I don't own anything except Victor Corvin, James MacPherson, and Tamara Klein
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I stood slightly behind and to the left of Shion as we took the elevator to the Durandal's bridge. We were flanked by a pair of Weapons-Grade Realians, each carrying a rifle. Shion held the Connection Gear containing the data that would exonerate us of the trumped-up charges.
Captain Lapis Roman was waiting for us. "I present to you the memory data of the Anti-Gnosis Humanoid Weapons System KP-X KOS-MOS," Shion announced, holding out the gear. "Encryption level AAA, with no possibility of alteration."
Roman saluted. "Memory data accepted. Please remain within the Miltian star system until you're cleared of all charges."
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A little later, Mary and Shelley had joined us. "Boy, am I glad that's over and done with," Mary said.
"You don't seem very happy," Shelley commented to Jr. "Did something happen?"
"Yeah," he replied quietly. "You could say that." Jr. turned to Shion. "Hey, Shion. That girl... She called herself Nephilim, right?"
Shion blinked. "Yes, I think so,"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, but..."
Jr. paced. "Because if she's connected to what I'm thinking of, things are gonna get real busy, real soon."
I glanced at him sharply. No way... The Song of Nephilim? Why didn't I see the connection sooner? Then I frowned. But isn't that supposed to be lost? Unless... When U.R.T.V.s are involved, one never knows. But at least that bastard Albedo is dead. May his soul rot for eternity. I thought viciously.
"I've got another friend of yours to release, too," Roman said, arriving on the Bridge. With her was Gaignun.
"Master Gaignun!" Mary and Shelley called simultaneously, and rushed over to him.
"Hey," Jr. greeted him casually.
"You've been busy," Gaignun noted.
Jr. shrugged. "Ahh, it wasn't so bad. But it sure brought back a lot of bad memories, though."
"I'll agree there," I said quietly. "Well, now that all that has been cleared up, I'm gonna hit my quarters." I glanced at Roman. "That reminds me, Captain Roman. Was anything disturbed in there? I've got a fortune of ancient weaponry in there, and some unscrupulous Marine might take it into his head to steal part of it."
Roman shook her head. "We couldn't have touched anything if we'd wanted to; the Durandal's Master Key didn't work on it, and I was reluctant to damage the ship by blowing the door in."
I smiled. "The key doesn't work precisely because of my collection; I've got it scattered around the known universe, and my quarters aboard ship hold a large portion of it. Now, if you'll excuse me..."
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The next morning, I knelt before a sword rack mounted on the cabin wall. It held a surprising assortment of blades, including broadswords, rapiers, a pair of claymores, katanas, a cutlass, sabers, and a single scimitar. They were all blades I had taken from defeated Immortals. I had not gone in for headhunting much, but in four thousand years, you have a large number of people coming for your head.
The sole weapon on the rack that was not a sword was a naginata, a traditional Japanese weapon that resembled a halberd. But my eyes were focused on a different blade: a broadsword, sheathed in an ornate wooden scabbard, with a jewel-encrusted hilt, a ruby set in the pommel, and intricate designs traced on the blade itself. It had once belonged to my brother, Sean, and I had taken it from his body after his death.
The sword had been ancient when it came into Sean's possession; I knew not how he had acquired it. But I did know something of its history, from other, now-dead Immortals I had met. It had been forged sometime in the first millennium AD, and it was said by some to be either the inspiration for the tale of Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, or truly Excalibur itself. It was possible; magic of some form did exist, for on Earth there had been, in France, an enchanted spring that was said to have brought the great Duncan MacLeod back from insanity.
But whether it was Excalibur or not, I knew that it deserved better than to be wielded by my power-hungry brother, and throughout the ages I had sought a new, worthy owner of the blade. But for four millennia my search had been in vain. Until, perhaps, now...
I took the blade from its place, laid it carefully in a case, and left the room with it under my arm.
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I was heading for the Dock; I though Shion might have gone to the Kukai Foundation, since we appeared to be in no immediate danger, and I wanted to talk to her.
But I never got there. A strange sensation filled my head, almost like an inaudible song... The I stiffened in sheer shock. It can't be! The Song of Nephilim!?
I rushed for the Bridge, knowing what the dreaded Song always attracted. Unless it was stopped, and soon, there would be Gnosis appearing very soon.
Jr. and MOMO were already there, and Shion arrived just behind me. "Large-scale gate-out!" a 100-series reported. "Repeat, large-scale gate-out! The U.M.N.'s geodesic structure is being forcibly replaced!"
I stared as the first of the Federation fleet vessels were destroyed by the Gnosis that were appearing. "Jr.! The Federation fleet!" MOMO yelled.
The Realians were continuing to report Gnosis gate-outs, many of them within various city sectors. "Where's KOS-MOS?" Shion asked Allen. "If we use the Hilbert Effect, it should by us some time."
The elevator rose again. "Shion, did you call for me?" KOS-MOS asked, stepping onto the Bridge.
Shion nodded. "KOS-MOS, are you ready?"
The android nodded. "Yes, I am ready."
"Activate Hilbert Effect!"
The visor slid into place. "Roger. Activating Hilbert Effect." The bright blue energy waves spread out from KOS-MOS' body, reaching far out into the system.
"That should keep them from materializing inside the colony itself," Shion said.
"Begin evacuating all civilians into the Durandal," Shelley said. She turned to Jr. "If necessary, we may have to abandon the Foundation. Is this acceptable?"
Jr. sighed, then turned away. "All right. Give the orders."
"I'll help with the evacuation," MOMO volunteered.
