City of Amnesia

"I don't want to."

*She just stands there & stares at Zell.*
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*The roof explodes over them. The android pushes Vega out of the way & is crushed. Out of the hole in the roof, he hears screaming & the sound of something large & mechanical stomping around.*

<Do you know who the recent serial killer was targeting? It wasn't artists. It was those of us with memories from 40 years ago & beyond! Don't run from your memories. Don't fear the dark. Remember! Think!>

*Vega looks towards where the android was crushed then to the hole in the ceiling then to Schwarzwald.*

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

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*After finishing the architecture book, she closes it, puts it down and picks up the mysterious book of the ages opening it up abd checking the sign out card.*

Zell tenses up for a second, "You don't have to if you don't want to I guess..." Zell offered with a weak smile. "This is your house, you can do whatever you like." With that Zell forced herself to relax a bit and begin to set up a little artist corner in the round room, though she couldn't help but notice that Lilith was still watching her. "So, um," She tried to fill the awkward silence, but she was drawing blanks, "where do you plan on going in an hour?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. What kinds of things do you paint?"
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*All names beyond 40 years ago are, of course, damaged beyond recognition. Since then, only 3 people have checked the book out: Gordon Rosewater, the head of Paradigm Industries, Aamon Avici, & Michael Zebach.*
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<Fragments of a language you know, but do not remember knowing. Speak them into your gloves, & you will have your answer!>

"You're gonna need to be specific. That could be any language."

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[I've never heard of any of these people, but I suppose that shouldn't be surprising.]

*Putting the card back in the envelope, she turns to the first page and begins reading.*

"Whatever... we should be checking this stuff out, now" Luna sighs and turns to Topaz, "Who are you?"

[I was there when that guy destroyed the tunnel and I was here when the android revealed his memories, yet she still doesn't know who I am. Can't be that good a cop.]

Topaz: <Topaz. What's new about that guy that caused the tunnel to collapse?>

<Feigning ignorance, are we?>

*The man runs past him, arms outstretched like an airplane. In the hole in the roof, he sees a giant face loom. It's square, with a flat expression, & a conical head. A long, slender black tentacle snakes down into the hole towards him.*
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*The book starts off about a city with sunny skies & no domes. For the most part, the chapter just describes peoples' day-to-day activities. It ends with the note that, while excavating a subway tunnel for a new city block, the crew found a giant, vaguely humanoid machine of unknown origin. Soon after, the "President" was informed--this city seems to not have a locally-controlled government firm--& the military seized the developing area for research.*

*Vega chases after Schwarzwald.*

"What do you want from me?!"

[Words in a language I don't remember knowing. That could be any number of languages. Why do the words Gelu Chalybs come to mind? He said something about speaking into my gloves.]

*Vega stops running and holds a gloved hand to his face.*

"Gelu Chalybs."

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*After reading the pages, she turns to the next one.*

Zell let out a breath and directed her attention at Lilith, "Alright then, forget I asked." She said, running a hand through her hair. "As for what I paint, well, it is a variety of things. I've done a fair bit of landscapes, and portraits, what has become known within the world of art as realism. That got me recognition in a few circles, but since then I've coined a few terms of my own, namely art deco." Zell let out a sigh, "Its got a touch of class, but I don't know how far it can go." Zell then smiled a bit, "Then again, I guess that a lot depends on who is in the saddle." Zell looked over her shoulder, out the window, "Which is why I'm here in the first place, I guess."

"I don't understand your meaning."
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*The back of his glove glows a translucent blue as words flash across it. Cast in the name of God Ye not guilty. Though he's lost sight of Schwarzwald, he feels a tumultuous earthquake.*

Zell raised an eyebrow, "Meaning of what?" She asked a bit confused.

*Vega holds his hands out to try and keep his balance.*

[The hell does that mean?]

