The Silent Child's Story

There was something here and there was something there, though telling the differnece between the two places was something another all on itself. Still, they pulled at her. Her, yes? She was a she, not just an it, and everything around her was on fire. Many, many unfamiliar shapes were licked by the flames. Silently she sat, watching, existing, being. It wasn't until she heard herself breath that she realized she was in fact here. Not just watching, but a part of whatever was going in.

Sounds of movement, and a pattern of sound. Voices, the word came from nowhere and she embraced it. Voices carried around and towards her, but they weren't for her. She ignored them and continued to sit and watch. Then, she stood, without realizing she could. Looking down, she was't suprised to see a body, but didn't necessarily expect it. Did the sight please her? What was pleasure anyway?

She breathed again, a small figure standing at the core of the destruction. She didn't know that. To her, she had been birthed into a world of fire. It was quite nice. Warm, welcoming. If it wasn't for the troubled shouts every now and again, this would be a heaven. What was heaven?

After many, many long months at space, the fear some "pirate" Bartly Crash lands his borrowed escape pod onto Terra. The haggard looking leprechaun hops out and smooches the ground. It takes him a while but finally he notices notices the crowd of people further away and goes to investigate.

Galvin looked at the child, then at her. "This is big. And I doubt you would want to, the cloak's technology would probably fry your processors if you tried to analyze it". He took deep breaths, exhausted and tired from the explosion knocking him back. He heard some ambulances approaching. "This tech he has. Some of it is stolen Pandorian Alliance tech, Rift Grade, Military Grade, High Tier stuff. Its illegal to have outside the Pandorian Alliance without a permit. You could call any branch of the Pandorian Alliance, but likely, you will get redirected to one of three departments. The Taskforce, the Pandorian Service of Intelligence, and the Pandorian Service of Trade. The first two would be more likely".

He looked at the child now. "This level of tech is some of the best well tracked and protected. IF someone has their hands on this...well, the leak should be the least of your worries. There is some Pandorian military tech that they outlawed for very good reasons. If they have access to it...then there is no imagining what they might have planned".

Galvin looked at the sky. He muttered to himself "This is why I retired". But to be truthful, he left because of what happened to his wife, and because he could never make it up to his daughter. He left for a new beginning. He looked back at the child. Your a victim in all this. Someone is making you do this. I can feel it. Now I just need to prove it.

Galvin looked at the child, then at her. "This is big. And I doubt you would want to, the cloak's technology would probably fry your processors if you tried to analyze it". He took deep breaths, exhausted and tired from the explosion knocking him back. He heard some ambulances approaching. "This tech he has. Some of it is stolen Pandorian Alliance tech, Rift Grade, Military Grade, High Tier stuff. Its illegal to have outside the Pandorian Alliance without a permit. You could call any branch of the Pandorian Alliance, but likely, you will get redirected to one of three departments. The Taskforce, the Pandorian Service of Intelligence, and the Pandorian Service of Trade. The first two would be more likely".

He looked at the child now. "This level of tech is some of the best well tracked and protected. IF someone has their hands on this...well, the leak should be the least of your worries. There is some Pandorian military tech that they outlawed for very good reasons. If they have access to it...then there is no imagining what they might have planned".

Galvin looked at the sky. He muttered to himself "This is why I retired". But to be truthful, he left because of what happened to his wife, and because he could never make it up to his daughter. He left for a new beginning. He looked back at the child. Your a victim in all this. Someone is making you do this. I can feel it. Now I just need to prove it.

"The advice is duly noted, sir!" Aiedail said, nodding her head. "Though I lack much information on this Pandorian Alliance, I will be certain to bring it to the attention of the Terran National Government, who may be able to submit an inquiry regarding its possible distribution."

She smiled, apparently still in good spirits despite the explosion. "I shall take the suspect into custody, now, discretely so as to avoid interference from those who sent him." Aiedail moved to fasten a pair of energy-cuffs to the unconscious child for the sake of security, before lifting him in her arms. "I will transport him personally. Your assistance is much appreciated in this matter."

Galvin checked on the child assassin handcuffed to the bed, getting some medical scans. He found a picture in the kid's wallet of him, with a sister. The doctors have not been told a thing about the patient except that no information about him should be given publicly or privately, and that by all records he isn't even in the room. He looked back, and then at his own wounds. He had gotten burned in the explosion, but the cloak had saved them both from dying by it. Despite being at ground zero, they lived, because the kid was supplied with smuggled Pandorian Alliance tech, high military grade. By now, word would have spread back to them, and there would be a lot of upset people about this. But he did not worry about that now.

Instead, the kid reminded him of his daughter. He regreted leaving her behind, but he didn't have much of a choice. After what had happened, because of him. He was afraid of what she might think.

He looked around, a slight sense of awareness surging through him. He was a former soldier, and explosions made him pay more attention to things then usual.

