Diabolus Ex Machina

"Even without the events of 40 years ago, I think that Man would still be a creature who fears the Dark."
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*Topaz is piloting an Adramelech. One of many firing lasers out of their mouthes at an approaching line of Leviathan. The ground in front of Topaz explodes upwards as sand as one rears up & grabs her Megadeus's head & torso, reducing them both to dust. She falls out of the Megadeus's cockpit, & through her blurred vision, she can barely make out a flyer depicting a hulking giant & a sea serpent. Overhead, dozens of Big Duo are flying. In the background, Big Fau is walking, slicing apart buildings with its laser eyes. One of the Leviathans lunges at it, but it effortlessly bashes the Megadeus's head off with its fist. As Topaz struggles to get up, she looks in a puddle & sees a red bar code scrolling through her pupils, just before she wakes up in her bed the morning after Pruslas's death, drenched in cold sweat.*
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*Zell is painting in her apartment one day when a flyer drifts through the window. She absent-mindedly catches it, noticing that it depicts a hulking giant & a sea serpent. Shrugging, she resumes her painting--a girl with short, red hair & pale skin in a maid outfit. After a few minutes, she covers the painting & heads to the bathroom to wash her hands. When she looks up at her reflection, she takes notice of her eyes. After a second, the reflection changes to Barbatos, grinning madly. She steps back in shock & shakes her head. When she looks outside, bombs are falling from the sky & Big Fau is firing into the clouds. She quickly switches on the news to find Alex Rosewater receiving a standing ovation with the words "We have a new world order" scrolling across the bottom. Soon after, she is shaken awake by Lilith, to find that she is in her room at Thiera's house. One would guess that it was supposed to be lightly, but her shoulders are rather sore now.*

L"You appeared to be malfunctioning."
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*Thiera was already in the kitchen, warming up the stove to make breakfast. She rubs at the bags under her eyes.*

[What a disturbing dream...that Megadeus was the Behemoth. But it was constructing Paradigm City, not destroying it. And then I was...working on reconstructing Big Fau for...Gordon Rosewater?]

"Maybe I need to see a therapist. The stress must be getting to me."

Zell freaks out for a second, struggling against Lilith's touch, then realizes what is going on and calms down, letting out a long sigh of relief, "I am alright. I was just having a bad dream." She sits up and rubs her eyes, "Good morning Lilith, thank you for your concern."

*Topaz stares blankly at the ceiling, eyes wide open, thinking about her dream. After two or three minutes, yanking the sheets off of her, she rolls over so she's facing the window and curls up into a fetal position, sighing.*

[That was weird... I can't shake off the feeling that what Barbatos and Pruslas said was more than just delusions.]

*She lies there for a few more minutes before suddenly getting out of bed, opening the window, and picking up her cell phone to dial Thiera's number.*

Topaz: <Hello?>

L"Dreams. A simulated image. Interestingly enough, I had something not unlike that while I was recharging. They are quite rare among androids."
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T{What is it?}

Topaz: <Can I come over? I don't... feel safe.>

"Is that so?" Zell asked, "What was it about?" Zell leaned forward a bit, genuinely interested.

L"It was very surreal. It concerned a human who resembled me almost perfectly. She was destroyed in a Megadeus attack. I was then treated to an abrupt overhead view of a factory mass-producing androids of the same model as mine. One of the android's eyes moved, and from the vantage point of that android, I saw a factory worker reading a flyer. It depicted a hulking giant and a sea serpent. I looked up at the window to see hundreds of these falling from the sky. Then I merely saw the bright energy discharge that I always see when emerging from the recharging state."
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T{Sure...yeah. I was just going to start making breakfast.}

Topaz: <Thanks. See you soon.>

*Topaz hangs up and puts down the cell phone before showering and getting dressed. After she's ready, she holsters her guns and heads out.*

"Odd, in mine I caught a flier depicting just that," Zell furrowed her brow, "Do you think they may be related? Our dreams I mean."

L"It is theoretically possible that I could receive an electronic transmission in the form of a dream, such as from a Megadeus or another android. I do not know if humans possess this property."
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*On her way, she receives a text message from Thiera instructing her to let herself in.*

*Topaz soon gets to Thiera's and lets herself in.*

Topaz: <Hi... guys.>

"I don't either," Zell admitted, "Anyway, I should probably get ready for the day. I want nothing more than a nice long shower after yesterday's events..."

*Ever the brains of the outfit, Topaz has greeted the empty foyer.*
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L"That reminds me. Thiera wanted me to tell you that Roatha Arelaz is President of the Paradigm Corporation now. Also that he will be coming to the house later to question us about the deaths of Vera Ronstadt, Helen Barbatos, & Valefor Pruslas."

Zell was digging in her closet for something to wear, "Do I have to be there, or can I just stay in here and paint?"

*Topaz walks into whatever room they're in before greeting them.*

L"I did not request that information of her."
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*Because you don't magically walk into the same room as a person, I assume Topaz is just aimlessly walking around.*

*Topaz asks a maid, and if there's no one around, she texts Thiera asking.*

"Then I'll ask after I take a shower," Zell said, pulling out a pair of white linen slacks, and a white cotton shirt, and some underwear. "Now, where did I put my towel?" She began looking around her room for a clean towel.

I said I was making breakfast.
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*Lilith heads to the hall closet, fetches a white towel, & returns.*

I don't even know where the kitchen is.

*Topaz walks around trying to find the kitchen.*

Zell was starting to feel bad about still being weirded out about Lilith when she took the towel, "Thank you." With that she went to go and take a shower.

*Lilith remains standing in the room after she has left, staring in the general direction of the bathroom.*
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*It is literally right off of the foyer, & is one of the few rooms with a light on.*

*She heads into the cursed kitchen and greets Thiera.*

Zell hops into the shower, and tries to relax. After a while Zell lets out a long sigh and says, "Oh Lilith, why do I feel the way I feel about you?"

L"What do you mean?"
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T"Hello. Lilith and Zell haven't come down yet, I'm afraid."

*She yawns.*

T"Excuse me. I didn't sleep well."