[Time: 23:00 XCT]

[Geographical Information: North American Reform, The Lower States Technocratic Belt, Silicon City Outskirts, Modular Deployable Bunker - Checkpoint Epsilon]

[Weather Report: 10 Celsius, Rain-Status: Inclement 43cm, Moderate Acidity, Moderate Heavy Metal Particulate, Respiration Filters: Mandatory. 100% Humidity, Poor Visibility. E.T. Until Spontaneous Stormfront Collapse – Unknown// Weather Satellite Sensor Impairment-Warning-Intrusion//Error442e//Command Function/Unauthorized Access Detec-/ – Overridden!]

“Bask, have you patched into the Weather Relay and restored Communication with Headquarters yet!? I’m up to my knees in bodies but they just keep coming! We could really use the Tin-Man right about- oh, I don’t know, say YESTERDAY!!”

Distraught and breathing heavily through his armored respirator, Ergo pleaded over a curtain of vicious rain. His tactical visor smashed to pieces, dripping with the acidic downpour partially concealed his glare towards the Squad Specialist, Bask, furiously tapping away at a small device tethered to an exposed power conduit.

“Just a… little longer.” Bask murmured as she bit her lip. “Damn, there’s not enough power left in the Checkpoint’s portable generators. Figures, whoever was stationed here last up and left with all the energy cells. Damn it! I can’t maintain a stable connection!”

“You can’t blame the locals for being resourceful. Count ourselves lucky they didn’t gut the entire checkpoint.” The Captain grunted as he quickly disposed of a zombie reaching in through the window of the derelict modular office. “Ergo, ammo check!”

“Two Pulse-Mags, a Throwable Incendiary- I’m about down to my R.S Pistol, Sir!”

As a legion of shambling dead continued to march through the pouring rain, Ergo deployed his grenade, carving a sizable hole in the wall of bodies, then drew his reserve pistol.

*Bang-Bang-Bang!*

“That’s it! I have a connection.” Bask fell silent as her eyes scanned the text displayed on the comms device.

[Harbinger Combat Status Report]

[Unit Alpha: Captain Hugh Beckett - Active]

[Unit Bravo: Ensign Lucy Bask - Active]

[Unit Charlie: Ensign Rex Ergo - Active]

[Unit Delta: AE-Jaeger 37-4E ‘LIGER’ – Transponder Destroyed - K.I.A]

“What’s the hold-up, Bask!?” Ergo let out a grunt as he grappled with a sizeable Lost, his pistol beneath the mechanical monster’s chin whirled seconds before depositing a super-heated bolt of plasma into its skull.

“Liger’s transponder is… ah, it can’t be… he’s… been marked K.I.A”

“What!? Are you sure your sensors are working? There’s no way! Fix your shitty hack, Bask, and scan our I.F.F again!”

“The connection is sitting stable at 79%. I got everyone’s vitals and transponders. His… His reactor was compromised.”

*BANG!*

“Lilims have back-up batteries, right!?”

“Ergo- what kind of shell can puncture Fibro-Armor? Do really think-!?”

“Enough!” Capt. Beckett’s authoritative voice cut through the fog of encroaching tension. “Ensign Bask, report our status to H.Q, cancel Liger’s active orders and then clear the comms. Ergo, grab the package, there’s no point in holding for rendezvous any longer.”

“B-But Sir, if he’s still alive-.” Bask hesitated just as the small building began to shudder under stress from the undead pressing their combined weight against the thin outer walls.

“Listen to me, Bask, I’ve signaled for an airstrike. This area is going to be hot in under ten minutes, and we’re going to be at least a click away before that happens. If by some miracle Liger is still alive, there’s no need for him to rendezvous with what cinder and ash remain.”

“Un-understood, Sir. Communications with H.Q were sent, but there wasn’t a handshake on the return. Ah, Sir, if I may ask; how were you able to radio in for air support?”

“No need to worry about that.” Capt. Beckett crinkled his eyes as he raised a segment of his gauntlet to reveal an infect wound in the shape of a bite mark. “I’ll be your fire support tonight.” He then smiled.

“Bask!?” Ergo called over his shoulder as he subdued yet another Lost, the gauntlet of shambling bodies threatening topple a makeshift barricade. “Mind filling me in!? What the hell is the Captain on about!?” *BANG*

Remaining Silent, Bask solemnly accepted the situation through a nod as she motioned to retrieve the silent party member seated in the far corner of the room.

