Archcore: Echoes of Ion

[13] - [The Fifth Child]

"The year is 089 of the Post Collapse era, third quarter. The attack on Vanaheim took us all by surprise. The attack was perpetrated by a paramilitary faction located on Earth, Seventh Star, without any warning."

"The fighting had lasted for almost over two hours, many were killed during the conflict. Some soldiers, others workers in the station, some just common people. Very few had managed to escape. As the fighting was coming to an end, one last Dreadnought appeared, the Raven. However, it was overpowered by two Psion type Dreadnoughts and had fallen to Mars."

"The Raven was later recovered but was badly damaged. As for its pilot, Azuma... there was no body. But with parts of the Dreadnought burning up in the atmosphere, none really expected there to be one."

"In the aftermath of the attack and since then, Lady Proxima hasn't been the same. That was the day we had also lost Wallace Seitz. Though it would seem that losing Azuma hasn't affected Proxima very much, the same can't be said for me and a few others, and I fear it won't be the same once we get the fifth one."

"Entry number Seventy-four. Licca Bran, signing off."

[Two Weeks Since Vanaheim]

A large door opened to a dark room, only illuminated by the light outside. Feeling the cold air escape from it, Proxima walked into the dark room as the lights above began to turn on one by one. Following close behind her were Rosario and several men in lab coats led by Weiss Garner who walked closest to Proxima.

As they walked deeper into the room, they passed large cylinder tanks, each having painted numbers over them. '01', '02', '03', and '04', each was empty. Finally, they approached one with a painted '05' above it.

"This one," Weiss said, "He is still alive, but every function in his body has stopped."

"In other words the machines are keeping him alive for now." Rosario said.

Proxima just smiled as she stood directly in front of the tank. The liquid inside was thick, leaving what was inside to be nothing more than a blurred image of what it contained, "Wake him up. He's slept enough." Proxima said as she crossed her arms.

Weiss just nodded as he started up a terminal beside the tank. An alarm went off as lights began to flash as the liquid inside was drained, leaving behind a young male. The tank opened as the male fell to the ground, the tubes attached to him coming off his body. On the floor, he quickly burst to life with a deep inhale, only leading to him coughing as he struggled to breath the air around him.

"I think I'll call this one, Fives." Proxima said.

Looking past the scientists, Proxima gestured for two armed men to come. Picking up Fives by the arms, he was dragged out of the room as he drifted in and out of consciousness.

When Fives had regained consciousness, he was before Proxima once again. This time inside a dimly lit hangar. The two looked at each other for several minutes before Fives finally was able to speak as he slowly got to his feet.

"After all this time, you finally released me?" Fives asked, "I should kill you where you stand, Proxima."

Proxima only smiled, "Quite a violent one, aren't you?"

Fives looked around to see they weren't alone. Several armed men stood by, as did Rosario and Weiss. Looking back at Proxima, Fives just let out a small chuckle, "Does this mean he died?"

"Why else would I have released you?"

Proxima began to walk around Fives, "Among those who came before you, Lynx and you were considered a success. However, he excelled in places you failed, and you excelled in places he failed. For one, Lynx had no real drive to kill. That instinct was missing, no matter how much we tried to force it into him, it never took. With no desire to kill, he had no desire to suppress it."