Meanwhile...

[Monczeli]

Ah, West Athen. Drink in that dewy breeze, Roland, because you're home.

Actually, speaking of dew...

Holy *static* this grass is slipperAAARGH!

Nursing a bruised elbow, Roland lifted himself upright from the slick stones of the street, feeling an uncomfortable dirty wetness worming its way all down his back and legs.

Oh, no. Not my comm.

He watched the faintly buzzing glow of nanobots swarming to reassemble the shattered equipment.

"Bad timing," he sighed. "This could take a while."

[Xeenah]

The twins had gone back to sleep, drunk with milk, their peaceful little faces with their full cheeks wearing an expression of complete bliss.

Cher tiptoed away from the craddle, pulls the piece of Rich and Rapturous from the fridge and rested it down on the table before sticking three candles in the icing she had added to the chocolate cake. Kotts tiptoed behind her and sat at the table next to her.

"What are you celebrating?"

His voice was hushed. He seemed both puzzled and amused. It wouldn't be the first extravaganza of his wife, but those were usually classed in the "good thing" department.

"April 22nd, 29479. That's when I joined Assembly."

Cher was smiling quietly, grabbing a lighter. When she looked at him again, she muffled a laugh as expressions were shifting quickly on his face.

"Three years already?..."

He shook his head slowly and let out a little "whew". She lit the candles, then paused a moment. She nodded to herself and sucked in a big breath to blow off off all three candles methodically. She smiled.

"What did you wish?"

He was peeking at her. She turned her face to him, her eyebrows raising in amusement.

"You know I can't tell, it will jinx it!"

She quickly forked a bite and just at he was about to question her again, she stuck the piece of cake in his open mouth, smirking.

[Badpacket]

"So is this the final answer to my question? Do I finally know who I truly am?"

Cain sighed and his head fell on his hands.

"It's probably it. It all makes sense. The incredibly advanced implant in my head, the markings.."

Cain raised his head and brushed his hand across the back of his neck. Under the fresh layer of skin was a plug and around it was a sign he knew well. "R03 CAIN RAVANA".

"If this is true, was I ever truly a human? And really, which part of me is the dominating one? The organic half? Or the cybernetic neural network? Am I an artificial intelligence enchanced by organic brain matter or the other way around? Or maybe "..

he paused for a moment

"maybe I'm something new. A new form of life, the result of a gamble with the forces of the world that should have never taken place. Tell me, they didn't think of me as a man, did they? They didn't think that by playing God for their own purposes they were becoming the fathers of a human being? Did they realize the responsibility they were taking upon themselves?

He spoke those words as if to the ether, into the air, to himself, even though in the room there was another man. But this man was not paying attention to the words. Tied to an odd-looking operating table, the middle-aged man looked as if he has went through all nine hells and left his soul somewhere on the way. The dark, sunken eyes resembled that of a frightened animal, focusing first on Cain's hands and gestures, then on the tools that lay on the tables, neatly in view. His sad, frightened face shook with the occasional twitch.

"No, of course not. I was to be their tool, nothing more. Bah! Not even a tool, less than a tool. I was to be a part. You can be a tool and remain human, where as I was designed to have nothing humane left in me. The group of which your father was a part strived to create a human being yet without all the qualities that differ a man from a beast. A shell from which compassion, love, empathy, mercy and fairness has been torn out by genetics and neural manipulation. "

He came closer to the battered man on the table, hate shining in his eyes.

"Your father has made the abomination that now stands before you. The abomination that can never feel any emotion save for hatred, malice and fear. The abomination that will stop at nothing to realize it's goals, because right and wrong are empty words it can make up and change at a whim, like a mask. Your father tore out the very values that would make me human, that could ever make a man happy. In it's place an empty void was left, a hunger that I have no choice but to obey. "

The man gasped, holding air in his lungs, trying desperately to back up, turn around, flee, even though he was tightly bound to the table. He let out a savage, inhuman cry of fear.

