“Back when I was a small protogen, I used to hear a story about the protection protocol. Some say it was a group of protogens made to prevent wars, and or stop them. Others say that they were supposed to be an upgrade to law enforcement. Some say that they were made by an off brand company to stop weaponized protogens. But they are just a legend.”
“Are you going to help or keep yapping Shadow.” Snowball said. “I’m the look out.” Shadow responded.
SB: “Aren't they supposed to be quiet?”
S: “Aren’t you supposed to be searching for the item you want?”
SB: “I will put you back in cryostasis.”
S: “Calm down mr. grumpy pants.”
Snowball continues searching as Shadow continues telling stories. Snowball gets deep into the rubble of this abandoned laboratory, before the ground beneath him collapses. Shadow, worried, jumps in.
They land in a lab, with test tubes and some active equipment and computers. It’s damp, dark, only the lights from the computers lighting the room, and puddles from the dripping cryostasis chambers.
As Shadow helps Snowball up, the rubble caves in, trapping them in this dilapidated lab.
S: “Where are we? What is this place?”
SB: “I knew it was here.”
S: “Knew what was here?”
SB: “Come here, it’s hard to see without your glowing nanites.”
S: “So what is this place?” She said as she walks over.
SB: “This is the hidden laboratory that experimented with enchanted DNA.”
S: “Enchanted DNA?”
SB: “This lab would take DNA out of creatures, and then they would enchant the DNA with demonic or angelic magic, sometype of magic, and create creatures with sed DNA.
S: “S-so-.”
SB: “They were also the cause of the shortage of spell, ritual, and summoning books.”
S: “So they did illegal experiments, in a government facility?”
SB: “Yes, yes they did.”
Snowball, searches for the spell book of Φύση (Fýsi [Nature]), until they hear glass shatter. Shadow heads off to investigate the noise. She notices a cryostasis pod shattered, before being knocked out. “Hey, I need your light!” Said Snowball, annoyed. He got up and went searching for Shadow before hearing creaking metal behind him. Snowball turns around and finds a broken down prototype, half of the nanites melted, and welded together. “Y-y-y-yo-u-r-r b-b-bra-ak-kin t-t-th-e-e l-l-law-w.” It says, while holding out a taser. “Y-yo-u a-a-ar-e u-u-n-der a-a-a-a-a-rest b-b-b-y E-E-E-E.E-.P-P-P.A-A. 4-4-4-47.” It says before attempting to tase Snowball, but Snowball knocks it out, then searching for Shadow once more. He eventually finds Shadow, and he takes her, and the proto type back to the cave.
T: “What happened to my kitten?!?!”
SB: “Ask this little prototype.”
T: “Prototype?”
SB: “We sadly didn’t find what we were looking for, but we did find a recalled protogen operation.”
T: “Recalled?”
F: “The protection protocol. Only 56 of them were made, many of which were confirmed to have died during the recall process. But if this one is still alive, there might be more. They were made to stop wars and get rid of any protogen that wasn’t naturally made in the state that they were in.”
SB: “So Shadow’s story was actually true.”
F: “Mom’s stories are always true.”
SB/T: “Sure they are.”
SB: “Lets get them inside and tie the prototype up.”
They lay Shadow on the couch and tie the prototype to a chair as it wakes up.
?: “Th-t-th-this i-i-is t-t-tak-kin-g a-a-a h-ho-host-hostage-e. Y-yo-you a-a-a-re u-un-n-der-r a-arr-res-st b-b-by-.”
SB: “Shut up. Who are you?”
?: “I-I-I- c-c-ca-a-a-no-t-t s-s-s-say-y c-c-c-cri-i-i-m-inal-l.”
T: “You're the one made by a corrupt company.”
F: “Your E.E.P.A, Extreme Environmental Protection Agent.”
T: “It looks like something that would harm the environment.”
SB: “That and the dumb company probably used it as something to harm the environment.”
S: “HE doesn't know any better.”
T: “He doesn't?”
F: “He is being controlled by a computer chip.”
T: “That’s real!?!?”
SB: “Yes that one is a true story.”
S: “Give me a toolbox, a very sharp kitchen knife, and an electric saw.”
They give her what she asked as the power goes out. All they can hear is the noises of saws, and glitchy screams. Eventually the lights turned back on, E.E.P.A 47 passed out on the ground.
S: “He will wake up any second.”
T: “What did you do to him?”
S: “I fixed his voice box and removed the mind control chip.”
SB: “His voice box.”
S: “His glitching was hurting my ears.”
T: “You were knocked out though.”
S: “She can still hear.”
T: “Ok?”
E.E.P.A 47, slowly wakes up.
47: “Wh-where? … A-am-m? … I?”
S: “You are in my house, with my familly.”
47: “F-f-fam-i-ly?”
S: “We saved you from a bad company.”
47: “C-com-mpan-ny?”
T: “It seems he doesn't remember.”
SB: “Good job. You broke him.”
S: “I must have damaged his memory circuit, because the dumb mind control thing was there.”
F: “Do you have a memory circuit?”
S: “No, I’m not fully controlled like a mindless beast, and I’m a “organic” prototype.”
F: “Cool.”
47: “A-a-ar-re… you… m-mom?”
SB/T: “No-”
S: “Yes, yes we are.”
T: “What are you doing?”
S: “Giving him the chance I never had. A home.”
T: “Fine.”
SB: “What the hell is wrong with you.”
F: “It will allow him to grow, while his amnesia gets fixed by mom.”
S: “I’m smarter than you think Snowball.”
SB: “Sure.”
About a month goes by of Shadow raising him like her own. 47 mentally grew faster than normal, slowly getting his memory back in the form of dreams. Snowball eventually questions him, only getting his name out of him. .Dash, that was his name. They decided to just call him Dash, as it was easier than his full name.
This small group of friends may have made a new friend. But with his memory slowly coming back, who knows what will happen.
To be continued...
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The Stories of Tempora
FantasyA few short stories and poems that take place in this solar system.
