Dorian: Fuck it and fuck you for having her here and not letting me know. You my friend. Of course you are, right? And weren't you always trying to take her away from me, jealous that I was the one who was chosen, wanted. She needed you more, she always did but in the end she loved me just the same. I bet that loneliness suites you, Archer. I bet it really does. Now you can sit here in your faux doctors coat, making up your technobable. Why we picked you for the doctor, I'll never know. I guess you were just too forceful when you heard that she'd been taken from us. You never let me have the glory. I got the girl but you didn't want me to keep her, so you, you, Archer, were the one would got to come to this gosh forsaken hospital to look for her. You get the main hospital, and I am left roaming the streets because unlike you, I am nothing without her, not more. I was because of her, and now here she is trapped in this hospital, under your watch, which is probably why you don't do anything at all.
Archer: This is my situation, Dorian, mine. And I have it under control. Who do you think you are to come busting in here and telling me what to do. I have it taken care of. I am working on it, and I really can't get anywhere if I am going to have to keep worrying about you every five seconds. How can I deal with Allyson if I have to fend off you first. You'll blow my cover for sure. Probably, that's what you want, you bastard. You never took to my authority well. Never did. Were always jealous that Tyler chose me before leaving for who knows where. I guess we can ask not that he's back from the "something of paramount importance" that he had to do. More important than saving us. Damn Tyler too for letting it all go to hell, for Allyson. I never understood why you wanted to tear my head off instead of his. At least I was here. At least I am here for Allyson now. Get out of my way and let me do my job!
Allyson: Don't you know it, I don't know who to trust anymore. Ha, that's irony. These men all claiming to own a piece of my past, and they want to serve it up to my all dolled-up, a dinner at Versailles. I am turned this way and that. I am mad and unmade and the disaster of some greater tragedy, and here they all are with their hero complexes trying to be the Lancelot of the bunch. I am so numb I do not stir inside. I do not think. I cannot possibly know which man to trust as they bicker here, all too caught up in who gets to do the rescuing to really accomplish anything at all. The omnipresent, immutable Archer. The incandescent, obsequious Dorian, my lover? The mysterious man who comes in and out, who is holding my shoulders, trying to hold the world steady, while he is always moving in and out of reliability. All three create the tableau that is my story. And if I listen, will they tell me enough to make me trust, to make me feel?
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Chapter Seven: Discovered!
"God dammit, Dorian!" Archer's words were intense but quiet enough to be kept between two men. "She's not ready to hear what happened to her! Not yet ... it's a very tense situation. We mustn't shatter what fragile psyche this girl has left."
Staring intently at the wall and trying not to meet Archer's gaze, Dorian lowered his head slowly in resignation. His voice came softer, softer than he had meant it.
"I know, James, I know. But I don't know how else she'll believe us. She's getting so many conflicting messages in this place. From what you've told me, I'm not sure I even know exactly what's happened to her here."
"We've got to get her out of here, Dorian. She's as ready as she's going to be - physically, she's almost completely healed. But mentally, I don't know how much more of this she can handle in her current state. If only we could get her to somewhere safer - maybe Triss' place - but we'd have to get her past the barrier somehow, unless -"
"No, James. She can't ... I don't know what the hell to do! This has gotten out of hand! She can't stay here, but she can't leave, either. If she were out in the open, they might find out what happened to her after the incident. They can't find her, James."
"Alright, alright. I know how you feel about her, Dorian. Remember, it's me you're talking to. Before we go back in there, I wanted to tell you about something odd that has been going on." Archer seemed to become more nervous as he began to speak again - Dorian noted the change, but continued to look at his friend without flinching.
"Allyson mentioned something to one of the nurses about a man who visited her - told her about things - told her before we had the chance. She also claims that she has a newspaper, a copy of the Register. I believe her, though I don't know how she could have gotten her hands on one. Unless this man is real. So I've forbidden the nursing staff from looking under her bed, in order to not egg her on about it, and "advised" them to give her napkins to help with her "psychosis." That should hold them off until I can get to the bottom of this."
Dorian's look changed to one of puzzlement. As his thoughts began to wander on this newly-revealed tidbit of information, he suddenly remembered something ... someone.
"James, I know this going to sound crazy, but ... you don't think it could be ..."
His mouth began to form a word. A name.
Then his world began to shake.
Many floors below, a rumbling - almost an earthquake - began to rumble the entire building. Archer and Dorian were thrown to the walls of the hallway. They heard a shriek coming from Allyson's room. Regaining their footing, the two men shot glances to each other. The understanding between them was obvious from the terror on their faces.
"Shit! James, how?"
"I don't know, Dorian -" another shock wave sent Archer to his knees. "Oh my God, Allyson!"
As soon as the rumbling subsided, the two men rushed into the room. Allyson was sitting up in bed, cloaked in the shadows of her room. Flashes of light sprang forth from the exposed windows intermittently, blanketing the room like a slow, random strobe. The two men ran past Allyson's bed to the window and stared out into the deep night.
From below, on the east side of the hospital complex, mechanized hell stared back.
The two men could make out several dozen Vanguard soldiers creating a barrier near the hospital's entrance. In front of them, two small bodies were prone on the ground, dark puddles forming under their motionless limbs. Behind the soldiers were five Raider-class assault vehicles, developed for anti-terror and stand-off combat. Near each vehicle stood three more soldiers, their weapons held at the ready, aiming at the facility. In the horror of this scene, Archer almost missed the most terrifying spectacle of all.
"Dorian," his hands grasping faintly for any part of his friend that he could reach.
"I know, James, I see them. I -" his voice was cut off by Archer's finger pointing out the window. Then, Dorian saw it too.
"Holy ... fuck."
A Vindicator-class heavy-assault mech. Standing over eight-stories tall, and shaped like some crude, shining, metallic beast-of-war, the Vindicator was aiming its two photon particle cannons at the hospital, like a torturer sizing up a child. Flashes of atrocity raced through Archer's thoughts. In his mind, he could already hear the sounds of the patients burning, screaming for help, screaming for their families and loved ones, but finding only death in the rubble of the facility. He knew that they would never listen to reason. Somehow - God dammit - somehow they had found her. They had come for her. And if they couldn't have her, then no one would. Archer was becoming lost in his mind - his thoughts racing around, unrelenting, horrible. He thought he would go insane on the spot - but his trance was broken by the sound of a loudspeaker. A loud, female voice was careening through the air.
