Aliapanacea

  My mind begins to wander, and I lift my left hand up, finding that like it always has, it trembles and twitches.

  Why do moments like this make me wonder, is there truly a way for someone like me, broken in mind, broken in body, to break free from the s that bio this pce?

  The few trips I get to go on are exhausting and all, but they’re the only times I really feel free, feel like I’m getting close to finding, well, me. Here, there’s a weight pressing down on me, pushio bee someone I’m not. Monteros must be rger than life, a symbol of freedom for the people of New Houston.

  Kinda funny that after eighteen fug years, all it took to crack the mask they raised me to wear was two days in Cascadia with a very angry girl. I hadn’t even known it was an issue until she flipped me on my ass and screamed in my face. Fh years after that though, despite my best efforts, I still haven’t been able to escape their whims.

  Yet light still shihrough the fracture she made, a golden thread of hope leading to a new m, an unknown day.

  I finally say I don’t want to be here. I want to live my own life.

  Whatever that’s worth for someone like me.

  I sigh, tilting my head bad closing my eyes.

  [colpse]

  This ge has great sequences both iory as a whole, but also in the Prologue itself.

  The dinner se has been rightfully rewritten to not be incredibly fusing, and Prism doesn't have ive social skills anymore! She knows who Haifisch is and what a gay is! I also ged it so she's far less of a wet napkin, though there's still some of that present. She doesn't cry anymore- that ship sailed four years ago, the tears are dried up. Now, rather then this being the moment Prism realizes they hate her, this is the first moment where she's able to step away on her own.

  Something that coalesces into this.

  SpoilerThe world seems to freeze for a moment, as my mask shatters.

  I’m pletely silent as I sm my foot down, and though there is pain, I ’t seem to care about the biting sting as I repeat the a again, and again and again and again. And with each impact, a shard of my facade falls away, revealing the truth of what’s beh.

  One proteg a woman who hates me.

  One proteg a man who's never cared about me.

  One proteg a brother that betrayed me.

  One proteg a grandfather that doesn’t o be saved.

  Finally… One proteg who I used to be.

  I chuckle as I fall bading on my ass as the pain begins to spread. I reach up to clutch at my chest, finding a slowly moving bump heading towards my head. A tradictory haze of terror and relief fills me as I realize I’m about to die.

  At least, in the end, I’m free.

  In the fog, I barely notice a sharp pain in the bay head. That is, until I’m brought back to reality by a sugar-sweet artificial voice with a slight southern swing beamed directly into my head.

  System Initialized!

  Good evening, honey!

  When faced with certain doom, you endured excruciating pain to save those who once oppressed you. Through this selfless a, you have proven yourself worthy of strength beyond your wildest imagination. My name is Nyvi, and I am the one who will be yuide on this journey. Rise, you who have no future, and cim for yourself the fate you deserve!

  Rise, Vanguard, and bee a protector of the weak!

  [colpse]

  It's far, far more powerful and meaningful to Prism as a character then the inal initialization ever was. The st line might e off as strao some of you, but the reason for it is that the mask that is Anthony was no more at this point, so there's no need for Nyvi to call Prism by that he damage remains, but this is the first step to fixing it.

  Seriously, huge thanks to TheWackiestWombat (Teddy Bears ade and Tarnished Honor) and Eleeyah (Tinea and Leah) for their huge, huge help iing this to a point I'm happier with.

  up are the more minor rets I'm making!

  - I'm giving Prism freckles. No, it's not teically necessary, but it highlights how she got a lot more suhe girls who grew up beh the sea. Also, I like freckles, sue me.

  - The virus do basic colors after Emme used the Bionites

  - I'm redoing the prices for the food cause I got enough people calli on it, which like, fair.

  - Lissa went to go pick up her on and shield befoing to rescue her parents, Ifotsorry.

  - FYI, I made a few s without talking about it inally, mainly ging Falling Star to Starfall, ao Raya.

  To gain strength, enough to break your s.

  To fight the world, just to protect a stranger.

  To step up, when nobody else will.

  That’s what it means to be a Samurai.

  That’s what it means to be a Hero.

  Anonymous, 2030***

  Free-floating a bit away from the Ninth, I watervously as my partner brawls against the horde just a hundred or so feet below me, every swing of her crowbar sending multiple aliens spiraling through the salty depths. Emme’s dogs fight just as fiercely as she does, now having grown to a much rger, wolf-like form. The gigantinon she bought fires every few seds, the explosive shells she’s using causing ripples that I feel from here.

