~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chronicle Ten - a living corpse in the ice ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ South Shidou, was definitely one of the hardest places to live. A country that was completely covered over with ice and snow. The frozen waters and icy tundra that made up the mountain ranges and slates of frost had never been a place at which man could settle. Some modern scientists believed that this was the same for the world long before its 'reshaping'. There were people left who knew... just no one left who cared. But South Shidou was not entirely insignificant. With an overall land mass of nearly 2,000,000 miles that was made almost entirely of ice and water, it was a place of pure peace. Free from the world around it, South Shidou existed as the perfect place for experimentation, as long as those involved were willing to take the challenge of living on the coldest place on Earth. Perhaps this was the reason for the Ashurian Empire to construct such a small but grossly important research facility there. And perhaps that was why one of the most important archaeological digs ever was being conducted from that same facility. That building was known as the South Shidou Investigative Research Station (or SSIRS for short). It was a compact laboratory complex forged into the upper lip of the coastal lines of South Shidou. Automatically placing it as cautionary close to the mainland as possible. And this was to be the place where Operation Y-S would be accomplished. Just a mile south of the SSIRS, two short but hulking bipedal construction worker machines (their official names were Edifice Slaves; but they were more commonly known as 'Chuggers') marched a slow dirge downwards. Their flat metal feet stepped across the ice on a walk to a certain site on the country. And following shortly behind them was a land jeep, designed with tyres that could compensate for the lack of traction on the ice. Eventually the two Chuggers and the jeep found their destination. A very large hillock, standing at a height of over 56 metres, that was seemingly built up purely of ice. The Chuggers and the jeep stopped when the came to the hill. What was left of the last archaeological team to assess this place (all the schematics, diagrams, tables, chairs and tents) still surrounded the front half of the ice mound. Not much progress had been made up till now. That was the most logical reason for sending in the Chuggers to carry out the second portion of Operation Y-S. The two worker machines stomped up to the ice dome with their loud footsteps and then stopped a second time. The pilots manning the two Chuggers then extended the arms of their bipedal devices to their target. The twin hand-like proportions of the Chuggers opened. From their 'palms' came very highly concentrated beams of energy. The four red beams cut into certain specific sections of the hillock. Melting the ice in part with precise actions that carved a way inward for the hands of the Chuggers. They kept this up for quite a while, at least an hour, until finally they cut far enough into the ice to see another substance. A black substance that was definitely more than mere ice. Suddenly the man in the jeep yelled out 'that's enough'. The two pilots of the Chuggers heard that and turned off the energy beams of their machines The man in the jeep, an Asiatic man whose body was enswathed with heat-preserving overalls, leapt out and touched upon the ice with his own shoes. He then walked up to the incision made by the tall hillock they were dealing with. About half a metre into the ice was the hardened 'shell' of that which encased their target. The Asiatic man with the eternal frown on his face reached into that hole and then repeatedly knocked his knuckles into the section of that shell. "Unmistakable," He said, "that is definitely hardened Qi energy. Amazing. For well over 6000 years the Qi from the Divine Hibernation is still in tact. I'd wager that the extreme cold froze the Qi soon after it began... probably explaining the shape of the mound." One of the pilots opened the flat hatch to his Chugger and looked out at what he had freed up from the ice. "Hey, Professor Quan, are you sure about this? I mean it just looks like some kinda dark ice to me." The Professor, the man named Long Wu Quan, replied to that with a snort and stated. "That's because you are an uneducated worker. Nothing more than that. If you knew anything... you would know what this truly is. Katarium, in its purest and most solid form. And Katarium itself is a form of hardened Qi energy. Very few ruins from the old world still possess a Katarium structure such as this. But that is mostly because Qi was of such little importance to that culture. And this is only the shell that enfolds what we want Imagine what could be learned from its contents..." Then another voice, one willowy but greased with the attitude of rank, called out to Long Wu from behind with a chuckle. "Heh. You scientists are always so frickin' romantic about such meaningless trifle." Long Wu turned around in that instant. A young woman was suddenly standing behind him. Dressed fully in the white and blue military uniform of the