Where am I? How did I get here? I see nothing, feel nothing. None of my senses are working, yet I know that I should have senses. Is no one else here? I seem to be falling, or, perhaps, rising. But other than this 'seeming', I sense no movement.
Has time passed? I wonder at who I am. I know I should have an identity, but what that is I do not know. I know nothing of my past. Do I have a past? Of course, all people have pasts of one sort or another. I have memories of a world full of people, yet I do not know how I came about those memories. "I think therefore I am," someone wrote long ago. Who it was, I cannot recall but that person was important for some reason. Who _am_ I that I know these things and more, but not myself. My _self_.
Is that movement I sense? What a wonderous thing! I believe it is! I still do not know anything about myself, but my senses seem to be returning. If indeed I had them to begin with. I feel doubt as to that. Something inside myself tells me that I only came to be quite recently. But if that is so, then how did I get all these memories of worldly events? I am a person, am I not? Does everyone go through this process at birth? Is this what birth feels like?
I can see a brightening around me. And _sounds_!
"It seems to be functioning, Doctor Havoric," the assistant said into the microphone on his lapel. Moments later an attractive older woman stepped into the lab and looked into the vat of chemicals.
"Yes. A little earlier than expected. Run the tests, Dontal. Before it awakens, I want to make certain that its primary instructions are fully imbedded."
"Of course, Doctor. What about what we discussed?" Doctor Havoric studied the instrument panel thoughtfully.
"I don't see that there will be any problems of that sort. No, we'll send it out as-is once the imbedding takes place. I'll return shortly." With that she left the lab and went to her office. After locking the door, she went to her desk and opened a coded file on her computer. Within moments a window opened with a shadowy figure framed in red.
"Yes?" the speakers asked.
"It is almost completed," Doctor Havoric reported. She hated having to deal with these people, but that was the only way she was able to get this project done. "We should be able to set it loose within a few days, after we run some tests."
"And this thing will bring back reports of this so called _magic_ phenomenon?" The doctor had to steel herself so that she gave nothing away.
"It will report," she replied, then added to herself, _And more. Much, much more._ "I'll let you know what we find out."
"Thank you, Doctor. Your work will be appreciated. That is all." The window closed and Doctor Havoric made certain that she could not be spied upon through the computer.
"_Magic_," she spat. "I'll show those magic-users. And once I'm finished with them, I'll make sure the Nexus follows."
She hated the Nexus and all it stood for, but most of all, she hated anyone who used magic. When she was a child, Gabrielle Havoric had enjoyed magic, her best friend had magic and he was always showing her new tricks he'd learned.
But, a day came when he stopped showing her tricks. In fact, he'd become quite upset when she asked to see some. The change was so sudden that she didn't know what to make of it and he would not explain, no matter how hard she pleaded with him. The final blow came when her friend used his magic against her, causing her much embarassment, then laughed cruelly. He disappeared soon after and Gabrielle swore vengence on all magic-users.
When it was discovered that all the magic-users on Poreah had left into the newly discovered (from Poreah's viewpoint) Nexus, the government made the Nexus off-limits to all Poreahns without official permission. In-comers were taken into custody whenever possible and kept for interrogation. None outside the government ever knew if these people/creatures were released back into the Nexus.
Gabrielle had gone on to become a successful bio-engineer and soon had a contract from the government for a special project. She saw her chance for vengence and made some secretive additions to the programming for the project. If discovered, she would be arrested and most likely mind-wiped. But once her creation was set loose, it would be too late for the government to do anything about it. No one would be able to recall her vengence.
I can see clearly now! And I understand so much more than I had. This _is_ my birth, unusual as it is in regards to the birth of most other beings. And there, _she_ would be my mother. So said, that one must be my father, though there is nothing in my memories that tells me such. I can think my own thoughts and make assumptions based on observed facts. In this way I learn as a being would and I have all the functions of a being.
Yet, I am different. My womb was this vat of liquid, not that of a being. And I have abilities unlike those of most beings. In my memories, there has never been another such as I. Could this be true? I can understand the reasoning behind my existance, but would it not be more efficient for others like myself to be made? Where I'm to go is vast indeed, and it shall take me many years/cycles to carry out my instructions. There must be a greater reasoning for this than I am able to comprehend so I must think upon it more.
