11-08-2005, 05:27 AM
This is part of an SI fic that I've been working on, somewhat similar in nature to Bob's Drunkard's Walk, except where Doug Sagnoire is by himself, my character is only one member of a whole civilisation looking for a new home...
Okay, background story (bear in mind this is pretty rough). An advanced civilisation has been locked in a stalemated war against, what they believe, is some other race's war machine gone crazy. Cornered in part of the galaxy and with no other way out, they begin experimenting with dimension jumping. It was during their experiments that one Benjamin Rhodes was accidently plucked from his home dimension, thoroughly roughed up in transit, and deposited in their labs. The only way to save the poor sap was cybernetic replacement.
Eventually, Ben joined the military, volunteered for a special cybernetic soldier experiment, and wound up fighting alongside the SPARTAN II's for a while (yeah, John's part of my twisted little scheme). And then came the Event Horizon - a class of refuge ships on the gargantuan scale that can comfortably house refuges numbering in the billions in centripetal gravity pods that have various terran biomes.
Ben, along with the SPARTAN II's, are assigned to the Event Horizon, already completed and loaded, ready to make it's first jump into the unknown. Their mission is to mark out other dimensions as safe, temporary havens for the other Event Horizons until a permanent home can be found.
The following is part of the second saga of my story. It is, as of yet, incomplete, and still fairly rough in my own opinion. It also borrows a bit of commentary from the original Battle Angel Alita manga. I'll eventually come up with more of my own dialogue, but I plan on leaving some of Kishiro's dialogue.
It was supposed to be a normal jump. The initial probes came back with nothing unusual to report. However, when we encountered a fleet of warships with technology comparable to our own the shit hit the fan. With no warning at all, they attacked and we had to defend ourselves.
The first salvos were so sudden that we could barely get our shields up in time and they forced an emergency shutdown of the Event Horizons main reactors. To buy them time, I went out with the new experimental modular unit for the Kamikaze The Backpack.
It was a new concept an oversized unit that occupied all four modular bays on a Kaze. The tradeoff was that it gave you more thrusters, two Thor Cannons, and Hyper-light Drive. Normally I would have just gone out with a full squadron loaded with anti-ship missiles, but our foes were on the cutting edge as well and their fighters were hassle enough for our own.
So, there I was, out there with the big guns, laying waste to anything worthy of the Thor Cannons attention, but it was starting to take an uncomfortably long amount of time for the engineers to get the Event Horizons reactors back online. Finally, they managed it and Command ordered a full recall, but the big ships took note of this and began to close in. I wasnt gonna let them. Of course, Command griped about it.
"Command, this is Karma Lead, I said as calmly as possible in this situation. All due respect to the Admiral, quit worrying about me and get that farkin cross rip drive ready!
Were working on it soldier, replied the Admiral steadily. We just dont want to leave you behind. I began to relax a little as I saw the crossrip drives energy fields begin to build up around the Event Horizon, but I still had the enemy to consider. Even with the improved thrust-to-weight ratio provided by the backpack it was still like flying with a dead elephant on my back. As I took aim at another light cruiser and blew it to scrap, I decided that the Backpack was a worthwhile thing.
Right about then, every fighter in the enemy fleet decided that I was a serious threat.
"Well duh, I muttered to no one in particular and went evasive. I only nuked how many big boats? In addition to twin Thor Cannons and Hyper-light Drive, the Backpack also provided much improved shielding, at the cost of my Stealth Interceptors ability to produce a cloak field. But there were a lot of enemy fighters on my tail and no matter how good I was they were scoring hits on me. Right about then I realized theyd probably never seen Benjamins Gambit.
***
"Captain Rhodes is charging the Backpacks Thor Cannons again, cried out Lain in alarm, and hes aimed right at us!
"What the hell is he thinking!? said Captain Whitcomb.
"Benjamins Gambit? hazarded Lain.
***
God, these guys are idiots, I thought to myself as I drew a straight line for everyone to follow. A warning sounded alerting me that the rear shields were collapsing and I decided that it was enough. I cut my main thrusters and swiftly spun my fighter in a neat one-eighty. Suddenly, two squadrons of enemy fighters and another light cruiser were looking down the twin forks of two fully charged Thor Cannons. I thumbed the trigger.
At that moment I just happened to be coasting through the cross rip barrier. The energy of the Thor Cannons expelled charge interacted with the energy of the cross rip, binding the fighter into the energy field with arcs of blue-white plasma discharge. Suddenly, the Event Horizon cross ripped and was gone.
I should pay more attention to these things. Its gonna be the death of me some day.
Overload warnings and system failures screamed in my ears. I only had maneuvering thrusters on minimal power. The fighter was essentially dead, trapped in a gravity well and plummeting. As I fought for some measure of control over my fighter I thought I saw something An orbital tether, I thought. Was that a hallucination?
I turned my attention to other more important details. First I broke a panel next to my seat.
"Never thought Id ever have to do this, I muttered as I reached in and took hold of a red and white striped handle and gave it a quarter turn clockwise. I then pulled it out by one foot, then gave it a quarter turn counter-clockwise. Finally I then rammed it back home and gave it one last quarter turn clockwise again.
Each action caused a reaction within my fighter hard-wired functions with more redundancies than I could care to think of, especially then. The first quarter turn jettisoned the Backpack and the drive core. The second jettisoned the anti-matter fuel pod. The third one ejected the pilot.
Exploding bolts sheared away the cockpit canopy and the mounts to my ejector seat, then the ejector rockets fired. Knowing what to expect, I switched to vacuum compatible mode and projected my personal shields around myself.
I became another object entering this planets atmosphere. I ramped up my internal fusion core to full capacity and even kicked in the anti-matter booster to keep my shields at strength. Somewhere above me there was a pair of bright, actinic-white flashes the drive core and antimatter fuel pod self-destructing.
I could now see the orbital tether again, even through the corona of ionization that surrounded me. I knew I had to arrest my decent some how, so I stretched out my magnetic field to the tether, hoping to pull myself to it.
The pull was relatively weak at first, but it was working. My forward velocity was slowing rapidly and soon I was being dragged towards the tether by magnetic force. The only problem was that the tethers ferric alloys were evenly distributed throughout its structure. This meant that there was nothing specific for my magnetic force to latch onto, so my rate of descent was unchanged, save by friction. I thought of repelling against the planets magnetosphere using my own EM field, but that was impossible at my comparatively modest strength. Magnetically lassoing a nearby orbital tether while traveling at hypersonic speeds was easy, since most of my velocity was pointed downwards. Repelling against a planetary magnetosphere while traveling at same speeds? I might as well try stopping a bullet with a pillow.
I then remembered that I could still suspend every bit of myself in my magnetic field, making me as indestructible as the field itself. The impact would still put a lot of stress on my brain, even with it already permeated with the polymer resin that made it nigh indestructible. The alternative, however, was quite unattractive so I went with the first option.
This is gonna hurt.
***
Daisuke Ido wasnt exactly a man who minded his own business. One would only dare say so about a man who was a hunter-warrior. As the old saying goes, An ordinary man spends his life avoiding stressful situations. Repoman spends his life getting into stressful situations.
But to be fair, Dr. Ido was minding his own business on that day when he was out collecting spare cyborg parts. An actuator here, a cyber eye there, all piled into his bag. It was innocent enough that a shift in the junk pile caused that the head of a barely alive cyborg would be visible to Ido. Of course, he found it, overjoyed at such a find. If fate were satisfied with this, then that would have been that. But that was probably another world altogether. For at that moment, thunder reverberated through the skies and a living cannonball adorned the Scrapyard with a crater.
Daisuke Ido wasnt exactly a man who minded his own business. That was why he walked home with two cyborgs on that day instead of one.
Hallucinogenic Pictures
Presents
A Black Aeronaut Studios
Production
THE GAURDIAN ANGEL SAGA
A Lost in Lost Worlds Saga
File 01:
Salvage and Recovery
By Benjamin M. Rhodes
When he returned to his home in the Scrapyard, Daisuke, with the help of his friend, Gonzu, managed to reactivate the old female cyborg. To their mild dismay, she had lost her memory, but it mattered not to Ido. After dubbing her Alita and insuring that she was fine for the time being, they checked on the other cyborg that Ido had brought in.
You said this thing fell from the sky? said Gonzu incredulously.
This isnt a thing, this is a person! cried Daisuke. I have no idea how he survived, but he did. All I know is that it has something to do with this remarkable body he possesses. Its so advanced that Ive never seen anything that could rival it. Here, look at this, said Daisuke, indicating a nasty looking wound on the cyborgs face.
Looks like someone cut him with a knife, said Gonzu.
When I found him that wound went from his scalp to his jaw. For a while I was afraid his brain may have been damaged, but now it seems that he has some sort of self-repair capability.
What!? How can something like that work?
I dont know, Gonzu. All I know is that he is mending himself somehow and until he is fully repaired hes in a sort of self-induced coma. In my spare time Im going to be trying to figure out what makes him tick.
Say, whats this here? said Gonzu, noticing something on the Cyborgs shoulder. Daisuke looked and saw some sort of marking, like an engraving.
RHODES, B
|| | | | ||| | | ||| | || ||| | || ||| |
347-798-236
Daisuke blinked. Its some kind of identification. A name, serial number, and barcode. He must have been in some kind of military.
You mean that his body is some kind of combat chassis?
It would seem so. Daisuke sighed. Hes had combat borgs in here many times before, but then hed have them on limited power so nothing untoward would ever happen. This one, though, seemed to have a power source that did not depend on recharges, at least in the conventional sense. If he had the reserves, he could go to full power the moment he was repaired, and then who knew what would happen. Daisuke, of course, related all this to Gonzu.
How soon could that happen? asked Gonzu.
Daisuke thought about that. Well, at the rate hes repairing himself he might be fully capable anywhere between tomorrow or God knows when. I have no idea if there is any internal damage or not.
I see what you mean. Do you want me to stay here to keep an eye on him while youre out?
Yeah, Id appreciate that.
Well, Ill do it, just as long as he doesnt rip my head off or something.
I dont think youll need to worry about this one.
Whys that?
Im not sure. Just this feeling I have about him.
***
It was all so strange. Was this what death was really like? If so, then I guess everyone was right, that it really wasnt so bad. Wonder what happens next then? Suddenly, a girl was standing in front of him. She couldnt have been more than sixteen years old. She seemed to be European, with long black hair and big inquisitive eyes that held no small amount of mischief. She seemed to be going for some sort of punk look with the leather jacket, shorts, buckle boots and a bustier. Other accessories included garters, fingerless gloves, a colar, what looked like isolinier chips for earings, and, most puzzling, something that looked like a red and white croquet mallet riding in a sling over her shoulder.
Hi there. You must be Ben. Im Skuld Ravenhair and Ill be your caseworker for this near-death experience.
I get a case worker? I replied quizzically.
Yup! she replied with a grin that bordered on being impish.
Egads! Bureaucracy has made its way into Heaven?
Skuld shrugged at that. Eh. Dont worry, its not so bad, but it does have its moments.
Ookay So, um, what now?
Well, lets have a look here, she said, gesturing and summoning a holographic display. Oh, cool! Youre a dimensionally displaced person!
