Chapter 84: Memories down the drain
August?
Diana
I don’t know how long I was out when I woke up in that cell again, my burnt clothes were drenched in blood and sweat now — I felt groggy and disgusting. Worse than when I was homeless.
Running my hand over my eyes, they felt fine but… they’d gotten access to the projectors under my eyelids. Used its connection to my frame to steal out my Mutational Development information.
Soul Killer knew what I had now. Mutational Synergy had created Mutagenic Drain.
My body felt weak, tired, the flame in my heart was now a weak sputtering of strength. The Mutation was reducing my ability to regenerate my Energy at the expense of healing from my wounds… and… absorbing other Mutagenic sources by draining Warp Energy from others?
”Dianaaa. Good morning!” The speakers chimed cheerfully. “Apologies for the violence yesterday, I was in a bad mood due to your resistance to my… power. Though, all’s forgiven! That SIM of yours sure ended up being interesting… a Parallel Convergence is unheard of! And a Deviant Mutation like Mutational Synergy? I’m surprised you aren’t in Tier II right now!”
Soul Killer’s excitement made me feel worse about all of this.
”Anyways, I really… really want to see what your Mutations can do. Absorbing Mutagenic material directly? You’re probably starved of Warp Energy right now! Don’t worry! I have a gift for you… first, take a shower then change your clothes. I’ll be waiting for you in Kaisel’s office.”
Ugh… I pushed myself out of the mattress, finding a folded jumpsuit on the floor next to me. I exited into the corridor, everyone else’s doors were closed and the glass screens were blacked out. They must be sleeping.
Entering that lounge, I found a sign for the showers and took the warm belch of water as a relaxing voyage from what was happening to me right now. How long have I been down here? What was the plan to escape… for all my life I’d been the one sending bad guys to jail, in one was the last place I expected.
It was a relief for clean clothes, as much as I liked the dress — I mostly felt guilty for ruining one of Anthony’s memories of his mother by leaving it burnt. Making my way up the stairs, I found the office of Dr. Kaisel.
With no choice but to enter it, there was a lone woman waiting there — her skin and life fresh as long blonde hair flowed down the side of her face. “Diana! I’ve heard a lot about you!”
”Who… am I speaking to right now?” I didn’t move to the chair there.
”Soul Killer isn’t using my head right now, if that’s what you want to know.” She raised her hand to the chair invitingly. “Take a seat, tell me more about you.”
”More about me?” Reluctantly, I sat on the chair… compared to everything else here, it’s softness was akin to a heaven-sent cloud. “You should know enough already.”
”I know about the official records, yes. You’re a Third-Rank Investigator with a Gold SIM, possessing the abilities to absorb electricity and empower yourself with it — and the ability to have unique interactions with Mutagenic material.” She smiled at me.
”Why are you working for them?” I didn’t feel like I had anything to tell her.
”Why?” She flicked a pencil onto her ear. “Because I always have, I love Soul Killer. They raised me since I was a child, made me into who I am.”
”You… grew up in a place like this?”
”It’s wonderful isn’t it? He really brings out the best in us.” Dr. Kaisel rolled her chair back, taking joy in the movement. “Ah, it’s not too dissimilar from how you grew up, but I feel so much pain from you, Diana.”
I gritted my teeth. “Yeah, I’m not exactly where I want to be.”
”Nope. Not just from here! From everywhere…” Her gaze followed me deeply, her eyes still entirely human with brown hues… but they sucked me in like a vortex as they flashed red.
Crimson.
I blinked, and I was back home. Home.
Seven Woods. New Washington. The chilly air of this forest was something I’d never forget, the humidity of forest smells inviting a vitality into my lungs. It was like I really was back.
”Now aim steady, draw a deep breath.” I shuddered hearing that voice, scared, I looked to my right. Yorrick Jones, my father… big in all the wrong places, a large beard that always covered his joyful smile, warm hands that made me yearn to hug him — he was there.
And so was I. A tinier version of me dressed in actual shirts and pants compared to the white overalls of my Cradle, pigtails holding up my silver hair as I aimed a heavy hunting rifle above shrubbery, a deer foraging in the distance of the thick woods.
I cringed, my hold was unsteady and it rattled worse than a sonic rifle. Yet, as the tiner me pulled the trigger and took the recoil like a champ — the deer was shot square in the neck and leaped off away.
My father chased it down, grabbing tiny-me by the arms… “Hah! I knew you could do it! You were worth every bit!”
We found the deer bleeding out, my father took out his knife, holding it up to my shaking arms.
”I don’t want to.” My voice was broken, looking at the deer’s dying breath I- I couldn’t end it.
