Dome B rests quietly on the surface, while just beneath that inflated canvas lies turmoil, and strife.
The two boys were panting heavily, as they watched the lights slowly blink out and dim, and the overwhelming whirring sound of the generator began to cease completely. Hiro couldn't help but smile to himself as he moved from the wall, walking towards the mysterious assistant. "So...how did you get down here?" He asked, whipping the sweat from his brow. He was surprised at how hot it had gotten, considering hours ago he was freezing inside of his dark cell. The other boy was probably around his age. It was odd to see someone appear at the final moment of truth like that. He hadn't seen him at school before, and he wondered if he was a Saxon student. Toru couldn't help but smile triumphantly as the annoying hissing sound began to die, and the two were completely engulfed in darkness. "Let me tell you about it later." He said reaching out for Hiro to make sure they didn't lose each other in the pitch darkness. The two boys continued along the concrete hallway, their eyes straining, and revealing nothing. Backing up to their left, and walking alongside the wall, they continued on a bit more, in the growing silence. All they could hear was their synchronized breathing. "Why is it so damn hot?" Toru swore as he could feel beads of sweat pour off his of brow, and his hands too, felt covered in sweat. "That generator might have controlled the cooling system in this place..." Hiro commented. "All this wiring, it's no surprised that an insulated place like this would heat up..." He was only speaking in theory, but it sounded about right in his mind [coming from someone who daydreams in chemistry]. They came across a sleeping Nadia, almost tripping over her extended legs. "We need to help her out of here, she's badly hurt." Hiro said to Toru, who had yet to introduce himself. It reminded him of a fireman's rescue operation, where you don't get the details in till the job is done. Here they were, two strangers, stuck in a 'metaphorical' fire, which they had hopefully doused by switching the generator off.
Each of them got underneath one of the girl's arms, and hoisted her up. She moaned slightly, but whether or not she was conscious could not be determined. "Hang in their Nadia, we'll get you out of here...I promise...I'll make things right." Hiro whispered to himself, as they continued to ascend through the darkness.
At per her request, Trey was moving back through the dome to locate Amy. The informant was a bit worried. If Toru, and Hiro had both worked together, then it would be possible to stop this dome from malfunctioning. That was one thing the higher ups at Hive wouldn't expect. Naturally when you are an organization bent on some crazed idealism that the world needs to go in a certain direction, failure must be covered up entirely to prevent any loose ends from figuring it out. They militarized the domes and other structures they built, and they knew that considering the mindlessness of their troops, it would be fairly easy for a plan to go the other way, all you needed was knowledge in computer programming. Especially in Stadweld, when so many things were being tested and experimented, they weren't focused enough to provide how they usually do when building these 'hives'. Trey knew this from his own experience with Hive. They were testing their limits, and it was surprising how close they came to success, but even still, they did not plant a counter measure inside of their structure. They never would do something like that. Which is why the informant snuck into the construction unit from the get-go, making sure that the generator, which could power the self destruct mechanism, could be in fact turned off. It was surprising still, at how many people had a piece in this game. Hive was betting against the combined forces of Cylinder, and the rag-tag team of 'experiments'. Though obviously, Cylinder can handle Hive without any inside help... he thought darkly.
As he continued to move through the twisted maze he had took so many months to memorize entirely, he kept his mind focused on the very significance of the Stadweld dome. He knew they worked in circuits. They'd nab a group of cities, usually only the important figures, to make the right decisions. Stadweld was an attempt at a full out control scheme, and this was only the second time they had tried to do something like that. The man stopped as the lights began to flicker and the hissing started to die down a bit. He was given his time it seemed. "Ah well, here we go, we still can't be around here when Senba's Army arrive..." he pressed on, in till he finally reached the computer technician room where he suspected Amy would be, considering the number of random power outages, the somewhat perfectionist would definitely try to get everything running up to speed. "Amy!" He called out and the girl, who had a battery powered flashlight turned with a look of surprise on her face as he appeared in the room. "Troy-Trey-tree!" She said in a sing-song voice. "What's happening to my precious hardware?" She moaned then as the power completely blanked out. "Just when I thought I could get the system back on." She sighed, slouching down in one of the swivel chairs. "We need to evacuate!" He said urgently. "Oh come on, don't act like it's gonna blow. I know you rigged the generator so it'd get turned off." She said with a smile, though it was hard to see considering they were only going by the power of the flashlight. "That won't stop Senba from kidnapping us and torturing us. The government isn't involved this time sweetie. Besides I promised Meredith I'd take you along." Amy stood up then. "Mere-bear asked for me to be rescued?" She giggled. "I'm so going to tease her about that!" And then she started off when she stopped. "Wait, wait, what about her? If she's left in the dark..." Amy said looking at Norie who, when the light was shined on her, blinked a few times slowly. "I'd hate to leave her..." She said quietly.
