The distant thunder's rumble brought Dizzy out of her nap as she moved
to a more comfortable position. Gently, she moved herself until her
two and a half year old body, which looked like a girl in her
fifteenth year, was lying on its side, with her head using her
mother's knees as a pillow.
She liked many things about her mother, Velija Sade Moroumetz. Her
long, soft hair, turning white with her increasing years, the gentle,
gray eyes, showing her extensive wisdom, and the unwavering sense of
her simply being a mother. What she liked most about her, though, was
how she and Dizzy would always take a walk in the forest near their
house whenever it rained. There was always a tree they had always
chosen to sit under and enjoy the weather with.
The rain was never too heavy, nor was it too light. The sound it made
was almost as soothing as the lullaby her mother often sang to her.
Humming a nameless tune, her mother stroked her hair slowly, presently
free from the ribbons she often wore, and draped it over the edge of
her knees.
"Mom..." Dizzy asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful
atmosphere they were in.
"Yes?" her mother replied, not missing a beat.
"I... I've been hearing things around town." She tried to continue,
but the awkward nature of what she wanted to say silenced her.
"About what?" Her mother pressed gently.
Not knowing how to put it tactfully, Dizzy asked, "What's a Gear?"
She could tell something had changed in her mother when she asked the
question. The strokes were slower and more cautious.
She looked up to see her mother close her eyes, probably thinking of
an appropriate answer. When she finally opened her eyes, she could see
the sadness in them. "I wish I knew what they were made for in the
first place... but what I do know is that they were the culmination of
mankind's arrogance. Then Justice appeared and we learned our mistake
too late."
Dizzy had heard about the creature known as Justice. There were
various descriptions of the mysterious Gear. But every one of them had
a single thing in common. It was a merciless killer, like all Gears
were. That's what bothered Dizzy. Ever since her tail and wings, now
retracted for her mother's comfort, appeared, she was beginning to
suspect something everyone else already knew.
She bit her lip, knowing that her mother knew where this was leading.
"Mom... am... am I a Gear?"
Her mother analyzed her question and look for a while before answering
calmly, "Yes and no."
Dizzy blinked at the unusual response. Things seemed so simple now and
to hear such an abstract answer did not ease her worries.
"What do you mean?"
Her mother smiled warmly and sat Dizzy up. "It is true there are some
aspects of you that resemble those of Gears that I fought against
during the Crusades. Your tail, the wings, and the fact I can feel the
magic flowing through your veins like blood."
Dizzy's mood became crestfallen. "Then I am a Gear..."
Nodding, her mother continued, "Yes, but only part. The other part of
you is human."
"But, what makes me human? The shape of my body?"
Keeping her spirits high, Velija took Dizzy's hands and placed it
against her own collarbone. "Tell me; what do you feel? Can you hear
anything?"
Concentrating, she felt a rhythmic pumping and a beating against her
hand. She could also hear the same rhythm moving through her body.
"Yes... I can hear and feel it. It's my heart. But what does that have
to do with anything?"
"From what I learned, Luveria" her mother started, "Gears only operate
by magic. There is no circulation in their systems. In addition; you
have a heart. Not just the one that moves blood through your body, but
the heart that cares for those around you."
Despite her mother's assuring smile, Dizzy still felt depressed. "But
part of me's still a Gear..." she was interrupted when her mother
cupped her face with her hands, reached forward and kissed Dizzy's
forehead.
Velija looked directly into her eyes and said without blinking, "That
matters little. More than a Gear, more than a human, you are my
daughter. And I love you, regardless. Nothing will change that."
The concentrated look told Dizzy that her mother had the confidence
and conviction to say those words without a hint of doubt. Her mother
loved her and she meant it. Feeling her heart rise a bit, she leaned
forward and embraced her mother. She felt fortunate to have such
caring parents.
"Ah, the rain's stopped. Shall we go home"
Dizzy nodded and helped her mother to her feet. Keeping a step ahead
of her mother, Dizzy inhaled the moist forest air deeply as they
walked back onto the cobble stone path leading to their home. Though
the rain hadn't stopped completely, Dizzy didn't mind at all as she
casually hopped from one stone to another.
She stopped in her tracks when she heard a sickening crack from behind
her and felt something much thicker than rain splatter against her
neck.
She gasped and felt her heartbeat accelerate, standing as still as a
statue, not wanting to know what had just happened. However, her
curiosity got the better of her as she whirled around to see her dear
mother impaled on a black spike extending from a tall and imposing
shadow.
Who...?
Why...?
Her mother reached to her, whispering, "Luveria... run..." before her
body slumped and moved no more.
Dizzy was frozen in fear as the shadow casually tossed her mother's
lifeless body aside. When the shadow's features slowly came to life,
Dizzy's legs gave out and she fell unceremoniously to the ground. The
shadow seemed to dissipate and flow off like it was an oil covering
it, revealing the white armor over the larger-than-life figure; its
blood red hair waving in the wind and seeming to possess a mind of its
own, weaving around and between its legs and arms, feeling the body
now lying on the ground, the tips running over the length as it walked
past it.
It was the Gear from her dream! But how...?
The Gear advanced on her with steps that left the ground ablaze.
Faster than logically possible, the forest was consumed in an inferno.
And try as she may, Dizzy found herself trapped with the nightmarish
Gear at her front and a wall of flame behind her.
The Gear then stopped roughly a step's length away from her, keeping a
lock with her eyes. As much as Dizzy didn't want to, her eyes were
trapped in those two golden sheets of glass overflowing with hatred,
the bits of translucent on the white helmet showing the hypnotizing
eyes.
"Mama..." Dizzy whispered as tears poured from her eyes.
"Yes" the Gear said calmly as though her comment had been directed at
it, coming out as a ghastly voice instead of a humanly and soothing
one.
Again, Dizzy gasped, not believing what she had heard. She started
shaking her head violently in denial.
"No! NO! NO!!"
The armor around the Gear's head melted. Letting the metal gather at a
pool around its feet, the Gear wiped the remaining pieces of metal off
of its face. No sooner had the last of the faceplate vanished, it
snapped its hand out, grabbed Dizzy by the neck and hoisted her up to
eye level, the small girl now looking face to face with the
twelve-foot monstrosity.
