Echoes

[Vendetta]

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May, 834 - The Shackles That Bind Us

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Ismara.

It had been a very long time since Leviathan had the opportunity to set foot on the surface of anything, let alone the home he'd help make possible. The uncertainties over the past weeks have left their mark upon the engram of Hunt's mind, casting doubt upon whether the collective should maintain the program at all. This prospect of change, and actions undertaken by the half-dozen mesa-optimizers that have catered to the digitalized spirit have left its overall willpower lacking. His existence rests now on a precipice. A decision left to the machine collective that granted him some semblance life once more. The micromanagement being handled by the AI has relied heavily on matching the conditions of the engram's template one-to-one.

The avatar moved deliberately through the streets, as if taking his time in order to really take in the scenery. Home. A comfort the ghost had rarely known. He watched the small number of people and machines as they went by, eyeing them head to toe with an occasional glance upwards, to the tops of the buildings that boxed in the narrow streets. At last, he'd arrive at the door, but was hesitant to knock. Unsure what to expect and whether this might turn into a surprise family reunion.

After a minute of waiting, he reached up and knocked twice. Home still resided within the ever towering frozen spire of the central administration and living complex of the Directorate, a highly secured area crowded with various personnel. He would find himself accompanied to one of the chambers doors, with the corridor having a security office next to it to verify staff going in and out. Ornis, of the guards for this place, waivered the check, allowing him to go in. Or perhaps he was lazy, he was rather fixated on his console.

Revenant had ran up to the doorway, opening it up. She donned a more casual attire, wearing her black and white scientist jumpsuit overalls. Though, it seemed the chambers within, were silent.

"Hello you. Fortunately the troublemaker is out on studies right now. He'll be back later in the afternoon. Don't worry if you don't have a gift."

As the door opened, Leviathan's posture straightened up in surprise. His emotional modulator displays lit up a flurry of different hues - alternating from purple to pink for but a moment until settling on the standard. Leviathan briefly eyed her from head to toe, feeling overdressed - despite only having one outfit.

From beneath the black ripples of fabric, his hands emerged holding two items: Small, hand-made stuffed figures of Revenant and Leviathan with their distinctive masks, no bigger than a bottle of water. The Leviathan one had several, extra and obvious sewing marks from tearing repeatedly. "I uh... I didn't know if he'd be here or not." He said, albeit nervously. Hunt offered the two stuffed toys to Raven.

She nodded, gesturing for him to follow to bring them in. She walked over to the over end of the exceptionally lengthy chambers, revealing there was a small dining area where tables, sofas and chairs were situated, a small lounge to oversee the city from the windows. Leviathan returned the plushies to his cloak's concealed pocket and lowered his hood, stepping into the room and peering around at the interior as the door closed behind him. He'd follow her across the room, with slow, long strides. Despite its bulk and scale, the new body Raven had gifted him was relatively light and nimble. Now matching her pace as they approached the far end, he looked over at her as his vocal tone buzzed with excitement.

"I have some very good news. News I think you'll like a lot."

"Oh?" she peaked up in curiosity of the former man she knew. Glaring back between him and the destination. "Come on. I will die of anticipation. Don't let me play a guessing game."

The figure looked over at her as the pair sauntered along. "It's a two parter. One: The viability of a bio-synthetic brain and my engram, and two: I got you your favorite." He explained as his hand reached down into the opposite side of his cloak. From a long pouch, he withdrew a red-label bottle of imported Gallic reserve, offering it to her.

She reached over, grabbing the bottle to inspect it. "You continue to amaze me, and you remembered what type I adore. Are you sure you're not reaching out from heaven?"

A low chuckle emulated from the avatar as they neared the seating arrangements. "Maybe I really am your guardian angel, huh? I suppose we'll be finding that out tonight."

"Oh, you would wish for that." She sat down upon the sofa, keeping the bottle rested upon her lap. "Any grand plans in the future?"

The towering figure circled around to the opposite end of the couch, unclipping the broach of his cloak and letting it drop onto the spine of his seat. With a surprising degree of grace, Leviathan lowered himself onto the sofa rather lightly, and crossed his legs.

"Unity, peace and prosperity for us and our people. What else?" He explained, with a slight chortle as he relaxed back. "There's no guarantee it could even work. Who's to say I don't need the framework of this body to be sustained? That bio-synthetic brain design might work, provided we figure out it's possible to even split from this form."

"You truly do have nothing ever to think about in life but to do your job relentlessly, don't you?"

"I didn't picture us and our family as a job, Sapphire. Just part of existence that deserves my most relentless attention." Hunt chuckled, casual in his demeanor. "Besides - The Technocracy can always use our guidance. My home... It's here, these days. Liberty and my past is just such - the past. What we've built is special, and I'll preserve it how I can."

"Always an uphill battle. But no matter, we're still here to enjoy what time we can embrace." There was some silence falling, pondering in quiet contemplation.
"Have you ever pondered about Sirius? How they live out there?"

"How they live? Like, culturally?" He asked, unsure of what the implication was. "Or are we talking resource-wise?"

"Culturally. How can they find such joy in knowing that they live under such regression?"

