Aegis:
Chapter Seven
[Rating: General
···
Length: Very Long
···
Genre: Mixed up, Serious]
[ Word count: (chapter: 2, 169)
(total:22444 )]
[
Chapter One · Chapter
Two · Chapter
Three · Chapter
Four · Chapter
Five]
[
Chapter Six · Chapter
Seven · Chapter
Eight · Chapter
Nine]
A black line sped up her arm, a red splash like that
on black widow in a thin strip followed up across the
back of her arms. Fingerless black gloves wrapped around
her hands and another red stain appeared across their
palms. It seemed perfect body temperature and fit against
the inner white seamlessly.
“Your arms are now compatible with the control system
of black widow. Should you leave black widow at any time,
the inner suit will act as armour that can deflect most
form of laser and projectile blasts. The gloves have increased
grip and will not inhibit your hands movement. They also
have a scrambling device built in so you can pass handprint
activated locks.”
Staring at the seemingly magical stuff, Aegis ran her
finger over her arms wonderingly but she was snapped out
of her thought by the computer’s calm voice. “Please look
at your right now. There should be another two objects
there. Place them on your ankles.” Seeing them, she followed
the computers instructions and, with some difficulty,
touched them together for a few seconds.
Black again sped out in two directions. Thick black boots
with the uniform splash of red now across the toe covered
the white shoes. They too seemed to fit perfectly and
joined the anklet seamlessly. Her legs and waist were
covered like her arms, they too felt the slight comforting
warmth that her arms enjoyed. Getting the idea, she turned
and picked up another of the black objects. It was a belt
and it too sprouted the inner suit material. A splash
of red that mirrored that of black widows cut through
the black in the centre of her torso and back.
After fusing with her arm’s coverings, it stopped about
her neck. Looking for another object in the final corner,
Aegis felt her movement enhanced inexplicably. The computer
fluttered to the edge of the platform and congratulated
her. “You are now fully compatible with your gymalef.
You will be briefed once you are aboard. Good luck with
your mission.” It flickered and was gone, leaving Aegis
alone on her small island.
Slowly standing, she felt her new suit’s comforting heat
clear her mind. Careful to avoid the sheer drop, she stepped
toward the nearest dome and reached out. Responding to
her tough, it slid back to reveal a small, red interior.
Wondering how she would control her gymalef, she stepped
inside. The platform sped back down into the liquid. After
hearing a distant ‘splash’ as it met the surface, she
looked around. The space was high enough for her to stand
with about a foot to spare. Oblong in shape, she could
spread her arms without meeting obstruction from side
to side but could not reach in front of her. Stepping
back so she could, she lent against the wall. A red light
immediately flashed on from a hidden source and the hatch
slid closed.
She felt her feet leave the floor and, closing her eyes
against the red glare she floated for a time. Finally
plucking up the courage to open her eyes, she saw only
black. A voice startled her and, had her feet been on
solid ground, she would have jumped.
“Good morning, pilot Aegis. I am your advisory computer,
T23 and will assist you on your mission. Please vacate
the ship.” Before her wide eyes, the back gave way to
a perfect view of the room she had just left. She could
see every last detail but from a much higher vantage point.
Turning her head, she saw the rest of the room. Raising
her arm to her face, she saw the scythe blade. After moving
one leg, three more followed. With a start, she realised
she had control of not two, but eight legs.
It only took a few minutes before Aegis had learned all
of her gymalefs’ workings and was strolling about the
room as if she had always had eight legs. She no longer
had a sense of her own body, cushioned in a soft weightless
space, black widow taking its place. As she strolled near
a wall, it slowly began to rise. Aegis, curious, stepped
into the blackness beyond and felt no more floor beneath
her eight feet.
“Thankyou. I will begin your briefing when instructed,”
the computer chimed. Aegis, floating inside her now also
weightless gymalef, watched her new home slowly amble
away into the cosmic gloom. After pausing to enjoy her
serene environment she spoke, her voice shattering the
silence. “Begin brief.”
“Your mission is to recover the two absent crew members
and – if possible – their gymalefs. It is imperative that
you succeed. Failure may result in the human races’ decline,
even extinction. Gymalef module one. Description?” “Continue.”
“The pilot is called Ashrak. His Gymalef is modeled on
a rhinoceros, with a defensive capability of 8 and an
offensive capability of 5. A three dimensional picture
of pilot and gymalef popped up in Aegis’s view. The pilot
was the youth she had met what seemed an age ago at the
initiation.
He was clad in a suit similar to that Aegis snugly wore,
only it had blue rectangles replacing the red splashes.
Though she was unable to see due to the size of the image,
she could imagine the small rhino on the arm and ankle
bands. His gymalef did indeed resemble a rhinoceros, its
shining metal a dull grey and armour like. It’s head boasted
two large horns, eyes gleaming brown perspex. Its neck
was short and appeared very strong. Its body was large
and Aegis could see that it stored the water. Four column-like
legs ended in treads, not unlike that of old Earth’s tanks.
After a minute of contemplating the images, she instructed
the computer to display module two.
“Pilot: Nerithea, Animal symbiot: Badger, Defensive capability:
5, Offensive capability: 7”
Again, an image of pilot and gymalef appeared. Nerithea,
looking not so much mousy as striking rotated slowly on
a hidden axis. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, her
face blank. She too wore the tight suit, this one with
white lines where Aegis and Ashrak had their designs.
Her gymalef seemed a lot smaller then the black widow
and rhino, only as tall as Aegis. Low to the ground, its
streamlined body was a very dark gray and two white stripes
like a badger’s. It’s legs looked mobile and Aegis could
tell it was fast and unobtrusive-the perfect scout. At
a whim, she asked the computer to “Display module three.”
