Fragments - A Short Story

[Bibliothekar]

Like a shadow, the figure slid through the darkness. The ship was on its night-cycle and most of the lights had been turned off. A maintenance crew was busy with repairs, but she had made sure to keep out of their way. As she turned around a corner, she stared at the back of a guard. “I'm sorry”, she whispered, as she grabbed his head and drained the energy from his body. She didn't know if he had heard her, if her helmet let any sound pass. It didn't even allow her to hear her own voice. And even then, question was whether he'd understand the language she spoke after, all that time.

When she had joined the military, it was because she wanted to help. She had signed up for the medical corps and for a while, all seemed to work out. She had been part of a great team and helped many soldiers who might have died or been crippled for the rest of their lives. Until the incident. They had been aboard a troop carrier when something … happened. She never found out, what. But when she awoke, everyone around her was dead. She patched up her wounds as good as she could, grabbed her bag and made her way through the ship, looking for survivors. But everywhere, she only found more death.
In the end, only four of the hundreds of soldiers had survived. Besides her, one of the senior engineers had been the least injured. His left eye had exploded out of its socket like an egg cooked in the microwave. Together with a young midshipman, he went to set off the emergency signal and reprogram the ship's Cephalon to return back home. Meanwhile, she did her best to stabilize the other woman. She had found her in the biological labs, barely even alive. It seemed, as if her body was actively trying to poison her, producing atter and toxic discharge. But somehow she had managed to stabilize her and keep her alive.
When the survivors had returned home, they had immediately been separated and quarantined. Days turned into weeks, then months, while all she saw was the hospital room and anonymous doctors clad in white biohazard suits, their faces hidden by reflective visors. Then, one day, she was led into another room and measured with a laser device. Nobody had bothered to answer her questions. Not that they had spoken to her before, except for the medical Cephalon that monitored her at all times.
She understood some time later, when she woke up aching all over and found her entire body sealed in a personal containment unit. She had only heard of those before, almost believed them to be nothing more than a myth – and now she was sentenced to wear one for the rest of her life. As she examined what would be her body from now on in the full-length mirror that had been wheeled into her room, she knew she had become a pariah to her own people, a Tenno.

She continued on her way towards the target, carefully staying away from the occasional camera. The Shade sentinel hovered above her, ready to hide her from the watchful eye, be it human or electronic. Human… she didn't know if they could still be called this. Sure, they still shared more DNA than, say, her and a Kubrow. And yet, so much time had passed. Although she couldn't tell how much.
She had tried a Kubrow companion once. And while the creature had given her much joy and relief, the pain had been to much for her to bear. In combat, she felt every bullet, every hit it took like as if they wounded herself. And while she had learned to block out her own pain, that hadn't worked with the Kubrow. In the end, she had to give it away. Sentinels were easier, their robotic bodies didn't feel any pain and if one was destroyed in a fight, her ship's foundry would build a new one in a day.

Every night she would wake up, drenched in sweat – well, not really, as her warframe absorbed it almost immediately to recycle it, but she would have been – and her heart pounding. She didn't know what frightened her so much, which nightmares haunted her. She couldn't remember. Sometimes she wondered if it was something from before the cryosleep. The first thing she remembered was a voice – and a feeling of cold. The voice called itself the Lotus, not that it mattered. She also remembered the feeling of distrust the voice evoked, although she couldn't tell where that feeling came from, either. Everything before was just black.
Every night she would wake up in panic, trying to slowly calm down again. When she had the Kubrow, it had always been at her side in these moments, licking her, trying to soothe her. Many times it had woken her before she had realized why. Alas, those times were gone.

She had reached her destination. The control room's door slid open with a faint whoosh. The technician, sitting with his back to her, grunted a few words, obviously expecting a coworker. When she didn't answer, he turned around, just to realize his mistake. Before he could sound the alarms, she apologized as her dagger slid between his ribs, right into his heart. As she connected the information broker's device to the computer console, she wondered what mysteries this ship's memory banks might hold – if they would bring her closer to getting back her memories. And ending her nightmares.

 

 

--

Author's note:

I've tried hinting - without saying it outright - that she suffers from PTSD. However, neither I nor anyone I know has a history with PTSD, war-induced or otherwise. Fortunately, I'd like to say, as it doesn't seem something desirable. So, if I got something wrong, this is only my fault. I didn't ask anyone for help.

Also, this story didn't turn out exactly how I imagined. Part of the reason is, that it came to me one night when I was almost asleep and I didn't take notes. I've tried to piece it together again and polish it since then, but, well ... Maybe I'll revisit it at a later point.

Also, why does the English language have the word "warmth" but not "coldth"?