"I'll go, too," chaos agreed.
Shion walked over to KOS-MOS, a strange expression on her face. I knew what she was thinking of: KOS-MOS, sometime in the future, facing U-DO, with the end result being the total destruction of the entire Miltian system, and a good amount of other areas, as well. She touched the android's shoulder. "KOS-MOS, we're counting on you."
"I am happy to be of service."
I walked over to Shion and held the sword case out to her. "Here, Shion. I'd like you to have this."
She took it. "What is it?" When I just smiled and shrugged, she looked at me suspiciously, then opened it, revealing the ornate blade. "Is this...? This is the sword your brother had, isn't it?"
"Yeah. I don't know if you know the legend of King Arthur or not, but some say that this blade is the Excalibur, from the stories." I nodded at it. "For four millennia, I've looked for the right person to have it. I realize you don't know how to use it, but I can teach you later. I just thought you might like it."
Shion carefully drew the blade from its scabbard. "It feels... powerful. There's something strange about it..."
"Excalibur is said to have been a magic blade. And before you tell me that magic doesn't exist, let me remind you about Ether. And there was a place on Earth, in a country called France, that held an enchanted spring, underground. I can tell you for sure that that's not a myth or legend; I visited it once, myself. Kind of eerie, but it brought Duncan MacLeod back from a Dark Quickening; sometime I'll explain just what that is."
"I see..." She smiled. "Thanks, Victor."
"Come on," chaos said then. "We have to hurry!"
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Our white-haired friend wasn't the only chaos around; it aptly described the evacuation efforts, as well. When we got off the transport shuttle from the Durandal, we found hordes of people waiting to go aboard the massive ship. That was not our problem, however. Our task was to find several people who had been reported missing in City Sectors 26 and 27. That was also where the highest concentration of Gnosis had been detected.
"Why is it," I wondered aloud, "that we can't seem to go more than a day or two without disasters cropping up? I'd kill for a good night's sleep right now."
"Our lot in life, Victor," Tamara replied, brandishing her blade as we entered the besieged sectors. "We're Immortals; danger is a part of our lives."
"For you guys, maybe," Jr. retorted. "But what about us? We're only human."
"Not all of you," I corrected. "Ziggy's a cyborg, MOMO is a Realian, and KOS-MOS is an android." I decided not to mention just then that Jr. himself wasn't exactly human; the others, except for chaos, were still in the dark about that. For that matter, I suspected that chaos was something other than normal, as well. He'd looked sixteen for as long as I'd known him, and he'd also clearly known Nephilim. There was more to him than met the eye.
"Yeah, whatever," Jr. said absently as he aimed at a nearby Gnosis. A quick a shot from each pistol, and his target was down. "Okay, there are thirteen people reported missing. We'd better find them before the Gnosis do."
"Let's split up," Shion suggested. "Jr., you take Ziggy, MOMO, and Tamara to Sector 26. Victor, chaos, KOS-MOS, and I will search Sector 27."
"Logical," Ziggy agreed. "Let's go."
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I held my katana at the ready as we entered Sector 27; who knew what we might encounter in that Gnosis-infested place. "I just gotta wonder how I got into this mess," I complained to no one in particular. "Not to mention all the coincidences about. How is it that I just happened to be assigned to the KOS-MOS Project, which just happened to be aboard a ship that just happened to be attacked by Gnosis, then picked up by the Elsa, which just happened to be passing by, and finally drawn into strange events by this Nephilim girl, who just happens to tell us that we need to return to a planet that I just happen to have served on once? The universe just doesn't seem to work the way it used to."
"There are more things in heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Victor," Shion said. At my surprised glance, she smiled. "My brother has a complete collection of Shakespeare; I read over it once."
I shook my head. "The man would be astonished that his work had survived this long. I once met an Immortal who had known Shakespeare. According to him, old William just saw it as a way to make money." I grimaced. "Great man, great works, but I hate tragedies. I've had more than my fair share of real ones in four thousand years; I don't fancy reading fictional ones during the rare times that I can relax. To the undiscovered country..." I added, addressing a Gnosis I was in the process of slicing in half, "Death!"
During our search, we discovered people hiding in places that even I wouldn't have thought of, and I had centuries of infiltration training in various intelligence organizations. I suppose sheer terror makes you think of unlikely places.
But eventually, we tracked down everyone in Sector 27, and retreated to Sector 26 to regroup with Jr. and the others.
They weren't hard to find; they were standing near the sector's gate, looking at a large, nasty-looking Gnosis that blocked the path. It looked like a dinosaur skeleton with a few bizarre additions, including a spear. "Having a bit of trouble, guys?"
Jr. didn't even glance at us. "You could say that. We were just waiting for you guys to join us before we got rid of it."
I smiled fiercely and held Lady Vivamus in my powerful, bone-crushing prosthetic arm. "Then let us do so, eh?"
Before we could start after it, it seemed to copy itself, distributing its powers between itself and its image. KOS-MOS, of course, was unfazed, and charged at the one on the right. "Charging! R-Blade!"
I followed her lead, swinging my slender blade, as Shion and Jr. concentrated their fire on the left-hand opponent. Ziggy, chaos, MOMO, and Tamara held back; if they got too close, in this enclosed space they risked between hit with friendly fire. And if there was one thing I'd learned over the millennia, it was that friendly fire isn't.
"Take this! Spell Ray!" Miyuki's Monstrosity fired a beam of pure energy at the creature, doing a good amount of damage while Jr. lined up for his shot.
"Eat this! Moonlit Serenade!" He dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the Gnosis' spear, then leapt into the air. "Mystic Nocturne!"
