Ultratech Corporation: MediLab

          "I know you have your doubts about me." Azrael said.
           Behind him, both Fulgore-X and Julie stood, looking uncertain and to a degree, uncomfortable. Ahead of him was Karen Connors. Azrael had stopped the device she had been previously imprisoned in, and lifted the chamber. Karen now lay on her right side on the floor, her entire body wilted.
           "Is this about those memories we gave you?" Julie asked.
           "Not entirely. I just realize that you both have had very different experiences from me." Azrael spoke still facing Karen, never turning to his audience behind him. "Fulgore-X, you were put in a position where you had to help humanity. Twice. And Julie, you used to be human, and half of you still is. So naturally, you will have some ties to the human race. I understand that."
           "Then, what's the problem?" Fulgore-X said.
           "There is no problem. I never asked of you to believe in the same things I do. But I would appreciate it if you did. We have a lot of work in the days ahead of us, and I just feel that complete unity would make things so smoother."
           "We promised to help you." Julie said, wearily. "What more do you need?"
           "It is not my intent to force you to believe what I do. I merely hope that you can come to understand the position that I'm in."
           "And what position might that be?" Julie continued.
           Azrael didn't answer her. Instead, he walked forward, and knelt down in front of Karen.
           "I apologize for this, I really do." Azrael spoke softly to her. "Rest assured that I took no pleasure in this. And I would not have done it unless I felt it had to be done. But anyway, my apologies."
           Karen said nothing in response. It didn't even seem like she heard him.
           Nevertheless, Azrael continued. "I shall only ask you this once more. Will you help me? Will you give me the information I seek?"
           There were a few moments of silence. Fulgore-X and Julie watched, in morbid curiosity. They both figured what would come next, but against their better judgment, they wished for something else.
           "Go to hell." Karen said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her body never moved; only the voice could be heard.
           Azrael remained kneeling in front of Karen for a minute, then rose softly. He turned to Fulgore-X and Julie, with a blank expression on his face. "Look carefully. This woman has experienced the ultimate threshold of human physical suffering. Pain at a high enough level to be lethal, but yet she was kept alive. She could have stopped it at any moment, by simply cooperating with me. Yet, she did not. Perhaps it was out of strategy, or spite, but the simple fact remains that she endured the unendurable.
           "When compelled, the human race can easily surpass their own limits. It's readily apparent that they have an untapped potential that they themselves cannot even realize. I couldn't even begin to guess what a human being was really capable of, given the proper circumstances. Perhaps I understand better than they do their own potential.
           "Now, we Fulgores are clearly at an advantage over them. But if we put them in an extreme situation, and give them time, I believe they will find a way to surpass themselves, and possibly even us. That is far too dangerous to allow. That's precisely why they have to die." Azrael turned around to face Karen again. He raised his right hand. "That's why…she has to die." His hand began to glow bright blue.
           Before he could charge a decent amount of energy, One-A came in over his internal communications system. It was an open channel, so Fulgore-X and Julie could hear it as well. "Lord Azrael, come in please."
           Azrael paused, but kept his hand open, and glowing towards Karen. "Yes One-A, what is it?"
           "Lord Azrael, I need to see you right away. There's an urgent problem."
           Azrael's eyes widened slightly. "Allright. Give me a minute."
           "My Lord, we really need your presence immediately."
           Azrael paused for a moment, then closed his right hand, effectively extinguishing the plasma energy. "Fulgore-X, Julie, please finish this for me." He turned sharply and left the room in a hurry.
           As the doors closed behind Azrael, the room fell into silence. Karen's upper body only moved occasionally, to take a small, pathetic breath. Neither Fulgore-X or Julie moved, or said a word. Finally, Julie raised her right hand. There was no energy glow, but she still looked as if getting ready to fire.
           "Wait." Karen said weakly, from the ground. Julie seemed visibly surprised. She withdrew her hand slightly, but still kept it elevated. Slowly, Karen started to move. She planted both her palms on the floor, and then began to gather her weight between her legs and arms. It wasn't easy, or fast, but Karen managed to stand up. She looked up, again staring directly into Julie's eyes.
