“Enlightenment: it is the process in which the human consciousness leaves the body. Equal to death, yet even more feared. This, in turn, sparks many discussions and forums about the phenomenon and its effects, but over time, it has become less important, except when the aether density reaches seventy-seven percent,” said the man to another. He chuckled, slapping his friend on he back. “Death has been relegated to a number, something more tangible than the uncertainty of a car crash or carbon monoxide poisoning or even starvation.”

The man leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. He was in civilian clothes, a loose undershirt, jacket, and black jeans. His younger friend, however, wore the full uniform of navy blue khaki pants with a belt, and a matching button-down long-sleeved shirt tucked in under the pants. The gold insignia on his shoulder caused the younger one to feel slightly uncomfortable. He dismissed those feelings as he saw the aether density lower. The second lieutenant slouched and leaned against the wall with his ranking officer.

“Sweet release, eh?” The ranking officer said. “Get everyone moving again and open up some more stations. I want to get everyone processed as fast as we can before the morning shift.”

The lieutenant nodded, saying “Yes, Major,” and stepped down the stairs towards the gates where travelers passed through. The major watched his underling bark orders at his own underlings. The lieutenant looked over to the side where an officer was waving at him. The lieutenant went over and began to speak with the traveler trying to pass through.

The major watched, hoping that they would not need any help, but then the lieutenant’s name appeared in the top corner of his vision. The major sighed and opened the “link” which allowed telepathic communication through the use of nanotechnology. What is it? The major asked before the lieutenant even had a chance to say anything.

We have a problem, sir. This man here, the name he’s given us is fake, answered the lieutenant.

Then we take him in, as protocol suggests.

Yes, but his EM signature doesn’t match anything in the database.

The major thought about it for a few seconds, and then he walked down to find a black man just under six feet with a face to make men hate him and women fall in love with him. He was sort of brooding and sulking in such a way to make him seem emotionless and without a care. The man’s dark jeans and skin tight black shirt did not help either. His shoulder length dreadlocks covered some of his face adding to his mysterious look. His eyes gave him away though. They were aimed at the floor like he was shy and embarrassed by the situation. “Hello, sir,” the major began, “I’m Major Reginald Emerson, an agent of the International Emirates Commission. Could you please tell me you origin and destination?”

The man glanced up at the major and then back to the floor. The lieutenant looked to the major and said, “He won’t speak.”

Frustrated, Emerson said, “Well, sir, the IEC has installed a network of checkpoints to discourage any terrorists from freely moving about the galaxy. I’m afraid I’m going to have to take you in to the Citadel.”

The man looked into the major’s eye and it sent a chill down his spine. Emerson’s eyes widened and somehow remembered something about a new recruit. However, the thought disappeared after a nanosecond. The man’s eyes traveled down from the major’s face and to the handgun strapped to his side.

The next moment, Emerson was staring down the end of his own gun. Emerson saw the movement and quickly replayed the events back in his head. He saw the man’s muscles twitching through the shirt, causing two chain reactions. The first chain traveled down the man’s arm to his very fingers causing him to reach out for Emerson’s gun. He spun the gun until it reached its right position and aimed it at the major. The other chain reaction was much slower and had a long way to travel. It went from the major’s eyes to his brain stem, which then controlled his own arm to grab his weapon, but his gun was already stolen.

Emerson looked into the man’s distant eyes, hoping to see some mercy. The other officers pulled out their own guns and trained them on the man. “Put the weapon down,” they shouted. The major slowly raised his hands. When he realized that the man did not react, Emerson quickly grabbed the man’s wrist and wrapped his arms around it. Then he wrestled the gun out of the man’s hand.

“Give me some cuffs,” he said as he brought the man down to the ground. The man was subdued and his hands were cuffed behind his back. “Nice job. Now you get see what the IEC is all about first hand.”

The man said nothing and he did not resist. The lieutenant smiled, “Well, I guess we know the checkpoints do work now.”

“One person is not nearly enough to justify the installation of this hassle,” Emerson said as he pulled the man up from the ground. “Let’s go, lieutenant. I want the rest of you to keep processing people as usual.”

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In a rundown garage, a group of people were separated into two groups. Two men sat on top of the hood of a car, chatting with each other. The other group was huddled together, vying for the attention of one man placed in the middle. He lifted a single finger and everyone around quieted. The lack of cacophony drew the other two men’s attention. The single man raised a piece of glass. “Ready?”

The two men on the car looked at each other. The older one nodded. “Get the money, Rigel.” The younger one scratched his cornrows and jumped off the hood, and then disappeared into the back of the car. He reappeared with a briefcase, tossing it on the hood. The older one opened it and showed the money to the others. “It’s everything. Now, I’m going to need verification of the goods, Richard.”

“Verification? Why? You don’t trust me?” Richards said, smiling. He adjusted his leather jacket so that his thick, furry lapel covered most of his face. “You know me, Donners. You even know me on a first name basis.”

“I was under the impression that Richards was your last name,” Donners said, trying to hide a smile.

“Oh no, I am Richards Fairweather.”

“Cretin extraordinaire,” Rigel quipped, but it did not get much humor out of his older partner. Richards gave Rigel the evil eye.

Then a smile crawled back onto his face. “Well, you were always cautious, Donners… I’m not sure how that didn’t rub off on your partner there. Sadly, though, I do not possess the necessary technology in order to read such a thing.”

“You didn’t say anything about required technology,” Donners said.

Rigel watched as Richards moved the glass around. It glistened in the light. Suddenly, a link popped up from an unknown source. He opened it and the words “Optical Storage Device – Eidon Legacy Project.”

“I think I’ve got something,” Rigel said.

“What are you talking about?” Donners asked.

“Turn on your Accelerators and see.”

Donners saw the downloading signal and raised his eyebrows. “I guess we’ll have to wait.”

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A man watched the glowing clouds reflecting the morning light as they moved across the sky. The clouds were a prelude to the star that was to rise above the horizon. It was earlier than he had hoped. It was cold, mist hung in the air, and he was still too tired. Pre-dawn was just not his thing.

He walked along the edge, trying to warm himself up. The city’s skyline was alien to him. There were too many skyscrapers and downtown was dense enough to form a black hole. The only thing that broke this pattern was the river which ran from north to south, cutting the entire city in half with roadways on both sides, and the area in which he was standing in right then.

