WIP Circle

A Story by MKent

A story about seven individuals who overthrow the corruption that has taken over the galaxy, only to stumble upon something darker.

THIS COLLECTION OF REPORTS HAS IN NO WAY BEEN ALTERED BY THE ORACLE, THE REBELLION, OR THE REMAINING FOLLOWERS OF THE DICTATOR. EVERYTHING STATED IS COMPLETE FACT AND HAS ONLY BEEN TAKEN OUT OF REPORT FORMAT INTO NOVEL FORMAT FOR YOUR UTMOST ENJOYMENT. EVERYTHING HAS ALSO BEEN TRANSLATED TO YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE FOR YOUR CONVIENCE AND COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING. PLEASE ENJOY AND THANK YOU.

Prologue

Human Year 3650 A.D.

Planet Rougess

"What would you do, if you had all the power in the world?"

A question that was asked to a classroom filled with children with the human equivalent ages of 9 and 10. This was an age where they still had the heart of a child, but they were beginning to see what the world really had in store for them. A couple kids were whispering quietly to each other at the back of the classroom thinking the teacher didn't notice, while others listened intently. One child, with naturally black hair that fell in loose curls that almost came to his neck, with bright blue eyes, flipped this question over and over in his mind. He stared at his desk, running his finger along somebody's initials that were carved there many classrooms ago. He was human originating from the planet Earth, but never born there. The second sun was rising in the sky, over the red dusty landscape. From the black haired boy's window, he could see a dustrover driving by, with a couple of the planet Rougess' natives inside. The dustrover looked almost like a miniature war tank, with its six wheels wrapped in a belt that joined them all, making the vehicle easier to drive over the very powdery landscape. This school was built in the centre of the planet Rougess' military base where the education was formatted for every child to one day join the military. The planet Rougess was tucked away in the corner of its galaxy away from high populated planets. Because of its rotation around one star that made the planet pass another star for half of the planet's rotation, the planet's climate was very dry and hot. Deep under the dusty soil though, the temperature became a lot cooler, and that is where the majority of the population lived. The natives there called themselves the Xcarvies and to the human boy, they looked a lot like ants, except their average height is usually between 4'8" and 5'6". The females and males of the species usually being around the same height. There were many of this race in the classroom with the black haired boy. He was the only human child.

"If someone doesn’t raise their hand soon, I'm going to have to start calling names!" The teacher exclaimed, the words running through each child’s neckset translater, or NST for short. The NSTs translated any language into the wearer’s first speaking language. The black haired boy hoped not to be called upon, but as did everyone else in the classroom.

"I think," A student started. She originated from a neighbouring planet, where the atmosphere was cold, and had large bodies of frozen water that covered the majority of its surface. Underneath the thick ice was where her civilization lived. She was not able to breath oxygen, so she had a tank attached to her filled with ice water. "I would use it for good, and… use it against people who were bad." She finished.

The teacher nodded in response and then challenged her statement by saying, "But would you be the one who would decide what was good, and what was bad? What makes something good, and what makes something bad; I think everybody has their own individual definition."

"I would use the power to destroy all my enemies! Just like Dictator Ramos!" Another child finally exclaimed. A bubble of giggles aroused throughout the classroom in response. "And I would destroy whoever got in my way!!" He smashed his Xcarvie pinchers on his desk, showcasing the technique of which he would destroy his enemies via smash. The bubble of laughter got a little louder.

"What about you Tomos?" The teacher called upon the human boy. He looked up from his desk. His feet not quite touching the floor, so he swung them back and forth as a nervous response. "You must have an interesting perspective considering what happened to your home planet." The teacher teased. The students in the classroom who knew chuckled a little bit.

"I think…" He started, darting his eyes from the teacher, to different faces in the classroom, "I would hide that power away. Where no one would be able to find it."

"That's an interesting answer. Why is that?" The teacher had an intrigued expression splashed across his face. In the years that he had taught, and asked this very question, he never once had this response.

"Well if I have all the power… And I have it in hiding so no one is able to have it… Then the power could never be used for evil… And no one would have any power… Making everybody equal… Right?"

Chapter 1

Human Year 4001 A.D.

Planet Montess

Volsky Clarke

Day 3

Volsky felt her heart pumping. She had her back against a cement wall, her four comrades on either side of her.

"They're talking about Crystanium." The comrade on her left, Karnkis, finally grumbled after a few minutes of silence. Karnkis had no bones, and was able to slip one of the ear pieces from his NST through a crack to the other side of the wall. "This is where they've been storing it."

Volsky felt a tiny rush of relief. She had broken into a holding facility on Planet Montess a week earlier and discovered saved documents about a group of native Montessians. These Montessians had been involved with the shipping and handling of stolen Crystanium, a crystal that was mined on countless planets for it being precious to The Oracle. Although she had always been reliable for information for her Rougess military quadrant, after the disaster of Plateaua, she was always met with criticisms, and disbelief. She had to grovel at her commander's feet for permission to let her squad break into the Monetessians' workplace.

She knew her chiefs reasoning.

The Montessians worshipped the Oracles as their perceived gods, and only lived to mine Crystanium for them. The species were all connected, sharing the same thoughts and ideas which were limited in complexity. Volky's squad however, had looked what was seemingly every other planet with known life in the galaxy where the leak was discovered from. She knew that her squad liked to put every known creature into boxes. The idea that every known creature only has a handful of traits which could be applied to every individual of their race. They thought this of humans as well, but Volsky thought differently.

They discovered which house might be the one to have the leak from listening in on days and days of NST conversations. Volsky also discovered while she was looking for any saved documents on planet Montess, that each house had a basement, and all the basements were separated by thin cement walls. She thought if they went into the house behind the targeted one, they could go into the basement, and break down the basement wall where she assumed the Montessians had their leak operation set up. Also with going into the house behind the target, no Montessians who were keeping watch would see them. She managed to convince her entire squad with the exception of Vice, but he didn't have a choice if the entire squad was doing Volsky's plan.

