"Mono/Dialogue"

  'Inner thoughts'

  Narration

  [Message/communication apparatus]

  Date: Data not found

  Location: Data not found

  POV: Narrator

  Terrans are made up of a multitude of races, these races have their sub-race with their own set of peculiarities. How these races came to be is truly puzzling, but technology has proved time and time again that the answer is somewhere in there, waiting to be discovered and then understood.

  Ancients, a very wide umbrel that encompassed the majority of races that presided Terra, Sarkaz instead called them the invaders who had forcefully snatched away their homend. The truth, however, has little significance on the subject that would be discussed at the moment.

  There are also the Elder Races, they used to be the ruling caste of Terran society. In scientific terms, they are the alpha in one way or another. Elder Races have dwindled in modern times, but they all share one simir thing: Both still share the fabled root of being associated with beasts, judging from the simirities of both their physiological and physical features.

  Due to what we call Anthropomorphism, the likening of one's characteristics, mostly physical and otherwise, although debatable, had affected how they functioned as a whole. These humanoid races have been predated to as old as 10,000 years and counting. They have their logical characteristics too... but there are exceptions.

  It also needs to be said that crossbreeding is not exactly viable, which should have been naturally impossible given the vastly differing nature of each race. It can be said that all Terran, except for the Sarkaz and Sankta which would be eborated somewhere in the future, are simir yet different.

  There are however the so-called Chimera, the Hybrids. They exist and although they follow the natural pattern of which genes ended up being the dominant ones, they still exhibit significant capability of their respective parental races.

  The method of crossbreeding between races with a natural mean had been thought to be nigh-impossible due to reasons, including reasons such as the worsening political, societal, and even geographical climate that is Terra. One of the defining factors is how ordinary Terrans have this racial inclination to copute with their people, especially when they share the same cultural root that varies between cns or families.

  So, if natural methods are considered unviable, redundant, and even perceivably considered to be taboo, doesn't that mean that other methods such as artificially based have been tried? Yes, ranging from the acceptable but still dangerous artificial insemination to the forbidden and highly votile gene engineering, and even outright what can be inferred as pying god to create an entirely new species.

  Artificial insemination is the most straightforward, where the female egg is injected with a healthy sperm to ensure the viability and probability of success. Artificial insemination is rarely done in Terra since the natural way works the same and crossbreeding is rare to begin with.

  Gene engineering, although outwed, banned, discredited, and all those fancy words for "no", exist regardless of circumstances. Of course, btantly doing it will cause a massive problem, thus pretenses with their respective smokes and mirrors exist.

  Gene engineering can be broadly summed as an activity to alter or even change a species' biological function and or characteristics. Normal gene engineering is usually aimed at something mundane such as self-repairing cells, extended lifespan, enhanced motor function, and so on. The most notorious and highly sought-after gene engineering are either the Super Soldier Procurement Act, or SSPA, and the Weapons of Biological Nature, or WBN.

  Super Soldier is a straightforward project, Nations all over dimensions would need highly adaptive and resilient soldiers to fight wars, but it always suffered from ck of funding and the fact that not everyone is resilient enough to withstand their altered bodily function.

  Super Soldiers themselves also suffered from, according to multiple records, mental and physical deterioration for the rest of their lives. It is not a rare occasion for a Super Soldier to, suddenly, tumble and die because their body shut down due to the accumuted trauma and stress beyond what can be perceived during theoretical level, physical or otherwise.

  Boosting cell regeneration sounds good on paper, if we sidelined the fact that cancer also becomes prolific that way. Also having iron-like skin is totally great and definitely not in the way of bodily fluids excretion, who needs to sweat after running for 50 miles, or 80 kilometers, anyway, right?

  Weapon of Biological Nature is the hottest topic that has been, on the surface, unanimously banned from convention. Biological weapons can range from something simple such as Fangbeasts with Scales and or natural armor with a set time limit to the overly complicated and votile Flesh Deterioration Microorganism.

  The former can be used as easily as a single-shot weapon and be left as is. This is the most desirable since having a weapon that terminates itself after use would ease the post-war cleanup. The usage of more complicated weapons can also put their economy and societal development into question.

  A particur incident lost to age was that of scientists and occultists uncovered a rge, frozen, patch of flesh. When they thawed it, all hell broke loose since said flesh was breeding for man-eating fungus.

  The whole facility needs to be torched by Vouivres and a few rogue Dracos of old else Terra would be wiped there and then. Legends and myths said that those few rogues weren't a coincidence, but such a thing has been refuted as hogwash amongst the already scant believers of that incident.

