Post by spacecaptanface on Nov 10, 2007 1:43:53 GMT -5
Yay! the two stories are now ONE! I hope this makes things easier. Comments are also very welcome...I don't know how to make that sound any less desperate.:22: So here it is, my fanfic in it's entirety!
1. Stranded
The days seemed to grow longer every dawn. The sun would rise. A brilliant fire would burn away the pale shrouds of dark night, and the horizon would explode with a million gleaming colors that sparkled like a nameless jewel. The meadow that encircled the Master's Spire gave host to a myriad of green blades that danced with the rushing wind. I closed my eyes as she blew past me, feeling the gentle caress against my skin, tousling my hair with her fingertips, beckoning me to play.
I was nearly positive that I was going insane. I had seen these flawless days for so long… so long that I was beginning to hope, to pray for a day with a little more variety. Maybe some rain, or a little snow perhaps?
I shook my head in hopelessness. What useless thinking I thought to myself. It would never change. The sun would always shine bright, the sky would always sparkle its dazzling radiance, and the days would grow even longer.
"Thinking again" came the soft, warm voice of Yuna walking up from behind.
Yuna didn't seem to mind the isolation here as I did, something that I didn't mind at first, but now was beginning to irritate me.
"We've been here for one hundred and eighty three days," I said, not turning to meet her eyes. "There really isn't much left to think about."
Had it only been six months? It seemed like so much longer than that. Of course, it helped in that I never slept. There really was no reason to; I never felt tired. Ever since I had arrived I hadn't felt the need to sleep, eat, or drink… at all. I would have thought that after four months of this I would eventually lose my mind, but apparently, losing ones' sanity would go against Elysium's affliction discrimination clause. Unfortunately, this did not cover excruciating boredom.
"Where is Sera?" I asked, trying to act unaffected by her cheerful attitude.
"She's inside," Yuna answered just as warmly as before. "She's still trying to figure out what we're going to do if we get back."
Yuna saw my involuntary shift of discomfort immediately after she said this. It was hard to hide even the slightest reactions from her.
"I mean… when we get back." She reprised.
I turned my head to look at her, trying to fake a reassuring smile, but the gesture was useless against her eyes. She could see clearly how I truly felt.
I wanted to go home. I wanted to be back where I belong, with the people I cared about. Technically, Elysium was my home… once. That was a long time ago. My new home was on the Flutter, with Gramps, and Data…and Roll. I winced in silent pain at the thought of her name. The passage in her diary continued to burn itself inside my mind.
I hope he realizes how much I love him.
What did she mean by this? Was it the love of a sister that after years I had always accepted? Or… could it be possible… that it meant something more? My eyes turned back to the sky as my beleaguered mind plagued itself with reckless hope.
"She will find a way," Yuna said reassuringly.
"I know" She always did.
"So then tell me," she continued, "if you're not thinking, then what are you doing?"
I gave a deep sigh, then looked back at her with utmost sincerity in my eyes.
"Waiting for her to find a way" I said, and turned my head once again to have my eyes be carried away by this eternal world.
2. apart
My eyes were hardly watching my hands as I worked. A malfunctioning fuel injector was just what I needed right now, a distraction, anything to take my mind off of the horrible emptiness I felt inside of me. I scanned the main piston and noticed a loose bolt.
"Could you hand me a wrench Mega…" I stopped myself before I could finish his name.
It had been six months since the day he had left and still I was unable to comprehend the fact that he wasn't here. He wasn't standing next to me, warming the room with his sweet smile, always offering to help me whenever I needed him, always there for me. But now…now he was gone, now when I needed him most, to tell me that he would always be here, that he would never leave me. But… he did. He left me…left me alone in the dark pit of my despair. Not because he wished too, but because he had too, to save me, to save us all.
The little, yellow faced servebot standing at my side looked up at me quizzically. He then walked over to the tool chest and returned with a wrench in his hand holding it out to me.
"Thanks" I said emotionlessly, retrieving the wrench from his small hand. I could feel tears growing in my eyes. They were getting heavier each day. The servebot gave me a full-bodied nod and went back to sorting the machinery on the floor.
"Roll, is that fuel injector finished yet?" I heard Tron's perpetually impatient voice fill the Flutter's intercom.
" I just need a little extra time to make a few more adjustments. It'll be ready soon." I said, trying to stay calm, something that Tron was determined to make as difficult as possible.
"Well, hurry it up. Everything else is prepped and ready. All we need is that injector."
"I don't want to rush this Tron" I replied wearily. Why did she always have to complicate things? "You have to understand that we can't afford to make any mistakes this time."
"Well, I hope Megaman's as patient as you are. Tron out."
I felt a gash of pain cleave through me at the sound of his name. Her words sliced into me like a searing hot blade.
"Why do you do this to me Tron?" I whispered as the heartbreaking loneliness tore my body in half. "Why do you torment me like this?"
It took every fiber of my being to stop the heavy tears from rolling down my cheek. I didn't want to show weakness in front of anyone, even if it was just a little servebot. I quickly continued my repairs on the injector. I had to make sure I didn't miss anything.
It was true when I told Tron that no mistakes could be made. If something were to go wrong, if we made some type of miscalculation… then…it would be over. There would be no hope left. All of our money was gone. Anything and everything we had left was poured into this final design, our masterpiece, the Eclipse. This magnificent creation, an apex of human engineering, was now our last, and greatest hope yet.
My eyes scanned our last piece of equipment needed for take-off. Everything seemed to be in working order. I walked over to the far wall of my workstation and clicked on the intercom.
"Tron, this is Roll. Can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear Roll. Are you finished?"
