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Warm were the rays that beamed through the silky curtains. Calm was the morning breeze that pushed its way passed the silky cloth. Ever so slightly did the sun creep over the horizon, illuminating the small city below. Continuing its never ceasing course, elevating into the glorious heavens, more and more rays of warmth penetrated the room. The sun, coupled with the breezed, danced along the inner working of the bedchamber until they tickled the woman's face that lay soundly asleep. Only until the rays kissed her eyes did she rouse from her peaceful rest. With naught but a smile on her face, and the glory of the Creator within her bosom, she looked towards the illuminated curtains with joy. For Evelyn, today was a beautiful day.

"Praises be given to the creator for this beautiful day. By this breath, I give thee thanks for they continuing guidance. With this sight, I see all that thou hast given me. By this hand, am I given the ability to manipulate and hold all that thou has created. By these feet am I able to move, to travel, and partake in all that thous has to offer. By this mouth am I able to gain sustenance, gifted by thee. By this voice am I able to spread thy word, thy holy teachings, and thy love. By this city hast thou blessed the Enclave with continued support. By this world hast thou given us a home. Creator, all by thine, and none be claimed by me. For that, many thanks are given, and none is asked, but asked that thou may continue to spread thy holy light upon all of thy children. That they may continue to be prosperous, flourish, and protected. Creator be praised, Amen."

By that she rose from her knees and stood towards the small altar in her room. With a smile and her step now quickened by the invigorating glory of the Creator, she grabbed her satchel and headed for the door.

Stepping out onto the terrace she paused for a moment to take in the fresh sea breeze. The air rolled in off the waves and made its ways through the alleys and the streets, engulfing the city in a sweet, calming wind. The sun added to the effect, basking the port with its effulgent rays. Warmth, and peace, was amongst the many things that the Canarian sun had to offer to the people whom had so graciously come to call this planet their home. The grand altar of the Creator stood proudly at the center of the humble city, tall and glimmering with beauty amongst the light of the sun. It shown like a brilliant diamond, showing nothing but praises to the Exalted One.

Engine trails of the many ships which dotted the sky acted as if they were phosphorescent beams which painted the horizon. Large transports bearing the great necessities of the Enclave came and went, some of them belonging to the great Zoner allies, but the majority being proud vessels of the Animus. Bearing the grand Animus symbol on the side, they continued their duty onward and onward. The cogs of progress never ceased, nor would it, as long as the Enclave were to persist. By the Creator's hand had this planet been found, and gifted as a suitable home for His followers. Protected by his divine will, it stands as a testament of the devotion that the Virulians have to their God, and nothing would stop them from expanding in peace.

*The halls of the suppository of long and pristine. A brilliant white marble makes the composition of the floor, as it is lined with various forms of inlaid wiring which glow, illuminating the path. Hundreds of thousands of books line the walls and shelf, yet no one is touching them, let alone reading them. Evenly spaced along the rear wall are various terminals, in which a few are occupied. Softly the sound of your step echoes along the hall and you delicately make your way to a free console. A holographic display of a keyboard in front of your appears. Gently, yet expertly you type in the words...*

>Query: Virulian Enclave/Cities/Tear

*Slowly a holographic image appears*

Greetings Inquisitor, I'd be happy to assist you.

You have queried Cities of the Virulian Enclave, subsection, Tear.

*The hologram begins to shift, moving the projected image of your holographic guide over to your left while a new image formulates to your right*


Tear

• Classifcation: Space/Sea Port
  
• Population: 300,000
  
• Area: 230 km^2
  
• Elevation: 0 m
  
• Situated: 220 Km NE of Eden
  

Tear, a recent development by the Virulian Enclave. A port city, for both space and sea, it acts as the central hub for all of incoming and outgoing Virulian activity. The purpose of the city was to act as the main spaceport for the main Canarian colony of "Eden". While moving the major spaceport away from the main colony, it assisted in clearing the skies and reducing the pollution. Also, it has allowed for the repurposing of many buildings, which had been formally dedicated to storage and processing facilities for outgoing and incoming materials, to residential and religious effigies.

Climate
Climate at tear has a consistency with that of a sea side town. With cool breezes coming in off the sea, clouds tend to follow it. Tear, on average, enjoys 3-5 days a years of completely clear skies. During the winter months Tear tends to sustain hurricane class storms and tropical depressions. Weather modulation systems that were installed by the Enclave have managed to lessen the impact those storms have on shipping and activity of the port. During the Fall and Spring month, Tear tends to have scatteredght to moderate showers throughout the day, with the night bringing a cease to the storms. In the summer, almost no rain is received.

