Virtually Finished

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     Elios looked to Adraina and his receptors were overwhelmed by the fear she felt, "Relax, you're almost blowing me out of the room! I don't think that the danger is as great as they would have us believe."

     "Elios, the weapon they threaten to use, will use - is said to be the greatest weapon ever unleashed on a planet," unconsciously avoiding the small probes of her synthesis implants she rested her head in her hands, "nobody even knows what that means."

     Elios shook his head and put his hand on her shoulder, "Nobody has died in a planetary war in centuries. That is not the way of the universe, you know that."

     "Still, Elios, what became of the other planets that the Hegloras have taken? Not one planet has communicated with us after the Hegloras entered their space. They will use the weapon tonight, tomorrow may be the end."

     Elios stood and started towards the entry portal, "Look, Adraina, if it happens, it happens. The other planets could not prevent it; our leaders say we cannot prevent it. It is what it is. Let us retire - and at least be rested and ready to deal with whatever awaits."

     Adraina stood and followed Elios out of the room, absentmindedly nodding off all of the lights and communications centers as she went. Life had been good to them; perhaps that was what she was so afraid of losing - the material wealth that their hard work had given them. As Elios had said, death, even if it was a real possibility, was really no threat to anyone in their culture.

* * *

     Elios woke up with a start and sat up in his bed, the low range glow that should have illuminated their bedroom was gone. It was dark, very dark. He could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest - but he could not access any data on it.

     Carefully, slowly, he reached over to touch Adraina, half believing that she would not be there. He found her where she always was, right by his side.

     He shook her gently, "Adraina... wake up."

     "Elios? Elios, I can't see anything."

     "I can't either, something is wrong. Very wrong."

     They both got up carefully and walked into the main room which they also found to be pitch dark. They continued walking slowly, hand in hand, until they reached the door to their quarters, and opened the door slowly.

     The sun was just coming up, but still the light was brighter than they had ever seen it before. They both instinctively shielded their eyes from the brightness and as if on cue they both turned around to see what the sunlight revealed of their quarters.

     After what seemed like an eternity of silence Adraina spoke, "Elios, the room, it's empty. Our belongings have all disappeared."

     Elios surveyed the room then spoke carefully, "No, not gone, changed. Everything is still here, it is just not as we had seen them before."

     Elios turned to look at Adraina and stared as though he had never seen her before, "Adraina, look at me."

     Adraina turned to Elios and looked closely at him, "You look different somehow - but yet the same. You sound different."

     Tearing his gaze from Adraina, Elios walked around the room looking at their belongings, then continued in the bedroom. Returning to Adraina he took her hand and led her to the two simple chairs in the main room.

     Sitting down, Elios looked into Adriana's eyes for truly the first time, "I think I know what happened. It's our receptors; they stopped working. That was the great weapon. The Hegloras have found a way to deaden our receptors."

     Adraina understood at once, "Elios I don't remember a time when I did not have receptors. I have always assumed that they were a part of me, like an arm or a leg. I've never even thought about what they do."

     "They enhance our senses, change our perception of things. They don't manufacture objects, they just allow us to perceive them differently."

     Adraina shook her head in confirmation, "That's why you look and sound different - I unconsciously altered your image to fit how I thought I wanted you to look and sound. So without our receptors, everything that we had is gone. Well, not gone but the multitude of luxuries we added to them are. Everything we had is effectively gone."

     "Yes, everything we thought we had is gone - although, in truth, still here."

     It was silent for long minutes before Elios spoke again, "Adraina, are you okay?"

     "Everything we had is gone"

     "As we knew it, yes."

     "But you are still here with me..."

     "Yes."

     "Then everything is going to be fine. It will be different, but we will be fine."

     Taking Adriana's hand, Elios got up and together they walked to the door, "We should probably go and check on our friends."

     Adraina laughed quietly and squeezed his hand before she spoke, "We should probably make sure we actually have friends, you mean."

     "Now that would be an interesting twist."

     "I do have one question though, as we step out into this newly mysterious world."

     "Yes?"

Comments (4)

Posted by Tarhead Mugwump 04-13-2008 23:26,   yep, you might have read this already... i'm still playing the edit and repost game - 'preciate your patience!    what the heck, read it again!    smile!   » Report this comment to administrator » Reply to this comment...   Posted by Forsaken 04-13-2008 23:51,   ... This is a good story, well done   » Report this comment to administrator » Reply to this comment...   Posted by lorislittlesecret 04-14-2008 09:16,   ... Tarhead..you're silly.    perception is in the eye of the beholder. I could be Miss America in the right light   » Report this comment to administrator » Reply to this comment... » See all 1 replie(s)   Posted by Kalanna Rai 04-17-2008 19:56,   ... Excellent story. I especially like them wondering if they actually have any friends or if they simply made it all up.   » Report this comment to administrator » Reply to this comment...

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