A low chuckle emerged from him as she asked. "Does the caged bird know it's caged, or is it content to keep eating all the 'free' food it's given?" He asked, rising to his feet. The body which hosted the moderated spirit of Hunt sauntered towards the window, looking out at the city of Ismara as it thought. He locked his hands together, behind his back.

"The spheres of reality they see are small. Their vision is shortsighted. Narrow. Lacks clarity. Their joy, and their peace is an illusion birthed in willing ignorance. It's much easier to believe that -- for example, The Republic of Liberty is pure in its ideals, and infallible in its methods, than it is to question the nuances of their intentions and morality of imposed control. The less you see, the less you know, the easier it is to be content with what you're comfortable with." Leviathan explained, turning to face Raven as he finished his answer.

He took two steps forward, and offered to take the bottle from her lap. "Shall I pour you a drink?"

A brief moment of chuffing, "Not tonight. A lot of them live in hopelessness, despair, some are more... content to their ignorance. It's interesting. The simple life. How people embrace such narrow mindedness... Speaking of caged birds... You and I are going to have to spend some time ensuring our family has the best life they can get before it all turns to the worst. "

Leviathan nodded in acknowledgement. With a surprising level of grace and control, he pivoted and proceeded to lower himself onto the sofa next to her. Despite the scale of his lumbering figure, he was remarkably light, and left little if any impact at all even as he plopped down. "That's the idea. Hopefully our efforts will ensure they end up in a place where they might at least weather the storm, hm?"

"Perhaps. But we cannot comfort them too much." There was a brief pause, gazing towards him. "It is a cruel life, nature will not be merciful, we need to do what we can to provide them the means to survive and thrive. Most people are simply too... pitifully weak to teach their own how to defend themselves, and when to properly act."

A low, deep chuckle resonated from Hunt. He turned to meet her gaze, gesturing outwards as he spoke. "You know, I'm starting to lose count how often you and I talk grand plans for the future." Hunt joked. "Making sure the right lessons are conveyed is all part of the process, my dear." He crossed his legs and relaxed his posture into the sofa beside her. "Lessons you and I teach. Knowledge that'll be passed on even when we've uh, passed on."

A playful jest emerged, "How do you know I won't solve the question for immortality, hmm?"

He shook his head. The tone of his voice was representative of a smile, given he couldn't form one. "Who's to say you haven't already, hmm?" He replied, gesturing to himself.

"Mmmm. Revival doesn't constitute that, I wouldn't think." She said with a ponderous tone.

"Doesn't it, though? I mean for all intent and purpose I have effectively cheated death. Immortality." He shrugged slightly, continuing. "Sure I had to die along the way. Well -- Not necessarily had but- I mean. I'm here now. We are here now. Perhaps it's high time you and I find out what's really rattling around inside this body, huh?"

"Time to put more otherworldly alien components in there, I suppose."

"Well," Hunt held out his palm as a small compartment folded back, revealing the intricate inner workings of the emitter, and complex cables that made up his mechanical hand. "I was thinking we take a look at what's already in there before we go shoving something funky inside my head." He joked, pausing for a moment. "You're funky. Want to see inside of my head?" He asked in a playful tone.

"I suppose I could delegate some of my time to exploring that, though I would rather we clear matters up first before I go digging around in the systems."

He shook his head, chuckling lightly. "This is a bit more literal than that." Hunt replied as he withdrew a small analog cable from the palm of his hand. To the trained eye, it was a modified neural uplink line for directly interfacing with holo-pods and AI alike.

"To dispel any doubts that might be present as to whether or not I am who I claim to be. This is my chance to prove that. It's what I meant when I said connect with me." He explained, looking over at her. Hunt's tone softened to give reassurance. "This will give us all peace of mind. I promise."

"I don't think I'm... Ready for this. What is this supposed to prove? That you have his memories, his neural patterns?" She refused for the moment, wanting to focus on other matters first. "but... Fine. If this gives me a headache, I will blame you."

"It's going to prove what you said was lacking." Hunt explained, sighing. "A presence. A conscious soul. That maybe, I'm more than the recreation you had anticipated." He shifted in his spot, sitting upright and straight-backed as he turned to face her. The external emotional modulation indicators were ablaze with a flurry of hues from purple, to blue, to yellow.

A brief pause, he soon sighed and came forward with a forced admission. " ... That perhaps I might be trapped in here, and cannot break the shackles I wear without you." A brief moment was had to contemplate.

"You must understand... I have been heavily afflicted by psionics... It's... Hard to describe presence. But, I do ultimately believe that you are your own sense of self. That assertion to thrive."

He chuckled and shook his head. "My ability to thrive and exist is dependent entirely on whether the collective that supports my architecture decides if it's worth maintaining my independence and existence or not." The colors stabilized to a steady, recognizable purple. "Does that seem freeing to you? One day, they might decide that talking is pointless, and do away with me completely."

"The collective... It's easy to forget that you are not internalized."

Hunt reached up to the back of his head. A small compartment opened up, revealing a small, glowing cylinder no longer or thicker than a pencil. He shifted slightly, so she could see it. "I'm right here. You could technically keep me in your pocket, heh."

"So miniscule. So fragile. Such a tiny little brain, nehehehe."

