/Ana
"Fuck off! Fuck all the way off! I don't want to hear it!" - Liang shouted at me, pretty annoyed, pretty pissed off, but rather beautiful in his anger. It was not all anger, after all.
"He seems in a rather spicy mood." - Isabel smiled, as she stood next to me.
We were in the room where cryo chambers were. Isabel and I found ways to adjust the system in a way which would show the life that was on the earth when we were, the history, the whole of the schooling and living and working experiences. Altogether it took around a day in the system to gain all that knowledge and experience. In the system it was approximately 50 years.
Since WeiXian, Adrian and Liang came here, they were pretty interested in the bunker setup, trying to gain all the knowledge - which was rather obvious of them.
Adrian was in the system before, as a damn virus, now he was just like a broken doll trying to recover. I guessed that the Iron City had given him PTSD, Isabel checked and verified that. With WeiXian and Liang - they sure were interesting. But then again, when I and Isabel proposed to them to put them into the system for a day - they sure thought it would all be damn rainbows and flowers. Very far from the reality it was.
The system not only extracted and noted all of their experiences in the Iron City, with all the living they had - past and present, but also the layouts, the secrets and the things they themselves were unaware of. At the same time the system gave them an experience of living in the world where we once did.
So now Liang and WeiXian returned from the trip of one day in cryo, 50 years in the system. Hence the spicy reaction.
"Fuck…" - WeiXian let out, as he sat up, holding his face in his hands.
Indeed, having to live a life, have family, career, education, experiences, lovers… And then roughly took that all away… Yeah. Been there, done that. Many times over. Like all of us in the bunker.
"I'll take care of them." - David said, as he observed the men.
"I'll help." - Ary stood beside David.
Funny how people came together to mess around with outsiders when the time came.
"ANA!" - Liang growled at me, staring at me like I'm the evil incarnate.
I walked over to him, as he sat in the pod. Seeing him tear up did pull at my heart, so I hugged him tight.
"You… You… How could you? How could you do this? My wife… My kids…" - Liang whimpered into my ear, as he grabbed me tight. I felt his finders dig into me. Sure will leave a few damn bruises, but who cares at this point.
"I'm here. Pour it all out. No matter the tides, I'll be the mast for you during this storm." - I let out softly, as I held him. Liang, that bastard, bit my shoulder - I winced.
David came over and pulled Liang off.
"I said I'll take care of them." - David remarked, looking at my shoulder, where the blood slowly protruded through my shirt.
"Fine." - I replied. - "Isabel, the health bit's on you." - I said to Isabel, as I turned around, walking out of the room.
"Ha-a-a-a-ah." - I let out a lengthy sigh, as I sat down at my computer once again to go through the data.
"Let me treat that for you." - Evie came up to me.
"Knock yourself out." - I let out tiredly.
"Ana!" - Niko walked in, all riled up, like the war is upon us.
I'm just watching her being all this mess with heightened emotional state, though no strength is in me to deal with that.
"Ana!" - Niko approached my table, slamming the palm of her hand on it. - "Why did you do it?! Now they are aware of all we know!"
"Tsk." - I let out. - "So?"
"You, you, do you not understand that we won't be able to use that against them?!" - Niko blabbered about.
"Like you can't use Michael and Hikaru against me?" - I looked her in the eyes, as she pulled back. - "Mhm. Either make up a better rant, or actually give me something I can work with."
"Ana!" - Niko keeps raising her voice at me.
Evie comes over, pulling off my shirt, treating the bite on my shoulder, that the pup Liang left.
"The hell?" - Niko got confused, as she watched the whole thing.
"Ah, puppy bites. No worries." - I let out. - "So what DID you want?"
Niko grimaced, then sat down on the sofa.
"I want to speak to Hikaru." - Niko says, as she partially swings her attitude, partially sounds like I crossed her. Well, I kind of did.
"Why?" - I ask, as I observe her.
"Because… Because!" - Niko looks at me, seeming to try and gather some random arse excuses.
"All done." - Evie says, as she puts the bandage on and leaves. I'm still watching Niko and Niko still watches me, like we're in some damn staring contest.
"You miss him?" - I ask.
"I need him." - Niko replies.
"Sex?" - I add.
"That too, but…" - Niko rolls her eyes at me, like a bratty child. - "It's more than that."
