Chapter Five: Exhumation, part one

Gentle hands were lifting her up.

Shion moaned softly, trying to move, but her body resisted, still numb from being curled up awkwardly on the cold floor. Her head lolled against something warm. Through the soft fabric, she could feel the steady rhythm of a heartbeat against her cheek.

Realization slowly dawned. Someone was carrying her. It felt nice, she thought, snuggling closer to the warmth. Opening one eye and then the other, Shion smiled lazily at the man who held her.

Kevin...

Blue eyes peered down at her, startled.

Shion blinked in confusion, feeling as though a heavy fog clung to her thoughts. She frowned and focused on his eyes. Something was not right. Something different about the shape. Shion gasped as the answer suddenly came to her.



he cried in surprise, nearly dropping her on the bed.

He stepped back sinking into a nearby chair and clutched his chest as if he was having a heart attack. She was sorry for scaring him, but her guilt quickly vanished when she remembered that she was barely dressed. Her face flushed as she fumbled blindly for the sheets.

What are you doing in my room?! Shion squealed, covering herself up to her chin.

I got a message that you might be in trouble.

A message?

Yeah, KOS-MOS woke me up... said I should come check on you.



Shion stared blankly, trying to remember something.

she yelped suddenly, jumping out of bed. Allen, she was in my dream last night. It was her. It really was. And her eyes were blue. And Nephilim was there.

Allen eyed her worriedly.

I found you passed out on the floor, Chief. Maybe we should get your head checked.

What are you implying? That I hallucinated it all? For your information, I passed out after I had the dream.

Allen's eyes widened.

That did not come out right, she said, sitting back down and looking dejectedly at her feet.

I'm not saying that I don't believe you, Chief, he began, cautiously. I was just saying that we should take a look at you to make sure you're all right.

Of course, Shion nodded, feeling foolish.

I nearly lost it when I came in here and saw you lying on the floor. I should have known something was wrong when you didn't come to the lab last night.





Shion stared at her hands, wondering if she should tell him about her dream. She looked up to find him watching her closely and at that moment, she nearly confessed everything, but something prevented her.

It's nothing.

Allen sighed and got to his feet. It was too much to hope. He had seen it in her eyes. He sensed that she was going to tell him something important, but then, as always, she had pulled back and down came the wall, separating her from the rest of the world.

Why doesn't she let me in? What is she afraid of?

There was nothing he could do, he realized, heading for the door. She would tell him what was on her mind when she was ready and not before. It was a waste of time getting her to see that he was there and willing to listen.

Go see the doctor, he called over his shoulder. He stopped short as a thought crossed his mind and turned around. Maybe I should come with you--

I don't need a baby sitter, she said, offended.

Allen threw his hands in the air and quickly crossed the remaining distance to the door. She couldn't see the expression on his face, but she had the distinct feeling that he was angry with her. Shion regretted her harsh words immediately.



He paused, turning slightly to look at her.





Sure, Chief...

The sound of his voice was cut off by the closing door. Shion blinked at the spot where he had been standing. She wasn't quite comfortable with the fact that Allen had seen this side of her. She was his superior. How could he take orders from her after seeing her so utterly helpless? But now that Allen had gone, Shion admitted that the silence made her room seem less welcoming.

She placed a hand to her cheek, feeling her embarrassment return. How could she have mistaken him for Kevin? And to speak his name out loud. No wonder Allen was startled. She tried to deny it, but Kevin's presence still lingered.

She sat for a long time, trying to remember what it was about him that she loved so dearly and grew anxious when she was unable to recall any strong emotions. Yet, she had been drawn to him from the first moment she met him. She remembered that much. He had a way of making her feel as if she was the most precious thing in the universe. Shion never felt the need to explain herself or make excuses for her shortcomings when she was with him. In fact, he seemed delighted by her little quirks and bits of randomness.

If only Kevin was still alive...

Shion sniffed and wiped away a lonely tear.

What's gotten into me?

She wasn't usually so weepy. Moodiness was a trait of her brother's, not hers. Shion seldom brooded about her problems. However, the strain of the last few months was beginning to take its toll. It never occurred to her that she wasn't supposed to bear the burden alone. The future of mankind, and consequently all beings artificial or otherwise, depended on more than one person, yet, Shion felt responsible for reasons she couldn't explain.

She felt responsible for all of them. There were those who were dead: her parents, Kevin, Commander Cherenkov... somewhere in the back of her mind, they still existed, locked away forever in darkness. And the living... like her brother. Even Allen. Although they were a part of her life, they never really touched her life. They were like shadows, without shape or purpose. Just existing in the background until they joined the others.