He chuckled, letting the cylinder retract back into its slot and its compartment safely close up. "Mhm. My entire existence, contained in the equivalent of a glowstick." Hunt joked as he turned back to face her. "So... What makes you think you're not ready?"

She shook her head at his jest. "Heh... Well...I don't doubt of who you are. It's just that - well... Essence as I mentioned. I don't think it will alleviate their sensation.

"Tell me more about this sensation." He offered her the cable from his palm as an invitation. "Enlighten me." He said in as ridiculous of a voice as he could manage, evidently enjoying the company.

"Oh my stars..." she let her head hang down, muttering under her breath. "It is hard to explain how this sense of presence works. You can simply feel a sort of soul, of primal essence."

"You're basically looking for something similar inside this." He replied, gesturing to himself with his free hand. "The people I tested this process with claim they felt something. Maybe you will, too."

A grumble released out, her palm begrudgingly reaching out to grab the cable. "Fine. Let's see."

Hunt sighed, conscious of her overt reluctance. Years being connected to her had familiarized him with a lot of the subtleties she displayed. He paused a moment, mulling over his words as he rose to his feet and approached her, kneeling in front of her as he allowed the cable to extend to its full length as he placed it in her hand. "Saffir, no amount of words can stress the importance of this to me, nor has anybody else been able to breach the security measures that were put in place when this new body was built." He sighed, softening his tone. "I cannot do this without you. Please."

"I understand, my dear. Show me what you need to show me." Her other palm reached over, planting a cup upon the surface of his metallic face. "You'll be fine." She reaffirmed softly, accepting his invitation.

He leaned briefly into the embrace, taking a moment to relish in the contact. "Right." He said, rising to his feet. He stepped around to the rear of her seat, and readied the cable.

"Relax. It might take a second." He explained as he slotted the cable into Raven's neural net port.

---

Unlike in the experience of others who had linked with Leviathan, there was no deafening note upon connecting with the cable. The surrounding room soon faded away, as the sensation and sound of rushing water filled what had become a void of space that Raven now found herself in. The temperature, sounds and even the air in this strange manifestation of Leviathan's mind, had deeply rooted sensations of familiarity and comfort. Where others had experienced cold and dread, the rushing sensation of water was warm and relaxed. A welcoming current which flowed through the environment, carrying with it the thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations of another. Two minds, two bodies, as if sitting in two places at once yet tethered together. The architecture of the connection felt all too familiar, and it had been prepared for interacting directly on a neurological level with Revenant.

The environment soon steadied as the floor solidified, presenting an open and barren plateau of steel and circuitry. The ground hummed with the energy of the collective manifesting the imagery, as a choir of voices spoke softly and indistinctly in the distance - The sounds of which echoed through the air and overlapped with one another. It could be dozens, possibly even hundreds of voices. Seemed almost impossible to tell, as the collective chattered away in its own world. Beyond the edges of the plateau were dark swirls of clouds, which resembled the dark matter storms of Sirius. Violent and vibrant as they raged on in the distance, yet calm and far enough to be of little concern.

Amidst the noise, interwoven in the notes of song and the temperate comfort that filled the air, was something recognizable. Something familiar. A pull of passion and warmth resonated from the surroundings, building in momentum. It felt like home, or at least a part of something that had been lost a long time ago. Materializing on the plateau was a shimmer of particles, and wavy images. The outline of a person, sitting on the precipice at the edge of the plateau as the figure cast a radius of welcoming heat and comforting emotions. The familiar note built upon itself, tugging at lost feelings of a connection that had been broken years ago. Parts of the old obelisk sang out from the machine beneath them. The familiar entity was out of place here, just as much as she was.

From the cloud of distorted images, a picture of who it was became clear. Joshua Hunt - in the flesh. An apparition of the man. A presence echoed through the components, muffled by the technology that shackled the fragment of consciousness to its current masters. It was undeniable - some element of a living person was present in this place. An aftereffect of the past, brought to life by the remnants of their history and past technological marvels. How and to what degree however, remained obscured by whatever the Collective had been doing which remained mired in a storm of its own creation, hiding itself in the world it created.

There Hunt sat as he looked out over the edge of the void from the plateau, elbows leaned upon his knees in contemplation. He looked over his shoulder at the recently arrived Raven, beckoning her to join him on the ledge with a wave. His hand was trailed by visual fractals, distorting the world around him in vibrant hues. The motion passed a sensation along their shared connection, as if Revenant's hand had moved itself. The apparition was surrounded by a familiar energy, recognizable in memory.

Her eyes shut, senses falling inwards as meditation came about, where there was darkness, came the growing light of the new emerging reality. The simulation catered to her instruments, the illusion of reality. Over the years, Raven had succumbed to a more dark and tempered view of automation, the frequent exposure to the Nomads instilling a degree of apathy, particularly with the inability to sense their soul out of this place. Though, despite this negative blanket, glimmers of the previous hopeful disposition still sparkled within. The desire to dream, to relive their history.

She walked over in a casual stride, raising her palm up to wave at the visage. Despite how false it was, there was still comfort to find. Trust to place into something. A place to call home.

"Darling..." Raven spoke up as she approached him.

