The sequence started, the clock was ticking down without anyone noticing, on many different fronts, something had begun, and it was only a matter of time before something gave.
Each part had different variables, and each had different weaknesses and strengths, not all the players were here in this game just yet, but it had gotten to the point that something finally entered into this cycle that wasn't supposed to.
Disruptions and tears and bleeds, the cycle's been through more than a few- but this was not a bleed, this was not a tear, and this was not a disruption anymore... more like a doorway- two, close enough to fight through the membrane separating them, if someone just reached out to touch.
As thin and permeable as the surface of a body of water- on our side.
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It started, I laid back, able to control what direction my thoughts were going in this time- before it was all guided.
I had only wanted to go far enough back to spark more memories, and far enough forward to figure out what that person was that I see in the mirror now and days.
It was easy enough, at first. I finally managed to find all the answers in my past, no problem- almost seemed weird that it had been so hard all this time... every cycle before this was now commented to memory, as best as I could guess. I started picking up on that pattern. I didn't want to be a hero... I didn't want to be a bad guy, either... I was neutral, and my loyalties were what decided my actions. I've been emotionally controlled, and not rational- logic wasn't a driving feature in me, I guess.
I went by instinct... by feeling...
So why didn't this make me feel better on what I was about to do? Why was I... honestly afraid of what I might find?
I was going through- and the bits and pieces I went by to try and find answers... were disjointed- but they laid out like a road. I finally got a feeling I was where I needed to be.
I just wanted to find answers- and I got them... they swallowed me whole. It was as if I was pulled and shoved out. I felt a dull sense of pain, like my body was far away... I weakly started to try to tell someone to turn the process off- turn it off- but I felt like my voice was so tiny.
***********************
A message on the screen of the ship that our little rebellious band of men started to flash with a message.
"Get out of that ship and onto the ground- there's a bit of a doorway, four paces forward, and three to the left- if you're using large steps. This is worth it."
As if to illustrate the point, a patch of grass seemed to pop up on a hinge, and a a woman with bright blue and green hair seemed to peer out at the ship before disappearing under the cover of that grass-covered door again. She seemed to be waiting on them.
Soon enough, when they eventually followed directions, she was already almost out of sight, but would circle back to see if they were following. It seemed to be a large tunnel, carved into by time and the elements. Graffiti was etched onto every space of the walls. Eventually, the graffiti gave way to what appeared to be stains and splatters of what you hoped were paint, but smelled of blood and excrement. They kept walking, until, finally they came upon what seemed to be a makeshift-underground social system. People lived in what appeared to be extreme conditions of poverty and sickness.
The woman kept going until they were past that part of the tunnel- in front of them, it forked into four paths and the woman paused, taking out a small device, and clicked around on it before choosing the last one on the left. She led them through it and eventually came to a large lift. She beckoned them silently to come to it, and soon they were in a cold storage room, it appeared.
Perhaps at this point, it would be confusing why they had walked so far. She started grabbing at crates and pulling them from the wall, until it uncovered a door.
It opened and she led them to a long ladder which she led the crew through, and eventually punched the top of the tunnel, and light poured onto them, revealing that they were entering what looked to be a house.
"The master of the house will be with you shortly." She spoke for the first time, closed the entrance to the tunnel and left.
**********
The woman, or robot, Gaia came back soon enough, carrying what seemed to be a phone, yet, when she was in front of Sakura, the screen seemed to spread and grow, and turned itself on, revealing the silhouette of what appeared to be a tall, lanky man. Features were unable to be seen, and yet, it was easy to see that he was looking straight at her.
"I apologize if we surprised or scared you, Sakura. This was, however, necessary. We were the ones who found you... we thought they would help you, but instead, they have merely used you as an empty figurehead. Surely, at this point, they are looking everywhere for you- and we can't have that. I will not have you taken from this household- instead, when you are lucid enough, you will have to make a choice about where you want to go... The people of Iwaku see you as their leader, but, do you want to help save them, or do you want us to protect and save you from the trouble that will be following you? Gaia will be with you, by your side for right now, until you figure out what to do... You're resilient and strong- I'm sure this will help your recovery. We need your help, Sakura- you have information we need."
The man was sitting in what appeared to be an elaborate chair, not much else was able to be discerned from the video. One hand was able to be seen, straightening the collar of his shirt.
With that, the video cut off and the screen shrunk back down, Gaia pocketed the device. "Is there anything I can do for you?" She asked quietly as she stood there.
