The Callyn Chronicles

Corpsman Callyn Gomez: Unit 75731 – United Directorate Corps.

The computer screen froze with this displayed.

“Bah!” Galaxy spat.

“We need to remove the firewall blocking Brainchild from accessing the

new updates to Project Anomaly Classified!”

He looked around the room, where was Ajax? He had called him over 10

seconds ago!

“Sir I am on it now, we are upgrading the systems and we might have a

slight problem, sir,” Ajax appeared.

Galaxy was annoyed beyond reason with this man, and he could not quite

put his finger on why. Everything he asked him to do, he did it, and

proficiently in most cases. He had gone through the Corps with him, and

they had fought numerous battles together, while not necessarily in the

same ways, but still there was a kinship there. This did little, if

anything to alleviate his constant state of frustration with Roy Ajax.

“What do you mean a problem, Ajax?” Galaxy inquired with a raised

eyebrow, looking directly into Ajax’s now nervous-looking face. Ajax’s

eyes darted left and right abruptly,

“sir we are going to have to do a complete system shutdown to upgrade

Brainchild, this is going to leave - ”

Galaxy abruptly interrupted him with a growl,

“I know exactly what that means! How long is the security system going

to be down? Route all backup capabilities to maintaining subject stasis!

We cannot have another debacle like before!”

Ajax looked solemn. He knew the debacle that Dr.Galaxy was referring to

was when Lioness escaped during the initial Phase II of the Project,

“already done sir, we are making sure the subject remains in stasis

until further word from you. The reboot should be done in T minus 10

cycles,”

Galaxy looked thoughtfully at the computer screen,

“ok, that will be all for now, keep me updated along the way. Other than

updates, I am to have no interruptions is that understood?”

Ajax could not hide the relief in his voice,

“yes sir, no interruptions.” He whirled and exited the lab as quickly as

he came. Dr.Galaxy drummed his fingers on his desk, awaiting the

shutdown and restart of Brainchild. He awaited the beginning of an

entirely new chapter, one that he had made sure he had a hand in

writing.

* * * * * * *

Ajax strode down the immaculate and gleaming golden halls of the

United Directorate Corps headquarters. He took note of the immense

framed pictures on the high walls reaching to lofted ceilings with

golden gilded craftsmanship. These pictures were of Corps generals and

heroes of old and recent times. He grunted indignantly as he eyed the

picture of Ezekium Galaxy. The eyes seemed to follow him with a

disapproving glare as he strode past.

Ajax could not bear to be treated like this, and this made it

easier to betray Galaxy and his entire rotten program! Ajax fixed his

eyes on a frame with no picture in it, and underneath was the

inscription Ultra Star. According to Directorate files, Ultra Star was

deceased, killed in action by the Lurkers, but this was far from the

truth. Ultra Star was alive and well, and Ajax knew this for a fact. He

kept walking until he reached his office and sat down at his desk.

With Dr. Galaxy occupied with the system reboot, Ajax had plenty

of time to plan his next moves. He leaned back in his chair and went

over how everything was sure to go. After reaching out to Ultra Star and

indirectly, Lioness, he was positive that the information he provided

would spur them to action. This takeover may not begin with brute force,

but it would most assuredly be hostile. Galaxy would have his power

ripped from him, kicking and screaming, and then face obliteration at

the hands of the ones he helped design! Ajax chuckled out loud at the

irony as he pictured the look of surprise and sheer terror that would

certainly blanket Galaxy’s face when he stared down Lioness in final

confrontation. He checked his watch. System reboot was at T minus 5

cycles. This brief period of total system vulnerability was not a part

of Ajax’s plan, but had he known this would happen he would definitely

have told Ultra Star and maybe even been able to fast track this coup!

All he knew was, the sooner this was over, the better it would be for

everyone. He reached for his PDA device.

* * * * * * *

As The Waltz of the Blue Danube droned brilliantly in the

background, Callyn moved through her system functions as though she

designed them herself. The true beauty of it all was that Callyn knew

herself in such intimate detail that her lack of technical know-how of

system restore functions did not even come into effect. She

instinctively moved through her control center, accessing all of her

functions one by one, from the inside. Her greatest difficulty had come

from the security protocols that had been installed since her last

escape. This only made sense that Galaxy would do something like that to

prevent what happened last time, but it would do no good in preventing

what was coming to him this time! Callyn smiled to herself as she sliced

through another few security protocols.

These security protocols were manifested as robotic looking scorpions

with only 4 legs but complete with pincers and stinging tails that could

whip out major voltage at blinding speed. She had been caught unaware

when she first ran into these pests, as she restored her Heads Up

display, complete with alert systems. She had only been caught unaware

that once, and this is how she learned about the bots’ ability to deal

voltage blasts through their stinging tails. She sliced the tail off a

struggling security protocol bot and plunged her blade through the top

of its body. A small puff of an explosion followed. Callyn breathed a

relieved sigh as she finished restoring the last of her functions. She

changed her background music to Flight of the Valkyries as she

celebrated her accomplishment.

