Disclaimer: Refer back to Chapter 1.
Chapter 2: He
"Get up."
The gruff voice had roused the children from their blissful sleep. They sighed; it was time to return to reality. They yawned sleepily and before they could protest, they were both roughly pulled to their feet. They hissed in pain.
"Hurry up. Your programs are waiting."
Right. It was the programs. The AI simulation was always taking a lot of their time. But then, Cielo really didn't care. They all said that it was that simulation that will make him better so he could go home to his parents.
Cielo was pulled to the door with Sera closely behind, she herself being pulled by another guard.
As they were about to reach the door, one of the guards had noticed that the two children still held on to the toys that they had been playing with.
"Hey! What to you two think you're doing with those!?"
The angry guard made a quick effort to snatch the toys away from the children but both Cielo and Sera had turned to their sides, as if to shield the toys from the "bad men". The guard was taken aback; Sera had never been a problem. But now…she had acted different. She had reacted differently from the way she normally would.
He would have to inform the directress about this.
"You little brat!" the guard yelled and attempted to strike Sera when a voice stopped him in his tracks, "That's enough."
The guards stiffened as the figure walked into the room.
Cielo and Sera stiffened as well.
"Directress!" the guard said. The figure, the directress was indeed a sight to behold; especially for children. The woman stood by the threshold of the door, her arms folded. Her long and wavy black hair hung loosely on her shoulders; her lab coat had indicated sheer authority.
The children gazed up at the directress' eyes. Her blue-silver eyes pierced into their own innocent ones before turning sharply to address the guard. Sera felt herself sink even meeker at the sight of her. The directress was an expressionless woman. She cared nothing for her. Sera, when she had first met the woman had mistaken her for her mother.
She could never forget the directress' response.
Flashback
"Mama…" the child smiled and stretched out her arms at the stranger that had walked into the nursery. The other nurses had told her that she would be meeting a very special lady that day. Needless to say that as Sera laid eyes on her she knew that she was her mother.
But, like all of her fragile dreams, this one was shattered into a million pieces. The woman did nothing of the sort that Sera had expected mothers to do. The woman stood there, impassively but intensely gazing at her.
Sera felt as if she were being burned under the intensity of her gaze and she could neither continue to look at her nor hold her smile, and so, she averted her gaze, her smile disappearing.
The woman walked closer to the child, "No. I am not your mother. I am the directress of this facility. You and I will work together to make the EGG project a success."
End Flashback
Sera was hauled from her musings as the guard, now cowering in fright, choked out a reply.
"Directress. The girl and the boy…both the Cyber Shamans were attempting to smuggle these toys from the room…and-"
The directress controlled her desire to laugh. These guards really were simpletons. They had no grasp as to the value of these so-called "brats".
"Enough. Let them keep the toys."
The guards stood there flabbergasted. The directress had never been lenient before; at least not towards the children. Both Cielo and Sera's eyes widened as they heard her. Sera felt a sting in her heart. Never before had the directress shown any type of emotion. Was this what they called pity? Or was it just plain indifference?
Sera cast her eyes down; of course it would be the latter rather than the former. The directress let them keep the toys not because it made them happy, but because she simply did not wish to engage herself in another meaningless, idle banter with the guards.
That was what it was. No more and no less.
"Yes directress."
She nodded and left the room while stating, "Bring them to their assigned EGG capsules."
Cyber Shamans. That was what they were called. Sera didn't know why but she didn't like it. Whenever she was to be put in one of those capsules, her whole body ached and hurt. Her mind would pulse in an uncontrollable and unexplainable pain. She did not want to go back there. But she had no choice.
After all, she didn't have a mother.
Cielo looked at Sera; she had her eyebrows furrowed and looked as if she were deep in thought. They were walking now, through the halls and alas, the proverbial fork in the road had finally appeared.
It was time to say goodbye.
Cielo gazed at his young friend; she was crying.
"Relax ja?" he yelled, being led through the right hall while she towards the left, "I'll see you again!! I promise!"
