Eureka Eight Preview
By EurekasRenton
Note from the author:
The first part is a recap if you choose to skip it, go to the "start here" part
Chapter One: Wish Upon a Star
One Year after the Second Summer of Love…
There they sat…just sitting idly starring at their meal. It was a meal that Maurice hadn't seen too often. He didn't really know why Grandpa chose to eat dinner at the restaurant, but he guessed the occasion was somewhat special. The meal consisted of eggs, meat, sauce, shrimp, and some other things. It smelled like a meal fit for a king. The aroma filled Maurice's nostrils like smoke fills a chimney.
"Itadakimasu!" said Linck as he raised his spoon and dug in merrily.
"Hey, wash your hands first!" complained Maeter, but of course, Linck didn't listen.
"It's fine!" he protested.
"No, it's bad manners!" Maeter told him.
"Whatever."
Maurice just sat there staring at his food, barely listening to his younger siblings squabble again. Grandpa sat motionless, too concentrated on something he was reading.
"C'mon Linck."
"Aw…"
There was something in Grandpa's eyes that Maurice noticed. It was a sad look, a look of deep emotion, depression. Maurice had seen it before when Grandpa looked at pictures of Renton or Mama. Maurice felt himself feel quite sad. He still didn't know what it was.
"Grandpa," he said.
"Hmm?" answered the old man, turning his gaze away from his reading material.
"Aren't you going to eat? It'll get cold." He told him calmly.
Maurice would eat if Grandpa ate, but he wasn't feeling too hungry. Maeter and Linck were already digging away like bulldozers.
"Oh, right you are," said Grandpa, grinning a bit. "I'd better hurry up and eat."
Grandpa folded the paper and carefully put it in his jacket. Maurice, Maeter and Linck had seen Grandpa a few times, but this was their first time coming to his home. Maurice would do anything to know what was wrong.
"Was it an inconvenience…" Maurice asked with the sad feeling still lingering inside him, "…for us to come here?"
Maurice sat there with the note in his hand, the note that Renton had given him, but he hadn't shown it to Grandpa yet.
"Let's have a Big Burger," Grandpa told him.
Maurice looked up in astonishment. Grandpa was trying to do something nice for them, but he didn't know why he was acting so.
"That's the traditional act of bonding in the Thurston family," he told him with a serious, but calm look upon him. "All right, now let's eat!"
Maurice felt better. Grandpa did accept them, so they weren't too much of a trouble. Grandpa smiled.
"If we don't hurry, we'll miss the moon."
Maurice smiled. He loved going out and seeing the beautiful moon every night. He smiled, but then felt tears rush into his eyes as he nodded. What was this feeling? It was joy, joy that Grandpa wanted to spend time with them.
After dinner, they walked along the road to the park. Grandpa talked to them more then he normally did.
"All of my family has left this town," he told them as they strode along under the golden sunlight.
The sun was setting and they were making their way to the park.
"But Renton's the only one to have ever some back," he said calmly. "That I now have these wonderful great-grandchildren, that's proof above all."
Maurice smiled as he held his Grandpa's hand. He felt a lot better because he knew he was bonding with Renton's grandfather.
"Grandpa!" called Maeter. "The tram's coming!"
"Oh, we'd best hurry!" Grandpa said happily.
The grey tram was visible in the distance. They rushed toward the tram station and got aboard. The trip to the park was a little long, but it was well worth it. When they arrived at the station in the park, the three children rushed toward the gate at the edge of the cliff. Maurice, being the fastest, got there first and waited for the others.
"W-wait up!" called Grandpa who was slowly coming from behind them. "Don't make the elderly run so hard."
Grandpa was exhausted, but he had a smile on his face. He seemed to enjoy the moment. They all gazed up at the sky and looked at the wonder before them. Maurice had always looked at the moon every night, but not from such a place as the park dedicated to Renton.
The moon looked so close. It was as if you could reach out and touch it. There was a stream of rainbow light sparkling in the night sky and the moon glowed a luminous blue color. It seemed mystical. Everyone marveled at the magnificent moon with the gigantic heart carved onto it and the words, "Renton" and "Eureka" engraved within. Maurice still wondered how it all happened.
Maeter clasp her hands together and closed her eyes as if she were praying. Maurice and Linck looked at her curiously.
"Nee-chan, what're you doing?" asked Linck.
"I'm wishing upon a star," she answered simply, "So that Mama and Renton will hurry up and come home."
"Me too!" Linck told her as he copied her, clasping his hands together and wishing.
"Me too!" said Maurice.
Maurice couldn't see him, but he knew that Grandpa was folding his hands and wishing as they were. Maurice believed that wishes were powerful things and he began to feel hope spark inside him.
"Hurry back with that nice young lady, Renton," said Grandpa in a quiet voice. "You're kids are waiting."
Maurice knew…with all his heart…that Mama and Renton were out there waiting to return…
Start here
It had been a long night and Maurice felt extremely drowsy. They finally arrived tat the Thurston residence and Maurice stared at it with wonder. Linck had been the most tired and he was carried by Grandpa while he slept.
"This is where you and Renton lived?" Maurice asked.
