Sigma/Star

Chapter 61: All Eyes Open

Porter looked over Sigma as the android lay on the table. Doctor Roth had finally pulled the two brothers apart, without resistance from Sigma (who was wrapped up in memories). It was time for them to attempt the revival of Allyson; to finalize her restoration. Roth had already hooked up various cables to the cyborg's body, ones that snaked along the ground and connected to the vat. The dim lighting of the cavern flickered and lowered as different computers and machines powered up.

The rest of the Crisis Rescue Unit watched from the side, except for Raul who meditated with Ochenkov. Nobody spoke anymore, nobody dared to whisper or even cough. They had all listened to Leif's story and, aside from moving the girls to tears (and Ardwen though he tried to hide it), had humbled all of them. Each person in the CRU had been more than willing to sacrifice themselves for what they believed in; now they saw what Sigma was willing to give himself for.

But Porter was not ready to rest, to watch his brother he finally found kill himself for a girl. He had begged with Sigma to reconsider Allyson's revival. Part of the risk of bringing Allyson back to life was that Sigma's own might be given up. It was useless to try and convince the android of anything else though. He always pushed Porter aside, gently asserting his strength before being strapped onto the table.

Bubbles started shooting up from the bottom of the tube containing Alpha, swirling around her as electricity began to course through the vat. Sigma's body began to twitch on the table, fuelling Porter's nerves but Roth waved him off. This was all normal according to the doctor, and even a good sign, especially when Allyson's fingers in the tube started to wiggle along with Sigma.

Riya looked on at Allyson, her eyes flicking over to study Porter beside his brother. What was greater: one man's love for his sibling, or one man's feelings for his loved one? There was a brief flash in Riya's mind, of her hoping Porter might one day make the same sort of sacrifice for her but then it was gone. How much did she really like Porter anyways? What was it about his very average self that she had always found so charming? And what was holding her back still from admitting to it...

There were numerous lights suddenly igniting within the cave, blinking on and off before a siren went off. Nearly everyone jumped in panic, except for Dr. Roth who calmly looked up from the terminal he was working at. "It seems they found us." The elderly man returned to working at the computer, his pace unchanged. "I had hoped we might have another minute or two, but you cannot argue with the present. To be accepting of oneself, to understand your situation, to move forward and prosper in it, that is our goal." Sigma mumbled something incoherent, and Dr. Roth smiled. The android was still trying to name every passage from the Book of Enia that was spoken.

"Who is they?" Ardwen inquired, his role as leader kicking in.

"An Artisan strikeforce, I would assume, led by one of the Emperor's personal soldiers." Dr. Roth twisted some dials and a high pitched humming resonated through the cavern as the awakening of Allyson reached its final stages.

"The Emperor?"

"No time to explain the situation. We will need to hold them off momentarily until at least one of these cyborgs is online and can finish the job."

"But how did they find this place?" Nami chimed in.

"I would imagine having a handful of Goliaths standing outside my door would be a dead giveaway," came the snide response from the doctor. "It's nothing I didn't factor in already. Those warnings are from a very long range scanner. You still have time to get into your machines before they get here."

"Wait a minute, how come we have to fight to save this girl?" Chase pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the suspended Alpha. He was shot collective dirty looks by both the girls (and Porter) and he slunk back a little from their gaze. "Oh right, the love story thing." With Chase's objection dealt with, the group had to pry Porter away from his brother before piling back onto the central stone that acted as an elevator. They stumbled through the rocky passage that led back to the mountains, tripping up in the small puddles and holes forming in the soft stone. The air became colder, chilling them more than it had before as they had grown accustomed to the warmth inside the cave.