  As I sider getting something to let me help from here, my heart skips a beat as Nyvi’s voice flows into my head, her Orca body floating down into my view.

  I’m done, Prism. The final t is Eight-hundred sevehe highest tration is upon the Fourth floor.

  I bite my lower lip, doing the gruesome math in my head.

  ‘I guess… we only need a submarine capable of carrying a thousand then. That’s… probably going to be substantially cheaper than I thought.’

  I g the wall of the Ninth, where a SAD remora sits, then up towards the First, once again noting the location of the simirly glowing drone I had put upon each floor.

  ‘Nyvi, what is the best way to make a big showy alert to get people’s attention ahem know what I hem to do?’

  Well, you could do just that, a simir to the one usually sent out by the local gover upon an incursion beginning.

  I sider for a moment, then shake my head.

  ‘No, that’s not going to work. There’s a catch twenty-two, Nyvi.’

  I’m guessing you mean some wouldn’t trust it if it’s from you, but if you tried to disguise it as from an authority figure they would trust it’d aliehers?

  I sigh and nod.

  Taking that into sideratioricts your options here by a lot. Unfortunately, the best option I see isn’t one yoing to like very much.

  I pale a bit. ‘You’re not saying…’

  The most effit option is likely the Css-I Basic Cyberwarfare Utilities catalog, which will allow us to break into puter systems spread through the city. From there, I direct them to where they o go, and start a one-way call where someone vihem to listen to us.

  Ay begins to swirl around my chest as I fidget with my hands. ‘Nyvi, I’m not really…’

  Prism honey, I don’t think yiving yourself the credit you deserve. The amount of growth you’ve shown since your initialization is quite impressive. This will be nowhere near as difficult as you think it will be.

  Yeah fug right. Public speaking has never really been something I’m good at. Even being the ter of attention of more than two, maybe three people makes me want to puke, and now I might have to talk to eight hundred people all at onbsp;

  But…

  But if doing so means I save even one more person’s life…

  Shutting my eyes, I take a deep breath.

  ‘Okay. I’ll do it’

  Are you sure?

  I hesitantly nod, muttering, “‘Yeah. If there’s anything I’ve learonight, biting the bullet and just doing what’s needed is far more effective than…’

  I chuckle ruefully to myself.

  ‘Just sitting around on my ass, letting the world bully me into submission.’

  That seems rather harsh on yourself. You have tools now that you didn’t then.

  ‘Maybe…’ I sigh, then say, ‘We mull over hindsight ter. Let's also get the sub set-up first, then we make the call.’

  Any preferences on the Vehicle catalog for the submarine?

  I run my tongue over the top of my mouth as I think. ‘o tain stuff sturdy enough to take some hits, fast enough to escape as well though. It’d also be o get ohat has bat vehicles too, in case we wao go that route.’

  Mayhaps the Css-I Metalaniposite Armored Vehicles Catalog? The items tained withio be less heavy and mile than their purely metallic terparts, with only slightly reduced durability.

  ‘Yeah, sure, that seems fine.’ I mutter, anxiously rubbing my arm. ‘I trust you on the choice of whie from that catalog to buy. You’re way better at math than me.’

  To be fair, that is what I’m here for.

  Catalogs Unlocked!

  Css-I Basic Cyberwarfare Utilities: 100 Points

  Css-I Metalaniposite Armored Vehicles: 200 Points

  New Purchase!

  Mark I Decryption Protocol: 20 Points

  OC Subaquatic Shelter Submersible: 2500 Points

  Total Cost:

  2820 Points

  Final Total:

  4052 Points

  Before I even really react to the absurd amount of points we somehow had, the submarine appears in front of me. And wow. It’s one of the most breathtakingly crafted maes I’ve ever had the pleasure of ying eyes upon. The entire vehicle is created from a beautiful mix of what seems like pearlest wood with silver metallic ats around its edges, shaped like an upside-dow with an engine of some sort upon its rear. The gigantic thing is almost elvish in appearance, and for a moment I wonder if Nyvi bought the wrong thing before it floats down to clito one of the Dredge Bell Stations on the Ninth.

  It’s all set to go. Whenever you’re ready to start the call, tap your wrist three times.

  Without thinking, I immediately reach down and tap twice, but as my finger moves for the third, an abrupt lump of nervousness flipping over in my stomach causes me to freeze.