The Space Port
As stated prior, Tear's major economy and contribution to the Enclave is its massive Space port complex. Taking up the majority of the square kilometers which make up Tear, it has the capacity to handle any sized ship and cargo load, both inbound and outbound. Currently it has a processing capacity of 1 million units of cargo daily, and a storage capacity of 10 million units. The Space port is tested and cleared to handle every and all materials, up to, but not limited to Softwares, Nuclear Devices, various metal alloys, and traveling personnel. In recent times, Tear has seen a large influx of Virulian converts making their pilgrimage to Eden and the grand Virulian Temple.

Districts

• The Spaceport Complex: Handles the offloading and reception of all vessels
  
• The Warehousing district: Handles the processing and storage of all received and outbound goods.
  
• Northern Residential: Housing for all the new arrivals, pilgrims, and recent converts readying to make the journey to Eden.
  
• Southern Docks: Handles all the Seafaring traffic. Consists of large docks with piers of warhouses and ports.
  
• Downtown Tear: Holds the municipal seat and also bears home to the Shrine of the Creator of Tear.
  
• Commercial District: Mostly surrounding downtown Tear, it boasts shops where supplies can be purchased for traveling.
  
• Western Barracks: EDF complex to protect the vital city of Tear.
  
• South Western Residential: Home to the permanent residents of Tear. Mostly made up of the laborers of the Spaceport.
  

Noise

The hangar was full of it, ships landing, machinery, mechanics, robots and random people running about doing whatever, one particular figure however, didn't seem to belong there, a black robed figure.

A figure, arms crossed, leaning his back on a container, standing tall and watching the hangar and the people in it with cold, menacing eyes from under the edge of his hood. The mechanics and other workers seemed not to notice him, those who did, would meet his eyes, and quickly scuffle out of his view, he emitted some cold vibe that generally scared people off.

He suddenly raised his head, a slight beep sounded in his ear.

<Your grace, the ship you were waiting for has arrived>

His mouth opened, his voice deep, commanding and filled with confidence.

''Thank you, you may return to your duties, Dock Master''

The beeping noise sounded again, the link to the Dock Master AI was cut off. The man's head turned up, just as a large transport ship had entered from the hangar gate. The sub-sonic rumble of it's engines could be felt powering down as it was kept in the air by the gravitation clamps.


The man stepped forward and headed towards the ship, treading heavily.

''Navitas''

The same beep was heard in the man's ear, and a low, metallic, but at the same time soft voice came through,

<Our guest will be meeting us at Hatch B2, tracking the target, ETA is around 3 minutes, on your screen now>

As the man looked at the transport, his vision blurred, and then his vision showed the transport as a 3D blueprint, he saw a red blip, in the shape of a human, walking towards one of the atmosphere hatches that led out of the ship. He quickly headed towards the hatch on the open side, people were walking out, he saw them as blurry blue images, and in the midst of them the red blip could easily be seen coming out of the hatch. The man narrowed his eyes slightly, and with a thought the tracking image went blank and his normal vision returned.

As his vision came back, the red blip turned into a womanly figure, she paused, looking at the hangar around her, then her eyes went left and right, searching for someone in particular. Her eyes caught the robed man, right in front of her, a few meters ahead. She immediately went across to him, coughed as she cleared her throat, and then held out her hand.

In turn, the man held out his own, although, it wasn't covered with skin, but rather some silver-colored metallic substance, it pulsed with light slightly. She paused a second before shaking it.

''Hey, name's Sophie, and you must be the...Exarch, I take it ?''
''Indeed, the package?''

He took his hand away.

''Right here, and the cash?''

Her voice slightly trembled, barely noticeable but the man had evidently felt it. He looked up, directly in her eyes, and grinned, as the woman was clearly a bit frightened of his presence, and who wouldn't anyway? The same beep was heard, but this time not just in the man's ear, but as if it came from the man, although his lips weren't moving.

<Your credits have been transfered, Sophie. Now the package, if you will please>

As the man sighed, she looked at her data-pad, a grin crawling up her mouth, she was much more richer now. She had a suitcase with her, just a simple suitcase, she handed it over to him. As he took it away, his hand, (the one he had shook her hand with), pulsed bright once, and then faded back to it's normal stature.

''We're done, goodbye''

And without another word, he turned around and quickly headed for one of the exits, as she looked at him, it appeared as if he had just vanished into the thick crowd that was still coming out of the ship.

''Virulians...damned creepy.''

She said as she spun around and headed back into the ship...

Activity along the streets were booming. People as hustling around, moving in orderly yet hastened fashions to complete their tasks. Many were workers of the space dock, moving between shifts. The sun was now high in the sky, shining its glorious brilliances down upon all the people below. Man, machine, and a combination of both were working harmoniously side by side, towards a better and brighter future.

