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    SOG0,1,2
    SOG0,1,2
    SOG0,1,2
    Ebook856 pages12 hours

    SOG0,1,2

    By Kristie Lynn Higgins

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    About this ebook

    Twilight... it is either the first rays of dawn or the last glimpse of light before night falls. The Pandora Project will bring Twilight to a world on the brink of doom, but which Twilight will she bring?

    Take a bite out of this science fiction action adventure mystery thriller series by reading the short story teaser plus the first two novels. Three ebooks in all.

    A doom was looming over the planet, a great darkness that could bring about the Closing of Days. Two women would be brought together... One was a legal assassin or Life Closer known as the Phoenix and the other was an experiment known as the Pandora Project who would either bring about a Twilight that would be the first rays of dawn or a Twilight that would usher in the darkness forever. Follow these women as their paths cross.

    1. Aadea's Reawakening #0 Shades of Gray

    This prequel focuses on the darkness that has stricken those who live within the city of Noir. It's a darkness that will doom the planet if it isn't stopped. A brave soul decides they can't be a bystander any longer and sets a plan into motion that will forever change the world.

    2. Shades of Gray #1 Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness

    Noir was a mega-city plagued by a sun blocking mass called Dry Clouds that had mysteriously appeared three decades earlier. The Dry Clouds covered half the planet and forced those living under them to exist in endless night. On this world, corporations were in charge and breaking your contract with them could mean the termination of your life.

    Kimberly Griffin, a Life Closer (legal assassin) existed in a world of death. She Closed people for a living. It was a lonely demeaning existence, though she wouldn't admit it. There was nothing to drive her in the bleak reality until one day she ran into Kat.

    Kat, also known as the Pandora Project, was hunted by bio-mechas called Un-Men. She was an experiment of the Sphinx Corporation, and they were testing her to see if she could be the ultimate weapon. Kat refused to be a killer and tried to discover the truth behind her existence. Could she be a new form of bio-mecha?

    Kim discovered someone close to her had been murdered. Is Kat the key to finding out who did it? Or will her association with Kat only cause her more grief?

    Pandora of ancient times opened a box and let all good escape. Would Pandora be the hope the planet needed? Or would she destroy the world?

    3. Shades of Gray #2 From Moscow, With Love
    Worlds collide...
    A shaky partnership...

    In the second book of the Shades of Gray series, Kat found herself teamed up with Kim. Together they searched for clues to their past. Their partnership stood on shaky ground though. Kim, a Life Closer (legal assassin) known as the Phoenix, needed Kat for the moment, to help in her search for her mother's murder. Once Kim no longer needed Kat, would the Phoenix go through with eliminating her for knowing she's a Life Closer?

    A haunting melody...
    A forgotten time...

    Kat had discovered little about her past. Over a year ago, she woke to a world of endless night and had no memory of who she was. A music box, a letter, and a gun were her only clues. Kat discovered the melody the music box plays, puts her in a trance and heals her body of any injuries.

    Betrayal...
    A desperate fight...

    Voice, the one who regulated the Phoenix, had sent the Raven and the Wolf to Close her. Kim must eliminate the two Life Closers before they terminate her.

    Deception...
    The two women collide again...

    Kat was caught up in the struggle as the Raven and the Wolf were also hired to Close the sister of someone dear to her. Now she must protect the sister and Kim, but the Phoenix was hiding a dark secret that put the sister in an even deadlier predicament. What was Kim hiding?

    I will protect them all...
    No one will die today...

    Could Kat defeat the two Closers and keep the promise

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherKristie Lynn
    Release dateApr 11, 2016
    ISBN9781310384080
    SOG0,1,2
    Author

    Kristie Lynn Higgins

    You can also check out my author page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/author/kristielynnhiggins

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      Book preview

      SOG0,1,2 - Kristie Lynn Higgins

      Chapter One

      The Plague and The Desperation

      R.G.'s view...

      I can't seem to remember a time when the sun hit my face. I do remember its warmth and that I took it for granted. I have taken many things for granted over the years, and I have been a bystander to the life around me. I want to change all of that...

      Over thirty years ago, the actions of a few dragged our world into darkness. Those who dared to peer into the veil of the unknown let something in that devastated our world. It was a malignant force whose origin remains cloaked; it moved over our planet in the unsuspecting guise of thick fluffy clouds. The ecosystems beneath the Harbinger of Darkness were decimated in less than a year as the clouds named barriercumulus exploded across the surface, smothering half the lands. The gods of science were powerless to stop the deluge they opened. Their curiosity brought a plague and spread it among mankind, and only by a miracle spun by unseen hands did the barriercumulus slow to a creep, giving our world time instead of doom. Our death sentence has only been stayed, and we're able to take a deep breath and ponder our future.

      The barriercumulus have procured another name. They are also known as Dry Clouds for the rain they unleash is tainted and leaves those forced to live under them without water.

      We aren't without hope. Men from 500 years in our past foresaw our predicament and foresaw the possible paths our world could take. They wrote about a Twilight and this gives me hope, for twilight is the last moments of the night before the dawn, but I also shudder for the twilight could be the last rays of light before the night covers us all.

      A conundrum will come. They will bear two possible futures in their hands, and they will be our weapon. Once the conundrum appears again, we'll have a two-edged sword. This weapon can shake worlds, and with it, can we slay the dragon or will we cut off our own head?

      I have removed myself from the flow of this world, I have forsaken friend and family, and I have hidden my true identity. Taking these three steps are necessary. Our planet needs a champion, one who will seek out the conundrum who will bring the Twilight. I've amassed funds and resources to accomplish the goal of saving our planet, and I'll stop at nothing to accomplish my goals. This is a warning to those who would stand in my way.

      Chapter Two

      The Sign Of Hope

      R.G.'s view...

      My world was dark before the barriercumulus. The rights of the citizens come in second place to the advancements of the corporations. We have always been ruled by corporations which have organized into a Corporate Senate, and death contracts have been legalized for nearly 500 years with the start of the Assassins Guild. Out of the chaos created by the eternal night that rules most of the Western Hemisphere, fringe science has been put on the fast track. Transgenics, genetically modified organisms with an extra-genome and bio-mechas, robots built to look like living things, are commonplace. None of those are why this day is important. Those things I mentioned are but symptoms of a sickness that has stricken this world. I believe I have discovered the cure.