Dizzy struggled to release herself from the Gear's grip, but upon
seeing the visage of the enemy's face, she stopped. Again, she
repeated "No" under her breath when she found the face of the monster
that had killed her mother was her own. The enemy smiled in a delight,
squeezing harder as its eyes expanded with the cold, armored hand
constricted, Dizzy's eyes straining to not be covered by her heavy
eyelids under the pressure and lack of blood flowing to her head, one
last jump of strength to keep them open-
Dizzy's eyes then shot open to see the ceiling in the bedroom she had
been sleeping in for the past week. Her face was soaked with tears and
her body ached all over, especially her neck.
She fought against the pain to sit up and face the first light of dawn
creeping across the eastern horizon. She wiped her tears away with her
forearm between sniffs. As all encompassing as the dream was, she
remembered that this was the day that she was to accompany Ky as a
recorder for an investigation around midday. Yet, even the work
couldn't provide an adequate distraction for the ordeal she was
suffering from.
The dreams were getting worse.
-
Try as he may, Ky couldn't keep his attention on the report he had
taken home with him the day before. His gaze was locked on the hallway
leading to his room.
Earlier that morning, he had heard a bit of noise and discovered his
protectorate was having a nightmare. She had turned and tossed
furiously, whispering things in denial as the pillow was soaked with
her sobs.
He sipped a bit of tea as he wondered why he didn't wake her up. Maybe
the thought of a Gear having a dream was too much for someone like
himself to handle. Gears didn't sleep, therefore, they didn't dream.
However, there was a whisper in the back of his mind that reminded him
that Dizzy was an exception. It was far too easy for him to place her
back into the generalization that all Gears were the same.
More than that, he felt it was a bit too coincidental that she was
supposed to accompany him to Mullhouse right next to the German
border. Though it was standard procedure for recorders to accompany
officers on missions of investigations, recorders often didn't go out
on missions like this until they had at least a month's worth of
experience, as the I.P.F. code stated.
The French Prime Minister, Gepetto Poret and his granddaughter
Cornelia were assaulted and were nearly kidnapped by some unknown
assailants. They survived the encounter and the local branch of the
French Secret Service went into action to find the ones responsible.
The reason for calling Ky was the fact that the assailants bore a
striking resemblance to him. The frequency of such events were
increasing with the past few months. He was of no normal exception, he
had the normal French face and French style, so there was no mystery
that he looked quite French like a lot of other Frenchmen, but those
assaulted had more than a passing resemblance, but more of an uncanny
one. And so, he was determined to find the source of these things, no
matter where it was, and destroy it.
So, he made his appeal to the heads of the International Police Force
to find the source of those Robo-Kys and was turned away many times.
The Robo-Kys were robotic duplicates of him, very rough ones, that
only shared the blonde hair and clothes with him, but besides that,
stuck out like a Gear. Around the office, the ghost stories Kiske told
of these odd ones had garnered snickers and water-cooler jokes, as
well as the now infamous term that they had coined at the H.Q. of
"Robo-Ky". The Post War Administration Bureau did not exist, they told
him. Despite all his evidence to the contrary, they would not listen
and he began to doubt that they ever would.
The last time he attempted an investigation, there was a general
feeling in the room that if he persisted, he'd be out of a job. They
had that sort of "desist, or persist and you'll be doing it without
our jurisdiction", if Ky could remember one of the repeated words he
heard from them.
Feeling that little could be accomplished by brooding over things he
could not accomplish as it was now, he finished his morning tea and
went to the central room to make arrangements for transportation to
his assignment that day.
-
Walking down the street slowly a few steps behind Ky, Dizzy saw the
police station looming near. To draw off suspicions that Dizzy was
living under Ky's roof, they agreed to start out on individual paths
to the station, 'coincidentally' walking on the same path the closer
they got.
The vehicle meant to take them to the eastern border was to reach the
station and take them to meet the prime minister shortly. However, the
nightmare she had experienced only hours ago dampened any sort of
enthusiasm.
Her spirits sunk lower when she saw the two posters on the side of one
of the older buildings every time she walked to the station. They were
both faded and worn from enduring many summers, yet their message
remained clear.
'Face your fears and fight the Gears!'
'Show Justice what justice is all about!'
The first poster showed an older solider, Kliff Undersn, she had
learned. His image was superimposed behind a large number of Holy
Order soldiers marching in formation, armed and ready for battle.
The second poster showed a pair of Holy Order soldiers sitting upon
the motionless bodies of what she assumed to be a Gear in the shape of
some large reptilian animal. The handles of various weapons stuck out
from its head and the two soldiers looked like they hadn't broken a
sweat.
Tearing her gaze away from the posters, she continued her trek. She
felt empty and without direction. So, she had a cover to keep herself
alive. Yet, this kind of life did not have the same freedom as one of
the Jellyfish pirates. It seemed so superficial. So...false.
Trying to keep her spirits up, she walked into the police station to
gather the materials recorders often took with them. Most of the
materials they used was originated from pre-Crusades technology.
They used typewriters to complete reports on papers that were used in
storage. Wasting paper was unofficially forbidden since the process
used to create paper was considered 'Black Tech'. So, it was used with
extreme care and often only the most important of cases. Like the one
she was to work on today. She walked through the recognizable front
doors, instantly greeted by the friendly lady sitting behind the main
desk of the establishment.
"Morning, Luveria!" Anna, the file clerk that assisted with her
training chimed happily.
"Good morning," Dizzy replied as enthusiastically as she could.
Noticing her lack of energy, Anna spoke as she was placing an
overstuffed folder into one of the many cabinets lining the back of
the room, the front having chairs and other such public
accommodations. "Tough night?"
Dizzy nodded as she moved through an adjacent hallway to the lobby,
going to where the overhead signs labeled as lockers, Anna followed,
another folder in her hands to deliver somewhere along the way.
"Nightmare."
Understanding, Anna nodded vigorously. "I know how you feel. I
couldn't get a good night's sleep until a few years after the Crusades
ended."