It was a fairly large park with trees littered across it sparingly. It was more like a field of freshly cut grass. Stone pathways broke the park into sections and benches lined the paths. Right in the middle, though, was the large building the locals call the Citadel. It stood taller than any other building in the city and cast an overbearing shadow of the urban landscape.

This is where this man came to work at today as part of his new job. He saw a short, skinny man in a suit coming towards him, smiling from ear to ear, yet he seemed equally as tired. “Welcome, welcome,” he said, outstretching his hand to shake the man’s hand. “Casey Edmunds, right?”

“Yes, sir,” said the man.

“I’m Peter Waters, director of the International Emirates Commission Region III,” he said as he began to lead Casey toward the Citadel. “Did you find the place alright?”

Casey knew it was a joke. He smiled and nodded, using the appropriate chuckle. “Yes, I did.”

Waters looked at his watch, an old relic of the past. “Well, I guess I’ll give you the tour until Major Emerson arrives.” He motioned to the large building in front of them that tapered to a point high above them. “This is the Citadel, as you know. This is where we conduct business for all of Region III.”

They went through the automatic double doors and entered the lit building. It was eerily quiet as they walked the length of the lobby. “This place is huge,” Casey noticed as he looked around the large lobby that wrapped around a central column of elevators. He looked up and saw the upper levels.

“Two thousand feet,” Waters said. “Thanks to Rose’s relatively calm tectonic plates and weather. The first few floors are offices for our lower level employees. After that, we have our situation rooms, and labs. We also have a dozen floors dedicated just to our Accelerated Computer Engine. Just the engine itself. The floors above and below it are for monitoring it. The rest of the upper floors are just administration offices. We have our military police headquarters down below with holding cells. We’ve been using them a lot since the installation of checkpoints. And, Arias terrorists have been keeping us really busy.”

A group of men entered the empty lobby. They were all grouped around a handcuffed black man. “Who are they?”

“That’s Major Emerson,” he said, “the bald one. The others work under him.”

Emerson noticed his superior and went over to him. “You seriously need to get the IEC to take away these damn checkpoints. They’re a waste of time.”

“But it seems that you have caught someone.”

All three of them looked at the man with dreadlocks as he stood there, looking at the linoleum, complacent and not moving at all. “Yea, but he’s the only worthwhile catch we’ve had in the two months since the installations. To be honest, I think he just panicked.”

“What did he do,” Asked the director. Casey stared at the man. Instinctively, the man looked up and their eyes met and Casey could not help but feel a sense of familiarity.

“He aimed a gun at me… my gun.”

“Well, process him and if he proves to not be a risk, set him free,” said the director. He looked at his watch again. “I have to go to the port. Representative Marracks cut his time with his family on Agis to visit us today to discuss the Arias problem.”

Director Waters left the building, leaving the few men to themselves. “He forgot to introduce us properly. I’m Major Emerson and you are…?”

“Oh! I’m Casey Edmunds, your new hire.”

“Ah. Good. Follow me then.” He turned to the others. “Take him to 101.17 and restrain him. We’ll be up there in a minute.”

Casey watched as they lead the man into one of the many elevators. He loosened his tie, and said, “Why is it so hot in here?”

Emerson’s eyes stared out into space. For a few seconds, he had a blank expression on his face. Casey said his name and he snapped out of his reverie. “Sorry. Sometimes I get swept into the feed. It’s hard not to.” Emerson looked Casey up and down, raising an eyebrow at his professional looking suit. “After we’re done with this, you need to change your clothes. Well, they’re ready.”

A few moments later Emerson and Casey entered a dark room with a large window on one side. Behind the window sat the mysterious man, his arms handcuffed behind the chair. “Creepy guy, eh,” said one of the other men in the room.

“Did you get the file, Singer?” Emerson asked.

“Yup and it is a bit of conundrum,” Singer replied. “His EM signature hasn’t been registered. No matches for the fingerprints or the blood samples. And you could not even get a NNS print because of ‘electrical interference.’”

“We also found military-grade accelerators in his bloodstream, but they’ve barely been used and I honestly never seen anything like them before.”

“Interesting. Well, I’m going in.” Singer left the room. After a few seconds he appeared in the next room. He sat down across from the man. “I’m Detective Singer, I work for the IEC. You brought in because you do not possess the necessary identification to pass the checkpoint. Who are you and what are you doing here?”

The man said nothing, only looking at the table. Casey continued to get a sense of familiarity from this man. The realization was at the tip of his tongue, but it never came to fruition. He looked over to Emerson who was staring intently into the other room. “This is weird,” Casey said.

“I know. His entire body language isn’t right,” Emerson said, talking about the man’s slouching back and averted eyes.

“No, I mean I think I know him,” Casey said.

Singer continued, “We’ve found military-grade accelerators in your blood. Many conclusions can be drawn just from that. Are you a rogue soldier? A terrorist with access to stolen weaponry? You should talk now, because it’s only a matter of time before we know who you are.”

The man said nothing. After a few moments, though, he looked up to Singer with his deep black eyes. In the span of one second, those black eyes turned white hot. The lights in the room flickered on and off intermittently. Electricity arched over the man’s body, bathing the rooms in blue light. Two guards entered the room with weapons drawn, but a jolt of lightning shot from the man’s body and into the two guards, rendering them unconscious.

The man stood up, breaking his restraints and eyes full of immense power. Thunder rocked the room as lightning shot from the man’s body to the walls and table. Casey, afraid, backed into the wall. “White… white eyes,” he said quietly.

Then the show was over. All that could be seen were the man’s glowing, white eyes. Someone banged on the glass, shouting for help. It began again, with electrical currents arching from the man to the room. The room was filled with blue light, giving a face to the one shouting for help. Singer continued to beat the glass. Another great flash of light and Singer convulsed violently. Then he went limp and fell to the floor.

The room was plunged into darkness again. Not even the man’s white eyes could be seen. Emerson felt for and grabbed a subordinate’s arm. “Get everyone on this! I want this man found and apprehended!”

“Sir,” said the officer, “the entire network is down. We have no communication.”

“It must’ve been an EM field,” said another.

Emerson shook his head, even though he knew no one could see him do it in the darkness. “No, no one’s EM field is powerful enough to take out the engine. Get to the supply room and get as many flashlights as you can. The generators should come on in a few minutes.”