"Yep, The fuel injector is working 100 and is ready for transport to the launch site"
"Glad to hear it. I'll send Bon over right away to pick it up. Have it ready when he gets there."
"You got it. Roll out"
I clicked off the intercom and looked over at the servebot still sorting machinery.
"Do you mind taking this to the loading platform?" I asked him. "I'm going to stay here and clean up."
"Right away Miss Roll" he said, and walked up to the trolley to wheel it out the door.
Hearing the door click shut behind him, I walked over to my chair and sat down. Slouching over, I put my elbows on my knees and my face in my grease-covered hands. Then, alone at last, I relieved my eyes of the heavy tears they burdened.
***
"All final preparations are made?" Tron asked me eagerly.
"I've checked and rechecked everything three times over" I replied just as enthusiastically. "It's now or never."
"Are you sure you want to do this Roll," Gramps' voice echoed through my headset. "Especially after what happened the last twelve times."
"I have to Gramps." I replied sympathetically. "It's the only way."
Tron and I had discussed this issue for a long time. It took even longer to convince Gramps and Tiesal of what we had to do. If we wanted to guarantee success… we would have to pilot the ship manually.
Gramps wasn't enthused by this idea, especially after witnessing our previous twelve ships explode, but he knew there was nothing he could do to stop me. I didn't want to do it; I didn't want to leave him here wondering whether his only grandchild, the only family he had left, would ever come back… or simply be incinerated within a few moments after take-off. I could see the pain in his eyes whenever these thoughts would hit him and it hurt me so horribly. This hurt, however, was nothing when compared to the agony of the emptiness that ached within my every molecule. I knew what I had to do. I wasn't going to abandon him. I would do whatever was possible to bring him back…even if it killed me.
"I truly hope you know what your doing." Gramps continued. "I don't want to lose you the same way I lost your mother. And if we lose you… we lose Megaman as well"
That did it. There was no way I could hold back the tears that were now flowing freely from my eyes. I wanted to hide my face. I didn't want Tron to see me like this. I knew that she would use it against me somehow.
Her reaction to my weeping, however, took me by surprise. Instead of cutting into me with her razor sharp words, she simply looked at me with an appearance that made me wonder whether I was staring into a mirror. Her eyes were not wet like my own, but her face held the same expression that mine did. It was filled with the same sadness, the same despair - some inner emotion she had kept secret all this time. She turned her face away from me, apparently fearing me as I feared her.
"Oh…Oh no Roll I didn't mean", Gramps stammered
"I know" I cut him off "it's just that I miss him so much. I don't want to lose him either"
I tried to gain control of myself. I was able to stop the convulsions in my chest resonating from my sobs, but the tears would not cease.
"Don't listen to what I say," Gramps said sincerely. "I don't know for certain what may or may not happen but I suppose that's not important. All that matters is what you decide and what you feel is right."
What I feel is right, I thought to myself.
"Thank you Gramps," I whispered. "I think…I think I know what the right thing to do is"
"So then what are you waiting for?" Gramps laughed. "Get going! He's waiting for you."
I smiled. The sweet sound of his laughter made the tears in my eyes fade away, replacing them with a new glimmer of hope. I looked over at Tron who laughed as well. Her laugh, her true laugh, carefree and full of joy; it was beautiful, something I had never heard before.
"You heard the man," Tron said still laughing.
I couldn't help but laugh along with Tron. It felt good to laugh again after such a long time.
"Let's go!" I shouted.
Onboard the Eclipse, Tron punched in the coordinates that Data had given us. Since he originated from this place called Elysium we figured it was only logical that he would be our guide.
"Is everyone strapped in back there?" Tron called out to the back of the ship
"Roger" the team of specially assigned servebots called back.
"How's Data" I shouted back.
"Don't worry." One servebot called out. "He's not going anywhere"
I did feel bad about taping Data to a seat. It was for his own safety really, not to mention as well as our own. The last thing we needed during a high-risk launch was a little monkey bounding every which way. Keeping Data still was like trying to bottle a tornado.
"Hey, um, Roll" Tron said somberly, keeping her eyes away from mine.
I looked over at Tron. Once again her eyes were filled with that same sadness I had seen earlier.
"What is it Tron?"
Tron bit her bottom lip as she searched for the right words. This obviously didn't seem very easy for her, whatever it was.
" I…I just wanted to say that…"
Tron closed her eyes and gave a deep sigh
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you lately."
I looked over at Tron, astounded by what I was hearing. Tron and apologetic were not usually associated with each other.
"Tron… is something wrong"
I saw in her eyes the same sadness that I had seen before. What it meant I had no idea.
"Well…no, um, it's nothing really."
"Tron, come on, you can tell me" I said reassuringly.
She turned her head away from me as if she had not heard me speak. It was clear to me that whatever she was feeling or what it was she wanted to say, I wasn't going to be ready for it when it came.
Nonetheless, I continued to prod.
"Tron I know we've had our disagreements in the past"
I smirked. "Well, maybe 'disagreements' is a bit of an understatement"
Tron gave an embarrassed laugh.
"Yeah, I guess so." She said, smiling at me.
I smiled back.
"But," I continued, "We are working towards the same goal right? I just want us to understand each other, even if we don't always agree, so I want you to tell me how you're feeling so that I can understand your situation.
Tron's eyes carefully rose to meet mine. Her grieved expression once again wore heavy on her face.
"Roll," Tron began hesitantly, "h-how long have you known Megaman?"
I was taken by surprise at this sudden shift of our conversation. The question she was now asking me took me off guard. It didn't seem very relevant.
"Um, I guess I've known him my whole life really, since before I can remember." I didn't know where this was going, but I was sure it wasn't going to be good.