           Julie reasserted her hand. But now, it shook slightly. She frowned heavily, and finally dropped her arm and turned away.
           "I can't do it, I just can't. Fulgore-X, please…"
           Fulgore-X briefly glanced at Julie, who now had her back facing both him and Karen. Fulgore-X raised his own right hand, which began to glow blue from plasma energy.

Tibet
The Tiger Shrine

*All dialogue translated from Tibetan.

           The sun was starting its descent beyond the horizon, igniting the sky fire-orange as it went. This light was reflected brilliantly off the eyes of the large tiger head in the Great Hall of the Tiger Shrine. It was a beautiful sight, one the monks of the Shrine had taken for granted over the years. There was one however who always made it a point to stop by the sculpture and pray at this time of day; Master Zen'keth. He believed that at this time, with the Tiger's eyes burning brightly, the Tiger Spirit was at its most aware, and prayers could be heard more clearly. He knelt down in front of the sculpture, his head bowed in silence.
           This time was usually a busy time in the shrine; about half the monks would be eating dinner, while the other would be in training. So usually, Master Zen'keth was the only person here. But today was different. Master Zen'keth could feel a presence approaching behind him. He didn't think it was anything special until he finished his prayer and turned around. He stopped almost immediately, a wave of surprise overtook him. He couldn't find the ability to speak, not that he'd know what to say if he did.
           "It has been a long time." Master Abbot spoke first.
           Master Zen'keth quickly composed himself, turning back to the sculpture. "You aren't supposed to be here."
           "It's nice to see you too."
           "You are violating the rules."
           Master Abbot smiled. "Same old Zen'keth, I see. I hope one day you will learn that there is a world outside of the rules."
           "It's that kind of thing that got you excommunicated in the first place."
           "Hmm, perhaps. But I cannot change my way."
           "I hope you didn't come here to exchange wits."
           "I may not agree with the Order's decision, but I wouldn't break it for such a trivial thing." Master Abbot's expression turned serious. "Zen'keth, I have a favor to ask of you."
           Master Zen'keth turned his head slightly, letting one of his eyebrows raise.
           Master Abbot continued. "A woman is coming here, very soon. It is imperative that I see her."
           "A woman? Why?"
           "She comes seeking help."
           "Your help?"
           "The help she needs…is far beyond anything anyone can give her."
           Master Zen'keth now turned to face Master Abbot. "Then…why?"
           Master Abbot looked away. "I know you don't believe in the same things I do. But surely, you must feel a heaviness at the bottom of your heart. Surely, you must feel that something big is coming. I cannot elaborate, but this woman will play a crucial role in the events that lie ahead. If she fails…the result would be disasterous."
           Master Zen'keth now looked away too. "I have felt a heaviness. But I don't understand…why do you need to see this woman?"
           "I cannot explain. She has a very important part to play. But as she is, no, as she will be when she comes, she will not be able to fulfill that role. I must ensure that she can at least get that far."
           "Okay, suppose a troubled woman really is coming. Why must you see her? You will use those forbidden arts on her?"
           Master Abbot sighed. "Zen'keth, you know me better than this I hope. I would not have come unless it were absolutely necessary. Anyway, it is none of your concern, right? It is just a troubled woman. I've only come here to intercept her. You need not worry about it."
           "Still, you should not be here."
           "I will not bother the Order. You can put me wherever you like. I only have business with the woman, nothing more. After that is concluded, you will not have to worry about me, ever again. That I can promise."
           Master Zen'keth continued to keep his gaze away from Master Abbot.
           "I'm asking you," Master Abbot said, "do to me a favor. One last favor, between old friends. Or is that completely gone now as well?"
           Master Zen'keth now looked up at the excommunicated monk. He was right – he would not have broken the rules unless it was urgent. Many things has changed over the years, but Master Abbot stood before him almost the same as he was the day he left.
           "I will prepare a place for you." Master Zen'keth said. "You are not to leave it, and especially, you are not to interact with the other monks. When the woman comes, I will bring her to you."
