Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean or its Characters.
Note: Special thanks to BlueTrillium for planting the though of having someone show Nel and Albel around in their new temporary home. I had been toggling the idea back and forth but after the review it stuck. :)
I also want to thank all the faithful readers and reviewers. So sorry if updates take a while but you guys have stuck with me and that's something to be happy about! And I will be seeing this until the end of the game – though I get this feeling it'll end up being a LOT of chapters. Well, with all the little things added in, how could it not. ;)
Star Ocean: The Untold Story
Chapter 16: Closer but Still so Far
For a while, Sophia merely followed the group without a word. She blindly walked were indicated, sat where indicated and did just as the others did. She didn't make a single noise; wishing herself to just be invisible and that some time soon she would wake up to find this all just a bad dream.
The loss of her uncle was tough. Despite her want to be stronger, it wasn't easy. Still, she kept her tears at bay and never strayed too far from the others. Everyone else seemed to be handling things fine. She wondered what strength they possessed she did not.
She listened as Fayt and Commodore Wittcomb exchanged words at the conference table aboard the Aquaelie.
"They were aimed at Earth." The commodore spoke with little emotion in his voice; but his eyes and expression clearly showed his feelings. "The planetary defense shield managed to partially block the attack. But it still caused considerable damage."
"It was too much for the planetary defense shield?"
Commodore Wittcomb nodded at Fayt. "Yes, and those energy bursts were a message. A declaration of war."
"Declaration of war?" Fayt protested. "What alien power has the ability to mount such a devastating, long-range attack?"
"A new power, previously unknown to us, emissaries of an entity known as the Creator. They call themselves the Executioners-Enforcers of the Creator-come to sentence us to our death."
Sophia spoke before she was able to stop herself. "The Creator?"
"Yes, it is not uncommon for dictators to claim divine origin. Their message states that our science has delved into forbidden areas, and thus the Creator has decreed our annihilation."
"That's insane," Cliff said leaning on the table.
"Sounds like a plain old invasion to me." Fayt leaned back slightly; crossing his arms over his chest.
Sophia felt her back straighten as she listened to the commodore talk of technology exceeding anything known. She had felt enough like she was in a dream; and even more so when the image of Earth taking an attack was displayed. Noises buzzed around her as she took in as much of the conversation as possible.
Then the news that the attacks were coming from 50,000 light-years away stung her ears. Her mouth gaped in disbelief.
"This is bad," she whispered in unison with Fayt's words. It was only a small comfort that she was still close enough with him to speak the same thing he did. Still, that comfort had its limits – which were being overstepped.
Cliff cleared his throat. "So this means Klaus, Vendeen, and Aldian are all in deep trouble."
"Yes... And it seems Vendeen was attempting to capture and use the Federation's secret weapon." Wittcomb directed his gaze toward Sophia. "They would consider any offer of cooperation with the Federation an insult."
"Secret weapon..." Fayt hissed venomously.
"Me." Sophia stated flatly meeting the commodore's eyes.
"Correct. That is what I've been told. Apparently, Dr. Leingod and his team developed you after they detected the Executioners' presence years ago. But frankly you do not look like much of a weapon to me. How can a girl of flesh and blood fight a fleet of starships?"
Any answer to that was lost from her mind. She was still coping with what was done with her and had no idea of how she was supposed to do anything, even with Fayt and Maria's help. She was just Sophia. Nothing more and nothing less.
"There is also you," the commodore continued looking at Fayt. "We did not witness what it was you did to the Vendeeni, but we were able to intercept enough of the communication to know that you destroyed a battleship alone." His face held a questioning pose; demanding answers.
"Yet it was I who destroyed the battleship Invisible." Sophia wasn't sure why Maria spoke up, but she was fairly sure it was to defend Fayt in her own way.
"What? You did that?"
"Yes. Like Fayt and Sophia, I too, am the product of Dr. Leingod's genetic engineering."
"I see. Is that so? Only upper echelons of the Federation were privy to Dr. Leingod's top secret research. But if what you say is true, if there is another force that can be used offensively, then we may have a chance."
