Chapter Sixteen: Corrupted
The cell was sleekly plated and polished. Renton sat against the wall, refusing to sit in the bed to the side. Even though the bed was solid metal, it was still tempting at times. A soft blue tint settled itself against the room. And a soft hum filled its spaces, due to the white lights that hung on the ceiling. It was all too formal, to set, and self made.
Renton hadn't slept sense yesterday, it scared him to think that he might not wake up as the same person. His mind lulled with odd thoughts, anything to get his mind away from what the inverse drive was attempting to shove in.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you in here." A male voice came from outside the cell. Another voice responded to it. This one was sweater and smoother then the other, he knew who it was.
"In less you have a…" The man paused, leaving the rooming in utter silence. Finally a chuckle emitted itself. "Alright then, make it quick then. I wonder if I should get this checked." He chuckled. Just after the man finished, the sound of steps followed towards Renton's cell.
"Renton, it's me Eureka." She spoke through the bars in a voice that hammered against mind. He wanted to listen and answer, but he knew that was suicide. Eureka watched uncomfortably, her eyes shaded with sadness. She lifted her hand and attempted to reach out to him, but he flinched at the site of it and backed away. She pulled her hand back and watched his feared expression in absolute pain. Her became moist before she stood up.
"I'll be back with dinner…" She whispered and left the room. Renton gripped his head tightly. There were so many things swirling about in his mind. He knew that he had just hurt Eureka, but if he had made contact with her, he knew he would have put himself in a trap. Something about Eureka was pulling him into the inverse drive's effects. Every time he thought about her, he could feel the effects pressing against his mind.
"Tough luck Ret." The same male voice said from above. Renton lifted his head, still lost in swerving thoughts. It was the same man from before, but he was acting strangely. An odd smile wrapped itself around his face. He moved behind the table, hit a few buttons, and then pulled out a small card. With out hesitation the man moved forward and slid the card through the lock on his cell. The door instantly slid to the side. Renton flinched in surprised, debating whether or not this was good or bad. But the man's smile was rather calm and knowing, even a little cocky.
"Look, we don't have much time. We have about ten minutes to get out of here and jump ship." He offered his hand to help Renton up, and Renton accepted the help. Glancing at the man's face, he saw that he looked to be in his twenties. His hair was a brown mixed strands of blond. They started for the door, but Renton stopped, realizing that this was happening all to fast.
"Wait…" Renton started, but paused as he shifted from his past thoughts to the now. "Who are you?" He asked and glanced up at the man with fatigued confusion. The man glanced down at Renton and shook his head.
"You haven't slept or ate have you?" He asked and moved over to the door. "I'm a special operative for the P.O.F., the best they've got actually." A tidbit of pride was jumped on the last comment. Renton frowned, shaking his head in obliviousness. "My name is Artisen, I'm a personal operative for commander Jeurgens." He turned around and saluted. After he did so he reached for the door and cautiously peeked out. After a moment of silence, he pulled his head back in and looked over Renton.
"The nearest exit isn't too far away, so we should be alright for the most part. Ummm.." He stopped and glanced around the room. "There isn't anything we need here, so we should be alright. Understand that once we leave this room, I'll have to treat you as a prisoner." He stared until Renton gave a clear nod of acknowledgement. With a look of satisfaction, Artisen gripped Renton and shoved him out the door. Renton stumbled and almost slammed against the wall, but he caught himself.
"Don't worry Mr. Renton, just a simple little transfer." Artisen smirked. He tightly gripped Renton's shoulder, forcing him to walk along side him. Renton felt his head spinning in confusion. His steps were rubbery as if his feet were about to give out from under him.
As they walked along there were a few people who watched in confusion. They all seemed undecided, but when they noticed Artisen, they were ignored. Artisen tightly pulled Renton down a thinner hall. The hall didn't drag on for very long. They finally reached a small door with big bright letters reading "Emergency Exit".
"Alright, sorry for the act." Artisen chuckled and removed his hand from Renton's shoulder.
"Wait… what is going on?" Renton asked in growing irritation. Artisen turned around and glanced down the hall. Once he was satisfied, he turned back around and opened the door. Behind it revealed a long stretch of stairs tightly cramped together.
"As I said, I'm Artisen, a special operative." Artisen replied simply and motioned Renton to go down. Renton closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Then why are you here… isn't getting me out a little risky? What about Eureka?" He gritted his teeth as he spoke, realizing more and more reasons why he should stay behind, and then why he should leave. Artisen sighed, his face drained of its sarcastic nature.
"Look Renton, this isn't the time to be deciding this. We have about to minutes to get you out of here. I've heard a lot of things around here, and I'm starting to understand what Rekina is planning." Artisen said, and Renton lifted his head at the name. "I cant explain everything right here, but I can tell you that its important to get this information to the Gekko-go and P.O.F.. And it's also important to get you out of here, because you're needed else where." He seemed to be urging, but his face remained calm and serious. Renton glanced up at the peculiar expression. Finally after a moment had passed, Renton nodded started down the stairs.
"Let's go." He muttered and sped up. Artisen sighed in relief and quickly followed. They ran down the dimly lit stair way until they reached another door. Renton gripped the door handle and pulled it open. Light burst from the door crack, blinding Renton for a few brief seconds. Artisen gently pushed him forward into the outside.
