Book of Hours

The Fourth Hour

It was like nothing I've ever seen, a machine, cold man made, and filled to the brim with weapons of mass destruction. Yet, I could sense sadness, I could feel her grief and discontent.

"Where's my mommy?," it asked, and I didn't know how to respond, was it talking about Vega?

I looked around, watching it all as if for the first time, and it stammered like a child would when it was lost.  She flew frantically, and I could hear her voice crack, as fear of reality consumed her.

"Do you know where you are?", I asked, curious of how she would respond.

"No, I'm scared, I don't know where my mommy and daddy are, they told me to be strong, but I don't remember anything else," if a robot could cry, it would defie the laws which created it, and if a android could feel the needs of a human child, then we would surpass death itself.

I must have reset her to the original coding, and in doing so I must have awaken the child which laid dormant by Vega's will. 

"What's the last thing you remember?," I flew closer, trying to comfort the poor soul, and yet it only made her more violent.

"THEY TOLD ME TO BE STRONG, THEY TOLD ME I WOULD NO LONGER BE IN PAIN, THEY SAID WHEN I WAKE UP, THEY'D BE HERE, WHERE'S MY MOMMY AND DADDY?"

I wasn't prepared, she must have been the uploaded consciousness of the creator's daughter,  how is this possible?

Before I could investigate further, she flew away into the unknown, I wanted to follow, but had to finish my quest then follow hers.

Life. Is. Strange.

Life. Is. Chaos.

I know.

Life. Is. What. Memories. Are.

Yes, but whatever they did to her is the outcome of war, or the war which one has to endure.  Vega is a monster, one I must slay for the sake of all life.

Life. Is. Precious.

Yes, it is.

Hoping for the best, I fought the urge to pursue her, as she was only one of many victims in this ongoing struggle that is life.  Solem, and with a new found sense of urgency I made my way to the Alpha, to beseech council with his majesty.  As I made my way to the throne room, I was felt throughout the whole congregation, they had no eyes, yet I could sense them watch me. Eyeless, and ageless, they waited for me to think aloud, and to know why I made such a disastrous mistake to venture into their domain.

Defective.

Defective.

Defective.

It bombarded me with a wall of thought, it called me what they called her, yet she was here, alive and well.

We. Wish. For. Peace.

They said nothing.

We. Wish. For. The. Return. Of. The. White. Heaven.

And still, they said nothing.

We were running out of time, and I had to make them realize what they are doing is harmful to the life of the planet.  But how?

We. Can. Imprint. Thoughts.

Fine, if they are emotionless then I'll instill life into them. And just as I thought it, I washed them with human desire, fear, and all things which made us feel. I watched as they felt the very emotions I felt every day, I imbued them with my love for family, with the rage of war, and the idea that is tranquility which follows peace. It was overwhelming, like experiencing all sorrows again for the first time, they felt mourning, sadness, and longing. I couldn't stop, I was feeding them all my memories, and reliving them just as they happened. Yet, before the clouds could recede, I was thrown back by a blast of a plasma cannon. Just as I was going to return the skies, they attacked.  I was so close.

They had us surrounded, every inch of the sky was covered in an unnatural white that was the Angels, and right behind them, was the Guardian. 

Thousands of ships lined up, wings crossed and systems engaged, I knew an attack was inevitable but had to do best to draw out their fire.

Retreat.

As I willed it, they left the air space, and I was left alone with them, and potential destruction.  I couldn't lose this fight, it was my last chance to right all the wrongs done by the queens who ruled over us, and our lives.   Flying in flight patterns, I drew out their fire, dodging every missile and plasma they threw at me.  I was a easy target, and it was too many of them,  I had to fly high and bottleneck them in space. Flying high, they flowed me into the darkness, and as the zero gravity hit them, the thrusters failed leaving them immobilized. As they flew away swallowed by the vast unknown, I saw the main ship, and at it's helm once again was my twin brother, my identical clone, the closest thing to my father I could get to. I willed him to my side, and I made one last attempt to wipe the conditioning from his mind, by reasoning with him for a last and final time.  If this didn't work, then he'll have to be terminated, and nothing would pain me more, then true loneliness. I flew away from the planet, hoping the distance would awaken him and bring him back to me.  As I made my way outward, I saw the moon in all it's glory, and sat the ship next to me on it's glistening surface.

I wanted to bask in the moonlight, but had to undo years of torments done by my mother, and her motherly love.

I stood next to the ship, waiting for him to open the doors, I could just rip it to shreds but I wanted him to come out on his own accord. Slowly it opened, and his expression was dead as if everything he knew just vanished.  We stood quietly for what seemed to be forever, he shot at me, but I easily disarmed him. He attended hand too hand, yet even as children he was no match for me, with or without powers.

"Please, I've done enough fighting." I caught his hands, and distanced him from the ship.

He attempted another attack, again and again,  each time he got weaker and weaker. Tired, and isolated from his oppressors, it was just us on this lifeless face.

"Remember when we were little, we always wanted to go to the moon, but it was the same time the world stopped exploring our solar system?" I touched his face, and he slapped me away. I wanted to talk to him, but how far gone was he? How do you undo years of lies and deceit? He remained quiet, looking for a opening to attack, but he was out of his element, and no one can give orders this far out.

"Kress?," I waited for a response.

Nothing.

If I forced change, then I was just like her, and if I imprinted on his mind then I'm just abusing my power, just as she did.  I didn't want to be the bad guy, the world or even the moon as seen to much falsity.  I wanted this to happen, I wanted my brother back. How do you return the flood of memory?

We both looked on as the world burned slowly into cinders, everything was ablaze and he was off world, yet still chained to the underworld of the Citadel. I had to accept, he was gone, and nothing would bring him back.

Tears fell down my face, and my heart ached beyond years to express. I was the last of my family, and I had to end his misery.  We both watched as the sun fell behind the earth, and fire engulfed it in totality. I didn't want this moment to end, but I knew if I brought him back to earth, he would do everything in his power to kill me.

So we just sat, quietly, as the planet was engulfed by hellfire.