You dont get those often? I said, raising my eyebrows.
No, not really. Most people are happy enough to stay in their little universes. OH! This might explain it Youve been flagged.
Flagged?
Yeah, it could mean a lot of things, but only the Almighty himself and a few others would know. Its all on a need to know basis.
Dont I need to know?
No, because if you did, then you might not serve your higher purpose.
Argh, I grumbled. I hate this fate crap.
No one likes it, really. Lets see what else Oh, a cyborg? Lets see what your specifications are Wow! Full myomer muscular system, biotronic nervous system, integral energy shields, modular brain-box expansion ports This is very nice for mortal work, but not quite up to my own standards. Still, Im surprised. Its really not bad at all, but if I could get you into my workshop for a while-
Whoa, wait a minute, I said, interrupting her techno-spew. I dont mind when someone qualified messes with my body, but when young ladies start talking about taking me into their workshop like Im a science experiment I get a little weirded out.
Huh? Oh, you must be one of the unenlightened. Well, lets fix that. I am the Norse Goddess of Technology.
Youre a Goddess.
Yup.
Of Technology.
Uh-huh.
Er, okay, but you seem a bit young for the job. At that she promptly whacked me across the head with that mallet of hers. Funny thing is that I couldnt do a damn thing to block or evade.
Baka! she snapped as she put the mallet away. Definitely a Japanese influence there somewhere. Are you really that stupid? Dont you know that appearance means nothing to Gods and Goddesses?
Oi, easy on the noggin, your holiness. I already played the role of a hypersonic projectile today.
Yeah, about that. You really sure you want to go on with this? If you do the next few years of your life may be really difficult.
Im not one to throw in the towel just because the going gets tough. Besides, your records should note that I am one very difficult and stubborn person at times.
Hmm. Hey, youre right. You must know yourself pretty
well. Also says youre a smart ass.
Guilty, I chimed in a sing-song tone.
Skuld rolled her eyes. Why do I always get the smart asses?
Cause your cute when youre exasperated? I hazarded.
Skuld gave me a dirty look. Dont make me hurt you.
I just smiled innocently, but kept my mouth shut.
Okay, heres the deal, said Skuld once she had composed herself. Because of all the good stuff that youve done, the Almighty has decided to give you a chance to punch out early so you can go to Valhalla. Of course, you can refuse, but things are not gonna be easy. When you return to your body you will have a case of amnesia that will prevent you from remembering you previous life until certain requirements have been met.
You mean that the Almightys sending me off on a mission?
Yup.
What do I get out of it?
A reward.
What kind?
A very nice one, she said in an exasperated tone and rolling her eyes. Dont worry about the details so much. Now, are you up for it or not?
I shrugged. Hell. I never even got to start a family of my own, so yeah, count me in.
Good! Heres the contract agreement. Another holographic display appeared on my eye level. Read it carefully and if you agree to it, press your thumb to the X for an astral signature.
I nodded and read through the document. It was the usual bunch of legalese about the usual stuff; cant hold us responsible because you agreed to let us put you through figurative hell, etc. Sighing to myself, I pressed my thumb to the X, leaving a peculiar thumbprint in place of the X. It didnt have any of the usual lines of a thumbprint (not that I had any for the past x-amount of years), but instead a peculiar shifting kaleidoscope of colors glowed there on the contract.
Great! said Skuld as the document disappeared. Im looking forward to seeing what kind of messes youre gonna get into. Flagged mortals are so fun to watch; especially the dimensionally displaced ones.
Gee. Thanks.
No, really. And most of the times they really are rewarded handsomely for their work. And I just know youll be too.
You mean you dont know either?
Course not. Wheres the fun in knowing everything?
But I thought you were a Goddess.
Hey, do I look like the Almighty to you? I may be a Goddess, but stuff like that isnt my place. There is a hierarchy. Besides, I wouldnt want that job, not in an eternity.
Eeee I see your point.
Good. Well, in that case, were all done here, for now. Ill see you again when youre due in.
Due in?
Well, yeah, youre bound to die someday. Just because youre a cyborg doesnt mean youre immune to entropy.
Point.
Okay then. Ja-ne, Ben-san!
Suddenly everything dissolved into nothing and I knew nothing more.
***
Over the next week, Daisuke worked to complete Alitas body. Once she was ambulatory though she was quick to note the presence of the comatose cyborg in the recovery room.
Daisuke, whos that? asked Alita with child-like curiosity.
Oh, him? said Daisuke. Well, were not sure really. I found him on the same day I found you.
Did you give him a name too?
Actually, we think he has a name already. Theres an engraving on his shoulder that says, B. Rhodes. But I dont want you to worry about- Alita, what are you doing?
Just getting a closer look.
Er, uh, well, I dont want you to worry about him right now. Gonzu and I dont really know what hes like or when he may wake up.
You mean he might never wake up?
Its a possibility. He doesnt show much in the way of brain activity. And if he really is brain-dead, thought Daisuke to himself, Im going to lock that body away with the other one in the basement.
As if the seemingly brain-dead cyborg had sensed that thought, the EKG suddenly showed a flurry of activity, then settled into the normal pattern of someone waking up.
Whats going on? asked Alita.
I dont believe it, murmured Daisuke. Hes waking up!
Indeed, the sleeping cyborg suddenly stirred and began to stretch and yawn. Daisuke took a cautious step back.
After he was done stretching, he finally opened his eyes, blinking blearily, rubbed at them, and spoke for the first time.
Where am I?
Youre in my clinic in the Scrapyard, said Daisuke. My names Daisuke Ido. Do you know yours?
He was silent for a moment as he thought about that. No, I dont, he finally replied with a touch of concern in his voice.
I thought that might be the case, said Daisuke with a sigh. We think your name is B. Rhodes. Its engraved on your left shoulder.
Rhodes blinked. It sounds familiar. I dont know for sure though.
Well, maybe your memories will come back in time. Suddenly, Daisuke oomphed as someone just out of Rhodess view elbowed him. Daisuke then moved aside and Rhodes saw a cyborg girl with big brown eyes and a voluminous mass of shoulder length blue-black hair that was parted on her right. She had an exquisitely crafted set of cybernetic arms, though her torso was somewhat generic and she didnt have proper legs.
This is Alita, said Daisuke. I found her the same day I found you.
You found me? Rhodes said in puzzlement.
Er, yes in the Scrapyard. Actually, you fell from the sky. I didnt think youd survive.
Rhodes was silent for a moment, then finally said, Show me where I landed.
***
I was so disoriented that I did not know my left from my right. It was all I could do to just stumble after the man named Daisuke Ido.
Are you sure that youll be okay? asked Daisuke, noting my state.
Yes. I dont know how, but this body speaks to me. Ill be fine. It was true. Somehow, in my mind, Id receive messages about the operations and status of the body I possessed. Daisuke seemed puzzled, but he didnt pursue it further. For an hour we walked and my coordination and sense of direction improved vastly. And then, we were there.
It was a crater. Not an especially big one, but very noticeable all the same. My judgment made that it would have taken me about fifteen minutes to walk its perimeter.
Did I do that?
I found you in the center after it had been formed, said Daisuke.
I was silent once again for a moment. I dont remember anything still.
I dont think you will for a while, yet, said Daisuke. Dont worry about it, Rhodes. You can stay with Alita and me for as long as you like.
I sighed and nodded. Thank you, Daisuke. I think Id like that very much. As we walked back to his home, I mentioned to Daisuke how I felt, which was utterly confused and terribly alone.
Thats understandable, said Daisuke with a sober look on his face. Ive been a little worried about Alita, since she has Amnesia as well. Maybe you should talk to her.
Okay then.
***
Alita was a nice girl. We were like children then, sharing innocent thoughts about likes, dislikes, and the world in general. In a short time, I came to like her a lot, and I told her so. The one problem was that she took it strictly at its face value. Embarrassed, I let it go at that. Eventually, we fell asleep on strange beds that were essentially huge beanbags only to be awakened by someones stirring in the night.
Who is it, I asked at just barely a whisper.
Its Daisuke, replied Alita. This is the second time that Ive seen him go out like this. Im beginning to wonder what it is hes doing.
We cant really follow him. Hed notice you for sure since you dont have legs.
Alita sighed heavily at that. Yeah, I guess your right. Oh well. Good night, Rhodes.
Good night, Alita.
***
The next morning, Daisuke had a set of legs for Alita and we spent most of that morning getting her fitted with them. I felt strange, seeing Alita in a partially disassembled state and being able to intimately know her inner workings like that. This must be what its like to be a doctor, to have someone trust you that way.
Alita was so happy to have the legs that she seemed to forget all about last night. I did, too, as a matter of fact. That is, until Alita showed Gonzu her new legs.
You watch yourself at night, you hear, said Gonzu, waving an admonishing finger. Theres another one of those crazies out there, slitting the throats of cute young things just like you.
Immediately something in me flared at the very idea of harm coming to Alita; a righteous fury that railed against the cage of my own will.
They had better not, or else theyll have me to answer to.
Wow, Rhodes, said Alita with mild surprise. You sound pretty scary there.
I blinked naively. I do? And truth be told, I honestly didnt have a clue then.
***
Later when we got back, Daisuke was working on a patient and asked Alita about her new legs. Alita responded positively when she and I both noticed that Daisuke had a nasty looking wound on his left arm. He had his sleeves pushed up while he was working with an electric drill on a cyborgs head, leaving a bandage wrap in plain view. It had been bandaged up pretty well, but a distinctive spot of blood showed through.
Daisuke, said Alita concernedly. What happened to your arm?
Oh! You mean this? said Daisuke artlessly.
What happened indeed, I thought, remembering his late evening departure last night.
I got a little careless, I guess said Daisuke as he pulled his sleeve down over the wounded arm. No big deal. And he went right back to work.
Are you sure youre alright? asked Alita with a small, but genuine, smile, but the Doctor wasnt listening as he was too busy with his patient to bother. Alita didnt mind, so I didnt either.
That evening when we had gone to bed, Daisuke slipped out once more.
Alita sat up and watched him go through the window in our room, then started pulling on her shoes.
Right now, Daisuke is all I have, she explained quietly. She finished slipping on her shoes and then looked to me, as though willing me to understand. I have to know whats going on!
I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. Hes all I got too, Alita. Lets go together.
***
Nighttime in the Scrapyard; it never sleeps. It eternally seethes, hums, glows, crumbles, and oozes.
At night, glaring lights of a million colors cast equal amounts of light and shadow. The smart and wary stay clear of the shadows. The cunning, though, use them to their advantage.
Tonight, I thought to myself, there are two kinds of predators those that hunt the innocents, and those that hunt the hunters.
Quietly, Alita and I kept track of Daisuke as he casually walked through the shadier and sparsely populated areas in the Scrapyard. Eventually Daisuke had picked a spot for an ambush and Alita and I took to hiding on a landing above him where he could not see us. While we watched, he opened the innocuous case he always took with him on his evening outings. Inside it were two parts for a wicked looking sledgehammer the hammerhead with about half the handle in one piece and the other half of the handle in the other. With ease born of experience, Daisuke assembled the beast in one smooth movement and then stood ready to attack.
