ULTRAFORCE

by Zarathi

Gatefold

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ISSUE #4: Shattered Lives, Shattered Dreams, Part III

Not quite conscious of himself, Lukasz floated between reality and the astral plain, a place in which he and Eden had often met when they were joined as one. But now there was no soothing voice to comfort him through this intense pain. He was alone, and that was perhaps the worst pain of all. Slowly he began to remember fragments of the past few moments, the isolation, the darkness, and the evil. As the haze faded he began to recall more and more, the destruction, the fight, being absorbed into the void. Then the haze was gone and but one thought remained. Eden Blake.

"My God, Eden," he gasped. His breathing was still labored as he came fully back to reality. His eyes searched the room, but there was little to see, or little he could see, oh how his eyes hurt. Lukasz stood up quickly, too quickly; he felt a sharp jab of pain, bone breaking through flesh as his legs collapsed beneath him. His wet-ware body was incomplete, damaged, but he had no recollection on how this could be possible. When he had entered the void he was complete, his body had been finished for nearly a week. He remembered finishing the last interfaces just five days before the void enveloped both he and Eden.

Now he was broken, more than physically. With Eden all was bearable, even death, but to be without her was a fate far worse than mortal death. Pain surged through his body; in despair he called out to his beloved Eden. It was then Lukasz realized how weak he was, all was reflected in his whispering voice as he gazed in the dark room. "Eden, darling, can you hear me?" Lukasz cried out, but Eden did not respond. No one did. But that did not mean he was alone.

From the shadows a man appeared perhaps at random or maybe Lukasz's summons. The man busied himself about some equipment in the room at first not seeming to register Lukasz. For the life of him, Lukasz couldn't make his eyes focus to see him the man in detail.

"Who are you?" Lukasz questioned, but the man merely stopped as if to study Lukasz. "Where is Eden?" the man advanced toward Lukasz stopped a foot or so from him. "What have you done with Eden?" Lukasz tried to stand up but gave up as another wave of nausea washed over him. What's the deal with this guy, why wouldn't he answer me?

The man remained motionless for a moment then for some reason decided to assist Lukasz up. But it was no use Lukasz crumpled back onto the ground, Lukasz felt like a jellyfish he couldn't resist or even really help the man to remove himself from the floor. Once more the man stopped to calculate the situation. Without a word he lifted Lukasz high enough that he was able to lay half of Lukasz on makeshift bed Lukasz had fallen from, no easy task if one took into consideration the weight of wet-ware. Then the man proceeded to lift Lukasz legs, which seemed completely dead, onto the table and helped to adjust Lukasz more comfortably. It was then Lukasz realized how mangled his legs where, it looked like they had gone through a trash compactor. The man finished assisting Lukasz and turned to leave, never did the man say one word to Lukasz, or did he intend to so it seemed.

"Wait," Lukasz pleaded. The man paused mid-step. "Please, do you know where Eden is?"

The men seemed to think deeply on this, Lukasz was afraid he would just walk away and leave him alone again; maybe forever, but then the man finally answered. "No."

"What happened to me?" Lukasz asked, his voice slightly above a whisper.

"You broke." the man replied with emotionless speech as he slowly walked away once more.

"How did I break?" Lukasz inquired, the man simply shrugged. "Who are you?"

The man turned back putting his face in profile of one of the over head lights a flicker of humor played over the man's lips, "Who knows?"

Distraught at his inadequacy of the answers he received Lukasz took up another query. "Where are we?" Once more the man simply shrugged perhaps thinking it a good enough answer to suit Lukasz for the man resumed his path. I'm getting nowhere, Lukasz thought.

Angered, Lukasz put forth one last attempt before the man faded into the shadows. "Can you tell me anything of value?"

The man paused momentarily in what seemed to be a doorway. "Yes. You need to rest."

And with that he was gone, as silent as he came.

***

She lay on the sand, the water lapped over her body as the sun set. A shadow stole along the ground in observance as it approached her. Then the figure halted at ten paces, its curiosity fulfilled it retreated into the tropical fauna like a ghost of the wind.

***

A swift pain shot through Lukasz's arm and startled him from his dreamless slumber. The man stood above him in work goggles and gloves covered with wetware matter, working on something Lukasz could not see.

"What are you doing?" Lukasz asked weakly, as he tried to lift his head and found it heavier than expected.

"Fixing you," replied the man as he picked up a new and unknown tool.

"Why, what's in it for you?" Lukasz questioned, uneasy with the fact he was completely defenseless and his life was in the hands of a total stranger.

"Two's better than one,." the main said as he tightened something in Lukasz's arm that made Lukasz wince in pain. But the man took no notice of Lukasz's reaction.

"How damaged am I?" Lukasz questioned as he tried to lift his head once more to see what the man was doing.

"Bad." The man replied adjusting his goggles

"How bad?"

"Enough can be saved."

"Are you a scientist?"

"A technician?"

"No."

"What about a computer genius?"

The man thought about this, as if unsure how to answer, then came up with a very simple response. "Not today."

"Then how do you know how to fix me?"

"Don't know."

"You don't know much do you?"

"No."

"You don't talk much either."

The man smiled faintly. "Nope." He fiddled with some wires on Lukasz arm. "Feel that?"

"Yes." Lukasz winced. "It feels like my arm is on fire, but some feeling is better than no feeling, I guess."

"Good." The man stated, as he put his hand in Lukasz's. "Squeeze," he said. Lukasz complied. The man made some adjustments.

"How long have we been here?" Lukasz asked, not really expecting a meaningful answer.

The man pointed out the obvious. "No light." The man shrugged. "Few days," he said, and then added, "maybe more."

"Is there anyone else here?"

"Not that I've found."

"Are we prisoners here?"

"Maybe. I doubt it."

"What makes you so sure?"

"No one's watching." The man stated as he motioned to a dead security camera.

"Is there any way out of this place?"

"Not yet."

"Are you going to tell me who you are now?"

"Can't." The man replied, regretfully. "I don't know."

"Well now I can't go around calling you stranger or just 'the man' forever, can I?"

"Suppose not."

"So what shall your name be for now?"

The man paused, and fell into deep concentration and after a few minutes he came to a decision. "Silas."

"I'm Lukasz, nice to finally put a name to the face, Silas."

***

Topaz awoke with restricted motion, as anyone who knew her could guess, she was not pleased in the slightest. "WHO DARES TO TREAT THE QUEEN OF GWENDOR IN THIS MANNER!!" Topaz roared as she struggled in a feral manner to remove her bonds - to no avail.

"Calm sister, no harm shall come to you," a soothing voice stated "Have no fear, you are not a prisoner. Your injuries are great, we merely meant to reduce the chance of you hurting yourself more."

"What treachery is this? Topaz snarled

"You will find not treachery here, your bandages where only to reduce the chances of your wounds becoming aggravated by unnecessary movement, sister. I can remove them if you promise to be careful."

"Untie me. Who are you to claim yourself my sister? I know neither your name nor your face or its motives." Topaz stated in a slightly cold tone, a voice that did not entirely reflect her emotions. This can't be Gwendor can it? Everything is so different, yet similar, so many times have I been deceived in the past, could I finally be home?

"My name is Sarel, I am a friend of the noble Diana, princess of the Amazons, and who are you, my peculiar sister?" Sarel asked as she unbound Topaz.

"I am Topaz, Queen of Gwendor." Topaz stated, the added "I know not of this place, its name, or its people."

"This is Paradise Island, home of the Queen Hyppolyta and the Amazons."

Continued next issue!