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Votecount 6.2 (Final)

~BRO has asked me to flip ASAP, which is convenient given that I have no time to write flavor

does anyone want to buy a 2-year old? A perk is that she doesn't sleep ever so you can have fun at all hours of the night

~Zeboim Ruins~

Emeralda crouched behind a row of boxes and did her best to keep silent.

Miang had been stalking her for what might have been a half a day, and the artificial girl had long since decided that her pursuer was not what she appeared. Finding that Miang was incredibly skilled with ether, Emeralda had since abandoned trying to take her in a straight fight.

The first hit had stunned Miang, true, but that was more out of surprise than anything else, and Emeralda had only just made it out of the hovel before a telekinetic blast had blown the door off its hinges behind her.

Now she was on the run, moving quickly through the deserted, rat-infested urban center that had once been home to the mightiest civilization that had ever existed. It pained her that she possessed only fleeting memories of her time with Kim, her creator, who had endowed her with not only the gift of life, but according to Miang, possibly much more.

It had been fifteen or so minutes since she’d last either moved or heard anything, and Emeralda decided she’d waited around long enough. Tentatively, she stuck her head out from the top of the pile of rubble she had positioned herself behind.

Miang stood directly in front of her, looking bored.

“Really now, do you think sight and sound are the only ways for me to track you, being the only known living nanomachine colony on the planet, much less within a mile or so?”

Emeralda could not think of anything to say to that, only that she wished she hadn’t come here at all. Her presence, she now knew, possibly compromised not only her dream of finding out what happened to Kim, but possibly the Alliance that she had sworn to help.

Miang’s expression softened a bit at her look of resignation. “You know, the information you possess could be of great scientific interest to the civilizations of today.”

Emeralda paused as she locked eyes with the other woman. Miang did have a point -- knowledge was meant to be shared -- but Emeralda would hardly allow herself to be dissected on a table somewhere inside Solaris to serve that end.

“Of course, as you now know,” Miang continued. “I was fortunate enough to experience the Zeboim era firsthand as well.”

Emeralda hadn’t considered that, and as she stared into the deep blue eyes of her assailant, realized that Miang might be in a unique position to relate to her plight.

“I’m sure you’re aching to know what Kim deemed so important to lock away for you to find someday. And I’m sure you’re wondering how to do that.”

Emeralda actually nodded. Of course she did. Nothing else even came close. Certainly not the Alliance. She wiped the sweat from her brow.

“Let me help you.” Miang extended her hand. “Why don’t we go back to the surface, and together we can unlock this mystery. For your sake, the sake of the worlds, and the sake of those who deserve to be remembered through you -- especially Kim.”

Emeralda had to smile at that. What a wonderful thing that Miang was going to do for her; maybe she’d even get to see some recordings Kim had left buried inside her mind. Emeralda sure was lucky to have a true friend like Miang to help.

“There you go,” Miang said as Emeralda began to walk toward her. “Just a little more and--Kahr!”

Emeralda’s trance broke, and she blinked, shook her head, and comprehended the scene in front of her truly for the first time.

She began to back away, only to collide straight into the figure of a much taller person.

She whirled around. A serious looking man with long white hair was staring past her at Miang, although he had put a hand on Emeralda’s shoulder to steady her.

“Go to Bledavik,” said the man, obviously to Emeralda, although his eyes were still trained on Miang. “You will find answers there. I will deal with…

”

“Hmph. I never figured you for the knight in shining armor type, Kahr,” Miang taunted.

“And I never figured Seraphita was telling the truth when she told me that you had Tolone murdered,” the man called Kahr responded evenly.

Miang shrugged. “If you can really have called her alive to begin with.” She turned her gaze to Emeralda, and the twisted smile that she’d been wearing when the two had met for the first time returned. “No offense.”

“This ends today, Miang.”

She snorted. “I’m surprised your pride allowed you to come this far.”

“I admit I should be more discriminate about whom I choose to share a bed with.”

Miang pretended to look taken aback. “Not even once more? For old time’s sake?”

“Enough talk. Prepare yourself.” he said. Emeralda noted that the man’s expression had not changed even once throughout the conversation.

Miang’s smile finally faded. “If that’s the way you want it, I’ll show you just why I discarded you like the trash you are.”

Votecount 7.0