Personification Life - Part Deux

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

"Well, you tell Gretta she can do it on her own because there's probably not enough left of Swith to return." Naomi didn't mean to blurt it out so harshly, but she was stinging. "So you tell Gretta to take it up with the Drone Empire, because NVE would be alive it it wasn't for D7."

She bounced the can of Spam down the wall (she was aiming for Fortu's retreating back but had a weak arm) and bolted down the hall in tears.

"You said that there was time travel involved with your memory loss. What happened before?" Fortu asked chasing after Naomi. Little did they know, it was really D4N1 that had blew the whistle on the Raptors.

[Swith Witherward]

"Before? Before what? Before the Drone Empire tore through Dab's people on Mars and arrived on earth? Before they crushed humanity like match sticks? Before complete annihilation was staring us in the face? That's why Swith went back. There was no way to stop the Drone Empire. She was going to go alone, but others wanted to help. She didn't have a plan other than to stop Bones from killing D4, so they went. It's D7 who brought about all the destruction. But some gods can't double back on themselves like that, not two physical manifestations of the same matrix in the same space and time..." Naomi pressed her back against the wall and slid down to the floor.

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

"Before? Before what? Before the Drone Empire tore through Dab's people on Mars and arrived on earth? Before they crushed humanity like match sticks? Before complete annihilation was staring us in the face? That's why Swith went back. There was no way to stop the Drone Empire. She was going to go alone, but others wanted to help. She didn't have a plan other than to stop Bones from killing D4, so they went. It's D7 who brought about all the destruction. But some gods can't double back on themselves like that, not two physical manifestations of the same matrix in the same space and time..." Naomi pressed her back against the wall and slid down to the floor.

"Do you think that it was worth the price of our lives to save this planet to save its people? Of these two worlds which one is better?" Fortu asked sitting next to Naomi.

[Swith Witherward]

"I haven't been in this one long enough to know," she said honestly. "Both would be worlds without NVE. This one isn't destroyed or enslaved, so there's that. Oh Fortu, you know how much I love NVE. I gave Swith back my being for his sake, and for Bran and Gio and Thriller and for all the other people I love. Well, there's no one I don't love, really. Even the insane rapist locked in Co's place deserves love and the right to exist."

[Cerillium]

Swith rolled her head to one side and gazed at Naomi's matrix. Everyone else had left, and Bran went to bed. "Peachy," she croaked. "Thanks. Bastards."

Naomi gasped air into her lungs as Swith returned a splinter of herself to the girl. Naomi used the back of the couch to support herself and peered over at Swith.

"Oh, f*ck!" the girl pushed away her own disorientation. She flung open the closet and found the correct dimension, then gently dragged Swith to it by her arm and pushed her inside.

Ceril had returned when she failed to come to his apartment. She was customarily prompt. It wasn’t that he held any compassion for her. He wanted payment for his work.

He accessed the bomb shelter using the methods she had provided him and ascertained that she was not present. This was concerning to him so he sat and waited for her. She couldn’t have gone very far in her current condition.

An hour elapsed. The couple in the other room expended themselves and his augmented ears picked up their soft respirations and the tick of a clock hanging on a wall. Its second hand competed with his internal chronometer, slightly off from real time, eventually annoying him. He rose to adjust it then occupied his mind by nosing around the shelter.

Seriously fucked up.

This callous verdict came after opening numerous doors that lead into alternate dimensions and times. Curiosity competed with logic and he ventured to poke a digit into one. He wasn’t overly surprised when he drew back a nub.

Damn.

Night waned. She had not returned. He wanted payment. He had traveled far back in time to do her bidding. He had stumbled upon humanity as it once was and was turned off by its passivity. He discovered a spare bedroom and stepped inside. Bed springs protested his weight as he sat down. He would remain an age if necessary. He had no other options. His return home was unattainable without her assistance.

[The Drone Empire]

"D4, I have compiled the data retrieved from project sector A, however, the large underground structure still maintains high defense." The A.I spoke, as D4N1 was busy filling up nano-tubes.

"Very good, very good indeed." D4 said. Before NVE's lab was completely evicted, Dani managed to snatch a few computers on their way out. Of course she did, data he was trying to apprehend for quite some time was just walking out the door? Was there any other way?

Right now, however, she left her room hurriedly, the small tubes in hand, walking towards the lobby.