We had an excellent vantage point there and saw the woman coming. An odd part of my mind had noted that the woman in question had done something quite interesting with the rags she wore. It was a combination of a wrap-around blouse and a loincloth. Shed also wrapped her wrists and ankles and padded her shins. Aesthetic, yet utilitarian.
It cant be, whispered Alita in horror. Daisuke laying in wait for that woman
Ill stop Daisuke, I told her. You get the woman out of there.
Alita only nodded and we went our separate ways. Before Daisuke could strike, I interposed myself, grabbing his hammer before he could swing it.
Dont do it Daisuke, I said to him, anger creeping into my voice.
Rhodes!? said Daisuke in total shock. You dont know what-! Daisuke never finished as Alitas scream pierced the night.
I didnt think. I only reacted. Suddenly I was at Alitas side, but there was no one to be found.
Your voices startled her," whispered Alita. "Daisuke... She was hideous.
That woman is the killer, added Daisuke. He did not need to say anymore.
A sudden shriek brought our attention to overhead, where the woman was diving out of the shadows above to attack Daisuke. Alita was right. She was hideous.
Daisuke barely reacted fast enough, but I was faster. Instead of her claws connecting with Daisukes face, or even the arm that I used to block her attack, they connected with a shimmering lens of light interposed between her and my arm. Daisuke had about a tenth of a second to be amazed before I made my next move.
To this day, Im still not sure how I knew that Alita was a fighter. It was just pure instinct. At that time, a preprogrammed imperative screamed inside my head, Move the weaker soldiers to safety. So I automatically grabbed up Daisuke and jumped.
All the way up.
Up to the landing where Alita and I had hidden. It was such a sudden feat that Daisuke left his hammer on the ground.
In the meantime, Alita had given the she-beast a nasty gut-check for attacking Daisuke.
Alita! cried out Daisuke, being able to see the whole fiasco in progress. Suddenly, the she-beast jumped straight out of Alitas grasp, leaving her floating precariously in the air.
Before Alita could kiss the pavement though, she instinctively put her hands down and pushed herself into a back flip that arched high over the she-beast, who was still in the air herself. Suddenly, Alita shifted her center of gravity and her feet swung around, sharply connecting with the back of she-beasts head and shoving it into an adjacent brick wall. The result was very messy, though Alita didnt get a speck of gore on her, even as she landed.
The whole midair business between the two had taken less than a second and a half.
Daisuke looked at both Alita and me in equal amounts of shock and awe.
Alita, apparently not being as entirely conscious of her actions as I was for that matter, looked up at the mess she had made of the she-beast and said,
Wh-what in the-!?
***
On the way back home we got the initial mess out in the open and sorted. The following morning, Daisuke explained his occupation to us while he gave Alita an overhaul. It was quite peculiar to see Alita as a head and neck in a tripod with her life support system laid out before her.
In the old days, before the Factories took over, there was something called a police force that dealt with criminals. That just wouldnt work in the Scrapyard, so Factory 33 pays off big in chips for any of us stupid enough to take to the chase.
Sorry I jumped to conclusions, Daisuke, said Alita sounding genuinely sorry and relieved.
Sorry!? said Daisuke. I was trying to help you and both you and Rhodes ended up saving my life! Thank both of you guys. Youre a couple of Guardian Angels. Alita smiled at that and so did I.
You think? asked Alita rhetorically.
No more stunts though, you hear? said Daisuke. Your body still needs a lot of work.
Yes sir, said Alita, but I wasnt sure if she meant it or not.
What about you, Rhodes? said Daisuke, turning his attention to me for the moment. Think you figured out how to get yourself opened up so I can figure out what makes you tick?
I think I have. Lemme give it a try. I closed my eyes and suddenly I was in a large captains chair and all around me were displays, readouts, and various sundry controls. I knew that it wasnt real. It was merely a simulation that I had somehow blundered across that allowed me to easily interface with my own control system.
Okay, I thought to myself and tried several likely controls. Switch life support to consumable only mode one hour of consumables left. Switch to maintenance mode all non-essential systems to standby, power core to minimal power, all panel interlocks disengaged. Open all maintenance access panels.
With that, all my chest and abdominal panels swung or slid open, the back of my skull opened as well as my arm and leg panels.
Somehow, I was familiar with my inner workings. I didnt know all their exact functions, but I knew what it looked like and what was essential to my functioning.
Daisuke, though, seemed taken aback.
Rhodes, he said in a tone filled with trepidation. There is a component inside you that has a some sort of warning symbol on it. What is it?
I blinked at this. Let me run a diagnostic. I closed my eyes and once more I was in the control room. Within a second I had what Daisuke wanted to know.
It is a Deuterium fueled micro fusion reactor with an emergency anti-matter booster no danger of radioactivity even in the event of catastrophic failure. Unit is designed to burn-out before explosive containment failure can occur. All safety protocols are in place and functioning. All readings are well within green zone. Anti-matter booster is offline. Current output at 0.1% of rated output.
A heavy silence descended on the operating room.
Rhodes, said Daisuke quietly, not able to completely hide the nervous edge. Please close all your access panels.
***
Later that night, Daisuke watched Ben sleep, his mind cluttered with thoughts on the cyborg that fell from the sky. Time seemed to slip away and Alita, getting up to get herself something to drink, noticed this odd tableau.
Daisuke?
The sound of Alitas voice jarred the man out of his thoughts so suddenly that it gave him a bad start.
Oh, Alita, he sighed as he got his nerves back in order.
Sorry. Something wrong?
Hmm? Oh, no I guess not. Just Rhodes has me thinking.
About what?
Well Hes obviously a combat cyborg, but there seems to be so much more to him than that.
Oh, you mean like me?
Er? Daisuke then thought about that for a moment. Huh. Yeah, like you. What do you think about him?
Hes very strange, but hes nice too; very open and friendly. Why?
Hmm? Oh nothing. Im just worried about him. His body incorporates a level of technology that Ive never seen before. I know it must be safe enough if whoever made his body gave it a power supply that uses anti-matter for an emergency boost.
What is antimatter, Daisuke?
Daisuke sighed at that. Well Alita everything, you, me, this building, even the air we breath, is matter. Antimatter is the opposite of matter and when they come together they cancel each other out. But it doesnt happen nice and neatly. When it happens there is an enormous amount of energy released. Unless you have a highly effective and reliable containment system it is foolish to try and generate power using an antimatter reaction.
Alita, you must promise to never tell anyone about Rhodess power source. If the Factories ever got wind of it he will never be a free man again.
I swear I wont tell a soul, said Alita fervently.
Good, sighed Daisuke. Im going to go to bed now. Sleep well, Alita.
You too.
***
The next morning I awoke to a heated argument. I didnt hear the first part, but I quickly caught on as my conscious mind spooled up.
What kind of nonsense is that!? said Daisuke angrily. I didnt dig you out of the rubble because I saw a monster, or a military machine.
But, said Alita, trying to get a word in edgewise, but Daisuke steamrolled right over her.
I saw something beautiful, and you grow more beautiful every day! But fighting? Fighting is an ugly thing, and ugliness is the last thing I want for your life!
But I cant just stand by while you risk yourself Daisuke, said Alita a bit plaintively.
Hunting is dirty work, raved Daisuke, the dirtiest! Ill behead as many criminals as it takes for you child. Splash me with blood! But you must remain pure, unsullied, as you are in my dreams!
Apparently that did it.
Alita jumped upright, giving Daisuke an angry glare.
Your dreams!? she said in righteous indignation. But what about me!? And with that, she stormed out the house.
You could have gone about that better, I said sagely to a bewildered Daisuke.
What do you know? You have amnesia.
True, but I still do know some things. Call it instinct. She does as she pleases, and so do I.
What do you mean by that?
I think Ill sign up too. Someones gotta watch her back.
With that, I left Daisuke and quickly caught up with Alita.
Dont tell me Daisuke sent you after me, she said caustically.
No, I said, frowning at the barb. I came to join you.
Alita stopped in her tracks and looked at me skeptically.
Why do you want to do this?
I thought about that for a second. Lets see. Im bored, I dont like scum anyways, I want to fight, and I figured you could use some help, too.
Whatever, said Alita and walked on. Since she made no indication of stopping me, I followed. We eventually arrived at Factory 33. In retrospect, the dcor was like what H.R. Geigers early work looked like. The centerpiece was a sculpture of a pair of masculine legs supporting a slowly rotating sphere. Alita seemed a bit creeped out by it and I cant say that I blamed her. Slowly, we made our way up the stairs to the arched double doors of Factory 33. As we got closer we could hear an ominous sound like as though Vulcan himself were inside forging some weapon for the Gods. The sound only got louder when the doors opened up automatically for us.
Well, I thought as I peered down the empty passageway, it is a factory. But wheres the machinery and the workers?
Suddenly, a hole opened up before our feet and with the sound of a pneumatic pump, a cylindrical machine with a face on it popped up.
Whats your business, honey? it demanded of Alita in a mechanized voice, practically scaring the hell out of us. Then about a dozen more of the cylinders started popping out of the floor and ceiling like hyperactive kids, throwing old movie quotes all over the place. Soon, though, they all subsided except for the first one, which remained.
Here to register as a bounty hunter, eh? it said in that same mechanized voice. For that youll have to go to Cylinder number 10.
A little asking around led us to the Cylinder in question, which was situated behind a control console. Soon enough, a strange piece of headgear was being lowered onto Alitas head.
No moving, please, said number 10. Im burning an ID code stamp on the inside of your brain! No moving!
On my brain!? said Alita. But I cant afford to become any stupider than I already am!
No worry. It wont damage your neurons, Just put the Hunter Seal on your neuroglia. You cyborgs have no natural cell patterns, so we cant ID you with fingerprints, voiceprints, or retinal patterns. Brain stamps is the only way.
I made a noncommittal sound. Well, go with what works I guess. Just after I said that the Cylinders console beeped.
Stamping complete, said number 10 and the headgear was lifted off of Alitas head. As I got ready to take my turn, Alita leaned casually against the console.
Gee, its really easy to become a hunter warrior, isnt it?
Easy to get registered, yes, said the Cylinder as the headgear slid over my eyes. But the deed itself thats different. What possessed you to become a hunter, baby?
Baby!? I mouthed silently. Alita seemed to be taken aback. I couldnt see her expression, but she didnt answer for a moment.
Cant you understand? said Alita. I know what I have to do. The console beeped once more, and I too had become a Hunter Warrior.
***
We spent the day tracking Alitas first quarry, a beast of a cyborg known as Makaku who had a reputation of eating live brains for the endorphins. As far as we were concerned, that would end tonight.
We found him in the warehouse district, sucking the last bits of gray matter out of the base of some poor womans skull. Thoroughly gross. He was a hulking beast of a cyborg, eighteen feet tall if and inch and butt ugly.
You sure you want to take this guy on by yourself, Alita? I asked her for the fifth time. I dont doubt your abilities, but he looks like a bit too much for you to handle alone.
Ill be fine, Rhodes, said Alita, a touch irritated. Now go and find a bounty of your own, okay.
I sighed. You sure are stubborn. Alright, Im going then.
I made good to my word, trotting off in some random direction away for the action. But all the while I couldnt shake the nagging feeling that I was doing something terribly wrong. It just wouldnt go away and the more I tried to ignore it the more it screamed in my face until it quit screaming and suddenly exploded.
