Esepha Sernine is the current leader of Blue Ghost. She is with her current second hand carrying out a very dangerous mission. Rumor has it that a prisoner escaped and has stolen a very powerful weapon. The Magna Nova. It’s a weapon that can destroy a large portion of the island almost effortlessly and be used again. It was so dangerous that it was forced to be sealed away. But a previously imprisoned terrorist has stolen it to cause chaos.
Esepha and her second hand, Gitoro, were forced to go after him, leaping from building to building in the almost future city trying to find him. It wasn’t easy when it was past midnight with no moon out. If it was out it was being blocked by one of the larger buildings. Eventually they found him with the suitcase running through the alleyways.
“Looks like he’s on the move.” Gitoro said with no emotion. He never showed that much emotion. Never got to him. Mostly so he could focus more on his missions. That’s probably the reason why Esepha could stand him.
Esepha was as cold as the arctic. She tried her best to never show it. She always war a sort of strange gas mask in public or on the job, just about where ever there is people. She never took it off where people could see. In truth, only her mother has seen her face. But that was 20 years ago. She wore some type of mask ever since she was little. To further cover her body she wore a strange dome helmet like a World War I German’s without the spike. Almost gave her an evil appearance. She also wore a pitch black trench coat which was so tight around her upper torso that it augmented her already impressive “features”. It went down to her ankles where they rubbed against her stiff boots that could withstand a bear attack. This was how her division and second hand are used to seeing her. She was never seen any different.
“He will be easy to take out from here.” Gitoro said aiming his shot-gun at the back of the terrorist’s head as he was running to his destination.
“No.” Esepha lowered Gitoro’s gun for him. “Not now.”
“Permission to ask your motives? Leader?”
“If we shoot him now it’s just a killing. If we follow him we can find out his motives. His sentence will be just as bad. We need the public to know how dangerous these people are. And what better way to catch them in the act of a very dangerous crime?”
Gitoro sheathes his gun into the holster on his back with a stern look. A conversation with him is like staring at a world marvel. It’s just there to marvel at and you don’t know if it is ignoring you or staring back. It’s just marvelous. Not around Esepha. Esepha is one of the few people that can break his rough exterior.
“Let’s go.”
Esepha and Gitoro, the two strongest members of an entire En4cement division, were hunting down a convicted terrorist with a weapon that could take a bite out of an entire city.
The terrorist seemed to have a general idea of where he was going. His name was Cik. He was a “Drizzle” as En4cement put it. Drizzles are considered terrorists by En4cement and like all terrorists they have to be captured by the enforcement agency of the country. Drizzles have a simple life style. They exist to destroy the island completely and all its inhabitants. They think that life was supposed to die out in the great flood because humans have doomed themselves to it and that this city and island is a sin and “Faux-Heaven”. They’ve destroyed major buildings and burned hundreds of acres of land in the past but the Magna Nova is capable of destroying so much of the island like it was a cookie being bitten by a child. He had to be stopped.
Some time later, Esepha and Gitoro followed Cik to the new night club that opened up about two months ago. Rumors had it that it was a hangout for drug barons and criminals. Cik walking into the club might actually give them a chance for busting the place. Cik was out of breath with his suit case in his hand entering the club.
“How do you think we’re getting in there to get the crook?” Gitoro said without making eye contact.
“Hold on. I’m looking over our best situations.”
Esepha was always a thinker. Give her enough time and she could solve the hardest of puzzles. She could go in thinking that she could get away with her current attire. But that would cause attention. Time was running out so she came up with the best idea possible. She then called for 20 members of the lower 30 and about 60 members from Blue Ghost to help her. She had them delay their arrival for ten minutes thinking that’s enough time…
“Understood.” Gitoro replied. The plan was in action.
Gitoro was pretty much brute strength as a result from having a dangerous amount of raw Nirill implanted in him. As a result he tripled in size. He was a good two feet taller then Esepha who was about 5’8”. Because he built up his resistance to direct forces of Nirill, he could withstand the surging amount of raw power going through him. The only problem was he couldn’t control it too well. It was well reflected in his glowing blue biceps and chest. He wasn’t afraid to show it off not wearing shirts and only pants with thick tennis shoes. He only glows when his Nirill is being focused.
The two went to the top of the roof. From an air duct they dropped a fuzz grenade. It was a grenade that distorted hearing and seeing. You’re safe if you don’t look at its bright neon explosion.
The Grenade went off. Esepha and Gitoro went in through a window and quickly went into action. The loud dance music exploded through the building. Esepha didn’t care about the people, she just wanted the terrorist. She saw the back entrance of the club. She dashed toward it. Surprisingly quick for the footwear she had.
Gitoro was checking the dazed and confused clubbers. None of them looked like any convicts he recognized. He knocked a few out of the way trying to find what he was looking for. No luck.
Esepha, on the other hand, found a gold mine. But not what she was looking for. The back was home to Drizzle members with drug lords and pimps that also made up part of the Drizzle organization. They were still dazed from the fuzz grenade. They last pretty long. Anything that threatened the city was usually a part of Drizzle. But Cik wasn’t there. That’s all she cares about. She then sees a shadow of a man with a briefcase heading toward an exit. Esepha didn’t hesitate. She went after him in hot pursuit pulling out a gun and shooting. She got him in the hand making him drop the briefcase that had the Magna Nova. He ran off but Esepha didn’t see where. She went down and saw the briefcase. She picked it up and took it to the front of the club room. Gitoro had two people on his shoulders he was carrying.
“We got the case. Lets get out before they realize were here and what happened. Who do you have on your shoulders?”
“Convicts. I recognize their faces.” Gitoro said actually looking at Esepha this time. Esepha was shocked. She knew Gitoro was good at remembering faces. She has been working with him for 8 years. Her entire life time at Blue Ghost as the Leader. But in a loud club with little light was pretty impressive
“I guess now we have two less problems now.” Esepha said in her cold voice that could freeze a fire. “Let’s go. We have what we came for and Blue Ghost operatives are on their way over to arrest the people in the back. Our job is finished.”
That’s what they thought. As soon as they left the building Cik jumped down from the top of the building with a needle a syringe with a strange fluid inside it. He jumped on top of Esepha taking her down to the ground. She was helpless.
“You b***h!” He screamed about to stab her in the neck. But Gitoro acted quickly and put down the two convicts and tackled Cik off of her with enough force send him a few feet away. Gitoro then looked at Esepha.
