Well. The delay...got away from me just a bit here, it seems. I really didn't mean for it to be nearly three months between updates; I've simply been working on some other projects of mine in the meantime, as well as working in general.
Begin!
Book I, Part IV: Mortal Conflict - Dissension in the Ranks
Chapter XII—Broken Bonds
[Ethereal Plane, Palace of Creation, Living Quarters]
The swirling, shifting colors dancing in front of my eyes as I come back to consciousness serve only to rudely antagonize the headache that I'm already nursing, rather than to reassure me that I'm out of my mental landscape and back in the world of reality. Around me are unfamiliar surroundings – white walls, a simple bed that I'm currently occupying, and two figures…
"…Angel?"
"Take it easy," he says, turning away from the other occupant of the room to look at me. I can see the muscles in his body tense at my words, along with a careful look in my direction from the female sitting across from him. My brain, muddled as it is, takes a few seconds to make the connection between their tense and cautious natures and my awakening.
'He thinks I'm…him…Manes.'
"Angel, it's me," I say again, though I don't make a movement to do anything. At the moment, I don't know if he truly believes me, and for that matter, I don't know if I truly believe me either.
"I know."
I feel myself give the tiniest of nods, still in a bit of a daze, before I turn to the other occupant of the room. The sight of her bluish-white hair looks…familiar, almost, and I could swear I've seen her before at some point, but I can't remember her name…
Then it hits me – I have seen her before, back on Gaia. I still don't remember her name, but it's at least something.
"I remember you," I say, now fully recognizing where I know her from. "You were with Katanas that day that Fayt showed up."
"That is correct," she replies. "My name is Kisara, an Ethereal Mage under Lord Xeios. Lady Freya assigned me to assist Sir Bayloh in watching over you, given the circumstances."
The unspoken message in her words is clear, but I don't comment on it. "How long have I been out?" I ask instead, trying to get some idea of what time it may be despite the plane's apparent lack of need for such a thing.
"It's been a few hours," Angel remarks, taking a quick look at his GLD. "How do you feel?"
"…Strange," I reply, after a moment of contemplation. It feels like something inside of me is just subtly wrong, like the unnerving feeling that you get around something that makes you anxious or scared. "What happened to Shiva?" I ask, also realizing that I can no longer feel the presence of my Guardian Force.
"Removed, as a precaution. I thought it might get a little crowded in your mind with all those voices," Angel says with a smirk. He's obviously trying to make me feel better, but it's not having much of an effect so far.
'Simple-minded mortal.'
The voice suddenly echoing in my mind gives me pause, and I can see Angel and Kisara pause briefly at the look that crosses my face.
'You're just like him now, you know,' Manes says casually. 'Pretty soon, I bet you'll be dead, and I'll have all the time in the world to use this body to my liking.'
'How does having you locked in my mind make me like Angel, bastard?' I ask, earning a rumbling chuckle from the demon.
'You truly don't know anything, it seems. Ask the Vayash Moru if you want to know…provided you can stomach the truth.'
"I believe Lady Freya wishes to speak with you, now that you have awoken," Kisara states, cutting me off before I can even open my mouth to speak – apparently, she noticed my lapse in attention. "She was rather concerned, I must say, upon realizing the extent of your situation."
It almost pains me to hear her even say the words – the last thing I want to do right now is face anyone, let alone Freya. I'd much rather just go hide myself away for as long as I can until I figure out how to deal with this, how to fix this…but the logical part of my mind is telling me that if anyone could find some way to help, it would be Freya.
'Or Destine,' my mind whispers, bringing a fresh flash of anger along with the words. At this point, I'd rather die than ask Destine for anything; she'd probably just take the opportunity to do something even more horrific.
"Fine, then," I say, standing up from the bed. I'm relieved to see that I don't feel any kind of pain or see any kind of injuries, just a faint sense of fatigue; I had almost expected the wounds from my mental battle to translate physically.
"Sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine," I reply curtly, maybe a bit more sharply than I really mean to. The anger I'm feeling right now seems so…strange, unsuppressed and brought on so quickly. Not entirely unwarranted, but it's not something I need to be focusing on right now – I should be focusing on how to get myself back to normal.
'Are you influencing my feelings?' I ask suddenly, frowning mentally. Manes merely scoffs, sounding equally irritated.
'I am not 'influencing' anything – you're merely feeling the barest instincts and emotions that we Arrancar hold within ourselves. I assure you that the influences from your pitiful mortal feelings of sympathy and kindness are far more of an irritation than the emotions you are touching.'