Volsky heard Vice switch from his arm function, to his silenced assault rifle. Vice was an OUS (Oracle Unit Stealth). OUS referring to what kind of machinery and armour he was attached with. Vice himself was a race known as the Brechania, which was just made up of a human like brain, and roots with the machinery built around it. Vice stood as the leader of the squad. In Volsky's mind, he was the leader only because humans could not be leaders of squads in any faction of the military. Most of Vice’s ideas were good, but the reluctance to listen to anybody else made him troublesome.

"We enter in 3… 2…" Vice started. On the exact beat of when he said "1", Karnkis expanded his mass that he had shoved through the opening in the wall, heating up, and quickly melting the cement away to form a gap. Volsky and Vice immediately jumped through it, with the rest of their squad behind them. The room before them was 20 metres in length, and 10 metres in width, the squad entering via the width size. They were met with two Montessians looking at them with their 6 pure white eyes wide in shock. They stood upright on two legs, and had six arms. One of them was holding a metal container filled with crystanium crystal.

Vice immediately opened fire on them. Volsky ran past them, and past the mountain of boxes that stood behind the two now shot down Montessians. They shrieked in pain, a noise so high pitched it stung Volsky's ears. Past the mountain of boxes, she saw four more Montessians. All of them caught off guard by the gun fire, and their shrieking comrades. Volsky shot them down without mercy. They all shrieked in unison like a torture choir from hell. Volsky made her way further into the room to see two more Montessians trying to retreat for their tunnel up to the main level. Volsky only managed to get their legs, and they both collapsed onto the steel floor, still crawling with all their strength to safety. Volsky bolted over to them, and shot the first Montessian in the head, point blank. The second one put his hands up in surrender screaming at her to not shoot.

"You don't understand!!" clicked with his two pinchers the protruded from his mouth. "We were ordered to do it!" He claimed.

"By who?" Volsky asked in a demanding tone, her assault rifle pointed right at the still alive Montessian's head. He shook in fear, and didn't answer. She could see him beginning to curl in on himself, wanting to hide in his protective outer shell. She stuck her gun right against his skull, which made him cry out a little.

That’s when Volsky heard the most ear bleeding sound.

She saw that the Montessian's pinchers were moving, but she couldn't hear him. All that was coming through her NST was just static and high pitched noise. She heard Vice behind her give out a cry, as well as the rest of her comrades. All of them were on the ground from the noise. She fell to her knees with her gun still on the Montessian's head. She saw the Montessian lashing out in front of him with his pinchers, trying to scurry away, now seeing that she was distracted. With her last bit of strength, she pulled on the trigger, and then there was silence.

In this silence, she saw the void. It wasn’t the first time she had seen it. It had come to her in dreams, and in her daily thoughts, ever since she found the journal. It called out to her, and she could feel its energy pulling her towards it. She saw an intense heavy blackness but in that blackness, there was a light. In the light, it brought her to the same place every time. She was on a sandy shore, and a large ocean of water laid out in front of her. The sky was an array of pinks and purples, with countless numbers of perfectly visible stars through the hues. She felt a prescience, and even the first time she was brought to this place, the prescience felt familiar. The familiarity being that she knew she was in danger. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and as she turned to face the presence, she always woke up.

Volsky's ears were ringing as she looked up from her kneeling position. Vice was looking down at her. He was a very tall lanky robot, and his armour was pure black. He stood at 6'5" and his body was mostly all thin robotic leg. His head piece was sculpted to look like the Oracle of Peace, with two red painted on eyes that had three red streams that went from the base of his eyes, to just an inch above his jaw. His head was a thin oval shape, but was formed into a thin rectangle at the top like the Oracle of Peace. He also had two little horns on each said of his head. His head was connected to his body with a neck, and had 2 arms on each side that he had concealed inside his body in that moment. Volsky's fear that she saw in the void was met with Vice's look of puzzlement. Volsky realized that she had been in the ground long enough for her comrades to secure the rest of that room.

"I don't know what that was Vice. For a second I wasn't even here," Volsky said with her head down, wiping crystanium rainbow glittery dust off her knees as she stood.

"It completely scrambled my NST," Vice added. Volsky saw the sides of his head light up red as his body tried to run a diagnosis. "My computer doesn't know what caused it yet either." He continued after a few moments. She realized that he thought she was still talking about the screaming coming from the Montessian.

"The sound wouldn't go away even when I covered my ears. Its like the noise was coming from inside my skull," Volsky described.

"Whatever it was, you probably shot that Montessian b*****d just before he could pop an eardrum," Vice said with a chuckle. Vice was looking at the ground as he ran his diagnoses. Volsky felt a bit of warmth coming from Vice, something she hadn’t felt since the disaster of Plateaua. Almost instantly after she felt this, he looked up at Volsky and their eyes met. Suddenly the air changed back to that of hostility.

"The upstairs has been secured, leader Vice." Dutto, an Xcarvie native to their military planet Rougess, informed.

"Good," Vice said, nodding at Dutto, and then at Karnkis as his gelatin form slid down the cement tunnel that led to the upstairs. Volsky didn't even notice them go past her when she was crouched on the ground.

"There were 12 bodies in total up there. They were about to erase all information about their pirating. We got them just in time." Dutto continued, almost bragging, "Karnkis and I got them all before they could even think!"

"Volsky, you're wounded," Maline, their 5th comrade, pointed out, in her flat monotoned voice. Her race was known as the Vakin. Her skin was all black and scaled, but was like rainbow reflecting chrome. She already had a container of cell regeneration serum out. Maline was referring to a 6 inch long deep cut along the midsection of Volsky. She hadn't even felt or noticed it from the amount of adrenaline. As soon as Maline pointed it out though, she began to feel it. She winced, and put her hands on the wound in pain. When that Montessian was trying to get away, he must've cut her. Volsky found it strange that it was able to slice through her military grade stealth armour.

"Are you alright, Volsky?" Dutto asked with heavy concern.

"Are you kidding me Volsky? What a waste of CR serum.” Vice snapped. Dutto shot a look at Vice, but didn’t say anything in her defence.

“I was distracted by that sound.” Volsky snapped back defending herself.

