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Hidden Destinies; The journey of life
Topic Started: Oct 24 2009, 04:34 PM (3,642 Views)
Pepper
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Animal geek
[ *  * ]
Alaia nodded slowly as she listened intently to Terry. "Hmm, well..I have a feeling..You and I are special..In ways we can't imagine..You are both Terry and Iakona..You were always Iakona and you will always be Terry. Both are the real you.."
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Pokeking
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[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Terry pattered her on the shoulder and said, “You’re right of course. It’s going to be tricky here, trying to respond to my original name. That is, if they ever let us out.” The sun finally had set and he was starting to wonder what was going to happen to them. He looked at his watch, still keeping time. It was nearly midnight and he was getting tired. He yawned, “I want to sleep, but I’m afraid something might happen while I may be asleep.” Something did happen.

A panel in the ceiling opened and a metal sphere came down. He stood up and stepped back a bit as it approached them. It opened in the middle. A floating mechanical eye of some sort? A synthesized voice came out in English and said, “Do not fear me. I am a sentry. I am designed to observe and collect data. My current task is to take a genetic sample from you, young Icarian. This will be as quick and painless as possible. Please cooperate.” The bottom of the sphere opened up and revealed two skinny arms with three tweezer-like fingers. It floated to Terry’s back and snatched a feather before he could react. He winced and looked at the sentry and, “Now what?” The sentry said, “While I process the sample so that I can give it to those who sent me, I am to observe the two of you and submit those with the sample.” The fingers started to retract back into the sphere and took the feather with them. It then took a position in the corner. It adjusted its angle and started to stare at them.
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
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Pepper
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Animal geek
[ *  * ]
Alaia nodded and smiled slightly at Terry. Alaia growled softly as the sphere came down. She backed away a little as well. A mechanical eye? Interesting..creepy..It didn't seem dangerous..At least for now. She stared at it. She was unsure about this machine and the Icarians. They seemed so untrusting and withdrawn in a way. What had passed in between the forest people and the Icarians? What had the war been over? All these questions were so confusing and they seemed to have no answers..Yet..
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Pokeking
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Terry struggled against falling asleep. He alternated between looking at the sentry, Alaia, and the force field. It was very quiet where they were. Sometimes he could hear the guards, but since they weren’t close, he couldn’t make out what they were saying. He was confused and frustrated. The sphere then started to move to the center below its hatch. It said, “I thank you for your time. Now it is time to sleep. You are scheduled to be awakened at dawn. Tomorrow’s weather for the Daedalus City area is forecasted to be sunny with a nice cool breeze. Good night.” The eye closed and floated back up. The panel slid closed behind it leaving the two alone.

Terry looked at Alaia and said, “Thank goodness. I thought it be here forever.” He dispelled his wings and said, “Might as well go to sleep. Which cot would you like to sleep on? This one or the one on the other side of the wall?” They were exactly the same with a pillow and a sheet, but she might have a perference where to sleep.

(ooc: I plan on going straight to dawn with my next post.)
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
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Pepper
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[ *  * ]
ooc: ok

bic: Alaia cocked her head at the sphere and watched it go back into the ceiling. Alaia yawned and nodded. She decided to turn back to human. Her eyes closed and then she changed back to a human, she stood and looked at the two cots. "The one over there." She nodded her head towards the one near the wall.

She walked over, got under the sheet and laid her head down on the pillow. "Good night.." Her eyes slowly closed and she was soon fast asleep..
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Pokeking
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Terry went to the other cot and got under the sheet. He rested his head on the pillow, and said, “Night.” It felt awkward to sleep with all his clothes on, but he would have to put up with it. He closed his eyes, and quite surprisingly, he slept soundly.

Dawn came and he was still asleep. He would have slept for several more hours if he hadn’t felt being that he was being poked. He muttered, “Alaia, let me sleep.” Still he was being poked. He jostled himself awake and heard something fall down. He looked over and saw a metal sphere flailing on the ground. He had knocked a sentry to the ground. This one looked different from the others. Instead of two arms at the bottom, there were two feet and there were its familiar arms and fingers on its side and instead of just the one eye, it had two and had a triangle pointing up. It started to buzz as if perturbed and said in English, “Warm me the next time you do that!” Terry swung his legs over the side of the cot and picked up the sentry and said, “Sorry about that. I was sleeping well.” The eyes blinked and the sentry said, “I know. I kept calling you, but you’re a stubborn one. So I took the next logical step.” Terry looked at it and said, “You poked me?” The sentry replied, “Oh, yes.” The boy answered, “I suppose it’s better than jumping up and down on me. Hey, you’re the same one as last night, right? You look different though.” The sentry said, “Quite observant. I am the same one. You could say I got promoted and now currently assigned to you.” Terry was confused and said, “For what?” The sentry laughed, “You’ll see. Now it is time to begin the day.” It rose and the two feet and arms withdrew into the sphere. It headed to the force field which promptly went down.