* * *
"Wait...Michi...where exactly are we going?" Kaz asked still feeling the wounds he received from his tussle with Jack, and his head was slow to clear as they pressed onward through the twisting and winding hallways. "I obtained a map from one of the unconscious personnel here...I think I know where to go..." She said trying to keep Kaz upright, while also keeping control of the emotional Kylie. It had been by mere speculation that she had even stumbled upon the room that Jack had been carried to. It was also through her interview with Trey or Troy, that she had come to a conclusion as to where Norie might be. He said she was currently undergoing tests, and even though that was probably a while back, she wouldn't have gotten far considering the high level of commotion which apparently had been erupting all over the domes since her brief interrogation of that mysterious young man. After leaving the room, she had found that the ticket usher was unconscious in his booth, a twisted smile still etched on his face. As well as the armed guard who barred their passage previously. Every single guard she encountered was on the ground, motionless. It gave her a disheartening feeling, yet it was good luck for them. All she wanted was to find Norie, and get out of here...but then again there was still Maki, and an entirely new dome structure to explore, but she had a sinking feeling that she wouldn't get the chance.
"What...what is that horrible sound?" Kylie asked taking her hands and covering her ears. The trio stopped looking around. "It's getting louder..." Kaz breathed. "It can't be good. We should try and hurry..." She said when Kaz stopped her. "Let me rest here...I'll just slow you down...you have to come back this way right?" He said with a smile. Michi was hesitant for a while when Kylie stood next to the young man. "Don't worry...I'll get him out of here..." The young girl said, and Michi nodded. "Alright...be careful you two!" She said before running off down the hallway.
* * *
"Well what are we going to do?" Trey pondered out loud. "Time is running out." Amy thought for a moment. "We should at least take her halfway." The girl insisted. "Fine, fine...you do it. Let's be quick about it." He said, and Amy stood Norie up. "Up you go!" She sang. The weary Norie stumbled along with them as Trey lead the way through the darkness, with only Amy's flashlight as the only stable source of light. They pressed through the door, and into the laboratory chamber. Stepping over the bodies of the fallen guards, and near the exit they came face to face with a girl who was sprinting blindly through the darkness. They nearly collided, and at first there was some kind of fear as Amy shined her light on Michi Kasahara no less. She saw the gun in Trey's hand, and she saw the droopy Norie leaning against Amy, and she wondered what was going on. "Norie!" She exclaimed, and without further explaination, Amy playfully shoved the girl at Michi. "Sorry, it was nice babysitting. But we have a ride to catch~" While Michi was busy keeping Norie upright, the other two disappeared leaving them in the darkness. "Why the hell did you even want to bring her?" Trey asked, "If you were just waiting to dump her off?"
"I have a conscience too ya know."Amy retorted
"Norie! Norie!" Michi was saying to the girl she held in her arms, and the other reached up and touched her face. "Michi...? Michi...where is Maki? Where is my Maki?" She asked sounding confused. "Hold on, first let's get you out of here."
They reached the entrance to the tunnel, pressing through quickly, and quietly. It would be a long ways in till they reached the exit, and the car waiting for them. Meredith believed they would be taken away and reunited with Hive...but as Trey continued to escort Amy, in the darkness of the tunnel, a devious smile crossed his face. In the shadows of the Cylinder, there is another organization...
One more set on dismantling the world entirely.
This world is a failure. We will start the world from Scratch.
Scratch the world. To make a new one.