A voice I knew jumped out of some dark recess in my mind.
Youre a Spartan, Rhodes! You never let another Spartan go in alone! The voice was so thunderous and forceful that it snapped me into attention. Suddenly, I knew what I had to do.
I ran.
I didnt really think too much about it, but I ran so fast that it took me mere seconds to arrive back on the scene. When I got there, it was just in time to see Daisuke (where the hell did he come from!?) plying his amazing skills with his rocket hammer as he utterly decimated Makakus body.
Unfortunately for Daisuke, he didnt see how his hammers incredible blow had ejected Makakus snake-like head unit high into the air. Fortunately for Daisuke, I was able to stop an attack from above.
In a split second I was there projecting a shield over both Daisuke and Alita, just in time for Makakus head spike, in reality a last-ditch projectile weapon, to bounce away harmlessly.
Rhodes! said Daisuke in amazement. His attention was suddenly drawn away when Makakus head unit landed heavily somewhere in front of us and laughed psychotically. So, you were only a head all along, observed Daisuke. Makaku suddenly slithered into hiding before either of us could take action.
Ido, I said in a low tone, tend to Alita. Ill keep you covered.
Daisuke nodded. Right. With that, Daisuke gathered her up with great care while I kept an eye out for Makaku.
I dont care who you are, said a voice, one that I presumed to be Makakus. He suddenly erupted from the wreckage of a shoulder pauldron. Nobody can take my life! NOBODY! I leapt for Makaku and pummeled him with a shielded arm before he could cut loose another of his demented laughs then wound up rolling on the concrete. I quickly snapped up to my feet and had Makakus full and undivided attention. It was on now.
For a moment, I circled Makaku who stood like a snake waiting for the right moment to strike. After several false starts and feints, Makaku suddenly moved much faster than I had anticipated. I felt a sharp impact in the back of my head and then nothing else for the next few seconds. It wasnt a total knock out, but I had been incapacitated. As I began to regain my senses I heard Daisukes voice.
Since losing your body youve suddenly become very articulate, havent you?
Makaku chuckled wryly. I suppose my intelligence can be impacted by the body I posses. Its like Nietzsche said, The mind is nothing but a plaything of the body! I then heard his perverse laughter once more, trailing away and followed by a distant splash. At that point, my vision returned along with my equilibrium. An automatic diagnostic reported that I would at one hundred percent in a few minutes. I sighed and turned back to Daisuke.
Damn, hes scary, said Daisuke as I came up to him. Theres been a price on that head for years, but no ones had the guts to go after him. He then looked down at Alita. She took on more than she could handle, first time out. I thought you said youd watch after her, Rhodes.
I know, I said heavily and sighed. She said she didnt want my help and I took it as a personal slight. I should have stayed closer so I could have helped her when things got out of hand.
Shes not dead yet, Rhodes. Lets get her back home.
Right.
Daisuke carried Alita while I carried his hammer, neatly stowed away in its case. We passed through one of the plazas in the Scrapyard that was livelier in the nighttime. People milled all around, going about their business and paying us no mind. On a series of huge monitors in the middle of the plaza the evenings battle in the coliseum raged.
Its the finishing blow, the Grind Cutter! proclaimed the announcer. The Warriors innards have spilled out onto the mat!! The Champion, Kinuba, has successfully defended his title for the sixty-third time!!
Rather disgusting sport, I commented so only Daisuke would hear, but he was only listening half-heartedly.
A warriors spirit needs a warriors body, said Daisuke all the sudden. It took me off guard until I saw who he was looking at: Alita. I looked around once more, somewhat furtively, and I saw myself in the midst of the faux-wealth and utter poverty of the Scrapyard.
This place, I thought to myself then, is a harsh place, thoroughly antagonistic towards life. Daisuke seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he carried on with his chain of thought.
A body fit for battle, with the power to take life with a single blow. My dream will have to die for her to survive. Theres no other way to make it in the Scrapyard. With that, Daisuke made his way to a public phone and made a call to his old friend, Gonzu.
***
When we got back home, Gonzu, good man that he was, had the workshop all prepped so Daisuke could get right to work on Alita.
Looks like her brain survived without any damage, said Gonzu, having derived this conclusion from the EEG monitor once the repairs to Alitas braincase were complete. Shes having a dream.
I hope its a good one, said Daisuke as he made preparations for another operation.
Always mooning over Alita, said Gonzu. Isnt it time you worried about yourself a little? You were lucky that Rhodes here came back when he did. Id hate to think about what might have happened if he didnt. Why, if youd been hurt those quack doctors might have made a cyborg out of you!
I know, said Daisuke. And Im grateful to have friends like you two.
I grinned. Thanks Daisuke. It made me happy to know that I was desirable as a friend. Gonzu only smiled and went on.
Being a cyborg might not be so bad, but carrying around those doctor bills for the rest of your life thats a real tragedy!
Daisuke smiled despite himself. Yeah, I dont know which is worst. To be left for dead or to lead a life being chased after for loan payments Either way you lose. He then laughed, but then frowned as some sobering thought must have entered his mind. I had a pretty good idea what that might be, being that he told me that Makaku swore his vengeance against all three of us.
Gonzu turned to Alita, sipping at a bottle of beer, courtesy of Daisukes refrigerator.
You worked so hard to put her body together, mused Gonzu. And Alita loved it so much. Now what are you gonna do?
Ive already made up my mind. Gonzu, Rhodes, Get ready to move Alita. I have something to show you two.
***
After a short trip down a hidden freight elevator, which took us below the workshop, the gate clattered and creaked open noisily and the lights came on. Before us was a hall with alcoves filled haphazardly with robots and knick-knacks. Some seemed intact, some not. Some looked menacing, others merely useful.
How long has this basement been under your clinic, asked Gonzu.
Its sort of a secret, said Daisuke as he led the way down the hall. This is my collection room.
These things work? asked Gonzu as I reached my hand tentatively towards a big blocky robot.
I wouldnt touch them if I were you! warned Daisuke. Too late for me though, as the blocky robot suddenly snapped a tentacle-like arm at me and tried to grab at me with its wickedly clawed manipulator. I threw up my left arm in self-defense when its manipulator bounced off my shields, which had automatically gone up when I reacted. I got clear of it in a hurry and blocky subsided.
Daisuke was more amazed than angry.
Are you sure that you dont know how you do that?
I frowned as I thought about it. I do know that the shield generator unit is inside my chest cavity and that the projector grids are all over my body, but thats it. Diagnostics tell me that the generator will shortly be due for maintenance. Maybe well learn something then.
Maybe, said Daisuke optimistically.
Gonzu only dabbed some sweat from off his forehead. You two are a couple of crazies or something.
At the end of the hall, Daisuke took out a remote control and pushed a button.
Here it is, he proclaimed as the lights came on.
There in a special alcove was a cybernetic body with all its innards opened up. It floated there, suspended within a magnetic field.
What is this? said Gonzu. Some kind of piece meal android?
Ill turn the power on, said Daisuke. With that, he picked up a power lead from the cyborg body, plugged it into an electrical socket, and then threw the circuit breaker switch. With that, the body suddenly closed up on itself and began to resemble a human form. Gonzu made sounds of awe throughout the process. When it was finally done, Gonzu took one last examination of the body before passing his judgment.
Creepy, he said as he noted a toe twitching. This bodys alive!
Daisuke, this seems familiar to me, I said.
Daisuke gave me a puzzled look. Hows that Rhodes?
Aspects of this body are similar to my own, but its different. Its like some distant cousin.
I know. When I first found you I thought that you were another one of these. Your body is probably a different model.
You mean this fell from the sky too?
Is that why you didnt attach it to Alita in the first place? wondered Gonzu.
Well, nothings ever simple, said Daisuke. This is the body of a Berserker.
---
Several years ago, I discovered the remains of a spaceship at the bottom of the ravine to the west. It was the first time I had ever seen a space ship, but it was clear to me that this vehicle was meant for battle. Long ago, there had been a war in the sky Now, even after the owners brain was gone, the body was breathing quietly, just as if it was waiting for a new master.
It was a work of art a high technology and craftsmanship that have since been lost. I was fascinated to say the least. But as I studied the structure my thinking changed. This machine its a murder weapon! The design makes it good for only one thing! Its creators only wanted to make a human being into an efficient weapon.
They say that in olden times, able-bodied soldiers were made over and sent to war as Berserkers. This discovery was my first taste of the true madness of war. To think of human beings as nothing but tools Unforgivable. And so I locked the Berserker Body down here.
---
There was a moment of silence at that. I pondered what Daisuke had said during that time, looking at my fist as I clenched it and opened it.
Was I a machine of war, too? This body feels too natural to me, though. It is my body But am I a weapon?
I dont know Rhodes. All I can say is that you need to make a way for yourself now.
But what about Alita? said Gonzu. Are you really going to attach this to her?
I dont know, said Daisuke. Maybe Im wrong. But one thing is certain. This girl knows how to use power. The only thing I can do for her now is to give her that power.
At that moment I understood. It didnt matter now what I was in my previous life. What mattered was now and how I used my power.
Gonzu made a thoughtful sound at this. I see. But Now that I look at it This is a mans body!
Gonzus revelation was so completely out of left field that I almost fell over and did a face-plant in the floor.
Not for long, said Daisuke, completely unaffected by the notion. By inputting some values through the keyboard, the variable skeletal muscles can be set for either a man or a woman. I guess Alita will never have to worry about getting fat, eh?
Already brought low by Gonzus comment, the imagery Daisukes joke conjured in my head sent me down for the count.
Are you okay there, Rhodes, said Daisuke, looking down on me with concern.
Yeah, just peachy, I muttered as I got back up again, rubbing a sore spot on my face.
Okay, good then. I could use an extra set of hands during this operation if you dont mind.
***
Right after the most critical parts of the operation I had gone to bed, citing my exhaustion from the busy day. Daisuke was perfectly understanding and was glad for my assistance.
That night, I dreamed of ships that traversed the night skies. These ships had fire in their bellies, being both harbingers of peace and the conflict that precedes it.
I awoke to Alitas idle movements in the house. Daisuke and Gonzu were so tired that they had fallen asleep on the couches in the living area.
Rhodes, said Alita as she noticed me, just as she had been making sure that Daisuke and Gonzu were adequately covered with blankets.
Good morning Alita, I said as I yawned and got my first good look at her. Wow. I think that new body suits you better.
Alita blushed at that. Thanks. Daisuke told me everything. If you hadnt come back then I dont know what that Ma kooky whatever would have done to him.
I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. Well, like I said before, I care about him too. Besides, something in me, a voice from a memory, refused to leave you guys alone.
Oh?
Alita Im pretty sure now that I was a soldier in some sort of army.
Really? Is that voice of yours telling you something right now?
Yes. Makaku is a threat. We must strike before he can! Okay, tell me what you guys think. *Ducks*-NeoRaven
"I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity." -Edgar Allen Poe
Sponsored by Black Aeronaut Technologies -
Aerospace solutions for the discerning spacer.
-NeoRaven
"I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity." -Edgar Allen Poe
Sponsored by Black Aeronaut Technologies -
Aerospace solutions for the discerning spacer.