Terry was precautious and he had a right to be. The sentry said, “Oh just don’t sit there. Come on you two. We must get going.” Terry shied and asked, “Going for what?” The sentry stated, “It’s not what you think it is. Would I be reconfigured and upgraded if that was to be? I think not. We are wasting time. You two need to get properly dressed. Follow me to the dressing rooms.” Terry was cautiously optimistic and followed the sentry out into the hall. He hoped Alaia would come with him.
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
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Pepper
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[ *  * ]
Alaia woke up with a start. She stood and shook her head. The sentry had changed, it had legs now..Strange..She yawned and watched it. She warily watched as it went to the forcefield which went down.

She was suspicious but when Terry started to follow it, so did she. Properly dressed? What were they now? Prisoners or guests? She was unsure if the Icarians made their prisoners become properly dressed..She watched the sentry silently as they followed it.
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Pokeking
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The sentry came to a stop in an adjacent chamber. It turned around and said, “Here we are. This is where the guards come to change clothes. You don’t think that they are dressed like that all the time, do you?” Terry said, “Don’t you have a name or something? What am I supposed to call you?” The sentry blinked, “A name? Not right now. Regular sentries don’t have one, just serial numbers, but since I was promoted, I can have one. You haven’t given me one yet, but we can talk about that later after you’re all dressed and get started on your day. Normally, we would just give you the clothes and have you dress. However, this will save us time. Plus you can be freshened up.” It went to a panel and two rooms opened up.

Terry looked at the room which resembled a changing room at a department store, but it was enclosed like a closet. Terry shrugged his shoulders, looked at Alaia and got inside. As the door closed, he could hear the sentry tell Alaia, “You can use that one as well.” He was surrounded by total darkness, but remained calm. Shimmering lights then surrounded him and parts of his clothes started to disappear. His skin felt like it was being washed and his hair felt all tingly. He looked at himself as he became clothed in new garments, seeming to indicate higher status. A pleasant scent came over him and attached itself to him.

Outside in the hall, the sentry monitored the controls. It was easy to outfit the Icarian, not because he was an Icarian, but what his newly realized status was: Royal family, second prince. There was slight difficulty in that the boy had put on additional clothes that it couldn’t recognize, but the device seeming to count time remained as well as the strange accessory that contained a plastic card with the boys face. That he placed in a pouch stitched inside the robes.

The lights dimmed and the door slid open. Terry walked outside in his new clothes. He asked, “What about my old clothes?” The sentry said, “Don’t worry, they are here.” A panel slid open and his human clothes were neatly folded inside a bag. Terry grabbed the bag and waited for Alaia. He looked at his sentry and said, “I’ve got it. I’ll name you Jung.” The machine said, “Jung? Processing. This unit’s new designation is Jung. You may now call me Jung.” Terry nodded and smiled at his new companion still unsure about what Jung’s purpose was.

(ooc: The timing is that Alaia went inside the second chamber before the paragraph that starts with “Outside the sentry…”. The clothes that Alaia is going to be dressed in I leave to your interpretation, but she is going to be dressed in the clothing of a high ranking female of the Midori. However, if Alaia wants to wait for Terry to come out, let me know.)
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
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Pepper
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ooc: umm, ok! Um, I guess she won't be waiting for him..

bic: Alaia looked around the room. Interesting..She cocked her head as Terry said something about naming the sentry..Ok, strange. She shook her head and watched Terry walk into one of the chambers. She walked to the second chamber and the door closed. It was pitch black. When her clothes started to disappear and she felt like she was being washed, she jumped slightly.

Slightly creepy....Then a light green dress started to appear on her. A dress? She hated dresses...Her parents thought she looked beautiful in them but personally she thought they restricted her movement. The dress was long, and embroidered with gold thread. It seemed to be for a high ranking female. The dress it self felt soft and sort of like velvet but not quite..

When the lights dimmed and the door opened, she stepped outside and realized that the dress was easy to move in, and light, kinda airy as well..She liked this dress, suprisingly. She walked out to where Terry and the sentry were.
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Pokeking
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Once Alaia came out, Terry turned to the sentry and asked, “Jung? How much time do we have?” The sentry said, “Checking.” It then made the same noise when Terry accidently sent it to the floor. It said, “Oh, bother. We need to leave now!” It started to float away grumbling about the marketplace being crowded at this time of day.”

Terry quickly followed their robot guide up the stairs. He paid the guard detail no attention and he caught up to Jung. He was finally outside and saw a carriage driven by an Icarian some years older. It was attached to two strange beasts. Their body shapes resembled ox, but their faces were flat like pugs and instead of two horns, they just had one curved slightly down. They were covered by gray fur and were adorned with collars bearing the winged serpent Jung said, “Come on you two, inside.” Terry climbed inside and waited for Alaia to sit next to him. He wondered where they were going.
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
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Pepper
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[ *  * ]
Alaia cocked her head and then realized that Terry had named the sentry, Jung. Alaia giggled softly at Jung's attitude. Who knew robots could have attitudes!