"Girl, you sure want to get yourself deep in the trenches of madness. I refuse to let you go in that direction." - I let out, then take a breath. - "Actually. Fuck it. Go. Go get to rail your man. Ah wait! HE won't even touch you, nor talk to you, coz he finds you like an appalling piece of meat who tried to heaven and back manipulate him. Coz your sorry ass keeps craving love, but that's just obsession wrapped in a rainbow glitter wrapper doing jack shit. I told you to go to Isabel and get that damn psychoanalysis, so all that shit can be sorted and you attain the healthy levels of coping with things. But no-o-o! You deem yourself above it and think that pushing through like a damn choo-choo train is going to solve your shit. No man has ever cured a man that's unwilling to receive treatment. You're a stubborn cunt. So am I. I can respect you in that regard, but not really admire you. You've pushed every damn boundary people had around you, trying to twist them into either liking you out of pity, or because you charmed your way with them, or because you fucked them once. It ain't gonna fly in here girl. You gotta get your shit together, or I'll fucking take the time to procure the damn mother for you to take care of you. Trust me, I ain't gonna look for the nice ones at all."
"You're a cunt." - Niko glares at me.
"Sure I am. The depth and warmth I can share, baby girl. Unlike some certain bratty likes of you. So with all due respect. Get a fucking grip, get it together, do your damn part and get on with the fucking workload we've all got going on here. It's not pretty. It ain't fucking walk in a park and sure as fuck I won't hold your hand through all of it. Not even sure others have the damn time of the day to help hold you whilst you shit either." - I sit there, looking at her keep rolling her eyes and give me the teenager's bratty attitude, although it's pretty obvious she's insulted to filth.
"Fuck you." - Niko throws on her way out, as she leaves my office.
"Whoah. That literally seemed like a mother scolding her teen daughter. Yikes." - Michael showed up.
"Ahhh." - I sigh, as I see the damn psycho in my space. - "The fuck do you want?"
"I see you're really far off from the level of how much you can socialize for the day." - Michael tries to approach, but gets zapped by the collar on his neck. - "Ugh. Kinky."
I eye him, as he stands there. Yeah, can't reach me, you fool. Nor can you do shit in this bunker any longer due to that collar. The same thing applied to Hikaru. A sort of "security" measure which we discussed with TaeYeon and Isabel. A really nifty thing that has a few places the damn brats can go to, but if they try to do anything to create chaos, harm and any sort of trouble - instant voltage to the neck. Keep up with trying to be a menace - you'll be fried by the voltage which does increase every time you push the damn limits. Also the funky collar restricts what these dogs hear, so any time there's any sensitive topics - it functions as all sound blockage, as well as makes your vision blurry as hell. In case these thugs decide to read lips. Funny thing. Like training a really annoying dog.
"Still won't share anything with me?" - Michael keeps prying.
"As much as you want to be a menace - ain't gonna work. Now leave me in peace, before I kill you." - I say, sensing that I might actually follow up on this killing thing. The damn brats have been like a really fucked up nursery lately. With only a few capable adults. That was rather infuriating.
"Come." - Evie appeared to take Michael away. Like a nanny to an unruly kid.
Finally some peace. Geez.
During the damn week here, with the sarcastic snazzy Michael gone - it seems rather lonely in a way. Though, somehow WeiXian and Liang are a whole another snarky kind. I found it refreshing in a way. Though, I assume that after the system dive they'll be a bunch different now. I wonder how they'll fare.
The screen has the retained information about the Iron City which was extracted. How wonderful it was to discover that the damn place has five parts to it. Each governed by a different Elite family. Hm. What Feng sent us was mostly about the side he's in. So that's not enough information for the evaluation. Though - thanks to two lab rats who came in voluntarily - we did get more information all in all.
Ehh, I wonder how Michael, Jane and Sujin are faring in there. I hope that they'll not be in too much danger. Though, with the thing being this divided - there sure is lack of protection for them. Hope they'll find a way out soon enough.
"I wonder at times if they're even adequate." - Isabel walks in.
"Someone specific or everyone in a general sense?" - I ask, as I get up from my desk.
"I'd like to say in a general sense, but some individuals sure push their luck." - Isabel breathes out, as she leans against the wall.
"M-mhm." - I nod, as I walk off to the window, checking the world outside.
It's getting dark. The sunset passed, with whatever light still there before the dark of the night sets.
"Praying for his safe return?" - Isabel smiles.
"Not sure I am. Not sure I'm not." - I replied.
"Get laid, your majesty. Unlike your ways of a nun some people do get laid in this setup. Some rather frisky, some others wild. But all is well for my health." - Isabel smirks at me.
"Gi-irl." - I turn to her, shaking my head.