"Allyson Rhodes! This is your last chance. Surrender now, and these people will be spared. Know that death awaits this facility if you do not comply. Do you hear me, Allyson?!"
Dorian turned quickly to his friend, almost not hearing the message through - he already knew what was being said.
"James, come on! We've got to get her out!"
Archer looked back at his friend. He admired Dorian's inability to face the reality of a situation - sometimes. And this was one time that he wished he'd also had that trait. But all he could do was look.
"Dorian, we can't do this. All these people, they'll -"
"Gentlemen, if you would please. Clearly, standing here will not solve anything. And you're making our friend here nervous."
The two men whirled around towards the hospital bed. Allyson was sitting on the edge of the bed, her face in her hands, and two arms around her shoulders. Standing next to her was a tall, well-built man - he looked to be in his late twenties. The shadows initially cloaked him, but he stepped forward deliberately, tossing an object to the ground at Archer's feet. It was a copy of the Gladefall Register. Archer couldn't believe it. It was all true. She had it all this time. She knew more than he thought. And the man from the shadows, the one that had visited her. He was here, right here. Right now. He almost couldn't take his eyes off of the paper to look up, but Dorian's grip around his arm woke him back into the situation. Archer looked over at his friend, but Dorian's gaze was fixed on the man, and his mouth was open in shock. Archer swung his head around and met the gaze of the mysterious figure. In an instant, everything made sense. He couldn't believe his eyes, but his mouth could - he uttered only one word. A name.
"... Tyler?"
Staring intently at the wall and trying not to meet Archer's gaze, Dorian lowered his head slowly in resignation. His voice came softer, softer than he had meant it.
"I know, James, I know. But I don't know how else she'll believe us. She's getting so many conflicting messages in this place. From what you've told me, I'm not sure I even know exactly what's happened to her here."
"We've got to get her out of here, Dorian. She's as ready as she's going to be - physically, she's almost completely healed. But mentally, I don't know how much more of this she can handle in her current state. If only we could get her to somewhere safer - maybe Triss' place - but we'd have to get her past the barrier somehow, unless -"
"No, James. She can't ... I don't know what the hell to do! This has gotten out of hand! She can't stay here, but she can't leave, either. If she were out in the open, they might find out what happened to her after the incident. They can't find her, James."
"Alright, alright. I know how you feel about her, Dorian. Remember, it's me you're talking to. Before we go back in there, I wanted to tell you about something odd that has been going on." Archer seemed to become more nervous as he began to speak again - Dorian noted the change, but continued to look at his friend without flinching.
"Allyson mentioned something to one of the nurses about a man who visited her - told her about things - told her before we had the chance. She also claims that she has a newspaper, a copy of the Register. I believe her, though I don't know how she could have gotten her hands on one. Unless this man is real. So I've forbidden the nursing staff from looking under her bed, in order to not egg her on about it, and "advised" them to give her napkins to help with her "psychosis." That should hold them off until I can get to the bottom of this."
Dorian's look changed to one of puzzlement. As his thoughts began to wander on this newly-revealed tidbit of information, he suddenly remembered something ... someone.
"James, I know this going to sound crazy, but ... you don't think it could be ..."
His mouth began to form a word. A name.
Then his world began to shake.
Many floors below, a rumbling - almost an earthquake - began to rumble the entire building. Archer and Dorian were thrown to the walls of the hallway. They heard a shriek coming from Allyson's room. Regaining their footing, the two men shot glances to each other. The understanding between them was obvious from the terror on their faces.
"Shit! James, how?"
"I don't know, Dorian -" another shock wave sent Archer to his knees. "Oh my God, Allyson!"
As soon as the rumbling subsided, the two men rushed into the room. Allyson was sitting up in bed, cloaked in the shadows of her room. Flashes of light sprang forth from the exposed windows intermittently, blanketing the room like a slow, random strobe. The two men ran past Allyson's bed to the window and stared out into the deep night.
From below, on the east side of the hospital complex, mechanized hell stared back.
The two men could make out several dozen Vanguard soldiers creating a barrier near the hospital's entrance. In front of them, two small bodies were prone on the ground, dark puddles forming under their motionless limbs. Behind the soldiers were five Raider-class assault vehicles, developed for anti-terror and stand-off combat. Near each vehicle stood three more soldiers, their weapons held at the ready, aiming at the facility. In the horror of this scene, Archer almost missed the most terrifying spectacle of all.
"Dorian," his hands grasping faintly for any part of his friend that he could reach.
"I know, James, I see them. I -" his voice was cut off by Archer's finger pointing out the window. Then, Dorian saw it too.
"Holy ... fuck."
A Vindicator-class heavy-assault mech. Standing over eight-stories tall, and shaped like some crude, shining, metallic beast-of-war, the Vindicator was aiming its two photon particle cannons at the hospital, like a torturer sizing up a child. Flashes of atrocity raced through Archer's thoughts. In his mind, he could already hear the sounds of the patients burning, screaming for help, screaming for their families and loved ones, but finding only death in the rubble of the facility. He knew that they would never listen to reason. Somehow - God dammit - somehow they had found her. They had come for her. And if they couldn't have her, then no one would. Archer was becoming lost in his mind - his thoughts racing around, unrelenting, horrible. He thought he would go insane on the spot - but his trance was broken by the sound of a loudspeaker. A loud, female voice was careening through the air.
"Allyson Rhodes! This is your last chance. Surrender now, and these people will be spared. Know that death awaits this facility if you do not comply. Do you hear me, Allyson?!"
Dorian turned quickly to his friend, almost not hearing the message through - he already knew what was being said.
"James, come on! We've got to get her out!"
Archer looked back at his friend. He admired Dorian's inability to face the reality of a situation - sometimes. And this was one time that he wished he'd also had that trait. But all he could do was look.
"Dorian, we can't do this. All these people, they'll -"
"Gentlemen, if you would please. Clearly, standing here will not solve anything. And you're making our friend here nervous."