For a flash of a second, Sophia felt deeply wounded. She knew her 'power' wasn't offensive, but she still felt insignificant. Feeling a pull to her left she allowed her eyes to wander only to find Albel staring at her. He was giving her a look that told her he knew what she was thinking and that she needed to stop. She smiled shyly at him before darting her eyes back to the commodore.
"It's not much help, though." Sophia stated, finding the will to speak up.
Maria nodded at the girl's words. "Unfortunately, our powers are still unreliable. We can't just invoke them whenever we want. None of us can fully control our powers."
"Another reason we need to get to my father's lab on Moonbase."
"Yes," Wittcomb agreed, "but as I said before, the lab's database has already been searched. Don't expect too much."
The conversation was interrupted when one of Wittcomb's crew members entered the room. "We have a report from Headquarters, Sir. Federation Station #9...has been obliterated!"
"Obliterated!"
Sophia sat straight up in her chair, as did many of the other occupants in the room. Obliterated was a strong word. The station wasn't damaged, or attacked; but was completely destroyed.
"Orders, Commodore?" the man asked, trying to maintain a professional tone.
"How long do we have until we reach Earth?"
"Twelve hours flight time to Earth," the man who had earlier introduced himself as Lieutenant Fields replied.
Commodore Wittcomb grunted under his breath. "Okay. Connect me with Headquarters."
"Yes, sir! Connecting..."
"This is the Aquaelie calling Fleet Headquarters."
The display screen jumped to life revealing an old man. His featured remained neutral, proving he had years of experience in military affairs. Despite his lack of emotion, there was still something about him that screamed he was confused and scared.
"Hermes here."
"This is Wittcomb, sir. What's our situation, Admiral?"
"You probably already know, but we've lost Stations #8, #9, #31, #36, and #42. The enemy has not been identified, but we do know they are, in all likelihood, headed straight for Earth."
"I see, sir. Our orders?"
"Stay your present course. Other ships are being dispatched to block the enemy. Battleships and combat explorers have already been deployed. 162 ships are stationed around Earth, 112 around Station #9, and 215 around Station #20."
Admiral Hermes paused for a moment, searching the faces of all the others listening in to the conversation. His eyes stayed longer on Sophia than the rest of them. She could only conclude that it was due to the fact that she was 'public' knowledge among the Federation. She wasn't fond of the idea of having her privacy invaded. But none the less she understood.
"Oh, and Commodore?" Hermes continued when his gaze reached the commodore. "Word is the Enforcers have already attacked and destroyed Aldian."
"What?"
"They were the closet to the enemy's point of origin. Though we were not friends, I mourn their loss. The same fate awaits us if we don't keep our wits. It's the most powerful threat the Federation has ever faced, yet in the past we've always managed to overcome difficulty. Godspeed, Commodore!"
"Yes, sir."
"Over and out."
Sophia watched the screen turn blank. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. A planet had been destroyed. This was a lot different than a Federation Station. A whole planet! And those…things were headed for Earth.
"We must go to Federation Station #5 at once and carry out our mission."
"Agreed!" Fayt stated standing up.
Sophia couldn't help but to be thankful that Fayt was involved. She didn't want him to have to go through what he was going through, but she didn't want to go through it alone. It was selfish of her to feel this way, she knew that. But Fayt had always had a strength she envied. He was a source of strength for her.
Her other source of strength grunted. She tilted her head to spy Albel stand lazily. He was obviously bored of hearing of events that did not relate directly to him. His planet thus far was not affected by these new enemies and therefore he was not amused by something he could not handle on a tangible level.
Sophia shook her head slightly as she stood and walked toward the door. Before she exited she stopped by the commodore. When she stopped she noted that Albel, Fayt and Maria stopped as well.
"Commodore? Can I ask you something?"
He gave her a gentle look and nodded.
"Do you know where my parents are, or Aunt Ryoko?"