Okay, background story (bear in mind this is pretty rough). An advanced civilisation has been locked in a stalemated war against, what they believe, is some other race's war machine gone crazy. Cornered in part of the galaxy and with no other way out, they begin experimenting with dimension jumping. It was during their experiments that one Benjamin Rhodes was accidently plucked from his home dimension, thoroughly roughed up in transit, and deposited in their labs. The only way to save the poor sap was cybernetic replacement.
Eventually, Ben joined the military, volunteered for a special cybernetic soldier experiment, and wound up fighting alongside the SPARTAN II's for a while (yeah, John's part of my twisted little scheme). And then came the Event Horizon - a class of refuge ships on the gargantuan scale that can comfortably house refuges numbering in the billions in centripetal gravity pods that have various terran biomes.
Ben, along with the SPARTAN II's, are assigned to the Event Horizon, already completed and loaded, ready to make it's first jump into the unknown. Their mission is to mark out other dimensions as safe, temporary havens for the other Event Horizons until a permanent home can be found.
The following is part of the second saga of my story. It is, as of yet, incomplete, and still fairly rough in my own opinion. It also borrows a bit of commentary from the original Battle Angel Alita manga. I'll eventually come up with more of my own dialogue, but I plan on leaving some of Kishiro's dialogue.
It was supposed to be a normal jump. The initial probes came back with nothing unusual to report. However, when we encountered a fleet of warships with technology comparable to our own the shit hit the fan. With no warning at all, they attacked and we had to defend ourselves.
The first salvos were so sudden that we could barely get our shields up in time and they forced an emergency shutdown of the Event Horizons main reactors. To buy them time, I went out with the new experimental modular unit for the Kamikaze The Backpack.
It was a new concept an oversized unit that occupied all four modular bays on a Kaze. The tradeoff was that it gave you more thrusters, two Thor Cannons, and Hyper-light Drive. Normally I would have just gone out with a full squadron loaded with anti-ship missiles, but our foes were on the cutting edge as well and their fighters were hassle enough for our own.
So, there I was, out there with the big guns, laying waste to anything worthy of the Thor Cannons attention, but it was starting to take an uncomfortably long amount of time for the engineers to get the Event Horizons reactors back online. Finally, they managed it and Command ordered a full recall, but the big ships took note of this and began to close in. I wasnt gonna let them. Of course, Command griped about it.
"Command, this is Karma Lead, I said as calmly as possible in this situation. All due respect to the Admiral, quit worrying about me and get that farkin cross rip drive ready!
Were working on it soldier, replied the Admiral steadily. We just dont want to leave you behind. I began to relax a little as I saw the crossrip drives energy fields begin to build up around the Event Horizon, but I still had the enemy to consider. Even with the improved thrust-to-weight ratio provided by the backpack it was still like flying with a dead elephant on my back. As I took aim at another light cruiser and blew it to scrap, I decided that the Backpack was a worthwhile thing.
Right about then, every fighter in the enemy fleet decided that I was a serious threat.
"Well duh, I muttered to no one in particular and went evasive. I only nuked how many big boats? In addition to twin Thor Cannons and Hyper-light Drive, the Backpack also provided much improved shielding, at the cost of my Stealth Interceptors ability to produce a cloak field. But there were a lot of enemy fighters on my tail and no matter how good I was they were scoring hits on me. Right about then I realized theyd probably never seen Benjamins Gambit.
***
"Captain Rhodes is charging the Backpacks Thor Cannons again, cried out Lain in alarm, and hes aimed right at us!
"What the hell is he thinking!? said Captain Whitcomb.
"Benjamins Gambit? hazarded Lain.
***
God, these guys are idiots, I thought to myself as I drew a straight line for everyone to follow. A warning sounded alerting me that the rear shields were collapsing and I decided that it was enough. I cut my main thrusters and swiftly spun my fighter in a neat one-eighty. Suddenly, two squadrons of enemy fighters and another light cruiser were looking down the twin forks of two fully charged Thor Cannons. I thumbed the trigger.
At that moment I just happened to be coasting through the cross rip barrier. The energy of the Thor Cannons expelled charge interacted with the energy of the cross rip, binding the fighter into the energy field with arcs of blue-white plasma discharge. Suddenly, the Event Horizon cross ripped and was gone.
I should pay more attention to these things. Its gonna be the death of me some day.
Overload warnings and system failures screamed in my ears. I only had maneuvering thrusters on minimal power. The fighter was essentially dead, trapped in a gravity well and plummeting. As I fought for some measure of control over my fighter I thought I saw something An orbital tether, I thought. Was that a hallucination?
I turned my attention to other more important details. First I broke a panel next to my seat.
"Never thought Id ever have to do this, I muttered as I reached in and took hold of a red and white striped handle and gave it a quarter turn clockwise. I then pulled it out by one foot, then gave it a quarter turn counter-clockwise. Finally I then rammed it back home and gave it one last quarter turn clockwise again.
Each action caused a reaction within my fighter hard-wired functions with more redundancies than I could care to think of, especially then. The first quarter turn jettisoned the Backpack and the drive core. The second jettisoned the anti-matter fuel pod. The third one ejected the pilot.
Exploding bolts sheared away the cockpit canopy and the mounts to my ejector seat, then the ejector rockets fired. Knowing what to expect, I switched to vacuum compatible mode and projected my personal shields around myself.
I became another object entering this planets atmosphere. I ramped up my internal fusion core to full capacity and even kicked in the anti-matter booster to keep my shields at strength. Somewhere above me there was a pair of bright, actinic-white flashes the drive core and antimatter fuel pod self-destructing.
I could now see the orbital tether again, even through the corona of ionization that surrounded me. I knew I had to arrest my decent some how, so I stretched out my magnetic field to the tether, hoping to pull myself to it.
The pull was relatively weak at first, but it was working. My forward velocity was slowing rapidly and soon I was being dragged towards the tether by magnetic force. The only problem was that the tethers ferric alloys were evenly distributed throughout its structure. This meant that there was nothing specific for my magnetic force to latch onto, so my rate of descent was unchanged, save by friction. I thought of repelling against the planets magnetosphere using my own EM field, but that was impossible at my comparatively modest strength. Magnetically lassoing a nearby orbital tether while traveling at hypersonic speeds was easy, since most of my velocity was pointed downwards. Repelling against a planetary magnetosphere while traveling at same speeds? I might as well try stopping a bullet with a pillow.
I then remembered that I could still suspend every bit of myself in my magnetic field, making me as indestructible as the field itself. The impact would still put a lot of stress on my brain, even with it already permeated with the polymer resin that made it nigh indestructible. The alternative, however, was quite unattractive so I went with the first option.
This is gonna hurt.
***
Daisuke Ido wasnt exactly a man who minded his own business. One would only dare say so about a man who was a hunter-warrior. As the old saying goes, An ordinary man spends his life avoiding stressful situations. Repoman spends his life getting into stressful situations.
But to be fair, Dr. Ido was minding his own business on that day when he was out collecting spare cyborg parts. An actuator here, a cyber eye there, all piled into his bag. It was innocent enough that a shift in the junk pile caused that the head of a barely alive cyborg would be visible to Ido. Of course, he found it, overjoyed at such a find. If fate were satisfied with this, then that would have been that. But that was probably another world altogether. For at that moment, thunder reverberated through the skies and a living cannonball adorned the Scrapyard with a crater.
Daisuke Ido wasnt exactly a man who minded his own business. That was why he walked home with two cyborgs on that day instead of one.
Hallucinogenic Pictures
Presents
A Black Aeronaut Studios
Production
THE GAURDIAN ANGEL SAGA
A Lost in Lost Worlds Saga
File 01:
Salvage and Recovery
By Benjamin M. Rhodes
When he returned to his home in the Scrapyard, Daisuke, with the help of his friend, Gonzu, managed to reactivate the old female cyborg. To their mild dismay, she had lost her memory, but it mattered not to Ido. After dubbing her Alita and insuring that she was fine for the time being, they checked on the other cyborg that Ido had brought in.
You said this thing fell from the sky? said Gonzu incredulously.
This isnt a thing, this is a person! cried Daisuke. I have no idea how he survived, but he did. All I know is that it has something to do with this remarkable body he possesses. Its so advanced that Ive never seen anything that could rival it. Here, look at this, said Daisuke, indicating a nasty looking wound on the cyborgs face.
Looks like someone cut him with a knife, said Gonzu.
When I found him that wound went from his scalp to his jaw. For a while I was afraid his brain may have been damaged, but now it seems that he has some sort of self-repair capability.
What!? How can something like that work?
I dont know, Gonzu. All I know is that he is mending himself somehow and until he is fully repaired hes in a sort of self-induced coma. In my spare time Im going to be trying to figure out what makes him tick.
Say, whats this here? said Gonzu, noticing something on the Cyborgs shoulder. Daisuke looked and saw some sort of marking, like an engraving.
RHODES, B
|| | | | ||| | | ||| | || ||| | || ||| |
347-798-236
Daisuke blinked. Its some kind of identification. A name, serial number, and barcode. He must have been in some kind of military.
You mean that his body is some kind of combat chassis?
It would seem so. Daisuke sighed. Hes had combat borgs in here many times before, but then hed have them on limited power so nothing untoward would ever happen. This one, though, seemed to have a power source that did not depend on recharges, at least in the conventional sense. If he had the reserves, he could go to full power the moment he was repaired, and then who knew what would happen. Daisuke, of course, related all this to Gonzu.
How soon could that happen? asked Gonzu.
Daisuke thought about that. Well, at the rate hes repairing himself he might be fully capable anywhere between tomorrow or God knows when. I have no idea if there is any internal damage or not.
I see what you mean. Do you want me to stay here to keep an eye on him while youre out?
Yeah, Id appreciate that.
Well, Ill do it, just as long as he doesnt rip my head off or something.
I dont think youll need to worry about this one.
Whys that?
Im not sure. Just this feeling I have about him.
***
It was all so strange. Was this what death was really like? If so, then I guess everyone was right, that it really wasnt so bad. Wonder what happens next then? Suddenly, a girl was standing in front of him. She couldnt have been more than sixteen years old. She seemed to be European, with long black hair and big inquisitive eyes that held no small amount of mischief. She seemed to be going for some sort of punk look with the leather jacket, shorts, buckle boots and a bustier. Other accessories included garters, fingerless gloves, a colar, what looked like isolinier chips for earings, and, most puzzling, something that looked like a red and white croquet mallet riding in a sling over her shoulder.
Hi there. You must be Ben. Im Skuld Ravenhair and Ill be your caseworker for this near-death experience.
I get a case worker? I replied quizzically.
Yup! she replied with a grin that bordered on being impish.
Egads! Bureaucracy has made its way into Heaven?
Skuld shrugged at that. Eh. Dont worry, its not so bad, but it does have its moments.
Ookay So, um, what now?
Well, lets have a look here, she said, gesturing and summoning a holographic display. Oh, cool! Youre a dimensionally displaced person!
You dont get those often? I said, raising my eyebrows.
No, not really. Most people are happy enough to stay in their little universes. OH! This might explain it Youve been flagged.
Flagged?