I spun around like a whirling dervish, trying to amputate a leg, and got knocked flying for my pains. For all my experience fighting people, the Gnosis were still a largely unknown quantity, proving to be quite the threat to me, as well. One good hit from their spears, and I'd be just as dead as anyone else. I preferred to avoid that fate, so I rolled to the side, avoiding another strike, and leapt back onto the offensive, weaving in the deadly dance known as swordplay.
MOMO, despite not being strong enough to fight up close, did contribute to the battle. "Mystic powers! Grant me a miracle!" Using another of her Ether abilities, the left-hand Gnosis was hit by what looked oddly like a pentagram. While it seemed to have a different purpose from the magic-summoning variety, the five-pointed star was something the Gnosis did not like.
Tamara dropped back, nursing a wound to her shoulder, and Ziggy moved to fill the gap. "Ready! Cyclone!"
For nearly an hour, the eight of us traded off, four of us fighting at a time, the other four resting, before both the Gnosis and its copy dropped to the ground and died.
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We wasted no time in returning to the launch pad; with the Gnosis in the colony itself gone, it was time to refocus on the big picture of the overall battle.
MOMO was still treating the wounded when we boarded the Durandal's shuttle. "MOMO!" Shion called. "Hurry and get in!"
The young Realian shook her head. "This person's bleeding heavily! I have to treat the wounds!"
"All right! We'll come back for you soon!" The hatch closed on Shion's words.
"She'll be alright," I said from one of the seats. "100-series Realians, MOMO in particular, are built a lot more durable than they look. And she's hardly the type to get lost and confused."
Shion sighed and sat next to me. "I guess you're right. She just seems more... I don't know, more human than most Realians."
"I know what you mean. Most Realians that I've met, while they certainly have their own, distinct personalities, are somewhat similar to each other. But they're made from the same mold, as it were, whereas MOMO is a prototype, not a mass-production model."
"True... She just seems like a little girl..."
I shrugged. "She actually isn't much older than she looks. She was created during the Miltian Conflict, so she is only fourteen."
Shion looked at me. "Did you have any problems like that when you were her age?"
I glanced at the deck. "When I was fourteen," I said softly, "I'd already been on my own for two years. My parents died in a robbery in 2002 AD, in New York."
She touched my arm. "I'm sorry, Victor. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."
"Don't worry about it. I've been without a family for four millennia; I've come to terms with it." I stared into space. "Immortals travel the lonely road; few mortals, when they know the truth, are willing to remain near an Immortal. We can't age, we're infertile, and danger is an ever-present part of our lives. Sometimes it's not healthy to be around us, given the number of Immortals out there who can and will use an Immortal's mortal friends as hostages, or kill them outright to torment their target."
Shion rested her head on my shoulder. "I'm willing to take the risk."
I smiled slightly. "Thanks."
------------------------------
Shortly after arriving back aboard the Durandal, Shion became worried about MOMO, so we headed back to the Foundation to pick her up.
But she wasn't there, either. It was possible that we'd missed her along the way, however, and we returned to the Durandal once more.
We ran into Allen in the Residential area. "Allen!" Shion called.
"Have you seen MOMO?" Ziggy asked.
Allen shook his head. "No. She's not back yet? I thought she was with you."
"She stayed behind to treat the wounded," Ziggy explained, "but she wasn't there when we returned. We though she might have come back on her own."
Jr. swore. "Where is she?" He turned to Ziggy. "I'll have our 100-series start searching. They shouldn't have any trouble, being the same model and all."
Ziggy nodded. "Thanks." He glanced around. "We'd better get back to the Bridge."
"Yeah," I agreed. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
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Once on the Bridge, we were able to see that the Federation fleet was still taking a beating from the Gnosis. Unfortunately for us, they seemed to have some dangerous ideas about who was causing the problem. "The Federation fleet is surrounding us again!" came the report from a 100-series.
"Ohh, what are they doing now?" Shion demanded.
"I think I know," Shelley said quietly. "Look at the pattern of Gnosis gate-outs. It's mostly near the center of the Foundation."
I caught the echoes of communication between Gaignun and Jr. then; I couldn't listen in, but as an Immortal I was sensitive enough to notice when it was occurring.
Then Shion put a hand to her ear. "Hey, do you guys hear that?"
"Hear what?" Allen asked.
"I'm not sure... It sounds kind of like... a song?"
I glanced at her sharply. She hears it? How's that possible?
"Shion," Jr. said. "This is the Song of Nephilim that we've been hearing."
Shion frowned. "The Song of Nephilim? What's that?"
"The single worst creation that resulted from Joachim Mizrahi's research. It was the Song that destroyed Miltia, and summoned the Gnosis. We've got to stop it before everything goes out of control!"
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Not long after, it was clear that the Federation fleet was about to open fire on the Foundation. But before they could, a large group of Gnosis was suddenly wiped out. "What in space!?" I demanded.
A huge ship was dropping out of hyperspace near the Foundation, and ripping into the Gnosis at the same time. "The Dammerung?" Shion whispered.
Indeed it was. The massive ship, as larger than some entire planets, dwarfed the Kukai Foundation. And it was not alone. A transmission came over the comm. "Status check. Woglinde II, Wellgunde, and Flosshilde, ready."
Eyes wide with surprise, I watched as the four vessels fired weapons whose emissions resembled sonic waves. The results were devastating: any Gnosis caught in the massive blast simply disintegrated, much as the Gnosis caught in KOS-MOS' bizarre attack near the Cathedral Ship had.