      The year is 31 A.D.C. (After Dry Clouds) and the day is October 15. It's a start to a new era just as the Dry Clouds marked a new calendar. All is not black. I have found the conundrum. I can't put into words the joy that I feel. There's much work to be done, but I'm prepared to go all in. A department within the Sphinx Corporation called the Council has in their possession what they believe is a simple experiment that was deemed a failure. They have this experiment in hyper-stasis, but I will change that. I'll snatch the experiment from its icy prison.

      Why am I doing this? Why risk so much now? I can't be a bystander anymore. Our world is in desperate need of saving, and a sacrifice will need to be made today as sacrifices will need to be made in the future. Do I have the fortitude to stay the course? I have to. I can't waver.

      End R.G.'s view...

      Chapter Three

      The Plan In Motion

      The Sanctum, an underground facility...

      The Council sat within the room designated for data collection and evaluation known as the Chamber. They spent most of their time there. The three heads making up the department within the Sphinx Corporation consisted of Mr. Morta, Ms. Nona, and Mr. Decuma. They were the second generation running the department. Adam Greenhouse and seven others led the Council in the past. The current Council was in charge of many experiments and projects, and the three worked as one to make sure the entire department ran efficiently, increasing its standing within the corporation.

      Twenty-four Chamber Analysts and two Chamber Supervisors worked as worker ants for the three-headed queen. Data was the pollen they collected, and analysis was the honey they produced.

      A male supervisor approached the Council as they sat at a rectangular table within a darkened area of the Chamber. A laptop set on the table in front of each of them, and they were the only lights in the area. Only the Council's mouths were visible within the computer-blue hue.

      The male supervisor stated, One of our computer security specialists in the Cavity detected a hack in one of our warehouse servers. The hacker was able to access a few of the files before being kicked out.

      How long ago was this? Mr. Morta questioned.

      About twenty minutes ago, the male supervisor replied.

      Mr. Morta asked, Could they tell what data the hacker accessed?

      The male supervisor referred to his H.H.C. (Hand Held Computer) before answering, They accessed files pertaining to the Gorgons, Pandora, and Cerberus.

      Ms. Nona inquired, How much of the data were they able to access?

      They were able to access information on where the projects are currently located.

      Mr. Decuma pulled up a few files on his laptop, read through them, and then he stated, All three of the projects mentioned have been shut down. Why would they be interested in them?

      What do we know about these projects? Ms. Nona questioned.

      We are all familiar with Cerberus, Mr. Decuma started. It has–

      Mr. Morta interrupted him by saying, I do know what all three have in common. They are all dangerous experiments.

      Mr. Decuma added, Do not forget that they were all deemed failures.

      Have those three projects names flagged with our analysts and see if anything else comes up, Mr. Morta instructed the supervisor. Also increase security at that warehouse server.

      At once, the male supervisor stated, and then he left.

      Twenty minutes later...

      A female supervisor, Supervisor Annette, approached the Council, and then she said, There has been a break-in at Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo. A group of six armed men has been reported to have entered the premises.

      Ms. Nona inquired, Were not the Gorgons created there?

      They were, Mr. Morta replied, and then he ordered, Send in one of our reserve S.C.M. Units that is closest to Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo. Our Sphinx Corporate Military men will handle these intruders.

      Will the ten men be enough or should we send in another unit? Ms. Nona asked.

      The ten men will be enough, Mr. Decuma replied, and then he commanded the supervisor, Make sure that one of the intruders is brought back for interrogation. We need to know what interest they have in the Gorgons.

      Supervisor Annette said, Yes, Mr. Decuma.

      The male supervisor rushed over and informed the Council, Another group of six intruders has entered Echidna's Bosom.

      Mr. Decuma said, Cerberus was created there and is currently housed there after it went out of control on its last assignment.

      Ms. Nona turned to Mr. Decuma, and then she turned to Mr. Morta and questioned, What is going on?

      Lockdown the Sanctum, Mr. Morta ordered. The Pandora Project is here in the Sanctum, and I believe this facility may be the next one attacked.

      The male supervisor rushed off to put the Council's orders into action.

      I repeat my earlier question, Ms. Nona said, and then she asked, What is going on?

      More importantly, Mr. Decuma began, and then he questioned, Why would anyone be interested in the Gorgons or Cerberus?

      The male supervisor rushed back over and said, There was a second hack attempt on the same warehouse server, and they breached six of our eight firewalls, including the ones that were just added.

      An analyst came over and handed Supervisor Annette an H.H.C.

      The six intruders at Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo have made it past security personnel and are heading for the last secured door, Supervisor Annette informed the Council. Your S.C.M. Unit arrived outside moments ago and is moving in.

      Ms. Nona inquired, What do these two projects have in common?

      The male supervisor reviewed their files on his H.H.C., and then he replied, I see two connections. Adam Greenhouse worked on both and the Council currently has custody of them.

      Supervisor Annette informed the Council, Your S.C.M. Unit has engaged the intruders at Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo. I'll switch to live audio, and I'll listen in. She typed a few things on her H.H.C., then activated her earpiece, and stated, The intruders will not surrender and a gun battle has ensued. A few of the intruders are trying to escape. Supervisor Annette listened carefully to the live audio for a few minutes, and then she reported, Your S.C.M. Unit has secured Etna with two casualties.

      Mr. Decuma questioned, What about the intruders?

      They're all dead, Supervisor Annette answered.

      We gave clear instructions that we wanted at least one of them alive, Mr. Decuma said.

      She stated, The head of your S.C.M. Unit reports that the last intruder took his own life, so he wouldn't be captured.

      Mr. Morta asked, Were they corporate military from another corporation?

      If they were, they had no type of patches or markings. Your unit also couldn't find a CDN anywhere on them.

      No Corporate Designation Numbers, Mr. Morta said, and then he stated, Someone must have been running an Ultra-Black Operation.

      Such an operation has been deemed illegal by the Corporate Senate, Ms. Nona stated.

      This shows the desperation behind whoever sent the men, Mr. Morta spoke. Whoever is after the projects must not want anyone to know they are after them to use such a method that could get them sanctioned by the Corporate Senate. He thought about it some more and then stated, If we knew which corporation, we might be able to figure out why they want the projects.