Yeah, it could mean a lot of things, but only the Almighty himself and a few others would know. Its all on a need to know basis.
Dont I need to know?
No, because if you did, then you might not serve your higher purpose.
Argh, I grumbled. I hate this fate crap.
No one likes it, really. Lets see what else Oh, a cyborg? Lets see what your specifications are Wow! Full myomer muscular system, biotronic nervous system, integral energy shields, modular brain-box expansion ports This is very nice for mortal work, but not quite up to my own standards. Still, Im surprised. Its really not bad at all, but if I could get you into my workshop for a while-
Whoa, wait a minute, I said, interrupting her techno-spew. I dont mind when someone qualified messes with my body, but when young ladies start talking about taking me into their workshop like Im a science experiment I get a little weirded out.
Huh? Oh, you must be one of the unenlightened. Well, lets fix that. I am the Norse Goddess of Technology.
Youre a Goddess.
Yup.
Of Technology.
Uh-huh.
Er, okay, but you seem a bit young for the job. At that she promptly whacked me across the head with that mallet of hers. Funny thing is that I couldnt do a damn thing to block or evade.
Baka! she snapped as she put the mallet away. Definitely a Japanese influence there somewhere. Are you really that stupid? Dont you know that appearance means nothing to Gods and Goddesses?
Oi, easy on the noggin, your holiness. I already played the role of a hypersonic projectile today.
Yeah, about that. You really sure you want to go on with this? If you do the next few years of your life may be really difficult.
Im not one to throw in the towel just because the going gets tough. Besides, your records should note that I am one very difficult and stubborn person at times.
Hmm. Hey, youre right. You must know yourself pretty
well. Also says youre a smart ass.
Guilty, I chimed in a sing-song tone.
Skuld rolled her eyes. Why do I always get the smart asses?
Cause your cute when youre exasperated? I hazarded.
Skuld gave me a dirty look. Dont make me hurt you.
I just smiled innocently, but kept my mouth shut.
Okay, heres the deal, said Skuld once she had composed herself. Because of all the good stuff that youve done, the Almighty has decided to give you a chance to punch out early so you can go to Valhalla. Of course, you can refuse, but things are not gonna be easy. When you return to your body you will have a case of amnesia that will prevent you from remembering you previous life until certain requirements have been met.
You mean that the Almightys sending me off on a mission?
Yup.
What do I get out of it?
A reward.
What kind?
A very nice one, she said in an exasperated tone and rolling her eyes. Dont worry about the details so much. Now, are you up for it or not?
I shrugged. Hell. I never even got to start a family of my own, so yeah, count me in.
Good! Heres the contract agreement. Another holographic display appeared on my eye level. Read it carefully and if you agree to it, press your thumb to the X for an astral signature.
I nodded and read through the document. It was the usual bunch of legalese about the usual stuff; cant hold us responsible because you agreed to let us put you through figurative hell, etc. Sighing to myself, I pressed my thumb to the X, leaving a peculiar thumbprint in place of the X. It didnt have any of the usual lines of a thumbprint (not that I had any for the past x-amount of years), but instead a peculiar shifting kaleidoscope of colors glowed there on the contract.
Great! said Skuld as the document disappeared. Im looking forward to seeing what kind of messes youre gonna get into. Flagged mortals are so fun to watch; especially the dimensionally displaced ones.
Gee. Thanks.
No, really. And most of the times they really are rewarded handsomely for their work. And I just know youll be too.
You mean you dont know either?
Course not. Wheres the fun in knowing everything?
But I thought you were a Goddess.
Hey, do I look like the Almighty to you? I may be a Goddess, but stuff like that isnt my place. There is a hierarchy. Besides, I wouldnt want that job, not in an eternity.
Eeee I see your point.
Good. Well, in that case, were all done here, for now. Ill see you again when youre due in.
Due in?
Well, yeah, youre bound to die someday. Just because youre a cyborg doesnt mean youre immune to entropy.
Point.
Okay then. Ja-ne, Ben-san!
Suddenly everything dissolved into nothing and I knew nothing more.
***
Over the next week, Daisuke worked to complete Alitas body. Once she was ambulatory though she was quick to note the presence of the comatose cyborg in the recovery room.
Daisuke, whos that? asked Alita with child-like curiosity.
Oh, him? said Daisuke. Well, were not sure really. I found him on the same day I found you.
Did you give him a name too?
Actually, we think he has a name already. Theres an engraving on his shoulder that says, B. Rhodes. But I dont want you to worry about- Alita, what are you doing?
Just getting a closer look.
Er, uh, well, I dont want you to worry about him right now. Gonzu and I dont really know what hes like or when he may wake up.
You mean he might never wake up?
Its a possibility. He doesnt show much in the way of brain activity. And if he really is brain-dead, thought Daisuke to himself, Im going to lock that body away with the other one in the basement.
As if the seemingly brain-dead cyborg had sensed that thought, the EKG suddenly showed a flurry of activity, then settled into the normal pattern of someone waking up.
Whats going on? asked Alita.
I dont believe it, murmured Daisuke. Hes waking up!
Indeed, the sleeping cyborg suddenly stirred and began to stretch and yawn. Daisuke took a cautious step back.
After he was done stretching, he finally opened his eyes, blinking blearily, rubbed at them, and spoke for the first time.
Where am I?
Youre in my clinic in the Scrapyard, said Daisuke. My names Daisuke Ido. Do you know yours?
He was silent for a moment as he thought about that. No, I dont, he finally replied with a touch of concern in his voice.
I thought that might be the case, said Daisuke with a sigh. We think your name is B. Rhodes. Its engraved on your left shoulder.
Rhodes blinked. It sounds familiar. I dont know for sure though.
Well, maybe your memories will come back in time. Suddenly, Daisuke oomphed as someone just out of Rhodess view elbowed him. Daisuke then moved aside and Rhodes saw a cyborg girl with big brown eyes and a voluminous mass of shoulder length blue-black hair that was parted on her right. She had an exquisitely crafted set of cybernetic arms, though her torso was somewhat generic and she didnt have proper legs.
This is Alita, said Daisuke. I found her the same day I found you.
You found me? Rhodes said in puzzlement.
Er, yes in the Scrapyard. Actually, you fell from the sky. I didnt think youd survive.
Rhodes was silent for a moment, then finally said, Show me where I landed.
***
I was so disoriented that I did not know my left from my right. It was all I could do to just stumble after the man named Daisuke Ido.
Are you sure that youll be okay? asked Daisuke, noting my state.
Yes. I dont know how, but this body speaks to me. Ill be fine. It was true. Somehow, in my mind, Id receive messages about the operations and status of the body I possessed. Daisuke seemed puzzled, but he didnt pursue it further. For an hour we walked and my coordination and sense of direction improved vastly. And then, we were there.
It was a crater. Not an especially big one, but very noticeable all the same. My judgment made that it would have taken me about fifteen minutes to walk its perimeter.
Did I do that?
I found you in the center after it had been formed, said Daisuke.
I was silent once again for a moment. I dont remember anything still.
I dont think you will for a while, yet, said Daisuke. Dont worry about it, Rhodes. You can stay with Alita and me for as long as you like.
I sighed and nodded. Thank you, Daisuke. I think Id like that very much. As we walked back to his home, I mentioned to Daisuke how I felt, which was utterly confused and terribly alone.
Thats understandable, said Daisuke with a sober look on his face. Ive been a little worried about Alita, since she has Amnesia as well. Maybe you should talk to her.
Okay then.
***
Alita was a nice girl. We were like children then, sharing innocent thoughts about likes, dislikes, and the world in general. In a short time, I came to like her a lot, and I told her so. The one problem was that she took it strictly at its face value. Embarrassed, I let it go at that. Eventually, we fell asleep on strange beds that were essentially huge beanbags only to be awakened by someones stirring in the night.
Who is it, I asked at just barely a whisper.
Its Daisuke, replied Alita. This is the second time that Ive seen him go out like this. Im beginning to wonder what it is hes doing.
We cant really follow him. Hed notice you for sure since you dont have legs.
Alita sighed heavily at that. Yeah, I guess your right. Oh well. Good night, Rhodes.
Good night, Alita.
***
The next morning, Daisuke had a set of legs for Alita and we spent most of that morning getting her fitted with them. I felt strange, seeing Alita in a partially disassembled state and being able to intimately know her inner workings like that. This must be what its like to be a doctor, to have someone trust you that way.
Alita was so happy to have the legs that she seemed to forget all about last night. I did, too, as a matter of fact. That is, until Alita showed Gonzu her new legs.
You watch yourself at night, you hear, said Gonzu, waving an admonishing finger. Theres another one of those crazies out there, slitting the throats of cute young things just like you.
Immediately something in me flared at the very idea of harm coming to Alita; a righteous fury that railed against the cage of my own will.
They had better not, or else theyll have me to answer to.
Wow, Rhodes, said Alita with mild surprise. You sound pretty scary there.
I blinked naively. I do? And truth be told, I honestly didnt have a clue then.
***
Later when we got back, Daisuke was working on a patient and asked Alita about her new legs. Alita responded positively when she and I both noticed that Daisuke had a nasty looking wound on his left arm. He had his sleeves pushed up while he was working with an electric drill on a cyborgs head, leaving a bandage wrap in plain view. It had been bandaged up pretty well, but a distinctive spot of blood showed through.
Daisuke, said Alita concernedly. What happened to your arm?
Oh! You mean this? said Daisuke artlessly.
What happened indeed, I thought, remembering his late evening departure last night.
I got a little careless, I guess said Daisuke as he pulled his sleeve down over the wounded arm. No big deal. And he went right back to work.
Are you sure youre alright? asked Alita with a small, but genuine, smile, but the Doctor wasnt listening as he was too busy with his patient to bother. Alita didnt mind, so I didnt either.
That evening when we had gone to bed, Daisuke slipped out once more.
Alita sat up and watched him go through the window in our room, then started pulling on her shoes.
Right now, Daisuke is all I have, she explained quietly. She finished slipping on her shoes and then looked to me, as though willing me to understand. I have to know whats going on!
I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. Hes all I got too, Alita. Lets go together.
***
Nighttime in the Scrapyard; it never sleeps. It eternally seethes, hums, glows, crumbles, and oozes.
At night, glaring lights of a million colors cast equal amounts of light and shadow. The smart and wary stay clear of the shadows. The cunning, though, use them to their advantage.
Tonight, I thought to myself, there are two kinds of predators those that hunt the innocents, and those that hunt the hunters.
Quietly, Alita and I kept track of Daisuke as he casually walked through the shadier and sparsely populated areas in the Scrapyard. Eventually Daisuke had picked a spot for an ambush and Alita and I took to hiding on a landing above him where he could not see us. While we watched, he opened the innocuous case he always took with him on his evening outings. Inside it were two parts for a wicked looking sledgehammer the hammerhead with about half the handle in one piece and the other half of the handle in the other. With ease born of experience, Daisuke assembled the beast in one smooth movement and then stood ready to attack.
We had an excellent vantage point there and saw the woman coming. An odd part of my mind had noted that the woman in question had done something quite interesting with the rags she wore. It was a combination of a wrap-around blouse and a loincloth. Shed also wrapped her wrists and ankles and padded her shins. Aesthetic, yet utilitarian.
