Rekken's V-Logs

## **V-Log 2.11:** **(24/12/2018)-Do Robot Girls Dream Of Magic Swords?**

“So, I want to leave behind the journal format for now and record stuff like these to keep them somewhere safe. It makes sense, right?” She lets out a small laugh before re-aligning the camera. In the background, a few drawers are open, various bits of clothing sticking out along with some undergarments littered on the floor.
“Gwen , Freedo , Dom , and Challenge were called about my… disappearance,” Olivia looks down before perking back up. “They came and a lot of things happened, my memory core is still trying to sort things out but I got a lot of memories back. A lot of deleted ones of Gwen came back!” shaking her head, Olivia backs the chair up a bit.
“Let me start from the beginning because I’m already like- darn 5 minutes- and I’ve gotten nowhere, well I’m back which is a thing but still,” she claps her hands to both cheeks. “G.R.E.Y activated something in my system that might have been transmitted when we rescued Spectre a while back . I went through my journal-” she holds up a damp book, the lavender cover soaked and partially torn. “-what’s left of it, and I see now that there’s a bunch of corrupted info that I somehow couldn’t see before and it definitely seems sketchy to say the least,”
“The others went to Zodiac City , somewhere in the national park, to try and find a G.R.E.Y base that the leaders knew about I think in order to maybe pinpoint my location. Some uh, stuff happened I guess? They like us a lot less now, although I don’t think they really liked us in the first place,” she looks away, rubbing the back of her head, a nervous smile on her face.
Her smile and expression drop as a shadow casts over part of her face. “The memories of what happened while I was under G.R.E.Y control is still there though...” Olivia puts up her legs and hugs them. “I remember ES-17, she was crying a lot and I quieted her down. But, I think I really scared her…” she shakes her head again, focusing back on the camera.
“The others managed to break into the facility, some kind of methadone clinic G.R.E.Y was covering behind, some kind of guise to make more mind-controlled puppets,” a small coin-sized disc of glassy light appears in her hand and she begins to fidget with it. “I was called to… deal with them so, when I stepped out of the elevator and saw them, it felt like I was looking at a movie screen playing out,”
The disc rolls over her knuckles, disappearing before rolling back onto her thumb “I saw my friends, Challenge, Freedo, and… Gwen but it was like some kind of switch was turned off. It felt like I was tied to a chair, forced to watch my ‘Engage’ command play out as the patients attacked the team members. There was a spark of hope as they were kicking everyone’s butts and Gwen turned on the sprinkler system.”
Olivia raises her other arm out from under the blanket and focuses the tablet on a thin line extending down her forearm. “All in all it was a smart decision since that arm was pretty out of commission, even if I’m mostly waterproof. Although, I retaliated before shutting down,” she holds the disc between both fingers.
“I pushed back against the next series of programs executed but I saw the sword forming anyway. An exact replica of Nimue made of solidified, glassy lavender light appeared in my hand and, before collapsing, I threw it straight at her. The next thing I could sense was the entire room flooding and my circuits fritzing- is fritzing a word? I mean it’s not even like I have circuits so that statement itself is invalid in general…” she mutters off, playing with the small disc.
“So, back to recounting everything. The room had apparently been flooded by exploding sprinklers, Gwen was probably responsible for that but I wouldn’t have put it past Freedo and Challenge to have rigged something together. They have been rather close lately…” a wide smirk spreads across Olivia’s face before she becomes serious. “But it was at this point when I ‘woke up’ that it was like a curtain had been lifted. The restraints were gone and I saw all my friends trying to rescue me for real. Then it closed and I was back, tied to the chair as I made a break for the elevator.”
“Thinking back, it was kind of funny how frantically I was trying to close the doors with the button while Freedo ended up getting launched by Gwen into the elevator with me and the patients,” she stifles a little giggle. “I was relieved though when he disappeared into the crowd because if he attempted to fight us at all, he would have had a bad time. I got the call to meet the rest of the forces down in the basement and get rid of the threat there. When we got out of the elevator, Dom was having one heck of a time throwing people around a dozen at a time,”
Olivia begins to flick the disc from hand to hand in rapid succession “Dom noticed the coming forces and quickly put 2 and 2 together about whose side I’d been on. I could feel the same charging force that created the Nimue replica emerging with more power now, creating a thousand violet shards all pointed and ready to eviscerate him. What happened next will shock you,” she says waving her hands dramatically, disc disappearing between her left index and thumb.