As the man walked away, the child lay there resting. The TV had been left on, and he had woken up only minutes before. He looked at the TV, as it had been turned onto the news. It was broadcasting the huge explosion at the Spaceport, and the massive amounts of deaths from it. He noticed there were handcuffs connecting him to the bed. He took out a sonic probe, and set it to the setting that would open the locks. He had to make himself scarce. More importantly, he had to make sure they thought he was dead. Before, his only option was to escape or die. But now, he had another option. They would still investigate, make sure if he died in that explosion or not. And if he made sure there was no trace of him, then it would be easy.

He got the lock open. He needed to get new clothes, and his stuff. He concealed the probe again, then looked at his options.

"Damnit. Okay, its okay, this is a hospital. This should be easy" he said silently. He looked out the window. Third Floor. No clear ledges to walk on. No nearby buildings. But, this is a hospital. Which means, if anything happens, there are a lot of alarms. He quickly opened his window, and then his under a chair by the door. He took out the sonic probe again, then set off the fire, gas, and intruder alarms. He waited for a bit as a nurse bursted in, and quickly slipped out behind her and into the hall while no one was looking.

Unfortunately for the child, he would find that the hall was not the escape that he had been hoping for. He would find himself walking almost directly into Aiedail, who had moved towards the room as soon as the alarms went off from where she had been standing guard further down the hallway.

"Greetings, criminal!" she exclaimed cheerfully, "I unfortunately cannot allow you to leave, as you are currently in the custody of the WCPD! Please place the gadget in your hand down and put your hands in the air, or I will have to utilise force to subdue you once again!"

The android levelled one arm at the Child as it rapidly morphed into an intimidating looking cannon weapon of some sort.

He had already concealed the Sonic Probe before he left, but he had picked up the TV remote for a later part in his plan. He looked at the officer, and then at the people around him. "No I am not. I am dead. That is what the evidence people will find. The ashes of something too big to be a common animal, but not enough to be a full grown person. It will be enough to be a child. When they try to do a DNA test on the ashes that advanced technology, they will confirm human child, but nothing in their database. It will be like the child did not exist. That, or they will find some made up story maybe. As for you, you will let a lost child past, because if you don't, two things will happen. The first will be someone nearby will have to be seriously injured. You might be fast, but your in a hallway of people louder then you. And firing any weapon at me now would cause a serious problem, since it might hit someone nearby. Maybe you will shake some equipment during a surgery, killing the patient. By firing in a hospital, you would have to put out a bigger emergency, one that would halt all Hospital activity basically, killing who knows how many people. And, you would alert any assassins who are looking for any proof of me living to here, and they won't care about civilians".

He looked right at her. "And the second reason, because they have my sister. They will kill her if they think I am a threat. My only options are death, or escape. So, if I died in that explosion, then I can rescue her without them knowing I was alive. The choice is yours".

"I am afraid that I am not authorised to negotiate with terrorists!" Aiedail replied with a cheerful smile, "And I should inform you that the precision of my weaponry is sufficient to render you either incapacitated or dead without risk of injury to the staff or patients of this hospital!"

The android's weapon thrummed quietly.

"I repeat my sentiment from before! Place your hands in the air and submit yourself to arrest!"

"Seriously? Terrorist? How am I a terrorist? Please explain that. And the shot alone would make alarms go off. Way more serious the the ones I set off. The ones I set off are localized, they don't make surgery and emergency rooms go on alert. Shooting a weapon in a hospital will though. And you don't seem to understand, they will come to this hospital, looking for survivors. Looking for me. They are not idiots. So, I either have to die, or fake my death. If its faked, then I get a chance to rescue my sister from them, and stop them from turning her into what I am. If I die, they won't kill her, but I won't be able to rescue her. And if they think at all that I told you anything, which would come purely from not dying in that explosion, they will try to kill you too. And everyone else involved. If I died in that explosion, or at least if they think I did, then we will all be much better off".

He raised his hands, but examined his surroundings. An old fashioned laundry chute, a bunch of Doctors and patients running by, some nurses, some children. If it got really bad, he always had his backup plan. He wasn't sure how long it would work, but it would certainly give him some time...and Doctors often had the hero complex. That did not hurt.

Aiedail stepped forwards and made to grab the Child's arms, before attempting to lift him from the ground.

"Since you are well enough to make an escape attempt, I judge you healthy enough to be transferred to a more secure location!" the android noted, "Do not resist or struggle, or you will endanger yourself."

With the child in her grip, the android proceeded towards the nearest staircase and began to make her way towards the roof.

"Well, you seem to do an excellent job at ignoring facts. 'The law clearly dictates you may not steal or take items from a hospital'. Hospital gown, remember? I need my clothes. I assume you have been through the pockets already, so I don't think you would object to that" he noted, sounding bored and slightly annoyed.

"You seemed to miss the part where the assassins will kill anyone in their way before they actually positively think I am dead. Or did you miss the whole conversation? If you arrest me and put me in jail, you have to list the charges. If you list the charges, they will find out. And they won't be satisfied with me just sitting in jail. No, they will break in just to kill me. Maybe just put a hit out on me. Get one of the prisoners to do it. Its your job to protect and serve, and I am telling you what you need to do in order to do your job. I am trying to stop people from dying, and your actions are only sealing their fate".

He then added again "And unless you want to steal from the hospital, I need my clothes back. Crime is sort of something you don't want to do as a cop".

