Here's the next two chapters. Chapter four gets a little dark, as
I was dealing with something at the time I wrote it. My apologies.
Hope you like it, and comments, critisism, and rotten cabbages
are, as always, quite welcome.
Ed Becerra
"Dreamers may die, but the dream is eternal..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, after receiving a few fan letters, (and several death
threats!) I've managed to start yet another chapter in the ongoing
saga of Spaceballs II: The Search for More Money. (Oops! Sorry!
That's someone else's parody, not mine. My apologies to Mel Brooks!)
I meant to say, Legion's Quest. (Yeah, that's right, that's the
ticket. And Morgan Fairchild's my wife, too!)
So, here's Chapter 4 of Legion's Quest. As of yet, none of the
writers of Undocumented Features or Otaku Rising have shown up on my
doorstep howling for my blood, so I feel it's safe to continue the
story. ("Igor, have you changed the street signs yet? And did you
remember to whitewash over the address on the porch?" "Yeth, Mathter,
yeth, Mathter! I have followed your orderth to the letter, Mathter!"
"Good boy! And don't forget to camouflage the mailbox!")
Again, my thanks go out to:
Darren Steffler, aka Twister
C'mon, guy! Where's those chapters 15 and 16? I _need_
more Twisted Path!! (Oooh, those withdrawal pains... The
agony, the agony!)
Chris Schumacher
You just seem to get better and better, with every word I
read. Can't wait to see how Original Flavour turns out.
Bert Van Vliet
What can I say? You've got me on pins & needles, waiting to
see if you (he, Bert, urr... you know what I mean) recovers!
And always to the UF gang. MegaZone, Gryphon, ReRob, PCHammer,
Chris, and 'Doc Mui. Thank you. I owe you a debt I can never
fully repay...
Now on with the story...
And the LEGION continues...
(guess the StarTrek quote got misspelled, eh? Heh, heh!)
**********************************
"Zippity-Doo-Dah, Zippity-Day/My, oh, my, what a wonderful day!"
-Theme Music to "Song of the South" by Walt Disney.
Ed was whistling that very same cheery (and somewhat annoying)
tune as he showered. It had been several days since the picnic in the
park, and he'd taken Selene out to lunch three times, already.
*It's funny. She's my _friend_. It's not that she's my
girlfriend, or anything like that.* he thought. *I mean, she's a
girl... well, a female anyway, and she's a friend, but she's not my
GIRLfriend. Odd. Sex never really entered the picture. And given
what a letch I was back home, that IS very strange. But I don't care.
When I'm with her I feel... comfortable. She accepts me for who I
am. I can relax, and not worry about what others think. That's what
a real friend can do for you. Put you at ease. Except for Berry and
Bryan, I haven't had a friend like that in a long, long time.*
He finished up in the bathroom, dressed, ate a quick breakfast,
and headed for work, pausing only to grab a few recording chips filled
with the audio versions of Terry Pratchett's latest Diskworld novels.
*Hey, who knew he was naturally immortal? And each new book is
better than the last! I just don't know _how_ he does it! But I'm
not about to complain! He writes the best comedic fantasy I've ever
read.*
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, birds were singing,
children playing, and people smiled at one another. Ed wasn't
depressed anymore. He was happy. Cheerful and happy.
Life was good.
Obviously, it wasn't about to last.
STEEL BREEZE PRODUCTIONS
and
Industrial Might & Logic
Are Proud to Present
L E G I O N ' S Q U E S T
Chapter 4
(or, Have you ever had one of those lives...?)
Down at the Wendy's where Ed works....
The lunch rush was almost over, and Ed was looking forward to the
rest of the afternoon off. He'd come in early the past few days, and
built up a little overtime. Nothing like an afternoon spent with a
good friend to make a day.
*Hmmm... Where should we go today? Wendy's has good food here,
but it's mainly a place to eat and go. Fast food and all that. I
really want something leisurely for a late lunch. It's good just to
be able to sit and talk over a nice dinner. And talking thing over
with Selene helps a great deal. I'm glad Eve introduced us. I think
it's the best thing that's happened since I got here. I wonder if
they got any good Italian restaurants here in New Avalon? Well...
When in doubt, let your fingers do the walking. I'll try the Yellow
Pages, or whatever passes for them here and now.*
After flipping through a listing of restaurants, he found a nice
little sidewalk cafe type place that looked good. It was located near
the GENOM offices, in a place called Osbourne Plaza.
*Huh. That near a major corp building, it's probably a hangout
for medium-level executives. That is, if it's any good. Better call
ahead and see if I need a reservation. And, if I _do_ need one,
whether I can GET one!*
A quick call showed that it was indeed as he'd thought. Popular
with middle management and rising young execs, the food was said to
excellent for such a small place. Since it was mid-afternoon, Ed was
able to get a table for two reserved for three o' clock. That was a
slow time of day for them.
**********************************
"Oh, one of those coffee-powered mutants... "
-Jessica Pierce, "Kid Dynamo"
It was a pleasant little cafe, done in the European style.
They'd gotten a table inside, near one of the windows. The waiter
arrived with the menus.
Ed flipped one open confidently, then paused. He blinked.
*Oops. I should have thought of this. The menu's in Italian!*
He went blank. Brainlock for a second.
"What do you feel like having today?" Selene asked. "The
lasagna looks good today."
"Uhhh... Well, I thought I'd just begin with a cappachino, then
order the food." he got out. *Good save! At least that gives me a
few minutes to think. Confess that I don't understand italian? Hmm.
That's an option. But embarassing. Try and fake it? Nah. I'd
probably make a fool of myself. Ask for english menus? Or... Coyote
_did_ say that I had the capability. But should I try it?*
"I'd like an espresso, myself. We can order afterwards." Selene
noticed that Ed had a strange look on his face. He looked as if he
were trying to... remember something?
As their coffees arrived, Ed picked his up absent-mindedly, his
attention obviously on something else. He didn't notice how hot it
was. He took a drink.
"Ow! What the..." Suddenly the absent look on his face was
replaced with one of awe and suprise. "Hey! Wow! It worked!"
"What worked?" Selene was curious. Ed was acting as if he'd just
discovered the secret of the universe.
(Author's Note: The secret of the universe is the number 42, by
the way. Thank you, Douglas Adams. Just thought you'd like to know.)
He didn't answer at first. He grabbed the menu, opened it and
quickly scanned all three pages. Then he stood, stepped to the
counter, and picked up an Italian magazine that was lying there. He
began rapidly flipping through it's pages.
"Yes, yes! It works! I did it!" Ed was laughing as he spoke,
and looked a little stunned.
"Did what, Ed? Are you all right? Do you need help? Is there
anything wrong?" Selene was beginning to worry just a little.
"No, no, nothing's wrong! In fact, everything's all _right_!
Look! I can read Italian!" And he began translating first the menu,
and when he came to the end of that, the articles in the magazine he'd
picked up.
"Is that... unusual for you?" she asked, looking at him oddly.
"It certainly is! I don't know any Italian whatsoever!" he
laughed.
"Then... I don't understand." Selene told him.
