Project Genesis - Episode Four: To the Underground

[Vay]

Yuri thought fast. It was yet another one of those freaks, this one seemed more than a little deranged, yet might be useful. He was genuinely scared by the 00, beaks of sweat formed on his forehead and he weighed his options for a moment.

"Th-th-the car..." he stammered. "I stole it from the Mancini Mansion." he pointed it its general direction with a finger, making no sudden movements. "H-h-he had a girl, and a doctor..... I just wanted the car t-t-to get out of the city. The smell must be f-f-from the car."

He hoped his bluff would work, the guards at the mansion might be able to take this freak, they might not. Either way it would give Yuri time to get away.

 

[Blind Hemingway]

"YOU TAKE US AS FOOLS?
MANCINI HAD NOTHING.
FOR STEALING HER..
HE HAS BEEN DEALT WITH."

At this point Yuri tried to crawl away. However 02 grabbed him by the ankle and held him up. The rebel looked like a prize winning fish hanging for display. Natural instinct told him to fight back, but each time he did the pressure got tighter and tighter. It felt like the circulation in his feet had ceased.

"Focus 02. He knows something. His story is too patchy to be true."

"MISS CORDELIA…
SHALL WE MAKE HIM SPEAK?
LIKE HOW WE MAKE EVERYONE ELSE SPEAK?"

02 grinned as the voices all agreed that he should be killed; save for one.

"No, you may not. Place him down. Let the creature crawl back to Sahar. He'll led us to her. Just look at the fear in his eyes. He knows more than he lets on.."

"MISS CORDELIA…
SHE SAYS NO.
WE WILL NOT KILL THIS FOOL."

"I am taking over, all you others silence!"

02 then dropped Yuri.

"Okay, we shall make this simple. I know you're lying. Your pulse has been at an elevated rate for several hours, suggesting you were paranoid even before we encountered you. Next, I find it highly unlikely that a simpleton like yourself could be able to leave the Mancini's mansion while it is under attack. You came back for something."

02 stepped forward, the single voice now in full control.

"So you can stop lying to me and give me a straight answer, or you can kiss the usage of your legs good bye. Times ticking away. Tick Tock, tick tock…"

 

[Vay]

Upside down, ears pounding, cold sweat. The 00 holding his body as if he were a puppet. He could feel bile rising, he was going to be sick. Every instinct told his he had to do anything, say anything. He had to get away. Im his mind he ran over the list of people he would be betraying if he told the freak where Sahar was. Anna, Dante, the men who died on the airship, the doctor... Amy who had trusted him with Sahar even if she hadn't had much choice, and Sahar herself who he had made a promise to. He was a soldier, in a world where the lines had become almost to blurred to see.

He tried to focus his eyes, the weight of the holster against his side. It would be useless going for the pistol now. He had only one choice left. He was just a soldier. "I don't know where Genesis is. We were running but I came back for the doctor. For all I know they could be in Norfolk by now." It came, rushing into his throat, welling up from his stomach. Fear, exhaustion, and vomit. He was just a soldier, he was expendable.

 

[Blind Hemingway]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8FvOuM1FbY"]YouTube- De Profundis[/ame]

"There that's much better. See how telling the truth will spare your life. I am not a monster; well technically I am by your human standards." 02 said.

When Yuri had first encountered the 00, it had only spoken in the second person; suggesting that the man had multiple personalities conflicting for control at once. Yet now he found a single cold voice.

The rebel then puked on the cold damp cobblestone street. Warmth streamed from the bloody bile. Yuri hadn't considered just how cold winter was in Semile. His body was in dire pain each time he moved. Even if he'd die, he decided to stay put on the ground.

"So you came for the doctor, I see. Hate to break the news to you, but the Government has her in their custody. I saw Big Brother take her away myself, meaning 01. He'll do anything to that girl you are trying to defend. He's the one that killed all of your allies back on the Tesla."

"Wh-what..Are you talking about?" Yuri asked, panting after each word.

"Simple, 01 wants to recreate his glory years. Ever since he found out about the Messiah, he's been trying to keep her away from her true family."

"Fa…Family?".

"Simple, 01 wants to recreate his glory years. Ever since he found out about the Messiah, he's been trying to keep her away from her true family. I am one of her kin. You humans use the term…Brother. Yes that's it."



Sahar still felt ill. The medication she had her person had not been enough for the amount of time she had been away from the ever watchful eyes of the science team that worked with Dr. Sherriden.

"Shouldn't we be moving towards that Unregistered City Yuri kept talking about?" Sahar asked, huffing much like Yuri was.

