Occupied Founders Falls - November 7th, 2002
"Squad One; in position" "Squad Two; in position" "Squad Three; all set, chief!" "Alpha Section; all squads in position." "Let's have better com discipline, Three. OK then, the Omega team should hit them any time now. When they do, the energy signature on that portal should drop, and that will be our go-sign. There are over a hundred refugees in there people, and Vanguard is not going to let them down. Everybody clear?" "Clear, Aye, Roger that chief, Affirmative."
Ten minutes later, deep below Paragon City, the members of the Omega Team had been discovered but not until they were too near the portal to the Rikti Homeworld to be stopped. With a small rearguard sacrificing themselves to hold off the frantic Rikti assault, the rest of the Omega team dived through the Portal, and into the unknown beyond. "Hey, Glacia, do you think they'll have..." were the last words Ajax heard from Omega as it vanished.
Fifteen minutes after that, Paragon City shook with the force of an explosion which suddenly cut off the primary link to the Rikti Homeworld. All over Paragon City and indeed, all over the world, the heroes of Alpha Team and their support echelons pressed the Rikti hard. Stunned by being cut off, and deprived of the unlimited energy their portals had provided, the Rikti were in an unaccustomed situation; on the defensive.
Ive got a shield-buster on the generator... ...his is Squad Four; Were being overrun, we nee... Havoc Lad is down I repeat, Havoc Lad is... Theyre retreating underground, and theyre taking some of the refugees with them... Can anyone cut them off?
Erin had been walking around the camp. The Drones and patrols of Rikti Monkeys were omnipresent there never seemed any chance of escape; and they could track you via the implant anyway. One of their scientists (you could tell because they werent carrying the huge weapons) strode over to her she thought it was the same one as last week. Query; Electrical Devices: Misbehave in Vicinity; Self? She hated that translator. Half the time she couldnt figure out what they were asking. She thought a moment, Do electrical devices misbehave near me? she asked, using the strategy shed formed for avoiding the paingivers Statement; Affirmation: Meaning; Deduced it replied. Erin shook her head No, not usually. Add another to the list of random questions. I sometimes have trouble with static electricity, but lots of people do" she continued. Why? she asked not that shed ever gotten a meaningful response to that question. Trait; Dormant: Potentials; Unrealized: Further Study; Indicated. Was the reply which left her as ignorant as ever, while she watched the thing head on its way, only to query another prisoner about the taste of blueberries.
Then the ground shook, and the low-pitched hum that had been omnipresent since she arrived was gone. The Rikti started boiling up out of their barracks like disturbed ants up to meet the incoming attack. She saw human soldiers! One pair set up a large tube on a tripod, which promptly belched a massive missile at the compound and straight at her! As she dived for cover, she saw it hit the shield out of the corner of her eye saw it hit and, instead of exploding, become the center of an electric-blue web that raced in all directions over the curved surface of the shield. Then, as she hit the ground, there was a sizzling electric sound and a bright flash of light, followed by bullets whizzing over her head. The shield is down, she thought. And then it was Invasion Day all over again, writ small.
She spent the next eternity trying to stay alive, and under cover. Rescuers or no, unprotected civilians were not going to survive that battlefield. She didnt want to be killed by Vanguard any more than shed wanted to be killed by the Rikti. She found the hulk of a downed Rikti Assault Tank and cowered beneath it, waiting to see who would prevail to claim her amongst the other spoils of victory.
The Experimenter was adamant; This one we must have if cut off from the Homeworld, energy reserves will soon be exhausted. This one may save us all. The Squad Commander shook his head; what a way to run a battle. He wondered if the Ancestors had had to deal with this sort of thing, centuries ago during the Final Wars. Very well; you have a tracker, Ill send a squad along to protect you. But we are retreating to the local staging area in ten standard ticks. We will not delay for you, or your human.
Night had fallen, and combat had mostly ceased. But Erin wasnt inclined to risk making a break for it. She was just fine where she was. Fifteen minutes ago someone in a brightly colored blue-and-gold battle suit had landed nearby, and promptly been torn nearly in two by a Rikti Turret. She didnt even know the heros name, and she didnt think shed have fared as well.
Then she saw the glowing outlines of the squad of Rikti soldiers as they approached. She hunkered down further beneath the hulk, hoping... but no. No, they were coming straight towards her. Again, she thought about fleeing into the night with the shield down, maybe... The idea of capture again became intolerable. Risky or not, she squirmed under the wreck, and bolted for the perimeter. She heard an alien cry from behind, and made it all of ten or twenty meters before the pain came, and she knew no more.
Theres a refugee making a break for it, sir. Shes down now, and it looks like theyve sent out a squad after her. Shall we hit them? Negative, Sargent. Youd just reveal our position to that damned Turret and a mortar strike would take out her along with the squad although god knows I might prefer that to being captured...
Two days later;
The Engineer shook his head. Unprecedented but yes, I can build it. The Experimenter looked again to the Philosopher. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one, in this case. Not so? The Philosopher pondered. Indisputable if the one in question volunteers but that is not the case here. The question is do the ends justify the means. The Philosopher looked around the underground cavern on an alien world, filled with the panoply of war. He shook his head And that is arguing over a decision long-since made. We should not have come here. It would be better for the Race if none of us return. But that decision is no longer in our hands. Do with the human what you will it will change nothing. Nothing... Shaking his head, the Philosopher wandered off.
The Experimenter hadnt followed the niceties of the discussion. The Engineer hadnt even been listening. But the Experimenter understood Do with the human what you will, and the Engineer understood Go ahead, then. We will need this and soon.
