Chapter 42- No Power, Just Chaos

The Cliffs were a ruthless, cave dwelling tribe of deleted ex-Technos formerly known as unit 5 and the following they had since acquired. They used to reside in the cliffs of Fleur Isle, but migrated to the next island when the Pirates arrived, claiming the resort bringing with them a slew of traffic. The Cliffs weren't a friendly tribe and too much traffic drew too much attention; attention that might attract slave traders or worse the Technos. After-all they were still in hiding and while they were ruthless, they avoided confrontation unless they could benefit from it.

"You come to us diseased and expect us to help you?" the leader of the Cliffs, a huge man, named Cope glared down at Lani.

"I kept you from becoming deleted permanently. Besides you have nothing to worry about, if you help me we both get the cure."

"A cure we would not need had you not come here."

"Perhaps, but it's only a matter of time before it spreads from Krait island, it's probably even spreading from Mega's lab slowly."

"We heard a clean-up was in the works for that."

"Ah so you aren't just a bunch of cowards hiding out in caves?" Skipper asked. He had only heard rumors of the infamous disappearing unit.

"Can it pretty boy!" Cope barked at him, turning back to Lani, "If we help you, what's in it for me?"

Lani smirked, "Honestly Cope, you have to ask? You've been neighbors with two of the men you hate most and you don't know?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, "That crippled son of a bitch is on Fleur Isle?"

"Only he's not so crippled anymore, and let us not forget his precious General. So you see I get an army and you get two heads on a platter."

Cope silently thought things over before he turned to two men who had originally apprehended her and Skipper. He signaled something to them and they disappeared. He turned back to her and Skipper, "My tribe and I will talk it over. You'll have an answer before the day's end. In that time, we ask that you wait on your boat with the other fellow of your party."

Lani knew he was asking her to leave because she was sick and they were afraid so she and Skipper left without protest. She had no doubt pulling the Ram and Jay card had already made up his mind he would acquire an army for her, but he would make her wait like she had him.

Once they were sure they were out of earshot of any men Cope may have had hiding to insure he and Lani made it back to Niko's boat, Skipper spoke, "What's their story?"

"Like the Mall Rats, unit 5 tried relentlessly to keep Ram on the path of 'good', and failed. So they started a resistance. You could say they were going to 'overthrow the throne' but someone tipped them off to Java, who informed Mega because Ram was being disposed of at the time. Mega ordered them all permanently deleted, but I took matters into my own hands."

"You set them all free?"

"Mega was going to kill me, I needed a diversion."

Skipper nodded knowingly, "That's how you got away?"

"Mega's precious Tai-San helped. It was perfect. We split up and with the exception of Tai-San unknowingly all ended up on Fleur Isle anyhow."

"You led them to believe Ram burned them?"

"No. Mega did. That was his charade for the whole City; befriend us, make Ram the bad guy; then betray us all."

"How long do you think they'll make us wait?" Every second Shadow was without the antidote was a second closer to her dying. Skipper was tired of the games.

"Um guys…who are the rogues?" Niko questioned, pointing behind the two of them as they approached his boat.

Lani smirked turning around, "Right on cue."

~0~

Tai-San stared at Josh. He looked the same, but his aura had changed; he was different. He approached her with no emotion, no recollection of their love in his demeanor. It was as if he didn't know her. It shouldn't have bothered her, but it did.

"This isn't the reunion either of you expected, we get it, but we need to get past our problems first so someone say something," Danni spat.

Tai-San took note of the bitterness in her tone. She had every right to feel that way, but it had been years. So much hatred shouldn't remain. Tai-San had only done what Danni would've done if she had been in her shoes. She had simply saved both their lives.

"I am worried about the procedure it's going to take to retrieve my memory," she looked into Josh's eyes once more.

He smirked, that familiar smirk, the one that both frightened and turned her on.

"Really?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Despite what people think I fear things as well."