Emerson called Casey’s name. All he got was a weak “yes.” He followed the voice, walking carefully across the room.

“You know him?” Emerson asked.

“I think so,” Casey said. “But, for some reason, I don’t remember him.”

“Let’s put that on the backburner for now,” Emerson said. “We have to find him now.”

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Everyone was gathered around the small piece of glass, which sent a signal that could be picked up by anyone with the right technology. Currently, it was decrypting its own information. Donners’ name, a link, appeared in the corner of Rigel’ vision. He opened it, What?

We may have a problem, Donners said. Look at Richards’ eyes.

Rigel looked up and saw the darting eyes of Richards. He was no doubt communicating with his underlings. The bastard did not even try to hide it. Want me to make the first move?

No, wait until we get confirmation of the authenticity.

After a few seconds, the decryption was almost complete. The first line appeared and was superimposed on their vision. It read: 2010– Public Discovery of Aether. Rigel sighed. Noah had sent them on another useless job. Then the second line appeared.

“Eidon Legacy Project outline… recreate RAsI (Renewable Astronomical Integrator) cells in controlled environment. Then will employ RAsI into numerous products and weapon systems.” Donners said. “What is this?”

“I think its bullshit,” Rigel said. Richards rolled his eyes.

“The authenticity has been verified,” Donners said, even though the decryption was not done. “Hand it over.”

Donners outstretched his arm. Going with the flow, Rigel picked up the briefcase to hand it over as well. One of Richards’ goons took the briefcase just as Richards handed the OSD over to Donners. He tucked it away in his suit pocket. Richards smiled. “It’s been nice doing business with you, Donners,” he said. “As always, of course. But, I question your loyalties. I’m sure you’re getting paid a great sum of money in exchange for this information.”

Donners said nothing and his expression gave nothing away, however Rigel did smirk.

“No doubt this information will be used for something… grand.” Richards licked his lips. “Out of all the years I have worked with you, Donners, you are an upstanding man with a sense of honor. You help keep the status quo and display a great amount of leadership qualities.”

“And this makes you question my loyalty,” Donners asked.

“Oh yes. We’re animals, Donners, social animals, but animals nonetheless. Our own safety and security comes before all others. You will no doubt use this money to buy extravagant things and whatnot.”

Donners raised a hand. “I’m going to stop you right there, Richards. As individuals, we must give back to society. The whole matters, not the pieces. Being selfish will get us no where.”

Richards frowned. “If that’s the case, then I guess we’re done.” His face was solid and unyielding. There was no hint of playfulness in his words or a faint smile on his lips.

Rigel felt it.

Donners felt it.

Something was about to happen. Donners watched as a few of the henchman went to the vehicles behind them. Others stayed with their master. “Let’s go,” Donners said. He turned around, and opened the door to his car. He sat down and turned on the engine as Rigel got in.

Several of the henchmen produced handguns from inside their jackets and leveled them at the two. Richards cocked his head to the side, his eyes fixated on Donners. You didn’t think I would let you get away with such information, did you?

Rigel cursed out loud and gave a hard look at Donners, and then he shot back at Richards. Why in the hell did you wait for us to get in the car, he practically screamed.

Because I knew the two of you were on to me. Taking the OSD back into our custody when you two were still standing in front of me would have been idiotic at best.

Donners quickly wondered how he could’ve known. Why are you doing this? You have the money.

I have no need for money. What I am seeking is an end to the disorder that lingers in our society. He smiled deviously. In a way, I’m like you, Donners, an agent for society. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to kill you and your partner. You two have seen more than you are allowed to. I’m sorry, but this is the end of your story.

Donners put the car in reverse and floored it. The goons fired their weapons, hitting the car. Rigel ducked his head in time for a bullet to pierce the head rest. “Oh shit, oh shit,” he repeated while covered his head with his hands. Donners spun the wheel and the car spun around to face forward. He put the car in drive and entered an empty street.

He checked the time. “We have twenty minutes until rush hour,” he said. He looked into his rearview mirror and saw black cars coming after them. “I hope we can lose them then.”

Richards sat in the back seat of one of the cars as it sped out of the garage. “They have no idea who they’re dealing with,” he said as he sat back calmly, crossing his legs.

“Which one do you want to play, sir,” asked the driver?

“I want ‘Ode to Joy,’” he answered. The powerful music filled the interior and Richards hummed along. “Hearing music with one’s ears is much better than in one’s head.”

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A few men had gathered and distributed old, dusty flashlights from one of the supply rooms on the floor. It was a tough task, considering that the only light came from the sun that has not even risen yet. Emerson gave orders to his men, telling them to check the floors above and below in search of the man. The group split up, shining their lights on tile.

Casey stood in front of the windows that lined a corridor and saw the freeway and river. Emerson went up to him. “Stay with me,” he said. “And stay behind me.”

Someone shouted “FREEZE,” and the two of them turned around to find a man silhouetted by one of the flashlights. One by one, the lights slowly came to life, revealing the man’s relaxed stature and the two handguns he carried in his hands.

Emerson aimed his gun at the man, saying, “Put the guns down now and lay on the floor.”

The man did not respond. He was fast, though. His guns were immediately drawn on Casey. He did not fire, though. Emerson stepped forward, wondering if this man has ever shot anyone. He tried looking in the man’s eyes, but they were fixed onto the floor. “Listen, I’m connected with every available officer in the city and they’re all on their way here. Just give up. There’s nothing you can do.”

Emerson watched as one of his officers positioned himself behind the man. He nodded, giving permission for the officer to take action, but the man instantly aimed one of his guns at the officer. He shook his head and the officer backed down, moving away, but the gun followed him.

The man’s power was palpable. Emerson could sense his strong EM field with his own accelerators. Then, he noticed the red light on the gun and recognized the gun. It was one of their standard weapons complete with a laser pointer. He followed the ray of light with his eyes, stepping backwards slowly and saw where the light stopped. It was perfectly contrasted by the pale, white skin of Casey’s forehead. Emerson looked back at the man and saw his finger squeezing the trigger.

A shot was fired.

Casey was on the ground with Emerson on top of him, who looked up to watch the man spin on his heels to face the officers behind him, keeping that one gun trained on the same officer. He brought his other gun around and shot two officers. Before they even reached the ground, the man crouched down and ran up to the next closest officer, readying his automatic rifle. The man popped up, raising his arm to get the fatal shot just as his prey fired. Bullets sprayed the ceiling and were immediately interrupted by the single shot.

