Leading others was not a new feeling for me. I had done it as a profession, back in the days when I cared about living. I had commanded and given orders to elongate the lives of those around me. But leading MOMO and Jr. through the nearly black underground tunnel system I hardly knew on a planet I'd rather forget in a time fourteen years ago, on the other hand, was a bit of a new experience. My night vision was slightly improved due to the many "upgrades" I'd had over nearly 100 years as a cyborg, so seeing wasn't the problem. It was knowing where the hell I was going. Sure, this expanse of tunnel was very much like the tunnel system that had existed in my time, but this was new and advanced beyond my knowledge. I was basically "in the dark," if I may use the expression.
Not only this, but also every move we made was magnified by the receptive tunnels that curved around us. MOMO's foot fall sounded like the sound of a large rock crashing upon the ground, not to mention my own footsteps. If I had thought that I had made unnecessary noise before, it was nothing to what was being made below Miltia as we walked the tunnels. As softly as I tried to walk, the cavernous tunnel picked up every minor buzz and clank of the machinery in my legs. If something foul lay in wait in front or behind of us, it was undoubtedly aware of our presence by then.
But nothing came.
There was nothing but a 100-series Realian prototype, the heir to the Kukai Foundation, and an outdated cyborg.
Had I known where I had wanted to go, the journey would have continued with much more celerity and hope. But there was near nil of either. All I wished was that MOMO did not feel the same despair that I did. I hoped only that the knowledge of the futility of our search wasn't projected through me and into her. My eyes, without provocation, fell to MOMO, who was plodding along next to me.. Like a blast of hot air, memories swept over me. The dank, dark subway tunnel was suddenly lit by glowing orange lights. I found myself sitting in the cushioned seat of a subway car instead of traipsing through the tunnels. The atmosphere had become overwhelmingly warm and hazy, not cold and hard as before. My eyes still fell on the person standing, or sitting, next to me... Only it was not MOMO any longer.
"How was work today, Dad?" His voice rang in my ears, and my heart ached with more passion than I had felt since my death. As if I were part of some recording, I felt my lips move and voice resonate as if against my will.
"It was fine, I guess," I muttered, "Nothing more exciting than a spilt cup of coffee mug." The face of the boy sitting next to me lit up, a wide smile playing on his features.
"Aww, that's too bad," he chimed, "You never get to fight any bad guys!" His round face stared up at mine, and I felt my lips pull back into a wide smile, and I laughed loudly, something I hadn't done for nearly 100 years. I ruffled his hair with my left hand and was astounded to find that I could actually feel his coarse knit hat under my skin.
"I wouldn't want to hog all the fun, now would I?" My voice went without my consent. My step-son laughed with me, and I pulled the cap down over his eyes playfully.
"Daaaaaad..." he said, pulling out the word on purpose. He then lifted the cap from his eyes, and they sparkled back at me. With a distorted call, the subway car operator came over the speaker.
"Next stop, Miltia Park, home to the U.M.N. Mascot, green verdant forests and the best restaurants on Miltia." I looked from the speakers to my step-son, whose face brightened at the mention of his favorite spot in the city.
Like the crack of a whip, I was sent back to the musty subway tunnel, the memory ended. I realized that I had stopped walking again, and MOMO and Jr. had turned around to look at me.
"Hey, old man!" Jr.'s voice cried, "You coming or not?" My head snapped up from where I had been staring at the ground. His arms were folded across his chest, and he motioned with his head that we should keep moving. MOMO, on the other hand, took a step toward me.
"Are you feeling all right, Ziggy?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm-" My eyes caught the tiniest shaft of light in the darkness, and my eyes moved up to where it had been coming from. "There," I whispered. The two of them followed my gaze to where a ladder rose high above us, leading into darkness. The miniscule ray of light seemed to be coming from a partially uncovered manhole, to where the ladder seemed to be leading. For some reason, I thought that the memory I had just witnessed was trying to lead me up there.
"What do you think is up there?" Jr. asked.
"I'm not sure," I tried to lie, "but this has been the only exit I've seen since we entered the subway." Jr. nonchalantly sauntered up to me, then whispered something as low as he could muster.
"I think you know more than you're letting on, cyborg," he told me in a low tone. Resentment burned inside me. He was a little hypocrite!
"I believe I could say the same about you," I muttered, turning toward the ladder. Jr.'s heat signature began burning as I left him to mull it over in his head.