“What’s the matter? He break your legs? I just saw him land on your back.”
“I’m fine. Let’s get going. We’ll let him rot…”
Before she could finish talking, Cik jumped up and stabbed Gitoro in the neck and injected the fluid. Gitoro then screamed and went down to his knees.
“Gitoro!” Esepha actually put emotion in her voice that time. As soon as she did she pulled out her gun and shoot Cik in the forehead killing him instantly. Esepha then rushed toward Gitoro who was loosing his body.
“What’s happened?” Esepha was actually worried. Something she hasn’t felt since she was a little girl. She looks at the syringe. The chemical was unknown. But what was known is that Gitoro was dying.
“Gitoro. We can save you.” Her voice returned to her normal icy feel.
“No you can’t.” Gitoro began loosing his voice and his muscles were shrinking. “That stuff is destroying my Nirill amount I can’t live through this. Esepha. I want you to live on and continue. It’s only fair that the weaker ones die and the stronger ones live. This is my end.”
Gitoro began to look like something no one should see. His body has lost all appearance he used to have. He eventually dwindled away into a skeleton with skin tightly stuck to the bone. As he lay dyeing he began to regret ever having that operation when his body literally became infused with Nirill. Every cell in the body creates Nirill. But Gitoro’s cells were Nirill and tissue. It was the equivalent of having all the blood being removed from the body until bone dry.
As soon as he died the first hover craft from Blue Ghost came in. Eventually six more came in and raided the night club. Everyone came out of the hover crafts and charged into the club. It didn’t take long. They brought everyone out of the club with white bags over their heads. One member saw Esepha with two bodies. Both were dead, one looked like he died painfully the other looked quick. This member was Visonna. She was a member of the Top 50.
The Top 50 were a group of fifty people that were just under the leader and second hand. They were very powerful and well disciplined. The Top 50 were divided into two groups. The Upper Twenty and Lower Thirty. The Upper Twenty were nearly three times as strong as the Lower Thirty, but the played their role as En4cement assigned them. Visonna was #39 in the Lower Thirty of Blue Ghost.
“Leader. Permission to talk on personal level?” She said to Esepha just staring at Gitoro’s body. Not the most beautiful of sights to look at.
“Speak how you see fit.” She said not looking away from the body.
“Who are these people and are you crying?”
Are you crying? Something only Esepha’s mother has asked her. God be sure she’s rotting in the earth. Esepha didn’t even turn around to talk to the Lower Thirty. She just spoke to her.
“These people? Lying in front of me is my former Second Hand. Standing behind me is an agent that needs to know her questions and that right there.” She points her gun to the corpse of Cik.
“That’s the trash of this city.” She fired five shots from the gun. She personally charged up the bullets up with her own Nirill Supply (she could do this. Her Nirill is very powerful and under tight control) and as soon as each of the bullets made contact with Cik’s flesh, his body was tossed slightly in the air. When he came back down he looked like road kill make razor-edged tires. Visonna looked in amazement. She’s never seen Esepha show emotion. Despite the fact that she’s never seen her face, she was familiar with emotion. She knew her only as a block of ice. It was like cats chasing dogs it was that scary.
“Take that pile of s**t to the incinerator at Blue Ghost.” She lowered her gun at the pile of s**t that once was Cik. “And take this one to the Higher Office.”
“U-Understood Leader.” Visonna hesitated lost in though and confusion. She didn’t see the whole of the body Esepha was looking at. The wind blew her coat very wide that covered Visonna’s view of Gitoro. But she knew it was Gitoro. She was just smart enough to know silence was best.
“I need two stretchers here for an operative and a mutilated corpse.” As soon as Visonna said that Esepha walked away from the crime. No emotion.
No one knew what was wrong with Esepha. Not even herself. She’s been switching between no emotions to a passionate emotion. She’s never had this kind of episode before. So many emotions going through her. Or was it just no emotion taking its toll? Whatever it was, it wasn’t Esepha.
She got into one of the hovercrafts and traveled back to the En4cement HQ with the Magna Nova in her lap. Gitoro died over getting this and she didn’t. She held onto it for dear life and promised that something like this would never get into the Drizzle’s hands.
En4cement HQ. It is a massive building that covered five city blocks and was able to part the clouds. It was truly an amazing building. It looked so bright even in the no moon after hours of the night. Esepha didn’t work here. No. The top eight members of En4cement work in a separate building. This building is only considered headquarters because all the operatives go to work here and where missions are given out, research is done, training, and whatever else En4cement governs.
The top eight members of En4cement have a very different lifestyle also. Most members of En4cement go to the building, do their job, and go back home. But the Top Eight all live and dwell in a large mansion several miles from the headquarters. They are encouraged to live in a single villa. This way they can all think of ways to use their respective operations for the best and work together better. Not to mention the Higher Ups, the one group higher then the Top Eight encourages that they should get to work on becoming friends and work on social levels.
Esepha barged into the HQ. When you walk into En4cement for the first time it was shock and awe. A huge court that looked to rival a royal garden. It had plants growing everywhere of a beautiful nature. Once again, something the Higher Ups put in because they thought it was good for the members. But the most amazing thing was the huge spherical TV screen floating in the center of the courtyard and rotating around an axis. It was a map of the city and where current members were. It had various other smaller floating spherical TV screens. They showed various actions and events going on in the city such as news, cameras, and other stuff. Some of them even had TV programs running. Just one of the many great technologies the great city has accomplished from unity.
She walked in with the Magna Nova and gave it to one of the lower ranking members of Blue Ghost. She was a member in the Upper Twenty despite her appearance. This member was a young woman. A very, very young woman with light pink hair tied up and she dressed in a Lolita fashion.
“I want you to take this to lock up.” She ordered.
“Yes ma’am.” The young woman said with a plain voice. Almost like an android it was that plain. She was a child prodigy which made her a freak. To deal with being a freak she is completely emotionless when she talks.
Enough about her now, Esepha then followed the followed the body of Gitoro to the investigation office. She killed the murderer. What more does she want?
“I want to know how my second was killed and how we can evade this problem in the future.” She said to the head of the investigation office.
“Gitoro is dead? Wow. I would think the master of strength would survive for another hundred years.” The medical examiner said. He has seen various strange things but Gitoro being killed in action is like hearing the world turned upside down.
