Beta Earth: Between Worlds 2.0 Edition

by Napier, J. R.

  “Something you never did. I’m going to go make a difference.”

  Chapter 17

  Reality Found Pt. 3

  Time: Approximately three seconds later.

  Location: Faux Forsaken hideout.

  Vin feels like he is vibrating as he struggles to maintain himself outside of the Faux Forsaken base. After taking a minute to compose himself. Vin knocks on the door, and a slot opens. “Holy shit, it’s you!” A Faux Forsaken guard says.

  The guard opens the door, after it’s unlocked. Vin kicks the door open, smashing the guard between the door and the wall. Vin enters the Faux Forsaken base. Everyone is silent. Vin ignores them all and walks to the bone room. Tooth barges out of the door.

  “What da hell is going on?” Tooth sees Vin walking toward him. “Well, well, look who we have here.” Tooth blinks and before he can open his eyes, Vin is inches away from his face. “How—” Tooth can’t get his question out before Vin grabs him by the throat. He squeezes hard. Tooth struggles as he is choked by the enraged Vin.

  “You have all just witnessed my shadow illusion technique.” Vin says. The Faux Forsaken members are glued to Vin. They can’t believe what they are witnessing. Each member is filled with fear and intrigue, literally frozen in position. Vin punches Tooth hard in the stomach three times. The third strike causes him to cough blood.

  Vin then grabs Tooth by the back of the head and holds him up to face the rest of the Faux Forsaken members. “All of you bear witness to this.” Vin slams Tooth’s head into the floor with such force that the building shakes and Tooth’s skull caves in, instantly killing him. This violent display leaves everyone in the room speechless. Vin looks around at the terrified faces. “I am the new leader of Faux Forsaken and we will be doing things my way from now on. Are there any objections?”

  Vin grabs Tooth’s lifeless head by the hair and lifts him from the floor. Except for the remnants of shimmering teeth, Tooth’s face is no longer recognizable. “No?” Vin throws the body in the middle of the floor and heads for the bone room. “Well then, clean that crap up and get ready. Before this month is out, we will become the most powerful gang in Sprawl 15.”

  Vin enters the bone room and slams the door behind him, leaving everyone speechless. Vin sits in the leader’s chair puts his head in his hands and softly weeps.

  Chapter 18

  Reality

  Time: Shortly after the end of Clave’s first mission.

  Location: Akari’s base—a small outpost between Sprawl 15 and City District 8.

  Clave walks up to Akari, who stands in front of the base waiting for him. Akari has a calm but serious look on her face. “Rick released me. My first mission was a success—” Akari swiftly smacks Clave hard across the face. Clave is shocked and frozen in his position.

  “Was that the only way?” Akari asks. Clave looks Akari dead in the eye.

  “On such short notice, yes.” Akari shakes her head.

  “I taught you to be aware of all situations—”

  “That resides around three parameters. The mission first, my safety second and all other things are—” Clave quickly replies.

  “Distractions.” Akari finishes his sentence. He is reciting what he’s learned from her. Akari sighs. Her words are being used against her. She looks into Clave’s eyes, there is nothing malicious or callous in them.

  They are blank, ready to receive the next mission without question. Akari’s heart fills with pain and she feels sick to her stomach as she realizes the monster she has created. But the reason the pain is so sharp is because she is also happy. She is happy that she finally found someone worthy of her teachings and her skills, a true protégé. Akari composes herself.

  “Go rest. I’m sure your next mission will be soon.” Clave walks into the base while Akari stands outside and looks off toward the horizon. Her com band signals and she answers it. Agent Damon is on the line. “Good job training this one. His performance was impressive.”

  “And disgusting.” Akari replies.

  “It’s not like you to … not take pride in one of your students.”

  “How can I continue to? Look what this little one has done already. Such, death and destruction … and his potential for greater chaos.” Agent Damon lets out a deep laugh. It irritates Akari.