  There was also the recent clusterfuck within a Columbian Lab belonging to Agreadian Combine Incorporated. They had tampered with abducting poor citizens or settlers and dropped them into a cage filled to the brim with a serum to turn a man into a beast but with the intelligence of AI... it wasn't pretty.

  Long story short, the whole facility is dead. The mobile city named Teddior suffered 75% damage, at minimum, and must be abandoned. The whole company' Execs were never to be heard anymore, their family was never heard anymore, and not even their pet slugs were ever heard anymore. It also further encouraged the Columbian company to conduct experiments outside of Mobile City a lot more frequently.

  And st and truly the most unhinged of them all, the so-called pying god is only done by either the brightest or the maddest of them all, sometimes both. This type was never seen, as it should be, for the st millenniums. They combined all sorts of esoteric knowledge to broaden the horizon.

  Due to a generally insufficient amount of publicly accessible information, this type had more or less turned into hearsay and myth. Of course, there are a lot of wannabe scientists like them, but they fell short... mostly.

  Thus let us watch our ambiguous in nature Pythian dy who is sloughing through the snow while helping the locals for the upcoming celebration. She walked through the blinding light of merriment with eyes full of awe, wonder, longing... and tinges of jealousy.

  Date: 25th December 1080

  Location: County of Toron, Victoria.

  POV: Narrator

  A Pythian dy can be seen moving about with practiced movement, practically gliding through the snow. Her footwork of weaving amongst the throngs of locals looks both mesmerizing and elegant, the pedestrian who stole gnces every now and then swore that she turned the whole street into a dance floor.

  The dy wasn't dancing however, she was helping the inhabitants with decorating the pce while quietly spectating back on her monitors. She is too weary to give a damn about what they are going to report to their patron this time around, not like there is much to report when all she does is just help around with decoration.

  Keeping a somewhat bored or bnk face works nicely... too nicely. The locals are having reservations of asking too much out of her, but that really works to her advantage. Keeping things somewhat natural gave her some wiggle room to enjoy this activity during her rest period.

  While the monitors are writing vigorously of what she is doing, a kinda pointless thing to boot since it ain't combat around here, Nyx is just... being Nyx. Hefting up tens of kilograms worth of weight while barely registered as weighty.

  Helping out with climbing up and down from the rooftops like it is a second nature, no different than walking on an even ground. She also provided some corrections from a bird's eye view perspective, increasing the efficiency and speeding things up.

  "Nyx, can you help with this decoration? It is a tad heavy on ma bone..."

  "Give it to me, also stay out else you get hurt."

  "Miss Nyx, can you point me where did Karl gone off to?"

  "Northeastern Pza, with a girl in hand... scratch that, 2 girls and a man..."

  "Wha-!? He gonna get it now, much obliged."

  "Hmm."

  "Hey hot stuff, sure don't wanna have a drink after this?" A man hollered, not at a certain Pythian dy since only the most brazen or having none to lose would do that, towards a passing by young ss.

  "... ugh..."

  "BAHAHAHA! Lucas got rejected, spectacurly too!"

  "S-S-Shut up ya pansies! I'm better than ye louts!"

  "Makin' a fool of yeself was better? Bah!"

  "Blimey, where ma rum? Sworn t'was 'ere som'ere... I swear if ol' Rick took it again, I'll whoop his ass..."

  "George! Where the fuck are ye!? Pay up yer debt!"

  "Ah hell, here he comes. Welp, gotta fly."

  "Miss Leonore, can you please step back?"

  "Oh, my apologies, wait... Nyx!?"

  "Yeah?"

  "I'm... surprised..."

  "Sure."

  "Ey Nyx, come ere' a sec." Arkell suddenly called upon her, Nyx remembering what happened 3 days ago starts formuting a way for it...

  "A minute."

  "Take your time, I'll just smoke in the meantime..."

  "That's bad for your lungs." Said Nyx where she just tossed a huge tree chunk to the side of the road. Her fellow helpers around her are already used to her abnormal strength.

  "Says the one who smoked 7 cigars upon each session..." Arkell grinned a little.

  "What can I say, I have iron lungs."

  "Yet you can't hold your liqueur."

  "Wow... resorting to low blow huh?"

  After finishing up whatever she was doing prior, Nyx approached him who was leaning against the railing. His eyes look around the pza, people smiling and merrymaking. The infected can also be seen here and there, they are having fun too despite some people still as annoying as ever,

  "I'm here."