           Master Abbot bowed his head. "Thank you, old friend."
           Master Zen'keth turned back to the sculpture. "Please don't call me that."

Just Outside New York City
Ops Command Center

           "Well, what did you find?" Orchid asked.
           Her question was directed to a man standing next to her, wearing a dirty blue jumpsuit and yellow hard hat. She was seated at the large conference table. At the head was President Harrison, and joining Orchid around the table were many others, including Chief Thunder, Jago, Samuel Preston, and Dr. Carlos.
           "It's no good." The man in the jumpsuit responded. "We've explored every underground passage we could find. Hell, we even found ones we didn't know about. But apparently that Azrael guy did – they all shielded. Looks like there's some kind of transmitter in every one of the tunnels. And it's behind the shield, so there's no way we can get to it."
           "Damn." Secretary McTaggert said, who was seated next to the President. "Of course he prepared for that too."
           "Thank you for your report," President Harrison said to the man, effectively dismissing him.
           "Well then, what about the backup plan?" Samuel asked. "Can we make a new tunnel?"
           "That won't be easy." Orchid responded. "If Azrael knows what we're trying, he'll put a stop to it. So we'd have to start from a relatively far distance away."
           "And that takes more time." Thunder added. "Time we don't have."
           "Not to mention we'd have to do it from an obscure location." Orchid continued. "It's a long shot. But I think we should at least get started on it. It's better than nothing."
           "What's the best way to go about that, then?" President Harrison asked.
           "We’ll have to do our digging from a covered location." Orchid answered. "Like a warehouse. Also, we'll have to be very careful about getting the machinery there – if we're too obvious about it, then Azrael will catch on."
           "I'll have someone start looking into locations and rounding up drills." Secretary McTaggert said. "We'll have a few locations and machines by the end of the day."
           "Well, it's a start at least." President Harrison said. "But, once we get inside of the city…then what?"
           Everyone at the table looked at Orchid. But her gaze was fixed in space, and she didn't particularly seem to want to respond.
           "Sending in forces would be useless." Samuel said in her place. "Our weapons can't do a damned thing against that guy."
           "We have a new problem too." Thunder said. "Before, we were only dealing with three Fulgore cyborgs – Azrael, Fulgore-X, and Julie. Now, according to the latest satellite pictures, we've confirmed the existence of at least fifty different, operational Fulgore cyborgs."
           Orchid returned to the meeting. "Right now, our only advantage is that they are gathered in the same place. But once Azrael is done with his preparations, they're going to scatter. If that happens, we are as good as dead."
           "What do you mean?" Samuel asked.
           Orchid looked directly at him. "Think about it. If this were an ordinary war, there are only certain places you would want to attack. So you would concentrate your forces, enough to gain victory, and send them to those areas. But this is by no means an ordinary war. Azrael's goal is the extinction of humanity. By that logic, everywhere is a potential target."
           The table fell silent for a moment.
           "My God…" Secretary McTaggert said. "Everywhere."
           "Yes, everywhere." Orchid said. "Metropolitan, rural, suburban, it honestly doesn't matter. Imagine a Fulgore cyborg walking down the street where you live, killing whatever human he finds. That's the reality of the situation. Oh, but it gets better. One Fulgore cyborg is more than a match for any defenses we currently have. And with teleportation technology, they can go anywhere. Rather than gather forces, all Azrael needs to do is employ one cyborg in whatever predetermined location he chooses."
           "War on all fronts." Thunder said.
           "If that happens," President Harrison said, "how can we fight it?"
           Orchid now turned her gaze upon the President. "We have to make sure that doesn't happen. If it does…this situation goes from nearly impossible…to completely impossible."
           The table fell silent again.
           Another man entered the room. "Excuse me Madam President. I'm sorry to interrupt."
           "It's fine." President Harrison said. "What is it?"
           "My name's Fisher, I'm from the team that went down to Ultratech Brazil. We have just returned."
           "What did you find?" Orchid responded to him quickly.