[The BranRiech]

Bran woke up with Rylli curled around him, they both sat up, got dressed, and went to breakfast. Bran sat down, but Mon wasn't in sight at all so Bran had to make do with Waffles. Never-the-less, they still had the best breakfast in the house. Apparently, the time-shift had left Bran murdered and then revived, but Bran would reveal none of this to Rylli as she would more than likely flip out . . . The only thing that would be different about Bran to the others would be the feather he kept in his hat, as that whole incident had never happened in this timeine.

[Giovenith]

Giovenith was perfectly normal.

And not in the good way.

She at least still had her beloved, "Paradise Lost," which she casually turned a page in, although she did not read out loud this time. Normal people didn't read out loud to themselves, only odd ones and children did. And in their own lost paradise, there was no room for being strange or a child... it was time to keep the peace, no matter how deafening the silence....

The first thing she had done was discard that awful, gaudy dress, and actually spin some real clothes... her new outfit consisted of a black sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers, and she had started brushing her hair. It came out flat, straight, and shiny, the white occasionally flashing off a stray color, like a prism... it was the hair her mother had. The most difficult part had been persuading Mother to uplift the Fog, but she had done it. She could think and behave clearly again, like a normal fifteen year old child, rather than being locked away in that vague, silly, childish state of confusion and madness.
She had learned that such madness could not have a place in their home anymore, not when things turned as they had. Not when there were so few things left to protect.

Tucking the book under her arm, Giovenith opened the door to her room, stepping out into the hallway. It was quiet, and nothing disturbed her as she made her way to breakfast.

"Good morning Bran," she spoke clearly, free of lisp or pitchy tweak. "I thought I heard restlessness last night, did you sleep well?"

[Tiltjuice]

Deader swept inside the communal kitchen, its robes somehow still charred and smoking even after the timeline change. Entering the communal kitchen, it saw Bran, Amaryllis, and Giovenith, and bowed to each of them in turn.

"Serenity and fortune shadow you all," it intoned, before covering its mouth with its left hand and mumbling inaudibly. The said appendage appeared to vibrate slightly; Deader considered, then began digging through the drawers. Finding a packet of apple cider mix, it made itself a cup, and then went over to the corner, content to levitate.

[Cerillium]

Ceril watched the couple leave the apartment. He followed them to the dining hall and sat in a far corner. He would eavesdrop for the time being in an effort to ascertain the location of his employer.

[Dabfia]

Dab wakes up and looks out the window. "Well it seems all is normal again, wonder what happened." Dab said to himself watching people walk in the street below. Dab looks in a mirror. His face was half machine now. "I guess the timeline change didn't fix everything." Dab said touching the cyborg side of his face.

Meanwhile in the airvent.
Evil Dab wakes up holding a shotgun. "Weird. Haven't i woken up like this before?" Evil Dab asked himself.

[Giovenith]

Deader swept inside the communal kitchen, its robes somehow still charred and smoking even after the timeline change. Entering the communal kitchen, it saw Bran, Amaryllis, and Giovenith, and bowed to each of them in turn.

"Serenity and fortune shadow you all," it intoned, before covering its mouth with its left hand and mumbling inaudibly. The said appendage appeared to vibrate slightly; Deader considered, then began digging through the drawers. Finding a packet of apple cider mix, it made itself a cup, and then went over to the corner, content to levitate.

" 'Morning Dreader," said Giovenith as she poured a glass of orange juice. "Hey, have you seen Fortu around?"

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

Deader swept inside the communal kitchen, its robes somehow still charred and smoking even after the timeline change. Entering the communal kitchen, it saw Bran, Amaryllis, and Giovenith, and bowed to each of them in turn.

"Serenity and fortune shadow you all," it intoned, before covering its mouth with its left hand and mumbling inaudibly. The said appendage appeared to vibrate slightly; Deader considered, then began digging through the drawers. Finding a packet of apple cider mix, it made itself a cup, and then went over to the corner, content to levitate.

" 'Morning Dreader," said Giovenith as she poured a glass of orange juice. "Hey, have you seen Fortu around?"

Fortu walked by carrying a box of cake mix, some milk, eggs, chocolate frosting, and a small vial of black blood. "Morning Gio." he said walking by.

[Tiltjuice]

Deader continued levitating; having been about to reply to Gio, it instead mumbled some more into its left palm, then gestured at Fortu, and went back to sipping cider.

[Giovenith]

" 'Morning Dreader," said Giovenith as she poured a glass of orange juice. "Hey, have you seen Fortu around?"