"And you know him really well right? I mean, the whole spotter digger thing."
Tron spoke very hesitantly, as if she were waiting for the worst.
"Well, I guess you could say that"
Her features tensed, whether by what I just said or what she was about to say.
"So…how do you feel about him?"
"…W-what?"
Tron closed her eyes and she spoke softly, softer than I had ever heard her speak before.
"Roll, do you love him?"
This, I was not prepared for. My eyes wandered as I searched for an answer to her question.
"Well, of course I do Tron." I said half heartedly, hoping that my casual reply would draw her away from my true feelings.
Tron just stared at me with her penetrating eyes. She knew that I was well aware of what she was really asking.
"Tron," I said in defeat, "the way I feel about Megaman is…complicated."
"Roll I don't appreciate half truths" Tron said provoked, seeing right through me. "I can see it in your eyes, your expressions, every time you hear his name; it's as if a small part of you dies inside.
Had I been that open with my feelings? After trying so hard to keep them hidden, had Tron really been able to see through all my methods to conceal my pain? I should have known that she would figure it out. I felt so stupid that I had even tried. I looked over at Tron and saw that her expressions had become gentler.
"That's the reason why it hurts so much, isn't it?" she said sympathetically, "Not knowing whether he's alright, whether you'll ever see him again."
I could feel the tears begin to pool in my eyes, ready to overflow. I couldn't hide them this time. But then again, what was the point in doing so? Tron already knew, so what did I care? I had not yet relinquished my tears before I saw that Tron had beaten me to it.
"I know," she whimpered as the tears continued to pour from her eyes. "I know because it's the way I've been feeling."
I looked at Tron wide-eyed as the comprehension hit me like a train.
"You…love him?" I said incredulously
She didn't dare look at me. She just stared down at her feet, letting her tears soak her shoes.
"I didn't want anyone to know," she whispered. "Not even myself"
She gave a faint laugh that was quickly drowned out by her grief
"That's why I've been acting the way I have, towards you, so unjustly. I didn't want to let on how I really felt, what I was going through. And that's the reason why I've been so rude lately, because that just seems to be the way I handle these sorts of things, you know? When I'm feeling like I'm at my weakest, it's when I try to act my strongest."
She then looked up at me with her tear soaked eyes, filled with such compassion and empathy that I could feel my heart breaking for hers.
"And for that I am so sorry." She confessed. "I didn't know how much pain I was causing you, more than you had already been suffering. Not till I saw your face just now outside the ship did I realize."
She sat quietly then waiting for my response. My body was still trying to recover from everything I had just heard. My comprehension must have overloaded and was now trying to recollect on what Tron had said.
She…loves him?
My mind shut down. I looked up at Tron who withdrew in her chair waiting for my reaction.
"Tron" I began weakly "I…I don't know what to say."
"This must all be a little confusing, huh?" She replied hesitantly.
She hit home with that one, though "a little" might not have been the most appropriate choice of words.
"I suppose now isn't the right time to discuss this." Tron exclaimed, wiping away the excess moisture from her eyes. "Besides, we have more important matters to attend to, right?"
I nodded. This definitely was not the time for fretfulness, not now, not when the pressure was already so high. I shook off all the troubling emotions Tron had provided me and prepped for the launch. We could deal with this later.
"Activate fuel cells," I announced
"Charging…" Tron replied. "Fuel cells at 100"
"Engage rotation chambers"
"Engaging"
A deep hum reverberated through the entirety of the Eclipse as the fifteen refractor-powered engine came to life.
"Rotational chambers at optimum velocity! Beginning power transfer!" Tron shouted.
"Retracting landing gear!" I shouted. "Hold on!"
The ship rocked violently as the anti-gravity boosters kicked in, holding the ship aloft.
"C'mon, fly." I murmured to myself.
"She's holding her own!" Tron yelped. "Powering main engines!"
Tron looked over at me intensely.
"This is where it gets interesting" she said half smiling.
"Fire main engines!" I cried
A deafening blast exploded from the engines, launching the ship forward. I felt my body plaster itself to my seat as the G force smacked me backward. My body was burning with invigoration. The ship held together, we broke the pull of gravity, and as the atmospheric shrouds began to fade The Eclipse was consumed by darkness, illuminated only by the small specks of light from the stars that now surrounded us.
"Yes!" Tron yelped, laughing with joy. "We did it! We finally did it!"
She was right. It was finally happening. At last, we were on our way to Elysium.
"Here we come Megaman!" I shouted as the Eclipse soared through the stars
Chapter 2 (continued)
Onboard the Eclipse, Tron punched in the coordinates that Data
had given us. Since he originated from this place called Elysium
we figured it was only logical that he would be our guide.
“Is everyone strapped in back there?” Tron called out to the back of the ship
“Roger” the team of specially assigned servebots called back.
“How’s Data” I shouted back.
“Don’t worry.” One servebot called out. “He’s not going anywhere”
I did feel bad about taping Data to a seat. It was for his own safety really, not to mention as well as our own. The last thing we needed during a high-risk launch was a little monkey bounding every which way. Keeping Data still was like trying to bottle a tornado.
“Hey, um, Roll” Tron said somberly, keeping her eyes away from mine.
I looked over at Tron. Once again her eyes were filled with that same sadness I had seen earlier.
“What is it Tron?”
Tron bit her bottom lip as she searched for the right words. This obviously didn’t seem very easy for her, whatever it was.
“ I…I just wanted to say that…”
Tron closed her eyes and gave a deep sigh
“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for the way I’ve been treating you lately.”
I looked over at Tron, astounded by what I was hearing. Tron and apologetic were not usually associated with each other.