“Well let us see where we could start.” As soon as he lifted the white blanket from over his head and saw what was left of Gitoro’s face, he threw up a little. It was horrific and has gotten even worse then when he died. Was that possible?
“Ms. Sernine. I’m going to have to ask you to wait outside. We don’t know if what killed him could spread or how. We will call you when we have an answer.” He said trying to keep the rest of his lunch down.
“If you need me I will be in the waiting room until you have the answer.” She said as she turned around and walked out not knowing how long it would take for them to find the answer. An hour? Ten hours? Ten days? All Esepha did know is she wanted to know how the second most powerful member of Blue Ghost died. Also, if this could happen to her. Cik originally aimed for her but Gitoro saved her. The least she could do is know what her fate could have been. And how to thank Gitoro.
Daybreak came and Esepha was still there in the waiting room. Who knew what she was thinking. Was she remembering all the past missions she had with Gitoro? Was she trying to sing a song in her head to keep her happy? Did she fall asleep and just dream? What ever it was, it was just long enough for the investigation team to find the answer they were looking for.
A medical investigator who worked on his autopsy came out and took her face mask and gloves off. She went over and sat in a chair and took it up to Esepha to the point where her knees were inches away from her own. Time to break the news.
“Ms. Sernine. The autopsy is finished and we found out what killed him.”
Esepha leaned in waiting for an answer.
“From the blood samples and examination of the organs that were found, we have an answer for what killed him and how. He was injected at the neck with a chemical virus that quickly spread through his body and eventually infected every cell in his body. The virus was able to eat away his Nirill supply until it was gone. As soon as the Nirill supply is eaten the cells die out. It could’ve killed anyone with Nirill. It would’ve taken a matter of days to completely kill off the host but because of the operation he had where his Nirill encased with his cells and super-charged, not to mention he was hit in a rather large vain, it took mere minutes.”
Esepha did not loose eye contact with this woman. She understood the whole of what she said. She also knew what her fate would’ve been. Gitoro saved her life. He suffered one of the ultimate deaths of having all the cells in the body be eradicated. She could only imagine the kind of suffering he went through.
“Will this spread? How can we evade this in case it happens again?” Esepha asked with as much emotion as the frost could let out. “The good news is it doesn’t spread. The virus instantly adapts to an individual’s body the second it’s injected and stays that way. Now on evading this we are working on a solution. The chemical was just now discovered and from the results we’ve seen…we will work on it the best we can on finding a cure to work on this. But it could take months. We need the raw chemical before it warps into a virus.”
Esepha remembered the needle Gitoro was stabbed with. If she could get it they could find the cure. Esepha stood up and walked away not making eye contact. The investigator looked down at her shoes knowing its better that Esepha knows. Before Esepha left the waiting room she turned her head slightly so that she could see her in the corner of her eye.
“Thank you. Thank you for doing all you can.” Esepha turned around and left the waiting room. She came into the main area of En4cement and got in an elevator. She took out a key and used it in the elevator. A small compartment opened up revealing a button. She pressed it and it shot up to the top of the building not yielding to anyone else wanting a ride.
It stopped at the top at the very top of the En4cement building. The top was a large courtyard filled with statues of the past leaders of the Top Eight. They filled the place. It leaked the sense of old and aged. The courtyard itself existed longer then anything in the city. The story says that after the island was created a section of it served as a shrine to four statues: a diamond statue, a ruby statue, a sapphire statue, and an emerald statue. These four statues selected eight people and those eight people became the first members of the Top Eight and En4cement was founded. From that point on, order over this island was absolute and in their hands.
Esepha walked up to the statue made of sapphires. It was a man at the peak of his physical capabilities and wore strange headgear that covered his eyes. He had a pair of pants on that were very baggy and no shoes. He looked rugged and noble with a goatee. Esepha took out a golden pendant and raised it up to the statue. It glistened for a second and life was brought to the statue.
“Who are you and why do you need my aid?” The statue spoke with a voice that was wise yet young. Esepha got on one knee and spoke to him.
“My name is Esepha Sernine. I am the current Leader of Blue Ghost and I seek your aid KB.” Esepha usually did not take aid. But one of these statues could help her if no one else could.
“Remove your mask Esepha. Your face will show me your troubles.”
She did as she was told and removed the gas mask and helmet and stared at his face. She spoke with desperation in her voice. It must’ve been serious if she were to take her mask and helmet off.
“Gitoro Estins has died. He was killed in action. He was my Second Hand. I have no idea where to go now. I should be dead.”
“Why should you be dead?” The statue asked as if he knew the answer.
“Gitoro saved me from an attempted murder. He took a bullet for me… Not literally but he died for me. And now I have a problem. Not only do I have to find a new second hand but I have to make it up to the man who has been second hand since…I don’t even remember. Now I have the burden that I feel responsible for his death.”
The statue made a slight grin thinking it was so simple but she over thought it. “You do need to pick a Second Hand but what you first have to do is understand that things don’t happen for a reason.”
As soon as those words hit her ears a sense of confusion came to her. “I’m afraid I don’t understand…what do you mean?”
“Listen to me. How boring would it be to have your life and existence in a set path? Your destiny pre-planed and we just follow the timeline as its set? How boring and useless would that be?” Esepha still didn’t understand. Timelines? Destiny? Existence? How does this relate to her?
“Understand this Esepha. Will is stronger then fate. If you asked me, Gitoro died because he cared about you so much that he was willing to risk his own life. He tempted fate with his own will.”
Esepha then remembered the last words he said to her: It’s only fair that the weaker ones die and the stronger ones live. This is my end. She didn’t understand still. Was this supposed to happen or not? The way she sees it: I’m responsible for his death and it will haunt me forever.
“Esepha.” The statue spoke to her snapping her out of her trance of trying to understand what he said to her. “You need to find a new Second Hand. I will create a statue in memory of Gitoro here. I advise you this, however. When selecting your new Second Hand, make sure they have no limits.”
“No limits? What does that mean? No limits how?” She asked with a confused look on her face. “No limits as in a libertine in some ways. Maybe then you can loose the stress of you feeling responsible for Gitoro’s death.” KB replied.
