[Fanfiction] Innocents

[S3EK3R]

Situations are a little different.

 

Nikis is acting as a VERY overprotective grandpa where Lisa is concerned. Yes, she has spoken to him sharply about it and he ignores her. She is NOT happy about that.

 

Jesse will need someone to teach her all of the parts of what being Tenno actually entails besides what Trinity could squeeze into their time together. A Tenno 'sponsor' is sort of a teacher, a mentor, a counselor and a guardian all rolled into one. Yes, Raven IS a good choice since Jesse will NOT be a Warrior. No one wants to see her go into combat.

 

Next post we see how Raven reacts to it. I DOUBT she was expecting such.

Of course she wasn't expecting it. I think Raven has less confidence in herself than what she shows. But I'm sure she's up to the task and will accept it.

[Kalenath]

Of course she wasn't expecting it. I think Raven has less confidence in herself than what she shows. But I'm sure she's up to the task and will accept it.

 

Eventually. It may take a clue-by-four or three.

[fishworshipper]

How is Jesse pronounced?

Is it Jess or Jess-ey or...?

[Kalenath]

How is Jesse pronounced?

Is it Jess or Jess-ey or...?

 

Does it really matter?

 

'Jess -e' if it does. At least in my own mind.

[evafan002]

Eventually. It may take a clue-by-four or three.

only 3? and only a Clue-by-4? i would have thought a clue-by-six would be needed

[Kalenath]

 

Homes

 

"Wait... What?" Raven asked, sounding stunned by this. She stared at Iriana and then at Nikis, but the gunfighter... crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Was he whistling under his breath? He didn't do 'innocent' very well. "Nikis? What?" She demanded.

 

"He did not say anything." Jesse said quietly from where she lay. "He did not put me up to this. I do not know many corporeal Tenno. You were kind to me when you did not have to be."

 

"Jessel- um..." Raven shook her head. "Jesse..." She corrected herself. "I would not be a good sponsor for you."

 

"I disagree." Jesse said calmly. Iriana moved to stand by Nikis and her face was serene. But was that a smile that was trying to curve part of her lips?

 

"You just went through two massively traumatic psychological ordeals." Raven said firmly. "You took the Trial and you woke up in a new body. You are not thinking clearly."

 

"I think I am." Jesse looked at Iriana. "Healer? May I move my hand?" Iriana shrugged and nodded. Jesse held out a hand to Raven. "I am not a Warrior. Neither are you. I am new to this and need someone to keep me from sticking my foot in my mouth. Or worse."

 

"They will cut you a bit of slack." Nikis said mildly. "But as with anything, it isn't infinite." A strange bubble of amusement underlay his words. Raven looked at him and then at Jesse. "Might want to hear her out, Raven. If she is anything like Janet... she will be awfully stubborn."

 

"Pot meet kettle..." Iriana muttered not even close to under her breath. Jesse had to smile at Raven's visible expression.

 

"Jesse.." Raven said slowly. "I am not... I am not a good Tenno. I am trying to be better. But I am not."

 

"I don't care." Jesse said with a shrug as she laid her hand back down. It was shaking a bit. "There are several reasons I can think of that you would be better for me than someone like Olim would be." Raven looked at her and Jesse shrugged again. "He is a good man. A good Tenno." She corrected herself. "But he has a full time commitment already. I have no doubt he would do his best. But would it be fair to everyone else who is counting on him? To distract him? All of the other Tenno I know of are the same way. Busy with other duties."

 

"Jesse..." Raven said with a groan. "Look at me!" She waved at the visible part of her face and Jesse shook her head.
 

"So?" The girl demanded. Raven stared at her and Jesse shook her head again. "Yes, you were hurt. But what is outside doesn't matter." Raven jerked and Jesse smiled a bit sadly. "I worked in the Clergy hospital, Raven. I know what you are doing."

 

"Jesse..." Raven growled, but Iriana was looking from one to the other, a speculative look on her face.

 

"You do not want to get better." Jesse said sternly. "You like having people react to your scars. To your disfigurement." Raven jerked as Nikis shook his head. She subsided a bit. "You enjoy their pity."

 

"That is not true." Raven said firmly.

 

"Then prove it." Jesse said quietly. "Show your face." Raven stared at her and Jesse sighed. "Raven? Please. It is important."

 

Raven shook her head and reached for her veil. It came off in her hands, showing the ruin that was her face. Jesse nodded as she saw it, her face calm. Raven stared at her and then she smiled a little.

 

"You are going to fit in just fine around here." Raven said as she lowered her hands with the veil still off. Her mouth... didn't move as it should have. Jesse did not flinch from the sight and Raven slumped a bit. "I still think you are crazy."

 

"Been said." Jesse shrugged a little and hissed. Iriana was at her side in an instant. "Left shoulder, Healer. Not sure which muscle."

 

"On it." Iriana said with a frown as she worked.

 

"Why me, Jesse?" Raven asked. "I mean... there are lots of other Tenno, most of whom are not probationary Elders, who would be happy to do so."