“Tron… is something wrong”
I saw in her eyes the same sadness that I had seen before. What it meant I had no idea.
“Well…no, um, it’s nothing really.”
“Tron, come on, you can tell me” I said reassuringly.
She turned her head away from me as if she had not heard me speak. It was clear to me that whatever she was feeling or what it was she wanted to say, I wasn’t going to be ready for it when it came. Nonetheless, I continued to prod.
“Tron I know we’ve had our disagreements in the past”
I smirked. “Well, maybe ‘disagreements’ is a bit of an understatement”
Tron gave an embarrassed laugh.
“Yeah, I guess so.” She said, smiling at me.
I smiled back.
“But,” I continued, “We are working towards the same goal right? I just want us to understand each other, even if we don’t always agree, so I want you to tell me how you’re feeling so that I can understand your situation.
Tron’s eyes carefully rose to meet mine. Her grieved expression once again wore heavy on her face.
“Roll,” Tron began hesitantly, “h-how long have you known Megaman?”
I was taken by surprise at this sudden shift of our conversation. The question she was now asking me took me off guard. It didn’t seem very relevant.
“Um, I guess I’ve known him my whole life really, since before I can remember.” I didn’t know where this was going, but I was sure it wasn’t going to be good.
“And you know him really well right? I mean, the whole spotter digger thing.”
Tron spoke very timidly, as if she were waiting for the worst.
“Well, I guess you could say that”
Her features tensed, whether by what I just said or what she was about to say.
“So…how do you feel about him?”
“…W-what?”
Tron closed her eyes and she spoke softly, softer than I had ever heard her speak before.
“Roll, do you love him?”
This, I was not prepared for. My eyes wandered as I searched for an answer to her question.
“Well, of course I do Tron.” I said half heartedly, hoping that my casual reply would draw her away from my true feelings.
Tron just stared at me with her penetrating eyes. She knew that I was well aware of what she was really asking.
“Tron,” I said in defeat, “the way I feel about Megaman is…complicated.”
“Roll I don’t appreciate half truths” Tron said provoked, seeing right through me.
“I can see it in your eyes, your expressions, every time you hear his name; it’s as if a small part of you dies inside.
Had I been that open with my feelings? After trying so hard to keep them hidden, had Tron really been able to see through all my methods to conceal my pain? I should have known that she would figure it out. I felt so stupid that I had even tried. I looked over at Tron and saw that her expressions had become gentler.
“That’s the reason why it hurts so much, isn’t it?” she said sympathetically,
“Not knowing whether he’s alright, whether you’ll ever see him again.”
I could feel the tears begin to pool in my eyes, ready to overflow. I couldn’t hide them this time. But then again, what was the point in doing so? Tron already knew, so what did I care? I had not yet relinquished my tears before I saw that Tron had beaten me to it.
“I know,” she whimpered as the tears continued to pour from her eyes.
“I know because it’s the way I’ve been feeling.”
I looked at Tron wide-eyed as the comprehension hit me like a train.
“You…love him?” I said incredulously
She didn’t dare look at me. She just stared down at her feet, letting her tears soak her shoes.
“I didn’t want anyone to know,” she whispered. “Not even myself”
She gave a faint laugh that was quickly drowned out by her grief
“That’s why I’ve been acting the way I have, towards you, so unjustly. I didn’t want you to think anything else of how I felt, what I was going through. And that’s the reason why I’ve been so rude lately, because that just seems to be the way I handle these sorts of things.”
She then looked up at me with her tear soaked eyes, filled with such compassion and empathy that I could feel my heart breaking for hers.
“And for that I am so sorry.” She confessed. “I didn’t know how much pain I was causing you, more than you had already been suffering. Not till I saw your face just now outside the ship did I realize.”
She sat quietly then waiting for my response. My body was still trying to recover from everything I had just heard. My comprehension must have overloaded and was now trying to recollect on what Tron had said.
She…loves him?
My mind shut down. I looked up at Tron who withdrew in her chair waiting for my reaction.
“Tron” I began weakly “I…I don’t know what to say.”
“This must all be a little confusing, huh?” She replied hesitantly.
She hit home with that one, though “a little” might not have been the most appropriate choice of words.
“I suppose now isn’t the right time to discuss this.” Tron exclaimed, wiping away the excess moisture from her eyes.
“Besides, we have more important matters to attend to, right?”
I nodded. This definitely was not the time for fretfulness, not now, not when the pressure was already so high. I shook off all the troubling emotions Tron had provided me and prepped for the launch. We could deal with this later.
“Activate fuel cells,” I announced
“Charging…” Tron replied. “Fuel cells at 100%”
“Engage rotation chambers”
“Engaging”
A deep hum reverberated through the entirety of the Eclipse as the fifteen refractor-powered engine came to life.
“Rotational chambers at optimum velocity! Beginning power transfer!” Tron shouted.
“Retracting landing gear!” I shouted. “Hold on!”
The ship rocked violently as the anti-gravity boosters kicked in, holding the ship aloft.
“C’mon, fly.” I murmured to myself.
“She’s holding her own!” Tron yelped. “Powering main engines!”
Tron looked over at me intensely.
“This is where it gets interesting” she said half smiling.
“Fire main engines!” I cried
A deafening blast exploded from the engines, launching the ship forward. I felt my body plaster itself to my seat as the G force smacked me backward. My body was burning with invigoration. The ship held together, we broke the pull of gravity, and as the atmospheric shrouds began to fade The Eclipse was consumed by darkness, illuminated only by the small specks of light from the stars that now surrounded us.
“Yes!” Tron yelped, laughing with joy. “We did it! We finally did it!”