  Arkell wordlessly offered her a cigarette, she eyed it for a bit and decided to partake. Leaning back against the railing too, Nyx starts lighting it up.

  "Nice work out there."

  "Just a whim."

  "Yes, just a whim indeed. The Nyx who doesn't really like lingering too long amongst the crowd doing it all on a whim... lie better won't you."

  "... fuh..." Nyx said nothing and just kept smoking her cigar. Arkell thought hard, he then made eye contact from the corner of his eyes, motioning her to walk with him. Nyx caught it and pyed along.

  They left the pza towards the parking lot, Arkell parked 60's vintage car stood out a little. Conversely, Nyx's bike has been stored in one of her safe houses in this county. She would have refrained from making something liable of getting swept by catastrophe. Victoria has little worry about that, thus allowing her to py around a bit more.

  Arriving at the car, Arkell made a single motion of raising his hand, and then... the sounds were gone, the lights dimmed, and everything around her felt dead except for the wind. Arkell opened his car door and motioned her inside.

  Seeing that he is willing to keep things as discreet as possible with her, she just smirks a little while silently giving him her gratitude. Entering the car she made herself comfortable.

  Arkell entered from the other side, he also just sat there for a while... until Nyx boldly straddled him by sitting on his p, her smirk turning a little sacious and inviting. Arkell stays calm, he just knows that something is really wrong with her.

  "Gentlemanly aren't we, you aren't hitting on me, or are you? I might let it slide just this time around~"

  "Perish the thought, Eliza will kill me otherwise. Also... I don't see why you would give that up so easily."

  "Heh, yeah, that's true... must be nice to have your family close by, always there when you need them..."

  Nyx slumped back again on her side of the car seat... she let him see the exhaustion she had accumuted. Her level of breathing turned inconsistent and dispirited, she even had her head upon her own right palm.

  The Pythian dy then slid her sleeve up and took her gloves off... and let him see her charred and badly fked left arm, the blood had long dried up but the flesh had nary a skin on it. Arkell's eyes are wide as saucer, he doesn't know how she could have such a horrific injury.

  "I fucked up, mate. It is healing but I'm mostly out for months..."

  "... I can see that, and I must say... you really do look like shit."

  "Yeah..."

  "...Does it still hurt?"

  "I'm in a fucking purgatory here, can't even sleep in peace with this kind of wound... not that I needed much sleep anyway...."

  "Well..." Before he could answer, he saw her eyes fsh with shame briefly...

  "Tell me, Arkell, from your point of view, how pleasant was it to have a monster prowling around you?"

  "... If it’s a real monster, I would be very disgusted and frightened…" Arkell starts to scowl, he knows where this is going... pity and anger mashed into one...

  "I see... Then, do you think I shouldn't have existed? Or would it be better for me to have never taken up arms? A life this slow and peaceful sounds like a fever dream… sometimes I wonder when will I wake up inside a trench or perhaps the real me was hallucinating atop a mountain, freezing alone…"

  "... I… alright, you better listen to me. If this is really a mere dream, you would have gone to the very deep end, like… god, Nyx… There are beasts more principled and merciful compared to whatever had become of your modus operandi. Would it kill you to look back and think things through?”

  "..."

  "Despite my pure disgust of your modus operandi, I can never deny the fact that your brutality itself had become some sort of healing salves on this bsted nd. Your methods were abhorrent and inhumane, yet you got the job done. Your ideas and styles are bsphemous yet a lot of innocent were saved by none other than you and your combat insanity."

  "..."

  "And about that incident, where I absolutely wanted to kill you, I still have some lingering resentment on that. You shot the hostage, all of them... one died instantly... six due to blood loss... but you saved the other thirty-five souls.. some of them resented you for that, especially the kids of those who had died... You’re garnering hate for no reason, no one asked you to be a monster only to create more monsters hyper-fixated on taking revenge on you."

  "..."

  "Hell, just reliving it just feels like... heh... I'm smiling here Nyx... I really am... But I'm also really fucking furious... I know that you can't save everyone but can't you at least try to be more civilized? They were hostages for god sakes! Which part of ‘hostages’ your ill brain and cold heart can’t comprehend?!"

  "Yeah..."

  "Shut yer trap, I'm not done."

  "..."

  "And yet... after that whole fiasco... no one ever bothered of using hostage on you anymore... they think it is a waste of time... there... you saved a lot of potential innocent amidst the crossfire there... by absolutely not giving a single flying damn on this hellish world of terra as long as you get things done..."