Sparse clouds rolled in from the sea, and its salty breeze flowed through the alley ways and the streets of Tear. Evelyn couldn't help but feel the cool, calm breeze as she made her way, uplifting the souls that populated this great city. Deacon of the Faith, she managed to help those renew their vigor, and their faith in the Creator. She greeted both forms, humans, and all alike.

She reiterated the words of the great Arch Priestess to those that would listen to her. The many words of the Priestess' sermons were for her to draw upon, and the people to draw strength from. Blessing all with continued fervor in their inner will, did she bring about the graces of the Creator upon herself. For that alone, as the Arch Deacon Tona Criid had told her, was the job of a Seraphim, first and foremost.

She made her way through the commercial district, greeting those Zoner pilots, and others that were not of the Virulian faith. Doing all she could to make these guests welcome in the warm embrace of the Virulians, many suspicions were quelled and great friendships were born. For some time did she mingle amongst the foreigners before making her way to the Temple of the Saints, which stood proudly in the middle of Tear. Raising high above all the other structures of the Port City, it stood as a testament of faith.

Yet, upon the temple steps, a crowd seemed to have gathered. The quiet breeze, and the drone of the a city at work was now being overpowered by the sounds of a angered people. The crowd, although not too large, was quite a gathering to see upon the temple steps. A few shouts of anger and resentment could be heard, but the booming voice of one in particular could be heard above all. No matter how loud the crowd shouted, this man's voice drowned all others.

It was a voice of a machine, but the eloquence of weathered individual. It was soothing, and were charismatic in the tones in which the voice took. Evelyn's interest was now piqued, and she made her way to the front of the crowd. Catching tid bits, here and there, of what the man was saying, she was surprised to see who it was, once she reached the front...

There wasn't any noise here, only a few corridors away from one of the main hangars, but there was complete silence in the small, unused storage room, many of it's kind filled the warehouse district of Tear, although, a very significant and dangerous event was happening in one of them now.

As the Hooded Man entered the room, the moment he looked up, he could see...something in front of him, a slight ripple in the air, in shape of some large humanoid form, it could barely be seen, but if one looked hard enough, it was there, out in the open. The ripple started to glitter and gain some black color.

''No''

The ripple faded back to what it was, as the man opened the briefcase he had received earlier. Inside, there was a plain bar of metal, it looked as if it was ordinary steel, 50 centimeters across, 20 in width and depth, a simple steel bar. The only unusual thing that can be observed from the outside was it's weight, which barely weighed anything at all, despite it's solid look and touch.

However, if one had ran some simple electro magnetic tests, they'd see that it absorbed the waves completely, along with any radiation as well, that is where things would get interesting. The man slid his hand over it again, pulsing, controlling it again, yes, it was indeed what he had wanted it to be.

A rare element, barely any knew that it even existed, so rare in fact, that it was regarded as some random trace element, useless. But, only a fraction of the total of people who had known of it actually knew what it was. It was called many things, Element X, Element Z, Nanodium, Serfrenium and some other things. The Virulians used Nanodium. Once melted with certain other well-known, simple elements, it would turn into various compounds.

<Well? What are you waiting for? We don't have time to slack you know, Ragen>
''Right, I'm just making sure''

Ragen put the briefcase down, the bar of Nanodium suddenly lifted as if by itself, then the ripple could be seen shining for a moment, and then the bar disappeared into thin air, a door at the far side opened, then closed, Ragen was left alone.

The bar of Nanodium brought up thoughts, he couldn't help but look at it. He reached into his robes, and then pulled out a small object, a small sphere that he could grasp with his hand, it shown a matte silver color,


A Virulian Nanite-Bomb, the Virulians' super weapon, or, at least one of them. It was the main usage of Nanodium in the Enclave. By merging Nanoidum with Tritium and Iron, a superdense material is created. This material, is used by ''squeezing'' billions of nanites in it, nanites that are programmed for destruction. Once activated, it would detonate into a large cloud as the nanites blew out of it, raining upon anything near them. In the first 30 seconds, the nanites would ''eat up'' anything in a 2 kilometer cubic square. After that, they would slow down, although would not stop completely, eating up anything in their wake until they were out of power, or told to stop. If used correctly, that small sphere of metal could eat up countless cities, animals, people or anything else.

The amount of destruction sent a shudder down even Ragen's spine. He sighed as he put the bomb back under his robes, and turned back through the door heading for the highest levels of Tear, he had nothing else to do and decided to just grab some fresh air.

"You are a fool! How dare you speak such words!"

"The Creator does not look lightly upon your Heresy!"

"Heretic! Heretic! A False Prophet! He speaks nothing but vile!"

"GO AWAY! You vile Serpent of the Dark Spirits!"

