Auxesia - Stories on the Eidolon Wraith

[A/)- The Inner Phalanx]

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Shattered mind

Having been practically born and raised in a tube on the ship, Tacitus knows his way over to Doctor Glass' labs and walked there rather quickly, more so just wanting to finish whatever he needed to do as soon as possible. He hurried his way through the halls of Zeta section, passing the various checkpoints with ease. As he rounded a corner, he came to the entrance of the med-bay. He stepped inside and took a brief look around. Being reserved for specific cases, the med-bay was empty. The usual drones idled in their recharge bays at the far wall.

Tacitus walked forwards through the rows of beds towards a door on the left. Once at the door, he could see Glass on the other side, he raised his hand and knocked twice firmly. Taking his helmet off. Michael was sat at a desk in a high-back chair, his hand planted under his chin as he read through his console. He shifted his eyes towards the door. "Come in." He said, raising his voice so it would be heard. Tacitus took a step inside, giving Glass a polite smile and a nod, shutting the door behind him again. "I hope I'm not disturbing you, Doctor." His PDA buzzed almost immediately after that. "Sorry...I accidentally set it on the hourly alarm mode..." He manages to turn that off and puts his PDA back into his pocket. His expression seems a little contemplative and torn between two emotions currently. "Take a seat." Glass said, gesturing towards a couch opposite his desk.

Tacitus slowly took a few steps towards the couch and sat down, doing his best to make himself seem comfortable. Michael, carefully observing his every move, leaned forward on his desk and locked his hands together. "So." He said. Tacitus set his helmet down on the empty cushion of the couch beside him, looking back up at Glass. "I've got some questions to ask you, if you don't mind." Said Glass with a slight hint of a smile. "Not at all." Responded Tacitus, managing a smile even though the situation didn't really warrant one from him. He leans back a little, resting himself against the cushion of the couch behind him and trying to relax. Michael nods. "I understand you've entered a personal relationship." He stated plainly. He continued to watch the tank-breed's expression carefully. "In a way...yes." Responded Tacitus, contemplating that exact wording. "Inge was already here earlier. It's not like I don't know." Retorted Glass. "I didn't assume you didn't know." Tacitus shrugs slightly. Michael nodded. "In your own words, describe the level of involvement in this relationship."Asked Michael. He had opened his console to document his responses."We...spend time together every so often and don't really call it a 'relationship'. She looks at this as a different kind of friendship where I care more deeply about her emotions and want to help her on a more personal level." Said Tacitus, That seemed like the only appropriate thing to say in regards to this.

Michael leant back into his chair. "And your personal feelings for her, can you describe them?" He asked. "I care about her rather deeply." Tacitus says slowly and quietly, not giving that answer much thought. "Can you elaborate on the level of care?" Continued Michael. "I like seeing her happy. Keeping her mind off things that might be bothering her and comforting her when her nightmares frighten her." Responded Tacitus. "And you've become physically involved, correct?" Asked Michael, raising a brow towards Tacitus. "Correct." Tacitus replied somewhat awkwardly. His mind wanders off momentarily, but he brings his focus back to the room and on what Glass might ask him. Michael leans forward. "In your own words, evaluate your feelings and emotional strengths for one another." "We both have jobs that can be very stressful, at the end of the day our strength is the fact that we help one another get past those obstacles. We act as an escape for each other, we don't pass judgement or act hostile." Tacitus says contemplatively. Michael nods. "Evaluate her strengths and weaknesses in your own words." He said, typing down notes on his console.He contemplates that for a several moments, unsure of exactly what to say. "She's thoughtful, kind, compassionate and everything you would want the person you get intimately involved with to be. Her only current weakness and thing that's holding her down is her inability to move past certain things, or rather her difficulty with them, they prevent her from being happy in certain situations." Answered Tacitus. "And if you could describe those situations and what difficulties she has?" Asked Michael.