Sera smiled and nodded but her tears did not stop flowing.
xxxxx
Cielo had collapsed within the EGG. It had been very exhausting for him. It was as if everything was being drained from him; his sense of being. He hated the EGG. Was it really meant to make him better?
Or was it a lie?
He awoke in his cell and was surprised to find the brown bear beside him. He smiled; he was beginning to think that everything had been a dream; he and Sera meeting, the pink bunny and the brown bear, and lastly, his promise to bring her to a restaurant one day.
He smiled; it wasn't a dream.
He clutched the bear closer to his heart. He was cut short from his dreaming when the doors to his cell were opened. There stood the directress, with her arms folded.
"You collapsed at the EGG today. What happened?"
"I…I dunno ja?"
The directress raised an eyebrow, "Was it too painful?"
Cielo hated these questions. Every time there was a simulation…he would go…and then…sometimes he would pass and sometimes he would fail; like today. Every time he failed, she would ask him if it was too painful and every time she'd ask that, he'd reply "yes". Every time he'd say that, he felt angry.
Cielo may be a child, but he was no dog. He didn't become a Cyber Shaman for being stupid. For him, her questions were as degrading and condescending as they were dumb and annoying.
It was as if he was being asked "Hey you stabbed yourself with a knife! Is it painful?" Cielo sighed but said nothing.
The directress said nothing and turned to leave through the door but stopped, "Concentrate on what you're doing Cielo and do not let my daughter distract you."
Cielo's eyes widened at what he was told.
The directress was Sera's mother? Then, what about her father? Where was he?
"After all," she continued, "how would you see your parents again if you're not well enough to leave here?"
With those words, the directress left and Cielo was left alone once more. He watched as the last ray of light stalked out of his cell. For the first time in months, Cielo shivered in his cell. It was cold, dark and he was utterly alone.
He felt forsaken.
xxxxx
Cielo had waited patiently day after day, waiting for the time when the guards might take him to see Sera once more. But they didn't. He sat there in his cell, having only his brown bear as his companion. How he missed Sera. He missed her pink bunny, her smile…and her eyes.
'I wonder if she's okay…' he thought sadly.
He sat there, in his cell, waiting for the guard. He had another EGG simulation. He flinched at the thought. Would it hurt again this time? Would it hurt more this time or maybe a bit less?
How he wished that Sera was there. He felt terribly lonely without her. What was the matter with him? He had been there for months and never before got lonely.
Well, he mused, he had gotten used to the idea of being alone. Why? Because he didn't have a choice but to be alone. There was no one there to be with; no children. Until now. Now that he had met Sera, he felt as if he had a choice on whether to be alone or not.
But Sera was gone.
He gritted his teeth. That was the same annoying voice telling him that maybe she didn't like him anymore and that was why he was alone again. Maybe the directress took her away?
Once again, the sliding doors to his cell were opened and the guard came to fetch him.
xxxxx
This time, he did okay. He didn't collapse but that was a very intense simulation. It was as if his brain was being devoured. It hurt…but then…he thought of her. He thought of Sera and for some reason…it made him pull through…
He glanced at the brown bear beside him and dozed off to sleep.
xxxxx
"He has passed the test. He is now eligible to test the new version of the EGG capsule. Should he succeed, communication with God will be possible."
The directress said nothing and continued to view the young child, the boy, on her monitor. She felt a stinging feeling in her heart but she immediately crushed it. Should she have been the same woman as before, perhaps she could have entertained the feeling a bit more.
But she swore to herself that that woman whom she once was, was dead. Now, she was the directress of Karma City. The experiment must proceed. She had no time for pity.
The Cyber Shamans must be sacrificed.
xxxxx
Cielo woke with a start. He didn't know why but after the last simulation, it was as if his mind had reached a new plane. It was as if, its doors had been opened. He seemed to be able to think more clearly, quickly and logically than before.
But then, he also could have sworn that he heard the directress in his head.
His eyes widened; could he read minds?
xxxxx
He tested his theory on the guard that came to him the next day. He was right; he could read minds. The guard had many things on his mind, it would seem. But what dominated it was his daughter.