           Fisher turned to Orchid. "As you said, the building was a mess, ravaged by arms dealers and raiders. We were able to obtain some of the weapons that were stolen from the building, and a few in some remote locations that hadn't been stolen." As he spoke, another man came from behind him, and gave him a long box. Fisher accepted it, and upon opening it, produced a plasma rifle.
           Orchid stood up quickly, taking the rifle from him. She examined it carefully. A few times, it looked as if she wanted to fire it, which made everyone in the room more than a little nervous.
           "Good." Orchid said, after finishing her examination. "It's in working order."
           "These are the weapons you were talking about?" Secretary McTaggert asked.
           "Yes. They are energy weapons, plasma based. This is the weapon technology that the Fulgore cyborgs use."
           Samuel seemed to perk up a bit. "Will we be able to fight them with these weapons?"
           "No." Orchid said flatly, to the surprise of everyone at the table. She turned to Fisher. "How many did you aquire?"
           "We have fourteen pieces in all." He answered. "Three rifles, seven guns, and four explosive-type devices."
           Orchid sighed. "It's a good start. Oh, and were you able to locate the item I asked about?"
           "That interrupt thing? We didn't find anything like the specifications you gave."
           "Hmm. I suspected as much." Orchid turned, and without warning threw the rifle to Dr. Carlos, who caught it in a surprise reflex. He looked as if he wanted to protest, but before he could Orchid continued. "As is, these weapons are infinitely better than what we have now…but still not enough. Doctor, you and your team need to take these samples, and not only find a way to create a lot more of them, but find a way to make them a whole lot stronger as well. The sooner, the better."
           Dr. Carlos looked to the President.
           "Do it." President Harrison said. "Getting inside of that shield is meaningless if we can't effectively attack the cyborgs. I wish there were some other-"
           The President was interrupted by a buzzing sound behind her. She, as well as everyone else, turned to see what it was. They were surprised to find a teleport sequence finishing up. As it did, it left Fulgore-X in its place. He stood holding Karen Connors, who lay unmoving in his arms.
           Everyone seated at the table jumped up. Dr. Carlos was suddenly very aware of the plasma rifle he held in his hands. Orchid, Thunder, and Jago tensed up. They did not expect a fight, especially like this, but it would be foolish not to be prepared at least.
           Fulgore-X didn't say a word. He looked around the room briefly, then began moving to the right of the table. Everyone watched him intensely. Fulgore-X carefully went down to one knee and gently sat Karen in one of the empty chairs at the table. He stood up and, taking one more look around the room, teleported out.
           Everyone remained somewhat frozen despite Fulgore-X's departure. Secretary McTaggert was the first to break the ice.
           "It scares the hell out of me how easily they're able to just come and go like that."
           Dr. Carlos turned to Karen, and quickly examined her. "She's not dead…I don't think anything is broken…but her breathing is extremely slow, and so is her heart rate. I think she's going to be okay, but we should get her some medical assistance ASAP." He strapped the plasma rifle and picked up Karen. "If you'll excuse me, Madam President." He said as he left.
           "How horrible." President Harrison said. "What did they do to her?"
           "I imagine Azrael was after the same thing we were." Thunder said. "Information. Only, he was probably willing to go to greater lengths to get it."
           "This actually might be a break for us." Orchid said. "She worked on all three Fulgore cyborgs, including their weapons systems. She may be able to give us better technical specifications on those weapons that were just brought back. If she can substantially boost the energy output…we might just have a fighting chance."
           "Yeah, but last time we saw her, she wasn't willing to help out. At all." Thunder stated.
           "That may be, but did you see the condition she was brought back in? I'd be willing to bet her tune has changed since then. As soon as she wakes up let's get her up to speed."
           "That's kind of harsh, isn't it?" President Harrison. "She was just brought back, and it looks like she went through hell."
           "No offense, Madam President, but we don't have the time to cater to anyone at this point. Whatever resource we have, we must use. If she still isn't willing to help…then leave that to me."