"I don't think she's over this 'Noah' person yet. Whatever happened between them has done some significant damage...enough to cause continual nightmares. Though justified she's sometimes also overly cautious." Replied Tacitus. Michael nodded. "I see. Do you know the extent of her relationship with Noah?" He asked. "Supposedly...Noah was someone she got involved with in addition to her actual boyfriend. However things with Noah don't seem to have ended well. She told me he got her pregnant and she had to abort the child. And that eventually Noah threw her away and left her to deal with the consequences alone." His hands start to clench the armor plating that makes up his knee-guards. Michael notices Tacitus' reaction and shifts his eyes downwards. "I see that upsets you." He said, typing down additional notes. "Yes it does..." mutters Tacitus, trying to compose himself and flush the anger coursing through his mind. His hands ease up immediately as he formulates that answer. "Having developed affection and a sense of caring for her, hearing someone had done her wrong and hurt her angers me, I'm not entirely sure why. But I assume it's a protective instinct." Stated Tacitus. Michael's demeanor changed ever so slightly as he evaluated the man's posture and tone. "Instinct or not, you need to understand and teach yourself that the past cannot be changed, and ideally aid those who seek to redeem themselves, like Noah has been attempting. Allowing anger to dominate your actions leads to more harm for those you care for. Compassion and understanding will prevail." Michael noted calmly. It was clear that, much like before, there were issues conflicting with Tacitus' programming.

"I don't think my views on him can ever change." Stated Tacitus. His posture seemed to have shifted into a more defensive stance, yet his tone remained neutral. "What you think contributes to unwillingness to attempt. Without trying, it cannot be done. As painful as the situation was for Inge, she has been attempting to work around it and trust Noah as a friend again. Going against this puts more stress on the situation." Retorted Glass as he continued to type out his notes. "You're right..." Tacitus mutters as his programming sees the logic in that counter-argument, automatically beating down his reckless distaste for Noah on the matter. "While I have had limited interactions Noah, I can see his efforts to do his best in light of what is often called 'The greater good'. Many of the people in Auxesia have sought to redeem themselves for their past. Denying them a second chance goes against your fellow pilots and compatriots, as we have all been given one." Stated Michael plainly.

A sudden change in attitude happened. Something inside Tacitus, besides his programming manages to bypass the whole situation. Causing him to chuckle in what seems like mockery at that. "Greater good..." He shakes his head, chuckling softly again. The tone in which he spoke seemed vaguely familiar. "Let's be frank..." Tacitus' tone was rather cold and deliberately seemed rude. "He was with a woman, got bored and then switched over. Dropping the person he already persuaded into being with him like last week's trash."He said coldly. "The pursuit of the 'greater good' in this case, is nothing but a coping mechanism so he feels less like the pile of crap he is about it. It's not sincere, it's just convenience." He continued with his new, hostile demeanor. "You're ignoring the fact that Inge was with someone else and pursued this relationship on her own." Retorted Michael, noting the change. He sifted through the medical files of his parents to confirm his findings, reading a note on Disassociative Identity Disorder to himself. "Nobody does anything without mutual incentive, Doctor." Responded Tacitus, shifting around slightly on the spot. "Both parties knew it was wrong, yet continued. There is no innocence in this matter, just overreactions." Said Michael.

Tacitus' facial expression completely changes, it was light and somewhat content before, but has now taken on a more cold and serious look. "Regardless, she trusted him. He decided he wanted to pursue 'a-another p-person'." His last few words were in blatant mockery of the person he ended up with. Tacitus' programming kicks in, struggling to restrain whatever it was that so desperately wanted to break out and manipulate the way he acted and even spoke. It produced a dull ache in the side of his head, he raised his hand as it grew more severe, rubbing his temple as the feeling faded and his tone and features came back to normal. Michael jotted down a final addendum to his notes. "Interesting." He said, examining Tacitus' sudden change. "What do you mean?" Tacitus asks in his usual calm tone. Michael stands up and grabs his cane. "I believe that's all we have time for." "Right..." Tacitus says, grabbing his helmet and leaving in an apparent daze, just wanting to leave as quickly as possible.

Elsewhere aboard the Wraith, Joshua Hunt, Sapphire Raven and Aria were sat in their quarters, enjoying some down-time. The three were stood in the main room around the couches of the Keepers Quarters, talking with eachother in a playful manner. A sudden beep from Hunt's communicator interrupted their conversation. "Oh well. " Raven walks to the living room, turning around, leaning back on the back of the sofa, looking at Hunt. "Your thing bleeped by the way. " She mentioned. Hunt followed her out from the bedroom and approached the datapad on the coffee table. "I heard." He replied. "I think your secret monogamous girlfriend is texting you. " Teased Raven, as a grin grew on her face. "Pffft." Hunt picks up his communicator. A message from Tacitus was visible on the screen, reading 'Met with Glass, something's going wrong, I need to talk to you. - T'. His expression changed slightly to a more serious one as he read the unusual message.

