Megaman X: Elysium Rising

Chapter 16: Gifts and Curses

By Genoscythe

Well, it wasn't a dump. It wasn't exactly Buckingham Palace #3 either. Zero surveyed the low-ceilinged room with the smallest hint of contempt in his eyes. The walls were a dull brown, and the soft carpet matched. Dual sets of chairs and couches sat at opposite sides of the room, making Zero wonder if it had been originally two rooms, but the wall in-between had been demolished to sell it as a two-bedroom. At least there were two modern video screens hanging from the ceiling, and he heard from Axl that there were regen capsules as well as beds. Even with its cheap exterior, it could be worse.

He spotted Axl and Selene on the balcony, talking animatedly. Zero chuckled. They reminded him of when he was younger, when he had first met Iris. Then again, everything reminded him of his youth these days. He pressed his palm against his forehead. "Damnit, I can't believe how old I feel..." he flopped onto a chair, and the human-built contraption groaned under the ¾ tons of his weight. God, he hoped the beds weren't made for humans.

X looked around, a growing sense of panic in his chest. He had shut down for the night, and the next thing he knew, he was here. Wherever here was. He couldn't restart his systems, as he had tried already. He couldn't move his legs, either. He was stuck in a dream, of all places...

X was surrounded by walls of marble, a violet sky hanging overhead. Odd plants hung from the walls, and across from him, a wall fountain shaped like an eye spat water into a spherical bowl below. It all seemed so old...and yet, to his left, a strangely modern door laden with red spheres stuck out of the marble. A wave of recognition washed over him when he saw the door.

This is...

"Elysium. How's it look?" A familiar voice finished his thoughts for him. Seconds later, the doorway parted and a man with deep brown skin and apple-green hair stepped through. With a wave of the man's hand, the door slid shut.

"It's a little too organic for my taste," X growled. Trapped in his own body, he felt his anger rising. "What the hell is all this for, Genoscythe?" The man laughed.

"Genoscythe. I like that name. Much more than Purifier Delta...but I digress. What's this for, you ask? Take a seat, first." Genoscythe waved his hand again, and X felt himself sitting down on a marble bench. Genoscythe sat on one opposite him. "This isn't real, let me just make that clear right now. What I'm doing is connecting my processor to yours so I can talk with you in a simulated environment. Of course, it's an environment that I control."

"So you've hacked into my brain?" X asked.

"To be blunt, yeah. Every reploid (and human, for that matter) emits some sort of brain wave. For humans, this wave is far different from a reploid's, but we can likewise communicate with them in the same way. The human assumes it's a dream, a message, a prophecy, whatever. Anyway, we use this technique of penetrating someone's mind to...further scientific advances."

Now it was X's turn to laugh. "You manipulate humans to your own ends? You and the rest of these 'purifiers'?"

"Not just the purifiers, X. Elysium is far more complicated than you seem to think. Now, if you'll stop interrupting, I'll explain it all." Genoscythe said. X was silent. "Good. So, we at Elysium had waited patiently for humanity to develop their culture and their technology, but when we realized that you were moving too slowly, we played our hand. We infiltrated the brain of a human. What was his name..." Genoscythe looked to the ground, deep in thought. Then, he suddenly snapped his fingers. "Ah! I remember now. His name was Thomas Light."

"Say what!?" X exclaimed, shock drowning out his frustration.

"We told him everything about our design. We gave him the key to unlocking robotics. And the poor fool didn't even know it."

"Hey! Don't you dare talk about Dad like that!"

"My god, X. You sound like a little kid. And technically, we're your parents. We gave Dr. Light your blueprints. Of course, he didn't know anything about us. He and everyone else thought the answer came to him in a dream."

"Why? Why pull all these strings?"

"I assure you, it was for your own good. Now, on the other hand, there was the other one...Albert Wily."

"He stole my father's plans for the original robot series. Are you telling me you made him do that, too?"

"Not us. I'll get to all that in a second, you have no idea how hard it is to explain all this. Anyway, as you know, Dr. Light's original Mega Man robot was an unmatched war machine. You also know that he was a piece of crap compared to you. And you, my friend, aren't nearly strong enough to face up to one of their purifiers."

"Who's 'they'?"

"I'm getting to that, damnit! Look, we were afraid they would launch the Carbon Re-initialization Program, or worse, commit genocide themselves. In either event, we would need some extra help. We 'enlisted' the humans to produce reploids, ostensibly for us to use in the fight against them. Trust me, it was for your own good."

"Alright. Now tell me who 'they' are. I can't follow what you're saying unless I know what you're talking about."

"Okay...A long time ago, much longer than the human race was created, we were created by a race of beings much like the humans. Of course, they were far more intelligent and possessed different physical qualities than those apes you protect. However, for all their intelligence, they became embroiled in a battle with their own machines. It was a battle that destroyed their entire planet, and their entire species.