"Oh come on. I'd take you, though you're not really my type." - Isabel jokes.
"Verin or Killian are more your type. I'm aware just by seeing how you eye them. Naughty." - I say back, as I lean with my shoulder on the window.
"They are though. What can I say? I love women." - Isabel shrugs.
"Off you go woman! I need some sleep. So do you. Especially because you're off to Outpost tomorrow morning." - I eye Isabel, as she grimaces for a second, then nods.
"Yes, mother, I'll go reset." - Isabel peels off of the wall, making her way down the hall. - "Good night, dear!" - She calls out from the hall.
The next morning I woke up to the sunrise in my eyes and a warmth next to me. What the? I turned to check what or who it was - Liang. Huh? Confused, I looked at him, as he laid there, next to me. Slowly I tried to get out, but he grabbed my hand.
"Sleep some more." - His groggy voice, sleepy, slowly turning his head towards me, opening his eyes, trying to focus.
"How did you… Scratch that. When did you get here?" - I heard my own raspy morning voice addressing him.
"You were asleep when I came. So I just… I was tired." - Liang slowly spoke, but still hend onto my hand.
"Mind releasing me?" - I asked. He did release his hold, letting me get out and off the darn sofa.
I went to my little side kitchen, put the coffee on, then washed up, so I don't have the taste of overnight in my mouth.
"Make me one." - The sleepy voice of Liang came from the room.
"Demanding now, are we?" - I mumble, as I prepare two cups.
Liang walks over, washes up, taking my toothbrush, like we've been married for years and gets on with the program. Then turns around to get the coffee and walk back to the sofa.
I'm too stunned to speak. I have some clue to what he saw in the system, but I've not yet seen the whole adult bit he'd gone through. So I am not really sure what partners he had there. Nor what they looked like. But I was certain that the people in the bunker were absolutely NOT in the system to choose from as potential partners.
I took my coffee, walked to my table and placed it there.
"How did you manage in the system for so long? I was told that some of you even stayed in situations for over a thousand years." - Liang asked.
Oh… So that's where we're headed, huh? Hmmm… I had to think a bit.
"Hmm, you'd be the first person I would tell what and where I was in the system, if I were to voice it." - I began. - "But over all - it is borderline insanity, sure. A whole life in a place that's real, so real it hurts. And then you return to the 'reality', hit with a pile of bricks over the head, as you sit there mulling over what was real and what was the thing in the system. Though - those feelings, experiences and life - that was real too. It's just no longer as physical as this. And then you adjust. Reclaim the senses, learn, adapt… Bitch about it, cry about it, go through losses of what was, only to meet your own self at the precipice of another world to explore. Give up, give in and - explore. I suppose, no matter how long the dream is - it is still a dream. Beautiful, fleeting dream. But, well, real is something else."
"How do you know if this is real?" - Liang asks, with cup in his hands, mind still somewhere mulling over words, things, experiences.
"Because here we have the option to die. Die for real. Have an end. In the system there's no such thing." - I replied, getting my coffee to water my throat after that whole damn monologue.
Liang sat there, having his heavy thoughts. I let him be, as I got on with checking the system.
The parameters of the bunker seemed all good. Which was a good thing. I guess that TaeYeon does well with all the technical bits, though, Ary also does his part well. To my knowledge.
"So why did you come here?" - I finally asked Liang.
He kept his silence for a while more, maybe awkward, maybe odd, but I gave him the space to collect his thoughts.
"I felt like it." - Liang finally answers. - "I'm sorry I bit you." - He turns to face me, then smiles. - "Actually I don't. But for some reason having your arms around me after I woke up… It somehow stuck with me."
"Like a duckling meeting mother?" - I smile back, though sarcastically.
"Like a warrior who came home after war to his family." - He leans back into the sofa. - "It felt weird. But it felt familiar somehow. Like I experienced this certain hug many times before. It's odd." - Liang continues. - "In the dream, well, system, there was my lover, then wife, kids, work, home… And I loved coming back, growing old, watching them change, watching them go on. My wife being such a sweet person. Supporting me, loving me, hugging me… The same way you hugged me. That is what I find odd. How could that be…"
Listening to this made me think that the system incorporated things from our parallels into the core system. A.I.O., you fucking sly thing of an AI. Though, should I purge it out of it, or should I have a deep conversation with AIO about the darn plans it had to throw the dude from the Iron City into a setting where his wife has my traits… Because that seems rather calculated on systems behalf.
Either that, or the system decided to play a goddamn reverse harem game on me. I ain't got the strength for such frolicking episodes, not the capacity to deal with the darn consequences that follow such system frivolities.