These were but a few of the jaunts and jeers that I received. The constant bombarding of words felt like brick against the skin and bones of the mortal coil. Endlessly the hate flowed from the mouths of those hypocrites. Without respite did they unceasingly continue to mock, defame, and utterly destroy and hope that I had to some inkling of self confidence. Any hint of residual self confidence now ebbed from the tips of my fingers, leaving it to the cool, calm sea breeze that continued to flow from the docks. ...Or so the crowd thought.

That breeze, the endless assurance of continuing life, danced across my skin. Penetrating the cloak wrapped around me, it kissed my flesh and it danced endlessly through the streets of this once glorious city. The radiant sun above, giving off its continuous warm rays, bathed the great port city. The blue sky above, crystal clear, yet majestically dotted with the splotches of heavenly white clouds watched the pit of sin and vile vermin. The waves of the not so distant ocean rolled along, their power and ferocity calmed by the weather of the day, marked the ceasing line of committable atrocities.

Breathing deep, taking in the refreshing sea breeze, reinvigorated by the strength of the sea, glorified by the sun above, and given a majestic backdrop of the sky overlooking, I raised my head slowly and looked at the crowd. I looked into the eye of every single one of those that sought to take my will, my being with their words. Long did I allow them to continue with their hate, long did I allow them to speak those hypocritical words of bile, long did they jeer and taunt for mere sport.

I bided my time, and let the so called "followers" of the Virulian faith continue in their constant state of pure hate. I continued to watch those gather, and those join in the festivities. For this was no more than a community recreational event. It took all I had to not laugh at these mere sheep, to rebuke these serpents for their sins. Then, a strange movement amognst the crowd caught my eye. They began to part, not in a large fashion, but small enough to allow someone to pass through. I could see the hole move forward as this person got closer to me. Then suddenly, she appeared, and I knew it was time to begin.

Under my cloak, I released my grip, allowing the ends of the cloth to relax to my side. The crown quickly began to silence at the sight of my person. To smile would be justified, but not quite appropriate. I slowly raised my hand, and allowed my mouth to become the piece of greatness.


"For many years, you Virulians have been subject to many trials and tribulations. For many season have you felt pain, misery, and hopelessness. You've seen your homes destroyed, your friend and family eradicated like vermin, and your great edifices turned to rubble. You were forced to leave what remnant of a home you had, to travel the stars, homeless, and down trodden.

Through those dark times did you look to your Creator, for guidance and strength. Your piety grew, and your faith hardened. You became unquestionable in your beliefs in His existence. You did what you were asked, lived the faith, and adhered to your Patriarchs counsel. And by doing so, you were greatly rewarded by the warm embrace offered by the Zoners, and the firm soil to build your colonies here, on Gran Canaria. Truly, your creator smiled brightly upon you.

Yet now, you've fallen back to complacency. You've fallen back to a state of malcontent. You fallen, into a vile pit of sin! Debauchery and great misconducts are conducted on every corner! You wallow in a pit of filth and hate! You leaders, do nothing but fill their coffers on your ignorance! You mindless sheep, you vermins of the dark!

You think all is well. That you attend your temples on your holy days. That you pay your tithes, that you assist in your tasks. Yet, without the purpose of heart, you mindless hulks just go about your business, doing it because you are told! Your Creator does not smile upon thee for such actions!"

My blood was boiling. Fumes were emanating from my nostrils as I breathed heavily. I glared into the awestruck faces of the crowd as they just stared in disbelief. Many of them wondering if I was even real, others slowly registering what I had said, and few growing angry. My time here was short, my duty almost complete, and my mission close to success. I raised my fist once more, and uttered the messenger's message...

"Your Creator has seen your wicked actions. He is most displeased with your vile misdoings. You think you live in a time of prospering, but no longer shall that exist. Hear me out! For those who remain diligent shall be protected, and those that remain faithful shall be saved. A great plague is coming, to scourge the sinners. The refiner's fire shall be cast upon this vile pit, and all impurities will burn! Tear will bleed, and Tear will burn!

For I am Joshua, hearken to my words!"

The message had been delivered, my mission complete. For what happens next, I care not...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Evelyn stood there shocked, stunned. This man, his words he spoke, pricked at her heart. It was a feeling she only felt listening to the words of Patriarch, and of the Arch Priestess. It was that feeling that let her know that these words were true. But how could they be? To her, Tear was a shining beacon of hope to all across Sirius.

Yet, her preconception was surely shaken. No sooner than this Joshua had finished speaking, the crowd turned into a blood hungry mob. The words spoken were even more carnal, more obscene. Hatred spewed from every mouth and tongue. She looked in fear and her heart was broken. Then, a bottle flew, followed by a stone. This Joshua lurched in pain as they hit home. He was double over when the first person charged forward and kicked him straight in the face. Evelyn turned and ran immediately as the torrent of blood ensued.