"The Rhine Maiden," Shion murmured. "So she's fully operational."
I knew the weapon she referred to; an anti-Gnosis cannon that had still been under development when we left headquarters. It had been intended for the original Woglinde, as well, but the planetary disappearance had forced the ship to leave port with only twenty percent of its systems operational. The Rhine Maiden and the 100-series Realians that had also been intended for the ship constituted most of the eighty percent still incomplete.
"Chief!" The voice came out of thin air, then a comm screen appeared over the deck. It was Miyuki.
"Miyuki?" Shion asked. "Where are you calling in from?"
Miyuki didn't catch the question; she was, as usual, bubbling over with enthusiasm. "Did you see the Rhine Maiden? I'm so glad I requested that transfer to Second Division. If I hadn't, I never would have seen this beauty in action."
Shion blinked. "Second Division...? Miyuki, what's going on?"
"I'll tell you later," Miyuki replied. "Is KOS-MOS there with you?"
"Yes, but..."
"Okay, I'll send it over then." Miyuki tapped a few keys on her terminal, and a case materialized on the deck of the Durandal's bridge.
Shion opened it. "Miyuki, what is this...?"
"There's some kind of energy field nearby," Miyuki explained obliquely. "And whatever it is, it's definitely man-made. We figure that if we link the Dammerung's mainframe with KOS-MOS' D.S.S.S. sensor, we'll be able to locate it. It's using some kind of cloaking field, but there should be a few wrinkles in the surrounding space. If we can tear those open, we should be able to find out what we're dealing with."
"Is that why you sent me this PT cartridge?" Shion asked. She stared at Miyuki's image. "I mean... Do you have any idea what this thing is!?"
"Of course!" Miyuki replied instantly. Then she looked sheepish. "Or so I'd like to claim, but actually I just transferred in, so I'm not really sure."
Shion sighed; sometimes Miyuki just didn't think quite enough about what she did. "Look, Miyuki, this cartridge is a weapon. It sets off a phase-transfer that destroys everything in the area. It may be localized, but you could destroy an entire star with this thing if you wanted to." She stared up at Miyuki's image. "You'd have to be insane to use this thing in a populated area!"
"Shion," KOS-MOS said.
"What, KOS-MOS?"
"By limiting the phase-transfer mass, I can prevent it from impacting either the Kukai Foundation or the Federation fleet."
Shion turned to her. "You can do that?"
The android nodded. "Yes. This is one of my many functions."
Hmm. For someone who claims to be "merely a weapon", I thought, KOS-MOS seems to be quite adept at sarcasm. Interesting.
"Any sign of MOMO yet?" Ziggy asked.
"Negative," a 100-series replied. "We're still scanning, but we haven't located her yet."
Ziggy turned to Shion. "We've got to make a decision, Shion. We can't keep this up much longer."
"Even the Rhine Maiden has a limitation to how much she can fire," Miyuki agreed. "We've got to do something before the Gnosis overwhelm us!"
Shion sighed. "All right. Let's see what we can do."
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A little later, KOS-MOS floated out in space, heading for the optimal scanning and firing point. "Remember, KOS-MOS," Shion said. "Be careful not to hit the Foundation or the Federation fleet."
"Roger." KOS-MOS reported making the necessary adjustments. "Loading cartridge."
Out in the void, I saw KOS-MOS load the PT cartridge into her pistol. The weapon, which used space-compression technology, immediately grew much larger. "Bypass between mainframe and D.S.S.S. secured," Miyuki said.
"Distortion detected near the U.M.N. column," KOS-MOS reported shortly. "It is currently emitting a weak column pulse."
"And your field of fire?"
"Field of fire clear. Ready to fire."
Shion turned to Shelley. "Shelley, are the anti-electromagnetic shields ready?"
"Preparations complete," Shelley confirmed. "You may fire when ready."
"All right." Shion took a deep breath. "KOS-MOS, fire the Phase-Transfer Cannon!"
Visible only through magnification, the phase-transfer cannon was nonetheless impressive. The blue cannon shot flashed through space to the location of the spatial distortion.
The blast disappeared for a moment, and then the entire area lit up. A strange structure resembling a narrow, upside-down pyramid flickered into existence, exactly where the scan had said it should be.
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"I knew it," Gaignun said. "The Song of Nephilim."
"It's exactly the same," Jr. said softly. "Nothing's changed at all."
"The Song of Nephilim," Shion repeated softly. "Dr. Mizrahi's... Miltia's..."
I clenched my fist, staring at the construct floating there in space. "That disappeared at the end of the Miltian Conflict," I said through gritted teeth. "At the time, I assumed that it had been quietly disposed of in the Abyss, lest any other worlds suffered Miltia's fate. Who brought it back...?"
Abruptly, Jr. stiffened. "MOMO!" he cried. "MOMO's inside that thing!"
"Are you sure?" Ziggy asked.
"Scanners!" Mary ordered.
"100-series prototype MOMO, tracked and located! She's in the center of the distortion caused by the phase transfer!"
Jr. cursed, slamming his fists into the console. "It's him! Albedo! I felt his presence, the moment I heard MOMO's voice."
"I see," Gaignun said calmly, though I could feel the barely-restrained fury he was feeling. "That explains what that unsettling feeling was about."
"Albedo?" Allen asked. "Who's that?"
"My dark half," Jr. whispered. "The part I've tried to hide away."
"Dark half...?"
I strode to the front of the deck and snarled wordlessly. "That bastard! That bloody bastard should have died fourteen years ago!" I jerked my head around to look at Jr. "Kid, whatever you're planning, count me in. I'll see that piece of slime wasted if it's the last thing I do."
