LEXX continues…

[SadGeezer]

[b]WHEN FATES COLLIDE[/b]
PREFACE

insert disclaimers here

Within all manner of things that can
cause an effect on another, there exists an eternal struggle to maintain the balances of good and evil, light and darkness, life and death; such is the order of the universes. Each act, one upon the other, creates an ever-broadening ripple, that resounds throughout time and space. As each ripple meets, overlaps, or collides, they merge and move together, some grinding to a halt in one direction to shift and align with the others; these create the greatest
disturbances, spawning wormholes, supernovas, and all manner of cosmic phenomenon. As these ripples gain continuity and momentum, they form huge spirals, transcending millennia. Within their turbulent vortex, all is thrown together, sifted,rearranged- the balances restored, only to be spit violently out to begin anew. Such are the cycles of time. Within their relentless trek, great civilizations rise and fall, entire universes perish, new worlds are discovered to be ancient, and sometimes- dreams and legends spring to life from bleak disparity and empty space.

As the chosen one able to look thru the cycles of time, The Time Prophet exists outside of them. She inhabits a desolate moon of uncertain orbit, and is most easily found at times of great unbalance- times of chaos, war, and destruction. She is the herald of impending doom, and those seeking her words seek a dangerous gift; the meaning of her words is taken at the discretion of the asker, and often misinterpreted. And The Prophet is fickle; while she does not lie, she only reveals fragments of the future past. Those The Prophet chooses to help are only pawns of a pattern that needs to be played out in a very specific way. Her visions manipulate the actions of a few to ensure a predestined outcome of events. Within the two known universes she wields the power to bring hope- or despair, to millions; as many of those who seek her words are great leaders with whom the fates of countless beings rest on their actions. Few question her pronouncements, and throughout the living memories of time the prophecies ring true. But time repeats itself,and with events and the beings entwined in those events a recurring cast and story, it is a predestined fate that someone, or something, would transcend time itself and alter destiny for a specific agenda. The accuracy of the prophecies would be put to stern test- and perhaps they would be greatly flawed.

[b]To find life, you must suffer death…[/b]

On this dark, desolate moon, the brilliant flash of cold blue light could not easily go unnoticed. Equally out of place was the exquisite female form that extracted itself from the acrid smoke and staggered to clearer ground. For a moment she was bathed in a glow, seemingly of an ionic nature; curious, as it seemed to emanate from inside her. The light surged, obscuring her, then disappeared altogether. She swayed and fell, unconcious, a crumpled forlorn figure in a hostile terrain; completely unaware that a keen pair of eyes had observed the entire incident with great interest. Time passed slowly; the darkest part of the night was retreating and the grayness of impending dawn arrived. The body showed no signs of movement, and was soon covered by the low-lying fog. It disappeared from view, left in peace. The eyes had long vanished, and but for the scorched earth and scattered debris there was nothing to mark the beginning of a new version of a never-ending story;the by-
product of the all powerful cycles of time proving once again, the more things change, the more they remain the same.

[b]PART ONE-THE INTERVENTION[/b]

Another wave of nausea swept over her. She lay doubled over on her side, chin bent into her chest. As her breathing slowed, she struggled to open her eyes.They were heavy, and it took great effort. She let her eyelids fall and summoned her other senses. Cold, unyielding hardness beneath her exhausted body. She heard, faintly, the sound of her own heart beating and blood coursing through her veins. She slowly ran her tongue over her parched lips. There, better. Much better. Take it slow; regain control nerve-by-nerve, muscle-by-muscle. Slowly she straightened her body and rolled on to her back, arms and legs flung wide. It was of little concern that she was unclothed; she was alive!

The air was chill. Trailing mists of a dying fog drifted across her face and body, coaxing her mind into that place where the lines between fantasy and reality blend and fade away. Gradually she opened her eyes and stared, unfocused, into the dark. She frowned slightly, struggling to recall where she was, and why she was here. She was dimly aware of an urgent plea, temporarily imprisioned somewhere deep in her mind. She would search for it later; unlock the secrets when she was stronger. Right now, she needed to rest.

