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+--- Thread: Sanity is Relative (/showthread.php?tid=36828)
Sanity is Relative - Maskage - 03-19-2010
Thoughts and images flow through the mindshare like currents in an ocean. Visions of the past, current events as they unfold, and predictions of the future. Amid the myriad currents there is the remnant of a human mind, gradually having the last traces of its humanity eroded away as it grows into something even more vast and complex... These are its memories, its mind, its song.
Sunbucks Cafe, Police Plaza Illinois
That comes to 9 credits. Come again
Thanks.
Just before JD could sit down with his extra large sunbucks latte, his communicator went off.
Springfield station to any officers in system. We have a trespasser refusing to stop, trajectory indicates he is heading past the Police Plaza.
Reluctantly, JD poured his coffee into a mug and headed for his Liberator. The launch bay was quiet; JD was the only officer on duty in Illinois. Usually it was the most uneventful system to be assigned to, most people dont even know where it is. Today was different, a battered fuel-leaking camara freighter was speeding by just as JDs Liberator pulled out of the bay. He flicked the lights on and began his pursuit.
Unidentified vessel, set your throttle to zero and prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply lethal force will be used, this is your only warning!
Within 30 seconds the engines of the freighter flickered and went out. The pilot didnt really want to stop, he was out of fuel. The ships communications seemed to be down, so JD deployed the grappling hooks and towed the ship back to the massive Police Plaza station. As soon as the launch bay had been re-pressurized the camara was surrounded by an LPI SWAT team. The hatch opened, and out stepped a terrified looking man, covered in cuts and bruises. Before the man could put his hands in the air someone hit him in the back of the neck with a stun baton. The LPI doesnt take any chances.
When the man woke up, he was handcuffed with his feet tied to a chair. In front of him was a plain table with a plate of donuts on it, a small lamp was hanging overhead. The walls were metal and one side had a large mirror, Classic interrogation room. JD Walked in and closed the door behind him, then sat down on the opposite side of the table using his chair backwards.
You havent touched the donuts? Seems awfully suspicious, dont you think?
wh- where am I?
Ill ask the questions. You were trespassing in restricted space, why?
I had to get away... are they gone?
Get away? From who?
The Order. I heard the call, now they want me dead... The Order hunts down anyone who listens to the Oracles
JD sighed and pulled a flashlight from his pocket, shining it directly into the mans eyes to check his pupils.
Are you on any drugs? Synthetic Marijuana, Cardamine...
NO! Im not delusional! I HAVE TO FIND THE SHRINE! LET ME OUT OF HERE!
How much have you had to drink today sir?
The mans screaming became incomprehensible so JD got up and left the room, but not without taking the plate of donuts with him. Two guards went in and took the crazed man to a prison cell with padded walls. JD went to meet with the two other officers standing behind the one-way mirror.
Well, he said the O word. You know what that means JD.
Right. It means the LSF get to have another power trip and take over the investigation.
Calm down, I know as well as anyone the LSF doesnt think much of us but this IS their jurisdiction.
Sure, but they will make it sound like were in over our heads and cant handle a crazed drunk. Any excuse to give us orders, they jump on.
JD left the observation room angrily to file his report. He wasnt happy, he had always been very resentful of the LSF. As a recruit JDs patrol partner was shot down by Xenos, leaving him alone in a patriot against 5 angry terrorists. He did his best to dodge fire while he called for backup but the only response he got was from the LSF... Its not our job to handle the petty criminals. Luckily for JD the terrorists were a little more compassionate, and allowed his battered patriot to escape along with his partners escape pod.
JDs troubled past went back further. He wasnt born in Liberty, in fact he didnt even know where he was from. A police officer found his escape pod drifting in the far reaches of the California system. He was taken to a hospital on planet Los Angeles and treated for severe radiation exposure. After weeks of treatment he finally came through, but had lost all but a few of his memories. All he had left of his past was the image in his mind of comets streaking through the night sky, and a voice saying Until we meet again, hermano.
*********
Ground patrol, Los Angeles district C
It was early fall on Los Angeles, which is a very windy time of year. It was early in the morning, still a little dark and thick clouds moved quickly across the sky. It was also a time of year known for a large number of crazies hitting the streets. JD was on his way to investigate a disturbance near a large intersection. He arrived unnoticed, there was no indication things had turned violent so he left the sirens off on his sleek black patrol car. A hooded man in a robe was standing on the corner speaking to a large crowd of people; in his hand was a long staff with an unusual purple stone on the top. Some of the crowd seemed to be listening intently, while others seemed to be getting angrier by the minute.
Warfare, selfish pursuits of wealth... these vices will only lead you to despair and hopelessness. Cast off the shackles of greed and embrace your true potential!
YOU LIE!
The hooded speaker ignored the outburst and continued. JD stood quietly, intrigued by the message as well as an odd familiarity in the mans voice.
There is a place beyond the barriers of imagination, it can truly help each and every one of you to find enlightenment. Even now, it calls to you. Do not ignore it...
Evidently the person responsible for the outburst had run out of patience, and pulled a handgun out of his jacket. JD had been trained for this, and was about to tackle the gunman when three shots rang out. There were a few short screams from the crowd, followed by dead silence. No one was moving, just staring with their mouths open at the hooded man... The purple stone on his staff was shimmering, and three reddish glowing balls of energy from the handgun were suspended in mid air right in front of him.
It is only natural for humans to fear what they do not understand. Some respond to truth with violence... The ones I seek do not need the approval of these, nor do I. Hear my words.
The hooded man then looked directly at JD, and vanished in a cloud of smoke. JD had chills running down his spine, so shocked by what he just saw that he didnt notice the gunman running to hide in an alley. The crowd gradually dispersed without incident, so JD filed his report and called it a day.