"That was closer then you think Ret." Artisen said and patted Renton on the back. Just a few seconds passed until a sudden burst of wind pushed them both forward. Renton toppled head first, but a strong hand gripped his collar and set him strait. He stood up and turned around to see the great white ship lifting into the sky. A brief few feelings crossed through his mind. Eureka was on the ship, and once again, she was being pulled away from him. But at the same time he felt relieved. A hard press of emotions had constantly been pressing his mind, but now they had all just disappeared. He felt free, and his head felt strangely light. But even with this refreshing feeling, he felt guilty.
"I… what." Renton muttered at the attempt to say something clearly. His mind was completely unbound, and his thoughts were working on three different levels. He wasn't sure what to say, or what to ask… yet he had so many questions,
"What is it Ret?" Artisen asked and turned his attention from the white ship to Renton. Renton rubbed his forehead, pausing to think.
"Why do you keep calling me Ret?" He asked and looked up with confusion. Artisen frowned and nodded in compliance.
"Well, I like to hand out nick names… to me… you just don't seem like a Ren, or Ron… but Ret strangely… well…. Works." He oddly and simply smiled. "By the way, take off that white suit. Out here that will stand out like a burning shipwreck in the middle of the night." He waved at Renton's white suit in slight disgust. "Doesn't really fit your style any way." Renton unzipped his suit and pulled it off. Underneath he wore a black t-shirt with dark green pants.
"Where are we going, is there a P.O.F. ship waiting for us?" Renton asked, glancing around to see where they were. He just barely noticed that they were in a large landing air port. A fence traced itself along the airports boundaries, seemingly dragging on forever at the sure massive size of the area. A small cluster of buildings led off to the side, and behind that lied a grand command center. Off to the side of the buildings he noticed several other various sized buildings.
"Heh, yeah, wouldn't that be great?" Artisen muttered sarcastically and slipped on a pair of black gloves. "We're practically in the middle of U.F. territory. We won't even be able to make contact with the P.O.F for a long while. And we can't make radio contact either, to dangerous and risky. Once they noticed you're gone they're going to tap any and every radio frequency they can. We'll also have to disguise you a little better then what you've got now… have you ever pictured yourself as a blond or black haired?" Artisen asked and squinted his eyes at the top of Renton's head.
"We don't have any connection to the P.O.F.?" Renton asked in growing horror. Artisen shrugged and nodded.
"Afraid so Ret, look to your right." Renton did so and saw something large stretching up into the sky. It was the grand tower that stretched all the way into space. It surprised him that it was still there, even after all that had happened.
"We're in a city right?" Renton asked with a slight wisp of deep thought.
"Exactly, and we have to go now. I use to have special equipment that could surpass any detection of the U.F.. But it was to hard to take along, so I set it to basically self destruct in about…" He paused and quickly glanced at a watch on his wrist " thirty to forty minutes about." With that he started off across the grand air port.
"So we're stuck here?" Renton questioned. Artisen shook his head and smiled.
"No one's ever stuck Ret, some just refuse or can't see the clear path to take… Right now that is doing this on foot. I imagine we can walk into the city, grab a couple of boards, and then make our way out of U.F. territory." He smiled and continued to walk, seeming to already have planned this out.
"Will some one be waiting for us out there?" Renton asked and quickly ran up beside him.
"Nope, I wasn't even planning to get you off the ship. I just barely figured out that the inverse drive was no longer working on you when they put me on duty." He chuckled and surveyed the area once more as they walked. "There are some things you need to know Renton, but at the moment, I'd rather wait till we're out of city limits." Once he finished, silence took hold and they continued to walk. As they did so, Renton couldn't help but find the man slightly strange.
Renton was surprised at how easily they made it out of the airport. No one stopped them or asked questions. It was lucky for him that Artisen decided to keep his uniform until they got out of the city. They both made their way through the city. The large command center stood tall, shadowing a quarter of everything with its large mass. As they walked, Renton started to feel an odd feeling of absence. Something was missing from him, and he knew what.
They passed several buildings, all different in size and shape. But each one had an appearance of old age. Renton assumed that they were in the housing district of the city. But there was little life to be seen, and the houses seemed cold and empty. Eventually as they went along they finally reached a livelier part of the city. This place was packed with people. The loud hum of crowded voices quickly filled Renton's ears as they turned the corner. After a long time of walking, they had finally reached the market place.
"Alright then, this is it." Artisen smiled brightly and rubbed his hands together.
"What is it that we are planning to get?" Renton asked and glanced around at the hundreds of shifting people.
"First we'll need some back packs, some food supplies, other various survival items, sleeping bags, and then reffers." He nodded in agreement to himself. Swiftly he stepped forward and into the crowd. Renton sighed and quickly ran to catch up.
A few hours had passed, hours that passed rather quickly. He wasn't if it was the new sense of freedom from the inverse drive, or the fact that Artisen was a perfectionist dealer. The man some how managed to squeeze a good deal out of any seller. Even though some of the dealers were stubborn, he some how managed to make the whole situation interesting watch.
Renton sighed as they walked along the withering road. They were now far out from the city limits. The city was slowly growing smaller, and the road hadn't changed in size or shape. All the road held was a drawing path that continued to drag on, pulling them along with it. Grass surrounded them in stretching fields, holding a serine color of bright green. The fields continued until they met with the mountains that surrounded them.
"We're in this valley, and the way out of U.F. territory is out through there?" Renton asked and waved his hand at the small gap between the mountains. The road appeared to drag on in that direction, so he assumed so.