  “Spare me, Akari. I’ve lived a long time. Long enough to know that the main reason you took this job is because of pride.” Akari is silent. “Pride and selfishness. Not that I don’t understand. You are probably one of the most dangerous weapons of this century and now you wish to keep your legacy alive at any cost.” Akari remains silent. She knows Agent Damon is right but his words still sting. “Am I not right? This little one is your legacy. Some pass legacies of good deeds. Yours just happens to be one of skill and death.” Damon says.

  “You’re right. I don’t know why it’s affecting me now. I realized this would be the outcome all along. This is what I am good at. And this boy not only can embody my legacy, he can surpass it. That excites me and makes me proud to no end. Though my guilt also has no end … I promised the mother I would care for this child but in the end he is being forced to bear my weight.” Akari says.

  “Any other child would be dead by now, take solace in that fact. If you believe in fate, see it in you both now and forget your guilt. It will only get him killed. And that would not be in our best interest right now.”

  “More missions?” Akari asks.

  “Many more. Have him rest well.” Agent Damon says before he disconnects. Akari rubs her face as she looks up into the sky.

  “Clave, in order for you to survive the horrors that are to come, I will make you invincible. I will make you a monster. You will survive and maybe one day it will be for your own reasons. I can only hope you live long enough to find your true purpose and cast aside this one I have laid out for you.”

  Akari scans the sky, eventually spotting the aurora borealis.

  “A rare sight.” Everything is still except for a light wind that gently moves Akari’s hair. “I’m sorry Rena,” she says softly. Her face remains calm as tears form at her eyes.

  Chapter 19

  Young Minds Pt. 3

  Time: Three years prior.

  Location: Beta Earth—Syndicate headquarters.

  A council of old men sits in a semicircular meeting room surrounding an eighteen-year-old young man named Gaidon. It's not mistake that their council room and setup mimics the United Federation's council. Most of elder members are defected U.F. members. The rooms' low chatter stops immediately when he steps up to speak. “Make no mistake, I did kill my parents. I will do whatever it takes to secure my rightful spot on the Syndicate Council.” Syndicate Councilman Riddick grins.

  “I like the look in that boy’s eyes. I’ll vouch for his value.”

  “How do we even know if he is telling the truth? He reeks of desperation. We should toss him back out into the badlands where we found his family.” Syndicate Councilman Odlong interjects. Gaidon frowns at the statement.

  “Easy now. Let’s not forsake this boy’s parents. They nearly tripled our overall revenue and reestablished some lost Syndicate branches on Earth for us.” Syndicate Councilman Lisen says.

  “Exactly. His parents did it, not him. He is useless to us.” Councilman Odlong says.

  “Don’t be so hasty. Anyone who would kill his parents like that for power certainly shows great ambition.” Councilman Lisen replies. The Syndicate councilmen debate Gaidon's situation. He waits patiently and hides his contempt well. It disgusts him to have to listen to these old farts and obediently wait decide his fate. He decides then and there it will be the last time they will hold his future in their hands. All he needs is one break, one chance to grow into his own.

  “I say we let the boy take over what his parents started, strengthen our influence on Earth. Hell, it’s practically a banishment anyway.” Councilman Riddick says. Councilman Lisen nods.

  “I concur. It’s a low-risk way to evaluate h
im. Any objections?” Councilman Odlong starts collecting his files.

  “As if I would waste any more of my time on him. Cast him off.”

  Lisen looks at Gaidon. “Well, this is your chance, Gaidon. Go to Earth and make a name for yourself.” Gaidon looks at all of the councilmen.

  “I will, I promise.” He replies with a hidden grin.

  Chapter 20

  A New Day Pt. 3

  Location: Earth—City District 8, tenth floor of the Syndicate building.

  Time: Four years later (current)—one year after Vin became leader of Faux Forsaken.

  Gaidon sits in his small chair going over his abundance paperwork. His office is a small, windowless room with books and file cabinets wall to wall. Eva, a beautiful young secretary, enters the room. She walks over to Gaidon's desk and piles some more files on his desk, she places them next to the others. “Dammit!” Gaidon leans back in his chair.