I tested the ladder tentatively, feeling if it would hold my weight. It squealed slightly. Backing away, I looked the old metal over, checking it for signs of wear. It definitely was not well cared for, or very old. Spots of rust were dabbled everywhere. I turned to the smaller Jr. and MOMO.
"MOMO," I said quietly, though my voice echoed loudly, "I think that you and Jr. should go up first, just in case the ladder isn't able to hold my weight." She gave me a look of horror.
"Then what would happen to you?"
"You shouldn't worry about that," I told her. "Most likely, nothing will go wrong. I just don't want to take any chances." She stared at me intensely for a few moments, then nodded solemnly.
"Okay," MOMO said in a hushed tone. She took off for the ladder, Jr. following after her. I saw him shoot me another questioning glance. The both of them worked their way upward, the ladder groaning under their combined weight. I watched them go, and shielded my eyes as they lifted the manhole cover off, letting light pour into the tunnel below. They climbed out, then I saw MOMO's face peer back down at me.
"Aren't you coming, Ziggy?" I heard her ask.
"Yes," I responded, taking two of the ladder's rungs in my hands, "I'm heading up now." I took my foot off the ground and placed it on the lowest run of the ladder. Immediately I knew that it would not hold me for very long at all. Cautiously, I started up. It squeaked in agony as step by step I forced my way upward. I glanced up to see MOMO's pink hair framing her worried face, sunlight outlining her form. Her features were a vision of pain. She looked like an angel just then, the way the light seemed not to just surround her but meld with her .A warning groan from the ladder beneath me made me lose my train of thought and convinced me to keep moving.
"Ziggy, don't stand on that-!" MOMO tried to warn me, but it had been too late. The rung I had just put my foot up onto snapped with a deafening report. My other foot slipped in a chain reaction that had me dangling helplessly by my arms. MOMO gasped loudly. Straining, I pulled myself up, finding tenable footing. I quickly made my way up the rest of the ladder, extricating myself without another foul up. Though I had not been in real terror, my heart was hammering away in my chest. MOMO, as an Observational Realian, must have noticed this too, for she knelt next to where I now sat on one knee.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her hand raising as if to feel my heartbeat. I took her hand and lay it back into her lap.
"I'm fine," I told her, "I'm just glad that you and Jr. didn't have to face the same danger." MOMO's face pulled back into a smile, but it was such a heart-wrenchingly sad smile that I had partially wished that she had not tried. It was then that I felt strange feelings starting to evince themselves. I wanted to pull her into me, wipe the sadness from her face, make sure she came to no harm. I wanted to protect her, to see that she would never have to cry again. When I had seen her cry... My heart burned with a searing pain. I never wanted to see her cry again. But it was a wish to remain unfulfilled, for Jr.'s voice, full of disbelief, broke the silence.
"Man..." Jr. breathed, "You gotta be kidding..." MOMO stood and moved to join him, as I did then as well.
"What's wrong?" she asked, then her eyes moved to where Jr. was staring. "Oh..." I looked up as well, taking in the sight of a very large building. As soon as my eyes rose to it, I saw the sky glowing. As unimaginable as it seemed, the sky seemed to be shifting colors. As I was mesmerized by this, Jr. saw it as commonplace, as his eyes remained fixed on the building.
"The U-TIC Organization's central tower... Labrynthos," he whispered. MOMO cocked her head.
"Labrynthos?" the Realian asked. Jr. didn't get a chance to answer, for a booming voice filled the square. I immediately found the source of the voice to be a man standing on top of the tower Labrynthos.
"Hallelujah!" the man cried boisterously, "'And the sea gave up the dead which were in it... and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them... and they were judged every man according to their works!'" I realized that he was quoting something, but I wasn't sure just what. MOMO, by my side, seemed to jump when the man spoke.
"That voice," she whispered, "That's... That's Daddy!" I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"What?!" I asked, astonished at what she had just uttered. Without another word, her eyes locked on the man, she started to dash forward. But there was no way that I was letting her go, and my hand reached out to grab her wrist. "MOMO!" I cried, feeling my emotions getting the better of me, "Stop! Where are you going?!" She tugged and strained against my grip, and those actions alone made pain jolt through me. She wanted to get away from me.
"Let me go!" she pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. It was the first time since my death that I had felt true hurt. "Daddy!" MOMO's voice cried, "Daddy's calling for me!" My eyes bolted to where the man stood, anger and wonder seething in me.
