by A. R. Crebs
She was talking about I’Lanthe’s soul. Ivory kept her façade.
“I’m unsure as to why I…or she was damned. Still, I won’t let that ruin who I am now.”
Sapphire was silent. She fidgeted awkwardly as Ivory twisted and ran her fingers through her platinum hair, combing it.
“You have an interesting outlook on things. Someday, you’ll believe as I do,” the child mumbled, staring blankly at the desert landscape ahead of her.
“You’ve caused many deaths and wars. You had Euclid abduct me. You have held me here captive. You have hurt Dovian repeatedly, and you have killed my friends. Yet, here I am…combing your hair,” Ivory said, trying not to give in to her dark emotions.
“And many would call you a fool. I haven’t decided yet if you are or not,” Sapphire said.
They remained quiet, sitting on the rock as the radioactive sun beat down on them.
“Sometime you will have to come to the ruins. It’s much better than this desert. There’s a pond where we can swim.” Ivory looked over her shoulder back toward the destroyed city.
“I will not feel it.” Her tiny voice was meek.
“Why not?” Ivory asked.
“This is not my body. I cannot feel things until I have my body thoroughly repaired. Even then, it is only a robotic body. Everything will be artificial. I will not be able to enjoy life until I have a physical living body to move into.” Sapphire leaned back, lying on Ivory’s lap. She pointed at the sky and giggled innocently. “Elephant.”
Ivory lifted her sight toward a strange cloud. She wasn’t positive what an elephant was, but the shape was a bit funny.
“Do you like to play games?” Ivory asked.
“I love games,” Sapphire nodded. “When I win.”
Ivory smirked and also nodded slowly. Sapphire did have a certain childish demeanor, but Ivory had to remind herself constantly that this was not a child. There was a severe darkness within this entity. For the time being, Ivory decided to keep things simple. Sapphire had already conducted what could be considered bodily contact with Ivory. Things had gone much more smoothly than she had expected. Then, the child spoke again, and her words filled Ivory with disdain.
“Perhaps you can help me sew a new dress later.” The girl kept her eyes locked onto the sky. “I’m going to have Lilith retrieve your friends’ bodies. We’re going to skin them. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
Ivory gnashed her teeth together, profusely trying to hold in her anger. Sapphire looked at her and grinned. She was a monster of a child.
“Love only gets you hurt in the end, Ivory. You’ve learned that time and time again. Love is a selfish emotion. There is no equality in the universe. You can love me all you want…but don’t expect me to love you just the same. I have my goals; I have my reasons; you are merely a fleeting moment of my existence,” Sapphire said. Her face turned calm and cold.
“Since we’re both being honest here,” Ivory started, “I just want to let you know that I will have no part in your skinning of my friends. Nor will I allow you to desecrate their bodies in any way.”
Sapphire sat up, her eyes narrowing. “As if you have any control over it.”
“You’re a spoiled brat. If ever I give birth and you inhabited the body, the first thing I’ll teach you are some manners,” Ivory spoke in a seething tone.
“Try what you will, Ivory. You’re nothing more than a vessel of a damned human being, a person who had no chance at salvation since the Creator left. You’re damned, as is the rest of humanity. I will grant you all a Heaven on Earth, a chance to live as one. It’s the same for I’Lanthe. She’s nothing more than a fallen angel, a damned creature who, despite her holy efforts, ended up as forsaken as the rest of us. He left long ago. This world is mine now, whether you like it or not.” The words sounded bland as they passed the child’s lips. During this encounter, Ivory found that she was no longer fearful of the child but simply disgusted.
“Then I suppose you and I are going to have to learn to live together,” Ivory grumbled.
Sapphire sighed, drawing her knees to her chest. “Yup.”
Ivory wasn’t sure what to say next. If anything, she wanted to grab the girl by the hair and tear her head off. But Ivory wasn’t that stupid. Sapphire’s current form was nothing more than a mirage. She had learned that the hard way in the cave after Dovian’s battle with Euclid. Still, the temptation was becoming a bit overwhelming as the woman glared at the humming child that sat beside her. Feigning innocence, Sapphire was an abomination disguised as a beautiful little girl. She was deadly; she was monstrous; she was engulfed in darkness.