"No. You are ill. Even if you are a tool of the state, I cannot, in my good conscious allow for a child to die in the sewers. If I get arrested by the government, oh well. I am a partisan after all. I've come to expect death around ever corner." Anna said

"I see."

 

[Vay]

Hope..... it came in the form of cols metal aganst skin. Hidden under folds of clothing Yuri's hand gripped the metal cylinder. Pardly moving he hooked the pin on a button and pulled the grenade out out. Metal against cobblestones. The sound made 02 look, Yuri blocked his ears and turned away. The flash-bang detonated and Yuri was on his feet the yelp of pain behind him only quickening his pace. The car has still running, apparently it could take more of a beating than Yuri would have though. He jumped into the driver's seat and floored it, the sick-sounding engine roaring to life as the car shot forwards, back towards the underground.

 

[Xnijmai]

Vulnerability.

A blinding vulnerability.

His heightened senses turned against him as the entire world became nothing, but blurred white and brain rattling ringing.

No voices. No angry rage. No obsessive compulsions. No commands.

Silence finally came to 02.

Began to see figure
Far away so run to
Couldn't see face
Hand reaches out
Can't reach her
Weight pulls down
So far away
Hand reaches out
But too late
Fingers pierces into her neck...​

...Ar me? Do not let that man get away. He has had contact with Sahar. He is our only lead at this moment. Retrieve him and we will be one step closer to getting Sahar back.

Thought some what unfocused, 02's vision returned to him, regaining his composure as he stood up. The ringing was still there, but it was merely a minor nuisance rather something that would deter his focus.

The man in which he was to go after had already put a great deal of distance in between them, trying to escape by vehicle. Without fully regaining his senses, 02 shot off after him, his monstrous speed cutting the distance shorter, but not enough for him to catch the man.

02 then noticed the strange sensation that sat upon his face as he blazed a path towards the man. Tears. Tears clung tightly to the skin of face. A bodily reaction to the flash bang from earlier.

He positioned himself in arms length of a lamppost, his nimble reflexes guiding him as his fingers slice through the metal like air then quickly grasping the freed lamppost without even slowing down. He honed in the Trajectory of the hover vehicle and hurled the lamppost like a javelin at the vehicle.

 

[Blind Hemingway]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn71hIsm0U8"]YouTube- Final Fantasy VII One Winged Angel (Eminence Symphony)[/ame]
Sahar was still feeling ill.

Anna had tried everything she could naturally do. She had no medications to help the teen. It made her heart hurt each time Sahar coughed.

"You see Sahar, I have witnessed over ten battles in one month. It is kind of interesting, but I am starting to think that some of them are staged." Anna said, hoping conversation could help ease the pain.

The problem was she had not dealt with 14 year olds in so long, her topics of choice were mostly limited to warfare and complaining about Yuri. She was sure neither of which were exactly helpful in a situation such as this.

Sahar looked up at Anna, her bright red eyes were dimming. She then pushed away from Anna and collapsed to the ground.

"OW!!! MY HEAD!" She screamed in pain.

"Sahar are you alright?"

The young girl then slapped Anna in the face, "NO!!!"

Sahar's eyes then widened, "Anna, I am sorry…."

Anna rubbed her cheek, "Understandable, you're not feeling well."

Sahar could feel something strange going on inside of her. Sahar supported herself next to the side of the tunnel walls. She was now starting to cringe in worse pain than before.

"Ow…. Ow…. ow…. Huh?" She muttered as she noticed that her hands were trembling as she reached for her head.

Her cells were starting to divide at an accelerated rate, so fast that she could not possibly understand what was happening to her. Soon the pain grew to be too much and she remained motionless on the ground.

"Sahar?" Anna screamed.

Sahar looked up, everything was blurry and the bright artificial lights seemed to phase her for no apparent reason.

"Are you alright?!?!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Sahar moved her arms and soon Anna found herself thrown into the cold underground creek. The impact caused Anna to land awkwardly on her left arm. She would remain still for now. Better to play possum then get killed.

"Damn! Damn!" Sahar wobbled as she attempted to get up.

She felt bile fell up her throat, the 00 then puked on the damp walkway of the subway line. As Sahar peered down she noticed that there was a course of blood coming from her mouth, which caused her to panic.

"WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?!!?!" Sahar screamed.

This caught the attention of the people just up the ways; the ones that had left puddles of oil. However, Anna had made a serious error. This tunnel did not lead towards any of the Unregistered colonies; it was a route for the Salvage Crew militias.

"What the hell was that?" One of the soldiers said.

