Alternate Universe Pt 1: Conflicts

Written by : FrundockNo Title

“Run, if you want to survive, just run as fast as you can. Watching behind you is a loss of time, watching behind you is giving an opportunity to those running after you to catch you. Run like you’ve never run before, remember your training, remember what you desire, never loose your freedom.” For more then 15 years, she had been running, always on the edge. She knew who was after her. And to save herself, the night was her biggest ally; she had to reach the frontier before it was too late. The nearest country with no extradition treaty was near. Meridiana was a borderline city, an important point for the German government.

She was seeing it, the walls and the towers placed near it. The lights watching for anyone trying to escape. The city that was once called “the paradise of America” now was a very important strategic point. German forces, mostly the 2nd army of Fixed Idea, had taken it 4 years ago. The Global Government wasn’t expecting the technos infiltrating the banks and police forces. They had been caught off guard, the citizens were not backing them anymore. When the Nazi forces came to Meridiana, lead by Von Reichter, the population was already waiting for him, ready to support him.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Scene changes *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Cyber-6, model issued from the control camp B2, was now fleeing the territory. The Gestapo didn’t know why she kept coming back to Meridiana: they knew she needed sustenance, and she could find some on the black market, or she could do a quick strike on a lonely soldier. She had used that trick often. But here she was again, but this time, the Fixed Ideas were not losing her: she had been spotted by two of the tower guards. Soon she would be in range, only a few hundred meters. She was soon to be… “What ?!?!”

She had just disappeared.

- “Where the hell did she go?” The officer was screaming. The Fixed Idea had no clue.

- “Sir, we lost her, we think she got through our defense line.”

- “Of course she did you idiots! Go investigate RIGHT NOW!”

The Fixed Idea was running to the scene. One second she was there, but then, she had simply vanished. What was all this? Where was she?

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Scene changes *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

She had gone through the line. But was she tired…? Hopefully, the night had been successful. Three vials with the Swastika marked on them. A weird thought came in her mind… “Sustenance, the official drink of Hitler’s newest generation.”. It was kind of funny, but in another way, so pathetic. Those vials could be useful. She was so tired even sleep would be good. She would take a vial the next morning, For now, all that mattered was resting.

She remembered her youth. When she was created in the Brazil-2 camp, along with 4999 brothers and sisters, Von Reichter’s doings were still secret. He would only answer to the Fürer or a few selected general among the Wehrmacht’s forces. Always in the speakers “For the third Reich”, always.

But then came the day when Von Reichter decided the Cyber series had too many flaws and needed to be replaced. Replaced of course, meant to be killed and made dumber. But she had made a friend, a slave, who had saved her at the last moment, running deep in the jungle. It had been such a long journey. It was then that he had told her the running stance. “Run, if you want to survive, just run as fast as you can. Watching behind you is a loss of time, watching behind you is giving an opportunity to those running after you to catch you.“.

She also remembered when she had to flee without him. He had been killed: he wasn’t running fast enough. And the day she had arrived in Meridiana. There she had found a life and an education. With the Great War still in doing, no one had questioned her identity. Adrian Seidelman. A very common name. She had taken the papers off a corpse in a town which had been destroyed by raids. As a little boy, she wasn’t suspected by Von Reichter’s men. She worked as a delivery boy, buying some food, but mostly buying sustenance from the black market. It was expensive, but she could live all those years.

All those years until Germany’s Plan was extended to the entire planet. An army of genetically modified soldiers invaded South America. She was forced to flee from Meridiana. Living in one of the new “Global Government” countries. The last free countries of the world had made an alliance against the Nazis. The government was formed by a representative of each industrial country: America, Australia, Canada, England, France (saved from the German terror in 1982) and Russia, who had broken their seal of Alliance with Germany a very short time after South America’s invasion had started.

Still, Meridiana remained important to Cybersix. She would go there to steal sustenance vials, and try to help what she believed to be the right thing to do by bringing some information on Germany’s troops to the GG.

And one day, she found a underground newspaper, the “Independante”. And heard for the first time about Lucas Amato, who once was a biology teacher… Amato.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Scene changes *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The scene changes. In the middle of the Brazilian’s jungle, a castle, a huge castle. A little man speaks to an old man. One of them looks pissed off.

- But father, now that we have good control over South America, why do we have to stay here?

- Enough José! Shut up and prove you are the worthy son of mine.

- Yes father… Then, could you tell me why we are still in this old base.

- I’m sorry José, but I don’t feel like wasting my time on teaching you the principles of logic in war.

- But…

- Go away, now.

Von Reichter needed to relax. Maybe he would be able to play a chess game against the Bobby Fisher clone, but he had big doubts. Something was troubling his mind. The project Cyber. If it had been successful, his nation’s goals would already have been completed. That crazy Global Government would have never existed and the Arians would now be ruling over the world.

Now his work had been shown to the entire planet. His success was undeniable. Lord Hitler had even asked him for a new body and a clone. No one had tried to kill him in 13 years, but he wanted to be ready when the time would come.

On the other hand, José was mad. What his father had done to him was clearly unacceptable. Such an act, to him, his son, his clone! “I hate you father. You think that by creating me, you have total control over my life, but I might surprise you one day”. He often said that to himself, but deep inside, he never had the guts to say it to Von Reichter. He knew his father's wrath was terrible. Last week, he had boiled two fixed ideas who had not followed orders. He was under tremendous pressure from the Axis and he knew his father would be ruthless. So José went to his room, as usual, mumbling insults to all of the other creations made by his father. But when he arrived, he found a document on his desk, lLeft for him by his father: A mission, for him, in Meridiana!!

