Genectrols: D-generation [Phase 2]

Smothering. That is exactly how he felt, ever since he came to realize this world.
Who is he? What is he living for?
The most primitive memory he possessed, was of some “lid” being lifted away from him, then a blinding white light surrounding him.
Medical murmurs rose all around, excited gibbers he could not comprehend.
Then he found himself in a room. A simple, small, plain white cube, just four walls, a ceiling, and a cushioned floor, nothing else.
A place, devoid of life.
Then he was given his name, via a mechanical voice. Night Canyon.
He knew it’s wrong, somehow, deep within himself, yet he could never place a finger to it.
The only things inked into his mind were fragments of information, skills.
How to pilot an Assault Unit, how to kill, how to avoid getting killed.
Just “how”, never “why”.

Enclosed in the confinement, he lost sense of time. Injections at certain intervals were his only gauge.
Then one day, a door appeared. He walked towards it. He wanted, out.
Behind the door laid a long tunnel. No other choice.
At the end of the tunnel was no light.
There it stood, tall and regal, a glamorous A.U.
As if on instinct, he reached for the cockpit. Climb in, start the system, launch into battle.
Kill.
Return.
He never knew why he always returned to the oppressing place. Maybe, he just did not know of anywhere else.
Slowly, the whole thing became a routine.
He could feel that there is life around him; there always is.
Yes he could never reach them, see them.
When he was piloting, there was never any communication with other units. They were just tools, following a central command.

All changed when one day, his unit accidentally, by unknown means, captured some signals from nearby. Then, he began to LEARN.
In battle, he slowly learnt of this strange and intimidating world from the stray signal floating all around them.
He came to know, that he was merely a clone.
As all of them, the pilots on their side, are.
The world is roughly split into ten “planets”.
His “planet” was Helluw, Vena.
He came to know, bits and pieces of the A.F. history, of the last Universal war, a full-blown wave of destruction that wreaked all ten planets.
That was all he could gather, but he rendered that these information were enough.

That was why, when he was ordered to infiltrate the Errian Space to face two units, he was not the least bit worry.
He knew them to be royalty. He though they had little in-battle experience.
That was why he was so shocked, when they were on par with him, even having a little edge.
“Hmm…these two…Their skills are not bad! Fact! They’re really coordinated!” Just like them…Hope…and Faith…twins……
He had no idea why is it these two units that popped into his mind……
As if, it is something buried in the depths of his memory, so deep, he could no longer recall.
“No! Concentrate! Don’t let these things affect you!” He did not know why the name Kranyon suddenly appeared in his mind, just like the units Hope and Faith……
As if, a lost part of himself, a forgotten past, slowly piecing itself together.

“Bring out all that you have! I’m ready to take whatever you throw at me!”
He readied the chest cannon of his A.U.—Leo.
Just as it was about to blast at the sliver unit, his A.U. was violently rocked by several beams from a unexpected sources.
“Ah……”
Two other units, one blue, one bronze, joined in the fray.
Unexpected situation. He was at a loss. To retreat or to stay?

“Those two new arrivals…they don’t look like they’re from Erra…Incoming transmission?...again?” He pressed down on the accept button on the touch-screen. Where else can the signal be from other than the central command?
Thus his shock when he saw a strange face gradually appear on the screen.
“Unknown unit…You! You look familiar!......”
“Kranyon Taruk?” He blurted out the name that kept on showing itself in his mind. He already had a guess on what happened. All he needs is a confirmation.
“Yes…but……”
“No…”his fear realized, he gritted his teeth. “No! That’s not me! I’m just his clone!”
“Remember, I am Night Canyon, pilot of Leo A.U.” He didn’t care if the communication was already cut off. He just wanted to reassure himself, that he is an independent individual, not someone else.
Activating the beam sabre fixed on his A.U.’s “wrists”, he charged toward the others. The bronze unit came against him.

Sparks flew as their melee weapons collided, only extinguished too quickly by the vacuum of space.
Seeing no possibility in completing his mission, he fled out into open space.
He had to go back, to Vena Helluw…no matter how reluctant……
He fears to return, yet he could find nowhere else to go……

Labels: D-gen, fiction, Genectrols, story