  What if I fail to get the point across well? If more people die because I fucked up and couldn’t speak? What if this is entirely pointless, and the stubborn idiots who believe everything Grandfather ever said end up stig their heads into the dirt?

  ‘Nyvi…’ I mutter, my finger h above my arm. ‘Do you have anything I get that will make me drunk?’

  Nyvi turns to look at me, an unimpressed look on her face.

  I do, but that’s incredibly foolhardy in this situation, so I’d veto anything of that nature you’d try to buy.

  I blink. ‘I didn’t know you could do that.’

  Teically I’m not really supposed to, but when I’m the oually making the purchase… Still, would you want something to reduxiety? It’d achieve the same thing alcohol would in this situation.

  I giggle, shaking my head. ‘I don’t want it now, the question was for future reference.

  Ah. Probably should have realized that.

  I ’t help but smile as I tap my wrist for the third and final time. As my gsses fsh and the city-wide call begins, I of course, immediately stutter.

  “A-Attention, all survivors in the New Houston Reef. I-I repeat, Attention, all survivors in New Houston Reef.”

  I take a deep breath, doing my best to calm myself down. It’ll be fine. I got this.

  “This is Samurai Ghost-Light. I apologize for f this call through, but I have an important annou.”

  I pause, sidering how to word this part, then decre:

  “New Houston is doomed.”

  “A monster is ing. I’m not sure what it is exactly, but it’s strong enough that I have no ce of defeating it. It cracked the seafloor fod's sake, I’m terrified of what it could do to someone as unprepared as me. As unprepared as you. That’s why we're going to run. Together.”

  I pce a hand on my heart, feeling it thump as I tinue:

  “I know that sounds ridiculous. It’s almost inceivable that the city would fall in just one night, not when its guardians have mao keep it safe for almost thirty years. Just… before you sider me an outsider who doesn’t know what she’s talking about, listen to what I have to say.”

  I y eyes, letting my heart take trol of my words.

  Emme, focus!

  Knocked out of the momentary daze brought on by Prism’s speech, I shake myself a bit, then gnce around. The encroag Antithesis waves have beeing dehe longer we fight, to the point it’s almost overwhelming at this point. I gnce off to the side, then sm the sharp tip of the bar into a Model-One on course to ram me.

  I chuckle to myself, intoning, ‘Sorry, she just has a nice voice.’

  The on behind me fires, causing three more huge explosions to rock the seafloor.

  She won’t for long if you don’t keep fighting!

  Gritting my teeth, I rush forward. ‘I know that!’

  [“Once again, hello, I’m Ghost-light. You might be thinking, I don’t reize that name. You’d be right. I’m new. Very new.“]

  Fling as one of my dogs suddenly bites to my immediate left, sinking its fangs into a nearly invisible octopus-like model, I shift to the right as I swing my crowbar to knock away a Model-Three shark. The chaos surrounding me is being enough that a stray Antithesis model gets close enough to bite at my leg. Thankfully, the virus takes exception to that, stopping the blow long enough for me to crush it with my on.

  [“I’m a native of New Houston that only initialized just ho, when I woke up in my bed after a terrible family dio find myself in Gehenna.”]

  As a distinct bad feeling arises in my gut, I push myself backwards just as a rge squid’s barbed tentacles pierces where I had just been. Achys shoots out and pierces another one of the sneaky bastards, theurns to my shoulder.

  I highly reend spending more of your points.

  I reach out to grab a random Model-Oh my hand, then crush it between my fingers before I throw it away behind me. ‘Why the hell not at this point?! Seven more dogs, two more ons!’

  New Purchase!

  HUND fig and upgrades x7: 2100 Points

  Naval Guns and Ptforms x2: 1200 Points

  Total Cost:

  3300 Points

  Final Total:

  1252 Points

  [“It’s still sort of surreal, to be ho, that I’m now among the ranks of the most important people on the p.”]

  As Prism tinues her speech, a wide variety of dogs pop ien front of me, each of which immediately sets off to rip aheir way through the army of fish. The two new ons thump as they wipe away a huge swath of our opposition, but still, the horde only seems to thi.

  [“I went looking for the end of a rainbow assuming it would be impossible, somehow found it anyways, then walked away with a pot of gold in my arms and a lepre in my head knowihan I did when I arrived.”]

  I blink, taking a moment to catch my breath. ‘What is she even talking about?’

  Appealing to Pathos, I’m assuming.

