A whisper in the dark

[Shadowset]

pain..

his flesh felt on fire as if he was pressed against a sun..

he screams out but there is no sound.

Not anymore...

darkness comes rushing into his mind when a whisper sneaks in "... where are you?"

[Shadowset]

a voice, female, harsh tones cuts into the darkness "What is the status of subject 627515" more a statement then a question.

a soft almost submissive voice replying "Ma'am 627515 has shown some signs of recovering. It's as if something is refusing to let him die."

"Continue to monitor and inform me the continued change" the harsh voice comes closer "Hmm.. You have survived where others have given in 627515.. You will not last much longer... You should just face your destiny.. You will never be free. And you will *never* see her again!" *feeling a breeze on his scalp as this woman turns and the clicking of foot steps walking away*

her..

the pain returns.. but not as harsh.. has something changed? has he finally gotten used to it after so long?

a soft voice whispers in his ear as the world fades away "Don't give up, there is always hope...... Roger"

the last thought before he fades out "... where are you? I need you"

[Shadowset]

cold

a new sensation from the burning and fire..

he is aware for the first time of the hard platform he is laying on.  the feeling of cold moves, across his forehead, moving towards his neck. the cold starts to flow around his left ear and works it's way around his eye sockets when it strikes him that someone is cleaning him with a rag.

he opens his lips trying to find a voice to ask what is going on but only a small croak. his vocal cords set ablaze by the smallest movement.

"shh now.. don't try to talk" the same soft voice as yesterday says to him. "Just lay still and listen..." she begins to fill him in on what had been happening.

"years??!" he screams in his head as the soft voice drones on. a panic starts to grip at him, cold sweat breaking out across his skin.

how could it have been years?? wasn't it just a few days ago when he had gotten her message... she was leaving... don't try to find her.

years...

[Shadowset]

*a wave of memories crash over him*

meeting Jen for the first time...

applying to work for Assembly...

being introduced to her...

long chats in the Shadowland Hills while Cat played with Hecklers...

that first kiss... her smile...





she had left a message.. leaving.. can't follow her..

walking into the Tir Merc office.. ordering a contract to find her... bring her back..

... where are you?

[Shadowset]

something touching his lips.. cooling sensation trickling into his mouth...

'Drink this Roger, it will help heal your throat" the soft voice speaks to him

by reflex alone he swallowed the liquid and felt the healing bots go to work on his throat and vocal cords

"who?.." he croaks out

"It matters not, just know me as a friend of friend. Rest now, soon you will need your strength." a warm hand gently strokes the top of his head. "I will be back soon" she whispers as the meds she included start to work and put him back to sleep.

turning from the table she walks out of the room out into a well lit medical complex. turning left she walks about nine meters to the lift and calls it to her level. moments later the lift arrives and she enters pressing "G" as she turns to the doors.

the door opens and she walks out into a lobby, the twin suns glaring in from outside. walking out the front door she approaches a fountain and sits on the ledge.

a look of pain and worry crosses her features and just as quickly the look turns hard.

"comlink open secure link Mark Fourteen"

~opened secured channel.. anonymous linking~

To: Jenae "Tussa" Kirklin
      President of Assembly
From: #############
re: a price due

** Message as follows **
A debt must be paid
one who was lost
has been found.
from ghost of past
a debt will be paid.
be on guard
for the time is soon.

445427358435443441442358428431436426358423358406434423425427358442437358435427427442
** End of Message **

~channel closed~

[Tussa]

Jen opened the mail. Read it. Read it again, then closed it. It wasn't the first time she had gotten an anonymous mail with some sort of vaguely hidden threat. She didn't even bother looking at the encrypted part, or send an inquiry to Sembly.

She started on her daily chores, going through papers, clan related business, paying due bills. Her wristpad beeped, indicating another mail had arrived. It was from the Tir City Council, informing her that the paperwork she had delivered on behalf of Samuli the day before had been assigned a case handler. She filed the mail and sent a message to the young opifex. Then more chores. After a few hours, she left the apartment and headed to Perpetual Wastelands for a hunt.

Though something bothered her, niggled at the back of her mind, and she didn't feel up for chasing desert demons or anuns. She got back, sat at her desk and drummed her fingers on it, staring at the holo-screen infront of her and the list of grid mails in her inbox. Finally, she opened the mail again, read it over and over. She sent the encryption to Sembly, but the clan AI was not built as a cipher and cryptograph program.

She composed a quick message to Cord, Fya and Val. In it, she forwarded the message and explained that she couldn't get this thing out of her head, especially the part about debts and ghosts, and asked whether they could have a go at the code.

[Hilfy]

To: Jenae "Tussa" Kirklin
From: Fya "Hilfy" Hill
Re: Code

Jen. Sent code to trusted associate. Decrypted. Message plus video hidden in cipher follow.

"We must find a place to meet"

:: video log ::
Clip shows a darkened room with an unvisored male nanomage lying on the table. Code on the video identifies it as: Omni-Reform - subject #627515, dated October 14, 29488. 
:: end video ::

End message.

