From: megazone@wpi.WPI.EDU (MegaZone23)
Newsgroups: alt.prose,rec.arts.anime,wpi.students.story
Subject: OIC (14)
Date: 11 Sep 1992 11:48:50 GMT
Organization: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: wpi.wpi.edu

-----------------------------------------------------FOURTEEN

     "Our little group has always been and always will until
the end."
                         --Nirvana

     Kei ran straight back to the room she was sharing with
Ben.  She burst into the room, utterly shocking Ben.  She
jumped onto the bed, wrapped her arms around Ben, and began
sobbing.  Ben had no idea what was going on, but he knew that
Kei was hurting, and that was all that mattered.  He gathered
her in his arms and hugged her back.
     "Kei, what's wrong?"
     "Yu.. Yu.. Yuri... Sh.. She...." More sobs.
     "Shhh.  It's ok.  Just calm down.  Slowly now.  What
happened to Yuri?"
     "She had... She had Edison, well, she's immortal!"
     "WHAT?!"
     "She had Edison inject her with the Omega-2 virus."
     "What?  Why?  I don't understand?  Why?"
     "She said she wanted to be able to stay with Zoner
forever.  She didn't want to die first."
     "Of all the stupid... Shit!  The bastard hasn't woken up
yet and he's already causing trouble."
     "Don't blame Zoner.  This was Yuri's decision.  She did
it herself," Kei said, a bitter tinge in her voice.
     "Why does it upset you so much?"
     "Why the hell do you think I'm upset?!  My best friend,
my partner, is immortal! I'm upset for the same reasons that
Yuri was.  She's going to live forever, and I'm going to grow
old and die.  How can I stay with her now?  In a few years
I'll be old and she'll still be young and able to stay in the
field."
     "I don't know what to say... What did Yuri say when you
told her how you felt?"
     "Well... I never really told her... I sort of ran away
after she told me about being injected."
     "Why?"
     "I... I didn't want her to see me upset.  I'm supposed
to be the strong one, remember?  So I ran away.  Real bright,
huh?"
     "Don't worry about it.  You can talk to her later.
She'll be around for a while.  Right?" Gryphon said with more
than just a little sarcasm in his voice.
     "You seem pretty upset yourself."
     "Upset?  UPSET?!  Of course I'm fucking upset!  First
Zoner goes and gets himself killed through his own stupidity,
then he gets revived.  So now he's immortal!  Then Yuri,
who's also a good friend, goes and does the same damn thing!
I don't know... It just seems like things have gotten too
weird around here.  Everything seems out of control.  I guess
I'm just scared of the future."
     "It sure is going to be tough.  I mean watching them
stay young while we grow old together."
     "Well, there is one other choice."
     "What?"
     "We can always do it too."
     "Ben!  I mean... I don't know... It just seems so
strange.  Being able to live forever and all."
     "Well, I want to.  I can't make you do it--and I won't
if you don't--but I'll be damned if I'll let Captain Poetic
Suicide outlive me."
     "I still don't know.  Can I think about it for a while?"
     "Sure.  I don't think we're going anywhere soon.  But I
would mention your interest to Edison.  Just so he doesn't
take off or something."
     "Ok.  You're right...as usual...Ben. I'll talk to him
later.  Just hold me for now, ok?"
     "Ok.  No objections here."
     Ben and Kei snuggled close and reclined on their bed.
Just being held by Ben calmed Kei.  Soon she was resting
peacefully.  Ben followed her into slumber soon thereafter.

     Zoner and Death were sitting together in a shady glade
on the edge of a forest.  They talked to each other in hushed
tones; it seemed a sacrilege to break the peace with a louder
tone.  Zoner suddenly turned and looked up at the sky.
     "Teleute...  I think it's time..."
     "Yes.  It is time for you to return.  Come.  I'll take
you back.  It's not often I get to return someone to the
living."
     Somewhat sadly Zoner replied, "Ok.  I guess we may as
well get it over with."
     They set off along the footpath into the trees.  As they
walked the scenery became less and less clearly defined.
Soon they were walking across a dimensionless, endless plane.
They continued on for some time until features began to
define themselves again.  They were in the shipyards now.
They walked through the corridors, and although they went
unseen, they were given a wide berth.  When they reached
sickbay Death gestured for Zoner to enter first.
     He entered the room and saw himself lying unconscious on
one of the beds.  Death approached him from behind and gently
laid her hand on his shoulder.
     "So, this is it huh?"
     "Yes Zoner.  It's time for you to awaken."
     "I'm going to miss you.  You know that."
     "Yes, I know that in some way you will.  But you won't
truly remember your times with me.  But I will be there when
you dream.  Now, it's time to go."
     "How do I get back?"
     "I'll take care of that."
     Death gathered Zoner into her arms and embraced him.  He
returned her embrace in full.  He felt as if she were
embracing his entire being.  He felt filled with love and
comfort, pain and suffering, life and death.  And then the
feeling was gone.