Cielo raised an eyebrow. He had been mistaken, he thought that all guards were the same; cruel and evil.
But this one was different; then, another picture within the guard's mind haunted him; Sera. His thoughts were of worry and pity for the girl. Cielo was glad at that moment. He was glad that someone out there, someone other than himself, cared for Sera.
Cielo sighed; he missed her. He would do everything to see her again.
xxxxx
It was another week since he learned that he could manipulate other people's minds. With a lot of practice, he was able to channel his power a lot quicker and more effectively and for longer periods of time.
Perfect.
It was the sort of thing that he needed if he was to see Sera.
xxxxx
He ran through the halls, all too aware of the guards that were stationed. He had already manipulated the guards by his cell. He looked up and saw the cameras. He smirked.
He manipulated the people at the monitors as well.
He frowned. Those were the more difficult targets to manipulate. He had to "search" for them first. Well, that was here his power was really tested. He had to "surf" the place mentally to find their minds.
He had to scour the places to find them. When he did, he did his magic. But he knew that he could only keep this up for too long. The manipulation was giving his body excess feelings of fatigue. He didn't know how low he could make it last.
He pressed himself against the wall as he heard two guards talking.
"Did you see the movie from Channel 7 last night?"
"What time?" the other replied.
"At around midnight you idiot!"
"Oh! Riiiighhht!" the other drawled.
"Did you see that chick…and that…her…you know…"
Cielo has heard enough; he wasn't particularly interested in what older men called "entertainment".
He wanted to see Sera.
So, with that, he closed his eyes and invaded the men's minds. Cielo was careful enough not to overstep his power's capabilities. After all, who was to say what lurked in these guards' heads. Well, he mused, if their conversation about "that chick" was of any indication, Cielo really didn't want to know.
With that, he ran again right in between the guards. They continued to talk but it was as if they didn't even see Cielo.
Ah yes, one must really marvel at the power of telepathy and the power of suggestion. It was simple really; all Cielo had to do was to keep them talking and thinking of "that chick" and he just has to mentally mask himself; a sort of illusion technique.
It was just too cool for words, Cielo mused.
He ran again. He was near her cell. He had never been there before but it was a problem easily solved as he read the guards' minds. After a few minutes, he finally reached her cell.
He quickly dispatched the guard and had him open the doors.
xxxxx
Sera sat in her cell, clutching the pink bunny to her chest, thinking of Cielo. They hadn't seen each other in weeks. Her EGG tests were topnotch. But for some reason, the directress was not impressed.
According to her, there hadn't been a single change in Sera's mental ability at all. She was scheduled for another test the next day. Sera sighed; at the moment, she didn't care. All she wanted was her friend back.
She gasped as her doors opened. Was she to do the test now? But it was for tomorrow! She wasn't ready!
As the figure walked into the cell, albeit a bit shorter than Sera might have expected from a guard, she clutched the doll tighter.
"Sera!!"
She blinked and ran to the figure recognizing him instantly, "Cielo!! I missed you!!" she said, burying her face on his shirt, embracing him tightly.
"I missed you too ja…?"
"But…Cielo…what are you doing here? Where are the guards?"
Cielo smiled sheepishly and led her through the doorway; there stood all the guards, minding their own business. Sera looked confusedly at Cielo, "What happened to them?"
Cielo grinned, "Nothing. I just told dem that I would visit you and dey were fine with dat."
Sera nodded in understanding. So, he was the reason why the directress had been upset with her. Cielo had managed to unlock his mind whist she hadn't.
"Are you sure it's okay to leave them like this?" she asked, her worry her Cielo's safety increasing.
"Well…no; my mind's getting tired of manipulating all of dem ja?"
"How many?"
"15; Including the people doing the monitoring. I can't stay long. I just…wanted to see you…"
Sera smiled and hugged him once more, "I miss you too Cielo…!"
She cried once more and then slowly, albeit reluctantly let go of her friend, "You better go! You might get caught!"