The two men whirled around towards the hospital bed. Allyson was sitting on the edge of the bed, her face in her hands, and two arms around her shoulders. Standing next to her was a tall, well-built man - he looked to be in his late twenties. The shadows initially cloaked him, but he stepped forward deliberately, tossing an object to the ground at Archer's feet. It was a copy of the Gladefall Register. Archer couldn't believe it. It was all true. She had it all this time. She knew more than he thought. And the man from the shadows, the one that had visited her. He was here, right here. Right now. He almost couldn't take his eyes off of the paper to look up, but Dorian's grip around his arm woke him back into the situation. Archer looked over at his friend, but Dorian's gaze was fixed on the man, and his mouth was open in shock. Archer swung his head around and met the gaze of the mysterious figure. In an instant, everything made sense. He couldn't believe his eyes, but his mouth could - he uttered only one word. A name.
"... Tyler?"
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Chapter Six: The New Beginning
It was two weeks ago now that Allyson had finally ventured out of her room into the halls of the hospital. Seeing other patients for the first time changed things. Her perceptions of reality had, for the first time, been forced to include the effects the actions in her memories had on others.
"If the Returners had come, why do none of these people seem to be aware of it?" Allyson thought.
That conversation had been so real. They spoke of her involvement in the Returners' efforts to overthrow the government from within. A government that was so corrupt, members of the regime loyal to the dominant party betrayed each other through public humiliation and untrue rumors in order to gain more power.
They told her she was not just a soldier for the Returners... she was one of the original members of the guerilla organization. A band of four exiled citizens of Gladefall who were banished and sent to the outer reaches of the land, where the soil was still somewhat contaminated from the nuclear wars of a century and a half ago. The four quickly multiplied to several thousand tightly knit and extremely upset citizens who were interested only in change.
Archer and Dorian explained to her that Gladefall had been a new nation established in 2078...70 years after the nuclear age climaxed, annhilating civilization as the human world knew it. It took only another 75 years for humanity to plunge itself back into war, corruption and depravity, all motivated by greed and desire for power over one's fellow man.
In 2008, war in what was then called the Middle East, no longer in existence, erupted and spread into the nuclear nations in southern Asia: Pakistan and India, whose feud reignited and pulled China and Southeast Asia with it.
The United States became a global empire just six month before that when it merged with the European Union, whose president was assassinated by covert US operatives just a month later.
They owned three continents: both Americas, Europe and were close to taking Africa, though they made a new enemy with every nation they claimed. The first bomb actually dropped on a place called the District of Columbia, which turned out to be an entire decoy of a city.
Some of these place names - mostly the continents - were familiar to Allyson. At least, they registered in her mind and she did not initially question their true existence. But she did not recognize all of the countries or cities.
London, which the nurses told her was where the hospital was located, sounded familiar, and so did the District of Columbia, but the Middle East sounded strange and frankly, like a vague direction more than a country or region.
Archer said she was not ready to know where Gladefall actually was, or from what country she would have been from, but that the new nation was founded by a people who lived where the United States began... a people nealry completely obliterated, or so it seemed, from their home in North America, who became known as the Founders.
Most of the foundations of Gladefall's Declaration of Harmony (its constitution) came from that people's belief in the denouncement of the concept of land ownership, common property and connection to the planet Earth.
However, when the United States (which later changed its name to Earth United -EU to appease the newly annezed Europe) and its enemies had nearly destroyed the planet and the remaining peoples convened on the last bit of healthy Earth, it was not long before the Founders were destroyed again by the greed of other factions that formed in Gladefall. Sectors were formed - some allied with others - and corruption flowed through the government. The capitalist economy failed and democracy meant simply a capitalist approach of buying a seat of power.
Supposedly, "here" in the 2150s, Allyson was part of a group set on resurrecting the harmonious Gladefall set forth in the New Beginning. A small faction of Founders and its allies who called themselves the Returners. For the past 20-25 years, the Returners had plotted an overthrow of the government, but it had drastically failed.
"That's when... well, we'll explain what happened when you need to know it. For now, you need to get healthy again," Archer had said.
"She needs to know now!" Dorian shouted.
"Don't yell in here, she's been through enough," Archer urged. "Allyson, we'll be back in a moment, and we'll talk about this napkin issue you've had. Dorian, step into the hall with me. We've got to get on the same page about how to approach this situation."
Allyson slipped back out of conscious as the lock on her door clicked back into place behind Archer and Dorian.
"The newspaper! The man in the shadows!" Allyson screamed into her empty room. "I never told Archer, what was I thinking? How did Archer know about the napkins the nurses kept leaving in her room, stacks of them? Were they lying to him, trying to cover up the newspaper? Did they even know about it?
She had become so engrossed in the story of the New Beginning and the origins of "Gladefall" that she forgot to tell him about the man who gave her the newspaper to show her what was real. She hadn't even glanced at the paper in a day and a half before Archer and Dorian stepped into the room. The nurses had kept her very preoccupied with tests and what they called therapy.
"Do I still have it?" Allyson asked herself. Her thoughts refocused to trying to remember what happened to her a year ago. Her mind seemed to graze the edge of those memories when she shuddered at the thought of the fear and pain she experienced. That's when she finally notice the wad of napkins clutched in her left hand.
"If the Returners had come, why do none of these people seem to be aware of it?" Allyson thought.
That conversation had been so real. They spoke of her involvement in the Returners' efforts to overthrow the government from within. A government that was so corrupt, members of the regime loyal to the dominant party betrayed each other through public humiliation and untrue rumors in order to gain more power.
They told her she was not just a soldier for the Returners... she was one of the original members of the guerilla organization. A band of four exiled citizens of Gladefall who were banished and sent to the outer reaches of the land, where the soil was still somewhat contaminated from the nuclear wars of a century and a half ago. The four quickly multiplied to several thousand tightly knit and extremely upset citizens who were interested only in change.
Archer and Dorian explained to her that Gladefall had been a new nation established in 2078...70 years after the nuclear age climaxed, annhilating civilization as the human world knew it. It took only another 75 years for humanity to plunge itself back into war, corruption and depravity, all motivated by greed and desire for power over one's fellow man.
In 2008, war in what was then called the Middle East, no longer in existence, erupted and spread into the nuclear nations in southern Asia: Pakistan and India, whose feud reignited and pulled China and Southeast Asia with it.
The United States became a global empire just six month before that when it merged with the European Union, whose president was assassinated by covert US operatives just a month later.
