lockawayheart: lol, this isn't the end. chaos isn't dead...
G-Anakin13: thanks!
chaosxshion: i know right? so sad. and thanks! lol, it's np, as long as ur back and still reviewing.
Youko-Kuronue: whee, thanks! it's good to hear that the story is good enough to keep you on the edge!
Disclaimer: I do not own Xenosaga.
Chapter Five:
Captured?
chaos groaned. He tried opening his eyes, but the lights were too bright. Keeping his eyes closed, he listened to what was happening. He could hear the methodical whirrs and joint movements of random robots flying around him. Though he could feel things pricking him here and there, there wasn't any pain. His wound felt like it was already gone as well. Moving his hand around his body, he could feel wires connected to him.
"Looks like he's awake." a gruff voice said in the distance.
"So frail..." a soft female voice said. "Can't believe he's taken this long to wake up. Think we overdid it?"
"Nah. He's probably weaker than he looks." the voice laughed. "But seriously, why do we get dumped with these guys? They don't deserve to be helped... they're not like us!"
"Calm down..." the female soothed the man. There was a moment of silence, and then she spoke again. "We've got orders. The High Judge wants to see him."
"Hmph." the man grunted. "Now we have to remove all of the equipment. What should we do about him?"
"We should put him asleep again..." the woman said softly.
The man laughed. "His imperfect human body can't take the pain of our technology." he said with a touch of anger in his voice.
chaos groaned again as he forced himself to open his eyes. Through the bright lights, he caught a glimpse of the people he heard talking. As he tried to concentrate on them, he could feel something enter his body, and he blacked out again.
---
Shion groaned, as she rolled around on the cold floor. "chaos!" she gasped, jerking herself up. chaos was not in sight. What she saw, was nothing familiar. No cave, no rain soaked forest, nothing. She found herself trapped in a large glass case. Her surroundings reminded her of a prison cell. All there was around her were white walls. One lone sentry robot stood in front of her little cage.
Shion walked to the wall and faced the robot. It was a white, round orb. There wasn't anything too distinguishing about it, except for the fact that there was a tiny red light coming from it. The light was focused on her. She tried moving around, and the light followed her. She jumped around, but the light still followed. She sighed, and sat down.
"What is this place?" she asked aloud, reassuring herself that this was no dream. Her voice echoed off the walls, reminding her of her solitude. She flung her arm to her side, trying to materialize her M.W.S.. Nothing happened. She tried again, with the same result.
"Don't try anything." a voice spat. Shion hadn't noticed, but a person had entered the room where her cage was. "It's time for your judgement." the woman was a tall blond. Her expression betrayed her beauty. She appeared angry just looking at Shion. Snapping her fingers, more sentry robots entered the room. Their red lights focused on the corners of the glass box, and it was lifted into the air.
"Woah!" Shion fell back. She didn't stand back up, deciding it would be safer for her to remain seated. "Where are you taking me?" Shion asked. All of the white hallways they went down looked exactly the same. There weren't many people she could see in the glass boxes inside the rooms, but she could pick out a few Gnosis. She suddenly pressed her nose up against the wall. "Where's chaos?" she cried out, as the last of the prison cells faded from view.
"You're not in any position to be asking questions." the woman snapped. "Your companion will join you shortly. His fate shall be the same as yours."
"So he's ok..." Shion breathed a sigh of relief.
—
An image of a guard appeared before the many people. "We have them here."
"Bring them in." a voice ordered.
Two doors opened, and both Shion and chaos were brought into the large round room. Shion was led by the woman, while the two people from earlier guided chaos' cage. As the two groups came to meet each other, they merely motioned towards the other's cage, and they both joined. The walls between them seemed to dissolve at contact, creating one large glass case for the both of them.
"chaos!" Shion ran over to still lying man.
"Ugh..." chaos moaned, still groggy from the drugs given to him earlier. Wobbling, he sat up.
Their cases went towards the center of the round room. There were chairs seated around the entire room, filled with both men and women of various ages. At the very end of the room, in the largest chair, was a stern faced man. In both his expression and his posture was an atmosphere of importance, and leadership.