Two more joined the fray, trying to flank the madman. However, the man was quick. Just as one of them outstretched his arm, the man wrapped his own arm around it and applied the necessary pressure to break the officer’s arm. Using the momentum, he tossed the officer into the other, firing his gun as he did. The other officer was dead before the other hit him.

Only one officer was left, trying to get some distance between the man and himself. The man calmly walked toward him, shooting the officer with the broken arm in the head as he walked past. The scared officer fired his weapon, but the man moved with precision and speed, almost as if he knew exactly where the bullet would travel.

The next second he was standing to the side of the officer. The officer slowly turned his head to seeing the man. He felt something cold against his chin and looked to see what it was. His head was blown back and he fell to the ground.

The man dropped his hand and slowly turned around. Emerson shot up to his feet, shouting, “You bastard!” Casey stood up as well, terrified by what he has just seen. The dead officers were strewn over the floor and the man had no reaction to their presence. He began walking towards them, gripping the guns in his hands, ready for two more kills. “Stop,” shouted Emerson. When the man did not comply, Emerson fired.

The man jumped, launching himself over the two, careful not to touch the ceiling. He landed and wrapped an arm around Casey’s neck. The two of them spun around until the man’s back almost touched the windows. Emerson turned around, at first shocked that the man was able to move so quickly and then shocked that he had not killed Casey yet. He watched as the man pushed Casey to arm’s length, keeping a barrel at the back of his hand and the other one aimed at Emerson.

Dozens of officers began to fill the corridor and gathered behind Emerson. Feeling cocky, he said, “Give up now. If not, you will be killed.”

Casey did not share his sentiments, though. He was afraid. This man brought back terrible images of a dead friend. A friend whose name rolled off of Casey’s tongue, “Quinn…”

The man said nothing, but Casey could feel the barrel against his head lower and then return to its original position.

“Quinn,” he repeated. It was an effortless task. The name was ready to be spoken at any moment now; however, there was nothing behind it. No identity. No soul.

Emerson saw the opportunity for negotiation. “Quinn. That’s your name, right,” he asked. He was instantly on the feed telling one of his subordinates to look up the name. “Listen, Quinn, I have no idea why you did any of this. In fact, I don’t care. All I want to happen is for this to end without any more deaths. Please, don’t kill your own friend.”

The man cocked his head, processing that bit of information. He parted his lips and said, “‘Friend’ is nothing but a word.” His voice was low, almost a whisper, yet it had bass. It was rough and monotonous. Every word was on the same level. There were no signs of thought or value.

“Quinn,” Emerson said again.

“My name is not Quinn,” the man declared. “I am Helios… Helios the Catastrophe.”

With those words, he jumped backwards into the glass, shattering it. Casey turned in time to see the man disappear beneath the lip of the floor. Emerson went up to the edge. He gave orders to his men, telling them to pick up the pieces. The man was going to die as soon as he hit the grass. One hundred one floors was a long way to fall.

A shockwave rocked the building. Emerson looked over the edge again to see a burning hole in the park below. He rescinded his order and thought about it a little bit. This man, Helios, displayed a great amount of power and some supernatural ones. Emerson immediately searched the feed on this man’s particular powers and found nothing on something like him. An unregistered Intuitive.

Everyone, he said over an open link, it’s time to play. Get to the arms wing and wait there.

He turned to Casey who was sitting with his back to the wall. “Have you ever had a feeling you just can’t shake off?”

“Déjà vu?” Emerson sat down next to him.

“Something like that. I’m being reminded of another life,” he said. He reached out, grabbed the air and let go. “But it’s always out of reach. It’s been like this for at least three years now.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Emerson asked, slightly annoyed that someone he had just met would say something like that.

“Because… that man, Helios, Quinn, whatever his name is, reminds me of that other life.”

Emerson sighed, now even more annoyed, not because was cryptic, but because he now has the same feeling. That expressionless face was familiar to him as well and Casey here just reminded him of it. “Let’s go. We’re going to handle him and find out exactly who he is.”

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The car rocketed down the freeway, clocking in at around a hundred miles per hour. Donners hunched over, trying to stay focused while his partner was facing the other way, pointing out the gang of vehicles that followed them. There were many exits, yet Donners had not taken a single one. They all lead to regular streets that were currently being bogged down by morning traffic. Even now, a few vehicles were on the River Express going about their usual commute.

Rigel turned back around and almost smiled. Donners could see his eyes darken and was worried about his juvenile behavior. Rigel pulled out a gun and loaded a clip. “He’s going to try and surround us,” he said, calmly. “Then he’ll make the move and shoot us from all directions.”

They entered the tunnel that ran under the Citadel and was engulfed in darkness. The only illumination came from lights placed at intervals which bathed them in orange light in one moment and then in darkness the next. The other end glowed from the now risen sun.

Donners looked over his shoulder to see the gang of vehicles behind them. “Donners!” Rigel shouted. Donners shot his head back forward just in time to see the brilliant blue light crash through the ceiling. It suddenly disappeared just as they passed under it.

The entire front end of the car shot up like it hit a giant speed bump. Rigel almost hit his head on the dashboard when the two tires touched ground again. He turned around to look through the now shattered rear window and said, “Oh shit.”

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Helios fell through the hole and landed on the trunk of a car, caving it in. Sparks flew as the bumper scraped against the pavement. One side of it came off and it bounced around just by a piece of metal. Soon, it gave way and was left behind. The two rear tires were bent slightly causing the rear end to shift from side to side erratically.

Through his whipping dreads, he saw the headlights of the vehicles behind. The darkness of the tunnel disappeared and was replaced with the sunny sky shimmering off of the Citadel with a satisfying whoosh of air.

He turned over and reached for the door handled. He pulled it and the door up, and pulled himself in. The kid in the passenger seat turned around and asked, “Who the fuck are you?”

Helios said nothing. He only glanced into the rearview mirror to see the eyes of the driver. “My car,” exclaimed the driver.

The other vehicles surrounded theirs. Both the driver and the passenger were looking about, getting ready for something. Helios looked down on the floor and saw a metal case. He opened it up and found two handguns. Noticing that the ones he carried somehow left his hands during the fall, he picked up the two in the case and loaded the magazines.