His smirk faded, "Relax, it is simple hypnosis, which requires you to do what you've always done; meditate." She followed his eyes to where Lex now stood.

"Sounds harmless enough," he shrugged, taking Tai-San's side.

Josh looked at Lex with an undistinguishable expression. Both Danni and Tai-San tried to figure out his angle, but ultimately gave up. Josh was one giant, unachievable puzzle.

"You might not want to be here for this, unless you can handle some details of the night Tai-San acquired the formula."

Lex hesitated beside his wife then glared, "I can handle it."

Josh's smirk returned and Danni wasn't so sure she wanted to be there anymore, but she promised Josh she wouldn't leave him alone.

~0~

Rayne, who had grown close to Cloe, felt threatened by Patsy's presence after Cloe nearly forgot her name during introductions.

It was KC 's fawning over the girl's being alive that broke Cloe out of her trance.

"Back off KC!" Cloe snapped at him, "Let her tell us her story!"

"Yeah, what happened to you?" Ved asked.

"Well, after I was captured. I was taken to the mines. It was hard labor, but I didn't mind so much, at least I was alive. Then one day the Guardian came to my work camp. He hoarded us all to a facility. He was really off his rockers and kept spouting about true bringers of power and chaos and that we needed to be offered up as a sacrifice to please Zoot."

"We?"

"Yes, I was with the tribe leaders, except Danni. She was taken away."

"We thought he killed you all!" Cloe gasped.

"He was getting around to it. He doused us all in gasoline and gave orders for a guard to set the match once he was far away from the blast."

"Wow Khail talked about how ruthless Jaffa was, but I didn't know she was in love with an even bigger fruitcake than Tai-San."

Patsy looked at Rayne ludicrously, "Anyways…the guard got distracted by something and never came back. One of the leaders went to go investigate, and came back in the hands of lycra wearing weirdos who had wrist weapons and metal masks on."

"So we…I mean the Technos basically picked up where the Guardian left off?" Ved asked.

"Not exactly. One guy, the guy you saw with the flame for a hairdo, he saw how scared I was cowering in a corner, pleading for my life. He calmed me and promised me everything would be okay. Then he took me with his unit on a boat back to Techno Island where they came from. Dragon has treated me like his little sister every since."

"So you became one of them? Didn't you wonder about the Mall Rats?" KC questioned. He hadn't had such good luck with the Technos.

"I thought you guys gave up on me like we did Paul. And the Technos on Techno Island are far different than the Technos you've dealt with."

"She's right," Ved agreed, "We left Techno Island with good intentions."

"You never told me about Techno Island," Cloe looked at Ved suspiciously.

"You wouldn't have believed we weren't always kidnappers and killers, but I was going to tell you anyway. Until Mega took you…"

"What matters is we're all here, together, right now," KC wrapped an arm around Patsy.

She shrugged it off looking across the sand at a guy who was approaching. He was good-looking in a weird way.

"Who's that?"

Rayne heard the admiration in the girl's voice. She wasn't about to lose both her newfound best friend and boyfriend (whom she'd worked hard to get) to Patsy so she rose and sauntered to meet Darryl halfway, kissing him full on the lips. Then she led him away without heading back to the little group.

Ved and Cloe looked at one another knowingly, and then Cloe turned back to Patsy.

"Rayne is kinda intense. She's one of my best friends and may be a little jealous of you and well…"

"…don't even think about making eyes at Darryl," Ved finished.

~0~

"Niko's boat is gone!" Geo declared after returning to the café from the quayside.

"That's good news isn't it?" Sammy questioned. He was trying to seem more mature these days, hoping Gel would be impressed and finally give him the date he'd been pestering her for.

"Not by a long shot kid," Kai said, looking from Éowyn to Blaze.

"You think she knows someone out here? I mean she said she knew the Pirates…but anyone else?" Blaze questioned. He had always been naïve when it came to either Charis or Lani.

"It's Lani," Éowyn rolled her eyes; "She may've come here without a solid plan to get the formula from Tai-San, but she always formulates a plan b."