“Don’t give excuses, just do your job.” Vice said as the final statement. He brushed past Volsky and began exiting the building. Dutto just gave Volsky one last sympathetic, and then headed towards the rest of their squad. Karnkis followed slowly behind him. His black mass of a body rolling like waves chillingly silent across the floor. Maline gave Volsky the CR serum, and Volsky immediately began applying it to her mid section. Maline was almost as slender as Vice, and had an oval shaped head, attached to a neck and a pair of shoulders. She had two arms, but for hands she had seven fingers that were shaped into claws at the ends. The rest of her body was like a snake, and she slithered silently and deadly as she moved. She preferred using a sniper rifle, and also, she carried all of the medical supplies since she usually hung in the back lines.

"Commander, send in a clean up squad. Mission has been a success." Vice informed the chief commander through his robotic body.

"Yes, right away leader Vice. Good work." The commander replied, in his gruff tone.

"Alright team. Back to the ship. Our work is done here." Vice commanded with lax in his voice. The squad nodded, and started heading back through the hole which Karnkis had made. "I imagine the investigation team will be taking their time to get here," Vice added. Volsky imagined if he had pupils, he would've rolled them.

"So should we take a moment and see the sites? Take in a breath of the fresh Montess air?" Dutto joked, in his spacesuit armour with an oxygen tank attached.

"If you want to off yourself, then be my guest," Vice responded sarcastically, passing Dutto heading towards the tunnel to the main level of the house, "Its ridiculous they would send US to do something a beginner's squad could do. A waste of my time," Vice continued, muttering to Maline.

“I agree. Should’ve just sent Dutto and Volsky to do it. It’s more on their level,” Maline joked, throwing her head back at her own joke. Vice smirked, and shot a look back at Dutto and Volsky.

Dutto pointed his maroon coloured head to the floor, not saying anything.

"Well I would love to see the sites with you Dutto while we wait if you want," Volsky encouraged. Dutto looked up at her with his small four pure black eyes. Suddenly his enthusiasm was back, and he looked to the floor at Karnkis.

"Why don't you join us? I think we would be quite the trio trying to take down those wild hoards of dungfangs," Dutto gave Karnkis a little nudge with his foot since Karnkis was still flowing along the ground. Karnkis seemed to speed up his flow, heading past them and away from them. They were approaching the top of the stairs to find two Montessians crying on the floor. Volsky averted her eyes. She knew that all Montessians were connected in an unexplainable way. When one of them felt deep remorse, all the community were in remorse. That was why it was so strange that there would be a group of them who were working behind the Oracle's back. Volsky did feel like not every member of a race fit into the same simplified box, but wouldn't every member of the Montessian race be feeling the same way as the rebellious few? She just didn't understand how they wouldn't all be thinking as a unit. She felt a nervous chill run down her spine.

After the cleanup crew showed up, and collected back all the stolen crystanium, the commander had all the local Montessians gathered in the center of the underground mining town. Volsky stood behind him with Vice to her right, and Dutto, Karnkis, and Maline to her left. All of them removed their helmets, except for Volsky. She looked at all the many faces of Montessians, and saw how much sorrow that this was causing them. Seeing a human was behind some of the killing of their kin would only be salt in the wound, and it would make them less likely to forgive.

"We have discovered the rebels, and dealt justice in the name of the Oracle." The Commander, Vendursma Kroka, exalted. A weak polite cheer was exhaled from the crowd of Montessians who were softly weeping. "If anyone," Commander Kroka continued, his voice deep and compelling, "attempts to go behind the Oracles back again, you will suffer the same fate. Look at your fallen as an example." There was a silence amongst the crowd except for the small high pitched occasional whimpers. They all had their heads bowed in shame. Kroka towered over the Montessians as he was 7 feet in height, where as the average Montessian was 4'5".

"Kroka really has a way with consoling words, doesn't he?" Dutto whispered to Volsky. She gave him a nudge with her elbow, but also a quiet chuckle.

"We all must obey the Oracle, for they are truth, righteousness, and they are all that is holy. If we do not obey what they have commanded, there will be consequences. For they know what has been, what is, and what will be. We all know this. We say this in our prayers every night. The Oracle know better than we." Kroka recited with genuineness. The crowd gave out a quant cheer of agreement. "Now of course, all of this wouldn't be possible without the help of our infiltration squad, please give them a good Montessian cheer." There was another quant cheer once more. "But the majority of today, can only be attributed to one person," Kroka turned and looked at all 5 members of the squad.

She felt her heart sink.

There was only once that Kroka let Volsky claim a victory, so she knew what would happen if she were to step forward and say she was the one. She knew what would happen if the other squads, and the citizens of this planet, if a human did what they could not. She would not be met with rejoice. She would not be met with the prizes of being admired, and respected. Instead they would feel disgust. Instead their pride would keep them from giving her what she rightfully deserved. They would come up with reasons why what she did was wrong, even when it was indisputably right. She felt that old feeling that she had been trying so hard to suppress bubble up in her chest, and drip out her eyes behind her space mask where no one could see.

And she watched, like she had so many time before, as Vice stepped forward beside Kroka.

"I would just like to say it was a privilege doing this for you all," Vice started, "It is for the greater good, and I'm truly humbled to be brought out into the spotlight and be able to celebrate our victory today," He said, gesturing to the rest of the squad. Now that he had the spotlight on him, his attitude completely changed. This as met with a little louder of a cheer than for Kroka. All OU's were known throughout the known universe as being highly intelligent, and respected creatures of the Oracle. Vice was always met with applause, and praise wherever he went.

Volsky felt her blood begin to boil.

She watched him say more, of what Volsky considered, complete garbage. She decided something in that moment. That this time when she got home from this mission, she was really going to do it. She found that journal for a reason, and she knew those dreams meant something.

She wasn't going to wait for her destiny to call her out. She knew what she must do, and she felt with her heart racing and her blood pumping, that it was time to seize an undeniable victory of her own.

