Angel of chaos
Chapter Three
Destroy them.
KOS-MOS opened her glittering red eyes, casting the inside of her chamber in an eerie crimson glow. Her systems, according to her, were functioning within normal perameters, so there was no mistake that she had heard what was obviously a new assignment. She lay quietly, waiting for it to come again.
Destroy them, came the order in her head. No, there was no mistake. Terminate all living beings not associated with Vector. Take control of the ship, and bring it to me.
KOS-MOS blinked. Destroy everyone on board? Needlessly? Even her cold android heart did not approve of this illogical demand. And the part of her that was beginning to see things...differently...reacted with startling vehemence. Terminating the Elsa crew meant killing Jr. MOMO, Ziggy, Jin, and...chaos. "I do not understand the nessecity of this course of action," KOS-MOS replied, trying to be reasonable. The voice chuckled, sounding strange inside her.
It is not nessesary for you to understand; only to obey.
"Negative. My secondary preservation systems negate the termination of innocent civilians, unless the subjects are in direct conflict of my first objective, which is to protect and defend Vector employees. I see no logical reason behind the termination of specified life forms."
She could sense vast amusement on the other end of the communications. Ah. I see he is already beginning to affect you. I turned those systems off months ago, and yet, you still defy me. Very well. We shall do this the hard way.
Something jolted inside her, causing her to jerk violently and go stiff inside her chamber. She could feel his presence inside her, tampering with things that should not be touched, but she could do nothing to stop the invasion.
Now, he continued when the spasms had finally passed. Obey me, KOS-MOS. Terminate the Elsa crew, and everyone on board except those I specified otherwise.
"Negative," KOS-MOS replied, but her communication system would not obey, and the protest died before it reached her lips. The chamber opened with a hiss and a writhing cloud of steam, and she felt her body step out of it's own accord. Dismayed, she realized he had somehow severed or repressed her free will programs, and she was powerless to disobey. She was no longer an android, who could think, make desiscions, and act on her own. She was only a robot.
A duo of engineers glanced up from one of the consoles, startled at her abrupt awakening, hours before schedual. KOS-MOS the robot turned empty crimson eyes on the pair, and started forward.
chaos gasped and straightened abruptly, causing Jr. to glance at him in surprise.
"chaos? You okay, man?"
"He's here," chaos whispered, eyes going dark with concern. "I can feel him."
"Huh? Who?"
But chaos was already running off down the hall, a sense of dread rising in him like a dark tide
Wilhem. What have you done?
Shion was on her way to check on KOS-MOS, when the screams began.
"What in the world?"
She started running down the hall, in the direction of the noise, and was nearly bowled over by a crewmember, running in the opposite direction.
His eyes were wild, and with horror, she saw spatters of blood on his uniform and face. "Hey, wait!" she cried, grabbing at his arm as he tried to plow past her. "What happened? What's going on?"
"The android!" he screamed, trying to pull away. "It's gone crazy! It's killing everyone it comes across! Let me go!"
Shion went pale. "What are you talking about?" she demanded, hanging on with grim determination, as the man thrashed and flailed. "You don't mean KOS-MOS!"
"That's what they called it!" was the panicked reply. "Let go, dammit! It's coming this way! It already killed Ethan and Cabe! Let go!" He jerked back with the strength born of desperation and pelted down the hall, leaving Shion standing alone, feeling the earth pulled away beneath her feet.
"He's wrong," she whispered. "It can't be KOS-MOS. It just can't."
An explosion rocked the ship, and the lights went from incandescent white to flashing red. Captain Matthew's gravelly voice barked over the intercom: "Attention! We are under attack. All crewmembers go to emergency bay one immedietely. Do not allow the Vector android into the bay. I repeat, do not let the Vector android, KOS-MOS into the bay. The rest of you, get your sorry asses to the bridge, now!"
Instead of obeying, Shion took off in the opposite direction, the direction where the screams still echoed chillingly down the corridor. She was a Vector employee, first and foremost. KOS-MOS was her responsibility.
She burst into the docking bay, and what she saw turned her blood to ice.
Carnage. Bodies were strewn about the polished metal floors, some moving feebly, some far too damaged to be alive. Several crates were on fire, filling the room with a hazy black smoke, and there were blackened spheres on the wall and floor, indicating weapons fire. In the flickering light of the bay, she saw MOMO's small form huddled beside a trio of people, her face pale as she tried to heal them.