[TEXT>Tacitus]::"Oh. That's not good. It can't wait, can it?"::
[TEXT>Hunt]::"I'm not sure what it is, but it scares me."::
[TEXT>Tacitus]::"Remain calm for now. Change into some casual wear. I'll tell you where to meet."::

Raven looked over at Hunt, turning her head slightly in curiosity, wondering what he's doing that caused a change in him. "What? What is it?" She asked. "Tacitus went to speak to Glass. He needs to speak to me because something is wrong. He doesn't know what, but he's afraid." Replied Hunt. He set his datapad down and looked over at Raven. "Can you get in touch with Michael and see what might've happened? I'll go try to meet up with Tacitus." He said. "I was going to suggest that I could come along with you. Second opinions and all. " Responded Raven. "Good idea. Message Glass along the way, then, and uh... I'm going to bring my armor, just in case." Said Hunt. "I'll uh. Well. I'm already in my robe anyway. " Stated Raven. "Right." Hunt walked back into the bedroom to equip his armor. beginning the usual sequence to open the powered exosuit and stepping into the frame. Meanwhile, Aria looked over at Raven. "Should I come too?" She asked curiously. "Up to Hunt. But I think you should, you're his sister after all. " Replied Raven.

Elsewhere aboard the Wraith, in the confusion Tacitus' mind is currently dealing with, he can't seem to properly navigate back to his room to change. It's like he's running around a maze, unable to truly find his destination. It seems to annoy him and provoke the part of him his programming is desperately restraining. "Greater good..." He whispers to himself and starts chuckling in mockery again. He stands there, completely stiff and idle in his posture. It's eerily imposing. His programming although fighting desperately is only causing further friction, despite his own conscious efforts, he can't choose how he's going to act or even what he might say in this state. It's sickening but also intoxicating, like there's an overwhelming drug washing itself over his mind and coursing through his veins.

Hunt walked out of the bedroom in his S-1 armor, lacking his robe to go with it. "Go get your stuff." He said, looking towards Aria. She nods and walks to her bed area by the door, dawning her helmet and belt. "Do you really think it's necessary? Though, eh, better safe than sorry. " Said Raven, examining the two. "Remember last time." Retorted Hunt. She gets up from leaning on the sofa, walking to the door slowly. "Eh. Can't say I do. Oh. Wait. The bastard bent my bars. " Said Raven in response. "He bent the railing... And your hand." Continued Hunt. "Grr. Okay. Oh. That too. " She chuckles. "I have a few surprises up my sleeve anyway. " Said Raven. "But, to be sure this time... " she hurries over to the closet, grabbing out an energy shield, wearing it around her arm, deactivated for now. It's just a hunk of metal. "Okay. " she hops over to the door. "Let's go. Wait. Did he say where?" Asked Raven. "No. ERI, can you track his position?" Said Hunt, looking up slightly. <:: Tacitus is detected in the mid-corridors, Zeta section. :: > Responded the Artificial Intelligence. "Could be good to catch him doing whatever he's doing. " Mentioned Raven. "Right. Thank you." Hunt gestures to the two women. The trio vacate their quarters.

Tacitus manages to keep himself still, out of fear of what his body and mind might do in this state. His tone and facial expression are no longer what they usually are, and seem out of his own control. Letting go and just letting it be seems to feel better than trying to fight this feeling back. Fighting causes a maddening headache, whereas just giving in seems to calm him. His helmet twitches as he himself has a slight shiver. Several halls away, walking down the corridor with the other two, looking down at her armband, "Hmm... two corridors over... " Said Raven. As the trio traversed the hall-ways, closing on Tacitus' position, Hunt removed a stun pistol from his belt and disabled the safety. Turning through the halls, only one away, Hunt stopped abruptly. "Right. Stay behind me." Hunt rolled his neck slightly, then tapped the side of his helmet. He proceeded ahead of the two women behind him and turned the corner to face Tacitus. "Tacitus." Hunt said sternly

