Summary:

On the planet Des, the human race has given up on full out wars. Instead, they hold small tournaments between teams of people. However, they don’t fight on their own. They use shape shifting mechanical creatures known as Genos, a human creation using the power of Sacri crystals. A group known as the GRC monitors the battles, reigning as the supreme power on the planet. However, there are people who wish to overthrow them and take over, bent on changing the world back to what it was: a war zone. The GRC is onto this, and with the help of ace “knight” Ray Cayden, they tend to stop them. However, Ray has her own problems and a past she doesn’t want to deal with. She gets help from a battle team, headed by the renowned Doctor Solaris and his two sons. But it seems that no one can help Ray, and her dark secret doesn’t make it any easier. Scars from the past take a long time to heal.

--

CHAPTER 1
The Knight

A pair of double doors slid open, a small gust of air blowing into the face of a young man. He stepped lightly into the large room, carrying himself with the grace of pride and prestige. His gray and black uniform blended with the dark colors of the interior, the computer monitors providing the only light against the desolate walls. The steady hum of the machinery was like music to his ears as he walked with his hands behind his back, his chin up, his eyes focused. His ear length silver hair was kept neatly, styled to perfection. His cold blue eyes scanned the room as he walked, but he made it look as if they never once strayed from the main monitor.

“General,” called out an officer sitting at his desk, grabbing the young man’s attention. The general’s expression never once faltered, and his eyes didn’t blink as he held the man’s position in them.

“What is it?” he asked in a calm and monotone voice.

“Two of our men out by the desert post have spotted something. We think it might be a knight.” There was a small glint in the general’s eyes at the mention of the title used when referring to an elite officer of the GRC, the Geno Regulation Commission.

“Sir,” began another official, drawing a glance from the superior. “We’re getting an incoming message from our desert post.” The general turned his attention to the large screen on the far wall of the room.

“Put it through,” he commanded, and the officer quickly carried out his order. The bright screen soon flashed gray, filling with static. The sound buzzed throughout the room, but the general didn’t seem to mind. His cold eyes were staring intently at the screen as he waited for the message.

“General Ramirez,” said a voice over the static. “We’ve sited a knight.”

“Elaborate,” demanded Ramirez.

“It’s a woman, probably in her late teens, early twenties. She’s currently without her Geno.” A cold smirk crossed the general’s face.

“You two know what to do,” he told them. “Take care of her.”

--

A loud beeping noise echoed off the walls in the huge room. The officials inside were all trying to figure out where it was coming from, but they couldn’t seem to locate it no matter how hard they tried. The alarm just wouldn’t cease its ringing, and thanks to the circular shape of the room, the noise was even worse.

All of the men sitting at their desks were clicking away at their computers, trying to figure out just what was going on. As soon as they got the message that was being sent, they’d be able to display it on the huge black screen at the front of the room. They had to figure out something though, or that noise would drive them all insane.

The doors to the room were suddenly thrown open, banging loudly against the metal walls. Two men and a woman walked in, each wearing a military style uniform composed of grays and browns. They walked towards the main monitor, all the while looking at the surrounding officials.

“What’s going on here?” asked the man in front, his dark green eyes showing his aggravation. “And what is that noise?”

“We’re not sure yet,” responded one of the officers as he typed away furiously on his keyboard.

“Sir!” shouted an official from the right. The man turned to him, awaiting a continuation to his exclamation. “There’s an incoming message…a distress message. It’s coming from the western desert.” The man cursed under his breath before turning towards the main screen in the room.

“Put it on the monitor,” he ordered. The official did as he was told. The screen went blank, but not long after, it was filled with an image of a girl.

“General Gordan,” said the young woman over the voice communicator. She was speaking into a device no bigger than a watch that was strapped onto her wrist. “I have a small problem,” she continued. Her silvery blue hair was swaying wildly back and forth as she ran forwards. There was a hint of worry in her cherry colored eyes, but only one of them was visible. Her straight, shoulder length hair covered the left side of her face, not seeming too bothered by her sprinting.

“Ray, what’s going on?” asked General Gordan.