  "..."

  "You’re too deep into the game and too te to make drastic changes… hah… You’re living with the consequences of your actions, and what do we know here? It is already asking for its dividends… Adding your grievances but still not trying anything to fix yourself will paint you as either a lousy victim of circumstances or just a wannabe hypocrite…”

  "Just a wannabe huh..."

  "Yeah... just a wannabe of nothing, not vilins and sure as hell ain’t heroes... you can't change the world by your lonesome Nyx. even though I dare say that you can topple several cities on your own if you py the long game... but then what? After the dust had settled, ya think the world would be all sunshine and rainbow? Nah ain't no way, know why?"

  "I’m just trying to patch up bleeding, if not making it worse… All I did was buy time for someone who can."

  "Even you know it! So... stop pying with the world like a goddamn moronic finbeast... You have your cliques yeah? Just sobered up with yer pal and that would be great once in a while..."

  "Puh..."

  "Hey, I'm serious you damnable Serpent!"

  Nyx just ughed, with tears in the mix. She ugh at the absurdity of it all, a real monster like her was the reason there are fewer civilian casualties huh? This world is truly fucked to have that mindset...

  'Just how cheap is life in this world?' that was a question she wondered numerous times.

  "Thanks, man it’s a shitty holiday now but... thank you for willingly being a friend to a monster..."

  "How many times do I have to reiter- alright you know what? Sure! Whatever makes you happy I guess." Arkell just grumbled to himself, failing to notice the glint that appeared in his peripheral vision.

  His answer just seemed to tickle her funny bones... then the Pythian dy grinned mischievously, Nyx gave him a peck on the cheek, and he froze. Arkell brain failed to respond like a nd battleship crashing against an entire mountain range at full speed.

  When his mind rebooted, she already left... the door was ajar, and judging by the snow... his internal processing core took an even longer time for it. He can't help but also grin, it is a gift after all...

  "Hah... women..."

  ... Arkell didn't realize that there was a little mark on his cheek... Oh well, Eliza will grill him for that, only condolences can be offered upon his poor soul who will soon embark upon his sacred crusade of pacifying his angry wife...

  POV: Nyx

  I should have been shivering under the snow, like what an ordinary Pythia usually ends up as. Thankfully enough, the cold felt cking and even somewhat disappointing... My winter routine seems to have finally shown its merit, a positive thing for me in mitigating one of my racial weaknesses… still have no idea how could I mitigate my extreme lightweight level of drinking…

  Arkell honesty is what I needed, getting his opinion truly stung but it does feel better... Dad... I miss you... Holy damn, I'm such a crybaby...

  You know, walking in the snowy field, with other people preparing for the equivalent of New Year's Eve... I feel... out of pce. In all of my years here, in Terra, just now I realized that, subconsciously, crowds during a celebration always left me with unpleasant feelings... but not a bad one I guess?

  Hell, I even can have some fun by helping them do something I used to despise with my very bones. Probably because I'm not doing it out of obligation for once, and the fact that I'm not being treated like some kind of disposable manpower. It just felt weird to be a part of it...

  Not to say I never attended one, but back in Kazimierz, I had been forced to attend several balls, celebrations, and all those kinda pointless ceremonies which I used to never understand why someone would waste their time, money, and energy on something that is logically wasteful.

  Like all those taxes and tributes can be used to make a whole artillery division, paying the veterans their due, and or ensuring that the public life is safe and sound as- What, I got the order wrong? Surely not, a good military is the correct way to stability no? Pretty sure that's common sense...

  Meh whatever, so where was I? Ah right, my old attitudes.

  Innumerable lives based upon the spirit of killing, fighting, and generally doing things not under the banner of pacifism and civility just made me out by it... but now I can see it, feel it, and even become entranced by it.

  All the shit I had gone through made me more appreciative of an actually peaceful moment of rest. Back then on the other side, in all of my old life to be exact, all I did on break time was to get something that could distract me from my problems if a real vacation is out of the question.

  I don't really like fancy food or high-css dining, since those just made me out of pce, and by the end of the day, it doesn't distract me all that much and that is disregarding how miserable I usually look. My comfort food was no better than nutrient paste when stressed out, rarely got the time and space to whip up something humane to eat.

  Never was I a good drinker back then too and yes I had accepted the fact that even 5% of alcohol will get me pstered in no time. So bars and pubs mostly end up as pces for me to find and gather rumors. It does make me stand out and on a few occasions, it was also the reason I got entangled with problems.