"Yeah bro, I mean she killed the mother of your child and we were all none the wiser until a few days ago. We need to be on guard."

Trudy sighed heavily, "It's the same thing over and over again, only this time no one is fighting for power. It's just pure chaos!"

Amber stood, "There's only one thing to do now."

Mikhail looked sadly around the café at the few that were still gathered, curious about the newcomers, "We prepare for a fight."

~0~

Tai-San breathed slowly and steadily, taking herself to that calm place. She cleared her mind of everything and listened only to Josh's voice taking her back. It was a strangely familiar feeling to hear only his voice with her in a state like this.

"…now remember the last night you saw me…" he was going on and on. His voice wasn't monotonous, but it was calm and flowing steadily. "…where are you now?"

"I'm in a suite, alone. It's dark except for a flickering flame from a candle. I can hear rain outside."

"What's in the room?"

"Not much. It's neat…everything in its precise place: a bed, a dresser, a desk. Except…there is something's out of place, on the desk."

"Look at it, what is it?"

Tai-San's pulse increased as the thrill of the scene flooded back into her memory, "I…it's a folder. I know I shouldn't look in it, but Josh never leaves anything out of place. I'm curious and when I read the cover alone I'm…appalled."

"Okay, pause, don't stop looking at the folder, what appalls you?"

"He promised…he promised he wouldn't abuse his power like this."

"Like what?"

"He can't do this to the city again…we've worked so hard to restore everything, I…I thought that work in the lab was for good. How was I so naïve? I should've seen this coming with the barcodes…I…he's got to be stopped."

Josh waivered in his script; this was just as painful a memory for her as it was for him. Remembering Mega , and who he was dredged up feelings of disgust and regret in him. Mega had no regard for anyone's life but his own. He didn't feel remorse; just anger and bitterness.

"What does the folder say?"

"Project Ultimate Sanction."

"Look inside. Focus on the piece of paper," he spoke again, trying to keep his voice even.

Lex and Danni looked at one another, anxiety ridden.

"It's familiar only some things have changed…Mega's coming…he's angry"

"Tai-San don't worry about Mega, you handled him remember? Look at the piece of paper, stay focused on the piece of paper. You said it looks familiar?"

"Yes, like something I've read before…"

Lex couldn't hold his tongue anymore, "She probably means like the formula she found for project Eagle Mountain."

"Shh," Danni punched him in the arm.

But it was too late, Tai-San was coming out of her trance."

"You idiot!" Josh snapped at him.

Lex didn't wince, he just dropped to Tai-San's side on the floor, "Are you all right?"

She looked up in his face, eyes wet from tears, "I…I remember it all. Everything."

She pushed Lex off and stood, walking over to Josh, "But…but how did you make me forget?"

"It was like what Java did to Ebony. When you fell asleep after you seduced me, I noticed the folder. I never left anything out of place and I myself was wondering how it got there. I didn't even know why you were in my room when I arrived. So I slipped a hypnotizing headset on you."

"You knew I had a photographic memory so you hypnotized me to send me away. But you also gave me back my memories of Lex, why?"

"Whether or not Ram had messed with my lab I had already discovered the AI system had a mind of its own. I had a team working on disabling it because I knew soon the container would began filling with the virus and everyone would be goners. I wanted you to have hope. I loved you, but you loved him.

"So who put the folder in your room?" Danni questioned.

"Viper," Josh and Tai-San answered in unison.

"She must've been snooping and I caught her off guard when I came to your room. She was coming down the hallway when I was heading up it."

"You also helped her and Unit 5 escape."

"Unit 5?" Lex wondered.

"A troop of Technos, The Mall Rats would've been lucky to have join their rebellion against me."

"The past aside, what kind of plants and junk do you need us to gather this time?" Danni asked.

"It's not that simple I'm afraid," Tai-San said, looking sadly at each face in the room, "As I said, some things have changed."