Cielo smiled, "Don't forget about my promise ja? I'll see you again!"
"I won't!" she promised; waving her hands as Cielo ran through the halls.
xxxxx
Cielo slept that night. He tossed and turned; he was having a nightmare. The next day was when he was to test the new EGG capsule. No one knew how it was to turn out for any and every Cyber Shaman. He didn't even know if he was going to survive.
That was why he braved to see Sera that afternoon. So, at least, even if he didn't come back, she'll still remember that he came to see her before the end.
He clutched the bear tightly.
In cold sweat, he awoke.
He spoke to God. What He said…was…painful to hear. Cielo cried; he knew that he had been the one to teach Sera not to cry, but he couldn't help himself. In his dream, God had spoken to him. He told him that he would not live beyond the next day.
He was going to die. There was no changing it.
He continued to cry, hugging the bear tightly; he didn't cry because of the pain that he will endure. No; he cried because of Sera. Why was life so unfair? Just when he thought that there was a glimmer of hope left, it was quickly taken away.
He had just recently met the girl but what he felt for her would rival friends that had been intimate for years. There were so many things that he wanted to do with Sera; so many things to see and experience as well. But he would never be able to do them. At least, Sera had a chance; his only regret would be that he couldn't be beside her when she did take it.
Sera was going to be alone again. She was going to cry again. He was never going to able to take her to a restaurant. He was never going to be able to keep his promise to her.
He was going to leave her…
And what about his parents? He would never see them again. Up until he met Sera, everything that Cielo did, every trial, every test, every ounce of suffering, he had done for his parents. He endured them under the promise of seeing them once again one day.
But now…that will never come to pass.
He didn't want to…but…it had been decided by a force that was higher that any mortal or beast could ever hope to become.
xxxxx
"He can't take much more of this!!" an attendant screamed.
"Directress, pull the plug!! Abort the test!!"
The boy in the capsule convulsed uncontrollably. He couldn't breathe; he couldn't think. Everything was so painful. He felt so tired. How easy it was just to give up.
'No! I have to fight for Sera!!' he screamed at himself. He could hear the attendants, the doctors and nurses advising the directress to shut the system down. He also knew that she'd never consent to that.
He just knew.
'Sera!!' his mind and heart screamed for her, 'I will see you again…!'
'You will…'
'Huh? Who are…'
'Rest now…the end has come; your suffering shall end here.'
'But…wat about Sera…?'
The voice did not reply and he was met with another painful force. This was the most painful experience that he had ever had; it was as if he was being ripped apart. It felt as if he was exploding and imploding simultaneously.
"Directress!! His heart rate is climbing! He's…having a cardiac arrest!! Please stop this…!"
'No!' thought the woman, 'He's almost there…We can't stop now if we are to succeed!'
The directress turned sharply at them, pinning them on the wall with her silver-blue eyes, "No. Continue. Whatever it takes."
The doctors, attendants and nurses looked at each other before sighing. The boy will die and it was on all of their heads. He wasn't just going to die; he was going to suffer an agony far worse than any given death. This was just too much…this was…too cruel; too inhumane.
A few moments later, it was all over.
"I'm getting no brain activity directress." said the doctor as he read the brainwave readings. The directress looked at the doctor and grabbed the readings for herself, her eyebrows furrowing at the readings.
The readings were too erratic. She then looked at the peak of the boy's brain activity; it was unlike any reading she had seen before. It was right off the scales. Whatever happened in that capsule was something that was too powerful even for their most advanced Cyber Shaman. And as the reading reached the highest peak, a moment later, the activity was blank. It was dead. The brain failed to function.
The directress grasped the paper tightly almost to the point of tearing it; but neither her face nor her countenance betrayed her immense feeling of frustration and anger.
She continued to look at the readings; it was as if his mind had been…fried.
xxxxx
The directress looked at the boy before her. The test was a complete failure. The boy, no matter how mentally advanced, failed to commune with God. The data consumed him and it was over.