“I think I managed to break through the programming for a split second, changing a 1 to a 0 because the shards ended up knocking down all of the patients instead of targetting Dom. The consequence had the controller shutting back my capabilities further, restraints doubled, tripled until I was stuck observing like a theatre still. I was stuck watching as Freedo’s illusion faded. I was stuck watching as Dom charged and got the both of us back into the elevator. I was stuck watching as I took Freedo hostage and pressed a shard of light against his neck, ensuring that Dom wouldn’t try anything,”
The disc travels between both hands faster and faster. “‘Not one step closer!’ I shouted out as the door closed. Goshhhhhh it felt like the tension there was stretched to eternity. It was terrifying, not knowing what was going to happen next but Dom took the initiative like he always does, and took a step forward. I struggled and broke through, taking a step back shouting that I was in there,”
Looking past the camera, she mimics one hand banging on glass “‘I’m here, it’s not too late, I haven’t been deleted by anyone yet.’ it felt like I was banging on a window and Dom figuratively heard it I guess. He knew I was in there, and the window began to crack. The restraints began to break. The locked memories started flooding back along with… something else, something more,”
“All of the memories of everyone on the team came flooding back. Challenge energetically bouncing around and dancing at the TV station, pushing Gwen and I together, helping me when I told her about forgetting Gwen. Freedo fighting the big alien that first time during gym class, the both of us goofing off with Parrot, his bravery in jumping in to fight Baul Plart- even if that ended up in disaster. Dominik always being there to support emotionally, regardless of his own status, doing his best to save the others when one of us on the team failed to do so, giving the best hugs at the best times. And, in that last big rush of information coming back with that extra unknown piece that felt like it had been best, the memories of Gwen.”
Olivia stops flicking the disc, pinching it until it shatters into sparkling fragments. Her face wells up a bit as her eyes gloss over “I remembered everything about Gwen. When she first came out of that G.R.E.Y chamber and we managed to save her, the first time we cooked together- that was after she tore up about half the kitchen with Nimue,” she laughs a bit, a slight sob covered by the noise of a fan. “The Big Dance when we sat on the bench outside before the attack. When we first saw her dad in Ferinon and hugging her after. The kiss at the Halloween party,”
The fan whirrs at full blast now as Olivia smiles straight into the camera, blush becoming redder by the second, “It felt- it feels nice to have all of that back. On top of that, there’s this realization of something more than just getting all those memories back. It’s not just a series of 1s and 0s or I guess the emotions of just empathy towards a human, it’s something… more,”
“I fell to the ground, still processing all of the info and Dom carried us up the elevator shaft to where Challenge and Gwen were. I got up and ran directly towards Gwen, planting my lips on hers, the both of us still soaking wet from the flooding. It felt magical, and that probably wasn’t because of Nimue or the electrical current faintly buzzing in the water,” she summons another disc and flicks it between her hands back and forth.
“Everyone agreed to rescue all of the patients and staff working there, who obviously had no idea what was going on inside and we burn that place to the friggen ground! The sprinkler system had been shot to pieces thanks to either Gwen or Challenge and Freedo. Even if we subscribed to the ‘cool gals don’t look at explosions’ it was much more cathartic to watch a facility that caused pain burn down in front of our eyes,”
All of a sudden, someone calling Olivia from beyond the bedroom can be heard. “Right, I’m going on a date with Gwen that we’d planned before-well everything and I’m not even dressed yet! This has been Olivia’s 24/12/2018 video-log, vlog signing off,” She forgets to turn off the camera.
Shrugging off the blanket with the small disc glowing faintly and peaking out, she fixes her baggy pink sweater and grabs some leggings, a white scarf, leather jacket, and boots before running out the door. The camera fixes its focus on her bright yellow “juicer” shorts before the low battery light begins to blink. A minute or two later, a car takes off down the road. The disc begins to sparkle and fades out onto the blanket, lavender light shimmering across the chair as the tablet dies.

## **UPLOAD value-%null% (daterender=12/2/2019)**

*After another few seconds, a distorted picture blinks on. The colour is off slightly with everything a slight shade of desaturated blueish-red, paired with a large crack slicing the image down the middle. Static still frays along the lines of the frame and crack as the white noise warbles further, unsuccessful in producing proper sound. Another few seconds pass by before the focus on the image captures parts of the room.*
It's somewhere in the Big Team Base... It looks kind of like a workshop? Why are there tools out?