"Hi, Dad." He says in a voice and tone that seemed rather conflicted and disturbing. "Uh. Hi. What's going on?" Replied Hunt cautiously. Hunt slowly drew his stun pistol from his belt, and kept it at his side. Tacitus turns around, every single muscle tensed like he's in a combat situation. His hands clench and then relax themselves, his gaze shuffling between Hunt and the hallway. "You know..." Tacitus says, pondering his own words. "I never pegged Glass for a comedian." A slight chuckle reverberating through his helmet. "He's got a sense of humor, believe it or not. Talk to me. What's going on?" Replied Hunt. "The funny bit is that Noah supposedly works for..." Tacitus starts chuckling again, almost unable to stop before he manages to squeeze the words out. "Greater good." He even makes the air quotes. "We all do. The betterment of humanity." Retorted Hunt, watching his body language. "He just wants to feel better about abandoning people for his new l-l-l-lover." Tacitus stutters on purpose in mockery of this new person. "He wouldn't have left Inge in the field if he didn't care for her." Replied Hunt.

The alternate and usually dormant personality starts to influence Tacitus' programming, rather than the other way around now. "I gave it some thought, tried to think about what it was he did that was so bad it gives her nightmares to this day." He shrugs slightly. "I'm not sure though." He said plainly. Hunt observed the change of tone and posture carefully. Around the corner, Raven tightened her grip on the energy shield, bending her knees slightly in preparation to jump out when called. "Tacitus, standard directive - Disarm and submit." Stated Hunt sternly. Tacitus' head flinches to the left and the right. His programming obeying but no longer able to influence whatever's going on in his head. "Why's that, don't trust me anymore?" He asked mockingly. "I trust you, but I don't trust the situation." Replied Hunt, tightening his grip on his pistol. Tacitus' body tenses up as his anticipation of what Hunt might do remains in a state of calculations. "Where's Mom?" He asks with a hint of strain in his voice. "Please disarm yourself, Tacitus. That's all I need for safety in this situation. That way no one gets hurt. Alright?" Hunt said calmly, unwilling to give ground or change the subject. "Is that for the greater good as well?" Tacitus asks with that same worrying chuckle. "Am I going to have to start praising Noah for the saint he is as well?"

"That's for the general well being of everyone here. Risking an injury is unnecessary." Replied Hunt, keeping his calm tone. "Tacitus. Disarm yourself." He rolls his neck slightly. "Are you going to point a gun at me if I don't? Just like last time, Dad?" A hint of strain in Tacitus' voice again as his programming struggles but is ultimately forced down by his submission to this secondary personality. Around the corner, both Raven and Aria clench their eyes shut in anticipation for Hunt's surprise. "Your choice."

As he spoke, a bright, blinding flash emitted from either side of Hunt's helmet, as well as a sharp, high-pitched ring. A blinding effect emitted and dulled all visual and auditory senses for several seconds. Hunt snapped up his arm and dropped slightly, firing several bursts of stun rounds at Tacitus. Tacitus' vision fades and his chuckle turns into an audible grunt and muffled screams as he's forced to his knees from the shocking of the rounds. He starts panting like a distressed animal, the shocks still passing through his armor. Hunt moved forward and kicked Tacitus' equipment away. He placed a boot on his back and forced him to the ground with his metallic legs. He locked his hands behind his back with photon handcuffs. Despite the occasional zap, Tacitus keeps laughing.

Tacitus' armor groans as he struggles to lift himself back up, forcing himself against the pressure of the boot on his back. "Don't fight it. It's a bionic leg. It won't budge." Stated Hunt, who kept his pistol aimed at Tacitus. Raven and Aria walked out of the corner, coming down the corridor, walking up to Tacitus. Raven kneels down to him, looking at him. "Tacitus... out of all of them, you were the sweetest one. " She said calmly. Tacitus bends a knee under his torso, using his own foot to push back against the weight keeping him down. Kicking the floor and pushing back like he's trying to fight for his life. Raven steps back slightly, retaining some distance. Hunt put additional force on his back, pushing him down again. His armor could be seen bending under the pressure of Hunt's metallic leg. "Don't fight it. I /will/ stun you again." He said sternly. Tacitus groans and lets out a muffled scream again, straining himself and the armor. Hunt fires another burst of stun rounds at Tacitus. "Tacitus. Please. Let's not fight. Let's be reasonable - oh for god sake. " Said Raven, shaking her head at Hunt. Tacitus screams out aloud again, his body twitching violently from the second shot. "Breathe, Tacitus. It's for your own good." Said Hunt, calming his tone. Tacitus' panting and pained sighs are almost completely muffled by his helmet, his body grows slightly limp. No longer able to fight back having been weakened by the many shocks. "Raven, can you call some drones to help me move him?" Asked Hunt. "Already did, but just to make sure..." Raven typed into her wrist-mounted device, sending out a call for some drones.