      Ms. Nona told the female supervisor, Have the bodies taken to one of our off-site medical forensics offices and see if they can deduce which corporation sent the men.

      Supervisor Annette typed up the order.

      Mr. Decuma questioned, How far did the intruders get?

      They never made it past the secured door leaving Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo, Supervisor Annette replied after she finished typing up the order. If you will excuse me... she spoke, and then she headed for the line of analysts.

      The male supervisor remained with the Council and monitored the second group of S.C.Ms. No one talked for a few minutes, and the background noise of typing and muffled conversations filled the silence.

      Mr. Morta spoke up as he stated his suspicions out loud, What if it was not a corporation?

      What are you thinking? Ms. Nona inquired.

      What if– Mr. Morta started.

      The male supervisor interrupted, Your second S.C.M. Unit has entered Echidna's Bosom. I'm switching to live audio. He tapped his earpiece and said, They have entered the lab and have found the intruders. They have asked them to surrender, and they have refused. A few minutes went by as the male supervisor listened to the gun battle. He stated, Your S.C.M. Unit neutralized the intruders and lost none of their own. They managed to keep one intruder alive, but he is severely injured. Where would you like him brought for questioning?

      Mr. Decuma replied, Have him brought here?

      The male supervisor relayed the information and then told the Council, They're heading back to their vehicle, and they estimate they will arrive here in... One moment. I heard a shot ring out and another. The male supervisor questioned the S.C.Ms., What has happened? He listened to them and then reported to the Council, The prisoner managed to take a gun and shot the leader of the S.C.M. Unit. Another soldier then shot the prisoner. He's dead, and the leader of the S.C.M. Unit is wounded in the leg.

      This is most disappointing, Mr. Morta stated.

      Yes, Ms. Nona agreed. We still have no idea what they wanted with the Gorgons or Cerberus.

      Mr. Morta ordered, Have security and the S.C.Ms. within the Sanctum report in.

      The male supervisor relayed the order.

      Mr. Decuma questioned, Should we have Cerberus and the Gorgons brought here?

      I believe we should not have them all in one place, Ms. Nona stated. We should increase security at those locations.

      All is quiet, the male supervisor reported. No vehicles or personnel have come within a one-mile radius of the Sanctum.

      I do not like this, Mr. Morta spoke up.

      Ms. Nona questioned him, What is bothering you?

      Three files were accessed at the warehouse server but only the facilities housing the Gorgons and Cerberus were hit.

      We did instigate a lockdown, Mr. Decuma said. Maybe our added security deterred the third group from attacking.

      Mr. Morta asked the others, What if the plan was not to acquire the Gorgons or Cerberus?

      What do you mean? Mr. Decuma questioned.

      Supervisor Annette, please come here, Mr. Morta called across the Chamber, and then he spoke to the Council, What if their real target is Pandora and the others were used as a diversion? During a lockdown, S.C.Ms. at the Sanctum are moved to the upper levels to guard against attack. What if–

      An analyst approached the table and informed the Council, Supervisor Annette stepped out a few minutes ago.

      Ms. Nona questioned, Where did she go?

      I don't know, the analyst replied.

      Mr. Morta stood as his suspicions were becoming less and less possibilities and more and more probabilities. He ordered, Send an S.C.M. Unit to where Pandora is housed. Mr. Morta pointed to the male supervisor and instructed him, You, check on the project's status.

      What do you think is happening? Ms. Nona inquired.

      I believe we have a Mole within our ranks. One that has been very close to us, Mr. Morta replied and then said, How else–

      The male supervisor reported, Pandora's stasis pod is operating at normal... wait a minute. The wakeup sequence has been instigated. Pandora will be fully awake in five minutes.

      Mr. Decuma ordered, Instruct the S.C.M. Unit heading there to stop Pandora from waking up at all cost!

      The male supervisor stated, They can't, not after the sequence has been started.

      Mr. Decuma ordered, Pull two more S.C.M. Units from the upper levels and send them to Pandora's room.

      Will they be enough? Ms. Nona questioned.

      Make that four, Mr. Decuma instructed.

      A few minutes later...

      The male supervisor said, The first S.C.M. Unit you sent in has reported that they have Pandora and Supervisor Annette in custody. Supervisor Annette gave up without a fight, and the project's groggy and confused. They want to know what they should do with Pandora and Supervisor Annette.

      Ms. Nona stated, One moment while we discuss this. She turned to the other members of the Council and questioned them, What should we do with the project?

      Destroy it before it destroys us, Mr. Decuma answered. You have read about what it has done in the past.

      Mr. Morta turned to the male supervisor and ordered him, Ask the S.C.Ms. if Pandora is acting hostile.

      They report that the project is afraid and wishes to go home.

      Mr. Morta told Ms. Nona, If the project remains docile and cooperative, I say we keep it alive.

      I agree, Ms. Nona stated, and then she said, We need to find out what is so important about the Pandora Project that someone would go to all this trouble to acquire it.

      I strongly believe that we should put it down, but I will agree with you two as long as it remains docile, Mr. Decuma stated. What do we do about Supervisor Annette?

      Ms. Nona spoke, We will interrogate her until she–

      She is dead, the male supervisor stated with a blank look on his face. The S.C.Ms. reported she took some sort of poison she had hidden in her mouth. Supervisor Annette is dead.

      Suicide mission, Mr. Morta spoke. They all killed themselves or had others do it for them. What is so important about the Pandora Project that thirteen people were sent on a suicide mission?

      We may never know, Ms. Nona stated as she pulled up the file on the project. There is a reference here to Ginn L. Irynkissgthie and Arcamedes. Both of these men lived hundreds of years ago. I will have a team of analysts look into these two men and maybe they will shed some light on Pandora.

      In the meantime, Mr. Morta started. Let us prepare Pandora. We will test this project and see what it is capable of. Maybe something good can come out of all this carnage.

      Chapter Four

      Was It Worth It?

      R.G.'s view...

      I sit in my office, impatiently waiting for news. It has been hours since the start of the mission, and I don't know if we've been successful. A knock comes to my door, so I stand and I bid them come in.

      Tait, one of the security guards who works for me, enters and then reports, We have heard from your second Mole within the Council, Annette is dead and both of the groups you sent in have been wiped out.