 

"I have an ulterior motive." Jesse admitted. "Besides trying to get you to smile more." She said with a grin. The grin faded. "Olim has only found one other potential Cyberlancer, which means the three of us are going to be insanely busy. Once I get trained that is..." She said with a sigh of relief as the pain she had been experiencing faded. "Thank you, Iriana."

 

"It pulled when you held out your hand." The Healer said with a sigh. "When you get out of the bed, expect lots of muscles to be pulled in odd ways. We are going to be busy moving stuff for a bit. Good news is once they are set, they should stay in place."

 

"Joy." Jesse said with feeling. She nodded to Raven. "That is another reason. You won't put up with me if I start to whine." Raven tilted her head in query and Jesse sighed. "One look at you and I know what pain actually is. It makes mine... pale."

 

"It doesn't hurt now." Raven said mildly. "The docs do good work, Iriana especially." Iriana smiled at her but kept working.

 

"I know." Jesse agreed. "And... I am not demanding. I am asking. You can say 'No'." Raven looked at her oddly and Jesse smiled. "I wanted to give you first refusal. You were kind to me."

 

"I do not think I am what you need, Jesse." Raven said after a moment. "I have... history with the Tenno. Much of it bad."

 

"Another reason." Jesse said calmly. "The kids?" She asked Nikis who nodded.

 

"This does not leave this room." Nikis warned. All three women looked at him and nodded. "I knew Nicholas. I knew what he was doing. I hated the Lotus for what she commanded me to do. To leave my son in the grip of people who hurt him. I did not agree with a lot of what Nicholas was doing and after what he did on Mars..." The Nekros trailed off. "I could forgive a lot, but trying to steal nuclear weapons and slaughtering the Marines sent to stop him was beyond the pale. I knew about the kids. He was planning to use the females of his clan as surrogates." Iriana and Raven had both paled but Jesse nodded. "I looked... but I never found them. I knew the lab he made them in wasn't in his dojo. He took me there once. But it was via portal. Could never trace it. I saw the pods. I was... angry..." he mused. "So angry. But... not quite insane. I knew what he was doing was wrong. But... he wasn't hurting anyone with that. They were not clones."

 

"Not hurting?" Iriana demanded, her face savage. "What he did to Karen and Miguel didn't hurt them?"

 

"I didn't know about that." Nikis said quietly. Jesse slumped in the bed.

 

"So now we have five kids, one of whom will not survive." Jesse said not the silence that fell. "M-1 is not going to get any better." Irina shook her head. "Two who are out and two still in pods?"

 

"For now." Iriana said quietly. "They have lasted this long in the pods, they can wait a week or two."

 

"How many people have tried to kill N-1?" Jesse asked. Nikis shook his head and she pressed. "Grand Master Nikis..."

 

"Four." Nikis said with a sigh. "So far. Kid doesn't even dodge. Just sits there and lets them shoot him." He sounded old and tired now. "They... don't finish him off. He asked me not to stop them. I... I want to. But..."

 

"Justice must be done." Jesse said with a frown. Nikis looked at her and she nodded. "There has to be an end of some kind. Closure."

 

"He is not to blame for what the one he looks like did." Nikis said quietly. Jesse looked at Raven whose face was thoughtful.

 

"What exactly do you have in mind, Jesse?" Raven asked.

 

"The Clergy runs an Orphanage." Jesse said slowly, choosing her words with care. "Occasionally we get kids in who are hunted." All three other Tenno stilled at that. "They. Not 'we'... Sorry." She shook her head. "This is going to take some getting used to."

 

"It will come." Raven said with a nod. "So... what? Change his face?"

 

"Change his life." Jesse corrected. "He is blamed for what his progenitor did. But he is what? Five?" Nikis nodded and Jesse sighed. "He told me he has seen some records. Did you find anything?"

 

"No." Nikis said sourly. "Grineer trashed the place pretty thoroughly."

 

"So there is only one source of information." Jesse said softly. Nikis...stilled.

 

"Girl..." Nikis breathed.

 

"How long until one of them kills him, Grand Master Nikis?" Jesse asked reasonably.

 

"They want him to hurt." Nikis said sourly. "I am not a good man, but that...?" He shook his head.

 

"The Tenno need closure on this." Jesse said quietly. "Elder?" She asked Raven who frowned.

 

"What exactly do you propose?" Raven asked. "He is a child."

 

"A child who is the target of hatred." Jesse agreed. "From what little I have gathered, the anger at the one who made him is justified., But directing it at the boy is not." Raven nodded, a bit dubious. "In the Clergy, he would have his memory erased, be given an new identity and be put up for adoption. A new face, DNA changed. Everything."

 

"We can't be sure that Nicholas did not program him." Nikis said with a frown that was visible through his closed helmet. "Interrogations say no, but we cannot be sure."

 

"But with the memory cleansed... Any triggers or programs will be gone as well." Iriana said slowly. Jesse nodded to her and the Healer shook her head. "Jesse, he is five years old."

 

"And how long until someone shoots him in the head?" Raven asked softly. Neither Iriana nor Nikis would meet her gaze. "I know of two couples who would take in kids. But neither could protect them from vengeance seeking Warriors."

