The Callyn Chronicles

Muffled voices awoke Callyn from a deep fog, but she could not shake herself from its smoky clutches - she was in and out of consciousness, stripped of her senses, and vulnerable, but how did this happen? The voices drifted in and out of her range of hearing, but she managed to recognize one that was all too familiar - Dr.Galaxy! She tried to move her body but was unable to manage even the slightest twitch. She could feel the vibrations of some sort of breathing apparatus covering her mouth and nose, but other than that her entire body was numb and seemingly weightless. She tried to open her eyes but was unable to manage more than a squint.

She drifted back out of consciousness and into a land of twisted dreams. “Callyn! Callyn! Wake up!” a voice called out to her from the depths of her mind. A cavern of emptiness caused dizzying echoes from the voice. It was not familiar, but it was welcoming in a sense. Callyn called out to it, “who are you?”

The voice replied, “It is me, Ultra Star…” Callyn shook her head in disbelief, “it can’t be, how are you speaking to me?” She did not understand what kind of trickery this was, but she was sure she didn’t trust it. “I am communicating with you telepathically, Callyn. I need you to listen to me and do exactly as I say,” Ultra Star intoned. Callyn was doubtful but now she was in no position to object, besides, she needed more information on what exactly was going on. “I’m listening,” she said.

* * * * * * *

Dr.Galaxy pressed his hands to the outside of the stasis chamber that held Callyn. He was overjoyed that his plan had worked so flawlessly! He closed his eyes and leaned his face against the cold glass. “Finally, I have you back. This time I will not let you go,” he murmured. He walked over to his computer and looked over the screen briefly.

All of her vitals were at optimum performance, her connection with the Essence Blade was stronger than ever, and her cybernetic enhancements were functioning at peak levels. He smiled to himself as he thought about how easily she had been captured during her battle with those putrid Lurkers. His retrieval squad had acted as a fluid unit and had neutralized the Lurkers before immobilizing and retrieving Callyn, or as he preferred to call her – Lioness.

* * * * * * *

Callyn’s fog began to lift and her senses began to slowly return to her. She now realized she was in a stasis chamber in the lab of the infamous Dr.Galaxy. She had a more clear purpose now of what she needed to do and a little bit clearer direction on how to accomplish it, thanks to the guidance of Ultra Star. She further understood her telepathic capabilities and the extent to which they would be useful in bringing down Galaxy’s entire operation. She opened her eyes abruptly, meeting the direct gaze of Dr.Galaxy himself!

“Ah, you are awake! Welcome home my child. I have missed you terribly and I have been awaiting you!” Callyn stared blankly and nodded her head ever so slightly at his words. He walked over to his computer and barked excitedly,

“Computer! Begin Phase II!”

Computer: Phase II beginning…subject identified…subject Lioness…

Callyn could feel the cold rush of fluid pulsing through her skull. She recognized the mixture of nanytes and endorphins as they coursed through her body, passing information directly into her cellular matrix. Ultra Star had told her everything she was to expect as she went through Phase II. She even now understood her connection with the blade, the Essence Blade. She understood that to wield it was to embrace it, and that the more she wielded it the stronger her bond with it became. She further understood that most importantly, Dr.Galaxy had lied to her, and he was going to pay - dearly.

Computer: Phase II complete…subject being prepared for stasis release…

The gentle hiss of the release of pressure in the stasis chamber let Callyn know that she was still alive. She was fully coherent, but her body was tingly and numb from the stasis fluid. She felt herself being moved onto a table and the invasive hands of robotic technicians unwrapping her bandages. Her mind flashed with fragments of memories of her battle with the Lurkers - she remembered battling and killing Alluna - she remembered the onslaught that fed the Essence Blade so beautifully!

She remembered a thunderous explosion that knocked her senseless as she was dragged away from the battle, helplessly, flailing - as she watched her prey get away and she watched her blade fall to the ground below - she could not quite put all of the pieces together yet, but she knew enough from what Ultra Star had told her and from her previous dealings with Galaxy that there was some sort of connection between Dr.Galaxy’s Project Anomaly Classified and the Lurkers! She never saw this coming, and she was so glad that Ultra Star had reached out to her that she did not stop to wonder how or why.

* * * * * * *

Ajax had long been a loyal assistant to Dr.Galaxy. He had served side by side with him in the United Directorate Corps and had even thought of him as a friend. Lately however, Galaxy - Zeke, had not been behaving as a friend. Ezekium Galaxy, the top of his class, had risen to prominence with his cutting edge research and extremely high proficiency with the Brainchild system. He added to its development, ultimately becoming responsible for the upgrades that the Corps now enjoyed through the use of cybernetic implants.

Ajax had remained close to heel, careful to remain in Zeke’s good graces all along, but what had this yielded him? What reward had this gotten him besides being trampled over and browbeaten by the great Dr.Galaxy?? He had tried to take another approach, he had tried to talk himself out of the path he had now chosen, but the final straw was Galaxy taking credit for the retrieval of Lioness! Ajax had orchestrated everything flawlessly, but did he receive so much as a simple thank you?? Absolutely not. He knew now that he did not need Dr.Galaxy any more. In fact he could do a better job of running things than Galaxy.

He would show him, he would show them all...Roy M. Ajax was not to be trifled with.