He wasn't paying any attention to me, however. Ziggy had just requested the use of a shuttle, and Jr. moved to stop him. "Where do you think you're going!? I'm going to save MOMO, no matter what!"
Ziggy looked down at him. "Don't bother."
Jr.'s eyes widened in shock and fury. "What did you say!?"
"When someone close to you is in danger, you lose your objectivity. If you let your emotions take over, all is lost." Ziggy hesitated. "I've... seen it happen too often," he finished softly.
"Listen to the 'old man', Jr.," I said quietly. "Or if you won't listen to him, listen to me. I've lost people close to me in situations like this. Five hundred years ago, on Tessadora, I hesitated when a close friend was in danger. If I'd pulled the trigger, she might have died. But I flinched, and thereby ensured her death. Don't make the same mistake I did." I didn't go into detail. I mentioned neither how close the woman had been to me, nor the fact that it was James MacPherson who had killed her.
"Do you think you can keep your head straight when you confront him?" Ziggy continued. "If you can honestly say yes, that's all I have to say. But if you can't..."
Jr. looked away. "You're really something, you know that?" he said, anger and grudging respect coloring his tone. "So tell me. How do I become cold and detached like you?"
"Only allow yourself to think in terms of numbers, and battle strategy. Don't allow yourself to think of the danger the people are in, even when it seems cruel not to. That's what I've learned these past hundred years."
Jr. turned away. "The day numbers and battle strategies replace people, it'll be game over, cyborg," he said cynically.
I grabbed him by the shoulder, being careful to use my flesh-and-blood arm (in my current fury, I didn't trust myself to properly restrain my strength), and spun him around. "Listen to me, Jr.," I hissed. "Get your head on tight, and try to remember that MOMO's life isn't the only one at stake. If you let Albedo get to you again, it could cost a lot more lives than hers. Now calm the blazes down or I'll leave you behind and do the job myself."
He didn't answer, just walked off. Gaignun chose that moment to interrupt. "There are too many Gnosis; we can't move the Foundation any closer, and the Durandal's landing shuttle doesn't have the range."
"What about the Elsa?" Jr. asked. "Is she operational?"
"Yes," Shelley answered. "I just checked their status. Shall I relay a message to Captain Matthews?"
"Yeah, go ahead." He turned. "chaos, old man, let's go!"
"Wait!" Shion said. "Let us come with you!"
Jr. glanced at her. "No, it's too dangerous."
Tamara walked over to him. "Jr., we're going. You three can't handle this by yourselves. And besides..." She glanced out the viewport to where the Song of Nephilim hung. "I think there may be an Immortal over there. Victor and I need to be there, and I don't think Shion is going to let him go without her. And if Shion goes, KOS-MOS and Allen go. Get the picture?"
He sighed. "All right."
I sighed in relief; convincing my gunslinger friend that he needed help could be more difficult than cooling off a star. "All right, then. If we're going to do this, we need to be properly equipped. Get me a channel to the Dammerung." When Miyuki's image appeared over the deck once more, I turned to address her. "Miyuki, before I left for the Woglinde I had Second Division start working on a project for me, project name Silver Rose. Is it complete?"
She tapped a command into her panel. "Yeah, Victor. Want me to send it over?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Transfer it to the Elsa; I'll take care of it there." I looked back at the others. "We do have one trump card."
"What, Victor?" Shion asked.
"Albedo doesn't know I'm still alive."
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Once aboard the Elsa once more, I checked my equipment. The Silver Rose was a suit of stylized battle armor, similar to that worn by the knights of ancient times. Silver and black, with scaled silver gauntlets and a silver rose motif on the chest plate. On the back was a set of brackets for Lady Vivamus' scabbard, and there was a thigh holster for my USP. Also included was a powerful laser cannon built into the left arm, in case I encountered anything heavily armored.
When I had first dreamed up the project, it had been nothing more than a precaution, the product of a professional paranoid. Now, however, it was perfect for a showdown with a deranged Life-Recycling Variant.
Tamara was now wearing traditional Samurai armor, made from modern alloys. Thrust through her belt was her katana, along with a matching shorter sword, the wakizashi. It was the companion sword, carried everywhere (unlike the katana, which was strictly outdoor, as well as being limited by law to the samurai caste), and was also used for seppuku.
Master Shinmen Musashi No Kami Fujiwara No Genshin, more commonly known as Miyamoto Musashi, in his book Go Rin No Sho, known to English speakers as A Book of Five Rings, advised using both the katana and the wakizashi simultaneously, despite the fact that the Samurai katana was normally a two-handed weapon. It was quite practical, once you got used to it, but I did not then know if Tamara had studied that particular fighting style. In any case, though, the companion sword would be very useful in a ship-board battle.
I settled my helmet on my head, then turned to Shion. "Are we ready?"
"Looks like it." She turned to the captain. "We're ready, Captain."
"Awright, Tony, lift off!" Matthews ordered. I heard him muttering under his breath. "Man, why am I stuck doing this? You'd better fork over a lot of hazard pay for this one."
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The Elsa slipped unnoticed past the battling ships and Gnosis. It appeared that the flight there would be smooth, at least.
When we neared it, Hammer made a report. "Captain, it looks like there's a hatch where we can dock."
"Alright. Tony, take us in."
"Roger," Tony replied. "Going and approaching the-"
"Wait!" Shion said suddenly. She leaned forward. "Tony, can you show me the top?"
Tony turned in his seat. "What? You want me to go around the top!?"
