Chapter 7: Blood Tithe

  “A drop here, a drop there. A drop of yours, a drop of theirs.”

  During her pre operation checkups with Eta, the doctor’s look of quiet concern grew with each new chart she read through. Melissa could only imagine what the hieroglyphics making up her genetic code told Eta. But the wonder woman doctor lady still held a strange, almost concerned face.

  She batted away most of the concerned ecologist’s questions save for one. When asked what exactly Eta saw, she only said that she would be the perfect candidate for the program, that her body was the most malleable to change she had ever seen.

  It felt like a gift, but the disquiet continued. She wanted to know why she was ‘perfect’.

  Her answers were lost as she finally approached the surgical ward with a limp. Her leg healed enough in the eyes of Ravensmantle.

  Pain in each high standard step.

  A nervous energy floated about the medical crew as each one seemed ready beside each acrylic box. The hospital gown didn’t provide any protection from the surgical ward's perpetual wind chill.

  “It looks as if we shall be neighbors.” Her smile felt warm, the unfeeling surface of the autodoc's acrylic was a stark opposite.

  “I might drop by for some sugar.”

  “I will perhaps cling upon you for warmth.” Her smile and that little beauty mark rose along with her brow as she shivered, her eyes impatiently flicking at the lab technician in his blue scrubs.

  “Isn’t that a job for Bishop?”

  “No, he is far too hot, akin to a space heater on full power. Among other things.”

  “Uh huh, so I’m, just right for you?” She keened the question out in a purr.

  “You are, eh, close enough.” The medical personnel readied oxy-masks, passing them to each patient

  “Here’s to being neighbors, girl next door.” Both laughed at the obvious wink.

  “You and your flattery, one day this may get you into trouble.” She chided, waving her finger.

  “Yep, I’ll have a knife through my heart, I’m sure.”

  “Relax! You’ll be fine!” Karla’s sweet southern inflection made her smile. The breeze of the ac system wafted straight through her gown.

  “Besides, Mel. I’m here for moral support.” She thrust her hands at her hips in triumph.

  She stared briefly at them, cocking her head and raising a brow.

  “I appreciate you, but uh... why are you gowned?”

  “An experiment, I’m having a couple scans of my brain made, the neural lace is crystalizing a couple of new regions. I’ve felt... I don’t know,” she swished her arms out, “strange? Weird dreams? And even weirder, I thought I heard whispering in the walls the other day.”

  “Are you feeling any other effects?” Karla shook her head reassuringly at Ripley.

  “Nah, I’m fine, Eta’s just doing a checkup and I’ve been cleared by mental health,” her brows furrowed in concern, “I thought I saw the little girl pointing at me... and she pointed at Nala right after while in Zone 17 last week. I really don’t like it.”

  Karla cleared her throat as the autodoc’s slithered open, the particle privacy screens around Melissa and Ripley flickered over the acrylic, covering up to their heads.

  “So, I’m getting my engram copied so we can look at what I saw. Just to... I don’t know, make sure I’m not crazy?”

  “Karla, you’re not crazy.” She stepped inside the autodoc, the split door closing silently as the fluid pump below her feet turned on. “I saw her too, in Zone 17... waved right at me.”

  “Wait... you’re not joking, are you?” Her dimple disappeared, the little smirk she tried holding up gone.

  “I’m sorry, but it's true... I’m not lying to you, Posie...” she held the mask to her face as the warm operating fluid rose above her knees, pausing before placing it on.

  “Watch out for her, kay? First chance we get, we’re talking about it, I have too many questions about the weird shit I keep seeing.”

  She put the mask on, the nano-machine reactive seal fixing to her skin seamlessly as the vocal system switched on.

  “I’ll keep a close eye on her, don’t worry.” The autodoc’s mechanical, snakelike appendage slithered up to her wrist as a particle display showed her where to place her arm in the fluid.

  She hated that she loved others so deeply. The needle effortlessly inserted itself, the chilly fluid racing through her veins akin to her icy thoughts, Karla’s eyes softened considerably.

  Bubbles wrapped her, barely able to make out the words from Karla’s blurry mouth. She only wanted to encourage her smile. Anything would prove a distraction as she felt the sedatives beginning to rob her of her consciousness.

  “You’ve got this, Rabbit.” She smiled in kind, hidden under her mask.

  She shot a thumbs up from within the clear chamber of the autodoc, thin mechanical arms roiled around her, an array of cutting instruments gleaming under the harsh glow of the bank lights.

  Vahlen came into view, just a blur of red hair, white lab coat, and black uniform.

  The living embodiment of Ravensmantle’s flag itself.

  “Are you ready, Melissa?” Her ruthless leader asked. She nodded slowly.

  “This is going to work, right?”

  “Of course, this is the first of many augmentations, right now, semi metallurgic muscle grafts and hardened bones after a few new organs. Next the…” Her voice was lost as the drugs kicked in, the autodoc operator told the others to hurry and get out of the way.