Waking up from the pain pulse was different than waking up from the stunner. Instead of a headache, it was more of a whole-body phenomenon. And instead of waking up in a tent this time, she was strapped into some sort of alien device. She couldnt move and she was spread out like the DaVinci Vitruvian Man. Then the aliens realized she was awake.
Need; Drives Us: Forced; We are the translator said reasonably understandable, for once. And then the alien pushed a button, and the nightmare began.
At first, it was as if she was falling away down a long, black tunnel everything became very small, very distant. And then, she saw it. Saw the sparkling ball of energy it was beautiful... and then, it was her. And everything was the energy it sizzled though her as if in her veins, her very nerves. She couldnt even scream. And then the visions came as if she were in the center of some giant sphere, with unseen... things throwing spears and rocks and bolts of energy at her. As she franticly pushed her hands out in rejection, they were deflected, and for a moment, there was bliss. Gradually, the real world faded, and the sphere, the energy, and the bliss were all there was gradually, there was no more Erin...
Two weeks later, Vanguard Base the Rikti War Zone;
Its that final staging area near Founders Falls sir. Somehow theyve kept their shields on-line. Weve tried three simultaneous shieldbusters, and no joy. Whatever theyre using to power that thing didnt need their portal. OK, well see if we can call in some hero support. We need intel brute force against this isnt gonna cut it, evidently.
One month later, Rikti Staging Area;
The Engineer shook his head Not much longer, no. Spare parts are nearly gone, and the... key component will fail, eventually. The Experimenter looked at the machine, a patchwork of make-shift components now; none more so than the one in the center. The human was being transformed. The constant use of her as a conduit for the zero point energies had largely converted her nerve tissue into a quantum flux. And the Consensus alone knew what putting her into a fugue state to use her mind as the central processor for the shield generator was doing. He wished he could study her now. The energy forms appeared to be performing the same biological functions their mass-equivalents had been, and the Experimenter had no explanation. The shields were performing far above specifications - even now. But energy was leaking from her - arcing to nearby conductors. Soon she would die. It wouldnt be long, he thought. The only question was which would fail first - the human or the machinery...
"What on earth are they doing to that poor woman?" thought Penumbra. Her ability to shift herself into the realms of dark matter had allowed her to move past the barrier and penetrate the staging area her orders had been to discover what they were using to power the shield and, if possible, to disable it. Disabling it didnt look hard it seemed pretty clear that if she shifted that woman into the Dark with her, that would do handily. But what would happen to the woman or to her? She wasnt at all sure she wanted to be standing next to that woman when she was... suddenly disconnected from the machine. No, better to report back. And like the ghost she resembled, she was gone.
Vanguard Base - the Rikti War Zone;
And thats what I saw finished Penumbra. The machine looked like it was being held together with spit and bailing-wire. But she didnt look too good, either. If we want to save her, wed best not delay. Penumbra finished. Positron looked at the sketches shed made, and considered. Valkyrie pointed to an element of the device, and made a throat-cutting gesture. Positrons nodded. If we understand what theyre doing, shorting out the primary power-link here, and he gestured at the complex of tangled wires at the apex of the device should disconnect her so to speak. You then would be able to safely shift her into the... er... Dark, did you call it? Penumbra nodded. OK but what about those discharges. Is she going to be safe to touch? Thats how I shift things... she asked, doubtfully. Positron shook his head theres no way to be sure. I would think the sudden cessation of what must be an immense power drain on her would at least temporarily leave her inert. But Ive never seen anything like this done to someone before, so I dont know for sure. If shes going to... overload, so to speak, when you disconnect her, I would guess that it would happen immediately. So if you can take out the link from a distance, that would give you time to tell, wouldnt it? Penumbra considered. Yes, it should I can ruin that equipment easily enough. And once thats done the shield will be down, regardless? Positron nodded Oh, yes. That will definitely drop the shield. Penumbra stood. Then its time for me to be a hero she smiled. And if Im lucky, time to save her, too. But either way, that base is toast. And the planning of the assault began.
Two days later, Rikti Staging Area;
In her fugue state, there was little room for surprise. Nevertheless, something akin to surprise flickered around the edges of her perception as the assault on the shield ceased. It had been a constant... for, well, forever. Bereft of the imminent threat, the fugue state faltered, and bits of Erin crept back in. She felt... strange. Her whole being tingled as if she was constantly being shocked, but without the pain. Or maybe it was pain, and she could no longer recognize it as such? Then a woman in dark grey and black appeared in the room with her. For a moment, she was simply surprised that she could see she had trouble remembering the last thing shed seen... And then a bolt of blackness lanced from the womans hand, toward the machine. The Fugue tried to stop it, but it was inside the shield, and there wasnt time to... And then everything came tumbling down. She remained conscious long enough to meet the eyes of her savior, but not long enough to speak. Her last impression was that the world was going translucent and grey, before everything went dark.
The alarm was only the first of many - the humans had timed their assault well, but the Experimenter had seen the empty device seen the ruin of the quantum tap, and knew that somehow one of those pernicious heroes the humans relied on so heavily had struck again. He had time for a moment of frustration before the 155mm artillery batterys initial salvo landed, on-target, to ensure the shield stayed down.
Vanguard Base - The Rikti War Zone;
Good morning said a cheerful and human! voice. And how are we feeling today? it asked. Erin opened her eyes, to find herself in a hospital bed in a human built building, with lights, electricity, and people... people in clean clothes, who had obviously eaten real food recently it was all too much, and she broke down. Its all right the nurse said, kindly. Youre in Vanguard HQ. Youll be safe now. Just relax and get some more rest... And something eased her gently back into darkness.