      I see... and Pandora? I question.

      Pandora has been reawakened, and the project has been reinstated. The tests will soon begin again.

      I see. Thank you, you may leave.

      Tait turns and leaves me alone and once the door shuts, I collapse into my chair. Annette was a dear friend to me and the men... Many of them had wives and children. Were all these sacrifices worth it? Did I have to go to such extremes to have Pandora brought out of stasis?

      I believe fate needed a nudge, and I must live with the guilt that many died so that one may rise. Now I must wait again. Pandora will bring a Twilight. It'll be one heralding the light or the darkness; I pray it's the Twilight that will save this planet, for death can only come from the other.

      The End

      Shades Of Gray

      #1

      Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness

      Kristie Lynn Higgins

      SHADES OF GRAY: Noir, City Shrouded By Darkness

      Text Copyright © 2006, 2018 by Kristie Lynn Higgins

      Cover Art Copyright © 2014

      10th Anniversary Ebook Edition

      02192018

      www.KristieLynnHiggins.com

      No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

      Start One Of These Series

      by Kristie Lynn Higgins

      www.KristieLynnHiggins.com

      Introductions

      This series uses a mixture of omniscient past tense and first person present tense to tell the story of Shades of Gray. I have used bold to separate the first person from the omniscient. Enjoy the series.

      If multiple Earths exist, what would their worlds look like? What kind of people would they be? Societies? Religions?

      Would they make the same mistakes as us?

      Translated from the Assembled Works

      Ginn L. Irynkissgthie 525 B.D.C. (Before Dry Clouds)

      Prologue

      On a parallel Earth, thick puffy barriercumulus also known as Dry Clouds covered the sky and prevented the glimmer of twilight from shining on the city of Noir. For three decades, the polluted high-troposphere looming clouds covered half the planet and left part of the world to live in endless night. The mile-thick clouds yielded petroleum based contaminated water dubbed Tainted Rain and polluted the air and so they were named Dry Clouds for leaving half the planet without drinkable water. At first, scientists believed pollution caused the great cloud barrier but that theory proved to be false. What caused the Dry Clouds to form baffled scientists and how to reverse them eluded reason and only technology's constant battle with nature has kept the dark city alive.

      Man's need for conquest expanded Noir to cover more than half a continent of what would have been called North America, and Noir became a Mega-city; it was the only one in the world. Over the last twenty years, Transgenics and bio-mechas evolved at a breakneck pace. Transgenics were genetically modified organisms with an extra-genome and were mostly plants produced to survive without the sun. Bio-mechas were robots resembling living things.

      On this world, corporations not governments ruled the people, creating a society where profit set policy and dictated life. Those who resided in Noir were touched by darkness, and the light of goodness seemed a forgotten memory and they... they lived in the gray —Shades of Gray.

      Chapter One

      The Pandora Project

      Isaiah 5:30b

      If one looks to the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, even the light will be darkened by the clouds.

      The year 31 A.D.C. (After Dry Clouds)...

      October 22...

      Thursday...

      4:44 A.M...

      In a secret location known as the Sanctum that housed the main facility of the department known as the Council...

      A few hours ago, unknown forces had breached a few of the Council's other facilities, and the Sanctum had also been breached but from within by a Mole, so everyone was still on high alert. The Chamber was the brains of the Sanctum, and the three members of the Council sat within the Chamber, receiving intel and updates from the Chamber Analysts.

      Fifty flat screen monitors covered three of the walls and lit up the dark inner room of the Chamber as data filled the screens in scrolling masses. Two dozen analysts scrutinized the influx of information coming across the monitors as they typed at their workstations. The men and women toiled, compiling a range of intelligence from several projects and experiments while they also dealt with the breaches.

      All right people, let's stay focused, a male supervisor shouted.

      The male supervisor walked up and down the line of workstations as the hum of equipment and the chatter of the workers filled the area. The supervisor received updated reports from the analysts and kept his employers, the Council, current on the projects and experiments along with updates to the three breaches. A female supervisor came in to fill in for Supervisor Annette who had been found out to be the Mole. Unknown to the Council, Supervisor Annette had been a Mole within the Sanctum for years and with the help of some outside force, she had awakened a project known as Pandora, who had been kept at the Sanctum in stasis.

      The male supervisor added, We need to stay on our toes! We don't know if there are any more Moles within our ranks or what they might do next!

      The analysts wore indigo jumpsuits with white stripes on the sides, and the supervisors wore crimson jumpsuits with white stripes. Both the analysts and supervisors wore a wireless earpiece to communicate with operatives in the field and soldiers within their facilities.

      In the center of the Chamber, the Council which consisted of two men and a woman sat at a long rectangular table. Each of them wore a black business suit and had a laptop in front of them as shadows concealed their eyes, leaving only their mouths and chins visible in the computer-blue illumination. The three scanned reports as they were delivered to them by the supervisors on Hand Held Computers. The standard size for an H.H.C. was two and a half inches by four and a half inches.

      I want an update on the Pandora Project, Mr. Morta ordered in a deep voice as he sat at the end of the table with the woman to his right and the other man to his left.

      Pandora is still groggy from its abrupt withdraw from stasis, so it has been escorted to a medical suite and is sleeping, Ms. Nona replied. The doctor thought it best that the Pandora Project was not fully awakened but allowed to pull out of the hyper-stasis naturally.

      There is nothing natural about the Pandora Project, Mr. Decuma spoke up. I do not see why we cannot induce a full activation.

      We are not in any hurry, Mr. Morta stated. We had no plans to wake up Pandora, so we should tell the doctor to allow Pandora to come to on its own.

      Ms. Nona nodded her agreement and then Mr. Decuma reluctantly did so.

      Good... Good... I will inform the doctor, Mr. Morta said. Now to address other matters. I believe we should have a full investigation into how our security was breached. We should–

      An alarm went off, interrupting him as all three Council members paused and turned to the male supervisor as he rushed over to their table.

      What has happened? Mr. Morta inquired.

      The male supervisor replied, We have a containment breach in another one of our hyper-stasis chambers!

      Which one? Mr. Decuma questioned.

      The Kraken Project, the male supervisor answered.

      If I remember– Ms. Nona started, –Kraken is the creature created to glimpse into the future.