"MOMO!" she cried, rushing towards the girl. MOMO looked up at her with frightened amber eyes, but did not stray from her task. "What's happening? What's going on?"
Before MOMO could answer, Ziggy's body came flying through the air, landing with a crash in a pile of burning crates several yards away. Shion screamed, and MOMO cried out, running over to him. Ziggy emerged from the rubble, alive, but singed and severely damaged. Shion could see the left side of his chest and shoulder torn away, metal parts and wires sparking angrily in the dim light. He stumbled, and MOMO tried to help him, but the cyborg firmly moved her behind him without a word. His sunken eyes were hard, glaring at a figure emerging from the smoke.
Shion turned as KOS-MOS came out of the gloom, her R-cannon at her side.
"KOS-MOS!" she screamed, as the android made a beeline for the wounded Ziggy and MOMO. KOS-MOS turned gleaming red eyes on her, but there was no spark of recognition, no presence behind them at all. Shion felt a fist of ice punch her in the stomach, as KOS-MOS gave her a brief, cursorary glance, and continued her murderous approach toward her victims.
"KOS-MOS, stop!" Shion yelled, running up to her. "I order you to halt! What are you doing?"
"Do not interfere." It was KOS-MOS' voice, but somehow, it was all wrong. This was not the KOS-MOS she knew. This was an intruder, a stranger about to murder two dear friends and comrades. Ignoring her own safety, she placed herself directly in the android's path, spreading her arms to shield the people behind her.
KOS-MOS regarded her with empty red eyes, and struck her.
It wasn't a hard blow. Not the kind KOS-MOS was capable of. If she hadn't pulled it, Shion knew her skull would've imploded like a melon. As it was, the sudden backhand lifted her off her feet, slamming her into the wall a few paces away. Dazed, she could only watch, helpless, as this thing...this creature she thought she knew, deliberately raised her cannon and pointed it at Ziggy and MOMO, trapped in the corner. A moment's hesitation, and for a wild second, Shion thought KOS-MOS had come to her senses.
Then the android blinked, and pulled the trigger.
Shion screamed as the sound ripped through the docking bay, her ragged protest drowned out by the horrible boom of the R-cannon. Ziggy and MOMO disappeared into the smoke, the cyborg clutching the little Realian to his chest, trying to shield her to the very end. Tears flooded her eyes, and she collapsed to the floor. Her fault! This was all her fault. She had created this thing before her, this android who knew nothing but how to kill, a lifeless, emotionless monster. Ziggy and MOMO's deaths were on her head alone.
Then, the smoke cleared, and Shion blinked in amazement.
Ziggy was curled over MOMO, his shoulders hunched for the killing blow, and MOMO had buried her head into his chest, but they were both still alive. Surrounding them was a shimmering wall of energy, a silver dome rippling in the hellish red light. As they glanced up in amazement, and KOS-MOS blinked in confusion, Shion turned toward the door, and her heart leaped to her throat.
chaos stood there, a look of intense concentration on his face, one hand flung out before him. She couldn't tell if it was a trick of the light or if the extreme shock was making her see things, but for a moment, she thought she could see the silhouette of wings spread out behind him. Then, Jr. came charging into the room, close behind, and the image was gone.
"Wilhem!" chaos yelled, and KOS-MOS turned, sizing up this newest threat. "I'm the one you're after, right? Here I am! Come and get me!"
The android whipped her cannon around and fired a volley of shots at the two boys. Jr. cringed back, but chaos held up a hand, and the shots never reached them.
"Jr.," Shion heard him say, "take MOMO and the others to the bridge. Lock the doors behind you. If all goes well, I'll make contact as soon as I can."
"But, what about--"
"Go."
Shion shivered at the change in his voice. Gone was the quiet, easygoing boy who was content to let friends and events carry him along, making suggestions and giving advice only when asked. chaos stepped calmly into the room, circling around to face KOS-MOS, who paid the others no attention now. Ziggy scooped up MOMO and Jr. went to the crewmembers MOMO had saved, gesturing for them to follow. Then, they were gone, and it was just the three of them, though Shion doubted the other two even knew she was there.