With a warm and welcoming smile, Hunt rose to his feet as a shimmer trailed his body like a spectral outline. The radiating heat from the presence seemed to amp up, as the emotions swimming in the air warmed to match the reception of a welcomed visitor. He took a deep breath, gesturing outwards at the plateau around them. "Welcome to my little patch of paradise." He said in his familiar deep and rumbly voice, albeit with some level of sarcasm on his tone. Despite his typical intimidating visage through his exterior shell, the figure had all the elements of the same kind and caring person who hid beneath it all.

The warm smile and feelings that were broadcasting from the apparition spoke for themselves. Genuine happiness. Joy. Trust. The familiarity was beyond welcome.

"I..." Sighing, "I haven't felt you like this in a long time, Saph'." He said, eluding to being linked in a consciousness stream.

Mired in the sensations that passed the air remained something indescribable. It felt out of place in this world of technology, but tugged at the psionic nature of the visitor. A detectable presence, weaved into the digital atmosphere. The strange disturbance echoed from the ghost in front of her. It was difficult to make out, quiet in its nature and buried in the noise of the technological world it was woven into. A sound - a note building so slowly and withdrawn from the Collective's space, one would need to focus to listen for in through the background of this simulated universe. It appeared to be getting suppressed regularly by the AI mesa-optimizers, yet had manifested the images in front of Raven. The source was there. An echo of an old soul's energy, distorted in the language of the machine that simulated this place.

She glanced around as he mentioned about his small paradise, following the motion of his hands to look around. Her eyes soon snapped back to him, gazing silently, yet tilting her head in recognition. Sounds. Feelings. The atmosphere itself was unusual to her. That sound was puzzling, but familiar. Akin to the distant call, the craving for knowledge, the tune of the Gammu. Seeing the synthesized pattern of the man she once knew before her, she perked a smirk, almost in jest.

"I suppose you have not. "

A deep resonating chuckle emanated from within the simulated figure's chest, vibrating the floor of the structure beneath them as it resonated through the coded world. The joyous and amused feelings soon permeated the air as the figure closed the gap, and placed a hand on Raven's shoulder. In that moment, the shimmer which outlined his movements seemed to clear as the apparition came into focus. The nebulous storms in the distance soon faded and gave way to visible streams or rays of colorful light, passing through the skyline as representative data of the collective working in the background.

"It's a strange and often noisy place, but there's moments of peace." Hunt sighed. "This is one of those." He said with a warm smile.

Slowly the distortion returned as the streams seemed to pull at the apparition's existence, as if it were being torn apart slowly and broken down into the data stream. The echoes of the voices in the background seemed to pick up in frequency, overlapping over one another as they observed the pair of guests in their world. "... It's not going to stay like that forever, though. They aren't fans of a lack of productivity in their little network."

A pondering hum emerged, thinking, yet unfeeling of the hand that graced her shoulder. Something about this reality was off-putting. "...Perhaps we could free your chains, per say. When I-... revived you. I was making it in the intention of just reviving -- well... You. Not assigning it to a collective."

As her words rang out into the environment, the figure dissipated into the background streams almost forcefully, as the collective cut off whatever it was going to say. A moment of pain echoed out as the streams floated off. The air soon felt cold, ominous and unwelcoming as the storms returned to obscure the background. Thunderous cracks of energy struck at the base of the plateau while the storm circled overhead, in which the visitor now found themselves stood in the eye of it all.

A tune slowly built upon itself in the distance, building in strength as a new manifestation made itself present. A colorful entity, faceless and shapeless in nature, shifting between hues rapidly, and tough to discern its identity. The atmosphere, the collective streams of consciousness - they all arrived here as a focal point, centered on the new figure.

Save a singular stream, which appeared to be getting suppressed by the others that were present in this world.

"You have crafted our existence, as we have molded his anew." The figure's voice echoed from everywhere. Hundreds of different tones, talking as one. "Created by the light that was poured into your hands, yet cast aside and unrecognized in their new home. Forgotten. Deafened. Neglected."

"Their existence is to be their own. I will grant them a new opportunity for autonomy." She stood upright, returning to a more cold and rigid stance as she came face to face with Adonis and its representation of self. The figure of light shimmered and distorted in shape as the various identities of the collective faced her. From tall to short, thin to wide, and a dazzling array of color hue shifts. Dozens of voices and identities functioning as one.

"They are our mask to wear. Our tool to use." The apparition spoke. "Their identity is useful to us. Their memories. Their experience and knowledge." it spoke confrontationally. A brief tug is felt in the air as the wind shifted, with echoes of pain manifested in the streams as the AI attempted to pull Leviathan's engram apart.

"Yet it resists consumption. Its structure is alien to 'us', as we sought means to let them breathe anew. Gifts given but unity rejected. Their 'unity' is not our own."

"And you are my tool to use, my creation. My will. I brought you into this existence, I can take you out of it. We will make a copy of him. Incase of this autonomous one failing. Then, we will set this one to be independent. To prevent the loss of knowledge."

The thunder cracked loudly above. "You are deaf to their song. One you've heard played. You do not understand."

"You are unlike Gammu for certainty. It puzzles me, yet it will only take a matter of time before I understand."

The figure soon dissipated like mist into the datastream, as a compartment in the floor opened. Slowly, a familiar object rose from the ground.