Light

It flooded through the hatch as the elevator came up to high city level, right on top of Tear. The Canarian suns were blazing high in the sky, their rays flooding the city with piercing light. At first Ragen couldn't see, from the time spent in the depths of the city, but after a moment his eyes attuned to the sunlight. After looking around at the people passing him, citizens, other members of the Enclave, Porters and Priests, but the majority of them were Acolytes. He must've been in Downtown Tear, by a quick glance upwards, he could see the towering shadow of a building, the highest on Tear, the Shrine devoted to the Creator, yes, he was indeed in Downtown Tear.

He strolled on forward, towards the Shrine, a prayer was indeed owed to the Creator, and he'd see it done. Ragen wasn't as religious and devoted to the Creator as other members of the Animus were, but he still believed in him.

The sun rays were still flooding the city with a bright light, Ragen had spent much time in the Temple, and training outposts and such, he was more at home in places with a more...pale light. A single thought, and the same beep was heard in his ear, the Dock Master AI's voice came though,

<Your Grace, did you request something?>
''Yes, how about some darker clouds? And perhaps a bit of rain?''
<I'm not sure I'm allowed to access the weather control system without a good rea->

Ragen sighed, he was in no mood to argue with an AI just right now.

''Is there any other Animus member currently looking over the system, or any orders from anyone?
<No, your Grace>
''Then have it done''
<Yes, your Grace>

The link closed, Ragen looked up at the topmost ''tower of the Shrine, a little light shined for a moment, Tear's weather alerter was placed on it. Even now, he could see that the white, sparse clouds had started to build up to form a blanket, slowly darkening.

As Ragen continued to walk, he heard shouts, at first he gave no notice, but then the voice started to grow, the shouts of a crowd rather a single person, and it didn't end, he turned and stepped up his pace, heading to the source. Which was directly in front of the Shrine, at the same time, a strong breeze fell over Tear enclosing it in wind (The weather alerter was doing it's job perfectly). He came to the clearing in front of the Shrine, his nano-enhanced eyes could see a crowd, shouting and doing...something to someone on the ground. His HUD flashed once, showing an arrow to his right, he looked and saw a womanly figure wrapped in a cloak running away from the crowd, Ragen recognized her now pale face,

Evelyn. One of the Seraphims if he re-called his memory correctly, he had seen her on some training assignments some time before, although, something was off. Seraphims didn't get scared so easily, and he'd rather believe that the Creator came down upon them to Gran Canaria rather than a Seraphim getting scared off by a crowd. He looked back towards the shouting people, and he could quite make out that there was indeed someone getting trampled, kicked and punched by everyone else.

Blood was running upon the Shrine grounds, he would not have that.

''WHAT, IN THE CREATOR'S NAME ARE YOU DOING!?''

His voice was deep and loud, like rolling thunder amongst the skies, which was now darkening even faster, lightning struck throughout the clouds. The crowed stopped instantly, turning to the point of where the voice had come from, a sudden silence was held all around.

Ragen was in a potent fury, unbeknown to him, his sub-conscious was routing the Nanites in his body, overcharging them, creating what seemed to be small pillars of lighting parting in Ragen's wake, his eyes turned a sudden blue.

''You dare defile the Holy Shrine of the Creator...with BLOOD?

Not one sound came from the crowd, not even the other Animus members dared to speak out, especially not to a Virulian who wore a Deacon's black robes, and certainly not a Deacon that was kindled with a flame of anger against any that defiled the Creator by even a bit.

Certainly not, a sudden fear gripped them all, not of Ragen, but of the Creator, the Deacon was right, they had no right to taint a Shrine like this, and the words of the person they had all fallen on, came upon their minds, their fear grew even more.

As Ragen swept forward, into the middle of the crowd, they all parted by, he could see the fear in their faces, their eyes darting this way and that. Not fear of him, but of what they've done, he stopped before a man on the floor, blood smeared his face and over his body, he seemed to be shaking just a bit. As Ragen knelt down and scanned the man's body, he could sense that they had broken quite a few of his bones, not to mention several locations in his body with internal bleeding, although, the man wasn't in shock, or even afraid at all.

Ragen's voice came out, only just above a whisper,

''So, will anyone be telling me why you almost beat this man to death?