      It is, Mr. Decuma replied. It was deemed a failure for Kraken had more of an appetite for carnage than to indulge us with its gifts.

      The male supervisor listened to his earpiece and then reported, It has escaped its room, and it's rampaging on Level 159.

      Level 159 is the same level Pandora is on. Could this also be a part of the earlier attack on our facilities? Ms. Nona questioned. Is someone still trying to take the Pandora Project away from us?

      The male supervisor replied, I do not believe so. An experiment was being conducted next door to the Kraken Project's stasis room, and the experiment went out of control and exploded. The explosion knocked out the hyper-stasis chamber's power source along with its back up, and Kraken awoke, and so far, the creature has killed three of our soldiers.

      Mr. Decuma spoke up, I cannot believe that this is a mere coincidence but...

      But what? Ms. Nona inquired when he didn't finish.

      Mr. Decuma didn't answer her but posed a different question altogether, Why not use the Kraken Project to test Pandora?

      We cannot control Kraken and is the reason it was placed in stasis, Mr. Morta stated, and then he inquired, How do you propose that we use it to test Pandora?

      Just evacuate all the workers on Level 159, and Kraken will do the rest for us, Mr. Decuma replied.

      Ms. Nona nodded and then Mr. Morta.

      I will set up the test now, Mr. Decuma stated. I will also make sure that our soldiers keep Pandora and Kraken on Level 159.

      * * *

      Level 159...

      Sometime earlier...

      The Pandora Project's view...

      Someone's calling my name from the darkness... Someone desperately needs my help... I have to save them, so I slip from sleep into the waking world, and the first thing I notice is that I'm cold. I shiver, and then I hear the voice of a man.

      I'm with her now, he says. I'll call you later when I know more.

      I open my eyes to what looks like a hospital room. The sight doesn't alarm me as if it's the norm, but there's someone who's looking down at me that I don't recognize. He... My mind's a little fuzzy... He must be a doctor, and he looks very worried.

      Drink this, he says. It's water.

      I take the bottled water and thirstily drink it down.

      We need to go, he tells me. Can you move?

      I don't say anything to him as I try to sit up, and I find that I can't do it on my own, so he moves to my side and assists me to a sitting position. I look around the room and realize I don't know how I got here, but I'm still not upset that I'm in a hospital room as if this place is home. I try to think back beyond the moment I heard someone calling my name. I don't remember anything beyond that moment. It's all fuzzy and then panic sweeps over me like water filling a sinking ship that I'm trapped on. I grip his wrist tightly.

      How did I get here and where is here? I ask him and pull on his arm so that he'll lean in closer, and then I tell him, I don't remember my name.

      My name had been so clear when I was sleeping. I knew it when the person called it out but now... it's as if I never had a name and that thought is what sends me into panic mode, no, sends me into nuclear-panic mode.

      I would like to answer you in more detail than just to say that it's a side effect of the hyper-stasis chamber, but we need to go and go now. Please try to stand.

      The urgency of his voice spurs me to action as I take both his hands and stand wobbly to my feet, leaving behind my questions. I see that I'm wearing some sort of hospital gown a second before my knees buckle underneath me. He catches me before I crumble to the ground and then helps me over to a computer chair, and I sit. He hurries over to the door, peers out the window as if he expects someone to come barging in, and then quickly returns to my side.

      I'm going to inject you with something that should help with the hyper-stasis lag, he tells me as he removes a syringe from his white lab coat pocket. I didn't inject you right away because there is a side effect of the injection. It's going to make you sick, but the effects should only last for a few minutes. He readies the syringe as he tells me, You should regain full use of your body again.

      He doesn't give me a chance to tell him if I want the injection or not, and he just sticks the needle in my arm. The prick hurts, and I rub my arm. I don't feel any different, but gunfire some distance away from us pulls my attention and his to the door.

      We have to go, he tells me with more urgency than before.

      I get to my feet with his help, and we head for the exit. He opens the door, peers outside, and then ushers me into a vacant hallway. He helps me along as we hurriedly walk in a direction he seems to be leading us in. We hear gunfire again coming from behind us, and then we hear this terrifying inhuman scream that's full of anger as something attacks the people with the guns.

      A creature has gotten out, he tells me. We need to run.

      I do my best to start running. I have more feeling in my legs, but the side effect he mentioned earlier comes roaring from my stomach. I push myself away from him and lean against the wall as I upchuck the water all over the floor. I continue vomiting as he rushes over to me.

      I know you're sick, but we can't stop. We've got to keep moving. We can't be caught, but we also don't want to run into whatever is coming. We need to move.

      I nod and rush after him as he takes me by the hand. He leads me through several hallways, and then he ups and stops before we round another corner. I glance around the corner and see about twenty armed men and a few women at the other end who are set up behind a barrier. The man pulls me back around the corner and out of sight of the soldiers.

      They're blocking our way of escape, he tells me, and then he peers around the corner. But they don't seem to be coming after us. Maybe they're here not to capture us but–

      The terrifying inhuman scream we heard before sounds through the hallway again and sends shivers throughout my body.

      He tells me, We need to keep moving. We have one other escape route. Let's hurry before the thing beats us to it.

      He takes a firm hold of my wrist, and we run forward, fleeing away from the soldiers and the creature that seems to be pursuing us.

      I don't know your name, I say, and then I ask, Who are you and why are you helping me?

      You can call me Xavier, he replies. R.G. sent me to assist in your escape.

      Before I have a chance to ask who R.G. is, the creature screams again. It sounds like it's only a few hallways back.

      Xavier says, We need to run faster... It's gaining on us.

      We continue running, and then he drags me into a room with only one way in. He shuts and locks the door.

      Why did we come in here?

      He answers, There's a small elevator that takes medical waste up to a furnace. There's room enough for you to go up. I just need to clear everything out of it.

