It's Difficult To Remember...

[Laz]

A Rude Awakening

Leere was restless. He twisted and turned in his cramped up makeshift bed, squirming in his dream state. His thoughts, as usual, were dark and radiated his trauma. If one could see into his head, there is a good chance they'd put him out of his misery after witnessing the horrifying display that is his mind. This evening, while his ship drifts eerily in the void, Leere was trapped in his nightmares.

Leere found himself standing in a dark room, the only lighting focusing on the centre, on Leere. It was silent. The silence itself carried a long lasting echo that stayed within his mind, it was a silence with sound. The dim light flickered and the solid metallic walls stood there, acting like guardians to a pristine facility - expect they were grimy. Old. Derelict. Leere looked down, he was detained and restrained; bolted to this primitive chair.

Something pinged in Leere's mind, he'd been here before. This place in his prison, Erika Keller brought him here, this is where it all began. This is where Izah was born into this universe. This is where Leere's fate was sealed. He looked down at the bonds that bound him, as his gaze focused he saw them glaring back with intent. His eyes darted around the room, trying to understand his situation. In an instant, his head flashed as he slipped unconscious, even though it was for a short time.

Has he awoke, he noticed his change in scenery. The room was illuminated by a warm red light, that you'd think to be more akin to sinking ship or some derelict station. The light gave the room a sinister tone. The former silence was broken by the sound of a dripping pipe coming out of the wall, the drips it provided had formed a small puddle that flowed to the centre of the room at Leere's feet. Looking down, Leere saw his binds were gone but their marks remained. Leere thrust himself up out of the chair but immediately fell to the floor ending on his hands and knees. His breathing was hard and heavy and carried an almost shattering sound.

Taking a moment to remove his dizziness and get his bearings, he noticed the red light highlighted a metal object, it reflected the light at just the right angle to create a glare in his eyes. He scampered over to it on all fours like an animal, or someone backing themselves against a wall in fear. Examine the object it was covered in dust, to the point of being illegible. Wiping it with his hand he could make out the main indentations of the tablet, "U-177".

"Not this again... oh not thing again." he said to himself, reiterating it over and over.

"Why must I be punished with these memories?"

Blood leaks out from his hands with no visible wounds, the distortion on his face tells a tale that only he'd understand. Leere knew what was coming, he'd seen it all before - all before in his mind.

"Why... whhy..."

A sharp pain reaches Leere, crippling him further and leaving him in a motionless state as he struggles forwards. His breathing becomes more intense, the sheer sound of it overriding the continuous drip of the pipe. Has he crawled his way towards the metallic door on the far side of the room, Leere heard the distant sound of mechanical doors opening elsewhere in the facility or ship he was in. The opening and closing was continuous, each one getting louder and louder, with the origin closer and closer. As he got closer and closer to the door, to escape, to freedom, the door swung open with a shadowed figure standing in the open doorway.

Leere scuttled backwards towards the centre of the room before the pain surged and detained him once more. The figure approached into the warm red light, revealing their identity. Leere squealed. Before him was Keller, in her full BDM uniform, holding a long fully loaded plasma rifle in her hands. Leere's expression told all, his fear, his pain... his regret.

Keller stood over him menacingly and he knew what was to come, he simply begged her has innocently as possible.

"Please... don't do it. Don't condemn me to that fate. I don't deserve it".

Keller giggled, "Oh how silly of you. You know how this is going to end anyway."

Keller aimed the gun right at Leere, and as soon as he closed his eyes during his flinch, the thunderous roar of the weapon reverberated around the room.

Leere shot up out of his makeshift bed to the sight of his cargo bay walls and the blandness of his surroundings. He slumped over and cried into his knees, unable to really accept how he ended up like this.

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