“You should ask,” asked the kid.

The man let his arms fall lazily on the seat. “Get ready, Rigel,” said the driver. “We’re not going down without a fight, right?” Passenger nodded his head, taking several deep breaths.

The vehicles on their sides rolled down their windows and aimed their weapons. Helios took aim and fired off several successive rounds. The driver of the car on their right side was shot in the head; the force of the blow caused his entire body to move to the right, taking the wheel and car in the same direction. It scraped against the walls until they reached and exit where they crashed. On the other side, the men carrying weapons dangled from the windows, lifeless. Helios brought his right arm over to the left and shot the tire. The exploding tire flipped the car over on its side, exposing its fuel cell. With his left hand, Helios took aim and shot the cell which resulted in a brilliance of red and orange light and flying shrapnel.

A car hit them from behind. “Shit,” shouted Rigel. He turned, ready to shoot the bastards, but the car was already well behind them. The car then jumped the median and fell to the river depths. Helios lowered his arms and then pushed off of the back of the seat with one hand as he aimed with the other. Rigel moved his head back and watched as Helios moved his gun forward and fire.

The gunshot deafened Rigel momentarily. He watched as the driver’s head in the car in front of them, hit the wheel and slid off. The car swerved from side to side until it hit the median and slowed down.

Helios withdrew his gun and let his arms fall lazily onto the seat once more. Rigel turned around saw the man’s head hanging low. “Hey… are you dead?”

Helios said nothing. He gave no signs of his life except for the fact that his torso rose and fell regularly. Rigel turned to his older partner. “That guy is good.”

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Richards watched the carnage from a distance. “It looks like they had an ace up their sleeve. The end draws near for them. And with death comes life.”

“What do you mean, sir?” The driver asked as he watched his master in the rearview mirror.

“The great cycle continues and blah blah blah. The gist of it is that I have to hire some more soldiers.”

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Donners pulled into their garage on the north side of town located in a quiet neighborhood. “I guess… you can come in,” he said as he stepped out of the car. He went up to the front door, unlocked it, and went inside. Rigel and Helios followed the older man as he took off his jacket and threw it on the floor. He entered the modest living area and fell right onto the couch. “I hope we can get some hazard pay.”

“I think that was already included,” Rigel said as he headed for the kitchen.

Donners sat up and motioned for Helios to sit, but he did not. “So… what’s your name?”

“Helios,” said the man. He looked around the room disinterested until he saw a picture of two people in front of a university. Donners was in it with his arm around a young girl. Helios cocked his head and looked at her; she looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. Behind the group was a large sign that read, “Welcome to Larson University.”

Donners followed Helios’ gaze. “Oh. She’s my friend’s daughter. She had just transferred over to Larson a month ago. Her father has been away on official business for the last few years on Higher Seven. I went with them in his absence.”

“Where’s Larson University,” Helios asked.

Donners leaned back, put off by the man’s pattern of speech. It was slow and deliberate. Each word was one-dimensional. At first, Donners accredited it to his lack of interest, but the events of this morning replayed in his head and caused him to think otherwise. For some reason, that man noticed the picture and found interest in it. “N,” was all Donners could say before he was met with the barrel of a gun.

Rigel came up behind the man and aimed his gun at him, but Helios did the same to him. Donners slowly aimed his gun at Helios as well.

“Don’t be a fool, Helios,” Donners said. “There’re only two more bullets in the gun you’re aiming at me right now and zero in the one you have pointed at Rigel. You can kill me, but you’ll get one in the head from Rigel.”

Donners looked into the man’s eyes and immediately thought about the streets leading up to Larson involuntarily. The man withdrew his weapons and left. Rigel put his gun back into his holster and scratched his head. “Scary.”

“Come on, let’s go back downtown,” Donners said. “I want to get this over with.”

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“What are these things?” Casey eyed the vial which contained a black substance.

Emerson took the vial out of his hands and placed it into an injector. “High-density Accelerators specifically designed for defense. Raise your head.”

Casey tilted his head back and felt the cold metal press against his neck. A small prick shocked him and he felt a cool sensation begin flowing through his veins.

“The machines will interact with the EdgeTech you already have and will essentially upgrade it. A new command should come up on your visual display.” Emerson pulled the injector away and changed the needle. He tossed it aside and began to undress. “Strip first… unless you want some serious chafing.”

Casey began to undress himself until he was down to his underwear. He saw the new command in his vision and focused on it. The cool sensation began to travel all through his body. His raised his hand to look at it and saw the black substance seeping out through his skin. Concerned that this might be a problem, he looked to Emerson, but the same thing was also happening to him. The substance began to coalesce into a thin cloth. Over that cloth formed armor over the limbs and chest. “This is pretty cool,” Casey said.

“Alright,” Emerson said. His eyes fluttered and seemed distant. Casey watched him as he dove into a trance. His eyes fluttered once again. “Why is he at Larson University?”

Casey stood up awkwardly, not used to the feel of the armor. “He’s at Larson?” Emerson nodded his head. “My girlfriend is there.”

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Helios walked the halls of the old university and listened in on the teachings within the rooms. It was a familiar setting and, for some reason, he loathed it. He hated the smell of the freshly buffed tile. The sight of wood grain made him sick. Why am I here, he thought.

He stopped at one of the classrooms and put his ear up to the crack between the wall and the door. “Although accredited to many breakthroughs that have shaped our universe, none are as important as the Barrier system,” said a young looking man walking back and forth across a stage. “I know some of you are thinking about the feed and the awesome EdgeTech, but the Barrier system is what makes it all possible. Even those two came prior to the discovery of the Barrier system, their greatness are pale in comparison. As you all know, our minds are protected by a series of semi-permeable barriers. There are seven in all, each one representing a different level of consciousness. If the first barrier hasn’t be breached, then that person is a cold, heartless fellow, not able to interact with anyone on a personal level. On the opposite end, if someone reaches the seventh barrier, that person will be swept up society and essentially will not have an identity of her own. Fortunately, most of us lie between the ‘normal’ barriers, between the third and fifth barriers.”

Helios began to ignore the lecture and eyed the students in the room. He felt their presence. He felt their individual EM fields. However, one of them felt familiar. That’s when he saw her. She was sitting near the front with a pencil in her mouth, listening attentively to the teacher. She moved back a strand of hair behind her ear and began to take notes.