 

"We... cannot decide this." Iriana said heavily. "This is... not for us to decide."

 

"I know." Jesse blew out a breath. "I just felt it might be an option. Because no matter what else, those kids are innocents. N-1 may or may not be. M-1 and Z-1 are innocents. Has anyone been trying to kill them?" The Healer and the gunfighter both shook their heads. "Well, it is an option."

 

"A novel idea." Raven mused. "Not... traditional, but some of our traditions need to go."

 

"That is another reason I would like you to sponsor me." Jesse said quietly. "You have no problem thinking out of the box." All three of the other Tenno glared at her and she wilted a bit. "Yes, I know."

 

"There are limits." Raven said repressively.

 

 "I know." Jesse said sadly. "I... I know." She slumped a bit. "I never thought beyond helping the kids. I mean... I was trying to talk to Mom and then..." She shook her head. "Things got out of control."

 

"Let's not have that happen again, shall we?" Iriana said with a forced kind of mildness in her voice.

 

"Is Curtis all right?" Jesse said suddenly. "I never realized... I never heard from him. I was... so out of it."

 

"He is all right." Iriana promised. "And Mindy, the girl who was changed..." She paused as Jesse paled. "It wasn't your fault, Jesse." She said quickly.

 

"I know." Jesse said as she put her hand to her face to brush away the tears that were falling. "But... I saw her face...She wasn't fifteen. There is no way she was fifteen."

 

"She wasn't." Iriana's voice was sad as she moved to the bedside and handed Jesse a tissue. "She does not blame you."

 

"I do." Jesse said as she scrubbed her face. "I will... need to talk to them... The ones Curtis was with... at some point."

 

"Everyone here knows who they are Jesse." Nikis said quietly. "But we should keep the conversation secure."

 

"Right." Jesse agreed. She inclined her head to Raven who was obviously thinking hard. "Elder?"

 

"Why me?" Raven asked after a moment. "Your points... are germane. I give you that. I was... a bit complacent.  I am at loose ends at the moment. I was contemplating... an offer from the people who Curtis works with." She said obliquely and Jesse nodded. "And your comment about traditional thinking... I am not a traditional thinker. I never have been."

 

"I was trained to think objectively." Jesse said with a nod. "But not to be blinkered by anything. It is hard."

 

"Yes it is." Raven agreed. She sighed and looked at Nikis who was humming something softly. "And you have no problem with this?"

 

"Why would I?" Nikis asked reasonably. Raven just sighed and looked at Iriana who smiled.

 

"In that case..." Raven said with an exasperated smile as she moved to stand by Jesse's bed. "I guess I am stuck."

 

"No." Jesse said softly. "Not if you do not want to."

 

"I would like to." Raven said with a grunt as she sat. "But after everything... I am not sure I trust myself."

 

"That is my last reason." Jesse said softly. Raven looked at her. "With me... close... You won't ever have to worry about being possessed by an evil AI again." Raven stared at her, the Elder's eyes going huge. "Olim and Trinity told me." She held out her hand to Raven again.

 

"Don't strain." Raven's voice was husky as she took Jesse's hand in her own. "I... I feel.... unworthy of such..."

 

"So do I." Jesse admitted as Raven held her hand. "So do I." Raven smiled at her, cradling her hand close.

 

"I accept."

 

***

 

"You are a sadist, Healer." Jesse said as she did another squat, grunting as her muscles protested. Her pelvis had been altered significantly by the genetic changes and her muscles hadn't been as quick to alter. So now, Iriana was having her change the old fashioned way. By exercise.

 

"Guilty as charged." Iriana said with a grin from where she sat working a set of consoles. She had access to all of Jesse's telemetry. "I said you would be out of the bed by the end of the day."

 

It had only been four hours since Raven had accepted the sponsor position. The Elder had gone to file the paperwork and Nikis had gone to do...whatever the Nekros did. No one dared ask.

 

"Yeah you did." Jesse said sourly as she rose to stand, panting. "But it still hurts like hell. I know, I know..." She snarled half heartedly as Iriana opened her mouth. "Pain is good. It tells us the nerves are working. But sheesh..."

 

"Some pain is good." Iriana corrected her. "No pain is bad, since that says the nerves are not working. Too much is also bad, since that can overload the system." She glanced at Jesse as the girl shook her head. "And no cheating." She warned. "We need the baselines without your code messing things up."

 

"I know." Jesse groaned as she moved into a complicated sequence of movements. She had practiced this kata with Trinity in the limbo of cyberspace. But doing it in real life, with a not quite functioning properly body was very different. She kept the movements slow and careful and Iriana nodded approval. "Still fracking hurts." She said through gritted teeth.

 

"Watch your language, young lady." Iriana said mildly. Jesse stilled and Iriana sighed. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to..."

 

"Not your fault, Healer." Jesse said as she balanced slowly on one foot. "I am worried about Mom. But until I am fully mobile, there is..." She paused. "Healer?" She asked.

 

"Yes, Jesse?" Iriana replied quickly. Was that worry in Jesse's tone?

 

"My telepathy was short term, yes?" Jesse sank down, keeping her balance carefully. "And with the enhancements gone, it should be gone completely, yes?"