She now had the ability to awaken herself at any moment and deal

bludgeoning justice to the dastardly Dr. Galaxy - but Ultra Star had

given her a better plan. She was going to lie dormant for a while longer

and see just how deep into Galaxy’s plan she could find herself inserted

before releasing absolute destruction on him and his organization. Ultra

Star had told Callyn all about Project Anomaly Classified, from it’s

birth up to the present. It had all been mind-bendingly fast and so

Callyn had not fully had the opportunity to process the information

until now. She could not believe that someone could be so blinded by

their own greed and ambition that they would create a program that

snatches individuals from their life and the things they once knew to

create what? An army?? Callyn’s anger boiled as she thought of how

absurd Galaxy’s agenda was, and how insane he must truly be to think

that any of this would work! What did one need with a superhuman

cybernetically enhanced army? What kind of things would a mad tyrant do

with this kind of power at their disposal?? One thing was for sure, she

would not wait around to find out.

She shivered at the thought that the Lurkers themselves were

inherently made by Dr.Galaxy as well. Ultra Star had given her as much

information as he had on the Lurkers, but it was enough to explain their

obsession with attacking the Corps and their seemingly endless hunger

that they were notorious for. Even their fighting style had similarities

to Corps self-defense tactics. This was an entirely different issue,

however. But once the head pin falls, the rest are sure to follow, and

the Lurkers had to go, right after Galaxy.

During her time in her meditative state and through her training

with Ultra Star, Callyn learned that she could channel blade-like

psionic projections from both arms and wield them with deadly precision

and focus! She had not tried her blade generation technique in her

waking moments because she did not yet know at the time how to harness

it, but she could not wait to release this power on all who stood in her

way. She had become an expert in the Corps fighting style and had

quickly risen to the top of her class during her UDC days. Her quickness

of study with all of the blades had impressed her instructors so much

that they began allowing her to teach the classes on certain days.

She had developed several of her classmates and newer pupils into

almost copies of herself when coupling intense training with their

natural affinities. She thought of her former classmates and wondered

how they were doing on the outside. They were so unaware and blind to

the plot that they were becoming unwillingly entangled in. Ultra Star

had warned Callyn about the dangers of reaching out to those she thought

she could trust, or had once trusted. Any one of her fellow Corpsmen

could be loyal to Galaxy, in fact all of them were loyal to Galaxy at

this point! Callyn remained resolute that she was in this fight alone,

with Ultra Star as her conscience.

Now that all of her systems were restored, Callyn was fully aware

of everything going on around her. She was able to draw a mental

projection of her surroundings by sending out a psionic burst similar to

a sonar, but undetectable in origin without very specific pinpointing

techniques. She saw that she was still in the glass stasis cube,

separated from Dr. Galaxy’s lab by some sort of force field - but, there

was no force field, only the energy traces of where one used to be - she

was intrigued by this as she explored further. She could hear Dr.

Galaxy, talking to himself, babbling about how he would go down in

history as the greatest Directorate leader ever to rule, and that all he

needed was for Lioness to be his instrument, and that this system reboot

needed to hurry along, and - Callyn perked.

Did he just say that a system reboot was in progress? This meant

that all systems were down, and this explained why there was only an

energy signature instead of a force field wall separating her stasis

cube from Galaxy’s lab. Callyn listened intently for the faint hum of

the computer systems. She heard nothing. Then she heard the confirmation

she had been seeking...

Computer: system reboot complete in T minus 2 cycles

She trembled excitedly but imperceptibly at the thought that Galaxy was

within her clutches, defenseless and that he had no idea she was fully

awake and fully operational. This took great restraint on her part not

to jump up and free herself from this pathetic stasis cube and remove

Galaxy’s head from his shoulders. No, she needed to make him suffer, and

so the ruse must continue. She needed to deceive Galaxy the way he had

deceived her. She was going to imbed herself into his operation and then

explode her fury from the inside! This would cause far greater and

widespread destruction, bring his operation down, and then the end of

the man himself!

She lulled herself into her dreamlike state and reached out to

Ultra Star. She liked the irony that she would enjoy this restful time,

since she had such a difficult go at sleeping when all she had was her

old brown couch. Ultra Star would be very interested to know that the

defensive systems were down, but this was only one of the things they

needed to discuss. She needed to plan her strategy effectively and Ultra

Star would be of great help in keeping her focused on the task. The

Lioness goes for the kill - but not yet. Ultra Star appeared, shrouded

in a black cloak with blue stars all over it. Callyn immediately began

telling all she had found out up to the very point she was at now.

* * * * * * *

Computer: systems online… system reboot complete… defensive systems

active…

Dr.Galaxy sprang from his seat with joy and ran over to the photon

field wall that protected him from Callyn. He peered at her, “ah, still

asleep, that is perfect,” he said to himself as he ran back to his

computer and began typing frantically. “We have no time to waste! Ajax!