One Week later;
Its the rescue, Sir. The OCarroll woman. Were getting... anomalous readings. We thought it was just a series of bad hardware, but its everything we hook up to her, Sir. Anything electrical just shorts out. The chief surgeon shook his head. Positron warned us something like this might happen. Is the special ward ready? The nurse nodded, Yes, Sir. Sir? he asked. The patient, Sir? What do we tell her? The surgeon shook his head Leave that to me. Although god knows what Im going to say - how do you tell someone they're now a living power source?"
Two months later;
"OK, Erin - looking good. You've got a nice, synchronous alpha state. Now, think of your right hand, and focus on letting the energy flow." Erin tried. After the brief period of shocked denial, she'd decided to co-operate with the SERAPH and GIFT scientists. They certainly meant well, and the graphs of the power levels building within her provided an impetus - nobody knew how much she could "store", or what would happen when that limit was reached, but nobody, Erin included, really wanted to find out. Her initial "success" had been after one GIFT scientist had asked her to "just let go". The result had been a torrent of electrical arcs leaping from her to everything nearby. After they'd replaced the scorched clothing, shorted electronics, and treated the minor burns, they decided that, perhaps, something more controlled than "just let go" was in order.
So out had come the biofeedback equipment, and, for a while, a psychic from GIFT. Together, they had managed to start Erin down the path to managing the monster within. She could now "feel" the power lurking inside her, and keep it leashed. Now, the trick would be to see if she could let some of it out, without it running rampant. Squinting in concentration, she focused that power to her right hand, and into the wire she held there. A crackling hum filled the room, and small arcs of electricity leapt between her fingers. The dials measuring the power being transferred hopped off zero, and rose. And continued to rise, until they pegged, and then the wire grew warm. "OK, Erin, that's good. Can you stop it now?" The technician's voice was slightly strained. His eyebrows had shot skyward when the dials pegged.
Erin pushed the beast back down, and the hum vanished, the sparks quit, and the dials returned to zero. The technician shook his head. "That's, well, that's excellent - you seemed to be able to turn in on and off at will. Was that a struggle, or did it come easily?" He asked, mopping his forehead with a handkerchief. Erin shrugged. "I had to think about it - concentrate - to start it, but once it was flowing, no. Then the same again to shut it off. It wasn't really hard, per-se. But I couldn't explain exactly how I did it in words." The tech nodded. "OK, well, I think that's a wrap for today then. We'll take a look at the data, and see what we might want to work towards next." He gave a wry grin. "If nothing else, I don't think you'll ever lack for electricity - that was a remarkable amount of power you delivered there. How hard were you pushing?" Erin considered. "Not pushing at all really, just letting what there was flow out. I wasn't trying to limit it, or to boost it." The tech shook his head, "Well, lets not push it then - the hardware would probably melt."
"...had no idea, Sir. She was completely relaxed, and hardly blipped out of her alpha state. God only knows what sort of power she can tap if she actually tries." "And if she loses it?" "Well, sir. We're at 670 times the power levels we were at two months ago. If the levels keep on rising at this rate..." "Can the containment fields handle it?" "Nosir. No way. I wouldn't want to count on it today, and her levels are only going up..."
Erin tossed and turned in her sleep. She hadn't been sleeping well since she'd been rescued - nightmares. Usually featuring Rikti. Tonight it was the night she was captured, but this time she pointed her hands at the aliens, and...
The monitors recorded some of it - Erin was tossing and turning, muttering in her sleep. Then she was floating off the bunk, electricity coruscating around her. Then she yelled something incomprehensible, and lightning arced from her hands, and the cameras recorded no more.
Erin woke to the hooting of the alarms. The extinguisher system in her room was drenching everything - what was left of the burned, melted, and twisted shapes that had been her bed, nightstand, and guest chairs. The hole in the door and the scorch marks on the walls, ceiling and floors were another eloquent testimony to the power of... well, whatever it was that had done this. She had a suspicion, but she hoped she was wrong.
Erin finished watching the recording again, and sighed. "I thought I had it under control." she said. Dr. Phelps nodded, "And while you're awake, you do. Unfortunately, when you're asleep, it's your subconscious running the show and it isn't... concerned with collateral damage. You have a nightmare of being attacked, and you strike out with your newfound abilities. What could be more natural? People punch and kick in response to nightmares all the time. Unfortunately, in your case, we have more than disarranged bedclothes as a result." Despite herself, Erin gave a shaky laugh. "Something more, yes."
"For the moment," Dr. Phelps continued, "we can use medication to suppress your nightmares - this should prevent another incident, at least temporarily." "For the moment?" Erin asked. "Why?" "Why isn't that a permanent solution?" asked Dr. Phelps, "Yes. I'm not thrilled with the idea of sleeping pills for the rest of my life, but given the alternative..." "Ah, yes. Well sleep, actually, isn't the problem. It's your nightmares. And to medically suppress your dreams requires far more than a garden-variety sleeping pill. The long-term side-effects are not good. And worse, the psychological effects of depriving the human mind of a healthy dream life are equally unpleasant." He shook his head. "No, we can give ourselves some time, but it's nothing more than a Band-Aid, really." Erin looked concerned. "So, what do I do? How can I control this... this... thing inside me in my dreams?" She sounded defeated.
"Now, don't give up on us yet, Erin. We have a problem, but as I said, we have some time to find a solution." Erin nodded, sadly "OK, Doctor. If you say so, but I'll be damned if I can think of what you're going to do. It sounds to me like this... thing the Rikti woke inside me is, sooner or later, going to devour me - and it I'm not careful, everyone nearby." She held her head in her hands. Dr. Phelps walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I know this is a setback, and I know you don't see a way forward. But that doesn't mean there isn't one, Erin. In fact, there's someone I'd like you to talk to, if you'll trust me enough to try something... odd."