Dizzy listened as she opened a locker holding the supplies she needed,
grabbing for a satchel hanging on one of those hinged metal pieces
that held up items; Dizzy always found herself looking awkwardly at
those, wondering who would have thought of such an odd creation that
works so well. Looking up from the bag after checking the contents and
supplies in it, Dizzy asked, "What happened?"
Realizing she had said too much, Anna retreated. "Well... um, I'm not
sure if I wanna tell the story again..."
Not knowing that Dizzy understood her more than she would realize, the
half-Gear pressed gently. "Because it's like living that
unpleasantness again, isn't it?"
When the empathy worked, Anna smiled sadly. "Yeah... I mean... you
can't really get over seeing your parents killed by Gears when your
dad throws you into the last fleeing truck."
Dizzy gasped when the mental image of what could have happened played
out too clearly for her liking.
"I'm so sorry..."
To her surprise, Anna perked up. "You don't need to apologize. My dad
gave his life so I could be here... I'm not gonna waste it feeling
sorry for losing him."
Despite the bright look Anna gave her, Dizzy felt something wanting to get out.
"You still miss him?"
Fighting back a gathering tear, she nodded. "Every day."
On instinct, Dizzy reached up and took Anna's hand gently. "I miss my
dad too. I had to leave and leave him and mom by themselves."
Blinking the tear out, Anna wiped it away. "Why did you have to leave?"
Thinking quick, Dizzy quietly muttered, "It would have made things
worse for them if I stayed."
Reciprocating the empathy shown her, Anna said, "That bad, huh?"
Dizzy nodded before closing the shoulder bag and shutting the locker
it came out of. Carrying the bag under her arm, she turned to Anna and
gave her best smile. "I'm sorry I made you tell me all this. I
shouldn't have pried."
To her surprise, Anna shook her head. "Really, it's fine. It's nice to
be able to get it out once in a while."
Dizzy nodded to Anna once more before heading to Ky's office to wait
for the carriage. Though she didn't mind being under Ky's protection,
there was something uncomfortable having to stay within his sight at
all times, despite the fact she understood why.
When she was entering Ky's office, one of the officers said, "Hey, Moroumetz."
Blinking, Dizzy turned to the officer. "Yes?"
Gesturing his head towards the clerk's office, he said quietly, "I
didn't mean to overhear your conversation, but there's something I
think you'd best know about Anna."
"What's that?"
"Anna's never opened up to anyone. Not even some of the clerks she's
known for years got that far with her."
Dizzy looked back to the sound of the furiously typing file clerk as
the officer took his leave and to the entrance of the station.
"Kinda wished it was me, but, oh well. Good luck on your assignment
today, Moroumetz."
She thanked the departing officer, and joined Ky as they departed.
Along the way, she wondered what exactly she had done to bring out
what was bothering Anna. She would have to find out later as she
followed Ky to the front door. The I.P.F. and symbol read backwards
from looking at the opaque plate from the inside, but she was used to
the seal anyways, even at home it was stamped all over.
She stepped quickly to the taxi sitting out front. The odd shaped cart
had arrived while she was inside. It would escort them to the airstrip
where their transportation to Mullhouse would be waiting.
She had read about these things called 'cars'. Before the Crusades,
there had been a myriad of different designs in every conceivable
shape and color. However, they had initially ran on a now exhausted
resource called 'oil' and with none of it left, the magic generators
had to take over. In fact, she could hear the magic circulating
through the frame of the gyros, ready to make it move on its driver's
command.
Then the Crusades came and they inevitably became a thing of the past.
They only began to resurface by those whom felt a penchant for ancient
relics of another era... and those who had a large enough wallet. Like
most people in Paris, they either took the refurbished electric
trollies from here to there or they simply walked. The trollies, she
had learned, were quite similar to the ones used before magic was
discovered, since they operated on such a simple line, they were easy
to maintain and were commonly used by everyone.
When Dizzy was about to step into the back seat beside a report
reading Ky, she felt a shiver running down her spine.
"We're being watched!" Necro whispered.
She scanned the area and found nothing out of the ordinary. However,
in an alley across the modestly busy street, she saw a shadow
retreating quickly. Holding her anxiety in check, she dashed across
the street, despite Ky's protests, being as casual as she could,
dodging other pedestrians on the way. Skidding to a halt in front of
the way, she tried to find the possible source of what she had seen,
but found nothing. More so, she could hear nothing other than a feral
cat resting on the top of an abandoned box.
Try as she may, she could not keep her heart settled. There was
definitely someone here. Who could it have been? Maybe the Bureau was
watching her? During her time among the pirates, she had more than one
run in with the shady organization. And if there was one thing she
understood too well, is that they were always omnipresent.
Johnny, the leader of the Jellyfish Pirates, who welcomed her to the
ship nearly a year prior, seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to
groups like them. He could tell when their influence was high enough
in an area they would avoid and the safe areas where the Bureau, and
they're unofficial partnership, the U.N., would never step in. Like
Troy. Though most people thought it a lawless pocket of abscess,
Johnny had many connections there, along with the people in Zepp.
"Can either one of you find whoever it was?" she asked her guardians mentally.
Both of them answered in the negative as she turned to the carriage.
The vehicle itself was not spectacular by any means, but the way that
it moved was. With a few set incantations, it would activate the inert
magics embedded in the wheels and the will of the driver would propel
it forward.
"Moroumetz, what's wrong?" Ky asked, joining her at the edge of the
alleyway. He seemed perturbed that she just dashed away when the
threat on her life was still present. In addition, he had to
continually remind herself to treat her as a co-worker.
Taking one last forlorn look at the alley, she shook her head
dejectedly before starting back to the magic driven carriage, "It was
just my imagination." Before stepping into the back seat, she turned
back one last time to the alley. If there was someone watching her,
she hoped that they'd quickly lose interest in her. As far as she was
concerned, she was just Luveria Mourometz.
-
The trip to the Prime Minister's location was uneventful, save for a
little hassle regarding placing of their airship. There was quite a
few groups of people traveling into the area via airship and there was
not enough room to accommodate everyone.