They owned three continents: both Americas, Europe and were close to taking Africa, though they made a new enemy with every nation they claimed. The first bomb actually dropped on a place called the District of Columbia, which turned out to be an entire decoy of a city.
Some of these place names - mostly the continents - were familiar to Allyson. At least, they registered in her mind and she did not initially question their true existence. But she did not recognize all of the countries or cities.
London, which the nurses told her was where the hospital was located, sounded familiar, and so did the District of Columbia, but the Middle East sounded strange and frankly, like a vague direction more than a country or region.
Archer said she was not ready to know where Gladefall actually was, or from what country she would have been from, but that the new nation was founded by a people who lived where the United States began... a people nealry completely obliterated, or so it seemed, from their home in North America, who became known as the Founders.
Most of the foundations of Gladefall's Declaration of Harmony (its constitution) came from that people's belief in the denouncement of the concept of land ownership, common property and connection to the planet Earth.
However, when the United States (which later changed its name to Earth United -EU to appease the newly annezed Europe) and its enemies had nearly destroyed the planet and the remaining peoples convened on the last bit of healthy Earth, it was not long before the Founders were destroyed again by the greed of other factions that formed in Gladefall. Sectors were formed - some allied with others - and corruption flowed through the government. The capitalist economy failed and democracy meant simply a capitalist approach of buying a seat of power.
Supposedly, "here" in the 2150s, Allyson was part of a group set on resurrecting the harmonious Gladefall set forth in the New Beginning. A small faction of Founders and its allies who called themselves the Returners. For the past 20-25 years, the Returners had plotted an overthrow of the government, but it had drastically failed.
"That's when... well, we'll explain what happened when you need to know it. For now, you need to get healthy again," Archer had said.
"She needs to know now!" Dorian shouted.
"Don't yell in here, she's been through enough," Archer urged. "Allyson, we'll be back in a moment, and we'll talk about this napkin issue you've had. Dorian, step into the hall with me. We've got to get on the same page about how to approach this situation."
Allyson slipped back out of conscious as the lock on her door clicked back into place behind Archer and Dorian.
"The newspaper! The man in the shadows!" Allyson screamed into her empty room. "I never told Archer, what was I thinking? How did Archer know about the napkins the nurses kept leaving in her room, stacks of them? Were they lying to him, trying to cover up the newspaper? Did they even know about it?
She had become so engrossed in the story of the New Beginning and the origins of "Gladefall" that she forgot to tell him about the man who gave her the newspaper to show her what was real. She hadn't even glanced at the paper in a day and a half before Archer and Dorian stepped into the room. The nurses had kept her very preoccupied with tests and what they called therapy.
"Do I still have it?" Allyson asked herself. Her thoughts refocused to trying to remember what happened to her a year ago. Her mind seemed to graze the edge of those memories when she shuddered at the thought of the fear and pain she experienced. That's when she finally notice the wad of napkins clutched in her left hand.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Chapter Five: Critical Relapse
"Obviously things are not going well," said Dr. Archer.
The nurse nodded, rocking herself back and forth in the office chair of the meeting room.
"This treatment plan isn't working. We will need to work in some talk therapy - get a psychologist down here. Someone experienced from the forth floor Intensive Care Program. Hell, maybe we should even transfer her up there," Archer looked down at the file.
Last night, Allyson had struggled uncharacteristically in bed, trying to get to the door. From her mumbling it was clear she thought that Dr. Archer, who had been conversing with a nurse outside, was actually talking with the terrorist group she believed she was affiliated with.
"She's still stuffing the napkins under her bed," said the nurse. "I see her taking them out a few times a day, all the while looking around. Clearly, she is very paranoid."
"I only wish we knew what happened to her before the police brought her here," again Archer checked the file.
Allyson had been brought in with a serious concussion, a battery of injuries, and blood streaming through her mangled hair. A stranger had found her lying, cold on the January sidewalk in a trendy London suburb so long ago. The coma has lasted for five months, followed by a period in which Allyson was barely conscious of outside reality at all. And now this. Yes, she was awake, but was this delusional state really a positive alternative. Damn it! He was a doctor - he couldn't think this way.
A noise immerged from the main room where the clients usually gathered to watch TV and meet for group therapy. Archer raced to the door. An older woman in her mid-sixties was yelling at Allyson in a loud voice.
Allyson balled her fists, not letting go as the woman clawed at her and staff hurried to intervene.
A nurse carefully collected the sobbing Allyson.
“How did she get out here?” said Archer to the nearest staff.
“I don’t know,” stammered a pretty young nurse. “When I checked on her a minute ago she was sound asleep.”
“Damn it!” thought Archer again. “What did they do to you to hurt you so, to make you so lost?”
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Chapter Four: The Returners
Anti-government group strikes again; officials baffled
Edenmore Sector, January 16- The anti-government terrorist group known only as "The Returners" has made yet another shocking assault on Republic property. Following November's embassy strike in Lancastle Sector, the new target has been identified as a military testing site. Recently, this site took part in a government space program that drew harsh but quickly-muted criticism from sources outside the Republic. While the site was not completely compromised, there are reports of several dozen casualties.
After almost a year of violent disturbances perpetrated by The Returners, the Republic's Office of Mainland Security has issued the following statement:
"This series of attacks will come to an end. We are close to identifying the leader's of this terrorist organization, and when we do, they will be executed without mercy. The Imperial Republic will not tolerate internal insubordination of any kind, and any deviations from this policy will be met with swift, merciless justice."
In keeping with what has become tradition in these events, The Returners' only message left at the scene of the attack was transmitted through a holographic projection system. Unfortunately, according to government policy, the contents of these projectors has not been made available to the media. A Republic spokesperson has continually stated that releasing the messages to the public would not only "embolden the terrorists," but also hinder further investigation into the now-famous group.
The Register will update you on this story as more information becomes available.
***
"The more you learn, the less you know."
Allyson muttered to herself softly in the diminished light of her hospital room. Over the past week, she had been able to slowly make her way through half of the Gladefall Register that was given to her by the man in the shadows. Since his visit the week before, Allyson had not heard anything from the mysterious figure, and had taken it upon herself to try to discover more of the realities of her current situation. More pieces of the puzzle of her life had been unearthed, but none of it made any sense to her. In the bleak, unmoving shadows of her room, Allyson went over the bits and pieces of her life that were floating around in her head.