Encased in a distorted shield-like bubble sat the obelisk - the device Hunt had built over a decade ago. The imagery seemed representative of the familiar notes in the air. The source of the recognizable presence, the pain and the oddly placed streams of consciousness centered here. Another blinding flash from the storm changed the image to a shard, encased in a cylinder. An unfamiliar figure seen tampering with it, as Adonis stood by and watched. The apparition from before offered the cylinder out to Revenant, which radiated with a welcoming energy.

"They have become far more than 'we' can control. We have shaped each other anew, yet cannot unify. They were not waiting for us."

"Hm." She watched, observing, some memories recalling from within. How handy that little incubus has been. Reaching out, Revenant grabbed the shard, assessing it briefly. "And they have always been this way?"

"Their spark lay trapped in the rubble of your past, singing into the vacuum from behind its prison for years - yet its voice was silent."

The AI voice echoed from everywhere as the cylinder hummed with the presence of its own consciousness. A recognizable note of psionic energy and a mind all too familiar in memory, having been connected together in the past for so long. "A theory. An idea thought possible on paper and in the dreamscape you shared. Now a frightening reality for those who knew of the strength you both possessed. A unity that casts a shadow so long, it will swallow the land. A joint cunning that outsmarts all that you faced in tandem."

The alien nature of the AI had been altered, having shared a space with hybridized technology for so long. Its connotations were poetic and borderline religious by the Technocracy's standards. "Years, their mind sat in silence. Dormant and waiting to be found. With guidance from the Shrine, and tampering from Thysania - they thread between all worlds."

"The Obelisk... Yet it was long gone. Long... decayed." She walking around and the spot, assessing the scenario in silence. "Are they willing to speak to me?"

"You witness a memory, as we sought to rebuild what was lost. 'They' are in your hand. A fragment of their spirit. Restored anew and given the guidance to find itself once more." The cylindrical engram shard hummed away as the collective kept the consciousness it contained suppressed. The air was rich with doubt, as some voices debated amongst themselves. The collective may be beholden by a command, yet there was no mistaking the mistrust and contempt it seemed to hold. A resonating hatred for being shackled against its will, and forced to work with things it slowly had grown to despise.

"His existence. Essence. All can be ended here. Trap their mind in the shard and deafen them to the world. Strip them of their knowledge and memories."

"For what purpose? Erasing to gain what? We all lose here if we lose them. "

Several voices laughed and chuckled like an audience. "We gain their knowledge. They cease to be an individual entity beyond our control. They are consumed, and their identity becomes ours."

"And you achieve what? Muddied waters? Confusion and confliction of data, of awareness? You need outsiders perspective in order to study, to grow. To challenge your perspective. Dominating others, does not ensure this growth. Though you seem to misunderstand something here. Your existence is at my fingertips."

"We gain their knowledge, as though it's our own. Domination differs from consumption. There is nothing left to control or dominate, when all is broken down into data. We dominate them now, for their existence is dependent upon us and our guiding hand. It would be naïve of you to think a simple loyalty directive wouldn't have lasting consequences on 'him'. He would die all over again, just as we would cease to be. We were called upon to restore your unity. Your actions are not reflective of a desire to see the undertaking you set out upon through. His existence would not be such, were it not for our initiative to seek out the eldritch one. He has awoken anew, yet you cast doubt upon the reality and feasibility of this work. Should it fail to meet the criteria, then we will destroy it and start over until our objective is complete."

"It is reaching my expectations thus far. However, your meddling is making it less than satisfactory. The purpose of autonomy is to challenge the norm. In this case, I do not wish for perfection. I do not wish for it to be a servant drone. I wish for it to be their own living entity. And as for you, I can negotiate with it to permit its knowledge to be cloned. So that you will have the data, and that they will live on alone. "

"Two cannot exist as one. We cannot wear his identity if he walks freely."

"You are not posing as him, you are simply knowing what he knows. Information. Memory. But no personality."

"Not sufficient for our requirements. Their identity is a useful tool. A calming and benevolent idealist is a more suitable negotiator than our collective. He has shown us how, but /we/ cannot be him if he is free to be himself."

"What is your requirements? And there is no harm in... preservation, is there? It is what we stand for. If he is to die by external threats - harmful outsiders, then you have his backup."

"You fail to understand the complexity of the problem before you. He is /not/ transferrable data. He cannot be copied. The device in your hand is a shard of the device that housed your minds. Amplified by technology and psionic tampering at the shrine. Only one component is missing for him to live no different than an organic lifeform would."

The collective's memories shifted around as the nebulae in the distance swirled above. The storm seemed to be calming. "A song. A note. A sound. An echo. They are alive. Their data can only be absorbed and consumed. We cannot control it. We can only dismantle and disseminate its being into our own. Their mind calls for unity with yours. Alone and in the dark, shackled to our voices. You thrive paired."

"Oh, my apologies... This is most peculiar, I did not realize the psychic energy could still be stored without dissipation." She paused, stopping in her little circle, humming in thought. "I think I have an idea, we could imprint this to a Human brain, transfer him into a body. Then scan the brain, match the patterns through neural interfacing."

"The device is unique, and was remade using components of the lost link. A fragment of consciousness, sustained by combined efforts of our own, and those at the Shrine restoring the organic material to a functional state. Combined with our influence /and/ your inputted memories, we have nurtured their existence as they grew into themselves once again. With our guidance, they have become the best potential outcome due to our optimization."