Schutzenreich, with a small hand pistol attached to her waist. She looked no more than twenty years of age; her face framed by a long mass of blonde hair that simply inched its way down to the crests of her behind. This woman stood cross-armed, smirking, her beautiful face saturated by what appeared to be nothing more than a bloodthirsty soul. And though he had never met her before, Long Wu knew who this woman was, just from hearing her speak. The one known as Aratia de Toscana. "Miss Toscana," Long Wu said, "I believe?" Aratia uncrossed her arms with another smirk and marched up to the incision in the ice Standing beside Long Wu she looked at the sphere without the glow of wonder in the Professor's eyes. "So this is it, is it? This is the thing I was dragged out of Aryahm for?" Long Wu removed his hand from the opening. He stared at Aratia for a moment, not letting the fact that she had no protective clothing to warm her in such a cold environment That alone showed her inner strength to him. "...While this might not be the most glamorous of all your missions, Miss Toscana... the importance should not be lost to you. And might I ask? Just how on earth did you get here?" "Don't bother trying to figure it out," Aratia said, grinning, "I'm a member of the Shinjinkai. Or haven't you heard of me?" Long Wu frowned. "...Oh, I've heard of you, alright." "...Do I detect a little hostility? I suppose I shouldn't normally mistake a scientist for a pacifist these days. Or is that in itself the problem?" The Professor looked away, as if to stifle something within himself, and turned to look back at the sphere in his charge. "How you conduct yourself on the battlefield is of no concern to me. Wars are potentially fruitless things resulting only in the loss of life... but if that life lost is not my own, then I care not for the consequences. Peace or not... I couldn't care any less about the presence of the Schutzenreich. Thus your own actions in your own life mean nothing to me." "That's so cold," Aratia prodded with amusement, "do you really expect me to believe that?" "Should I care if you didn't?" Long Wu replied. Aratia smiled at him again. "I suppose not. Anyway. Enough of that I just want this thing over and done with so I can get back home. This place is the most boring heap of ice in existence." Long Wu shook his head. "I have no business telling you how to do your job, Miss Toscana. But I think that you should approach this with a better degree of caution. This is the most significant discovery we have made in the past fifty years. And the importance of what is inside it... well... you need only look to your own deployment here to see it for what it is." Aratia's smile fell. "...Normally someone of my rank wouldn't be stationed in such a remote dump. So explain to me what it is that's so important about a block of goddamned ice?" "This is more than just a block of ice," Long Wu affirmed, "you see this inner material within the hillock? That is a type of ancient crystallized Qi force that is referred to as Katarium." Aratia's face twisted into a scowl. "I know what Katarium is." For one slight moment, the briefest of smiles ran across the face of the normally cold hearted Long Wu's face. Aratia seemed to notice it, but by the time it was there, it was gone again. Shortly afterward, Long Wu continued. "...I apologize. Anyway. This Katarium formation is over 6000 years old. That means that it predates the Divine Cataclysm; the destruction caused upon the world by the Guardian of Meshezabel, Deathcatcher. The very same destruction that annihilated the old civilization. The Cradle of the Second Genesis. This sphere was formed shortly before that time. And inside this sphere is..." "...Is what?" Aratia questioned. "...Inside this sphere is a Meta Suit and a pilot. Two things that were... shall we say... the fruit of magnificence and providence. I had believed that the tales spun to me by my superiors in Kyurai were just that. Tales. But the condition and formation of this Katarium is living proof that that is not the case." When Long Wu observed that perplexed expression of Aratia's, he realized that he had gone quite a ways off topic. "...Basically, trapped within this sphere of ice and Katarium is an ancient Meta Suit and the one who piloted it in the pre-Cataclysm era. This is truly a significant discovery" Aratia looked to the hill of ice. "Hmph. Some outdated hunk of junk and a 6000 year old corpse? What the hell is so interesting about that?" "...Oh?" Long Wu removed his hand from the indentation, "You think of this as mere folly? I can't say that I share that opinion. Because very rarely does one see the tainted mirror for what it is. The properties of that power are... more than just increased levels of Qi... dark as it is..." Aratia pressed her hand into her hip, beaming another scowl at the Asiatic scientist. "What in blazes are you talking about?" "...I am saying... that the person who piloted the Meta Suit is probably still alive. ...Yes. The suit known as the Oriax... and the woman known as... 'Yumi Mishima'..." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ It was an odd world. The place known only as The Void. There was no footing. No place where one could rest the feet and be seated. Below the regulatory axis of horizon there was nothing but the visual image of a warm rosy red sky. Like the setting of the sun in the Far East of the world. Above that point was the blackness of a grim sky. Like a group of rain clouds circling over the vastness of a set of hills to the north. Wedged between those two worlds, those representations of goodness and darkness, evil and hope, faith and execution, was the floating body of Yumi Mishima. Still as she ever was. Her shoulder-length hair flocked around her neck. Her sparkling blue eyes ever shut. Her limbs loose and free, her body drifting but at the same time unmoving. An eternal state for someone who readily smiled upon by the fates. No matter how cruel those fates might be. That was the woman known as Yumi Mishima. A youthfully masculine voice called to her. "...Yumi... it is time..." Slowly her eyes began to open again. The eyelids fluttered bit by bit until she could see what this was. Where she was. Or where she thought she was. Yumi looked straight ahead of her. Floating in the void ahead was another person. He was a young man Looking the same age as Yumi did. Eighteen and no more. His body was completely naked, just as Yumi's was. But what struck her about him was that long, flowing mane of golden hair coming down from his scalp and dancing around his ankles. This boy possessed such a gentle smile and expression. But his body spoke of true authority, a force that transcended time itself. That Qi force, that haughty aura; smouldered potently around the boy's angelic torso with an instantly recognizable clarity. Yumi was almost mesmerized by it. "...Who are you...?" "I have no name," The golden-haired boy said, "a name exists as more than a simple mark of distinction to someone of my kind. A name should be a representation of the feelings and emotions that a person undergoes when they address that entity." Yumi blinked slowly. "I don't understand." "Yes, you do. For example. The name itself might not mean much but when one utters the word 'God' the sentiments and beliefs that the word conjures within ourselves defines the perceptions we have of the one we refer to as 'God'. Don't you agree?" She didn't know if she did or she didn't. But that was because she didn't see how it mattered at this point. And so Yumi remained silent. No matter what she said, she got the accurate feeling that it would be incorrect in someway. The entity in the image of a boy smiled once more at her. "My truest name shall remain unspoken until the day I am able to see you with biological eyes. Very soon I will have the ability to incarnate myself upon the world. My time has not yet arrived. But yours has. Soon you will leave The Void. Soon you will leave the world which you and I share as one. The world in which only you and I can exist And I truly regret this. Because if there is a single positive aspect to my imprisonment... it is that I was allow to share my prison with you, Yumi. My dearest friend." Again Yumi was confused. By the way this boy was talking, it seemed as if they knew each other for years. But she had no memory of him or of this place. None what so ever The golden-haired boy lowered his smile when he seemed to sense what Yumi was feeling, and cleared up her confusions by stating; "It is okay You do not have memories of... our life here. I could never let you suffer like that forever. With the powers I have managed to gather up within myself since my imprisonment... I have sealed away all memories of your time here. When you awake... it will seem as if only a day has passed since... that time. And you will have to see the world for what it is with your own two eyes. Be brave, my dearest Yumi. Be brave" Just as Yumi was about to say something to him, something she felt she needed to say, the world which he called 'The Void' started slipping away from her. Yumi opened her mouth to yell to the boy but nothing in the way of sound came out from it. All she could do was mouth a certain word... And that word was 'Seraphiel'. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Gah!" Yumi awoke with a start, her upper body leaping up from the pillow of the bed she was on. The girl gasped for breath, rasping as if someone had been holding her head underwater Yumi pressed her hand onto her chest and caught her breath slowly, managing to get herself under control again. And once she did, she let her eyes adjust to the location she was in. It was a small and quite boxy room. It was padded and undecorated In the far corner was a small toilet and sink. And across from her own bed was another bed with another girl sitting on it. A girl that looked to be around the same age as Yumi was, maybe a little younger. The first thing she noticed was how pretty she was. With definitively Western looks, she gazed back at Yumi with a shy little expression, her pale green hair flowing around her shoulders in slightly unkempt strand. This green-haired girl happened to be dressed in a bland white smock. The kind of smock you'd expect to see on a patient of a hospital. The girl pressed her hands into her lap and stared with concern at the newly awakened Yumi "...Are you okay? You've