Something wet trickled down his cheek and he wiped it off. He looked at the drop of water and could feel the salt molecules bonded together by electromagnetism.

It did not surprise him when the tip of a gun pressed against his head.

“Put your hands up and turn around, slowly,” said the IEC officer. He backed up as Helios turned around.

“Sticking out your neck like that,” Helios said as his eyes began to glow, “will get you killed.”

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“Please, everyone, stay quiet and you all will be evacuated shortly,” announced an officer standing in front of the doors. The other officers were conversing with the teachers to find out a way to keep the students calm. A girl sat in the corner, shivering by what she had just seen.

She rocked back and forth slowly, trying to make sense of the situation. What she saw as she left the classroom was a dreadlocked man holding a man’s head between his hands. The man was twitching and the lights were flickering. The dreadlocked man turned around to face them and she saw his terrifying white eyes.

There were more gunshots and shouting. The officer at the door readied his gun as did the others. The gunfire and shouting ceased. A few moments later, the dreadlocked man burst through the doors dragging an officer behind him.

The officers opened fire, hitting the man, but he never flinched. He took the bullets and bled onto the floor. Lightning sparked across his body and shot towards each officer and killed them. Helios dropped the leg of the officer and bent over him to pick at the few magazines the officer had.

“What in the hell are you doing?” A professor went up to Helios and placed a hand on his shoulder.

In one move, Helios loaded a clip in his gun and shot the professor in the knees. Helios stood up and said, “If you want to live, leave now.”

Everyone panicked and ran for the doors, being careful not to get too close to the madman. He grabbed the officer’s leg once again and dragged him to the windows. The girl in the corner stood up and walked carefully past the man. She looked at him one more time and their eyes met. Although he was silhouetted by the morning light, she could see the pain in his desolate eyes.

“Simnoa,” he said quietly, stepping toward her. He aimed his gun at her, intending to shoot her. For a few moments, he did nothing. He stood still keeping the end of his gun aimed at her and she was frozen with fear. After a while, his hand began to shake and he pulled the gun back up. “Run…” he said.

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More students poured out of the building, panicking and running towards the officers. “Get them to safety,” Emerson shouted, watching as a stream of students slip through the barricades. They were guided by rifle carrying officers who waved them along and shouting, “Go! Go! Go!”

Emerson turned back to the building just in time to see one last student come out of the building. She barely managed to keep herself up until her legs finally gave out. Casey ran to her and picked her off of the ground. It must be his girl, Emerson thought. The sound of breaking glass caught his attention and he looked over to the windows to see two holes in the glass. A few moments later, smoke began billowing out of the ground. “Smoke grenades,” he said. Then to everyone else, “Get ready!”

There was a resounding sound of guns clicking to life. Every single one was aimed at the smoke, ready for any tricks and subterfuge. There was nothing but the sound of smoke hissing out of the grenades.

Two shots were fired out of the smoke and hit an officer in the chest and the forehead. He fell over onto the grass. The other officers opened fire and the entire area sunk into the muzzle fire of automatic rifles, machine guns, and handguns. Emerson called off the assault as the flying bullets cleared the smoke. He saw the figure heaving, grasping for life with each breath.

A smile crawled across his face as he thought of victory, yet, when he saw the man’s empty eyes hidden behind the shoulder of an officer, that smile turned into a frown and then a scowl.

The smoke dissipated. Helios lifted the officer and carried him from the building. His arms stuck out from under the officer’s arms and each hand carried a handgun. He walked in a semicircle until he reached a car parked on the curb. The officer Helios carried, gasped and convulsed. He clawed the air and Helios just watched him, indifferent to the man’s suffering.

With each passing moment, Emerson grew more enraged, watching one of his subordinates suffer like this. This act alone was inhumane. “He might as well be put out of his misery,” he said under his breath. He raised his hand and every officer trained their weapons on Helios. “I’m sorry,” he said.

Helios placed his left wrist against the officer’s head and then he stepped a few steps back to let the officer stand on his own. Emerson watched as the metal on the officer’s body cling together. That Helios was keeping the man standing by maintaining an electrical current through his body, Emerson thought.

Helios crouched down on one leg and left his other straightened out. He aimed his two handguns at the officer. One was aimed at the man’s waist; the other was pointed at his head. Electricity arced from the barrels to their respective targets and then disappeared. Slowly, he squeezed the triggers until…

The explosion was deafening and violent. It was so abrupt; no one had time to react to anything. They only felt the shockwave after it had already knocked them down. Emerson raised his head, hurting from the blast and the loud ringing in his ear. He thought he had gone blind because all he could see was darkness. Then, he could finally see the light and realized that his armor had dissipated. The nanomachines lost their grip on each other and floated freely in the air. He slowly stood up out of the black cloud. Some of the machines clung to him and began to reform over his body.

The carnage he saw was devastating. A long cleft ran for as far as the eye could see. He followed it back to the source with his eyes and saw Helios standing there unperturbed. The officer that stood before him disappeared in that fleeting moment. The car next to Helios was flipped over onto its side. In his hands he held the two guns. Each barrel was twisted and deformed like a cartoon gun. Helios dropped them onto the ground, knowing that they could not be used again.

The other officers began to stand up. Some even swiped at their own black clouds as they stood up. Emerson tried to tell them not to retaliate over a link, but he realized that the feed was down again. Enraged, the officers found their weapons and opened fire on Helios.

He took the bullets and seemed to like the pain. A look of ecstasy washed over his face and then his eyes suddenly turned white once more. He leapt to the closest officer who had his handgun outstretched in front of him. Helios appeared in front of him with an arm lined up for a clothespin right on the neck. He put a leg behind the officer and then pushed his arm forward causing the officer to flip backwards. In the moment of confusion, the officer lost the grip on his gun and Helios picked it out of his hand, spun, and shot another officer before the other even hit the ground.

When he did, Helios let arcs of lightning jump to a handgun that was leveled at him. The charge caused the rounds to fire within the clip. The resulting explosion blew off the hand of the wielder. Another officer readied his rifle, but Helios was on him within nanoseconds. He kicked the gun into the air just as it fired. Then, with the same foot, he kicked the officer in the stomach causing him to lurch over. Helios took hold of the rifle and pulled it out of the officer’s hands, and then he lunged forward, catching the officer under the chin with the butt of the rifle.