Several individuals saw this event coming long before it happened, and they constructed a new breed of machines inside a space colony. This colony will be later known as Elysium, and it is the last remaining shred of the Creators' legacy. We were given orders to spread life to other planets. Some of our ventures were successful...others weren't. Our biggest success was here, on Earth, where the climate and biology was close to that of the Creators' homeworld."

"I didn't ask for a history lesson," X growled.

"For the last time, this is really freaking complicated. Let me explain in full. Okay? Okay. So, we spread the genes of the Creators throughout various species of primate. However, the dominant reptilian race was getting in the way. They had some idea of what we were doing, and were killing off the primates that we were modifying."

"The dinosaurs? You're kidding, right?"

"The saurian are much smarter than your humans gave them credit for. The bones they discovered were from earlier stages of evolutional development. The saurian that were impeding us were a much different breed. Anyway, as they were getting in our way, we annihilated them. Completely and utterly destroyed them. That's why there aren't any bones to show the saurian's later stages of development."

"This must be a dream..." X muttered, shocked and chilled to the proverbial bone.

"It is...sorta. I can assure you though, all this information I'm giving you is quite true. Speaking of, I'm almost done here. The humans grew, and we watched patiently in orbit. After finding such a perfect planet, we didn't need to bother with the other colonies we had created. Development was slow, but every now and then we gave them a little helping hand. After all, our mission was to re-create the beings that gave us life, and the humans we so valiantly protect were running behind on their cultural schedule. People like Alexander the Great, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Light, were all key to creating a species fit to fill our creators' shoes.

Within the last century, problems have arisen within our own order. Though our judgment is infallible, our intelligence on par with our creators, some of us believed humanity to be a failure. After witnessing the disaster that you call World War Two, several of our key leaders decided that humanity could not be trusted with the power we'd given them. They proposed that we activate the Carbon Re-initialization Program."

"What's-"

"That?" Genoscythe finished for X. "That's a failsafe mechanism built into the Earth itself. In case humanity ever really did get out of hand, hundreds of biomechanical islands would surface around the globe. On each island, a tower was constructed that, if the program were ever activated, would seek the nearest life signs and irradiate the entire area in deadly particles that you don't have a name for yet. All I can say is that it means instant vaporization for whatever's in the target area."

"Hundreds of islands...all with a target area...this program is designed to wipe out all of the humans on Earth?"

"In a sense, yeah. However, we wouldn't want all that work to go to waste, would we? Each island contains four unborn human embryos, the human genetic code, and an information center to supplant all the info the new human race will need. So, after all is said and done, there will be humans left to re-populate whatever land masses are left."

"...and these leaders of yours...the ones that think the humans are a failure. They want to start this thing up?"

"Of course. I've even had thoughts about it myself, but when it all comes down to it, we'll only have to repeat the program again if we do it now. Humanity will never learn that way. It's amazing that so many of the Mother Units can't see it though..."

"What's stopping these all-important leaders from activating the program?"

"Us. There are those units that think like I do, and our one ace card is that the Master Unit is on our side. Without him, the Carbon Re-initialization Program can't start. So now, Elysium is split in half. The opposing side knows that they can't destroy the master, and we can't destroy their leaders either. We're almost evenly matched. So, the fight carried from Elysium to Earth. Whereas we implanted the blueprints for you, a defender of the human race, the others sought to create their own agent, with the help of Dr. Wily. I believe you know who that agent is..."

"Zero?"

"Bingo. Not only was he built to be your match, but he was also designed as a carrier for a computer virus. The 'Sigma Virus', as you call it."

"So...all along, Elysium was behind it all? The puppet masters, pulling the strings and playing their senseless war games?" X could hardly believe it all. This information shattered the foundations of history, and who would believe him? Nobody. How could he find proof that a dream actually happened?

"Look...nothing we have done is senseless. Even the enemies have some reasoning to their goals. I know this is pretty tough to take all at once, but this is what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted answers? I've given them to you. Now, I think I'd better wrap up this little talk...I dunno how much more information your processor can catalogue before it overloads. In short, we need your help. That's why we had you created in the first place. If you truly want to help the humans, then help us. Come to Elysium, and stop the Maverick Virus at its source."

"How!? Where's Elysium now?"

Genoscythe laughed. "It's here. Right here. Trust me, you won't have to look far." And with that, Genoscythe snapped his fingers and X awoke, finding himself on his knees on the apartment floor. He felt dizzy, drenched in sweat. His head was hammering with pain, and he felt like falling over. This was big. Too big for him. He had taken up the task of defending humanity before, but now...this was more than just humanity. This information changed his entire view of the world; his interpretation of history.