"It's alive, Dontal!" Doctor Havoric said with fierce excitement. "Look at it! It's adjusting to its environment, just as I'd hoped."
"I never thought we'd be able to make it actually learn beyond its programming," Dontal commented to Doctor Havoric's annoyance. "You can almost see its mind making connections between its stored memories and the world around it. How soon until we test it outside the lab, Doctor?"
"Soon," she replied off-handedly as she checked the bio-readouts. All was as it should be and not a trace of her additional programming. Perhaps, if given time, someone would discover it embedded in what was supposed to be there. But this _thing_ would be long gone by then. Doctor Havoric felt no familial ties to what had been made from one of her own eggs. All it was to her was a creature of her will, to be used as she wished. Dontal said something which she didn't hear. "What?"
"My appologies, Doctor. But we'll need to begin the physical tests now," the assistant repeated. She waved him off, lost once again in thought.
Dontal was getting more annoyed by the Doctor each day. He was glad that his part in this project was near its end. He had attempted to personalize the creature within the lab in the beginning. But the Doctor had berated him soundly for it, afterwhich he chose his words carefully around her.
Looking at the culmination before him, it was difficult to think of the "newborn" as a thing. _No indeed_, he thought proudly. _That is most definately a she._ It was hard to imagine that such beauty had come from Doctor Havoric. Dontal made up his mind to give her a name. The Doctor wouldn't, of course. As far as she was concerned, the newborn had no need for anything but the project desgnation "Seeker - 15".
He'd been toying with the idea for a while now and had come up with the perfect name for such beauty. Angelica. This was a name from ancient times, rarely used anymore, giving image to a radiant being full of hope and mercy. Doctor Havoric wouldn't approve, but nor would she do more than scold him for giving "It" a name.
Angelica seemed, to Dontal, to be more his own child than Doctor Havoric's. He would do all in his power to protect her from her egg-donor's bitterness. It was doubtful that he'd ever see the young woman again, but he would always hope that she would come to him someday. On that day, Dontal would take her in and give her the love a devoted father would his only child.
To this end, he had put in a little extra programming of his own. Nothing overt, of course, just a little something which would give her a sense of belonging. She would have the feeling that there was someone who would love her regardless of what may come. Dontal could not know the turmoil this would cause Angelica combined with Doctor Havoric's own tampering.
"'Day 10. Project is proceeding faster than expected. It is my opinion that we will be able to send Seeker - 15 out ahead of schedule.'" Doctor Havoric stopped the recorder and continued watching the holovid. After a moment she shook her head then continued. "'My assistant seems to have grown entirely too attatched to Seeker - 15. I recommend a thorough examination of Assistant James' actions and possible exemption from further projects.
"'Seeker - 15 is now able to emulate humans with 67% accuracy and will undoubtedly be exceptional in the field. It is entirely possible, in my opinion, that we should go ahead with this program design in a second Seeker. From the small amount of knowledge we've gained through interrogations, there's always a chance of mishap in what is called the Nexus. I..." She stopped the recorder as Dontal entered her office. "Yes, what is it?" she asked coldly.
"Doctor, I'm thinking it might be time for a more practical test for Ang... Seeker - 15."
"Mr. James, you dissappoint me with your infatuation with this _thing_. It is an object to be used, nothing more. However, you may be correct about a practical test. Take it out and do, well, whatever it is that people do socially. Perhaps then you can see for yourself that it is not a person. It is your responsibility to see that nothing happens to Seeker - 15 and I expect a _full_ report in the morning. Dismissed." With a brief nod, Dontal turned and left. Once the door was closed, Doctor Havoric continued with her own report.
"What is this place, Dontal?" Angelica asked.
"It's called a theatre," he told her as they stood in line. "They do plays here."
"Oh! When people dress as other people and portray them for entertainment." Dontal was encouraged by her excitement but he put his hand on her shoulder to keep her enthusiasm from disturbing the other patrons in line.