"Afraid not Ret, its going to be a long time till we are out of U.F. territory." Artisen responded through a half laugh. "That's why we purchased the boards, but they won't be usable until we're well out of U.F. site... which is possibly past those mountains." He finished and they continued to walk along the road. Silence followed along, filling everything around them except for the wind that bristled the grass.
"Artisen..." Renton started in lack of confidence. Artisen glanced over at him curiously.
"What?" He asked and patiently waited for the answer.
"What is that you meant with... Me being needed off the ship?" Renton asked, staring at him. Artisen generally sighed and slipped his hands into his pockets. A short while passed until he nodded to himself and looked up.
"Well Ret, I was planning to tell you that. I'm not really sure whether or not Eureka is aware. But in all honesty, it doesn't matter. Ret, they were using her to get to you." He paused and stopped. Renton didn't seem surprised at all, but instead seemed grim. He new that Eureka had an effect on him, but it never breached his understanding as to why. Eureka was the one person that he knew he could count on... but now even she was threat.
"Well." He finally started up again "I was tapping into their contacts, and I dropped in on a few conversations... which weren't very easy." He joked in a half sarcastic and half serious way. "Apparently you weren't in the initial plans Renton. All they wanted was the Xellien... and Eureka. But over the month they unlocked the Xelliens full capability with the inverse drive. They continued to do several tests with her... and..." He stopped to think and consider something. "They started to find something odd in the testing. They had compared logs with the Xellien before they captured her, and after. You see Ret, when they captured her, they continued to press her mind with foreign influences. They convinced her to believe lies and other false truths. Once she seemed fully convinced, they sent her out on another test... but it was failed. The Xellien always had the Inverse Drive built in." Artisen stopped once again and shook his head in anger. "The Xellien isn't like an S.U., Ret. This thing is completely different... it was intended for a coralian." Renton's head shot up in surprise.
"What... how? We had disappeared for a year, so why would they continue work with a coralian intended model?" Renton asked and took an urging step forward. Artisen lifted to his head in the sky, loosing himself in some thought.
"You didn't think they would stop with Anemone, did you?" Artisen challenged with mellowed curiosity. Renton responded with a short shake of the head. "Yes, it is true. They had plans to insert another human slash coralian into the cock-pit. When Eureka popped up... well... their plans had become perfect. The S.U. advance type, or I mean the Xellien, was designed for two because they would plop in two half coralians. They hoped this would satisfy the LFO itself, and the inverse drive. Some options were designed only to be activated through coralian connection." They stood in the middle of the road, Artisen's voice drifting off into the empty fields. Renton stood there, sucking every word in with great thought and consideration, but still only barely grasping the words. He couldn't believe the U.F. had been planning something this big all along. "This was the design of the Xellien, and that was the design of everything. They had everything set out, all they needed was two half coralians. Eureka popped up again, a full breed Coralian. She was everything they could have hoped for, so they went after her immediately. This drags me back to what I was saying before, where they were testing the Xellien with Eureka. All the tests were failing. She was unenthused and lifeless at the act. The Xellien's actions were sluggish and sloppy. She seemed to be resisting with a single strong wave of emotion. The scientist did everything they could think of to increase her performance, but even so, it didn't work. Finally Rekina stepped in and sat down with Eureka. This I actually heard from a conversation with a group of scientists." He quickly added in that pointless bit of information. "When Eureka came out, the plan to capture you was initiated... and well, here you are. Once you were onboard the Xellien, they immediately made an attempt to use the inverse drive on you. To their surprise, it worked like charm. But there was another thing that caught their notice, the fact that it took both of you for it to work. Eureka didn't comply too the inverse drive until she was guaranteed Renton, and you worked right away. This happened all too strangely, so they decided to do some more tests. They monitored your brain waves and the inverse drive wave emitter. They noticed that when you were away from Eureka, the Inverse Drive had less effect on you, but when she was around, it worked better then ever. So that was it, they needed both of you to get what they wanted… a working advanced S.U. unit, the Xellien." He finally finished. Renton didn't respond, he wasn't even sure what to say.
The world suddenly seemed slightly darker. He thought he could trust people, but now he wasn't sure there were as many he could trust. All he had was the Xellien, Gekko-Go, and at the moment, Artisen. The U.F. had slowly been unraveling their plan through him and Eureka. He couldn't tare it from his mind that he was being used. Eureka was just another tool to be tossed around in the U.F.'s hands. The very thought made the world darker around him. His idea of the world was settled, but now even that was shattered once again. More then ever did he wish he could have Eureka with him, so that he could comfort her in his arms. But the only comfort sought in his surroundings was the silent air. It repeatedly passed through his mind. He wanted to know how much pain he had caused Eureka, how alone she would be, or that she didn't even know that her thoughts weren't her own. Suddenly a new emotion breached into his thoughts. He clenched his teeth and fists. His head shot up as his face tightened in fierce anger, but then he hit something hard.
"Geh." He muttered and fell against the hard ground. He shook his head, realizing that the place he was in was nigh pitch dark. The only light they had was a small crack in the ceiling above them, which only shared a dim glance of an already darkening sky. Gently he rubbed his head and spotted a dark figure standing in front of him.
"Looks like this will be a good spot." Artisen's voice emitted from the figure. Renton shook his head, finding himself confused and oblivious to where he was. Finally it reassembled itself in his memory that he was following Artisen, but he couldn't recollect as to how they got here.
"Where are we?" He asked and stood up in the dim area.