"But this isn't where the story ends. They spared no cruelty, haven't left a single piece of my mind unturned. They knew even the Ravana could be downed, and then their precious key was to follow a lead of false memories and towards the ghostly memory of a family he never had. Gamma Serpentis, Thyveet. I've been there many, many times. Long after the creators died and the Ravanas themselves were destroyed or lost, the keys, us have been left wandering the world, our programming designed to reset our memories whenever we could break free of the chains imposed upon us."

Cain glared at the wreck of a man with pure hatred in his eyes, yet he was calm, as if savoring the moment. He picked up a set of thin needles and slowly approached the man. With surgical gloves on, he slowly put on an odd mask on the face of his victim. Despite the inhumane screams and convulsions Cain put the mask on, which snapped, pulling the eyelids of the man away, making his eyeballs permanently open. He picked up an eye-dropper and gently gave two drops into the eyes.

"It's a nerve stimulant. I want you to feel the whole experience throughly..... For the sins of your father alone, one lifetime of torture would not be punishment enough."

"The Clans. The bomb. Touch of Enthropy. In it lies my redemption and salvation. The goal of my existence. This time, it is one I have chosen myself."

[Xariama]

Xariama lifted her weighted training sword over her head, like she had done countless hundreds of times before. Under the light of the vortex in the Shadowlands, she began her normal workout, her head abuzz with questions.

Slash, parry, thrust. What happened during those ten months? Was she sure she even wanted to find out? Part of her screamed YES, because she had to know what was done to her, if anything. The other part whispered NO, just let it go, accept what happened, and move on.

Riposte, dodge, slash. Why is this bothering her so much? Near as she could tell, she really hasn't changed all that much. Sure, her muscles are a bit more defined and sculpted, but wouldn't that come from eating right and working out anyway? She learned everything she knew at the campfires of the Knights, wouldn't that account for it?

Slash, dodge, parry. Where should she start looking? She knew that the lab was in the Outlands, but thanks to the disorienting nature of the many sandstorms there, she wasn't sure she'd be able to find it again. That and having to travel with stealth at night to avoid the mechs looking for her...

Thrust, riposte, parry. Why should she look? Hadn't Lord Galahad been clear enough when he said to her "everything happens for a reason, young one. The Divine works in ways we cannot fathom." Well, wasn't this proof of that?

Dodge, slash... trip? As she prepared her next counter, she stumbled over something in the ground. After regaining her footing, she walked back over to where it was. Expecting a root or something, she was surprised to see a piece of metal sticking up. After prying it loose, she saw it was a medallion, minus the chain. She turned it over in her hands, but saw no identifying markings other than a faded eight pointed star.

She looked it over a few times, then set it on top of her pack. Picking up her training sword again, she resumed her workout.

[Trilirix]

Adarn sits on his favorite wrecked and toppled transport, out in the Wartorn Valley, in the middle of the night. Lying back with his head in his hands, his legs dangle freely over the rusted metal which has been for years wasting away without purpose other than to serve as a resting place for its current inhabitant.

Adarn lets out a long sigh, closing his eyes...

...He stands on the edge of a vibrant green forest, looking out past a golden plain and on to the horizon, where the sun is setting. A melodious giggle grasps at his attention as uncontestable as an avalanche. He whirls about, eyes settling on a well known face, and a gentle wave washes over him, warming his skin and putting him at eas-

-gears grind and Adarn's blue slate eyes snap open. Sitting up and looking down over the edge of his orange brown perch he makes out a mechanical figure, scavenging through a nearby piece of wreckage.

Sighing once again he slings his pack over his shoulders, picks up his rifle, and jumps down onto the hard sand. Removing and lighting a tediously rolled cigarette he treads off through the desert night, only a bright cherry bobbing like a firefly and tufts of hot smoke making his presence known.

[Tussa]

Whooossshhh.

The soft hiss when the shuttle approached the shuttleport had Jen smiling wide even before they touched ground. Rubi-Ka. Finally back after all these years! Sure, she had traveled back a few times to visit, but this time she brought all her things with her so she could stay longer, maybe even permanently move back.