The airships were certainly different than the ones she had seen from
Zepp and the Mayship. However, she could tell the one she had taken
with Ky, and the ones in the airport, were severely overworked and
underpowered. She could only guess as to whether those were either
hand-me-downs from the short lived air force of the U.N., or simply
prototypes adjusted for mass production dating before the Crusades.
Granted, the Mayship was an old vessel. A composite of several other
freighters, it was an excellent combination of a base of operations,
cargo vessel, and even a warship when it needed to be. However, the
crew that she had was far more inventive and because of a self taught
expertise, she could hear the hum of magic flowing through the engines
smoothly.
Such was not the case with the craft the looked like a fish turned on
its side. Despite looking smooth and streamlined, the structure looked
like it wasn't balanced enough to support its own weight for a long
period of time while in flight. With a bit of proper restructuring on
the frame, Dizzy could imagine it being used for extended flights to
possibly A-Country, or even the Hakachi, the remains of the Japanese
country.
Walking a step behind Ky, Dizzy looked to the groups of people
conversing energetically. Though they themselves were nothing out of
the ordinary, their manner of clothing seemed exotic, along with the
wagons that the larger airships had unloaded for them. They had
crowded around the airship docks, performing various acts and eats, as
well as looking like a joyous group, smiles on their faces and that
sense that they would welcome anybody, catching Dizzy's immediate
attention.
Noticing her interest in the other arrivals, Ky said casually. "Those
are gypsies. Nomads, basically. They belong to no country and move
about as they wish."
Enchanted by a stunning woman carrying her adorable daughter, Dizzy
remarked, "It seems nice..."
As much as Ky didn't want to put a damper on her good mood, he felt it
best to know. "However, not many people like them. For their often
used as scapegoats whenever burglaries occur."
Displeased with his reply, she asked why that was so.
"Theirs is not an easy existence. They have to perform their best in
order to receive the money they need for their food. And since the
U.N. doesn't exactly recognize them, it makes getting work quite
difficult."
As both of them exited the airship station, which included a long line
of security measures and annoying hassles, she continued, "So, how do
they survive?"
Ky shrugged as the entered the streets of Mullhouse. "They just do.
They don't have much choice, otherwise they'd either have to give up
their way of life or perish."
She remained quiet as they continued the walk through the bazaar and
to the central plaza where the taxi-cab taking them to where the Prime
Minister would be waiting.
Countless street vendors crowded the streets and many customers moved
from one venue to another. There was so much to take in all at once,
Dizzy felt slightly overwhelmed at all that was taking place in front
of her. The shops and little tents with items had people screaming to
passer-bys to look at what they had or what not. It was a general
thing for gypsies to hang around places like the exits of the airship
ports to try and get a good sale or a few extra World Dollars.
The buildings were similar to the designs those used in Paris,
pre-Crusades styles used more than three centuries in the past.
However, these had been updated and maintained. In fact, one could
even note that they looked in better shape than the ones in Paris
because of its lack of conflict in the wars.
As they entered the central plaza, Dizzy's gaze found a statue,
standing upright and towering over the populace like a gargoyle,
defending its denizens from anything that would bring it ill.
However, the figure itself was covered in a long and voluminous cloak,
yet what few features of its bone structure identified it as a female.
Beneath the hood, all Dizzy could see a mask. With only a horizontal
slit for the person within to see out, the mask itself left Dizzy
uneasy. Like there was something frightening hiding behind it, waiting
for someone foolhardy enough to look behind at his or her peril.
"What's that?" Dizzy asked as calmly as she could.
Looking up to the statue, Ky blinked in recognition. "Oh, that's one
of the first heroes of the Crusades. She came to be known as The
Sorceress, because of her amazing ability to manipulate magic. She was
also the one to discover and use a few of the Divine Implements when
she fought the Gears in Warsaw. Despite working with the Holy Order
for nearly eight years, the U.N. still claims to have made the Fire
Seal and the Thunder Seal from Fredrick's designs."
Dizzy's brow furrowed at one of the names. From what she had learned,
the man Ky had briefly mentioned was the one that made the Implements.
"Fredrick... but if he made the Implements, how come he didn't use
them?"
"No one knows. All that we are aware of is from what the Sorceress
learned and what she knew was is that his lab was destroyed shortly
after he made them. During her travels, the Sorceress discovered
Fredrick's weapons and plans."
Dizzy looked back to the statue. Recalling just how powerful the sword
Ky wielded to be. The magic moving through it was greater than any
other weapon she had seen men use. However, something was missing. "If
the Sorceress was so powerful, how come the war continued the way it
did?"
"Once her work in Warsaw was done, she tried traveling to Geneva to
give the plans and weapons to the U.N., thinking they'd make better
use of them, but she didn't survive the trip. Since then, the U.N.'s
done everything they could to convince people they created the
weapons. They've even gone so far as to call the Sorceress a fraud and
a liar. However, the testimony of the first members of the Holy Order
have refuted them at every turn."
Dizzy's thoughts somehow returned to the frightening hammer her father
wielded. Could that had been one of the Implements? It made sense,
considering that the very touch of it caused her pain. She knew very
well of Ky's own weapon and realized that she had always stood on the
opposite side of the scabbard. Her fear of the Thunder Seal had even
reached to the level of instinct.
She and Ky continued through the ports until they reached the area
where their transportation was waiting for them. She spotted the taxi
she assumed that they'd be riding was followed a step behind Ky as
they made their way through the crowd.
Surely enough, the familiar hum of the magic powering the vehicle came
within her range of hearing. However, there was an additional whine
whispering alongside the dull roar of the magic generator in the
vehicle. Normal people couldn't hear the shriek that came from the
other voice, but it was audible as the roar of the crowd was to her.
More than that, it wasn't a good hum. On instinct, she reached forward
and grabbed Ky's elbow.
Confused, Ky turned to her. He was about to ask why when he noticed
the fear in her eyes.
"Something... something's wrong..." Dizzy whispered as her eyes
widened in fear. She was looking directly at the taxi like a scared
animal hunted by a predator. He turned back to the carriage, not
noticing her accelerated breathing as the whine grew louder. When it
reached a peak that Dizzy was well aware of, she instinctively tackled
Ky. "Look out!"
