Imbue, Chapter 11: Aftermath

Imbue, Chapter 11: Aftermath Imbue, Chapter 11: Aftermath

Foreword from NeoPaula
4 Months, 5 AC's, and 200 posts later, I'm still posting on Anthadd's interactive fiction stories regularly. This particular story, Imbue, interested me greatly, because it was drastically different from Tryst and Union. First of all, it flowed almost immaculately, for which I attribute several things; too many to list here. Secondly, the main evil was developed well. In Tryst, and the work in progress Animus, the stories were one sided in that you didn't get a lot of time to see things from the eyes of the evil. Fake was one of the most incredible characters in the story, which was interesting to me as an author. Along the way through Tryst and Imbue, we picked up a lot of new people. LiarXAgerate, Cyan683, Polentah, and now in Animus we've added GauntletWizard to our list. Some people don't always make the cut, but it works out surprisingly well for stories of such popularity. In this final version of Imbue, I can't wait to see the changes that have been made. I'm sure they are for the better, and its going to be fun to reread the story, even though I helped write it.

It was unacat, after being escorted by two Starmen.
"Reisistance is futile, resistance is futile..." beeped the two Starmen as they turned onto each other.
They armed themselves and blew each other apart while everyone stood there, forming large animated sweatdrops at the back of their head.
"Right..." Mike sighed, as he put his hand to his head. He had just met up with Cyan, Charles and Anthadd once more, after dealing with Fake.

"unacat?"
unacat tried attacking Anthadd.
"Take this!"
"Aaa!"
Anthadd dodged out of the way, but unacat kept attacking. Anthadd hesitated. Should he stop unacat in his tracks, or not? If he didn't, he might be killed. He started jumping back, barely evading the attacks.
unacat stepped up the intensity of his attacks.
I've got to end this... but how? Anthadd thought.
"Ke Bao Dragon Armour Infuse!"
And he was just in time, too! unacat would have mortally stricken him, but he was able to counter the attack with the Swords of Ke Bao.
"Aquarius Repulsion!" Anthadd cried.
The constellation of Aquarius outlined itself on his body. He cupped his hands as if getting ready to play volleyball and a torrent of water flew out of them, sending unacat far away.
He hurried over to the others, who were now further down the path.

Miss Fake was crumpled on the floor, slowly regenerating her energy. "Surprising that beings with such limitations could gain the advantage over a superior being such as myself."
Narcy was holding her gun cautiously level to Fake's acquired body. "There's something that's been bothering me. What did you want my diamond for?"
Sneering, the Starwoman answered, "Diamond is a good material for improving computer systems. I was going to my diamond to upgrade the systems on some of the equipment and other Starmen." Narcy smiled unnoticably at the fact that Fake hadn't discovered that HER diamond was a fake yet.
TsuramiSea spoke up next. "What was your purpose in experimenting with Imbuing?"
"That doesn't concern you. When I am victorious, it will not matter to you anyway."
"Were you trying to create a lifeform that concentrates only on living? One that doesn't get emotional?" pursued TsuramiSea. "It matters very much!"
Miss Fake chuckled with amusement. "So, you understand? But you couldn't understand unless you were like me. I had to do the work myself, there being no others quite like me."
"So that's what that comment about the Bridge meant..." said Jeff.
"But if that were the way life was meant to be, it would have been that way naturally already," remarked Skulryk. "It's not your place to decide what is best for the world."
Miss Fake slowly stood up, her body doing well on its self-repair. "None of you can understand the importance of ridding life of emotion. Then life will be stronger. It will improve this world. Those who taint the world with emotions must have their lives taken, since they use them incorrectly."
Everyone braced themselves nervously, not certain how they would stop the Starwoman again. Drat! We need to stop her for good, thought Tsurami. But magic and Sugemo wouldn't work because they're too based on nature and reason, which she's using herself. And PSI and my Tricks won't work because they're too based on the psyche and emotion.... what power can be used against her?! The Starwoman stood up completely, and everyone got ready to use their attacks again.

Anthadd caught up with Charles, Cyan, and Mike, who had hurried along his way during the fight against unacat.
"unacat's gone crazy! He attacked me in the halls, and I had to blast him away. He could back at any time!"
However, the other three were busy. Cyan looked at a door ahead of him, and it had a glass window in the top, similar to a ships window. A strong purple light was emanating from it, pulsing to a silent beat.