Since the moment Shion and chaos had entered the room, everyone had began yelling, debating about the two.
"They're assassins! They're here to destroy us all!"
"No, they're messengers from the other humans! We must listen to them!"
"Throw them back into the jungle! They have no right to be here!"
"Throw them back? And have them tell everyone of our presence? We should have them killed where they stand!"
"Silence." the man in front said. Nobody listened. "SILENCE!" he yelled out. Everyone became quiet. He leaned forward in his seat, examining the two. "Who are you? Better yet... why are you here?"
Shion grunted, obviously maddened by her current situation. "I could ask you the same thing."
The man looked irritated, but kept his cool. "Do not test my patience... if you wish to live."
Shion sighed. "I am Shion Uzuki, and this is chaos. We were on our way to Vector's 2nd Division when we were attacked and forced to crash land he-"
"Attacked? Attacked by what?" someone yelled out.
"By the Gnosis."
"What are these Gnosis you speak of?" another asked.
"You haven't heard of Gnosis?" chaos asked, calmly.
"Gnosis?" the man in front boomed. "You mean these?" screens appeared showing the trapped Gnosis in their prison cells.
"Yes, that's exact-" Shion started.
"Aha!" the man interrupted. "Look at what these people are trying to infect us with! Our perfect world has been stained with the likes of these... these... monsters!" he spat.
"Infect?" Shion was confused. "No, let me explain..."
"No, let me explain." the man said. He turned and looked at the other people in the room. "Don't you see my fellow people? This is obviously a conspiracy!" he turned his gaze upon the two. "Why do you think we left the other humans, all those years ago? We are on a higher plane that you! We are better! We are the perfect strain of humans!" everyone else began cheering and applauding their leader. "Had I not proclaimed us superior to you, we would still be back where you were, with your obsolete technology and various impurities. But look at us now! Advanced in everything years ahead of you! But... they don't like this. They've sent these two pitiful excuses for humans... and their plague ridden creatures-" he pointed at the Gnosis. "-to bring us down! Well, I for one will not let this happen! As Head Judge, I will make sure your plan does not work..." he said his last words slowly, making them sound bittersweet, like stale honey.
"No..." Shion shook her head slowly, as if it was all a bad dream. Everyone around them had burst into cheers. "That's not... that's not it!"
"Please." the Head Judge snapped. "Spare my your lies. Lock them back up in the prison cells! I will decide their fate personally."
—
"Hello! What's this..." Hammer muttered, as something flashed on his monitor.
"Well, what is it?" Matthews asked. "We don't have all day you know!"
"It's an automated distress signal. From what I can see... it's been looping for the past few days now."
"Well?" Matthews kicked Hammer's chair. "What are you waiting for? Let's hear it!"
chaos' voice suddenly echoed throughout the Elsa. "Mayday! Mayday! Hammer! Tony, Captain Matthews, anyone who can hear us, please respond! This is transport ship Delen, ship number 000265. We have been ambushed by Gnosis and are forced to crash land on an uncharted planet. Our coordinates are..." he paused. "X: 126, Y: 348, Z: 034. We require immediate assistance! I repeat..."
"That's chaos!" Jr. cried out. "Momo! Those coordinates?"
"That's... not too far from here. If those are from before they landed, we should be able to find the planet they crashed on!"
"Then let's go!" Jr. said.
"Let's hope we find them before they find us..." Hammer said, his voice wavering.
Multiple red dots showed up on the Elsa's map screen. "Damn it, what now?" Matthews asked.
"Looks like those Gnosis that attacked them are hanging out there... we could get attacked ourselves!"
"We have no choice!" Matthews said, grunting. "As much as I don't like this... Tony!"
"You got it Captain! Hold on tight guys, this is gonna be one bumpy ride!"
---
A/N: yesh! now this is one of the chapters i had fun writing! something about this head judge guy is just really cool! prolly cause of how evil he is. kekeke. anyways... with the reappearence of jr. and the gang, what should i have happen when they find them? i'm planning on having the story end shortly after, but any bright ideas? let's see... next chapter... Gnosis attack! how fun. can the futuristic technology of these people stop gnosis on a different dimensional plane? review plz!