"Let's go, then," I mutter, trying to keep myself calm and composed. "I'd rather not lie around in bed all day."
Freya's chamber, when we arrive, is occupied by a few more people than I had expected to see. Besides the present and familiar figures of Lord Odin and Lord Xeios, I can also see Will sitting at a table within the room, along with a young woman with long dark hair that I don't recognize, wearing a white sleeveless dress and sandals. Both appear to be in the midst of a conversation with Lady Freya, who is seated at the head of the table instead of atop her throne, and I can hear bits and pieces of the conversation even as the chamber doors open before us.
"…sure that it will be needed?" Will asks, the first part of his question spoken out of earshot. "Admittedly, we have few options, however…"
"I do not mind," the woman cut in, looking over at Will. "It isn't a problem, not anymore."
"Then we shall have your aid, if required?" Freya asks, to which the woman nods her assent. "I offer my thanks, Lady Inihara. I know how this may affect you, given the events that transpired with your division during the war."
"I've put that behind me now," the woman – Lady Inihara – states. "If you require me to do this, it shall be done."
Freya smiles, then turns to the three of us, standing from her chair and then stepping out from behind the table. "It is good to see all of you again," she says as each of us bow before her. Kisara is the first to rise, with Angel and I following a moment after.
"I have brought your Planeswalkers, as requested," Kisara says. "Sir Powell awoke sooner than I expected…though, Sir Bayloh did state that such would happen."
"It seems that he was correct in his judgment," Freya replies, turning her gaze to me. "It is good to see you awake and yourself again, Sir Powell."
"Thank you, Lady Freya," I reply, nodding politely, "though, I wouldn't say I'm really 'myself' just yet…I still feel weird with this Arrancar poking around in my mind."
The Creator inclined her head in acknowledgment. "You are in control for the moment, it would seem – I am thankful for that much. Now, we must see what we can do to keep things as they should be."
"Have you devised a way to counter Destine's magic, milady?" Angel asks. For a second, I almost get my hopes up that Freya has a way to reverse this before I notice the calm, yet regretful look on her face.
"There is a way, but the consequences are less than favorable. Ultimately, this is Sir Powell's choice to make."
"…What do you mean?" I ask, feeling my hopes sink even as I ask the question.
"The magic that Destine crafted was very thorough," she explains. "The spell that bound Manes to you bound him completely, tying his life force to your own. As such, reversing it is a dangerous prospect, and I fear that it is impossible for it to simply make things as they were before. Lord Xeios and I have consulted, and though it would be possible for us to remove the demon from your mind, the process holds the chance of leaving you as no longer a Hume, but a Vayash Moru instead. In the worst case…there is also the chance that you both may die."
Almost immediately, a cold feeling seems to settle into my chest as I feel my hopes splinter and shatter at Freya's words. There's no way to think outside the box, to come up with a way to beat the system and make everyone happy. I'm never going to be anything close to normal ever again, no matter what happens. I can feel Manes' own displeasure at the situation as well, though his is more of a seething rage than my own disappointment and sorrow.
"…Become a Vayash Moru," I say quietly, looking at Angel. "How could removing Manes turn me into a Vayash Moru?"
Angel sighs a deep sigh at my question, as if he'd been expected me to ask it ever since I woke up. "A Vayash Moru is created when one of two things happens – either a Daiesthai possesses a Hume and keeps control of the body for a long enough period of time to effectively kill off the host's physical body, or simply possesses and then leaves a mortal body after a time. In both cases, if enough time passes, the Daiesthai's essence overwhelms the host, tainting them and altering their body."
"…I'm never going to be normal again, am I?" I ask after a moment, voicing the thought that's taken root in my mind. Silence is the only thing that greets me, giving me my answer through the absence of one. I'd put so much hope in the idea that Freya would be able to help, that she could magically undo what had been done, but it seems that even planar leaders have their limitations.
A tiny part of my mind is telling me that if I'd just stayed in Spira, or even gone back home, that none of this would have ever happened. Maybe the thoughts are right, too…maybe I should've quit while I was ahead, headed back home and enjoyed being with what's left of my family.
"Just…I need some time to think about this. About everything," I murmur, slowly turning and heading towards the doors of the chamber. I hear movement from behind me, and then a voice seconds later.
"Let him go," Freya says calmly. "He will return when he is ready."