“I ran into a little trouble in the desert,” she explained, earning her an agitated expression from the general.

“This was only an observation mission,” he told her, his left eye twitching a bit. “What happened?”

“Well…” she began, but gunfire from behind caused her to duck down as she ran.

“Ray, answer me,” he demanded, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

“While I was observing them, they kinda found me,” she explained. “I don’t have my Geno, sir.” Gordan cursed under his breath again as he clenched his fists. “I require backup.”

“I can go,” said the man at Gordan’s side, an official with very light blond hair and crystal blue eyes. “Send me, please.” The screen soon jumped, the connection weakening.

“I’m losing my connection,” said Ray with a hint of panic in her voice. After that, the screen went blank, filling the room with the familiar buzz of static. Everyone fell silent.

“Brian,” spoke Gordan, catching the blonde’s attention. “I want you to take your Geno and head out to the desert. Find Ray and bring her back.” Brian nodded before leaving his general’s side. Gordan just turned to the monitor, a forlorn look in his eyes. Come back alive, Ray.

--

A gun shot rang out across the desert. Ray ducked down to avoid the bullet that she was sure had been aimed at her. She kept running, swerving occasionally to avoid gunfire from the two men while doing her best not to trip on the sand below.

“You won’t get away!” shouted one of them as he waved his gun around like a madman. Ray paid him no mind as she kept her eyes and ears open. If she were to stray from her pace, they’d catch up to her. She glanced at her communication device. The signal was completely gone. She could no longer get through to her base.

“Damn it, this just isn’t my day,” she mumbled to herself as she kept running, her light jean jacket blowing in the wind of her momentum. At least she was dressed accordingly for a sprint through the desert. Her jean shorts made running a breeze, and her white, short sleeved shirt was only covered by a light jacket. Her black boots were great for running, designed especially for her.

Another gun shot rang out, but she managed to dodge it again. She picked up her pace a little, scanning her surroundings. There was sand, sand, and more sand. In no way was that a good thing.

“If only the ground was flat,” she said, wishing she was anywhere but here. She glanced at the backpack on her back. In it was an assortment of items, but none of them could help her in the desert during a situation like this.

She turned her attention back to the landscape before her, and she noticed a small gorge. It wasn’t incredibly wide, but she knew it was pretty deep. Also, it extended all the way towards the next city.

Ray smiled as a plan formulated in her mind. If she could get to the gorge, she’d have a chance at escaping. She placed her hands at her sides, fingering the two daggers she had placed on her black belt. As she got closer to the gorge, she prepared herself for what had to be done. It’s now or never.

Just as another shot rang out, Ray jumped, going over the side of the gorge. She began to fall, heading deep into the shadows of the overhanging rocks. She took the daggers and jammed them both into the side of the gorge, breaking the sand and rock wall. She continued to fall, her daggers leaving a trail as her descent slowly began to decrease. After a while, she wasn’t moving at all.

Ray hung there by her daggers, looking up towards the mouth of the gorge. The two men were most likely up there. She could soon see their outlines, both of them seeming like nothing more than shadows.

“Do you think she’s…?” questioned one of the men, his voice echoing all the way down the gorge.

“Probably,” answered the second. “I don’t think anyone could survive a fall like that, not even a knight.”

“Still…we should probably explore it with our Genos.” Ray froze at that statement.

“Yeah,” agreed the second man, his voice fading as the two most likely left the mouth of the gorge. Ray knew she had to get out of the area and fast. She was strong when it came to physical combat, but not even she was crazy enough to take on a Geno barehanded.

She began to search around with her feet, looking for a steady rock to stand on. Luckily, she found a small jutting rock. It didn’t provide her with much space to move around, but it was better than nothing. She carefully stepped onto it, praying that it would hold her. She then proceeded to get her daggers out of the wall.

As soon as she was done, she took a look around the area. She wasn’t too far off from the bottom of the gorge. There were a few more rocks like the one she was currently on. She decided to take a risky move and jump to them. She leapt from her rock and landed on one that was a little lower. She kept going, eventually finding herself at the bottom of the gorge. The bottom was more or less flat with a few jutting rocks here and there.