She was right. It was finally happening. At last, we were on our way to Elysium.
“Here we come Megaman!” I shouted as the Eclipse soared through the stars.
1. Stranded
The days seemed to grow longer every dawn. The sun would rise. A brilliant fire would burn away the pale shrouds of dark night, and the horizon would explode with a million gleaming colors that sparkled like a nameless jewel. The meadow that encircled the Master's Spire gave host to a myriad of green blades that danced with the rushing wind. I closed my eyes as she blew past me, feeling the gentle caress against my skin, tousling my hair with her fingertips, beckoning me to play.
I was nearly positive that I was going insane. I had seen these flawless days for so long… so long that I was beginning to hope, to pray for a day with a little more variety. Maybe some rain, or a little snow perhaps?
I shook my head in hopelessness. What useless thinking I thought to myself. It would never change. The sun would always shine bright, the sky would always sparkle its dazzling radiance, and the days would grow even longer.
"Thinking again" came the soft, warm voice of Yuna walking up from behind.
Yuna didn't seem to mind the isolation here as I did, something that I didn't mind at first, but now was beginning to irritate me.
"We've been here for one hundred and eighty three days," I said, not turning to meet her eyes. "There really isn't much left to think about."
Had it only been six months? It seemed like so much longer than that. Of course, it helped in that I never slept. There really was no reason to; I never felt tired. Ever since I had arrived I hadn't felt the need to sleep, eat, or drink… at all. I would have thought that after four months of this I would eventually lose my mind, but apparently, losing ones' sanity would go against Elysium's affliction discrimination clause. Unfortunately, this did not cover excruciating boredom.
"Where is Sera?" I asked, trying to act unaffected by her cheerful attitude.
"She's inside," Yuna answered just as warmly as before. "She's still trying to figure out what we're going to do if we get back."
Yuna saw my involuntary shift of discomfort immediately after she said this. It was hard to hide even the slightest reactions from her.
"I mean… when we get back." She reprised.
I turned my head to look at her, trying to fake a reassuring smile, but the gesture was useless against her eyes. She could see clearly how I truly felt.
I wanted to go home. I wanted to be back where I belong, with the people I cared about. Technically, Elysium was my home… once. That was a long time ago. My new home was on the Flutter, with Gramps, and Data…and Roll. I winced in silent pain at the thought of her name. The passage in her diary continued to burn itself inside my mind.
I hope he realizes how much I love him.
What did she mean by this? Was it the love of a sister that after years I had always accepted? Or… could it be possible… that it meant something more? My eyes turned back to the sky as my beleaguered mind plagued itself with reckless hope.
"She will find a way," Yuna said reassuringly.
"I know" She always did.
"So then tell me," she continued, "if you're not thinking, then what are you doing?"
I gave a deep sigh, then looked back at her with utmost sincerity in my eyes.
"Waiting for her to find a way" I said, and turned my head once again to have my eyes be carried away by this eternal world.
2. apart
My eyes were hardly watching my hands as I worked. A malfunctioning fuel injector was just what I needed right now, a distraction, anything to take my mind off of the horrible emptiness I felt inside of me. I scanned the main piston and noticed a loose bolt.
"Could you hand me a wrench Mega…" I stopped myself before I could finish his name.
It had been six months since the day he had left and still I was unable to comprehend the fact that he wasn't here. He wasn't standing next to me, warming the room with his sweet smile, always offering to help me whenever I needed him, always there for me. But now…now he was gone, now when I needed him most, to tell me that he would always be here, that he would never leave me. But… he did. He left me…left me alone in the dark pit of my despair. Not because he wished too, but because he had too, to save me, to save us all.
The little, yellow faced servebot standing at my side looked up at me quizzically. He then walked over to the tool chest and returned with a wrench in his hand holding it out to me.
"Thanks" I said emotionlessly, retrieving the wrench from his small hand. I could feel tears growing in my eyes. They were getting heavier each day. The servebot gave me a full-bodied nod and went back to sorting the machinery on the floor.
"Roll, is that fuel injector finished yet?" I heard Tron's perpetually impatient voice fill the Flutter's intercom.
" I just need a little extra time to make a few more adjustments. It'll be ready soon." I said, trying to stay calm, something that Tron was determined to make as difficult as possible.
"Well, hurry it up. Everything else is prepped and ready. All we need is that injector."
"I don't want to rush this Tron" I replied wearily. Why did she always have to complicate things? "You have to understand that we can't afford to make any mistakes this time."
"Well, I hope Megaman's as patient as you are. Tron out."
I felt a gash of pain cleave through me at the sound of his name. Her words sliced into me like a searing hot blade.
"Why do you do this to me Tron?" I whispered as the heartbreaking loneliness tore my body in half. "Why do you torment me like this?"
It took every fiber of my being to stop the heavy tears from rolling down my cheek. I didn't want to show weakness in front of anyone, even if it was just a little servebot. I quickly continued my repairs on the injector. I had to make sure I didn't miss anything.
It was true when I told Tron that no mistakes could be made. If something were to go wrong, if we made some type of miscalculation… then…it would be over. There would be no hope left. All of our money was gone. Anything and everything we had left was poured into this final design, our masterpiece, the Eclipse. This magnificent creation, an apex of human engineering, was now our last, and greatest hope yet.
My eyes scanned our last piece of equipment needed for take-off. Everything seemed to be in working order. I walked over to the far wall of my workstation and clicked on the intercom.
"Tron, this is Roll. Can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear Roll. Are you finished?"
"Yep, The fuel injector is working 100 and is ready for transport to the launch site"
"Glad to hear it. I'll send Bon over right away to pick it up. Have it ready when he gets there."