"'Daddy'?! Is that really him?" I asked. Jr. answered for me.
"That's Joachim Mizrahi... without a doubt..." Jr. mumbled lowly. I felt my grip on MOMO's arm loosen.
"So that's... Joachim Mizrahi..." I said quietly. We all sat in silence as Mizrahi continued his tirade.
"'And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire! Rejoice, all ye! The time for feasting has come!'" That was the last that anyone was to hear of Joachim Mizrahi. From seemingly out of nowhere, some sort of explosive device was hurled at Mizrahi, and his body, surrounded in flames, plunged off of the top of the building. MOMO's whole body went rigid as she saw her father plummet toward the ground. Finally, her voice found her.
"Nooooooo!!" The suffering in her voice caused me to lose my entire grip on her arm. Futilely, I tried to retake my hold on her, but she had already dashed to where Joachim Mizrahi 's body was swiftly approaching the ground. I saw her arms stretch out before her, trying to rescue him from his inevitable shattering end. Her face, etched with pain, was interrupted by sporadic tears. Against all reason, right before he would have collided with MOMO, Mizrahi's body seemed to pass right through her, disappearing entirely into thin air. She stared at her hands for a moment, her whole body shaking.
I couldn't move. It was as if I was feeling the pain that she felt as my own. She clutched her hands close to her chest, and I felt my own hand gravitate toward my chest as hers had. Her voice, pitiful, reached my ears.
"Da...ddy..." she stuttered, tears pouring down her face. As if transfixed, Jr. began walking to her. Before he could reach her, however, she threw her face toward the sky in lament. "DADDY!!" Jr. stopped halfway on his path to her.
"MOMO," he whispered. I had seen that look on the faces of many men. He cared deeply for MOMO, judging by the sadness etched on his features. My strength came back to me, and I finished Jr.'s walk to MOMO, coming up next to her.
"All this before me," I said in a quiet tone, "Is this really Miltia from 14 years ago?" I already knew the answer, but no response would ever come. Strange phenomena seemed mundane in this place. The ground beneath my feet shook violently, and I heard MOMO cry out. Her small hands latched onto mine as she tried not to fall. She looked up at me, her face tear-streaked, with fear. I returned the glance. Without another warning, the ground beneath us and the city around us completely disappeared. An unsettling feeling came to my stomach, and we plummeted from where we had been standing only moments ago on solid ground.
The last thing I remembered was MOMO's terrified scream and her hands still clutching mine.
Quoting Jr., "What the hell was going on?"
Not only this, but also every move we made was magnified by the receptive tunnels that curved around us. MOMO's foot fall sounded like the sound of a large rock crashing upon the ground, not to mention my own footsteps. If I had thought that I had made unnecessary noise before, it was nothing to what was being made below Miltia as we walked the tunnels. As softly as I tried to walk, the cavernous tunnel picked up every minor buzz and clank of the machinery in my legs. If something foul lay in wait in front or behind of us, it was undoubtedly aware of our presence by then.
But nothing came.
There was nothing but a 100-series Realian prototype, the heir to the Kukai Foundation, and an outdated cyborg.
Had I known where I had wanted to go, the journey would have continued with much more celerity and hope. But there was near nil of either. All I wished was that MOMO did not feel the same despair that I did. I hoped only that the knowledge of the futility of our search wasn't projected through me and into her. My eyes, without provocation, fell to MOMO, who was plodding along next to me.. Like a blast of hot air, memories swept over me. The dank, dark subway tunnel was suddenly lit by glowing orange lights. I found myself sitting in the cushioned seat of a subway car instead of traipsing through the tunnels. The atmosphere had become overwhelmingly warm and hazy, not cold and hard as before. My eyes still fell on the person standing, or sitting, next to me... Only it was not MOMO any longer.
"How was work today, Dad?" His voice rang in my ears, and my heart ached with more passion than I had felt since my death. As if I were part of some recording, I felt my lips move and voice resonate as if against my will.
"It was fine, I guess," I muttered, "Nothing more exciting than a spilt cup of coffee mug." The face of the boy sitting next to me lit up, a wide smile playing on his features.
"Aww, that's too bad," he chimed, "You never get to fight any bad guys!" His round face stared up at mine, and I felt my lips pull back into a wide smile, and I laughed loudly, something I hadn't done for nearly 100 years. I ruffled his hair with my left hand and was astounded to find that I could actually feel his coarse knit hat under my skin.