The sound of footsteps alerted the two blondes to the fast approaching Lilith. The dark-haired woman was running toward them, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. A blood-red line formed her lips, and her manicured hands balled into tight fists. It was clear; something bad had happened.
“What is it? I thought I told you to leave us alone,” Sapphire grumbled.
“Have you been paying any attention to the video feeds around the world?” Lilith asked in a startled tone.
Sapphire gaped at the woman a moment and then looked upwards at the sky. With her eyes rolling back into her head, black consuming the orbs, the little girl took a shaking breath. After a few seconds, her head tilted back at an alarming angle, and the child let out a nightmarish scream, folding forward in on herself.
“WHERE IS DOVIAN?!” Sapphire shrieked.
Lilith jumped at the sound, “I-I will retrieve him immediately.”
“DO IT, NOW!” The child’s voice boomed with an authoritative tone that vibrated in lower tones and garbled moans.
Ivory watched the spectacle in awe. She wasn’t sure what Sapphire had seen, but Ivory wondered if it had anything to do with Aria and Troy. Though the woman didn’t know their fate, she still maintained hope that they were somehow still alive.
"Simulation"
Chapter 19
The entire world was held in silence as humanity watched their vid screens, personal comps, and DNAISs. Black wide eyes that appeared to be holes in Sapphire’s face glared menacingly at the public. Aria’s bold emerald eyes narrowed. An expression of delight covered her face. It was a temporary staring contest. The military woman waited for Sapphire’s reaction at discovering that she and Troy were still alive. Sapphire gaped back with a frightening expression that made every human, except Aria, quake with fear. Angry, shocked, not amused, the blonde child exuded her feelings through even the digital comps. All wrapped into one ball of furious rage, an energy spewed across the world, making it very clear that Sapphire was finished taking things lightly. She was ready for war.
“You look mad,” Aria blurted, her arrogant smile only making the energies darker around her. Still, the woman remained unfazed by the child’s antics.
Sapphire did not respond. She kept her black stare fixated on the woman.
“I take it I got your attention. How about you sit on your throne and listen a moment to what I have to say, hm?” Aria haughtily said.
The child didn’t budge, but her eyes did swell ever so slightly.
“We’ve gone long enough playing games your way. How about we switch up the rules a bit?” Aria moved to the center of the debriefing room. Waving her hand over a spherical globe, she highlighted the region of Fountains. “I propose you and I just cut to the chase already. What do you say?”
Aria looked up to the child’s face on the screen. Sapphire wasn’t making any moves, nor was she saying anything. It was beginning to unsettle Aria.
“Let’s set a time, date, and location. We can end this war once and for all, but I’d like for it to be on our terms. So far, we’ve been chasing your armies all over the world. Seeing as you’ve still not succeeded in your plans, whatever those may be, why not give us a chance to set some rules for once? Who knows, maybe you’d like our terms.” Aria moved her hand over the globe, spinning it.
“AND WHAT ARE YOUR TERMS?” a rumbling
voice quaked throughout the room, a voice that didn’t seem to come from any audio systems but rather sounded upon the air surrounding them. Sapphire’s lips did not move. Aria eyed Troy. He and the rest of her team looked like terrified children. Kaino formed a cross over his chest and commenced some form of prayer.
Aria looked back over to Sapphire, a look of determination on her face. “All of our militaries will come against each other for one final battle. We will do it,” she zoomed in on her city, “outside of Fountains.” The desert land that surrounded the city-state highlighted in red.
“YOUR OWN CITY?” the malevolent voice inquired.
The structure of Fountains rotated, moving between the pillars that held up the metropolis over the expansive hole in the ground. “I’d like to maintain the battle outside the city–military against military.”
“IF YOU’RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LIVES OF CIVILIANS THEN WHY CHOOSE THIS LOCATION?” Sapphire questioned with her foreign voice.
“Why not? Do you disagree with this location? I figured you’d jump at the opportunity to annihilate our forces before moving to our city,” Aria casually stated.
“YOU’RE ASKING FOR COMPLETE ANNIHILATION,” Sapphire replied.
Aria shrugged. “We want this war to be over. If it gets you to agree to our rules, then it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“THAT’S A MIGHTY WEIGHT UPON YOUR SHOULDERS.”
“I’ll take it,” Aria stated.