"Do you remember what I told you about Coyote's message to me in
my dream? What am I thinking? Of course you do. R-Type designed you
with a perfect memory. Coyote told me that the powers, abilities, and
_skills_ of my other selves were mine to call upon. Well, _I_ didn't
_know_ any Italian, but there was another Ed Becerra who did! I just
searched through his memories, found _his_ skill in understanding the
language, and used it as if I'd had it for my very own for all my
life!" He smiled, with the pure joy of a child who has just succeeded
in tying his own shoes for the first time.
"I see. Then you're able to control this ability, I take it?"
"Yes! Or at least I'm beginning to. 'Doc Mui told me that I had
to learn to master my new powers, or they'd master me. It gripes me
to admit it, but he was right all along. And, Damn, it feels good to
be able to do something like this. I can read Italian now, and I'm
willing to bet that I can write and speak it as well. It's
incredible!" he said, unable to contain his excitement.
"What is it like?" Selene asked. While a great deal of her
knowledge _had_ been programmed into her mind, that had been done
before she was conscious. She was curious. What must it feel like to
have an entire skill just _appear_ in one's mind?
It's... it's... I... arrrghh! How do you describe a rainbow
to a blind man? How do you tell the deaf of the beauty of a symphony?
There just aren't any words that fit! Blast it! Why do I have to be
telepathically invisible? I really wish that I could be read by a
telepath right now. That seems like the only way, to show you instead
of trying to tell you. Raaagh!" he snarled in a brief fit of
frustration.
"That's all right." she said. "Let's order dinner now. Perhaps
once you've had a good meal and a chance to relax, you'll be able to
think of an apt comparison or two that can describe what it's like."
"All right. That sounds like a good idea to me. Besides, now I
can show off to the waiter by ordering in Italian! Heh, heh, heh!" he
snickered as he waved for the waiter.
***
"Ok, I'll have the Pappa al Pomodoro Antico Pattore (Tuscan
Tomato and Bread Soup) and for the main course, I'd like the
Benedetta's Sole Cibrčo (sole with hot cherry peppers and scallions).
And a large glass of ice tea to go with that. On second thought, just
bring me a whole pitcher of tea and a tall glass with some ice." Ed
told the waiter.
"What wine would you prefer, signorč?" the waiter asked.
"None, thank you. Wine and I don't get along very well. I
mainly stay with tea or water." Ed responded.
The waiter managed to look offended.
"What would you like, Selene? It all looks very nice."
"I think I will have the Zuppa di Peperoni Gialli Cibrčo (Yellow
Pepper Soup) and the Ravioli di Melanzane e Formaggio di Capra Enoteca
Pinchiorri (Ravioli Filled with Eggplant and Goat Cheese). And I
believe that I'll have iced tea, as well." Selene said.
"Very well." the waiter sniffed, in an arrogant manner, and
turned to fill their order.
"I think I upset him." Ed smirked. "Ah, well, you can't please
everybody. And besides, I really _don't_ get along well with wines.
I just can't stand the taste. When I have... when I _used_ to have
a drink back home, I stuck with vodka." His voice roughened, as he
thought of the past.
"Well, they are very proud of their gourmet tradition. By
refusing a good house wine, you probably insulted the poor man to the
fifth generation." Selene smiled gently, to take the sting out of her
words.
"I guess I did. I really should appologize to him later. He
likely thinks that I'm some sort of gourmet barbarian, a savage who
doesn't know anything about proper dining." He sighed. "But what can
you do? If you don't drink, you don't drink."
"There is nothing wrong with that, Ed. It is a personal choice.
You should not feel guilty if you don't choose to drink."
"Thank you, but I do still feel a little guilty. I can't help
it. Other people's opinions about me matter a great deal to me." He
sighed again. "But you're right. I've got to learn to get over that.
Hey! Here comes our order!"
There was silence at their table for a few minutes as they
enjoyed the soup.
"Selene... If I were to tell you something personal, would you
keep it private? I need to talk to someone about a... problem, and
I don't think it should be 'Doc Mui or Hammer. I owe them so much,
already. I don't want to add to the list. And this is serious, I
think." His face looked pensive.
"I can, as long as it's nothing that might threaten the WDF. I
owe them much, and would not betray them or endanger Dr. Mann."
Ed thought that over for a moment. "Yeah, I can respect that.
I felt that way about the U.S. Army, once. I'm not sure if it is or
not, but I'm willing to trust your judgement on this. If you think
that the Wedge needs to know about this, then tell them. If not,
then... " His voice trailed off, sounding uncertain.
"Eve once told me, 'It never hurts to help.' If I can help you
with your problem, I will." Selene said.
"Thank you. Here comes the main course. Let's finish that,
first, then I'll explain the matter to you. I _need_ an outside
opinion on this. I'm too unsure as to what I should do." With that,
he dug into his sole.
***
"I'll have to come here more often." Ed remarked. "I'd forgotten
just how much I love good italian cooking." A small burp rumbled up
his throat. "Ooops. Pardon me!" He pushed the empty plate to one
side.
"You're excused. Now that we're finished with the meal, would
you like to talk about your problem?" she asked him.
"I... Yeah, I better talk this over with _somebody_, before I
lose my courage. So I'd better do it _now_." His throat suddenly felt
dry. He poured himself another glass of tea. "I think it began with
the replicator accident at the Wendy's where I work... "
It took a while, but Ed managed to give Selene the details of the
mysterious accidents that were plaguing him, and how they seemed to be
intended to reveal the limits of his new abilities.
"...and now whoever, or whatever is behind this, is trying
something different. The latest accidents aren't aimed at pushing me
to the limits of my powers, so much as they are testing my judgment
and morality. It's like some bizzare version of the 'Kobayashi Maru'
test StarFleet used to give to their cadets. I think I'm being tested
to see how I'd react in 'no-win' situations." He looked across the
table at her. "What should I do? The whole thing feels booby-trapped
to me. And it's most _definitely_ rigged."
"I believe that we _should_ tell someone higher up about this, if
they haven't already noticed. From what you have told me, while you
may be in no danger, there may be a real danger to those around you.
If the beings responsible for these 'accidents' continue to increase
the seriousness of their tests, normal humans anywhere near you could
be injured or killed."
"Yeah..." he sighed. "You're right. I think I knew that all
along. I guess I just needed someone else to tell it to me." He
looked down at the floor. "I know what I gotta do now. I'd better
tell Hammer about this. Seeing as he's in the police force, he should
know who I should go to about this mess." He stood. "Let me go pay
our bill. Then I'm gonna go straight to Hammer's office and lay out
the whole story."
**********************************
"A Warrior shrinks not from duty, but neither does he revel in
death."
-Phelan Patrick Kell, "Battletech: Lost Destiny"
Before they had a chance to leave the restaurant, there was a
sudden boom, sounding much like a plane breaking Mach 1. Along with
it went a number of screams. Selene spotted the source of the
disturbance first.
"Something has appeared in the center of the plaza. I'll go see
what it is. You call Emergency Services and inform them that they may
be needed here." She turned toward the spot the screams came from.
"Right." As he ducked back into the restaurant to make the call,
he looked back at Selene. "Take care of your self."
She smiled. "I've done so for over four hundred years."
Ed got through to Emergency Services, told them what he knew of
the situation, (damn little!) and aimed the video pickup at the plaza
so they could get a look for themselves. Then he left, to see if
there was anything that he could do. As he raced out the door, he
could hear more screams and the sounds of chain-reaction-ultra-
destruction. (C.R.U.D.) He spotted several vehicles crudding
themselves into fireballs, and people fleeing the plaza on foot.