"I wouldn't want to hog all the fun, now would I?" My voice went without my consent. My step-son laughed with me, and I pulled the cap down over his eyes playfully.
"Daaaaaad..." he said, pulling out the word on purpose. He then lifted the cap from his eyes, and they sparkled back at me. With a distorted call, the subway car operator came over the speaker.
"Next stop, Miltia Park, home to the U.M.N. Mascot, green verdant forests and the best restaurants on Miltia." I looked from the speakers to my step-son, whose face brightened at the mention of his favorite spot in the city.
Like the crack of a whip, I was sent back to the musty subway tunnel, the memory ended. I realized that I had stopped walking again, and MOMO and Jr. had turned around to look at me.
"Hey, old man!" Jr.'s voice cried, "You coming or not?" My head snapped up from where I had been staring at the ground. His arms were folded across his chest, and he motioned with his head that we should keep moving. MOMO, on the other hand, took a step toward me.
"Are you feeling all right, Ziggy?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm-" My eyes caught the tiniest shaft of light in the darkness, and my eyes moved up to where it had been coming from. "There," I whispered. The two of them followed my gaze to where a ladder rose high above us, leading into darkness. The miniscule ray of light seemed to be coming from a partially uncovered manhole, to where the ladder seemed to be leading. For some reason, I thought that the memory I had just witnessed was trying to lead me up there.
"What do you think is up there?" Jr. asked.
"I'm not sure," I tried to lie, "but this has been the only exit I've seen since we entered the subway." Jr. nonchalantly sauntered up to me, then whispered something as low as he could muster.
"I think you know more than you're letting on, cyborg," he told me in a low tone. Resentment burned inside me. He was a little hypocrite!
"I believe I could say the same about you," I muttered, turning toward the ladder. Jr.'s heat signature began burning as I left him to mull it over in his head.
I tested the ladder tentatively, feeling if it would hold my weight. It squealed slightly. Backing away, I looked the old metal over, checking it for signs of wear. It definitely was not well cared for, or very old. Spots of rust were dabbled everywhere. I turned to the smaller Jr. and MOMO.
"MOMO," I said quietly, though my voice echoed loudly, "I think that you and Jr. should go up first, just in case the ladder isn't able to hold my weight." She gave me a look of horror.
"Then what would happen to you?"
"You shouldn't worry about that," I told her. "Most likely, nothing will go wrong. I just don't want to take any chances." She stared at me intensely for a few moments, then nodded solemnly.
"Okay," MOMO said in a hushed tone. She took off for the ladder, Jr. following after her. I saw him shoot me another questioning glance. The both of them worked their way upward, the ladder groaning under their combined weight. I watched them go, and shielded my eyes as they lifted the manhole cover off, letting light pour into the tunnel below. They climbed out, then I saw MOMO's face peer back down at me.
"Aren't you coming, Ziggy?" I heard her ask.
"Yes," I responded, taking two of the ladder's rungs in my hands, "I'm heading up now." I took my foot off the ground and placed it on the lowest run of the ladder. Immediately I knew that it would not hold me for very long at all. Cautiously, I started up. It squeaked in agony as step by step I forced my way upward. I glanced up to see MOMO's pink hair framing her worried face, sunlight outlining her form. Her features were a vision of pain. She looked like an angel just then, the way the light seemed not to just surround her but meld with her .A warning groan from the ladder beneath me made me lose my train of thought and convinced me to keep moving.
"Ziggy, don't stand on that-!" MOMO tried to warn me, but it had been too late. The rung I had just put my foot up onto snapped with a deafening report. My other foot slipped in a chain reaction that had me dangling helplessly by my arms. MOMO gasped loudly. Straining, I pulled myself up, finding tenable footing. I quickly made my way up the rest of the ladder, extricating myself without another foul up. Though I had not been in real terror, my heart was hammering away in my chest. MOMO, as an Observational Realian, must have noticed this too, for she knelt next to where I now sat on one knee.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her hand raising as if to feel my heartbeat. I took her hand and lay it back into her lap.
"I'm fine," I told her, "I'm just glad that you and Jr. didn't have to face the same danger." MOMO's face pulled back into a smile, but it was such a heart-wrenchingly sad smile that I had partially wished that she had not tried. It was then that I felt strange feelings starting to evince themselves. I wanted to pull her into me, wipe the sadness from her face, make sure she came to no harm. I wanted to protect her, to see that she would never have to cry again. When I had seen her cry... My heart burned with a searing pain. I never wanted to see her cry again. But it was a wish to remain unfulfilled, for Jr.'s voice, full of disbelief, broke the silence.