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*After reading for some time, she puts the book down and takes her glasses off, rubbing her eyes. After a trip to the bathroom for some eye drops, she resumes reading.*

*A giant robot hand comes through the hole in the ceiling.*
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*The book goes on to describe how analysis of the robot's parts allowed them to design approximate recreations of it, perfect the technology for thinking androids, & generally speed technological breakthroughs in all fields exponentially. At this point, many of the pages become burned severely, so it's not entirely clear how the plot progresses, but it begins describing hundreds of Megadeus marching through the city, being used to battle foreign enemies. As the battles rage on, a strip of land & several small islands to the south of the city sink into the ocean, leaving nothing but partially-submerged skyscrapers behind.*
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"Nevermind. Come. It is almost time for lunch."

*She walks out the door.*

*Vega stumbles backwards and backs away.*

"Shit!"

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[Can these burned pages be restored? I'll have to ask tomorrow assuming I don't get sent home again.]

*She keeps reading.*

Zell shrugs and follows behind.

Taegan wrote:

[I was there when that guy destroyed the tunnel and I was here when the android revealed his memories, yet she still doesn't know who I am. Can't be that good a cop.]

Topaz: <Topaz. What's new about that guy that caused the tunnel to collapse?>

"Deceased, we may have a positive ID on him" Luna explains, "By the way, can I see your drivers license?"

Topaz: <I don't have it, seing as I don't usually drive. So, nothing more than you had yesterday. Okay then.>

*She walks back out.*

{This just in: A Megadeus has appeared at the library outside the domes!}

*The image on the television shows a roughly rocket-shaped giant robot stomping around. It's hurling around about 8 black tendrils. One of them strikes a house & a small part of the tendril explodes violently, turning the dwelling into a smoking crater.*

{No word yet on where the Megadeus came from, who's controlling it, or why it's attacking.}
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*In the dining room is a long table. At one end, Thiera stands up to shake Zell's hand, but falters, her eyes widening.*

[She has the most unique eyes you've ever seen? That man is such a louse...but I have seen those before....]
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*The hand just hovers there, as though waiting for him to climb on.*
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*Finally the book reaches the appearance of a Megadeus of unknown origin with wings of light. As the other Megadeuses try to fight it, they disappear one by one, as though destroyed by some mysterious, vastly superior weapon. It all comes down to a Megadeus piloted by the major who found the original Megadeus facing off against this newcomer. Starting on the next page, though, the rest of the book is completely blank. It's as though it was never finished.*

*Hesitating, Vega slowly climbs on to the hand.*

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*Hitomi shuffles through the rest of the pages then closes it and puts it down picking up the third book. A nice, romantic fairy tale.*

Zell smiled as she saw Thiera, "Hi, my name is Zell Talea, I wanted to thank you for allowing me to stay here." She said, extending her hand in greeting as well. When Thiera faltered, then widened her eyes, Zell figured it was about her eyes, which were far and away her most striking feature. "If you're... hesitant due to my eyes, I can assure you it isn't a disease, or anything that can harm you. I was just born this way, some people have blue eyes, mine are red." She said as though she had explained her eyes a hundred times before.

"It's not that, it's just...do you have a brother? Or uncle? Something like that?"
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*The hand lifts him out of the hole, where he sees a vaguely rocket-shaped Megadeus stomping about flinging 8 black tendrils around like an asshole. One of them hits the library roof, which then explodes.*

Zell raised an eyebrow, "Uh, no, well, maybe, I'm not sure. I was raised by my mother alone, and she died when I was still pretty young. As far as I know she is my only family." Zell continued, "Why do you ask?"

[I don't want to be on the team that'll be rebuilding this place.]

*Vega slowly turns around to look at whatever's holding him.*

*Hopefully he figures out what he's doing soon, as the other Megadeus turns & starts stomping towards him.*
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*A projection appears at the far wall. They see that Lilith is sitting in the seat Thiera just vacated, a projector plugged into her head. On the screen is Senthose in all of his glory, ranting about ignorant savages constructing false lives & whatnot.*

L"He does have the same eyes as you. That fact is unavoidable."