Guardian(Part II): Soulborne

Chapter 29: Madelyn

Penny had entertained us with stories of her life before joining the Guardians since the last attack on Bastion. Judging by the joyful reaction rest of Fireteam Pegasus had to a majority of them, I laughed along with them. Even as I was interacting with my friends, I remained vigilant to my surroundings, and Bastion's surroundings. I was wide awake after the sun went down, but I could tell that the members of Fireteam Pegasus were desperately trying to keep themselves awake by talking to each other and laughing. I would occasionally fly around the city to determine the status of the other Guardian squads, and see that they were engaging in similar activities, but mostly with caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, to keep them awake. None of them were as lively or as loud as Fireteam Pegasus, though. They would be ready for another attack, and one eventually came. I began to detect vibrations beneath my feet, and sensed a dark presence coming towards me from underground. The members of Fireteam Pegasus stopped their laughter and happiness. They sensed it as well, and readied their weapons while I formed my aura blades.

"Another ground serpent?" asked Morgan, as the ground's shaking intensified.

"Negative," I answered. This aura wasn't a powerful aura that a large demon would give off. It was dozens of small, weak auras. I recognized them instantly.

"Turned," I reported.

"What?" Penny gasped. "From underground?"

"The most logical explanation is that they are utilizing underground insertion vehicles," I approximated. "I suggest breaking ranks."

"Good idea," Morgan agreed. The ground began to tremble even more violently, and then an explosion of rock and dust erupted from between the members of Fireteam Pegasus, knocking all of them off their feet, and throwing them to either side of the street. I managed to stay on my own feet, staying upright enough to scan the dust cloud. Before I could complete the scan, the shape went back below the ground.

"Are you all okay?" I asked, to Morgan and the rest of her team.

"I'm fine," Morgan promised. "All of you, sound off! What's your status?"

"Green!" Zephyr shouted.

"Alive," John reported.

"Uninjured, Morgan," said Penny.

"What did you call it?" asked Morgan. "An underground what?"

Before I could respond to her question with an answer, a squad of Turned riflemen came jumping out of the crater with jetpacks, using the cloud of dust as cover. They began to fire from their weapons while Fireteam Pegasus was recovering from the explosion. I immediately swung at the one attacking me, decapitating him, then firing a flame missile at one that attacked Morgan. More jumpers came from the crater, and before I could attack in response, the members of Fireteam Pegasus shot them out of the air before they could land. The jumpers continued to come from the crater, firing from their assault rifles as they emerged from the dust cloud, until four grenades were suddenly thrown onto the street.

"Take cover!" Morgan screamed. She and the rest of her team warped away, but I had no such power. I couldn't get away, even with my thruster pads, in time for the grenades to detonate. Four explosions erupted from directly under me.

"Maddy!" Morgan cried, with terror. I heard her from several hundred feet away, but I couldn't answer her. My auditory output system was badly damaged, and I was unable to inform Morgan that I was well.

"Maddy!" Penny screamed.

I ran a scan of the damage to my synthetic body. All that was left was my head, which was damaged beyond repair, especially with no body to attach it back to. My core processor was intact, but the standard protocol for the destruction of a Valkyrie's body was for it to be destroyed along with the body to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. It was my duty to inform Morgan of that if I could, but the damage to my auditory output system prevented me from doing so, and even if I could, she was my friend, and I was her friend. Telling her that I needed to die would cause her and the rest of her team immeasurable grief. Something inside me wanted to follow protocol, but a bigger part of me wanted to remain friends with them. I couldn't do that if I was terminated.

"Maddy!" John shouted. "Where are you!?"

I saw Zephyr suddenly turn his head and look directly at me, then he rushed towards me.

"Hey!" he called. He bent down and picked up what was left of me, and since I couldn't speak, I smiled to show him that I was well.

"What happened to your body?" asked Zephyr.

I wanted to say that the grenades thrown by the Turned destroyed all parts of it other than my head, but I couldn't. Maybe I could, though. My system scan revealed that my holographic projector was still operational. I jerked my eyes to the right to instruct Zephyr to point my head that way, and he did just that. I transferred my consciousness to the projector as the rest of Fireteam Pegasus gathered around me and Zephyr, then projected an image of myself onto the ground. I sensed a feeling of relief from all four members of Fireteam Pegasus.

"My core processor is still intact," I promised. "But my body is not."

"We can fix it," Morgan promised, frantically rushing to the black burn the grenades left behind.

"I'm afraid my body cannot be repaired," I informed. "There is simply too much damage."

"There must be something we can do," said Zephyr. "How do we fix you?"

The tone of their voices suggested that there was nothing I could do to convince them that I couldn't be fixed, other than by one method, but it was classified by the highest authorities of Project: Valkyrie. A classified innovation for the next generation of sensitive aura-sensitive warriors. I knew that Doctor Malchion wanted to keep it out of the knowledge of the Valkyries, including me, but it was leaked, and every single one of us knew about it. We couldn't determine whether it was a good or a bad thing, but it was hardly our place to decide that. If I could continue to faithfully serve alongside Fireteam Pegasus for the goal of defending Zenartha from the Abyss, however, I would gladly break every protocol that was programmed into my mind for it.

"Project: Valkyrie was once a widespread organization," I began. "We had facilities all throughout the world for deployment within a moment's notice, along with research for future developments. One of which was the prototype for the synthetic body of the Valkyrie Mark Three, in our Chardanish facility. I am uncertain if my software is compatible with it, but it is possible that I will update once I am placed within the new body. I will still be the same in your eyes, but on the battlefield, I believe my performance will be improved greatly."

"Of course," Morgan promised. "Anything. Where can we find the facility?"

"The Chardanish facility is approximately seven miles west of Cordinshire," I enlightened. "On the coast. I must warn you that every one of Project: Valkyrie's facilities were overrun with Lost, monsters, and many Mark One Valkyries were compromised by the Abyss when they were attacked. I will inform you of the route to the vault where the Mark Three synthetic body is stored as we explore the facility. If I am downloaded into the unit, and am changed, however, I want all of you to know something."

"What?" Morgan wondered.

Even though it was part of a hologram of myself, I extended it towards Morgan, who reached for my hand in return. Her hand went straight through mine, but she still held it in the air, as though she was pretending she could feel my touch.

"I cannot recall having other friends such as the four of you outside of Project: Valkyrie," I said. "Anyone else would observe me and call me a machine or a weapon if they knew what I truly was. None of you did, and even if you did at first, you don't now. You see me as your friend. I truly thank all of you for the affection you have shown me, and for allowing me to fight alongside you."

I saw tears in Morgan's eyes, and Penny's. John and Zephyr were hiding theirs, but I sensed sadness from all four members of Fireteam Pegasus, but no reluctance. They couldn't bear the idea of me living as nothing more than a hologram projected from a severed head. They knew what I knew. I would rather have been terminated than remain in this state.

"Let's go," Morgan sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Lead the way, Maddy."