Late that night JD woke up suddenly from a deep sleep. He heard a voice... It was only a whisper but it was very clear, he turned on all the lights in his Los Angeles apartment.
*incomprehensible whispers*
Who's there!?
No answer. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain like his brain was on fire... Images flooded his mind.
***(Thick, whirling white clouds... the clouds are clearing. A young Hispanic man, its JD. He is wearing a strange uniform with medals on it. He is in a four-winged ship, near a neutron star. The radiation indicator is blinking. In formation are two similar ships. Unknown ships come into view, a gunship and a fighter... more of them, there are at least eight. These ships are more familiar... yes, they are bounty hunters. A battle ensues, cut short as JDs ship impacts an asteroid and his mine dropper misfires. His escape pod hurdles toward the neutron star. The thick clouds return and the image fades.)***
The pain subsides and JD takes a moment to interpret the vision...
I... Im a Corsair? Ridiculous...
The pain returns, this time with a different voice followed by more images.
***Brother, come to us, your new family awaits.***
***(A computer screen appears, listing the names of four systems. Alberta, Colorado, Ontario, Kansas Kansas is highlighted.)***
The voices and visions stop, but JD is unable to sleep the rest of the night.
*********
San Diego border station, California system
Sleep deprived JD arrived early for his shift, already heavily buzzed on caffeine. The Sergeant handed him a pad with the available patrol jobs listed on it. JD had an eerie sense of Deja-vu as he looked over the system names, Alberta, Colorado, Ontario, Kansas. Compelled by a strange and powerful pulling sensation, he chose the Kansas patrol.
The entire patrol was completely uneventful, but as turned toward a distant purple cloud the pulling sensation got stronger. It was so strong now that he couldnt fight the urge to fly towards it. The long flight seemed to go by quickly, and when he made it to the cloud his heart was pounding and his ears were ringing. His better judgement told him he should return home and see a doctor, but before he could make any decision there was a bright flash of lightning. The flash illuminated a massive structure in the distance, which JD eagerly flew towards. Suddenly his ship lost power, all thrusters and controls were completely offline. A swirling vortex of light appeared in the middle of the structure and sucked his Liberator in.
*********
The Shrine
By now, JD had lost consciousness and his ship was pulled into a massive structure by an unknown force. He awoke in a small domed room, tied down to a table. The room was dimly lit, and standing over him was the hooded man he saw on Los Angeles. He pulled back the hood and began to speak.
I knew we would meet again, Hermano.
Immediately JDs memories came back... He was a defector from the Outcasts, who went with part of his family to fight for the Corsairs under a different name. He and the others were not born on Malta, and wanted to avoid becoming Cardamine dependant like the others. Standing above him now was his estranged brother, Zenon Alvarez.
We both sought freedom on different paths brother, but now we meet together for we have come to the same end. Do not fear what comes next, soon you be... Enlightened.
Zenon left the room and the door closed tightly behind him. JD couldnt move as the ceiling opened up and a glowing blue sphere descended. A thick, purple fluid came up from the floor and started filling the room. Soon JD was completely submerged, but before he ran out of breath he could feel it pouring into his body through his skin. JD was overwhelmed with euphoria as all his thoughts and memories ran together and his mind began to unravel...
*********
The Journey
The fluid gradually drained, and the glowing orb was gone. A great deal of time had passed and everything around JD seemed different. In reality, it was him that had changed; he was no longer human, merged in an unimaginable way with a nomad. He could perceive everything within the structure called The Shrine by the humans inside. His body was gone, replaced by pure consciousness without any specific location in space. His presence was somewhat tied to the remains of the human form, a small amount of brain and other organic tissue fused into a transparent material shell. All of his former desires were now replaced with strong curiosity, and a powerful drawing to familiar but distant voices.
His shell grew and took on a new shape, so that he was able to move. Before long he was back in Liberty, what used to be home was now only vaguely familiar as everything seemed different. His entire perception of reality had changed. Now instead of hearing voices over his comm system, he could sense the words imbedded in the radio waves as they passed through him.
This is LSF Lambda four, requesting backup. I have an unidentified contact heading for Zone 21
Something was behind him, quickly he realized that it was a ship. A section of it detached, He could not understand what it was until it gained speed and struck him, slowing him down greatly. The LSF ship had fired a cruise disruptor... everything seemed so different now.
Contact... ITS A NOMAD!!! OPENING FIRE!
Fire streaked from the vessel into the frail, young shell. He was far from defenseless. JD could see into the mind of the LSF pilot, it was so narrow and rigid... so easy to manipulate. JD merely had to project images into the pilots mind and he would be fooled. Images flooded the pilots mind...
***(The pilot looks down to see the fibres of his uniform have unravelled into poisonous snakes, crawling upward to sink their teeth into his neck)***
The LSF ship lost control immediately as the pilot desperately tried to protect himself from the imaginary snakes. Over the comms desperate screaming is heard, followed by gunshots and the signature sound of an explosive decompression.
JD continued on toward the distant voices. The further he went the louder and clearer they became. He too was now receiving visions; He could see fuzzy blue lights streaking through a thick purple cloud. Along with the visions came feelings of warmth, joy, and euphoria.
*********
Omicron Iota
Finally, after a seemingly endless and difficult journey he arrived. The voices were crystal clear, there were so many of them... For a moment he thought of his brother back on the Shrine, an old human feeling of empathy came to him. He also thought of his fellow officers, but these thoughts soon faded as another vast and complex consciousness approached him. Two fuzzy blue lights came into clarity, and came close to his material form. He could hear so many voices, and feel the connection being made with his own as he blended into the vast greater mind.
***..We are one...you have found home..***
***...*warmth*...*love*...growth...***