"she was running, every sense told her to run from the grizzly bloody scene way behind her, the little child's breaths came in ragged gasps, unseen things tugged at her clothes. she looks back over her shoulder, something grabs at her feet. she shrieks as she falls to the ground, her palms skid painfully against the metal and grit, her chin hits the ground hard jarring her teeth and her vision. her legs scramble to get her back up, her shoulder hits the wall as she does bruising the joint deeply. her legs keep moving her further from the disaster behind her. nuts and bolts in her leg pocket jingle loudly in the night, a hand strays down to silence them. blood from the scraped palm stains her pants. she rounds a corner barely illuminated in the dark alleys she runs through, something stops her abruptly. her scream rips through the night as the arms enfold her, legs kick fiercely, arms flail, fists pound the shape holding the terrified girl. the strange arms turn her around, a hand clamps over her mouth. another slightly muffled scream rips through the dim alley. then a hoarse roar of pain as the girls teeth clamp on to the hand muffling her. her elbow slams into the big figures groin, the strange arms release her. the heart of she small girl hammers audibly with extreme fear, her muscles move of their own volition away from the stranger. pain lances through the hands that brace against walls of brick and steel, feet stumble and trip over dirty dark objects, lungs burn for want of more oxygen, ribs are bruised internally from the heart hammering against them. sounds are muted by the whooshing of blood. tears streak the dirty face leaving clean if salt encrusted skin. heavy footsteps sound behind the frightened child, small sobs escape the throat, her legs move faster. unseen objects tangle around her legs and feet making her stumble again and again. the heavy footsteps get closer to her. a bang echos behind her making her scream with fear. she rounds another corner. her eyes frantically search for a hiding place. old crates are barely visible in the scant light cast by grime covered lamps. hands bruised and bleeding grasped edges, feet sore from fleeing scrambled against sides, slowly the little body combed up one of the stacks and scrambled over the edge of a roof. her lungs pushed and pulled air frantically as she lay there by the edge. she forced herself up and jogged over the roof slipping over the metal slowly becoming damp with the beginnings of rain. gunshots ring out behind her echoing off the buildings. a vent sticking out of a roof top catches her leg, her mouth opens in a silent scream as she plummets off the roof. "

Shukura jerked awake with a short scream. one of the transport vessels crew stopped by her concerned, she waved the person away with a halfhearted smile. [color=#FF6600] just a bad dream, i'm fine she mumbled.

Shukura runs her hand over her face stifling a groan. 'i haven't dreamed of that night in years. why when i need to be calm and collected does my mind stress my nerves with that horrible memory' she unbuckled herself, stood and stretched the travel from her muscles. The memory of her family's death hadn't haunted her in years, not since she had escaped to Gran Canaria, rebuilt her life and started working in a mechanics shop that catered to off-worlders needing quick repairs. She had made a comfortable life, she was in no way wealthy but she could keep herself afloat well enough. her mind went back to the night she encountered the Virulians at Sophie's. everything had changed after that encounter and she hoped it was for the better. She had been taken into their numbers and had entered of her own free will. She remembered ArchPriestess Nashida's face when she had asked if she could join. The kind woman had seemed very happy at Shuk's request. Tona and the Priory surfaced in her mind's eye. The cute young woman who was looking for her after she left the Priory and was gone longer than she had planned. A blush crept over her face as she remembered why she had gone missing. Tor'€¦Reboot'€¦her body flushed at the name of the android who seduced her, who she had partially seduced as well. her stomach fluttered as intimate details of the uncounted hours she spent with him seeped through her mind again. She jerked her mind away from those details when she felt her skin flushing more.remember what he said, ""Love, I'm a Phantom. People are going to disapprove of this." He casually says it, as if it were common knowledge." Virulians and Phantoms are enemies'€¦its probably best i forget him and move on' for what she felt for him she wished it could be different. in her heart, she knew she wasn't likely to forget him..even if she tried. she took a calming breath and tried to focus on what was going on around her and why she was on Tear. another part of her, prayed that none would discover what she had done that night. a semi-mechanical voice sounded over the com. system washing away any and all thoughts of the Phantom
we will be docking in 10 minutes, passengers prepare to disembark, appropriate crew members should report to stations for the unloading of freight and equipment.
Shukura walked a ways, opened a small wall compartment and retrieved her bag. a helpful crew member brought her the cat she rescued from the alley on Gran Canaria. the playful thing let into shuk's arms before she could reach for it. smart cat, she was quiet the whole way, didn't cause any trouble for any of us. most have had to be sedated. not many animals like space travel and its a rare find when one doesn't mind it. the crew member remarked while scratching it behind its ears. Shukura smiled her thanks as the Enclaver turned and left. She descended a few decks and followed the others travellers as they left the ship. looking through the crowed she hailed a young Enclaver she had grown fond of over the course of the trip. Soren!

the young man stopped and turned, a grin broke over his bare face. he stood around 5ft 6in, his limbs were long without being awkward. he was sleek but muscular in a feline way despite the definition his clothes gave his muscles. his hair was clipped short and stuck out in odd angles without looking foolish for one of his stature. he possessed no facial hair despite his age, for he was 19.