The drones would arrive to the scene. Hunt stepped back as they approached. They hoisted Tacitus to his feet and restrained him. Raven sighs sorrowfully, looking at Tacitus. "Tass... Why the aggression?" She asked. Tacitus lets out another pained sigh as his back makes a clicking noise from being able to stretch back to normalcy. Raven stands up with him, looking at him in the 'face' of his helmet. The drones kept Tacitus restrained. Hunt walked around and joined Raven at her side. Tacitus' head dangles for a moment, his submission to the secondary personality turning into disagreement. Letting his programming control the blend again. Raven walks up to him, taking off his helmet, grabbing it by both of the sides, releasing it from him. She drops it on the floor. Raven stares at him in the face, taking a step back. Tacitus appeared distraught, like he's run a marathon and fought over an army prior to this little conflict. Without the helmet, his pained sighs and breathing are clearly audible. Raven gives a slow blink to him, looking curious, yet, somewhat upset. "So....sorry..." Tacitus manages to whisper in between the pain.

"Is this truly you speaking, or the programming?" Said Raven. "Me..." The strain in Tacitus' voice is still there, but it's from the pain now. "And how can I be sure? You think I'm a joke. You think Auxesia is a joke, you think your comrades are a joke. " Continued Raven. Tacitus' programming balances out his mental activity, preventing malicious overpowering of either personality from occurring. Raven folds her arms. "No..." Tacitus mutters, his eyes beginning to water. "No? Then why did you say it, hm? Why do you think working for the betterment of everyone else is dumb, hm? Do you think I'm not worthy of retribution?" She asked, seemingly interrogating him. "I don't know....why I was saying those...things." Tacitus' legs quiver, no longer strong enough to support him. "Do you think I should be executed for killing hundreds of thousands of people?" She said. Raven reached into her robe and removed a rather suspicious looking pistol. She places it in his hands, and gestures for one of the drones to aim his arm at her. "If you think it's dumb, if you think doing it for the greater good, to find retribution and to find a chance to redeem one-self is dumb. Pull the trigger. Raven stands in front of it. "You're capable of making your own opinions and choices. " She said plainly. "No..." Tacitus mutters again. "No? Is that why Glass was funny, huh? And here I thought, that... maybe... maybe one day, you'd flourish enough. So far that I may even consider you family. " She said, continuing to push him.

"I didn't want....to say those things....I don't know why I did..." Tacitus mutters out. "You knew why you did. " Retorted Raven, crossing her arms again. "I'm afraid...please..." His eyes close themselves, those tears being held back leaking out. "That isn't who I am..." Said Tacitus. "If it wasn't you, then, too bad. You still did it. It's still you. " Pushed Raven. "Please stop..." Those tears start to stream down more frequently from Tacitus' face. "I'm sorry..." His eyes manage to open themselves again, flushed full of the water behind them and reddening. "Why are you sorry?" She asked. "For letting it...control how I acted..." He muttered out in response. "Letting 'it'? Letting what?" She asked again, tilting her head slightly. "I don't know what it is...my programming fights it and gives me headaches...giving in took the pain away but made me feel cold..." Tacitus' shivering slowly stops and his legs start to support his weight again. "So, you're saying that your programming made you completely betray us, hm?" Said Raven. "No..." He shakes his head, trying to blink away the tears. Raven sighs. "Me, you and Hunt are going to have to speak together."

The drones carried Tacitus towards the Zeta Section Med-bay, placing him in an isolation room. Raven and Hunt observed briefly for a moment, discussing a means to approach this. After several moments of chastising for toying with nature, the two entered the room to speak to Tacitus. They had released his handcuffs and removed his armor. Further into the evening, he was released to his quarters, where he still battles his own mind. Meanwhile, Hunt and Raven had playfully rushed to their quarters for the rest of the evening.

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