The officer recoiled, coming back down, but was met with another blow to the head. This one caused him to flip backward into the air. Helios spun around and grabbed a magazine off of the airborne officer, and loaded it into the rifle all the while he was spinning. He came around to the officer’s head, aimed, and shot him in the throat.

Emerson went over to the other side of the car and ducked down below it. He watched as Helios made a pose. Casey and his girl came up beside him, both panting hard. “What’s going on?” Casey asked. Emerson shot his arm around and pressed them both into the car. He inched up and took careful aim. He pulled the trigger.

The bullet followed its intended course. Its purpose was to kill the man known as Helios the Catastrophe. It was going to hit him right between the eyes. However, it was interrupted.

Helios himself took careful aim and fired. His bullet collided with Emerson’s and they fell to the grass. The sounds of three more gunshots and the unified sound of metal being shot caused Emerson, Casey, and Simnoa to jump. Casey turned his head to see the bullet hole right next to his head.

Other officers began to awake. Helios gripped his rifle and began to fire at each one of them, killing them ruthlessly. He ran to one of the dead bodies and kicked up a grenade pack. He pulled out the pins in a single move and then threw each one in different directions.

Emerson got back down behind the car and told the others to cover their heads. Just as they did, the grenades exploded. As the ringing in his ears stopped, Emerson looked back over the car to see Helios gone. He hit the top of the car. “Shit.”

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Donners and Rigel entered the building downtown that was named Riker’s Tower. It was home to many businesses ranging from banking to advertising. However, the tower was owned by Noah Alexander, former president of ARC. He resided in the top floors of the building.

“Do I have to talk to him again,” Rigel asked as they walked onto an elevator. Donners pressed the highest numbered button and the doors closed.

“It’s best that you at least show some respect,” Donners said. “I want to keep doing business with him.”

Rigel smacked his lips and leaned against the wall. “He’s fuckin’ weird and he smiles way too god damn much.”

The elevator carriage shuddered for a moment and the lights flickered, but then returned to their normal state. Donners raised an eyebrow.

“I wonder if it was that guy,” Rigel said, vocalizing Donners’ thoughts. They came to a stop and the doors opened to a dark room. The two of them stepped into the room and as their eyes adjusted, they could spot several sofas and chairs on the sides. Before them was a glass door with water running over it.

Rigel walked up to the glass door and it and the falling water slid open. “Fancy,” he said, looking up to where the water was falling from. He stepped out onto the smooth stone pathway and gazed at the Pantheon-like building at the end of the pathway. That building had both a glass and water doorway as well. He looked around him and saw the rest of the city and the overbearing Citadel. He looked down at his feet to see pools of water on the sides of the pathway. “Way too fuckin’ fancy.”

Donners walked past him, saying, “Stop swearing.” A bullet whizzed past his head and he dodged it after the fact. Rigel stood there, motionless and a frown on his face.

“It’s him,” he said. Out of the falling water came Richards still wearing his furry lapel jacket and the smile that was just too big.

“Hello, you two,” Richards said as he walked down to the pathway. “I’ll get right to the point: give me the OSD and you will not be hurt.”

Donners reached for his gun, knowing that he was faster than Richards, but then he felt something different. It was a stronger EM field emanating from Richards. Donners pulled back and developed a cold sweat.

Rigel watched his partner out of the corner of his eye. “What are you doing?” He hissed.

“Looks like he has realized that you can’t do anything to me,” Richards said.

“Fuck that shit!” Rigel charged Richards, but what immediately thrown into the water. Richards smiled once more.

Rigel gasped for air when his head broke the surface of the water. “Don’t do anything, Rigel,” Donners said. “I’ll handle this.”

“Handle what?” Richards asked, walking forward. “You know what I am. You know what someone like me is capable of.”

He disappeared. Donners could only see his pearly whites as they shimmered in the sun right as Richards’ fist made contact Donners’ stomach. It was not just a light tap, either. It was a punch with a lot of force behind it; enough to send Donners careening into the glass and water behind him. Shattered glass bounced along the floor and water splashed everywhere. Blood began to mix in with the water, staining the floor.

Richards came up the steps, giggling. “There’s no stopping me, Donners. I am an Intuitive.”

Donners tried to say something, but only coughed up blood. His gun slipped out of his hand and could feel glass shards in his flesh. Richards smiled as Donners groaned. He put his foot on Donners wrist, smiling.

Just as he was about to say something fitting for the moment, Richards looked up, shocked by the overwhelming feeling he was receiving. The elevator doors opened and out stepped Helios. Richards backed up as Helios made his way over Donners. “You’re that man,” Richards said, afraid. “You’re the one they’re looking for.”

Helios stopped. Blood trickled down his forehead. Noticing this, Richards gained more confidence. This man was not impervious to physical attacks. Donners rolled away, trying to get out of the way of the two. Richards threw a few punches, but Helios dodged each one with ease. Richards took a couple of steps backward and then ran to Helios, jumping into the air and stretching his legs out in front of him.

Quickly, Helios leapt backwards, dragging one foot along the wet floor. His other leg was used to turn Richards counterclockwise horizontally just enough so that Richards was facing Helios with his entire front and still going forward. With the same leg, he kicked the underside of Richard’s legs upward so that Richard spun counterclockwise vertically. The top of Richards’ head grazed the floor and just as he was about to become right-side-up, his ear was met with a hard heel. The force caused him to spin the other way. His head hit the tile. It cracked and cratered from the impact. Helios triumphantly placed his foot on his cheek.

Helios took a hold of Richards’ arm and twisted it, dislocating his shoulder. Richards did not scream or shout. All he did was laugh. “I turned off my pain receptors a long time ago.”

Electricity surged forth from Helios’ arm and into Richards’ body. A grimace appeared on Richards’ face. His eyes were wide and watered and teeth were firmly pressed together. He cried out in pain.

Watching all of this, Donners was amazed and terrified. That man, Helios, was able to turn back on Richards’ pain receptors with electricity generated from his own body.

Taking his foot off of Richards, Helios took a few steps back as a sign of mercy, Donners thought. Richards raced to his feet in pain, clenching his shoulder. Then he ran to the elevator. Helios raised his arm, palm facing forward and the lights in the room began to flicker on and off. Richards got into the elevator and frantically pressed every button on the panel. He started to hit the panel when he found out nothing was happening.