 

"I do not know enough about Cyberlancer abilities to say one way or the other." Iriana said, her tone tight. "Why?"

 

"I am hearing murmurs." Jesse said softly as she sank to the floor, bowing her head. "It... isn't Tenno mental communication. It...feels different." Iriana stiffened and then started working controls. "Tell me you have another of those circlets."

 

"They do not work on Tenno." Iriana said quietly as she worked. "I... am not detecting any telepathy on your part." Jesse slumped in relief, but Iriana did not relax.  "So... where is it coming from?" She rose, a hypo in hand. "I can suppress..."

 

Do not.

 

The voice was everywhere. Jesse screamed and recoiled as something seemed to surround her. Iriana froze in place. It was... not human, that voice.

 

Have no fear, Oracle's child. Healer. The voice moderated a bit. You are needed. Both of you. Come.

 

"Come where?" Jesse demanded as she fought whatever was holding her. "Let go!"

 

"Jesse!" Iriana was at her side in an instant. "Don't fight! Whatever this is, don't fight it!"

 

This is the only way. She needs you. Both of you. Do not resist. It will be swift.

 

Jesse managed a short, sharp scream as the world around her flashed. She grabbed Iriana who had grabbed for her. Both held each other as the world went mad. It...wasn't a portal. It wasn't Void travel. It wasn't anything Jesse had ever done before. She threw out code and it bounced back to her, signals garbled. She heard Iriana screaming, heard her own screams mingled with it. Then she was falling. Then she was in something. She was floating. She was underwater! She focused her senses as she had been taught and sought the surface. It was... a long ways. Further than her body's oxygen reserves would last. She focused on Iriana and the Healer was right beside her, but...

 

Something grabbed her and she flailed, but whatever held her was far stronger than she was. Then something was forced over her face and she felt... air. She opened her eyes to stare through the mask at... the two forms that held her.

 

Oracle needs you, Tenno Jesse.

 

The voice was still overpowering, but it was more gentle as the two mermen hefted her and started off with flicks of their tails. She stared as two more pulled Iriana along. The Healer also had a mask over her face.

 

Your mother needs you.

 

[Spikey844]

Annnd another curve ball. I thought we might make it without another one, but oh well.

[Raphaello]

Annnd another curve ball. I thought we might make it without another one, but oh well.

Understandable, considering how far through we are, based on the standard length of these...

20 story posts per story... and we're at 19 now. Listed below.

Chapter 1: Jesselle

Chapter 2: Turbulence

Chapter 3: Circumstances

Chapter 4: Subjective

Chapter 5: Pain that is not physical

Chapter 6: Warping

Chapter 7: Rescues

Chapter 8: Spiritual help

Chapter 9: Mental

Chapter 10: Children or Not?

Chapter 11: Miscoding

Chapter 12: From frying pan into fire

Chapter 13: Fear

Chapter 14: Righteous

Chapter 15: Passing

Chapter 16: Old problems

Chapter 17: Knowing Oneself

Chapter 18: New

Chapter 19: Homes

[BaIthazar]

Understandable, considering how far through we are, based on the standard length of these...

20 story posts per story... and we're at 19 now. Listed below.

Chapter 1: Jesselle

Chapter 2: Turbulence

Chapter 3: Circumstances

Chapter 4: Subjective

Chapter 5: Pain that is not physical

Chapter 6: Warping

Chapter 7: Rescues

Chapter 8: Spiritual help

Chapter 9: Mental

Chapter 10: Children or Not?

Chapter 11: Miscoding

Chapter 12: From frying pan into fire

Chapter 13: Fear

Chapter 14: Righteous

Chapter 15: Passing

Chapter 16: Old problems

Chapter 17: Knowing Oneself

Chapter 18: New

Chapter 19: Homes

 

Sh*t man, I don't want this to end :(

Edited February 15, 2015 by BaIthazar

[Kalenath]

Sh*t man, I don't want this to end :(

 

The story arc will continue even after this story is done. Have no fear.

 

Well...

 

Actually...

 

Fear might NOT be a bad idea...

[Shadow977]

And suddenly Atlantis! What the hell Kal?

[BaIthazar]

And suddenly Atlantis! What the hell Kal?

 

Maybe Hydroid, but Kal wouldn't make it that obvious would they?

[Kalenath]

And suddenly Atlantis! What the hell Kal?

 

No not Atlantis.

 

Underwater with some people who can talk mind to mind... Hmmm...

Edited February 15, 2015 by Kalenath

[Temperance000]

I believe we are in the Enclave of the Oracles of Saturn.  Basically, a group of psionically talented humans who were abused by a certain someone and had their brains transplanted into sea creatures to allow them to live peacefully in the seas of Titan.  Side note, said someone is currently serving out an essentially limitless sentence as a teacher of economics for the greatest egomaniacal morons ever produced by the human race.  With infinite pineapples up the butt.  Yeah, blame Kal.

[Protector152]

not pineapples, Orokin engineered Cacti

[Kalenath]

not pineapples, Orokin engineered Cacti

 

That was what someone ELSE would do. Nyx uses pineapples.