“Alright, up you go.” Bask whispered, supporting the faceless ‘package’ against her shoulder with her handgun drawn in preparation for a hasty retreat.

“I’ve backed-up our final coordinates and set each of your ranks as officers as a contingency. As of this moment, you’re both in command of Harbinger Squadron. This will allow H.Q to recognize future support requests. Godspeed, Lucy, Rex. See to it that we finish our mission. The Earth may very well depend on it.”

“C-Captain?” Ergo whipped about in confusion, nearly losing his footing as the Captain pressed through the narrow entrance guns blazing.

With each bullet from his rifle, Capt. Beckett cut and tore a path of retreat along the checkpoint’s western barricade. Zombies hot on his heels, the Captain employed a particle blade, slicing and tearing into the soft decaying flesh and bone alike as Ergo and Bask brought up the rear.

“What the hell is the old man doing?! Has he lost his marbles!?” Ergo winced as he traded the masked being in Bask’s possession for his service pistol.

“He’s throwing a hail Mary, now come! This way!” Biding her emotions, Bask unleashed a volley from both energy pistols, punching a hole in the swarm only for it to quickly refill its ranks.

“Damn, we don’t have enough fire power!” She roared, throwing her weight into a splintered ribcage, only to realize the undead mass contained not one, but two Lost androids. “SHIT!!”

Unable to react in time, the metallic underbody of the decayed android collapsed, striking Bask’s shin, crushing her bones beneath her plated armor. In a split-second decision, Ergo slid the small veiled body over onto a single shoulder, taking his ally by the hand before dragging Bask against the wall were they then made their final stand.

Suddenly, a swath of undead toppled over one another as the Captain, both bloody and brushed shunted his way into the firefight, brawling and slicing an opening with only his armored fists.

*BANG-BANG-BANG-TATTAATAATTATATAATTAATTAAA*

From behind enemy lines, automatic small arms erupted from seemingly out of nowhere.

“Did we get through to H.Q? Did they just send reinforcements?!” Ergo choked as he kicked away the fetid claws and teeth gnashing at his boots.

Minutes later, the horde and frequency of gunfire began to dwindle until a few teetering bodies remained.

“I can’t… believe it…” Bask huffed as her pistols began to discharge their pent-up heat, sizzling beneath the rain.

Out of the mist, three wraith-like entities maneuvered through the killing field until their hooded forms slowly came into focus.

“Don’t stand down…*AHEM* just yet.” Capt. Beckett ordered between an attempt to catch his breath, staying his soldiers with an arm stretched out to his side.

“Ehh? Over already? The M.N.N made it seem like this outbreak was a big deal…” The left most figure whined irritably as they slung a large rifle over their shoulder.

“That’s what you get for listening to a news network in this day and age. I’m surprised Earth fell victim to such pitiful monsters.” The right countered, stepping over a large pile of fleshy mulch before coming fully into view.

Cautiously stepping forward to greet their rescuers, Captain Beckett then maneuvered between the groaning bodies spilled across the roadway. “Identify yourselves, I don’t recognize that armor, or your insignia.”

“How droll. Is that any way to greet your rescuers?” The man in the middle scoffed arrogantly as he and his accomplices shed the protective rain gear from his shoulders revealing pristine, otherworldly armor emblazoned with gold and heirlooms. “Lowly Earthling, tell me, do you recognize this icon?”

Holding his hand front and center, the middle soldier procured a hologram of an intricate emblem, a crescent moon impregnated with a human skull.

“Ah, I see. Martians, I should have figured your lot would swoop in like scavengers. Capt. Beckett sighed with a peevish tick. “To which royal family do we owe our gratitude? I’m sure Headquarters will be hap-*BANG*!”

Taken by surprise, Capt. Beckett recoiled onto his rear, holding the remaining stump of his shoulder as he was left glaring down the smoldering end of an elegant handgun.

“Hmpt, praise? From dogs like you? Don’t make me laugh.” The right soldier mocked, waiving his pistol around playfully.

“Goddamn it! Captain!? The fuck is wrong with-!” Ergo shouted, only to fall silent as the pistol barrel hovered over his position. Unarmed, and unable to act, he protested with fangs bared.

“Think of it as a favor. Your dog has already one foot in the grave and I don’t mean that because of his age. You see, your old man’s been bitten, and we all know it’s only a matter of time before you have to put ol’ Fido out to pasture.” Pausing as if to take in the conflict with perverse pleasure, the right soldier let out a chuckle through his mechanized helmet. “Your next words better be ‘Thank-You’, boy.”