The Montessians had went back to their daily lives, either mining for Crystanium, or hunting down dungfangs for food. Volsky sat on top of a giant cliff, with her legs hanging over the edge staring off at the Montess sunset. She saw a giant hoard of dungfangs scuttling on the ground maybe half a mile below her. She was a 30-minute walk away from her ship, and sometimes she thought she could hear the wind carry voices of her comrades in the distance. She imagined what it would be like being a Montessian. Having your brain connected to every individual, feeling everything that everyone is feeling all at once. She imagined it never made them feel alone, always having somebody know exactly what you were going through. She looked at her hands covered in her black space armour, troubled at the thought. Volsky had been alone most of her life. Not alone in the sense that no one was around her, but alone in the sense that nobody felt what she felt. Most humans that she had met were always compliant with what they were supposed to do, and what they were supposed to say. How all humans are supposed to act a certain way, and all have the same fate. She owed a lot of what she thought to her father who taught her that even with the restraints of the universe they were born into, humans used to have their own planet, and could be whatever they wanted to be. Volsky always wanted to explore the unknown Universe, and she had always wanted to work under the Oracle of Wonder, so she could discover whole new planets. Humans were expected to mine for the Oracle for the rest of their days for the treachery they had done in their pasts. It was a crime so great, humans would be held accountable for as long as humanity exists in the universe. Volsky did not want to mine though, and only hope to save up enough money to one-day travel to a distant planet. She also didn't have a choice with joining the military because her mother and father were both in it, and raised her at the base on planet Rougess. Her joining the Explorers of Wonder was a war she had lost long ago, and was a consistent losing battle. The thought slipped her mind as she heard somebody walking towards her from behind. She turned to see it was Dutto.

"I thought we agreed we were BOTH going to see the sites TOGETHER?" Dutto joked, plopping down beside her with a sharped spaced out toothy grin behind his space mask.

"I just needed some time by myself," Volsky admitted, grabbing a rock from beside her into her hand, which crumbled. She threw the dust over the ridge, and she saw it be carried away with the wind. The dirt here was almost black dark brown, and with the sky covered in thick black clouds, the electric green acid that flowed in the ravines was heavily contrasted.

"Vice is the worst, I don't blame you," Dutto started, assuming what troubled Volsky was solely on Vice. He leaned back, and propped himself up with his four arms. "He probably gets off on the fact he can be rude to you with no consequences. It’s unfair. Especially when he knows what really happened at Plateaua.”

"I'm glad you can see it Dutto. One is better than none," Volsky said gratefully.

"I think commander Kroka sees it too. I haven't been in this squad for very long, but I can tell he has a special place in one of his alligator looking hearts for you," Dutto pointed out.

"You know what an alligator is?" Volsky asked, impressed.

"Yeah so, I research about Earth sometimes. That’s where my best friend is from," Dutto shrugged.

"I didn’t know you had another human friend,”

“I’m talking about you, silly,” Dutto said, his face turning a darker shade of maroon.

“I know. I just wanted to hear you say it,” Volsky giggled. She then looked up to the sky, and saw that clouds were starting to be tinted with green, which meant an acid rain storm was bound to happen. Volsky turned to Dutto and found that he was staring intently at her. "Can you keep a secret?" Volsky asked leaning in towards him.

"About as good as the next Xcarvie,".

"The commander used to have three kin, but they all were kidnapped by the rebels, and were killed to make a statement to the Oracle." Volsky paused, and let those words hang in the air for a moment. "The commander was devastated. You have obviously heard how his race see their own kin." Dutto nodded, having heard that Kroka's kind see protecting their kin being the highest priority. Some even see it as higher than living for the Oracle. "I was around their age at that time, and I think it made Kroka have a weird sympathy towards me… I think I became like one of his kin to him."

"What did your own father think of that?" Dutto asked.

"Well… My father…" That's when Volsky was interrupted by their Commander Kroka coming through their NSTs.

"Dutto? Volsky? Come in, and return to the ship at once." Kroka ordered.

At the same time, they both answered, "yes sir." They both stood up, and Volsky stretched her arms up over her head, and cracked her back. There was a silence that rested in the air from Dutto's unanswered question.

"I really hope Karnkis didn't eat my ration of pills again," Dutto said. Volsky agreed, and offered him some of her pills if he did. In this moment, Volsky felt her chest sink knowing that this would be the last mission her and Dutto would ever be on together. She would miss him.

Day 5

Volsky sat next to Dutto, as she gazed out the spaceship's windows down at the red Rougess dust that encompassed the whole planet. There were few mountain ranges, but most of the planet was just miles and miles of desert. She saw the centre of the military base, with its giant domed building where all assemblies were held. The assembly hall was like the heart of the base, with hallways and more buildings branching from it and extending for miles, like veins and arteries. Near the assembly hall she could see the Rougess school, and what she thought were new recruits training looking like ants from the altitude she was at. It took them two days to fly from the planet Montess back to Rougess, and Volsky was glad to be home. She knew she may never see it again after the next few coming days. Vice sat across from Dutto and Volsky, next to Maline. Maline was enthralled in a conversation she was having on the computer that was built into her arm. Rather than carrying a mobile phone, or a computer, the creatures working for the largest tech organization in the universe, UTC (Universal Tech Corporation), created the Inlimb. A computer that was so small it could fit into your arm, and ran on solar powered energy. Volsky saw Maline's other hand typing away on its touchscreen that glowed through a thin layer of skin. Volsky looked at her own, and opened it to see if she had any missed messages. She saw that she did have a couple from her mother, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. Volsky chose to ignore them, which was, also, not out of the ordinary.

"You should really answer your mom. She's probably worried," Dutto pointed out, looking over her shoulder at her arm.

"Don’t look at my screen! That's so rude," Volsky lightly said with a laugh.

"You know I'm right though!”

They landed shortly thereafter, and Volsky immediately started thinking of her living quarters to change out of her stealth space suit. She was excited to finally be in her own bed, rather than a bunk in some space ship. She knew in the back of her mind though that this was maybe the last night that she would sleep in her bed. After that it was back in a space bunk for what might be forever.

She was walking away from the landing site of the ship with Dutto at her side, and Vice, Maline, and Karnkis following not far behind. There were two dustrovers not too far from them, heading in their direction to take them back to the base. The vehicles kicked up loose red sand as they drove. Volsky looked to her left and saw the familiar Rougess mountain ranges, and then to her right saw the miles of desert in the distance. The second sun was rising, as the first sun was setting. It was the first couple months of no night. Volsky took in a deep breath of the familiarity, and let it rest in her soul for a few precious moments. She then saw who was driving one of the dustrovers and it was somebody she did not recognize.