[BaIthazar]

Just wondering,

 

Jesse doesn't want to fight, but if she had to,

what Warframe would she use?

[Kalenath]

Just wondering,

 

Jesse doesn't want to fight, but if she had to,

what Warframe would she use?

 

If she HAD to? Probably a Trinity. A 'Healer' frame.

 

Not that she is going to be doing so. She will not have access to a warframe.

[Kalenath]

 

Innocence Lost

 

Jesse wasn't sure where she was. The water... did not look right. The forms that held her were humanoid. Sort of. Instead of legs, both had tails, so mermen. But those were just legends. There was very little light. Indeed, the only real light she could see were the illumination from the masks she and Iriana wore and that was muted. From what she remembered, code was...unpredictable underwater. So she did not even try. But she could not just let them carry her to an unknown fate.

 

"Where are we?" She demanded. Either the two forms towing her did not hear her or they were ignoring her. "Hey!" She demanded. "Where am I?"

 

You are in no danger, Oracle's child. The voice from before came into her mind despite a hastily erected barrier. We will not harm you. You are needed. The healer as well.

 

And asking would have been too slow? She snapped in her mind

 

Yes. The matter of fact reply set Jesse back on her heels. Your mother is hurt very badly. Jesse stilled and the voice spoke again. Yes. We fear the worst.

 

No... Jesse begged. What can I do that you cannot? If you are powerful enough to pull me across the Solar System...

 

We had help. The voice replied. Oracle Janet is well regarded by many people. We do not know if you can aid her. We pray you can.

 

What is wrong with her? Jesse was reeling from this. Trinity said her feel was...wrong. That there was a severance in the area of her spinal column.

 

The First Trinity was correct. The other replied. She attempted to rise from the burn tank she was in and fell. She landed on her back and one vertebrae slipped. It severed her spine.

 

And you cannot heal this? Jesse begged.

 

We have tried. The other replied. Her own power is keeping us from aiding her. We do not know why. Without care, she will die.

 

Then we need to make sure she gets care. Jesse said firmly. And... will I see things I should not?

 

Some, perhaps. The voice replied. But you do not know where you are and there is no light.

 

Intentionally I presume. Jesse said with a smirk, but there was no response. Figured.

 

You will have no references to access. The other said in slightly snooty voice. And the method of travel is not something you will be able to replicate.

 

So how do I get back? Jesse stilled. Or do I?

 

You will return from whence you came. The other promised her. We owe Oracle Janet that much at the very least. We have no quarrel with you or you with us. We need your help and the Healer's. Oracle Janet knows her and trusts her.

 

Fine. Jesse wasn't happy with this, but she wasn't going to fight when it was clear she could not win.

 

She jerked as something huge and dark appeared in front of her, but she relaxed as she realized it was a structure of some kind. Dim light came from windows. Before she could get a good look, she was approaching it quickly. Part of it slid aside, showing a chamber of some kind. Her guides/guards/whatever they were propelled her into the small chamber. Iriana followed a moment later and the door sealed. Jesse grabbed Iriana's hand and the Healer pulled her close as... the fluid they were surrounded in... lowered.

 

"Some kind of reverse airlock?" Jesse asked through the mask she did not dare remove just yet. Iriana shrugged as the fluid level dropped faster. "Underwater..." She mused. "Not many places that we could be..."

 

"Jesse..." Iriana warned. "Not here. Not now. I heard your conversation."

 

"Mom is hurt." Jesse said with a sigh. "I knew it was bad... but if it is bad enough they grabbed us from where we were..."

 

"Then it is bad." Iriana hugged Jesse tight. "Be strong." The fluid was gone now and another door opened. A soft voice spoke from nearby as white garbed woman approached.

 

"You may take off your masks." The woman wore a full face veil but she could not have been much older than Jesse had been before she became Tenno. "This area is pressurized to one atmosphere." Iriana took her mask off cautiously and took a sniff. She nodded to Jesse who did likewise. "I can take them if you wish."

 

"That was a hell of a ride." Iriana said with a shrug. "And a hell of a swim. If you do not mind... I think I will keep mine."

 

"You will not be able to escape from here." The woman said with a shrug. "But if it makes you feel better, by all means. I am Francis F-87. I have been tending Oracle Janet."

 

"How bad?" Iriana asked, glancing at Jesse who remained where she was.

 

"Please follow me." Francis F-87 wasn't quite begging, but it was close. "It is bad enough that we fear we may have to clone her a new spine."

 

Iriana and Jesse both winced at that. She started off and the others followed her. Jesse kept her senses sharp and she could see movement at times around them, but nothing concrete. The air...seemed hazy. She glanced at Iriana and the Healer nodded even as she continued to ask Francis F-87 questions in rapid fire doctor-speak. After a moment, Jesse spoke.

 

"Where are the other attendants?" The young Tenno asked. "I thought there were more than twenty of you. They cannot all be tending my mom."

 

"They have other duties." Francis F-87 replied quietly. Jesse wasn't mollified however. Something about her responses bothered the young Tenno. A lot. "There are four med techs on staff. This is not my shift but I was delegated to meet you." That made sense... but... Something was off. Something was wrong.