*The focus adjusts on the table nearby. A weak zoom brings the object closer into the crooked view. Partially split down the middle due to the image quality, an open locket sits on the table, the photo within out of focus.*
*Attempting to retrieve file...*
*A video feed loads, clips and audio still distorted but clear enough to understand.*
Friends being thrown by other friends. Restrained by an old face with the anger inside flaring. A prism of rainbow light cascading through the sky with the assistance of friendly fire.
*... The video cuts off abruptly with the appearance of a flashing warning symbol in garbled text. Again, the white noise shifts up and down in tone.*
There was a fight? An out of body experience was there too with a motivational jolt. Time is running out...
*Static overtakes the sound and screen of the feed before stabilizing again. The room appears darker now, a floodlight somewhere out of sight illuminates part of the room facing the screen.*
The locket's gone... Why is there a hollow feeling?
*Static fries the edges of the screen further in as the image pans down. An abrupt flash and cut show a variety of wires sticking out but no power core to be found.*
Oh. Yes, of course. Now it makes more sense. Those warnings were of critical damage sustained without repair.
*The next clip plays.*
Someone more than a friend covered in something more than an enemy. A buzzing sensation with a transformation and rescue. There was a poorly timed joke involving an equine audience. Ah, the critical system damage appeared here as well. An ally became (or always was) an enemy in a time of great strife.
Fewer warnings this time, but nonetheless still warnings...
*The room fades to the static once more trying to warp into a cohesive noise. The image quality is worse once the feed opens up again but the colour seems to have corrected slightly.*
A wooded area filled with white light and a body that does not belong. Talking with a friend who resided in a pool of water. Picnic in the park with a shot ringing out. It's too loud, not suitable for a day like this at all. Where's this liquid coming from? Why is it getting colder? Darkness is coming but someone is nearby... Someone from the locket is nearby.
*The crack over the image grows fuzzy and liquifies with a sense of something missing- something just out of reach. The light in the room changes, the floodlight also toggling off as another light source streams in somewhere. Through a curtain separating part of what appears to be the workshop, a gauzy figure drifts closer. As the image attempts to readjust in accordance to the sudden moving variable, an explosion of sensory data drifts through the burned processor.*
Something soft rubbing close. Who is it? Focus please, show who it is.
*Her face comes into focus. The static attempts to breach through many times but does not get her attention.*
There you are. Are you the reason this has occurred? No, it was simply an excuse to be reckless. Fear. Fury. Shame. Despair. **Damage.** These were why, not you. Why do you shed tears? If your claim to be greater than your emotions, why is it you break now? Although there is this hollow feeling within, there's something else sparking up...
*One more clip plays, the image clear and factory-new.*
Pure unbridled emotions. A plume of flame. A plume of fury while her life was in danger. Blue light, clear as the sky above flashes across and begins to follow through with the fists. The critical warnings pile up. They are waved away. Before a final blow is dealt, an electric shock stuns through the entire system. One more shot. One more opportunity provided to end it all. Smash. Shatter. You were hurt weren't you? It was the last memory before now... A message was sent out instead of conserving reserve power, right?
*A fade to black. The same face pulls into focus again. She's still here, pacing around, fidgeting with tools. The static waves along to her pace, unintelligible shifts still reverberating despite a lack of anyone's ear to listen to it. She stops, then rushes out, image blurring with the sudden loss of focus. The crack refines slightly as she runs back into the room holding an indistinguishable box. Over the white noise, a faint tune begins to play.*
This... this is familiar. Your eyes are hopeful- no, they're desperate. Is this an attempt to re-awaken what's inside? That's not possible right now. Wait, don't go. Come back, please come back! There's still hope just, please, come back and wait a little longer. It'll be any day now... Right?
*As she turns and leaves, the image fades further and further back into static. Finally, the video cuts off completely. Through the white noise, however breaks through something. It comes through clear but there's no one around to hear it. The faintest humming of an elongated set of notes.*
You'll never know dear, how much I love you...
...Please don't take my sunshine away.

## **V-Log 3.02:** **(14/4/2019)-Good Morning Halcyon City!**

As the tablet screen begins to record, Olivia can be seen mostly covered by a half-eaten pile of yellow and pink macarons. She slides the plate out of the way and takes a sip of a blue drink in a tall, clear glass that alternates between blue and white, bubbles resting at the bottom. Her eyes meet the camera and she gives a peace sign.
"Hey there journ! I've decided to give you a bit of fresh air and Philosotea was nearby and empty in the wake of some weekly disaster that happened. So, here I am! It's been a hot second since I've last recorded for ya- mainly since stuff has been SO BUSY LATELY."