Whatever he was saying had to make sense as he was just talking in riddles. Esepha loved riddles but after the death of Gitoro she couldn’t think straight. A libertine? What does that mean? Responsibility? KB wasn’t there. He had no clue what was going on or what Esepha was feeling. Then again. Esepha doesn’t know what she’s feeling. Emotion? No emotion? Lost feelings? New feelings?
“Esepha. I hope this will make you understand a few things. You humans always say we Higher Powers are omnipotent and whatnot. That’s true. So cherish this time and these teachings.” The statue lost life and was back to the original pose he was in before Esepha showed up. She put her mask and helmet back on and thought to herself as she walked toward the elevator. She was in deep thought from the talk with one of the Higher Powers. They were on the level of a deity in many areas but this still made no sense to her. Do I ignore it? Learn from it? What to do if anything?
Esepha took the elevator back down to the main floor of En4cement. She thought long and hard on the way down about what KB of the Higher Powers said to her. As she walked out she saw two members of the Upper Twenty picking on a member of the Lower Thirty. In her own operation nonetheless. Esepha will not stand for this.
“Come on girl one kiss is all I’m asking for.” One of the Upper Twenties said to the Lower Thirty.
“Why don’t you just kiss your boyfriend’s a** and leave me alone?” The Lower Thirty responded with a sharp tone in her voice.
“Oh! Did you here that seventeen?”
“I sure did fourteen. That’s not a nice way to talk to one of a higher rank then you. Don’t you think fourteen?” The Lower Thirty member looked at them with a gaze and a grin.
“You certainly are a higher rank then me. In stupidity and men mostly.” She said. But, something she said just struck a nerve. He was very proud of his masculinity and would be damned if anyone soiled it, especially one of a lower rank. “Alright! That’s it! You just spoke out of line!” The Upper Twenty said raising his hand and slapping down the Lower Thirty in one swipe. It must have had Nirill in it to be that painful. She was on the ground. With her hand being covered by her face. Not pretty with your leader walking over to them.
He raised his hand again ready to slap the other side of the Lower Thirty’s face. Maybe even harder. She was still on the ground covering her face with her hand squinting at the two Upper Twenties. She thought she could take them but truth be told she was out classed and outnumbered. No chance. As his hand came down Esepha grabbed it and absorbed his own Nirill being focused in his hand. A very rare and difficult trick to pull off and something that comes with being a Leader of an operation. With that Nirill she focused it back into the Upper Twenty’s hand and shattered all the bones in all his fingers from the pressure of the Nirill. He screamed for a split second but then remembered that En4cemet does not cry or give in to pain. Even if inflicted by another officer. “You have no right to hit another officer.” Esepha said in a frigid voice. Sounds like the real Esepha was back.
“But I…” he said with a high pitch voice. Mostly because of the pain of feeling his fingers broken. Or was it because he’s intimidated? He was interrupted by Esepha. He lost all voice and thought when he looked her straight in the eyes of her gas mask.
“You will do nothing to your comrades. I have final word in your interactions with others. Do you understand?”
He understood. He knew. You know that feeling you get when you begin to ask yourself ‘Why did I do something stupid like that?’ A sense of deep regret? #14 had felt it like a train hitting him. He felt it even harder when Esepha let go of his hand. He felt so numb. No blood. Just a pale white hand. It hurt like hell.
“I want both of you to stay out of her sight. If I even hear a rumor. I will break more then your hand.” She spoke with no passion. But her words were not empty. They practically cut his ego in half. He was knocking on the Devil’s Door. But unfortunately for him, Esepha answered.
“Understood. Leader.” He said with tears from the pain coming down his face. Pain of the broken finger bones or his broken ego? That was something that couldn’t be seen. #17 took him to the infirmary on the other side of the building. He was quick. He had to be any chance of an infection could be terrible.
“Are you ok?” Esepha spoke to the Lower Thirty. For some reason she had some worry in her voice. Concern perhaps?
“I’m fine but thanks for the help.” The Lower Thirty spoke to her. Esepha got on her knee and offered to help her up. She accepted and took her hand and picked up. When they touched hands they both felt a psychometric feeling. The sense that they’ve known each other for years. That’s impossible. Right?
The Lower Thirty removed her hand from her face. There was an imprint of a hand on her face. Thankfully most of her long bangs covered the side of her face. That erotic sliver hair of hers. It was strange to see someone in their early twenties, especially a woman, with sliver hair.
“We have to get that looked at.” Esepha said.
“Oh no it’s ok.” The Lower Thirty shook her head to the point where her bangs covered the mark. When they went out of the way and her face in plain sight yet again the mark was gone. Esepha was quite shocked. She’s never seen this done before by a Lower Thirty. It got her thinking.
“What’s your name? And what number are you? I can tell you’re in the Lower Thirty.” It was easy to tell if someone was in the Lower Thirty. They had a blue and white uniform in Blue Ghost. Anything from Upper Twenty and up are allowed custom clothing.
“My name is Yasta. Yasta Zinesburg. I am Number Fifty of the Lower Thirty of the Blue Ghost operation.”
Now Esepha was confused. How can the weakest member of the Top Fifty heal from a Nirill-staining mark on her face? It would’ve taken hours. “Come with me. Mrs. Zinesburg” Esepha said looking at her face. She then walked away toward the exit of the building. Yasta followed right behind her.
“Excuse me Leader.” She said with a laid back attitude. Esepha turned around. Something about this girl was interesting. So interesting that she broke her normal attitude. She would’ve just kept walking and say ‘what’ but not for this girl. Esepha had no clue what made her so interesting. “It’s not ‘Mrs. Zinesburg’ it ‘Ms. Zinesburg’. Got it?”
Yasta just went out of line. Correcting an officer and adding insult to injury is something most would never do. Especially on a Leader. But Esepha ignored it. Did the death of Gitoro lead to a change in Esepha’s attitude? Did talking to one of the Higher Powers change her? “Understood number fifty. So until you get married I’ll remember, Ms. Zinesburg.” Esepha said trying to make a joke out of it. It didn’t fly.
The two got into an En4cement hovercraft and the driver took them off to the mansion of the Top Eight. The two did not talk to one another and the ride was silent. The radio wasn’t even on and the driver was silent. It was part of their job. Do not speak unless spoken to. The hovercraft eventually landed at the site of the mansion. It looked like an amazing summer house. It was a good ten miles away from the main city and five miles away from any other houses. It was secluded on a short cliff looking off onto a beautiful beach. It was just high enough that high tide would not reach them. The ocean it looked out on was as beautiful and blue as the sky. If you stare out hard enough you would loose your vision and the sky and sea would merge. It was one of the greatest views on the island.