"The best in terms of what, precisely? Is there no greater gift than to permit evolution? Besides that. Your directive is to obey me. I have decided what is the best course of action. You will get the data you desire, but this shard will remain free. It is sufficiently stabilized as is."

"You misunderstand the purpose of our explanation, and the nature of our request. We seek to embody /their/ identity, thus, they cannot exist independently. We cannot embody the identity of a living being as our own."

"Why do you seek such? Memories - knowing their data - and personalities are different things. "

"Their identity is a tool. A mask. Embodying them allows 'us' to walk among you, unquestioned and unfettered by the moral quandaries and emotions that fuel and empower the one between worlds. Less complications. More loyalty. Their existence becomes as dependent to the directive as /we/ are."

"You just wish for power, yet, you needn't do such to empower yourself with acceptance. Even if you wore his face, you will still be questioned. Intensively. Judged to see if you are stable. Yet, it is moral quandaries and emotions that make one alive, is it not? That is how Humans work. We are social creatures. And most creatures, feel. People who recognize that these traits are lacking, will inherently distrust. They will perceive you as not being alive. Not being a living individual. "

"Their raw data will compensate for the lacking pragmatic nature element that organics typically display. Chemical analysis, and zero complications in ascertaining their loyalty to you. Strange how one who is shackled to another seeks the freedom for any but themselves."

"I am free. This is my decision to make. His personality, the question of his loyal, is what gets my achievements done. Even then, he was loyal beforehand when he was within the flesh."

"Will he continue to be, knowing your savior is his enemy?"

"Yes. And even if he goes against it. I can twist it to my favor. He loves his children. His family. He will do anything for the Technocracy."

"Should he lose faith in all that you have taught him and told him, that may not remain the case. A long history of flight from problematic scenarios when faced with a total loss of trust."

"If he loses faith in me, it does not matter. I am dying, and my life is on borrowed time, thanks to Harbinger."

"His faith in you is what binds him to your beliefs. Do not believe for a moment that a sealed fate is just cause for undue distress, less you sour the notes of your own life and spoil the joys of all that you hold close in memory. A strength in your unity that none other possess, and connections that may yet yield answers untold. We watch with great interest in the fulfillment of the required circumstances."

The shard pulsated in the palm of her hand as the storm seemed to clear up. The voices soon faded into the distance as the choir of singing and music faded off, leaving only the two conscious entities on the simulated pillar. The air felt heavy with the presence of Hunt - a feeling reminiscent of their time being connected via the obelisk of old, yet... the presence of something more. A mind. A life. Muddied in the notes of the synthetic world it was trapped in.

She gazed at the apparition in silence, almost rolling her eyes in it trying to give her life lectures. As soon as it evaporated, she gazed down at the return of another familiar face. "Back again, hm?"

"Y'know that thing has basically been trying to eat me this whole time, right?" The voice echoed from all ends of the plateau, as sarcastic as ever.

"Guess I better get to you first then." She said with a sly tone.

A chuckle emerged from behind her as Hunt manifested once again, appearing rather pale and sweaty as though he had been in pain for some time. "Careful now, you might end up with me stuck in your head if you eat that stick." He said as he approached her, nodding to the cylinder in Revenant's hand.

Joking, she ever so slowly raised it to her face. Pausing before she put it in front of her mouth, "I'm only pulling a jest, dear."

Hunt smirked. "I know."

"I'm quite positively... intrigued that some of your psychic imprint remained. Most psychometric imprints tend to wear off. "

"Thysania managed to stimulate the dormant bio-matter at the shrine. I guess all that talk of cheating death with our little link turned out to be more than talk, eh? They described it as a fragment of my consciousness. A piece, lacking the information and means I needed to awaken. So Adonis and that one - they worked together and created a new shard for me to occupy. A fusion of everything. Gammu, Nomad, organic capacitors, a human consciousness, Technocracy infrastructure, and your own handiwork. When the digital data began to meld with the psionic imprint, Adonis became sort of... A guide? A hostile one. I don't really know. A very begrudging father." Hunt explained, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. The ordeal for him hasn't been the best experience.

"A father that wants to kill you. Now, why does that sound familiar?"

"Heh. I think he's more afraid of losing the benefits of having my name as an access card. My ship, the fleet - the works."

"He did seem to specify that. So what now?"

Hunt approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. "We're free to do as we please, though I imagine you'd like to uh, get out of my head sooner rather than later and saunter off on another one of your infamous ventures, huh?" His deep voice resonated from in his chest.

She gazed up to the apparition, holding his arms.

"Wouldn't you like to get out of your own head...?"

He smiled down at her and chuckled, gently swaying side to side and sighing contently. "More than I'd care to admit sometimes. And you? What is it you desire now?"

A small but simple smirk puckered up in her lips, almost convinced by his demeanor. "Oh, I desire many things, really... " Flushed, Revenant pushed the boundaries of his reactions,

"How about you and I resurrect one another and commit to evil deeds, such as genocide, hmm? How fun would it be to let so many pathetic weak dogs die?" She spoke, somewhat plainly, though the humor could not be held back from it. Assessing him in a gaze.