”You have to.” My father placed his arms on my shoulder, getting down to look me in the eye. “This world is kill-or-be-killed, you have to be willing to kill anything, even those close to you. This is how you build that mentality.”
Staring at the scene, I couldn’t help but feel a discomfort… my father was right, as he usually was, but-
The scene vanished. I was standing amidst rows of neatly organized children that stretched across the whole auditorium hall. There could have been 600 of us… no, I remembered the exact number.
”For the batch of 2480, only 121 of the 678 of you were eligible to move on to stage 2 of our Cradle’s program for you. Those of you who’s identification has been called out — please come to the stage where you will be formally named.” A woman called — proctor Christine — I could never forget that name.
Six-year-old-me stood to my side, her silver eyes focused and nervous. This was her chance.
The identification numbers were called out.
”S28, you will now be known as Harriot.”
”D12, you will now be known as Sterling.”
”B44, you will now be known as Lyra.”
…
…
”L92, you will now be known as Diana.”
Tears welled in my six-year-old self’s eyes as she left the remaining children to head on stage next to those who were given this opportunity.
”H65, you will now be known as Yvette.”
The girl who would become my best friend moved on stage next to me, a proud smile on her face. She saluted next to me, but her eyes settled on me.
“I like your hair.”
I didn’t say anything to her, we weren’t supposed to talk.
“I said I like it.”
Little me stayed silent.
“What’s your name?”
Was this girl deaf? It agitated the younger me enough that I whispered back. “You heard it.”
“I’m forgetful.” The younger Yvette whispered even though we both looked forward, saluting.
Forgetful? There was no way she was forgetful, we needed a 90% score to get on this stage!
”Diana.” My younger self whispered with an annoyance.
”I’m Yvette.” I knew that!
I didn’t respond any further, but it wasn’t until a few moments had passed where Yvette spoke again. ”You’re pretty, you want to be my girlfriend?”
Right… Yvette said that I was the reason her taste in romance was filled by people who were rude and dismissive to her. I always thought I was the nice one…
The white melted away into brown, the comforts of my cabin seeped into me like a comfortable sunbath.
“Of course you got your cut of the deal!” My father screamed in his office. “I never double-crossed you!”
I took a deep breath, little me did, as a screen in front of me played a scene from my favorite show at the time, some drama about cybernetic vampires.
Another voice retaliated back, Michael Newren. One of my father’s old partners back when he had worked in the startup Gene-therapy clinic he sold to Imperium. “Bullshit you didn’t, I knew something was off with how the deal happened! You ran off without a word! You fucked us up man!”
”You can’t do this, you know what I can do!” My father’s voice, I never liked it when it was loud, it rarely did, but when it was… he was different.
”You can’t do shit! All of us have evidence against you, this life you’ve lived for yourself is all based on lies! Some fucking CEO you were! No wonder you were buying out our shares, who else knew we were selling out, huh!”
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”I’ve earned millions for us!” My father threw out a punch on the wall, little-me took a sharper breath.
”It’ll be ours soon.” Michael stormed out of the room, taking an apologetic look to me. “I’m sorry your father turned out to be such a vile man… I’m sorry.”
He left, but little-me just took in another breath. “He’s saved me, he’s not a bad man.”
”He didn’t pay to sa-“ Michael looked like he’d said too much, and left our cabin.
Time flashed forward, my father’s cheeks rosy under the influence of alcohol. “How’re your grades?”
”Good. I passed all my courses on top benchmarks.” I happily responded.
”You should be… 15 now? You think you can get early admission into a Shard Op’ school?” He took a swig from the bottle.
”Shard Operating?” Little-me looked at the man with wide eyes. “I don’t want that! That means I have to get a BUG!”
”You’ll do it. For me?” He looked back at the bottle, shame in his eyes. “…those men want to take our money. There’s a good chance they can, if you get into a good school with a scholarship in the next year… Shard Op’s — the good ones — make a lot of money. You could save us.”
”I-“ I wanted to save him, like he saved me. “I’ll do my best…”
Months vanished in the blink of an eye… my results were waiting for me right there.
I was rejected from every single one.
”Too young! That can’t be it!” My father yelled as he stared into the screens. “This… your grades, they’re good right?”
”Excellent.” I was the top scorer in my Net Institute.
”Then… fuck, it must have been that you weren’t studying far enough! Maybe we should get you a BUG, I’ll find a Bronze one for you!”
”I don’t want a BUG dad!” I raised my voice at him. “I- I like my body!”
”This isn’t about what you like! I’ve always tried my best to raise you up well, can’t you see that I need you to do this… if you don’t then… fuck, I can’t believe they won…”
”Won what?”