Esepha and her second hand, Gitoro, were forced to go after him, leaping from building to building in the almost future city trying to find him. It wasn’t easy when it was past midnight with no moon out. If it was out it was being blocked by one of the larger buildings. Eventually they found him with the suitcase running through the alleyways.
“Looks like he’s on the move.” Gitoro said with no emotion. He never showed that much emotion. Never got to him. Mostly so he could focus more on his missions. That’s probably the reason why Esepha could stand him.
Esepha was as cold as the arctic. She tried her best to never show it. She always war a sort of strange gas mask in public or on the job, just about where ever there is people. She never took it off where people could see. In truth, only her mother has seen her face. But that was 20 years ago. She wore some type of mask ever since she was little. To further cover her body she wore a strange dome helmet like a World War I German’s without the spike. Almost gave her an evil appearance. She also wore a pitch black trench coat which was so tight around her upper torso that it augmented her already impressive “features”. It went down to her ankles where they rubbed against her stiff boots that could withstand a bear attack. This was how her division and second hand are used to seeing her. She was never seen any different.
“He will be easy to take out from here.” Gitoro said aiming his shot-gun at the back of the terrorist’s head as he was running to his destination.
“No.” Esepha lowered Gitoro’s gun for him. “Not now.”
“Permission to ask your motives? Leader?”
“If we shoot him now it’s just a killing. If we follow him we can find out his motives. His sentence will be just as bad. We need the public to know how dangerous these people are. And what better way to catch them in the act of a very dangerous crime?”
Gitoro sheathes his gun into the holster on his back with a stern look. A conversation with him is like staring at a world marvel. It’s just there to marvel at and you don’t know if it is ignoring you or staring back. It’s just marvelous. Not around Esepha. Esepha is one of the few people that can break his rough exterior.
“Let’s go.”
Esepha and Gitoro, the two strongest members of an entire En4cement division, were hunting down a convicted terrorist with a weapon that could take a bite out of an entire city.
The terrorist seemed to have a general idea of where he was going. His name was Cik. He was a “Drizzle” as En4cement put it. Drizzles are considered terrorists by En4cement and like all terrorists they have to be captured by the enforcement agency of the country. Drizzles have a simple life style. They exist to destroy the island completely and all its inhabitants. They think that life was supposed to die out in the great flood because humans have doomed themselves to it and that this city and island is a sin and “Faux-Heaven”. They’ve destroyed major buildings and burned hundreds of acres of land in the past but the Magna Nova is capable of destroying so much of the island like it was a cookie being bitten by a child. He had to be stopped.
Some time later, Esepha and Gitoro followed Cik to the new night club that opened up about two months ago. Rumors had it that it was a hangout for drug barons and criminals. Cik walking into the club might actually give them a chance for busting the place. Cik was out of breath with his suit case in his hand entering the club.
“How do you think we’re getting in there to get the crook?” Gitoro said without making eye contact.
“Hold on. I’m looking over our best situations.”
Esepha was always a thinker. Give her enough time and she could solve the hardest of puzzles. She could go in thinking that she could get away with her current attire. But that would cause attention. Time was running out so she came up with the best idea possible. She then called for 20 members of the lower 30 and about 60 members from Blue Ghost to help her. She had them delay their arrival for ten minutes thinking that’s enough time…
“Understood.” Gitoro replied. The plan was in action.
Gitoro was pretty much brute strength as a result from having a dangerous amount of raw Nirill implanted in him. As a result he tripled in size. He was a good two feet taller then Esepha who was about 5’8”. Because he built up his resistance to direct forces of Nirill, he could withstand the surging amount of raw power going through him. The only problem was he couldn’t control it too well. It was well reflected in his glowing blue biceps and chest. He wasn’t afraid to show it off not wearing shirts and only pants with thick tennis shoes. He only glows when his Nirill is being focused.
The two went to the top of the roof. From an air duct they dropped a fuzz grenade. It was a grenade that distorted hearing and seeing. You’re safe if you don’t look at its bright neon explosion.
The Grenade went off. Esepha and Gitoro went in through a window and quickly went into action. The loud dance music exploded through the building. Esepha didn’t care about the people, she just wanted the terrorist. She saw the back entrance of the club. She dashed toward it. Surprisingly quick for the footwear she had.
Gitoro was checking the dazed and confused clubbers. None of them looked like any convicts he recognized. He knocked a few out of the way trying to find what he was looking for. No luck.
Esepha, on the other hand, found a gold mine. But not what she was looking for. The back was home to Drizzle members with drug lords and pimps that also made up part of the Drizzle organization. They were still dazed from the fuzz grenade. They last pretty long. Anything that threatened the city was usually a part of Drizzle. But Cik wasn’t there. That’s all she cares about. She then sees a shadow of a man with a briefcase heading toward an exit. Esepha didn’t hesitate. She went after him in hot pursuit pulling out a gun and shooting. She got him in the hand making him drop the briefcase that had the Magna Nova. He ran off but Esepha didn’t see where. She went down and saw the briefcase. She picked it up and took it to the front of the club room. Gitoro had two people on his shoulders he was carrying.
“We got the case. Lets get out before they realize were here and what happened. Who do you have on your shoulders?”
“Convicts. I recognize their faces.” Gitoro said actually looking at Esepha this time. Esepha was shocked. She knew Gitoro was good at remembering faces. She has been working with him for 8 years. Her entire life time at Blue Ghost as the Leader. But in a loud club with little light was pretty impressive
“I guess now we have two less problems now.” Esepha said in her cold voice that could freeze a fire. “Let’s go. We have what we came for and Blue Ghost operatives are on their way over to arrest the people in the back. Our job is finished.”
That’s what they thought. As soon as they left the building Cik jumped down from the top of the building with a needle a syringe with a strange fluid inside it. He jumped on top of Esepha taking her down to the ground. She was helpless.
“You b***h!” He screamed about to stab her in the neck. But Gitoro acted quickly and put down the two convicts and tackled Cik off of her with enough force send him a few feet away. Gitoro then looked at Esepha.
“What’s the matter? He break your legs? I just saw him land on your back.”