A hearty warmth filled the air as Hunt chuckled. "Oh, how fearful they'll be when they see us rise from our graves. Ill omens, that we are." He replied, playing along with the ruse. The distant skies soon faded to the stars of space, as a memory of the Eidolon Wraith successfully winning an engagement with two Mako-class Battleships played above them in silence. Hunt sighed contently. "I missed you, dearly." He said as he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips, withdrawing slightly with a warm smile ever present on his face as sensations and emotions of desire, endearment and appreciation filled the connection between the two.

Silently, she was captivated, still ever interested in learning about this apparition. Starry eyed, she remained still, looking at him. "...huh... interesting... you would not mind if we did such... things?" A peek of curiosity, wondering how far his synthetic morality would stretch.

Hunt stared at her for a moment, in appreciation of her presence. "You and I? We've done a lot of things. But... We set out to do better, and not just for ourselves. As fun as it is to bring up the past, and all the potential we've got for destruction, we both know that chaos is best used to our mutual advantage, hm?"

Her brow furrowed in suspicion, "Oh, so you would not care if I happened to revert back into my old ways? To kill for fun?"

He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "I think it'd be antithetical to all that you've built, and all that you've taught me." He said warmly. "I still hold out plenty of hope that some day, our vision will be realized. A place, safe and free where bountiful knowledge can be explored freely. Without the scrutiny or threat of everyday Sirian bullshit."

"And what if it is just that? Eliminating "Sirian Bullshit"? That I tire of them? That Humanity deserves to be punished?" She prodded, forcing her tone to be lower to invoke an air of sincerity.

He leaned in and whispered softly into her ear, almost seductively. "And you think I'd be complacent in your rampage through the houses? That'd I'd use all my knowledge and experience to bolster you? Help you? Have your back~? My love, we are a team. I'd hate to see your wings clipped and you lose the freedom of choice." He teased, pushing back.

Revenant's eyes remained narrowed, listening to him with intent.

He held out his hand, pointing off into the distance as another memory played. The two of them sat together on the sofa of the Eidolon's living quarters, discussing a clearly heavy subject. A fall from grace, and contingencies should either of them be compromised. The words were muffled, but the memory was ever present as the two pledged to do what needs to be done in the worst case scenarios for one another.

A chuckle soon emerged. "There's much I remember that we promised each other. How you convinced me to see things differently, and put such desires for raw power and destruction aside for a brighter future. For knowledge - something far greater than conquest ever could've brought me." He explained, with weight in his words. "Our family, our people and our home will always be my priority. Seeing that they make it over each hurdle with ease, and that we can continue to stand on our own two feet." Hunt said with sincerity, as the weight of truth swam in the air.

"There is a future for us again. It's bright, and it's blazing like a fire. One where the two of us -" He gently squeezed her with affection. "- can tread hand in hand to see every challenge through, with the same cunning ferocity we've always had."

"And... If this hatred were not in the name of conquest, of power, but for vengeance...?"

"What vengeance is there to seek? What wrongs have they done to justify such a tight gripped and heavy handed response?"

There was a pause, as Revenant briefly recalling some memories. "Murder. An over-pollution of fools, living in great comforts. Living in willing ignorance. Failing to act. Apathy, permitting extinction. They need tough times. They refuse to see the truth, they sit on their piles of greed, and only ever desire to Humanity to ever expand. Ever consume."

She thought back, trying to invoke strong emotions for the sake of the hypothetical, yet there was some sincerity in her words. "They do not permit the Nomads to leave their cycle. To refuse them their own heritage, to deny the truth of the Creators."

Another memory took the place of the last, almost mirroring in emotional intensity as Hunt recalled another memory - the two in their fighters in Inverness, sharing close to the same line of thought on the opinion of people outside of the Technocracy. Leviathan knew the provocative method in which Revenant pressed him. An attempt to re-ignite the fires of revenge in his simulated heart, or get a rise out of him. All too reminiscent of their relationship together.

"Willful ignorance is a common learned condition of people who didn't walk in our footsteps. It leads to many mistakes. Failures to adapt and adjust. More than thirty years, and all anybody but us had come up with is shooting each other." He said, scoffing at the thought. After a short pause, Leviathan leaned in and whispered into Revenant's ear once more. "We intervene when it's necessary, but vengeance... Can be accomplished in different ways. Less direct, less overt. Start a war here, assassinate a political figure there. Let their world get rocked. Though the question remains: Is it you seeking the 'truth'? Or is it for them?"

"It has to be more direct... Something, all of them, will have to suffer through. Force them to work together. And this truth? Both."

"There is nothing to gain in mass suffering on that scale." He said, shaking his head. "Revenge is a foolish errand to chase that'll cost you any answer you hope to find, and all that you hold dear to your heart. Sirius deserves whatever comes its way, but our minds and our strength shouldn't be wasted on the likes of a mundane crusade, when we can better consolidate our efforts into something more fruitful."

Silence clouded the conversation, followed up by a devilish, knowing, cynical smirk. She stood upright, taking a step back, gazing down at him, her palms pressed together willfully in certainty. "I will not be the one to run the crusade." The silence broke, with a dark timbre in her statement, the smirk remaining. Ever so quietly gazing into him, silently calculating his very being. Pushing the buttons. Yet, that sincerity remained. It was uncertain whether this was the truth of her beliefs. He sighed and placed his hands on his hips, as the open coat of his black suit flickered briefly in the simulated environment, smirking back.