The instant they hit the ground, the vehicle exploded. Several nearby
pedestrians were tossed around like dolls, among the countless pieces
of debris that comprised the carriage.
As the blast subsided, Ky looked up in shock at what had just
transpired. They were only ten meters away from the carriage and so
the worst either one suffered was bruises at worst. However, the
civilians caught in the blast, along with the driver, were not as
fortunate.
"Luveria," Ky said quickly, making sure to user her given name, rather
than the one everyone knew her by, "help get the wounded away from the
blast sight! I'll look for the driver!"
Nodding vigorously, Dizzy hopped to her feet and dashed to the nearest casualty.
Waving his palm in front of his face, Ky used a handkerchief with his
other hand to keep the dust out of his mouth as he walked to what
remained of the car. Pushing the upper half of the frame out of the
way, he pulled the motionless body of the driver out of the rubble and
onto the sidewalk in front of the statue.
With a sigh of relief, he saw the local police enter and began
assisting with the clean up. They had been walking around the area, as
the police liked to keep a close eye on these gypsie areas, for
exactly the reasons Ky had labeled earlier, and the noise brought them
circling in on the destruction from all over. He was questioned at
first about the event, but they soon got to tending casualties and
sifting through debris, the act to be done more important than a few
litigations at that moment. He often took glance at Dizzy assisting a
random officer move one of the injured to a safer location as medics
and a few ambulance carriages arrived on the scene.
Putting his fingers on the driver's neck he hoped to find a pulse, if
he could find one, the man could still be safe. There was nothing. But
not wanting to give up, he searched for a closer vein to the heart.
Again, he found nothing.
With a slump of his head, he sighed in defeat. This poor man was dead
and he was simply doing his job. Removing the robe of his Holy Knight
uniform, he draped it over the man's face, covering as much as he
could with it's small length compared to his tall height.
Collapsing to a cross-legged position, he wondered to himself what
kind of man this person was. Whatever they were, they were gone. Ky
wanted to tell himself that he was more than used to all the death and
destruction he had seen, however, this proved that he was simply
fooling himself.
When Dizzy's shadow crawled over his shoulder, he turned to her with a
forlorn look. Her face was patched with dirt and her clothes were
smudged slightly from the tumble taken. He stood up and whispered,
"It's too late for him..."
Alternating between him and the corpse, Dizzy was almost ready to
demand an explanation why this happened. He could not answer her
question, for he had been searching for it for years. Stepping past
her, he walked to the captain of the local police hoping to be able to
get some idea as to how to proceed. He had thought this was the man he
could approach, as he was the one yelling out orders to every other
soldier and was the first to rush to the scene, given the loud noise
of the explosion.
He didn't bother turning around when Dizzy, for reasons beyond
herself, slowly lifted Ky's jacket off the man's relatively untouched
face. The blood stains on his face only made her heart heavier. She
reached forward and heard the fading heartbeat, getting slower with
every passing instant. She knew she could do nothing for this poor
man, at best she could probably ease his suffering with what little
time he had left.
What everyone had called the energy source, 'magic' was something
different to her senses. It was more than just charges of 'estus',
'crispo', 'pulvis', 'lumen', 'ventus', and 'animus'. It was nature
itself. Somehow, she could hear nature's energy moving beyond the
range of humans' hearing. More than that, she could also gather from
around her and use the energy within her own body for whatever purpose
she deemed necessary.
Guiding that power from the air around her and in her, she ebbed a
little into the dying man, hoping to ease his pain.
Gears, she knew, could easily project the magic they were powered by.
And though it was easy to send out pure magic as a weapon, using it as
a pain-killer or repairing mechanism was a different story entirely.
Regardless, she poured magic from her hands and into the wounds,
forcing the cells, bones, and tissues to slowly regenerate.
If Ky was right, then even her efforts to bring a little comfort to
this man would ultimately be futile. However, that still didn't stop
her. She remembered Thursday; the sickly little girl that had been
saved by Johnny when May rescued him before she joined the Pirates.
She had inevitably perished, but she lived long enough to meet Dizzy
and it was there she first discovered her ability to heal and comfort.
"Just rest..." she whispered and was about to say more when she
noticed a tear starting to trickle down from one of the sides of his
eyes.
When she realized that she and Ky had judged his fate prematurely, she
turned to her guardian and cried, "Ky! He's alive!"
Ky muttered an "excuse me" to the police captain, and turning quickly,
rushed back to Dizzy's location and saw what the girl had discovered.
He put his hand on the man's chest, and despite his own anxiety,
discovered a weak, though existent, heartbeat.
The captain walked off in the distance, ordering off a few more of his
officers and leaving his interaction with Ky dead as it were,
continuing on. In the back of Kiske's mind, he secretly thought that
he either didn't know who he was or had a distaste for Ky, since he
didn't act like most would to him, in the reverence and thanks for
ending the Crusades. He had to swallow his pride, knowing that heroes
of past wars are often forgotten when peace is prevalent.
He didn't waste time as he lifted the man and quickly carried him to
one of the nearly departing ambulance carriages. Every second counted
as he ordered the driver to get the driver to the hospital as soon as
possible.
When the vehicle sped away, Ky watched in visible relief as Dizzy
stepped up to his side with his soiled jacket in hand. She smiled
slightly to him as he took back the dirtied piece of clothing. Before
slinging the garment over his arm, he realized that this was most
likely going to be a living man's blood instead of a dead man's one.
He wasn't sure why, but the former was more calming than the latter.
He bowed his head and whispered a prayer of thanks to God. A life had
been spared when he had judged wrongly, for which he also asked for
forgiveness. Realizing how the dying man had a chance to live, he
turned to Dizzy.
"How did you know he was alive? I was sure he was dead."
Not completely sure how it happened herself, she shrugged. "He seemed
to be in pain... so I was just trying to soothe that and then I saw
the tear and...well, you know the rest."
He nodded as he took a seat in front of the statue of The Sorceress.
Taking another look at the exhausted Dizzy, he wondered what exactly
his prejudices against her had to say about this.