"Geez, where have you been the past three hours?" Artisen chuckled playfully and set his back pack on the ground. He carefully fumbled through it and pulled out a smaller object. At the sound of a click, the room was filled in a yellowish light. The light illuminated the walls in a relaxing still color. Renton sat down and slipped off his back pack. "This is a cave that I spotted just off to the side of the road we're taking." He reached into his back pack, this time pulling out a sleeping bag.
"Oh…" Renton muttered and pulled out his own sleeping bag.
"This light has limited energy, and I'm not sure how long it will take us to reach the next city. After I finish a few things, it's going off." Artisen told him and then slipped into his sleeping bag. He scooted up against the wall and pulled a few more things out of his back pack, a pencil and note book. Renton didn't bother to ask why, he was setting himself up for a sleepless night. Everything that had happened was overwhelming, pushing at every defense he had. He settled himself against the wall as well, staring up at the crack in the ceiling. Just through the small opening he could see a group of stars. It now crossed his mind that he was missing his greatest strength of all… Eureka.
Another hour passed, time just slipping away like thin threads. The electric lamp still covered the room in light, and Artisen was still sitting up against the wall, writing to himself. Renton eyes were half open. He wondered if he had fallen asleep at all, or if he was asleep already. But being asleep seemed unlikely, sense he knew he would see her. Every image he could summon of her was already swimming around in his mind, so he knew she would end up in his dreams. But what scared him is what he would see of her. He didn't want to see her in pain or under the control of U.F.. His imagination only amplified his fears of what nightmare awaited him.
"Not sleep yet, eh?" Artisen asked, not taking his eyes from the note book. Renton slowly blinked and looked over at him. "What could possibly keep you awake?" His question peeked at Renton's nerves. More then ever he felt like being alone, and to top it off, he was just asked the last question he wanted to answer. But the more he wondered on it, the more he felt he couldn't keep it in. His fatigue and mixed mind let the words drift from his lips.
"Her." He whispered and turned his eyes away.
"Eureka you mean?" Artisen continued to press. Renton decided not to fight it, so he nodded. "Interesting, what is it about her that would keep you awake?" Renton frowned at the new question, finding it a pretty stupid one.
"Because…" He started and then closed his eyes, shaking his head gently. Artisen finally set down his note book and sighed in between a yawn.
"Because… hmmm, I've heard that kind of answer from my peers." He reached over and took the lamp. "I've heard about the story between you and Eureka, even picked up on a rayout. I imagine it gets pretty cold when you're lonely." He said it so simply that Renton gritted his teeth and shoved his head in Artisen's direction.
"Why do you say it like that?" He asked in a sudden burst of fury. Artisen didn't react at all, in fact, he only continued to gaze at the crack in the ceiling.
"You're being selfish Renton." He responded and lied down in his sleeping bag. Renton pulled his head back in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't you stop thinking about your own emotions, and try thinking about how to help Eureka… the one who is still captured." Renton's eyes went wide in surprise.
"But she isn't here, don't you know what its like to…. To…. But when I close my eyes… I can see her, and she is in pain. I want to help her, but I fear… but fear." He felt himself slowly realizing something as he stumbled over his words.
"I don't want to sound harsh Ret." Artisen lifted his head, a strange solid seriousness within it. "But understand what I mean here. I've made a few mistakes, because I've wandered on my own pathetic emotions. Because of me a lot of things happened that shouldn't have. I'm not going to let you make the same stupid mistake. You love Eureka right?" His voice suddenly became stronger and more pressing. Renton just stared, not taking his eyes away, but also being unable to speak. "Why should you remember her in fear? Why should you dwell on your own emotions? You should try to be grateful… and start thinking about how you're going to save Eureka." His eyes had now become fierce and harsh against him. There was an uncomfortable moment of silence that settled into the room. Renton suddenly remembered so many things that had happened. He remembered the time when she had become the command cluster. And the whole month he had wasted in selfish thoughts of himself and his own sadness. He suddenly wondered if during those times of his sadness if he was really caring for Eureka… or disrespecting her.
Artisen tightly closed his eyes and shook his head.
"I'm sorry." He said in a new sign of guilt. Carefully he leaned back down against the hard ground. "That was out of place for me… I'm such a hypocrite. A stranger shouldn't press on some one else's emotions when he hardly knows the other. That was out of place, I apologize." With that, Artisen went silent. Renton still sat with his eyes wide and dry. Guilt was once again piling in his system as he now realized his own stupidity.
"You're right." Renton said at last, breaking the silence. His voice was shaking in his through lips, and his lids tingled with the warmth of tears. "I'm such an idiot… I did it again… I've been doing it for ever and now I only realized it. Even back on the Gekko-Go, before the second summer love. Eureka was inside the command cluster, and I sat there crying to myself." His teeth tightly clenched together. "Dang it." He muttered and leaned against the wall.
"Then learn from your mistakes now… because you're doing it again." Artisen plainly replied, giving no plead of sympathy. Renton's eyes shot wide again, but they quickly closed.
"Thank you Artisen, you're right." He replied in a calmer tone, swallowing the pain inside him. He was forgetting again, and he needed to grow stronger. Slowly he leaned back in his sleeping bag, finally being able to accept the desire for sleep. At that moment he was thankful more then ever to Artisen.