been sleeping since they brought you here?" Yumi held a hand to her skull, as if to shake off a headache. "...Hold on a minute. Let me just get my thoughts... together. First... who are you...?" "Me? I am... Lune. Lune White." "...Lune?" Kind of an odd name, Yumi thought, "...fair enough. So now where are we? Is this some kind of... Protocol base?" Lune blinked "...Protocol...?" "Yeah," Yumi answered, "have we been captured or something?" "I... don't know what you mean..." The girl replied. Yumi shook her head again. This girl really didn't seem to understand the situation that either of them were in. So the Japanese woman looked around the room a little more closely. She was sure that she had no memory of coming here. The last thing Yumi remembered was battling against Freeman Ronove in Antarctica She had been losing the fight, with the Oriax begin damaged severely enough to prevent it from fighting any further than that. Then a memory cube stored in the databanks of the Oriax came on screen. One that beamed the image of a certain man named Geist Fahlem; one who seemed to know of Yumi in the past. He had told her to type in a password that would unlock the Oriax's 'true form', which she did. And that was the last thing Yumi remembered. The next thing she knew she was in here with Lune. What had happened? How did she get here, of all places? What happened to the Oriax? And most importantly of all, how did the Chrysalis fare in the fight against Holy Protocol? Did they stop the Divine Blade from making it to the AM-Cannon? Yumi had so many questions buzzing all around in her mind. None of which she had the answers to. And she never would as long as she was stuck inside this padded prison cell. Yumi looked over at Lune. She was the only hope of Yumi understanding what was going on here, no matter how confused she might have been. But it was then that Yumi noted the collar that was around Lune's neck. A collar made of a gold-like metal that had a little light which flashed every three seconds or so. But it look less a decoration and more a... tagging. "What's that around your neck?" Yumi said, pointing at it. Lune blinked when she realized that Yumi was addressing her once more. She then tilted her head down and stared at the metal collar around her neck as best as she could. "...I'm not really sure what this is. They made me wear it years ago. One of them said it was to hold back my powers." "...I see." Yumi started to understand a little This collar that Lune was wearing was probably some form of Qi control. She remembered that when she was captured by Protocol, she had been chained to a wall with chains that were forged with an ore that blocked out her powers of Qi. This was most likely the same thing. Then Yumi noticed the additional weight that she felt around her shoulders. She pressed her fingers against it. She had on one of those things too Now she knew for sure that she was a prisoner to someone. Most likely Protocol Lune lifted a bashful smile at Yumi. "What's your name?" "Huh?" "What's your name?" She repeated Yumi shook off her reverie. "Oh. Sorry. My name's Yumi Mishima." Lune kicked her legs off the bedside, childishly. "...It's nice to meet you, Yumi. You're the first girl I've ever met here... apart from myself." "...How long have you been... inside this place...?" "Hmm..." Lune took a moment to think, "...I guess about... thirteen years? That sounds right. I'm about to turn eighteen in a month's time. But I've been here since I was five. That's what the doctors told me." Yumi was literally stunned by that. "...You've been locked up in this cell for thirteen years?!" "Uh huh," Said the green-haired girl, "...it's not so bad anymore. They don't treat me bad like they did the others... and they hardly do any tests on me these days... I've gotten used to it." The hacker sighed. How could a girl be trapped inside a research prison like this for thirteen years? Didn't Celaph free all the people that Protocol had abused for their research? What was happening here? Yumi shook off her confusions once again with a jerk of her head and gazed over at Lune once more. "...I can't believe Protocol's still doing this to people. I know that they did it with me... but that was different. I am the Eros... that was something they would have done without fail, ethics or not. But wait a minute. Lune, which denomination of them locked you up in here? Was it New Protocol or the Holy Empire of Protocol?" Lune stared at Yumi with perplexity again. "...What's this 'Protocol' thing you keep talking about?" "You know, Protocol?" Yumi prodded, "...The global government that controls almost everything in the world?" "Are you talking about the Ashurian Empire?" Now it was Yumi's turn. "Huh? Ashurian Empire...? What's that?" Lune ran a hand through her green-coloured bangs. "Well I'm not really good at... explaining the way... that the world works. I only know what the scientists tell me from time to time. They say that the Ashurian Empire is the largest empire in the world. In the space city of Meshezabel they rule everything. But they didn't really show up until the city of Aryahm was built on the world itself, 60 years ago. Led by their ruler, their Queen, they