“I’m fine. Let’s get going. We’ll let him rot…”
Before she could finish talking, Cik jumped up and stabbed Gitoro in the neck and injected the fluid. Gitoro then screamed and went down to his knees.
“Gitoro!” Esepha actually put emotion in her voice that time. As soon as she did she pulled out her gun and shoot Cik in the forehead killing him instantly. Esepha then rushed toward Gitoro who was loosing his body.
“What’s happened?” Esepha was actually worried. Something she hasn’t felt since she was a little girl. She looks at the syringe. The chemical was unknown. But what was known is that Gitoro was dying.
“Gitoro. We can save you.” Her voice returned to her normal icy feel.
“No you can’t.” Gitoro began loosing his voice and his muscles were shrinking. “That stuff is destroying my Nirill amount I can’t live through this. Esepha. I want you to live on and continue. It’s only fair that the weaker ones die and the stronger ones live. This is my end.”
Gitoro began to look like something no one should see. His body has lost all appearance he used to have. He eventually dwindled away into a skeleton with skin tightly stuck to the bone. As he lay dyeing he began to regret ever having that operation when his body literally became infused with Nirill. Every cell in the body creates Nirill. But Gitoro’s cells were Nirill and tissue. It was the equivalent of having all the blood being removed from the body until bone dry.
As soon as he died the first hover craft from Blue Ghost came in. Eventually six more came in and raided the night club. Everyone came out of the hover crafts and charged into the club. It didn’t take long. They brought everyone out of the club with white bags over their heads. One member saw Esepha with two bodies. Both were dead, one looked like he died painfully the other looked quick. This member was Visonna. She was a member of the Top 50.
The Top 50 were a group of fifty people that were just under the leader and second hand. They were very powerful and well disciplined. The Top 50 were divided into two groups. The Upper Twenty and Lower Thirty. The Upper Twenty were nearly three times as strong as the Lower Thirty, but the played their role as En4cement assigned them. Visonna was #39 in the Lower Thirty of Blue Ghost.
“Leader. Permission to talk on personal level?” She said to Esepha just staring at Gitoro’s body. Not the most beautiful of sights to look at.
“Speak how you see fit.” She said not looking away from the body.
“Who are these people and are you crying?”
Are you crying? Something only Esepha’s mother has asked her. God be sure she’s rotting in the earth. Esepha didn’t even turn around to talk to the Lower Thirty. She just spoke to her.
“These people? Lying in front of me is my former Second Hand. Standing behind me is an agent that needs to know her questions and that right there.” She points her gun to the corpse of Cik.
“That’s the trash of this city.” She fired five shots from the gun. She personally charged up the bullets up with her own Nirill Supply (she could do this. Her Nirill is very powerful and under tight control) and as soon as each of the bullets made contact with Cik’s flesh, his body was tossed slightly in the air. When he came back down he looked like road kill make razor-edged tires. Visonna looked in amazement. She’s never seen Esepha show emotion. Despite the fact that she’s never seen her face, she was familiar with emotion. She knew her only as a block of ice. It was like cats chasing dogs it was that scary.
“Take that pile of s**t to the incinerator at Blue Ghost.” She lowered her gun at the pile of s**t that once was Cik. “And take this one to the Higher Office.”
“U-Understood Leader.” Visonna hesitated lost in though and confusion. She didn’t see the whole of the body Esepha was looking at. The wind blew her coat very wide that covered Visonna’s view of Gitoro. But she knew it was Gitoro. She was just smart enough to know silence was best.
“I need two stretchers here for an operative and a mutilated corpse.” As soon as Visonna said that Esepha walked away from the crime. No emotion.
No one knew what was wrong with Esepha. Not even herself. She’s been switching between no emotions to a passionate emotion. She’s never had this kind of episode before. So many emotions going through her. Or was it just no emotion taking its toll? Whatever it was, it wasn’t Esepha.
She got into one of the hovercrafts and traveled back to the En4cement HQ with the Magna Nova in her lap. Gitoro died over getting this and she didn’t. She held onto it for dear life and promised that something like this would never get into the Drizzle’s hands.
En4cement HQ. It is a massive building that covered five city blocks and was able to part the clouds. It was truly an amazing building. It looked so bright even in the no moon after hours of the night. Esepha didn’t work here. No. The top eight members of En4cement work in a separate building. This building is only considered headquarters because all the operatives go to work here and where missions are given out, research is done, training, and whatever else En4cement governs.
The top eight members of En4cement have a very different lifestyle also. Most members of En4cement go to the building, do their job, and go back home. But the Top Eight all live and dwell in a large mansion several miles from the headquarters. They are encouraged to live in a single villa. This way they can all think of ways to use their respective operations for the best and work together better. Not to mention the Higher Ups, the one group higher then the Top Eight encourages that they should get to work on becoming friends and work on social levels.
Esepha barged into the HQ. When you walk into En4cement for the first time it was shock and awe. A huge court that looked to rival a royal garden. It had plants growing everywhere of a beautiful nature. Once again, something the Higher Ups put in because they thought it was good for the members. But the most amazing thing was the huge spherical TV screen floating in the center of the courtyard and rotating around an axis. It was a map of the city and where current members were. It had various other smaller floating spherical TV screens. They showed various actions and events going on in the city such as news, cameras, and other stuff. Some of them even had TV programs running. Just one of the many great technologies the great city has accomplished from unity.
She walked in with the Magna Nova and gave it to one of the lower ranking members of Blue Ghost. She was a member in the Upper Twenty despite her appearance. This member was a young woman. A very, very young woman with light pink hair tied up and she dressed in a Lolita fashion.
“I want you to take this to lock up.” She ordered.
“Yes ma’am.” The young woman said with a plain voice. Almost like an android it was that plain. She was a child prodigy which made her a freak. To deal with being a freak she is completely emotionless when she talks.
Enough about her now, Esepha then followed the followed the body of Gitoro to the investigation office. She killed the murderer. What more does she want?
“I want to know how my second was killed and how we can evade this problem in the future.” She said to the head of the investigation office.
“Gitoro is dead? Wow. I would think the master of strength would survive for another hundred years.” The medical examiner said. He has seen various strange things but Gitoro being killed in action is like hearing the world turned upside down.
“Well let us see where we could start.” As soon as he lifted the white blanket from over his head and saw what was left of Gitoro’s face, he threw up a little. It was horrific and has gotten even worse then when he died. Was that possible?