“Pilot: Aegis, Animal symbiot: Spider, Defensive capability:
6, Offensive capability:15”
Though she was slightly unnerved by the picture of herself
slowly spinning, she was fascinated by the image of her
gymalef. It was the fist time she could see it all properly
and get an idea of scale. About four times her height
when standing, it looked even more lethal then in the
holding bay. “Display basic manoeuvres of gymalef module
three”
Her rotating likeness snapped out of view and the gymalef
grew to take up the whole available space.
“Basic transportation in a nil gravity environment.”
The computer chimed and the gymalef moved.Its legs all
lifted from standing, it’s scythe blades joining them
in pointing backwards. A stream of glittering blue erupted
from the tip of each leg and the gymalef shot forward.
The legs drooped back to a standing position and the weightless
gymalef continued forward.
“Basic stealth transportation on terrain.” The gymalef,
having returned to the centre of the screen crouched low
and somehow blended with the simulated ground. This continued
for quite some time, one basic manoeuvre after the other.
On seeing them, Aegis felt the knowledge of how she could
to them flooding back. Within two hours, she could pilot
the black widow as skilfully as she had centuries ago.
“End display. State direction of destination.” When
the computer complied, the gymalef sped away, disappearing
into darkness. Back in the virtual world, Aegis had seemingly
recovered. She looked and acted like the guardian of nature
should, the same sad expression that all those before
her had boasted now plastered across her features. The
program replicated her perfectly: Draf, Alia and her mother
suspecting nothing. While her virtual counterpart went
about everyday life in the comfortable warmth of home,
Aegis reached the chilled outer atmosphere of what the
computer called “Ice terrain 223654”. Using her newly
discovered radar, she scanned the surface and pinpointed
one basic area. Soaring through the blue heights of Ice
terrain 223654’s clear sky, she rushed to her crewmates’
aid.
As she slowly lowered her altitude, she could see where
it got its name. There were no visible seas or landmasses,
just a smooth white block of ice that extended to every
horizon. When she finally landed, the feet of black widow
slid about under her. Regaining her balance, she lowered
blades built into the feet, making makeshift ice skates.
Though the radar clearly stated the rhino and badger were
near, she could see no sign of them.
Gently turning in a circle, she could see only the soft
white of ice, dappled with light blue reflections of the
sky. “State proximity of nearest life-form,” she murmured
to the computer. “500 megamaks to the left.” “Identify.”
“Insufficient data to complete task.” Turning to her left,
Aegis slid forward and, with some difficulty, assumed
stealth mode. Black widow took on a white sheen and almost
blended into the ice, only the eight dents in the ice
from its skates showing its position.
In the distance, Aegis made out a few irregular bumps
on the ice. “Magnify anomaly,” she asked hopefully. “Negative,
that function is used only by the badger.” Unsure of what
she was nearing, she slowed. A sudden burst of static
filled her ears and she almost straitened up with shock.
A blurring shape appeared in the corner of her vision.
“Badger to black widow. Do you read me?” The blurry shape
grew, becoming sharper. Aegis could see it was a very
cold looking Nerithia.
“I read you.” “Do not go near the settlement in your
gymalef. I repeat, do not near the settlement in your
gymalef. There is a strong field of an unknown energy
that will crush you.” “Where are you?” “I am by the settlements
far border. They have Ashrak, but I don’t know where.
I will send to coordinates of the rhino to you shortly.
Ashrak abandoned it to find me. ” “Who has Ashrak?” Aegis
asked but there was another burst of static and the line
was cut.
“Coordinates of rhino now in memory,” the computer chimed.
“Prepare for disembarking,” Aegis instructed. “Outside
temperature is –30 degrees. Recommend protective helmet
worn.” The silken voice of T23 spoke as she bent down,
gymalef following suit. “Affirmative.” Aegis stated, feeling
a smooth metal surface sliding over her head and glass
over her face.
“Disengage.” Abruptly the red glow subsided and Aegis
found herself sitting down hard. The hatch buzzed open
and she was blinded by the white light that assaulted
her eyes. It took her a minute to adjust and, when proper
sight had returned, she slid onto the ice. Without blades
to aid her balance, she found it very difficult to stay
upright. Painstakingly she neared the ‘settlement’, falling
a several times. Just like Draf the unbidden thought crept
its way into her mind when she tripped for the umpteenth
time.
She was sure the air was icy, but her suit insulated her
perfectly. Noticing the ice was beginning to run uphill,
she found it harder and harder to stand on the slippery
surface. The built in grip pads on her hands and feet
seemed to have no effect on the ice, the slick surface
obstinately refusing to hold. Head down she slaved onward
and let her thoughts wander. She found herself thinking
about her sister, how she now knew that she had been just
a piece of programming.
She still had nightmares about it, even though she no
longer lived in the virtual world. When she returned,
she would ask the computer to program her back in, like
she had never died. Tripping again, she pulled her thoughts
back to her present predicament. Looking up, she suddenly
felt a lot worse. A sheer wall of ice towered above her,
as high as her gymalef stood. Letting her eyes follow
the line of the ice, she saw a lump of metal embedded
in the ice. Curious, she slid towards it. The tortured
metal stuck out on strange angles from the crumpled centre
like a dead insect’s legs. It was when she was almost
against it that she could see the white stripe, now a
zigzag across dark grey. She shuddered at the though that
this could be black widow and she could be trapped inside.
Wondering how Nerithia had escaped from the wrecked Badger,
Aegis climbed up its side, the frozen metal gripping obligingly.
When she reached the top, the walls’ brink was still twice
her hight above her.
[
Chapter One · Chapter
Two · Chapter
Three · Chapter
Four · Chapter
Five]
[
Chapter Six · Chapter
Seven · Chapter
Eight · Chapter
Nine]
|