"No prob Ret. I just get tired of looking at mistakes that remind me of my own. Good night though." The light switched off when he finished. Renton closed his eyes, wondering why Artisen was so open with him. He just had the strangest conversation with him, hardly holding back the truth.. There was one question that now popped in his mind. He wanted to know who Artisen truly was, and why he acts the way he does. But as this question continued to grow, it was flooded out by thoughts of Eureka and the need for sleep. So he quickly decided to ask tomorrow when his mind would finally be clear of distracting emotions.
---
"You sure it's down this road?" A tall man with blonde hair asked. The elderly man shook his head in tired irritation. Off to the side a younger boy with sleek black hair stood, waiting impatiently.
"Yes I'm positive." The elderly man confirmed for the twentieth time. The blonde haired man tiredly shook his head.
"Dang, that's at least another day's ride… even on the boards. At this rate we'll." He stopped in mid sentence and turned around. The elder man frowned curiously at him.
"Are you sure you haven't been by here before?" The elder man asked. The blonde haired man turned back and shared an odd smile, one that revealed he knew something and he was on the verge of saying it.
"Nope." He replied and turned back, "Come on, let's go." He suddenly ran forward in a rush of extreme speed. The other boy quickly turned and followed. They both in unison jumped up and landed on their boards, spraying a sparkling stream behind them.
"Sorry about that Ret, I was just so sure." The blonde haired man innocently shrugged as they surfed away.
"It's alright, three days and we're still stranded within U.F. territory. Where are we headed off to now? My hair is itching like crazy. I think I might be allergic to the dye." Renton reached up and vigorously scratched his dark black hair. Artisen laughed and shook his head.
"Yeah well, hopefully we'll be out of this soon. If we can make it strait through this city… yeah… then we could make it to a secure zone." Artisen nodded to himself and swerved his board back and forth.
"Alright, I just hope we can make it through soon. The U.F. has been searching for us for days. I even saw another wanted sign… with our faces." He added as they sailed along.
"Well, we should be able to make it through this alright. It's only about another day's journey… of course… I said that a day ago." He chuckled once again and pushed his board forward.
The stream of trapar sparkled behind them and dimmed into a faded nothing. They crossed through an empty land of dirt and rocks. Everything was mostly flat, except for an occasional rising hill. The sun seared the ground with a burning heat. Its rays baked the area, giving off a wavy reflection in the distance. But even through the condition, they continued on. The sun slowly fell from above and settled back down on their level.
"You know Ret, the air is oddly pure here." Artisen commented as they sailed along. Renton nodded in agreement and took another sip from a bottle.
"It reminds me of when I was on the road…" Renton said so only he himself could here.
"We should have plenty of water until the next stop. Do you want to rest for the night or just keep going?" Artisen asked and looked over in his direction. Renton paused for a moment while considering the options.
"I think so." He said at last and nodded. Artisen shared his own nod of agreement and yawned. Renton cautiously glanced in his direction. He had been wanting to ask Artisen a question for a long time, to get to know who he really was. But every time the question found its way into his mind, he never asked. This time the moment arose again, and this time he would seize it.
"Artisen?" Renton called and looked down the horizon.
"Yeah Ret?" Artisen replied in his usual simplistic tone.
"What did you do before the P.O.F. was founded? Did you have some type of previous job." He asked with no apparent reason. Artisen raised his browse in calm surprise, only finding the question slightly odd.
"Well…" He trailed softly and scratched his cheek. "I was apart of the U.F…. as a spy." His tone turned single and slightly unenthused.
"So you were a spy before the U.F." Renton whispered in calm disappointment.
"Yup, back when I'd like to think that I was young and naïve." He chuckled and shook his head, "I was an idiot. Which by the way, I'm twenty six." He added with a small wave of the hand. Renton nodded and continued to surf on. He wasn't really sure how to react to the fact that Artisen was once a U.F. spy, but it didn't seem fair for him to think so. He knew full well that people changed, and he wasn't sure what kind of person Artisen really was. It seemed like a question too personal to ask, so he threw it from his mind.
They continued to fly down the road. Slowly the sun fell bellow the horizon, allowing the night to show off its silent stars. As they surfed along the only sound that could be heard was the steaming exhaust of their boards. The sound was strangely soothing, having a rhythm that kept a flowing rhythm. Soothingly the moon moved to barely bellow the sky's peek. Its shining glow left a blue cast on the grounds around them. Renton couldn't help but find himself drifting into thoughts of Eureka. Her wings almost seemed like a beacon of hope in his thoughts. Already he could see a clear picture of them upon the crystal hill.
Another hour passed when an odd color started to mask the atmosphere. The starts slowly faded, being dimmed out by a yellowish haze. Renton frowned in curious confusion, wondering what was the cause of the strange phenomenon. They barely reached the tip of a hill when they were revealed to an onslaught of lights and glows. A city was steadily placed in the ground in front of them. Its sheer blast of light lit the ground a few miles off from its limits.
"Who would have thought there'd be a state city here… I completely forgot about this place." Artisen stood amused as he spoke. Renton reached up and rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the new level of brightness.
"Are we going there?" Renton asked and looked over at Artisen. Artisen stopped and pondered the question for a few brief moments.
"I think we should stop here and grab something to eat. We also might want to rest for an hour or so." He slowly smiled and nodded in agreement. Renton didn't hold back his sigh of relief as he nodded, rubbing his tired eyes.
"Good, my back is killing me." He said in essence of drowsy joy. Artisen couldn't help but smile as they shot off towards the city.
