Drain of Lost Past

Drain of Lost Past - Act 1

Chapter 4

- Unreal Treachery -

(Flashback)

<beep> <beep> <beep>...

"Fiona? If... you can hear me... well, let me tell you... I'm sorry... I should've seen it coming, I should've known, I...." Gemini softly whispered, holding the wounded and heavily bruised hand of her friend in hers.

Overhead, multiple machines were showing the dying pulse of the young one who was waiting between life and death.

‘If she was awake’, Gemini thought, ‘she would destroy these machines just because’

She laughed to herself, taking another look around. It was difficult to understand how they kept people alive in this dreary place. Grey walls of sheet metal; it seemed so big, yet so small. Then, her eyes fell on Fiona... disfigured; her shirt was dirty with puss from infection already, and sometimes, blood appeared in areas that seemed nearly healed only moments before. Even the bandages could not keep Fiona's body from leaking. It seemed as if Fiona was desperately trying to find death rather then life... A tear rolled down Gemini's pale cheek, leaving a red trace from her tired eyes.

"Don't you dare leave me all alone...” she whispered and shook her head.

She jumped at the sound of an opening door. Rhinox, back then known as RazorShell, entered slowly and without a word. Even though Gemini knew what the sad expression on the huge robot’s face meant, she risked herself.

"Well? How...is she? Will she...?"

"She... lost a lot of blood", he answered her sadly,” Her right lung was burst by a laser; her heart is barely keeping up with the stimulators because a part of it was obliterated by the blast. Her interior is almost totally crushed and is now causing major internal bleeding which we're having a hard time containing. Gemini, she's not waking up anytime soon, if she ever..."

"How long? How long until it's over?"

"Not more then a week or so, plugged on machines that is."

"No..." Gemini whimpered.

They both stood there for a second, a cycle, a mega‑cycle... or maybe a day, whatever it was, it was the longest time of their lives. All they could do was watch their friend die slowly. Fiona, she had no pure heart. She was not a saint, and she definitely made wrong decisions in her life, but no one deserved the fate she had been through. The only thing breaking the chaotic silence was the resonance of Fiona's artificial heartbeat, until -

"hhhhuuuuuuummhhhh....."

Hypnotized by the sound of the pulses, they realized next that the moaning they heard came from the mass of death lying on the bed. At first, it was a weak sound, but soon, it became a scream of agony as Fiona was struggling against some unknown force.

"UuuuuuhhhhHHHAAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!"

RazorShell and Gemini, completely panicked, tried to hold her down to the bed and stop her from possibly strangling herself with the tangled wires around her while she went into complete madness. Her screams alerted several scientists and doctors who had not wasted a moment to rush into the room to help them. One of those scientists was a Predacon; a bit taller then a regular human who stood by their side if they ever needed his help in the task ahead.

"She's awake! Oh my god, she's awake!", one of the scientists, a human in a white coat with the emblem of the Sigma.Corp company, soon stained with fresh blood, screamed to the others.

"The current doses aren't enough!"

"She's feeling it isn't she?! She's feeling it!" Gemini cried at the doctors, "DO SOMETHING! SHE'S SUFFERING FOR CHRIST' SAKE!"

"Shut up", the doctor barked back to show he knew what he was doing, then glanced back to another doctor, "Give her a strong dose of morphine! Now! If her nerves system lets go, we're loosing her! So GO!"

One of the doctors took out a syringe and struck the needle into her neck, injecting the dose which calmed her down nearly the moment the tip had pierces her skin.

Fiona's eyes suddenly opened; her dilated pupils staring straight at Gemini with a mixture of despair and fear, before closing again as her body dropped dead on the bed once more.

Silence took over again, only disturbed by the sound of the computers surrounding them, and again, that damned synthetic heartbeat. Gemini looked down on her best friend with eyes so wide they could have popped out of their sockets and fallen over her cheeks. Her frail body trembled badly while the doctors cheered at their success, sighing with relief and smiling with contentment.

Razorshell moved a large hand on Gemini's shoulder in an attempt to draw her back, but she roughly pulled away.

"We have to let her go...” she told him with a broken voice, "You heard them, she's feeling it. She can feel the pain. She only woke up to feel the pain... This is sick... I can't... I know she would have done the same for me. It's not fair to keep her in this state...”

"I'm sorry miss, but...” one of the scientist, the doctor who had earlier told her to shut up let her know, "We cannot do that. It's against regulations to unplug a patient without consent of a close one."

Gemini's gaze turned to arrows of fire when they came in contact with his. Her voice broken with not only sadness but now anger, she replied sourly, "You're shitting me, right? I'm a close one of Fiona, and…”

"No you're not. You're not a parent or a family member.”

