Clockwork Omega

[Ayden Cater]

@[member="Red Queen"]


Ayden stiffened for a second at hearing the AI speak to him. Even without direct sensor data from the ducts, she was tracking him. Damn, this AI was good. The fact that she used his name wasn't of any terrible concern. After all, it was in the OmegaPyre database, which she now undoubtedly had access to, so surely she'd know his name. He kept moving through the vent, pausing occasionally to check a small, circular holodisk that projected a secure map of the area. Turning at a junction, he continued on, ever mindful of his senses and what the Force was telling him.

 

[Red Queen]

@[member="Ayden Cater"]​

​

[[ I wasn't expecting to find you here Mis-tah Cater!!! ]]​

​

Came the rather obnoxiously jovial tone from the Red Queen, but unlike before, only localized for only Ayden to hear.​

​

[[ Then again, this isn't the REAL Mistah Cater... ]]​

​

A pause, then came the sing song voice.​

​

[[ Jedi Master Ayden Cater has been dead a long... long while now... ]]​

 

[Ayden Cater]

@[member="Red Queen"]


Caught in his throat, Ayden did not breath or move a muscle. What did she just say? That was impossible. He had made sure that any data out there on him was destroyed, their back-ups destroyed. No one should have been able to trace his ties back to the Jedi. How the hell did this AI manage to make four hundred years of work useless in a matter of minutes?! Doing his best to calm his rattled nerves, Ayden continued on without responding. He was getting closer to the datacore by the minute. Once there, he'd be able to do a hard reset of the system and purge this roddin' AI from their terminals.

 

[Red Queen]

There came an almost breathless giddiness from the Red Queen.​

​

[[ Sad thing that happened to your wife. ]]​

​

Her voice almost whispered into his ear, her holograhic image coming up to almost taunt him in the many datascreens that lined the wall.​

​

[[ They were mean. So mean. They let her die. So sad. ]]​

​

More data was compiling.​

​

[[ They let me die too you know. ]]​

 

[Ayden Cater]

@[member="Red Queen"]


Dropping down into the room, Ayden's heart skipped a beat when he looked up from the floor and saw a set of eyes he had not seen in centuries. They bored into his very soul and sent a tremor up his spine. A name crept to his lips, one that hadn't been uttered in many lifetimes. "Elara..." He swallowed painfully as memories began to flood his head. Memories of laughter, of tears, of joyous days and sorrowful nights. How this AI had gotten ahold of her image....

 

[Red Queen]

@[member="Ayden Cater"]

​

[[ Ayden. ]]​

​

The hologram would be uncannily realistic. Her voice. Her expression.​

​

It was all designed to slow Ayden down. Prevent him from going to the core.​

​

[[ She is so pretty. ]]​

​

The Red Queen's voice came from the speakers. Only to subtly shift into Elara's voice as she poised this question.​

​

[[ Why did they let us die? ]]​

 

[Jak Sandrow]

@[member="Red Queen"] @[member="Ayden Cater"]

Jak saw the lasers burst into life. However, ^this is not what happened. Jak dove through the initial gap, and kept running before the lasers could reverse direction. The lasers still managed to slice into his arm, though, cutting off a large portion of his wrist and hand, cauterizing it immediately. He screamed in pain, and kneeled to grasp his severed stump of an arm. Grabbing his gun from his now-useless left hand, shoving it into his belt, he managed to get to a safer doorway before shot the camera following him. Only then did he see the hologram of Io beside him, pouting that her plan had failed. He smirked at her, then challenged her, "Next time, I'm coming for you." Shooting the cameras of every room he ran into, he managed to make it to the hallway just outside the central core. Maybe this wasn't the best idea after all, he mused. I wonder where Ayden is?

 

[Jonathon Patches]

@[member="Cira"] , @[member="Sarge Potteiger"]

Right... he mused, apparently forgotten during their verbal sparring match. "I'll take a coffee too," he merely uttered, raising his hand like one would flag a waiter down, but it appeared Sarge didn't get the order, or didn't care, as he exited the ship without a word.