The crossroads.
The first to reach the exit happened to be Kaz, who with a great effort made by Kylie, had retraced his steps to the lobby, and there he found the exit he was looking for. He looked up at the slightly clouding sky, wondering how he must have felt hours ago when he was on his way in. He couldn't help but mutter apology after apology under his breath. He felt that Kylie knew...he wasn't really saying sorry to her. As his eyes looked up at the setting sun behind him, he wondered about Jack, if there was a heaven, was his best friend there? What would happen to Kylie? He had a sinking feeling that the girl who he had protected all these years...despite how much it angered him, that Jack was right about him. He missed Jessica. He wanted that sister figure back in his life, and he had found it...
What was I thinking? The lazy kind of guy closed his eyes, and let his body drop to the ground, even though he was still conscious. A slight smile crossed his face as he rolled onto his back and looked up at the sky. It's all too unreal for me...at this point, I could care less what happens.
Next to appear from the darkness of the domes were two boys, holding onto an unconscious girl. Kylie turned as they approached, both breathing heavily, and finally, free from the domes, they gently put their load down on the ground. One of the boys stood up and walked over to them, while the other seemed to tend to the girl they had dragged out. "Hey, are you okay?" The boy asked. "Yeah...we're fine...just a bit roughed up..." Kaz said tilting his head slightly. "That's fine and dandy then..." The boy walked away flipping out his phone. "God damn place is going to be swept up soon. Nothing will stop that army from reaching us then." He looked around for a moment. Nobody here would care if he ran away. Yet he...he was probably the only one who knew what was coming. A Senba personal army, under his father's control, yet who was controlling his father? There was still one dome left, he watched it burry underneath the ground. "Oh shit." He cursed. "Let's get out of here..." He said heading back towards Nadia. "Huh? Why?" Hiro asked. "There's another dome underneath us...who's to say that thing isn't about to blow up?! They wouldn't just blow up one." He said lifting up Nadia again and Hiro assisted. "You two better get out of here as well." He said to Kylie and Kaz who both started to navigate away from the dome structures. As they started to pull away, Michi and Norie emerged from the entrance of the structure. "Michi!" Kaz waved, and he found the strength to move over to her, and help with Norie.
It seems like everyone is beat up... Toru thought. Except for him of course, he must have been a prisoner...He looked at Hiro who was slaving over Nadia. The broken and wounded group found themselves moving towards what appeared to be a helicopter, that had slowly circled down. No chance at escaping my father's army then? The commercial helicopter dropped down near the outskirts of the structure, and it looked just big enough for them to pile into. Toru entered in next to the pilot, taking the passenger seat. "We didn't receive word from your father, but given the circumstances, I'm sure as hell glad we made it in time." The pilot said and Toru nodded slightly. "Yeah, we probably need to go to a hospital. That means away from Stadweld..." he said looking back as everyone, with a bit of confusion entered the helicopter. Kylie was next to Michi and Norie, while Kaz took the seat across from his best friend's sister, and next to Hiro and Nadia. They lurched up into the sky, the other passengers assumed that this was probably going to go to a hospital. They circled around the domes for a moment, when suddenly, in a massive plume of smoke and dirt, a pillar of fire became visible from where the second dome once stood. A resounding quake could be felt even in the air as everyone looked down at the swirling explosion.
Even in her delusional state, Norie knew. "Maki!" She screamed reached out, pressed against the seatbelt, that restrained her. "Maki! Maki! Maki! No! Maki!" She was reaching for the seatbelt, but Michi was holding her arm back. A steady stream of tears sprung from her fear stricken eyes. "Maki! MAKI! NO...NOT YET! PLEASE! SAVE MY SISTER! SHE'S MY SISTER! MAKI! SHE NEEDS YOUR HELP! DAMN NOBODY LISTENED TO ME! NOBODY SAVED MAKI!" She felt herself slipping as her body began to shake, and with one final scream, she fell back and her eyes closed. Michi was close to tears herself, seeing her friend in such a state, she could only place her hands firmly on her shoulder, holding her upright. As the helicopter spiraled around to check out the damages, Hiro, who was on that side of the explosion noticed something down there. "Hey! There's someone down there!" he pointed, and it brought everyone's attention to a tiny speck near the gaping hole of the destroyed domes. The pilot slowly circled around a few times. "Verified. There is some definitely down there. Someone go and secure their safety before any more cave ins occur."