Shukura, there you are. i waited for you but when you didn't show i though you had already left the ship and were swept away with the crowdhe moved toward her and lifted her from the ramp swinging her lightly to the ground by him. she landed lightly on her feet. Soren put his arm over her shoulders guiding her through the crowded streets of Tear to the Shrine. Any idea if someone is waiting for you at the shrine? if not i'm sure i can find someone to help you get to where you need to be. Soren offered.

Shukura looked up at himi really don't know'€¦i'm sure i could find my way if there isn't anyone waiting.

Soren shrugged and continued to lead her to the shrine. my tour on Tear is going to be a pretty long one, you can drop in on me anytime, you know'€¦ when your job doesn't keep you too busy he gave her a boyish grin.

she elbowed him in the ribs. and why might i be inclined to do that? said and bit her lip to keep from chuckling at him.

he was silent for a moment then said cause if you don't i will harass you till you do?

shukura laughed at him thats really not going to convince me, Soren

the boyish grin stole across his face againcome on, you will need a friend and short breaks from what ever jobs they have you busy with. besides i know several hot spots to unwind when you need it.

she shook with a silent giggle.alright you have convinced me. she said slightly mocking him.

she giggled a little more at him as they walked. They rounded a corner and continued to wind their way through the streets and the bustle of the city. not too far now, it should be a few blocks over. you can see it already if you look over the buildings. he pointed to the shape just barely visible over the low buildings of city, majestic in its own right, with a welcoming air to it. Shukura shook off an urge to run the rest of the distance and wondered at it.

its bigger than i imagined said, a twinge of surprise and admiration mixing in her voice.

he smiled a bit at her its visited by thousands of Vriulians and converts just starting their pilgrimage and finding their path to enlightenment in the Creators light and love. a wistful expression came over his face. she wondered at him [color=#330099]its good to be home he said and smiled down at her. the smile was a very warm one and soon Shuk found herself smiling back, her nervousness at the new place melting away in the warmth of Soren's smile. They finally turned on to the way leading to the Shrine doors. you know where to find me if you need a friend Soren winked at her.

Shukura gave him hug and held her kitten close wish me luck said then turned to the Shrine.

Shukura glanced up at the darkening sky and shivered a bit in her jacket, she moved her kitten to a pocket in her bag to let it sleep and get warm, it purred as she nestled it in a pocket lined with old cloth. She looked up from her motions and saw the crowd at the Shrine's entrance. curiosity flooded her as she pushed her way through the mass of people. whats going on, what is happening? asked as she pushed through. her words fell on deaf ears. some of the crowd were beating a man. She watched as they kicked and punched the poor soul. She tried to press the rest of the way throughStop!, Stop It!! she cried as she pushed people out of her way. A voice sounded from way out front of the mob. Shukura gasped and fell back at the power of that voice.

' Wrote:''WHAT, IN THE CREATOR'S NAME ARE YOU DOING!?''

the mob shrank back a bit from it. She finished pushing through. A man lay on the ground, severely wounded. blood stained his robes and weeped from many cuts and scrapes, bruises were forming on most of the skin that was exposed. Her hand covered her mouth, her eyes filled with tears of horror. what did he do to deserve the physical wrath of this mob' she wondered.

' Wrote:His voice was deep and loud, like rolling thunder amongst the skies, which was now darkening even faster, lightning struck throughout the clouds. The crowed stopped instantly, turning to the point of where the voice had come from, a sudden silence was held all around.

Ragen was in a potent fury, unbeknown to him, his sub-conscious was routing the Nanites in his body, overcharging them, creating what seemed to be small pillars of lighting parting in Ragen's wake, his eyes turned a sudden blue.

''You dare defile the Holy Shrine of the Creator...with BLOOD?

Not one sound came from the crowd, not even the other Animus members dared to speak out, especially not to a Virulian who wore a Deacon's black robes, and certainly not a Deacon that was kindled with a flame of anger against any that defiled the Creator by even a bit.


Ragen's voice came out, only just above a whisper,

''So, will anyone be telling me why you almost beat this man to death?

Shukura trembled in fear of the enraged man. Thunder sounded overhead, a few rain drops started to fall on the sad scene. minutes passed and still no one answered the man's questions. Shuk warily ventured foreword and knelt by the wounded man. her shoulders hunched defensively incase a blow should fall on her from the angry stranger or from the mob that had beat the man she now tried to help. She swung her pack off her shoulder and pulled out a spare shirt. she slowly began to clean the blood from the injured's face. she stopped for a moment and looked up at the angry man with the flashing eyes.

I don't know why these people did this or what drove them to it but for what ever reason, it wasn't necessary. she looked back down at the injured and cleaned more blood off his face. She pulled her knife from her boot and cut open his shirt. Her fingers probed lightly for broken bones and skimmed his skin for bruises. Shuk pulled her water bottle from her bag and rinsed her shirt as best she could and began removing more blood from the mans skin. She found several cuts that might need stitching and made a mental note of them.'if this is how my arrival here starts, then i'm starting to have a terrible foreboding.'