“Ms. Sernine. I’m going to have to ask you to wait outside. We don’t know if what killed him could spread or how. We will call you when we have an answer.” He said trying to keep the rest of his lunch down.
“If you need me I will be in the waiting room until you have the answer.” She said as she turned around and walked out not knowing how long it would take for them to find the answer. An hour? Ten hours? Ten days? All Esepha did know is she wanted to know how the second most powerful member of Blue Ghost died. Also, if this could happen to her. Cik originally aimed for her but Gitoro saved her. The least she could do is know what her fate could have been. And how to thank Gitoro.
Daybreak came and Esepha was still there in the waiting room. Who knew what she was thinking. Was she remembering all the past missions she had with Gitoro? Was she trying to sing a song in her head to keep her happy? Did she fall asleep and just dream? What ever it was, it was just long enough for the investigation team to find the answer they were looking for.
A medical investigator who worked on his autopsy came out and took her face mask and gloves off. She went over and sat in a chair and took it up to Esepha to the point where her knees were inches away from her own. Time to break the news.
“Ms. Sernine. The autopsy is finished and we found out what killed him.”
Esepha leaned in waiting for an answer.
“From the blood samples and examination of the organs that were found, we have an answer for what killed him and how. He was injected at the neck with a chemical virus that quickly spread through his body and eventually infected every cell in his body. The virus was able to eat away his Nirill supply until it was gone. As soon as the Nirill supply is eaten the cells die out. It could’ve killed anyone with Nirill. It would’ve taken a matter of days to completely kill off the host but because of the operation he had where his Nirill encased with his cells and super-charged, not to mention he was hit in a rather large vain, it took mere minutes.”
Esepha did not loose eye contact with this woman. She understood the whole of what she said. She also knew what her fate would’ve been. Gitoro saved her life. He suffered one of the ultimate deaths of having all the cells in the body be eradicated. She could only imagine the kind of suffering he went through.
“Will this spread? How can we evade this in case it happens again?” Esepha asked with as much emotion as the frost could let out. “The good news is it doesn’t spread. The virus instantly adapts to an individual’s body the second it’s injected and stays that way. Now on evading this we are working on a solution. The chemical was just now discovered and from the results we’ve seen…we will work on it the best we can on finding a cure to work on this. But it could take months. We need the raw chemical before it warps into a virus.”
Esepha remembered the needle Gitoro was stabbed with. If she could get it they could find the cure. Esepha stood up and walked away not making eye contact. The investigator looked down at her shoes knowing its better that Esepha knows. Before Esepha left the waiting room she turned her head slightly so that she could see her in the corner of her eye.
“Thank you. Thank you for doing all you can.” Esepha turned around and left the waiting room. She came into the main area of En4cement and got in an elevator. She took out a key and used it in the elevator. A small compartment opened up revealing a button. She pressed it and it shot up to the top of the building not yielding to anyone else wanting a ride.
It stopped at the top at the very top of the En4cement building. The top was a large courtyard filled with statues of the past leaders of the Top Eight. They filled the place. It leaked the sense of old and aged. The courtyard itself existed longer then anything in the city. The story says that after the island was created a section of it served as a shrine to four statues: a diamond statue, a ruby statue, a sapphire statue, and an emerald statue. These four statues selected eight people and those eight people became the first members of the Top Eight and En4cement was founded. From that point on, order over this island was absolute and in their hands.
Esepha walked up to the statue made of sapphires. It was a man at the peak of his physical capabilities and wore strange headgear that covered his eyes. He had a pair of pants on that were very baggy and no shoes. He looked rugged and noble with a goatee. Esepha took out a golden pendant and raised it up to the statue. It glistened for a second and life was brought to the statue.
“Who are you and why do you need my aid?” The statue spoke with a voice that was wise yet young. Esepha got on one knee and spoke to him.
“My name is Esepha Sernine. I am the current Leader of Blue Ghost and I seek your aid KB.” Esepha usually did not take aid. But one of these statues could help her if no one else could.
“Remove your mask Esepha. Your face will show me your troubles.”
She did as she was told and removed the gas mask and helmet and stared at his face. She spoke with desperation in her voice. It must’ve been serious if she were to take her mask and helmet off.
“Gitoro Estins has died. He was killed in action. He was my Second Hand. I have no idea where to go now. I should be dead.”
“Why should you be dead?” The statue asked as if he knew the answer.
“Gitoro saved me from an attempted murder. He took a bullet for me… Not literally but he died for me. And now I have a problem. Not only do I have to find a new second hand but I have to make it up to the man who has been second hand since…I don’t even remember. Now I have the burden that I feel responsible for his death.”
The statue made a slight grin thinking it was so simple but she over thought it. “You do need to pick a Second Hand but what you first have to do is understand that things don’t happen for a reason.”
As soon as those words hit her ears a sense of confusion came to her. “I’m afraid I don’t understand…what do you mean?”
“Listen to me. How boring would it be to have your life and existence in a set path? Your destiny pre-planed and we just follow the timeline as its set? How boring and useless would that be?” Esepha still didn’t understand. Timelines? Destiny? Existence? How does this relate to her?
“Understand this Esepha. Will is stronger then fate. If you asked me, Gitoro died because he cared about you so much that he was willing to risk his own life. He tempted fate with his own will.”
Esepha then remembered the last words he said to her: It’s only fair that the weaker ones die and the stronger ones live. This is my end. She didn’t understand still. Was this supposed to happen or not? The way she sees it: I’m responsible for his death and it will haunt me forever.
“Esepha.” The statue spoke to her snapping her out of her trance of trying to understand what he said to her. “You need to find a new Second Hand. I will create a statue in memory of Gitoro here. I advise you this, however. When selecting your new Second Hand, make sure they have no limits.”
“No limits? What does that mean? No limits how?” She asked with a confused look on her face. “No limits as in a libertine in some ways. Maybe then you can loose the stress of you feeling responsible for Gitoro’s death.” KB replied.
Whatever he was saying had to make sense as he was just talking in riddles. Esepha loved riddles but after the death of Gitoro she couldn’t think straight. A libertine? What does that mean? Responsibility? KB wasn’t there. He had no clue what was going on or what Esepha was feeling. Then again. Esepha doesn’t know what she’s feeling. Emotion? No emotion? Lost feelings? New feelings?
