2214 RP Thread 2

Chapter 5

The room was dark, still, and silent. A faint beeping sound was heard in the distance. It gradually grew louder until it sounded as if it were in the same room. A dim, foggy light materialized in the darkness and became brigter, until her eyes opened to reveal a white, plastic-tile ceiling.

Shell's head hurt intensely, and her arms were unable to move. She slowly tilted her head upward and scooted back in her hospital bed.

"Ow..."

Electra walked into the room and smiled at Shell.

"Oh good. You're finally awake."

Jerod came into the room and sat down next to Shell's bed.

"Feeling alright? You took quite a beating back there."

She shook her head.

"I... I don't remember much of it. It's really foggy to me. Did we win?"

Jerod nodded.

"Good. That's good. So the others... did they make it?"

Electra nodded.

"Yes, we all made it through. The Kadmasian ship's taken some severe damage and both Gren and I are facing the problem of getting around here unnoticed, but for the most part we've been lucky."

She breathed a sign of relief.

"The Tennou tapped Lynx and Liara to join his crew, so they'll be leaving with the ship once repairs are finished. Big Al's staying at one of the hotels while they are preparing a new shuttle for him to use, and Atlas has been... acting kind of strange lately. We don't know what's wrong with him."

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"I think Kyrannen and Melvin are somewhere on the station, too."

"What's the status.. of, you know...."

Shell lowered her voice to a whisper.

"The cannon? Has Kadmas invaded yet? "

Electra shook her head.

"Oh, I see. Too much in need of Pandora's assitance right now, huh?"

Shell began to try to put the pieces together.

Pandora's developed this weapon, but they're aiding a severely wounded Kadmasian ship. If they wanted to attack Kadmas, they'd start by taking advantage of this situation. Since they aren't, that rules any aggression toward Kadmas out - unless this is all part of a clever deception.

"Electra, I'm going to need your help getting to the bottom of all this... about.. everything."

Atlas stumbled down an empty corridor.

"I did what I could... I did good, right? It wasn't just a release..."

He tripped over a damaged tile, and caught his fall with his hands.

"Hmm heh heh... It felt so.... nice... to fight like that."

He got up and stumbled a little further.

"Don't you think... it was beautiful... how I fought? Wasn't it art?!!!"

Yes Atlas. You were wonderful.

"But wasn't I?!!! I was a painter, an artist who's canvas is blood!"

Your masterpiece is only in it's beginnings. You've just painted the first stroke.

"My masterpiece.... but where's my brush, huh? Where did they take it?!!"

It's been taken into the maintenance area for repairs.

"My brush... my beautiful tool of.. destruction... take me to it."

You'll be re-united soon enough.

"Where?!!! Take me to it!!! TAKE ME THERE!!! TO MY BRUSH, MY BRUSH OF BLOOD!!!! MY TOOL OF DEATH!"

Atlas' eyes wided, his pupils tiny, his green eyes seeming to glow in the dim utility lights. His facial and neck muscles tightened, almost seizing.

"HAHAHAHA!!!!! I'VE TASTED IT, DON'T DENY ME THE PLEASURE OF MY MASTERPIECE!!!!!!"

His screams echoed through the empty lower dock corridors of New Pandora.

(O.O.C.: How's that for a psycho?)