My thoughts are too busy with other things to worry about the actions of the ones behind me. Because of Manes…
'No, that's not right. Because of Destine,' I ponder, 'I've lost…just about everything. I can't go back to Garden after what I did. I can't face my friends. I couldn't even go back home now without putting people in danger. I've lost my home, my friends…even my humanity.'
The door shuts behind me as I keep walking, stepping into a Planeswalk without thinking to take me somewhere else, somewhere away from here. Just my luck that I finally find my reason for why I'm here and why I was chosen, but I had to sacrifice everything I am to do it.
[July 8, 2152 | Executive Outcomes, President's Office | 6:17 PM]
James Alnon sat at his desk, running through the data that had been discovered and decrypted from Vector's mainframe one final time as he awaited contact from the Headmaster of Trabia Garden in order to share his information. His mind raced as he looked over one particular fragment of data that had turned his expectations upside-down and made his stomach churn. Vector Industries was well-known for the myriad variety of projects they handled, but even as experimental projects went…this may have been taking things a bit too far.
Vector Industries
Date: 2150, September 16
Division: First Research and Development
Project Head: Aiva Furello
Security Level: Purple
*The information within this document is the express property of Vector Industries and is not to be altered, copied, or printed without express permission from the acting Project Head. Failure to comply with this directive will result in immediate termination of employment and legal action at the discretion of company management. If found outside of the First Research and Development Division, this information is to be either returned to the division or destroyed if return is not possible for security and privacy purposes.*
Project: KP-X 000000-1 Advanced Combat Gynoid, abbreviated name "KOS-MOS"
Subject: Physical Modifications of Subject Prior to Biomechanical Enhancement
The subject's physical abilities were, as expected, well above the normal recorded performance metrics for females in the age group of eighteen to twenty-four. This likely has everything to do with her background, the primary reason why she was chosen for this project. While the subject still has the project's mechanical augmentations to undergo before the project's final stages, some biological enhancement has already been undertaken to ensure that the subject is in peak health and physical readiness before the augmentations. Among those are modifications to enhance the strength of the subject's muscles and bones, treatments to help reduce the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles during physical activity, and treatments to enhance the subject's mental acuity in order to better deal with the increased sensory input and sharpness that the forthcoming mechanical augmentations will bestow.
The rest of the document, Alnon saw, dealt with the specifics of the biological modifications that had been done, little of which he actually understood – his background was in technological science, not biological science. He had several of the files printed out and on his desk along with the copy of the biological modifications document, and he had decided to scan over them while he waited for his communication with the Trabian Headmaster to be received. Next, and quite possibly the second-most disconcerting file in the list, was a file that detailed some of the weapon specifications that the gynoid in question – KOS-MOS – had been outfitted with. Any one of the weapons that Alnon had seen detailed were practical, yet very powerful; at least one would only work with an enhanced soldier such as KOS-MOS, or some of the cybernetically-enhanced soldiers within Esthar.
Vector Industries
Date: 2151, February 2
Division: First Research and Development
Project Head: Aiva Furello
Security Level: Purple
*The information within this document is the express property of Vector Industries and is not to be altered, copied, or printed without express permission from the acting Project Head. Failure to comply with this directive will result in immediate termination of employment and legal action at the discretion of company management. If found outside of the First Research and Development Division, this information is to be either returned to the division or destroyed if return is not possible for security and privacy purposes.*
Project: KP-X 000000-1 Advanced Combat Gynoid, abbreviated name "KOS-MOS"
Subject: Firearms and Armaments
KP-X possesses a wide range of armaments that allow for a high degree of efficiency and flexibility in battle situations. We designed the armaments with very little emphasis on portability, as none of the weapons were ever designed to be carried on-hand for great lengths of time – that problem was given a solution before we even began designing the weapons themselves. Primarily, KOS-MOS relies on a number of varied firearms of both projectile and energy variants. Among these are:
F-GSHOT – A chain gun composed of three rotating sets of three barrels each, arranged in a triangular formation. Currently, two have been constructed, and are capable of being wielded simultaneously if the situation requires.
R-BLADE – A straight blade made of adamantine that attaches to either of KOS-MOS' arms, allowing for melee combat if necessary. Currently the only melee weapon constructed.
R-CANNON – An energy-based beam cannon that is powered by KOS-MOS' internal power supply. Capable of both short bursts of fire or continuous fire; continuous fire can presently be sustained only for nine seconds before thermal buildup causes structural damage to the weapon.