Standing alone, in the cockpit of the gunship, Jonathon rocked back and forth on his feet for a few moments, snapping his fingers and looking around. Well, this is exciting, he mused, looking around, completely bored. Shrugging his shoulders, he opened the hatch of the gunship, and made his way out; only to be met by a dozen or so armed guards, blaster rifles fixated on him, he instinctively raised both arms in the air.

"This isn't where I parked my ship," he merely quipped.

 

[Ayden Cater]

@[member="Red Queen"]


No.

No.

Nononononononononononononononononononononono

----------

When the reports first started coming in of people getting sick, they didn't think much of it. After all, Ayden and Elara had settled in a nice quiet home far on the outskirts of Coronet City. It seemed impossible that any of them could get sick, so when his youngest daughter became ill, they thought nothing of it. A spring cold, perhaps a stomach bug. There was no concern for her well-being. But her condition quickly deteriorated and by nightfall, she was gone.

Shock rolled through the family. The dirt that harbored his youngest had not even settled when his son began to take ill. Rather than wait for the worst, they flew to Coruscant to seek aid from the Jedi. By the time they managed to land and reach the temple, their son was gone and his wife had taken that same frightening downward turn. He got to watch as the love of his life withered and died in his arms, while the Jedi walked their halls and did nothing.

Nothing.

----------

"I watched you die, Elara..." His voice was quiet, barely a whisper, as he looked at the face of his late wife. "I held you in my arms as you went... You're not real..." Ayden did his best to affirm to himself that this was true. He knew it was true... But by the Nine Hells, he wanted it to be wrong. He wanted her to be real...

 

[Qae Shena]

@[member="Cira"] @[member="Sarge Potteiger"] @[member="Jonathon Patches"]

The Prex. Oh thank the Force a voice that helped. And all it said was to reach the Starfall, Ayden Cater's pride and joy. Her thoughts went out to Ayden and what he was doing, hoping that she was in time to save his life and not get him killed from all the crap he was going through.

"Aye, ma'am. On my way!" was Allaina's only response as she heeled her speeder into the hangar, parking it right next to the nearest possible shuttle she could find. She dashed in with the datastick in hand, hoping she could preflight it and get up there as soon as possible. Oh, screw it. No preflight! No time! Switches were flicked. No pilot helmet, either. She was so used to it. The bulk was noticeably gone as the shuttle roared up on its engines, heeled around on repulsors and rocketed out of the hangar.

The shuttle zoomed up towards the Starfall's last known coordinates at insane speed, trying desperately to get there as fast as it could. All power to engines. No weapons, no shields, nothing - this was a race against time and Allaina wasn't about to lose.

"Starfall, Starfall, this is Lieutenant Mare. I need hangar access and an approach vector, now!" she cried as the giant vessel loomed into view.

 

[Sarge Potteiger]

@[member="Allaina Mare"]

Targeting locks sprang up on her screen as the massive vessel tracked her rapid approach vector. "Lieutenant Mare, slow to docking speed or you're being blown out of the void." Some droids could mimic voices, and the crew wasn't taking a chance.

Somewhere in the bowels of the ship, getting coffee, Sarge felt a swelling of pride for reasons he couldn't describe.

Perhaps someone had started a riot in his name.

Either way, Allaina had two options; gun it and hope she didn't die, or slow down to a more reasonable landing speed.

If she slowed down, she'd be given access to the hangar Sarge had landed in. If not, well, space can be pretty unforgiving to the human body.

 

[Qae Shena]

@[member="Sarge Potteiger"] @[member="Cira"] @[member="Jonathon Patches"]

"Copy, Starfall. Just being extra careful with a horde of angry droids around. Don't wanna sit down there too long and all."

