Amee felt a soft bed beneath her and silk at her finger tips. She opened her eyes she was laying in a four posted bed with wispy blood red curtains. The room around her was dark so she could only see the silk sheets beneath her. She pushed her blonde hair out of her face. She paused and pulled some of her long hair in front of her eyes. It was blonde, but she knew her hair was black now. “What have I gotten myself into this time?”

“You’re in between.” A voice said from the darkness, it seemed come from all around her. It sounded male, it was deep and soothing. The beautiful voice resonated in her ears. Amee sat there in stunned silence; she’d never heard such a beautiful sound before. “You must have many questions or you would not be here.” The voice came again. Amee blinked out of her trance, so beautiful.

“Umm, err, yes Sariel said I might find some answers in the computer. Answers about the girl Tritania, Tritania London, I don’t know where I know that name from.” Amee rubbed her temples.

“Residual memories left in the surviving nanite population. I’m sure it’s fairly common in the rare occurrence of a transfer of hosts.” The voice made Amee tingle just hearing it.

“Who are you?” Amee asked the darkness.

“I am the last remaining memory of a race that never existed in this timeline. I am, for a lack of a better term, your creator.” The voice hesitated as it answered.

“God?” Amee shrunk a bit into the bed, it would certainly explain the heavenly voice.

“If I were that powerful a being you would surely not need to exist, I made the nanites that flow through your veins.” Amee hung on the voice’s every word. She felt empty when it wasn’t speaking to her.

“Why did you do this?” Amee looked around herself trying to find the source of the voice.

“I have no good answer, beside to say revenge for my people and all the others that have suffered over the eons at the hands of the Silwrath.” Amee blinked at the answer, she had been expecting some glorious revelation, but simple vengeance. She laughed. “Did I not translate that properly? I did not think it would evoke laughter, I am being very serious.”

“No, no. I just laughed because even aliens seem to share our emotions.” Amee held off the rest of the burst of giggles, she was giddy, it was the being’s voice it made her body tingle with pleasure. “Why don’t you show yourself?” Amee was curious what kind of being would have a voice like that.

“I was afraid you may be disgusted by my appearance, I only wished to intercept your communication with the computer system, I hadn’t meant to converse with you.” The voice sounded like it regretted speaking in the first place.

“I won’t be disgusted; it’s not every day someone gets to meet their maker face to face.” Amee tried her best to be sincere, how bad could someone with that voice look?

“Very well.” A shadow pulled away from the darkness around the bed and formed into a purple and green humanoid with a hard chitin shell. It’s face was formless and she could make out eyes, but no nose, or mouth. Giant veins pulsed on its arms, they looked like metallic coatings for power cables. She backed away, shocked. “As I was afraid you find me horrific.”

“No.” Amee forced herself to remain calm, but this thing, this being was so completely alien she couldn’t have conceived of his appearance. “Just surprised, your voice sounded different then you appear.”

“Yes that is how we communicate, we do not have what humans would call body... or did not have what humans would call body language.” The being sat on the bed beside her. “I am sorry, I should never have introduced myself, it is too early, your mind to young, you are no older then my daughter she would handle seeing a human poorly.”

“No, I am fine. Maybe we could start with names?” Amee offered her hand. “My name is Amee Morris.” The being looked down at the offered hand looking slightly confused. “On my world you shake hands to greet someone when meeting for the first time.”

“Ah yes, I’m sorry my race does not often make physical contact.” He took her hand and shook it. “I am Theon, Last son of Milithinias.”

“So you’re male?” Amee put her hand on her mouth when she realized how impolite that came out.

“Yes.” Theon’s voice sounded mirthful.

“I’m sorry that was pretty insensitive.” Amee blushed a bright crimson.

“Nonsense, it is the curiosity of a child, my daughter would have asked the same thing I’m sure.” Theon sounded pleased.

“If you didn’t want to talk to me, why did you?” Amee looked for any sign of emotion for Theon’s hardened chitin face, but she found none.

“To be honest you reminded me of my daughter, I could sense you felt lost and alone.” Theon sounded sad.

“Sariel never said anything about you.” Amee was confused now she had many layers of internal computer it seemed.

“That must be what you’ve named the AI construct that monitors your functions and protects you. Yes, well it...” Theon was cut off by Amee.

“She.” Amee said firmly.

“She, has her function and will perform it flawlessly, but there are things she cannot be trusted with. The other information it would compromise her, sanity, yes, that would be the best word. I hold information on other timelines, erased races, Silwrath tactics, and most importantly I am the only memory of my people, my family, my daughter. I speak for the dead.” Theon sounded quite sad.