"Copy that."
The endlessly burrowing roots; and the final moments of clarity.
"Self destruct? These buildings have that kind of system?" Dare asked sounding a bit skeptical, and Sen nodded darkly. "And unlike the movies, these domes are designed to blow up, and at that point it becomes unstoppable. We have a few options." He said pressing his glasses up against his eyes. "We can either go up the spiral, and climb the emergency ladder which exits near the top of the dome..." He said eying Maki carefully. "She won't make that kind of climb. She's exhausted!" Dare exclaimed and Sen nodded. "Or we can use the underground maintenance tunnel, which will lead us out of here hopefully." He looked at the group. "One is up, the other is down. So how do we proceed?" He asked and Rey closed her eyes. She felt compelled to stay, but something was tugging at her conscious. Something she couldn't explain entirely, but she shook her head turning to Dare, and then focusing on Lei, and a slight smile came across her face. "I don't like being underground. I'm going over the top." She said stepping past Sen who looked at her curiously. "Do you think you'll make it even after being in that memory chamber for so long?" He asked and she scoffed. "Don't try and convince me the other way. I don't trust you. Even if you apparently helped rescue me. I'll make it." She said, glancing back at Lei one last time. "Keep them safe for me." Was all she said before sprinting up the spiraling hallway and out of sight. My only sister can handle a simple task like that...besides, she still needs time...
The other four stood there for a moment. "What are we waiting for? Let's go down to the maintenance tunnel you speak of!" Dare said helping Maki along. "I have a friend I need to inform first. If you go all the way down, there's no way you'll miss it..." He said quietly before slipping off down the way Dare and Lei had come from earlier. Dare looked back at Lei for a moment. "Let's go Leila." She quietly consented, as they worked as quickly as they could down the hallway as it spiraled down.
Sen walked casually down the hallway, sidestepping a few rogue backpacks, and then coming up to the head of security's temporary 'office' where he tapped on the steel door with his knuckles. "Tama! You better not be asleep." He said with a smile, and after a loud groaning sound, the door slowly slid open and the head of security looked wearily at his long-time friend with a look of irritation. "What do you want? You lousy, good for nothing shady-job-offering piece of--." He stopped his tirade letting out a sigh. "What the hell is that horrible hissing sound?" He asked and Sen took him by the arm dislodging him from the security room. "The self destruct mechanism of course. Which means we've got to split." The head of security looked baffled by the concept. "What? Can't we just turn it off?" He asked as Sen lead them further down the passageway to where, if the dome was actually at ground level, the busses would be held in their concrete garage. "Where are we going?" Tama asked, still feeling a bit off balance. "It's high time we got out of this sticky situation. No doubt you've been cursing my name for landing you this job, forgive me." Sen said reaching the door, and revealing and elevator shaft which would go up. "Say, Sen...weren't there some kids running around causing trouble? It seems kind of sudden that we're evacuating...yeah? I mean sure it's gonna blow up, but did something happen?" The confused freeloading man leaned against the elevator wall as Sen pushed the buttons leading them upward. "I'm sure their somewhere..." He smiled slightly. It's a real gamble...but I'm curious as to how powerful her power really is... Yet he was disturbed. If she dies...that may spell out of a lot of trouble for me though. Well that's the risk of the entire situation I suppose. "What are we gonna do after all this Sen?" Tama asked, and the informant shrugged. "I'll probably drop you off in some nice tropical place to make up for all the trouble I've caused."
* * *
"Turn off the computer, Sader. We're done here." The boy turned up to look at his master. "Turn it off?" He asked quietly. "Yes, turn it off. We're leaving." The man, dressed in a white lab coat, with a graying beard, and shaggy hair resting on his balding head grabbed a stack of papers from his desk and shoved them into his briefcase. As he finished, the man turned to Sader who seemed to be hesitating in his task of turning off the dual monitor computer system.