"Ah, there you are." - David's voice came, as he and WeiXian along with Adrian walked in.
"I seem to think that this place is like a beacon of something, fathering people daily at such lengths." - I let out, as I watch them walk in, take a seat around the table.
"This system…" - WeiXian spoke. - "It's a wonder how things changed from all of that into what they've become."
"Well, they do say a lot can change with time." - David shrugged.
"And we've had 280 years of time since that it changed so." - I added.
"So what do you plan?" - Adrian asked.
"Well, currently the outpost has some new things going for them, as we got some animals out of the cryo to add to the place. So we're getting agriculture and farming started once more. Thanks to Isabel there's constant checks and vaccinations, so that all shall be retained. Hopefully. Also the people in Outpost were vaccinated, just to make sure they're alright with the environment." - I summarize, as I look at them. - "We are, after all, rebuilding from scratch. In a sense."
"What do you plan with us?" - Adrian lets out, as he eyes me.
"You're still looking into what to do, hm?" - I look back at Adrian, then take a look at David. - "I'm sure you've come to some sort of agreement by now. Given the circumstances."
"Just as we have discussed before, you can go back to what you were doing. I'll keep monitoring things from here." - I tapped the table, as I went back to looking at the monitors.
"I'll go to the outpost." - David said.
"I want to go with him." - Adrian added.
"Ah, the joys of kids leaving the nest." - I let out.
"So, then we're staying here." - WeiXian let out.
"Whatever fancy you prefer. You're still to go and ah… Right. We're yet to explore the system core." - I leaned out from the monitors to give Liang and WeiXian a glance. - "Up for a bit of an annoying trip down the rabbit hole?"
"You're really enjoying that they can understand the references now, do you?" - David glared at me. I gave him a nod.
"You have no idea." - I replied.
"You seem to try and copy my brothers behaviour." - David raised his eyebrows at me, with inquisitive look.
"Coping mechanisms look different to different people." - I shrug in reply.
Adrian and David left the room. Liang and WeiXian stayed.
"You're not really meaning for us to go to the core, are you?" - Liang says, after he makes sure that it's only three of us in the room.
"Why not?" - I get up from the computer desk and walk over to them. - "It'd be interesting for you to check what this whole thing operates from. Would it not?"
"Ana, you seem to mean well, but we're yet to ehh…" - WeiXian sighed at the end of that.
I grimaced. I get it - the hangover after the system ain't all that great. It took me a week to get my shit more or less together. So I do seem to push them too much at this moment in time.
"Yeah…" - I nod slightly. - "How about we take it easy then. You can tell me how it was for you."
"You've yet to tell how it was for You." - Liang eyes me.
"Ah…" - I press my lips. - "I'm not sure that's a good kind of…"
"I want to know." - Liang cuts me off. WeiXian seems to agree, as he nods.
Cheeky brats. I turn around for a moment, staring at the backs of the monitors. Then after a deep breath I turn again to face them.
"On one hand it would be easier if you'd just checked the details on the screen - it did, after all, record the whole lot. Like a series you can watch. There's also the summaries, which can be read easily." - I sense how they not just look at me, but sort of try and pry into what is NOT in the system.
"You've seen us there. So what makes you avoid your side that much?" - WeiXian asks.
These two seem too damn good at poking the soft, sore spots. The way they chat does seem a bit different to before, as they did indeed go through the whole life in the system, but damn do they still retain the skillset that's embedded in them - the assassin and informant skillset. From the get-go they managed to find a way to get close to me. From the idea they threw into the hat about how to control Hikaru and Michael, to how they helped execute it based on things they knew were used in Iron City. So that value, which they brought over, during my panicking stages - that did indeed make me sense them as a more reliable sort of people. Not sure if I am getting myself in trouble or not, but sure that seems to be the way into it.
Ehh, how would Michael approach this?
"You also had family there? Life?" - Liang keeps pushing.
"Yes." - I take a seat next to them. - "There was a family, there was life. Yes. A loving wife, a fine set of kids. Pets. Work which brought great joy. Travels, all that… As well as travels through other realms inside."
"Other realms?" - WeiXian tilted his head.
"Yeah, for you we made a special kind of thing - where you'd be experiencing just the life of what we once had. That whole lot of change and ways of things in the 1980's through 2000's. Education, work, social issues. You went through living in multiple areas across the globe to see for yourself what it was like. All the continents, all the languages, cultures, ideas, ideals and all that… You've seen the movies, books, both science based and fiction. Now… What I did not want you to experience is the transfer through the parallel realms." - I let out a sigh, as the conversation started to weigh on me.
