Aftermath by Justin
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Disclaimer: I do not own Galerians, only a copy I
bought at Babbages. Galerians is owned by Ascii, Crave Entertainment, and
Polygon Magic. (I think that's all of them...) I do not own any of the
characters from the game, although I do claim ownership of my own characters,
as well as any personality and/or appearance changes I have given the (very
few) surviving game characters. I am not responsible for any Shorting deaths
induced by this fanfic. Enjoy ^_^
GALERIANS
A F T E R M A T H
Chapter 4: Planning
Cain and Lilia followed the cloaked one down a deserted hallway within the
abandoned building. While Cain continued along his usual route, Lilia observed
the poor lighting, a few flickering lightbulbs scattered throughout.
The building was apparently under electrical power, something rare with the
rise of nuclear power in the world. Nonetheless, this was no sight-seeing tour,
as Lilia managed to stay close behind those leading her.
After a few branching turns in the hallways, they arrived at a dead end, a wall
like any other in the building. The two stood before it, as Lilia approached,
and placed her hand on the wall, running down its gritty surface.
"What- why did we come here?" she asked curiously.
"Step back, Lilia," instructed the young man in the cloak. She did
so, as he stepped forward, and placed his hand on the center of the wall. With that,
the wall suddenly flickered out.
Lilia was shocked by the magic trick. "H-How?"
They continued down the hallway as Lilia tagged along, closely behind them.
"It's a textured force-field, with a projected hologram of a wall. It's
programmed to open for our handprints only," answered Cain.
Lilia remained silent, still unsure if this Galerian was worth her time. They
finally came to a metal doorway, which the cloaked one opened for them as well,
this time by a simple doorknob.
As they entered, Lilia saw several resistance members standing around the room,
most in their late teens. The majority of them looked like rebellious
teenagers, clad in leather and rugged clothing, some with chains in their
inventory.
It was a somewhat small room, about the size of a lounge, a small round table
at its center, a few chairs scattered throughout, and a pool table with green
overhead lights nearby. Most of the room was lit by several low-volt lightbulbs
around the walls. The room held an eerie dark atmosphere, and a slight breeze
brushed by Lilia.
Cain walked across the room, giving a couple of the rebels a high-five before
taking a resting stand against the opposite wall. His arms crossed, balanced
with one foot up against the wall, he tilted his head down. His eyes were once
again shrouded, this time in the shadow of the green lights above the pool
table across the room, one of the chamber's very few light sources.
Lilia sighed silently, before the cloaked one lowered his hood, his
once-shadowed face now visible. He was a somewhat handsome young man, with
short black hair and green eyes. However he did have one marked feature, a
crescent-like scar, from his mid-forehead, curving around the side of his face
over his right eye, ending below his lower lip.
It looked painful, but Lilia tried not to stare. She did notice, in her
split-second of gawking, that his right eye was a lighter shade of green than
his left. Possibly a glass eye? She pondered, trying to think of something
else.
"It's synthetic," Cain clearly said from across the room. Her
thoughts now answered, embarrassed as she was, she continued to look around the
chamber. The young man, Jett, led her around the room, introducing her to the
many rebels.
There was Shaeda, a young woman of about 19, with short brown hair and bright,
ice-blue eyes. She wore a gray tank top under a tight black leather jacket, its
right sleeve covered with a layer of chain-mail. She also had a black leather
mini-skirt to mid-thigh, her legs bare down to her black combat boots.
Lilia noticed the very tips of flat combat blades showing out the front of each
boot, and a barely-visible, circular metal button on the inner side of each
heel. It appeared these rebels were far more intelligent than Lilia had noticed
from first glance.
Next she met Aden. His short blond hair waved
slightly in the low breeze, the green of the pool table lights shining in his
dark blue eyes. 18 years old, he too had some irregular influence in his garb.
Most noticeable were his blue jeans, its legs so baggy and wide that they were
hard to discern as they both flowed together in the slight breeze that flew
about the room. He wore a stormy blue shirt under a brown leather jacket, with
metal studs on back spelling out a "G" with an anti-sign around it.
"No Galerians?" Lilia thought, as Cain remained against the wall
halfway across the room, slightly raising an eyebrow at her thought.
This one had the addition of gray sneakers and a chain necklace hanging from
his neck, a small blue crystal at its end. Though it seemed to serve no
purpose, Lilia had by now come to expect such things to have efficient use.
Next there was Terrae, the youngest member of the resistance. At 16, she
appeared to be the inventor of the pack. Her eccentric violet eyes sparkled in
the dim light, as did the silver-streaked bangs of her blue-dyed hair. She was
dressed in all black, and leather, no less, from her tank-top to her pants and
boots. Her left arm had an odd sleeve, of fish-net material down to her elbow.
From there, she wore a leather half-sleeve down to her wrist, completely
studded.
On the right shoulder of her tank top was a small metal plate of some sort, not
seeming to be of any purpose at first, Lilia herself wondering what tricks lied
up this one's sleeve. On the same arm she wore a high-tech watch, one with
glowing white electronic screens and buttons all the way around her wrist.
