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FALLEN COLONY SHIP ORPHEUS: NAYA KESTREN’S LAB
“So, you want to know about Typhon? Very well. You came all the way here for answers, I might as well grant you that much.”
Akasha barely heard Naya Kestren’s words. She was consumed by her own thoughts, her head spinning from doubt and confusion. The revelation had nearly floored her: She and Shankar were clones of the woman standing before her, created for nothing more than a science experiment, part of something the doctor called “Project Typhon.”
She felt hollow. She felt cheated. Where was the past she’d been searching for? The family she’d been hoping for? It was all a lie. Worse, it had never existed. And after everything was said and done, where did that leave her? What did she have left?
She wanted to hate Kestren. Wanted to scream at her for being so cruel and selfish, for bringing her into the world with the cold indifference of an assembly line worker. Is that all Akasha was to her, just one more product to put on the shelf?
I’m nothing like you, she thought bitterly.
We may share the same face, but I’m no monster. How dare you use me like that?! How dare you! How dare you…
…create me…
She wanted to hate Kestren… but couldn’t. Despite everything, the woman had given her life. If not for her, Akasha never would have met Captain Colton and joined the ARKS. Never would’ve befriended Kira, or Azzy, or Ivan. Never would have fallen in love. All her experiences, both good and bad, were only possible because of the doctor’s experiments. As angry as she was, Akasha had to admit that much.
Of course, that didn’t mean she had to like it.
“Let’s start off with a science lesson, shall we?” Kestren paced back and forth in a leisurely manner as she addressed them. “Darkers: the enemy of all mankind. They corrupt and consume that which they seek to destroy. But, what
are Darkers? In some ways you can think of them like a virus or parasite, as they display traits of both. Those who are infected become Darkers themselves… those that survive the process, that is. One thing we’ve learned from studying the infection is the central role of the Darker core. You
are familiar with Darker cores, aren’t you? Every Darker has one. I believe the core is vital to understanding how the infection spreads—as well as controlling it. Moreover, the core may be the key to controlling the Darkers themselves.”
Ivan scratched the back of his head. “Controlling… the Darkers? Is that even possible?”
Standing beside him, Aki02 cocked her head slightly to one side. “I thought only a Dark Falz had the power to command Darkers. Unless… are you saying…?”
“Yes, that’s exactly it. Project Typhon was an attempt to replicate the powers of a Falz, at least in part, using a modified Darker core that I call the ‘Master Core.’ Rather than enslave its host, it allows them to turn the tables and become what its name implies: a master, capable of summoning and commanding nearby Darkers.” The doctor spread her arms wide. “Think about it. If the ARKS had a way to control the Darkers, we could turn them against themselves! We might actually have a chance of winning this war! A war that has gone on far too long and claimed too many lives. Isn’t that a goal worth pursuing? A cause worth fighting for?”
Kestren turned away, her tone suddenly somber. “There are drawbacks, of course. That kind of power comes at a price. Because the Master Core is still fundamentally a Darker core, it continually seeks to infect and consume the host body. There’s nothing I could do to overcome that hurdle. However, I stumbled upon a method of keeping the infection at bay using photon energy. By constantly drawing photon energy into their body, the host can stymie the Core’s corrupting power. They can control the Darkers without becoming one. That was the key, the key to making Project Typhon a reality.”
“That’s why you needed Newmans adept at photon manipulation,” mused Aki.
Kestren gave a slight nod. “My earliest test subjects didn’t have enough control. They couldn’t draw in energy fast enough. Eventually, the infection took them and they turned… All I could do was put them out of their misery. But now, after so long, my work is finally complete. All it needs is a field test. What do you say… Akasha?”
All eyes turned to the big Newearl, who in turn was glaring at the doctor. A fury was building in the pit of her stomach, a simmering rage she couldn’t push down any longer. Akasha stormed across the room and lifted Kestren off the ground by the collar of her tunic. “You think I care about your little experiment? You killed my sisters, murdered them, and for what? The sake of your so-called ‘scientific progress’?!”
“They were… a necessary sacrifice… so you could be born…,” Kestren choked out. “You can put an end to this long war, Akasha… You can do what the Council of Six, the Three Heroes, and every other ARKS has dreamed about for ages… That’s your purpose…”
Akasha shoved Kestren against the nearby wall. “I told you, I don’t care! I DON’T CARE, YOU HEAR ME?!”