At the moment, we are currently designing two additional energy weapons designed for more large-scale combat, in order to have a defense against vehicles such as tanks or gunships. Energy requirements have been a concern, but I feel as if we're making progress with bringing the requirements into reasonable levels. At present, I expect a working prototype of the first, project code "XB-SDEW-142," within the next two months.
Miyuki Itsumi
Division Head, Second Research and Development Division, Vector Industries
Energy weapons that would be wielded by a single human-sized combatant, yet capable of destroying tanks and aircraft? Alnon had felt a great deal of apprehension upon reading the file; it sounded almost similar to some of the capabilities that SeeD officials possessed with the use of Guardian Forces and paramagic. SeeD was currently a force capable of standing on par with any military in the known world, and Alnon wondered how it would change the world stage should Vector's design be added to one such military, or even SeeD itself.
And speaking of SeeD…
Alnon's gaze turned to the next file, and while that file was not the most upsetting of the files recovered, it had potential to be the most damning by far once the Garden Network became privy to its contents.
Garden Network – Galbadia Garden
Optical SeeD Interface and Real-time Instructional System
30th May, 2149
Intelligence Division – Psychological Profile
File #02-47286
Subject: Geneave, Lindsey Silmeria
Age: 18
Lindsey Geneave is a remarkable individual in many aspects – she is quite gifted academically, a skilled SeeD both on and off the field of combat, and has an easily-approachable and polite personality. Multiple instructors have already vouched for her collected, friendly demeanor both in and out of classes within Garden; indeed, at least one desired her to be their student aide, though the request was turned down by Headmaster Martine. Her peers seem to think highly of her, according to those same instructors, and she has attained a degree of notability among her classmates for always being prepared, punctual, and alert no matter the situation.
Lindsey's major in Intelligence studies here at Galbadia is well-suited to her personality – she is polite, yet still retains an air of forcefulness to her words, unwilling to let go of an opportunity unless she is sure that she has obtained any relevant information. The open and cheerful portion of her personality makes people feel at ease, thereby rendering them more willing to speak with her and making her job easier. She has been described as "elegant, practical, and well-meaning" or similar by many people, and has no trouble fitting into any environment from an embroidery club to a wrestling team.
In combat, Lindsey's personality seems to be the exact opposite of her casual persona, with the exception of her tenacity – instead of being directed at information gathering, however, it is directed at subduing her enemies, typically by disarmament and subsequent incapacitation with the appropriated ordinance. Her comrades have described her as "unnerving" and "downright terrifying" on multiple occasions; this is believed to stem both from her combat tactics mentioned above, as well as her preference for heavy firearms and anti-armor weaponry in battle. Lindsey herself stated that "in combat, subtlety is best thrown to the wind."
Currently, she is romantically involved with Lieutenant Darius Edward DeValle, Jr.; see personnel file #03-51606.
Juliett Evaline Jureau
Psychological Examiner, Galbadia Garden Intelligence Division
Alnon had initially wondered what an excerpt from a Galbadia Garden personnel file was doing in Vector's files, but as he had read on, he had quickly discovered the meaning for such a thing…and had equally quickly realized that he wished he'd never known. The girl, Lindsey Geneave, had been selected to be the biological basis for the KP-X project, experimented on and transformed into a living weapon of what were, quite frankly, terrifying proportions. He'd seen the data from simulations run on KOS-MOS' combat potential, and the results horrified him. The gynoid was capable of combating entire divisions at a time, and quite possibly succeeding not through tactics, but through sheer brute force.
The sound of an incoming call at his desk jostled Alnon from his reading, and he quickly re-organized the spread papers into a neat stack before he opened the video feed, meeting the gaze of Darius DeValle, Sr. once again.
"Good morning, Headmaster," Alnon said, being the first to exchange pleasantries. "I'm glad that you could speak with me so early in the morning."
"Normally, I wouldn't, but I thought I'd make an exception this time, given your hard work on this matter," Senior remarked, offering a nod as greeting. "You have something to share?"
"I do," Alnon replied, "and what I've found is information that you may have both professional and personal interest in."
That caught Senior's attention almost immediately – information retrieved from Vector's mainframe that he had a personal stake in?
"Go on."
"I'll be transmitting some data to you in a moment – the first piece is a file that I would like you to take a look at immediately, if you would. The second is a compilation of all the data that was retrieved from Vector, now decrypted and categorized."