"Should we go in?" Anthadd nodded, and he turned the handle.
The four men stared up in awe. Computers lined the cascading walls, reaching up to the very top of the hallowed out cave.
"This is a hackers paradise!" Mike said, his eyes reflecting the eerie screens.
"Now let's figure out what they do." Anthadd walked over to one of the screens, and looked at the picture.
"Look! This section is security cameras! There they are, fighting with fake!" Anthadd could see Fake struggling to lift herself off the ground, and Narcy with the gun still cocked.
Cyan looked at another screen.
"Imbue files: Ms. Fake
Insert Disk to access files."
Anthadd scanned the room with his eyes, and cringed. "We don't have the disk!"
"Do you think it means this thing?" Mike said, searching his back pocket. He revealed the disk they had found on X-015.
"More likely than not." Charles said, joyous.
Mike slowly inserted the disc into the computer, and a large screen in front of them lit up instantaneously.
Disk Owner: Orange Kid
Disk Contents:
~Body: Fake (Lucretia)
~Soul: Fake (Lucretia)
~Extraneous Info
"Lucretia? That’s her name?" Mike wondered aloud.
Cyan reached out to the screen, and tapped the "Body" button. With a sharp shifting of gears, a panel in the wall moved back. Chunks of rock began to fall from the designated area, and a small cavity was inside. Inside the cavity was a tall glass tube. Inside the tube was a person.
"That's Fake!" The quartet said instantaneously.
"Now all we need is the ...rest of her..." Mike said, pausing. He looked up at the screen.
"Ah, here we go."
He reached out and touched the "Soul button." A piercing scream echoed around the room, blaring from the security speakers.

Narcy suddenly stepped back from Fake as Fake drew herself up to full height. However, she did not attack.
"AUUUGHGHH!" She screamed. "Don't...LEAVE.... MEEEE!"
*You are not me.... My name is Lucretia Fake! You are not part of me!*
"You do not belong within me! You do not exist! You were destroyed! Leave my body! Leave me! I have no longer a need for you!"
*I refuse to belive a part of me should be so blockheaded. I will leave, but then you will be nothing!*
"That's not true!"
Fake grabbed her head, and her continuous screams ceased to lower in volume.
*You are insane, and you cannot decide if I need to leave you! I am going, and you will cease to exist!*
"NooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Fake crumbled at her knees, and with a last wave of her tentacles, curled into a small ball.
"COME BACK TO ME...I NEED YOU!"

Anthadd looked up from watching the entire incident on the screen. He glanced over to the tube fake had been placed in, and saw a slight movement. "Look at the tube," he said, tapping Mike on the shoulder. "Is she...moving?"
The body's hand twitched, and Charles gasped. A weak cry escaped the glass confines of the tube, and Cyan came rushing over.
"She's alive!"
A new person entered the room. "She is indeed." Luna stared softly ahead, and her blue eyes shone brightly. Staring boldly ahead at the glass capsule, she grinned. The glass around Fake began to melt, and within a matter of seconds, she was tumbling out of her tube. Cyan rushed to catch her, and he picked her up just in time. He slowly set her down on her own two feet, as the others arrived in the room.
"What happened?" Narcy said, looking only to Anthadd.
"She's back...apparently, the power in the disc gave her the ability to...deprogram her own consciousness." Narcy shuddered eerily, and glared at Fake.
"That doesn't excuse what she did."
"But it does," Luna countered. "She was completely insane. Technology removed her sanity, and technology gave it back. She can't be blamed for her actions."
"She should be," Narcy said, sulking. "At least she isn't as aggressive about the diamond anymore..."
Fake looked up slowly, and groaned. Her and Narcy immediately made eye contact, but Fake could only stare blearily ahead.
"Narcissa...Narcissa Topolla...I always knew you'd want revenge for what I did to you...I'm so sorry." With that, Fake reached into her pocket, and grabbed out the diamond. She took Narcy's hand, and dropped the jewel in her fingers. Narcy didn't have the heart to tell her it was a phony.
"Anthadd, Charles, Mike, Dan, Luna... I know you are Luna...One who has been imbued can always tell...Cyan, all of you...Narcy...thank you..." Fake smiled wearily at the travelers, and they all exchanged a grin. With the final thanks, Fake collapsed to the ground.
"Is she going to be alright?" Narcy said, tears leaking from her eyes. Her mascara was running slightly, as was Luna's.
"Not if we don't get her to the Snow Wood infirmary soon. Then we can find out the whole story."
Charles nodded. "But what about the other bodies? I don't mind about my own, but the poor child, Tony...he's just a boy!"
Anthadd bit his lip until it began to bleed. "Check the disc."
Cyan obediently clicked on the button, "Extraneous Info."
"Body Locations (Added by Ms. Lucretia Fake)
Tony
Charles
Tessie Watcher Club"
"Well, that was convenient," Narcy muttered, as she saw the body tubes revealed for the other missing people.
Luna glanced at the glass tubes, and the casing became liquid hot. The glass melted along the floors, and each person took a body to carry back to Snow Wood. Anthadd took up the lead, With Fake over his shoulder.
"Let's make this quick."