"
"Because it would have made things so much easier."
"Easier? What's the plan now?"
Faye sighed, "Wait for that moron to act predictably, then follow him." Her face was dark as she whispered the words, "different, but the same."
He wanted outside, desperately. The feeling of titanium and steel surrounding him on all sides seemed suddenly crushing. He felt like he was in a tin can. All he wanted to do was step outside. just for a moment, just for the time it took to suck the spark out of a cigarette. He wanted to feel the wind against his skin.
Last night he'd dreamt again of the barren landscape, and the cliff. He'd dreamt again that he was being called by Eve, called for Father, called to war. He thought he was going to be sick.
He looked at his hands, clasped together on the table in front of him. Fingers laced, while a cigarette smoldered, wedged between them.
And sighed.
He'd always been one to avoid responsibility, when at all possible, and now. Now it appeared to be unavoidable. That was probably more crushing than the 20 tons of spaceship wrapped around him. And he wondered how long he'd known this day was coming, how long he'd known, without knowing. Probably all of his short life. It had been ingrained in his mind, that's what had caused the dreams.
He shuddered again, at the memory of Eve's voice inside his mind.
He was not just Subject 26 any longer. He had a name. He was his own person. He would not let anyone change that, not Eve, not Father, not even an army of modified humans.
Corbin stood up from the table, taking one last drag of his cigarette before tossing it into the ashtray.
They'd decided to go after him. The three of them, he, Jet and Faye, with Irma flying drop-off and pick-up, and Ed supporting them from the ship. The three of them, against an army. But Father had proved impossible to trace. Not even the Master Hacker, Radical Edward, could manage to pry his whereabouts out of the mass of electrical impulses that was her domain.
They couldn't fight him, if they couldn't find him.
Of course, there was always the other option...
He smiled, looks like he was going outside after all.
She sat up, brushing the flame red hair from her eyes with the back of her white hand, and glanced at the clock. 4:23 am. A smile tugged at the corners of her ruby lips, and she parted them, indulging herself in a laugh. The time had finally come. He was giving him self up.. or perhaps it would be better to say 'giving himself over,' rededicating himself, and ultimately, realizing his potential. But that didn't matter, what mattered was that he was coming to her. She could feel it.
"Like I said, it was just a matter of time before he did the predictable thing, and charged off on his own... for Christ's sake, when is he going to learn..." Faye continued under her breath, and through gritted teeth for a few more lines, as she kicked her zip-craft into high gear.
"Come on Faye, give the guy a break, he's been under some stress," came Jett's voice across the com.
"Believe me, if we get out of this one alive, I plan on giving him a break!"
"But Faye," Ed cut in, "weren't you expecting this?"
"Doesn't mean I can't be pissed about it!" She pushed the accelerator all the way in, hearing her engines groan in protest, before resigning themselves to their burden. Speed seemed to be the only thing that cooled her raging temper, so Jet said nothing, just followed her trail, hoping she didn't do anything stupid, knowing that she would, and worrying more about her than he ever had for either of his poofy haired companions.
Yeah. I know it's short, I'm sorry, I seemed to have written myself into a corner, and had a little trouble backing out of it, but the ink is once again flowing. Enjoy!