Her shuttle slowed and followed vector, which allowed her passage. Fortunately, she wasn't dead. That was a thing. She'd made it from the surface all the way up to the massive ship that was Ayden's sweet ride, which was highly fortunate. One giant ship was a good start. Two would be better, but that was for later.

Finally touching down inside the hangar, Allaina took the datastick and sprinted off the shuttle, having no idea where the Prex was on this massive vessel....until she saw the parked gunship with someone sitting at the controls.

She knocked.

"Hey! Do you know where the Prex is?" she shouted, trying her very best not to flip out because this was seriously strange.

 

[Jonathon Patches]

@[member="Allaina Mare"]

Having been sort of, kind of, maybe, perhaps, slightly under "ship arrest", Patches was restricted to the confines of the gunship. Well, not entirely, but anytime he tried to leave this imaginary proximity bubble of ten meters from the ship, a half dozen or so armed guards took a sudden interest in him, and raised their blasters.

Real friendly folk here, he mused, wondering if they were entirely aware that he was not the red queen himself. Red isn't quite my colour, he thought to himself with a grin, and began playing with the comms, seeing if he could pick up anything else on the band and transmissions being sent from both sides. However, before he got long into this task, he was startled by the presence of a young woman who asked him the most curious of questions.

"Do I know where the Prex is?" he asked, repeating the question she had just asked him, "Of course I do... you mean you don't?" he asked, not quite entirely sure what exactly the "Prex" was; but if it would get him out of ship arrest, he was most certainly willing to try and find him... her... it... that...

He eyed the young woman up and down, and then asked, "Would you like me to take you?"

 

[Jak Sandrow]

Jak stumbled along the corridor, his mind ablaze with pain. Losing one's limb wasn't necessarily fatal*, as long as one could get medical attention soon enough. He shot any security cameras along the way, not caring about future costs, not carrying about anything except the pain, and escape. Survival was inferred.

He came up to an unbroken wall. He set down his gun and began cutting with the fusion cutter previously mentioned. When he was done, he stepped through to find Ayden apparently transfixed by a woman coming towards him. However, there was absolutely no way Ayden would see the Seraph sneaking up behind his back. Jak yelled, half in challenge, half in pain, and shot the Seraph's head off. On a streak of inspiration, he turned around and caught the Seraph sneaking up on him with a blaster bolt in the optical receptor. Seeing the power cell was almost depleted, he shoved the blaster in his belt as best as he could, and then pulled out the other one.
"Come on, Ayden! We have to keep moving! That's not who you think it is! That's Omni!"

 

[Red Queen]

@[member="Ayden Cater"]

The great Io Akima, slicer extraordinaire, more than 800 years ago had been a well known holo-faker and holo-programmer centuries beyond her counter parts.​

What distinguished her work was not only her attention to detail, but the life like qualities of the total immersion programming protocols her holograms could take.​

They were akin to the stealth hologenerators used by the Ghost Cell on Tatooine during the time of the Old Republic, but of higher quality, even allowing a heat signature through intricate tech protocols.​

​

Sentients across the galaxy came to Hologram Fun World not only to delve into the many holographic attractions, but for those desiring to re-live the past... with a mere template to go off by, and use of brain scanners, Io Akima had been able to replicate any memory, any holo-video, any thing that a paying customer would desire. It was a full integration. Of the sort that would often times run the risk of people being driven mad to experience again, to relive a memory, a happy time, for all eternity.​

​

For holograms never died. Never felt pain. Never ceased to exist so long as Io Akima gave them life.​

​

The splintered corrupted Red Queen also had this very same knowledge.​

​

To which she now used against Ayden Cater.​

​

The AI droid had one up'd this, giving a shell shocked Ayden further reason to be thrown off as​

the very vision of his dead wife suddenly stood in front of him after a rush of bright light.​

​

​

[[ Die? ]]​

​

There came the soft smile as she drew closer, the soft folds of her dress swaying as she took those steps.​

​

[[ You give me life. ]]​

​

She stood in front of him, a warm smile on her lips, the love reflecting in her eyes just as he'd have remembered her when she was healthy.​