“BUT THERE’S A CATCH, ISN’T THERE?” the deep voice asked. Sapphire’s eyes narrowed to black slits.
Aria waved her hand from side to side dismissively. “The day of the battle? How about tomorrow?”
Sapphire’s eyes held a blank expression for a second. Then, something registered, and they returned to their glaring form. “CHRISTMAS DAY? YOU WANT TO DECIDE THE FATE OF MANKIND…OUTSIDE YOUR CITY…ON CHRISTMAS DAY?”
Aria nodded enthusiastically. “That’s right!”
“HUMANITY HAS A SEVERE FORM OF MENTAL ILLNESS….”
Aria smirked a little. “Who do you think gave us that?”
Sapphire’s eyes widened back into large gaping holes in her head. Aria was proud to receive that response from the evil entity.
“I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE. BE PREPARED, AS TONIGHT WILL BE THE LAST NIGHT ANY SINGLE PERSON ON THE FACE OF THIS PLANET SHALL REMAIN BREATHING. I WILL TEAR YOU APART, SEVER YOUR HEADS, AND WEAR YOUR SKULLS AS JEWELRY. I WILL SKIN YOU ALIVE. I WILL BURN YOUR CITIES AND TURN YOUR MILITARIES TO DUST. AFTER TOMORROW, THERE WILL BE NONE LIVING. EVEN THE SHADOWS OF YOUR CORPSES BURNED TO STONE WILL BE HELD AS A MEMORIAL OF MY VICTORY. AS MUCH AS YOU THINK YOU ARE ONE STEP AHEAD OF ME, THIS DAY HAS BEEN FORESEEN MILLENNIA BEFORE YOU EVER CRAWLED FROM YOUR MOTHER’S WOMB. YOU ARE ALL FATHERLESS. YOU ARE ALL MINE. DAMNED NOW AND FOREVER, NOT ONE HUMAN WILL BE SPARED OF MY WRATH. THOSE ARE MY TERMS. THERE WILL BE NO SURVIVORS. IF YOU GIVE UP NOW, PERHAPS I WILL ALLOW SOME OF YOU TO LIVE.”
Aria scoffed. “We’re not that stupid.”
“YOU MAY NEED TO RETHINK THAT,” the low drone of Sapphire’s voice quickly uttered. “SO BE IT. I ACCEPT YOUR TERMS. BATTLE BETWEEN OUR FORCES WILL COMMENCE TOMORROW AFTER SUNRISE. BRING ALL THAT YOU’VE GOT. I ENJOY DESTROYING YOUR HOPE.”
Aria glanced at President Clarke, winking. “Haven’t destroyed mine yet!” she shouted, looking back toward the child. Aria rested her hands on her waist and gave a mocking laugh.
Sapphire didn’t seem pleased at all, and the screen shut off to black.
“Well…that went well!” Aria spun around, grinning.
Team Phoenix seemed petrified. Feyette and Clarke seemed overly serious. Troy looked lost in thought. Kovacevic was the only one who seemed as enthusiastic as she was.
“It was awesome! You got her all kinds of discombobulated,” Kovacevic muttered as he chewed on his unlit cigar.
“Wow! I’m surprised you know such a fancy word,” Aria stated as she walked by the general of Saray.
“Usually I can’t get past much more than three syllables. I reserve that fanciful word only for special occasions.” Kovacevic shrugged, following after the woman as she exited the room. “So, guess you got yourself a war for Christmas.”
Aria gave an unsure nod. “Going to be one hell of a present.”
“Hey, Aria,” Troy called out after her.
The woman paused, waiting for her partner. She immediately noticed nervousness contained within him. She peered at Kovacevic, and the general nodded at her in understanding.
“I’m goin' to rally my troops,” Kovacevic muttered.
“And I’ll do the same. I’ve got some strategies I’d like to go over with them,” Feyette joined Kovacevic’s side.
“I’ll keep you all updated on any news we develop on our end,” Aria replied.
Feyette saluted to her. Kovacevic shuffled awkwardly and did the same, twisting his face into one look of confusion. “You all are far too proper,” he grumbled, walking away.
Aria brought her attention to Troy. “What is it? You alright?”
Troy rubbed a tense muscle in his shoulder. “I was, uh, thinking this morning. I kinda came up with another idea that may possibly help us out, but I wanted to discuss it with you first.”