”Nothing.” He snapped, but his eyes turned to me… with fear. “Diana… you care about me?”
”Of course I do, dad.” I ran my hand up to his arm.
He closed his eyes. ”I care about you too, a lot, remember that.”
The walls shrunk down, and eyes that I never wanted to see again were staring back at me. Silver eyes.
Brian Ulrich’s eyes. The limousine was tiny, some nice food plated in front of us… a screen read out to me the details of my transfer.
”Are you out of your mind?! I don’t care if you’re my biological father!” A me that wasn’t so little now yelled out, at seventeen… I was being stolen away from the life I knew. “You’re a fucking stranger, you can’t just expect me to give up everything!”
”I can. And you will.” Brian Ulrich would be described as handsome by many around him, a pristine jawline and blonde locks that were perfect in volume and texture — he was exactly the kind of man you’d expect to see as having it all.
”Let me out.” I grabbed the door-handle, it didn’t budge.
”No. You’re going to enjoy this new life… I’ll give you things Yorrick could’ve never given you.” He pushed the contract closer to me. “Besides, I didn’t steal you.”
Two lines on the contract highlighted.
* Yorrick Jones will be given monthly payments of 200,000 Shardyne.
* Yorrick Jones will have all his debt paid off.
”You took advantage of him!” I yelled back.
”That is what you see…” Brian Ulrich softened in his chair, but there was an annoyance in his eyes. “In time, you will understand the truth.”
”I’m not going to be staying with you!” I tried to yank the door-handle beyond its limits, but a Silver-Grade car was stronger than most tanks.
”You will. Your life as Diana Ulrich begins now.” He said with sternness. “Do not worry, everything will be taken care of. You don’t need to worry about anything.”
”I am Diana Jones.” I remained defiant.
”No… you aren’t.” Brian Ulrich leaned closer. “Not anymore.”
I — the me viewing this memory — could barely hold my shaking fists back from punching him down… but before that opportunity could arise… I was on the streets of New California.
I stared to the ground, where I knew I would find myself. The snow had piled high, and my body was frozen so bad that I was too tired to even shiver anymore. A gun was hidden underneath my coat which I’d been forced to steal last week after I saw a drunken bar brawl. It was oversized and did a poor job of protecting me, but it was these cold nights out in the Pleasure Lanes where those in self-heating jackets indulged in the finer experiences of life. Maybe one could take some mercy on my fall from the heavens… but mostly, they just asked how much for a night.
“Hold on… you guys go on ahead… I need to check something.” A woman detached from her group of friends, I thanked The Founders that there were some nice people in this world. Even a single Iron Shard could help change my conditions, at least get me a meal.
”Diana? Is that you? I’d recognize that hair anywhere!”
”I’d always recognize that hair! And those eyes! I knew those eyes were familiar when we walked past! That you, Silvereye?” My gaze popped to the woman who had spoken to me, her flawless skin blended into her fur coat of black, and those hazel eyes were striking and beautiful.
Somewhere… I remembered them… and she… she knew my name?
One of the girls in the group broke apart, calling to the woman showing me charity. ”Yvette! Honey! I love your blossoming charity, but please don’t flirt with a bum of all things!”
”Diana… Silvereye?” Yvette didn’t take a second to tear her attention off me. “Is that you?”
”Yvette… H65.” My memory was still as flawless as ever. “It’s me.”
”What’re you- stand up!” She grabbed my arms, practically tearing me out of the filthy jacket I’d had to live in. “Take this, wear it.”
”I- I can’t-“ She forced the jacket into my arms.
”Wear it, Diana.” She looked almost pissed that I’d rejected it. “I’m training to be in the police now, so you better do as you’re told… just kidding.”
Unsure, I slid my arms into the sleeves of that coat, the warmth of it’s internal linings melting away the pain and exhaustion of the last month. Shamefully, I looked at her. “Thank you… Yvette.”
That woman who’d been calling for Yvette before popped in, looking angry at the whole ordeal. “Honey? Why are you giving some str-“
”You looked pretty as a child…” Yvette purred. “Now you’re straight sexy!”
”What!” Yvette’s girlfriend tried to drag her away, but she planted her feet and pulled me in for a hug.
Even though it was a cold January, I’d never been so warm in my life.
Then the scene flicked away, I was still holding Yvette… but now her body was lifeless and cold. Dead with scorch marks running up from her frame.
”Yvette!” I called, both me and my counterpart. Ripley and Twilight… or was it Mirage walking in down at that moment.
The scene flicked away, abrupt and disorienting.