"We're sealing this room off now, Sader. Nobody will be able to turn it on, in till you return." He assured, but the boy didn't seem to react. "Did you hear what I said?" The scientist inquired and the boy nodded finally shutting them off completely. "Yes...nobody, nobody but me will perform this task." He smiled to himself as he followed his master. The two left the room. The doors closed and then a hissing sound indicated that it was sealed officially. "Come, Sader, we have to get out of here before those little shits find us." He cursed under his breath.
"Yes. We shall leave." The pale boy echoed.
"Yes. We shall leave." The pale boy echoed.
Doctor Einburg had been working on this project for almost four years nonstop now. It may seem short compared to other works, but he knew it well. He wasn't about to let it all go to hell. He was fully aware of the high chance of failure in this particular area. Hive was already being implemented on a world-wide scale. He didn't understand why some of them were immune to the effects, and others weren't. This was all a part of his study. Yet he was irritated that there was an antithesis to the perfect mind control simulator: A way of daily life without living. You'll never die by a simple thing like getting shot by a stranger, or run over by a car because everyone is programmed to do things right. Morality is set in stone now. The godless world has a god.
Yet, Doctor Einburg also knew that this world had more than one god in a manner of speaking.
He cursed, and marveled, at the geniuses who had created the nemesis to Hive, the silver and white clad Cylinder. Oh, how he loathed them so much, yet he had never met them face to face. He had heard that Cylinder was created initially for a single person, however it has grown out of control now. It was going to destroy everything that Hive stood for. Everything. It's years of research. It's successful implementation into society.
All of it would become useless, unless they were able to destroy Cylinder. The final moments of Hive were fast approaching. Yet...he knew that he owed Cylinder one basic security. The antidote to the mind chemical. It eradicated all connections to the program, and liberated the person entirely. Every senior staffed member had taken it. It was the only way for them to become the true masters of the world. However, inversely, every single member of Cylinder was also under the affects of the antidote, and were the only ones with the means of distributing it to others.
He cursed, and marveled, at the geniuses who had created the nemesis to Hive, the silver and white clad Cylinder. Oh, how he loathed them so much, yet he had never met them face to face. He had heard that Cylinder was created initially for a single person, however it has grown out of control now. It was going to destroy everything that Hive stood for. Everything. It's years of research. It's successful implementation into society.
All of it would become useless, unless they were able to destroy Cylinder. The final moments of Hive were fast approaching. Yet...he knew that he owed Cylinder one basic security. The antidote to the mind chemical. It eradicated all connections to the program, and liberated the person entirely. Every senior staffed member had taken it. It was the only way for them to become the true masters of the world. However, inversely, every single member of Cylinder was also under the affects of the antidote, and were the only ones with the means of distributing it to others.
As he walked up the hallway his cell beeped and he paused to look at it. "Sen? That ungrateful wretch always prying into my business unwanted..." He grumbled as he read the message.
-Protocol Zero is now established. You better get out. The self destruct mechanism was tripped so I imagine that you've already locked up your room. Just letting you know it's not safe here anymore...the infiltration team is already on its way~-
The man closed the phone, and pocketed it in a hurry. "So, he's already left." He grumbled again finding a control panel on the wall, and during the interface with it, he opened a large door leading to a hanger of sorts. The Dome A maintenance tunnel. Johannes Einburg had made certain that even if the self destruct system used in the domes was activated, his laboratory would sustain any damage. The doorframe he used to seal it off was top grade. All of his precious files, and the program system, which was run by his own private generator, would remain safe for him to return.
-Protocol Zero is now established. You better get out. The self destruct mechanism was tripped so I imagine that you've already locked up your room. Just letting you know it's not safe here anymore...the infiltration team is already on its way~-
The man closed the phone, and pocketed it in a hurry. "So, he's already left." He grumbled again finding a control panel on the wall, and during the interface with it, he opened a large door leading to a hanger of sorts. The Dome A maintenance tunnel. Johannes Einburg had made certain that even if the self destruct system used in the domes was activated, his laboratory would sustain any damage. The doorframe he used to seal it off was top grade. All of his precious files, and the program system, which was run by his own private generator, would remain safe for him to return.
