Snippet #984795

Focus. That was what she needed. Focus to allow her will to merge with the will of Zephranthys, focus to allow her being to coalesce into Zephranthys's being, into one form.

Evangeline's eyes were closed behind the visor of the pilot helmet, closed in concentration as she felt nothing in her mind. It was more effective and less dangerous to merge with the Psycho Frame when one's mind was clear of all obstacles that could inhibit the Frame from fully merging with the pilot's psyche. It had become so easy for Evangeline to simply stop her mind that she often did it when she was not on a mission; she would spend hours on end, lying in bed, in a sleep-like state, her mind free of thought. True liberation.

At that moment, Evangeline ceased to be her own being. Zephranthys and Evangeline Arkanion were no longer two separate entities. In body, of course, with Evangeline seated in the torso of Zephranthys, they remained separate. But their minds were now intertwined and united. Evangeline felt the stream of emotions and thoughts pour into their shared mind from Zephranthys, but paid no attention to them. She only wanted to be her own person as soon as possible, away from Zephranthys.

"You know the usual drill," a bored voice sounded through the cockpit where she sat. "This is only a minor check, so forward, backward, arm movement, done." Evangeline said nothing, but with a thought, Zephranthys began to walk forward in the vast hangar-turned-experimentation bay. It reached the other end of the bay, and then walked backwards. Then it raised its arms, twisted its hands, and then returned them to the sides. It looked like some kind of bizarre robotic display.

"Okay, that's all, go ahead and leave it if you want," the bored voice droned on. At that moment, Evangeline slowly removed herself from Zephranthy's mind. Zephranthys resisted, and tried to hold Evangeline in, as it always did. The key was to remove the connection slowly and quietly, rather than sever it instantly. Slowly, Zephranthys and Evangeline separated, and then Evangeline opened the cockpit. Waiting for her, right at the level of the cockpit, was an elevator-like platform seeming to be simply drifting in midair. Under it was the device that powered it: a Jupitris booster, the same booster that powered the Psycho Frames. She stepped onto it, and it sank to the ground. She then stepped away from the platform, and began walking away.

She turned back briefly to look at Zephranthys. It stood looming over her, resembling a sleeping, humanoid anubite machine. But within it was a terrible being, never sleeping, very much alive. She shuddered, and then continued walking.