Fayt shuffled behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder. She could hear Albel grunt once more as he stepped closer to her other side.
"We are currently searching for the missing professors, Dr. Ryoko Leingod and Dr. Clive Esteed, but with the current military situation, it is going to be very difficult. At the very least, I won't be able to assign any more personnel to this task until the current crisis passes."
"I see. All right, we understand," Fayt replied tugging on her shoulder to prompt her to follow him.
Once out in the corridor they set out to their assigned rooms. The Aquaelie was a large ship and rooms were designated to each of them. The guys were directed down one hall as the girls were lead down another. Sophia was given a room between Maria and Nel.
Maria had opted to view her room later as she entered Nel's room. She was sure the Elicoorian might need some help adjusting to the technology. Sophia smiled at this. Maria wasn't easy to read, but she did have a heart.
Sophia watch the two enter the room and hesitated at her own door. This would be the first time in a while she had been alone. For some reason, being alone in space has a different feel than being along elsewhere. She was about to shrug it off when she heard someone call her name.
She looked up to see Cliff jogging her way. He stopped and gave her a grin she had come to recognize as his way of saying she was about to be asked something she might not like.
She frowned at him, being sure to frown only slightly. "What?"
"Well, you see… Fayt's doing his best, but we can't get Albel to go into his room. He acts like it's some sort of prison cell. We were wondering if you might be able to help. He, err… well after what he said to me that night on Elicoor I though maybe you could get him to go in and rest up."
Sophia gave him a quizzical look. She didn't mind at all helping out. She actually welcomed the opportunity to see Albel away from the stress of what was going on. But she didn't quite understand what the Klausian was talking about.
"What night? What did he say?"
Cliff giggled childishly. "It was the night you offered to take watch and I picked on ya about waking him with a kiss. Well, I guess he heard everything 'cause he warned me not to tease you anymore."
"He did?" Sophia knew the blonde was telling the truth, but it still struck her. She knew Albel had been watching out for her in battle, but to hear he had been defending her elsewhere made her happy. Regardless of how he acted, he cared. Though she was sure he would sooner go back to the dungeon over admitting it.
She took this new information and tucked it into a secret place in her heart. She was thrilled and excited, but would keep all that to herself. Secrets like this were things she valued and gladly kept hidden away.
She nodded and followed Cliff to the other wing. Sure enough Albel was leaning on the wall just outside the door of his room. Fayt was holding his forehead with a look of defeat. His hand dropped and he smiled wearily as Sophia approached.
"Sophia. Maybe you can help. I really need a nap."
She smiled back, restraining a giggle. "Sure, Fayt. Leave it to me."
Fayt didn't take any time before disappearing into his room. Cliff simply shrugged and made his way back to the hallway.
"Huh? Where are you going?" Sophia teased. The longer she was around the Klausian the more comfortable she felt. That and she missed Mirage. Cliff was what reminded her of the friend she had to leave behind and therefore provided her with some comfort.
"Err, I'm going to check on Nel. She showed us the ropes on Elicoor. I figured it would only be right to do the same here."
Sophia shooed him on and turned to Albel; who had remained still. His arms were crossed in front of him and his eyes were set on the floor. She strode the few steps required to reach him. When he made no action to confirm her presence, she leaned forward and peered up at him.
"Want to go inside and get some rest?"
His response was a deep exhale as he closed his eyes.
She giggled in her head; sure he had to be stubborn. Nothing was easy when it came to him. She stepped to the side and opened the door to his room. She hesitated slightly before reaching out and grapping his arm with both hands.
She tugged lightly. "Come on. I'll show you around."
She was surprised when her tugging was met with little resistance. The man allowed her to pull him into the room. She felt the muscles in his arm tense when the door shut behind them.
Once again she restrained from giggling. It wouldn't do him, or her, any good if she voiced her amusement. She was sure he would take it personally. In actuality she rather enjoyed being needed by him. Too many times before she had needed him. Now, the tables were turned.