Gears don't save humans beings from dying. Their powers were only used
to the destruction of the human race. So, why? Why did he find it so
hard to believe that a Gear had saved a man's life through her control
over magic? He realized that he was staring at her with the same
inscrutable gaze when he had told him her story of her short-lived
childhood. Noticing her becoming uncomfortable under his sight, he
looked off and saw the French Prime Minister's own car arrive and the
owner stepping towards them.
The minister himself was an elderly man. With a beard that almost
stuck out from his chin like a porcupine and red tinted glasses that
hid his eyes from those speaking with him. He was slightly bent, most
likely due to his increasing years. In fact, he held the appearance of
a wiry puppeteer rather than that of a prime minister.
Right behind him, his granddaughter Cornelia hopped behind him calmly.
With several large blond curls, she had the pristine appearance of a
doll. Her smile held the same sort of mischief a girl of eight years
would have. Her modest and plain dress swished around her knees as she
kept pace with her grandfather.
"Greetings, Mr. Kiske," he said casually, as though he were oblivious
to the chaos about him.
Ky nodded cordially, slightly embarrassed that his appearance was
slightly marred due to the bomb. "Prime Minister. Sorry we're not as
presentable as we would like to be."
The older man waved it off. "It can't be helped. There are forces at
work that wish to disrupt the lives of people that have done nothing
wrong. And they've moved faster than I've thought."
Dizzy spoke up inquisitively, "Sir?"
The Prime Minister turned to her and for a second, his eyes gazing at
her like he was trying to look into her soul through her eyes. As
uncomfortable as it was, he stopped as soon as the unpleasantness
began and regarded them both. "We can talk about what we've learned so
far at a 'safe house'."
Dizzy turned to her guardian questioningly.
"A safe house is a term used to designate a place one can hide in
relative security."
Picking up on Ky's explanation; Prime Minister Poret said, "Relative
is such a vague term, Officer. Temporary is much more suited to our
situation. In fact, I'm taking a risk coming out to meet you. Here, we
can discuss what we need to do once we're out of sight."
Gesturing to his carriage, Ky and Dizzy followed him obediently as
they stepped into the vehicle.
-
Reclining on a rocking chair that had somehow survived the years of
the Crusades, the Prime Minister groaned in appreciation as his
granddaughter hopped off to another room.
"Now then, I would have preferred to bring you to my home and have a
meal prepared, but I'm afraid we've not the time as things stand."
Taking seats across from the Prime Minister, Dizzy took in her
surroundings with awe. The main room had a marvelous view of the city.
With the midday sun shining on the river beside the town, Dizzy would
have loved to be able just to take in the marvelous sight. However,
she knew the purpose for bringing her as she returned her attention to
the older man. Pulling out of her satchel the antique typewriter, she
quickly got to typing the words she heard, a dry click of every
combinations of letters echoing the conversation. She had never really
typed before, but she got a little practice on the airship to
Mulhouse, and picking it up quite easily, to Ky's dismay at the Gear's
adaptively keenness, and her slight joy at the click it made by every
letter she pressed.
"I thank your recorder here for keeping things up to date, but... how
shall I put this..." the Prime Minister said, stroking his wiry beard,
"Officer Kiske, may I inquire as to the character of the recorder
present?"
Confused, Dizzy and Ky glanced to each other before Ky answered,
"she's new, sir. But I don't know how that applies to..."
"...the reason why is because I want this report apocryphitic. 'Off
the record', so to speak."
Ky was taken back. According to the I.P.F. Code, recorders were to
take down everything they could regarding administration of law. There
was little levity one could use when it came to recordings. In almost
every scenario, recorders that made reports 'off the record' were
fired and incarcerated. It was a very precarious action to take,
especially so in Dizzy's case.
"Why, Prime Minister?"
Ky's eyes looked past the glasses of the Prime Minister's and into the
dark brown orbs speaking in all seriousness. "The robots that look
like you and their creators... you know of whom I speak."
Dizzy hands froze in mid stroke. Ky also felt his heart stop. His eyes
traveled to Dizzy's scared look. Quickly, she regained her composure
and looked to him. She was confused, not knowing what recorders were
to do when occasions like this arose. However, knowing that both of
them were in the cross-hairs of the Bureau's ire, Ky nodded to her.
"Though new, I believe she can be trusted to secrecy. She and I have
been in acquaintance in the past."
There was a protocol among the Holy Order to secrecy whenever rumor
spread. It always circulated among the higher officers, and their
aids. And it was only passed to those that they knew that could be
trusted. The validity of the Sorceress' claims being a case in point.
Dizzy's face grew worried as she turned to the Prime Minister. She
could tell this older man was no fool. His grizzled features spoke
volumes of his cunning and intelligence. It was almost physically
evident that he could not be lied to. The older man's gaze turned away
from her and back to Ky's as he began.
"Very well... As you know Mr. Kiske, when I found one of the
kidnappers to bear a striking resemblance to you, I recalled a report
made by you several months back regarding the Postwar Administration
Bureau."
Ky nodded. "Yes, sir. It was dismissed due to lack of evidence on my
part." When Ky attempted to bring the remains of one of those
Robo-Kys, the remains had vanished when he had placed them in safe
keeping. Someone had known about it and taken the scrap before he
could present it to the heads of the IPF.
"So I heard. People started to doubt your credibility when they
received word of the incident."
The statement made Ky's jaw clench in slight irritation. Since then,
he had wisely kept silent on all matters regarding the Bureau. The
last thing he needed was everyone around him to think him paranoid, as
if his exploits with these "Robo-Ky" menaces weren't infamous enough
at his own police station.
"However, I may have something that may be of some interest to you."
He turned to the other room and called to his granddaughter,
"Cornelia, please bring it in here."
Both Dizzy and Ky saw the granddaughter carry in both of her small
hands what appeared to be a head. Both gasped until they realized it
was the head of one of the Robo-Ky's they has seen in the past.
Carefully, Cornelia placed the head upon the table separating the
three occupants. Almost methodically, the child then retreated into
the other room, only to bring out an energy pack, and hook it up to
the head. The small pack seemed like it was ripped out of the body
that was also attached to the head, the wires around it looking like
broken veins. She attached two small clamps from the head to the pack,
with a surgical care, like she had done it many times before.