“Perfect,” she said to herself as she reached to her bag. She took it off of her back and opened it, pulling out what looked like roller blade wheels. There were four lined up in a row on a piece of metal shaped like the bottom of a shoe. She pressed a small button on each one and then placed it to the bottom of her boots. Electricity shot out of the metal as soon as she got it close enough. They then connected to her boots, snapping together like magnets.

Ray smiled as she stood up and swung her backpack around her shoulder, quickly putting it back on. She then took off, speeding down the gorge with precision and grace that matched that of a seasoned skater. She dodged each rock, picking up speed slowly. After a while, she knew she’d be coming up to a nearby city. She couldn’t wait. From there she could get a ride back to the base and perhaps pick up something to eat along the way.

A roar echoed throughout the gorge, causing Ray to freeze in place. She slowly turned around, and her eyes fell on a massive black creature approaching from behind. It was shaped like a feline with huge claws and rows of teeth. It greatly resembled a leopard with its sleek body and long tail. However, it was made entirely of metals, minus the colored glass eyes.

Ray quickly ducked behind a boulder. The feline was about the size of a house. She knew exactly what it was. Everyone on the planet did. It was a Geno, a genetically enhanced nero operator. Nero was a simple word that the GRC used to refer to advanced machines, especially ones like this. A Geno was basically known as a living machine.

The Geno stopped and scanned the area. It apparently couldn’t find what it was looking for, because it simply turned around and walked off. As soon as it was out of sight, Ray came out of hiding. She breathed a sigh of relief and continued on her way, wanting to place as much distance as she could between herself and the feline.

Suddenly, a few feet in front of her, something hit the ground. She stopped and shielded herself from the strong after winds of the explosion. A loud shriek soon echoed through the area. Ray spun around and looked up, dreading what she’d find. Soaring above the gorge was a large black bird, its wings spread, beating against the wind. Its yellow glass eyes were looking down at her, and she knew it would fire again.

Another bullet came towards Ray, but she leapt out of the way and took off, speeding through the gorge. She was thankful for her skates. No one could simply outrun a Geno, especially the two that were after her. The feline like one would be coming back soon; she was sure of it. They must be the men who were chasing me earlier.

Another shot rang out, and she jumped to the side as it hit the ground. Damn, they’re persistent. She picked up her speed, pushing her legs to their limit. One trip up and she was dead. Allowing herself to get distracted now was a definite no. However, when the ground began to shake a bit, she couldn’t fight her curiosity. She glanced behind her, a loud thumping sound echoing through the canyon. Before she knew it, the feline Geno was barreling towards her.

Ray turned her attention back to the pathway. The gorge would end soon, and it would involve going uphill. With two Genos chasing her, it was risky to even attempt it. However, it’s not like she had much of a choice in the matter. There was no turning back now.

When she reached the hill, she really began pushing herself, her wheels grinding against the hard, rocky ground. Every jutting rock she found she used to her advantage, taking hold and pulling herself further up. Both Genos began firing on her, so she had to swerve, cutting her speed. She kept her eyes focused as she continued the uphill climb, the two Genos getting closer and closer.

The gorge suddenly ended, and Ray found herself in the desert again, treading across a portion without sand, only a few yards from a city. She made a mad dash towards it, the flying Geno still pretty close by. She dodged fire from the two machines and soon crossed the border into the city. The Genos wouldn’t be able to follow her, or the police would find them and open fire with their own Genos. After a long chase, she could finally relax. She was safe for now.

Ray quickly went to the nearest building, a restaurant, and ran into it, her skates still on. She closed the door instantly and began panting from her long trip. She just needed a moment to catch her breath.

“What a workout,” she said to herself as she rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand.

“Hello Ray,” greeted a man at the front counter. He was currently ringing up someone’s bill. He was dressed nicely in a white dress shirt and black pants, which complimented his brown hair and eyes. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked her with a smile.

“Come on, Sam. You know the pleasure’s always mine,” she responded with a similar smile. She went over to the mirror he had near his counter and began to look over her disoriented self. She straightened her clothing and ran her fingers through her hair, making sure each piece fell back into place. The left side of her face was still shielded by her blue locks.

