Project: Sols
Chapter One
Breath
Early Morning, Redria Sector, Pioneer 2
The door gave way quickly, in less than 5 seconds the massive
red android has entered the apartment. He quickly scanned the
rooms, the coating on the exterior walls to prevent peeping androids
was not usually found inside homes. The place was bare, just floor
and walls. His prey had once again managed to elude him. An incoming
message caused him to look at his hunter’s Data Link on his left
wrist.
>Tygrin, have you located the third and fourth prototypes yet?
The android through his direct connection to the Data Link sent
the reply:
>No.
Showing no sign of his incredible inner rage and frustration,
Tygrin calmly turned and walked out the door, down the hall to
the transporter, and disappeared. Across the street from a dark
alley, four eyes intently watched the departure of the massive
android. Two Numan females slowly emerged from the alley, one
a tall beauty with bright orange hair, still in her sleeping clothes.
The other a full quarter meter shorter, wearing black force garbs
with red highlights perfectly matching her hair.
“Good job Tear,” said the taller one, “Again we were saved by
your dreams. That android means business... he’s impervious to
all techniques, I don’t know what we’d do if he ever caught us...
probably take us back to the lab...”
“Iris, what is ‘lab?’”, interrupted Tear, “Is lab eatable? It
yummy?”
“No Tear,” Iris said, “As I have explained, the lab is where
we come from, where they made us. Remember when we escaped?” Of
course Iris knew, there was no way Tear could remember. She was
too young back then. Too young to remember the pain, the experiments.
Iris shut her eyes and turned her head, trying desperately to
drown out the memories.
“It okay sister!” exclaimed Tear with a smile on her face, “you
not worry! We go get eatables now?”
“I’m sorry Tear, we don’t have any money, all our belongings
were in that apartment. We had to destroy everything with foie
and zonde to make sure there was no evidence Tygrin could use
to track us. But... we still have each other... and out mission.”
“Right!” Tear said as she remembered their mission. “We go down
to forest and find lots of yummy eatables now right!!”
“That’s right, lots of yummy eatables.”
They had been on the run for years now. Ever since escaping
the lab they were created in. Iris didn't know much about the
project itself, except that it was known as “Sols” and that they
were doing some advanced research on Numan females. She knew that,
unlike normal Numans, she grew much more slowly. She had recollections
of early childhood in the lab, and of the experiments. She remembered
her older sister, the blue haired girl who always tried to take
her place for the painful tests, but never did. She remembered
the time when she was eight, how they had brought a new girl from
the birthing wing of the lab, she was only 2 years old. The same
age Iris had been when she first began undergoing the tests. She
also remembered the screams in the night from the new girl, she
way she would cry as they walked her past Iris’ room on her way
for more tests. Or how the floor of the hallway outside was always
covered with the new girl’s tears. Always in the same line, from
the test room, to the new girl’s room. The same trail every night,
the same tears shed. She wanted to do something, she wanted to
help, and to strike back at those who were subjecting both her
and the other girl to the tests. Yet she was only eight, she was
a young girl, with no way do stop the horror she and her new sister
were subjected to.
It all changed one night. The alarm sounded abruptly late into
the night. Iris looked out her barred window to the courtyard
below, there were dozens of androids entering the front of the
labs, and behind them was wave after wave of humans wielding guns.
From the front of the lab more, differently colored androids emerged
and began to fight with the ones entering the courtyard. The lab
was being raided. Suddenly the door to Iris’ room burst open,
a guard with a photon rifle barged in. Before the guard could
act, a bright streak of electricity hit him from somewhere out
in the hallway. Iris watched in amazement as the unnamed blue
haired Numan girl she had seen so many times before entered the
room carrying a photon pistol.
“Don’t be afraid, I am your sister, my name is Trys”, spoke
the girl. “Quickly Iris, come with me, we have to escape!” Trys
ran to Iris’ bedside and grabbed her hand. Practically dragging
Iris, Trys ran out the door and into the hallway. They turned
right and ran several meters to the new girl’s door. Inside, face
to her pillow crying, they found the new girl.
“C'mon!” shouted Trys, “we have to go!” Trys handed Iris the
gun, and went over to the new girl’s bed. “Tear... Tear, please
do not be afraid, my name is Trys, I’m your sister, and so is
she” Trys pointed to Iris, “her name is Iris. Please get up Tear,
we have to leave now. The government is raiding the lab, but the
doctors have sent the elite androids to retrieve us before they
teleport out. If we don’t leave now, we’ll never get away from
them. They’ll just take us somewhere else and keep experimenting
on us!” Seeing the futility of her words on the inattentive little
girl, Trys wrapped the little numan in a blanket and picked her
up. She looked at Iris, and they both ran out of the room. Trys
took lead as they ran through the dark hallways, alarm blaring.