She let out a sour near madness laughter, "Wait, you're telling me that after all Sigma.Corp has done to cause harm, you can't even let go of someone who suffers for nothing because they'll die anyway?”

The doctor was taken aback by that statement. His composure turning rigid, his eyes turned into the thin lines as he glared back at her. Stepping back, he turned around to leave, "I don't have to answer that."

"WAIT!” she cried, grabbing at his shoulder to force him into a stop, but the doctor panicked, calling security at once. The other doctors also took to panicking and followed suit to cry out for security. When the guards, humans for the most parts with three Predacons, got there, Gemini had already let go of the doctor and stepped back, grumbling.

"What's going on here?” the first security guard, a young man no more then thirty asked at the doctor, "You want me to escort them out?"

The doctor pointed at Gemini, "Ye-"

"No", the Predacon scientist finally spoke and pushed the doctor's accusing finger out of the way, "We don't need any assistance. There was a bit of disturbance but it's all settled now."

"Are you sure?"

"Heh, yes, I'm very sure."

The doctor sent another glare toward Gemini, and then was escorted out with the other doctors and scientists out of the room. Only the Predacon who had saved Razorshell and Gemini from getting kicked out remained, looking back over at Fiona, "I think I know how to save her. There IS a way, if you'd let me do it, that is, heh heh heh...”

"Oh?", Rozorshell asked, "and what do you have for us exactly?"

"I could connect a blank spark to her heart and brain. Of course, it would alter her physique, but I can assure you, it would be for the best.”

"Are you insane?!" Gemini cried, "How do you think she'll take THAT one?!"

"Well, it's either that, or she'll keep suffering until she dies. Besides, doing this process means she does keep a few... human components. She'll at least have that to hold onto."

There was a moment of silence between the three of them where Gemini and Rhinox said nothing, but looked at each other in the eyes. Finally, Gemini took a deep breathe and glanced back at the Predacon.

"How can I be sure you're telling me the truth? You know something about Sigma Corp. and secret experiments gone wrong?”

The scientist narrowed his eyes in challenge, but the answer never came from him, but from Razorshell instead, "Wait, I heard about this. They actually used the technique during the Great War. Since a spark can't survive without a certain kind of metal structure, like mine for instance, there was a change made to the humans. It turned them into cyborgs."

"Another secret experiment!” Gemini exclaimed and threw her hands in the air, "You guys are just full of surprises, aren't you? Lemme guess, it was highly illegal to do that and still is, isn't it?”

RazorShell's large hand hit the back of her head, "Quit it!" his look went back to the scientist, "You're saying that you could change her human body to one of a robot like Maximal and Predacon?”

"Precisely. But it has been a long time... and as for turning several parts of the human body, I might need a... guinea pig to start with."

There was another heavy silence before Razorshell finally spoke, "It IS illegal, Gemini, but it's the only way to save her. I'll leave this decision to you.”

Gemini sighed heavily, thinking it over in her head, and finally, she nodded, "Fine. Don't have to connect me to a spark, simply turn some parts into robotics. I don't like this idea, so you better not mess up. If it works on me...go on with Fiona..."

"Perfect!" the scientist exclaimed and rubbed his clawed hands before extending one to Gemini, "I'm Biodrag, heh heh heh."

(Back to reality)

The Maximal crew listened to every word of Gemini's story. Felina was listening as well, but unlike the others who were showing mostly compassion, there was an expression of menacing darkness showing in her eyes.

"...and that's what they did", Rhinox finished for Gemini, "Three days later, Gemini was awakened. Forearms, lower legs, forehead, and some internal organs roboticized. The operation was a complete success, and..."

"Isn't that great", Felina interrupted.

"Well duh", Gemini sighed, "Um, I mean, yeah it is. I mean, you ARE alive, and I'm glad you are becau--"

"So you betrayed me."

Gemini's eyes widened, "Um, well, betrayed is such a strong word.... Let's just say I... saved your life."

Felina shook her head with anger, "Saved my life?! Not only did you make DEALS with Sigma.Corp. and let them turn you into a FREAK, but you let them turn me into... into THIS! How good is THAT supposed to be!? Do you have any idea how they were just waiting for me to fall into their hands?! It was a dream come true for them! Not you, not me! THEM!"

"Y-Yeah, I know that... but... I couldn’t let you die! I just couldn't let my best friend die like that!"

Felina narrowed her eyes, "Best friend, my ASS! Just look at me now!!! I'm supposed to be a robot huntress! Are you stupid or something?! "

"Fiona!"