He walked into the underground hanger and flipped on the lights. "Sader lock the door, use the security code I told you." The man ordered as he paced over to a helicopter-like machine. It shuddered to life as he positioned himself in the cockpit, pressing a variety of buttons. He was thankful that he was given the training to operate such a vehicle considering his age and otherwise normal occupation. Hive had given him the chance to do things he could only have dreamed of in the real world he was born into. The door to the hanger then closed and the young man came walking over to the helicopter. "Get in." The doctor ordered and the boy climbed aboard and buckled himself up as they sped down the darkened tunnel.
'If only the self destruct system could take out Sen... Why oh why did the higher ups place me with a bunch of drop outs? Tama plays around with women all day, Beatrice or Meredith, whatever her real name is, just struts around in a suit acting like she's important, and beats anyone who crosses her. And Sen...that slippery snake is up to no good. What a bunch of whelps. I wish I had a chance to work with Trey...I heard he was a brilliant young test subject, if any of those rumors are true...still it may be dangerous dealing with a person like that.'
"Excuse me but, where are we going?" Sader asked, and the man's eyes narrowed with impatience. "Be quiet. You'll know when we get there." He said. 'At least this young man turned out to be more than what I would have ever expected. Intelligent, obedient. Even if he is slightly infected with the serum...' The helicopter roared down the maintenance tunnel in till it reached day light and out and away, unseen from the eyes of Senba's private army.
'If only the self destruct system could take out Sen... Why oh why did the higher ups place me with a bunch of drop outs? Tama plays around with women all day, Beatrice or Meredith, whatever her real name is, just struts around in a suit acting like she's important, and beats anyone who crosses her. And Sen...that slippery snake is up to no good. What a bunch of whelps. I wish I had a chance to work with Trey...I heard he was a brilliant young test subject, if any of those rumors are true...still it may be dangerous dealing with a person like that.'
"Excuse me but, where are we going?" Sader asked, and the man's eyes narrowed with impatience. "Be quiet. You'll know when we get there." He said. 'At least this young man turned out to be more than what I would have ever expected. Intelligent, obedient. Even if he is slightly infected with the serum...' The helicopter roared down the maintenance tunnel in till it reached day light and out and away, unseen from the eyes of Senba's private army.
* * *
The three came to a halt when the hallway seemed to come to an end, and they could readily see where to go to next. There was a steel door with a bright flashing red sign over it which said "emergency exit Hanger" and Dare and Lei approached it looking for some kind of control panel, only to quickly realize that there was no such pannel. Fear began to sink in as the hissing sound grew louder and louder. "Shit! Damn it! Damn it!" Dare yelled stomping on the floor. "I don't want to die in this place!" He growled. "We still may be able to live." Lei stated quietly. "Where the hell is Sen?" He asked, wishing that he'd show up and somehow get the door to open. Maki hung her head low. "I doubt it. He probably went to secure his own safety." She stated quietly, thinking of how well he had played his hand earlier. His keen observation and understanding of her power in such a short time frightened her greatly, as even she couldn't even comprehend it herself. As her mind began to recover from the trauma she had forced upon Mr. Calvin, she was quickly realizing that Sen had probably done that on purpose. It was foolish for them to have trusted that man so readily, they should have never let him out of their sight. "The hallway continues down a bit more, perhaps there's another way out." Dare said, taking Maki's hand, and leading them further down the spiraling corridor. The structure began to shake slightly as they reached the end of the hallway where a large blast door sealed off their path. "Damn it!" Dare cursed loudly, looking around feeling that his luck had finally run out, but there was so much he wanted to do. "I don't want to die!" Dare yelled pounding on the door with his fist, and Lei, veiled under her hood was also looking pale. She glanced back at the way they came, wondering to herself if there would be enough time to make it up. No chance. The three of them stood around, and Maki began to feel a bitterness fill her. As the hissing grew louder and louder, she reached out and took Dare and Lei's hand. The two didn't entirely understand why. "Our last stand...eh?" Dare thought looking at where he thought the explosion would come from. Even if they survived the blast, who knows how far underground they were? The entire structure would cave in, and they would be buried alive. Their chance of survival was dead set at zero percent. He began to shake, he was scared, he looked over at Lei as well. She too was scared out of her mind. What a horrible end. The only one who didn't seem all that frightened was the youngest of them; Maki stood between them holding onto their hands.