Finally they came to the emergency teleporter room, inside was
a teleporter with enough charge remaining for one use. Just as
they entered, a tall imposing red android entered through a door
at the opposite side of the room. On the upper left side of his
chest plate was written ”ACAS 01: Tygrin”. The android quickly
made strides across the room, closing on in the 3 numan girls.
“Listen to me Iris!” Trys shouted, “Take Tear, and never look
back. There’s a ship called Pioneer 2, be on it.” With this Trys
placed Tear in Iris arms, and shoved Iris onto the teleporter
pad. She then pressed a button on the teleporter control panel.
Desperately trying to stop the escape the red android reached
the teleporter just as Iris and Tear disappeared. Eyes glowing
with rage, Tygrin turned to face Trys. A bolt of Zonde shot from
Trys’ hand, but had no effect on the angry android.
Iris opened her eyes and saw that she was standing on a cliff
overlooking the lab, from many kilometers away. She watched as
wave after wave of government troops flooded into the burning
lab complex. She cried for the first time she could remember,
the tears softly landing on Tear’s own wet face. Tear stopped
crying and looked up at Iris, her fists clenched, teeth grinding,
tears streaming down her face. Tear then looked at the war zone
in the distance. “I hungry” she said.
Iris and Tear had traveled to the Bluefull sector commercial
district. Iris had by now changed into the only thing she took
with her from their apartment, her yellow hunters clothes. They
stopped at the checkroom to retrieve their hunters items, barriers,
frames, weapons and mags. They equipped their belongings, and
walked into the hunters guild. Iris instructed Tear to wait by
the door, while she approached the counter.
“I am the hunter Solstrys”, Iris said to the clerk. “I need
permission to go down to the surface of Ragol with my apprentice.”
“We will need a DNA sample to confirm your identity, said the
Clerk, “please place your palm on this scanner.” Iris did as instructed
and placed her open hand on the grooved scanner on the counter.
The device made three quick beeping noises, and then fell silent.
“Your identity has been confirmed, thank you Hunter Solstrys,
you have permission to go down to the surface.”
Her plan had worked, her near identical DNA to her sister had
allowed her to get a pass to the surface of Ragol. And her sister’s
level 100 rank with the guild ensured that all areas would be
open. They could proceed directly to the ancient ship, and begin
their mission. Iris smiled, and turned to face the door, when
her smile instantly changed into a look of total fear. Entering
the guild was Tygrin.
Tygrin spotted Iris and Tear immediately, and as he was closest
to Tear he grabbed her first. Tear screamed out in surprise, not
fully understanding what had happened. Drawing her one hope, a
Gladius with a bonus to machine a seedy character on the Oberon
ship had given her, she lunged at Tygrin. She hadn’t accounted
for the powerful barrier Tygrin was wearing, he easily blocked
her attacks with one hand, while tightly holding Tear with the
other. He then extended a leg and met Iris mid way with a foot
to the neck. Iris stumbled back, badly hurt from the kick, she
dropped the gladius and began to clutch her throat. As she did
this, Tygrin drew a photon pistol from his null space item storage,
and quickly began to pull the trigger in rapid succession. Several
shots hit Iris in the legs, immobilizing her. Screaming in pain,
Iris collapsed, unable to breathe.
Seeing her sister bleeding all over the guild’s floor was more
than Tear could bear. She channeled a bolt of pure light energy
from her body at Tygrin. The blast was so powerful, it sent him
flying across the room, where he impacted a far wall. Just as
this was happening, nearby troops rushed in to see what was going
on. Tear ran to her sister’s side, and cast the most powerful
resta technique she could. Seeing the troops in the guild inspecting
the android, Iris stood up, grabbed Tear, and ran outside. They
turned right coming out of the guild and jumped onto the teleporter
pad. Iris activated her hunter’s data link, and frantically selected
the first option she could. There was a flash of light, and then
they were gone.