How many human accomplishments were really achieved by humans? What was the extent of Elysium's influence? And how could he walk the streets again without the feeling of being watched, monitored, diagnosed? Most pressing of all: How should he explain it to the others? How could he explain it to the others?

Suddenly, a heavy knock on the door intruded on his thoughts. Shakily, he moved to open the door. As he did so, a bedraggled Alia stumbled through the doorway and collapsed on the floor. She was still in her loose nightgown, her hair askew. Slowly, she turned over and looked up at X, who had fixed her with a gaze of utter astonishment.

"Where the HELL have you been!?" Alia gasped. "Douglas has been running me ragged all morning! Says he's got some kind of upgrades for you or something, but he couldn't reach you. He called me every five minutes for three hours until I finally unplugged the phone," Her voice sounded hoarse, no doubt from yelling at Douglas. X was unsure if he should burst out laughing, or remain confused.

"Why was he calling you? You said the upgrades were for me," X asked, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"He said you wouldn't even pick up. He tried you on your personal comm. and everything."

"So he called you for three straight hours?"

"Pretty much," Alia groaned, rubbing a palm against her temple. "And that's not the worst of it. He came over. To my apartment. To bother me. Of course, it's you he wants, but why in the world would he try to bother you?"

X put on a mocking thoughtful expression. "I'll bet you're not very comfortable down there," He said, offering her a hand. She took it in her slender hands and he pulled her to her feet. "Need some coffee?" He asked her. She nodded groggily, adjusting her nightgown.

Alia sat down at a white metal table next to the kitchen that was completely devoid of hard edges. As X prepared the coffee, she looked at her own reflection in the spotless table. "God, I'm a mess. Sorry about this..."

X chuckled. "Don't worry about it. You're one of the few people I know who can still manage to look good in the morning," He said lightheartedly, though he really meant it.

"Thanks, X." She managed to conceal a blush from him while he busied himself in the kitchen. "I'd be fine if it weren't for Douglas driving me up the walls."

"Don't worry, I know exactly where you're coming from," X said, setting down a cup in front of her. Immediately, she snatched it and drank greedily. She set it down, emptied, before X even raised the hot liquid to his lips. With a smile, he set his own cup down. "Seconds?" She nodded enthusiastically, goofy grin splayed across her face. He slid his cup across the table and went to make another cup for himself, trying to put Genoscythe's message as far away from his mind as possible. Merely thinking of Alia's beautiful face was enough to clear his mind of his other troubling thoughts.

By the time he sat down, Alia had slowed a bit. She now sipped thoughtfully on the white alloy cup, staring again at her reflection on the table. He grinned at her. "Y'know, you could start a new fashion," he said. In truth, the untamed hair and the nightgown that repeatedly slipped off her slender shoulders was somehow alluring. She stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"What ever happened to Douglas? You said he came over here," X said, remembering about the persistent little mechanic.

Alia shuddered at hearing his name. "I finally got him to go back to Cain Labs after I threatened to jam a plug down his throat." X burst out laughing, almost choking on the coffee.

"You actually said that?"

"Check with Douglas."

"Those exact words?"

"Yup," Alia beamed. "And I would've done it, too." X shook his mug in her direction.

"You're not the kind of girl I want to mess with. Help me remember that," he said.

"Oh? If that's the case, then bring me another cup! I lost three hours of sleep, and two cups of coffee isn't gonna get back all that lost energy!"

"You've got all the energy you need," X muttered, getting up. However, as he turned his back, Alia leapt out of her seat, tackled him and pinned him to the ground.

"You asked for it," She growled, pinning his arms behind his back with one hand and gripping his neck with the other. "Now, repeat after me: Women are better than men at everything we do."

"What!? Sure, you're better at some things..."

"Everything," her lips were right next to his ear, and he felt his pulse quicken. However, unbeknownst to her, he was giving her plenty of slack. Now, he brought forth his full strength and broke her hold, throwing her off him and pouncing on her in the same moment.

"What can I say? I'd never tell a lie," he said with a spreading grin on his face. Alia squirmed briefly.

"Uh...can we call it a tie?" She asked sweetly, giving him her patented puppy dog eyes.

"No deal. Men win this round," he said triumphantly. She squirmed beneath him again, to no avail.

"Okay, okay...men win this round..." she said begrudgingly. He released her wrists and rolled off of her. She chuckled. "You have no idea how hard it was to say that." X smiled and laughed with her. Think happy thoughts. Don't think about Elysium. Don't think about Genoscythe. Think about Alia. Think about her lips next to your ear. Think about your skin touching hers. Don't think about the danger. Don't think about humanity. Don't think about the inevitable. Don't think.

End of Chapter 16

AN: Thanks for the reviews, here's your chapter, now I'm off to bed. I've gotta stop finishing these chapters so late...