"Exactly. I have a box seat so we'll have an excellent view of the play. This one is 'Romeo and Juliet'," he told her aloud. Then in a whisper, "I want you to not only watch the play, but also you should watch the audience. This will give you an excellent opportunity to examine people's reactions to certain stimulae." Dontal watched as she thought over what he'd just said then accepted it, thinking how wonderful it was that her reactions were so readable, yet fearful that it might make her much too vulnerable to those she was supposed to report on.
They finally made it into the theatre and Dontal led Angelica up the right stairway and on to his box. Ordinarily he came here alone (only occassionally taking a date) but tonight he, in his heart, was bringing his child. He knew it was foolish to think of her so, but he couldn't help it and nothing could stop him from believing her to be his daughter, not even Havoric's cold heart. He watched the young woman indirectly as she watched everything going on within the theatre. In fact, though Dontal had seen the play before, he could not say one way or the other if the play was good until the audience had applauded.
Dontal took Angelica to a restaurant after the play and spoke to her at length of her observations and reactions to both the play and the audience. As to the former, well, she _knew_ of plays since they were programmed into her memory, but she had no real basis to determine if it had been good or not. Dontal told her to just tell him how she felt about it.
"It was interesting," she answered hesitantly. "I don't understand why they killed themselves, however. It would seem to me that suicide would be a waste of a valuable resource. They could have done so much if they had continued living." Dontal shook his head.
"That wasn't really the point, Angelica. They were so much in love with one another that they couldn't bear to live without the other. It hurt them to see their lover dead."
"Oh, love. Am I capable of love?" Dontal wasn't prepared for that question so was nonplussed when it came.
"Uh, well I suppose so. You _are_ human, Angelica. You just grew up differently, that's all. I'm sure someday you'll find someone who you'll want to spend the rest of your life with."
"I hope not. It seems to only bring misery. I'd not want that." Dontal was silent for several minutes as they ate, then began asking her questions of her observations about the audience.
"Seeker - 15 is ready for departure," Doctor Havoric announced to the Board members two months later. "It has passed every test we've given it and is quite capable of passing for a human."
"What's the chances of it turning against us?" one woman asked with worry.
"That is always a possibility, of course. But the odds are so slim, I don't think we'll have to worry about it. Besides, its programming won't allow it to return here. Its reports will be via the remotes it'll set up as it goes through this Nexus."
"Still, I think we'll all rest easier if there could be extra safeguards against this thing's return," the Chairman told the doctor. "Perhaps if it was given some device which will deactivate it if it comes through the doorway to our world." Doctor Havoric thought the Board to full of stupid people, though she thought most people to be as dumb as a screw anyway.
"It's not a machine. Sir. However, we can make a device which will warn us as well as incapacitate it."
"Please do so. We wouldn't want it walking among us, pretending to be human." Doctor Havoric noticed most of the Board shuddering at the thought and smiled to herself.
"Of course, sir. It'll only take a couple days to fix something up. I'll want to send it out right after that." The Chairman simply nodded, both in agreement as well as dismissal.
Angelica took a look towards where Dontal and Doctor Havoric were watching from the security booth then looked at the portal. She knew all that she could know of the types of creatures she would find (though this by no means covered even a 100th of the populace of Nexus). When she heard the signal, she walked to the portal and through to find herself in...
... Hagershin's Run. At least that was according to the information Angelica had received. From the reports it was a small world in the group of worlds called Nexus. This would do as a starting point for Angelica but she would only stay long enough to find out more about this Nexus and get a map of it. According to the report, the captured beings had claimed that there could never be a map of Nexus - that it was so large and continuously changing that mapping it would be futile. But in the experience of the Poreahn government officials, _everything_ could be mapped. They figured that these beings were simply attempting to deceive their captors. Angelica only knew what she'd been given to know - which was that she needed to find out the truth about the Nexus and its magic-users, then make reports back to Poreah. She did have a rough map of this particular world - as well as a few others said to be connected to it - so she made her way to the closest city.