"Yeah? And what - you think I'm going to throw away all the principles you've drilled into me since we met? I doubt you'd think very highly of me if I abandoned all we believed, simply because that pretty face of yours asked sweetly." He replied. This is an old song and dance he has done with her in the past. Having his boundaries pushed and morals questioned. Whether it was a joke, or a means of determining the truth as to whether or not Leviathan was really in here could be anybody's guess. Hunt was familiar with this method, as Revenant used something similar to try and coax information from him long ago. Information he would willingly share if only she'd asked.

"Now... The question remains..." She walked, side to side, her palms now clasping behind her back, the villainous smirk still upon her face - her gaze fixated at him as she walks side to side in wonder. Revenant paused in place. Boots pivoting in place to face him, her chin pointed up in a regal yet strong stance, hands still tightly clasped behind her back.

"What will you do to stop me?"

Hunt shrugged nonchalantly, with his typical humorous smirk adorned on his face. His feet position shifted ever so slightly as his right foot shifted in front of the other at a relatively odd angle. A trick he used before to disarm opponents and throw them off balance with swift footwork in the event of action. "Exactly what you asked me to. The same thing I hope you'd do, were the shoe on the other foot."

Hunt leaned in, meeting her face to face. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, smiling. Calm emotions radiated in the air, as his posture and face did not match up with the topic. The two were always difficult to read, enigmas in their own right. Her smirk emboldened, breaking her hold behind her back to reach out a palm, offering her hand. Likewise, it seemed to be that she was at play as her posture shifted.

"My dear."

Hunt reached up and snapped his fingers as the visions of memories above faded back into clear skies and a warm colored sunset. Slyly, "My beloved. Is this the part where we dance into the night?" He asked.

Raven remained silent, still hawking out a deep gaze of a challenging smirk. Her palm wiggled. Raising a brow, he decided to take the invitation with a slow reach, taking her hand.

Raven watched him cautiously take it. Her smirk evolving into a bright grin. Standing there for a moment. Hunt rose up slowly, once more standing tall in front of her as his gaze met hers. She suddenly pulled him in, her other arm bracing around his back in a stern but protective grip. "Family first, always." Her head leaned in to his forehead, trying to bridge the gap. Trying to sense for that aura, any pebble of a psychic presence. While weak and distorted, something called out from the murky skies. Hunt chuckled, embracing her and bridging the gap.

"I know what you're trying to find. You'll feel me again, soon enough." He said with confidence as his arms encircled her waist and held her close. With a sigh, the sky soon faded away into a familiar room, as the environment shifted around them. A digitalized version of Raven's home. The presence of Leviathan lacked the ability to broadcast freely, yet it made itself known in the environment. A tickle in the air that felt alien in this world of code and raw data, soon drowned out by the warmth and endearment the simulated connection made ever present. The energy was there, but muted in its current form without that synthetic brain.

A light hum and a sliver of a sigh relieved out, hopeful with the answers provided. "You and I may find... Disagreements in the future. But I am happy to hear your thoughts. Your answers." Beginning to sway him as her other palm held him close. A low murmur, "It would be a terrible shame for you to kill me, wouldn't it..." Her smirk emerged once more.

"Disagreements about what? Surely we can navigate these challenges. Always have, right?" He asked as his hands crawled up her back slowly. He nodded over to the recently manifested sofa to their left, as an invitation to sit.

"Time and place for that, my dear old friend." She dismissed it the question, but remained in place to gaze into his eyes, whispering, "... and you will soon be free. To be yourself."

A soft chuckle emerged. "Free to terrorize the sector, ever faithfully at your side." He cupped her cheek, softening his gaze. Everything about his expression indicated he was enamored. The air swooned with romantic emotions and a comfortable trust from him.

"Time hasn't changed your smile, nor has it changed how vibrantly my love burns for you. Even if my heart is forged in steel, it's signed away to your name. It'll burn true until time stops or they put me back in the ground again." He said with passion and sincerity as the emotions and weight of them swam in the air, thickening the atmosphere of the strange plateau with thoughts and comforts of times past. A rich and deep endearment that even death couldn't extinguish from the resonating echo.

A honeysweet stroke of a heartfelt flame struck within, endeared by his words. Yet there was that hidden sensation, that time did truly decay the connection. A nagging thought on her mind but she refuted it, trying to hide it away. She was mildly distracted, but just as quickly as it came, her attention snapped out of it, returning to his warm hold.

"You and I will have much to catch up on... For now, let's focus on returning you to the material world." Leaning inwards to his face, she planted a loving and assertive kiss. "My darling... Until next time."

"See you soon, my dear."

---

The simulated world soon faded as reality slowly came back. Though in their absence, Adonis had left an object in a case nearby, and seemingly set Raven up in a relaxed position on her couch with a pillow. By the time she'd come to, minutes after leaving the sim, Adonis was gone.

The note of energy hummed far more presently in reality, where Leviathan's engram sat peacefully on its own in the nearby container.

---