“Alternate timelines? Dead? Could you explain that?” Amee moved closer to Theon, the more she heard his voice the closer she felt to him.

“No, I cannot, it is not the time to pass that burden.” Theon sounded firm on this point.

“At least the timelines, please? I need something here all this not knowing is driving me insane.” Amee’s shoulders sank.

“Yes when something happens it changes the timeline, so if you travel back in time, kill some figure of history, time shifts, but I am the keeper of alternate timelines, so what happened originally, and what happens in the new time line, every time something is changed it adds a new possibility.” Theon looked at Amee, the confusion was obvious on her face.

“Doesn’t changing crap break everything?” Amee rubbed her temples even with her new inner math genius time travel was a bit much for her.

“Yes, and no, if done at the right point one can control the path the future takes. The Silwrath have been wiping out species for centuries now. Every time one becomes a problem in their current present they remove the problem at the point in the past that will have the least impact on their society and the universe as a whole. They have giant computers that calculation probabilities, and temporal shields on their worlds to protect themselves from shifts. They stabilize reality, like your shield does.” Theon paused. “Forget I said anything.”

“So you mean if history changes, I’ll remember the real history and will be the same?” Amee blinked.

“Yes, but you will also recall the old timeline. It becomes burdensome for the mind after too long, it begins to crack, and brain damage can also occur. That is what happened to my physical body, it could not handle the amount of change it saw. I stole a reality stabilizer from the Silwrath and used it to protect myself while I worked on Sariel. I couldn’t save my family, the Silwrath attacked before I could bring them to safety.” Theon sounded distraught at the memory.

“I’m sorry.” Amee whispered, she couldn’t fathom an entire civilization obliterated. “What monsters.” The sound barely escaped her lips, she had tears forming in her eyes.

“I am sorry, I should not burden you with these things, you are too young. The reason I intervened is I cannot allow you to interface with the computer, knowledge of the future will cause a terrible tragedy.” Theon changed the topic abruptly, but there was no change to the sound of sorrow in his voice.

“It’s alright, Theon.” Amee reached out her hand to touch Theon’s shoulder. It was hard and smooth.

“No it is not, I broke my own rule that I would not interfere with the normal course of history on your world until the Silwrath became involved. This was foolish. You must lock the computer up. One day it may provide you with valuable information, but today is not that day. You must not let it fall into anyone’s hands.” Theon stood up, his voice seemed to shift to anger, the sound made Amee imagine a massive hurricane destroying everything in its path. Amee moved away from Theon involuntarily. She curled her knees to her chest. “Go now, child, I will bother you no longer.” Amee’s world went black again.

She closed her eyes against the harshness of the sunlight streaming through her window. She unplugged the data jack, having something plugged into her felt weird to say the least. She looked around the room rubbing her eyes. “What time is it?”

“According to my internal clock, quarter after twelve.” Sariel answered promptly.

“How long was I out?” Amee rubbed her eyes, it was like she’d woken from a dream.

“0.0000003 seconds.” Sariel seemed confused. “That is hardly enough time to review the contents of Tritania’s computer system, was the data corrupted by transit?”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“No someone named Theon stopped me before I could access the computer, said he made you.” Amee felt like the walking dead all of a sudden, speaking to Theon had drained her mental reserves. “I feel like I just read war and peace in French or something. God my head hurts.”

“Theon? This is not possible, you connected to the computer, there is nothing preventing you from accessing it, no intrusion counter measures, no defences, I cleared all protocols to allow you access.” Sariel scrolled through a checklist on the vision overlay. “Absolutely nothing is preventing you from accessing that computer.”

“He said you wouldn’t know he existed, but this, is going someplace safe, I really don’t want to go through that again. He’s a nice guy, but wow I could do without the brain scrambling.” Amee stood up and wobbled a bit on her feet, she steadied herself on her desk. She slipped the futuristic notebook into the carrying case and sealed it, then slid the ankh around her neck. “I need music.” She started her Ophilia play list and leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She let the soothing sounds of her dark harmony flow over her. Darkness in the City. Amee blocked out all other sounds but the song. She opened her eyes when it finished, feeling much calmer and much more focused.

“You have strange taste in music, Amee. I would suggest more cheerful music, it may help your disposition.” Sariel’s voice seemed to indicate distaste.

“Sariel, with all due respect, stuff it.” Amee muttered and walked into the shower.

“As you wish.” Sariel said, and made no other sounds for the duration of Amee’s morning ritual.

Amee heard her cell phone ringing just as she was finishing her hair. She glanced at the number, it was April’s. Guess I should answer. “Good Morning April.”

“Good morning? It’s like lunch.” April laughed, Amee could tell from the laugh April was nervous about something.

