Hours passed and she still floated helplessly in random directions. Her eyesight recovering somewhat fast began to tell apart vague shapes and colours, though still stinging when used too much. The curiosity kept getting the better of her and she suppressed the dull pain, trying to catch a better glimpse of her surrounding. She didn't realize that no more than a day ago her body had grown only half way to its final stage, neither did she question how the voice communicated without being present or how she managed to understand its words and use them in return. All those abilities got taken for granted.
The voice said in time she will fully recover and that her return is of some importance. There was no reason for her not to believe it, after all this was the only entity she could speak with to escape the dreaded silence. The interior was indeed very quiet, she only felt her heart slowly picking up pace. The thought of isolation and loneliness haunted her constantly and finally took its toll. She felt weary, eyelids became heavy, the mind compelled her to rest.
Words of the voice lurked in her consciousness awakening more of the flashes.
“Premature” *sound of jabs swinging, short of breath, Wraith breaking out of formation, charging alone, ill timed shot, running down the corridor, knocked down on the floor, evasive maneuvers, wing burning*
“Safety” *quarters have seen better days, balloons filling the sky in the park, cool breeze fondling the cheeks, fragrance of fresh cut grass, warm embrace, never let go*
“Nomads” *Honing skills, hours spent sleepless, screams, cold chill runs down the spine, blind, laughter, mocking, silence covered in blood, the demon leaps forward eye glowing to find its prey, panting for air, running, impossible*
“A mistake” *Schematics flashing on monitors, holograms of alien vessels, medical report filed, incurable, flow of chemicals, stim used, regrets of running, follow orders, begin procedure*
“Your death” *raging battles, vengeance and hornvipers clashing, honorary ceremonies, letters pilled up on the desk, name, unknown, cast out, still bleeding, hide, hunted*
“Remember who you are” *the sleep of death*
“Fear” *Never seeing you again*
She flinches out from the dream, clearly now mistaking reality with the visions. The flashes resonate before her eyes although they make no sense to her she experiences the sensation of each flash as if she is shifting from one scene to another. Confused and terrified from the sudden information spike she squirms in desperation, reaching with her hand trying to hold on to something.
“What is happening to me?... It keeps hurting me. Please make it stop!”
Aurora felt the flashes of the young woman, her questions, her doubts and insecurity.
"I believe you are the first to have ever returned. With an almost complete conciousness that is, and not as a hollow container, looking like a lost memory. A large amount of synapses were created, but they were empty untill I reinjected what was left of your conciousness, found in your previous, deceased yourself. Your new synapses are now impregnated of these memories, thoughts, knowledge, experiences, happiness, sadness, terror or hope. What is "you". What hurts is not the process that is happening inside you, it's the discovery of what you are. You know it already, things seem familiar, yet elude you. Was it justified? Was it the best solution? Was it a mistake?
You have these answers already. What hurts you is the refusal to accept these answers, but maybe they are not always correct? Perhaps things you had taken for valid and justified does not seem so anymore.
It is one thing to be a self-entity. It is another to rediscover yourself."
The nomad material began to form a sort of capsule inside the giant nomad, composed of more solid walls and floor that could be walked on, the universe being a finger away.
She gently touches the newly formed floor and lies still. This Aurora character spoke convincingly enough to make her doubt even more, but nothing made any clear sense. Leaning on her arms she pushes herself up looking around again at the changed environment. It was soft like walking on clouds yet strong enough to support the weight. She rubs her forehead and then runs both hands through her hair, glancing at the semi-transparent surface a marvelous view of Sirius bursts upon her. Baffled by the blurry shapes she blinks a couple of times and rubs eyes before finally seeing the magnificent scenery clearly. She stands up on her shaking feet, muscles still not toughened but capable to maintain balance.
Toddles a few steps forward before falling down on her knees, the flashes finally started fading away and she made another attempt to get up. Looking around at the enchanting chamber she remains in awe at the beauty before her. Everything still appears like a dream and she forgets for a moment all the doubt, insecurity and fear.
“What is this…..” She asks in a whisper, wondering whether to look down at the beautiful stars or up at the majestic Aurora.
Then she turns her attention to her hands, moves fingers and stretches arms, untroubled by her nude body she had no understanding of the shame to walk naked.