She encountered a few odd beings and many humans during her journey. When they attempted to converse with her, however, she politely informed them that she was in search of her soul. This, she was told, would warn others away from her without giving rise to suspiscions. The young woman could sense that her answer was causing confusion to those she'd informed, so decided to find another explanation to justify her desire to travel alone. But that had to be done later, when she had the leisure to examine what she'd witnessed during the day. As she entered the city - there were only three and the other two were mere villages - Angelica noticed that she was being followed. Thinking it to be a Nexus spy sent to keep her from finding the truth, she simply wandered the city, searching for a place to watch her watcher. She found an open eating area where she sat which would allow her to see what this being was up to.
He appeared to be a normal human, but her training told her that not all humans were actually human. Some could be scaly creatures who feed on human flesh then inhabit the skin in order to find more victims by themselves. In Angelica's opinion this person could very well be one of those. He tried to be inconspicuous as he watched her and it seemed that he hungered.
She had seen the same look on a few of the humans of Poreah. She hadn't thought to ask Dontal, but now she realized that Poreah may have been inflitrated by the very enemy that Angelica was sent to seek out and report on. She had to get more information on these creatures - find out their weaknesses so they could be destroyed before they take over Poreah. She needed to be closer to the creature in human form without arousing its suspiscion.
Angelica went over her training in her mind and came upon an idea. She wasn't certain it would work on such a creature, but she should be able to allay any suspicions. The young woman mentally prepared herself then made eye contact with her pursuer/quarry. Its reaction was odd, it looked around as if attempting to determine what she was looking at. Angelica stood and sauntered over as she'd seen in the various plays Dontal had taken her to. The creature seemed even more surprised when she sat down at his table - Angelica figured that perhaps he wasn't used to his prey confronting him.
"Hello," she said in a husky voice which she'd noticed in several of the movies she'd been shown. This type of voice was supposed to be some sort of attractant to males though Angelica couldn't see how and no one at the institute had been able to explain it.
"Yes, hello. My name's Daxteel Jorgan," the creature returned. It was attempting to speak as if it was human - most likely to get Angelica's guard down - but Angelica was wise to its motives.
"Angelica James," she told it - using Dontal's last name without even thinking about it. "I wonder if I may dine with you. I so dislike dining alone."
"Uh, yeah, sure." Now she'd find out if this creature could eat as a human would at least. Everything she could find out about it would help her determine how to deal with it. "You, uh... Are you from around here?" This was possibly meant to find out if there were anyone who would notice her absence. She wanted it to think her an easy prey.
"No, I'm new to Hagershin's Run. Just arrived today. You?"
"I've been on-world for about a month. I could maybe show you around some. I mean, if you don't have any plans."
"Well, I do have my research to do," she told him - using the excuse that she'd been told would allow her to ask questions when she needed to. The creature looked worried that its prey would escape. "However, perhaps it would be pleasant to have someone so handsome to walk with." Angelica saw its pleased expression and smiled.
"It would be my pleasure." The waiter came over to take their order and Angelica allowed Daxteel to order for her - since she didn't really know what of this world's foods were considered good.
After their meal - and some conversation which more and more convinced Angelica of this creature's intentions - they got up and left the table. Angelica was determined not to be alone with this creature, though she was almost certain she could overcome it with the physical training she'd been provided. Daxteel took her to a few of this world's shopping centers. In each one she noticed shops dedicated to magic and made a mental note to return to them once she'd discovered all she could about the creatures invading her world.
Daxteel couldn't figure this woman out. She was obviously interested in him but she seemed odd somehow. True, he wasn't used to such a beautiful woman showing him more than a passing interest, but something he couldn't put a finger on just didn't feel quite right. In fact, she was acting like someone from some old movie he'd seen from another world - Earth or Terra (those backwoods people couldn't even agree on how their world was called). Now and then he'd come across an Earth movie in his travels but he could always tell where they came from as opposed to the more entertaining ones from other worlds. Daxteel figured that this woman was probably from one of those worlds which considered Earth movies to be how humans actually lived in the Nexus.
Well, backwoods or no, this woman was definately desirable so he'd stick with her for a while.