"O.K., here goes: my name is Allyson Rhodes. I'm 22 ... er, 23 now I guess. I'm from Lancastle Sector, though I can't exactly remember where. Something has happened to me, and I was found near dead and brought here. But I don't know who brought me here. And the people here think I'm crazy for thinking all of this. But this newspaper confirms that my "dreams" haven't been dreams at all. I'm here. It's got to be ... March 30th or so. I've been in and out of consciousness for over a year. I'm in a hospital room on the tenth floor of a building in Montgomery Sector, in the ... Twelfth Precinct. The "Inn," I think it's called. Montgomery Sector ... which, unless it's moved somehow, is a little over four hours away from Lancastle."
Allyson stopped suddenly. A thought came to her from somewhere inside her mind - she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was coming fast. And then she realized it.
"Montgomery Sector is supposed to be completely destroyed. There was nothing left after the ... what happened to it? I can't remember anymore. I know I can't be there, though. Can I?" Allyson cursed under her breath, realizing that another piece had dropped into her lap.
"No, I can't do that one now. Let's just get the rest of this out and onto the table. According to the article about me, I'm supposed to be this government official. But I can't verify it because I can't see this "serial number" on my foot from here. And everyone tells me it's not there. But, then again, everyone here thinks I'm nuts - everyone, except Archer. James Archer. He's the one that tried to orient me that first day that I can remember. Since then, he hasn't been alone with me, and when he's here with the nurses and the shrinks, he acts completely different. I wonder - is he trying to help me? Is he not from here? No, he has to be. I'll have to try to get more out of him if I can. I just don't know how. And who was the man in the shadows? All I know about him is that he said I need this newspaper and I need to stay where I am. But how am I going to figure out things in this hospital bed?" The weight and breadth of these confusing facts and questions were beginning to take their toll on Allyson. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself into sleep for the night.
"I'll have to pick this up tomorrow night - there won't be time for sleep otherwi.."
Before she could finish her thought, Allyson heard a sharp, high-pitched alarm sounding through the hall. The pattering of feet could be heard getting louder and louder - voices following the feet. Allyson could only hear bits and pieces of speech over the loud alarm.
"... They're here ... close her door ... Returners ..."
Suddenly, a woman Allyson recognized as Nurse Daniels appeared in the doorway - before she could ask what was going on, the nurse quickly closed the door. Allyson could hear the door's locking mechanism activate. Sitting up in the pitch black of the room, Allyson could still hear voices, a familiar voice present now. It was James Archer, and he sounded alarmed. His voice was getting closer, and more frantic. Then all sound stopped.
Allyson could only hear one set of footsteps moving closer to her room. Then she could hear a lone voice. It was a man. He began to converse with Archer.
"Where is she? Here?"
"No, she's not here, she ... she's on floor six."
"You're lying Archer. You can't keep her from us."
"Listen to me, Dorian. She's delusional. She doesn't even remember who she is. You can't see her now - it's too dangerous."
"Bull-shit! You're a liar, Archer - a government slug who's beginning to lose his usefulness. You and your people have been lucky to remain active in this ... "sector." Don't lose the trust of The Returners."
"Yes ... sir. Nurses, please evacuate the staff from this floor."
"Yes, Dr. Archer." More footsteps, then many more, getting fainter and fainter. When it was silent again outside, Allyson could hear the two men talking very quietly.
"So, James, you said she's finally awake? For good?"
"I think so, Dorian. Unfortunately, I've had to keep her drugged in accordance with hospital regulations. Every one's been trying to convince her that's insane. I don't know how well it's working, but she needs help. More help than I can give her here. What are we going to do?"
"I'm not sure, James. But we need to talk with her. Come on, let's get in there."
Allyson couldn't believe her ears. There was too much now - The Returners were here? She didn't know why she was so afraid of that fact, but she felt herself going faint.
Just then, the locking mechanism on the door deactivated. Swinging open slowly, Allyson could barely make out two men standing in the doorway.
"Allyson? Allyson, please wake up. There's someone here to see you. We need to talk."
Edenmore Sector, January 16- The anti-government terrorist group known only as "The Returners" has made yet another shocking assault on Republic property. Following November's embassy strike in Lancastle Sector, the new target has been identified as a military testing site. Recently, this site took part in a government space program that drew harsh but quickly-muted criticism from sources outside the Republic. While the site was not completely compromised, there are reports of several dozen casualties.
After almost a year of violent disturbances perpetrated by The Returners, the Republic's Office of Mainland Security has issued the following statement:
"This series of attacks will come to an end. We are close to identifying the leader's of this terrorist organization, and when we do, they will be executed without mercy. The Imperial Republic will not tolerate internal insubordination of any kind, and any deviations from this policy will be met with swift, merciless justice."
In keeping with what has become tradition in these events, The Returners' only message left at the scene of the attack was transmitted through a holographic projection system. Unfortunately, according to government policy, the contents of these projectors has not been made available to the media. A Republic spokesperson has continually stated that releasing the messages to the public would not only "embolden the terrorists," but also hinder further investigation into the now-famous group.
The Register will update you on this story as more information becomes available.
***
"The more you learn, the less you know."
Allyson muttered to herself softly in the diminished light of her hospital room. Over the past week, she had been able to slowly make her way through half of the Gladefall Register that was given to her by the man in the shadows. Since his visit the week before, Allyson had not heard anything from the mysterious figure, and had taken it upon herself to try to discover more of the realities of her current situation. More pieces of the puzzle of her life had been unearthed, but none of it made any sense to her. In the bleak, unmoving shadows of her room, Allyson went over the bits and pieces of her life that were floating around in her head.
"O.K., here goes: my name is Allyson Rhodes. I'm 22 ... er, 23 now I guess. I'm from Lancastle Sector, though I can't exactly remember where. Something has happened to me, and I was found near dead and brought here. But I don't know who brought me here. And the people here think I'm crazy for thinking all of this. But this newspaper confirms that my "dreams" haven't been dreams at all. I'm here. It's got to be ... March 30th or so. I've been in and out of consciousness for over a year. I'm in a hospital room on the tenth floor of a building in Montgomery Sector, in the ... Twelfth Precinct. The "Inn," I think it's called. Montgomery Sector ... which, unless it's moved somehow, is a little over four hours away from Lancastle."