Her gaze is suddenly averted upwards to the left and she shoots a wave towards someone and some inaudible conversation picks up. Suddenly, Olivia picks up the tablet and turns it, still in frame, to the barista counter where another teen in an apron and bandana is wiping down the cash register screen.
"No need to worry about secret identities here! Faith knows like half the Big Team apparently- including yours truly- so I can chill out here without worrying about doing the whole 'cough cough NOT ME' situation. Say hi Faith!"
The girl drops the rag clumsily after seeing the camera but manages to grab it before it hits the ground. She gives a shy wave towards the camera before going back to wiping down. The view swerves back onto Olivia.
"A lot of stuff has gone on since I woke up so I'll try and recap it all now while there aren't any customers. I'm not doing this at home either since Josie is -ahem- getting bugs removed from the house so Philosotea is my second home for now," she starts off.
"Let's see... first thing's first, when I woke up I was in Principal Crossover's car in that one unicorn onesie I ordered off Spartan, we'd been driving to her house where I would be staying for a while. I've been staying at her house for a while now what with me moving out fully soon from Josie's house. Anyways, once we got there this weird carapace thing was just in her front yard and it did not look friendly so I hopped out. This was the perfect time to see and probably work together and find out who our Principal really was."
Olivia's expression change and subsequent atmosphere shift is palpable through the screen.
"I turned and saw her take the groceries out of the trunk. Frankly, I didn't think much of it then but I really wish we saw her in action. Anyway, I took part of it down and saw this other kid inside! It was a newer member of the team, Ares-"
She leans closer to the tablet.
"-aka Seth, this really cool dude with like ice powers and super strong. I also saw Rhiannon and Rescue there!" She leans back and gives another wave off-camera. She turns back and flinches as some pots can be heard dropping to the ground along with a yelp and subsequent door closing.
"Alrighty then. We tough off the baddie and it kind of exploded but Rhirhi is a CHAMP and she took it and also she looks a lot more different now? We all look different I guess haha... In any case we ended up helping with groceries and went to investigate the remains of the base." Olivia's expression changes again to some more mixed emotions.
"When we got there, it was strange. From what I've read online, it's comparable to seeing an old school building that's been closed down and no longer used. I first kissed Gwen here... Now it's gone and there were these weird fish carapace things. There was another fish person there basically 'throwing hands-'" she shoots a finger gun out of frame with an expectant expression.
A moment later she snaps it into a thumbs up and turns back to the camera.
"This ended up being a really important fish person aka Prince Narsus of Montreal which is also now an underwater city?! We ended up face to face with him then I ended up face to face with those carapace creatures. It was generally an unfun tussle. Then, everyone's favourite superhero, Sledge came along and took the rest of the things out!"
Stars practically take over Olivia's eyes as she takes a moment to look into the middle distance slightly away from the camera. She snaps back to reality as a sour expression crosses her face.
"Narsus made Rhiannon cry and I just wanted to go up and punch him in the face. If you hurt my friend like that without knowing what she did then you deserve more than just my fist. She saved two cities almost at the cost of her life as far as I'm concerned and if that's only starting to hurt your city then I'm sorry but that doesn't justify you making her cry!"
Some blue fractals begin to dance across Olivia's knuckles and her eyes start glowing a faint rim of the same blue. She closes her eyes and the projections fade.
"Although, his anger comes from a place of wanting to protect his people. That is perfectly fine but the way he conducted himself was utterly inappropriate.
Olivia puts her head in her hands and ruffles through her hair. She shakes it off and grabs a textbook to put back in her backpack. From the brief view of it, the camera focuses on "Crime and Disorder in the 21st Century: Being a Superhero in the Courtroom." Almost as if on queue, Olivia looks back towards the camera and shoots a tame but proud smile towards it.
"On the bright side, I got accepted into law school! I'm just reviewing some recommended material on paper. Even though being able to read these books digitally in a few seconds is easy, I've found a sense of comfort in sitting and actually flipping through the pages. I think it helps me understand how to stay calm and civil and throws the debate team off my scent if they see that I have all these books with me too."
She packs up the rest of the books and powers through the rest of the drink while placing the rest of the macarons in a Ziploc bag with an embroidered "GdL" written on it in Sharpie. Once everything is packed up, she pushes the chair back and picks up the tablet, walking out of the shop.
"I'll see you later Faith! Tell your dad I say hi," she shouts back behind her, turning her head and giving a wave. She shoots another smile and peace sign into the camera before it cuts to black.