Erin raised her head. "Odd? Doc, I'm a physics grad-student specializing in high-temperature superconductors, captured by aliens who used a latent mutation in my genome to turn me into some sort of reactor, and whose nightmares now cause electrical storms - and you're going to have me talk to someone that qualifies as 'odd'?" She fell back into the chair. "I'm afraid you're going to have to excuse me, but my oddity threshold has been... expanded of late." Dr. Phelps smiled, Better, Erin. Better. A fair point too - but Azuria is a unique individual, and I doubt you've met her like before. Or will again. If you're willing to keep an open mind, I think she may be able to help." "An open mind? What sort of doctor is Azuria?" Phelps shook his head "Oh, Azuria isn't a doctor. She's a seer - a practitioner of magic, and one of the wisest people I have ever met..."
Atlas Park, later that week;
"Thank you so much for taking the time to see me, Azuria. Dr. Phelps speaks very highly of you." Erin said, as they walked through the small grove of trees. "Oh, it was no trouble Erin, no trouble at all. I like to take the time to meet the special people of Paragon City, and while I spend most of my time with those who practice the arcane arts, it's often enlightening to speak with those who follow other paths to power - such as you." Erin looked askance at the seer. "Me? I'm not trying to gain power - I'm doing my damnedest to get rid of it." she said, vehemently. "It's not... me. It's something those... unmentionable aliens did to me. And I can't control it - can't keep it inside where it won't hurt anyone." Erin stopped on the path, her fists clenched. "If I could..." and then she stopped, watching the electricity begin to play along her fingers. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Azuria. I need to be more careful." and she walked over to a bench by a fountain and sat, her head bowed. "I don't know what to do" she said to the ground at her feet.
Azuria followed her to the bench, and sat beside her. "No need to apologize, Erin." Her voice turned wry. "Many an inexperienced sorcerer has lost control of their powers. It happens - and it is all the more frequent with those whom the power is thrust upon, rather than those who sought it out."
Azuria paused for a moment. "Look, if you will, at that tree across the fountain, Erin." Erin wiped her eyes, and looked - a large elm tree stood alongside the path, its leafy branches moving gently in the breeze. "It's an... elm tree, isn't it?" "Yes" Azuria nodded. "An elm. But once, it was this;" and she opened her hand to show that it contained a seed. "Such a seed may remain so for years, yet once placed in fertile ground, it will germinate, and grow into the beautiful tree you see."
Azuria placed the seed in Erin's hand. "Tell me, child. Can you take that tree and return it to a seed?" Erin shook her head "No - nobody can do that. It's not a seed anymore" and her voice trailed off. Azuria nodded. "No, not a seed anymore. And neither are you. You have been treating what has happened to you as being something apart - a beast you must restrain, or at best a tide of power you must hold back. Not a part of you. If you were to treat your legs as a wild animal you must fight against, or at best as a burden to be endured, do you think you could walk, much less dance?"
Reluctantly, Erin shook her head. "But..." she protested, "I didn't want this." "And did the universe ask the seed if it wished to be an elm? Or the caterpillar if it wished to become a butterfly?" Asked Azuria, rhetorically. A Monarch chose that moment to alight on Azuria's hand, flapping its wings slowly. "I know you did not seek this out - and you would likely have lived a happy and fulfilled life as a caterpillar." The Monarch took flight, fluttering its way across the park. "But now you have the chance to fly - to live your new life as a butterfly, if you will. And I think, if you will only look on this as a gift - as a part of you to be cherished and developed instead of a threat to be strangled or contained - that you might be surprised at what will grow."
Four months later, Vanguard HQ - Rikti War Zone;
Erin pulled on the finned boots. She was still a little self-conscious in the form-fitting outfit, but the slipstream meant that lose clothing was out, and the sleek materiel was conductive, so she didn't scorch it. The Vanguard ops officer walked in All ready?" Erin nodded. "Yep. As ready as I'll ever be." She gestured, and a bubble of shimmering distortion surrounded her as she floated into the air, electricity caressing her lithe form. "And did you pick a call-sign?" the officer asked. "Yes - Quantum Field." The officer grinned. "Seems appropriate. We've got a patrol sighted heading towards one of our forward recon posts - if you could check it out, and lend a hand if things get messy, the soldiers there would sure appreciate it." he said, as they headed towards the exit corridor.
Erin gestured at one of the training targets, and a blue-white bolt of electricity leapt to it, vaporizing the model of a Rikti Drone. "Not a problem, officer. I'm looking forward to meeting the Rikti again." She stepped on the lift, and when the surface hatch opened, she catapulted into the air, leaving a small whirlwind in her wake. The officer held his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight, and could barely catch the blur of her departure. He shook his head "I doubt they'll enjoy the reunion." he muttered, as he threw the switch to close the surface hatch I doubt that very much..."
Later that day, Atlas Park City Hall;
"..ust sign here, Ma'am. Thank you." Azuria took the package. Once, in her youth, she'd used her arts to discover everything she could about the mundane events that were to come; but it had robbed her of the small pleasant surprises that were so much of the joy in life. "And who would have..." As she opened the package, she found a small elm seedling in a pot. And a note. "Azuria; If you could find a place to plant this, I'd appreciate it. The seed has outgrown the planter, but I think it might become a useful tree someday, if given room to grow. You did so well with the last one. Thank you. Erin." Azuria smiled.