There may be a way to save us. A voice was speaking in her ear. Why would you want to save us? Maki pondered. You are my master, little Maki, we are bound together...our souls are intertwined...there is no guarantee that those two will survive, but I can assure you it's better than burning here...
Dare looked at Maki nervously. "Maki...are you...?" He was starting to grow afraid of the girl who turned to look at him, and she smiled, with tears in her eyes. "Be strong..." She whispered before suddenly there was a dangerously loud sound as a wall of flame rained down on top of him, there was no chance to shield from it.
A roar as loud as thunder,
and then there was darkness, as a wall of debris fell upon them.
* * *
Rey had sprinted as fast her body would allow her, spiraling upward towards the escape ladder. Her mind ached, her body ached; an overwhelming tiring plague was spreading throughout her entire being as she continued to race through the rumbling structure. She hadn't looked back once, by now the others would have reached the hanger and to safety or she had hoped so...the dome jolted, and she was flung off to the side. She hardly had the strength to catch herself as she kept going. The memory chamber had taken its toll on her body, and now that she was exerting herself it was starting to show. "Be strong!" She screamed to herself, pushing onward in till she finally reached a gaping hole in the ceiling, where a ladder came down. She grasped the blackened steel rails and began to climb. Every rung she pulled herself up racked her arms and legs, but she continued. Beads of sweat poured down her face, as well as plumes of dirt as the small shaft which she was climbing up began to feel the tremors caused by the dome. It would happen within a minute or so she thought, and the top was quite a ways from her current position. "Hang in there girl." She tried to have confidence. One hand over the next. She coughed as dirt continued to pile down on top of her, and for a moment she thought the entrance had been closed off, but she kept climbing, and then...A loud sound and tremor shook and she was almost flung from the ladder. With one final surge she grasped the shaking ladder and pulled herself over the edge and rolled from the opening all the while coughing and wheezing. Her mind was all fuzzy as she started to crawl away from the dome, and her heart pounded inside of her chest. There was a large explosion under the ground, and she could feel the heat from the gravel she was on.
'I can't go on...if I'm not...far enough...then I'll die, as simple as that..I'll fall to my death.' A plume of smoke emerged from under the ground. She tried to crawl away, finding places where she could breath the air. There didn't seem to be any flames but it was still very hot it seemed. In a daze she continued to crawl, the rocks cutting into her palms, and she never could recall a time in her life, feeling this much pain. There were holes in her pants, her sweatshirt, and she felt that her shoes were probably severely broken into now. She placed her head on her sleeved arm and closed her eyes. It was here that Rey Pichanto succumbed to her injuries and passed out sprawled on the edge of the sunken dome structure.
'I can't go on...if I'm not...far enough...then I'll die, as simple as that..I'll fall to my death.' A plume of smoke emerged from under the ground. She tried to crawl away, finding places where she could breath the air. There didn't seem to be any flames but it was still very hot it seemed. In a daze she continued to crawl, the rocks cutting into her palms, and she never could recall a time in her life, feeling this much pain. There were holes in her pants, her sweatshirt, and she felt that her shoes were probably severely broken into now. She placed her head on her sleeved arm and closed her eyes. It was here that Rey Pichanto succumbed to her injuries and passed out sprawled on the edge of the sunken dome structure.
A group of medical personnel where approaching the domes, trucks, and other heavily militarized vehicles suddenly began to approach. Whoever it was that built these structures, whatever purpose it stood for, it was all going down the drain. The final hour had passed. Now, only the uncertain aftermath remains...
/end
~Next Time on Scratch: The Invisible Reunion~
As the survivors of the dome incident are medically treated and cared for, the days pass full of uncertainty. Hiro, Kaz, Toru and Rey visit the city of Stadweld one last time...for their invisible reunion.
Author's Note: The majority of this post was not edited or peer reviewed. Please forgive me for any inconsistencies in the writing.
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