"Don't worry," she said releasing his arm and walking back to the door. As she approached it, the door opened. "There's a sensor up there." She pointed to the box right above the door. "When you get close to it the door opens unless you have it locked. There's a switch here beside the door. If the switch is pointing to the right it's unlocked."
A grunt met her explanation. She nodded at him and moved across the room and toward the bed. "If you want to take a nap then just tell the computer what you want and the lights will dim. Just start by saying computer, and then what you want."
He shuffled to the spot beside her and peered down. "And who is this computer?"
"Well, it's not really a who. It's more of a what." She took a deep breath, contemplating how to describe what a computer is. "It's part of the ship. It's an artificial intelligence that takes the place of a real person."
"Artificial," he echoed. His tone indicated that her explanation was sufficient.
She looked around the simple room, wondering if there was anything else she should point out. The rooms were guest rooms and simply provided a bed and terminal. She doubted he would need to use the terminal, so she opted not to even bring it up.
"I'm sure there's a sonic shower somewhere on this hall if you need it." She chanced a glance at him. His expression was neutral, but she was sure he didn't know what she was talking about. "A sonic shower is something that you step into to get clean. It's a poor substitute for water, but you can go in fully clothed and your cloths are cleaned at the same time. It is convenient."
"So, your world is built on convenience?"
She paused, taking his words in. "I guess you could say that."
He crossed his arms and smirked at her. "How do your people know the thrill of accomplishment if something else is what does it for them?"
"Well, computers don't do everything. Computers and technology only aid us."
He wasn't done. She wasn't sure if it was being somewhere new or the fact that he had to sit still for so long; but she could feel he was aiming for some form of confrontation.
"This does explain a lot of your behavior at the mansion."
"Hey!" she responded in a playful tone. She didn't want an argument, even if he seemed to be asking for one. "I adjusted quite well, thank you."
"Bah. You were fidgety and unsure. Even your little lies showed brighter than the day."
She huffed slightly as she placed both hands on her hips. "I wasn't use to being held prisoner. But I suppose it could have been worse. No telling what those Vendeeni would have done if they had gotten me first."
He stood, unmoving. His stare indicated he wasn't done with her; just waiting for the opportune time to retaliate his desire to argue. Looking into his eyes, she began to wonder if he really was trying to argue with her. The thought occurred to her that perhaps he wasn't comfortable in space and wasn't ready to give up her company.
Like he would ever admit that. She knew he would never give her an answer should she come straight out and ask. And she didn't want to ask, that left it open for him to start a real argument.
"Is there anything else you need to know about?" She smiled warmly telling him she wasn't going to leave until everything was set in place.
"I'm hungry."
His simple answer almost took her off guard. It was just like him to ask without asking. Those two words were two questions in one. 'Yes, would you tell me were I can find food?' and 'Would you care to join me?'
She let a long sigh escape her lips as she walked slowly past him and to the door. "There's a cafeteria not far from here. I remember passing by it on the way." She stopped at the door and noticed he hadn't moved. "Well, are you coming?"
"Why don't you bring something here? I don't feel like dealing with the maggots wandering the halls."
She nodded slowly. "Sure. I can do that. Make yourself comfortable and I'll be back soon."
"Just be on with it."
Sophia quickly turned and exited the room before he could catch a glimpse at her smile. It really was amusing to see him out of his element. He was so unsure of things. Back on Elicoor, he was in a place he felt fully in charge of. But once off his planet he was in unfamiliar territory. She could relate. She had felt much the same way when she first landed on Elicoor.
Her smile dropped. Sure it was amusing, but not so much when she compared his awkwardness with what she had felt. It sure wasn't amusing to her when she was adjusting. He might even be homesick, and that was a feeling she was still dealing with herself.
She walked until she came to the junction where the hall split. In one direction was the hall way leading to her room. The Aquaelie was big. She had no idea of where she was going.
"Maybe Maria can help? She's more accustom to large ships."
Sophia turned down the hall and stopped at Maria's door. She was fairly certain the girl would be in her own room since Cliff was going to be helping Nel. After a couple of knocks she entered when the reply to 'come in' was issued.