*Fubar!! Not good. It's hitting the fan big time. Well, I'm
semi-invulnerable now, anyway. Don't have to worry about getting
burned or squished. Better do whatever I can to help, then. Just
hope Selene is ok.*
Right about then, Selene can flying past him, arms and legs
flailing. She hit a wall to his left, and crashed to the ground.
He ran over to her, checking her condition.
*Thank you, whoEVER is in charge of this universe! She's ok.
Just stunned. But what, in Fortuna's name, could hurt HER? She's one
of the most physically powerful beings in this universe. I'd bet only
Vaughn could outmatch her. Or maybe Bell. Just what the _HELL_ is
happening here?!*
He grabbed her by the shoulders, and shook her gently.. "What
happened? What's going on?!" he demanded. She mumbled something
incoherent, and her head sagged. *Damn. I need info!* He reached
back into his past, and brought out the tone he'd used in the service,
the one he thought of as his "Drill Sargent's" voice.
"ICZER 2! REPORT! GIVE ME A SITUATION REPORT NOW!"
Her eyes snapped open. *Good! I hoped the military tone would
work. Looks like I cut straight through to her combat programming.
Please, life, let it be something simple that I know how to handle,
like an exploding vehicle or an escaped maniac. Wait, she's speaking.*
"Situation report: current time/location."
"Hostile unit attacking area: Osbourne Plaza."
"Hostile entity: android designate: LARGO."
"Unit displaying combat capabilities/energy levels previously
unknown."
"Threat Analysis: Level 10 or higher."
"This unit still combat capable."
"Suggested plan: Diversionary attacks until re-enforcements
arrive."
*LARGO?! ShitShitShitShit! He's supposed to be dead, dammit!
Gryphon killed him! Twice! Ah, F.I.D.O.! The important thing is to
send him back to whatever _hell_ he managed to crawl out of. No one
else available. Fubar! This whole thing reeks of another blasted
test for me. Or a really bad plot twist. Figures I'm the only one
here that can do anything. Where's Superman when you need him? Or
the X-men? Or even Underdog, for that matter?*
He propped Selene in a sitting position against the wall that
she'd struck. "Iczer 2. You will remain here until all systems are
back on-line. Then carry out such combat operations against Largo as
you are capable of. Do you understand?"
"This unit understands. Orders noted. Execution proceeds." This
came out in a monotone totally unlike her normally pleasant contralto.
*Jeez. Thank Fortuna for backup CPU's! Looks like her combat
sub-processor's in full command right now. Wonder if it's another one
of those damn TORIS's. I just hope she hasn't been seriously injured.
But I can't worry about that right now. We need time. And I gotta go
buy us some.*
He rose, and turned toward the center of the disaster with a
sigh. *Well, once more into the breech, dear friends. I can't let
innocent civilians die. That's not what the Army taught me to do. I
just hope I can slow him down until the WDF can get here and nail his
ass to the wall.*
He took a deep breath, and headed toward the figure he could
dimly see through the flames and wreckage, standing in the center of
the plaza. He was whistling as he walked. One of the fleeing
bystanders noticed the lunatic striding toward the cause of it all,
and thought, *He's going to get killed and he's singing "It's a Long
Way to Tipperary"? He's crazy!*
***
*Hmm... distraction, distraction, I _need_ a distraction. If I
can distract him, and get in a sucker punch, I might have a chance.*
He looked around as he walked. Then he spotted something lying on the
ground. He picked it up. *Yeah! That might work. But if I do it,
and survive the fight, 'Doc's gonna -kill- me!*
/* "Weird Al" Yankovic "Dare to be Stupid" _Dare to be Stupid_ */
*Oh, well, ya only live twice. Besides, I might get lucky, lose
the battle and die. 'Doc can't get me then. He's good, but not that
good. Ya know, someday I _really_ gotta find out how this universe
manages to keep pulling twisted jokes like this on us.*
He donned the dirty white raincoat he'd found, loosened his tie,
rumpled his hair, and walked up behind the raging boomer. He reached
out and tapped it on the shoulder. It whirled around to face him.
"Ah, excuse me, shah? Yes, shah, you with the beam cannon in
your mouth. Ah, just one question, it won't take a moment... " Ed
asked it in a semi-obscured voice.
The boomer simply stood there for a moment, taking in the image of
the human before it, as though it couldn't believe what it was seeing.
It's face was totally blank of expression. Ed noted the gunmetal grey
skin, the white hair with its reddish tinge, the red veins popping
through the skin, and the black eyes with their blood red pupils.
A bizzare thought ran through his mind for a brief instant.
*Yeah, it's Largo, alright. Bert got the description just perfect.
Hmmm... If the situation wasn't so damn desperate, I'd be laughing my
ass off. The black and red eyes make him look just like Dr. Robotnik
from the 'Sonic the Hedgehog' video games! Somehow, I have this
almost uncontrollable urge to leap at him and shout '*!SEGA!*'. Heh!*
Suddenly the boomer tried to grab him by the throat. He
dodged aside, and all it got was the dirty raincoat, ripping it from
his shoulders. It tore the coat into shreds and threw them to the
ground.
*Well, there goes my "Lt. Columbo" impression. Small loss. 'Doc
'd probably thank him for it.*
Just then, Largo spoke. Screamed, actually.
"YOU! IT'S YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE I'M HERE FOR! IF I KILL YOU,
I'M FREE!" Largo shrieked furiously.
"Ahh.. Huh..? What.. <duck> are.. <dodge> you.. <pant>
talking.. <jump> about..?!" Ed queried.
"Those who brought me here! They promised me life, power over my
enemies, and freedom! All I could ever want, if only I slay _you_!"
For emphasis, Largo salvoed all his beam weapons at Ed.
Who rolled, bobbed, and weaved like a drunken monkey with a case
of epilepsy. He was hit a few times, but the only damage done was to
his clothes. *Shit-a-goddamn! I was right! He IS another test! I
can't kill him now. Gotta take him alive, or at least intact. I
gotta find out who's behind all of this. Who HAS this kind of power?!
WHO THE HELL IS SCREWING WITH MY LIFE?!*
"I'm not gonna fight you, Largo. _If_ that's who you really are!
Yer weapons aren't doing me much damage, altho they _are_ ruining my
clothes. And I can keep ducking all day long, and twice on Sundays!
All I gotta do is keep you busy, you waste of software." Ed yelled at
him. "Who the hell designed your operating system, Bill Gates?! I've
fought Cyberdyne T-800's that were a bigger threat to me than you
are!" *A lie, but he won't know that. Gotta keep him focused on me.
Gotta delay him. Give the civilians the time they need to evacuate,
and the WDF time to get a SWAT team here.*
Suddenly, Largo stopped firing at him. "So you won't fight me,
weakling? I see you're trying to protect the common rabble behind
you. What if, rather that attacking you, I try killing _THEM_?!" He
opened up with all his weapons, now firing -past- Ed, into the people
trying desperately to escape the battlefield. "What if I kill THEM,
eh?! Now what will you do?"
"Noooooooooooooooo!!!"
