Welcome to Gaia! ::

((OPEN!))

It was a clear, sunshiny day; the wind was a bit brisk, welcoming in spring after another snowy winter. The sky was still grey-tinted and patchy from the bombings’ effect on earth’s atmosphere, though it was no longer eternally clouded and broken-looking as it had been just four years ago. Thanks to Northwest, the planet was healing.

Eva dug into the soil with her bare hands, creating a shallow hole suited for the planting of a young berry bush she’d purchased from a local greenhouse just that morning. It was a genetic hybrid of blueberries and strawberries – the resulting fruit would be soft and mealy in texture like a blueberry, with the sweetness and leafy stem of a strawberry. They were a light purple in hue, earning them the name of “lavenberries.”

With the bush firmly planted and freshly watered, she shook the dirt from her hands and turned toward the road just past the property’s decorative fence. A small hovercraft whirred over the dirt path, kicking up a cloud of dust behind it. The vehicle navigated smoothly through the narrow driveway entrance, halting over a square of concrete before it lowered itself to the ground. Devon climbed out of it, appearing troubled.

“How is he?” Eva asked, following the man into their house.
Devon sighed, “The same as always. He’s just as tight-lipped and moody as he was right after the war. They’re going to try giving him a new medication tonight in preparation for his mental examination. He doesn’t know that, of course.”

“Let’s hope it works… I can only imagine what that kid could do to someone if they got on his bad side...” She mused, recalling Chris and the other mutants during the battle.

The man nodded in silent agreement, taking a seat at the kitchen table. Eva sat across from him, resting a reassuring hand on his.

She studied his expression for a long moment, then sighed. She gripped his hand tighter, “Devon, there’s something I have to tell you…”

He glanced up at her, his curiosity brightening his prior mood, “What is it?”

Eva smiled nervously, “I… I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a child, Devon.”

Devon’s eyes lit up with excitement, “R-really?! That’s great! Oh man, we’ve gotta tell everyone! Scarlet, Lukas, Isabella, Odessa, Genesis, Layla, Chris—“

She chuckled at his enthusiasm, her own mood lifting drastically, “Calm down! Let’s wait to tell them until this weekend; I was planning on stopping by Northwest to see everyone, anyway. We can pass through North on the way.”



Chris sat alone in his room, facing the glass wall that overlooked all of the surrounding factions. The other three walls (and ceiling) were made of a black metal, devoid of any ornamentation. The carpet was a rough, steely grey material. Aside from his recliner, there was a simple bed, an end table with a desk lamp, and a wooden dresser made by Genesis. An adjoining bathroom was connected by a short hallway. The second door, directly behind him, led into the rest of the building; only the nurses and other personnel could open it. He lived in the Cubes.

From the outside, the tower looked a bit like a spiral staircase. It was cylindrical at the center, with hundreds of cube-like compartments protruding off of it in a diagonal pattern, each apartment ascending just a little higher than the last. Some of the cubes were solid, some revealed their glassy front wall – patients could choose when they wanted the view by opening or closing the metallic shutter that would fold out over the glass. The whole structure was dark and overbearing in contrast to its surroundings. The building’s engineers, a combination of Northerners and Southwesterners, had designed it to suit former simulation occupants; it appeared vaguely similar to the simulation’s tower, and was full of state-of-the-art technology as they were accustomed to. The whole purpose of the Cubes was to rehabilitate those that never overcame the shock of transitioning.

There was a knock on the door, immediately followed by the hum of machinery as locks released and the door slid open. Chris didn’t have to look to know who it was – he recognized the sound of her footsteps. The young nurse carried a glass of water and a plastic dish containing two capsules, setting them down on the table next to the boy.

“Please take these – they will help calm your nerves and aid you in concentrating better.” She instructed. Her voice was soft and motherly.

Chris glanced at the pills with apathy, “It won’t work. None of the others have.”

“That’s why we just have to keep trying. We don’t know what will help you until we’ve identified what won’t.” She urged.

He hesitated, waiting in silence for a long moment. Finally, he popped the two capsules into his mouth and swallowed them down with a large gulp of water.
The nurse smiled, “Very good. Now, let’s try some visualization and coping exercises. Close your eyes, and slowly let all of your troubles float into your mind one at a time.”

He complied. The first images that popped into his head were his parents, being taken away by Southeastern soldiers. He thought he heard the nurse press a button on the wall behind him, but disregarded it. Soon, his thoughts were clouded by GAOSA’s secrets, the bombings, the creation of the Angels, Lara’s and Kiros’s deaths… Something was wrong. His orb’s vision came into focus, showing the room around him. Along the walls, his every thought was being projected like a film for the nurse to watch. When this thought, too, was displayed, the nurse quickly reminded, “Keep your eyes shut and focus.”
Chris roared to life, his temper flaring beyond control. He leapt out of the chair and onto his feet, eyes wide open with fury, orb teeming with energy. Everything in the room seemed to disassemble around them, cracking and splitting into jagged shards under the pressure of an unseen force. The ceiling projectors sparked and smoked. All at once, thousands of sharp objects hurled themselves at the woman from all sides with the speed of bullets. She screamed. The shards stopped in midair a mere inch away from contacting any part of her body. When she opened her eyes, the objects clattered to the floor. She was thrust into the air, confined by telekinetic force.