The Rougess military base for the most part only handled a handful of different types of races. The Xcarvie's, Dutto's race, were the most prominent race in the facility having their home planet be Rougess. There were the rarities, Volsky being one of them, where there was only one single member of their race training at the facility. That's why as soon as Volsky saw that there were two OUI's (Oracle Unit of Information) in the dustrover, she knew something was wrong.

The dustrover drove past Volsky and Dutto, and stopped beside Vice. The OUI that was in the passenger's side stepped out, revealing its boxy yellow armour. The OUI had its face painted like the Oracle of Wisdom, with one blue stream running down from the inner corner of their eyes to the base of their square faces. The streams looked like tears.

"You are the leader of squad 456, OUS unit 113 Vice?" Asked the OUI revealing that she had a female voice programmed.

"Yes that is me. You are OUI unit 610 Brina?" Vice asked, always taking pleasure in knowing every member of his race's names, and unit numbers.

"You know your Brechania." She commended, nodding to him, "Now that formalities have been exchanged, I must inform you why we are here. We feel the mission you and squad were just on might've left some emotional damage. So we have come to bring you into the psych reformatting centre." She said calmly. The entire squad exchanged confused glances.

"That's ridiculous," Vice stated immediately after. "That mission was nothing more than mundane. We have done that exact same mission countless of times. You must be mistaken."

"I am not mistaken." Brina snapped back, sounding a little bit offended. "I have been sent here straight from the Oracle of Wonder who personally read your commander's report on the mission. If he deems it as emotionally damaging, then it must be."

"Well then the Oracle of Wonder is mistaken." Vice's entire squad were taken aback with him saying such a thing, as well as Brina, "And what is an OUI with Wisdom painted marks doing taking orders from the Oracle of Wonder anyways? Are you sure you aren't confused?" Vice challenged.

For a moment Brina was silent. Even thought her face could not show emotion, Volsky could feel her absolute rage and how deeply she was insulted in the air.

"Seize that OUS and drag him to the psych reformatting centre at once. Even if you have to shut down his mobility functions." Brina ordered. Immediately, 6 more OUI exited the dustrover, and headed in Vice's direction.

"I won't be dragged anywhere. I'll go. I just hope you understand how ridiculous this is." Vice was deeply annoyed, and started heading toward the second dustrover that was meant for the squad. Volsky and the rest of her party solemnly followed Vice into the dustrover.

Going to the psych reformatting centre was nothing knew for Volsky, and her party. When something truly traumatic happens to them, that’s where they would be sent. All of them were always put unconscious, and normally a group of doctors who practiced on the base would ask their subconscious questions, and clear the trauma out of it. Volsky felt them put the needle into her arm, and immediately she began to feel sleepy. She turned her head to the left and saw Dutto begin to nod off, not really caring that they had been sent to the psych centre. Dutto had spent a lot of time in this part of the base. Dutto couldn't handle killing rebels and pirates for the longest time when first starting at the Rougess base. He couldn't condemn them in his mind, even though they were purposely betraying the Oracle. Volsky also had a hard time with this as well, but the Universe had known peace for hundreds of years, and sometimes sacrifices had to be made to keep it that way.

Volsky was taken to the void as she dreamt. The pure blackness that seemed to swirl in on itself. Behind it she couldn't see any stars. She just knew that the prescience of the blackness was there.

"Who is truth, righteousness, and all that is holy?" The blackness asked her. Its voice deep, and echoing.

"The Oracle." Volsky answered, her voice echoing back.

"Who will face the consequences if one does not obey what they have commanded?"

"The one who has disobeyed their commands." The blackness began to swirl closer to her as she continued to answer its questions.

"Who knows what has been, what is, and what will be?"

"The Oracle. The Oracle knows everything." Volsky began to feel cold, and she felt the dark touch her skin, and she could almost feel the life draining from her very soul.

"And who will you say in your prayers every night? For who knows better than we?"

"The Oracle," Volsky felt the darkness encompass her entire body, and saw as her skin began to peel from her bones. The black taking all her muscle, blood, and veins and just leaving behind her skeleton.

"And who do you belong to, Volsky Clarke?" The blackness asked, leaving just her brain left to be consumed.

Even in this darkness, and not feeling in control. Even though Volsky was shaken with fear that she felt filling up every bone that was left in her body, she wouldn't let it have all of her. In this moment she held onto herself, while gritting her teeth.

"The Oracle," the words just barely spitting out of her skeletal remains.

Day 6

Volsky woke up to find that she was in the medical treatment centre. She saw that there was an Xcarvie doctor looking down at her while she lay.

"Hello Volsky, glad you could join us back in the world of the awake!" The Xcarvie doctor exclaimed, holding a little flashlight in one of his pinchers. "Now if I could just take a look into both of your eyes for a second…" He said, started to peer first into her right eye, and then into her left. "… and now tell me how you feel. Do you feel dizzy or nauseous at all?" The Xcarvie asked.

"No but why am I here? I was just in the psych reformatting centre, the last I remember." Volsky asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and tucking her brown hair that was no longer in a braid behind her ears.

"Because you went into a light coma afterwards! Those OUI's really gave it to you guys. Everyone else was acting a little drowsy too after they were done, but you were full out comatose!" The Xcarvie exclaimed.

"That's very strange," Volsky pointed out, swinging her feet over the side of the bed, and saw that some one had brought her slippers.

"Dutto brought those for you!" He informed. Volsky thanked him. She was just dressed in a plain white lounge uniform, which was just loose-fitting cotton pants, and a white t-shirt. She started to head out of the medical ward, through two giant automatic doors which opened for her as she approached. The entire inside of the ward was pure white, with white tile floor, and white tile ceiling. She started to walk down the hallway leading away from the ward to the elevator. She checked her inlimb to discover that she had been sleeping for a day, which put her a day behind schedule. She also noticed a couple more missed messages from her mother. She ignored those again, and pressed the call button for the elevator.

Once the elevator came, and its doors opened to her, she pressed the button for the ship hanger.