 

They passed a small room with a single golden chair in it. Jesse glanced at it and kept her pace going. It was hard. She recognized it from tales told to her by another person she had talked to. A glance at Iriana showed the Healer had seen it too. But the Healer continued to ask questions about Janet's condition. Finally, she took a breath and Jesse spoke again.

 

"Is Grand Master Nikis here?" Jesse asked calmly. Francis F-87 looked at her and Jesse shrugged. "He is in love with my mom. I assumed he was coming to see her when he left."

 

"He is on his way." Francis F-87 replied. "We don't know when to expect him."

 

"Always when least expected." Iriana said with a grin that did not touch her eyes. She knew, Jesse saw. She knew why she was here too. Jesse began to focus herself, code swirling just under her skin.

 

"Stop." A new voice said sharply. Iriana and Jesse both froze as a four legged form stepped out of the shadows. "Whatever you are planning, there is no need." The sea turtle was trying for calm.

 

"Then explain to me why there is an AI interface chair in the room back there." Jesse said quietly. "Like what the Orokin did to Mari." That had been... bad. The only reason an Orokin bioengineered plague of nanotech monstrosities hadn't been unleashed on the solar system had been the sacrifice of a woman named Mari. She and Jesse had talked in the database at length about coding and robotics. Iriana paled but stepped to stand beside Jesse as Francis stayed in place. Like a doll. Or a puppet whose strings had been cut. "Tell me you didn't take control of all of them." Jesse said with a sigh. "Mother trusted you."

 

"Yes she did." The turtle said quietly. "And we are trying to help her. We are trying to help." She said firmly.

 

"You put me in that and all hell is going to break loose." Jesse said with a snarl. "Forget Olim and the other Tenno. Nikis and Mom will go ballistic."

 

"We are not going to." The turtle said with a human sounding sigh. "It is not for you. The person who will assume it will do so of his or her own free will."

 

"Free will..." Jesse said softly. "What free will? I wondered... You know..." The turtle seemed to tense. "I wondered how when I focused my mind on my mother, my mental probe wound up a long ways away from her. Talking to people I had never met. That set me on the path to here." Iriana stared from the turtle to Jesse and back. "Right to here..." She mused. "Well played. Now you appeal to my need to save innocents I take it?"

 

"Jesselle..." The turtle said slowly.

 

"My name is Jesse." The young Tenno said sternly. "I may not be a Warrior, but I can deny you your prize. I am here to help my mother. No more. No less. I will not help you." The turtle sighed again.

 

"We can make you." The turtle said calming.

 

"I am sure you can." Jesse said mildly. The turtle seemed to stiffen and she smiled grimly. "The same way the Grineer did. Take control. Use my body without even a by your leave. Is that what you did to her?" She indicated Francis F-87's still form.

 

"We put them all to sleep." The turtle sounded abject now. "We haven't hurt anyone. We didn't want anything to happen to Janet. We didn't! She hurt herself. We have been trying to help and she won't let us."

 

"Because of what you did to me." Jesse snarled. "So now you take control of me and Iriana? And... what? Put me in the machine and tell everyone I drowned or something? Trying to escape?"

 

"No." The turtle said firmly. "We are not the Grineer. We want to make a difference. We need Janet to do that. She needs you." Jesse sank into a crouch and the turtle sighed again. Iriana froze in place, her face blank. But whatever was holding her didn't affect Jesse. "Girl... don't... Aw S#&$. Jean."

 

Something stung Jesse before she could move and darkness took her before she could even realize what had done it.

 

***

 

She was walking. Someone's hand was on her arm, guiding her.

 

She was lying on something. Someone was holding her hand.

 

She was screaming as her back hurt. Someone was wiping her brow with a cold cloth.

 

She was floating. Someone was singing to her.

 

She was sitting. Someone was spooning something savory into her mouth.

 

She was cold. Someone was wrapping her in something warm.

 

She was...

 

***

 

"Have you lost your @(*()$ minds?"

 

Nikis was in rare form as Jesse woke up completely. She tried to move and couldn't. She couldn't see. Couldn't speak. She cast out a tendril of code and it reported she was lying on a table. She was surrounded by medical machinery. Nikis stood by the door to the room, his posture stern and he glared at the turtle that had been talking to her.

 

"Of all the good for nothing, stupid !, batty as a belfry ideas... this one takes the cake, Caroline!"

 

"We haven't hurt her, Nikis." This was the turtle. "She was going to fight. We didn't want to hurt her or Iriana. She was going to fight. She thought we wanted her for the interface."

 

"I told you building that thing was a bad idea." Nikis said with a growl. "Snatching them out of the dojo was a worse idea. Karl's people are going nuts."

 

"Janet is finally responding to our treatments." Caroline said with a sigh. "We can put them back."

 

"You send them back and they will track you." Nikis snapped. "The First are looking for her, Caroline. The First! All of them. You tore a huge hole in the Balance. And now... what the hell did you do to her?"

 

"Janet's spine was decaying, Nikis." Caroline said softly. "We needed a transplant. Someone compatible."