  “More paperwork? Those old bastards are smarter than I thought. They realize that I am gaining too much too fast, so they bog me down with all this idle crap.” Eva grins slightly and Gaidon catches it.

  “The resent death of Matthew Vellian was no accident Gaidon.” Eva says.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Gaidon asks. Eva touches the files on his desk.

  “They notice you and your attempts to expand.” Gaidon returns upright in his chair.

  “Yeah, I guess it is going as planned.” Gaidon looks over to Eva. “I couldn’t have gotten this far without you and I still have no idea why you would choose to follow a grunt like me.” Eva looks around Gaidon’s small, quaint office.

  “I am in debt to your father and mother. They took me off the streets of Beta Earth and groomed me for this very position.”

  “Mother and Father, huh?” Gaidon toys with his pin. He loses himself in his thoughts. Eva uses this moment to ask a question she has been wondering.

  “Have you heard from your younger brother … Eugene?” Gaidon grasps his pin tightly. He looks at Eva and ignores her question.

  “Things are only going to get harder from here on. I’ve reached my plateau of influence. If I gain any more influence or power, I risk reprimand or even worse assassination attempts from the Syndicate council. I need to blitz this next part of my plan.” Eva places another folder on Gaidon’s desk. He picks it up and examines its contents.

  “I’ve scouted most if not all of the potential gangs we listed. Three of them have agreed to join our cause and even assimilate into the Syndicate under you.” Gaidon grins.

  “Good. And the others?”

  “The Molbis gang is still contemplating. I think they are waiting to see what the Faux Forsaken will do.”Gaidon puts the folder down. “Forsaken … those guys are key.” Gaidon thinks for a moment. Eva watches Gaidon and secretly admires his handsome facade. Gaidon turns to Eva and looks deeply in her eyes. “Actually, I need their leader.” Gaidon says in a low voice. His demeanor causes Eva to smile and blush slightly.

  “Once I have him, all the others will fall into place.”

  “Their leader, Vin, is greatly respected and feared. But he seems honorable, which is rare,” Eva adds. Gaidon nods in confirmation. “Exactly, and he has expanded the Faux Forsaken twenty fold since he joined. I am willing to bet that it is because of his noble methods.”Eva walks over to Gaidon’s desk and sits on the corner.

  “And what makes you think he will join us?” Eva says almost teasingly. Gaidon leans back, picks up the folder and continues to browse though its content.

  “It’s simple … I’ll just erase all other options for him. He will have no choice.” Eva smiles and adjusts her glasses.

  “And you wondered why I would join up with you,” she says.

  “Let’s get to work.” Gaidon replies with a smile.

  Chapter 21

  Reunion

  Location: Earth—Redemption base—city district undisclosed.

  Akari walks past security and down a long hallway. As she walks, Akari surveys the state-of-the-art technology embedded in the building. Finally she stops at a large office. The name plate on the door: General Quell Taurus.

  Akari waves her temporary badge across the access reader. A LCD display by the reader flashes the message: Meeting confirmed. The door slides open. Akari steps inside and the door slides shut behind her.

  The office is large and very high tech. Books lace the walls of the office, some propped up by trophies and medal cases. The room has no windows but large wall displays act as windows. Quell has these set as a midday sky with a small park below.

  A sixty-two-inch electro-optical crystal vision, or E.O.C.V., displays the news and also building security information along the sidebar. General Taurus works on his computer as Akari approaches. He closes his documents to conceal his work. “Welcome, Akari. Please have a seat.” When General Taurus speaks. The E.O.C.V. lowers its volume automatically.

  “I’m impressed. You’ve come a long way, Quell.” Akari says as she sits down in the chair across from General Taurus.

  “I could say the same.” Taurus replies. Akari looks around Quell’s office.

  “So to what do I owe this invite?”

  “As you know I just returned from Beta Earth a little while ago. While there, we learned much by studying Kamon.” Akari’s eyes widen at the mention of Kamon.