“Esepha. I hope this will make you understand a few things. You humans always say we Higher Powers are omnipotent and whatnot. That’s true. So cherish this time and these teachings.” The statue lost life and was back to the original pose he was in before Esepha showed up. She put her mask and helmet back on and thought to herself as she walked toward the elevator. She was in deep thought from the talk with one of the Higher Powers. They were on the level of a deity in many areas but this still made no sense to her. Do I ignore it? Learn from it? What to do if anything?
Esepha took the elevator back down to the main floor of En4cement. She thought long and hard on the way down about what KB of the Higher Powers said to her. As she walked out she saw two members of the Upper Twenty picking on a member of the Lower Thirty. In her own operation nonetheless. Esepha will not stand for this.
“Come on girl one kiss is all I’m asking for.” One of the Upper Twenties said to the Lower Thirty.
“Why don’t you just kiss your boyfriend’s a** and leave me alone?” The Lower Thirty responded with a sharp tone in her voice.
“Oh! Did you here that seventeen?”
“I sure did fourteen. That’s not a nice way to talk to one of a higher rank then you. Don’t you think fourteen?” The Lower Thirty member looked at them with a gaze and a grin.
“You certainly are a higher rank then me. In stupidity and men mostly.” She said. But, something she said just struck a nerve. He was very proud of his masculinity and would be damned if anyone soiled it, especially one of a lower rank. “Alright! That’s it! You just spoke out of line!” The Upper Twenty said raising his hand and slapping down the Lower Thirty in one swipe. It must have had Nirill in it to be that painful. She was on the ground. With her hand being covered by her face. Not pretty with your leader walking over to them.
He raised his hand again ready to slap the other side of the Lower Thirty’s face. Maybe even harder. She was still on the ground covering her face with her hand squinting at the two Upper Twenties. She thought she could take them but truth be told she was out classed and outnumbered. No chance. As his hand came down Esepha grabbed it and absorbed his own Nirill being focused in his hand. A very rare and difficult trick to pull off and something that comes with being a Leader of an operation. With that Nirill she focused it back into the Upper Twenty’s hand and shattered all the bones in all his fingers from the pressure of the Nirill. He screamed for a split second but then remembered that En4cemet does not cry or give in to pain. Even if inflicted by another officer. “You have no right to hit another officer.” Esepha said in a frigid voice. Sounds like the real Esepha was back.
“But I…” he said with a high pitch voice. Mostly because of the pain of feeling his fingers broken. Or was it because he’s intimidated? He was interrupted by Esepha. He lost all voice and thought when he looked her straight in the eyes of her gas mask.
“You will do nothing to your comrades. I have final word in your interactions with others. Do you understand?”
He understood. He knew. You know that feeling you get when you begin to ask yourself ‘Why did I do something stupid like that?’ A sense of deep regret? #14 had felt it like a train hitting him. He felt it even harder when Esepha let go of his hand. He felt so numb. No blood. Just a pale white hand. It hurt like hell.
“I want both of you to stay out of her sight. If I even hear a rumor. I will break more then your hand.” She spoke with no passion. But her words were not empty. They practically cut his ego in half. He was knocking on the Devil’s Door. But unfortunately for him, Esepha answered.
“Understood. Leader.” He said with tears from the pain coming down his face. Pain of the broken finger bones or his broken ego? That was something that couldn’t be seen. #17 took him to the infirmary on the other side of the building. He was quick. He had to be any chance of an infection could be terrible.
“Are you ok?” Esepha spoke to the Lower Thirty. For some reason she had some worry in her voice. Concern perhaps?
“I’m fine but thanks for the help.” The Lower Thirty spoke to her. Esepha got on her knee and offered to help her up. She accepted and took her hand and picked up. When they touched hands they both felt a psychometric feeling. The sense that they’ve known each other for years. That’s impossible. Right?
The Lower Thirty removed her hand from her face. There was an imprint of a hand on her face. Thankfully most of her long bangs covered the side of her face. That erotic sliver hair of hers. It was strange to see someone in their early twenties, especially a woman, with sliver hair.
“We have to get that looked at.” Esepha said.
“Oh no it’s ok.” The Lower Thirty shook her head to the point where her bangs covered the mark. When they went out of the way and her face in plain sight yet again the mark was gone. Esepha was quite shocked. She’s never seen this done before by a Lower Thirty. It got her thinking.
“What’s your name? And what number are you? I can tell you’re in the Lower Thirty.” It was easy to tell if someone was in the Lower Thirty. They had a blue and white uniform in Blue Ghost. Anything from Upper Twenty and up are allowed custom clothing.
“My name is Yasta. Yasta Zinesburg. I am Number Fifty of the Lower Thirty of the Blue Ghost operation.”
Now Esepha was confused. How can the weakest member of the Top Fifty heal from a Nirill-staining mark on her face? It would’ve taken hours. “Come with me. Mrs. Zinesburg” Esepha said looking at her face. She then walked away toward the exit of the building. Yasta followed right behind her.
“Excuse me Leader.” She said with a laid back attitude. Esepha turned around. Something about this girl was interesting. So interesting that she broke her normal attitude. She would’ve just kept walking and say ‘what’ but not for this girl. Esepha had no clue what made her so interesting. “It’s not ‘Mrs. Zinesburg’ it ‘Ms. Zinesburg’. Got it?”
Yasta just went out of line. Correcting an officer and adding insult to injury is something most would never do. Especially on a Leader. But Esepha ignored it. Did the death of Gitoro lead to a change in Esepha’s attitude? Did talking to one of the Higher Powers change her? “Understood number fifty. So until you get married I’ll remember, Ms. Zinesburg.” Esepha said trying to make a joke out of it. It didn’t fly.
The two got into an En4cement hovercraft and the driver took them off to the mansion of the Top Eight. The two did not talk to one another and the ride was silent. The radio wasn’t even on and the driver was silent. It was part of their job. Do not speak unless spoken to. The hovercraft eventually landed at the site of the mansion. It looked like an amazing summer house. It was a good ten miles away from the main city and five miles away from any other houses. It was secluded on a short cliff looking off onto a beautiful beach. It was just high enough that high tide would not reach them. The ocean it looked out on was as beautiful and blue as the sky. If you stare out hard enough you would loose your vision and the sky and sea would merge. It was one of the greatest views on the island.