*************************
The machine was malfunctioning.
Sparks flew and error messages were popping up all over the screen. One of the machines that were monitoring vitals was starting to show signs that I might be malfunctioning in a way, too. I think my heart skipped a few beats here and there, and my temperature was all over the place- I was too absorbed with what was going on in my head to focus.
I managed to take the headgear off, and in the reflection of the metal on it- I saw my eyes.
Blue.
I had the answers, but I knew what was going on- There was a price to be paid for my curiosity. I looked down at myself- my skin was growing paler- a wave of the ew color was runing ll over my body, down my legs- I grabbed at my hair, it was changing too.
And after a few seconds, I ceased to be me.... I wasn't... I felt different.
I disappeared while someone else took the reigns... and it was only in the last second that I realized that I had made a deal with the devil, and I had gotten the short end of the stick. This other... me was now in my world, while I was seemingly being transferred to hers.
I saw her memories as I passed, and I knew that what I had let into the world could either make things worse, or barely change a thing. The only thing was, where I had been a passive character- comic relief or emotionally driven- she lacked something I depended on...
I tore through that thin membrane separating our worlds and found myself crumpled on a metal table- in a somewhat similar set up as the one in my world. Someone removed the headgear and I saw that in this world, I looked myself. White hair, red eyes, semi-tanned skin, and I felt.... like myself.
I heard someone mumble something, but I was on my way into fainting.
******************
Ten years.
Ten fucking years led to this. Ten years of trying to get someone curious enough to pass into our world, with the end result being myself. I hadn't led the team that was behind this- just the most driven to do this. If you were close enough in time to another cycle, and you already knew what was going to happen- and didn't like the outcome, wouldn't you want to change it?
My world was a mess of rubble, plot holes, and anger. Our city was nothing but crumbling buildings and dank skies.
The only way to survive this world was to go under the knife- entrust yourself to the people, who you'd hope would just make you more adaptable to this world. Adaptable to the stagnant air and the lifeless people here. In some cases, they'd remove parts of yourself, parts of your behavior, parts of your abilities, and search into your history and bring something else back to fill the void.
Yes, I had been TK, but as soon as I woke from that procedure... I wasn't. I was a combination of different versions of myself- I didn't feel as emotionally driven in most cases- all except one.
They warned me that they couldn't alter anything to do with my preference for anger. Searching through all those layers of... myself, they had found it to be needed to my core. It was something I needed to work on, to control and use to my advantage.
But, in all that digging, they had let me see my own memories, my own pasts.
Bad. Mistake.
I knew EXACTLY where I had fucked up last cycle, and I needed to stop that from happening. That anger, rose its head and I began a movement to change things- those same doctors that "fixed" me, were my targets. In time, with persuasion, I finally got them to work on a way to get people to contact themselves in a way- irk our other selves just enough so they'd go looking for answers. Only one person has succeeded before me- and his cycle's counterpart was now the most tightly locked up person in this place.
I wasn't going to let myself go the coward's way out, pull that tricky chaotic neutral route, instead of standing firm and doing something.
I was going to do what I could to prevent my cycle from... becoming what it is.
The name I go by now, is Hydronine. Metal and water are things I have some control over- and I've discarded a lot of useless talents I used to have. I made myself into what I couldn't in the other cycle. And when we reached out to each other through these machines, I was able to transfer over quickly enough that she couldn't fight it.
Ten fucking years of trying to fix my own cycle led to this. If I could just change how this cycle turns out- everything will be fine.
If I can't, My cycle's doomed. It will require a lot to save it, but I have every resource I need, in this cycle.
I lost everything there. There's nothing left for me in hat world if I don't change it. Everyone I loved has either changed, died, or met with a fate worse than both of those two.
Our cycle isn't just tearing apart... it's holding on by threads- if I can't change something, my word will end, and everyone there will cease to be, or be locked in that world and unable to progress into another cycle.
I refuse to stand by and watch that.
It took a few moments to actually be able to move, and my vision was... less than prefect for a moment... cleared up pretty quickly, but it irked me.
knew this place, I knew the people, I knew how I could get this all done...
"I'm ok, I'm ok... it's me... I'm still me... just a little different." I managed to say before disconnecting myself from every goddamned thing in the room. "We need to get out of here, bring that list and we're all leaving, in twenty minutes a group will be in here to check the building, and we do not want to be here during that, take everything you think you need and lets go."
I was already on my feet and walking to towards the exit.
"Kate, I have another place I need to go to."