To the duo's surprise, the head's eyes flared to life and they heard
the sound of what could have been servos speeding up to bring the
head's CPU online.
"I've enlisted the help of some people knowledgeable of the workings
of these... monstrosities. And discovered a few things you'd find of
interest." He turned to the head and said, "Who do you serve?"
"BZZT-THE-POST-WAR-ADMINISTRATIONBUREAU."
"What is your purpose?"
The Head, by some process completely oblivious to their reasoning,
responded, "BZZT-AQUISITION-OF-KEY-FIGURES-FOR-ACCELERATION-OF-THE-WORLD-STATE-PROJECT.
BZZT."
"Who are these 'key figures'?"
"BZZT-PRIME-MINISTERS-OF-THE-SECOND-EUROPEAN-UNION.
BZZT-ALL-RENEGAGE-JAPANESE. BZZT-THE-COMMANDER-GEAR."
Upon hearing the last name, Ky spoke up a little surprised at hearing
Dizzy being referred to. "I heard she was defeated by a bounty
hunter." He tried not to look at his protectorate to his right, but
hearing his charge being named as a target by these machines was not
something that could be taken lightly. Dizzy tried to remain
professional as she typed in word for word the dialog she was hearing.
Again, the robot spoke up,
"BZZT-WE-HAVE-REASON-TO-BELIEVE-THE-BOUNTY-HUNTER-CREATED-A-FABRICATION-REGARDING-THE-GEAR'S-DEATH.
BZZT-UNTIL-EVIDENCE-IS-PRESENTED-WE-SHALL-CONTINUE-SEARCHING."
"Where did the search lead to and what happened?" Ky asked, not
noticing the Prime Minster's concentrated gaze on Ky's intensity.
"BZZT-UNCOMFIRMED-REPORTS-SUGGESTED-THE-COMMANDER-GEAR-WAS-IN-LEAGUE-WIT-JOHNNY-SFONDI-OF-THE-JELLYFISH-PIRATES-TERRORIST-GROUP.
BZZT-A-RECENT-RAID-ON-THE-UNREGISTERED-MAYSHIP-CONFIRMED-ITS-EXISTENCE.
BZZT-SUBJECT-RESISTED-AND-IS-BELIEVED-DEAD-ALONG-WITH-THE-PIRATES."
There was a long pause as the three kept their gaze on the seemingly
docile head. Dizzy wasn't sure if it was a blessing being believed
dead by these machines or not. However, the news of her friends'
confirmed deaths placed a heavy weight on her heart. She had not seen
them die, but she wasn't sure if they were able to survive the ensuing
explosion either.
Knowing that Ky had no further questions for the head, Gepetto
continued, "What is the reason for imitating Officer Ky Kiske?"
"BZZT-FOR-MAINTENANCE-OF-LAW-AND-ORDER-ACCORDING-TO-THE-WORLD-STATE-PROJECT-IN-DEPTH-EMULTAION-OF-KISKE'S-BATTLE-CAPABILTY-MUST-BE-OBTAINED."
Not liking where the conversation was heading, Ky asked, "And once that's done?"
"BZZT-SUBJECT-WILL-BE-DELETED."
Ky felt as if he had been struck on the face. Was he really of that
little worth to the government now, aside from being a test subject?
Somehow, this machine was merely reciting orders it had received when
it was created, but he still couldn't believe what he had heard.
Dizzy paused in the middle of her typing to look at Ky's shocked
countenance. Upon reflection, she recalled being in a similar state of
shock when she had learned of the bounty on her head. She understood
Ky's situation now more than he ever would know.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that, Mr. Kiske, but if you didn't hear
that, then you would have discovered that far too late to do us any
good."
Forcing himself to move on, Ky asked the Prime Minister, "No one uses
computers as far as I'm aware. If I remember correctly, the most
advanced piece of pre-Crusades tech used are radios. Most things
operate using magic and the relays to re-create the effect they once
had."
Gepetto gave Ky a wry smile. "You'd be surprised how much of the
technology of the Old World survived. It was lost to the general
populace and it still is out of fear of the Crusades. But there are
organizations out there that utilize computers and advanced machines
that do things once thought impossible."
Dizzy, hoping she wasn't speaking out of turn, spoke up, "Like, the
United Nations?"
Gepetto snorted. "Of course not. If they did, they'd feel superior
enough to actually try and rebel against the ones that are controlling
them."
Ky added solemnly, looking back at the mechanical head. "Like the Bureau."
Gepetto nodded. "Since the secret of the Gears' creation was lost over
a century ago, they had to adapt their plans. Once they lost the one
known as Testament, the Bureau knew they had to use something safer to
combat the Gear menace. However, what they needed was the perfect
example to emulate for the prototypes."
Ky's eyebrow cocked in surprise. "Me?"
"Yes. By the time they learned how to create the Proto-type, Kliff was
well past his prime and of no use to them. So, they chose the next
best model for their Imitation Series: You, Officer Kiske."
Ky folded his arms. "But for what purpose? If they use imitations of
the Thunder Seal, what reason would there be to mass produce these
things if the only Gear threat comes from the random attack from a
'Brute' or 'Roc'?"
Gepetto stood up, much to the dismay of his back and walked to the
window. "We have a few theories as to what they have planned for this
'World-State' project they have, but nothing definite. Regardless, we
can't expect it to be good."
"We?"
"The other Prime Ministers of the Second European Union. As a member
of the International Police Force, you should be more attentive of
recent events. I was not the only head of a country that was
assaulted."
Dizzy nodded in recollection. "He's right. The Prime Ministers of
England, Germany, Finland, Spain, Poland, Italy, and Greece were also
reported to have had had assaults on them by these robots."
"However, what the assailants did not expect was the Ministers were
more than capable of fending for themselves. So they escaped and soon
we started talking with each other about what may have brought this
around." He turned to them once more, the sun in the from the window
slightly obscuring their vision of him. "Though, we all knew we had
seen the face of our attacker before, and it was clarified that it was
Ky Kiske. If they did one thing wrong, it's not quite the best
representation." Ky chuckled slightly at the joke, Dizzy blushing, but
neither wanting to laugh in seeming out of place. "I do not know if
they were trying to frame the criminals as you or not, but if that was
their intention, they failed horribly. Turns out that the Bureau was
not happy at seeing people resist their warped ideals. So, they wanted
to kidnap us and 'show us the error of our ways' it seemed."