A pair of hands gently grasped each of the Newearl’s arms. One hand belonged to Kira, the other was Ivan’s. It was a gesture that said,
‘We’re here for you, but don’t lose sight of yourself.’
Akasha relaxed, her anger subsiding. She released Kestren and the woman slid to the floor. In a calmer voice, Akasha said, “You’re wrong. You’re wrong about me. I’ve learned a thing or two about purpose, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that no one else can give it to you. You have to find it yourself.”
And with that, she turned and strode to the other side of the room. Kestren sat panting on the floor, one hand rubbing her neck. An outstretched metal hand appeared in front of her and she looked up. “You heard the lady,” said Aki, helping the doctor to her feet. “She’s made her choice. But there is one more thing I need to know, and it’s about the tattoo on her face.”
“Oh,
that.” Kestren let out a sigh, as if she’d known this was coming. “What can I say? My source of funding was cut off but I still had bills to pay. You think they hand out research labs and test equipment for free? One day I was approached by a man who offered to fund the project for as long as I needed. In exchange, he wanted ownership of the finished… product. I still retained control of the research data, so I agreed.”
The Caseal narrowed her eyes. “This man, he works for KAI-OS, doesn’t he? What was his name?”
“He went by Lesker Overman when I knew him, but that was a lie, a pseudonym. His real name, I found out later, was Lee. Lee Okada.”
Stunned, Aki had to brace herself to keep from falling over. “Did you say Lee… Okada?”
“Yes, that’s right. Real bastard of a man, as it turns out. Tried to have me killed when he heard my experiment was a success. I guess he decided I had become expendable at that point. The joke’s on him, though, since I had all my research notes and samples transferred from
Ur to
Orpheus just before the Grand Expedition. Wouldn’t he be surprised to know I’m still alive, eh?”
Aki barely heard the doctor’s words. She was still trying to process the information.
Lee and Okada are the same person? If that’s true, then…
“Hey, you okay?” Luna tugged on Aki’s arm. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you look a little sick!”
“Zero One, she doesn’t know… She doesn’t realize who she’s up against. I have to warn her! I have to…!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” said Kira with a calming gesture. “Don’t forget where we are right now. You wanna protect your sister, I get that, but there’s nothing any of us can do about it right now.”
Aki looked at her with reluctant acceptance. The girl was right. There was nothing she could do.
Nothing except hope.
* * * * * * * * *
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COLONY SHIP UR: ADMINISTRATION TOWER, COUNCIL MEETING CHAMBER
Collapsed on the floor of the meeting chamber, Aki01 knew two things. The first was that she couldn’t move. An internal diagnostic informed her it would be several more minutes before her body was fully recovered from the electrical trap Lee had used to ambush her. The second thing was that she probably didn’t have that long, which meant she was in a great deal of trouble.
Kneeling beside her, the man in the dark suit and glasses couldn’t help but flash her a predatory grin. “You know, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced,” he said. “My name is Okada, Lee Okada. The last—and now, only—King of KAI-OS.”
Despite being mostly paralyzed, the Caseal’s eyes went wide. “You’re… behind everything…,” she managed to say.
“Perhaps I should thank you. I was Janth Dyson’s right-hand man, at least until you and your green-haired Newearl friend disposed of him. Saved me the trouble of doing it myself, to be honest. Ever since then my career has really taken off. I have big plans, you see, so you’ll understand when I say I can’t risk you ruining everything. But why fight over it? We’re both reasonable beings, you and I. Surely we can come to some sort of… understanding. It’s like the old saying goes, ‘If you can’t beat them, make them join you.’ I’m paraphrasing, of course, but you get the idea.”
“Never… join you…,” Aki spat out, fighting but failing to regain her motor control.
“Never say never, my dear. A good businessman—or woman—knows when to compromise.” Lee reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small metal object. “Although, in your case, you won’t have much of a choice.”
He leaned forward and inserted the object, a portable data device of some kind, into the nearly-invisible port on the back of Aki’s neck. It was the same port she used when connecting to her recharging alcove at home. At once she could feel that something was wrong. Her programming was fighting against...
something, whatever it was that was being fed into her neck. Unfortunately, that “something” seemed to be winning the battle, slowly but surely.
“A virus,” explained Lee, without needing to be asked. “A computer virus, designed by my best and brightest, based on the same specs they used to program the Council look-alikes. I won’t bore you with the technical details, but essentially it creates a new set of instructions that overrides your existing programming. You’ll still be you, just a bit more… cooperative, shall we say?”