           Thunder and Jago both turned to look at Orchid. Although they both knew very little about her past, they did understand that she was a military operative. They didn't know how many times or to what extent, but they knew that Orchid had been captured and tortured for information. They also knew that she had done the same. They were taken aback to hear Orchid even allude to this, given the condition Karen had been returned in.
           "Okay, well, I think we've done enough for the moment." President Harrison said. "Let's take lunch and come back at 1330 hours to figure out where we're going from here. Dismissed." She and the others left the room. Jago was quickly behind. Orchid watched him leave, then turned and stopped Thunder before he could exit.
           "Hey, Thunder, you got a minute?" She asked.
           Thunder stopped. "Yeah, sure. What's up?"
           Orchid paused. "It's…it's about Jago. There's been something different about him lately. I dunno, we're all carrying a heavy burden, but it just seems like he's got something extra on his shoulders."
           "It does seem that way, doesn't it?"
           "So, I was just wondering, if maybe you knew something? Maybe he's talked to you, or mentioned something…?"
           Thunder fell silent. He looked away.
           Orchid didn't hesitate. "You know something, don't you?"
           "Perhaps I do. But even if I did, it's not my place to say."
           "It is your place. We both know that no matter how hard we try to upgrade those weapons, they'd never even scratch Azrael. At some point, if we can, we're going to have to fight him. If Jago is distracted, that won't be of any use to us.
           Thunder turned to Orchid. "Oh. Is that it?"
           "What do you mean, 'is that it'? That's pretty important, I'd say."
           Thunder closed his eyes, as if trying to erase something. "Yes, Orchid, I do know something. But I can't tell you. That is something you have to resolve with Jago yourself. As a sister, to a brother. If you can't do that…" Without another word, Thunder left the room silently.

New York City

           Azrael, Fulgore-X, and Julie stood in one of the deserted New York City streets with their heads craned upwards. Azrael was smiling.
           "I am pleased to present to you our new home," he said. "Welcome to Megiddo Tower."
           "Well, you certainly have a knack for building imposing towers of death." Julie said. "Nothing says 'welcome to my city' better than a big 'ol black spire slicing through the sky."
           Megiddo Tower, as Julie had alluded to, was large and black. She counter one hundred fifty floors, and the building itself was as wide as four city blocks. The entrance sat atop a dull gray stairway, which itself was about two stories high.
           "…What?" Azrael said innocently. "I like black." He motioned forward, and the trio went up the stairs and inside the building.
           "Good Lord." Julie said in astonishment. Although Fulgore-X said nothing, he echoed her sentiments.
           Directly in front of them was a computer kiosk. It was cylindrical, charcoal gray, and stood seven feet tall. Beyond that, the entire lobby floor had been done in marble. Magnificent pillars rose up from the floor, and trees were planted at seemingly random intervals across the floor. In the distance, at the center of the floor was a water fountain. There were also tiny rivers flowing about here and there on the floor. Sunlight poured in from the vast windows that lined each wall.
           "Well, shall we go up?" Azrael asked. He went over to a shaft in the left corner. Julie and Fulgore-X entered behind him. Julie looked up – the shaf went all the way up the building. It was very well lighted, with blue lights tracing what appeared to be doors on each floor. Julie looked around, but didn't see any evidence of a lift system.
           "No elevators?" Julie inquired.
           "Those who can fly have no use for such a thing." Azrael answered. "Although there are lifts within this building, this way is faster and more efficient." With that, they flew up the ascension chamber, with Azrael stopping them at the sixty-fifth floor. The hallways, or at least this one in particular, greatly resembled the Ultratech hallways. Azrael lead them to a door which also had an Ultratech feel to it, with a computer interface at the side, a blue design on the door, and the worlds "Control Room" on the right side. The door opened automatically.
           The new Control Room was two stories high. The first level had workstations scattered about on the floor. The walls were lined with computer terminals. In the center of the room was a large circular interface. The second level was made by a steel grated walkway that extended about twenty feet from each wall except the back one. This left a fairly large hole in the center. The second level similarly had many workstations, as well as larger research areas. On the wall opposite the door was a huge video screen. It sat halfway between the first and second levels.