It cant be, whispered Alita in horror. Daisuke laying in wait for that woman
Ill stop Daisuke, I told her. You get the woman out of there.
Alita only nodded and we went our separate ways. Before Daisuke could strike, I interposed myself, grabbing his hammer before he could swing it.
Dont do it Daisuke, I said to him, anger creeping into my voice.
Rhodes!? said Daisuke in total shock. You dont know what-! Daisuke never finished as Alitas scream pierced the night.
I didnt think. I only reacted. Suddenly I was at Alitas side, but there was no one to be found.
Your voices startled her," whispered Alita. "Daisuke... She was hideous.
That woman is the killer, added Daisuke. He did not need to say anymore.
A sudden shriek brought our attention to overhead, where the woman was diving out of the shadows above to attack Daisuke. Alita was right. She was hideous.
Daisuke barely reacted fast enough, but I was faster. Instead of her claws connecting with Daisukes face, or even the arm that I used to block her attack, they connected with a shimmering lens of light interposed between her and my arm. Daisuke had about a tenth of a second to be amazed before I made my next move.
To this day, Im still not sure how I knew that Alita was a fighter. It was just pure instinct. At that time, a preprogrammed imperative screamed inside my head, Move the weaker soldiers to safety. So I automatically grabbed up Daisuke and jumped.
All the way up.
Up to the landing where Alita and I had hidden. It was such a sudden feat that Daisuke left his hammer on the ground.
In the meantime, Alita had given the she-beast a nasty gut-check for attacking Daisuke.
Alita! cried out Daisuke, being able to see the whole fiasco in progress. Suddenly, the she-beast jumped straight out of Alitas grasp, leaving her floating precariously in the air.
Before Alita could kiss the pavement though, she instinctively put her hands down and pushed herself into a back flip that arched high over the she-beast, who was still in the air herself. Suddenly, Alita shifted her center of gravity and her feet swung around, sharply connecting with the back of she-beasts head and shoving it into an adjacent brick wall. The result was very messy, though Alita didnt get a speck of gore on her, even as she landed.
The whole midair business between the two had taken less than a second and a half.
Daisuke looked at both Alita and me in equal amounts of shock and awe.
Alita, apparently not being as entirely conscious of her actions as I was for that matter, looked up at the mess she had made of the she-beast and said,
Wh-what in the-!?
***
On the way back home we got the initial mess out in the open and sorted. The following morning, Daisuke explained his occupation to us while he gave Alita an overhaul. It was quite peculiar to see Alita as a head and neck in a tripod with her life support system laid out before her.
In the old days, before the Factories took over, there was something called a police force that dealt with criminals. That just wouldnt work in the Scrapyard, so Factory 33 pays off big in chips for any of us stupid enough to take to the chase.
Sorry I jumped to conclusions, Daisuke, said Alita sounding genuinely sorry and relieved.
Sorry!? said Daisuke. I was trying to help you and both you and Rhodes ended up saving my life! Thank both of you guys. Youre a couple of Guardian Angels. Alita smiled at that and so did I.
You think? asked Alita rhetorically.
No more stunts though, you hear? said Daisuke. Your body still needs a lot of work.
Yes sir, said Alita, but I wasnt sure if she meant it or not.
What about you, Rhodes? said Daisuke, turning his attention to me for the moment. Think you figured out how to get yourself opened up so I can figure out what makes you tick?
I think I have. Lemme give it a try. I closed my eyes and suddenly I was in a large captains chair and all around me were displays, readouts, and various sundry controls. I knew that it wasnt real. It was merely a simulation that I had somehow blundered across that allowed me to easily interface with my own control system.
Okay, I thought to myself and tried several likely controls. Switch life support to consumable only mode one hour of consumables left. Switch to maintenance mode all non-essential systems to standby, power core to minimal power, all panel interlocks disengaged. Open all maintenance access panels.
With that, all my chest and abdominal panels swung or slid open, the back of my skull opened as well as my arm and leg panels.
Somehow, I was familiar with my inner workings. I didnt know all their exact functions, but I knew what it looked like and what was essential to my functioning.
Daisuke, though, seemed taken aback.
Rhodes, he said in a tone filled with trepidation. There is a component inside you that has a some sort of warning symbol on it. What is it?
I blinked at this. Let me run a diagnostic. I closed my eyes and once more I was in the control room. Within a second I had what Daisuke wanted to know.
It is a Deuterium fueled micro fusion reactor with an emergency anti-matter booster no danger of radioactivity even in the event of catastrophic failure. Unit is designed to burn-out before explosive containment failure can occur. All safety protocols are in place and functioning. All readings are well within green zone. Anti-matter booster is offline. Current output at 0.1% of rated output.
A heavy silence descended on the operating room.
Rhodes, said Daisuke quietly, not able to completely hide the nervous edge. Please close all your access panels.
***
Later that night, Daisuke watched Ben sleep, his mind cluttered with thoughts on the cyborg that fell from the sky. Time seemed to slip away and Alita, getting up to get herself something to drink, noticed this odd tableau.
Daisuke?
The sound of Alitas voice jarred the man out of his thoughts so suddenly that it gave him a bad start.
Oh, Alita, he sighed as he got his nerves back in order.
Sorry. Something wrong?
Hmm? Oh, no I guess not. Just Rhodes has me thinking.
About what?
Well Hes obviously a combat cyborg, but there seems to be so much more to him than that.
Oh, you mean like me?
Er? Daisuke then thought about that for a moment. Huh. Yeah, like you. What do you think about him?
Hes very strange, but hes nice too; very open and friendly. Why?
Hmm? Oh nothing. Im just worried about him. His body incorporates a level of technology that Ive never seen before. I know it must be safe enough if whoever made his body gave it a power supply that uses anti-matter for an emergency boost.
What is antimatter, Daisuke?
Daisuke sighed at that. Well Alita everything, you, me, this building, even the air we breath, is matter. Antimatter is the opposite of matter and when they come together they cancel each other out. But it doesnt happen nice and neatly. When it happens there is an enormous amount of energy released. Unless you have a highly effective and reliable containment system it is foolish to try and generate power using an antimatter reaction.
Alita, you must promise to never tell anyone about Rhodess power source. If the Factories ever got wind of it he will never be a free man again.
I swear I wont tell a soul, said Alita fervently.
Good, sighed Daisuke. Im going to go to bed now. Sleep well, Alita.
You too.
***
The next morning I awoke to a heated argument. I didnt hear the first part, but I quickly caught on as my conscious mind spooled up.
What kind of nonsense is that!? said Daisuke angrily. I didnt dig you out of the rubble because I saw a monster, or a military machine.
But, said Alita, trying to get a word in edgewise, but Daisuke steamrolled right over her.
I saw something beautiful, and you grow more beautiful every day! But fighting? Fighting is an ugly thing, and ugliness is the last thing I want for your life!
But I cant just stand by while you risk yourself Daisuke, said Alita a bit plaintively.
Hunting is dirty work, raved Daisuke, the dirtiest! Ill behead as many criminals as it takes for you child. Splash me with blood! But you must remain pure, unsullied, as you are in my dreams!
Apparently that did it.
Alita jumped upright, giving Daisuke an angry glare.
Your dreams!? she said in righteous indignation. But what about me!? And with that, she stormed out the house.
You could have gone about that better, I said sagely to a bewildered Daisuke.
What do you know? You have amnesia.
True, but I still do know some things. Call it instinct. She does as she pleases, and so do I.
What do you mean by that?
I think Ill sign up too. Someones gotta watch her back.
With that, I left Daisuke and quickly caught up with Alita.
Dont tell me Daisuke sent you after me, she said caustically.
No, I said, frowning at the barb. I came to join you.
Alita stopped in her tracks and looked at me skeptically.
Why do you want to do this?
I thought about that for a second. Lets see. Im bored, I dont like scum anyways, I want to fight, and I figured you could use some help, too.
Whatever, said Alita and walked on. Since she made no indication of stopping me, I followed. We eventually arrived at Factory 33. In retrospect, the dcor was like what H.R. Geigers early work looked like. The centerpiece was a sculpture of a pair of masculine legs supporting a slowly rotating sphere. Alita seemed a bit creeped out by it and I cant say that I blamed her. Slowly, we made our way up the stairs to the arched double doors of Factory 33. As we got closer we could hear an ominous sound like as though Vulcan himself were inside forging some weapon for the Gods. The sound only got louder when the doors opened up automatically for us.
Well, I thought as I peered down the empty passageway, it is a factory. But wheres the machinery and the workers?
Suddenly, a hole opened up before our feet and with the sound of a pneumatic pump, a cylindrical machine with a face on it popped up.
Whats your business, honey? it demanded of Alita in a mechanized voice, practically scaring the hell out of us. Then about a dozen more of the cylinders started popping out of the floor and ceiling like hyperactive kids, throwing old movie quotes all over the place. Soon, though, they all subsided except for the first one, which remained.
Here to register as a bounty hunter, eh? it said in that same mechanized voice. For that youll have to go to Cylinder number 10.
A little asking around led us to the Cylinder in question, which was situated behind a control console. Soon enough, a strange piece of headgear was being lowered onto Alitas head.
No moving, please, said number 10. Im burning an ID code stamp on the inside of your brain! No moving!
On my brain!? said Alita. But I cant afford to become any stupider than I already am!
No worry. It wont damage your neurons, Just put the Hunter Seal on your neuroglia. You cyborgs have no natural cell patterns, so we cant ID you with fingerprints, voiceprints, or retinal patterns. Brain stamps is the only way.
I made a noncommittal sound. Well, go with what works I guess. Just after I said that the Cylinders console beeped.
Stamping complete, said number 10 and the headgear was lifted off of Alitas head. As I got ready to take my turn, Alita leaned casually against the console.
Gee, its really easy to become a hunter warrior, isnt it?
Easy to get registered, yes, said the Cylinder as the headgear slid over my eyes. But the deed itself thats different. What possessed you to become a hunter, baby?
Baby!? I mouthed silently. Alita seemed to be taken aback. I couldnt see her expression, but she didnt answer for a moment.
Cant you understand? said Alita. I know what I have to do. The console beeped once more, and I too had become a Hunter Warrior.
***
We spent the day tracking Alitas first quarry, a beast of a cyborg known as Makaku who had a reputation of eating live brains for the endorphins. As far as we were concerned, that would end tonight.
We found him in the warehouse district, sucking the last bits of gray matter out of the base of some poor womans skull. Thoroughly gross. He was a hulking beast of a cyborg, eighteen feet tall if and inch and butt ugly.
You sure you want to take this guy on by yourself, Alita? I asked her for the fifth time. I dont doubt your abilities, but he looks like a bit too much for you to handle alone.
Ill be fine, Rhodes, said Alita, a touch irritated. Now go and find a bounty of your own, okay.
I sighed. You sure are stubborn. Alright, Im going then.
I made good to my word, trotting off in some random direction away for the action. But all the while I couldnt shake the nagging feeling that I was doing something terribly wrong. It just wouldnt go away and the more I tried to ignore it the more it screamed in my face until it quit screaming and suddenly exploded.
A voice I knew jumped out of some dark recess in my mind.