Clenching his teeth to their facture point, Ergo stayed his tongue.

“Trouble hearing? Employer too poor to supply you hearing protection with all this gunfire?” The soldier cooed as he racked a fresh plasma cartridge into his weapon.

“…Th-an-k-You.” Ergo forced a snarl.

“Hmm, what’s that? I’m too bothered to turn the gain up on my helmet. I could have sworn you didn’t address me as ‘Your Highness’.”

“Hey, don’t play around like that, you’re only a Duke.” The left soldier muttered prudently. “You know that title is-.”

“Silence, both of you.” The middle soldier snapped before gesturing towards Ergo and the veiled body slumped over his shoulders. “You, what is it you’re carrying?”

“C-Classified Information… Even to me… I… I honestly haven’t the faintest clue.”

“Nothing is above Martian Royalty, let me see it.”

“Need me to repeat myself; Classified-!”

“Ergo, let him see it…” Capt. Beckett shuddered as the middle soldier brushed the wounded Captain aside.

“Capt, you can’t be serious?”

Taking a single step back in defiance, Ergo found himself overwhelmed by the sheer force exerted through the soldiers augmented suit.

*RIIPPPPPP*

“Hmmm, curious.” The soldier hummed amusedly. “Tell me, Captain, does your company have nothing better to do than to send you on a wild goose chase? Pray tell, what does this common service android have to do with ‘Classified Information’? Perhaps something important its memory bank?”

“I don’t ask questions above my paygrade. If Command wants it shipped, come hell or high water.” Beckett spat out a laugh amid a groan. “But you, you really screwed the pooch.”

“What’s this now?” The soldier scoffed as he shoved Ergo onto his backside before pacing over to the old man. “You’re in quite the position to be passing idle threats while you’re on your deathbed.”

“I ain’t bending my knees out of respect to some Martian Duke, just a little winded is all.”

“Is that so?” The soldier snickered. “Consider yourself lucky that your classified dead-weight you’ve been lugging around wasn’t our bounty. Killing you and your lot would be a political clusterfuck if word ever got back, but seeing that you’ve been bitten, I see an exception. Consider this a mercy.”

As the middle soldier drew a collapsible rifle from his holster and took aim between Becketts eyes, Capt. Beckett let out a maddening roar as he tackled the soldier to the ground in a massive bear-hug.

“ERGO, BASK, RUN!” The Captain gave his final order as the capacitors in his suit were set to overload. In the following moments as the armored suit’s internal reactor began to collapse, the soldier screamed for the Captain to release him, his allies pleading for his life before all scattered to the wind in a brilliantly blinding light.

.

..

Meanwhile...

..

.

“Vi…” I griped as I rubbed the dull ache stemming from the base of my neck. “Vi, I’m not really in the mood for one of your therapy sessions. I’m fine, see? Fit as a fiddl-ouch!”

Even in my dream, the process of twisting my spine, the kink in my neck reminded me of the toll that had been taken out on my body.

“Okay… I guess I could use the rest, but seriously, do we have to do this now? Why does my neck still hurt in my sleep? Aren’t dreams supposed to be murky?”

“You should be excited, lil Frill! In the land of crystal dreaming, anything is possible!” Vivian appeared before me with a cheshire grin, immediately setting me on edge.

“If anything is possible, then why is everything all droll and drab like a default screensaver apart from the two of us? Since it’s just me and you, it’s kinda lame, not gonna lie.”

“Fret not, my pouty puff pastry! Just tell me where ya wanna go, and I’ll make it so!”

“What are you; a magical dreamland fairy? I want to get off this wild ride.”

“Oh, don’t be a stick in the mud!”

“Then don’t be a stick in my ass! Shouldn’t you already know where I’d like to be since you’re all… you know, all-knowing-in-my-mind whatever.”

“If I hold your hand through the entire process, how are you supposed to recover? I can lead a horse to water, lil Frill.”

As Vivian threw an arm around me, my dissatisfied scowl began to melt, replaced with realization to all the possibilities. Lucid dreaming, but on another level? I wonder what I can get away with? Hehe… Heheheh… Oh Vi, you may very well regret this.

“Okay, okay I get it. Uhh… let’s see. Let’s go to an Onsen, like the magical ones in a picture book!”

“You just took a bath a couple of hours ago, let’s try something with more pizazz!”