"Elevator ride estimated, 5 minutes." The elevator computer communicated to Volsky. The ship hanger was on the far north west corner of the base. Volsky looked at her inlimb, and finally opened the missed messages from her mother. All of them always said the exact same thing. Her mother telling Volsky about her day, asking Volsky stupid questions, telling Volsky that she was thinking about her, and missing her.

Volsky felt a bit of guilt for being a bad daughter, but it obviously wasn't too deeply felt, because she only replied with; I’ll be home to visit soon

She knew she had to say goodbye to her mother before she left. She was still unsure whether she wanted to tell her mother where she was going. Volsky figured it was only fair, since she may never come back. Volsky still felt the pit of guilt in her stomach for having to leave so many people behind to pursue her selfish desire, but she had wanted this for far too long.

The elevator doors began to open, and she found herself looking at another long white hallway. She began to travel through it, and it turned to the right where she saw the stairs that lead to the ship hanger. Already she could hear many conversations going on above, and ship engine sounds revving and being checked. She saw everybody in their designated armour, but didn't feel embarrassed about wearing her lounge clothes, as well as her pink slippers. She started towards the west side of the hanger, walking underneath a total of 5 fighter ships as she went. All of them were black, and built to be sleek and aerodynamic. She saw the last ship, which was hers. One of the final gifts from her father. It was also built to be sleek, and aerodynamic, but was less so with a horn protruding from the top of its nose. It was also grey in colour, and had blue decals on the ends of he wings, and doors. She called her ship the Narwhale after an animal that had a very similar horn on its head. She continued to walk past her ship, to one of the offices that were built all along the far side of the building. Each office had windows covering all its perimeter, so Volsky could see her friend mechanic working inside. He was a Montessian of all creatures. He decided he didn't want to mine, and instead he wanted to study aircrafts. He quickly became an expert of them, completely fascinated by the science. Most Montessians didn't live past 60 human years, but this Montessian was 83. He acted as though he was still in his youth, and his body, a miracle to him, functioned almost the same. Almost. He did have some spots on his back, and his legs where his black exoskeleton was staining white. This was a sure sign that he was an older Montessian. He looked up from the desk he was at to see Volsky approaching. He opened the door, and greeted her with the pinchers around his mouth opened wide in excitement.

"Volsky! My favourite human." He exclaimed. "Come in, I have something very exciting to show you!"

"Is it what I think it is, Giov?" Volsky asked with a smile, following him inside.

"You betcha! I just finished it yesterday conveniently enough!" Giov answered. He pressed the power button on his desk, and the surface of his desk lit up to show a giant screen. He opened his saved blueprints, and opened one that was titled 'for Julia's little bun!'. Volsky would've rolled her eyes if she wasn’t so excited.

"This is the engine," Giov proclaimed. Volsky looked at the design print for the engine, not quite understanding what she was seeing, but it didn’t stop her excitement.

"So this will get me to moon diablo?" Volsky asked.

"Not exactly. It will space jump you to about 2 AU's away from moon Diablo." Giov's face went solemn for a moment, "this would be a break through in scientific history. Nobody has ever built an engine that could jump a whole ship that far. Unfortunately, once it jumps you there Volsky… It can't jump you back."

"I knew that might be the case, but you don’t have to worry Giov. I feel like my entire life has been directed to this moment, from being born at this base, to me befriending you." Volsky said with sincerity.

"I'm not sure what that has to do with you flying to your certain death, Volsky. You know there are easier ways to off yourself," Giov joked, with an undertone of concern.

"I'm not sending myself off into space to die Giov. In a couple of months, you'll hear about me. Just wait and see," Volsky reassured with confidence.

"I have my guys building the engine right now. It should be all installed into your ship tomorrow afternoon. Its not too late to change your mind Volsky. I won’t be angry that I put in so much work if it means that you'll survive." Giov cut the jokes, and was looking at Volsky with intent.

"You honestly have nothing to fear Giov. You just have to understand."

"I don't think I could ever understand a human, but I digress." Giov said with a shrug. "Have you told the commander yet?"

Volsky felt a feeling of guilt hit her stomach, and a chill run down her spine. "Not really," Volsky answered turning away.

"You probably haven't even mentioned it to him, let alone flat out tell him. You must be professional about it Volsky. You can’t run away from him like you are with everybody else. You have to tell him." Giov spoke with wisdom, but it still cut at Volsky, stabbing into the flaw she knew was one of the greatest about herself.

"I will. Don't worry about it." Volsky answered quietly. She looked out at the many ship hanger workers, having their many conversations. She saw two Xcarvie were arguing with each other. Volsky imagined it was probably something stupid.

That was when Giov cried out in pain, and fell to the floor. His body started to curl in on himself.

“Giov?! What’s wrong?” Volsky exclaimed, moving to Giov’s side. Volsky could see that he was shaking from the source of pain.

“It’s so funny Volsky,” He managed to say, “Even being so far away from Montess… I still feel their pain… But Volsky,” Giov said, closing in on himself more as he let out a cry of pain.

“What is it Giov? What’s happening?” Volsky crouched down so that she was more level with him.

“The Oracle must keep the peace Volsky,” Giov said, almost completely closed in on himself. “And all of us Montessians feel the same.”

“What does that mean Giov?” Volsky asked, feeling that same shiver she felt back on Montess.

“Do me one final favour Volsky,” Giov started.

“What do you mean final Giov? I told you I would be able to come back,” Volsky reassured, unsure what he was talking about.

“Tell Kroka you are leaving. Apologize to Vice. Stop repeating old mistakes.”

“I will Giov. Why did you say final favour?” Volsky asked again, now completely freaked out.

“The Oracle must keep the peace Volsky. All of us feel the same. Stop repeating old mistakes.” He repeated, now completely wrapped in his shell. Volsky knew now that anything she said Giov wouldn’t be able to hear. She stood up and starred down at him wrapped in a ball. She had never seen Giov like that. She had seen sadness, anger, and happiness hit him out of thin air before, but never a pain like this.

Volsky for a moment felt it.

She saw the deep ravines of acid, and she saw thousands upon thousands of Montessians being pushed into it.

The Oracle must keep the peace.