"You got it. Roll out"
I clicked off the intercom and looked over at the servebot still sorting machinery.
"Do you mind taking this to the loading platform?" I asked him. "I'm going to stay here and clean up."
"Right away Miss Roll" he said, and walked up to the trolley to wheel it out the door.
Hearing the door click shut behind him, I walked over to my chair and sat down. Slouching over, I put my elbows on my knees and my face in my grease-covered hands. Then, alone at last, I relieved my eyes of the heavy tears they burdened.
***
"All final preparations are made?" Tron asked me eagerly.
"I've checked and rechecked everything three times over" I replied just as enthusiastically. "It's now or never."
"Are you sure you want to do this Roll," Gramps' voice echoed through my headset. "Especially after what happened the last twelve times."
"I have to Gramps." I replied sympathetically. "It's the only way."
Tron and I had discussed this issue for a long time. It took even longer to convince Gramps and Tiesal of what we had to do. If we wanted to guarantee success… we would have to pilot the ship manually.
Gramps wasn't enthused by this idea, especially after witnessing our previous twelve ships explode, but he knew there was nothing he could do to stop me. I didn't want to do it; I didn't want to leave him here wondering whether his only grandchild, the only family he had left, would ever come back… or simply be incinerated within a few moments after take-off. I could see the pain in his eyes whenever these thoughts would hit him and it hurt me so horribly. This hurt, however, was nothing when compared to the agony of the emptiness that ached within my every molecule. I knew what I had to do. I wasn't going to abandon him. I would do whatever was possible to bring him back…even if it killed me.
"I truly hope you know what your doing." Gramps continued. "I don't want to lose you the same way I lost your mother. And if we lose you… we lose Megaman as well"
That did it. There was no way I could hold back the tears that were now flowing freely from my eyes. I wanted to hide my face. I didn't want Tron to see me like this. I knew that she would use it against me somehow.
Her reaction to my weeping, however, took me by surprise. Instead of cutting into me with her razor sharp words, she simply looked at me with an appearance that made me wonder whether I was staring into a mirror. Her eyes were not wet like my own, but her face held the same expression that mine did. It was filled with the same sadness, the same despair - some inner emotion she had kept secret all this time. She turned her face away from me, apparently fearing me as I feared her.
"Oh…Oh no Roll I didn't mean", Gramps stammered
"I know" I cut him off "it's just that I miss him so much. I don't want to lose him either"
I tried to gain control of myself. I was able to stop the convulsions in my chest resonating from my sobs, but the tears would not cease.
"Don't listen to what I say," Gramps said sincerely. "I don't know for certain what may or may not happen but I suppose that's not important. All that matters is what you decide and what you feel is right."
What I feel is right, I thought to myself.
"Thank you Gramps," I whispered. "I think…I think I know what the right thing to do is"
"So then what are you waiting for?" Gramps laughed. "Get going! He's waiting for you."
I smiled. The sweet sound of his laughter made the tears in my eyes fade away, replacing them with a new glimmer of hope. I looked over at Tron who laughed as well. Her laugh, her true laugh, carefree and full of joy; it was beautiful, something I had never heard before.
"You heard the man," Tron said still laughing.
I couldn't help but laugh along with Tron. It felt good to laugh again after such a long time.
"Let's go!" I shouted.
Onboard the Eclipse, Tron punched in the coordinates that Data had given us. Since he originated from this place called Elysium we figured it was only logical that he would be our guide.
"Is everyone strapped in back there?" Tron called out to the back of the ship
"Roger" the team of specially assigned servebots called back.
"How's Data" I shouted back.
"Don't worry." One servebot called out. "He's not going anywhere"
I did feel bad about taping Data to a seat. It was for his own safety really, not to mention as well as our own. The last thing we needed during a high-risk launch was a little monkey bounding every which way. Keeping Data still was like trying to bottle a tornado.
"Hey, um, Roll" Tron said somberly, keeping her eyes away from mine.
I looked over at Tron. Once again her eyes were filled with that same sadness I had seen earlier.
"What is it Tron?"
Tron bit her bottom lip as she searched for the right words. This obviously didn't seem very easy for her, whatever it was.
" I…I just wanted to say that…"
Tron closed her eyes and gave a deep sigh
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you lately."
I looked over at Tron, astounded by what I was hearing. Tron and apologetic were not usually associated with each other.
"Tron… is something wrong"
I saw in her eyes the same sadness that I had seen before. What it meant I had no idea.
"Well…no, um, it's nothing really."
"Tron, come on, you can tell me" I said reassuringly.
She turned her head away from me as if she had not heard me speak. It was clear to me that whatever she was feeling or what it was she wanted to say, I wasn't going to be ready for it when it came.
Nonetheless, I continued to prod.
"Tron I know we've had our disagreements in the past"
I smirked. "Well, maybe 'disagreements' is a bit of an understatement"
Tron gave an embarrassed laugh.
"Yeah, I guess so." She said, smiling at me.
I smiled back.
"But," I continued, "We are working towards the same goal right? I just want us to understand each other, even if we don't always agree, so I want you to tell me how you're feeling so that I can understand your situation.
Tron's eyes carefully rose to meet mine. Her grieved expression once again wore heavy on her face.
"Roll," Tron began hesitantly, "h-how long have you known Megaman?"
I was taken by surprise at this sudden shift of our conversation. The question she was now asking me took me off guard. It didn't seem very relevant.
"Um, I guess I've known him my whole life really, since before I can remember." I didn't know where this was going, but I was sure it wasn't going to be good.
"And you know him really well right? I mean, the whole spotter digger thing."
Tron spoke very hesitantly, as if she were waiting for the worst.