Two years had passed since they escaped the lab. Everyday Iris
thought back to that moment, the girl named Trys pushing her on
to the teleporter. What had happened after the teleport? A kind
Force named Marchioness had discovered them on the streets, filthy
and begging for food. Something about them had compelled March
to bring them in. She clothed and fed them, and did her best to
teach them the ways of the world. She taught Iris how to read
and write, and the best way to care for her younger sister. Ever
since the night of the escape Tear had reused to be quiet. She
talked nonstop, even in her sleep. She possessed a great curiosity
about the world, a hunger for information, but despite being repeatedly
told things, she never seemed to understand. It was strange the
way they aged, March admitted once. Ordinarily a Numan develops
fully physically in a few months, but Iris and Tear were developing
at a rate almost that of a human. They were rejected by Numans
for this flaw, and by humans because they were Numan. It was frequent
that March would disappear, often for days at a time. She told
the girls that she was at work, and her duty was very important.
It was later the discovered she was a high ranking scientist working
for the government. Then one day, she told the girls she would
have to go on a long journey, and wouldn’t see them for many years.
She was a special class Force, assigned to the Pioneer, and she
was leaving within a week. Marchioness apologized for the last
minute information, but said that the launch had been moved up,
and she could not acquire permission to take the girls with her.
The next day, Marchioness brought in a woman the girls had never
met before, her name was Empress, and she was Marchioness’ twin.
The weeks passed, and became months, time passes as it tends to
do, until a full year had passed, Iris was eleven, and Tear five.
It was then they once again met the menacing red android, Tygrin.
It was very early in the morning, as if aware of the coming
terror neither Iris nor Tear had been able to sleep. They were
together in Iris’ room, curled up on her bed quietly whispering.
Looking out the window, Tear wondered about the stars, where they
were, what they were. Iris did her best to explain, but she had
long since given up on realistic explinations, and soon Tear had
developed a theory of her own, ignoring all her sister told her.
The stars, she decided, were places where everyone was happy,
and there was no fear, no sadness, no anger, no envy. The stars
were happy, and she wanted to visit them.
The home’s front door burst in quickly, and 4 dark blue androids
of commanding height entered the home. Roused from her sleep,
Empress emerged from her room and walked down the hall. Immediately
realizing the danger, she ran into Iris’ room. She told the girls
to dress, and be ready to leave. She left the room securing the
door behind her, and walked down the hallway to the common room
of the house. There amongst the furnishings and electronic devices,
the four androids stood scanning the house. They were confused
because there was a coating on the walls to prevent androids from
seeing through them. They quickly noticed Empress. The two closest
charged at her. She let out a massive wave of electricity, the
RA series zonde technique, in all directions. Their circuitry
overloaded, they stopped dead in their tracks, unable to move.
The remaining two drew photon pistols and began firing at her.
She did her best to dodge or deflect the shots, but they were
coming too fast. She was hit in the left shoulder, the force of
the impact and pain sent her stepping back. Reeling from the pain
shooting through her body, Empress cast a Grants technique at
the closest Android, causing massive damage to the Android’s frame
and body. The remaining Android took cover behind a large sofa,
while occasionally emerging to fire a volley of shots. From her
null space item storage she drew her final resort, a customized
photon pistol called a “Holy Ray”.
Immediately following a volley from the Android she stood up
and fired as fast as the gun would fire, it’s elongated shots
piercing the Android’s meager cover. She heard several impact
sounds, then there was silence.
Iris instructed Tear to wait in the room, they had finished
dressing, and were preparing to leave, as they always knew they
would have to. From the moment Iris had described the lab, Marchioness
had begun modifying her home to accommodate a last second escape,
concealing single use teleporters in many rooms, and coating the
walls with a special chemical androids could not look through.
Iris ran out into the hall, and saw Empress struck by a photon
bullet in the shoulder. Iris watched as Empress cast a Grants
technique, then drew an odd looking gun and began firing at the
other end of the room. Iris then watched as Empress look of relief
changed to one of terror. Empress fired several shots at something
on the other side of the room, and began to slowly move backward.
Something was advancing on her. As Iris looked on she saw why
Empress was so afraid, the red android Tygrin was slowly advancing
on her. Empress turned to run, and as she did Tygrin sprinted
to her. Tygrin grabbed her by the neck, and threw her with great
force against a wall on the opposite side of the room. Then he
looked down the hallway and saw Iris.
For a moment, Iris could not move, she was inexplicably frozen
in complete terror. Her body refused to move, and she was certain
she would die. Then the door to her room opened, Tear looked out.
Iris’ senses returned to her, she ran to the door, grabbed Tear
by the arm and pulled her to the far end of her room. She depressed
a hidden panel on the wall, and a section of wall to their left
popped out and slid away quietly, revealing a teleporter. With
Tear in tow Iris ran to the teleporter, and as Tygrin entered
the room they disappeared in a flash of light. They were alone
again.
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