All of them felt the same.

Volsky ran out of Giov’s office in a panic, and took in deep breaths as the workers in the hanger stared at her confused. She could almost feel her own flesh burning, except it was a thousand times fold. She looked down at her hands, and for a moment she thought she saw blood on them. A final chill ran down her spine, and the sensation went away. She took in more deep breaths and looked around her at the startled ship hanger workers. There was silence all around her other than a ship’s engine from the other side of the hanger.

“Is everything alright?” A ship hanger worker asked. Volsky turned to her, and saw she was 4 feet in height. She had two massive black eyes, and a mouth full of thousands of little teeth.

“Yes, thank you. Just make sure to check on Giov in a few minutes. I think something… Really horrible has happened.” Volsky said, staring at the closed door of Giov’s office. The ship hanger worker nodded in understanding.

After she collected herself, she thought about Giov’s final requests. The first one being that she had to tell Kroka. She knew she had to stop procrastinating about it, and that I was the right thing, and the professional thing to do.

She would tell him the next day before she left.

Day 8

She stood outside commander Kroka's sitting room, just a step away from the sensor that would open the automatic door. She knew he was in there because it was his office hours, and there was nothing happening in the known universe at that moment. Still Volsky prayed that he not be there, and she prayed that suddenly a meteor would strike the facility and wipe it off Rougess so she didn't have to have this conversation. Her hands were shaking as she finally took the step forward, and saw the pure white room with his secretary typing something on her desk. She was another Xcarvie, but her colouring was more of a ruby red. She looked up at Volsky, and stopped typing.

"Do you have a meeting with Kroka?" The Xcarvie, Dreet, asked visibly annoyed by Volsky's prescience.

"Hi Dreet, no I don't, but it is with utmost urgency that I speak with him." Volsky informed. She watched as Dreet opened her inlimb, and spoke into it informing Kroka.

"He said you can go right in," Dreet informed with a sigh. Volsky felt her heart jump. Why out of every time that he's usually busy, he was not busy this time? She took in a deep breath, and walked towards his office door. They opened to her and she walked inside.

“Good morning Volsky,” Kroka said, not looking up from his desk. He was furiously typing away replying to something. He looked not be in a good mood.

“Good morning Commander,” Volsky responded back. “I have something for you.” She said, not taking a breath as she outstretched her hand. In it held a drive. Kroka looked up at her, and met her gaze with his bright yellow eyes. Even hunched over his desk, Kroka was still a massive creature. He was covered in thick gray plated skin, with spikes lining his spine.

“Volsky… What is that.” He asked, hesitantly.

"Do you believe in fate, Commander?" Volsky asked. The chief looked back at her, puzzled.

"My NST isn't able to define that word. Fate?" The commander mouthed the word as best as his lizard mouth was able to.

"Do you think… We are put here for a reason, and certain events, and the people we meet are predetermined? Like this meeting, right now, me being sent to this base…" She started thoughtfully, looking down at her inlimb.

"I think that's some Gladorian nonsense. I should have never sent you to that planet. Things don't happen for a reason. Things just happen." The chief said confidently.

"Maybe… But I think otherwise." Volsky said and then swallowed back saliva that was forming in her mouth. She walked closer to put the drive on his desk. Kroka picked it up with two fingers, and plugged it into his desk. The document attached to the drive opened on his desk.

"Resigning!?" The commander exclaimed, standing right up from his chair. “Volsky… What are you thinking??”

"I've been with the military all my life, and I only have a handful of years left while I’m still young." Volsky answered sternly. She was standing with confidence, but behind her back, she fidgeted her fingers.

"But those handful of years you could still put in! There's so much still to be done, Volsky. You know that better than anyone!"

Outside the window they saw Volsky's ship being landed by the most eastern door.

"I've already filled out all the resignation documents. They are also attached to the drive. It's been done Chief. You just have to understand," She said solemnly, with her hands falling to her sides. She looked at the minimalistic design of his office. She stared at the videoframes that sat on his desk, and looked at his 3 kin. They all were sitting on his lap, laughing with pointed teeth against their lizard like scales. Volsky felt the guilt that she had tried so hard to push down with her assurance begin to bubble. She looked down at his desk and she saw that he had 4 missed messages that were flashing in a sky blue against the turquoise background.

"I don’t know what you’re expecting to do out there. The only place for your kind is in the mines. You had it good here, and you are just going to throw it away?!?" The commander asked, now shouting. Volsky knew all too well what the universe she called home thought of her kind. She let his remark shake her confident demeanour, but only a little.

“Good?! You call this good?” Volsky shouted back, “Doing all the work, and never getting acknowledged for it? Everyone pretending I didn’t save the Universe? Everyone blaming me for the disaster of Plateaua? Everyone looking at me like I’m some monster??” Volsky felt tears begin to form in her eyes.

“It should be good enough that you know you did the right thing. I thought I told you I never wanted to hear about this again? You weren’t the only person made a fool that day.” Kroka commented, looking away from her as he said this.

Volsky was silent, not having anything to say.

“I want you to leave this office. If you are leaving, then just go.” Kroka said as the final comment. She could feel him not wanting her to leave. He wanted her to change her mind, but she couldn’t. She knew she had to do this. She turned to leave, and behind her, she could hear the chief on his control pad, and knew that he was turning the walls into windows, so he could look out at the miles of red dust.

She was brought back to when she was a child training, and had no one. The Xcarvies, the OU's, and all the other races would pick on her, and harass her. She would always act tough, act like she could take it and like she didn't care. There was this one day though, that she broke. They were learning how to use laser weapons. An OUS rigged Volsky's laser gun so that when she shot it, a puff of laser dust was spat into her face. The laser dust went into her eyes, and her lungs. She immediately started to cough and cry from the stinging. The entire class laughed, the teacher included. The OUS being Vice, the ringleader. Volsky ran from the training ground, past the main training facility, to a corner of the living quarters building. She sat on the dusty ground and brought her legs up to her chest and began to sob. A shadow was then casted over her, and she looked up and saw Vendursma Kroka. He was the commander of the top stealth units out of the Rougess military facility. Volsky as embarrassed as she was for him to see her like that, continued to cry.