“Seems like father wants me to take care of the Cyber case.”

For the first time in years, his father was giving him a goal. He would prove to that old bastard that he could handle things. He’ll get the Cyber, series number 6, in no time and Von Reichter will be proud of him.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Scene changes *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

February 31st, 1999

Today is my 25^th birthday. Happy birthday Cybersix! Adrian, on his side, will turn 23 in two months, poor guy. This new job in this new city isn’t for him. Teaching can be nice, but he preferred translating Pessoa much more. It’s strange…

Last night I went to see Lucas again, bringing some information to his newspaper. I don’t think that was my real intention though. I feel good when I’m with him. His eyes are like magic. He looks at me like I’m a woman, not some kind of advanced toaster. Of course, I still haven’t told him what I am… An artificial being, created by his worst enemy. What would he think if I told him? Would he be repulsed by my artificial soul? Maybe he would still like me. He was a scientist before, a biologist, and must have some knowledge about what I’m made of. I don’t know...

Tonight, I’ll go see him again, and speak the truth about me. I don’t know what will happen, but I know it’s for the better.

The book closed. It felt good to write her thoughts in this old book. It contained all of her memories, good and bad. And recently, Cybersix had been in a great dilemma: she deeply wanted to see Lucas again, but the army seemed to be more interested in her recently. She could barely escape last night, and tonight would be even harder. Harder if she went as Cybersix. But maybe she could go as Adrian? If her usual path was not guarded, she could go as Adrian, and coming back would be a thousand times easier.

Yes, definitely, that was a good plan. Adrian Seidelman was heading back to Meridiana.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Scene changes *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

How could he miss her so much? It was unbelievable. He had been seeing her for… what, two months? Yet he could never stop thinking about her. Tall, athletic, beautiful, she had all those qualities. Most of all, he had great pleasure speaking with her, trying to figure out who she really was.

Of course, he had figured out a long time ago that she wasn’t completely human, or different. He still had his doubts about her origins. Von Reichter’s creatures were known to be completely obedient. Maybe he could figure out one day, or best of all, she would tell him everything. Watching her eyes, it was obvious she was always trying to hide something. But he didn’t care, he just wanted to see Cyb again.

“ Oh, well, guess I end up smoking a cigarette alone again.”

But at this moment, someone knocked on the door. He prayed it would be his newly found love, but he knew too well Cyb never came by the door. So it had to be someone else. And anyone else not expected meant be careful. Maybe the gestapo had “finally” traced the editor of the Independante, but he doubted it.

- “Hello, can I help you?” Lucas was suspicious answering that man.

- “Hi Lu…Mr. Amato. I present myself Adrian Seidelman”

- “Alright, hello Adrian. Why do you know my name?”

To Cybersix, he seemed to be getting bigger. She had the impression he was coming near to her, as if to analyze her or to be ready for anything that could happen. His eyes were getting smaller.

- “H..Hi again, I’m a friend of Cyb. I came here to speak with you about her.”

- “Y-Y-Yu-You klnow Cyb?” He had backed off a bit. “Please enter Adrian, we’ll be more comfortable inside.”

- “Alright Mr. Amato.”

- “Only Lucas please, I’ve never liked over politeness.”

Lucas’s apartment was the same as it was the last time. A small salon, dark colors: could have been in an old jazz club. The computer was on, and lots of program seemed to be running. She saw the word “Arpanet” the Global Government network of information. It was known to be impossible to hack, so how could he have gotten in? Or maybe he was working with the GG.

- “You want something to eat?” asked Lucas. He now seemed pretty happy.

- “Uh.. no thanks, a coffee will be fine for me.”

- “Alright then, coffee for you.”

Cybersix took a look outside the apartment. Soldiers were in the streets, marching, screaming. Meridiana now looked like the city of the damned. Haunted by creatures raised from the evil mind of Von Reichter. On the main road appeared something quite unusual for a city in this status. A black car, all the windows tinted, was coming to town. Guarded by some Fixed Ideas. Quite strange…

- “Lucas, can I ask you a question?”

- “Why, sure you can.” The voice was distant, he still was in the kitchen. Making some kind of meal she couldn’t dare watching at.

- “Well… Why didn’t you leave the city when it was attacked? You could have written the Independante from outside the city. What made you stay?”

- “Ah… A thoughtful question. I have a feeling I can be more useful staying here. You see, being in the city, I’m more aware of the situation of the citizens. I also like the stress” He had just came back with a coffee and some kind of black Doritos with pickles.

- “Ah, I see, this explains the strange food.”

- “Well…”

The rest of the day was quite calm, they spoke together. Had a good time. And at 20h, the town was closing down which meant Cybersix had to leave Lucas. She had had a good day, but now, before she went past the frontier, she wanted to check something at the German headquarters. Like who was in that car, guarded by so many…

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

* The Thanks *

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

First of all big thanks to Apocalypse Watcher, for the idea. Bringning Cybersix into a new reality, into a new world is a great experience to live.

I would also like to thanks Path Aegyptus for correcting my text and giving is opinion on the text before it was out.

Music suggested while reading this story :

Hans Zimmer – Injection (song)

Hans Zimmer – Peacemaker Soundtrack (album)

Radiohead – OK Computer (album)

Stroke – First In Last Out (album)