Hill, Fya

[Tussa]

Jen looked at the video Fya had sent several times. There was something familiar about the nanomage, but it was too dark to see. Besides... she sometimes found it difficult to tell some nanomages apart. Still, something made her look at the clip over and over.

- Sembly, she said out into the room at large. The AI pinged to life on her neural link.
:: Yes, Mrs Kirklin? ::
- Run cross reference checks on male nanomages, Omni-Reform subject #627515.
:: Right away, Mrs Kirklin. ::

It took about ten seconds before the answer came. :: Video enhancing did not produce unequivocal results of identity. One reference point in Assembly archives. :: said Sembly in a matter-of-fact tone. Jen leaned forward on the table and demanded the result brought up on the wall holo pad.

There he was. Pale, serious looking but with a hint of humour beneath the otherwise stern nanomage features. The blue visor he wore back when the picture was taken gleamed. He was wearing a blue coat speckled with white and black, and he looked young, regardless of the damaged tissue around his eyes from the notum infusion the body had went through. The picture was ten years old, from about when he started training and developing his meta-physicist skills under her back in '78.

The slowly spinning picture of Roger "Shadowset" Garanti, VAT number 627515, looked down at her from the wall, and Jen's blood ran cold.

[Shadowset]

*a scream*

he sits up, body covered in sweat, the covers from his lux bed in Jobe falling to bunch around his waist. a shaking hand reached up to wipe the sweat from his face. "Damn," he says to no one "these dreams need to stop."

*flicking a pattern to the machine attached to his wrist* "Sembly, personal log 11.10.29488"

:: Ready Mr. Garanti ::

different dream today... this time i was on some ship. it didn't feel like it was me though, like i was able to feel things and felt emotions it was like i was disconnected somehow. maybe a previous life experience or something *chuckles*

the ship looked to be a cargo class but it had passengers. seems strange that a cargo class would be carrying a non work crew, but i guess anything is possible. there was trouble. something wasn't right with the ship. people were running around and there was a clear panic.

then fire. the rushing scream of air being sucked out into space.

silence

things are moving around me as if in slow motion. hands on controls. a planet filling a view finder.

that is when I woke up and dialed in.

Note for the Doc, heart rate elevated, notum level shows a spike of 6.23% and I have a bloody pounding headache that i think a pair of mining trox are going to work on the back of my neural implants.

note for President Kirklin, my manifestations are here saying i called upon them. i am making note of this as if i recall i had an issue with them coming to be without me calling them forward.

Sembly end

:: Thank you Mr Garanti ::

[Shadowset]

*a beeping sound that starts soft but gets progressively louder*

i'm up...

*the beeping sounds turns into a honking*

i'm UP...

*the honking doesn't stop*

FOR HELLS SAKE I AM UP!! *Roger rolls over throwing his blankets to the side and sits up*

*the alarm honks one more time for good measure but sensing the weight on the bed has changed turns off*

"bloody arse alarm" Roger mumbles to himself as he rubs his bald head with a shaky hand. kicking aside any further thought of sleep, knowing the alarm is set to go off again if he tried to lay down again. standing he makes his way to the desk setup across from the bed he was just on he sits down heavily and gropes for his visor knocking over several other objects in the process.

it was late when he got in this morning. working a agency contract in the middle of the night because he couldn't sleep. things got rough.. the pain of being reclaimed not once but twice *a wince on his face remembering he had yet to inform Doc about this*.. Cords coming out to watch him. *sighing*

"Sembly are we awake this morning with the sun?"

::Mr. Garanti I am always awake. How may I assist you?::

"i need you to take a log if you would please?"

::Logging system started, please proceed when you are ready::

date, eleven twelve twenty nine four eighty eight

for Doc and President Kirklin

had issues sleeping last night, muddled dreams of darkness and being in much pain. *sighs* wasn't wanting to return to them so i went to the local clan agency and took upon a contract for cleanup in the Milky Way area. seems there was an issue with things savaging a downed ship or mobile station.

upon my arrival i will note that my manifestations wouldn't head me call for assistance and i was set upon by a being called a fearreaver. i was sent to reclaim as i was unable to withstand the onslaught of attacks. this happened twice before i just dismissed them for the moment and once i was in the area of the contract i then called them forth again. not so sure what that is about, maybe President Kirklin can explain.

what else... Cords stopped by while i was on the contract. thinks i am over working myself but i don't think so.

gotta keep my mind off what happened... and off her. strange things have been happening if i think to much on her,  my manifestations seem to come forth without me having to call them. always the same thing when i question the appearance.  "you called" or "you were in danger", had this happen before i seem to recall but will have to ask President Kirklin if she recalls what the cause was.

headaches seem to be tapering off since Chris installed the new visor, could have been the crappy ones i was wearing when the family found me. *sighs* family.. how much i have missed them and how much i feel that i am outside the family i once was in.

i know from memories of that past that one just doesn't welcome in someone who can't tell you where or what or even why you disappeared...

hell i wish i could give them answers, but i don't know myself..

just *voices breaks*

"Master we come"

::Log Ended::