“I had a long night.” Amee tried to keep her voice cheerful, as much as didn’t feel it inside.

“I saw on the news, are you alright?” April sounded quite worried, the concern made Amee smile in spite of herself.

“I’m fine, not sure what it was all about, but I’m out of the hospital. Haven’t talked to mom or the colonel yet. I don’t know if I’ll be alright after that.” Amee tried to sound upbeat, but she knew in her heart that conversation was going to be the worst thing about the past few days.

“Okay, are you going to be back to school soon? Gabriel was looking around for you. I think he really has a thing for you.” April sounded positively giddy.

“Maybe I’ll say yes the next time he asks me out.” Amee said quietly.

“Oh you should, I know you have a hard time trusting people, but I think you can trust him.” April sounded like she was munching on something.

“Are you eating?” Amee laughed.

“Yes, and doing my math homework.” April munched on something else.

“Well I’ll let you get to all that, I’m going to go get something to eat so I can be prepared for my lecture.” Amee sighed.

“Okay see you tomorrow then.” April sounded like she was back to her cheerful self.

“Ya.” Amee hung up the phone and dropped it into her pocket. She looked in the mirror at her violet eyes and her blue black hair. “Okay Amee, you escaped a hospital of police and security guards chasing after you, you evaded four weird men in black, you can handle your mom and dad.” She took a deep breath and walked downstairs to the kitchen. She was greeted by both her mother and father, both were in sweats. They must have worked out together, odd.

“Hi mom, Colonel.” Amee passed the pair while they ate a late lunch. They were talking to each other and, she was pretty sure her mother was smiling. Amee paused by the kitchen island. “Okay who are you and what have you done with my parents?” Amee looked between the two. She hadn’t seen them smiling at each other in years.

Her mother laughed at something her father had said and looked up to her. “What is the matter dear?”

Amee blinked, Dear? I woke up in the twilight zone. “I was just expecting a lecture, you know death by parental anger or something.” Amee pulled a plate of leftovers out of the refrigerator and looked between her parents again. She shook her head and put the food in the microwave.

“We talked about that, Amee, but we decided none of what happened was really your fault, Secret Service should have had a better guard on you, you ran away from people trying to kidnap you, and you got home safe, you did more than anyone could expect from a fifteen year old girl.” Her mother smiled. Amee twitched this was all wrong.

“Did you really take down those two people who tried to kidnap you?” Her father sounded proud.

“Ya, well yes, sort of. I wasn’t really thinking I just sort of reacted. I saw them kill that nurse and I figured I wouldn’t be far behind.” Amee pulled her food out of the microwave and faced away from her parents as she talked. What else am I going to say, my body activated its defence mode and took them down?

“I would prefer you didn’t Amee.” Sariel broke her silence suddenly. Amee nearly dropped her plate of food, she still wasn’t used to a voice in her head. “My apologies Amee, I did not mean to disturb you.”

It’s fine. Amee smiled to her parents and sat down at the table with them.

“Amee, did you see anything else last night? The detectives that dropped you off had some questions for you, I told them they would have to wait until you felt up to answering them, but they said some gang members were killed and you were found in the area, did you see anything?” Amee’s father asked, his voice was gentle and considerate.

“No, didn’t see anything else. Nothing whatsoever. Wow really? I was that close? Think it might have been the people chasing me?” Amee was never a good liar especially where her mother was concerned. She prepared herself for the inevitable accusations, but they never came, her mother and father just looked at each other then back to her.

“Well if you remember anything, you should tell someone, whoever did it is very dangerous.” Her mother was the one who spoke this time, and slid a business card to her. Amee picked it up, it was Detective Lampman from the night before. She slipped it into her jeans pocket.

“I sure will. So, why aren’t you at work, or campaigning, or whatever else you do?” Amee looked between her parents.

“I took a day of leave to make sure you were alright, and your mother well she decided to take a day off too, we were worried about you, are worried about you Amee. It’s barely been a week since you were shot.” Her father glanced towards the new refrigerator meaningfully. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Fine.” Amee looked at the floor where she had lay bleeding. It didn’t bring back any horrific memories. “Doing good. Feeling a bit strange since I’m not dead, but otherwise doing fine.” Amee smiled. Her parents looked at each other again. They were obviously getting more worried, rather than less worried. “I’m serious, no bullet holes, no flashbacks, doing just fine. Glad to be home safe and sound.”

“We can get you some counselling.” Her father responded quickly.

