Kali gazed at the monitors on the control panel. "Speed, 200", she read aloud to herself, "temperature, normal", "discharger stock, full". She repeated this over and over again in her mind, until her gaze settled on the reflection of her face mirrored on the cockpit glass. She studied herself, a long, full face, flush with the day's travel, her usually alert, light purple eyes sunk in and tired. Kali sighed and shook her head, causing her dark pink hair to fall over her eyes. Brushing it back with a lazy flick of her hand, she begain to study the control panel again. Soon tiring of that, Kali laid back and listened to the metallic ring as her Zoid's paws struck the desert sand in a constant rythem. Leaning forward, she set the Konig Wolf to autopilot, which it responded to by a short growl. "He's such a good friend..." she muttered to herself as she was lulled to sleep by the Zoid's pattering paws. Kali blinked once, stared at the last traces of the setting sun on the horizon, and drifted off.
Kali blinked and looked around her. She was somewhere in a what appeared to be a ruined city. Large, grey clouds drifted in the sky, blocking out the light from the sun. Buildings lay crumbled and collapsed on one another, small fires burning in them. The streets were littered with large, twisted metal beams, debris of all kinds, and fallen Zoids and their dead pilots. A heavy fog prevaded the area, covering everything in it's cold embrace. From deep in the city came a roar, the roar of a Zoid whose very existance sent shivers up Kali's spine. She suddered and shook all over as the scene melted into a black background as if it were nothing more then an illusion. Kali was still shaking as the outline of a person came out of the blackness. It was a boy of about sixteen or so, his wispy brown hair flowing in a breeze she couldn't feel. He looked at her and smiled slightly. She could feel a warm energy radiating from him. Then his expression darkened, and he turned and looked at the darkness behind him. A fierce wind begain blowing from that direction, whipping Kali's blue skirt around her legs and throwing back her hair as she stood mesmerized. The boy looked back at her and sadly dropped his head, then without warning, he shattered into shards like broken glass. When these shards touched the blackness, they melted altogether into it. A growl, exactly like the roar from the city, rose on the wind. That same feeling of terror also rose in Kali's chest. "No", she whispered, her soft voice carried away on the wind, "not again". Then, from the abyss a dark shape lifted itself up. First rose the giant tail, the blackness sticking to it like tar. Afterwards came the arms, with their cruel claws pushing against the thick, black soup. Finally, in all it's evil glory, the massive head broke free, the darkness dripping off it's three large head mounted cannons. Kali watched in horror as it erected itself to it's full height, and opened it's jaws as the dark substance continued to fall off it. Unleashing a hellish roar that shook Kali to her very soul, it turned it's sinister head in her direction. It's eyes lit up in a bright red flash as it called to her. "Come to me," it cooed in a disembodied voice, "Come to me, daughter of the Eve...". "Kali," it whispered, "Kali.", then savagely throwing back it's head, it roared "KALI!"
Kali's scream jerked her awake. "Kali, are you OK?", said a worried voice from the com speaker. With a trembling hand, she wiped the tears from her eyes. After fumbling for a bit with the controls, she pressed the visual link button. Instantly a man appeared on the screen, his young face shadowed with concern. "Kali, what's wrong, you look terrified." Kali worked her shivering jaw for a second before answering. "Ju..Just a nightmare, that's al..l." she studdered, unable to stop her vibrating jaw. The man looked at her suspiciously. "Are you sure that's all. When I called your name, you screamed like something was trying to kill you." Regaining some of her composure, she cocked her head to the side and said gruffly, "Don't worry so much, I know what goes on with me better then anyone else." When he started laughing at her, she opened one eye and gave him her dumbfound look. "What now?", she asked confused. He took a breath and stated matter-of-factly, "You are just like your mother", then he lost it and started laughing again. Kali dropped her head. "Thats what EVERYONE tells me.", she said with a sigh. "Ok,", said the man on the screen, "it seems your Zoid traveled off-course by about four hundred miles. You've been gone all night." "WHAT!?", Kali shouted so loud that the man had to cover his ears. "ALL NIGHT!? THAT'S CRAZY! KONIG HAS NEVER DONE THIS!" "KALI!", the man cried with only one of his grey eyes open, "do you have to shout?" "Sorry, I guess I was taken by surprise...", Kali looked up as the man was typing something. "What are you doing?" "I just sent a message back to base, telling them your alright." He looked at the expression on her face. "Don't worry, I covered you, told them it was a Zoid malfunction." Kali sighed with relief. The man chuckled. "You know how your parents were." "Yeah," Kali said as she rolled her eyes, "Mom was freakin' out and Dad was calm as usual." The man laughed again, "Well, you'd better get going, it's a three hour trip back from here." "Ok, thanks Jamie." And she cut the com link. Kali listened to the roar of Jamie's Raynos as it passed over, it's dull green armor glistening in the early light. She shook her head, "Good thing Uncle Harry didn't find me, or I'd never here the end of it.", she said to herself. Then pulling back on the controls, she and Konig ran on with the sun at their back.
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