* * * * * * *

Bright and blinding light kept Callyn from fully being able to perceive the details of the faces that loomed over her, but she knew by their uniforms that they were UDC scientists. She tried to toggle her internal HUD display and found it disabled. She tried to move her limbs and found no sensation. Dr.Galaxy must have perceived her struggle because he called out to her from an unseen location, “you will find yourself unable to um...move... right now my dear, we are fine tuning some things.”

Callyn thought to herself that Dr.Galaxy must be a fool to further enhance her abilities! She calmed herself and drifted off into her familiar meditative state as she reached out telepathically to Ultra Star for more questions that she had.

* * * * * * *

Callyn awoke to being surrounded by Lurkers! She looked around quickly and leaped to the nearest rooftop as she instinctively reached for her blade. Oh how she had missed it! She growled as she rolled across the ground, coming up to slice the heads from attacking Lurkers. She roared her rage as she spun, sword extended, catching Lurkers in her path, spilling their purple blood all over the ground. Limbs and pieces of Lurkers littered the ground in Callyn's wake as she retreated to a higher platform, surveying the area for her enemies.

Computer: Simulation complete...Subject being immobilized for return to stasis...

Sharp bolts of voltage rocked Callyn to her core, bringing her to her knees. She cried out in a short grunt as she tried to resist the urge to collapse onto the ground. Her last thought of the moment was that it was almost time to strike – it was almost time to carry out Phase I of her own plan.

Dr. Galaxy ran to Callyn's motionless form, as she lay huddled on the floor of the training chamber. He lifted her into his arms and cradled her like a baby. As he looked into her face a thousand thoughts flooded through his mind. He could barely contain his excitement – for only a few short hours ago he was a million miles away from his most prized possession, and now, here she was, in his arms.

This was a most joyous occasion! He laid her gently on the table and put on his magnification goggles. Now it was time for the catalyst that would bring to life his greatest warrior, Lioness! He smiled as he thought of the future, and how much he loved that name for her.

* * * * * * *

Ajax had trembled with nervous excitement at the thought of betraying Galaxy. His mind raced with the ideas that he would enact as soon as he had deposed this – dictator – and taken rightful control of the UDC. The Corps was not to be used as a personal plaything for a mad despot; it was put into place as a service to humanity and as a protector of the innocent! Galaxy had used Directorate resources for his own personal agenda and had even taken one of its most valuable prizes for his own ends! This was unacceptable, and so Ajax did the only thing he knew that would begin this great coup – he contacted the legendary Ultra Star...

The UDC kept meticulous records of every Corpsman that ever passed through its golden halls, and so finding Ultra Star was actually quite a bit easier than it should have been. Although, the great Corpsman had gone into seclusion and hiding after slaying Umbra, the Lurker General, and had managed to hold off the tireless pursuit of the Lurker onslaught that was destined to continue, but that is what legends do, they persist in spite of the odds. Lioness would one day become legendary... It would not be easy, but Ajax was sure she was up to the challenge.

* * * * * * *

Ultra Star had revealed much to Callyn. She now knew to play her part in order to get close enough to Galaxy to strike! Her previous rebellion had caused Galaxy to place extra security measures to assure this could not happen again.

There was always a work-around though, and Ajax had given this information to Ultra Star, who had undoubtedly given the information to Lioness. It was just a matter of time before the results of Ajax's great deception would be seen. The pieces were in place, and now it was up to the players to make the moves. This was to be a great and glorious game!

“Ajax! Get in here!”

Dr. Galaxy's voice boomed over the intercom and shook Ajax from his thoughts of the beautiful future.

“Yes sir, coming sir,” Ajax lamented.

He relished in the thought that this would all be over soon...just not soon enough.

* * * * * * *

When Callyn again regained her senses she found herself in a small cube shaped room with clear walls. As she peered through, she realized she was now in a suspension chamber. Ultra Star had forewarned her of this, and against any show of resistance, lest she be immobilized forcefully by electric current. She sat down on the small bed in the middle of the room and closed her eyes. A rush of sensation came over her and she was now mentally in a room filled with swirling blue energy and looking directly in the face of Ultra Star!

“So I see you have become more adept at channeling your telepathy,” said Ultra Star.

Callyn nodded solemnly, “I am in the suspension chamber just as you foretold,” she said, “I can't run any of my diagnostics or access any of my auxiliary funtions.”

Ultra Star nodded back, “yes and now you must wait, but while you wait, I have some things to show you.”

Callyn followed Ultra Star down a long blue corridor. A lone black door stood at the end of the corridor.

“Behind this door are your capabilities. I can open the door, but if I do, I will be linked to your synaptic nodes, giving me at-will control of your functions until you close the door to me. I recommend you open the door yourself,” Ultra Star cautioned.

Callyn walked up to the door and it de-materialized in front of her. What she saw was beyond her immediate comprehension. She was now looking directly into her core processor unit, inherently her brain, but it was more than just her brain it was all of her inner functions in their complex completeness! Although she could not take it all in, she felt at one with it all.

“I will leave you alone with your – thoughts,” said Ultra Star as he vanished from sight.

Callyn smiled, “Systems...GO!”

She felt free and unfettered. She was beyond excitement with how everything was coming together. She began to get to work restoring all of her systems – as she played The Blue Danube Waltz by Johan Strauss in in the background.

* * * * * * *