Chapter 6: A hard return to reality
It had been three days since Kerrigan had left her loyal cerebrates in charge of the Swarm. Raynor and Mengsk seemed to have joined forces, each of them attacking one of Kerrigan's blockades. Araq, the one left to organize the blockades, was starting to panic. Shakuras had already fallen back to the protoss, and Aiur was barely standing tall against Mengsk's huge army. But the worst had yet to come for the zerg.
Yet Kerrigan didn't know any of this, as she was attempting to rest, following Daggoth's advise, though she hadn't gotten much rest. Another presence in her was constantly speaking to her, saying things like "You should go back where you belong." constantly keeping her awake, but never had it taken any visible form, until then.
Noticing the other presence seemed to have left, Kerrigan attempted to sleep, which would be the best way to forget about her troubles. But as she fell asleep, instead of sleeping, she felt transported. "Is this a dream?" She thought, as she was transported to the very bottom of her mind. In that place, she was surrounded by darkness; A dark light, which seemed to hide something. Then, the voice Kerrigan dreaded to hear came to her ears, saying,
"Who are you, Kerrigan?"
"Me? I am Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades and the leader of the Swarm" Kerrigan said proudly.
The voice answered, laughing, "In other words, a mindless warlord with no real purpose other than destruction. No, no. That's not who you are."
"Who am I, then?" Kerrigan answered, becoming more and more annoyed.
"You're...me." The voice said. Then out of the darkness came a human being, which Kerrigan recognized as her older self. Kerrigan said, frightened,
"Wh-What the?"
"I am your true self, your human conscience and feelings. Look at yourself, Kerrigan, at the person that you really are!" The voice said. Then, a bright flash appeared and illuminated Kerrigan's entire mind. Now, the dark light had gone, revealing the walls of Kerrigan's mind, with memories of her older self all over them. From memories of her training to the fatidic moment of her capture, she could see everything. Never had she been so shocked in her entire life. She said, frightened:
"Wha-what are those memories? I never saw them before."
"Well" the voice said "the overmind has sealed your true memories and has replaced them by lies. Per example, how do you remember Jim Raynor?"
"As someone who shot me in the back by leaving me to the zerg." Kerrigan answered, bitterly.
"Wrong. Raynor didn't want to leave you out there willingly. On the contrary, he wanted to go, but Mengsk didn't allow him to. All of those memories that you had of your former comrades were false. But the ones you see here are true. Now stay here and look at these memories until you truly understand yourself."
Kerrigan looked in alarm at all her old memories and said: "But this is going to take a lifetime!"
"Don't worry. It won't take you long." The other presence said, before leaving Kerrigan, who was now looking at her memories. There were so many memories that it was like reading all the books of a library. But the more she saw, the more she understood who she was. As she went on, she felt herself betrayed: The Overmind had hidden so much from her! But the other presence had been right: It took her mere hours to see it all. When she finished, the other presence came back, asking again the fatidic question, "Who are you, Kerrigan?"
"I am Sarah Kerrigan, terran ghost formerly under the command of Arcturus Mengsk. But now, I have an infested body." She finished in a bitter voice.
The other presence then said: "If you want to completely become yourself again, you know what to do..."
"I think so..." Kerrigan answered.
"Then farewell, Kerrigan." The other presence said, smirking, before leaving for good.
Kerrigan then awoke. She got up and started thinking. If she would become herself again, she would need Raynor's treatment. But if she went to him directly, he could think of it as a trap. Trying to find a solution to this situation was giving her a headache. Araq, who communicated with her telepathically, interrupted her in her thoughts,
"My Queen! I have sour news. The planets of Aiur and Shakuras have been taken back by the Protoss. Also, from what I understood, Jim Raynor and Arcturus Mengsk were part of the group who destroyed the blockades. Come quickly!"
Kerrigan thought that she'd better act as usual for her cerebrates not to suspect her. She then hurried off, quickly reaching the command room of the hive, where Daggoth and Araq were waiting for her. Daggoth said, sounding tense,
"I am sorry to interrupt your sleep, my Queen, but the situation is extremely desperate. Not only have the blockades fallen, but also, when we tried to reinforce the blockades, we sent most of the rest of our forces to their deaths. We are unsure of what to do. What are your orders?"
Kerrigan, who was barely containing herself from going ahead and killing both cerebrates, answered, "Start rebuilding the defenses of the main hives of that sector, but order the broods not to engage the terrans. Raynor's going to be on the offensive now, so we have to be ready for him. Order the hives of this base to send reinforcements to that sector, as well. Now if you'll excuse me..."
"My Queen, if I may..." Daggoth said, "Have you finally decided what you would do?"
"Yes, Daggoth. I have." Kerrigan answered, clearly annoyed.
"What is it, then?" Araq asked.
"This is a stupid question. What, in your opinion, would be my decision if I would be here speaking to you?" Kerrigan said, seeming angry, before quickly leaving.
"She seems to be back to normal." Araq said to Daggoth after Kerrigan had left.
Daggoth answered, "Wait and see, Araq. I have a bad feeling about this..."
Back in her room, Kerrigan exhaled deeply. During the last few seconds of the meeting, she was so angry she almost planted her claws in her cerebrates. "I have to calm down" she said to herself. "If I kill them now, it'll be hard to escape. I have to think of a plan..."
