Within the next few moments, we appear in a cold, dimly lit room. I’m shoved away, and I fall to the floor, the vertigo from the transport making me vomit.
“Ugh…” I sit up, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
“Disgusting.”
I look up at Vincent through my hair. “I should have done it on your feet, bastard.”
Before I can react, he kicks me in the face. I fall back, blood trickling from the corner of one eye. I jerk out of his reach before the kick he aims at my ribs has the chance to connect.
Man, I getting’ really tired of getting captured by this guy.
I manifest a smoke bomb out of my belt to just a few inches above the floor in front of Vincent. When it drops and explodes a fraction of a second later, leaving my abductor lost in a world of smoke, I bolt out of the room and fly madly through the maze of tunnels. As I fly, I tap the homing device built into the multi-use belt.
Gods, I hope they can find me. I don’t know how to operate a ship! That’s if I can even find the friggin’ control room.
I come to a stop once I realize I’m passing over figures huddled against the wall. As I softly land, I look around.
Shocked, I find myself in a labyrinth of tunnels that seem to be made out of cold, damp stone. On the filthy floor, there huddle figures wearing rags that don’t do all that great a job of covering bruised and bloodied flesh.
These poor people…
I kneel down next to one of the figures and gently touch the shoulder. The face that turns to look at me is that of a twelve year old girl, devoid of any emotion or expression of any kind. I’m even more taken aback when I see her eyes.
Holy shit…they’re almost like mine…
Her irises are far larger than they should be, as big as a cat’s or dog’s, and pitch black.
“Who…did this to you?”
“The All Powerful One,” she answers in a dead voice.
“I’m so sorry…”
By this time, all of the huddled figures had turned and were looking at us. All of them are of different ages, sizes and genders. They’re all horribly abused and broken, both emotionally and physically. All of their eyes are similar to mine in color, but not exactly like them. Their gazes are all unfocused and lifeless.
Oh no…he didn’t blind these people too, did he?
I pass my hand in front of the girl’s face. She doesn’t track it with her eyes.
“Can you see me?” I ask gently.
“No. The world is black. After the lights and the blades, the world is black,” she answers in a monotone.
“Oh gods,” I whisper, greatly saddened.
Why would this guy do something like this? How could he? This is terrible…
I lean down and give the girl a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll try to help you, sweetheart. Just wait a little longer, and I’ll help you all.”
I stand and continue my way down the hallway, leaving the girl and the other blinded and tortured people behind, never ever forgetting the lifeless looks in their eyes.
Eventually, I reach the end of the ooblienth holding the tortured ones, and enter a maze of hallways and rooms looking like an engine area of some kind.
I look at the energies, trying to isolate and identify different aspects of the huge engine. This part must be completely computer run because there are no beings present and no visible control panels. I shudder at the complete contrast of this place to the place I was just in. the air is bone dry, so dry I have to swallow to re-moisten my throat, and frighteningly sterile.
…creepy…
Silently, I make my way through the computerized corridor, the only lights being the dim electrical ones, put there just in case someone needs to do some maintenance, and the eerie green glow being emitted from my eyes.
After about half an hour of wandering, I hear footsteps coming up behind me.
Well, geeze, took ‘em long enough. Must be one hell of
a big ship.
I whip my claws out and turn to face my pursuers with a demonic grin on my face. The glow of my eyes probably adds to the frightening effect, judging from the terrified looks on the guards’ face. There are three of them. Large, muscular men, their black body-suits and shaved heads make them look like bulky versions of futuristic skin heads. In their hands they carry what look like bos with glowing tips at both ends.
Hmm, maybe I should avoid getting hit with those things.
The three surround me, and the fight is on. They attack as a team, sending blows at any part of my body they think they can reach, and moves meant to trip me up constantly. I fend them off with claws, feet and wings well, though, being used to sparring with four ninja.
All of the sudden, my three attackers leap back.
What the fuck…?
There’s a crackling above me, and, before I even get to look up, an agonizingly paralyzing beam shoots through the top of my head. The pain darts down my neck, through my torso and into my wings, arms and legs. My body goes rigid as a board for a few seconds as the electricity ravages my nervous system before I finally go limp. Consciousness leaves me even before my body finishes slumping to the floor.
Part
Eleven
Part Thirteen
Mind Index