I found myself standing in a small clearing in the middle of a forest, the trees towering over me held crimson red leaves that swayed in an invisible breeze. All around me the sweet aroma of a crisp spring day loomed in the air, and the evening sun basked the scene in a warm, orange glow. In the middle of the clearing was a small wooden table and two chairs, the furniture would have been strange given its location, yet they seemed to fit into the space perfectly. The leaves that fell like rain seemed to drift away from that spot, as if a gentle wind was constantly pushing the leaves away. And on the table was a small golden key, and I found myself involuntarily gravitating towards the it. I reached out to grab the key, but a hand stopped me.
“My, if it isn't Francis Morgan. It's quite a surprise to see you here.” I knew that voice. It was impossible to forget it.
I looked up and saw the lascivious lady in red, the same one I saw at the bar. Her dress flowed with the leaves, its colour an exact match with the background. It was like she belonged here as much as the trees. No, looking closer it seemed like the background was a part of her. Like she was what made the place what is was.
“Quite a surprise indeed, but a pleasant one, of course. Do sit down though, I'm sure you're tired.” she said with a sly smile. I grabbed the nearest chair and sat down.
“It's good to see you again, but who are you?” I said, and to my surprise I found myself thinking crisp and clear, very unlike the last time I saw her.
“Who am I?” she said curiously, “Well, Frank, you can say that I am just simply... me.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Do I, Frank? Maybe I don't know who I am.”
“You have to know who you are though,” I said, staring into those perfect, sapphire eyes. “everyone knows who they are.”
“Then let me ask you this: do you know who you are, Frank?
“Of course I know who I am, I'm Frank Morgan-”
“No Frank, that is your name, that is what they call you. A person's name is not who they are. You are not the Francis Morgan who is the father of three in Toronto, nor are you the same Francis Morgan in Oregon who is getting over a tough divorce. Or the dozens of others out there. Let me ask again: do you know who you are.”
“Of course I do, I'm... I'm...” I thought about the question. I was... I am... who am I? It seemed like everything I know about myself was categorical in nature, there was no essence to it, no life to what I knew. I can name a million different attributes and abilities that I had, yet these same traits can be found in anyone. It wasn't who made me... me.
Was I the same person who naively believed that the supernatural was fiction? The same lab worker who was pissed off when his coworkers got results and he didn't? Or the same teenager who hadn't a care in the world, who thought that his whole life was a head of him? Was I the same kid who cried when his father left him? Maybe I really didn't know who I was.
All I managed to say was, “I... I don't know.”
“Only a lucky few will ever find out who they truly are, and even then it has taken them a lifetime. But as for me, you may call me Rose, as many have before you. I quite enjoy the look of that particular flower.”
I looked at her, at Rose, and I couldn't help to feel like she knew much more than she let on. After all, she knew what transpired earlier today. I wanted to ask her something – anything, but I couldn't put my confusion into words. She clearly did not want to tell me who she was, and even though I knew nothing about her, I still found myself trusting her. Trusting her just felt... right.
The only thing I could ask was, “Where am I?”
“Ah, you can say this place that you have stumbled upon is my home. It wasn't quite as lovely as it is now when I first... moved in,” she said, pacing around the space, “but as you can see I've spiced up the place a bit. I was always one for the great outdoors. But enough about that, I am quite curious about how you managed to come upon such a... remote location. There are only a few possibilities.”
How did I end up here? The last thing I remember was...
“I... I don't know.”
“That is quite troubling, Frank. This isn't a place that you should be at, and although I do enjoy the company, I'm afraid that we must reschedule our little date.” she said, “You must leave, while you still can.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Getting out is... a challenge, a risk for both myself and you.” she said with a frown, “The price of freedom is a steep one. Do you still wish to leave?”
A steep price? What does she mean steep price? My gut feeling told me to just relax and stay here with her, forever... That would be nice, just staying here. I wouldn't have to worry about Sarah's lot and whatever it is that they were planning... I wouldn't have to deal with how big of an asshole I was when I talked to Kelly, and most of all, I wouldn't have to actually do anything here. Yeah. Maybe I should just stay here.
“Ah, and before I forget to tell you, my dear Frank.” Rose said, noticing my hesitation, “If you do stay here, your mind will eventually degrade and disappear. This place is not meant for one such as yourself.”
Right... I never wanted to stay here anyway! I mean, I had to fix my mistakes outside, and I had to make sure that things were fine. That's definitely why I should leave this place, and not at all because I would eventually turn into a vegetable.
“Of course I want to leave.” I finally said, “I can't stay here, not with the shit still happening in SIDNA. I don't care what the price is, just let me go back... and I do want to keep my mind intact.”
“Good, then you will enter into a sort of... contract with me.”
“A contract?” I muttered, not sure if I liked the sound of that, “I've already signed on to one before, what are the conditions for this one?”
“Oh, no conditions like the kind that you know from your world.” Rose answered with a wry smile, “I won't ask you to do anything for me really.”