"Dunno. We should probably find out. You know how the Captain gets when we don't do our so called soldierly duty." Another said.

A group of ten soldiers decided to go investigate what was going on. They were a militia, meaning they were armed with mostly outdated weapons but then again, all they were expected to do was shoot anyone trying to enter or leave the restricted areas of the vast underground systems of the former subway lines of the 20th Century.

"What the hell is the meaning of this!?!?!" Sahar screamed aloud.

"It's coming from over there!" One of the soldiers said.

"Just around the corner. Follow the Corporal."

"GAAAAAAAAAH!"

The soldiers then saw a figure twisting around like rope.

"GAAAAAAAAAH! THE LIGHTS!!!!!"

With Sahar's scream, the bright artificial lights of the subway were smashed by a powerful force. A rain of shattered glass filled the air as the soldiers looked on in confusion. One of the soldiers, then tried to approach Sahar but then he screamed in pain. His neck was slowly going around an unnatural 360 degrees; the bones and veins in his were twisted apart. When the final crack was heard the lifeless body fell to the ground, the head no longer attached. Several more soldiers stared at her with great awe.

"What? Why the hell are you looking at me? Just leave me alone!"

The soldiers didn't respond, not even a shot was fired.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

And with a single movement of her arms three more members of the Salvage Crew were smashed into the walls of the surrounding chamber.

"She's one of the 00s!" One person shouted.

Screams and massive fleeing started. Two pairs of soulless red eyes stared into the hearts of the young men. As they ran away, all they heard was an evil sounding high pitched cackle.

Sahar looked at the lifeless bodies surrounding her, "Run, run, run! You have no where to go. I will find you silly little men!"

Meanwhile, Anna stumbled the best she could back towards the surface. Yuri was running late; she'd have to find help herself. She continued to clutch her injured arm, until she reached the metal steps that lead to the surface. Anna forced herself forward as fast as she could. Tears were flowing down her face and she wanted to scream. She had just seen grown men ripped apart not by a mere human being.

Nothing was rational at this point.

Yuri sped forward as fast he could. His brain told him he needed to return to Anna. However, things weren't looking bright for him.

Was it the world that was spinning?

Was it him?

Did it matter?

The hovercar didn't have the traction of a wheeled vehicle. With the loud screech of scraping and crumpling metal the lamp post hit the back of the vehicle.

The sudden jerk threw Yuri's body sideways. Safety glass rained down, the world spun. He saw flashes, the road he has been speeding down, the 00 freak running towards him, the shopfront, shattered and looted.

The sky...

Breaking glass.

Twisting metal.

Lights went off in Yuri's head. When his vision cleared momentary he saw Marcini's hovercar, most of the windscreen missing. It had to be at least ten feet away.

Under him he felt the debris of his landing. Splintered wood, he could have sworn he could hear music, a solemn tune of a jewelry boxes with the ballerinas.

He was cold, he could feel the ice on his stubble. His limbs refused to move. All he could do was pass out and slip into the world of darkness; save for one thing. A woman's laughter kept him focused.

It was his beloved Anna's.

Sure the two had broken up time and time again, but never in his life had they truly abandoned each other.

"Hahahahahah" Anna kept laughing from the stress. H

owever, a mircle was on their side when the crushed red hovercraft once appeared on the horzin and a man limped towards her.

"ANNA!" He yelled, "Where is Sahar?".

Anna was breathing heavily, she pointed down the stairs to the sewers in which her and Sahar had descended down.

He peered around, 02 was on top of one of the buildings but he didn't move from his spot. Even the berserker knew something was wrong.

"SHE IS HERE!
SHE IS HERE!
WE ARE WE NOT ONE!!!
SOMETHING...SOMETHING...
SHE IS NOT RIGHT.
WE MUST HELP HER.
HELP HER!
HELP HER!
SHE IS LOST TO US!"

"Sahar…. I was just talking with her… then something happened… something's wrong!" Anna managed to say between deep breathes.

"Okay." Yuri said.

He didn't want to leave Anna. However, she latched herself on to him. He would not be going alone.

Although both were in no fighting shape, something called them to see what happened to the child...

Yuri took the metal steps 3 at a time his boots hitting the steps heavily. Anna was in a close chase behind him. Yuri pushed opened the door that led to the underground tunnel and stopped in his tracks.

"Shit and a pile of it…" Yuri said in a hushed voice, staring at the devastation before him. The rebel then turned his head to look down the tunnel way and saw a woman he had never seen before sitting on a few of the corpses. She seemed to be licking blood off her lips.

"What in the name of hell…"

End of Chapter Four​