"Please! Just circle around the top!"
He looked at her for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright. But once around is all you're getting. Who knows what might be up there."
"Thank you," she said quietly.
As the ship's flight path brought the Song's dorsal surface into view, Shion nodded slowly. "That's it," she said, so quietly I wasn't sure she even knew she was speaking. "That's... the place I saw, from the hospital window..."
Hospital? I wondered. Oh, that's right. She must mean the Acute Neurosis Treatment Facility, the one that Nephilim showed us as Shion's memory. Interesting... Could the Song of Nephilim have had anything to do with Shion's mother's mental illness?
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I should have been suspicious when we found MOMO just past the airlock. But I wasn't. The fact that no one else was around should have tipped me off, and it didn't.
Because of this, we nearly lost everything, not long after.
"MOMO!" Jr. cried, running to her. "MOMO! MOMO!"
She just lay there, motionless. Then she looked up at Jr., eyes empty. "Don't tell me... we're too late?" Jr. whispered. Then he stood, cursing Albedo once again. "He's taken her consciousness!" He looked down at her again. "Don't worry, MOMO! I'll make you whole again!"
Shion knelt next to the Realian. "Jr., what happened to MOMO?"
"That bastard's gone and reversed the spiritual link!"
Ziggy frowned. "'Reversed the spiritual link'?"
Jr. visibly calmed himself. "It's the opposite of what Gaignun and I do when we communicate telepathically. By taking hold of someone's consciousness, you can dive deep into their mind, dragging out whatever memories you feel like taking!"
"What!?" Shion drew back in surprise and outrage. "Then, MOMO's mind is-"
"It's best if you guys go back now," Jr. said. "I'll go on by myself."
"Jr., wait!" chaos said. "You can't-"
Jr. shook his head. "Sorry, but this is between me and him."
Then MOMO stood walked over to him. "You... want to come with me?" Jr. said.
MOMO nodded.
I should have known something was wrong then, but I didn't.
"I'm going, too" Shion announced.
"Shion..."
"If what you said is true, then this thing is responsible for the destruction of my homeworld. I have a stake in this, too."
I stiffened abruptly, and my gaze met Tamara's. That feeling... "Jr. I have to go with you. There's an Immortal somewhere aboard the Song."
"Victor, are you sure?" Shion asked.
"No doubt about it," I said firmly. "And given where we are, it can only be my old nemesis." I looked at Tamara again. "Tamara, if it is MacPherson, leave him to me, alright? I've been fighting him for nearly four thousand years. It's time to end it, and it's my fight, not yours."
"I know, Victor." She smiled. "Just make sure you kick his tail, eh?"
"No worries."
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There isn't much to say about the journey through the Song of Nephilim itself; it was merely large, confusing, and filled with enemies, ranging from mechanicals to Realians and Gnosis, as well as some eerie things that seemed to be mere byproducts of scientific experimentation. All in all, it was not a fun trip. The bloody puzzles didn't help, either.
But eventually, we fought our way to the central tower. Inside were two figures that I recognized. Albedo, and... MOMO?
"Albedo," Jr. growled. "Youu..."
Albedo laughed. "Please spare me from any trite lines like 'You're still alive?' Life and death are but empty words lacking any power over me." He looked down at the MOMO he held. "By the way, Rubedo, did you ever bother telling the girl? Does she know that we're monsters, bother you and I?"
Jr. stared in confusion. "MOMO!?"
At that moment, the "MOMO" that was with us reached up behind him and grabbed him by the throat. "MOMO?" he gasped.
"MOMO!?" Shion cried.
"That's not her," Ziggy said.
"I want the me... that's inside you," the fake MOMO said, tightening her grip.
"Freed from the bonds of flesh," Albedo explained obliquely, "a pure consciousness has no true form."
Jr. struggled, then spread his arms. "Get off me!" A red dome appeared around him, blasting the ersatz MOMO, now revealed to be one of the Kirschwassers that followed Albedo, into the wall behind us.
I looked at him in concern. Careful, Jr. You keep that up, and you'll play right into his hand.
"Let her go, Albedo," Jr. snarled, "or else I'll..." He drew one of his guns in a flash, aiming it straight at Albedo.
"You mean you'll do something... if I do this?" Albedo held his hand over MOMO's body, and a strange glow formed.
"You-" Jr. fired, blowing Albedo's right arm off completely. His left followed it immediately; I'd drawn my own gun and triggered a shot.
The freak laughed insanely. "Is that the best you can do, Rubedo?" He shook his head. "Rubedo... so cruel. Yet the girl clings to you so dearly. Isn't it pitiful?"
"Shut up!" Jr. ordered. "I don't need some freak contaminated by U-DO to tell me..."
"Jr.!?"
Albedo laughed again. "Contaminated? Not quite. More like... evolved. The waves that inundated my body are now a part of me. I've reached a high stage of existence compared to you incomplete mortals. I am the alpha and the omega of perfect consciousness!"
Snarling with rage, Jr. fired again, this time taking off Albedo's head. I didn't relax my guard, however. I knew what was coming next, having fought the U.R.T.V. before.
As I expected, his head was back a moment later, and the maniac simply laughed again. "Is that nanotechnology?" Ziggy asked.
Shion shook her head. "No, nanotechnology doesn't work anywhere near that fast. And besides, not even the research laboratories have models with head-regenerating capabilities yet."
"He's a U.R.T.V.," chaos said. "Just like Jr."
"What?"
Guess there's no more point in hiding that, I thought. "U.R.T.V.s. They were created for the express purpose of eradicating U-DO."
