Thread: Deus Ex Machina (BlisteredBlood x darkangel76)

Mara slowly turned around as she tucked a stray dark strand behind an ear. Shivering involuntarily from the residual cold and something more she clasped her arms about herself, hugging her torso briefly, in order to give herself that extra bit of warmth her body suddenly craved. Finally releasing herself, she noticed a slight buzzing sound echoing from somewhere within the building. Odd, Mara whispered to herself. Narrowing her eyes a bit and arching a brow, Mara paused for a moment to try and determine where the buzzing was coming from. Biting down on her lip, she suddenly began to walk across the room. Her footsteps were light against the hard pavement of the floor, her breathing slightly uneven. As she moved, the buzzing sounds became louder and louder. And along with it she could also hear a series of beeps. A computer? Just then, Mara let out a tiny gasp and she could feel her adrenaline begin to surge. Swallowing lightly, she continued to move toward the origin of the sounds, her curiosity piqued, her apprehension driving her ever forward. She hoped she wasnt being stupid and following a trail that could lead to danger. Her training in the resistance had tried to drill it into her head that logic and caution had to prevail at all times and for all costs. It was a lesson she wasnt very good at remembering. At all. So, as if her body was locked in some sort of hypnotic trance, she followed the sounds, her one hand moving to find the handle of her gunblade. Mara walked several feet until she finally reached the back of the main room. Several doors lined the wall, but only one hid the sound that had lured her deeper into the building. Moving toward that door, she placed a hesitant hand on the handle and jiggled it, causing the it to creak open. On the other side, was another room filled with technological instruments and devices shed never seen before. Most of them appeared to be older models of things she found to be somewhat recognizable, while others appeared to be more recent. Regardless, given the state of the place, it seemed as if that particular room hadnt been graced with the presence of a living soul in quite some time. Years, maybe more, from what she could tell. Daring to enter, she walked past the doorway and into the room, which was already illuminated, obviously somehow connected to the switches shed flipped when shed first entered the warehouse. Suddenly, Mara stopped dead in her tracks. In one of the darker corners of the back room, she could see a screen with flashing text. Eyebrow quirked in wonder, she quickly made her way toward it and read the message that appeared there. Kalishnikov. The message was from Maras grandfather. Her pink lips turned upward into a small smile at the name, her body flooded with emotions that caused her hands to shake. She couldnt believe her luck. She hadnt expected to find the place where her grandfathers works had been stored so easily, so quickly. Yet here was the proof on the screen. Insert Master Command Disk Mara then read as the giddiness she felt subsided a bit and reality moved back to the forefront. Licking her lips, she re-read the message from her grandfather, debating on what she ought to do. No, she stated out loud as she reached for the dusty jewel case that held what she was sure was the so-called master command disk. Tucking it away on her person for safekeeping, shed made her decision. If hidden somewhere in the room was indeed Deadman, she wasnt about to take his free will away. From what she got out of the message he was a living and breathing creature, one capable to do for himself as anyone else could and would. He deserved the chance to live. Its what her grandfather would have wanted, she was sure of it. Better to try first. She had the disk. She could use it later if needed or so she hoped. Suddenly, at the moment, she felt a feeling of hesitation wash over her. No Mara, she then said to herself. You wouldnt want someone taking away your ability to choose. Dont go there. At that, Maras final decision had been made. She hit the enter button on the keyboard, her eyes fixed to the screen as they waited to read perhaps another message. Hoping shed made the right choice, she suddenly heard a strange creaking sound fill the air. Backing away from the computer just a bit, she turned her head in the direction of the sound. I hope you didnt do something stupid, Mara, Mara then said to herself, her voice laced with slight worry. Taking a deep breath, she hoped with all her heart that when she awakened this Deadman that he could tell her about her family, her grandfather. And then, she hoped hed not give her trouble when she informed him that she needed to bring him back to the EUS with her. After all, his life or whatever one could call it was on the line. And she was the one sent to help him.