“I loath to understand your definition of ‘pizzazz’. Are we talking like a full blown detailed amusement park, or like uh… a sex dream? Not that I want you involved in it! Don’t get the wrong idea!”

“Why not both!?” Vivian squeaked with delight. At this point, I already knew was heading down a dark tunnel labeled ‘I dun goofed’. Allow me to state that my enquiry was purely to gauge Vi’s abilities, and not the repressed desires and/or boredom leaking from the depraved orifices of my mind.

Seriously…

I do not want to have a sex dream staged at the center of an amusement park!

“Wait, wait, wait! Hold it!” I shrieked, snatching Vivian by the face, plying her cheeks until they deformed like a malleable marshmallow. “H-How about we just go back to your old routine of digging up dead ol memories! Y-you hinted Al should be familiar to me, no? L-Let’s get back to the original track, yeah!?”

“You’d really backtrack to plan ‘A’ just to wiggle your way out of this one, huh?”

Damn, nothing evades this woman’s stupidly over tuned acuity, and I can’t believe I can admit that with the painfully irritating expression she had been making.

“Idiot…” I scoffed, and in response, she just batted her dopey eyes.

“What-evs’! It’s time wind back the clock and get into character!”

Knowing Vi and her typical antics, I expected some outlandish magical girl transformation sequence, but instead, I was transposed into a seedy rural district of a nameless city that sprouted from the ground as would voxels before sharpening with detail.

“Uh, I think you got the proportions a tad off…” I raised my brow as I gazed to the smirking shadow looming overhead.

“Oh-em-gee! I forgot how adorable you were when you were a pint-sized squirt!” Vivian squealed with delight as she hoisted me to eye-level by my underarms.

“What the?! Put me down! I don’t need to be a literal child to read a memory, right!? Can’t I sit on the sidelines without directly participating- you know; like the perspective in the Christmas ghost’s past story… thingy…?”

“I suppose it wouldn’t be out of the question to witness things from a bird’s eye view, but we can’t risk a loss of detail in translation! First person perspective is the best when delving deep within a subject’s mind, so you’re going to have to accept the situation. Besides, you always liked it when I patted your head when you were little! Now you get to relive the experience over again! How exciting!”

“Yeah it’s exciting alright… I recall my amusement came after I’d headbutt you in the gut back before my horns were filed. You weren’t much taller than me back then, so why don’t you equalize the playing field and turn yourself into a runt so we can relive the glory days!”

“Oh, would you look at the time!” Suddenly, I found myself in free-fall as Vivian pantomimed the motions of checking a nonexistent wristwatch. “I better bow out before the rest of the cast shows up! Oh- and one more thing; I thought I’d give you a heads-up, or rather; a ten second head start!”

“Head start?” I repeated cautiously as I regained my footing. “Vi! This is really irresponsible of you to just dip without giving me even a friggen clue as to what’s going on!”

“Well, I could tell you to run, but I didn’t want to frighten you. But now that the cat is out of the bag, you better scram. Time’s a ticken!”

And with that, Vivian liquified into the foreground leaving me to wander the seemingly endless rows of hybrid storefronts and rundown housing complexes. With every twist and turn, structures and edifices blended together like the spiraling facets of bismuth, no pattern repeating exactly, but similar none the less.

As I looked to the youthful appearance of my hands, a thought came to mind. Such a peculiar circumstance to have retained my mental capacity; a lone child, a Beastkin no less, wandering aimlessly spelled more than just trouble, I am asking for it with a megaphone on full gain, but somehow, I’m not entirely afraid.

Really, what could I have been doing out here all alone? Was I kidnapped? There are no shackles, no remnants of binds etched into my skin. Just these white rags hanging loosely on my shoulders, along with a desire to move deeper into the unknown. Even though it is dark, and the finer details masked in a perpetual mist, I could see a path laid out before me.

“Alright Al, where are you hiding? Did we happen to bump into each other, or did you come to my rescue like a wannabe hero?”

Placing one foot in front of the other, a thin light raced acro

[Time: 23:00 XCT]

[Geographical Information: North American Reform, The Lower States Technocratic Belt, Silicon City Outskirts, Modular Deployable Bunker - Checkpoint Epsilon]

[Weather Report: 10 Celsius, Rain-Status: Inclement 43cm, Moderate Acidity, Moderate Heavy Metal Particulate, Respiration Filters: Mandatory. 100% Humidity, Poor Visibility. E.T. Until Spontaneous Stormfront Collapse – Unknown// Weather Satellite Sensor Impairment-Warning-Intrusion//Error442e//Command Function/Unauthorized Access Detec-/ – Overridden!]