"Well, I guess you could say that"
Her features tensed, whether by what I just said or what she was about to say.
"So…how do you feel about him?"
"…W-what?"
Tron closed her eyes and she spoke softly, softer than I had ever heard her speak before.
"Roll, do you love him?"
This, I was not prepared for. My eyes wandered as I searched for an answer to her question.
"Well, of course I do Tron." I said half heartedly, hoping that my casual reply would draw her away from my true feelings.
Tron just stared at me with her penetrating eyes. She knew that I was well aware of what she was really asking.
"Tron," I said in defeat, "the way I feel about Megaman is…complicated."
"Roll I don't appreciate half truths" Tron said provoked, seeing right through me. "I can see it in your eyes, your expressions, every time you hear his name; it's as if a small part of you dies inside.
Had I been that open with my feelings? After trying so hard to keep them hidden, had Tron really been able to see through all my methods to conceal my pain? I should have known that she would figure it out. I felt so stupid that I had even tried. I looked over at Tron and saw that her expressions had become gentler.
"That's the reason why it hurts so much, isn't it?" she said sympathetically, "Not knowing whether he's alright, whether you'll ever see him again."
I could feel the tears begin to pool in my eyes, ready to overflow. I couldn't hide them this time. But then again, what was the point in doing so? Tron already knew, so what did I care? I had not yet relinquished my tears before I saw that Tron had beaten me to it.
"I know," she whimpered as the tears continued to pour from her eyes. "I know because it's the way I've been feeling."
I looked at Tron wide-eyed as the comprehension hit me like a train.
"You…love him?" I said incredulously
She didn't dare look at me. She just stared down at her feet, letting her tears soak her shoes.
"I didn't want anyone to know," she whispered. "Not even myself"
She gave a faint laugh that was quickly drowned out by her grief
"That's why I've been acting the way I have, towards you, so unjustly. I didn't want to let on how I really felt, what I was going through. And that's the reason why I've been so rude lately, because that just seems to be the way I handle these sorts of things, you know? When I'm feeling like I'm at my weakest, it's when I try to act my strongest."
She then looked up at me with her tear soaked eyes, filled with such compassion and empathy that I could feel my heart breaking for hers.
"And for that I am so sorry." She confessed. "I didn't know how much pain I was causing you, more than you had already been suffering. Not till I saw your face just now outside the ship did I realize."
She sat quietly then waiting for my response. My body was still trying to recover from everything I had just heard. My comprehension must have overloaded and was now trying to recollect on what Tron had said.
She…loves him?
My mind shut down. I looked up at Tron who withdrew in her chair waiting for my reaction.
"Tron" I began weakly "I…I don't know what to say."
"This must all be a little confusing, huh?" She replied hesitantly.
She hit home with that one, though "a little" might not have been the most appropriate choice of words.
"I suppose now isn't the right time to discuss this." Tron exclaimed, wiping away the excess moisture from her eyes. "Besides, we have more important matters to attend to, right?"
I nodded. This definitely was not the time for fretfulness, not now, not when the pressure was already so high. I shook off all the troubling emotions Tron had provided me and prepped for the launch. We could deal with this later.
"Activate fuel cells," I announced
"Charging…" Tron replied. "Fuel cells at 100"
"Engage rotation chambers"
"Engaging"
A deep hum reverberated through the entirety of the Eclipse as the fifteen refractor-powered engine came to life.
"Rotational chambers at optimum velocity! Beginning power transfer!" Tron shouted.
"Retracting landing gear!" I shouted. "Hold on!"
The ship rocked violently as the anti-gravity boosters kicked in, holding the ship aloft.
"C'mon, fly." I murmured to myself.
"She's holding her own!" Tron yelped. "Powering main engines!"
Tron looked over at me intensely.
"This is where it gets interesting" she said half smiling.
"Fire main engines!" I cried
A deafening blast exploded from the engines, launching the ship forward. I felt my body plaster itself to my seat as the G force smacked me backward. My body was burning with invigoration. The ship held together, we broke the pull of gravity, and as the atmospheric shrouds began to fade The Eclipse was consumed by darkness, illuminated only by the small specks of light from the stars that now surrounded us.
"Yes!" Tron yelped, laughing with joy. "We did it! We finally did it!"
She was right. It was finally happening. At last, we were on our way to Elysium.
"Here we come Megaman!" I shouted as the Eclipse soared through the stars
Chapter 2 (continued)
Onboard the Eclipse, Tron punched in the coordinates that Data
had given us. Since he originated from this place called Elysium
we figured it was only logical that he would be our guide.
“Is everyone strapped in back there?” Tron called out to the back of the ship
“Roger” the team of specially assigned servebots called back.
“How’s Data” I shouted back.
“Don’t worry.” One servebot called out. “He’s not going anywhere”
I did feel bad about taping Data to a seat. It was for his own safety really, not to mention as well as our own. The last thing we needed during a high-risk launch was a little monkey bounding every which way. Keeping Data still was like trying to bottle a tornado.
“Hey, um, Roll” Tron said somberly, keeping her eyes away from mine.
I looked over at Tron. Once again her eyes were filled with that same sadness I had seen earlier.
“What is it Tron?”
Tron bit her bottom lip as she searched for the right words. This obviously didn’t seem very easy for her, whatever it was.
“ I…I just wanted to say that…”
Tron closed her eyes and gave a deep sigh
“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for the way I’ve been treating you lately.”
I looked over at Tron, astounded by what I was hearing. Tron and apologetic were not usually associated with each other.
“Tron… is something wrong”
I saw in her eyes the same sadness that I had seen before. What it meant I had no idea.