“Oh and what are we going to discuss, my detachment from reality, and my feelings of inhumanity because so much of me has been replaced by machine?” Amee rolled her eyes, that would go over well. Amee winced she saw her mother waving her hand and shaking her head. Her father gave her a worried look. “Just kidding.” Amee laughed nervously.

“Amee this is no time to joke. There are dangerous people after you.” Her mother blocked The Colonel’s response deftly. Amee sank into her chair.

“Sorry, mom.” Amee decided not to fight back, her mother had just saved her from a mess, and she was thankful.

“Amee, your mother and I were talking, we’ve decided that you should use a private tutor and complete this semester at home, we can’t have you going to regular classes with these people chasing after you. The Secret Service thinks they may be working with the people who are threatening your mother.” Her father glanced at her mother.

“What? I’m fine, they wouldn’t try anything at the school, it’s crawling with security and if they aren’t supposed to be there they won’t get through the doors, and there are metal detectors. I don’t know if you’ve been in a school these days but they would give Fort Knox a run for its money. I would feel safer there, no one has managed to shoot me through a window there.” Amee was terrified of being stuck at home. Her parents looked at each other again.

“She has a good point.” She heard Agent Johnson’s voice come from behind her. She hadn’t heard him enter. “The school is very secure, much more so then your home.”

“I think you have done quite enough for us, Agent Johnson.” Amee’s mother didn’t bother to conceal her disdain for the man.

“Wait, they are both right. She should continue going to normal school, you and I both know it’s the right thing to do.” Amee’s father put his hand on his wife’s arm.

“Alright, but if there are any more incidents this will change. Do you understand Amee?” Amee nodded as her mother spoke. “Okay you’ll go back to school tomorrow morning, but this afternoon you need to come to a press conference with your father and I.” Amee sighed as her mother added the last statement.

“Okay, Mom.” Amee pouted, she hated press conferences.

“Your father and I need to get a shower before we leave, go put on the dress I left you in your closet.” Amee’s mother stood up.

“Umm, mom the one that is five sizes too big for me?” Amee stood up as well.

“What are you talking about you’re a size seven aren’t you?” Amee’s mother looked a bit surprised.

“No, I’m a size two mom.” Amee glanced down at herself then back at her mother. “You didn’t notice how much weight I lost?”

“Well, no, check your sister’s closet maybe she has something to wear, remember, modern but think Jacqueline Kennedy.” Her mother called after her as Amee walked towards Amber’s room.

Maybe you should call your stylist. Amee rolled her eyes and looked through her sisters dresses. They each had several having had to appear at numerous functions with their mother. “I hate picking out dresses to wear for these things, would anyone care if I showed up in jeans and a t-shirt?” She muttered to herself. It took her several minutes but she finally pulled out a conservative dress, it was dark red. Fits my mood at least. She took the dress to her room and got changed quickly, and went downstairs to meet her parents.

Amee walked down the stairs and ran into her mother, who smiled when she saw her. “You look amazing Amee, I’m so proud of you for losing all that weight.” Amee’s mother hugged her tightly. Amee sighed as she returned the hug, being careful not to squeeze too hard. Apparently her body could crush a human without even dipping into the energy reserves.

“Ya, mom I did a great job just for you.” Amee muttered under her breath.

“What was that, Amee?” Her mother sounded curious rather than annoyed; obviously she had missed Amee’s comment.

“I was just saying I’m happy I lost the weight too.” Amee’s lips spread in a sardonic smile

The press conference went on as most of them did, at least for Amee, she stood quietly beside her parents the dutiful daughter, looking unscathed and surprisingly safe after a run in with anti-feminist terrorists and kidnappers. Her mother spent most of the press conference re-enforcing her adamant feelings that she would not give in to these terror tactics and let them push her away from the presidency.

“Your mother is quite good, she’s used all the recent events to look stronger, yet still keeps the concern in her voice for her daughter. And that line about a strong the American belief that one cannot give into terrorism, no matter what the personal costs probably won her a few supporters. I wonder if she had anything to do with the attempt on her own life. It might explain the overwhelming guilt she seems to feel about you getting shot...” Sariel trailed off.

Shut it, Sariel this is bad enough as it is. Amee thought furiously, keeping a strained smile on her face, she felt a little hounded, especially with all the flash bulbs going off.

“My daughter, is so very brave, and isn’t letting recent events keep her from her classes, this morning she asked, no demanded to return to her normal school. She said: I refuse to let them scare me into hiding away from the world, I want to go back to school. We are very proud of her sentiment. Thank you all, we want to let my daughter recuperate a bit more before she returns to school tomorrow. ” Her mother ended the speech with a smile and a wave, and hustled Amee off the stage.

She’s such a liar. Amee scowled once they reached the safety of a back room away from the press.