"What in Michelangelo does that do…" wondered Lilia, almost
immediately answered by a typical "You'll find out soon enough" from
Cain.
It was she who created the holographic door-wall, as well as much of the team's
gear, including Shaeda's boots and Cain's visor. Lilia found it surprising that
someone so young could know so much, considering that her own 22-year-old mind
was baffled by such devices. She also noticed she wore a thin chain bracelet
loosely around her left wrist, the only device she wore that didn't appear to
be of any use in combat.
Then, lastly, she met Jynx. 20 years old, he was the oldest of the group. He
stood tall, somewhere around 6'2, with short bleached blond hair. He wore a
black leather jacket, with a small metal armlet covered in electronic buttons
and several small luminescent blue screens. Obviously this was another of
Terrae's mysterious devices.
He was also garbed in baggy blue jeans and a black T-shirt, with the words
"Goodbye, Mother!" printed in gory red letters. Apparently the
general public had somehow gotten hold of those famous words.
Jett removed his cloak and took a seat at one of the few chairs throughout the
room. He wore baggy leather pants, much like Aden's jeans, and a gray jacket,
one of cloth for once, a red flame-like pattern down its left sleeve. The
jacket open in front, he appeared to wear no shirt underneath, instead a
heavily-tattooed chest with red and blue patterns of fire and water.
He also wore a studded collar around his neck, as well as two others, studded
as well, around his wrists. Finally, he had a belt of chain-mail, which
appeared to be crafted from hundreds of tiny keyrings, much like Shaeda's
sleeve-armor.
They were a seemingly diverse group of young rebels, fighting for a noble
cause. There was one thing alone they all had in common. Every member of the
resistance had lost their parents to the savagery of the Galerians. Together
they fought, ready to die for their cause if they had to. They didn't care.
They all had one dream to keep them going: that for once, just once, they'd
each have their chance to see a Galerian beg for their life before mercilessly
finishing them.
The other rebels seated themselves, some on the floor due to the shortage of
chairs. One chair was left, the only one that actually looked comfortable, as
this one had leather backing. Cain stepped forward, and sat up against the side
of the pool table, gesturing for Lilia to take the chair. She did so, wondering
why the Galerian could be so kind yet so cold.
Then, the meeting began. Cain slowly opened his mouth and began to speak.
"Members of the Northern Faction, we finally have the key." He looked
to Lilia for a moment, before continuing. "So he's the leader of this
team…" she thought, listening to Cain's words to understand what was going
on.
"The time has come to rise up from the darkness, to reclaim this
metropolis for humanity. The Galerians may be strong now, but without their
precious Mother, they will perish, like a colony of ants without their Queen to
guide them. They will fall, my comrades, and the human race will take control
once again!"
He made a gesture, holding out his arm before him, his hand in a tight fist.
The others did the same, nodding once as they did so. Lilia wondered as to the
significance of the motion. Perhaps it was to symbolize the strength of
humanity, overcoming the Galerian attack gesture of an open hand before them.
Still, she kept an open ear.
"Terrae…" said Cain, gesturing toward the round table with his head.
Terrae nodded, and placed a small, metallic dome on the table, a tiny glowing
blue lens at its center. Around its circumference there were several black
buttons. Terrae pressed one of them, and a blue hologram of the Galerian HQ
building appeared above the device. This machine was obviously another of
Terrae's technological achievements.
Lilia watched in awe as she'd never seen such a thing. Cain continued with his
speech, as Terrae kneeled aside the table and pressed buttons on the projector
according to Cain's progression.
"As we can see here, the Galerian HQ is not easily broken into." The
building enlarged, zooming in to several hallways similar to the ones Cain
himself ventured, with great detail. The wall-lights and security cameras could
be seen, as well as many semi-detailed guards patrolling the areas. Also to be
seen were the tank chambers, some with developing Galerians within, others
housing mutant Arabesques.
"Our goal," he continued,
"is the Hand of God." The view zoomed into an area high above street
level, to a large mother-computer room, monitors lining each of its four walls
and a large "brainstem" of wires and bio-mechanical, segmented tubes
at its center.
"This…" he paused, "…is Dorothy." There was a long silence,
before he gathered his thoughts and continued, "She exists in the wires of
their building. Her stream of knowledge resides in this stem."
Lilia finally spoke up. "So, you mean we have to get inside and sever her
stem?"
"No," replied Cain, "that alone won't stop her. Her very
existence is technological in its current state, and even if we destroyed the
building she'd surely survive in a form of energy. That is why… we rescued
you."
"Because I still have the virus program in my mind?" she asked.
"Yes." Cain looked to her and met her gaze for the first time since
entering the hideout. Lilia couldn't help but feel somewhat used, yet she knew
that there was no other way. If mankind was to be saved, she would need to help
the rebels.
"How do we upload the virus this time? Rion is gone…" she looked
down, in a depressed look. "…it took him, when he tried to upload the
virus." She could barely speak as her eyes began to glimmer. She couldn't
break down in front of the team… she held back her tears as Cain himself had a
look of concern, as if he could sense her emotions. He actually seemed
concerned for her this time.