The boy yelled both verbally and telepathically, ”You b***h! You lied to me! I trusted you!”
Suddenly, she was thrown to the floor.

“Get out,” Chris growled.
She struggled to collect her clipboard and pen.

“I SAID ‘GET OUT!’” He exclaimed. She ran out of the room sobbing. He caused the automated door to slam shut behind her.

The adolescent paced back and forth in the debris with unease, kicking shards and splinters out of his way with bare feet, disregarding the fact that they were cutting him up. He was blinded by undue rage, ruled by his fury at his own incompleteness. It had been four years since the war, and still he fought everyday with himself to find any semblance of inner peace where there was none to be had. The faculty had already tried nearly everything to soothe his broken consciousness; medication, psychotherapy, meditation techniques, relaxation routines… None of it helped, and he was losing hope. Part of him just wanted to end it all, but something was holding him back – a feeling, a premonition, a hunch that something wasn’t right in the outside world and that he would be instrumental in warning everyone. The system wasn’t dead, after all.




The city of North hummed with daily activity, expanding and rebuilding as each of the other factions had also been doing over the past four years. The grand wall had been torn down at the conclusion of the war, beckoning in a new era of peace and openness. Mechs thundered through the wide passageways carrying building materials and other goods to their various destinations. Civilians of every faction walked freely through the streets, browsing the contents of each storefront.

Layla watched those people from behind the counter of one of those shops, smiling as she considered how vastly different the world was now. After the war had ended, she and Genesis returned to North for residence; he had taken a new interest in crafting furniture and household necessities from wood, putting his robotic advantages to good use. Together, they opened up a shop in the downtown sector which sold his products, with Layla running the business aspect of it.

Genesis worked quietly in the corner, moving about a massive log with expertise. His fingertips whirred as they hovered over the wood’s surface, chipping and shaping the raw material into an outdoor bench. He was finished within a half hour, immediately carrying his new piece outside and placing it in front of the shop for passing civilians to admire and use.

The robot returned to his station indoors, but instead of preparing to create another cabinet or chair, he sat in silent contemplation. Layla noticed his odd behavior, “What’s on your mind?”

“I can’t help but worry sometimes – about Lady Scarlet,” Genesis responded with the utmost sincerity, “She hasn’t left the palace in a long time. That’s rather contrary to how she normally is, don’t you think? I hope nothing bad has befallen her…”

Someone knocked on the door -- the rear door, which the two residents only used to access the upstairs housing of their building. Genesis glanced to Layla in questioning, and finding that she did not possess the answers he was searching for, he headed toward the door and opened it. At first, there was joy in the android's eyes as he discovered some of their friends to be responsible for the knock, but all humor drained from him as he saw the moods of each of them.
"I'm glad to see all of you again, but I am to presume from your appearances that this is not a merry meeting..." The robot began solemnly, "Please, come in."

He gestured for them to enter, closing the door behind them. Genesis nimbly navigated around the party in the narrow hallway, entering the storefront.
Layla awaited his explanation eagerly, "What's going on?"

"I think we should close down the shop early today; we have some visitors."

Genesis pointed toward the hallway, causing Layla to peer around the corner. As soon as she recognized the group, she nodded in understanding, "Ah...Very well. I can close everything up -- you go ahead and get them settled. I'll be up shortly."

"Thank you," The android responded, an almost inaudible whisper as he disappeared down the hall and led their guests up a flight of stairs, into the upstairs apartment they inhabited.





When the door slid open before her, Chris had his back facing her, shoulders and head hunched forward. She soundlessly stepped into the cube, her presence revealed to him only by the gentle whirr of the door as it locked behind her. He did not acknowledge her.

“You know what you did wrong, Chris.” Ramund spoke softly, though her words were as clear as crystal, “Your anger rules you because you know nothing else. You feel as if you have permanently lost a part of yourself, when all you've really lost is your memory on how to feel other emotions.”

The adolescent muttered something indecipherable.

"Could you repeat that? I did not hear you the first time, Chris--"

"I SAID 'YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE'!!" He burst, his orb flaring to life and sending debris and objects flying wildly across the room.

Ramund stood her ground, remaining completely undisturbed as shards and planks and metal panels whooshed past her. It felt like she was standing amidst a hurricane confined in a small space, yet she was the calm inside of the storm.
"There's nothing wrong with you except that which you believe is wrong. I've seen your MRI scans; your brain is perfectly healthy, fully intact. All that's missing is your memory, your capacity to recall basic human emotions other than those few that weren't erased. But just because that memory is gone doesn't mean it can't be taught to you all over again."