She heaved a sigh and gave in to the lull of the dream state. The blackness dissolved into shades of gray, soft gentle mantles of smoke revealing nothing much of shape or form. She relaxed further, letting her physical body melt away into nothingness. Gradually, waves of impressions washed over her, intensifying, drowning her. Bright flashes of memories rode the crests, forcing her back through the long forgotten cycles of time. She lay enthralled, watching an ancient story unfold before her unseeing eyes. Suddenly the visions halted-paused as if uncertain of their course; vulnerable to a flaw in the very fabric they were woven from. For a brief moment time and space were suspended. The wind stirred, and the visions instantly vanished with the fog. She closed her eyes, wondering how it would be to dwell forever with the dreams, and all that was, and almost was, and would never be. The tears untangled themselves from her lashes and wandered down to the ground, disappearing into the dry earth like ghosts to the grave.[i]Yes, go back to the grave, ghosts of the past. It is finished-it was over long ago. Your time is past.[/i] Blinking back the rest of her tears, she suddenly felt she was not alone. She froze, not daring to move.[i] Is this real? Or have the shades of the time claimed me,also.[/i] She bit her lip hard, tasted blood, and smiled. [i]The dead do not bleed.[/i]

A patch of shadow, darker then the others, shifted noislessly. Something was there. Everything she was, her entire essence, felt a presence. Then she knew. [i]He[/i] was there. A host of impossibilities and all sane reason cried against it; all the laws governing the universes forbade it, but [i]he was there![/i] Slowly she turned her head, narrowing her eyes to better pierce the gloom. Her gaze fell directly on him. Tall, silent, his features shrouded in the darkness. No matter… they were burned forever into her soul, and had burned there bright for millenia almost beyond human reckoning.

“Kai”, she said softly.

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[ 17-08-2002: Message edited by: Trini_T ]

The figure approached her. “Are you…alright?” His voice was low and rough, and she was undeniably thrilled to hear it. He reached out and touched her shoulder. A spasm of adrenalin shot through her; she struggled to sit up and was met with a blinding stab of pain. The visions! Another raced before her eyes!
[i]He[/i] lay, body broken and bleeding, speaking words of defiance with his last dying breath. Her eyes darkened as an excruciating ecstasy racked her body, lifting it. He quickly withdrew his hand, watching in fascination. Her body writhed in pleasure and pain, and she felt, for one brief moment, the cold, patient hand of death over her. She plunged into darkness,her head slipping gently to one side, then… nothing. Not a movement nor a breath. For a fleet second a turbulent aura engulfed her, lifting her hair about her face in its fury; it retreated to its origin as quickly as it had appeared. All was quiet again, the natural balance restored. As though roused from a dream, he swiftly leaned forward and gathered her in his arms, long unbound strands of his hair fell about her face as he bent to determine if her life force had fled. He felt for a pulse….

The force of the blow took him completely by surprise. He immediatly released her and stepped back, leveling his arm, palm up, in her direction. The force of her defensive action had landed her on her hands and knees on the ground before him, dazed, and with a stabbing pain in her head. She struggled to her feet and turned to face him, entirely unsure of what had just happened. Once upright, her head cleared alittle, and she remembered the malfunction in the sub-atomic transport. She also remembered the unbearable, searing pain that had burned through her body. She had mercifully blacked out- and awakened to…this. She looked down at herself, and was relieved to see no external injuries, but she definatly did not feel altogether “right”. She glanced at the recipient of her well-placed punch. He appeared none the worse for it, and had made no movement except for his raised arm, aimed at her heart. She took a step back to survey him. His intense eyes seemed not to blink, but captured her own with a steadfast, unwavering gaze. It was as if they were trying to read not merely her face, which they could see easily enough, but her soul, which they could not. He appeared to have made a decision, and slowly lowered his arm and relaxed.