[DemonicHuntress]

Wonderful story! It was a pleasure to read. Might I ask what warframe it's referencing, or is it? I assume Trinity due to the energy drainage but I'm not exactly sure. 

[Bibliothekar]

Thank you. :) And yes, that's correct.

The other survivors are supposed to reference Vauban and Saryn. The fourth one ... is mostly there to make the squad full. I also thought to write something about about energy flowing from her when she heals the other woman, but scrapped that part again because I didn't get it to sound right.

[KseniGirl]

Noce story! :D

You should write another one! ^^

[ThunderPyre]

I see Saryn, Trinity, Vauban.....and Volt, maybe?

[Bibliothekar]

Noce story! :D

You should write another one! ^^

Thank you. :) I have an idea for another one, but it's not fleshed out yet.

 

I see Saryn, Trinity, Vauban.....and Volt, maybe?

Well, as I said, the fourth one was more or less faceless to me. The other three were basically just there and I only had to write them down. However, three didn't feel the right number, there had to be four. But who he became ... I don't know. Could be Volt, could be Excal, could be a frame we haven't even rediscovered yet.

Edited November 7, 2015 by Bibliothekar

[Bibliothekar]

A reel spins. The screen flickers and comes to life. Numbers count down. The title card reads

 

INTERVIEW 417

SURVIVOR 32α

FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY

 

A figure appears on the screen, a dark outline against the harsh light from behind it. At a sign of the interviewer, it begins to speak.
“We have always been close, my sister and me. Twins usually are. When you saw one of us, the other wasn't far. Also, if you saw one of us, most of the time it was me, while my sister was sneaking up on you from behind, preparing her latest prank.
We were twins, but we couldn't have been more different. Not just from our appearance – mind you, we were fraternal twins, but people often doubted that we were actually related and thought we were just messing with them –, but from our entire being. We were like polar opposites, and yet we got along with each other better than with anyone else. We also had this weird twin thing where one always knew where the other was and how she felt. My uncle occasionally joked that we were supposed to be just one child and they had made a mistake. He never said who “they” were, but I sometimes wondered if he wasn't right.”

“We were always enough for each other. Sure, there were other people, our parents, family, friends … but in the end, we only needed each other. We could play the entire day, just us two in our own little world. We'd play family with our dolls, hero rescuing the princess, that kind of things. And most of the time she would be the father, the hero, while I ended up in the dress. Not that I minded, I liked the soft fabric and how it flowed around me and swished when I moved. I still do. Sometimes friends would be over and play with us, but not very often. Some only came once, then their parents wouldn't allow it any more.”

“My sister was always the more outgoing of us. I rather kept to myself, the stereotypical shy nerd. None of the bullies at school would have dared to pick at me, though. Or at any of our friends. One of them had tried – let's just say it didn't end well for him. My sister could be quite protective.
There was this one time, however. She had broken my favourite toy by accident. It seems so silly now – but back then, my parents barely made it in time and had to struggle really hard to get me off her. Our relationship was … tense for a while after that. She acted like nothing had happened. But I had seen the monster that lived inside me, and I was afraid. It took quite some time until I stopped seeing it lurking behind every corner, in the shadows, just waiting for me to let my guard drop. I know it's still there, but I've learned to live with it. And how to keep it from showing its face.”

“Years later, after school, we would join the military. We didn't have to, but it was almost like a family tradition. Our grandfather, parents, uncle, they all had served. So we did, too. When they wanted to put us into different units, my sister raised hell. To this day, I don't know how she managed to get away with it. Maybe it was my uncle, he seemed to have quite a number of high-ranking friends. We never found out – probably for the better.
Anyway, we were put in the same unit. She was promoted quickly and ended up always one rank ahead of me. I was fine with that, because it meant I would stay with her. She brought our squad through battles that no-one else would have survived. When she was suggested to become officer, she declined. And so did I when they asked me in her stead. I don't know if they had to invent a new rank just for her, but she got promoted one last time. And this time, they didn't take no for an answer.”

“When we started this interview, I said that we've always been close. Today, we don't see each other much any more. And when we do, there's never time to stop and talk. But it isn't all bad. You could say that we've never been closer. And it seems like our uncle was right.”

The man smiles as he slides back into the shadows to make place for his sister. The reel ends, and in the silence there's only the flapping of the end of film, waiting for someone to stop the projector.

[Bibliothekar]

Well, that wasn't the story I had mentioned earlier (that one's still waiting to be brought to paper), but a fun one to write nonetheless. And all in one sitting this evening. I might be getting used to this. :)

Edited November 9, 2015 by Bibliothekar