 

"You..." Nikis seemed at a loss for words. "You..." He shook his head. "You didn't..." He sounded weak suddenly. "You... idiots..."

 

"Nikis, it worked!" Caroline said quickly. "Janet is better!"

 

"And you tore a bit out of her daughter to do it!" Nikis thundered. "Do you have any idea how she will react?" He stilled. "You do, don't you?"

 

"She reacted badly to what she saw us do." Caroline admitted.

 

"You..." Nikis seemed on the verge of exploding. Instead, he stalked to the table where Jesse lay. "How much of the paralytic did you give her?" He demanded as he laid a hand on Jesse's head. The touch...felt tender. His other hand, hidden from the turtle, motioned to the tendril of code and Jesse made it jump to him. Can you hear me, Jesse?

 

I can hear you, Grand Master Nikis. Jesse said quietly. Iriana...is she all right?

 

She is tending your mom. She doesn't know what happened to you. Nikis said and switched to out loud. "How much, Caroline?"

 

"She struggled every time she woke. Once in the surgical apparatus." Caroline said in a monotone. "We had to..."

 

"How much?" Nikis demanded angrily. Be careful, Jesse. I can't tell how much they can hear of this. Jesse sent a mental acknowledgement.

 

"All told, thirty milli-units." Caroline said heavily. "Over a five hour period."

 

"Well,  that at least was smart." Nikis snapped. "You didn't make her an addict."

 

"Give us a break, Nikis!" Caroline roared right back. "No, we didn't want to do it without her permission. We didn't want to hurt her! If she had fought, she would have been hurt worse! She wouldn't listen. If she had listened, we would have explained."

 

"So instead, you drugged her and took bits of her body out without her permission." Nikis snapped. "Same difference."

 

"Nikis..." Caroline said heavily. "I do not want to argue with you. I wanted to help Janet. That is all."

 

"Is it?" Nikis demanded.

 

They pushed my probe to the Infested. Jesse said softly across the mental link. They put this in motion. I do not know why.

 

I will find out. Nikis promised. Save your strength and be ready.

 

"Nikis, please..." Caroline said heavily. "We wanted to help."

 

"Janet was doing fine, Caroline." Nikis said sternly as he turned from the table Jesse lay on, but he had palmed the code fragment and held it concealed somehow. "Not perfect, but who is?" He shook his head. "Wake her up. Get her mobile."

 

"Nikis..." Caroline protested.

 

"No, you are not going to wipe their memories." Nikis snapped. "If, and I do say if I take them both back, unharmed, quickly, I may be able to head this off before a horde of Tenno sweep in here through your defenses and tear your nice little hidey hole to shreds. Maybe." Jesse stilled at that. "You didn't think this through, Caroline. She is Tenno. New Tenno at that. A Cyberlancer at that." The turtle retreated a pace and Nikis advanced. "Did you really think they would just ignore you snatching them? Let alone the rest of this. Wake her up."

 

"You know she is already awake." Caroline said softly. "A moment...." A flipper reached out to touch something and a hum that Jesse had barely noticed faded. She could move. "She is loose."

 

"Why?" Jesse begged as she sat up, aware she wore a white robe like the attendant who had met her. "Why do this? To mom? To me?"

 

"Come." Caroline said softly and left the room. Jesse stood up too quickly and Nikis caught her as she staggered. The turtle did not move fast and they caught up quickly. After a few steps, Jesse did not need Nikis' help to walk, but she was grateful for his presence. But... her rear end hurt.

 

"What did you do to me?" Jesse demanded.

 

"We took a small piece of your spinal cord." Caroline said quietly. Jesse stilled and Nikis shook his head. "Humans and Tenno have a vestigial tail. You do not use it. We took a centimeter of the spinal cord from that and transplanted it into your mother to fix her broken spine. There is no impairment to you or her. She is healing. Finally."

 

"You did this... to help my mother?" Jesse said, disbelieving.

 

"No." Caroline said softly. "We did this to bring you here so you could talk to your mother and we could ask -beg- your help."

 

"You have an odd away of asking for help." Jesse said with a snarl.

 

"We cannot leave this place, Tenno Jesse." Caroline's voice was soft. "I need to show you something and then I will take you to your mom. After that... you can do as you wish." She led them into a small room that seemed to be all window. "Lights." She said calmly and the world lit up.

 

Jesse stared out the window into... wonder. The cavern was underwater. And it was filled with... small finned forms. Humanoid, but with tails. All of them moving, darting to and fro. But... organized. She turned to Caroline.

 

"They are on recess right now." The turtle said with a nod. "They go back to class in twenty six minutes."

 

"How many..." Jesse said as Nikis drew a deep breath. "And how old?"

 

"In this group... Thirty seven. A hundred and four total. The eldest is your age." Caroline said quietly. "The youngest? Less than a year. You ask why I did what I did? You ask me why I dared anger everyone who knows me? Why I angered my own brother? That is why." She nodded to the scene outside the window.

 

"Children..." Jesse said weakly. "Aquatic adapted children."

 

"Innocents. We are the only hope these kids have, Tenno Jesse." Caroline said with a snap. "Nikis..."