“Why do you wear it like that?” asked Sam, not bothering to look at her as she continued with her ministrations.

“It’s just my style,” she answered.

“Isn’t it hard seeing out of only one eye?” He gave her a quizzical glance, but she just shrugged.

“Not really,” she responded as she finished her task. She stood up straight and looked to Sam. “Can you spare any food?” Sam just sighed as he walked back to the kitchen area.

“I swear…you’re gonna put me in debt soon, Ray. It’s the same thing every week,” he complained. He came back with a bag containing lunch products. “If you weren’t a knight, you know I wouldn’t be doing this.” She took the bag and smiled brightly.

“That’s why I haven’t quit yet,” she told him. “How else would I get free meals?” She turned around and began to head to the door.

“Be careful, Ray,” he warned her. “This city is crawling with gangs, some who work for your enemies.”

“I’ll be careful, I promise.” And with that said, she skated out the door, letting it close softly behind her.

--

Ray was sitting on a park bench, swinging her legs back and forth as she finished off her sandwich. She was humming to herself, completely ignoring the fact that she didn’t have a way back to her base. It’s not like she was in any hurry anyway. As soon as she got back, there was no doubt in her mind that General Gordan would lecture her. After all, she had just failed a rather important mission. She hadn’t gotten nearly enough information yet.

A soft beeping sound suddenly started coming from the communicator on her wrist. She put the remainder of her food back in its bag and pressed a button on her watch. The lid flipped up to reveal a small screen.

“Ray, where are you?” asked General Gordan, an exhausted yet annoyed look on his face.

“Sorry,” she said, giving him a sheepish smile. “I probably shoulda called earlier.”

“Brian went out looking for you,” he informed her. “When he said he found nothing in the desert, we began to worry. You should know better, Ray.”

“Yeah, yeah, you don’t have to lecture me,” she said while leaning back on the bench. Gordan just sighed, running a hand through his brown hair.

“How is it that you can do some of the hardest tasks without breaking a sweat, yet when we send you on an observation mission, we have to send a squadron after you?” he asked her with a small glare.

Ray just smiled in response and stood up, stretching her arms over her head. She looked around, scanning the area for anyone or anything that could cause her trouble. Her eyes soon widened as she spotted two men walking through the park, apparently looking for something. She quickly dove behind some nearby bushes.

“What’s going on?” asked Gordan.

“Keep it down,” she said in a hiss. “The two guys from the desert are here. I think they’re still looking for me.”

“Ray, you need to get out of there and head back to the base.” The two men began walking towards the bushes, keeping quiet.

“Don’t you think I know that?” she hissed irritably. “I’ll head back as soon as I can, alright? I’m gonna try to get outta here.” Gordan nodded to her, and she turned off the communicator. She was going to start moving away when the bushes were suddenly parted. She spun around quickly and looked up into the faces of her stalkers.

“Hello little knight,” said one, a smirk on his face. Ray scrambled to her feet and took off on her skates, but the two men gave chase.

Ray sped down the paths of the park, and luckily, there weren’t many people on them. She dodged the few that were. She was hoping to lose the two men, but it wasn’t working. She glanced back and noticed that one was pulling out a gun. She cursed and sped up, praying he wasn’t stupid enough to fire it off in public. Her prayers weren’t answered.

The man fired his gun, the bullet coming only inches away from hitting her. She sped up and swerved, trying to stay moving so that they couldn’t shoot her. After a while, no more bullets were fired. She thought she was in the clear. However, a loud crack soon echoed through the unpopulated area of the park. Ray felt a white hot pain sear through her upper left leg, sending her to the ground. She bit her bottom lip, holding back the cry of pain that had pushed itself up her throat. She ignored the bullet wound and began to get back up. She couldn’t let them catch her. She had to get away.

“What’re you doing?” asked one of the men curiously, watching as she forced herself to her feet, blood running from the wound on her upper leg. She quickly reached to her side and drew one of her daggers. She tossed it at one of the men and lodged it in his shoulder. He cried out in pain and quickly pulled the dagger from his body.