“Where are you?” Her tone alone clearly hints the eagerness to meet Aurora in person.
"I am all around you. Infinite. Eternal. An essence of the universe itself. An essence you used to hate, but not without reason.
Those who walked among the white plains, the lands where grass become ashes untill darkness is all that's left, these have dared to open the door to secrets that were not meant to be revealed. Secrets that torture the soul. Secrets that made you what you are, but also caused your downfall."
Flashes of troubling events in the Rheinland Military appears, a young man, lost to the darkness, the eyes full of corrupted essence. A room, of libertonian style passes by, tidy with a man sitting in a seat, looking at a picture with wet eyes, before it vanishes back into a view of the universe.
"You are given a chance to retake what belongs to you, Felicia Drum. But will you be the shield, or the sword?"
For a moment she felt safe with the Aurora supervising her. The voice sounded calm, friendly, it carried a warm sentiment that slowly but surely erased all fear and doubt from her weary mind. Only the flashes that maliciously barged in made her shudder. They forced out once experienced emotions that she could control, let alone understand. Strangely enough they seemed believable to her and unwittingly she picked up a better self-awareness. Her hand slid on the transparent surface, this mysterious creature that guides her with such care seemed like a dream she once had. However she didn’t appear to grasp the concept of the name Aurora used.
“Hate you?’’ She whispered in surprise. Slides the hand back and lifts it up looking at her finger tips. Head tilts slightly as new words begin to surface allowing her to speak more fluently. Her thoughts flow rapidly and although a lot of the words seem unfamiliar, she willingly goes with the flow and uses casually.
“No… you were there… next to me. When I was asleep I could hear someone speaking, that voice… when I woke up. It was you looking after me. I can’t hate you. You are here to help are you not?”
“Au-rora, that is your… name. Do I have one as well? Is it the one you called me with?”
Unaware of her own anxious tone she constantly thought of more and more questions and puzzled over which one to ask first.
"The universe determines what makes you, what you are. In some rare cases, it does not get involved, putting an end to a cycle even I do not fully understand. You happen to be the trigger putting an end to this cycle, potentially disrupting the natural order that was previously put in place. Will it be for the better, or the worse? "
Flashes from Sol's destruction echoes through Felicia's mind.
"Each of our choices affect the ongoing cycle, creating patterns and potential mistakes being repeated over and over. One that is not bound anymore by such rule suggest... a potential... new direction... a potential new cycle.
You will have much to go through, Felicia Drum. But you are not alone.
I have left several goods aboard this human vessel for your use. Food, Water... Coordinates of a place you shall visit when you are ready.
You will also find some clothing, and an armor of my own creation. Using it for sins... or kindness... is your own choice."
A feeling of serenity invades Felicia.
"There is not much that I can offer to you anymore. It is time for you to return to life, as your memory will slowly return to it's previous complete state. Your choices, your impact on others, the direction you wish to take, will be your own. You are the Ageadayth, the destroyer of this cycle."
The matter shapes into stairs leading to the stiletto for Felicia.
She approached the fighter which appeared strangely familiar to her in design, her hand found its way to the cargo hold’s control panel on its own. Opening the hatch caused more memories to flood in based on similar situations: Under a minute she had a good idea of how to pilot the vessel and more importantly, knowing every inch of its interior. The armour looked entirely different from what little she could picture of protective clothing, it had similarities with military standard wares, but the additional hybrid tech on it was alien to her. The mystic crystals attached to the back of her arm glimmered for a second and then returned to their dormant state however a slight resonance could still be felt running down her hand.
She examined the pieces one by one, assembling individual fragments until they take a familiar shape. She doned a wedge before putting the fully fit armour. It felt incredibly light to her surprise, flexing left and right she checked how much agility the armour provides. Her head was still dimmed by Aurora’s words and “visual” aid it kept sending. Much as she tried to make sense of the cryptic tale, all she could accomplish was to speed up the rate of flashes that kept streaming in. She sat down on the Stiletto’s wing, her head in her hands, feeling more exhausted with each passing second. The mind can only take so much and it was all huge mess that she couldn’t find foothold to begin with.