The boy wasn't physically dead however and the directress had him moved to the infirmary. She gazed at the boy again feeling that familiar yet annoying sting in her heart. She could remember the boy as he was about to go to the EGG capsule.
He had looked so sad. He looked; hopeless. Despair was written all over his features. There were bags under his eyes which told her that he hadn't any sleep; his puffy red eyes told her that he cried the previous night. His slump and slouched shoulders told her that he was exhausted.
He was exhausted. From what?
She knew the answer. He was exhausted with this life. Was this to be even called life?
The directress stiffened as she felt another presence. She sharply turned around and saw no one. She moved all around the infirmary and discovered that she was alone.
Who was that?
'It's okay directress…it's only me.' a child's voice rang though her ears
She stiffened, "Who are you? Where are you?"
'I'm Cielo…I'm in your mind.'
She scoffed, "What do you want? Or is this another one of your tricks?"
'No trick ja? I promise! I…I'm really gone directress…I'm sorry…but…would you do me a favor?'
The directress knew that it was against her better judgment, but her unpleasant feeling had been eating her up as of late; it wouldn't hurt to entertain it once in a while.
"What?" she asked indifferently.
'In my cell…I left a brown bear…Please give him to Sera…It's all I have to give…'
At the sound of his voice and the understanding of his request, the unpleasant feeling that the directress felt increased tenfold.
'I don't want her to be alone…so…I…want her to have it…'
"Done." she said curtly.
As she said this, the voice disappeared. She looked at the boy once more. She knew that she should give the order to terminate the life support systems and get rid of the body, but something told her not to.
She would not terminate the life support systems; at least, not until she had fulfilled what was requested of her. In all of the boy's sufferings, she owed him that much at least.
She cursed herself; she hadn't even told him the truth about his parents. The silly boy thought that he would leave the EGG Facility to see his parents one day. They all conspired to make him believe that he was ill. But he wasn't.
He wasn't going to see his parents either; not now and not ever. He was never to leave the EGG Facility. Cielo didn't know a lot of things.
He didn't know that his parents, on the plight of poverty, had sold him to the scientists. The scientists, the directress included, had been overly thrilled as they read the readings on the boy's preliminary mental tests.
He had the makings of a Cyber Shaman.
The next step would be how to persuade the couple to "donate" the boy for their "honorable cause". The company did its research and saw that they were a very impoverished family. It was a mere coincidence that they had even been there that day to take the mental test.
They all thought that it was mandatory for all children to take the test. How could they not? They conducted the preliminary test outside the facility in the guise of humanitarian aid. Sly but smart; cruel yet practical.
The directress sneered at the memory. Yes, she had been sly, but what then could one make of the boy's parents then?
It didn't take long to persuade them to hand over the child. It was amazing what the power of money could do. The directress once believed that a mother's love was limitless and unconditional. But after seeing this, she knew better.
She knew that humans only loved when they could afford it. This couple didn't have anything; even should their love be limitless and unconditional, it wouldn't feed either them or the boy. Self-preservation was an ugly word and it was an even uglier concept once all of its facets were to be explored, but the directress knew that it was that ugly word that fueled man.
Self-preservation.
Not love.
Not kindness.
It was the need to survive.
It was this that overruled every emotion that man could express.
She laughed. It was pathetic. In her younger days, she had principles and morals, and she didn't know how it happened but as time went by, her morals and principles seemed to have abandoned her. She no longer felt the need to do what was "right"; rather, she felt the pressing need to do what was "necessary".
Life had forced her to become what she was today. She too…had been forsaken. But then again, who hadn't?
What had happened to the world? It hadn't always been this way…but then, that really wasn't the directress' concern. She too, had a right to life. And to live, she must do what she must.
Her thoughts drifted back to the boy. If only he knew. But it didn't matter now; he was dead.
Following her feelings, for once, she exited the room and headed for the boy's cell.
As sure as the sun, on his bed, lay the brown bear. With slightly shaking legs, she walked towards it; with slightly trembling hands, did she hold the bear.
Not wanting to be burdened any further, she walked out of the cell and proceeded to head towards Sera's.
xxxxx