“I am pleased to see you are…not dead.” He spoke casually as he ran his fingers through his loose forelock and tossed it back from his face. “Why?” She shot back, frowning and regarding him with suspicion. He shrugged his shoulders, and she noticed for the first time how tall and well built he was, his close fitting raiment suiting his physique. Though he had barely moved a muscle, she could sense a power, a danger perhaps, that radiated from him, even in his non-threatening posture. In the muted half-light she could see the outline of his cheekbones, sharp and prominent. His dark hair was long and bound in back, with stray strands loose about his face. Something made her want to step close and gently brush them aside. His skin was flawless, and full, soft lips flanked his serious expression. His eyes were unlike any others she had ever seen; they seemed opaque, almost colorless, the cold silver-green of the deadly moons of Aru. A flush of alarm crept over her, and the thought made her shiver.

“You are cold,” his voice sent another jolt down her spine, “a normal response felt here at night when one feels inclined to go about completely…disrobed.” He glanced at her body, a gleam akin to hunger flaring briefly in his eyes. “The body of a love-slave, an independant will…I wonder. Could it be possible?” He paused, concentrating on her face. “Your beauty is not of the fragile type, but I sense a vulnerability about you.” He spoke with a civility that was cold, almost clinical; and but for the look in his eyes his face remained so impassive she could read nothing into his words. Perhaps it was this almost diagnostic appraisal that suddenly infuriated her. [i] Vulnerable, indeed![/i]The use of that word was like a slap in the face. She had no doubt she had suffered internal programming damages-her temper was one of the emotions that had been altered, and right now she was losing it.Instinct warned her to be cautious- she would need him, in some capacity. Emotions were her enemy; she must take control of the situation. She needed to evaluate and classify him, and to do that she needed to elicit a variety of specific responses, and calculate a precise profile.He could prove difficult, and she was damaged. If it should backfire…

She refocused her attention on him. He had not moved, but was intensely looking at her face, a slight frown the only expression on his. She felt uneasy under that stare, and took comfort in the fact that her mind was almost totally blank-he would find no information there. She forced herself to look away…looking at his face distracted her.
[i]What was he thinking?[/i] She began to panic, trying to recall what they had actually said to each other. Confused, and with no other course of action, she fell back on the one thing that had never failed her- the use of her body and her powers of sexual dominance.

She drew herself up to her full height, almost his equal. Silently she challenged him to look freely upon her form. He remained motionless, but she sensed he understood. His eyes replied acceptance. They took their time, methodically, lingering on every curve, then slowly returned to her face. She met his gaze, and suddenly felt as if his fire green eyes would burn her- sear her very soul. Her anger melted in the heat of strange emotions. Wants? Desires?
[i]Yes, he was clearly desirable![/i] She felt a heat rising in her own body, and yet a shiver ran through her. The sense of alarm she had experienced earlier washed over her again. “Why do you look at me that way”, she whispered. “Do you want me?” He remained silent. [i]Why doesn’t he do something![/i] She felt…she felt? She could not identify what she felt. Again, she began to panic, angrily trying to conceal her own emotions, which were spiraling out of control. [i]I am falling apart…vulnerable, did he say? He is probably going to kill me. I would kill me.[/i] She drew a sharp breath, and boldly moved close to him.

“I am not cold; quite the contrary,” she hissed. “And though I may be temporarily without garments, I know with some certainty that I [b]do not[/b] need your assistance! Or your opinion of my physical appearance. I do not know what a love-slave is, but I can assure you I am a slave to [b]nothing![/b]”. She moved even closer, and tilted her face up to study his, so close. She was able to unmistakably read his expression; a look of such earnest intensity that it stole her breath away. It was a look without a trace of mockery. She instantly regretted her words, and considered telling him it was all untrue, and how badly [i]she[/i] wanted [i]him.[/i]
She could no longer recognize herself. It was as if she was another person. This stranger, this unfamiliar moon, had affected her in a way that defied explaination-or programming.

