Post by thadius on Nov 7, 2007 2:12:41 GMT -5
Part two of the Shyria-intro!
Apogee walked to the front door of the school, gathering gasps from the students. In all the time that he had been the unknown daytime guard, he'd never left the library, and rarely moved while there.
Apogee opened the door and smiled at the female there. She looked ordinary, but he had been awake for the past hour and knew that this was in fact a dragon, merely shapeshifted to resemble human form and so easily pass him by. So she thought.
"Welcome, we don't get many visitors here," Apogee said. He then leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Especially the ones that are dragons." He leaned back and smiled again. "Please, come in, have a tour of the facility. I'm sure you'll see it's all in order here."
The female was stunned for a second, then snarled at Apogee. "You know?"
"Thadius Shadowbender is a friend of mine. Once he used his anger to fuel his power, I was awake and I knew immediately that you did not belong. Just so you know, you aren't to try anything here."
"You have one advantage over me. I presume that if he is a Shadowbender...then you are-"
Apogee interrupted. "Apogee Lightbender, possibly at your service. You are?"
"Shyria. Shyria Dracnoir. Here on assignment, to find and return with a soul of pure evil that my kind have watched over for quite some time. It escaped not too long ago, and there may still be time."
Apogee nodded. "Let me take you on a tour, perhaps you'll find the one you seek."
Students down the hallways gasped as the two walked through the school, more at Apogee than Shyria. Apogee stopped in front of one classroom. "This is the chemistry class, where students learn to mix elements and obtain sometimes startling results."
The two peered in to see students hard at work mixing beakers and lighting burners. Some didn't need matches, or, indeed, burners at all, and others were confident enough to do without the protective gear, preferring instead protective energy shields.
"How do they...how can humans do those feats?"
"This way please, I'll explain later." Apogee continued down the hall towards another room.
"The gym. With those that can fly, sports takes on a whole other dimension."
Indeed, what looked to be dodgeball was playing out, and some were flying above the mass, adding a third dimension to a favored game.
"You still haven't explained. How can this be?"
"To the library. I'll make it all clear there."
Apogee sat himself down in his favorite chair and brought another one closer for Shyria.
"Now. Where to begin? Earlier in the century, or perhaps in the previous one, scientists fully mapped our genetic code, the stuff of life itself. What they found was a strange little particle that floated from gene to gene, which in itself had genetic code. This was named the Eon particle, because it would take eons to understand."
"I am a bit confused. These scientists, they know what life is made of?"
"And how. They decided that they would use this knowledge and make humanity the perfect race. But some people didn't like that, the religious ones in particular. Our governments decided to stop all the research, which in turn upset the scientists."
Shyria nodded. "You cannot please both the lamb and the wolf."
"Exactly. The scientists decided to go their own way and prove the world wrong. They began to mess with the genetic code of young humans that they had kidnapped. They sometimes inserted more Eon particles, or caused the particles to fuse to the genomes permanently. This affected the humans by giving them wild and uncontrollable powers. Sometimes they even fused animal DNA with human DNA, to create hybrids, and then proceeded with the first two experiments."
Shyria glared. "I think I know what the Eon particles are."
Apogee looked interested. "Oh? Do tell."
"They are what allow all living things a link to the spirit world. They are, in essence, a person's soul. And it is from the spirit world that all things spring from, including magical powers. These scientists, by increasing your amounts of Eon particles or fusing them, have given you powers."
Apogee smiled. "That they did. The people who were altered became named Eons, but they never knew why. When the Eons learned the extent of their powers, they broke out of the buildings the scientists had set up. The world knew then what had happened, and shunned us, the creations of men who strove for knowledge at any cost. They were proud to the degree of arrogance."
"Which is unfair. It was not your fault that they did what they did."
"But hate is a driving force. The world at large shunned us. But this school accepts Eons and teaches them to harness their powers, focus them, use them for their benefit and not be controlled by them. However, there is more here than meets the eyes."
"I don't like the sound of this."
"You shouldn't. This place is run by some of the very same scientists that changed us. They want us under their thumb or dead. And Thad and I are powerless to stop the conversion of those that dwell here. Even if we killed the scientists, that which holds the minds of the young ones refuses to die."
"But you've totally eluded my mission. I have to find the soul of evil."
Apogee sighed. "Most likely, the one you seek fled along the pathways that these scientists made between the young ones and the spirit realm. It probably dwells here in one of the children, and if their particles are fused, then is nigh inseparable. Thad and I will not see harm come to any child, regardless of anything."
Shyria nodded. "You have too much to deal with now, my mission would only further burden you. Still, let me know if you spot the one I seek, and I shall be back later."
Shyria got up to leave the library and the school, and Apogee spoke up. "Wait. I have information for Thadius, should you choose to bring it to him."
Shyria turned, and Apogee recited:
Within the mind of the one underground
The key to our problems may be found.
"If you'd be so kind?"
Shyria nodded. "I assume he will resume his duties at night?"
"That he will. I do hope your mission is successful, and at the same time, I hope against hope that none be injured."
Shyria nodded once more and left the school grounds, to dwell in the forests outside. Her home world would have to be informed of humanity's developments...