  Ranks and the like don't appeal to me, power to do whatever sounds nice on paper but I'm never keen on kissing someone' boot. Of course, there have been experiences for me to get sent facing the firing squad, or worse, because I refused to bend down... how many times had I been executed I wonder...

  So only one pce is left that is somewhat consistent between lives. Where I used to frequent myself and unwind, an unhealthy method to get problematic things forgotten. Nothing sts forever but it was better than nothing...

  Just burning up all my stipend, bonus, and payment for an illusion of intimacy. Reveling and leaving myself being thrown about by comforting falsehood, nothing ended up too serious in my line of work would be best after all...

  But those were lives where I was still more man than machine, I had lived otherwise too... I still don't get how souls work... does a machine get to have one? Life as an unfeeling machine felt surreal, like just watching and staring through the screen and executing prompted commands that have been wired inside me...

  And yet here I am now... all alone, lost, and dispirited. This county has that sort of pce I used to frequent, but every time I gazed upon it, only overpowering emptiness was felt. In Kazimierz, I had also done the same and even got into one, but the opulence sickens me, thus I keep going and going on an endless cycle of...

  'Ah, those spies are finally here... can't they give me a goddamn night for my own? Is that so hard to ask!? I'm going to fucking murd-' wait...

  "No... I'm here to cool off... remember what dad says... just... rest..." Pushing them away from my thoughts... I just tried to do what he told me... control it Nyx... control it... don't snap...

  Thinking about it, I will most likely repse back into negativity, so might as well find a bench to sit upon ter. Preferably somewhere quiet. Maybe I should head out towards a retively far park on a hill just 5 kilometers away from the main pza, again, ter that is.

  The pce was well-known as a pce where someone could chill or stumble awkwardly when a couple having a midnight tryst. My comment? Their fault to act that way but I won't really care even if I stumble against one.

  'Well... time to just slough through the muddy snow... hopefully I don't impose on anyone... if I did impose, then I'll just exchange favo-' the word 'favor' struck deep into my psyche... Why am I like this? Favor this, favor that... Nah, what’s done is done. It has its uses, but it would have been nice to have more people whom I can be genuine with.

  'Hah... this is just sad... old habits die hard...' There is always a price for things you sought after... as it should be. In an ideally realistic world, the foundation of a healthy retionship must be based upon contracts of mutual understanding...

  "What a surprise seeing you walking so downheartedly... especially when you were the one who helped the pza with such vigor..."

  I immediately whirled around with my hand quickly reaching for my gun... damn it, I got so hung up with my own mind that I neglected my guard. But before I aimed the gun towards where the sounds were...

  "Now, hold it there Lady Nyx. I'm not here to fish out problems after all. Not only does a ke freeze during winter, but the finbeasts would all swim away with their families."

  "... Vincen- Uh, my apologies... I mean... Count Toron?"

  "Oh do call me Vincent, no need for formalities especially whereupon an utmost joyous occasion is right on the horizon."

  "B-but, I... uh... hah... screw it... On what occasion did you go out of your way out here?"

  "Better, now as of why I just want to help you with your problems."

  "... You do realize that you're painting a giant target on your back to say that here so openly?"

  "True, but can you feel any eyes on you?"

  "..." Now that I think about it... The spies attached to me they're... gone. I look back at him and he looks jovial as ever... if I brush it off like an idiot that is, no wonder he can keep his peace around here...

  "Surely you noticed by now, that it was truly deplorable to spoil such a splendid occasion with uncouth peeping toms such as them. I need to reiterate that I would be most thrilled to have you in my mansion to enjoy this revelry as a good friend and patron of your expertise. What say you?"

  "... Aye..."

  "Grand! Now, let us head back towards my mansion. We shall continue there to have a much better welcoming atmosphere on this fine and gracefully snowy evening."

  He held out his hand to me, less of an invitation and more of an offer to help... I took it and he escorted me back to his mansion... Just what the hell did I get myself into? Instead of wariness, I'm... gd? Am I that desperate? ... heh... hahaha... fucking A.... Hopefully I don't get knackered...

  [END OF CHAPTER]

  Author's Note:

  Yo, this is me, myself, and I, the author... :)

  My thesis is... not going too well from what I can safely surmise... so

  TL;DR: I'm screwed lmao.

  I'll try to, at least, get a chapter out each week...

  Update as usual.

  Ciao.