  “You must have found out something very important. I mean, they promoted you to General and have you running this organization.” General Quell slides a folder to Akari. “You know the deal but I must preface. The information you about to receive is classified.”Akari accepts the folder.

  “Of course.” she replies.

  “We found that the XR 2-012 incident can and most likely will be repeated in the near future.” Akari shifts in her seat after hearing that bit of information.

  “How near?” she asks.

  “Very near ... and by studying Kamon we were able to find out approximately what we are dealing with.” Akari opens the folder and begins to read the contents.

  “Did Kamon show any new symptoms?” Akari asks.

  “Yes. It all started with visual resonation, levitation, increased strength, and speed. The resonation created a barrier around his skin. However, Kamon’s body couldn’t handle it. His skin was literally burning off.” Akari looks up and smiles.

  “Heh, burning. How ironic considering all the sins that man has made.” Quell disregards her comment and continues.

  “We were able to save him using a costly method but … well. We ended our research then and there.” Akari sits up in her chair with a displeased look on her face. “

  You saved him? After what he did to Clave and Rena, I should kill him myself.”

  “It was not an option to let him die Akari. And killing him now would be extremely difficult, even for you.”

  “What did you do to him?” Akari asks. Quell leans forward.

  “We preserved a few of his vital organs that didn’t burn. His brain, lungs and heart. We encased what survived in, well ... A specialized metallic body.”

  “What? Why in god's name—you know that percentage of prosthetics is illegal!”

  “I know. This actually brings me to why I asked you here Akari. But please let me first finish my briefing on the time spent on Beta Earth. It is important that you grasp the full situation.” Akari is now intrigued and as well as slightly disgusted to know that Kamon is still alive. “The Beta Earth Liberation Organization has allied with the Final Bloodline Cult on Beta Earth. With their combined resources, they were able to hide the rest of the subjects of Project Guardian. If even one of those people has the potential of the one we captured XR 2-012, we are in huge trouble.” Quell explains. Akari flips through the folder pages as Quell talks. She absorbs the information at an impressive speed.

  “You think they will use them as weapons?” she asks. Quell nods in affirmation.

  “We assume that to be their plan but we have noticed mental degradation among those who show even s
light resonation. They can’t control them, which means this war could just turn into a chaotic bloodbath.” Akari turns another page. She continues to review the material she speaks.

  “So, B.E.L.O. has a pretty sizeable main force and they are using the Final Bloodline organization and those subjects as their trump card.”

  “Yes. In the same way that we at Redemption. Are the trump card organization for the United Federation. Our job here is now to capture and contain all of those test subjects.” Akari looks up from the folder.

  “You don’t need my help for capture missions.”

  “You are right. If worse comes to worst. We may have to kill the test subject. That is why Kamon 2.0 was created but Kamon will need help. I was hoping to hire Clave.” Quell says. Akari stops reading and shakes her head.

  “You want me to let son and metal father fight side by side. How sentimental of you ... but no.” Quell can see the disdain in Akari’s face. It’s clear she doesn’t want Clave anywhere near Kamon.

  “Actually, alloy father ... Akari. You can’t be selfish with him—”

  “Oh, and you can be with your son?” Quell looks down. She has struck a nerve. Quell collects himself and continues.

  “I’ve been monitoring Vin this whole time and I’ve noticed his resonation is rising as well.”

  “You would send Clave after him?” Akari asks hoping to call Quell out on any hypocrisy.

  “If I had to –” He leans back and rubs his face. “I would.” Akari can see he is pained by the thought. “I’ve prepared myself for the possibility of that day. Even when he was a child. He … he would fluctuate in his sleep.”

  Akari stares at the closed folder. She could not make the same choice with Clave. Yes she puts him in dangerous situations but she always provides him with the tools to succeed. Clave isn’t even her blood but she never betrays him. So she doesn’t believe Quell would betray his own son ... even if he turned out to be some sort of abomination. Taurus sighs deeply.