           Azrael walked over to the circular interface in the center of the room. Fulgore-X took a good look at it. It was divided into three sections, which appeared to be color-coded; black, blue, and red. Azrael stood behind the black section. The entire surface of the interface was composed of touch sensitive computer panels and video screens. Additionally, there was some kind of projector in the center.
           "This is the new Control Room." Azrael said. "Here is the primary interface, and you both have your own terminals on it." Azrael pressed a few keys on his, and a panel opened up presenting two data rods. Azrael gave them to Fulgore-X and Julie. "This is detailed information about every floor in Megiddo Tower."
           "Oh." Julie said flatly. "I was kind of hoping for a guided tour."
           "Well, I'll tell you at least that I have provided space for the both of you. Fulgore-X, I have given you an office on the fifty-fifth floor. I think I've adequately prepared it with whatever you need, but if you find something missing please notify One-A. Julie, you have living quarters on the seventy-fifth floor. I have also prepared another room for whatever…guest…you choose to have join us. I hope this is satisfactory."
           "Yeah, more than, thanks." Julie said.
           "It is satisfactory." Fulgore-X said.
           "Oh, and one more thing." Azrael continued. "I have allocated space on the thirty-seventh floor for food storage. You should he able to store at least two hundred years worth of food supplies. The thirty-sixth floor is a natural preserve, and you may use part of that space for agriculture and livestock, if you wish. This is in case we can't think up a better food solution for you, or you choose not to complete your enhancements."
           Julie was confused. "Wait, 'complete my enhancements'? What do you mean by that?"
           "When I worked on re-animating you, I only gave you the equipment necessary to bring you back to life, and give you your current abilities. I left the rest of your human biological systems intact, because I didn't feel it was my choice to make. If you so choose, you can have more cybernetics integrated into your body, which will eliminate the need for things like food and sleep. It will also effectively eliminate whatever claims to the human race you still have.
           "Only necessary equipment?" Julie thought, surprised. "I'm more human than I thought I was?"
           Azrael read Julie's facial expression. "Oh, well, that's a choice for another time. If there's nothing else, I have a rather important issue at hand."
           Neither Fulgore-X or Julie raised any objections, verbally or visually.
           Azrael turned to Fulgore-X. "Fulgore-X, please try to teleport somewhere. Anywhere will do."
           Fulgore-X looked blankly at Azrael at first, but then tried to initiate his teleport. The familiar blue columns of light appeared, but this time they faded in and out, and distorted badly. The humming sound that usually accompanied a teleport also changed in pitch. The teleport struggled, going nowhere. Fulgore-X stopped the process.
           "The hell?" Julie said. She tried to initiate a teleport as well, but with the same results.
           "The Alphas discovered this this morning," Azrael said, "when they tried to teleport some materials inside of the building. All teleport devices have been affected – all Fulgore cyborgs, even the brand new ones, the ones used in Megiddo Tower, and even the ones back at Ultratech. All of our teleporters just don't work."
           Since her revival, Julie had felt more of a connection with Fulgore-X than with Azrael. She felt as if they had something in common, that there were here under the same circumstances. Because of that, Julie had gone through the trouble of creating special communication channels that could be used between her and Fulgore-X exclusively, that would not be picked up by anyone else. She decided to use one of these channels now.
          SC_10135p:6_ teleporters have been off-line since this morning? then how did you…
          SC_10135p:2_ i had to leave the city in order to teleport. teleports don't work at all within the city limits
          SC_10135p:6_ if you couldn't teleport back in, then how did you get back?
          SC_10135p:2_ i made an entrance.
           Julie was somewhat surprised by this answer, but hid it well.
           "Could this be something the humans did?" Fulgore-X asked.
           "I doubt it." Azrael said. "I don't believe they have the ability to do such a thing. But I won't completely discount it. We should take care. Julie?"
           "Hm?"
           "I'd like you to look into this – figure out why our teleporters aren't working, and how to fix them."
           "Allright, sure."
           "Please report anything you find out to me at once."
           Julie only nodded.
           "If you'll excuse me," Azrael said, and quickly left the room.