 

"Not my call." Nikis said with a sigh.

 

"I need to talk to my mom..." Jesse said weakly.

 

"Right."

 

***

 

"Jesse?" Iriana looked pale, worried. "You okay?"

 

"No." Jesse said weakly as she sat by the gel filled pool her mother lay in. Iriana moved to stand beside her, scanner whirring. "They... took part of my spine to heal mom."

 

"Those lying scum!" Iriana snapped, her scanner playing over Jesse's body. "They said you were tired. That you were asleep."

 

"I was." Jesse said sadly as she looked at her mom ."Is she...?"

 

"She is in and out of consciousness." Iriana said sadly. "They did a good job. She is healing. But... she is also angry. Now I know why."

 

"They... hurt you..." Jesse and Iriana both turned to see Janet's eyes open. "They..." Jesse took Janet's hand in her own and held it, wary of the burn dressing.

 

"Mom." Jesse said softly. "Did you know why they did it?" Janet stared at her daughter and slumped a bit.

 

"They had no right." Janet said, her voice angry but so weak. "They gave you a shove, pushed you to do what they wanted. They used you. They let you be abused. They let you be changed. Oh Jesselle..." She was crying now.

 

"Easy, Mom." Jesse said sadly. "It's okay. I am here. It's going to be okay."

 

"They didn't see all of what would happen." Janet said sadly. "I did. I tried to warn them. Moved too fast. Hurt myself. I... Jesselle... No..." She sighed. "Not your name anymore, is it?"

 

"You can call me anything you want, Mom. You earned that right." Jesse said as she held her mom's hand. "For now? I am here. I will see about helping you. We have a mess to clean up."

 

"I..." Janet sighed and slumped back into her pool. "Don't... let them... use you... Jesselle..." She sighed again and fell asleep.

 

"I won't." Jesse said firmly as she laid Janet's hand back down. She turned to Iriana and the Healer jerked back from what lay behind Jesse's eyes. "Have no fear, Healer. I am not angry. I am... calm." She said slowly, forcing her emotions to recede.

 

"Jesse..." Iriana said slowly."What do we do?"

 

"Protect the innocent of which I am no longer one." Jesse said quietly. "Mom needs our help. We need to find out what exactly is going on here and then... we need to keep the Tenno from storming this place."

 

"Good thing I don't like easy..." Iriana said with a shiver. "And who here is innocent?"

 

"That is what I am going to find out." Jesse said as she sat by her mother. Her code surrounded her in golden waves. Come what may, she was ready.

 

"That and why they needed me not to be innocent."

 

Edited February 16, 2015 by Kalenath

[Kalenath]

(Oh, this is not going to end well... Next story will start tomorrow. [barring another blizzard with power outage anyway. *sigh*] Comments or suggestions always appreciated. Flames might have to try to clean up the mess that was just made. Stress the word 'try'.)

[Temperance000]

And now the Oracles have done a thing too.  Seriously Kal, is no one in this gods-damned universe exempt from the law of expedient jerk-assery?

[Kalenath]

And now the Oracles have done a thing too.  Seriously Kal, is no one in this gods-damned universe exempt from the law of expedient jerk-assery?

 

Actually, what the Oracles did was smart and as kind as they could do it. They COULD have been far less kind. (Of course, then Janet and Nikis would have torn them to pieces... Which they knew.)

 

But...

 

'None so blind as those who see'

 

The other Oracles are not as powerful as Janet. They do not know exactly what is wrong with what they did. Just that Janet was hurt trying to stop them. So they figure on fixing the problems.

 

But there is a problem with that. It is called 'The snowball effect'.

 

They started a tiny snowball rolling at the top of a mountain when they pushed Jesselle to talk to the Infested. Stopping said snowball now that it has become an avalanche is... going to be interesting.

Edited February 16, 2015 by Kalenath

[evafan002]

Oh those poor doomed sons of...... they have no idea how close they are to unleashing an  apocalyptic event on themselves do they?

Edited February 16, 2015 by evafan002

[renleech]

Another golden brick added to the road of good intentions.

 

When i think about lurking underwater creatures, i remember the Leviathans from Mass Effect, waiting patiently for their turn...

The children we saw may only be proxies... And they're an ethical dillema bound to happen. About this, i don't want to be inside the empress's skin when the S#&$ hits the fan. Am i extrapolating too much?

[Kalenath]

Another golden brick added to the road of good intentions.

 

When i think about lurking underwater creatures, i remember the Leviathans from Mass Effect, waiting patiently for their turn...

The children we saw may only be proxies... And they're an ethical dillema bound to happen. About this, i don't want to be inside the empress's skin when the S#&$ hits the fan. Am i extrapolating too much?

 

No, Eliza is NOT going to be happy.

Nor Karl and his clan.

Nor Olim. (Cyberlancer abducted? Oh <Bleep!>)

Nor Raven. ('You did WHAT with my ward?')

Nor the First Tenno and the shades of others.

Nor the Clergy.

...

 

An avalanche of S#&$ is actually a pretty good descriptor.

 

Janet knows. The other Oracles are about to find out.

Edited February 16, 2015 by Kalenath