      He unlocks the door to the small elevator by lifting up on a bar, and then he goes to work removing bags of waste from it as all I can do is stand back and watch while I try not to throw up. Bits and pieces of my memory slowly come back, and I remember someone was taking care of me. Her name... Her name was... I can't seem to remember her name or her face, but I believe this person is very important to me and when I think of her, I get a sense of warmth that wraps around me and makes me feel safe like a child in her mother's arms. I relax a little in this loving blanket, but then this other sensation of fear and horror moves in like a closet monster that has just crawled under my bed. The monster makes me want to flee from the memory, but the motherly arms that are blanketing me want me to remain in the memory so that I'll recall all. Something happened before the hyper-stasis chamber... something I'm afraid to remember. The monster yearns to surface and make it mine once again, but I fight the recollection. I war with myself to keep this buried moment in my life a secret. I begin to lose this battle. The memory starts to become mine again, sending a fright so deep and terrifying through my soul, I feel like I'm suffocating. The memory of the woman, whose name I can't remember, places her hand on my psyche's shoulder, and I turn my attention from the monster to her. The monster is scary, but the woman will be there and help me through the–

      I'm almost done, Xavier tells me, interrupting my thoughts. Come over here and climb in.

      What about you?

      There's only room for you, he tells me. Now listen carefully, and I'll tell you what to do once you reach the furnace room.

      The creature screams again, and it's right outside the door. It tries the knob but it's locked, so the creature starts pounding on the door to break it down. My whole being lights up with fear.

      I can't leave you here, I tell Xavier. That thing will kill you.

      You are the one who is important here, he tells me. R.G. has a plan for you.

      I insist, Either we both go or we don't go at all!

      The creature outside continues to beat at the door, and then it busts through and rushes in. I freeze as I stare at a monster right out of a horror movie. It stands about seven feet tall with reptile-like features and covered in green scales.

      The creature pauses and looks right at me as it says, Look at you... look how you've changed.

      Is this the monster that crept from the closet and is hiding under my bed waiting to devour me?

      Do I know you? I manage to ask it.

      I'm Kraken, it... she answers. And you should remember me. I've killed you nearly a dozen times. Kraken looks me over, and then she says, You don't have a weapon this time. I believe I'll have no problem disposing of you.

      Fear sweeps over me, but this time it's not for myself but the man who's standing behind me. I turn and shove Xavier into the small elevator, then shut the door, lock the bar back in place, and then hit the button, sending the elevator up.

      Getting rid of the normal, good idea, Kraken tells me. I have killed quite a few of them already.

      I turn back to her and as if I've done this dozens of dozens of times before, I ask, Why do you want to kill me?

      Because you're the Pandora Project, she answers. There's no other reason.

      Pandora... that's not my name, I tell her. I'm...

      Most of my memories, including my name, still elude me. I'll have to be patient until they surface but first, I have to survive my encounter with this monster.

      Kraken peers at me for a long time, and then she says, You act like you don't remember me.

      Why do you say that?

      She grins before she slithers out, You aren't running!

      I notice the red blood covering her long claws and that her body is full of bullet holes.

      You're hurt, I say, and I notice how concerned I sound. Maybe I did know this creature before.

      The soldiers tried to prevent me from coming out and stretching my claws. I took of their blood– she tells me as she places a hand on one of her wounds, –and they repaid me in kind. Kraken peers at me again as if she's trying to figure out what I'm thinking, and then she says, You don't remember me, do you?

      My memory is a little fuzzy since leaving hyper-stasis, I admit to her. I get a sense that I know you but–

      But what? she asks.

      Fear's not the first thing that comes to mind. It's more like... somehow we're alike. Somehow... we... we both shouldn't be in this place.

      She lessens her aggressive stance as she tells me, Shredding you to bits without you knowing the reason why would be a pity. Why don't you tell me what you do remember? Maybe it will jog more of your memories.

      I don't remember you at all. I do remember being forced into the hyper-stasis chamber and forced into hyper-stasis. There's a reason I was placed there. Someone was trying to prevent me from doing something.

      Go on, she urges me. What were you trying to do?

      I...

      That particular detail of my memory is still vague. I do remember the distinct sound of–

      Well, Kraken interrupts my thoughts. What were you trying to do?

      I was trying to save someone... no... I still need to save someone. I need to go.

      Memories are fickle things, Kraken tells me as if she knows something about me that she's holding to her own. Memories make us who we are and glean the path before us. Our distorted and bloody intertwining-past comprises a great deal of who you are, but it seems to be my lot that our story is put on hold here. I believe we'll meet again but only when your story is over.

      I'm not sure what she means, so I ask, Are you letting me go?

      Kraken studies me for a few moments more and then moves away from the door, and I slowly move towards it. I start to head out when Xavier appears in the doorway. He's armed with a pipe, and he's holding a cell phone in his other hand.

      It's okay, I tell him before he starts for Kraken. She's going to let us go.

      He takes a step back and then tells me, Come on. I found another way out for us.

      I turn back to Kraken and question her, Do you want to come with us?

      No, she replies. I'll wait here until you remember everything, and then I'll come find you, and we can finally finish everything.

      I nod and leave her to her fate, then I head out with Xavier, and we run through several hallways. I keep pace with him until a burst of memories hits me hard, and I double over. Many images and thoughts from my past slam into me, and it's painful to remember so much at once, but I'm thankful for the return of self.

      What's wrong? he questions me.

      I remember now... I tell him as I hold my throbbing head and still manage to smile as my purpose becomes joyfully clear. I remember everything now. I force myself to straighten as I continue, My name, my mission, and the person I need to save. We have to hurry before it's too late.

      Xavier lifts the cell phone he's been carrying to his ear and talks into it as if he's been on the phone with someone this whole time, She says she remembers everything. Yes... yes... I understand. I'll make sure she gets out safely. He hangs up the cell phone and questions me, Now what?

      I look around the hallway and for the first time, I know where I am, so I turn away from him and say, This way. We need to go this way.

      Before we do that... he starts, so I turn back to him, and he swings the pipe and hits me in the head.

      The hallway whirls around me as I crash to the floor. Xavier drops the pipe and hurries to my side with this look on his face like he hit me harder than he planned to.

      I'm sorry, but I can't let you deviate from the path R.G. has set before you, he tells me as he removes another syringe from his lab coat pocket. This will help reset you, and then you can begin again without any nasty memories hindering your fate.

      He injects me, drops the syringe, then removes another device from his pocket, and tells me, Once I zap you with this, you won't remember anything from the past hour.

      I grab at his arms, but I find I don't have the strength to fight him off and that I'm losing consciousness as the head wound pulls me further down into the void I had just woken up from. I claw at him as the purpose I had yearned to remember slowly trickles away.