Aria looked to the side. Team Phoenix was chatting away in the com room. Spoofy caught her stare, and Aria raised one finger, telling her to give Troy and her a moment. Spoofy gave a short nod and contributed to the Team’s banter, pulling Clarke and Grayson into the discussion.
Aria placed her hand on Troy’s shoulder, and they walked a ways down the hall, resting around the corner where they could have some privacy.
“Your unusual behavior lately is a bit unsettling, Troy,” Aria said. She leaned against the wall.
“Tell me about it. I’m suddenly Negative Nancy, and you became the optimistic one. When did that happen?” He scowled.
“I’ve just been in a good mood lately despite the circumstances. I dunno. I feel like we’re finally making some progress. We may actually win this war.”
“I hope so. That’s why I want to give it our all. We’ve got to take every chance we can.” The man propped himself against the wall, staring at Aria with anxious eyes.
“I plan on taking risks,” she paused, “but…what exactly is your idea?”
Troy gave her a severe look. “Okay, just hear me out for a moment. I don’t want any interruptions from you until I’m finished, got it?”
Aria glared at him.
He continued, “Sapphire has that robotic fleet from Roma. Those suckers are just as deadly as our biomechanical androids. They have antiaircraft defense systems. They’re armed with an arsenal of missiles, lasers, turrets, everything. On top of that, they have high-end defensive shields comparative to Elixis technology. Within seconds, they can do some serious damage to our fleets. If there is some way, any way, we can knock a hole in their defenses…we can save thousands of lives, if not more.”
The man looked upward at the fluorescent lights above him, searching for the correct words. “I think I know how we can do that. It’s very risky. I know you won’t like the idea, but I think we can pull it off. If I can get Aren and Nerd to help, I may be able to put myself in the place of one of those robots. Of course, we’d have to get our hands somehow on one of the suckers. I bet Benvenuto has at least one of those robots on hand. He has to! If we can get that transferred here immediately, then I can have Aren and Nerd hack the thing. We can use it for our benefit.”
Aria raised her hand, politely asking for a word.
“I…what?” Troy griped.
“If we hack it, then Sapphire’s demons can just inhabit it with their souls like we had seen on Ives,” she blurted.
Troy ruffled the woman’s hair. “This is why I told you not to say anything until I was done speaking,” he said in a condescending manner.
Aria scrunched her face.
“That is precisely my point. Let’s play this game Sapphire’s way. We’re not just hacking this
thing to fight for us. We’re hacking it with my soul,” Troy explained.
“Wait…what?!” Aria shouted.
“Camery’s done it a few times. It’s how he began the android project in the first place. He wanted to see if the human mind was capable of operating drones while off the field. It’d give the drones a more human response but still save lives.”
“Except it didn’t save lives! Many of the specimens never woke up from the test! In order for it to work properly, he had to place their brains physically inside the robots, which defeated the purpose of the technology completely,” Aria argued.
“I’m doing it, Aria! I’m going inside one of those Roman soldiers, and I’m going to be a Trojan horse, got it?” Troy snapped.
Aria stared at him in disbelief. It was an ingenious idea but also incredibly risky.
He took a slow breath, calming himself. “Listen. I can place myself in her lines. I can try to disengage her nuclear warheads. I can try to find a way to close the portals she uses to transport her army, which will keep her from feeding her soldiers into the battlefield. I can cause enough of a distraction that our other militaries can handle the fight themselves. During this time, we can have a team working at disengaging the portal beneath the city. Not sure what it will do, but perhaps if we close the portal from where she originally came from, we can lock her on this plane. I mean, it’s worth a shot, right?”
Troy looked determined. He had a fire in his eyes that told Aria he had made up his mind. There was nothing she could do to deter him away from his plan, and despite her feelings for the man, from a militaristic viewpoint, Troy was property of Bio-Tech. He owed his life to the people of Fountains. He was expendable, as was she.
“It’s a good plan, Troy,” Aria slowly stated. He frowned, noticing her uncertainty. “But what is your plan for when the solar flare hits?”
The man’s brow furrowed. “I was hoping you wouldn’t think about that.”
“We have no absolute time. The flare can occur as soon as you transfer yourself, minutes or hours later…if at all! If you’re in the robot when it hits…what happens to you?” she asked.