"No!" she spat back, "It's not Fiona anymore! It's Felina! Because of you..."

The young human looked at Felina with eyes filled with water, ‘Oh God... How am I gonna tell her that… she'll never take it... she'll never take it…’

Rhinox gently put his hand on Gemini's shoulder. He knew what she was upset for, and he did not know how to say it either.... They had expected Felina to react the way she did. She had had so many questions about how she was transformed into a cyborg all along, but Rhinox had wanted to wait until Gemini was there to explain everything to her. Despite it all, Felina's reaction was still hard to take. For Felina, becoming a robot had been her worst nightmare; even if it was the only way to save her. She knew it had been for a good cause, but saying thank you was the most difficult thing now.

But what Gemini and Rhinox would not tell Felina what was left to say because Alana could tell her dear daughter herself now. What mother could bare the sight of her sweet child, so confused and without a clue of the real problem? She grabbed onto Gemini's arm and turned it palm side up roughly, looking at a mark engraved in the purple metal,

"Oh my, Gemini, what is this now? Another secret perhaps?"

Gemini's eyes widened as Felina came closer to take a look. The inscription was Sigma.Corp. with the sign of the Key to Vector Sigma on top of it, their emblem. Felina's frozen features told everyone around that the former huntress was trying to keep her calm as best as she could.

"I say she's a spy", GoldenFire said in alarm and braced himself for an attack.

Felina's eyes narrowed. The others, confused, backed up, unsure of what was going on. However, they knew it could mean nothing good.

"No!", Gemini snapped, "That's not it at all! I-If I were a spy, than so would YOU!" she pointed at Felina, "You have the same emblem on the back of your neck!", but Gemini realized her mistake soon enough and much too late, "Wait it's not I.... oh... oh no..."

Felina's hands went to the back of her neck, pushing the long hair away and for the first time felt it... She could read the word and feel the waves from the small key under her fingers. Her mouth dropped agape. In truth, she had felt it before, but had never bothered to look or make something out of it until now.

"Oh man..." Rattrap whispered, "'Dis, is NOT good..."

Rhinox stepped in closer to calm his protégé down before she would explode," Felina, I know what you're thinking, but remember that it was to... save your life..."

"I... I belong to Sigma.Corp..." she said unbelievingly, "Y'SOLD ME TO SIGMA CORP.?!"

"Selling's... Kinda harsh, Fena", Cheetor attempted, "It was for your safety, no...?"

"You dunno shit about Sigma.Corp. you poor bastard! Nothing! Y'dunno shit about what I went through because of them! All they were creating was evil and more evil; they built the monster I would see every night! You know who Protoform X is, right? Primal was there when they locked him up! And that was only a portion of what they did!"

"...oh..." Cheetor lowered his head a bit. It was true; he did not know much about Sigma.Corp. if nothing at all.

Suddenly, when no one suspected it, the sound of a cat hissing surprised them. The kitten, Fiona, was wildly hissing, its cat hair bristled up while trying to slash Alana and GoldenFire with its sharp little claws.

"Down girl", Rhinox ordered it.

The cat simply ran away but continued its hissing along the way. Alana and GoldenFire, not impressed one bit by the small creature, watched it run.

"I'm starting to get tired", Alana said, "I think I'll go get some rest... Are you coming GoldenFire?"

They both disappeared in one of the corridors, leaving the Maximals and Gemini alone in the command center. Silence hung in the atmosphere of the place... and no one could say anything any longer. The fact that Alana and GoldenFire were taking the situation so lightly struck them, but there was already so much tension in the air, they did not need anymore and let them go for now.

Without warning, a bright smile broke through Felina's face, radiant and happy. She passed her arm around Gemini's neck, her grin widening, "Well then, it's all fine, Gemi. Really, it is. You were talking about how we had so much catching up to do. So how about going for it now?"

Gemini tried to get free by moving away but Felina tightened her grip upon her friend, "Are you coming?"

Gemini nodded in defeat. Felina let go of her then and pushed her in the corridor leading to the training room. Rhinox kept a straight face along the way, just like he had pretty much done over this whole scene. He made his way up to the corridor and before disappearing, faced his fellow comrades one last time.

"I want you to keep an eye on Alana and GoldenFire. Understand? If there's anything at all, contact me. Do not waste time." He then proceeded after the huntresses.

"Man, kiddo, we got ourselves one slag of a problem", Rattrap sighed, "'dis ain't gonna be a piece oh cheese ah tell ya."

"Yeah... I... I guess so..." Cheetor replied.

End of part 4

Click here for part 5