“Bask, have you patched into the Weather Relay and restored Communication with Headquarters yet!? I’m up to my knees in bodies but they just keep coming! We could really use the Tin-Man right about- oh, I don’t know, say YESTERDAY!!”

Distraught and breathing heavily through his armored respirator, Ergo pleaded over a curtain of vicious rain. His tactical visor smashed to pieces, dripping with the acidic downpour partially concealed his glare towards the Squad Specialist, Bask, furiously tapping away at a small device tethered to an exposed power conduit.

“Just a… little longer.” Bask murmured as she bit her lip. “Damn, there’s not enough power left in the Checkpoint’s portable generators. Figures, whoever was stationed here last up and left with all the energy cells. Damn it! I can’t maintain a stable connection!”

“You can’t blame the locals for being resourceful. Count ourselves lucky they didn’t gut the entire checkpoint.” The Captain grunted as he quickly disposed of a zombie reaching in through the window of the derelict modular office. “Ergo, ammo check!”

“Two Pulse-Mags, a Throwable Incendiary- I’m about down to my R.S Pistol, Sir!”

As a legion of shambling dead continued to march through the pouring rain, Ergo deployed his grenade, carving a sizable hole in the wall of bodies, then drew his reserve pistol.

*Bang-Bang-Bang!*

“That’s it! I have a connection.” Bask fell silent as her eyes scanned the text displayed on the comms device.

[Harbinger Combat Status Report]

[Unit Alpha: Captain Hugh Beckett - Active]

[Unit Bravo: Ensign Lucy Bask - Active]

[Unit Charlie: Ensign Rex Ergo - Active]

[Unit Delta: AE-Jaeger 37-4E ‘LIGER’ – Transponder Destroyed - K.I.A]

“What’s the hold-up, Bask!?” Ergo let out a grunt as he grappled with a sizeable Lost, his pistol beneath the mechanical monster’s chin whirled seconds before depositing a super-heated bolt of plasma into its skull.

“Liger’s transponder is… ah, it can’t be… he’s… been marked K.I.A”

“What!? Are you sure your sensors are working? There’s no way! Fix your shitty hack, Bask, and scan our I.F.F again!”

“The connection is sitting stable at 79%. I got everyone’s vitals and transponders. His… His reactor was compromised.”

*BANG!*

“Lilims have back-up batteries, right!?”

“Ergo- what kind of shell can puncture Fibro-Armor? Do really think-!?”

“Enough!” Capt. Beckett’s authoritative voice cut through the fog of encroaching tension. “Ensign Bask, report our status to H.Q, cancel Liger’s active orders and then clear the comms. Ergo, grab the package, there’s no point in holding for rendezvous any longer.”

“B-But Sir, if he’s still alive-.” Bask hesitated just as the small building began to shudder under stress from the undead pressing their combined weight against the thin outer walls.

“Listen to me, Bask, I’ve signaled for an airstrike. This area is going to be hot in under ten minutes, and we’re going to be at least a click away before that happens. If by some miracle Liger is still alive, there’s no need for him to rendezvous with what cinder and ash remain.”

“Un-understood, Sir. Communications with H.Q were sent, but there wasn’t a handshake on the return. Ah, Sir, if I may ask; how were you able to radio in for air support?”

“No need to worry about that.” Capt. Beckett crinkled his eyes as he raised a segment of his gauntlet to reveal an infect wound in the shape of a bite mark. “I’ll be your fire support tonight.” He then smiled.

“Bask!?” Ergo called over his shoulder as he subdued yet another Lost, the gauntlet of shambling bodies threatening topple a makeshift barricade. “Mind filling me in!? What the hell is the Captain on about!?” *BANG*

Remaining Silent, Bask solemnly accepted the situation through a nod as she motioned to retrieve the silent party member seated in the far corner of the room.

“Alright, up you go.” Bask whispered, supporting the faceless ‘package’ against her shoulder with her handgun drawn in preparation for a hasty retreat.

“I’ve backed-up our final coordinates and set each of your ranks as officers as a contingency. As of this moment, you’re both in command of Harbinger Squadron. This will allow H.Q to recognize future support requests. Godspeed, Lucy, Rex. See to it that we finish our mission. The Earth may very well depend on it.”