“I find that really hard to believe.”
“It's just something that has to be done. In order for you to leave here, I have to... get to know you a little more. I have to give you something to remember me by, so to speak. After all, if you are not somehow connected to me, you won't be able to leave this particular place.”
“So what's the plan?”
“I want you to become a champion of sorts for me.”
“A what?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“A champion.” She answered, shaking her head at my question, “Like a champion for a King or a Queen during the olden times. Just a simple representative.”
“Right... and you expect absolutely nothing out of me?”
“Nothing.” She smiled, “But you will be, technically, my representative; I simply require nothing out of you.”
I thought about it for a while longer, trying to figure out if the woman in front of me had some kind of alterior motives, but after considering it, I realized that I didn't care if she did. I mean, the alternative for not agreeing is to turn into a braindead human doll, and if she says she doesn't require anything, then I'm inclined to believe it, Damned be the consequences.
“Ok.” I answered, “I'm game.”
Rose didn't answer, but instead she leaned forwards and pressed her lips onto mine. I felt something go into me through those lips, something that tasted of raspberries, and a hint of... a hint of something; something distinctly metallic, dark and oh so familiar. It entered my body and fused with me, as if this new object belonged to me all the time. It felt comfortable, like a nice warmth that was coming from my core.
But that heat started to increase, slightly at first... but the heat quickly escalated into pain. A searing, hot burn that radiated from my chest.
“What did you...”
I fell to the ground, hands grasping at my chest. I looked around me, trying to locate Rose, but what I saw was the room spiralling around in entropy, the crimson red leaves became a disorienting cascade of motion. I tried to find some way of making the pain dissipate, but I found that I could not muster any strength at all. I tumbled on the ground, with my face up towards that surreal sky. The azure scenery above me grew darker and darker until it faded into oblivion, and before I could speak another word, the all encompassing darkness engulfed me.
* * *
“His condition is stabilizing” Pain, that was all I felt “Someone get the doctors”
“Impossible – just a moment ago he was-” My head was drowning in it, “look, he's starting to move!”
I tried to open my eyes, but the lights were blinding. “Get out of the way, let me see him,” it hurt so much. I wanted it to end.
“We're losing him again! Get the-” It would be so easy to just give it up... “Clear!”
I felt a hot jolt of electricity course through my chest, forcing my heart to work once more.
I coughed.
“Fuck... that really hurt” I muttered.
I felt myself getting better by the minute, the pain started to recede, and I opened my eyes. I felt better... no, I felt different. I couldn't pinpoint what it was, but I felt like something changed. Was it because of my injuries? I wiggled a finger, then an arm and I they felt fine, so I couldn't have been hurt too badly. What was it then? Was I forgetting something important?
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I cleared my head and looked around, it was the same egg shell white hospital room from, but there was a lot more people in it. In front of me were a bunch of people wearing white, their faces looking shocked and amazed. I scanned the room around me and saw that it was filled to the brim with injured people, and then I remembered. Those... those creature. Those disgusting things that rampaged SIDNA, what happened to them? I tried to get up but an arm stopped me.
“Sir, you really shouldn't do that, you've lost a lot of blood and just a moment ago your heart stopped-” I didn't let him finish, I shoved the man aside and rushed to the exit. I could hear the medical staff urging me to stop, but I ignored them.
“Sir, please listen to me! You cant just leave-”
Once I exited from the corridor I realized that it was the same hospital room from before. I still recalled the general location of Ms. Fortune's office from a couple days ago, and finding no other options, I decided to go ask her about the situation. She must know what caused those... things to attack everyone. And why so many people died. I walked through the labyrinth of corridors, my steps guided by a strange instinctive sense of direction, like I've been in this hallway everyday of my life. It seemed that Sarah's office was guarded by two bulky looking individuals when I arrived. She must have upped the security after what happened. Either way, I paid them no heed, but they stopped me before I could open the door.
“Get out of my way!” I spat, I was so tired of being stopped, so tired of being told what to do, so tired of being helpless. For the past few days I've been dropped into the middle of nowhere, had my life taken away from me, I've lashed out at the one person trying to help me, was attacked by some fucked up abomination only to be saved by that very same person, all while I helplessly watched countless people before me die. I wasn't about to let a couple of guards stop me.
“I said: get out of my way!”
The two guards' faces turning ashen with that comment, and they backed off a little as if frightened, I don't know what they saw in me but they quickly turning their gaze aside but I took the chance to make my way inside unhindered.
There were a lot of security people hovering around Ms. Fortune's desk, all speaking at once, each more obnoxious than the previous, acting as if their boss would listen to them more if they spoke louder. They were handing her various paperwork to be signed and looked at, and it was clear that no one in the room noticed my entrance.
I walked up close enough to see that the lean face of the director of SIDNA was oddly calm compared to the expressions on the rest of the people, but the dark rings under her eyes and the added wrinkles was a clear indication that she was as stressed as everyone else. It wasn't until I shoved through the first series of people that my prescience was noted.