“Let him go,” someone said. Donners looked to who was talking and immediately recognized him with his long, black hair pulled back behind his back, dark shades, and young look.

Noah Alexander.

He calmly walked across the wet floor and stood in front of Helios. Noah looked into Helios sad eyes and smiled. “Let him go, Helios.” Helios dropped his arm and turned around. The elevator doors closed and the lights stop flickering.

Rigel came into the room with water falling from his clothes. He went over to Donners and helped him up. “Where’s that bastard at?”

“Stop swearing,” Donners said. “How did he get in here?”

Noah smiled. “He forced his way up. He is an Intuitive, after all. Let’s go into my office now.” He turned to Helios. “You, too, my friend.”

The entered the Pantheon on the other side of the pathway, and went into Noah’s large office. It was pretty much barren except for Noah’s chair and desk and a couple other chairs for guests.

“Sit down, sit down,” Noah said as sat in his large, black chair. Donners and Rigel sat down while Helios stood over to the side, looking out of the windows which had water running over them. “So… do you have it?”

Donners reached into his pocket and pulled out the small piece of glass. Then he handed it to Noah. Noticing that his jacket was wet and bloody, he took it off and placed it on the back of the chair. He looked over to Rigel in his wet clothes and gave him a look. Rigel raised an eyebrow and half-smiled. Noah eyed the OSD as he held it in between his fingers. Donners raised his eyebrows. “I hope this is sufficient,” he said.

“Oh… it is,” Noah said confidently. “It’s been partially decrypted. I’m sure you have read what was on here, am I right?”

Both Rigel and Donners nodded. “Some pretty crazy STUFF on there,” Rigel said, looking at Donners while he said “stuff.”

“This thing is old technology; used roughly around five hundred years ago to store information. It was the last of the hard-type memory storage devices. Now, everyone uses the feed and information is readily accessible with the right electromagnetic key,” Alex pulled out a drawer and tossed the device inside. “Now it’s time for business.”

“Before I was ousted from ARC, I caught wind of something,” he said. “It would turn out to be a joint venture between ARC and Tanner Industries with funding from the IEC. I’m sure you have heard of the exhibition that’ll take place in a few days to show off the fruits of their labor: the Experienced Aether Bio-Mechanical Armor, or the Experienced Aether Mechanical Armored Suit. It is the deal of the lifetime, especially now with the ongoing disputes between the rebels and the IEC. It will make both companies rich… well, even richer…”

“And you can’t help but feel left out,” Donners finished for him, “and you want something to go ‘wrong’ with both of those projects, am I right?”

Noah smiled. “You are sharp, my friend.”

Donners leaned back. “I can tell you right now, Mr. Alexander: we don’t do corporate sabotage.”

“I must admit, I admire a man with a moral code. It makes him… trustworthy and dependable. But, think of the collateral damage these machines can inflict, after all, they’re the most advanced systems created by man. Those rebels, the Mavericks, won’t stand a chance once these things become mass produced.”

Donners thought about it, mulling over the calculations and endless possibilities. “Alright then, how much?”

“Twice the amount of the OSD job,” Noah answered. “Plus all expenses will be paid by me personally.”

“I guess money isn’t an object for you, eh?”

“Ah, revenge is priceless. The three of you should get going. The exhibition is taking place on Higher Seven at the TI HQ in a few days.”

Donners threw up his hands. “Three?”

“Yes, three. One. Two. Three.” Noah said, counting. Then he answered the question Donners was no doubt going to ask. “I already have a prior deal with Helios. He can tell you about it… if he feels like it.”

“He’s going to compromise the entire thing,” Donners said, looking over to the silent man.

Noah leaned forward. “I know this is out of your comfort zone, dealing with someone who is… a little chaotic. But, you should know this, Robert Donners, order can come out of chaos.” Noah smiled and leaned back again. “You might need his abilities.”

Donners sighed. “Alright.”

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“So a man, presumably in his twenties, managed to kill several officers, including a detective, and escaped through that?!” Director Waters said, looking down through the broken window to see the hole in the park. He began to rub his temples as he turned around. “And then he goes to Larson and kills half a platoon. How in the hell did that happen?”

That’s what happened, sir, Emerson said over a link.

“What do you intend to do now?”

Find and retire him.

Waters looked over to Representative Marracks who was standing next to the wall. He shook his head. “Major, this is Representative Marracks. Do not follow this man. We believe that he is part of the Arias countermovement whose objective is to create strife in the galaxy for their personal needs. I’ll have my own special team working hard on this mystery.”

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“Roger that,” Emerson said. He cut off the link and frowned. He checked the feed to find satellite views of the area and stories already up on the news. According to their official government sources, Arias terrorists were indeed part of this incident. They even showed pictures of Helios, claiming he was part of the terrorist organization. Arias was the center of attention these days, being the home of terrorists and chaos. More newslinks popped up, talking about increased insurgency against the IEC officers present on the planet. Emerson averted his attention to his new hire and his girlfriend sitting in the back of a truck.

Casey consoled her, slowly rocking back and forth, kissing her on the head. “He pointed the gun at me,” she whimpered softly. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke. “And then, he told me to run.”

“It’s alright,” he said.

“Take the rest of the day off,” Emerson said, turning around to look at the school. “I’ll link you when I need you, okay?”

Casey nodded and stood up with his girlfriend. A couple of officers came up to them and escorted them to an SUV. Emerson spotted a detective walking around the scene, sipping from a mug. The detective spotted Emerson and waved for him to come to where he was standing.

“What is it?” Emerson walked with his arms crossed.

“I guess the convo you had with Waters and Marracks didn’t go over too well,” said the detective. He took another sip from his mug. Then he pointed at a patch of green dust. “Know what that is?”

Emerson shook his head. He looked around the area noticing similar patches.

The detective reached down and slid his finger through it and then licked it. He frowned and said, “It’s grass.”

“What?”

“Seems like there was some sort of cell disintegration or something. I can have someone look into it.”

“No, that’s alright,” Emerson said. “We won’t be dealing with this guy anymore.”

“True. I see that he is part of the Arias terrorist organization. Terrible bunch. Been like that for as long as I can remember. Each year, that planet gets worse and worse. No doubt that something major will happen there.”

Emerson smiled. “Yeah.”