"Hey Maria. I wanted to ask you something." Sophia walked the short distance required to reach Maria; who was seated in front of her terminal. "What are you up to?"
"I'm accessing the database over at Leingod Research Lab on Moonbase. Was that your question?" Maria looked up at Sophia.
"Well, no. I wanted to know if you knew the way to the cafeteria, but I got side tracked. Why are you accessing Uncle Robert's lab database?"
"I thought I could get a head start with a remote search, but it didn't work. I know nothing more than the last time I checked."
Sophia looked at the screen. "Would it be too much trouble if I asked to see what you found?"
"No," Maria replied shortly. "Are you sure you want to see it?"
"Please."
"Okay."
Maria tapped the keys skillfully. A hologram of Robert Leingod appeared over the console.
The recording began to speak; causing her heart to skip a beat at the sound of her late uncle's voice. "We are currently involved in research on special symbols that exhibit extraordinary effects when embedded in the human gene. Although my research is banned by Federation law, it is far too important to abandon now. I'm conducting my research in secret with the help of my wife, Ryoko, Jessie Traydor, and Dr. Esteed. Over the past few years, we have successfully developed two special symbols: 'Alteration' and 'Connection' -the power to alter and the power to connect. We have selected our own children to be test subjects. Jessie protested, but I believe it to be an even greater sin to use the children of others. Although we are tormented by our guilt, we had no other choice. We have embedded 'Alteration' in Jessie's daughter and 'Connection'in Professor Esteed's child. As we wait for Esteed's child, we are currently monitoring Jessie's daughter. There are no signs of rejection at this point. Our research was a success. We've now achieved our initial goal. The next step is to track the development...'
The hologram of Robert disappeared abruptly.
"I never had any idea…" Sophia trailed off.
"This is how I first learned about you. I still don't know what purpose your uncle had in doing this, but I do know for sure that they embedded special symbols within each of us."
"I wonder why there was no mention about Fayt."
"I'm not sure," Maria replied looking up from her seat at Sophia. "The message I found is fragmented. That's why it cut out so abruptly. I'm sure if I were able to retrieve the whole recording then I would have known about Fayt also. But the data is far too corrupt to piece together."
"I wish I knew why they did this. How are we supposed to use our powers, and what for?"
"I'd rest much easier if I knew. We may learn more when we get our hands on the Research Lab's database."
Sophia nodded and smiled. It was nice to spend some time alone with Maria. Every chance she had to talk one on one with her was another opportunity to know her better. Maria was showing that she was capable of optimism. Even if her optimism was developed in determination.
"I agree. It's our only hope."
It was Maria's turn to smile. "Let's place faith in what your uncle said. There must be something there at the lab."
"Right."
Maria shifted in her seat and stood. She pointed to the door. "If you go back to the main hall and take a left, you'll find it a few paces on the right."
Sophia gave her a confused look. "Huh?"
"The cafeteria," Maria giggled. "Isn't that what you were looking for earlier."
Sophia jumped. "Oh right! Oh my, how much time have I been here? He'll be mad if I take too long."
Maria opened her mouth to speak but quickly clamped it shut. She was about to ask who 'he' was but the look in her eyes told Sophia that she had figured it out. "Well, I suggest you hurry. We all know he can have quite the temper when he's upset."
Sophia quickly bowed and made for the door. The door opened, but before leaving Sophia turned back to Maria. "Maybe when this is all over we can hang out some. You know, get to know each other when there's a moment's peace."
Maria gave her a skeptical look, but appeared to be thinking about it. "We'll see."
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(A/N) Well, I wanted to end this chapter on a 'nice' note since the other story I'm posting is being left on a 'not so nice' note. Reading the game script does give me another perspective into the characters. Such as with Maria. She doesn't seem so cold if you read her words and take out her cold tone. Her tone is her, but the words she used don't always fit that tone – so I'm playing around with that to help shape Sophia's reactions and feelings toward her and the others.