Apogee walked to the front door of the school, gathering gasps from the students. In all the time that he had been the unknown daytime guard, he'd never left the library, and rarely moved while there.
Apogee opened the door and smiled at the female there. She looked ordinary, but he had been awake for the past hour and knew that this was in fact a dragon, merely shapeshifted to resemble human form and so easily pass him by. So she thought.
"Welcome, we don't get many visitors here," Apogee said. He then leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Especially the ones that are dragons." He leaned back and smiled again. "Please, come in, have a tour of the facility. I'm sure you'll see it's all in order here."
The female was stunned for a second, then snarled at Apogee. "You know?"
"Thadius Shadowbender is a friend of mine. Once he used his anger to fuel his power, I was awake and I knew immediately that you did not belong. Just so you know, you aren't to try anything here."
"You have one advantage over me. I presume that if he is a Shadowbender...then you are-"
Apogee interrupted. "Apogee Lightbender, possibly at your service. You are?"
"Shyria. Shyria Dracnoir. Here on assignment, to find and return with a soul of pure evil that my kind have watched over for quite some time. It escaped not too long ago, and there may still be time."
Apogee nodded. "Let me take you on a tour, perhaps you'll find the one you seek."
Students down the hallways gasped as the two walked through the school, more at Apogee than Shyria. Apogee stopped in front of one classroom. "This is the chemistry class, where students learn to mix elements and obtain sometimes startling results."
The two peered in to see students hard at work mixing beakers and lighting burners. Some didn't need matches, or, indeed, burners at all, and others were confident enough to do without the protective gear, preferring instead protective energy shields.
"How do they...how can humans do those feats?"
"This way please, I'll explain later." Apogee continued down the hall towards another room.
"The gym. With those that can fly, sports takes on a whole other dimension."
Indeed, what looked to be dodgeball was playing out, and some were flying above the mass, adding a third dimension to a favored game.
"You still haven't explained. How can this be?"
"To the library. I'll make it all clear there."
Apogee sat himself down in his favorite chair and brought another one closer for Shyria.
"Now. Where to begin? Earlier in the century, or perhaps in the previous one, scientists fully mapped our genetic code, the stuff of life itself. What they found was a strange little particle that floated from gene to gene, which in itself had genetic code. This was named the Eon particle, because it would take eons to understand."
"I am a bit confused. These scientists, they know what life is made of?"
"And how. They decided that they would use this knowledge and make humanity the perfect race. But some people didn't like that, the religious ones in particular. Our governments decided to stop all the research, which in turn upset the scientists."
Shyria nodded. "You cannot please both the lamb and the wolf."
"Exactly. The scientists decided to go their own way and prove the world wrong. They began to mess with the genetic code of young humans that they had kidnapped. They sometimes inserted more Eon particles, or caused the particles to fuse to the genomes permanently. This affected the humans by giving them wild and uncontrollable powers. Sometimes they even fused animal DNA with human DNA, to create hybrids, and then proceeded with the first two experiments."
Shyria glared. "I think I know what the Eon particles are."
Apogee looked interested. "Oh? Do tell."
"They are what allow all living things a link to the spirit world. They are, in essence, a person's soul. And it is from the spirit world that all things spring from, including magical powers. These scientists, by increasing your amounts of Eon particles or fusing them, have given you powers."
Apogee smiled. "That they did. The people who were altered became named Eons, but they never knew why. When the Eons learned the extent of their powers, they broke out of the buildings the scientists had set up. The world knew then what had happened, and shunned us, the creations of men who strove for knowledge at any cost. They were proud to the degree of arrogance."
"Which is unfair. It was not your fault that they did what they did."
"But hate is a driving force. The world at large shunned us. But this school accepts Eons and teaches them to harness their powers, focus them, use them for their benefit and not be controlled by them. However, there is more here than meets the eyes."
"I don't like the sound of this."
"You shouldn't. This place is run by some of the very same scientists that changed us. They want us under their thumb or dead. And Thad and I are powerless to stop the conversion of those that dwell here. Even if we killed the scientists, that which holds the minds of the young ones refuses to die."
"But you've totally eluded my mission. I have to find the soul of evil."
Apogee sighed. "Most likely, the one you seek fled along the pathways that these scientists made between the young ones and the spirit realm. It probably dwells here in one of the children, and if their particles are fused, then is nigh inseparable. Thad and I will not see harm come to any child, regardless of anything."
Shyria nodded. "You have too much to deal with now, my mission would only further burden you. Still, let me know if you spot the one I seek, and I shall be back later."
Shyria got up to leave the library and the school, and Apogee spoke up. "Wait. I have information for Thadius, should you choose to bring it to him."
Shyria turned, and Apogee recited:
Within the mind of the one underground
The key to our problems may be found.
"If you'd be so kind?"
Shyria nodded. "I assume he will resume his duties at night?"
"That he will. I do hope your mission is successful, and at the same time, I hope against hope that none be injured."
Shyria nodded once more and left the school grounds, to dwell in the forests outside. Her home world would have to be informed of humanity's developments...