“Stubborn one, aren’t you?” he asked angrily. He took the hilt tightly and slashed out at her with the dagger. Ray tried to step back, but her bad leg wasn’t able to support her. The dagger ripped her flesh, leaving a large gash across her stomach. The man then thrust the weapon forward, lodging it in her midriff. She gasped as the pain ran through her, making it hard to keep her mind focused.

She fell to the ground, crumpling under the agony. She looked like a rag doll as she just laid there, her hand over the hilt of the dagger still lodged in her stomach. She tried to pull it out, her hand shaking the whole time.

A cry of pain escaped her as she removed the dagger from her battered body. She watched as crimson liquid began leaking out of the hole. Her chest was burning; her leg felt like it had been shattered into hundreds of pieces. She couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore, the darkness closing in around her vision. She fell into unconsciousness, no longer caring about her fate.

“Over here!” shouted a distant voice, drawing the attention of the two men. “I heard gunfire!” Both men cursed under their breath.

“Let’s get outta here,” suggested one of the men.

“What about her?” asked the other, steeling a glance at Ray.

“Just leave her. Let her bleed to death on the pavement.” Both men turned and ran, leaving Ray lying on the park path. Coming down the path were a few police officers, followed by a teenage boy, most likely around the age of sixteen or so. His head was covered in dark blond hair, and his brown eyes seemed rather sharp, as if they never missed anything. He was dressed in a simple pair of black jeans, a white t-shirt, and a black jacket.

“Are you sure it was over here?” asked one of the officers.

“Positive,” answered the boy as he looked around the area. “I know I heard gunfire.” The officers and the boy began walking around the area. The boy was just following the path. When he turned the corner, he stopped dead in his tracks. There was a small trail of blood before him, and it lead to a young woman, her face hidden by her silvery blue hair.

The boy ran to her, quickly bending down to see the damage done. There was a bullet wound in her leg and two knife wounds on her stomach. One was a slash, the other a puncture. The boy wasn’t sure what to do. He looked around frantically for the cops, but none of them were nearby.

“Help!” he shouted, hoping to catch someone’s attention. “Get over here! I need your help!” Not long after, two cops came walking around the corner.

“What’s with all the yelling, kid?” asked one of them. His eyes soon fell on Ray, and both of the officers ran over.

“What happened?” asked the second officer.

“She’s been shot here and stabbed here,” the boy pointed out, his hands now trembling.

One of the officers got down next to Ray and placed two fingers against her neck. He searched carefully for a pulse, praying he’d find one. This woman was obviously the reason as to why they had come out here searching. However, it seemed that her attackers were long gone.

“Is she…?” asked the boy, his voice uneven. The officer pulled his fingers away and sighed in relief.

“She’s alive,” he responded, “but she needs medical attention.”

“The hospital isn’t far from here,” said the boy. “We could probably take her ourselves.” He took off his jacket, and the three of them wrapped her up in it. One of the officers gently lifted her, and they all took off down the path. The hospital was the first building at the exit of the park. They’d have no problem reaching it.

--

Ray’s cherry red eyes slowly opened, but she instantly shut them again to keep out the blinding light of the room she was in. She moaned in irritation as her eyes began to hurt, and the pain slowly returned to her body. Without thinking, she tried to sit up, but that had less than pleasant results. She hit the bed and breathed in deep as pain flooded through her chest. She decided to just lie there for now. It was far less painful.

Outside the room stood two doctors, one man and one woman. They were currently flipping through papers on a clipboard. They appeared to be looking for something but seemed to be having a few problems.

“Is this the patient they just brought in?” asked the woman doctor as she tucked a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear. The small name tag on her shirt read “Dr. Harris.”

“Yes,” responded her associate, a tall man with brown hair and black eyes. He was flipping through the papers on the clipboard.

“Look, Dr. Grey,” Harris said, peering through the window with awe in her eyes. Dr. Grey stopped his search and looked through the small window on the door to the room. “She’s already awaked.” He only smiled and looked back to his clipboard.