It had been three days since Kerrigan had left her loyal cerebrates in charge of the Swarm. Raynor and Mengsk seemed to have joined forces, each of them attacking one of Kerrigan's blockades. Araq, the one left to organize the blockades, was starting to panic. Shakuras had already fallen back to the protoss, and Aiur was barely standing tall against Mengsk's huge army. But the worst had yet to come for the zerg.
Yet Kerrigan didn't know any of this, as she was attempting to rest, following Daggoth's advise, though she hadn't gotten much rest. Another presence in her was constantly speaking to her, saying things like "You should go back where you belong." constantly keeping her awake, but never had it taken any visible form, until then.
Noticing the other presence seemed to have left, Kerrigan attempted to sleep, which would be the best way to forget about her troubles. But as she fell asleep, instead of sleeping, she felt transported. "Is this a dream?" She thought, as she was transported to the very bottom of her mind. In that place, she was surrounded by darkness; A dark light, which seemed to hide something. Then, the voice Kerrigan dreaded to hear came to her ears, saying,
"Who are you, Kerrigan?"
"Me? I am Kerrigan, the Queen of Blades and the leader of the Swarm" Kerrigan said proudly.
The voice answered, laughing, "In other words, a mindless warlord with no real purpose other than destruction. No, no. That's not who you are."
"Who am I, then?" Kerrigan answered, becoming more and more annoyed.
"You're...me." The voice said. Then out of the darkness came a human being, which Kerrigan recognized as her older self. Kerrigan said, frightened,
"Wh-What the?"
"I am your true self, your human conscience and feelings. Look at yourself, Kerrigan, at the person that you really are!" The voice said. Then, a bright flash appeared and illuminated Kerrigan's entire mind. Now, the dark light had gone, revealing the walls of Kerrigan's mind, with memories of her older self all over them. From memories of her training to the fatidic moment of her capture, she could see everything. Never had she been so shocked in her entire life. She said, frightened:
"Wha-what are those memories? I never saw them before."
"Well" the voice said "the overmind has sealed your true memories and has replaced them by lies. Per example, how do you remember Jim Raynor?"
"As someone who shot me in the back by leaving me to the zerg." Kerrigan answered, bitterly.
"Wrong. Raynor didn't want to leave you out there willingly. On the contrary, he wanted to go, but Mengsk didn't allow him to. All of those memories that you had of your former comrades were false. But the ones you see here are true. Now stay here and look at these memories until you truly understand yourself."
Kerrigan looked in alarm at all her old memories and said: "But this is going to take a lifetime!"
"Don't worry. It won't take you long." The other presence said, before leaving Kerrigan, who was now looking at her memories. There were so many memories that it was like reading all the books of a library. But the more she saw, the more she understood who she was. As she went on, she felt herself betrayed: The Overmind had hidden so much from her! But the other presence had been right: It took her mere hours to see it all. When she finished, the other presence came back, asking again the fatidic question, "Who are you, Kerrigan?"
"I am Sarah Kerrigan, terran ghost formerly under the command of Arcturus Mengsk. But now, I have an infested body." She finished in a bitter voice.
The other presence then said: "If you want to completely become yourself again, you know what to do..."
"I think so..." Kerrigan answered.
"Then farewell, Kerrigan." The other presence said, smirking, before leaving for good.
Kerrigan then awoke. She got up and started thinking. If she would become herself again, she would need Raynor's treatment. But if she went to him directly, he could think of it as a trap. Trying to find a solution to this situation was giving her a headache. Araq, who communicated with her telepathically, interrupted her in her thoughts,
"My Queen! I have sour news. The planets of Aiur and Shakuras have been taken back by the Protoss. Also, from what I understood, Jim Raynor and Arcturus Mengsk were part of the group who destroyed the blockades. Come quickly!"
Kerrigan thought that she'd better act as usual for her cerebrates not to suspect her. She then hurried off, quickly reaching the command room of the hive, where Daggoth and Araq were waiting for her. Daggoth said, sounding tense,
"I am sorry to interrupt your sleep, my Queen, but the situation is extremely desperate. Not only have the blockades fallen, but also, when we tried to reinforce the blockades, we sent most of the rest of our forces to their deaths. We are unsure of what to do. What are your orders?"
Kerrigan, who was barely containing herself from going ahead and killing both cerebrates, answered, "Start rebuilding the defenses of the main hives of that sector, but order the broods not to engage the terrans. Raynor's going to be on the offensive now, so we have to be ready for him. Order the hives of this base to send reinforcements to that sector, as well. Now if you'll excuse me..."
"My Queen, if I may..." Daggoth said, "Have you finally decided what you would do?"
"Yes, Daggoth. I have." Kerrigan answered, clearly annoyed.
"What is it, then?" Araq asked.
"This is a stupid question. What, in your opinion, would be my decision if I would be here speaking to you?" Kerrigan said, seeming angry, before quickly leaving.
"She seems to be back to normal." Araq said to Daggoth after Kerrigan had left.
Daggoth answered, "Wait and see, Araq. I have a bad feeling about this..."
Back in her room, Kerrigan exhaled deeply. During the last few seconds of the meeting, she was so angry she almost planted her claws in her cerebrates. "I have to calm down" she said to herself. "If I kill them now, it'll be hard to escape. I have to think of a plan..."