Now it was Ed's turn to scream. From the corner of his eye, he
could see several bodies lying on the pavement. Blasted, broken, and
bleeding, he could hear their dying screams. Closest to him was a
small child. She couldn't have been more than five or six. Her hair
was the same shade of red as his little sister's. Her left leg was
missing from the hip.
Something deep inside him snapped.
Time slowed to a crawl, then stopped entirely.
There was silence.
Memory rushed up to engulf him.
***
.....never again.
Springtime, 1982...
Bavaria, West Gemany.
Near the mutual borders with East Germany and Czechoslovakia.
You remember...
You're with a cavalry unit of the US Army. It's duty is to
patrol up and down the border, and maybe impress the Communists with
America's military power and might.
Yaright. Boooooring.
You hear a gunshot. Everyone rushes to their vehicles, and
buttons up inside, closing hatches and readying weapons. There are
more shots. You realize that it's a machine gun. 12.7 mm from the
sound of it. Probably a DShK 38/46 heavy machine gun. Standard
Soviet issue to the border guards.
Then you see it. There are people in the wire. They're trying
to make it over the wall. An attempted escape to the west. And the
border guards will take them down. Dead or alive, it doesn't matter
to the border guards. Just as long as no one escapes. If someone
does, the -guards- are the ones who'll be punished. They know that.
And there is nothing you can do to help. You know the regulations.
Can't help any escapee until they actually manage to touch Allied
soil. Until then, it's just a case of a goverment disiplining its
own citizens. Perfectly legal. Damn them.
You have to stand there and watch. Then something new happens.
The guards AREN'T killing the escapees. You can see their commander.
He's telling his troops to play with them. Now the guards are killing
them _slowly_. Sadistically. Enjoying it. Stretching it out.
Making it last.
One of your squad mates raises his M-16. An arrogant little
by-the-book, rule-bound, follow-orders-blindly lieutenant rushes up,
shouting something about how it's okay to let them die. As long as we
follow the rules, _we_ won't get in trouble, and that's all that
matters. We can't upset the status quo. We must not upset the
detente. The escapees are unimportant. Not really human. After all,
it's not like they're 'Americans', or anything like that.
They try to surrender. It's too late. The guards aren't
accepting any surrenders. They're having far too much fun to quit
now.
Your squad mate turns his rifle on the lieutenant, and the rest
of you jump him, in order to keep him from commiting a murder. Even
though you all want to do the same thing. The officer blathers on
about court-martials, prisons, executions, but you don't listen.
There are witnesses enough. If he tries to do anything, you'll all
lie like cheap rugs at the hearing.
The sargent takes the lieutenant aside, and explains the facts of
life to him. When the sargent explains that the commanding officer
will rate the word of a twenty-year veteran NCO over the word of a
fresh-out-of-the-academy rookie officer, the lieutenant shuts his
mouth.
The gunfire continues. Slowly.
You stand there. It takes the victims hours to die.
You stand there. And with every second that passes, you can feel
the heart in your chest grow a little colder.
You stand there. And with every shot you hear, you can feel
another small piece of your soul shrivel and die.
It ends when they turn loose the guard dogs, to finish off what
little remains.
You stand there. You're numb now. You don't care anymore.
Never again.....
***
"Noooooooooooooooo!!!"
And in the empty silence, the universe can hear the quiet sound
of one heart breaking.
"In my nightmare/I am dreaming."
"All my fears/Are here with me."
-Chuck's Lament (A Child's Dream)
Crosby, Stills, and Nash
/* John Williams "Ben's Death" Star Wars */
**********************************
That's Chapter 4. Chapter 5...
will be coming soon. This one hurt.
I'm sorry.
**********************************
Edward Becerra
eabecerr@nyx.cs.du.edu
edward@genesis.org
edward.becerra@plvalley.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remember...
The bloodtide swirls around me.
Grief and shame form a hellwind,
clawing painfully at my wounds.
My armour is shattered.
It affords no protection.
Ebon flames of conscience consume my soul.
Mere water cannot quench their darkling blaze.
And yet...
...there is a greater duty.
All debts must be repaid.
Remember...
***
Hello, again.
I'm sorry about Chapter 4. Some memories of a dark and ugly time
returned, and somehow slipped into the chapter. Yet, when it was done, the
story was strangely. . . _right_, no matter how much it hurt. If I've
offended, I'd like to appologize.
My thanks again to:
My first fans, Dieter Hirsbrunner (drh@cherry-semi.com) and Bree Duffy
(bree.duffy@chemek.com) who sent me my first fan letters and some greatly
needed words of encouragement. Thanks, guys.
Additional dialog for 'Doc Mui by Pearson "DOC" Mui!
Additional dialog for PCHammer by Martin "PCHammer" Rose!
Thank you both, guys.
The whole Undocumented Features crowd and to Darren Steffler, Chris
Schumacher, and Bert Van Vliet.
I owe you guys more than I can ever repay.
Enough of that for now.....
And the LEGION continues...
**********************************
" ...you have to use your awesome powers to fight crime!"
- Mike Peterson
"Aw, do I have to? Can't I just play cruel tricks on it,
instead?"
- Steve Harmon, aka Slapstick!
"The Awesome Slapstick!" Marvel Comics
***
#What are we doing here?! This is not the time for us to exist!
Something has gone terribly wrong. _We should not be here_!#
These thoughts were passing through the mind of a ... something, that
was standing in a place that wasn't quite space OR time. Needless to say,
it was a very strange place.
#This is Edward's time. Not ours. What has happened to him? Something
has interfered in our proper growth and development. If he is damaged, or
worse, the potential for disaster is...#
The being shuddered. #Coyote would not like this, but it seems that we
must take things into our own hands. If someone or something has found a
way to injure Edward, we must set things right as quickly as is possible.
And then we must have a ... _DISCUSSION_ ... with the beings responsible,
if any. They must be _educated_ as to why what they've done is a BIG
mistake. And encouraged >not< to repeat it.#
And with that thought, the being dissolved into a glory of red-gold
light. After it was gone, a few blue sparks danced across the area where it
had stood.
***
STEEL BREEZE PRODUCTIONS
and
Industrial Might & Logic
Are Proud to Present
L E G I O N ' S Q U E S T
Chapter 5
or
There's something happening here.
What it is ain't exactly clear.
***
Back in New Avalon, Utopia Planetia...
To the being, who had just arrived, Osbourne Plaza looked like a frozen
moment in time. It got it's bearings, then chose to examine Edward's
memories first.
#Oooh, cute! Looks like we've got some _really_ VILE bastiches, here.
This entire event looks staged to hit him in his weakest spot: his guilt
over that incident in West Germany. And none of the regulars was able to
help him in time. It seems that he's retreated into himself, and he doesn't
intend to come out until Judgement Day. It's going to take us a lot of work
to get him over this one. Maybe Hammer thought _HE_ had Power Action
Self-Doubt(tm), but it's nothing compared to what this poor child is
carrying around. Stupid. He _insists_ on blaiming himself for things that
simply are _not_ his fault.#
It looked deep into Ed's mind and spotted where his injured spirit lay.