Youre a Spartan, Rhodes! You never let another Spartan go in alone! The voice was so thunderous and forceful that it snapped me into attention. Suddenly, I knew what I had to do.
I ran.
I didnt really think too much about it, but I ran so fast that it took me mere seconds to arrive back on the scene. When I got there, it was just in time to see Daisuke (where the hell did he come from!?) plying his amazing skills with his rocket hammer as he utterly decimated Makakus body.
Unfortunately for Daisuke, he didnt see how his hammers incredible blow had ejected Makakus snake-like head unit high into the air. Fortunately for Daisuke, I was able to stop an attack from above.
In a split second I was there projecting a shield over both Daisuke and Alita, just in time for Makakus head spike, in reality a last-ditch projectile weapon, to bounce away harmlessly.
Rhodes! said Daisuke in amazement. His attention was suddenly drawn away when Makakus head unit landed heavily somewhere in front of us and laughed psychotically. So, you were only a head all along, observed Daisuke. Makaku suddenly slithered into hiding before either of us could take action.
Ido, I said in a low tone, tend to Alita. Ill keep you covered.
Daisuke nodded. Right. With that, Daisuke gathered her up with great care while I kept an eye out for Makaku.
I dont care who you are, said a voice, one that I presumed to be Makakus. He suddenly erupted from the wreckage of a shoulder pauldron. Nobody can take my life! NOBODY! I leapt for Makaku and pummeled him with a shielded arm before he could cut loose another of his demented laughs then wound up rolling on the concrete. I quickly snapped up to my feet and had Makakus full and undivided attention. It was on now.
For a moment, I circled Makaku who stood like a snake waiting for the right moment to strike. After several false starts and feints, Makaku suddenly moved much faster than I had anticipated. I felt a sharp impact in the back of my head and then nothing else for the next few seconds. It wasnt a total knock out, but I had been incapacitated. As I began to regain my senses I heard Daisukes voice.
Since losing your body youve suddenly become very articulate, havent you?
Makaku chuckled wryly. I suppose my intelligence can be impacted by the body I posses. Its like Nietzsche said, The mind is nothing but a plaything of the body! I then heard his perverse laughter once more, trailing away and followed by a distant splash. At that point, my vision returned along with my equilibrium. An automatic diagnostic reported that I would at one hundred percent in a few minutes. I sighed and turned back to Daisuke.
Damn, hes scary, said Daisuke as I came up to him. Theres been a price on that head for years, but no ones had the guts to go after him. He then looked down at Alita. She took on more than she could handle, first time out. I thought you said youd watch after her, Rhodes.
I know, I said heavily and sighed. She said she didnt want my help and I took it as a personal slight. I should have stayed closer so I could have helped her when things got out of hand.
Shes not dead yet, Rhodes. Lets get her back home.
Right.
Daisuke carried Alita while I carried his hammer, neatly stowed away in its case. We passed through one of the plazas in the Scrapyard that was livelier in the nighttime. People milled all around, going about their business and paying us no mind. On a series of huge monitors in the middle of the plaza the evenings battle in the coliseum raged.
Its the finishing blow, the Grind Cutter! proclaimed the announcer. The Warriors innards have spilled out onto the mat!! The Champion, Kinuba, has successfully defended his title for the sixty-third time!!
Rather disgusting sport, I commented so only Daisuke would hear, but he was only listening half-heartedly.
A warriors spirit needs a warriors body, said Daisuke all the sudden. It took me off guard until I saw who he was looking at: Alita. I looked around once more, somewhat furtively, and I saw myself in the midst of the faux-wealth and utter poverty of the Scrapyard.
This place, I thought to myself then, is a harsh place, thoroughly antagonistic towards life. Daisuke seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he carried on with his chain of thought.
A body fit for battle, with the power to take life with a single blow. My dream will have to die for her to survive. Theres no other way to make it in the Scrapyard. With that, Daisuke made his way to a public phone and made a call to his old friend, Gonzu.
***
When we got back home, Gonzu, good man that he was, had the workshop all prepped so Daisuke could get right to work on Alita.
Looks like her brain survived without any damage, said Gonzu, having derived this conclusion from the EEG monitor once the repairs to Alitas braincase were complete. Shes having a dream.
I hope its a good one, said Daisuke as he made preparations for another operation.
Always mooning over Alita, said Gonzu. Isnt it time you worried about yourself a little? You were lucky that Rhodes here came back when he did. Id hate to think about what might have happened if he didnt. Why, if youd been hurt those quack doctors might have made a cyborg out of you!
I know, said Daisuke. And Im grateful to have friends like you two.
I grinned. Thanks Daisuke. It made me happy to know that I was desirable as a friend. Gonzu only smiled and went on.
Being a cyborg might not be so bad, but carrying around those doctor bills for the rest of your life thats a real tragedy!
Daisuke smiled despite himself. Yeah, I dont know which is worst. To be left for dead or to lead a life being chased after for loan payments Either way you lose. He then laughed, but then frowned as some sobering thought must have entered his mind. I had a pretty good idea what that might be, being that he told me that Makaku swore his vengeance against all three of us.
Gonzu turned to Alita, sipping at a bottle of beer, courtesy of Daisukes refrigerator.
You worked so hard to put her body together, mused Gonzu. And Alita loved it so much. Now what are you gonna do?
Ive already made up my mind. Gonzu, Rhodes, Get ready to move Alita. I have something to show you two.
***
After a short trip down a hidden freight elevator, which took us below the workshop, the gate clattered and creaked open noisily and the lights came on. Before us was a hall with alcoves filled haphazardly with robots and knick-knacks. Some seemed intact, some not. Some looked menacing, others merely useful.
How long has this basement been under your clinic, asked Gonzu.
Its sort of a secret, said Daisuke as he led the way down the hall. This is my collection room.
These things work? asked Gonzu as I reached my hand tentatively towards a big blocky robot.
I wouldnt touch them if I were you! warned Daisuke. Too late for me though, as the blocky robot suddenly snapped a tentacle-like arm at me and tried to grab at me with its wickedly clawed manipulator. I threw up my left arm in self-defense when its manipulator bounced off my shields, which had automatically gone up when I reacted. I got clear of it in a hurry and blocky subsided.
Daisuke was more amazed than angry.
Are you sure that you dont know how you do that?
I frowned as I thought about it. I do know that the shield generator unit is inside my chest cavity and that the projector grids are all over my body, but thats it. Diagnostics tell me that the generator will shortly be due for maintenance. Maybe well learn something then.
Maybe, said Daisuke optimistically.
Gonzu only dabbed some sweat from off his forehead. You two are a couple of crazies or something.
At the end of the hall, Daisuke took out a remote control and pushed a button.
Here it is, he proclaimed as the lights came on.
There in a special alcove was a cybernetic body with all its innards opened up. It floated there, suspended within a magnetic field.
What is this? said Gonzu. Some kind of piece meal android?
Ill turn the power on, said Daisuke. With that, he picked up a power lead from the cyborg body, plugged it into an electrical socket, and then threw the circuit breaker switch. With that, the body suddenly closed up on itself and began to resemble a human form. Gonzu made sounds of awe throughout the process. When it was finally done, Gonzu took one last examination of the body before passing his judgment.
Creepy, he said as he noted a toe twitching. This bodys alive!
Daisuke, this seems familiar to me, I said.
Daisuke gave me a puzzled look. Hows that Rhodes?
Aspects of this body are similar to my own, but its different. Its like some distant cousin.
I know. When I first found you I thought that you were another one of these. Your body is probably a different model.
You mean this fell from the sky too?
Is that why you didnt attach it to Alita in the first place? wondered Gonzu.
Well, nothings ever simple, said Daisuke. This is the body of a Berserker.
---
Several years ago, I discovered the remains of a spaceship at the bottom of the ravine to the west. It was the first time I had ever seen a space ship, but it was clear to me that this vehicle was meant for battle. Long ago, there had been a war in the sky Now, even after the owners brain was gone, the body was breathing quietly, just as if it was waiting for a new master.
It was a work of art a high technology and craftsmanship that have since been lost. I was fascinated to say the least. But as I studied the structure my thinking changed. This machine its a murder weapon! The design makes it good for only one thing! Its creators only wanted to make a human being into an efficient weapon.
They say that in olden times, able-bodied soldiers were made over and sent to war as Berserkers. This discovery was my first taste of the true madness of war. To think of human beings as nothing but tools Unforgivable. And so I locked the Berserker Body down here.
---
There was a moment of silence at that. I pondered what Daisuke had said during that time, looking at my fist as I clenched it and opened it.
Was I a machine of war, too? This body feels too natural to me, though. It is my body But am I a weapon?
I dont know Rhodes. All I can say is that you need to make a way for yourself now.
But what about Alita? said Gonzu. Are you really going to attach this to her?
I dont know, said Daisuke. Maybe Im wrong. But one thing is certain. This girl knows how to use power. The only thing I can do for her now is to give her that power.
At that moment I understood. It didnt matter now what I was in my previous life. What mattered was now and how I used my power.
Gonzu made a thoughtful sound at this. I see. But Now that I look at it This is a mans body!
Gonzus revelation was so completely out of left field that I almost fell over and did a face-plant in the floor.
Not for long, said Daisuke, completely unaffected by the notion. By inputting some values through the keyboard, the variable skeletal muscles can be set for either a man or a woman. I guess Alita will never have to worry about getting fat, eh?
Already brought low by Gonzus comment, the imagery Daisukes joke conjured in my head sent me down for the count.
Are you okay there, Rhodes, said Daisuke, looking down on me with concern.
Yeah, just peachy, I muttered as I got back up again, rubbing a sore spot on my face.
Okay, good then. I could use an extra set of hands during this operation if you dont mind.
***
Right after the most critical parts of the operation I had gone to bed, citing my exhaustion from the busy day. Daisuke was perfectly understanding and was glad for my assistance.
That night, I dreamed of ships that traversed the night skies. These ships had fire in their bellies, being both harbingers of peace and the conflict that precedes it.
I awoke to Alitas idle movements in the house. Daisuke and Gonzu were so tired that they had fallen asleep on the couches in the living area.
Rhodes, said Alita as she noticed me, just as she had been making sure that Daisuke and Gonzu were adequately covered with blankets.
Good morning Alita, I said as I yawned and got my first good look at her. Wow. I think that new body suits you better.
Alita blushed at that. Thanks. Daisuke told me everything. If you hadnt come back then I dont know what that Ma kooky whatever would have done to him.
I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. Well, like I said before, I care about him too. Besides, something in me, a voice from a memory, refused to leave you guys alone.
Oh?
Alita Im pretty sure now that I was a soldier in some sort of army.
Really? Is that voice of yours telling you something right now?
Yes. Makaku is a threat. We must strike before he can! Okay, tell me what you guys think. *Ducks*-NeoRaven
"I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity." -Edgar Allen Poe
Sponsored by Black Aeronaut Technologies -
Aerospace solutions for the discerning spacer.
-NeoRaven
"I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity." -Edgar Allen Poe
Sponsored by Black Aeronaut Technologies -
Aerospace solutions for the discerning spacer.
![[Image: happy.gif]](http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/happy.gif)
You kept e reading it till the end and actually looking forward for more 
![[Image: smile.gif]](http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif)
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