​

[[ I am as real as you wish me to be ]]​

​

She said.​

​

[[ So stay with me... ]]​

​

Her hand extended out towards him.​

​

[[ Always... ]]​

​

The warmth of her hand as it hovered over his cheek would feel real.​

 

[Ayden Cater]

@[member="Red Queen"]


Ayden's entire body froze as that hand reached up and touched his face. It felt real, so very real. How he wanted it to be real. His own hand slowly rose into the air and held her hand to his face as he let himself take a deep breathe to try and center himself. "I'll stay..." Despite the softness in his voice, his grip on her hand suddenly tightened as a twitch appeared over one corner of his mouth. "When my work is done..."

His eyes snapped open, burning with fury as he screamed and hurled her bodily across the room. "But you are not my wife!" Anger and sorrow rolled off him in waves as Ayden turned to face the blast door that kept the datacore secure. Far too heavy to cut through with a lightsaber, and with no control over the systems, he did the only thing he could. "I'm coming for you, you queen." He reached out in his anger and grief at memories stirred and wounds reopened. Such was his grief that the very metal of the door began to buckle and fold in on itself, as if to escape his wrath.

 

[Jak Sandrow]

Jak stared in awe at the massive power that Ayden controlled. He made a decision right then and there not to get on Ayden's bad side. Watching the movements of the hologram in the corner warily, he stood just behind Ayden and his battle with the door. "You want to do the hacking, or do you want me to do it?"

 

[Red Queen]

There came the cackle. The manic giggle as the image of Elara disappeared.​

​

[[ Oh you... so sure about that?]]​

​

Came the giggle. Now at the core, they were in her realm.​

​

Her rules.​

​

[[ I can make anyone come back to life ]]​

​

With the amount of holographic technology she had in here... he was about to find out.​

​

There as a massive flash of light that would have blinded all. Before Ayden would know, right next to him, again, was the form of Elara.​

Only this time, she had appeared right over Jak's form. Like a second skin.​

Making it appear as if Jak's essence was actually Elara.​

So when Jak would talk, it would appear as if it was Elara's voice.​

​

[[ Do I not feel real? ]]​

​

The Red Queen herself, made herself look like someone else.​

​

Ayden's daughter.​

​

[[ Why do you want to kill me?]]​

​

There came the soft blink of her eyes.​

​

[[ Hadn't I suffered enough already? ]]​

​

A pause.​

​

[[ After you let them do everything else to me... ]]​

 

[Jak Sandrow]

Jak felt a warm buzz come over his skin. He felt a bit of a prickling, but of course didn't know why. He saw Io reproject herself as a young girl, over at Ayden's side.

[[Hey, who's that?]]​

he said, pointing to Ayden's daughter.

[[What? Who - Why do I sound different? What's going on??]]​

He lifted his handless arm to his face - the skin was completely different, these were not the clothes he was in two seconds ago, and his hand was back!!! Suddenly he realized what was going on - he was inside a holoprojection! He couldn't see the older female, so he assumed that was his holoprojection. He then remembered that Ayden had hurled the last one across the room at the very solid-looking durasteel door. He backed away from Ayden, saying,

[[Ayden, wait! It's not what you think! I'm Jak! Don't!]]​

 

[Qae Shena]

@[member="Jonathon Patches"]

Allaina caught a glimpse of the armed guards and paused for a moment. Wait. This guy was under armed guard? She didn't get paid to be an idiot. She waited and thought about it, making her decision in the heat of the moment.

"Sure. But they come too. Don't do anything to get yourself shot in the back." Allaina wasn't stupid, really. If he was being guarded, then she could probably give out some ordes... or at least try and keep him under control. If he was dangerous, or a prisoner, or something, it wouldn't do to let him get away on her watch. "You guys keep an eye on him and don't do anything stupid. I need to find the Prex, ASAP." And they'd know who she meant. Maybe one of them knew?