Synchrotron, level 50 Radiation/Radiation Defender
Fighting crime on Champion since 2004
Occupied Founders Falls - November 7th, 2002
"Squad One; in position" "Squad Two; in position" "Squad Three; all set, chief!" "Alpha Section; all squads in position." "Let's have better com discipline, Three. OK then, the Omega team should hit them any time now. When they do, the energy signature on that portal should drop, and that will be our go-sign. There are over a hundred refugees in there people, and Vanguard is not going to let them down. Everybody clear?" "Clear, Aye, Roger that chief, Affirmative."
Ten minutes later, deep below Paragon City, the members of the Omega Team had been discovered but not until they were too near the portal to the Rikti Homeworld to be stopped. With a small rearguard sacrificing themselves to hold off the frantic Rikti assault, the rest of the Omega team dived through the Portal, and into the unknown beyond. "Hey, Glacia, do you think they'll have..." were the last words Ajax heard from Omega as it vanished.
Fifteen minutes after that, Paragon City shook with the force of an explosion which suddenly cut off the primary link to the Rikti Homeworld. All over Paragon City and indeed, all over the world, the heroes of Alpha Team and their support echelons pressed the Rikti hard. Stunned by being cut off, and deprived of the unlimited energy their portals had provided, the Rikti were in an unaccustomed situation; on the defensive.
Ive got a shield-buster on the generator... ...his is Squad Four; Were being overrun, we nee... Havoc Lad is down I repeat, Havoc Lad is... Theyre retreating underground, and theyre taking some of the refugees with them... Can anyone cut them off?
Erin had been walking around the camp. The Drones and patrols of Rikti Monkeys were omnipresent there never seemed any chance of escape; and they could track you via the implant anyway. One of their scientists (you could tell because they werent carrying the huge weapons) strode over to her she thought it was the same one as last week. Query; Electrical Devices: Misbehave in Vicinity; Self? She hated that translator. Half the time she couldnt figure out what they were asking. She thought a moment, Do electrical devices misbehave near me? she asked, using the strategy shed formed for avoiding the paingivers Statement; Affirmation: Meaning; Deduced it replied. Erin shook her head No, not usually. Add another to the list of random questions. I sometimes have trouble with static electricity, but lots of people do" she continued. Why? she asked not that shed ever gotten a meaningful response to that question. Trait; Dormant: Potentials; Unrealized: Further Study; Indicated. Was the reply which left her as ignorant as ever, while she watched the thing head on its way, only to query another prisoner about the taste of blueberries.
Then the ground shook, and the low-pitched hum that had been omnipresent since she arrived was gone. The Rikti started boiling up out of their barracks like disturbed ants up to meet the incoming attack. She saw human soldiers! One pair set up a large tube on a tripod, which promptly belched a massive missile at the compound and straight at her! As she dived for cover, she saw it hit the shield out of the corner of her eye saw it hit and, instead of exploding, become the center of an electric-blue web that raced in all directions over the curved surface of the shield. Then, as she hit the ground, there was a sizzling electric sound and a bright flash of light, followed by bullets whizzing over her head. The shield is down, she thought. And then it was Invasion Day all over again, writ small.
She spent the next eternity trying to stay alive, and under cover. Rescuers or no, unprotected civilians were not going to survive that battlefield. She didnt want to be killed by Vanguard any more than shed wanted to be killed by the Rikti. She found the hulk of a downed Rikti Assault Tank and cowered beneath it, waiting to see who would prevail to claim her amongst the other spoils of victory.
The Experimenter was adamant; This one we must have if cut off from the Homeworld, energy reserves will soon be exhausted. This one may save us all. The Squad Commander shook his head; what a way to run a battle. He wondered if the Ancestors had had to deal with this sort of thing, centuries ago during the Final Wars. Very well; you have a tracker, Ill send a squad along to protect you. But we are retreating to the local staging area in ten standard ticks. We will not delay for you, or your human.
Night had fallen, and combat had mostly ceased. But Erin wasnt inclined to risk making a break for it. She was just fine where she was. Fifteen minutes ago someone in a brightly colored blue-and-gold battle suit had landed nearby, and promptly been torn nearly in two by a Rikti Turret. She didnt even know the heros name, and she didnt think shed have fared as well.
Then she saw the glowing outlines of the squad of Rikti soldiers as they approached. She hunkered down further beneath the hulk, hoping... but no. No, they were coming straight towards her. Again, she thought about fleeing into the night with the shield down, maybe... The idea of capture again became intolerable. Risky or not, she squirmed under the wreck, and bolted for the perimeter. She heard an alien cry from behind, and made it all of ten or twenty meters before the pain came, and she knew no more.
Theres a refugee making a break for it, sir. Shes down now, and it looks like theyve sent out a squad after her. Shall we hit them? Negative, Sargent. Youd just reveal our position to that damned Turret and a mortar strike would take out her along with the squad although god knows I might prefer that to being captured...
Two days later;
The Engineer shook his head. Unprecedented but yes, I can build it. The Experimenter looked again to the Philosopher. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one, in this case. Not so? The Philosopher pondered. Indisputable if the one in question volunteers but that is not the case here. The question is do the ends justify the means. The Philosopher looked around the underground cavern on an alien world, filled with the panoply of war. He shook his head And that is arguing over a decision long-since made. We should not have come here. It would be better for the Race if none of us return. But that decision is no longer in our hands. Do with the human what you will it will change nothing. Nothing... Shaking his head, the Philosopher wandered off.
The Experimenter hadnt followed the niceties of the discussion. The Engineer hadnt even been listening. But the Experimenter understood Do with the human what you will, and the Engineer understood Go ahead, then. We will need this and soon.