      I plead with him, desperate to hang on to what I just gained, Don't take my memories... There's something important I need to do and there's someone important I need to save... Please... I can't forget about them, and I can't forget what I need to do. So much depends on me... Please... at least let me save them. Let me...

      I'm sorry but this needs to be done, Xavier interrupts me, then grabs hold of both my arms, and places the device on the back of my neck.

      Everything that I had remembered, the purpose I had finally grab hold of, they all slip away in a brilliance of light, and I remember no more.

      End the Pandora Project's view...

      Sometime later...

      Elsewhere in the Sanctum...

      The Chamber...

      The Kraken Project just surrendered to our soldiers, the male supervisor reported to the Council. It never even engaged the other project.

      What of Pandora? Mr. Morta inquired.

      Our soldiers believe she escaped from the Sanctum.

      Ms. Nona said, We should have three units of our soldiers give pursuit.

      No need, Mr. Morta spoke. There are other ways we can test Pandora.

      Are you sure the project is ready? Mr. Decuma inquired. It just woke up from hyper-stasis. Maybe we should give it a few more weeks of conditioning before we begin the tests.

      No, launch the Pandora Project, Mr. Morta instructed. Let us see what it can do on its own.

      * * *

      6:04 P.M...

      In another part of the city...

      Scattered streetlights partially lit an abandoned industrial district, and the wind howled, blowing through overgrown weeds and chilled the air of the blue-gray night. Over the years, a few trees and plants adapted to the limited artificial light along with a large variety of weeds. Nocturnal creatures; rats, mice, owls, and cats ruled the alleys and parks of the megacity of Noir.

      A black sedan slowly rolled down the street, and its headlights lit up the dark road. The vehicle stopped at the curb a few hundred yards away from Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse, then the four doors of the vehicle opened, and five men in brown suits exited the car. Each of them wore polarized spectacles with black mirror-like lenses, and the spectacles hid more than their eyes. Four of them removed a silver Beretta from their shoulder holster. The fifth man wore a Coffin Handled Bowie tucked in a belt, and the man tapped the hilt eager to draw the knife. Eerily in one accord, they turned their heads and stared at the rusted toy building as they awaited orders. A parking lot stood between them and their target.

      Within the Sanctum's Chamber...

      All right people, let's stay focused, the male supervisor shouted as he and the female supervisor walked up and down the line of workstations. This is the hour we've been waiting for!

      Has the Pandora Project been located? Mr. Morta asked in a deep voice as he twirled a gold ring on his dark brown finger.

      Yes, one of our best operatives, Argus, is watching Pandora, the smaller man, Mr. Decuma answered as he smoothed his hand down a bright orange tie.

      Good... Good... Mr. Morta said. What does the operative have to report?

      Some distance from Etna Toys...

      A man with shoulder-length blond hair wearing a black trench coat peered through specialized binoculars. Argus had positioned himself in an alley a block from the abandoned toy warehouse to watch Pandora. He noted the sedan across the street and the five men, and then he reported them to the Sanctum over a cell phone.

      Within the Sanctum's Chamber...

      The male supervisor handed an H.H.C. to the third member of the Council.

      Ms. Nona frowned as she looked over it, thinning her cherry-red lips which contrasted her powdery white skin. Her frame was the smallest of the members. She stated, We have received a second report from our operative. She scanned the report a second time, disconcerted over the news and then added, Argus has spotted five bio-mechas, and they are not Proto-Androids but a new model called Un-Men.

      Un-Men? Mr. Morta spoke, not as surprised as his female counterpart. Only one department within the corporation is developing this line of bio-mechas. Disappointed over the untimely intrusion, he exhaled loudly and then stated, The Factory has started their Un-Men tests. I had hoped they would wait.

      You knew it might happen? Mr. Decuma questioned as he rubbed his finger over a silver tie pin of the word Fate.

      Mr. Morta nodded as he replied, Yes, it was only a matter of time but it means–

      It means– Ms. Nona interrupted, –that the Factory has decided to go against the wishes of the Council.

      How dare they! Mr. Decuma uttered, and then he slammed his palms on the table as he stood and declared, We must do something!

      But what? Ms. Nona questioned.

      More importantly, Mr. Morta started. What are their plans for our child-like Pandora?

      Back at Etna Toys...

      The wind kicked up sand and debris as the five men, the Un-Men, stood by the sedan. Their Internal Link or I-Link, not only connected them to the Factory but to each other and with the I-Link, they could think and move as one. They shut the sedan's doors and simultaneously walked toward the warehouse across the parking lot, but the one with the Bowie paused and turned, spotting a heat signature. The heat signature was of a human hiding in the darkness of an alley that was across the street from it, and the Un-Man could tell the human was watching them. The Un-Man's I-Link blazed orange through the right lens of its polarized spectacles as it processed the data.

      Argus moved his hand to the M4 assault rifle strapped over his shoulder as he tensed, not knowing what it would do. Argus had encountered a Proto-android before, and it had nearly killed him, but he had no idea what this new model was capable of. He decided to stay on the safe side and make it clear he wouldn't interfere with their mission, so he moved his hand away from the assault rifle and waited for its reaction. The Un-Man smirked at him, continued toward Etna, and joined its brethren. Argus was relieved it worked and grabbed a hold of the M4 as he moved across the street to continue the surveillance of the project.

      Within the Sanctum's Chamber...

      The matter is confirmed. The Factory– Ms. Nona emphasized the next word, –has gone against our wishes. She looked at the larger man and questioned him, What is our next move?

      Analyze and record, Mr. Morta answered. Our agenda has not changed. The Un-Men will test Pandora for us.

      Within the dark Etna Toys Plant and Warehouse and among boxes of discarded toys and debris, a cot had been set up, and a lamp on a round end table stood beside it and lit up the area in a dim glow. The woman, Pandora, who was in her early thirties slept on the cot. She had a shaven head, and the gash on her forehead which Xavier had unintentionally given her, bled. The trickle of blood flowed past her brow, ran down the side of her face, and dripped to a pillow. The crimson liquid spotted the white cotton case. No other bedding covered the old and worn mattress.

      She wore a white V neck T-shirt, gray-black pants, and black hiking shoes. Her eyes rapidly moved underneath her closed eyelids as she dreamed, and her lips moved as she talked within the dream but there was no sound. Her inaudible narration continued until she spoke out loud, A love that will not die.