"Yes," answered Grandpa calmly, "this is where we met your mama. This is where she crashed and changed our lives forever…"
"But didn't it blow up?" asked Maeter curiously, but just as drowsy as Maurice.
"Yes, but I had it rebuilt," Grandpa told her. "Many people offered me to live with them in their nice homes, but I chose to live where I had always lived…with Renton and Diane…in this special place. It's just the way it was when Renton used to live here."
Maurice starred at the place. It looked a little old and the sign with Thurston written on it looked like it had just been painted. There was a gigantic hanger and a small garage building in the fenced area. Grandpa led them to the garage building where they found a ladder leading to an upstairs area.
"This was once Renton's room," he told them.
There was that look again…that sad look. The look that made Maurice feel awkward.
"Something wrong, Grandpa?" Maurice asked.
"No…it's nothing," the old man said. "Let's go on up and get you in bed."
After quite some trouble, they got Linck up and into the room without waking him. Though he did stir a bit which caused him to kick Maurice in the face. Maurice rubbed his cheek as he sat on the bed.
The room was quite small, but it was cozy. There were a few pictures of Renton on the wall and a few RayOut magazines. There wasn't much except for a nightstand, set of drawers, and a bunk bed, but that was all that was needed.
Grandpa set Linck on the bed. Maurice and Maeter hugged Grandpa, said goodnight, and crawled into bed. Maurice laid on the top bunk while Maeter and Linck were on the bottom. Maurice couldn't sleep. He stared at the blank ceiling as time pasted. Nothing. He just couldn't get his mind to sleep. He felt so tired, yet he just couldn't rest. What was it?
"Maeter," he said, "Maeter, you still awake."
There was no answer. Maurice sighed and closed his eyes again.
"Huh?" said a very drowsy voice from below.
"Maeter?"
"Uh huh…"
"Can you sleep?"
"Trying…"
"Mind if I talk?"
"Nuh uh…"
"Okay…I've been thinking…When do you think Mama and Renton will come home?"
"Uh…dunno…"
"It might be a long time….maybe they will never come…"
"Don't say that."
"Well we don't know where they are…"
"I know they are out there watching over us…"
"…Go to sleep now…"
"Okay."
Maurice knew that his sister was right. He shouldn't think such negative thoughts. Renton and Mama would come home. They had to. It would make Grandpa happier…It would make all of them happier. Maurice lay awake, but then finally, he felt his eyelids grow heavy and he went into a deep sleep, dreaming about where Renton and Mama were…
Meanwhile at the D.S. Corp H.Q.
Arner sat there starring at the moon through the gigantic glass window on the ceiling. The moon's luminous beauty seemed to sooth his disgruntled mind. The lights were off and the blue moonlight flooded his office like water. He tried to rest in his chair when he heard the bell ring behind him.
"Who is it?" he asked calmly.
"It's me, sir," answered Dr. Hyde's voice.
"Come in."
The door opened and the doctor walked in wearing his long white coat and thick glasses as he always did.
"Sir I have come to report on our project," he said.
"And what is our operation's status? Please tell me as briefly as possible."
"The project, type Eight VENOM, is complete and ready for commencement. All we need is the 'key'."
"Then, why don't you fetch the 'key'."
"Excuse me sir, but its whereabouts still lay unknown after SL2 and to our knowledge, a new key hasn't arrived yet."
"I will handle the finding of the 'key'. Do not worry. This operation will not fail. I have devoted my life, work, and money to this and I will see to it that none of that goes to waste."
"But, sir-"
"I said I will handle it!"
"Yes, sir…"
"Now leave me."
Dr. Hyde left the room mumbling to himself. Arner sat there in his chair in deep thought for a moment then turned himself around.
"Steller," he said.
"Yes, sir?" answered a voice from the darkness.
"You know of the key, don't you?"
"Of course…"
"Bring her to me."
"You know what Hyde said, sir…"
"I know…she will come…when she returns, find her and bring her to me…"
"Are you sure, sir?"
"Yes, of course I'm sure. Now go and wait for her. When she arrives, she will most likely be found with the ones she loves the most."
"What of them?"
"If they cause a dilemma, do whatever it takes to get her."
Steller started walked forward from the shadows. He was already set for whatever missions Arner gave him. He was completely covered in black stealth attire and he wore a black gasmask over his face, concealing his entire head. Arner always wondered why Steller was so secretive and mysterious, but he was Arner's top assassin and he didn't need to get him angry. The assassin began to walk to the door when Arner stopped him as the door opened.
"One more thing," Arner informed him.
Steller didn't turn around, but Arner knew he was listening carefully.
"When I say 'do whatever it takes' that does not include harming her. I want her unscathed and healthy when you retrieve her. I know how much you wish for vengeance, but this is not the time. She is important to this operation so we want her in perfect condition. Understood?"
"Of course, sir…"
Arner could see Steller clench his fist tightly. Then he slowly left the room and disappeared. Arner sighed and turned back around to look at the moon. He reached for the small table next to him and picked up the procession on it. The compac drive stilled glowed blood red in his hands, but the name "Eureka" was still visible within it.
"Eureka…" said Arner, "This will not fail…"
READ MORE AT