"What are you talking about?"
"Not a month earlier, I found that a goodly portion of the monthly
budget was being diverted to an umbrella account for reasons that I
was not privy to. I was able to confront those responsible and found
out that the money was 'appropriated' for a U.N. Sanctioned project
without even consulting me. They advised me to leave well enough
alone, despite the fact it was not theirs to toy with. I persisted and
was inevitably attacked."
Gepetto sat on his chair once more, evidently tired of setting the
stage for his guests. However, he was far from done as he looked into
Ky's eyes. "I will not take such actions for their plans lying down.
So, Mr. Kiske, I have a special assignment for you."
Looking from Dizzy to the Prime Minister, Ky looked straight back.
"I'm ready, sir."
"I assume that despite your outstanding reputation, you have the
capacity to acquire information from... shall we say, less than savory
characters that turn out to be true?"
Ky frowned slightly, yet nodded nevertheless. Sometimes information
impossible to gain legally had to be obtained through other means.
Every once in a while, he would venture to Troy in disguise to hunt
for a criminal that had taken refuge there and what few contacts he
had there had proved to be invaluable.
"Very well then... logically, there must be a place... a facility, a
factory somewhere in Europe where those things are being produced. All
I need is the location and I'll authorize a raid using soldiers
appropriate to the task, with you at its head. I suggest you inform
your co-worker here the necessary procedures for acquiring the
evidence you need. Once we put the Bureau's existence into the
public's eyesight, we can finally begin hammering the nails on the
their coffin."
It was shocking that Ky would find such an ally in the government he
had grown to distrust as for the past year. To make it even better,
vindication was practically within arm's reach. However, it seemed
just a little too good to be true.
"That's not all, is there more?" he asked calmly.
Gepetto matched his serious face and added in a dire tone.
"Officially, you two will be on an extended leave of absence. This
whole operation will be what is termed a 'Black Op'. Totally deniable
by those who initiated it, meaning I and the other Prime Ministers. If
you are caught, then you will fall alone, Mr. Kiske. I feel somewhat
bad asking you to take this mission, but if can imagine the
possibilities of our inaction, then you won't be hesitant to accept."
Ky closed his eyes and silently groaned in frustration. Of course.
Things this easy always came with a steep price. Often steeper than he
was willing to pay. Immediately, images of capture and inevitable
prosecution by the World Court made the prospect very unappealing. To
think, the hero who saved the world and ended the Crusades would then
be put up on charges of treason against humanity�
He then recalled a previous conversation with Johnny as he was
investigating an 'updated' bounty list he had received from a
Nightwalker. The pirate had callously remarked that the system which
he adhered to was so severely twisted that the most cruel and unusual
of punishments had the seal of officialism on them.
The pirate's words were confirmed when he was ordered to search and
capture the pirate May, upon confirmation of being Japanese. Then the
witch hunts of the militia leaders supposedly training Gears. The
liquidation of the Blackard company.
Things as it were had gone on long enough. If things could not be
changed the way the system was supposed to work, then he was left with
no alternative.
He looked to the Prime Minister and said with no doubt in his voice,
"I'll get you the location you need within two weeks. Make sure your
men are ready."
End of Chapter 4
2-07-05 Update notes:
Let's see... changed transportation modes � Check
Added descriptions of 'magic' utilizations � Check
Added decriptions of airships � Check
As a side note: I figured large, bulky, and cumbersome as a design for
the ships since there hasn't been a lot of time to truly refine their
designs. So, I thought of the Mon Calamari cruisers from Star Wars:
RotJ. Only made on earth and a lot less useful.
Added description of 'magic' in relation to Dizzy � Check
Added Extra dialogue and scenes for the talked between Ky and Gepetto � Check
Replaced underscores with dashes - Check
Oh, and now I realize that the Thursday mentioned here was also
inspired by Samuraiter's 'Corpus Et Mortalis'. All hail Samuraiter!
And, there was always something I was wondering about the 'magic' in
relevance as an energy source. I would assume that since it used
several types of energy from nature, each element would have some sort
of name derived when referred to, rather than just 'magic'. So...
estus � heat
crispo � water
pulvis � earth
lumus � light (for lightning, evidently)
ventus � wind
animus - spirit
Old notes:
Again; many thanks goes out to Zero Nova for his assistance in beta
reading this chapter.
I am guilty of borrowing various bits of 'fanon' and other sources of
inspiration from other fics throughout this chapter. And so to avoid
incrimination, here they are;
Troy's standing outside of U.N. jurisdiction comes from Zero Nova's
'Desolate Gail: Dual Enmity'.
Warsaw not falling to the Gears during the Crusades, also from 'Desolate Gail'.
The magic driven carriages from Samuraiter's 'Corpus Et Mortalis'
Dizzy being able to heal from Croik's 'Culmination'... though I also
had the idea, she got it out first in her story. So, I figure she gets
credit for it.
The Robo-Ky interrogation, also from Croik's 'Culmination'. Though the
purposes for both hers and my story are the same, I hope they're
different enough to avoid any accusation of plagiarism. Here's hoping.
crosses fingers
As for the Prime Minister... well, he's not an original character. He
comes from yet another game. Again, as in the previous chapter, if you
can figure it out, you get a good laugh at my expense and enough
fanfic points to get a useless toiletry.
>From Samuraiter's review, he noted that there wasn't much tension
going on. I hope that this can alleviate that problem. And the story's
finally starting to come around. With any luck, perhaps, it'll even be
around the size of one of Zero Nova's arcs from Desolate Gail, two if
I'm lucky. The trick, though, is actually getting something written of
that size with my limited schedule... though, I think I can with Zero
cracking the whip every now and then. :)
Hope you all enjoyed this story so far. If so, then it means I've done
my job. But of course, leaving a review is always a nice thing to do.
Nice and long and detailed. Those are the best kinds.
Finally; of all things Guilty Gear belongs to Sammy, Arc Systems,
Daisuke Ishiwatari, and Sol Badguy.