waged war on all the nations of the Earth that wouldn't bow down to them. Then... after the Xu-Canaan War... they settled down in Northern Horan. That's what the Ashurian Empire is... from what I learned. There is more to them, I know, but... I don't know anymore than that." Yumi's eyes widened. None of this was making any sense. A war 60 years ago? The Ashurian Empire? Yumi couldn't get around any of it. But Lune didn't look like a liar or a crazy person. There had to be some degree of truth to what she was saying in her own away. Maybe it was just some fabrications that her captors span on the girl to make it seem as if she was living in some kind of fantasy world. Yumi remembered that during her time of captivity, her father Dr. Katsuragi Mishima, and his assistant, Dr. Shugo Yamamoto; had tried their hardest to keep Yumi from learning about the outside world. Maybe this was a similar sort of thing. A caring, motherly look was reflected in Lune's eyes. "...I'm sorry I don't know more to help you, Yumi. But you still look a bit tired. Maybe you should eat something?" At that point, Yumi noticed that there was a small chest of drawers by her bedside. And on that wooden piece of furniture was a tray full of food. It contained a small packet of crackers, eight thin slices of what seemed to be ham, a block of cheese, an apple and carton of water. It had been seal wrapped and looked more like a packed lunch than a meal, but that was probably what the people holding Yumi prisoner had left for her. Yumi jerked her head away from the tray. "...I'm not hungry..." "But you really should eat," Lune suggested seriously, "you need to keep your strength up for-" "I said I'm not hungry!" Shouted Yumi. Not so surprisingly, Lune silenced herself. Lowering her head with a sad look of dejection Yumi instantly regretted her tone when she saw that. And made an effort to put it right. "...Look, I'm sorry, Lune I don't mean to yell at you. I'm just a bit confused about things." "...It's okay..." Lune said timidly, "...I don't mind..." Yumi sighed again, leaning back. "Damn. It's all just so weird. How did I get captured by Protocol? And what about Terry and Sophia and the others on the Leviathan? What about Freeman? Did he defeat me and bring me here...? What is going on...?" At that point, the sound of footsteps rustling from the outside of the cell door was heard Both Yumi and Lune looked to the door and watched it open as someone unlocked it from the outside. Three heavily suited guards, dressed in black riot gear, marched into the cell. All of them were armed with hand-held laser cannons; dangling off a strap across their backs. All three of those guards directed their attentions to Yumi. "Get up," Guard #3 barked, "we have a use for you now." Yumi stood up from the bed in suspicion. "...What's going on here? Are you guys working for Protocol?" Guard #1 placed his hand to the handle bar of his gun. "If you don't choose to cooperate, we'll have to use force. Now do you want that? Or are you going to be sensible enough to submit?" Her hands were tied in any case. Yumi was no real hand-to-hand fighter, despite her abundance of Qi and prowess in Meta Suits. And these three were all armed. If she tried to resist them now, she'd be killed for sure. Yumi sighed and nodded her head to assure them that she would behave herself while in their care Guard #1 nodded back and removed his hand from his gun. Guard #2 extended his hand out the door for Yumi to join them. After exchanging a few lingering glances with Lune, Yumi exited her cell with three guards around her. They locked the door to keep Lune inside; and then led Yumi through the place. When Yumi was walking she got a good look at the halls of her environment. It was clear that she was in some sort research facility rather than a prison. Everywhere she turned she was surrounded by white walls that led into private laboratories for experimentation and testing. Eventually she was marched up to a lift at the end of the cell corridor She and the guards entered and were taken up a floor to a higher level. When the lift doors opened and she walked into the new floor, there were windows. Yumi walked by them and looked outside to see what was happening there. She saw snow and tundra Now she knew at least one thing. She hadn't gone too far from the place at which she had battled Freeman. This was probably Antarctica. Judging by the inner shape of the building, it was highly unlikely to be Ix Nos Babel. With that one piece of information in mind Yumi walked down the hall with the guards around her. They headed to a room at the far end of that second corridor. One of the guards fished a key card out of his pocket when he came to the door, and he swiped it through the nearby control panel. The automatic door opened thereafter All four strode into the room. But the slow padding of Yumi's bare feet came to a stop when she looked around it. The room was huge. A hexagon-shaped metal hall that was about the size of her old apartment building in width. In the centre of the room was a small monochrome metal chair with a few dials and gauges on it. This had to be some sort of testing room. Guard #2 pointed at the chair. "Sit down." The girl