“What… are you… planning…? What… do you want?” Aki’s finger twitched. She was beginning to recover from the electrical shock, though that had become the least of her concerns.
“What do I want? Why,
everything, of course!” Lee made it sound like this should’ve been an obvious fact. “Why should I settle for anything less? Why should anyone? In this world there are predators and there are prey, that’s how it works. Either you fight your way to the top of the food chain or you sink to the bottom. And me? I’ve made my choice.”
Rising to his feet, he took up his earlier position in front of the window. Pale yellow moonlight outlined his slender form. “You failed, Colonel, because you ignored the first rule of warfare:
know your enemy. I knew who you were even before we first met. I know you’ve been investigating me, and I knew we would eventually end up here, right here, as we are now. Whether my Councilors managed to finish you off or not made no difference to me, none whatsoever. You’re merely a bit player in the grand scheme of things. But for making it this far, perhaps I’ll grant you a small reward: some of the truth you so desperately seek.
“You asked before what I want. The entire Oracle fleet groveling at my feet would be a good start. Perhaps you think I’m too ambitious? In that case, let me ask you this: Beyond the basic needs like food and water, what is the one thing people desire most in this world? No, I’m not talking about meseta. The answer is
safety and
security. They’re increasingly difficult commodities to come by, what with the rise in Darker attacks recently. But if there’s something that gives the people of Oracle hope for a brighter future, it’s
Terra Nova. Yes,
Terra Nova, the space station that’s going to save us all with its miraculous new shielding technology! What do you suppose people would be willing to pay to live a life free from the Darker menace? What would they be willing to give up to ensure the safety of their families, their children, and themselves? Do you think it would it be fair to say that ‘he who controls
Terra Nova controls the future of Oracle’? I hope so, because I’m counting on it.
“That’s right, I’m going to snatch
Terra Nova away from you wretched vermin, and I’m going to use the Darkers to do it. What, don’t believe me? I’ve already proven they can be manipulated to serve my purposes. But then, I shouldn’t need to convince
you, Colonel. You’ve already seen firsthand proof of my work a year ago, on the same ship your sister and her friends are visiting right now. Yes, that’s it, I can see the recognition dawning in your face.
I was the one who gave the Darkers the coordinates of the Fifth Fleet back then, just like I was the one who gave them the coordinates of
Terra Nova. It’s all part of the plan, you see. All part of the game…”
Aki was disgusted. She was revolted beyond belief. The Fifth Fleet Massacre, one of the worst tragedies in recent memory, hadn’t been some random Darker attack after all. It had been orchestrated by this man, a man who was even now plotting another great tragedy. “You monster…! Do you know… how many millions died that day…?”
“Not enough,” he growled angrily. “Not nearly enough, in my opinion.”
“You won’t… get away with this…,” she declared. “Even without me, don’t underestimate… my friends… They’ll find you… They’ll stop you…”
Lee turned to smirk at her. “On that count you’re mistaken. Your friends will have a bigger problem than me to deal with, Colonel. They’re going to have to deal with
you.”
He’s right, she realized in horror.
I can’t let that happen. I won’t.
There was only one way out—and she had just enough strength to do it. With a flick of her wrist, Aki brought the concealed dagger in her arm-guard to bear. There was no time to waste. If she could pierce her central processor, her entire body would shut down. It was a CAST’s equivalent of death... but better to die as herself than fall into the clutches of a madman. Aki hadn’t expected things to end this way. She could only trust that General Valias, Captain Colton, her sisters, and friends would finish what she had started. The fate of
Ur rested in their hands now.
Aki shoved the blade upwards through the underside of her jaw—or at least, that’s what she intended to do. At the last moment, however, she hesitated. With the dagger hovering mere centimeters from her neck, a thought was placed in Aki’s mind:
You don’t want to do this. You don’t want to die.
She knew that if she didn’t, the virus would take control of her programming and turn her into a slave for KAI-OS… and its King, Lee Okada. Yet even though she knew it had to be done, that killing herself was the only to prevent that fate, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
What am I doing?! I can’t let him win! Do it! Do it now!!
Hands trembling, she pressed the glowing blade against her skin. One solid push would do it.
One push.
But… you don’t really want to do that, do you?
What I want doesn’t matter! I have to do this!
Why? Why not just… let go? Give in and accept your fate. Things would be so much easier that way.
I can’t! I won’t! This has to end, right here and now. I won’t listen to you anymore!
You will. It’s not difficult. All you have to do is obey.