The dead and the living... to Shion, they were the buried and unburied.

Shion inhaled sharply at the morbid turn her thoughts had taken. Did she actually believe these things? Was she just waiting for everyone to die on her? The idea was unsettling, but in it, there was a ring of truth.

She shook her head forcefully, not liking where her thoughts were going. With a little sigh and a shrug, Shion got out of bed, deciding to head to the lab and throw herself into some work. She was also eager to see KOS-MOS and find out how much of her dream had been real. KOS-MOS would be able to give her the proof she needed. Grabbing her Connection Gear from the table, Shion hurried out the door.

*****


Allen's eyes were glued to the door leading to the second lab where Shion had been holed up with KOS-MOS for an entire afternoon. There was no sign that she would be leaving anytime soon. She's definitely up to something, he thought, crooking his head to the side and groaning as the muscles in his neck began to spasm. The tension in his shoulders had been increasing steadily all morning. Allen felt as if his worries were multiplying by the minute.

He frowned and rubbed his neck, remembering how Shion had waltzed into the lab, smiling and waving hello as if nothing had happened. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he never would have believed that she had lain in a dead heap beside her bed earlier. He watched her closely as she greeted everyone, hoping to see a crack in her smile, but it was business as usual.

Allen's frown deepened as he thought about KOS-MOS's urgent call. How had she known? There was nothing unusual about the data recorded from last night to suggest that the android had any contact with Shion, and yet, she had woken from her to relay a message to him.

Shion requires assistance.

Those three simple words filled him with a sense of dread. Still, nothing could have prepared him for the sight that greeted him when he entered Shion's room. Her crumpled form entangled with the sheets had made his heart drop to his knees. He was relieved to find her otherwise unhurt, but he was sure the shock had shortened his life by ten years.

Allen closed his eyes, sighing at the memory of Shion snuggling close to him, then he smirked and shook his head sadly. That was until she realized it was me and then she couldn't get away fast enough. Allen felt a pang of jealousy. Nothing had hurt more than hearing her utter Kevin's name. At that moment, the ground beneath his feet had disappeared. He felt as if he were falling and clawing at nothing but air. He was still falling, he realized. Falling and waiting for the impact that would crush him.

When he opened his eyes again, he discovered that he was alone in the lab. When had everyone gone home? he wondered, glancing at the time on his screen. He'd been sitting there so completely absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed how late it was. Still, the door to the second lab remained firmly shut.

Allen stared into space, debating with himself about what to do when his computer suddenly blinked to life and his screen was flooded with data. His eyes widened when he recognized the program. He spun in his seat, frantically looking from one monitoring station to the next. Every screen displayed the same program. Allen was on his feet and across the room in an instant.

As he reached the door to the second lab, he heard the computer initiate the final countdown and cursed under his breath. The door refused to open when he stepped up to it. It refused to open when he pressed his hand to the console on the wall. It certainly didn't open when he pounded it with his fist.

Behind him, Allen could hear the countdown reach ten seconds, and then nine... He spun around, hurrying to the nearest station and quickly keyed in his authorization to abort the program, but his command was ignored.

With a growl of frustration, Allen grabbed a headset and yelled into the mouthpiece.

Chief, I know you can hear me! Stop this at once!

There was no response.

The room stilled.

The final stages were set.

Shion was deep in the recesses of the Encephalon.

It was not just any program she was running. It was an old program that should have been scrapped years ago. It was one of Kevin's. The same one he used to run tests on the archetype.

Allen sat down, feeling violently ill. What possessed her to dig up that old program? he wondered. Anger flared momentarily before being replaced by fear. His eyes scanned the data streaming across his screen. He didn't like the readings. Shion's vital signs were erratic.

No, he thought, sitting up in his seat. He couldn't just sit and watch. He had to try something. He had to get her to listen. He put on the headset and opened up a direct link to Shion.

This is dangerous, Chief, he said, as calmly as he could. This program is unstable. Think about the safety protocols. Chief? I know you're listening. Please. Say something. Anything.

Still no answer. He tried again.

Whatever it is that you think you're going to accomplish... it isn't worth it. Nothing is worth losing you. Don't go any further. Turn back now... please. Chief?

Her pulse rate jumped. His jaw ticked. The seconds passed by silently.

Allen dropped his head into his hands.

Shion, come back...


=====
A/N:
this chapter was originally going to be told through flashbacks, but I've moved things around
notice this chapter is part one, the next is part two. I had to split it because it was too long