  [“I’m just me, a girl doing her best to survive in the same mess you are. I wish this was just a bad dream, that I’d wake up to find that this entire disaster was solved before it happened by the people that were supposed to protect us.”]

  Despite my wanting to just sit around and keep listening to Prism as the dogs do the work for me, I’m forced bato the fight as a huge manta ray starts flying towards me. Small fish swarm out from beh its wings, a huge k of which charge straight towards me.

  [“It’s vexing that I don’t know where Steel Hound or Haifisch are. Maybe if they were here, all of this could have been avoided, maybe we could have saved far more people.”]

  W in unison with Achys bird body, I meet them blow for blow. With every swing of my arm, another Model-One is crushed. Achys fshes forward, pierg as many as possible as she gracefully maneuvers around the battlefield.

  ["In the end, we’re left with the cold hard truth; They weren’t here when it mattered most. The Antithesis got into the city, wreaked havod now are on course to obliterate the little that remains."]

  As roach the carrier model, its barbed tail curves down and splits into multiple parts before it stabs down towards me. I raise my hand, sending multiple virus tendrils out to match it blow for blow. Seeing an opening, Achys pops up in front of the ray, then after a moment of prep, she spins, drilling a hole straight through its ter of mass.

  [“I do have a pn fetting everyo, but it isn’t foolproof. We’ll be sending a submario each floor’s dredge station to extract everyone we , but there are a lot of issues that I simply ot solve. Not alone.”]

  I gnce up behind me, only to find Prism staring down at me. A fire burning in my heart, I know I ’t just sit around. I swim downwards once again, bato the thick of it all.

  [“I-I need your help.”]

  Lissa, are you sure waiting is the right py here?

  I roll my eyes and nod.

  ‘I have a good feeling about this. This euation is already sketchy for them.’

  [“I ’t go inside, ’t assist the injured iing to the exit, nor keep the antithesis from attag the weak. But you .”]

  I y fingers, watg the guards below nervously get closer to each other, cautiously keeping their eyes on my Avatar.

  [“This isn’t the time to be stubborn and stay in pce, everyone. All battling against the current will do now is block the way for everyone else. Every a you take from now on matters not only to you, but to the survival of all the people around you. Despite who we are, our beliefs, our differences, at this moment we all have something in on. We all want to live through this hell to see the m sun, to see the light that signals that tomorrow is here."]

  I get goosebumps as the girl’s voice trembles, her voice gaining in both volume and power.

  [“So move, survivors! Move, New Houston! Even if only in this moment, this infinitesimally small fra of our lives, fight for the greater good! Rise up, New Houston, and prove to the world that we are not just a fleeting blip in history!”]

  Her passion peaking, she screams:

  [“RISE UP, NEW HOUSTON, AND BEE THE HEROES WE NEED!”]

  For a moment, the world is utterly silent, beyond the sound of the samurai catg her breath.

  [“T-Thank you for listening. My AI will assist in the evacuation as much as possible. This has been Ghost-Light, signing off.”]

  The call clicks off before I even realize, being repced with a thirty miimer. I watervously at the people below, watg for any sign of hostility. Thankfully, after a tense few seds, one of the guards steps closer, yelling:

  “We’ve got new orders, Miss Samurai! We’re moving to assist the evacuation and all previous orders are to be abandoned! Give us a mio clear out, to avoid hostility!”

  Sighing in relief, I slump against the wall.

  I don’t think she could have had better timing.

  I chuckle, hearing the sound of a lot of people moving in the distance. “You say that again. Any ce you ect us to them?”

  That’s trivial, but I ’t guarahey will even accept the call.

  I shrug. “I suppose that’s the burning question the’s try it anyway.”

  Initiating the ping.

  Despite what Raya said, they immediately pick up, and I’m greeted by the voice of the Samurai that just gave the speech.

  [“H-Hi? Who is this?”]

  I clear my throat, then respond: “I’m a new samurai on the fourth floor, didn’t realize anyone else was around.”

  A voice with a smooth southern drawl, who I assume is Ghost-light’s AI, speaks up.

  [“Ghost-light, she’s on the fourth floor, which expins-”]

  Before she finish, an absurdly loud yet incredibly beautiful voiterrupts her.

  [“EXCUSE ME?! LISSA, IS THAT YOU?!”]

  Disbelief fills me and tears begin to form in my eyes as I whisper:

  “Emme? You’re alive?”

  Aliapanacea