“C-Captain?” Ergo whipped about in confusion, nearly losing his footing as the Captain pressed through the narrow entrance guns blazing.

With each bullet from his rifle, Capt. Beckett cut and tore a path of retreat along the checkpoint’s western barricade. Zombies hot on his heels, the Captain employed a particle blade, slicing and tearing into the soft decaying flesh and bone alike as Ergo and Bask brought up the rear.

“What the hell is the old man doing?! Has he lost his marbles!?” Ergo winced as he traded the masked being in Bask’s possession for his service pistol.

“He’s throwing a hail Mary, now come! This way!” Biding her emotions, Bask unleashed a volley from both energy pistols, punching a hole in the swarm only for it to quickly refill its ranks.

“Damn, we don’t have enough fire power!” She roared, throwing her weight into a splintered ribcage, only to realize the undead mass contained not one, but two Lost androids. “SHIT!!”

Unable to react in time, the metallic underbody of the decayed android collapsed, striking Bask’s shin, crushing her bones beneath her plated armor. In a split-second decision, Ergo slid the small veiled body over onto a single shoulder, taking his ally by the hand before dragging Bask against the wall were they then made their final stand.

Suddenly, a swath of undead toppled over one another as the Captain, both bloody and brushed shunted his way into the firefight, brawling and slicing an opening with only his armored fists.

*BANG-BANG-BANG-TATTAATAATTATATAATTAATTAAA*

From behind enemy lines, automatic small arms erupted from seemingly out of nowhere.

“Did we get through to H.Q? Did they just send reinforcements?!” Ergo choked as he kicked away the fetid claws and teeth gnashing at his boots.

Minutes later, the horde and frequency of gunfire began to dwindle until a few teetering bodies remained.

“I can’t… believe it…” Bask huffed as her pistols began to discharge their pent-up heat, sizzling beneath the rain.

Out of the mist, three wraith-like entities maneuvered through the killing field until their hooded forms slowly came into focus.

“Don’t stand down…*AHEM* just yet.” Capt. Beckett ordered between an attempt to catch his breath, staying his soldiers with an arm stretched out to his side.

“Ehh? Over already? The M.N.N made it seem like this outbreak was a big deal…” The left most figure whined irritably as they slung a large rifle over their shoulder.

“That’s what you get for listening to a news network in this day and age. I’m surprised Earth fell victim to such pitiful monsters.” The right countered, stepping over a large pile of fleshy mulch before coming fully into view.

Cautiously stepping forward to greet their rescuers, Captain Beckett then maneuvered between the groaning bodies spilled across the roadway. “Identify yourselves, I don’t recognize that armor, or your insignia.”

“How droll. Is that any way to greet your rescuers?” The man in the middle scoffed arrogantly as he and his accomplices shed the protective rain gear from his shoulders revealing pristine, otherworldly armor emblazoned with gold and heirlooms. “Lowly Earthling, tell me, do you recognize this icon?”

Holding his hand front and center, the middle soldier procured a hologram of an intricate emblem, a crescent moon impregnated with a human skull.

“Ah, I see. Martians, I should have figured your lot would swoop in like scavengers. Capt. Beckett sighed with a peevish tick. “To which royal family do we owe our gratitude? I’m sure Headquarters will be hap-*BANG*!”

Taken by surprise, Capt. Beckett recoiled onto his rear, holding the remaining stump of his shoulder as he was left glaring down the smoldering end of an elegant handgun.

“Hmpt, praise? From dogs like you? Don’t make me laugh.” The right soldier mocked, waiving his pistol around playfully.

“Goddamn it! Captain!? The fuck is wrong with-!” Ergo shouted, only to fall silent as the pistol barrel hovered over his position. Unarmed, and unable to act, he protested with fangs bared.

“Think of it as a favor. Your dog has already one foot in the grave and I don’t mean that because of his age. You see, your old man’s been bitten, and we all know it’s only a matter of time before you have to put ol’ Fido out to pasture.” Pausing as if to take in the conflict with perverse pleasure, the right soldier let out a chuckle through his mechanized helmet. “Your next words better be ‘Thank-You’, boy.”

Clenching his teeth to their facture point, Ergo stayed his tongue.

“Trouble hearing? Employer too poor to supply you hearing protection with all this gunfire?” The soldier cooed as he racked a fresh plasma cartridge into his weapon.

“…Th-an-k-You.” Ergo forced a snarl.