      Her breathing increased, and her arms and legs jerked in mock movement as she envisioned herself running. Sweat speckled her forehead, and her face grimaced in determination as her mind replayed a memory; it was one that would mark her future with sorrow. Three shots rang out in the dream, then the horrible recollection caused her to scream, and she sat up and frantically searched the building as a panicked feeling urged her to flee.

      The Pandora Project's view...

      My heart thunders in my chest as I notice I'm alone and not in any immediate danger, so I calm down a little and remember part of the dream. I was running, but there's something I can't remember. Whatever it is, I think it's important enough to recall, so I strain to grasp at the fleeting images, but it's too late. They're gone.

      My head hurts, I'm very thirsty, and I feel a little queasy as I examine the old empty building more closely. Parts of teddy bears are scattered about a stack of boxes, and a layer of dust clings to everything like the building and machinery haven't been used in years. I remember more of the dream, not the images but the urgency I felt within it, and a sense that there's something I'm supposed to do or someone I'm supposed to help. The remnants of the dream fade, and I mentally try to grasp for a clue, but it's like trying to capture a dark phantom. The sensations of fear and anxiety remain with me along with the sound of the three shots, but nothing else of the dream remains and that bothers me. Was I pursuing someone or was someone chasing me? Was I the predator or the prey?

      I remain on the cot a little longer, hoping something will resurface and tell me how– I gasp and put a hand to my mouth as I realize something that deeply unsettles me, and the revelation frightens me more than not knowing what happened in the dream. I realize I don't know who I am. I can't remember anything past the moment I woke in this warehouse on this cot. I know I should be doing something, but I can't... I can't remember anything. Smothering terror oozes over me like the Blob from the classic horror movie, and its gelatinous glob eats away at my presence of mind, adding my frightened essence to itself. It'll do me no good to panic, and I mentally spray frigid air on the growing Blob, taking back my sanity from its frozen and cracked form.

      My head continues to hurt, so I touch my temple, feel a warm wet substance, and examine my bloody fingers. Did I hit my head or did someone hurt me? The thought that someone might have hurt me makes me a little on edge, so I move to the side of the cot, thinking of going to a hospital when I notice a second table; it's square and small and has a few items on it. I pick up a business card with an image of a flaming bird, flip it over, and find a barcode on its back. I set it down, pick up a note, and read it aloud.

      Katharine...

      I study the name, wondering if the name belongs to me. It doesn't sound familiar, so I continue reading, Katharine, you must not fail. This is your last chance to redeem yourself. I know you can complete your mission, my dearest Kat. I am counting on you.

      The note's signed by R.G.

      I fold the paper, and then along with the card, I stuff them in my back pocket and decide I need to find help for the wound on my head in case it's serious. I spot a door and start to stand and move for it when a flash of a violent memory makes me turn my attention back to a metal case on the table. Why did I ignore this item? I stretch my hand for it. Why does my heart pound in dread when I reach for it? I pause before grabbing it as a sinking feeling sweeps over me, and I pull my hand back and decide it's best to ignore the enigma. I look at the last object on the table and pick it up; it's a small silver box shaped like a treasure chest and has a small raised star the size of a dime on its lid. I examine the box and then carefully open it, and its tune sweetly rings in my ears. The tune reminds me of the opening of a classical piece, but whose? Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart come to mind, but the piece doesn't seem to belong to either of them, and then I realize I'm wrong; it has elements from each like it's a mixture of several openings playing on top of each other. I close my eyes, letting the music sink in as a calming solace sweeps over me, and the urgency to leave the building slips away as I focus on the tune. While I'm in this state of relaxation and before I'm completely engulfed by it, I wonder about a few things. How do I know all those composers' names and that the piece is Ginn L. Irynkissgthie's Unfinished Melody? Why do I know some things but my own name's lost to me?

      Unfinished Melody is short; it plays about thirty seconds, and then it starts over and plays over and over in a hypnotic flow. I gaze at the music box, hearing nothing but the haunting arrangement of compound sounds. My fear and anxiety vanish, and my body relaxes to an absolute state of nirvana as the tune lulls me into a trance. I slowly closed my eyes and enter a peaceful place within my mind. The place is a subconscious oasis to the confusion and dread I experienced before the melody. The tune has a calming effect on me and as I sit there in an ecstatic state, sounds outside of the building become louder and clearer. The wind howls, rustling the leaves of trees and overgrown bushes. A moth repeatedly taps the glass of a street light drawn to the artificial flame as four car doors slam. A cricket chirps, and an owl swoops, landing on a squeaking mouse.

      lub-DUB... lub-DUB...

      I open my eyes as my heart thumps so loud I can hear it, and I experience an overwhelming sense of hysteria. I put a hand on my chest, not in pain but in horror as I realize something's wrong. I close the music box, place it in my left thigh pocket, and search the building and find it's still empty. I know I'm in danger, but from what? I glance at the case I ignored, and a deep dread lifts in me like a leviathan rising from the ocean's abyss. I freeze as I stare at the metal container; it's like I know what's inside, but my mind refuses to grasp the knowledge and instead, I want to run away from it like it's a maniac chasing me. I disregard my apprehension about the case and turn my attention back to my pounding heart and the urgency screaming at me to leave. The longer I wait to act, the more anxious and terrified I become. I feel like a deer standing in an open meadow, sensing a predator prowling towards me through the tall grass, and I fear I'll be attacked at any moment and from any direction. I get off the cot and start to run when the lamp beside me shatters, and the surrounding area plunges into darkness as pieces of the lamp ping to the concrete floor. I shriek, realizing someone shot at me, and I dive as more bullets whizz overhead. I turn the table over for cover, the case falls, knocking itself open, and a metal object slides from it.

      Far from the cot, light from the street dimly shows through Etna's dusty windows. The light provides limited illumination within the building and within its radius, I see a black gun. I gasp, staring at the instrument of death that's an arm's length away. The weapon's familiar to me and yet it seems like some horrendous alien creature that has traveled from a distant planet to wreak havoc on my world. The monster will devour me if it gets a chance, so I scoot a few feet away from the gun. I would escape its psychological jaws trying to sink their

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