They once again shared a wary silence. He shifted his weight, the slight frown reappearing on his handsome features. “I have somehow offended you. I am…sorry”
[i]Ah, he breaks his silence![/i] She felt a flood of relief. “I will do as you ask and not assist you,” he continued, slightly confused. “At least that is what you have said, butI suspect you have [i]some[/i] need of me which you are having difficulty defining.” Her eyes grew wide with alarm- [i]He knew! [/i] He looked away, but continued speaking, very softly. “I will keep to my own errand, though I…” he paused, as if considering what he wished to say. His jaw tightened and he swallowed hard, tilting his head ever so slightly. “You seemed so familiar…before, when I first found you. It was almost as if…” his voice trailed off. He looked up, out into the fading night, lost in thought. For a moment it seemed to her, as the reflection of the stars draped their dying light about him, that…([i]could it be possible?[/i]) tears had shone in his eyes. She tentatively reached her hand out to him, acknowledging his mood. He stiffened, and stepped aside. “I was mistaken. And you have made yourself perfectly clear. It is sufficient to say I was concerned for you.” He looked directly at her face, traces of pain still evident on his.

“This is a strange place, and I think things do not happen here without purpose- I doubt that our meeting was an accident.” He went on carefully, never taking his gaze off her face. “But perhaps it was. I have been wrong before…once.” The green was gone from his eyes, and in its place was something dark and terrible- it saddened her to see it. He stepped back even further, his manner detached, aloof. Only the desperate storm in his eyes betrayed his reserve. She felt a feeling of panic again, and something else-something faint and unfamiliar trying to reach out from a deep, secret place in her soul. A place she had no knowledge of, and feelings she had never experienced before. Under the assault of his eyes, her resolve crumbled, and fell to pieces. He sensed the change and moved closer, his eyes never leaving her face. He leaned slightly forward, stopping within inches of her heaving chest. Her body trembled slightly, poised. She had become the willing prey in a dangerous and thrilling game.

He looked down at her. She felt he was waiting for her to make the next move. She sighed and bowed her head, submissive. “I am sorry I spoke to you as I did. It was good of you to be…concerned. Please forgive me- it has been a bad day.” She waited, but still he said nothing. Her voice lowered to a whisper. “You were right, you know, when you said I needed you- and perhaps our meeting [i]was[/i] destined. I am glad we found each other.” She looked up at him and kissed him, lightly. “It is not important to me,…. but I do not even know your name…”
He drew back and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “You called me…Kai. When I first found you.” She looked at him, confused. “Why did you say that?” he insisted. She shook her head. “Why!” It was more of a command then a question. He took her face in his hands. “Why?” His voice was gentler now, almost pleading “I do not know! I can’t remember anything but, pain…a fire…when I woke, [i]you[/i] were there. I was hurt, confused,…whatever you want to call it! I don’t know where we are! I don’t know that name! I don’t know [i]you![/i]”

He stared hard at her eyes, then briefly gazed at her lips. “And I do not know you…yet,” he said softly. Abruptly he released her and stepped aside. “An intriguing piece of the puzzle,” he frowned and cast a sideways look at her, “or perhaps
[i]you[/i] are the puzzle.” He turned to face her, placing his hands on her shoulders.
“Do you know who you are?” he gently asked. She hung her head, and replied in a tired voice. “I can not remember my name.”
“[i]That[/i] is not what I asked,” he responded, looking away. He tightened his grip on her shoulders, and looked back down at her. “You seem to possess an unusual ability for survival. Are you…human?” She expected this question, but felt he already knew the answer. “Yes,” she replied, looking up into his face. His grip became stronger, uncomfortable now. She winced. “And no…I have been invasively, rather than genetically altered with an enhanced self- preservation program- among other things. But it appears to be damaged. You’re hurting me!” He loosened his grip, but did not remove it. “So tell me, how is it you remembered that?” She was becomming annoyed with this turn of events- she had other things on her mind. She drew a deep breath.
“It is not a matter of remembering…it is a part of me, a constant. Something was added to me, somewhere inside,” she laid her hand on her temple. “I am both flesh, and other things, unnatural things; but for the most part I am a living, functioning human. Does that disgust you?