Allyson stopped suddenly. A thought came to her from somewhere inside her mind - she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was coming fast. And then she realized it.
"Montgomery Sector is supposed to be completely destroyed. There was nothing left after the ... what happened to it? I can't remember anymore. I know I can't be there, though. Can I?" Allyson cursed under her breath, realizing that another piece had dropped into her lap.
"No, I can't do that one now. Let's just get the rest of this out and onto the table. According to the article about me, I'm supposed to be this government official. But I can't verify it because I can't see this "serial number" on my foot from here. And everyone tells me it's not there. But, then again, everyone here thinks I'm nuts - everyone, except Archer. James Archer. He's the one that tried to orient me that first day that I can remember. Since then, he hasn't been alone with me, and when he's here with the nurses and the shrinks, he acts completely different. I wonder - is he trying to help me? Is he not from here? No, he has to be. I'll have to try to get more out of him if I can. I just don't know how. And who was the man in the shadows? All I know about him is that he said I need this newspaper and I need to stay where I am. But how am I going to figure out things in this hospital bed?" The weight and breadth of these confusing facts and questions were beginning to take their toll on Allyson. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself into sleep for the night.
"I'll have to pick this up tomorrow night - there won't be time for sleep otherwi.."
Before she could finish her thought, Allyson heard a sharp, high-pitched alarm sounding through the hall. The pattering of feet could be heard getting louder and louder - voices following the feet. Allyson could only hear bits and pieces of speech over the loud alarm.
"... They're here ... close her door ... Returners ..."
Suddenly, a woman Allyson recognized as Nurse Daniels appeared in the doorway - before she could ask what was going on, the nurse quickly closed the door. Allyson could hear the door's locking mechanism activate. Sitting up in the pitch black of the room, Allyson could still hear voices, a familiar voice present now. It was James Archer, and he sounded alarmed. His voice was getting closer, and more frantic. Then all sound stopped.
Allyson could only hear one set of footsteps moving closer to her room. Then she could hear a lone voice. It was a man. He began to converse with Archer.
"Where is she? Here?"
"No, she's not here, she ... she's on floor six."
"You're lying Archer. You can't keep her from us."
"Listen to me, Dorian. She's delusional. She doesn't even remember who she is. You can't see her now - it's too dangerous."
"Bull-shit! You're a liar, Archer - a government slug who's beginning to lose his usefulness. You and your people have been lucky to remain active in this ... "sector." Don't lose the trust of The Returners."
"Yes ... sir. Nurses, please evacuate the staff from this floor."
"Yes, Dr. Archer." More footsteps, then many more, getting fainter and fainter. When it was silent again outside, Allyson could hear the two men talking very quietly.
"So, James, you said she's finally awake? For good?"
"I think so, Dorian. Unfortunately, I've had to keep her drugged in accordance with hospital regulations. Every one's been trying to convince her that's insane. I don't know how well it's working, but she needs help. More help than I can give her here. What are we going to do?"
"I'm not sure, James. But we need to talk with her. Come on, let's get in there."
Allyson couldn't believe her ears. There was too much now - The Returners were here? She didn't know why she was so afraid of that fact, but she felt herself going faint.
Just then, the locking mechanism on the door deactivated. Swinging open slowly, Allyson could barely make out two men standing in the doorway.
"Allyson? Allyson, please wake up. There's someone here to see you. We need to talk."
Monday, February 12, 2007
Chapter Three: The Pieces
Black again...
*Thud*
Blinding white once more.
She knew she was in the stiff, unforgiving hospital bed still, but beyond that she wasn't sure of anything. What was that impact she felt on her legs that once again broke her uncertain slumber? It was still on her legs - not very heavy - like a newspaper.
She mustered her strength sit up, fighting the drowsiness as the sleep aids were clearly still at work in her system. Her eyes never really focused completly as she picked up the newspaper, which felt a little...odd, certainly not the Times or the Globe. She tried to read it in the dim light of the morning sun slipping beneath the blinds that had been drawn. The lights in the room were off.
It wasn't the Globe or the Times, it was the... Gladefall Register.
Her eyes continued to scan the page, which felt too heavy to be typical newspaper material. The picture was of an alley. An ambulance and police tape were everywhere in the photo. She read the story...
Woman found beaten in alley, in critical condition
Lancastle Sector, January 18- Allyson Rhodes, of Lancastle Sector, was found brutally beaten and unconscious in an alley two blocks from the remains where the Embassy was destroyed two months ago. No connections have been made yet, as the woman in her early 20s was found with no money or citizenship ID on her body when she was discovered. However, her name was discovered, and she is believed to be an official of some manner, given that a government serial number - given to all parliamentary personnel - was tatooed on the bottom of her foot. Her position in the Imperial Republic was not released, as is standard with government employees. Little other information has yet been released.
Allyson was going to be sick. She had no idea who she was or what was going on now. Lancastle Sector was one of the places in her dreams, but Gladefall? Government official? Before this had happened, Allyson had at least come to grips with the fact that she had lost sense of reality - the murmurs she'd heard from outside her hospital room had affirmed that - but now she could not even believe that anymore.
The room darkened.
"Don't read that now," said a voice from the shawdows where something had blocked the light from the window.
"Who's there?" Allyson asked, frightened and startled.
"Hide that. They cannot see it. I just want you to make sure you know what is real."
"But I don't know what's real! I don't even know how long I've been sleeping..."
"You will. You need to stay alive. You need stay in this building, and you need to keep that paper hidden. Read it when you know no one will come in."
"I don't understand. I'm sick, why are you doing this?"
"You have to trust me," the low, masculine voice said, ever so calmly.
"Why?"
"Did you feel that paper hit your lap?"
"Well, yes. It woke me up."
"Well, then. There are two things that are now real for you. Sleep, and that newspaper. You felt both of them when one took you from the other. It is early still. They have not come to check on you yet. Hide that paper, and go back to sleep."
"This doesn't feel like any newspaper," She had no way of knowing, but she could have sworn the figure was smiling smugly.
"You think we still use the same paper in 2153? Put the paper under your matress, I must go now."
Allyson did not bother to say anything more. She didn't have the energy to wonder about anything anymore, nevermind articulate the questions. She watched as the figure pull the blinds to one side, quietly open the window and exit as she was blinded by the bright, white light. It darkened again quickly as the blinds fell back into place.