The city was livelier then the others that they had been to. People walked across the streets, scattered about with random activities. They passed by a small park that seemed to be holding some kind of competition. Several people were using their reffing boards, pulling off some crazy moves. Renton carefully studied their flow, and decided that they weren't as impressive as every one was making them out to be. Every move they made was nothing compared to the Gekko-State crew.
They continued surfing down the city. No one was distracted at the two reffing across casually. There were even a few others that were reffing along to some other destination. The flow of trapar was stronger than it was in most cities. People were commonly taking advantage of its quantity. Renton smirked, he knew what it was like to live in a lifeless city… where no boards could touch the smooth fabric of trapar's giving threads.
"There looks like a good place." Artisen said and pointed over at a little small shop. It was tucked between other shops of the same size. They had reffed down a very lively street, people packed into the side walk even though it was late at night. Lights from the buildings lit up the area with a bright solid white. It all had an atmosphere of movement and speed, where there was little time to stop and consider life's common trials. In the end it bothered Renton.
They moved down the street and maneuvered around a few people into the shop. The shop itself was incredibly oriental and quant. Red and gold traced the walls with symbolic inscriptions. Several bulb lights hung from the ceilings, encased in a cramped red fabric.
Finally they sat themselves down on a simple mat placed next to a small table.
"So we eat, rest, and go?" Renton asked as they waited for service. He noticed that there was only a small group of people sitting down on the other side of the room. They all had their backs turned, laughing about some strange subject.
"Yeah, that is the plan for now." Artisen responded and fell back into a lying position.
"Two hours of rest? My eyes feel so heavy." He muttered and fell back as well.
"Welcome to the Flaming Enchantress, what would you like?" A female voice caused both of them to instantly sit up.
"Well… we would like a…" Artisen blinked several times and glanced around the table. His eyes landed on the menu and he took it. Renton followed the same pursuit with the spare menu.
"I'll take two egg rolls." Renton politely asked and set his menu back down. He didn't feel like thinking, so he took the first thing he saw on the list.
"I'll take some rice rolls… and that'll be all." Artisen asked and set the menu back down on the table. The women nodded graciously and left. "You know… I'm actually not that hungry." Artisen laughed gently and shook his head.
"I'm ju-" Renton started but was cut off by another's voice.
"Hey there good men, do you have a spare five we could borrow." A voice asked with casual courtesy. Artisen turned in his seat. An odd silence suddenly filled the room. Renton frowned and turned to see the man pointing a pistol directly at Artisen's head. This man was smiling with smirked pleasure.
"Please Artisen, I've known your face too long. Though I'm surprised that you would bring him to such a lively city." He said and glanced at Renton.
"Generally enough Jack." Artisen replied with fiercely cold eyes. The other man gritted his teeth and barely managed to keep his smirk.
"Well, it was your choice to join the P.O.F.. I told you that doing so would lead to your death… Well look where we are now. We have Renton, and that it all we need."
"Are you so su-" Artisen started but he pulled the trigger. Artisen flinched to the side and smacked the gun away. The tip exploded, sending a bullet right through the table's wooden surface. Wood splitters shot out in all directions. The people from the side of the room stood up, revealing themselves as U.F. soldiers. Jack raised his gun again, but Artisen quickly raised both of his legs and shoved them into his chest. The man toppled back, gasping for air as he went. Renton stood up and started for the door. But as he picked up speed, Artisen was caught out of the corner his of ye. He noticed him struggling to his feet. With out hesitation he turned around and pulled him to his feet.
"Thanks." He muttered right as they shot out the door. They both scrambled down the street and turned into the crack between two buildings. The jumbled sounds of the crowds became muffled as they drew deeper in. After a few more moment of running, they finally decided to stop.
"Dang it." Artisen turned and slammed his fist against the wall. "I'd say in a minute or two this city will be swarming with U.F. soldiers, ships, KLFs…" He leaned against the wall and slumped down to the floor. Renton looked down either way and then back down to Artisen
"No, we can't stop now. More then ever do we need to keep moving." Renton urged and motioned his hands to continue. Artisen stopped shaking his head and lifted only slightly. His eyes steadily searched the ground, as if he were scrolling over some sort of information that only he could see. After another minute passed, he suddenly stood up and gritted his teeth in a smirk.
"Great… Seems like we've run out of options anyway." He looked over at Renton, a curious sparkle in his eyes. "Come on, let's do the suicidal thing to do."
---
Eureka lied on her bed. The room she was in was smaller then the one before. It was mostly plain, except for a single bed. She was curled up in several sheets. A light blue light barely creaked into the room through the bottom crack of the door. Shadows shifted behind it. Eureka new that the guards were once again changing shifts. They wouldn't let her leave the room, not after she attempted to run away with the Xellien. She attempted to convince herself to wait, knowing that the U.F. would eventually catch him, but a day passed with out notice. Renton's wide fearing eyes continued to burn deep into her eyes and heart. She could feel the pain swerving in her chest. When she attempted to reach out to him back at the cell, Renton had jolted away in fear. It felt as if some one had mortally ripped her heart out.
"Renton…" She muttered and closed her eyes tighter, trying to keep the tears from spilling. His images kept swimming through her mind. All she wanted was to ask him why… why did he fear her? The door slipped open. A bluish light filled the room.
"Eureka." A darkly cool voice called her. Eureka turned in her bed to see Rekina staring right back. Rekina's eyes were dully cold. "We found him. And you are the only one who can bring him back." Her eyes stayed solid along with Eureka's. But the look itself jabbed down into her stomach, leaving a sharp uncomfortable feeling.