“Hmm, what’s that? I’m too bothered to turn the gain up on my helmet. I could have sworn you didn’t address me as ‘Your Highness’.”

“Hey, don’t play around like that, you’re only a Duke.” The left soldier muttered prudently. “You know that title is-.”

“Silence, both of you.” The middle soldier snapped before gesturing towards Ergo and the veiled body slumped over his shoulders. “You, what is it you’re carrying?”

“C-Classified Information… Even to me… I… I honestly haven’t the faintest clue.”

“Nothing is above Martian Royalty, let me see it.”

“Need me to repeat myself; Classified-!”

“Ergo, let him see it…” Capt. Beckett shuddered as the middle soldier brushed the wounded Captain aside.

“Capt, you can’t be serious?”

Taking a single step back in defiance, Ergo found himself overwhelmed by the sheer force exerted through the soldiers augmented suit.

*RIIPPPPPP*

“Hmmm, curious.” The soldier hummed amusedly. “Tell me, Captain, does your company have nothing better to do than to send you on a wild goose chase? Pray tell, what does this common service android have to do with ‘Classified Information’? Perhaps something important its memory bank?”

“I don’t ask questions above my paygrade. If Command wants it shipped, come hell or high water.” Beckett spat out a laugh amid a groan. “But you, you really screwed the pooch.”

“What’s this now?” The soldier scoffed as he shoved Ergo onto his backside before pacing over to the old man. “You’re in quite the position to be passing idle threats while you’re on your deathbed.”

“I ain’t bending my knees out of respect to some Martian Duke, just a little winded is all.”

“Is that so?” The soldier snickered. “Consider yourself lucky that your classified dead-weight you’ve been lugging around wasn’t our bounty. Killing you and your lot would be a political clusterfuck if word ever got back, but seeing that you’ve been bitten, I see an exception. Consider this a mercy.”

As the middle soldier drew a collapsible rifle from his holster and took aim between Becketts eyes, Capt. Beckett let out a maddening roar as he tackled the soldier to the ground in a massive bear-hug.

“ERGO, BASK, RUN!” The Captain gave his final order as the capacitors in his suit were set to overload. In the following moments as the armored suit’s internal reactor began to collapse, the soldier screamed for the Captain to release him, his allies pleading for his life before all scattered to the wind in a brilliantly blinding light.

.

..

Meanwhile...

..

.

“Vi…” I griped as I rubbed the dull ache stemming from the base of my neck. “Vi, I’m not really in the mood for one of your therapy sessions. I’m fine, see? Fit as a fiddl-ouch!”

Even in my dream, the process of twisting my spine, the kink in my neck reminded me of the toll that had been taken out on my body.

“Okay… I guess I could use the rest, but seriously, do we have to do this now? Why does my neck still hurt in my sleep? Aren’t dreams supposed to be murky?”

“You should be excited, lil Frill! In the land of crystal dreaming, anything is possible!” Vivian appeared before me with a cheshire grin, immediately setting me on edge.

“If anything is possible, then why is everything all droll and drab like a default screensaver apart from the two of us? Since it’s just me and you, it’s kinda lame, not gonna lie.”

“Fret not, my pouty puff pastry! Just tell me where ya wanna go, and I’ll make it so!”

“What are you; a magical dreamland fairy? I want to get off this wild ride.”

“Oh, don’t be a stick in the mud!”

“Then don’t be a stick in my ass! Shouldn’t you already know where I’d like to be since you’re all… you know, all-knowing-in-my-mind whatever.”

“If I hold your hand through the entire process, how are you supposed to recover? I can lead a horse to water, lil Frill.”

As Vivian threw an arm around me, my dissatisfied scowl began to melt, replaced with realization to all the possibilities. Lucid dreaming, but on another level? I wonder what I can get away with? Hehe… Heheheh… Oh Vi, you may very well regret this.

“Okay, okay I get it. Uhh… let’s see. Let’s go to an Onsen, like the magical ones in a picture book!”

“You just took a bath a couple of hours ago, let’s try something with more pizazz!”

“I loath to understand your definition of ‘pizzazz’. Are we talking like a full blown detailed amusement park, or like uh… a sex dream? Not that I want you involved in it! Don’t get the wrong idea!”

“Why not both!?” Vivian squeaked with delight. At this point, I already knew was heading down a dark tunnel labeled ‘I dun goofed’. Allow me to state that my enquiry was purely to gauge Vi’s abilities, and not the repressed desires and/or boredom leaking from the depraved orifices of my mind.