Her hand touched the right side of her face and slowly moved down from the forehead to the cheek. A sudden change in her expression could be easily noticed, something made her realize where to start picking up the pieces and fill in the memory gaps.
I need to retrieve a device that was once in my possession. With it I can carry out the assigned tasks more swiftly. It used to be integrated with my retina.
The California’s sun twinkled in its usual blurry light, unlike the most stars which sphere could be easily distinguished this one always had its bizarre light refraction. Giving it the unmistakable ellipsoidal shape. Exactly the beacon she was looking for to make certain she is on the right path. The Stiletto quickly made its approach vector on the water planet, coordinates stated that this is the place to start seeking the ever growing questions. A last thrust to the engines and the ship pierces through the sky leaving a rift in the clouds. The navigation points finally stopped shifting as the last one marked a house in the city’s outskirts. “This is it” she muttered to herself with a relief. Patience wasn’t exactly the strongest virtue she relied on given the circumstances. The place seemed like an echo from a distant dream that brought her serenity and then confidence to search the area thoroughly.
She removed the helmet, taking a deep gulp of the fresh air which filled her with the so much needed energy, or at least that was how she felt it. The scenery itself dazzled her with the majestic beauty where even the smallest details can make the universe look dull. Much as she wanted to take in the view for while longer there was work to be done. The reason she's there got abruptly reminded to her by a spark that came out of the nomad artifact crystals attached on the armour. The spark quickly transformed into a stream of pure energy field which shortly took the vague shape of a compass, pointing her the right path by increasing the speed of which the field rotated around the alien artifacts.
There wasn’t much of a choice and she’d accept any kind of help at that moment. So she began walking towards the designated direction, each covered meter didn’t go unnoticed by the crystals which finally stopped their chaotic behavior once she reached a tombstone. She leaned down to get a better view of the stone, there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary about it: No hidden inscriptions, no secret levers, nothing to show her what’s the next step. Just one name that Aurora mentioned before. “Perhaps this is purposely left here for me to find it, but… what am I expected to do now?” She thought.
A small beam of light came out of the crystals again, only this time it touched down on the ground and slowly sank under it. The bizarre spike attached to her wrist extended itself forward on its own, creating tissue around its edges similar to Aurora’s. The transformation quickly took form of a tool: A blade that once it fully grew the hardened nomad substance, it began to conduct the crystal’s energies through it. She gently brushed its tip on the tombstone and felt no friction, no pressure that stopped her hand from moving freely. A clean cut with a sinister red glow of molten rock around the edges.
“Very well” she said and impaled the blade into the ground, slowly but surely, swing after swing she dug deeper until she found what she was looking for. The sight of a rotting corpse did not intimidate her, neither did it fill her with repugnance. Just a pile of bones getting in her way, nothing more, nothing less. Nothing worth catching her attention aside from the recovered device. She inspected it closely, it appeared to be in good shape, a bit worn out from its long slumber, but easily repairable.
Somehow this will help me, as it is supposed to. I need to extract the stored knowledge inside… Aurora sent me here for a reason. She will know how.
Walking away from the tombstone felt satisfying. She quickly found one piece of the puzzle, that’s all that mattered. The nearby house also seemed to pull her close, as if part of her desperately beckoned to go inside. She couldn’t explain why, there was nothing strange or suspicious about it.
First the device and once there’s time… then maybe. Convincing herself seemed like a two-way street: Denial and Acceptance.
The Stiletto took off and continued on its mission.
A hologram is picked up by the hybrid, it quickly digitizes into the shape of a person.
I have gathered all needed items in order to proceed further with my task. My memories are quickly returning to me as well, they have proven to be realiable sources of information. For the next step I require your assistance, this device must be integrated with my retina for me to fully unravel a portion of my predecessor's life.
Furthermore, these people in the house of -Liberty- do not approve of my presence. Two had to be killed just to scare off the third one, they did not listen to my warnings when I told them that casualties are unecessary. Judging by the class of fighters and weapons they were part of the Liberty naval forces. I will keep a low profile in order to avoid more unfortunate conflicts.
A key figure was also located in the Bering system nearly four days ago. Fleet Admiral David Hale engaged a squadron of wraiths while completely disregarding the numbers disadvantage. An intervention was necessary and I distracted the wraiths long enough for him to withdraw back to Texas.