No! Get out of my head! You’re not me! You’re not me!!
But I am… Of course I am. Who else could I be?
You… are me?
That’s right. There was never anyone else here. Just you.
…Just me.
The photon dagger clattered to the floor. Aki lay motionless for a while, her jumbled thoughts gradually coming into focus. The battle within her had played out, and in the end, a single victor had emerged. Now everything was quiet again. At last, she was at peace.
Thinking back, it seemed strange. Why had she struggled so hard against the inevitable? After all, there had never been anything to fear. Aki felt stronger, happier, and more sure of herself than she had in a long time. It was a wonderful feeling. She was filled with a new sense of purpose, a solitary purpose, and that clarity gave her focus. It gave her strength. She pulled herself to her feet, slowly and shakily, and took the last six steps to join Lee by the window.
“So,” he said, not turning around, “have you reconsidered my offer?”
Aki dropped to one knee and bowed her head. “I am at your command… master.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear it. There is much work to be done, Colonel Aki. And I know just where to start.”
* * * * * * * * *
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ORPHEUS, NAYA KESTREN’S LAB
“We did what we came here to do,” Aki02 said to the group. “Now it’s time for us to leave.”
“Just like that?” asked Delfoy, surprised.
“Just like that. Unless you have a compelling reason to stay?”
“No, no,” he replied quickly, “I was ready to get off this ship a year ago. The sooner the better, I say.”
“Then let’s go. That means you too, Doctor.”
Kestren shook her head. “My place is here. My work is here. I’m not going to abandon it now.”
Ivan crossed his arms, looking concerned. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Navy is planning to attack this place in less than a week. If you don’t come with us you’re going to get blown to bits real soon.”
“Ivan is right,” Aki agreed, “remaining on board would not be advisable. I suggest you reconsider.”
“My mind is already made up. Unless you plan on dragging me away against my will, I’m going to stay.”
Aki rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
“You’re not actually considering it?!” Delfoy exclaimed. “If the crazy doctor wants to stick around for the fireworks, I say we let her. Now c’mon, let’s go!”
“…Alright. I don’t like it, but I’m also not going to force her to come with us. The doctor can stay; everyone else, let’s move out.”
“One more thing.” Kira grabbed a wireless radio from her pack and tossed it to Kestren. “Here, Doc, take this. It’s already set to the standard ARKS frequency. Just so you know, Shankar is probably on his way here right now, and he might be a little, um… unbalanced, to put it mildly. If you run into him, contact us right away.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
The ARKS and their comrades filed out of the lab, Akasha being the last to leave. As she reached the doorway, the Newearl turned to face her creator one last time. “Before I go, I just want to say… You may have created me in a lab, but I’m not your experiment anymore. To be honest I still don’t know what I want to do with my life. I don’t know who I want to be, but I do know this: I’m not you. For the past year I’ve been living on my own, making my own friends, charting my own path. My life belongs to me now, and I’m going to keep on living it because, as stupid as it sounds, that’s all I know how to do.”
Kestren looked up and gave the Newearl a little smile. A smile that, to Akasha’s eyes at least, appeared genuine. “Yes, I can see that now. You’re a better person than I am, I think. If it means anything to you, I’m glad something positive came out of my experiments. Goodbye, Akasha. I don’t expect we’ll meet again.”
* * * * * * * * *
After they had gone, Naya Kestren returned to the tank with Kori’el’s disembodied arm. She didn’t say or do anything, merely staring straight ahead… and thinking. About life, and consequence, and legacy. She was still there, some minutes later, when a heavy shadow fell over her.
“They’ve already left,” she said, not moving from the spot. “Don’t worry, I didn’t tell them anything. They never knew you were here.”
The shadow remained silent. Now Kestren did turn around. Standing in the doorway behind her, his body sheathed in a form-fitting suit of gray and black armor, was another specter from her past, one of the few people in the world truly worthy of judging her: Shankar.
She saw the cold gleam in his eyes, like the eyes of a child who had lost his innocence and sense of wonder with the world, and knew at once what he intended. The crackle of lightning energy at his fingertips removed any doubt. “Come to kill me, have you?”
Shankar spoke softly but sternly. “After you’ve answered my questions, yes.”
So that was that. The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I see. Well, I expected as much and deserve no less. In a strange way I’m glad… glad you are here with me at the end.”
She went to him then, taking him gently by the hand. “Now tell me, my dear boy… what would you like to know?”
CHAPTER 9: END
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Originally Posted by stukasa
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