Seriously…

I do not want to have a sex dream staged at the center of an amusement park!

“Wait, wait, wait! Hold it!” I shrieked, snatching Vivian by the face, plying her cheeks until they deformed like a malleable marshmallow. “H-How about we just go back to your old routine of digging up dead ol memories! Y-you hinted Al should be familiar to me, no? L-Let’s get back to the original track, yeah!?”

“You’d really backtrack to plan ‘A’ just to wiggle your way out of this one, huh?”

Damn, nothing evades this woman’s stupidly over tuned acuity, and I can’t believe I can admit that with the painfully irritating expression she had been making.

“Idiot…” I scoffed, and in response, she just batted her dopey eyes.

“What-evs’! It’s time wind back the clock and get into character!”

Knowing Vi and her typical antics, I expected some outlandish magical girl transformation sequence, but instead, I was transposed into a seedy rural district of a nameless city that sprouted from the ground as would voxels before sharpening with detail.

“Uh, I think you got the proportions a tad off…” I raised my brow as I gazed to the smirking shadow looming overhead.

“Oh-em-gee! I forgot how adorable you were when you were a pint-sized squirt!” Vivian squealed with delight as she hoisted me to eye-level by my underarms.

“What the?! Put me down! I don’t need to be a literal child to read a memory, right!? Can’t I sit on the sidelines without directly participating- you know; like the perspective in the Christmas ghost’s past story… thingy…?”

“I suppose it wouldn’t be out of the question to witness things from a bird’s eye view, but we can’t risk a loss of detail in translation! First person perspective is the best when delving deep within a subject’s mind, so you’re going to have to accept the situation. Besides, you always liked it when I patted your head when you were little! Now you get to relive the experience over again! How exciting!”

“Yeah it’s exciting alright… I recall my amusement came after I’d headbutt you in the gut back before my horns were filed. You weren’t much taller than me back then, so why don’t you equalize the playing field and turn yourself into a runt so we can relive the glory days!”

“Oh, would you look at the time!” Suddenly, I found myself in free-fall as Vivian pantomimed the motions of checking a nonexistent wristwatch. “I better bow out before the rest of the cast shows up! Oh- and one more thing; I thought I’d give you a heads-up, or rather; a ten second head start!”

“Head start?” I repeated cautiously as I regained my footing. “Vi! This is really irresponsible of you to just dip without giving me even a friggen clue as to what’s going on!”

“Well, I could tell you to run, but I didn’t want to frighten you. But now that the cat is out of the bag, you better scram. Time’s a ticken!”

And with that, Vivian liquified into the foreground leaving me to wander the seemingly endless rows of hybrid storefronts and rundown housing complexes. With every twist and turn, structures and edifices blended together like the spiraling facets of bismuth, no pattern repeating exactly, but similar none the less.

As I looked to the youthful appearance of my hands, a thought came to mind. Such a peculiar circumstance to have retained my mental capacity; a lone child, a Beastkin no less, wandering aimlessly spelled more than just trouble, I am asking for it with a megaphone on full gain, but somehow, I’m not entirely afraid.

Really, what could I have been doing out here all alone? Was I kidnapped? There are no shackles, no remnants of binds etched into my skin. Just these white rags hanging loosely on my shoulders, along with a desire to move deeper into the unknown. Even though it is dark, and the finer details masked in a perpetual mist, I could see a path laid out before me.

“Alright Al, where are you hiding? Did we happen to bump into each other, or did you come to my rescue like a wannabe hero?”

Placing one foot in front of the other, a thin light raced across the mirrored surface of the sidewalk taking me by surprise.

“What the hell?”

Another cautious step, and the same result. A geometric pattern burst to life, slowly distorting into a myriad of patterns, shapes, and colors before dissolving into silence.

“How did I know that I would find you lingering around the Digital Art Museum?” A voice I failed to recognize called out to me. As a shadow stepped beneath a streetlight in the distance, I found two familiar features resting upon the figure’s head.

Horns…? Just like me…

ss the mirrored surface of the sidewalk taking me by surprise.

“What the hell?”

Another cautious step, and the same result. A geometric pattern burst to life, slowly distorting into a myriad of patterns, shapes, and colors before dissolving into silence.

“How did I know that I would find you lingering around the Digital Art Museum?” A voice I failed to recognize called out to me. As a shadow stepped beneath a streetlight in the distance, I found two familiar features resting upon the figure’s head.

Horns…? Just like me…