Waking up from the pain pulse was different than waking up from the stunner. Instead of a headache, it was more of a whole-body phenomenon. And instead of waking up in a tent this time, she was strapped into some sort of alien device. She couldnt move and she was spread out like the DaVinci Vitruvian Man. Then the aliens realized she was awake.
Need; Drives Us: Forced; We are the translator said reasonably understandable, for once. And then the alien pushed a button, and the nightmare began.
At first, it was as if she was falling away down a long, black tunnel everything became very small, very distant. And then, she saw it. Saw the sparkling ball of energy it was beautiful... and then, it was her. And everything was the energy it sizzled though her as if in her veins, her very nerves. She couldnt even scream. And then the visions came as if she were in the center of some giant sphere, with unseen... things throwing spears and rocks and bolts of energy at her. As she franticly pushed her hands out in rejection, they were deflected, and for a moment, there was bliss. Gradually, the real world faded, and the sphere, the energy, and the bliss were all there was gradually, there was no more Erin...
Two weeks later, Vanguard Base the Rikti War Zone;
Its that final staging area near Founders Falls sir. Somehow theyve kept their shields on-line. Weve tried three simultaneous shieldbusters, and no joy. Whatever theyre using to power that thing didnt need their portal. OK, well see if we can call in some hero support. We need intel brute force against this isnt gonna cut it, evidently.
One month later, Rikti Staging Area;
The Engineer shook his head Not much longer, no. Spare parts are nearly gone, and the... key component will fail, eventually. The Experimenter looked at the machine, a patchwork of make-shift components now; none more so than the one in the center. The human was being transformed. The constant use of her as a conduit for the zero point energies had largely converted her nerve tissue into a quantum flux. And the Consensus alone knew what putting her into a fugue state to use her mind as the central processor for the shield generator was doing. He wished he could study her now. The energy forms appeared to be performing the same biological functions their mass-equivalents had been, and the Experimenter had no explanation. The shields were performing far above specifications - even now. But energy was leaking from her - arcing to nearby conductors. Soon she would die. It wouldnt be long, he thought. The only question was which would fail first - the human or the machinery...
"What on earth are they doing to that poor woman?" thought Penumbra. Her ability to shift herself into the realms of dark matter had allowed her to move past the barrier and penetrate the staging area her orders had been to discover what they were using to power the shield and, if possible, to disable it. Disabling it didnt look hard it seemed pretty clear that if she shifted that woman into the Dark with her, that would do handily. But what would happen to the woman or to her? She wasnt at all sure she wanted to be standing next to that woman when she was... suddenly disconnected from the machine. No, better to report back. And like the ghost she resembled, she was gone.
Vanguard Base - the Rikti War Zone;
And thats what I saw finished Penumbra. The machine looked like it was being held together with spit and bailing-wire. But she didnt look too good, either. If we want to save her, wed best not delay. Penumbra finished. Positron looked at the sketches shed made, and considered. Valkyrie pointed to an element of the device, and made a throat-cutting gesture. Positrons nodded. If we understand what theyre doing, shorting out the primary power-link here, and he gestured at the complex of tangled wires at the apex of the device should disconnect her so to speak. You then would be able to safely shift her into the... er... Dark, did you call it? Penumbra nodded. OK but what about those discharges. Is she going to be safe to touch? Thats how I shift things... she asked, doubtfully. Positron shook his head theres no way to be sure. I would think the sudden cessation of what must be an immense power drain on her would at least temporarily leave her inert. But Ive never seen anything like this done to someone before, so I dont know for sure. If shes going to... overload, so to speak, when you disconnect her, I would guess that it would happen immediately. So if you can take out the link from a distance, that would give you time to tell, wouldnt it? Penumbra considered. Yes, it should I can ruin that equipment easily enough. And once thats done the shield will be down, regardless? Positron nodded Oh, yes. That will definitely drop the shield. Penumbra stood. Then its time for me to be a hero she smiled. And if Im lucky, time to save her, too. But either way, that base is toast. And the planning of the assault began.
Two days later, Rikti Staging Area;
In her fugue state, there was little room for surprise. Nevertheless, something akin to surprise flickered around the edges of her perception as the assault on the shield ceased. It had been a constant... for, well, forever. Bereft of the imminent threat, the fugue state faltered, and bits of Erin crept back in. She felt... strange. Her whole being tingled as if she was constantly being shocked, but without the pain. Or maybe it was pain, and she could no longer recognize it as such? Then a woman in dark grey and black appeared in the room with her. For a moment, she was simply surprised that she could see she had trouble remembering the last thing shed seen... And then a bolt of blackness lanced from the womans hand, toward the machine. The Fugue tried to stop it, but it was inside the shield, and there wasnt time to... And then everything came tumbling down. She remained conscious long enough to meet the eyes of her savior, but not long enough to speak. Her last impression was that the world was going translucent and grey, before everything went dark.
The alarm was only the first of many - the humans had timed their assault well, but the Experimenter had seen the empty device seen the ruin of the quantum tap, and knew that somehow one of those pernicious heroes the humans relied on so heavily had struck again. He had time for a moment of frustration before the 155mm artillery batterys initial salvo landed, on-target, to ensure the shield stayed down.
Vanguard Base - The Rikti War Zone;
Good morning said a cheerful and human! voice. And how are we feeling today? it asked. Erin opened her eyes, to find herself in a hospital bed in a human built building, with lights, electricity, and people... people in clean clothes, who had obviously eaten real food recently it was all too much, and she broke down. Its all right the nurse said, kindly. Youre in Vanguard HQ. Youll be safe now. Just relax and get some more rest... And something eased her gently back into darkness.