"What do you mean?" Eureka asked back with new baring hopes. Rekina barely tipped a smile, but it quickly dropped flat.
"Renton was brain wash and tricked. An agent of the P.O.F. had fooled him into thinking differently. He's not on the right mind Eureka, he'll only listen to you. I want to ask you to take the Xellien… and convince him. Will you do so?" She barely raised an eyebrow, waiting for Eureka's Response. Eureka closed her eyes in relief and smiled.
"So it wasn't Renton." She whispered to herself in relaxed reassurance. After a second of silence she lifted her head and nodded once more. "Yes, I'll do it."
---
"No word from him in three days." Hap sighed in tired annoyance.
"He must have been found." Holland responded with the same exasperated voice. They were all in the command room, sitting in their usual positions. Talho stood next to Holland and his command chair. Silently she stared out the view port.
"And what about Irik?" She asked and gently turned her head towards him. Holland barely glanced up until his head fell back down.
"He has been monitoring the U.F. communication channels for the past four days… almost non stop. He's had little sleep, and he won't let Mischa near him." Holland shook his head and closed his eyes. Talho sighed depressingly.
"Maybe if-" Hap started but was cut off when Irik suddenly burst into the room and charged down the steps.
"Holland! They found him!" He yelled in sudden excitement. Holland frowned and stood up.
"Renton?" He asked to make sure his hopes weren't diverting his hearing.
"Yes, he's on several U.F. channels. Once they were caught, the U.F. spread the signal like a hot fire on a dry forest." Holland nodded and leaped over his seat. He dashed towards Gidjet's empty station and cued in a few commands. The speakers around them instantly came to life.
"Yes, yes, I would like to order a piz-"
"Artisen, stop it, why are we doing this? I thought you said calls would be watched." A familiar voice came through the speakers. The very sound of it caused a smiled to curve at Holland's lips.
"Ret, don't worry, its all in the plan. This isn't only going to reach the U.F., its going to reach everyone." Artisen's clever tone came back.
"Ret?" Holland muttered, never having heard that name before.
"Wait, let me see it then." Renton said and the sound of shuffling noises overcame the speakers.
"There, ok, this is Renton Thurston. I'm not sure if this will be reaching you guys, but Gekko-state, I'm in Pelinore. I've escaped from the U.F. with the help of Artisen. If you can help me… please. She is still with them, and I want to save her." The speakers suddenly took silence. Holland turned his head down in confusion, wondering if the signal had been cut off.
"Eureka, I don't know if this is reaching you at all. But please… wait for me." There was a small click and the transmission stopped. No sound or words came through the bridge. All that could be heard was the hum of the computers. Holland tilted his head down, seeming to be carefully considering something.
"Holland?" Talho asked and waited. Holland's head shot up, a tight wide smirk on his face.
"Pelinore isn't too far from here, is it Hap?" He asked and turned his head towards him. His eyes were completely wide in excitement. Talho couldn't help but laugh slightly at the look. There was finally a new hope that they could take. Hap turned towards his computer and keyed in a few buttons.
"Yes, we could make it there shortly, if we hurry." Hap responded and turned around in his chair. Holland let out a single laugh and settled back down in his command chair.
"Then let's go!" He yelled in new excitement.
---
Artisen and Renton broke from the last tall buildings of the city. They were now back in open area. The tall buildings which had crowded them before were now gone.
"Dang it. Renton, look behind us." Artisen gritted his teeth and jammed his thumb back. Renton followed the motion of his hand and spotted five glowing streams following them.
"U.F.?" He asked and turned forward again. Artisen chuckled and crouched slightly.
"Wouldn't even doubt it." He responded in a slightly sarcastic tone.
Ten minutes had passed, and Renton noticed that the U.F. was slowly gaining on them. He carefully scanned the horizons. A very small break of orange was peeking the sky. It was incredibly dim, and almost nigh impossible to notice.
"How long have we been going." Renton muttered and shook his head violently. His whole body was dragging with fatigue and aches, but he didn't let his guard down. He continued to carefully look around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. Except for a small, oddly group of clouds. He squinted, trying to see what it was. Suddenly the cloud burst into a blaze of green wild fire.
"What in the?" Renton gaped in disbelief. The sheer surprise almost knocked him off his board. "Artisen, look at that?" He urgently pointed his hand at the strange sight. Artisen jerked his head to see the cloud of green fade into several stretching lines.
"Shoot… they sent more then just a few ships… that has to be at least a few thousands KLFs… Renton, they really want to capture you." He paused and glanced at the road ahead of them. "We're out of time, we have to break for it…" His voice was covered with confidence, along with the determined look in his eyes. But it is job was to live a lie, and at the moment, there was little hope to depend on. Renton ignored the falling feeling within him and pressed his board forward.
"Hey Renton." Artisen said his true name with a serious tone. Renton frowned at him, even though the situation called for it, he found it odd.
"Yeah?" He responded with careful confusion.
"I'm sorry if you wind back on the ship… I just knew that you would have been stuck there forever… living something that was corrupted. If I didn't pull you out right then." He paused, as if he were to say more, but then shook his head. Renton faced forward. He wasn't really sure how to react to something like that.
"Thank you." Renton replied with a sure smile. Artisen looked over at him and laughed.