"I did wonder why you did that." - WeiXian said. - "Before you all did explain that the time was different in each one, that the environment was different and people, things, creatures, all of it. But was it really that bad?"
"Hu-u-u…" - I breathed out, then looked into the eyes of WeiXian and Liang. - "You've read books there, haven't you? In the system. A lot of different books. Watched a whole lot of different movies. Right?"
"Right." - WeiXian nodded.
"Now imagine you get to actually live in the realities of each and every book that you've read. Not just the fantasy kind with dragons and magic, but also the war kind ones, where there's the death, the famine, the pain, torture and lack of pretty much any humanity. Would you enjoy that?" - I asked them. They went silent for a moment.
"It'd be a bit too much." - WeiXian added.
"Right. 'Too much'. Each person has a length of imagination. Some are more good, some are more evil. You might live in a world where it all seems nice, very suited to you, very charming. And then you can live somewhere you're targeted, or caught, tortured, killed. Then you shift to another, where you're once more going through trials and tribulations. Endlessly. Then after decades of all that - you might forget your world. You might go looking for it. Or you might accept the world you went to, adjusting to it. All that mess leads to multiple worlds intertwining - mixing things up, conjuring continents, worlds, magic, alternate things allowing to travel from one to another. Allowing to influence one another in both good and bad ways. Not so wonderful any more, is it?"
"Kind of like you've put in the way of your own things in the Outpost." - WeiXian mulled over.
"Yeah, kind of like that." - I gave a nod.
"But you're still not answering the question, Ana. What was your world like?" - Liang still managed to catch me trying to avoid the topic altogether.
"Why would you like to know so much?" - I looked Liang in the eyes, trying to figure out the 'why'.
"Why are you avoiding it so?" - Liang keeps pressing. - "Is it because of what I've seen in 'my' system?"
"I don't think that's any.." - I was about to add but WeiXian cut me off.
"No," - WeiXian added. - "What we saw was strangely entwined with you. We saw you in the system. I worked with you, whilst Liang married you. I remember that."
I sat there speechless. The fuck did the system do?! Puzzled face of mine was quite the thing. Both of these youngsters kept looking at me.
"Was that intended from the start?" - WeiXian asked.
"No." - I shook my head. - "Not at all. The fuck did system do?"
"You're asking us?" - Liang took a deep breath. - "Either it wanted to get us to really be on your side…"
"Or to make sure we don't differ much in opinions from you." - WeiXian added.
"I'm so-o-o wiping that darn AIO to shreds." - I wipe my face with my hand, seeling like shit just keeps accumulating. - "So you and me? Married?" - I looked at Liang. He nodded. - "And we worked together?" - I glanced at WeiXian. He pressed his lips and gave a nod. - "Fuck me… Michael is gonna kill me if he finds out."
"The one with the collar or the one in the Iron City currently?" - WeiXian smirked.
"The one in the Iron City." - I let out.
"Are you and him a thing?" - Liang asks.
"Kind of are, kind of… I don't know." - I shrug.
"Well, I could take you up." - Liang seems to get his feisty spirit back. - "Wife."
"Babe, no. I'd rather not traumatise you more than I already have. You deserve better. Both of you." - I say, as I get up to go back to the monitors. But Liang grabs my hand, stopping me. Have we not had the same thing this morning?
"How about I decide for myself?" - Liang smiles at me.
"You're scared when you set your mind to something, you know?" - I shake my head softly, as I look at him.
"Exactly as in the system. You were exactly the same there." - WeiXian laughs.
"Aw hell no! No no no! No!" - I looked at WeiXian first, then at Liang. - "Nooo. You don't need this. Be a good boy and drop this old thing off to her own devices. Alright? Alright." - I slip out of the Liangs grip. - "Now both of you go and play the explorer or something. I have to check things."
WeiXian and Liang got up, Wei walked towards the elevator, and Liang walked to me first.
"Don't push yourself too hard." - Liang said softly, as he leaned in to kiss my cheek softly. I was too stunned to speak. I felt my mouth open up in surprise.
He just smiled and walked to catch up to WeiXian.
"Them two and the system surely will be the death of me. Either that or the infuriated Michael. Fu-uck." - I sat back to work.
The damn system check took me hours, evaluating the information about what the two had seen in there and what they experienced.
I'm so-o screwed. I miss Michael. God do I miss that crazy man… Ahh…