did as she was told and walked over to it. Yumi sat down on the metallic chair and placed her arms on the arm rests. There were metal clamps around those armrests Yumi gasped when the four of them swung around and clutched onto her wrists tightly Though she struggled to get free, there was no escaping this predicament. Then when she was gave up from the hopelessness of it; a voice called out to her from a set of speakers that surrounded the room. A man with a slightly warped Cantonese accent spoke out, his now voice amplified by the loud speakers. "You are Yumi Mishima, correct?" "Who are you?!" Yumi yelled, "Where am I?!" "Relax. We don't plan on harming you. We are simply conducting a few tests on you for the time being. Tomorrow morning you will be shipped out of the South Shidou Investigative Research Station and transported to Aryahm for processing. But until that time... I have a few things I'd like to learn about your kind." "My kind?!" Yumi shouted. The man (obviously Chinese in origin) replied. "That's right. You are a former Eros. To this very day, no Eros beside you has ever gone beyond her own generation. Your existence alone is a puzzle. The tests I am about to run will do nothing to clarify the reasons for your existence. But I am most curious... about what secrets your DNA might yield up." Whoever this guy was, he was aware of the Eros/Thanatos Cycle. That put the idea of these people being connected to Protocol in an unblocked cell inside her mind. She was sure that these guys were Protocolians, or at least a certain rogue division of it. "Didn't you get enough of this the last time?!" She cried out. The man took a brief pause, then said; "...You seem to be confused But that is quite understandable. From what I've seen... you were buried very deep in that Qi sphere of yours. Divine Hibernation is a phenomenon that shall never cease to amaze me." Yumi blinked Divine Hibernation? She remembered talking with Freeman about that. It was a periodic sealing in which Ashtars; those tainted with the Seed of the Astaroth by descent; could achieve symbiosis with the very Heart of the Astaroth. She experienced it before in Ix Nos Babel. And she saw it happen to Rain with her own eyes. But if she had undergone a second Divine Hibernation, just how long had she been inside her Qi orb? While Yumi settled on the chair and pondered on those thoughts, the man from the speakers was observing her from the one-way window of a completely separate room. It was Long Wu Quan. He stood before the long panel of the facility's super computer, Tigris; watching Yumi's life readings being calculated and displayed on a video screen. "Amazing," He said, his face glowing with the light of the screen, "this girl has incredible life readings. Her fundamental Qi Level is at 6,500; even though she is not piloting a Meta Suit. Her Bio-Rhythm is at a 78-2 ratio. Even her brainwaves and Psycho Borders are completely in sync with one another. Never before have I seen someone with such high readings. Not even the current one..." A separate voice answered that one. "...That is because she is extremely important to this world. Yumi Mishima is an inexplicable anomaly... but I think we will all soon know that she persists for a reason." Long Wu looked back over his shoulder. "I was wondering when you were going to show your face. This one interests you even more than Lune does, am I right?" The figure in the shadows of that room stepped out to reveal himself. A man dressed in a black-coloured Asiatic uniform, covered with gold Aztec-like patterns. Around his waist was a strap that held an ornamental katana to his body. This man, with his firm Japanese looks, possessed a wisdom in his eyes that went beyond time. As if he had been living a far longer life than anyone else could understand. This man was Doctor Geist Fahlem. Fahlem walked up to the one-way window and looked at Yumi through it. She looked as young and lovely as she always did. "...I cannot believe that after all this time she hasn't changed a bit. I knew that the Periodic Phase Sealing Phenomenon was a brilliant preserver of life but never did I expect something like this. She hasn't aged a day. It was even more effective than I had hoped. Not even cryogenic suspension could bring about this effect." "What of her Qi?" Long Wu asked. Fahlem crossed his arms. "If the readings you are taking are correct then... it's even higher than it was back then. But that is understandable. After all... she did awaken the Oriax's true form. And to be linked with it for so long... will have lingering after effects. I just hope that those after effects are all positive." "Extended time in a Meta Suit can be dangerous," Long Wu commented, "but the case is different with her. She was inside the Divine Hibernation when synchronized to her suit. Everything should be okay in that respect." "We can't take risks with Yumi," Fahlem said, "you don't know her in the same way that I do, old friend. The strength of Oriax is not just determined by Seraphiel or the Soul Gear Engine. Yumi's aura is the driving force behind its strength. I just do not think that K”hler sees it that way." Long Wu sneered. "Ugh. That man. He has to be the Schutzenreich's