#Hmmm. Wow, what a refuge. We've seen planetary command bunkers with
less armour than his little mental hide-out. And the others don't seem to
have had any luck getting him to come out. Well, we can leave that problem
for later. Now, for the annoying little creature that started this whole
brewhaha.#
It turned to examine the boomer who had claimed to be Largo. It quickly
analyzed the android's structure, then the material that structure was
formed from.
#Curious. This construct isn't even native to this plane. Bloody
thing's an import. And shoddy construction, as well. Sloppy design,
sub-standard materials, and inferior workmanship. Yuck! We could design
and build a better one with both arms AND our brains tied behind our back,
and a crushing hang-over on top of that! We ought to drag the designer out
into the street and heckle him to death, just on general principles!
Bleedin' incompetent, is what he is!#
It's little tirade about lowered standards in the automaton industry
quickly ended when it noticed some peculiar energies eddying around the
boomer. It stopped and took a much closer look at the oddly familiar
pattern and signature of the power surrounding the "Largo".
#THEM?! It couldn't be! They wouldn't dare! Don't they know or
understand that attacking him is attacking _US_?!# Then the thought crossed
it's mind. #Or perhaps that was the point. They must wish to own us, or
else to destroy us. If so, they must either be desperate, or absolutely
certain that they could not fail. If it was them, then they're going to pay
for pulling this little stunt.# Sifting rapidly through the boomer's
synthetic memory, it discovered the 'promise' that "Largo" had screamed at
Edward during the battle. #Yes. It must be them. Checking... Yes. This
construct was removed from a Bubblegum Crisis alternate immediately prior to
it's impending destruction at the hands of the Knight Sabers. Things are a
lot clearer, now. They removed it, instructed it, gave it the power they
thought it would need, and promised it that if it succeeded, they would
return it to it's native reality with the power to destroy the Knight
Sabers. Of course that idiot Largo would fall for that. ANY Largo would
fall for that. Brian J. Mason was so _utterly_ predictable. Rather
two-dimentional, as villians go. But very controllable, if you know what
you're doing. We really _must_ have some words with them over this.#
It turned away from the frozen caricature of hatred, evil, and death
thinly disguised as an android. Looking around the plaza, it mentally
rolled up it's sleeves. #Gotta' lotta work here. Better get started. The
buildings they can fix themselves, but the deaths are another story.
Teleute's gonna be pissed at us, but we can't help that.# It snorted.
#Besides, if we don't fix things here and now, pretty soon she's not gonna
be in a position to complain about anything at all. 'Cause if Ed loses it
completely, then so do we. And if _we_ lose it, then it's gonna be the Dark
Phoenix saga all over again. Only this time around, it won't be just one or
two realities in danger, it'll be all of them. Even Teleute's.#
***
"Time is the simplest thing..." - Clifford D. Simak
"If I could turn back time..." - Cher, "If I Could Turn Back Time."
#Let's see. First things first. Triage. Utopia has what it takes to
care for the merely wounded, so we'll leave that for them. Or maybe not.
After all, it's only the polite thing to do, eh? The dead, on the other
hand... Hmmm...#
It reached back into the past, feeling around. #There! Grab the
life-patterns. Pull them forward a minute in time. Got it. All the
patterns are intact. Now to impose the intact patterns over the damaged
bodies. Heh. Just like trying to work with a transporter trace. That
should take care of the damage. And with the bodies restored, just gotta
spark them a little with some life-force. If we get it right, that oughta
pull them back from Teleute. But not _too_ much, though. There's always
the danger of burning them out. They're so small. Easy does it. There.
Done.#
It turned to look at the Largo construct.
#We're gonna enjoy _this_!# it thought, with a cruel smile. #These
clowns are gonna learn that when you mess with the best, you die like the
rest.#
It began humming a cheery little tune.
(sung to the tune of "The footbone's connected to the anklebone.")
#The hands _AREN'T_ connected to the/forearms.#
#The forearms _AREN'T_ connected to the/elbows.#
#The upper arms _AREN'T_ connected to the/shoulders.#
And a few stanzas later. . .
#That'll do it. Oh, before we forget... Better grab that little packet
of energy they gave to that bogus Largo. Best not to leave that piece of
nastyness lying around where it could cause trouble. And you never know...
we could probably use it ourselves. It'd make a nice little trap, for when
they come back after Ed. Heh, heh! Aren't we the nasty one. And now to
finish things. First the injured, then the buildings, and finally, Ed.#
**********************************
Meanwhile...
Over near the restaurant, Selene lay against the wall where Ed had placed
her. Her eyes suddenly refocused, and took in the situation.
*I'm functional again. But what has happened?* She checked her memories.
*My conscious mind was _shut down_?! How could that be? All Largo did was
wave an arm at me. This is not good. And Ed has tried to take him on in my
place? I must help him! He cannot handle Largo on his own.*
She rose and ran towards the center of the plaza. Then she noticed
something strange. No sounds of combat. No fires. And apparently, no
casualties. Just a number of dazed and confused people wandering about at
random.
"I couldn't have been unconscious for that long." She checked her
internal clock. Only a few minutes had elapsed. "What is going on here?!"
A little girl with bright red hair came over and tugged on her sleve.
"Are you gonna help the flying man who saved us, lady?" She pointed past
Selene's shoulder.
Selene turned to look in that direction. Her eyes widened slightly.
*That is... unusual. Perhaps it holds my answers.* She gazed at the figure
that was floating a foot above the ground, some distance away. She walked
towards it. It didn't appear to notice her, at first.
At it's feet lay a pile of disassmebled parts from a boomer. A closer
look showed her that they were the remains of her attacker. A glance at the
floating figure identified it as Edward, but he appeared to be in some sort
of fugue state. Then his eyes snapped open. What happened next took Selene
completely unaware.
A golden fire glowed in Ed's eyes, like twin nova. His hair blazed a
hellish red. His body shimmered like a heat haze. Then his head turned to
face her. As he began to speak, she thought, *This is _not_ the Edward I
know. This one... has the look of eagles.*
"You. You're Selene. Edward knows you as his friend. There are things
that must be done, and done swiftly. Edward has unwittingly brought great
danger to this place. We must speak with someone in a position of
authority, then leave as quickly as possible. We don't wish any more grief
to visit Utopia Planetia on our account, or his. We'll be at his cottage,
making preparations for his journey, as he is currently unable to do so for
himself. If the authorities can be reached, send them there."
"I'm not certain I understand, but I will do what I can, Edward. Is
there anything else?" she asked.
"Yes. Have these..." he waved towards the pile of boomer parts, "taken
to someone for analysis and destruction. DO NOT, under ANY circumstances,
allow anyone to try to reactivate it. And..."
"And?"
"We are not Edward. Our name is... Legion."
And it disappeared in a flare of red-gold light, leaving behind a few
blue sparks to mark it's passage.
***********************************
"I am the eagle/I live in high country/in rocky cathedrals/
that reach to the sky./I am the hawk/and there's blood on
my feathers/but time is still turning/they soon will be dry.
And all those who see me/and all who believe in me/carry the
freedom I feel when I fly."
- John Denver "The Eagle and the Hawk."
Doc Mui and Hammer had gotten the word from Zoner about Selene's version
of what had happened in the plaza. They headed straight over to Ed's
cottage. They weren't quite certain what they'd find, so they tried to be
ready for anything.
Doc was still pondering the import of the last half of Zoner's message.