  Her consciousness simply washed away.

  The surgical sites were painful as their bodies healed over months.

  She and Ripley sat in the same large recovery room after every procedure. It became more grueling by the day, the procedures within such a short and precise window had become exhausting.

  17 out of 100 candidates died during their first procedure, 2 more following during the first batch of nano machines. Melissa knew that Karla was right, both she and Ripley would need to survive.

  During their brutal training that shortly followed, along with the deaths of other candidates. Training accidents and missing in Zone 17. A few left the country, having their biosigs disconnected from Ravensmantle’s networks.

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  Ripley was unwavering in her pursuits and earned a reputation as a fearless leader.

  It was as if a missing puzzle piece to Ripley had been found.

  She was still her demure and kind self, akin to a powerful dancing bodybuilder, being nearly as tall as Bishop's 6’8 frame while Melissa reached 6’4, both gained another 3 inches while wearing their Sabre suits.

  Melissa’s body thrummed with energy, the second heart in her chest the source of many jokes.

  Her crew had decided ‘cherries’ was the best term for the higher blood pressure all Ravenguard had. It was an uncomfortable pressure, Vahlen said that in time she would adjust to it and the new organs.

  Namely the pain reducing neurolith, when her body couldn’t handle the pain, it would activate to make sure she kept marching.

  On death, it remineralized her neural lace into a material similar to the monolith itself, it was made indestructible as a permanent recording for Ravensmantle to use.

  Vahlen just had to dig the data from her literal skull, it was a terrifying concept she thought of daily.

  By technicality. Each and every Ravenguard was a class one vaporial entity.

  Vahlen and the other senior Ravenguard leaders trained them personally over the next 3 years. Melissa could only describe them as hell.

  There were no days off, many of the first one hundred candidates washed out in the first week of brutal training. A few suffered broken limbs with their new Sabre suits, not understanding how to nudge them to motion, a few others simply couldn’t interface and were designated for other roles.

  Some went to become police officers, advisors, and specialists as class 2 augmented, rather than class 3.

  She still hadn’t seen outside of Ravensmantle, Dakra taking over the REA in her absence. Their visits had become far and few with only a single week a year to visit her home. A single week of conjugal visitation, despite its primal, end of the world pull.

  Not so much as a word spoken to each other save for a coffee in their favorite cafe and under the stars at night, three separated weeks as ‘just friends’ worked for them. Spending every second of every day together.

  Each time they parted ways for the year, neither wanted to let go. Not so much as an ‘I love you’ exchanged, it became ‘I’ll miss you’ after year two, the farewell kisses more desperate.

  Many changes to Abberro Springs and the Citadel happened as she trained in South Reach, a massive hell desert 14 miles south of Decker’s Basin. Aberro received a hydroponics center while the Citadel had a concerningly massive rail cannon array installed on its upper floors and roof top.

  She had never seen it up close and couldn’t from two miles below, but its first test fire was a sight to behold.

  The brief image of Dakra's stunning beauty flickered through her, both tangled in the tall grass of the Crescent under that fiery night sky.

  Whether or not it was love, or the timing of Citadel Refuge firing, shaking the ground beneath them for miles and masking the increasing fervor of their mutual bliss.

  She’d never forget that moment.

  Another few weeks following, the 10 surviving graduates walked down the long hallway to the courtyard of Citadel Refuge.

  They solemnly greeted the Pioneer stone, Vahlen leading the way with utter pride in each boot step as the group marched in unison. She paused at the names of those who didn’t make the cut with a quiet only known to her sigh.

  She held her head high, regardless.

  Every available person in Refuge had gathered in seats, neatly rowed in front of a raised platform. Ripley marched in step, her helmet gave her an utter confidence she had never felt before in her life.

  As if she was to bear a new face, in place of her old one. Much akin to a mask, it felt fitting with the mannequin like appearance, simple black lenses and solid alloy with a faceless design.

  Amanda and the others stood calmly in the front of the formation beside Director Vahlen, waiting patiently as the wind swayed the well-trimmed grass of the courtyard.

  They stood side by side in formation, arms at the back in parade rest. Vahlen looked over the massive crowd and cameras. She always enjoyed a spectacle.

  Each new Ravenguard, leaders of their own domains needed to be known by Refuge.

  Morale ran low, heroes merely fairy tales with unheld promises of salvation, didactic prayers above unanswered by un-answering gods.

  The sole thing she believed in took formation behind her on the platform.

  “Today marks a special occasion, a mark of accomplishment, a mark of duty and resolve. Each soldier standing before you have become a guardian of Ravensmantle and all it holds dear. Our delicate land, our barraged borders, and our civility lie in each one standing here before us today.”