KOS-MOS and chaos faced each other in the flickering light of the docking bay. The fire roared around them, and wind whipped at their hair, but neither took their eyes off the other. chaos's face was serene and calm, maybe a little sad; KOS-MOS was as neutral as a stone.
chaos cocked his head a bit, as if listening for something only he could hear. A small smile played about his lips. "I don't know what you think you're doing," Shion heard him murmur. "I will not use my power against them."
Abruptly, the android's cannon disappeared, and a razor sharp blade materialized to take it's place. chaos didn't move, nor did his expression change. "I know what I must do," he said, nodding to KOS-MOS. "Let's get this over with."
KOS-MOS charged, swinging her sword/arm in a vicious swipe at his head. chaos ducked easily and spun away. He was incredibly quick, Shion realized. She had fought with chaos before, and knew he was fast, but it was difficult to appreciate how agile he was until you saw him from the sidelines. KOS-MOS, for all her power and strength, simply could not match his speed. She swung at him several times, blows that would cut him in two if they connected, yet she could not touch him.
chaos never counterattacked, or made any offensive moves, being content to dance around the android without making contact. Yet he wasn't playing with her. Shion could see the intense expression on his face, like he was waiting for something. He didn't have to wait long. When KOS-MOS cut savagely at his face, he stepped in, beneath her guard, and slammed his palm into her chest. There was a burst of energy, and KOS-MOS was hurled back, crashing into the same crates Ziggy toppled minutes before. Shion gasped. Despite everything, KOS-MOS was still her creation, and she reacted violently when the android was in danger of being hurt or destroyed. She couldn't help it.
But KOS-MOS surged to her feet, unhurt, though her eyes were gleaming now, and she looked thoroughly dangerous. Shion swallowed and glanced at chaos nervously. He was standing in the same place, but his eyes were closed and he was hugging himself, breathing hard as if preparing himself for something. As KOS-MOS approached, the boy dropped his arms and opened his eyes, taking a deep breath to face her head on.
Shion suddenly felt a chill unlike any she had ever felt. She wanted to scream, but her voice was gone. KOS-MOS raised her blade and lunged at the boy, and this time, chaos didn't move. His eyes never left the weapon, and Shion actually saw him raise his arms slightly, away from his sides, as if to accept it.
The blade slammed into chaos' stomach and out his back, doubling him over with the force of the blow. Shion heard his grunt of pain, saw him stagger to remain upright, one arm encircling KOS-MOS' neck to steady himself. And for one horrid moment, Shion was there again, back to that day when another KOS-MOS put her fist through someone else that she knew and loved. She thought she might faint, but forced herself to remain conscious, watching the scene unfold with horrifying familiarity.
chaos was gritting his teeth against the agony she knew he was feeling, mirroring KOS-MOS' smooth, neutral expression. Still impaled on the android's sword, he raised a gloved hand slowly toward her chest. As he placed his palm over his killer's heart, Shion saw them start to glow with the same energy that sheilded Ziggy and MOMO. For a moment, it appeared as if his hand went into KOS-MOS. Then, the android jerked her head back, her eyes going wide as something coursed through her systems. There was another jolt, and KOS-MOS staggered back, wrenching the terrible blade from chaos' body. Her face was frozen into a look of shock.
chaos staggered, managing to stay on his feet for a few moments, his arms around his stomach. He swayed, sinking to his knees, as blood began to drip to the floor beneath him. As Shion finally found her voice and screamed out his name, chaos raised his head and gave her a weary smile. Then, those beautiful blue eyes dimmed, like the sun vanishing behind a cloud, and he crumpled to the ground.
The Compass of Fate spun wildly, surprising Wilhem, who stared at it in disbelief for several minutes.
"Yeshua," he whispered, his crimson eyes clouding over with some undefined emotion. "You fool. I never expected you to go that far."
The Compass slowed, but continued to whirl in disturbing patterens, taunting him with their vagueness. Wilhem laced his fingers together and touched his brow to the backs of his hands.
"What have I done?"
To be continued...
Wahaha. I promised more chaos/KOS-MOS interaction; I don't think this is what people were expecting though. Eep, don't hurt me. Runs behind Ziggy Don't worry. The story is not over. But, as to the question of whether chaos is alive or not, well, that will be answered next time around. Mwahaha.
Ziggy: "Ow! Hey, don't use me for your shield. Go find Jin or something." Steps away, leaving Silverkitsune facing a large angry mob.
sweatdrop
Silverkitsune