A quick button press later, and the first of the files had made its way directly to Senior's terminal. Quietly, the Headmaster opened the file and began reading it, turning his attention away from Alnon as he perused the data. Alnon caught the frown on Senior's face immediately as he looked at the file, presumably noticing the header lines, and his frown only deepened in the moments that followed as his eyes read over the words contained within the file.
"You found this with Vector's data?" he asked, his calm tone contrasting with the expression on his face. Alnon nodded.
"I assure you, I was just as surprised as you are now."
"Surprised is not the word I would use."
Again, Alnon nodded. "To be brief, Headmaster, the girl whose psychological profile you are now reading over was used as the basis for the KP-X project – she was turned into a living weapon, most likely against her will." Alnon reached towards his terminal again, quickly sending another file to Senior before bringing it up on his own screen, this one a newspaper obituary entry. "I did a little research when I saw that name – Lindsey Geneave died two years ago, on March eighteenth, 2150."
"You're going somewhere with this, I assume?" Senior asked, his eyes narrowing.
"I am. A file that I have here, detailing physical modifications done to Lindsey's body, is dated September sixteenth, 2150. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this," Alnon stated.
Senior nodded, his mood souring even further. If the files were correct, if the data made sense and was accurate, then Lindsey Geneave hadn't died on that day…she'd been kidnapped by Vector Industries.
Worse, it was highly likely that someone of high rank within Galbadia Garden helped with that kidnapping. The Garden Network held itself to standards of security that were almost unparalleled; Vector's First Research and Development Division was one of the few who had informational security rivaling Garden. To find a Garden file on Vector's mainframe meant that someone had either stolen it, as his SeeD team had done to Vector, or that it had been given willingly. Either case was, as a whole, unacceptable.
Not to mention the fact that where there was one, there were likely more.
"Did you find any other Garden files in the data recovered from Vector?" Senior asked with a suddenly stern tone. Alnon shook his head; he'd expected more of an outburst when divulging that particular bit of information, truthfully.
"That was the only file recovered from the mainframe that had anything to do with Garden directly," Alnon assured the Headmaster. "I was rather shocked to see even the one, personally. If you prefer, I can make sure to scrub the aforementioned file from our data. I'd rather not have any hostilities from Garden, indirect or not."
Senior offered a curt nod, taking his fellow businessman up on his offer. "It would seem that Galbadia Garden has had a security breach, one that is possibly ongoing to this very day. You have my thanks for bringing this matter to my attention."
"Of course," Alnon replied. "SeeD is a force to change the world – it seems advantageous to make sure that the force remains strong."
A light tone sounded from Senior's terminal, signaling the completion of the data transfer and the secure placement of the files within the O.S.I.R.I.S. Network, Garden's main intranet. The O.S.I.R.I.S. Network, originally founded as an educational resource system at Balamb Garden, was expanded some years later to handle many other functions of the expanding Garden Network, including oversight of basic facility security systems and storage of personnel records, mission records, and other confidential information. It also acted as a sort of social network, allowing SeeD cadets and members from all three Gardens to connect with each other in a relaxed setting to chat, plan events, and generally keep in touch with other SeeD members around the world. Cid Kramer had been the one to suggest the idea initially, feeling that the stress of daily SeeD life needed something to balance it out; Balamb Garden's numerous functions, such as the Garden Festival, made it the most casual among Gardens largely due to Cid's direction.
"You've done good work, mister Alnon," Senior stated, nodding approvingly. He'd remember this yet, if need be – Senior, while calculating and ruthless most of the time in the business world, did not forget acts of good faith. Allies in business could be hard to come by, and the rewards from most endeavors made maintaining good relations with any and all potential allies something to strive for. "However, this has now become…a family matter, you might say."
"I understand," Alnon replied. "Feel free to contact me again should you need my services. I'll leave you to your work now, Headmaster – I'm sure you've much to do today."
The channel closed with a quiet tap of Senior's finger upon the keypad in front of him, and he leaned back in his chair, briefly contemplating just what the new data meant before casting the thoughts aside. He would have his personnel go over the files later, sorting out what demanded his immediate attention from what was just background data or research material. Right now, however, more pressing matters demanded his attention, matters of a much more personal sort. His finger brushed another series of keys, opening a channel to a single GLD, and he paused for several seconds before he received an answer from the other end of the line.
"Darius. My office, now. We need to have…a bit of a talk, you and I."
This is mostly a...filler chapter, of sorts; the first half deals with the events of last chapter, while the second half sets up for the next major arc to follow this one. I wrote most of the chapter in two separate days, once I actually found time to sit down and write uninterrupted. As always, please read and review.