Analysis had been started on the boomer parts left behind in plaza, and
although it had just begun, it was already quite obvious that it hadn't been
built in this universe. Too many things were ... different. Methods used
to build it, technological concepts behind the design, even the materials it
was constructed of were slightly odd. Measurement of the Planck's constant
of the pieces did _NOT_ result in an answer of 6.6256*10^-34 Js. Short
answer: It wasn't from _HERE_.
One concusion Doc kept coming up with was obvious. Somebody, somewhere
was pretty pissed with Ed, if they were willing to go to all the trouble of
faking a Largo just to kill him with it. Not good news.
They reached Ed's place. "Age before beauty," said Doc, with a SEG on
his face.
Marty returned "I'll walk slow, so you can keep up, eh, Doc?", and took
the lead. He was in his Darkwing Duck mode, complete with scarf pulled up
over the lower half of his face. He strode up the walkway, cape swirling
around him. The door turned out to be unlocked, so they went on in.
The living room was full of packing cases both large and small.
Bookcases had been emptied, and every item that wasn't part of the original
furnishings had been packed away. A stream of clothing was floating
(_floating_?!) out of the door leading to bedroom. As they passed by
Martin's face, they folded themselve neatly, and placed themselves in a
waiting crate.
Martin looked at Doc. "At least he's neat. We should be able to get the
cleaning deposit back."
Doc twitched an eyebrow. "Could be worse. He could be trying to pack up
the entire building. From Selene's description, I was sorta expecting it."
"Well, the way he's packing, he doesn't have much further to go. There's
not much else left aside from the furniture the place came with." Hammer
eyed the doorway. "I went first. Now it's your turn."
Doc reached into his pocket, pulling out an old coin. "Flip you for it?"
Hammer reached behind Pearson and gathered much of the back of his
shirt into his hand. "Heads, tails, or give?"
Doc sighed. "Give." Martin released him.
Doc grimaced. "Had to try. Oh, well. Nothing ventured, and all that."
He played with his wirerims for a moment. "This looks like a job for...
Lt. Columbo!" He walked across the room and tapped on the door briefly.
"Ah, excuse me, shah. Ah, just one question, it won't take a moment..."
An odd sounding voice replied, "If you start quoting Vogon poetry at us,
we swear we'll lock you in a room with Siskel and Ebert for a entire year."
"Looks like he knows you, Doc." Marty snickered.
"That, or he _really_ hates Vogon poetry."
"We'll be out in a second, Doc. We hope you brought Marty with you. We
need to talk to the both of you." The odd voice responded. Doc thought it
over for a moment. If he had to describe it, he'd swear it sounded choral.
It had that same quality of many people speaking in unison.
A moment later the door opened, and Legion walked into the room. He
waved at a couch. "You probably have a great many questions. Since we
_must_ leave Utopia Planetia as fast as possible, we'd best get to it. Ask
away." With that, he sat down.
Marty and Doc took the couch. Doc cleared his throat. "All right. I
guess the first question is: Who and what are you? You look like Ed, but
you certainly don't act like him. And Ed doesn't have anywhere near the
level of power you've shown."
"Ready for a long story, Doc?" Mui nodded. "Well, here goes. You are
aware of how Ed arrived here, and how he gained what powers he _does_ have.
What you _don't_ know, is that in the years to come, Ed will gain greater
ability and control in dealing with his `otherselves', those personalities
that originated in alternate timelines. Eventually, all of these alternates
will merge into the core personality. As each one merges, Ed will become
more powerful, and more able to handle the power without going mad from the
overload."
Doc interupted. "I thought he'd lose himself in the ocean of his
otherselves. That's the reason that character called Coyote placed the
block in his mind. Or so Ed told us."
"Sorry, a bit of unclearness on our part. When we said years, we should
have been a little more specific. It will take centuries, actually. The
four hundred years or so _you've_ lived would be a drop in the proverbial
bucket compared to what Ed's going to need to grow into his new form and
responsibilities. And, getting back to the point, that's exactly what _did_
happen."
"Did happen?!" Doc was beginning to suspect who Legion was now. "You're
Ed, aren't you."
"Bravo, Doc!! We thought a time-traveler would guess it. Although,
technically, not right now we aren't. We were Ed, a long, long time ago.
By a linear accounting of time, we aren't supposed to have come into
existance yet. But the tampering with the timeline by the beings who sent
that boomer here to attack Ed summoned us here. We looped back through
time to deal with this attemped threat to our life."
"And just who ARE the folks who took out a contract on you?" Marty asked.
"Well, after tampering with time and space for a bit, we seemed to have
picked up a couple of Doc's old annoyances, along with a third enemy all our
own."
Doc ticked those off on the fingers of his right hand. "The `Q' for one.
The Time Lords of Gallifrey, for another. But who's the third?"
"How many folks do you know with white hair, blue skin, and four feet
tall who go around passing out green power rings?"
"You managed to piss off the Guardians of the Universe?"
"Got it in one, Doc. Along with their flunkies, the Green Lantern Corp."
"Ancient Chinese curse. May you live in interesting times. Looks like
you certainly are, Legion." Doc shook his head ruefully. "But what about
Ed?"
Legion tapped the side of his head. "He's in here. Catatonic. And we
have to get him to come back to the real world. The longer we stay here in
this time, co-existing with him, the more damage is done to the timeline.
You should be familiar with that."
"Just a little, yes. What kind of help do you need?"
"For this, a holosuite with a cyberspace link. With that, any number of
our alterselves can manifest simultaneously. With a little work, and the
right alterself, we should be able to draw Ed out of his self-imposed
exile."
"Should?" Marty interjected.
"Things can go wrong, no matter how powerful a person is. Ask Jehova
about Lucifer's rebellion, sometime. We did, once. He's still a little
snarked off about it."
"Then what? What do you do after that?"
"We don't do anything, Marty. If we succeed, Ed will return, and we'll
return to our proper place in space/time. As for Ed, he'll need something
from you. Specifically, a letter of introduction to Optimus Prime."
"Why Prime?"
"Because, as history recorded originally, after a decade of living here
and learning to adapt to what had happened to him, Ed went to see Vector
Sigma. That was the only way he could find what he needed to know to start
his journeys from universe to universe." Legion smiled. "That's how our
existance began. Like Vejur, we found, or rather, Ed found, that we needed
more information before he could take that first trans-dimentional step.
Once Vector Sigma gave us that info, we were off to explore the multi-verse,
and ourselves."
"Well, I suppose I can manage the letter, but how are you going to get to
Cybertron? And what are you going to do with the luggage? You got quite a
bit here, for someone who's going hopping thru time and relative dimentions
in space." Marty had lowered his scarf by now, and had a quizzical look on
his face.
*He must still miss Nene quite a bit, keeping the scarf like that. Her
murder hit him pretty hard. Almost as hard as Noriko's, we'd bet. Well,
that's something that we understand. `Time is the fire in which we burn...'
We may have to accept that, damn it, but we're still gonna fight it. Mother
Nature is a cruel bitch, sometimes. Once things have settled down, maybe
we'll ask them if... But not now.*
"The transportation has already been arranged. Or rather, we arranged for
it to happen some years from now. Time travel can be so useful. Don't you
agree, Doc?"
Doc smirked and Doctor Who'd, "Oh, immensely. And fun, too."