It wouldn't be the same. Not without Cord. But there were others she hoped she would see again. Kotts - the witty, cheeky smart ass who could charm his way through any locked door. Cher - who reminded her so much of herself. Ridge and Kya - the bedrock of Assembly. Luci - the enigmatic genius. Mack - who always made her laugh. She got off the shuttle and hurried through the ICC terminal, eager to get the paperwork out of the way and...what? Start living again? Yes.

Because that is what Rubi-Ka was. Life. A dreadful planet full of dangers, an atmosphere that would kill you without protection, roaming animals, freelancers and outcasts that would snap you in two as soon as they got a chance, and of course the neverending animosity between the clans and Omni-Tek. Yet despite all that, this was where she truly felt that life was worth living. Of course...it was also the only place in the known universe where life could be restored immediately following death. It let you live harder, faster, more on the edge. That helped.

The air in Tir smelled like sand and old paper. She heard the drill calls of some Sentinels in the distance, probably for a change of guards or something. Nearby, two young women were laughing heartily over bronto burgers and pop. People were entering and exiting the whompah station regularly, the sound of the great machine's rhythmic thumping feeling familiar and comforting. She looked up towards the Council of Truth tower, and its shadow fell long and sleek over the bleached stone walls that made up the only city she felt could ever be her home.

Jen sniffed and turned on her comms system, logged into the Assembly channel and spoke.

"Hello, Assembly."

[Tussa]

Chris had been in the safe house a few days now. He was getting stronger and could soon leave if he wanted. But until then, he was stacked up there for his own health and safety. Fya had done a great job vetting him so far. He was apparently asking a lot of questions and continuously asking for equipment from his lab, but they couldn't let him have it. Not yet anyway. At least not the tools and datapad.

So when Fya delivered a hand written note and Jen saw the title Application - Procuring coffee maker, she couldn't help but smile. Asking verbally wasn't doing anything for Chris so far, so he went to the place he knew best. The land of formal applications, forms and procedures, long paragraphs and dreary language. He was always a bureaucrat to perfection, and very good at it too.

Application - Procuring Coffee-Maker

What follows is an application for procuring the Coffee-Maker belonging to Christopher "Xelger" Junior (C.X.J. TL6).
Due to the current situation, it would be comforting to be able to offer premium coffee to the aforementioned person's hosts.

What follows are positive points to benefit the application
•   Essential point #1
•   Essential Point #2
•   Essential Point #3
•   Essential Point #4

Following are paragraphs of importance within lawbook #2303BH-ZMX
•   Important paragraph for social interactions.
•   Important paragraph about important paragraphs.
•   Important paragraph regarding the importance of sustenance.
•   Important paragraph about the importance of important paragraphs.
•   Important looking paragraph concerning community interactions around a coffee-maker.
•   Important paragraph about something or another.
•   Important paragraph containing some inside joke between Jen & Chris.

Christopher "Xelger" Junior
C.X.J. TL6

She finished reading it and chuckled. Well, he was always good with paperwork.

"Approved!"

[Valandris]

The rain poured down. It was a double edged sword though. It helped conceal him yes, but it also concealed what was out there. He put his back to one of the large trees and slid down it to a crouch. He holstered his left BBI and popped the clip out on the right one, checking the ammo level. He repeated the same process for the left one, replacing a couple of bullets.

*THUMP* THUMP*  Something large was walking in his direction. To turned his head from one extreme to the other, the cracking sound almost seeming to echo. Lightning flashed in the sky followed shortly by the crash of the thunder. *THUMP* THUMP* *CRASH*  It was close now, that was a tree being pushed over. He tightened his grips on the pistols, putting both up getting ready to lunge out from behind the tree when his com link beeped.

Startled he looked down at it, it was from his mother Jasmine. "Val dear... I don't know how to tell you this..."  The message read, "Your father passed away this morning. I don't know if we will have enough to make the proper arrangements.  Please call me when you can."  He gritted his teeth in a snarl. Letting out a feral scream he dove from behind the tree, pointing the guns in the direction the sound had been coming from and pulling the triggers...