  Bishop proudly stepped forward alongside her, his voice booming with deep resonance as he stood tall, his imposing form punctuating his speech.

  “Each soldier here has stood the test of fortitude, has stood trial over nearly impossible odds, each soldier here, made a life changing decision to permanently alter their bodies and minds for Ravensmantle.”

  Bishop nodded proudly at Ripley, sharing a gleeful smile with him.

  “I am honored to not only call them Ravenguard, I am honored to call each one a colleague, 10 out of 100 candidates succeeded, not only in survival, but intelligence, strength, and resolve. To us, Ravensmantle’s newest guardians are not only our protectors, they are our leaders of industry, science, and knowledge.”

  Vahlen’s hands wrapped around a black handle affixed to her thigh plate, the small clips keeping it in place releasing. At a button press, a harshly geometric blade with a lethal drop-point sprung out, the black metal igniting in a bright azure blue.

  “These tools are your uniform, as are your suits,” she rose it high, “these blades, represent our fortitude, strength, resilience, and power over science.”

  It rasped in the way a billowing, torn sheet in the wind with a brutal electrical hiss as the plasma battled its containment field.

  She returned the blade into its compressed form with another button press. All in a split second.

  “At your hip, lies the same blade. And within your hearts...” she let it hang as the new Ravens crossed a closed fist over their chests with their helmets at their side, “your oath to Ravensmantle.”

  "I am the shield that stands against the darkness. My blade is tempered in the fires of duty and sacrifice. I will protect the innocent, uphold justice, and serve the good of all.”

  “My life is forfeit to the greater cause, for I am Ravenguard."

  She had both arms behind her back as the soldiers drew their blades in a wave of near silent clicks, intoning with Vahlen’s booming voice.

  “We, Ravenguard, will eradicate the Cadre, we will watch as the world has its wounds seared shut with our blades. We will be on the frontline, side by side as we throw the match!”

  Vahlen thought of the ones she lost, a palpable rage seared from her, primal fury barely held in check by a stern, powerful voice.

  All of its glorious hatred echoed by all in the hangar bay.

  “If they want our blood and our land. We will wear theirs on our gauntlets as we march on their soil.”

  As the ceremony ended and the citizens filed off for their duties, each new Ravenguard tested their helmet systems, linking themselves to each other. Once Melissa walked away from the podium to speak with Tom, a strange, sudden disquiet struck her.

  For reason’s she didn’t know, looking at Tom in his suit brought a sense of fear. It wasn’t of him as they shook hands and shared an armored hug.

  “Congrats, I knew you’d make it, welcome to the team.” He patted her shoulder as they let go.

  She shook her head with a smile, her thoughts of the world slowly blackening overtook her. It felt like trying to keep a rotted vegetable together, cutting off piece after piece, hoping for the best.

  Ultimately, the world was composting with humanity either missing or just under the soil. Thankfully only in small areas, nevertheless, those areas were rife with riches, concern, and noctus swarms.

  Old America was a hell even the Federation avoided.

  Melissa’s eye implant flickered briefly, ripping her away from the memory as she put the 75-pound weight down in the lonely gym.

  “Dr. Hawthorne, I’m glad I found you here.” Vahlen’s voice called through the lonely gym, snapping her away from the memory, already making plans to call Dakra later.

  “Director.” She rose to meet Vahlen, noticing the top of her head, for once, it wasn’t inside a helmet drilling her into the ground. Asking her questions for hours.

  Tied to a chair.

  Giving her nothing, she still felt as if the water was in her lungs.

  Her head bowed low, retrieving a fallen weight pin. Melissa got a much better look at her crimson mane, noticing a bite mark encompassing a large portion of her head as she stood from her crouch.

  “I need to speak with you about something important.” She flicked to a display of the Ravensmantle Zone 17 map, passing the weight pin.

  “You’re needed, the REA expedition that we sent out last week finally gave us a data ping, they’ve found something strange in the Blue Ridge Mountains and we need you and Ripley to go there.”

  Before Melissa could utter so much as a response, Vahlen cut her off with a lethally edged knife gesture.

  Bite mark.

  “One of the expedition members was found deceased... Dakra was with them and she is among the living.”

  Her heart dropped as she maintained her dutiful expression.

  “Is she okay? What happened, and who died?”

  “Yes, and Dr. Stazi... more importantly, they’ve discovered monolithic code. Ripley needs to read it, clear enough? The Ghostlight is fueled and ready and you need to get going, Raven.”

  “Wait, what about-.”

  “She’s fine, inside the spire being worked on as we speak, Lil Mel’.” Eta shouted from the gym entrance, holding a heavy-duty bag of medical gear up, “I’m goin’ with you, they’re saying the area’s a bio containment zone and there’s a blizzard on the forecast for the next few weeks.”

  “One more thing of note, Dr. Hawthorne, an additional detail... black flowers that died within hours we’re sighted in the vicinity.”