Fortu walked by carrying a box of cake mix, some milk, eggs, chocolate frosting, and a small vial of black blood. "Morning Gio." he said walking by.

"Oh, there you are. Hey." she raised an eyebrow at Dreader. "... Riiiight."

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

Fortu walked by carrying a box of cake mix, some milk, eggs, chocolate frosting, and a small vial of black blood. "Morning Gio." he said walking by.

"Oh, there you are. Hey." she raised an eyebrow at Dreader. "... Riiiight."

"I was just going to bake a gift for Gretta for when I go visit her today." Fortu said.

[Giovenith]

"Oh, there you are. Hey." she raised an eyebrow at Dreader. "... Riiiight."

"I was just going to bake a gift for Gretta for when I go visit her today." Fortu said.

"That's nice, she could use something like that these days. Something to smile over," she said. "Tell her I said hi... you know, if by miracle she decides to care."

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

"I was just going to bake a gift for Gretta for when I go visit her today." Fortu said.

"That's nice, she could use something like that these days. Something to smile over," she said. "Tell her I said hi... you know, if by miracle she decides to care."

"I will. They've locked her down tighter after the last escape attempt." Fortu said with a depressed look on his face.

[Germanic Templars]

*Lucius walks into the kitchen with Superbia next to him and Hera behind him* "So what brings you back?" "I got bored with hell. Say do you remember the adventures we went on? They were epic." "Well, I wouldn't say epic, more like entertaining." "True, true. Still I enjoyed those times. Why can't we have them?" "Because, I finally settled down, Satan is defeated, and the world has changed." "I guess you're right." "Look at the bright side though, There are others here that go on adventures, maybe you could join them from time to time." "Wouldn't feel the same, but I could try."

[Tiltjuice]

Finally, here was something interesting. "Locked who up?" it inquired.

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

Finally, here was something interesting. "Locked who up?" it inquired.

"Gretta has been imprisioned on the Moon for some time now after her failed attempt to conquer Earth." Fottu explained. he could feel his neck coming loose again.

[Giovenith]

"That's nice, she could use something like that these days. Something to smile over," she said. "Tell her I said hi... you know, if by miracle she decides to care."

"I will. They've locked her down tighter after the last escape attempt." Fortu said with a depressed look on his face.

"Damn..." she nearly slammed her glass back on the table, but quickly calmed herself. "Well... hope it doesn't get me shot for saying so, but they've got to slip up sometime. Gretta's a slick girl, she'll... think of something..." There was doubt in her voice. It was a complicated situation. On one hand, Gretta was considered their friend, but on the other hand, it wasn't exactly a secret that she herself was less like-minded on the matter, especially after NVE's death. Giovenith truthfully wasn't sure what to expect from an escape by Gretta, but she knew that anywhere else was damn better than the place they were caging her now.

[The New Velociraptor Empire]

"I will. They've locked her down tighter after the last escape attempt." Fortu said with a depressed look on his face.

"Damn..." she nearly slammed her glass back on the table, but quickly calmed herself. "Well... hope it doesn't get me shot for saying so, but they've got to slip up sometime. Gretta's a slick girl, she'll... think of something..." There was doubt in her voice. It was a complicated situation. On one hand, Gretta was considered their friend, but on the other hand, it wasn't exactly a secret that she herself was less like-minded on the matter, especially after NVE's death. Giovenith truthfully wasn't sure what to expect from an escape by Gretta, but she knew that anywhere else was damn better than the place they were caging her now.

"Well, I'm sure she has thought of a new plan by now." Forttu said and fiddled with the small vial of black liquid.

[Giovenith]

"Damn..." she nearly slammed her glass back on the table, but quickly calmed herself. "Well... hope it doesn't get me shot for saying so, but they've got to slip up sometime. Gretta's a slick girl, she'll... think of something..." There was doubt in her voice. It was a complicated situation. On one hand, Gretta was considered their friend, but on the other hand, it wasn't exactly a secret that she herself was less like-minded on the matter, especially after NVE's death. Giovenith truthfully wasn't sure what to expect from an escape by Gretta, but she knew that anywhere else was damn better than the place they were caging her now.

"Well, I'm sure she has thought of a new plan by now." Forttu said and fiddled with the small vial of black liquid.

"Always does. What you got there?"

[The BranRiech]

Bran looked over at Gio, he hadn't noticed her greet herself as he was too busy talking to Rylli. He just sat back and wondered how he had died in this convaluted timeline they were now stuck with.