The objects halted abruptly, hovering motionless in the air as if gravity had suddenly ceased. Chris turned to face the woman, a strange mixture of awe and surprise and anger flashed across his face.
"...You can fix this?"

Ramund nodded, "Yes, but it will require your full cooperation and best attempt to maintain control over yourself. Do I have your promise to follow these guidelines?"

Chris appeared as if he was about to respond, but something strange came over him suddenly. His eyes glazed over, his orb dimmed to a faint teal glow. Everything in the room clattered noisily to the floor a moment prior to the boy's collapse.

Ramund rushed to his side, checking his vitals. She pressed on a gold and sapphire pin she wore on her right lapel, waiting for the communicator to beep in affirmation before she spoke, "I need a medical team here now. Report to cube number one twenty-nine. Patient: Christopher Levine."
"Sending a team up right now, ma'am." Responded the man operating the building's communications.

The Southwesterner rested her hand over the boy's orb and shut her eyes, reclining back on her heels as her whole body relaxed. Her consciousness reached out to his, piercing through the thin safeguards of the orb. She felt as though she were falling through a cloudy mist in open air, descending deeper into the layers of his mind until she finally reached what she was looking for: his vision.

He was seeing a dimly lit lab in an unknown location, the only light emanating from a suspended animation tube containing a young girl. She was chained to the bottom and the top of the cylinder, which was heavily reinforced with titanium and other strong alloys. She was clad in only a silver bodysuit, with tubes intertwined throughout her flesh which were injecting her with foreign chemicals. Out of the girl's back reached two deformed little limbs, double-jointed with metal spikes. Shadowy figures gathered around the tube, generally humanoid in shape but each with their own mutations. There was one figure in particular which he seemed to focus on -- a hooded man with piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare directly at his unseen observer. That man winked mischieviously just before pouring a metallic sand into a funnel at the top of the tube.

Ramund was pulled back into her own consciousness as the medical crew arrived, awakened by one of them shaking her by the shoulder. She briefly explained to them how he collapsed after having a fit of rage, but spoke nothing of the vision. She watched as they carried the boy out of the cube and into the elevator, disappearing behind the automatic door.

The images of Chris's vision churned around in her mind nonstop, raising many questions she wanted the answers to.

Layla ascended the stairs just in time to hear Adam's explanation, joining them just a moment later by sitting across from them in a finely carved wooden chair. She glanced from the young mech warrior to the little mutant with curiosity, "Scarlet's missing? Well where could she have gone?"

She took a moment to consider the situation, "So... you believe the palace attendants would be willing to allow me in? I don't doubt the fact that some of them might make that exception, but I cannot guarantee anything -- they are bound by oath to follow only the current monarch's commands and requests. I will certainly try, though."




Chris watched as the girl awoke, he witnessed her rage and her power as she engulfed the lab in fire. It was then that he knew why he was seeing this.
Consciousness bubbled back to him from the depths of his vision, his senses were flooded once again with the stimuli of reality. His eyes snapped open, revealing to him a sterile, white new environment; the air was heavy with the scent of disinfectants, and a chorus of beeps and chirps sung every couple of seconds. There was a low mumbling of people talking from across the room.

A violent headache rolled through his skull, and his orb was scorching hot to the touch. Chris tried to sit upright, but the pain was too overwhelming, and he sank back into the thin hospital pillow he was resting on. The fatigue of the vision started to take its toll on him, sending him into a sleepy haze.
"Scarlet..."



Ramund continued on with the remainder of her appointments for the day as if nothing had transpired, though her mind was moving a mile a minute. Once her curiosity was piqued, she would not stop searching until she found the answer she was looking for.

She rode the elevator down to the main lobby, then stopped by the front desk to sign out for the day and retrieve her personal belongings. By the time she stepped outside, the sun had just fallen behind the horizon, and the still air carried the slight chill of the oncoming evening. The Southwesterner navigated her way through the newly-paved streets of West, finding her way to the public transport building. It was a small brick building with a long carport attached to its left side, housing several massive hovercrafts in numbered stations. A large holographic map floated amidst the waiting platform, labelled with each of the vehicles' numbers and associated routes to the different factions and colonies. Ramund was already quite familiar with the routes and immediately headed for hovercraft 3, taking her usual seat against the window towards the back.

From her purse, she withdrew a leatherbound book. Its cover was a rich shade of burnt umber with the crest of Southwest stamped into its surface, the phrase "Knowledge is Wealth" adorned the book's spine. The interior pages were crafted from handmade paper, creamy in color and imperfect with the chips of unprocessed tree bark and other fibrous strands. She flipped through the many pages of handwritten notes and sketches, finally landing on a blank page. Ramund retrieved an ink pen and began to record Chris's vision, including a detailed drawing of the lab and the girl in the tube.