Daxteel was enjoying himself. He loved to talk and this gorgeous woman was allowing him to talk for all he was worth. Now and then he'd ask her about her own world, but she only gave short answers which didn't really satisfy his curiosity. It was as if she was purposely hiding information about herself.
He took her to a nightclub he'd been frequenting since he came to Hagershin's Run. It featured songs from many of the worlds of Nexus (in fact some of the songs from Earth were also played and, unlike that world's movies, they seemed to be quite popular). Daxteel was amazed that this woman didn't know how to dance so he set out to show her.
Angelica allowed the creature to teach her what it called "dancing", but thought it to be its way of attempting to soothe her into complacency. There was also something it called a "Long Island Ice Tea" which decidedly didn't taste like any tea she'd ever tried. After a few sips, Angelica discovered that it made her feel odd and vowed not to drink it since it might be how the creature makes its victims succumb to its will.
Now and then a song would play which she knew to be from her own world and this only convinced her more that these creatures were over-running her world. She would have to report this, of course, but didn't yet have enough knowledge of these creatures to give her superiors. She didn't know how long she could continue on with this creature before it would decide to eat her however. It was then that she saw what she'd been sent out to seek.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is our honor to present to you this evening, a person known all over Hagershin's Run for his amazing feats of magic. Not the usual magic which anyone who travels the Nexus might find, but magic which would amaze even the most skilled of magic-users." The voice coming over the speakers was male and the stage - which had been dark - was being awashed with swirling, colored lights. "He has chosen to remain here on his homeworld so that only we could have the benefit of his vast abilities.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you, the amazing, extrodinary, utterly fantastic Magearn K'olari!" Suddenly there was a large puff of smoke on the stage. When it cleared a man stood there dressed in a silvery suit which reflected the lights, filling the entire room with rainbow dots. Angelica could not believe her luck. She ignored whatever it was that Daxteel was saying and watched the performance.
Daxteel couldn't figure out what was so interesting about the so-called "magic-user" on the stage. He'd seen real magic being done and this was nowhere near being real. Yet these people - particularly Angelica - were actually awed by him. They were nice tricks, but that's all they were. Daxteel tried to engage Angelica in conversation but was ignored. He sat there, not even bothering to look interested, because this young woman intrigued him. At times it was like she was born yesterday or something, she was so naive. He felt it was his duty to protect Angelica from those who would take advantage of her. He tried to tell himself that this was the only reason he stayed.
Angelica was amazed at the magic being displayed for all to see. She was also a bit disturbed by it. If he was publicly showing these particular magical gifts, what was he holding back? Could he be dangerous to Poreah? She would have to evaluate what she was seeing versus what she didn't now see. The only was to do that would be to meet with this mage in private, but that would mean possibly losing sight of this flesh-eating creature. It couldn't be helped. Her first priority had to be the mage, that is what she was designed for. She decided to leave before the show was over and return to follow the mage when he left this establishment.
"I'm tired," she told Daxteel. "I believe I'll go to my room at the inn now." Daxteel looked up from the table where he'd been doodling with his finger in the ale he'd spilt.
"What? Tired? Oh, okay. I'll walk you back." Not exactly what she'd planned.
"Thank you," she said and allowed him to lead her out. He was fairly easy to get rid of, at least once Angelica had promised to see him the next day.
She changed into a dark outfit which covered most of her body and climbed out the third-story window. Using the back alleys, Angelica moved quietly to the nightclub then peeked her head inside to assure herself that the mage was still there. She snuck around to the back entrance and hid among some wooden crates stacked haphazardly near the door. After ten minutes of waiting, the door finally opened and the mage emerged with a look of tiredness on his face.
Angelica pressed herself against the wall as he passed her unawares then followed silently behind. She made certain to keep track of where they were going so she could easily find her way back to the inn. After passing through the city proper, they came to a house on the outskirts and the mage unlocked the door and went inside. She crept around the house, trying each window, until she found one open then quietly went inside. For the house of a mighty mage, Angelica felt it was much too easy to get in so she became extra wary so as not to fall into any magical traps.
The mage had gone directly to the kitchen where Angelica watched him for several moments while deciding upon a course of action.
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