One Week later;
Its the rescue, Sir. The OCarroll woman. Were getting... anomalous readings. We thought it was just a series of bad hardware, but its everything we hook up to her, Sir. Anything electrical just shorts out. The chief surgeon shook his head. Positron warned us something like this might happen. Is the special ward ready? The nurse nodded, Yes, Sir. Sir? he asked. The patient, Sir? What do we tell her? The surgeon shook his head Leave that to me. Although god knows what Im going to say - how do you tell someone they're now a living power source?"
Two months later;
"OK, Erin - looking good. You've got a nice, synchronous alpha state. Now, think of your right hand, and focus on letting the energy flow." Erin tried. After the brief period of shocked denial, she'd decided to co-operate with the SERAPH and GIFT scientists. They certainly meant well, and the graphs of the power levels building within her provided an impetus - nobody knew how much she could "store", or what would happen when that limit was reached, but nobody, Erin included, really wanted to find out. Her initial "success" had been after one GIFT scientist had asked her to "just let go". The result had been a torrent of electrical arcs leaping from her to everything nearby. After they'd replaced the scorched clothing, shorted electronics, and treated the minor burns, they decided that, perhaps, something more controlled than "just let go" was in order.
So out had come the biofeedback equipment, and, for a while, a psychic from GIFT. Together, they had managed to start Erin down the path to managing the monster within. She could now "feel" the power lurking inside her, and keep it leashed. Now, the trick would be to see if she could let some of it out, without it running rampant. Squinting in concentration, she focused that power to her right hand, and into the wire she held there. A crackling hum filled the room, and small arcs of electricity leapt between her fingers. The dials measuring the power being transferred hopped off zero, and rose. And continued to rise, until they pegged, and then the wire grew warm. "OK, Erin, that's good. Can you stop it now?" The technician's voice was slightly strained. His eyebrows had shot skyward when the dials pegged.
Erin pushed the beast back down, and the hum vanished, the sparks quit, and the dials returned to zero. The technician shook his head. "That's, well, that's excellent - you seemed to be able to turn in on and off at will. Was that a struggle, or did it come easily?" He asked, mopping his forehead with a handkerchief. Erin shrugged. "I had to think about it - concentrate - to start it, but once it was flowing, no. Then the same again to shut it off. It wasn't really hard, per-se. But I couldn't explain exactly how I did it in words." The tech nodded. "OK, well, I think that's a wrap for today then. We'll take a look at the data, and see what we might want to work towards next." He gave a wry grin. "If nothing else, I don't think you'll ever lack for electricity - that was a remarkable amount of power you delivered there. How hard were you pushing?" Erin considered. "Not pushing at all really, just letting what there was flow out. I wasn't trying to limit it, or to boost it." The tech shook his head, "Well, lets not push it then - the hardware would probably melt."
"...had no idea, Sir. She was completely relaxed, and hardly blipped out of her alpha state. God only knows what sort of power she can tap if she actually tries." "And if she loses it?" "Well, sir. We're at 670 times the power levels we were at two months ago. If the levels keep on rising at this rate..." "Can the containment fields handle it?" "Nosir. No way. I wouldn't want to count on it today, and her levels are only going up..."
Erin tossed and turned in her sleep. She hadn't been sleeping well since she'd been rescued - nightmares. Usually featuring Rikti. Tonight it was the night she was captured, but this time she pointed her hands at the aliens, and...
The monitors recorded some of it - Erin was tossing and turning, muttering in her sleep. Then she was floating off the bunk, electricity coruscating around her. Then she yelled something incomprehensible, and lightning arced from her hands, and the cameras recorded no more.
Erin woke to the hooting of the alarms. The extinguisher system in her room was drenching everything - what was left of the burned, melted, and twisted shapes that had been her bed, nightstand, and guest chairs. The hole in the door and the scorch marks on the walls, ceiling and floors were another eloquent testimony to the power of... well, whatever it was that had done this. She had a suspicion, but she hoped she was wrong.
Erin finished watching the recording again, and sighed. "I thought I had it under control." she said. Dr. Phelps nodded, "And while you're awake, you do. Unfortunately, when you're asleep, it's your subconscious running the show and it isn't... concerned with collateral damage. You have a nightmare of being attacked, and you strike out with your newfound abilities. What could be more natural? People punch and kick in response to nightmares all the time. Unfortunately, in your case, we have more than disarranged bedclothes as a result." Despite herself, Erin gave a shaky laugh. "Something more, yes."
"For the moment," Dr. Phelps continued, "we can use medication to suppress your nightmares - this should prevent another incident, at least temporarily." "For the moment?" Erin asked. "Why?" "Why isn't that a permanent solution?" asked Dr. Phelps, "Yes. I'm not thrilled with the idea of sleeping pills for the rest of my life, but given the alternative..." "Ah, yes. Well sleep, actually, isn't the problem. It's your nightmares. And to medically suppress your dreams requires far more than a garden-variety sleeping pill. The long-term side-effects are not good. And worse, the psychological effects of depriving the human mind of a healthy dream life are equally unpleasant." He shook his head. "No, we can give ourselves some time, but it's nothing more than a Band-Aid, really." Erin looked concerned. "So, what do I do? How can I control this... this... thing inside me in my dreams?" She sounded defeated.
"Now, don't give up on us yet, Erin. We have a problem, but as I said, we have some time to find a solution." Erin nodded, sadly "OK, Doctor. If you say so, but I'll be damned if I can think of what you're going to do. It sounds to me like this... thing the Rikti woke inside me is, sooner or later, going to devour me - and it I'm not careful, everyone nearby." She held her head in her hands. Dr. Phelps walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I know this is a setback, and I know you don't see a way forward. But that doesn't mean there isn't one, Erin. In fact, there's someone I'd like you to talk to, if you'll trust me enough to try something... odd."