“No”, he said simply. He released his hold on her and stood back. He extended his arm towards her and pushed up the sleeve of his garment. Cruelly merged with his flesh was some sort of device. She stepped forward and examined it with great interest. “Who did this to you?” she asked with wonder. “I do not know.” “Like you,” he looked into her eyes, “I cannot remember.” “Oh,” was all she could manage to say. “What is it for?”
“It is for…self preservation. And other things.” He shifted his arm, aiming past her, and fired the weapon. She jumped when she heard it discharge. “[i]I know that sound![/i] She turned to him, bewildered. He calmly refitted the weapon into his arm.
“It is called a brace, and I am very skilled with its use,” he looked at her and smiled.
“I too, am also of flesh…and other unnatural things”.

She laughed and spread her arms wide. “I am equipt with no such device. None of The Awakened have weapons, and I was only altered because I am a Newborn, and the Time Prophet predicted it would be The Newborns who would restore the balance.” Her smile faded when she saw the look in his eyes. She heard the cold snap of his weapon and closed her eyes.
“Restore the balance how?” His voice sounded deadly.
“By unlocking the doorway to the other universe.”
He was silent, considering this information. “The other universe was destroyed…it no longer exists. I do not remember how I know this, but I know it is so.” He paused again. “What are The Awakened?” She shook her head, eyes tightly shut, and there was fear in her voice as she answered. “I, like you, know things without remembering how I know them. I have told you the truth.” He frowned, unsatisfied with the answer. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” She could hear the rising impatience in his voice. “Because,” she opened her eyes and looked directly at him, “you never asked.”

In a swift move he pulled her close, crushing her against him. Her bare flesh felt the full force of his lean, hard, body. One of his arms encircled her slender waist. With the other he ran the tip of his finger from the shapely base of her back, slowly up her spine to the nape of her graceful neck. He paused, and stared at her face as his thumb stroked her jaw. He bent his head and his lips barely grazed hers as they trailed across her face near to her ear. She shivered in anticipation.”You know more than you say, but I will let it pass…for now.” His voice was a velvet whisper. “I can be cruel, beautiful one. Very,[i]very[/i] cruel. Be careful how you play with me.”
He kissed her roughly, deeply, then pulled away, startled. She could not catch her breath, and was reeling from the shock of that simple encounter.
“It is not [i]possible![/i]” His eyes searched her face with anxious disbelief. He pushed the hair back from her face as the tears rolled down her cheeks. She struggled to speak, her voice broken with sobs. “I never… stopped believing…I always knew…She got no further as, wordlessly he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her for a long time; and when he let her go he drew her wet cheek down against his chest and gently stroked her long, dark hair. She could feel the throb of his heart as she lay against him.

“I remember,” he said quietly.
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[ 23-08-2002: Message edited by: Trini_T ]

[ 23-08-2002: Message edited by: Trini_T ]

[Anonymous]

I guess we post responses on the same thread as the story?

I like the “omnipotent speaker” type introduction and the very dramatic beginning. I’m curious to see where you’re going with it. [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

elmey

[Anonymous]

Thanx, elmey! It has been difficult to sit down and actually start posting this. It has many chapters, and needs work in many places. I appreciate the encouragement! Did you guess who the female character is loosely based on? [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] T_T

[Anonymous]

Loved it! Especially the beginning, can’t wait to se the rest!

[theFrey]

Very nice Trini, I’ll tell you what. I’ll finish posting mine, if you finish posting yours. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[Author]

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