"What's wrong little human?" Kroka asked, not really showing much concern. Only asking because it was probably the right thing to do, and she was still a child.

"I just want my dad," Volsky sobbed. "He was supposed to be here. He was supposed to protect me." Volsky wiped away her tears with her hands but continued to sob.

"I just want my dad." She repeated to Kroka. Kroka then sat down beside her, and put his black space suit covered scaly arm around her and offered her comfort.

"Where is your dad little human?" Kroka asked, softly with concern this time. "which ward does he work in?"

"He's not here." Volsky cried. "He won't ever be here again."

It wasn't until later that Volsky found out that all three of Kroka's kin had been kidnapped. Kroka had to watch on a received web video of pirates having them tied up. All of them just repeated over and over that they wanted their dad. They just wanted their dad.

The pirates then killed them for Kroka to watch.

After Volsky told Kroka what Vice and his classmates did, he had every student that was part of the prank suspended. Volsky never saw the conversation that happened between her teacher and Kroka, but he was significantly nicer to her afterwards.

Volsky heard the door slide shut behind her, and she continued out of the sitting area and back down the hall. She was brought back to the present and pushed down the guilt she felt. She went to the elevator, and opened the control panel. She tapped the living quarters with her finger, and the doors to the elevator opened in an instant. She walked inside. The entire ceiling, walls, and flooring all made of screen that looked out to the landscape that was past the walls of the building. She felt a sensation taking her to the right, and then she began to descend. She felt her inlimb buzz, and she looked down seeing she had a message from her mother. She chose to ignore it.

In her living quarters, she already had her sparse belongings all packed up. An older version of an inlimb was one of them that once belonged to her father. It no longer functioned properly, but stuck on the screen was a videopic of her family. Volsky likes to believe that’s the last thing he was looking at. The second belonging was a handwritten note, that her fellow comrade, Sylise, had written for her. It was in her friend's native language, and it spelled out friend. The third and final item, was a handwritten paperback journal. She reflected morbidly at the fact that all her possessions were owned by people who were now dead. She finally opened her closet, and started to slip on her armoured space suit. She would need it.

She felt her inlimb buzz again, and she looked at it now vaguely annoyed. It was another message from her mother, this time it was an audio message. Volsky ignored that one as well. She gave one last final glance of a goodbye to her living quarters, and then headed for the elevator. She then saw Vice. He had his back against the wall, and was looking in her direction. He seemed to have known she would be there.

"You have all your belongings on you. Where are you going all dressed up?" Vice asked.

"I'm leaving. I Just told the Commander." Volsky answered, looking at the floor.

"And where is a little human like you going to go? Perhaps the mines of Nolian? To be some sick species kink fulfillment?" Vice spit.

"I thought you would be happy I was leaving. Then again, it just means on missions you might have to actually do something for a change." Volsky spat back, and she heard him change his arm function into his assault rifle. "Do it. Shoot me right here. Kroka would finally have an excuse to take your head," She could tell those words resonated with him. He did not shoot her, instead he stared at her, his red eyes piercing through to her soul.

"They really treated you well in here. Especially because of Kroka and him babying you. I am glad you are leaving so you can really experience how the universe does and should treat your kind. You disgust me. This facility will be a lot cleaner without you touching everything--"

"--It was nice having a chance to chat with you before I left. Hopefully I'll never see you again."

"I hope I see you," Vice started, "I know I will see you again. It will be when you come crawling back here begging the commander to take you back. You won’t last a second beyond those doors without the military sheltering you. It will bring me so much joy knowing you have suffered," That's when Vice walked past Volsky, bumping her shoulder as he did. Volsky felt herself be filled with rage, and then she heard Giov’s words. Why she should apologize to Vice? After everything he has done to her. She looked back at him walking away.

“I’m sorry,” Volsky finally spit. Vice stopped dead and turned to her with surprise. “I really wanted to save Sylise. I loved her as much as you did, but I couldn’t.” Volsky looked down at her hands unable to look at Vice’s face. “The Plats got to her before I could…” Volsky started to tear up remembering the horrific event.

She looked up at Vice, and he was still just staring at her. After a moment, he looked away and continued walking away from her. He didn’t say anything to her as a reply. Volsky couldn’t feel anything coming from him. It was almost as if he was numb.

She shook off the words that he did say, and the annoyance of being ignored. She started heading in the direction of the elevator, and put on her space helmet. She heard and felt the oxygen start being dispensed into it. She walked to the elevator. On the control panel, she selected outside, and she felt herself begin to head to the east. She took in a deep breath of air. She knew that this was the very beginning to something she knew she had waited her entire life for. She knew she was born on the Rougess military base for a reason, and she knew that same reason was also the cause of why she found that diary. She put her hand on the strap of her backpack as if she might lose it at any moment. As the doors to the decompression room opened, and then the elevator door shut behind her, she felt her heart begin to quicken. Once the doors opened to the wilderness, a sight she had seen countless times before, she felt refreshed. As if she was seeing this view in a whole new light after all this time. She took her first step forward, and felt the freedom wash over her. She walked towards her ship, which she knew would take her to her destiny.

Her destiny began with two more messages from her mother, and another audio message. Once Volsky had left the atmosphere of Rougess, she opened them.

"Volly! I have some very exciting news to share with you!! Please get back to me soon! I need to tell you over hologram! Just audio wouldn't do it justice my bunny!" Volsky could hear the excitement in her mother's tone, and rolled her eyes at it. Volsky knew already that it probably wasn’t something that she herself would be excited about. She also hated being called bunny. A creature that once existed on her origin planet earth, but that planet no longer existed. Volsky knew she had to say goodbye to her mom. She knew she had to, but in some part of her brain she thought that maybe she could get away with not saying good bye to her. If she just ignored the problem, and her mom long enough, maybe she would go away.

She knew that would never work though, especially in this moment. She opened her inlimb, and sent her mother a voice message.

"Hey mom, sorry I haven't been able to get back to you. I've been really busy," lie, "But, I have something to tell you… And I have something I want to show you too… Something I've been wanting to show some one for a very long time,"

Volsky then started to head towards planet Gladoria where her mother resided.