"I can activate the virus," said Cain.
"How? You don't have the program in your mind to do so-"
"You assumed I didn't," Cain corrected. So Cain had a virus
activation program of his own. But how? Rion had to go through procedures that
crossed the borderline of torture, just to gain that ability. Furthermore,
Lilia worried that activating the virus would hurt Cain, or worse.
"Don't worry about me," he said. "I'll be fine."
"If you say…" she said, wanting to believe him, but unable to, from
what she'd seen during her tragic past. Without warning she then heard Cain's
words in her head as he mind-spoke to her for a second. :I'll show you later.:
She jerked in shock for an instant, and gave Cain a slight, inconspicuous nod.
Cain winked back to her, unseen, and continued with his battle plan.
"As I was saying, this is our target. Mother Dorothy's stem. Her chamber
is on Floor 28, high above the city's streets. We'll need to infiltrate the
building and make our way up, via these elevators." The map zoomed in to
four elevators shafts, one at each inner corner of the skyscraper.
"We'll use these elevators to make our way up to the top 28th floor.
However, we may be intercepted by guards taking the same elevators, and if they
happen to discover our presence… then we'd better get our job done fast."
"Next," he said, gesturing a nod to Terrae, "We'll get to know
some of our enemies." A colorful 3-D profile of Yokei appeared above the
device. Cain's eyes narrowed slightly, unnoticed by all but Lilia. "This
is Yokei, one of the Second Spawn. He is known for his power in the element of
electricity, and is a fierce combatant. Avoid him, and the other Galerians, at
all costs."
Then, a hologram of Saiki appeared. "This is Saiki. She has control over
the mind and can manipulate brainwaves if given the chance. However, she is
somewhat arrogant, which is a fatal mistake in combat. Nonetheless, do not
underestimate her as she IS a Galerian, and could make short work of any of
you."
Finally, there appeared a profile of another Galerian. This one had a black
suede half-jacket to his midsection, and a loose chain for a necklace. He also
wore a light gray tank-top, and dark blue jeans. His platinum hair was quite
intricate, with dozens of wavy strands spiking out in back and 2 long waving
bangs in front, partially covering his emerald-green eyes.
He sported something unique to him amongst the Galerians: a weapon. A long
silver katana, about his own height in length, hung behind his back. It was
held by a black leather strap slung across his shoulder, with a magnetic clip
in back that seemed to hold the huge sword in place.
"Everyone, this is Jyun. He is the most respected and most feared of the
Galerians, and should be avoided at all costs. Little is known to the outside,
but it's rumored amongst our spies that he has a sword technique which can suck
the life from his opponents without even laying a blade on them. Be very
careful and RUN like hell if you're unfortunate enough to see him
anywhere."
Cain nodded and Terrae flipped a switch on the projector device, ending their
tutorial. Cain then continued, "We will begin the blockade tomorrow before
sunrise. We, the Northern Faction, will make our way to the Galerian HQ in the
dark of the early morning, as will the rebel factions of the South, East, and
West. Together, we will infiltrate the building and destroy Mother Dorothy.
Remember, we MUST keep Lilia alive and well at all costs. Doctor Steiner's
virus program has been long forgotten, and the Galerians have destroyed his
home so that the data can never be salvaged. If Lilia dies, so does
humanity."
There was a long silence, as nobody had anything to say to such a speech. Cain
spoke again with a "pep-talk" to ready his team for their vital
mission.
"Tomorrow is the final battle. The fated clash between humanity and the
Galerians. Fight well, and you may yet survive to tell your grandchildren
someday. If you're cornered, do not surrender. You'd only face a fate worse
than death, since they need all the guinea pigs they can find. If you know
you're going to die, take as many of them with you as you can. Take no prisoners,
show no mercy, fight proud. Fight with the blood of mankind driving you onward.
Good night, and sleep well. You are dismissed."
With that, they all stood and walked off to another hidden wall-door in the
room, leading to their own individual sleeping quarters. Cain followed,
gesturing for Lilia to do the same.
"We have a guest room… you may use it, since you're our guest of
honor." She followed him as he led her, wondering why Cain was being so
secretive about his activation program.
:Meet me after the others go to bed,: he mind-spoke to her. "Okay,"
she replied, as Jynx looked back as he walked. "Keep walking," Cain
instructed. Jynx followed his order with little hesitation.
The night outside grew cold, as the world slowly turned, rotating on its axis
as it had for billions of years. The sun crept its way around the globe,
inching its way closer to bringing light to Michelangelo City. In less than
eight hours, the struggle between mankind and the Galerians would commence. The
victor would hold the future of the earth. It would be a struggle against Fate
itself. Anger burned in the hearts of the Northern Faction, as it did in the
hearts of all who lost loved ones to the Galerians. Yet, another emotion
dwelled deep in their souls… Hope. It was hope that would drive them to conquer
the Galerian threat. A ray of hope that the future would hold prosperity and
life. Just eight hours, and the epic battle would begin. But would it be one of
legend, or one of disgrace?
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