“What do you think you're doing here? Who let you in?” One rather plump man said, his amble gut bounced beneath his cheap suit with each word. “Someone call the guards and get the idiot out of here!” I was about to forcefully remove him from my path when Sarah Fortune intervened.
“That will not be necessary, David.” she said, getting out of her seat and ignoring her obviously troubled employee before turning her attention to me, “I was just about to call someone to check up on you, Mr. Morgan, and you coming here just saves me time. We have a lot to discuss.”
“That has to wait, Director; we have more pressing issues at hand!” Another man interrupted, shoving a stack of papers in Sarah's face, “As you can see here, the status of Sector 2 and 3 have been-”
“No, this cannot wait, and need I remind you of who's in charge?” The glare she gave the guy sent shivers down my spine, and it wasn't even directed towards me, “Now gentlemen, Mr. Morgan and I have some rather urgent matters to discuss in private, so if you wouldn't mind showing yourselves out of my office...”
“But Director, we have-”
“Now!” she spat. Sarah waved a hand at the doors and they slammed themselves open, as if pushed by some unseen force. Damn, she'd make an amazing Jedi.
“Of.. of course.”
“Good.” she said, and when the last of the men left she closed the door with another wave of her hand, “Now then, Mr. Morgan, I'm sure you have a lot of questions about the situation, given that you were unconscious for the past three days.”
“Wait, I was out for three days?” I said as confusion replacing any anger I previously felt.
“Of course, although I must say that it's surprising to see you recover so well in such a short amount of time. You were quite lucky to have been with Kelley during the initial invasion, and even more so to be alive. Our physicians were... rather unsure about your condition when you first arrived, but seeing as how you are walking around with ease – and undoubtedly worrying everyone around you by doing so – I can assume that you are well rested and recovered.”
“Yeah, I feel pretty good. Heck, I feel better than I've ever felt now that I think about it.” I said, flexing a few muscles to make sure that everything was in fact working properly, “Was I really in that bad of a shape? I mean, nothing's aching or hurting or anything.”
“I was not present when you were first brought in, but our doctors insisted that your condition was critical. Although you look a little different, you don't seem to have had any form of life threatening injuries, so obviously that is not the case. I'll have a word with the physicians later. But enough about your health, we must discuss the current matter plaguing our headquarters, and how you can assist us on alleviating this predicament. I'm sure that you have undoubtedly noticed the Scathe invasion.”
“I'm assuming that these “Scathes” are the monsters that attacked earlier?”
“You are correct. Those “monsters”, as you call them, are the product of a particularly gruesome mix of science and necromancy; strictly outlawed. The product is the creatures that you have previously encountered, a hardened mass of organic matter made for combat, all remotely controlled by whatever group created them. An excellent weapon by all accounts, if, of course, the raw materials needed was not so... difficult to prepare.”
“I... see. I'm ready to help fend them off.” I said, feeling my blood boil from the thought of going out there to get my revenge on those monsters. I didn't want to sit around helpless any more.
“Although your enthusiasm is appreciated, your particular set of skills are ill suited for that task.” I felt my face drop from that comment, but when she saw it she only smiled and said, “No, Mr. Morgan, what I need you to do is more paramount. My team has already contained the majority of the Scathes within the General Affair's Sector, but even now we are unable to stop them from reinforcing their numbers. We have issued numerous strike teams to try to remedy this situations, but all efforts of stopping the core of the corruption has failed thus far. We have, however, located the portal that our enemy uses to send in their forces, and derived a means of stopping it. This is where you come in, Mr. Morgan.”
“Wait, so you want me to do something that you guys couldn't? What the hell do you expect me to achieve?” And as I said that I finally realized just powerless I actually was, “My ability is next to worthless in a fight against those things, and I couldn't even protect myself with it, let alone anyone else. I mean, I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for Kelley.”
“Ah, but your so called “worthless” ability is precisely why I need you for this task. Our efforts to stop the portal has failed because we were unable to reach the object itself. Unfortunately, the portal is protected by some sort of barrier or force field, and every method that we have attempted to break through it with sheer force has yielded little results. Given enough time our research department could figure how this particular barrier works, and thus produce a means of breaching it, but I'm afraid that we simply cannot afford that kind of time without continued casualties. Therefore, what I need you to do, Mr. Morgan, is to simply teleport past the barrier and enter it. By doing so you should reach the people responsible for this outbreak. From there your task is to simply escape to somewhere safe and provide us with their location. However, although your task is not to end the assault, I need not remind you that this mission is dangerous. You have the right to refuse if you wish.”
“No, let me do this. I don't care how dangerous it is; I can't just stand here helpless again, I'm sick and tired of being left on the sidelines.”
“Perfect! Now if you'll follow me, I'll have you briefed on your mission and properly equipped.” Sarah said, as she lead me away from her office and towards the quarantined General Affair's Sector.