"U-DO!"
"I've fought him before," I added. "I thought he was dead, and I gather he hasn't realized just who I am yet. Not surprising; even if he saw my face, he might not make the connection, since he put a rifle bullet through my heart fourteen years ago."
Jr. was still arguing with Albedo, even as the monster was continuing his invasion of MOMO's mind. "I don't care what you have to say! Just give her back!"
"I don't think so. I'll just take what I want to proceed with my plans."
Jr.'s hands shook. "S-stop it..."
"One more layer... Just one more layer, and I'll have everything inside of her..."
"Nooooo!!!" Jr. screamed, and for a moment everything froze. In that timeless moment, I recalled that while Albedo was able to regenerate limbs, Jr. was able to control time itself.
Then the moment ended, and Albedo was blown backwards off his little throne, dropping MOMO in the process. Jr. ran over to her. "MOMO!"
After a moment, Albedo rose from where he had fallen, laughing even more maniacally than before. "I see..." he said. "It all makes sense now!" He broke up laughing again.
Then an enormous mech appeared behind him, and jumped to the top. "But for now, Rubedo, why don't we share a moment together? Our time has arrived!"
"This is not good," I muttered. "Tamara, you might want to hang back. I don't think blades are going to do much good here." I raised my left arm, the one with the laser cannon. "This time, Albedo, you're not gonna get away with this!"
At that moment, however, I felt the Buzz. "Victor, behind you!" Tamara called. "It's him!"
I spun around, and there he was. For the first time since the incident two years previously, I was face-to-face with my nemesis, James MacPherson. He was wearing a kilt, and carried an enormous sword in his right hand. The claymore he held was easily more than a meter long, so big I'd have had trouble lifting it with my flesh-and-blood hand. "So, Victor, we meet again at last."
I nodded. "Indeed, James. But this time, the outcome will be very different."
The Scotsman smiled. "Aye, tha' i' will," he said in a thick Scottish accent. "I see ye've a new arm, too."
"Let's cut to the chase, James. I know why you're here." I turned back to the others for moment; they had already begun their battle. "You'll have to take him down yourselves, guys! I'm going to be a little busy." I faced MacPherson again.
"In the end," he began.
"There can be only one." I finished, and attacked. I had to rely on parrying, rather than blocking, as his blade was heavy enough to snap a katana if he hit it hard enough. But I had the advantage in speed, with a much lighter weapon. I recovered from strikes twice as fast as he did.
Nevertheless, he had the advantage in both strength and reach, with his long, heavy blade. He kept me on the defensive, trying first for a head cut, then a disemboweling strike. I dodged and parried then, but he kept on coming, like a berserker. He also had about five hundred years on me, which lent him more experience.
I resumed the offensive when MacPherson overextended a thrust, throwing him off balance. I took advantage of the opening by jumping on his back, using it as a springboard, and slicing him as I leapt. "You can't win, James! I'm just too good."
"Oh, really?" With a speed at odds with his bulk, the big Scot spun around behind me, then kicked me in the back, knocking me to the ground.
As I tried desperately to recover my breath, I felt the cold steel of MacPherson's claymore come to rest on my neck. "You overestimated yourself, Victor," he said. "And now the time has come for you to die."
"Kill him, and you're next," Tamara said coldly from behind him.
He laughed. "You know the rules, lass. You can't interfere."
"No, but I can certainly kill you while you're still recovering from the Quickening," she replied conversationally.
This gave him pause, then he chuckled. "Ah, but he'll still be dead. Perhaps if you drop your sword, I'll let him go for now."
Cheap ploy, James, I thought. But she might go for it. So I guess it's time for me to make my move. Taking advantage of his distraction, I rolled away from his blade, then brought mine sweeping backwards... where it connected with his left arm.
MacPherson screamed as his arm dropped to the floor. Clutching his stump, he lurched away, heading for the door. "Another time, Victor!" he gasped. Then he was gone.
As I turned back to the fight, I saw that Albedo's mech had been thoroughly trashed, and Albedo himself was exiting. For the first time, he looked straight at me. "Who are you?" he asked. "Your aura seems familiar..."
I smiled, then lifted my helmet visor. "Remember me, bastard?"
For once even Albedo seemed startled. "Impossible! I killed you fourteen years ago!"
I lifted my blade. "You didn't do a good enough job, Albedo. Of course, I won't tell you what would be a good enough job, but suffice it to say that I am immortal."
"We'll see about that." A dark aura, strongly resembling what Jr. had earlier used on the Kirschwasser, surrounded him, and a bolt of dark energy flashed from it, blowing off my prosthetic arm. "I see even you can be hurt, Corvin. Perhaps you should refrain from such statements in- What!?"
He broke off, seeing my arm quickly grow back. "You're... Not the only one who can regenerate, Albedo," I said with a pained grin. "It's called nanotechnology. The arm you just blew off hasn't been bound by the rules of flesh and blood for two years."
"Perhaps we should see what happens if I vaporize you, then," Albedo said, raising the power of the dark energy around him.
Jr. stood before him then. "Don't get cocky!" He raised his own red aura once more, blocking Albedo's. It seemed even stronger than before.
"You're almost back to your old self, Rubedo," Albedo said. "Just a little more... Just a little more, and your dreams will be fulfilled!"
"Jr., don't!" I shouted. "You know what will happen if-"
"What's the matter, Rubedo?" Albedo mocked. "You were much stronger than this back then." He laughed. "Come on! Come on, come on, come on!"