“Rorsche…” My counterpart said to Ripley in Little Requiem, her eyes aflame under rage. “Kendrick Rorsche… she, it might not have been him who ordered Indra to do that. But he drove her there. I’ll make him pay.”
The world around me twisted back to my call with Dr. Faltest, it was the night I’d taken Yvette’s Implant within me.
”I need you to contact my father.”
”Are you sure?”
”I need his connections.”
”Okay…”
A minute past and my Neuroframe pinged up with a call. Brian Ulrich. Regretfully, I picked it up.
”Not everyday your estranged daughter tries to contact you… how’s life down there?” He sounded cheerful, and it dug knives into my back. Both of my backs.
“Forget the chitchat. I need you to do something for me.” I sat on my bed, but I was far from comfortable.
”Oh, now you want to enjoy the benefits of your name? I’m listening…” I could hear the smug smile on his face from here.
”Kendrick Rorsche is sexually abusive to women in the precinct.”
”What else is new?”
”He… got my best friend killed. Yvette.”
”I know who she is, that's why you were in Little Requiem?” He tensed the later half of his speech. “Did Skeleton cut you a deal or something?”
”No-“ I hated this, he knew so much about what was going on but didn’t care one bit. “I saved myself. He helped, yes, but… I want Rorsche dead.”
”I can arrange that.” Brian said easily, too easily.
”Okay…” I chuckled, a better idea came to me. “Actually… let’s do something else. Let’s strip him of everything he has. His power, his reputation, his Implant. Leave him so weak like how he made others feel.”
“Now I can see my genes in you…” Brian Ulrich chuckled back. “I’m frankly proud.”
”I don’t care. You’ll do it?”
”If I get something in return.” He said with a teasing note. “Just address me by who I am to you, really am.”
Looking at my former self, I wish I could scream at her not to, but at that moment… anything was worth getting Rorsche removed.
”Okay, dad.”
”That’s my daughter… I’ll have him taken care of. Doesn’t matter how big of a show you make it, just don’t kill him with that Gold of yours. You know, if you wanted one… you didn’t need to piss off NeoCore for it — Tusk’s been raving about getting it back, I can supply you a Gold if you come back.”
”You gave me another reason not to come back, I’m not giving up my Gold.” My counterpart steeled her voice.
Brian sighed over the call. ”Well Tusk is one of the few people who won’t listen to me, but I can keep them from getting too involved once you come back to me.”
”I’m not.”
I heard him take that same tone he usually did when I acted up, dismissing what I’d said like it was nothing. ”You’ll stop playing this game eventually… You could honestly fit in anywhere, why take the hard route of the Police? Not that I have much to say without being a hypocrite since I’m their representative to the Corporate Nations. Still, they’re borderline useless, the gangs keep as much peace as they do.”
”Why do you work for them, then?”
”Money. Reputation. Power.”
”Of course you do…”
”And now, to keep you from getting killed. Won’t be long until a bounty is placed on you.” Brian tensed his voice. “You’ll make dangerous enemies, one’s that I can’t easily intercept.”
”So you admit you’re not invincible.” I took joy in saying that.
And I took took joy in watching me say that.
”Yes, Diana. Even with my Titanium SIM, I’m not invincible. You’d be wise to remember that with your Gold.” His words seared both of me, even with a Gold. My father still stood above me.
”Yeah, alright. I get it. Are we done?” I clicked the prompt to end the call.
”One last thing.” He somehow kept the call going despite that. “Don’t make an enemy of those who refuse to be caged…”
I didn’t get it then… but as the call disconnected and the next memory flashed forward, I shuddered. He knew, alright, then he knew I was taken by one.
I laughed as Tonguelasher’s jaw burst apart.
Maybe making Two Titaniums fight would take out both of them.
Soul Killer… and my dad.
———
The memories only ceased once I felt calmer, less deranged by my situation. Dr. Kaisel stared at me with interest. ”How was it?”
“You’re a psionic Esper…” I looked at her, the ability to manipulate minds was coveted among all Mutations, even an Iron Grade Mutagen could sell for a million Shardyne. “Are you how he controls all these people?”
“Nope.” She shook her head, then her eyes turned red and soulless. “You’re not off the wrong mark though.”
”Great, you’re here. What was this all about? Trying to read my mind?” I didn’t ask for a psychologist meeting with my head.
”Relax, Emily can’t exactly see your memories, but she can bring them to your attention. Relive, as I’ve heard others describe. A powerful Mutation, but not one that works too well for information gathering. Other than a few vague mutters about your dad and whatever, we didn’t get much… we just needed you — in working order.”
”Working order?” I snickered.
”You’re angry… good, good… you want something to fight?”
”Yeah.” I admitted.
”Perfect.”