Legion groaned. "Please, Doc, stick to Lt. Columbo. Doctor Who just
isn't you. Besides, we've met the man. Nice guy, if a little
scatter-brained at times. He's just a little more whimsical than that
impression of yours. Heh! Gotta like the man. Besides, he always invites
us to the TARDIS for Christmas dinner." He looked somber. "We can't go home
to our families anymore, and sometimes the holidays become ... lonely."
Doc blinked. "I can understand. But having good friends helps. And
you'll always have a few good friends here."
"Thank you, Doc. We _will_ come back for an occasional visit, after we
get those three little annoyances off our case. We don't want to endanger
Utopia. And thank you. You don't know how much that means to us. Someone
like us doesn't have many friends. Suck-ups looking to profit from our
powers, we got _plenty_ of. But real friends are few and far between."
All three nodded, remembering other places and other times. Legion
reached for a bottle of sparkling water and three glasses he'd left on the
table. Pouring a drink for each of them, he raised his glass and said, "I'd
like to make a special toast. It is an English toast. Peculiarly English.
They are a peculiar people, as we all know. But, in some things, they have
style."
"Heah, heah," said Doc, in an excellent imitation of the ancient Oxford
accent.
"To absent friends."
Doc and Hammer raised their glasses. "To absent friends." they
responded.
Legion put the glass on the table. "And now, there's work to be done.
We'd best get to it."
***********************************
"Oh man, this isn't happening. It only *thinks* it's happening!"
- Kevin Flynn, "Tron"
Doc Mui, Hammer and Legion were standing in an empty holosuite. It
hadn't been powered up yet, and the grid pattern on the walls, ceiling and
floor was dark.
"How do you plan to interface with the suite, Legion?" Martin was
curious. Being a Transformer himself, he was pretty sensitive to the
presence of cyberware, and couldn't detect any signs of it coming from
Legion.
"Organically. One of our otherselves was a police detective, and needed
enhancement to save some friends of hers."
"Hers?!" Doc's eyebrows twitched again, and he tugged on his fishing
hat.
"Yes, hers. Some of myselves were born female. In an infinity of
realities, there's at least a 50/50 chance that any of us might be born a
certain sex. At least 50% of myselves are female. Is there a problem with
that?" Legion looked at Doc in surprise. He hadn't thought that Doc
might be a Male Chauvanist.
"No, but you might want to be on the lookout for the Copyright Police.
I'm told Rumiko Takahashi gets pretty sore about failure to pay royalties."
"Why would she want to come after us? We haven't done anything that
might infringe on one of her... D'OH!" Legion smacked himself on the head.
"Jeez. We forgot about that. Well, if Ranma doesn't like it, s/he can take
it up with us personally. And so can Takahashi-sama."
"I hate to break up this learned disputation on literature, but you
didn't quite answer my question. Organically? How?" Hammer was getting
just a tad curious. After all, HE was a mix of man and machine, even if it
came about unintentionally.
"Short version. In her alterverse, research in viral protein based
computers succeeded in a major way. She/we currently have implanted a
Tytan Electronics Nerve Net Mark V. It's essentially an AI nerve net. It
has five million processors. It's really one big biochip that _grows_ into
place. It was originally designed to transparently model the way a person
normally thinks, then let them off-load some of their thought processes into
it -- in essence, speeding up their thought processes. Making them faster,
and therfore smarter. It can, by itself, handle wide-band radio packet
transmissions for input/output, or, when available, i/o data via an
inductance field."
Martin looked interested. "Nice piece of hardware. And since she has
it, you can use it, right?"
"Yes. And once we're interfaced into the holosuite, some of our
otherselves can manefest themselves as virtual beings here. We'll set up a
virtual image of the inside of Ed's mind, enter it and try to talk him into
coming out. Aside from the unusual equipment needed to reach him, it
shouldn't be any different than talking to any would-be suicide. All we
have to now is set up the inductance field and interface with the system."
"All right," said Doc. "What are we waiting for?"
"Well, we rather hoped that Eve might join us. Ed owes her a great deal,
and thru Ed, so do we."
"It might help if you turned on the power to the 'suite." Doc pointed
out helpfully.
"D'OH!!"
***
"Greetings, programs!" - Kevin Flynn, "Tron"
"If it can be dreamed, It can be done."- ReRob Mandeville
Once the holosuite had been powered up, Eve manifested herself and joined
the trio. By then, Legion had rezzed up a small recliner and had laid down
on it. He looked at the three of them.
"Once we're interfaced, we're going to create an image of the inside of
Ed's mind. We'll have to remain behind, in order to keep it... orderly in
here. But some of our alterselves will arrive and take care of recovering
him. If it doesn't work... well, we'll have to think of something else."
"BTW, did you know you've been speaking in first person plural since you
showed up here, Legion?"
"Yeah, Doc. But it's something we can't help. There are a lot of us in
here. To steal someone else's lines, `We are Legion, for We are many.' Not
a whole lot we can do about it. And we'd like to thank you for coming, Eve.
You didn't have to. It means a lot to us. Ed didn't know you were looking
out him, but we did. Thank you."
"It wasn't any trouble." She smiled at him. "I was happy to help."
"Still, thank you. And every one who helped. Now here goes nothing."
Legion closed his eyes, and relaxed on the recliner. The walls of the
holosuite slowly faded away, and a Bavarian countryside replaced it.
Doc looked around at the meadow they were standing in. "Seems like a
nice place. You'd think the inside of someone's mind would be a good deal
messier."
"I don't think it's that, Doc. Look over in that direction." Hammer
pointed over his shoulder. "I think I'm seeing something that was torn down
four centuries ago."
Doc and Eve both turned in that direction. Neither liked what they saw.
It began with cement tank and truck traps. Then roll after roll of barbed
wire, stacked two meters high. Mine fields. Towers holding machine guns
with interlocking fields of fire. Trenches. Chain-link fences. Attack
dogs. Killing zones. It wasn't the traditional concrete-slab wall that
people pictured when they thought of the infamous Berlin wall. It was much
uglier. A death machine, designed for murder.
"Yeah, I can understand why this bothers Ed. This isn't even the real
thing, and I hate it already." Doc's face was set in cold lines.
"Join the club, Doc. I've only seen pictures of this. It's a lot
grimmer in person." Hammer's expression was bleak. With his increasing
cybernetic abilities, he could see dark red stains in the razor wire from
where he stood. He didn't think it was rust.
Eve just looked nauseous.
They stood there quietly for a few moments. Then Hammer shook himself.
"So where's the help Legion was going to send?"
"We're right here, Officer Rose."
They turned again, and two male jaws dropped. Eve had to elbow them
both. "You're married men," she hissed. "Quit staring."
Doc hissed back, "I'm married. Not blind."
They had good reason to stare.
The first one was a woman. Six foot six, and built. She had long,
shaggy green hair that hung past her waist. She was dressed in something
that reminded Doc of a cross between B-ko's Akagiyama battle armour from
`Project A-ko' and Catwoman's costume from `Batman Returns'. A black
skintight bodysuit covered her from the tips of her toes and fingers to the
top of her neck. The front of the suit was missing, though, from neck to
hips. Metal armour covered with circuitry formed a bikini top and bottom,
preserving her dignity. Shoulder pads, forearm gauntlets and shin guards
were made of the same material. A collar of it surrounded her neck, and a
ring of it circled her face. Black markings were painted (or was it a
tatoo?) around her eyes. She extended a hand.