"Man..." Jr. breathed, "You gotta be kidding..." MOMO stood and moved to join him, as I did then as well.
"What's wrong?" she asked, then her eyes moved to where Jr. was staring. "Oh..." I looked up as well, taking in the sight of a very large building. As soon as my eyes rose to it, I saw the sky glowing. As unimaginable as it seemed, the sky seemed to be shifting colors. As I was mesmerized by this, Jr. saw it as commonplace, as his eyes remained fixed on the building.
"The U-TIC Organization's central tower... Labrynthos," he whispered. MOMO cocked her head.
"Labrynthos?" the Realian asked. Jr. didn't get a chance to answer, for a booming voice filled the square. I immediately found the source of the voice to be a man standing on top of the tower Labrynthos.
"Hallelujah!" the man cried boisterously, "'And the sea gave up the dead which were in it... and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them... and they were judged every man according to their works!'" I realized that he was quoting something, but I wasn't sure just what. MOMO, by my side, seemed to jump when the man spoke.
"That voice," she whispered, "That's... That's Daddy!" I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"What?!" I asked, astonished at what she had just uttered. Without another word, her eyes locked on the man, she started to dash forward. But there was no way that I was letting her go, and my hand reached out to grab her wrist. "MOMO!" I cried, feeling my emotions getting the better of me, "Stop! Where are you going?!" She tugged and strained against my grip, and those actions alone made pain jolt through me. She wanted to get away from me.
"Let me go!" she pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. It was the first time since my death that I had felt true hurt. "Daddy!" MOMO's voice cried, "Daddy's calling for me!" My eyes bolted to where the man stood, anger and wonder seething in me.
"'Daddy'?! Is that really him?" I asked. Jr. answered for me.
"That's Joachim Mizrahi... without a doubt..." Jr. mumbled lowly. I felt my grip on MOMO's arm loosen.
"So that's... Joachim Mizrahi..." I said quietly. We all sat in silence as Mizrahi continued his tirade.
"'And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire! Rejoice, all ye! The time for feasting has come!'" That was the last that anyone was to hear of Joachim Mizrahi. From seemingly out of nowhere, some sort of explosive device was hurled at Mizrahi, and his body, surrounded in flames, plunged off of the top of the building. MOMO's whole body went rigid as she saw her father plummet toward the ground. Finally, her voice found her.
"Nooooooo!!" The suffering in her voice caused me to lose my entire grip on her arm. Futilely, I tried to retake my hold on her, but she had already dashed to where Joachim Mizrahi 's body was swiftly approaching the ground. I saw her arms stretch out before her, trying to rescue him from his inevitable shattering end. Her face, etched with pain, was interrupted by sporadic tears. Against all reason, right before he would have collided with MOMO, Mizrahi's body seemed to pass right through her, disappearing entirely into thin air. She stared at her hands for a moment, her whole body shaking.
I couldn't move. It was as if I was feeling the pain that she felt as my own. She clutched her hands close to her chest, and I felt my own hand gravitate toward my chest as hers had. Her voice, pitiful, reached my ears.
"Da...ddy..." she stuttered, tears pouring down her face. As if transfixed, Jr. began walking to her. Before he could reach her, however, she threw her face toward the sky in lament. "DADDY!!" Jr. stopped halfway on his path to her.
"MOMO," he whispered. I had seen that look on the faces of many men. He cared deeply for MOMO, judging by the sadness etched on his features. My strength came back to me, and I finished Jr.'s walk to MOMO, coming up next to her.
"All this before me," I said in a quiet tone, "Is this really Miltia from 14 years ago?" I already knew the answer, but no response would ever come. Strange phenomena seemed mundane in this place. The ground beneath my feet shook violently, and I heard MOMO cry out. Her small hands latched onto mine as she tried not to fall. She looked up at me, her face tear-streaked, with fear. I returned the glance. Without another warning, the ground beneath us and the city around us completely disappeared. An unsettling feeling came to my stomach, and we plummeted from where we had been standing only moments ago on solid ground.
The last thing I remembered was MOMO's terrified scream and her hands still clutching mine.
Quoting Jr., "What the hell was going on?"