It would appear as though Aiedail was deaf to the Child's words, and indeed, removing a hospital gown from a hospital was hardly something that an officer of the law would be questioned on, when said hospital gown was attached to a dangerous criminal.

She proceeded with her gripping and lifting of the Child, and only en route to the roof did she speak. "Whilst you are in the custody of the Terran Government, you are under their protection. We do not compromise for criminal organisations' threats. They are welcome to try."

The headline of the news programme blared across the screen as the voice of a man began to speak over images of a gathering of reporters outside the heavily defended RIP facility outside of Wing City.

"Hello, and welcome to Terracast News at Noon, I'm Martin Langford. Our top story this afternoon: the killer of Taryn Lebeau, wife of the infamous Remy Lebeau, owner of popular local establishment Gambit's Bar has been taken into custody. An announcement was made by a member of the WCPD earlier today stating that the unnamed child murderer who witnesses had reported as shooting Mrs. Lebeau without provocation in Wing City Plaza had been apprehended alive, and was now interred within the high security Davrell Rehabilitation Institute for Paranormals. The spokesperson stated that no details regarding the child's identity were available for release, and nor were details of their arrest. It is being speculated that the arrest was somehow related to the catastrophic detonation of the city's Spaceport yesterday morning, due to sightings of a child-like culprit during that event, however the spokesperson refused to comment on these claims."

The shot cut to images of the spaceport and the explosion that had taken place the day before.

"Amidst the chaos striking in the business district as the undead cyborg menace persists, we are left reassured that the police department has not forgotten about the other threats to the city's safety. The question remains on many citizens' minds though, in light of the knowledge of his wife's killer's capture, will 'Gambit' reopen his bar?"

An unmarked but heavily armoured police van trundled ponderously along the road leading from Wing City to the RIP prison complex. Contrary to the news broadcast that had been made based off of a police announcement, the Silent Child was not already contained within the prison. The announcement had in fact been made as a decoy away from the Child's actual location, to allow for a far lower-key transportation of him from WCPD custody to that of the NPA.

The child himself was cuffed and under the watchful eye of two armed officers in the back of the vehicle, separated from them by a reinforced transparent barrier. A pair of police cruisers flanked the van, each carrying another four officers.

There was something unusual about the route that the vehicle was taking, however. The most direct route to the RIP had been missed. Perhaps they were attempting to avoid any potential ambushes, or perhaps there was something else at work here. Safely tucked inside the van, the Child would not be aware of any of this, devoid of windows as the vehicle's holding area was. As far as he knew, he was on his way to the RIP for detention there.

Money had changed hands and favours had been called in. Deep cover was about to be blown. But for whom?

Only time would tell for sure.

He made his way towards the ship. Again. He wanted nothing more to do with this planet. His sister was dead because of a cop. A cop he never wanted to see again. Maybe he would kill the cop someday, but for now, he wanted to mourn his sister.

At least he was free. He knew one thing though. He would need a name, and a new identity. He thought maybe someone in the SPaceport could help. People constantly immigrating and what not. He didn't care how he would need to get it. He had tons of money in shrouded accounts. Untraceable money. He could also easily use force. He didn't even want to get into how annoying it was to get all of his gear back, execute every guard in his way, and escape. BUt after his escape, making himself hard to find on Terra was easy.

Looking around, he searched for someone who could help him. Anyone really. He needed a new identity, but getting a ship offworld would be nice too. People were still after him for the death of Gambit's wife.

The ship had fit perfectly into the grove, it being a very large ship but just small enough to hide in The Grove. Eric Dalton had payed a good deal of money, though only a tiny insignificant fraction of his whole amount, to get his son and daguhter back, but now it appeared only his son would be returned. According to him, his sister would be dead because he was caught.

Eric had prepped this modular ship with extra shielding devices, generators, and an extensive and expensive Medical addition. The ship was well protected by Eric Dalton's elite guard force, bought not only by money but by hard work. Eric Dalton had worked and fought alongside each one, helped their children get better, funded their wives cancer treatments. He had their loyalty, no question about that. And they knew that what he really wanted was his family back. And that he was never going to be able to get them all back.

They had given him a nickname. The Silent Child. Implanted him with all sorts of implants, canabalized a portion of his body, just to control and monitor him in addition to the gun to his sister's head. It was sickening, that someone could do this to a child. Force them to kill. He had to give him extensive cybernetic implants, have several surgeries done, and get him some new flesh for some areas, but now his son was conscious again. He wasn't in pain every waking minute, and he wasnt under death threat every second.

And most importantly, his personality and memories were still in tact, though Eric wouldn't have minded to get rid of some of them.

However, he wanted to have a doctor take a look at him, do a thorough physical examination, make sure he was really helathy and okay. Eric was a father, and he wanted to be careful and sure they didn't miss anything.

"Dude, I've been over this with you a million times. Unless he can't talk for himself, I have to hear what's wrong with him from the patient. If he can't, I'll need to go over any existing records you have lying around." A tall, exasperated figure lugged a heavy bag behind him. "You're the dad, so as his guardian, you should have those records."