“Well…no, um, it’s nothing really.”
“Tron, come on, you can tell me” I said reassuringly.
She turned her head away from me as if she had not heard me speak. It was clear to me that whatever she was feeling or what it was she wanted to say, I wasn’t going to be ready for it when it came. Nonetheless, I continued to prod.
“Tron I know we’ve had our disagreements in the past”
I smirked. “Well, maybe ‘disagreements’ is a bit of an understatement”
Tron gave an embarrassed laugh.
“Yeah, I guess so.” She said, smiling at me.
I smiled back.
“But,” I continued, “We are working towards the same goal right? I just want us to understand each other, even if we don’t always agree, so I want you to tell me how you’re feeling so that I can understand your situation.
Tron’s eyes carefully rose to meet mine. Her grieved expression once again wore heavy on her face.
“Roll,” Tron began hesitantly, “h-how long have you known Megaman?”
I was taken by surprise at this sudden shift of our conversation. The question she was now asking me took me off guard. It didn’t seem very relevant.
“Um, I guess I’ve known him my whole life really, since before I can remember.” I didn’t know where this was going, but I was sure it wasn’t going to be good.
“And you know him really well right? I mean, the whole spotter digger thing.”
Tron spoke very timidly, as if she were waiting for the worst.
“Well, I guess you could say that”
Her features tensed, whether by what I just said or what she was about to say.
“So…how do you feel about him?”
“…W-what?”
Tron closed her eyes and she spoke softly, softer than I had ever heard her speak before.
“Roll, do you love him?”
This, I was not prepared for. My eyes wandered as I searched for an answer to her question.
“Well, of course I do Tron.” I said half heartedly, hoping that my casual reply would draw her away from my true feelings.
Tron just stared at me with her penetrating eyes. She knew that I was well aware of what she was really asking.
“Tron,” I said in defeat, “the way I feel about Megaman is…complicated.”
“Roll I don’t appreciate half truths” Tron said provoked, seeing right through me.
“I can see it in your eyes, your expressions, every time you hear his name; it’s as if a small part of you dies inside.
Had I been that open with my feelings? After trying so hard to keep them hidden, had Tron really been able to see through all my methods to conceal my pain? I should have known that she would figure it out. I felt so stupid that I had even tried. I looked over at Tron and saw that her expressions had become gentler.
“That’s the reason why it hurts so much, isn’t it?” she said sympathetically,
“Not knowing whether he’s alright, whether you’ll ever see him again.”
I could feel the tears begin to pool in my eyes, ready to overflow. I couldn’t hide them this time. But then again, what was the point in doing so? Tron already knew, so what did I care? I had not yet relinquished my tears before I saw that Tron had beaten me to it.
“I know,” she whimpered as the tears continued to pour from her eyes.
“I know because it’s the way I’ve been feeling.”
I looked at Tron wide-eyed as the comprehension hit me like a train.
“You…love him?” I said incredulously
She didn’t dare look at me. She just stared down at her feet, letting her tears soak her shoes.
“I didn’t want anyone to know,” she whispered. “Not even myself”
She gave a faint laugh that was quickly drowned out by her grief
“That’s why I’ve been acting the way I have, towards you, so unjustly. I didn’t want you to think anything else of how I felt, what I was going through. And that’s the reason why I’ve been so rude lately, because that just seems to be the way I handle these sorts of things.”
She then looked up at me with her tear soaked eyes, filled with such compassion and empathy that I could feel my heart breaking for hers.
“And for that I am so sorry.” She confessed. “I didn’t know how much pain I was causing you, more than you had already been suffering. Not till I saw your face just now outside the ship did I realize.”
She sat quietly then waiting for my response. My body was still trying to recover from everything I had just heard. My comprehension must have overloaded and was now trying to recollect on what Tron had said.
She…loves him?
My mind shut down. I looked up at Tron who withdrew in her chair waiting for my reaction.
“Tron” I began weakly “I…I don’t know what to say.”
“This must all be a little confusing, huh?” She replied hesitantly.
She hit home with that one, though “a little” might not have been the most appropriate choice of words.
“I suppose now isn’t the right time to discuss this.” Tron exclaimed, wiping away the excess moisture from her eyes.
“Besides, we have more important matters to attend to, right?”
I nodded. This definitely was not the time for fretfulness, not now, not when the pressure was already so high. I shook off all the troubling emotions Tron had provided me and prepped for the launch. We could deal with this later.
“Activate fuel cells,” I announced
“Charging…” Tron replied. “Fuel cells at 100%”
“Engage rotation chambers”
“Engaging”
A deep hum reverberated through the entirety of the Eclipse as the fifteen refractor-powered engine came to life.
“Rotational chambers at optimum velocity! Beginning power transfer!” Tron shouted.
“Retracting landing gear!” I shouted. “Hold on!”
The ship rocked violently as the anti-gravity boosters kicked in, holding the ship aloft.
“C’mon, fly.” I murmured to myself.
“She’s holding her own!” Tron yelped. “Powering main engines!”
Tron looked over at me intensely.
“This is where it gets interesting” she said half smiling.
“Fire main engines!” I cried
A deafening blast exploded from the engines, launching the ship forward. I felt my body plaster itself to my seat as the G force smacked me backward. My body was burning with invigoration. The ship held together, we broke the pull of gravity, and as the atmospheric shrouds began to fade The Eclipse was consumed by darkness, illuminated only by the small specks of light from the stars that now surrounded us.
“Yes!” Tron yelped, laughing with joy. “We did it! We finally did it!”
She was right. It was finally happening. At last, we were on our way to Elysium.
“Here we come Megaman!” I shouted as the Eclipse soared through the stars.