Allyson knew her next goal would be to begin to put the pieces of this puzzle together. Everytime she came to, they looked different. And worse, she had no idea how may pieces there were.
The newspaper, she remembered.
Then the lights were on suddenly. Allyson turned her head to the other side to see Dr. Archer entering the room with a wheeled cart with breakfast and medications on it. The last thing she saw before succumbing to sleep again was the open door, on which she could read the number 1028 in large print. Whatever bulding this was that the figure jumped out of, she was on the tenth floor...
-End of Chapter 3-
*Thud*
Blinding white once more.
She knew she was in the stiff, unforgiving hospital bed still, but beyond that she wasn't sure of anything. What was that impact she felt on her legs that once again broke her uncertain slumber? It was still on her legs - not very heavy - like a newspaper.
She mustered her strength sit up, fighting the drowsiness as the sleep aids were clearly still at work in her system. Her eyes never really focused completly as she picked up the newspaper, which felt a little...odd, certainly not the Times or the Globe. She tried to read it in the dim light of the morning sun slipping beneath the blinds that had been drawn. The lights in the room were off.
It wasn't the Globe or the Times, it was the... Gladefall Register.
Her eyes continued to scan the page, which felt too heavy to be typical newspaper material. The picture was of an alley. An ambulance and police tape were everywhere in the photo. She read the story...
Woman found beaten in alley, in critical condition
Lancastle Sector, January 18- Allyson Rhodes, of Lancastle Sector, was found brutally beaten and unconscious in an alley two blocks from the remains where the Embassy was destroyed two months ago. No connections have been made yet, as the woman in her early 20s was found with no money or citizenship ID on her body when she was discovered. However, her name was discovered, and she is believed to be an official of some manner, given that a government serial number - given to all parliamentary personnel - was tatooed on the bottom of her foot. Her position in the Imperial Republic was not released, as is standard with government employees. Little other information has yet been released.
Allyson was going to be sick. She had no idea who she was or what was going on now. Lancastle Sector was one of the places in her dreams, but Gladefall? Government official? Before this had happened, Allyson had at least come to grips with the fact that she had lost sense of reality - the murmurs she'd heard from outside her hospital room had affirmed that - but now she could not even believe that anymore.
The room darkened.
"Don't read that now," said a voice from the shawdows where something had blocked the light from the window.
"Who's there?" Allyson asked, frightened and startled.
"Hide that. They cannot see it. I just want you to make sure you know what is real."
"But I don't know what's real! I don't even know how long I've been sleeping..."
"You will. You need to stay alive. You need stay in this building, and you need to keep that paper hidden. Read it when you know no one will come in."
"I don't understand. I'm sick, why are you doing this?"
"You have to trust me," the low, masculine voice said, ever so calmly.
"Why?"
"Did you feel that paper hit your lap?"
"Well, yes. It woke me up."
"Well, then. There are two things that are now real for you. Sleep, and that newspaper. You felt both of them when one took you from the other. It is early still. They have not come to check on you yet. Hide that paper, and go back to sleep."
"This doesn't feel like any newspaper," She had no way of knowing, but she could have sworn the figure was smiling smugly.
"You think we still use the same paper in 2153? Put the paper under your matress, I must go now."
Allyson did not bother to say anything more. She didn't have the energy to wonder about anything anymore, nevermind articulate the questions. She watched as the figure pull the blinds to one side, quietly open the window and exit as she was blinded by the bright, white light. It darkened again quickly as the blinds fell back into place.
Allyson knew her next goal would be to begin to put the pieces of this puzzle together. Everytime she came to, they looked different. And worse, she had no idea how may pieces there were.
The newspaper, she remembered.
Then the lights were on suddenly. Allyson turned her head to the other side to see Dr. Archer entering the room with a wheeled cart with breakfast and medications on it. The last thing she saw before succumbing to sleep again was the open door, on which she could read the number 1028 in large print. Whatever bulding this was that the figure jumped out of, she was on the tenth floor...
-End of Chapter 3-
Friday, February 9, 2007
Chapter Two: The Dreams
Chapter Two: The Dreams
She could feel a bone break - or at least what she imagined a bone-break felt like. She was definitely bleeding, from her knees and elbows from being thrown to the ground at the very least…
~*~
“We’ll have to increase the dosage to 10 mg. I can’t believe the Haldol isn’t working more effectively. Please, give her the IV as soon as possible,” Dr. Archer said.
Archer’s Monday was not going well. They had had to restrain Allyson today. The girl had been muttering about “The Returners.” She had claimed that the year was 2153 during the most recent evaluation. She believed she had been brutalized to such an extent that she had thrown herself against the wall of her room repeatedly, frightening the other clients and alarming Dr. Archer.
“She was getting better,” he thought to himself.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Chapter One: Beginnings
It was like being born into the arms of a concrete wall. Except less lovingly.
She could feel a bone break - or at least what she imagined a bone-break felt like. She was definitely bleeding, from her knees and elbows from being thrown to the ground at the very least. She knew that much, but little else. The hood over her head took more than her sight - she felt completely swallowed in its thick, suffocating fabric. This has to be a nightmare, she thought between nerve endings screaming from one end of her to the other. The feeling of many hands groping, clawing, scratching at her body, it was like an experience that no one knows, but everyone thinks about in their darkest fears. And just when she thought that she had to wake up - that it couldn't get any worse without her brain shutting down - she felt something strike the back of her head - a quick, lightning-hard strike. Then the light disappeared as if back into a womb of unconsciousness. After a while, it felt like a night lingering on for far too long.
Then, just as night became familiar, like the new norm of existence, dawn screamed, and she felt herself tumbling down into life once more.
"Ms. Rhodes, if you're in there, please answer me."
Even though her eyes were just fluttering open, the saturation of light was too much. It was as if she were blind, but she always thought that blindness meant utter darkness, much like she remembered experiencing moments ago. She thought she heard herself let out a moan - a mixture somewhere between pain and confusion. The second thing she realized was that she couldn't move. At all. She tried to struggle, but she was held fast by ... something. Desperately trying to hold back panic, all she could do was let out a defiant whimper. Apparently, that was all of a response the voice needed.