Erin raised her head. "Odd? Doc, I'm a physics grad-student specializing in high-temperature superconductors, captured by aliens who used a latent mutation in my genome to turn me into some sort of reactor, and whose nightmares now cause electrical storms - and you're going to have me talk to someone that qualifies as 'odd'?" She fell back into the chair. "I'm afraid you're going to have to excuse me, but my oddity threshold has been... expanded of late." Dr. Phelps smiled, Better, Erin. Better. A fair point too - but Azuria is a unique individual, and I doubt you've met her like before. Or will again. If you're willing to keep an open mind, I think she may be able to help." "An open mind? What sort of doctor is Azuria?" Phelps shook his head "Oh, Azuria isn't a doctor. She's a seer - a practitioner of magic, and one of the wisest people I have ever met..."
Atlas Park, later that week;
"Thank you so much for taking the time to see me, Azuria. Dr. Phelps speaks very highly of you." Erin said, as they walked through the small grove of trees. "Oh, it was no trouble Erin, no trouble at all. I like to take the time to meet the special people of Paragon City, and while I spend most of my time with those who practice the arcane arts, it's often enlightening to speak with those who follow other paths to power - such as you." Erin looked askance at the seer. "Me? I'm not trying to gain power - I'm doing my damnedest to get rid of it." she said, vehemently. "It's not... me. It's something those... unmentionable aliens did to me. And I can't control it - can't keep it inside where it won't hurt anyone." Erin stopped on the path, her fists clenched. "If I could..." and then she stopped, watching the electricity begin to play along her fingers. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Azuria. I need to be more careful." and she walked over to a bench by a fountain and sat, her head bowed. "I don't know what to do" she said to the ground at her feet.
Azuria followed her to the bench, and sat beside her. "No need to apologize, Erin." Her voice turned wry. "Many an inexperienced sorcerer has lost control of their powers. It happens - and it is all the more frequent with those whom the power is thrust upon, rather than those who sought it out."
Azuria paused for a moment. "Look, if you will, at that tree across the fountain, Erin." Erin wiped her eyes, and looked - a large elm tree stood alongside the path, its leafy branches moving gently in the breeze. "It's an... elm tree, isn't it?" "Yes" Azuria nodded. "An elm. But once, it was this;" and she opened her hand to show that it contained a seed. "Such a seed may remain so for years, yet once placed in fertile ground, it will germinate, and grow into the beautiful tree you see."
Azuria placed the seed in Erin's hand. "Tell me, child. Can you take that tree and return it to a seed?" Erin shook her head "No - nobody can do that. It's not a seed anymore" and her voice trailed off. Azuria nodded. "No, not a seed anymore. And neither are you. You have been treating what has happened to you as being something apart - a beast you must restrain, or at best a tide of power you must hold back. Not a part of you. If you were to treat your legs as a wild animal you must fight against, or at best as a burden to be endured, do you think you could walk, much less dance?"
Reluctantly, Erin shook her head. "But..." she protested, "I didn't want this." "And did the universe ask the seed if it wished to be an elm? Or the caterpillar if it wished to become a butterfly?" Asked Azuria, rhetorically. A Monarch chose that moment to alight on Azuria's hand, flapping its wings slowly. "I know you did not seek this out - and you would likely have lived a happy and fulfilled life as a caterpillar." The Monarch took flight, fluttering its way across the park. "But now you have the chance to fly - to live your new life as a butterfly, if you will. And I think, if you will only look on this as a gift - as a part of you to be cherished and developed instead of a threat to be strangled or contained - that you might be surprised at what will grow."
Four months later, Vanguard HQ - Rikti War Zone;
Erin pulled on the finned boots. She was still a little self-conscious in the form-fitting outfit, but the slipstream meant that lose clothing was out, and the sleek materiel was conductive, so she didn't scorch it. The Vanguard ops officer walked in All ready?" Erin nodded. "Yep. As ready as I'll ever be." She gestured, and a bubble of shimmering distortion surrounded her as she floated into the air, electricity caressing her lithe form. "And did you pick a call-sign?" the officer asked. "Yes - Quantum Field." The officer grinned. "Seems appropriate. We've got a patrol sighted heading towards one of our forward recon posts - if you could check it out, and lend a hand if things get messy, the soldiers there would sure appreciate it." he said, as they headed towards the exit corridor.
Erin gestured at one of the training targets, and a blue-white bolt of electricity leapt to it, vaporizing the model of a Rikti Drone. "Not a problem, officer. I'm looking forward to meeting the Rikti again." She stepped on the lift, and when the surface hatch opened, she catapulted into the air, leaving a small whirlwind in her wake. The officer held his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight, and could barely catch the blur of her departure. He shook his head "I doubt they'll enjoy the reunion." he muttered, as he threw the switch to close the surface hatch I doubt that very much..."
Later that day, Atlas Park City Hall;
"..ust sign here, Ma'am. Thank you." Azuria took the package. Once, in her youth, she'd used her arts to discover everything she could about the mundane events that were to come; but it had robbed her of the small pleasant surprises that were so much of the joy in life. "And who would have..." As she opened the package, she found a small elm seedling in a pot. And a note. "Azuria; If you could find a place to plant this, I'd appreciate it. The seed has outgrown the planter, but I think it might become a useful tree someday, if given room to grow. You did so well with the last one. Thank you. Erin." Azuria smiled.
Synchrotron, level 50 Radiation/Radiation Defender
Fighting crime on Champion since 2004