most irritating leader ever. Ever since his grandson vanished he has become an even more stagnant man than before. I can't see the people of Jaankang following the coattails of such a man." "Gustav K”hler is an oddity," Said Geist, "but he's a tactical genius. A fact that has not escaped the Ashurian Empire's notice; hence his position But he is not the ultimate concern I have when it comes to the Oriax." "Then what is?" Fahlem uncurled his arms. "...I think you already know." "...You mean..." Professor Quan's eyes narrowed, "...'her'...?" "That's right." "But I thought that she was returning to Meshezabel so as to investigate that malfunction in the Ragnarok System. What does she have to do with something like this?" Geist pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I haven't a clue. But I know for a fact that she was the one to finally request the excavation of the Oriax. It is the reason for that order that I am after I am actually starting to think that the rumours about her are true." Long Wu blinked. "...Is that why you have come for the Mishima girl?" "...Well, that's one of the reasons. Right now the most significant is that she is the adoptive daughter to an old friend of mine. It is my duty to protect her. Doing so is one of my chief concerns. And perhaps... doing so might help me along the road to atonement for my sins." "I understand," Said Long Wu, "and everything is prepared. I hid the explosives by wiring a few holographic cubes to Tigris' main system. I do not think they will hold out long... especially not when the chargers run out... but it should give you enough time to use them before the Ragnarok System detects an irregularity. If you plan on helping both of them escape then there is no better time than now. Just so long as that Aratia woman doesn't interfere" Fahlem sighed. "I'm sorry you have to take such risks, Long Wu." "You needn't be," He said in reply. Long Wu went into his pocket and pulled out a small remote control with a single button on it. He tossed the control to Fahlem, and he grabbed the device Long Wu finally pulled a genuine smile and said, "I have responsibilities of my own. And up till now I have managed to cover my tracks. Just make sure you do this before midnight. Any later than that and the boat will leave" Geist nodded to his friend. "Thank you." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Snow was coming down quickly from the cloudy sky. The hard wind that suddenly appeared was blowing in from east. Scattering the snow over the South Shidou Investigative Research Station. Including, obviously, its roof. A thin build up of snow had already taken shape on the roof of the building. But that didn't stop Aratia going up there. Not today, anyway. From here she could get a good view of a certain something on the horizon not half a mile south. It was a view of the Meta Suit they had excavated from the ice hillock to the south earlier that morning. The Meta Suit that Professor Long Wu Quan had called the Oriax. Aratia stood silently on the edge of the SSIRS roof. A Meta Suit-size pickup vehicle was currently driving up from the excavation site with the Oriax in its wake. The titanic piece of ancient machinery had been strapped and tied down to the carrier by chains and harnesses specifically designed to keep Meta Suits in place. All of the materials were made from those of the mainland, Horan; which by no coincidence happened to be the place to which the Oriax was headed. Shipping Meta Suits across the sea was easy when someone was piloting them. But of course, they had been given strict orders not to touch the innards of that thing until it reached Aryahm. So Aratia's hands were tied. It meant that they would have to get the suit to the mainland via ship. A waste of time and money in her opinion; but she didn't have any say in it, no matter what her rank. The blonde woman sighed while the snowy wind blow her locks of blonde to and fro. While she looked over the landscape and the incoming carrier of the Oriax, the door to the compartment room leading back downstairs shifted open. A young male soldier, dressed in the same white and blue Schutzenreich uniform as Aratia (albeit with a more masculine cut) walked out of the doorway and came up to his superior. "Greetings, Lieutenant!" He said cheerfully. Aratia pressed her hand into her hip. "What is it?" "Sorry to bother you, ma'am. But I was told to find you and tell you that the Oriax is on its way from the dig-site. That means that after these science boys analyse the thing, we'll be shipping out with both women." The blonde Lieutenant turned around. "...You mean that girl we found inside the cockpit of that 'Oriax' fucker is coming as well? Why wasn't I told about this?!" "W-we just got word," The youth admitted, shivering from the cold, "from Command Central. The Oriax's to be shipped to the St. Mary's Base in West Horan, ma'am, instead of Aryahm. Of course that Lune White girl is still coming with us all the way to Aryahm, so it means a heavier work load." "...Shit..." Aratia whispered, "...and I was hoping to flex my Hanuman's muscle on my way back. The Grand Meta Suit Tournament is taking place soon. If I have to do this... I'm gonna miss it for sure..." "Well, Commander K”hler was pretty adamant about it..." "That old bastard," Aratia said with a chuckle, "I guess he must mean business though. There's no other reason for someone as beautiful and powerful as me to be sent to a shithole like this place." The young soldier smiled bashfully at his superior, then noticed that Aratia was standing quite firmly in this cold. While he on the other hand, was shivering like no one's business. The boy breathed out a puff of cold air and stared at the unfazed Aratia, saying, "Aren't you cold, Lieutenant?" Aratia shook her head. "...I don't get cold." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Yumi couldn't sleep. Night had fallen on the South Shidou Investigative Research Station. And by this time the setting around the place had changed. Night made the station seem less threatening For some reason this made Yumi feel a little calmer. But she still couldn't sleep. It had been about 14 hours since she had been sent to that large hall for her life signs to be read by that anonymous scientist. Once the tests were over, Yumi was shunted back into her cell. She had been told that tomorrow morning she would be transported with Lune and the Oriax to a new location. And that if she wanted to 'enjoy' the rest of her life then she would cooperate with whatever was asked of her. Yumi wasn't about to argue with anyone in this position. While the Oriax was out of her possession and this Qi-blocking collar was around her neck, there was nothing that Yumi could do to stop them. However right now; she knew that her life was safe. No matter what happened here or anywhere else, it was clear that they wanted Yumi alive if anything. Killing her was an option but was obviously one that these people would rather avoid. So if she stayed sharp, she'd be fine. No, Yumi's chief concern was for her circumstances. She was being held by people she didn't know. She was in locations unknown (perhaps the only thing she did know was that she was being held somewhere in Antarctica) and the Oriax was theirs now. These were the things that mattered in Yumi's mindset at present. Getting out of it was something she could worry about later. Her immediate, major concern right now was for an understanding of the situation. Which was something that would seem to be impossible to attain right now. Lune was pretty much clueless about her circumstances and completely passive in regards to them; and the tight-nosed guards weren't the 'talkative' type. There seemed to be no hope for knowledge of her true predicament Yumi rolled over on the bed and stared up at the ceiling with her wide open blue eyes. Right now she couldn't help but wonder what her friends were doing Especially Terry. The way she had left things with him were pretty inconclusive; if you took it from his perspective. That brought Yumi to think about his feelings for her. And in turn brought Yumi think of her feelings for Chizu. The New Protocolian Lieutenant was still very much a permanent fixture of Yumi's mind. Even after what she had done. Even after knowing that Chizu was to be married to Celaph. Yumi still found herself thinking of her. When Yumi first realized her feelings for Chizu (at that time she still regarded the girl as 'Chizuru') she didn't think of it as love. Just attraction. But maybe it was really more than that. The fact that Yumi still found herself thinking of Chizu after all this time... made her believe that. But while Yumi distracted herself from her problems by thinking of Chizu, things were going on outside. Suddenly there was a loud explosion. One that obviously took place on a higher floor, but was loud enough to be heard from even that distance. So loud in fact that it awoke Lune (a surprisingly heavy sleeper) with a start. The gentle girl popped up from her pillow in surprise, grasping onto the bed-sheets. "W-what!?" She stammered, "W-what's going on?" Yumi held a finger to her lips. "Shush!" Lune quietened down so that Yumi could hear what was going on outside. A group of guards, the majority of the ones watching their cell, shouted to each other about the explosion Yumi couldn't make out what was said between the lot of them, but when she heard the sound of stomping boots growing thinner and thinner; she knew that some of them had left to go investigate what had happened. Which left (by Yumi's judgements) about two or three guards left to watch over their door. Then both Yumi and Lune heard more coming from outside. It was the sound of a man's battle cries, accompanied by three strokes of a blade. There were three gargling death gasps afterwards. Then those groans were joined by the sound of that same sword slicing through plastic. The automatic door to Yumi and Lune's cell shifted open. And standing in the middle of the doorway with a blood-soaked sword and three corpses by his feet, was Dr. Geist Fahlem. Yumi and Lune both stared at him, though Yumi was the one to feel the familiarity. "...Wait a minute... I know you... you're the guy who..." "There's no time for that now!" Fahlem yelled, "We've only a few minutes to escape the facility before we are caught! It is time to leave!"
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