Get in here!” he barked into his intercom. Ajax appeared much quicker

than what should be possible from his office. Dr. Galaxy looked up,

almost startled, “how do you get here so fast? You must anticipate my

commands huh? Obviously, you are learning something under my tutelage.”

This was as close to a compliment as Dr. Galaxy would give Ajax.

“Thank you sir, we are beginning the final stages of Project Anomaly

Classified and preparing the subj... uh, Lioness for reinsertion,” Ajax

corrected himself.

“Very good Ajax, you have done well, this time. Begin the training

simulator at onslaught level when Lioness awakens from stasis.”

Galaxy looked back at his computer monitor, watching Callyn’s vital

signatures. He narrowed his eyes as he noticed her adrenaline levels...

they were far lower than what they should have been, even in stasis. He

dismissed it quickly. He was being silly; why would lower adrenaline

levels be of concern when the subject was sleeping anyways? All other

vitals remained steady and strong, and soon Lioness would awaken to do

the bidding of Dr. Ezekium Galaxy, and all who stood in the way would be

annihilated. Ajax broke Galaxy’s thoughts, “sir, Lioness is waking up,”

Dr. Galaxy stood from his seat and slowly walked over to the photon

force field wall. “Ajax, remove this force field please,” he said

sternly.

“Are you sure, sir?”

“Do it now, I won’t ask you again”

“Y-yes, sir…”

Ajax would pretend to be concerned because that is what good doormat is

supposed to do, but he secretly hoped that Lioness would end Galaxy

right here, right now... Ajax put his palm to the keypad and the force

field wall de-materialized with a sad hum. Galaxy walked over to the

glass cube holding Callyn and came face to face with her icy gaze. Her

eyes were a mixture of blue and silver, the color of a moon glacier

would give the best comparison. The corners of her mouth held a slight

smile, to alleviate any of Galaxy’s apprehension. “How are you holding

up, my darling?” Galaxy cooed. He had so much love for her in his heart,

but it was not the kind of love that a person needs, it was the kind of

love that a brand new toy or computer needs. Callyn nodded her head at

Galaxy ever so slightly, and stood at attention. “Good, good, well I am

ever so excited to let you know...” he paused for effect, “you have

completed Phase II of Project Anomaly Classified!” he clapped his hands

in a showy manner and continued on, “and now you will undergo further

training, as it was first intended when I selected you!” he finished

with a flourish. Callyn did not speak. She did not speak because Galaxy

had not yet restored her speech functions (she had restored them

already), but more importantly she did not speak because her words would

have betrayed her own deception. She wanted to tell Galaxy what she was

going to do to him, but he would find out soon enough. She nodded,

remaining at attention, the corners of her mouth remaining at ever so

slight a smile.

“Ajax, begin the simulation at level – Onslaught,” Galaxy called out.

“Yes, sir, beginning simulation now.”

Computer: simulation beginning in 3…2…1…

In a flash of light and then a blanket of darkness, Callyn was

transported to a familiar looking rooftop. Every rooftop looked familiar

at this point - this was her favorite vantage point to monitor enemy

activity... She had learned rooftop combat as a specialty in the Corps

and now she could nimbly spring from pad to pad with the agility of a

cat. A deafening screech let her know what was coming next. She

instinctively reached for the Essence Blade, but then remembered her

psionic blades! Oh what fun! She extended both her arms in front of her

as two solid beams of emerald light grew from her arms. She clenched her

fists, causing green bands of energy to wrap her hands, giving her

handles to her new weapons. The Essence Blade was bonded to her somehow

through these same cords, but it was still foreign. These blades that

she now wielded were a part of her, and she could control this power in

a way that she only dreamed of with the Essence Blade. As she whirled

and spun, she cut down Lurkers in a beautiful show of dazzling

acrobatics. With a dual-wielded weapon she was able to double the damage

dealt as she became twice as deadly as before! Heads and limbs of

Lurkers flew and littered the surrounding areas where Callyn did her

dance of destruction. She leaped and flipped through the air, both arms

extending green energy blades and landed in the middle of a cluster of

Lurkers. She spun in a 360-degree motion, severing their heads in one

sweep!

All of a sudden everything went dark, and it took everything in

Callyn’s power not to light up her Heads Up Display. Instead, she paused

and waited. The only sound she could hear was her own steady breathing.

She heard Galaxy clapping and laughing, saying “Bravo, bravo!” and she

smiled to herself, this was too easy. She stood at attention as the

lights around her flashed back on, revealing Dr. Galaxy peering at her

once again through her transparent prison. “Callyn, you are my most

prized possession,” he growled through a clenched teeth smile. She

really could not stand that man. He made her flesh crawl and her blood

boil. His voice itself drove her into a rage...

Galaxy barked orders: “Computer! Place subject back into stasis!”

Computer: subject immobilization initiated…

Callyn lurched as the voltage coursed through her body and she collapsed

to the ground, a little more dramatically than actually necessary. This

was an opportune time to reach out to Ultra Star and go over the next

stage of the great TAKEDOWN!