Alaia walked beside Terry, her dress flowing behind her. The long sleeves seemed to be a part of the dress as she walked. As they walked, she kept her eyes trained ahead at Jung. The carriage that they stopped at was pulled by strange beasts..She studied them for a moment. Interesting, she thought. When Jung spoke she climbed in after Terry and sat beside him. She glanced at him in his new clothes. They too seemed to suggest higher ranking. She looked at the floor of the carriage.
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Jung looked out the window of the carriage and said in Icarian, “Take us out.” The carriage started to move along the road at a steady pace. It sat on Terry’s lap and said, “Now that we are underway, I’m sure you’re brimming with questions. I wish I could answer them as best as I could, but I’ve not been given permission to do so because these matters are too sensitive to be relayed by someone like me. I can’t even patch you into those that gave me this directive because they feel that an in-person meeting is needed. Plus I’m not even supposed to tell you who they are. I call tell you certain things. First, you are in no danger, far less than you were when you first arrived. Second, we are headed to the palace. Third, if you look out your windows, you will see that we are entering the marketplace. I was right; it does have to be crowded.” It then made another noise which Terry took to mean that Jung was mildly annoyed.

He looked out the window and saw the marvels of the busy Icarian marketplace in the middle of Daedalus City. There were two levels of shops. Icarians walked about visiting the vendors on the ground and for the vendors on the second level, they flew. Terry wondered how someone else, someone like Alaia would visit those on the second level, but saw a ramp leading to the second level. Jung was correct. It did seem crowded. People of all ages went about: flying parents clutching winged children that seemed too young to be able to fly, Older children were in the air or on the ground playing games, people eating breakfast in little cafes, couriers delivering the morning mail.

Terry was feeling at ease because he was glad that they weren’t in trouble. He looked back out the window and forward and saw the palace ahead of them. So that’s where I was born. What kind of reception awaits me? He then looked back at Alaia and asked, “How are you feeling?”
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
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Pepper
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[ *  * ]
As the carriage started to move, Alaia listened to Jung's words. It was surprising that she understood Icarian. She sighed. She hated waiting..... She looked out the window and marveled. It was amazing. So many Icarians. The wonders she saw never stopped. Children in the air, playing. Everything here was amazing and beautiful. She wondered how the palace would look.

"I'm feeling better. I'm glad we aren't in danger now.." She smiled slightly.
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(ooc: Actually, Alaia understands Jung because “he” is currently speaking English. She won’t know the language until a later point in the story. Don’t worry, Terry/Jung will translate and as I said, the named characters will actually converse in English. How do they know the language? Stay tuned.)

The carriage soon left the bustle of the marketplace as it continued on the road to the palace and it loomed larger the closer they got. The buildings of the city stopped abruptly and there was nothing except the road. After some minutes, they reached a wall which surrounded the entire palace grounds. A guard, one dressed differently from those of the starstep guardhouse came up to the window and looked at Terry and Alaia. He then reached to the instrument hanging around his neck and blew into it. For a small whistle, it sounded loud. The guard shouted, “Open the gate!” Terry could hear the sound of machinery and looked ahead as the study gate parted. The carriage moved onward. Built into the castle wall was a small guardhouse. Terry could see a couple of guards poking their heads outside the window. Their faces betrayed their curiosity. They were then yelled at from within, but he couldn’t make out what was said. Part of sounded something like profanity.

As the carriage got closer to the palace, the area was a lush meadow filled with trees, flowers, and guards stationed throughout. Closer and closer it got. It had reached a moat and Terry could hear the sound of a drawbridge lower. It settled into place and granted them admittance. The carriage moved onward and slowed down and stopped on the side of the palace. Jung said, “The front doors work, but they are purely ceremonial. Plus, they were damaged in the war with the fiends. Replacing those ancient doors required years of research and sacrifice. They are dedicated to the memory of those who perished in that ghastly war and to the dream of a better tomorrow.” It could have said more, but the carriage door was opened by the carriage driver. Jung’s arms and feet withdrew into its body and it floated in the air. “This way if you please.” Terry held onto Alaia’s hand and said, “This is it. Ready?”
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
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Pepper
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ooc: oh, oops. Sorry! hehe...I was confused...but now I understand! :)

bic: 'Alaia watched out of the window. As the gates parted, she looked at the land within. The palace grounds were beautiful. The meadow was amazing! Trees, flowers that were so beautiful to her. The carriage got closer to the palace and she saw a moat with a drawbridge. She nodded as Jung spoke. That made sense, she thought.

As the carriage door was opened by the carriage driver and Jung flew out, she swallowed hard. When Terry took her hand, she nodded slowly and got out of the carriage, holding Terry's hand, though she let go as soon as she stepped onto the ground. Her dress settled unto the ground but started to sway a little as she followed Jung.
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