"Ah, I see you're finally awake. Please, don't struggle, Ms. Rhodes. You are safe now. Don't worry, you're in a hospital, and you're currently in traction after several surgeries."
Hospital? Surgeries? The words buzzed through her hazy consciousness, barely registering in her thoughts, but she understood everything she was hearing.
"I don't want to go into more details right now, because you must be terrified as it is. But I will say this - I'm surprised that you're even alive after the way you looked when we found you. My name is James Archer, and I work at this facility. When you've got a little more strength, I'd like to hear a little more about you. But, when you're ready. I'll be back soon."
Just as he was turning around to leave, placing the medical chart on the table beside him, James heard a soft, barely-audible word.
"..W..wait."
James walked back to the bedside and looked down at the broken girl lying helpless there in front of him. He still had trouble believing that she was actually alive.
"Yes?"
"I.. my name is Allyson. I'm 22, and I'm from Lancastle Sector. Tell me ... James ... I have so many questions. And I'm scared."
"I know you're scared, Allyson. I'll answer whatever questions you have, but do save your strength. You've been through a lot in the past year."
"Y.. Year? I don't.. I don't understand. What day is it?"
"It's... the twenty-third of March ... 2153. We found you on January eighteenth, 2152. You've been in and out of consciousness for a little over a year."
Allyson couldn't believe what she was hearing, even as her body began to tremble at her new reality. The feeling was excruciating, and yet she couldn't stop herself. James knowingly placed his left hand on her forehead and tried to calm her.
"It'll be alright, I know that this must be a shock for you to hear, but you mustn't panic, or you'll disrupt your treatment and lost consciousness again. We've had a lot of trouble keeping you alive and awake, and your treatment's almost complete. Just hang in there."
It took her close to eight minutes to regain herself, and by that point Allyson was close to fainting from the pain. But, finally, she recovered enough to speak again.
"Thanks ... James. I'm so sorry about that ... where am I?"
"It's O.K., Allyson. I understand how difficult this must be for you - there are many patients here like you. Well, not in as rough of shape as you were ... In any case, this is the Montgomery Sector, Precinct Twelve Medical Facility, now renamed "The Inn" by the Returners."
".. Th.. The Returners? You mean the resistance group from Edenmore Sector?"
"Yes, Allyson. We were able to recover you soon after the ... incident. By our records, you had been unconscious already for four hours when our team found you. And since then, we've been doing our best to keep you alive."
"But..." Allyson prepared herself to ask the question of which she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.
"... What happened to me?"
-END OF CHAPTER 1-
She could feel a bone break - or at least what she imagined a bone-break felt like. She was definitely bleeding, from her knees and elbows from being thrown to the ground at the very least. She knew that much, but little else. The hood over her head took more than her sight - she felt completely swallowed in its thick, suffocating fabric. This has to be a nightmare, she thought between nerve endings screaming from one end of her to the other. The feeling of many hands groping, clawing, scratching at her body, it was like an experience that no one knows, but everyone thinks about in their darkest fears. And just when she thought that she had to wake up - that it couldn't get any worse without her brain shutting down - she felt something strike the back of her head - a quick, lightning-hard strike. Then the light disappeared as if back into a womb of unconsciousness. After a while, it felt like a night lingering on for far too long.
Then, just as night became familiar, like the new norm of existence, dawn screamed, and she felt herself tumbling down into life once more.
"Ms. Rhodes, if you're in there, please answer me."
Even though her eyes were just fluttering open, the saturation of light was too much. It was as if she were blind, but she always thought that blindness meant utter darkness, much like she remembered experiencing moments ago. She thought she heard herself let out a moan - a mixture somewhere between pain and confusion. The second thing she realized was that she couldn't move. At all. She tried to struggle, but she was held fast by ... something. Desperately trying to hold back panic, all she could do was let out a defiant whimper. Apparently, that was all of a response the voice needed.
"Ah, I see you're finally awake. Please, don't struggle, Ms. Rhodes. You are safe now. Don't worry, you're in a hospital, and you're currently in traction after several surgeries."
Hospital? Surgeries? The words buzzed through her hazy consciousness, barely registering in her thoughts, but she understood everything she was hearing.
"I don't want to go into more details right now, because you must be terrified as it is. But I will say this - I'm surprised that you're even alive after the way you looked when we found you. My name is James Archer, and I work at this facility. When you've got a little more strength, I'd like to hear a little more about you. But, when you're ready. I'll be back soon."
Just as he was turning around to leave, placing the medical chart on the table beside him, James heard a soft, barely-audible word.
"..W..wait."
James walked back to the bedside and looked down at the broken girl lying helpless there in front of him. He still had trouble believing that she was actually alive.
"Yes?"
"I.. my name is Allyson. I'm 22, and I'm from Lancastle Sector. Tell me ... James ... I have so many questions. And I'm scared."
"I know you're scared, Allyson. I'll answer whatever questions you have, but do save your strength. You've been through a lot in the past year."
"Y.. Year? I don't.. I don't understand. What day is it?"
"It's... the twenty-third of March ... 2153. We found you on January eighteenth, 2152. You've been in and out of consciousness for a little over a year."
Allyson couldn't believe what she was hearing, even as her body began to tremble at her new reality. The feeling was excruciating, and yet she couldn't stop herself. James knowingly placed his left hand on her forehead and tried to calm her.
"It'll be alright, I know that this must be a shock for you to hear, but you mustn't panic, or you'll disrupt your treatment and lost consciousness again. We've had a lot of trouble keeping you alive and awake, and your treatment's almost complete. Just hang in there."
It took her close to eight minutes to regain herself, and by that point Allyson was close to fainting from the pain. But, finally, she recovered enough to speak again.
"Thanks ... James. I'm so sorry about that ... where am I?"
"It's O.K., Allyson. I understand how difficult this must be for you - there are many patients here like you. Well, not in as rough of shape as you were ... In any case, this is the Montgomery Sector, Precinct Twelve Medical Facility, now renamed "The Inn" by the Returners."
".. Th.. The Returners? You mean the resistance group from Edenmore Sector?"
"Yes, Allyson. We were able to recover you soon after the ... incident. By our records, you had been unconscious already for four hours when our team found you. And since then, we've been doing our best to keep you alive."
"But..." Allyson prepared herself to ask the question of which she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.
"... What happened to me?"
-END OF CHAPTER 1-
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