"I sure stuck us in a pickle… Wait!" He suddenly yelled and swerved his board right into Renton. They both slammed against the ground. Rock and gravel twisted against their skin, causing several sharp burning pains. When they came to a halt a large explosion erupted from the direction they were headed. Renton lifted himself up and glanced over in astonishment.
"They… they tried to kill us?" The words left him in utter surprise. Artisen replied with a smirk.
"No, that was a distraction shot. They weren't trying to kill us, they were just trying to knock us off course, or confuse us." With precaution he stood up and rubbed his aching back. Satisfied that his body had made it through, he quickly scanned the surroundings. His eyes stopped on two boards impaled into the ground. Rushing at them, he stopped and ripped one out.
"Dang it…" He lifted the board and threw it at the ground. Violently he reached over and pulled the next one out. A smile quickly spread across his lips, and he sighed in relief. "Thank you." Quietly he whispered and rushed back to Renton, "Renton, take this and go. I know you won't make it far. But hopefully you can drag out enough time for help." His voice had turned suddenly forceful. Renton instantly knew what his answer to that was.
"Artisen, I'm not going to leave you here." He responded with the same serious tone. Artisen took a threatening step forward and shoved the board into his arms.
"Renton, I can't let you be captured. The whole world is bending on your next move. This all depends on who gets to you first… The U.F., or the P.O.F.. The U.F. already have a weapon. If you give them the rest, then there is no chance for the P.O.F. to win." Artisen's very eyes seemed to be begging him to listen and go.
"But Artisen." Renton muttered unsurely. A crash exploded and knocked both of them off their feet. They crashed against the hard ground once more. Renton quickly glanced up again. Three KLF's stood before them, each holding a gun at the ready. It was such a strange feeling, the feeling of the inverse drive. He knew that it wasn't there, but its actions had left a power imprint in his mind. Never again would he forget its powerful control, its ability to confused wrong with right and right with wrong. That same feeling that left him in confusion. He didn't want to feel it again.
"No…" He whispered and shook his head in horror. Suddenly a large streaking sound cracked behind him. It became louder, revealing itself to be streaming jets. He was about to turn around when a massive green ship burst overhead. It sent winds crashing out of its way, and back onto the people on the ground. Surprised the three KLFs whipped around to see what it was.
"Gekko-Go?" Renton whispered in plain joyfulness. The Gekko-Go sped away, but not before it shot out a bright glowing light. The light sped at them, quickly taking the shape of the DevilFish. Two red beams shot through the air and pierced two KLFs. Both paused before exploding into pink smoke. Then it sent itself in a twirling motion. The KLF didn't know how to react, so it stepped back just before it was cut in half by the Devilfish's swirling blades.
"Thank you." Renton whispered as the Devilfish landed with outstretched arms.
"Hurry, get on!" Holland's voice urgently commanded. Both Artisen and Renton hopped onto its open hands. It then lifted into the air. With no warning, the Gekko-Go suddenly scooped them out of the skies. Right before they slammed the catapult, the Devilish cusped Renton and Artisen in protective hands. The large LFO crashed into the door, spitting sparks out as metal screeched against metal. They continued to slide against the around until they gently tapped the wall. Cautiously the Devilfish set them on the ground.
"Renton!" Holland's voice filled the hanger as he jumped down ran at them. He briefly stopped and regained his breath, "Good… it's you." He whispered in complete relief. Slowly he lifted his head. His eyes locked in with Renton's, and they shared a moment of silence. Holland smirked and shook his head.
"Renton." Amusedly he said and shook his head. Renton smiled as well.
"Thank you Holland." He replied. Holland nodded and faced Artisen.
"Jeurgen's special operative?" He questioned and looked Artisen directly in the eye. Artisen stood strait and saluted. The smiled faded from Holland's face. "Thank you." True gratitude filled every tone in his voice. Artisen nodded professionally and lowered his hand.
"What now?" Artisen asked and looked between the two. Holland turned around.
"Now we run, we have only three ships on our side. The odds in this battle are too dangerous to take on. Follow me to the bridge Renton." Holland said before running towards the door. Renton didn't hesitate to follow, but something pulled back on his mind. He could almost feel it, the same feeling he had known for a long time. But he shoved it down inside him, knowing that it was impossible. It was a feeling he long for, and he knew he couldn't have, but something else told him that that was wrong. He knew that it was her. That some where close, Eureka was drawing nearer. And even now he wasn't sure it was safe to be that close.
"Eureka…" He whispered as they ran down the halls.
---
"Are you ready Eureka?" Rekina's smoothly voice clearly came through the comm.. Eureka's head fell down and she glanced around Xellien's cockpit.
"Yes." She responded simply.
"Good, as you know, I'll be supporting you in this battle. I'll make sure to help you get Renton." Rekina said, but Eureka was no longer listening. Her thoughts had already wandered back to Renton. His images wouldn't leave her, and she didn't want them to. But continually she saw the fear in his eyes before. Both eyes stared at her, like a knife into her chest.
"Renton." She whispered in pain and closed her eyes to keep the tears from falling.
"Xellien, XI-10, XI-11, and Restia are launching." A man announced through the hanger's comm.. Eureka's head shot up and she gripped the controls. Little bolts zipped across the speeding gears as it launched the Xellien out into the dark skies. She shoved the controls forward with out hesitation. The Xellien quickly gained speed, drawing further then the rest.
"I'll help you Renton." She whispered as tears streamed over her lips, filling her mouth with a bitter taste. "I'll help you."