"Hello. I'm Detective Erin Mitchell. But you can call me Risque."
"You certainly are," Doc quipped. Immediately thereafter, he was met
with several odd looks. "Nevermind."
Risque blinked at him. "I take it that you're Doc Mui, Martin Rose and
Eve."
"Yes," Eve replied. "And you're one of Edward's otherselves?"
"That's right. Kickaha and I are here to find him and help him. I'm the
best of all of us in cyberspace, and the Kickster is the best tracker."
With that, a short furry figure stepped from behind Risque. Doc had seen
plenty of non-humans before, but this was a little different. If his eyes
weren't lying to him, there was a humanoid coyote standing in front of him.
And a cartoon coyote at that.
"Whatter' you starin' at, bud? Wassa' matter? Got a problem with talking
animals?"
Make that a belligerent coyote. Doc shook his head. "Ah... no, not
really. Just wasn't expecting one right now. You're one of Ed's
alterselves too, Kickaha?"
"Yeah. And I know how ya feel. Where I come from, aren't many humans
around. Mobius isn't real big on humans since Doctor Robotnik overthrew
King Acorn."
"...make it stop, Joel..." Hammer groaned. When would the universe
stop with the bad jokes?
The short coyote stepped forward. He threw back his muzzle and sniffed at
the wind. "Yeah. I can scent him. He's that way, maybe a mile or so." He
pointed with the cane he was carrying. "Let's go."
***
"If there are self-made purgatories, then we all have to live in them."
- Spock, "This Side of Paradise", stardate 3417.7
"So I'm thinking of throwing the battle - Would you kindly direct me to
Hell?"
- Dorothy Parker
It took them about fifteen minutes to find him, with Kickaha leading the
way. Hammer was the first to spot him. Ed was sitting on a small hill
overlooking the Wall. He was rocking slowly back and forth, with his knees
hugged to his chest. His eyes stared blindly at the Iron Curtain before
him. He looked like some world-weary veteran of a horrible war who had just
come back from the fighting, exhausted and shell-shocked. The five of them
walked up the hill to join him.
"Hello, Ed. We've come a long way to talk to you." Hammer's deep voice
rumbled quietly through the still air.
"I didn't save them, Hammer. I couldn't save them. Now they're dead.
And it's my fault." Eve shuddered. Ed's voice was... empty. No anger or
self-hatred. Just the fatal quiet of a judge pronouncing a death sentence.
"You did the best you could," Martin pointed out. "And no one died at
Osbourne Plaza. You won the battle and saved their lives."
"No. Legion did that. I failed them. My debts are here. And all debts
must be paid." Ed's words held the killing chill of an Arctic gale. "My
life for theirs. That is the old way. Blood for blood."
Risque walked over and sat down next to him. "You can't save the world,
soul-brother. No one can. All any of us can do is to try the best we can."
"I let those people down there die because of *orders*." He waved at the
armed border. "Empty words, nothing more. Orders I could have disobeyed.
I could have followed my conscience, fired back at the guards, I could have
tried something, anything..." His face went flat and ugly, filled with
self-loathing and bitterness.
Kickaha poked him with the cane. "You know that's not true, same as I
do. They'd have killed those folks anyway, then used you as an excuse to
make all sorts of demands. And turning you over to them would've been the
first. You'd have given your life for nothing."
Doc walked forward. "They knew the risks they were taking, Ed. They
_knew_ what the Wall was and they knew their chances. They did it of their
own free will. They chose the possibility of death over slavery. Would
you have denied them that choice? Because that's what you're doing right
now by taking all the blame on yourself. Denying them their right to
choose."
Ed looked up at the sky, then screamed in rage. "Then what the hell am I
supposed to _do_?! How do I balance the scales? How?! There's blood on my
hands. How can I ever get them clean?!"
"Pay the debt forward."
This quiet suggestion came from Eve. "When you can't pay a debt back,
pay it forward, instead. Do a `senseless act of random kindness'. Find a
total stranger in need, and help them. But you'll have to come back to the
real world to do it." She help out a hand to him. "Come back with us, Ed.
If you stay here, things can never change. In the real world, you can at
least try to make a difference."
There was a long moment of silence.
"`...there is a greater duty; all debts must be repaid.'" he whispered.
He looked at Eve with pain in his eyes. "You always did know just what to
say. Gryphon outdid himself when he created you. Damn him. Damn you all."
He rose stiffly to his feet. Risque helped him up. "I've got no choice, do
I? I never did. All I ever really wanted was to be left alone. But it's
not to be." He took Eve's hand. "Let's get this over with."
***
"...put steel to steel and laugh at pain..."
- Cher, "Heart of Stone"
Together, they walked back to the meadow. Risque and Kickaha said their
good-byes, and de-rezzed. The German countryside faded away. Finally, all
that remained was the empty holosuite and the five people inside of it. The
holographic Ed stared at his body, laying on the recliner. He bowed his
head and slowly disappeared.
Martin walked over to the chair. He shook the body by the shoulder.
"Ed? Legion? Are you..."
"It's me, Hammer. Just plain Ed. Legion's gone. And I'm alone." He
opened his eyes and looked at the three of them. "I think it's time for me
to leave Utopia Planetia, now." He got out of the recliner and collapsed,
exhausted. Hammer caught him before he hit the floor.
"Tomorrow you leave. Tonight, you sleep. And you're not alone, Ed. No
one is ever alone when he has friends." He turned to Doc. "I'll get him
to my place. I can put him up in the guest room for one night."
And with that, Martin carried Ed from the holosuite. Doc followed. Eve
remained for a moment longer.
"May Fortune treat you with kindness, little godling. And may you
someday find the happiness you deserve." she whispered quietly. Then
she vanished.
***
/* Cher "Heart of Stone" _Heart of Stone_ */
**********************************
And that's Chapter 5. I'm sorry it took so long.
I thought I'd gotten over what I mentioned in
Chapter 4. Obviously, I hadn't. I took three weeks
off, to write some fan-fic for alt.fan.furry and
try to deal with the memories. Thank you, those of
you who emailed me with sympathy. It helped.
Chapter 6 will be the last one set in "Undocumented
Features". Legion is leaving. But the story won't
end there. Be sure to watch for "Legion's Quest 2:
Tanks for the Memories"
Concepts stolen from -
Pearson "Doc" Mui stolen from: Pearson Mui!
(And Boy! was it hard, smuggling him over the state
line. He put up quite a fight!)
PCHammer stolen from Martin "PCHammer" Rose.
(And if you think it's easy stealing a Transformer,
YOU try it sometime!)
My greatest thanks, guys. Your stories were there
for me when the pain had taken everything else away
from me.
Risque stolen from `CYBERFORCE, Vol. 2 #11' by Image Comics
Used without permission in this fan fic.
Tytan Electronics Nerve Net stolen from "The Long Run"
by Daniel Keys Moran (A _very_ good book. Read it!)
Again, used without permission in this fan fic.
And Remember.....
"Anime... It's Not Just For Breakfast Anymore!"
Ed Becerra
edward@genesis.org