     Zoner slowly opened his eyes and moaned.  His head was
killing him.  He surveyed his surroundings through heavily
lidded eyes.  Where was he?  He didn't recognize his
surroundings at all.  This sure wasn't sickbay on the Wayward
Son.  He remembered the battle and stumbling into sickbay
with his head wound.  He had been dizzy.  That was it.  He
must have passed out.  But that still didn't explain where he
was.  Ah.  They probably returned to the shipyards to get the
ship patched up.  Man, he must have been out for hours.
     He tried to sit up and immediately regretted it.  His
head spun and he collapsed back onto the bed.  He could hear
the monitors above his head beeping incessantly.  He must
have gotten a concussion.  He vaguely remembered some odd
dreams about a woman in black.  But they were choppy and they
didn't make much sense.  Like most dreams, they were slipping
quickly from his waking mind.  Well, at least he was awake.
It was sort of surprising that there was nobody working in
the sickbay though.  He wondered where Yuri was.
     No sooner had he thought it than Yuri burst through the
door into sickbay at a run.  She ran to his bedside and
gathered Zoner into her arms.
     "Zoner!  You're awake!  You're actually awake!  How do
you feel?  Are you ok?  Is everything alright?  Does anything
hurt?  Do you want anything?  Can I..."
     Zoner cut her off.  "Yuri, calm down.  I'm fine.  It was
just a little bump on the head.  No big deal.  I've gotten
them before.  There's no need to get so excited.  I've just
got a bad headache.  In a couple of days I should be fine."
     Yuri stared at him with a half amused, half surprised
expression on her face.  "You don't know what happened at
all, do you?"
     "I'm not sure I follow you.  What do you mean?"
     "Do you know how long you've been out?"
     "No.  A couple of hours I guess.  Why?"
     "A couple of hours?!  You've been out for over a month!"
     "WHAT?!  What's going on?  What happened?"
     "You collapsed in sickbay and went into a coma."
     "You mean I've been in a coma for over a month."
     "Well, not really."
     "What do you mean not really?"
     "Well... You see... You sort of... Well... Died."
     "WHAT?!"
     "You died.  You were dead."
     "WERE?!  I am completely lost now."
     "Well, we brought you back."
     "Brought me back?  How?  What's been going on?  ARGH!  I
hate being totally out of touch."
     "Well, I think Edison can explain better than I can."
     "Edison?  Who's that?"
     "He's a nice guy.  I think you'll like him.  He's the
one who saved your life.  I'll call him."
     Yuri turned and walked over to the intercom. "Edison?
Yes, he woke up.  Well, I was wondering if you could come
down here.  Ok. See you in a bit."  Then, to Zoner, "He's on
his way."
     Just about then Kei, Ben, and Jenna all rushed into
sickbay together.
     "We came as soon as we heard the news," Jenna gasped.
     "Wow...have a reception," Zoner said, surprised.  "Hey--
what's wrong?"  He was beginning to notice things, things
that didn't fit right; like the fact that they were all
looking at him strangely, with the exception of Gryphon, who
was pointedly refusing to look at him at all.  Kei in
particular looked unsettled--no, frightened--by something.
     Kei, frightened?  Shit, must be something major, he said
to himself.
     "Look, everyone--what the hell is going on?" he
demanded.
     About that moment, the strangely dressed guy with the
little round glasses strode into the room, his hands spread
wide and a great grin on his face.
     "Ah, you're awake.  Now you have to face the most
difficult decision of your life," said Edison Bell without
preamble.