Ships were arriving and leaving on a minute-basis. Tear was busy as ever...
Well, today seemed to be a bit busier.
A Corvo class cruiser was making its approach. It wasn't really rare to see such a vessel inbound to Gran Canaria, although, this wasn't just your average ship.

[color=#993399][font=Garamond]I've some mixed feelings about this...

The ship was rather empty. There was no crew running around, nor any guards, not even command and control personel.
The only 'real' movement was in the ship's cargo bay, near the elevator platform used for loading and unloading. A small group of drones were preparing for a task.

[color=#993399][font=Garamond]She could've at least given me more information before sending me here like this...

As the cruiser landed on one of the main hangars, the gravity in the ship shifted as it shut down it's engines and was hovering over the ground,steadily bobbing as the hangar's grav clamps did their job. A few platforms outside the ship started to move, scanning the ship from top to bottom, nose to butt.
The group of drones wwere already assembled on the lift, just waiting for a person to appear...literaly.

[color=#993399][font=Garamond]Lets get going.

The lift started to descend, revealing a group of drones and a single person among them. A woman. Quite a young one too, at least from what could one tell from her looks. And even though the place was quite windy, her long pure white hair was not moving. At least not as it should be.

As the lift touched the ground, the whole company of drones and the 'image' of the young girl started to make their way to one of the cities' elevators, and from there to the Shrine.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Although the instructions that had been given to her to move swiftly, Aigis was taking her time. The Drones slowly folowing her, keeping her image together.

Slowly walking through streets, leaving behind one confused pedestrial after another, she was not paying attention where she walked, her mind wandered here and there with vision of, hopefully, a better future. After passing through another person she stopped and looked around. Tear was huge, thousands of people everywhere.

[color=#993399][font=Garamond]How do i find her? With so many people around, this wont be easy. And i doubt that she'll be coming to me...

Aigis loked at the shrine, towering in the distance as the highest building in the city, easily seen from all around. But near her, something other caught her attention. A person ran right through her. There was a moment's pause and Aigis looked into face of the person, obviously a woman.

[color=#993399][font=Garamond]I stand corrected.

That was her target... For now, the only viable option was to give chase...

Evelyn ran, and ran, and ran. It was only when she was set off balance by a few drones, that she bumped into, did she finally slow down and duck into an alley to catch her breath. Tears were coming down her eyes as she then sunk to her knees and cried out a silent prayer, deep within her heart.

"Oh Father, Oh Creator, have mercy upon me. Grant me the strength, and the wisdom, to find what that false prophet has said to be untrue. Creator, why hast thou given me such a feeling that parallels to that of the Arch priestess, when I listen to the words of that Joshua? Why does thou seem fit to confuse me, even now, in my time of most piety? Creator, wilt thou grant me guidance? Wilt thou show me what you want me to see?"

A final tear rolled down her cheeks as she inhaled sharply. She released her clasped hands and reached up for the talisman that was hanging from her necklace. She clenched it tightly as she wiped a tear from her cheek with her free hand. Slowly she stood up and looked around. Her eyes widened by the sight that she saw.

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The day had been strangely bright today. This morning there was a more than joyous atmosphere. The sun brilliance beamed into the cracks of the district. The cool breeze that flowed in from the sea was oddly inviting. It was just an unusually happy day, until the rain started to fall again. The clouds came over head, blocking the radiance of the sun, and bringing back the motif that allowed her "business" to flourish.

She smiled as the neon signs began to flickers and the sounds of drunk, raucous laughter began to once again fill the dark alley ways. Scantily clad women were being extremely friendly to as many people would flash a few credits around. Official of the virulian religion and government alike were there, along with the rabble and scrap off the street.

She smiled one more time as one of her girls came buy and handed her cut. She smiled as she counted the credits in her hands and waved it in front of her face. She then looked around and saw a young Virulian girl in an alley, with tears and shock on her face. Oh what innocence. Oh what purity. Today was her day to see the real face of Tear.

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Evelyn was purely shocked at what she saw. She could not believe the decadence and complete disregard for morality all over. She was truly shaken to the core.

She saw the woman look at her and their eyes matched for just a second. It was almost as if her answer was right there, that in those eyes she looked at, was a beacon. A beacon for something just beyond the reach of reality, just beyond the reach of safety.

Evelyn turned and began her way back out of this district. Slowly she walked out with her head down low. The storm was coming, Joshua's words were true.

Then suddenly, she bumped into a group of drones, the same group she had bumped into earlier. She saw a holoprojection in front of her and had quite the perplexed look on her face.