Jr. screamed, and chaos stepped forward. "Jr., no, don't do it! Don't play into his hand, or you'll-"
I was dimly aware that MOMO had regained consciousness and crawled to the Kirschwasser. I didn't realize she had moved again, though, until the powers Jr. and Albedo were calling on began to fade. MOMO was standing between them, emanating her own power. "You've... taken so much from me..." she said. "But... I received something of you, as well. A part of you, now exists within me. So now..."
"'So now'?" Albedo mocked. "Is that why you're doing this?" he continued, laughing.
"My sisters..." she went on, ignoring him. "They all loved something they saw in you. Even after everything you did to them, they still believed in you. How could you desecrate their lives!?"
"Desecrate? Your sisters?" The madman laughed again. "Look around you. Who is the flower that blooms from all these corpses? It's you, ma peche. Everything is proceeding just as Joachim Mizrahi, your dear Daddy, wanted it to."
MOMO's light faded as well. "Daddy...?"
Jr. had a gun out once more. "Shut up, Albedo! Don't say anything more, or you'll-"
"Pay for this!" I turned in surprise; the shout had come from Shion. "Those girls weren't toys for you to play with! They had their own lives, their own-"
"Still spouting that self-righteous nonsense?" The voice came from above us, and blue-robed man with a beaked mask coalesced out of light.
"The new guy?" Albedo said.
"Stop wasting time," the new arrival said. "Get on with the mission."
Albedo gazed at him for a moment, then turned back toward his mech. "Give him this message: it belongs to me." Shortly thereafter, he was gone.
"Why don't you do me a favor and let him go for now," the blue-robed figure said. "I'll keep you entertained for now."
"Who... are you?" Shion asked. She seemed to be trying to remember something; so was I, for that matter. His voice sounded familiar.
"Who? Does it matter? Or do you feel the need to address me by a label?"
Jr. rose up in front of him. "Get outta the way," he hissed.
"What was that?" the man asked, sounding amused.
"I said get outta my way!" Jr. shouted.
"Then why don't you make me move? Shouldn't be too hard for a U.R.T.V., now should it?"
"You got that right!" Jr. leveled his pistols, just as the blue-robed enemy's form altered, transforming into something tall, thin, and bizarre.
"Not to mention seven others to back him up," I agreed. "Especially when two of them are Immortals!" Sliding my katana smoothly back into its scabbard, I lifted my left arm, bracing it with my newly regenerated right. "Say your prayers, buddy, 'cause you're in for a world of hurt!" I triggered the laser cannon attached to the left arm of my armor, and was rewarded with a large energy blast which briefly obscured my target. When the flash faded, my eyes widened slightly. "Uh oh." The thing was almost untouched. "Guess it's blade time. I don't think much else will do any good."
"Take this! Lunar Blade!" Using Miyuki's Monstrosity, Shion swept into a complex attack that knocked the creature backward for a moment, off balance.
"Ready!" Ziggy moved forward. "Cyclone!"
Lightning Blast. The thing's attack sent me sprawling, writhing on the floor as electricity coursed through my body. Apparently, the reconstruction of my artificial arm hadn't been quite perfect, as there were no surge protectors in it. The electrical blast had easily entered my body through the arm, and now I was paying the price.
After my shaking was reduced to mere twitching, I carefully sat up. Our enemy had changed once more, this time into some kind of flyer. It was also attempting to dive-bomb Shion.
I disabused it of the notion by putting a pair of .45 slugs into his body, knocking it off course. This had a secondary benefit, in that the creature slammed into the floor with bone-jarring force. "That's what you get for nearly electrocuting me!"
Eternal Storm.
Not this time, freak, I thought, and leapt into the air to meet it, blade flashing in a deadly arc. "Diiiieeee!"
After we collided, the man resumed his ordinary form. "It's no use. The rules by which we are governed are just too different." He glanced to where Albedo had been. "It appears that our friend has already left. It's time for me to make my exit."
"Wait!" Shion called out. The man paused. "Why did you come here!? What are you trying to accomplish!?"
He glanced back. "You wanna know? The come to that time, that place. You know what I mean." He began to glow. "I'll be seeing you, Shion." And he was gone.
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"Are you all right?" Shion asked Jr. a little later.
"Y-yeah." He sounded shaken. "Who was that, anyway? He had an aura of incredible power."
"I think I know," I said slowly. "And you're not gonna like it."
Ziggy turned. "Who?"
"First Lieutenant Virgil," I said quietly.
Shion looked at me in shock. "But he died aboard the Woglinde!"
"I can't explain it. But that was definitely his voice. No mistake. And he knew you, Shion. There can be no doubt of that."
KOS-MOS interrupted. "The Song of Nephilim has ceased all functions. The Rhine Maiden is dealing with the remaining Gnosis. We should return to the Durandal."
"She's right," I said wearily. "Let's go home."
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Author's note: Without doubt the longest chapter yet. I was originally intending to have this as two separate chapters, but I realized midway through that it would be very short if I just included the battle with the Gnosis aboard the Foundation.
It also included what tends to be the most difficult boss battle in the game for me. Ordinarily, I'd cream an enemy such as Virgil, but my copy of Xenosaga has an interesting glitch: if I try to use healing magic during the second form, the whole game freezes. It took me a half-dozen tries before I worked out a battle strategy to compensate. I'd be interested to know if this just afflicts anyone else; I'd dismiss it as disc damage, except that it happens every time, in the same manner.
I finally introduced MacPherson; naturally, this won't be the last that is seen of him. I'll probably include another duel or two besides him, as well.
That should about cover things for this chapter; thanks for the reviews, and please let me know what you think of it. Solid Shark