“What do you expect from a knight?” he asked. Dr. Harris snapped her attention to him.

“A knight?” she questioned.

“Not just any knight,” he informed her. “She’s the knight, Rayla Cayden. She’s the GRC’s best Geno pilot.”

“Amazing…she doesn’t look any older than twenty.” Dr. Grey just flipped through a few more papers and then sighed. He tucked the clipboard away and placed a hand on the doorknob.

“Well, let’s see how she’s doing, shall we?” he asked his associate.

“Doctor,” called out a younger voice. Both doctors turned, coming face to face with the blond haired boy from before. “How is she?”

“She’s doing fine,” responded Dr. Harris pleasantly. “In fact, she’s awake right now if you’d like to see her.”

“That’s alright,” he assured them a bit nervously. “I don’t need to.”

“Are you sure?” asked Dr. Grey, his hand still on the doorknob. “I’m sure she’d like to thank you.” The blonde hesitated with his answer, still seeming a bit nervous about this.

“A-alright,” he finally said. Both doctors smiled as Dr. Grey opened the door, letting them all in.

Ray’s eyes instantly went to the door as it clicked opened. Three people walked in, two of them being doctors. She wasn’t sure who the third person was. He didn’t look any older than sixteen, and his face was just a little red, perhaps out of embarrassment.

“Hello Ray,” said Dr. Grey as he set his clipboard down. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” she answered as she slowly sat up. “When can I go home?” Both doctors just smiled, amused at her question.

“Well,” Dr. Grey began, “if you think you’re up to it, you can leave today.” Ray just nodded as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She cringed as she remembered the bullet wound. The pain was a steady reminder.

“Just how did I get here?” she asked. “The last I remember, I was in the park.”

“This young man found you,” explained the Dr. Harris, motioning to the blonde. He seemed nervous as Ray’s eyes landed on him. She just smiled kindly.

“Thanks,” she told him. “The name’s Ray. What’s yours?”

“Chris,” he answered rather softly.

“Well Ray, if you’re leaving today, how do you plan to get home?” asked Dr. Grey. Ray was shaken from her tranquility, now having to ponder the question. This had been a problem earlier on in her day.

“I…haven’t really thought about it,” she said. She looked down at her communicator still on her wrist. It was smashed. She frowned deeply at the device and sighed. “Great. Just great. My communicator’s busted! If it worked, I could call Gordan, and he’d arrange for someone to pick me up.” She fell back on her bed, heaving an exasperated sigh. “This just isn’t my day.”

“Can’t you take it to a repair shop?” asked Dr. Harris

“Believe me, I’ve tried,” she said as she sat up. “None of them ever have the right parts.”

“So you’ve broken it before?” asked Grey.

“Yeah, and Gordan said this would be my last one. I’ve broken a few too many.” She just gave them a sheepish smile.

“Um…” began Chris hesitantly. “If you want to, you can see my father about it. He has a lot of rare equipment, and he’s a mechanic. He can probably fix it for you.”

“Really?” she asked, seeming interested.

“Yeah.” Ray smiled and stood up, making sure not to put too much pressure on her wounded leg. She grabbed her jacket and swung it on. Her shirt was gone, but bandages covered her upper torso. Her jean shorts were still intact at least. She quickly slipped her boots on, her roller blades still attached.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” she asked cheerfully, ignoring the rather unsure looks she was receiving.

“Are you sure you’re up to this?” asked Chris, eyeing her skeptically. People didn’t normally get out of bed an hour after being shot and stabbed. This girl was definitely a strange one.

“Of course,” she responded, taking a few steps to prove her point. She cringed a little when she put too much pressure on her injury. However, for the most part, she seemed to be okay.

“Alright then,” he told her. “Let’s get going.” He turned around and walked out the door. Ray skated past the doctors as she followed after him.

“Thanks guys,” she said. “I’ll see ya later.”

“Hopefully much later,” said Dr. Harris with a smile. Ray returned it before finally leaving the room, following after Chris. Hopefully his dad would be able to fix her communicator. After all, she really didn’t want to face the consequences if he couldn’t.