Love and Hate

Synopsis
With Drauss and Kairie trapped in the future with no forseeable way to return to the present, and the twisted future GDG hot on their tails, they try to find a way to return back to base, and avert the catastrophic future they have entered.

Plot
Opening titles

Future GDG base

Drauss and Kairie are sitting side by side on a small bench, holding hands. Loud footsteps are approaching from out in the corridor. Drauss releases Kairie's hand and stands up. He walks over to the plasma screen and looks as far round as he can.

"Pith! Zell!" he whispers. He sits back down, further away from Kairie this time. Suddenly, the force field deactivates, and Zell is standing in a huge black Cyberbody, flanked by guards.

"So, Zell, how did your attack go?" asks Drauss, sarcastically.

"We were... repulsed." he replies, sullenely. Drauss and Kairie smile, and give each other a high-five.

"But that does not mean our attempts have failed! As I speak, my engineers are adding the finishing touches to a Fracture Synthesizer. When it is online, I will be able to create Fractures throughout time and space, and I shall spread my mighty troops throughout them, to create an empire from the dawn of time! With the technology gained, we would become gods! And as for me, their leader and undenied ruler... why, I would be the Lord of the Universe."

Drauss just looks at him blankly.

"What is it?"

"Well, it's just that..."

"Just that what?"

"Do you still believe in the Gods nowadays? You know, Saradomin, Zamorak..."

"Pah! We proved their nonexistence eight generations ago!"

"Ever heard of one called Angeror?"

"Disproved him, too. Whoever he is."

"Let me tell you something. No matter how many false Gods there are out there, he is the one that really exists."

"What proof do you have? Do you worship him?"

"No, I'm a non-believer myself. But I do know of his existence. Because... he is the one who created the Time Fractures."

Zell looks at Drauss for a moment, then starts to laugh.

"You... you think I believe that?" he chuckles, "Give me your proof, then."

"Believe me, it is the last thing I'd want to do. And you, for that matter."

"Why? Because you'd get embarrassed because he doesn't exist?"

"No. Because at full strength he could turn half this planet into slag."

"Nothing can do that. Except our arsenal of nuclear weapons all going off at once."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zell asks. Drauss just sits there, staring at him, in a slightly smug way. Zell narrows his eyes, then turns away, taking his guards with him. The plasma screen reactivates.

"Great work, Drauss," says Kairie, "Now he's gonna go nuts and execute us."

"You're joking, aren't you?" says Drauss. "At least I hope you are. Are you?"

In reply, Kairie just smiles. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out -

"A Diskazor blade!" Drauss's eyes light up. Kairie nods, then stands up, moving towards the plasma forcefield. She starts to scrape the wall round the edge of the screen.

"What're you doing?" asks Drauss.

Kairie stays silent, and keeps scraping, until a tumble of small fragments of the walll come tumbling down. The forcefield briefly flickers, then returns to normal, albiet slightly more transparent. Kairie scrapes more vigorously this time, and after several seconds more rocks fall down. The forcefield flickers again, and becomes even more transparent. Kairie repeats this three more times until the rythmnic hum of the forcefield is now struggling and the field is almost invisible.

"Right," she says, "I've compromised the perimeter of the field. It's pouring excess energy into an area that wasn't there at it's activation, so the power levels are all over the place trying to restore normal power. This means we can get through fairly lightly - if we jump right now."

"Right." says Drauss, and leaps through the field. Kairie follows.

"Let's get outta here!" says Kairie.

"You got it." winks Drauss, and they run down the corridor.

'Present GDG base

Thyra is in her room, facing the door. In her hands she holds a Flux Cannon, and is waiting. Suddenly, the door slides open. A HuCDomFor stands there, gun not quite ready. Before he can raise and fire it, Thyra has already fired the Flux Cannon into the man's chest. He tumbles over. As he hits the ground Thyra stands up, lifts the Flux Cannon, and runs down the corridor. Distant gunfire can be heard; evidently, the battle is still raging. As Thyra turns and runs up a staircase, it gets louder. Up above, a doorframe channels and explosion outwards into the stairwell. Several GDG troops are knocked outside. Thyra snarls, runs up the remaining stairs, lays down the Flux Cannon, and fires. As the smoke clears a number of HuCDomFor bodies can be seen, smouldering. As she slowly stands up, a number of Crate Creatures come out of hiding in the braces round the sides of the corridor.

"You alright?" she calls to them.

"We've taken some casualties. But we are fine."

"Fall in."

"Right away!"

The Crate Creatures pick up their weapons and run over to Thyra. She turns to go up the stairs.

"Where are we going?" one Crate Creature asks.

"Control room. There we can reactivate the defensive systems."

Suddenly, a huge explosion comes from the top of the stairwell. Thyra immediately pulls the Flux Cannon to safety and kicks the Crate Creatures into the corridor too. Behind them burning metal and slag tumble down the stairwell, taking the stairs with them until several seconds later they rumble as they hit the ground.

"Okay. Long way around!" Thyra cries, as she picks up the Flux Cannon again, disassembles it and runs down the corridor, her Crate Creature escort with her.

Future GDG base

Drauss and Kairie are running through the corridors of Zell’s base. Suddenly, an armoured guard leaps out in front of them.

“Halt! Genetic identification required.”

“I got an idea,” Drauss tells Kairie. He walked up to the robot, and did his best impression of Zell. “Supreme Commander Zell, here.”

“Place hand on sensor for genetic scoop.”

Drauss put his hand on the large pad that substituted for the robot’s left hand. A green light glowed.

“Correct genetic image. Proceed.” The robot slewed back into it’s alcove in the wall.”

Drauss and Kairie immediately started running again.

“How did that work?” Kairie asked.

“Well, provided Zell’s my descendant he’s bound to have a trace of my genetic code. That robot’s just too stupid to factor in the genetic information unique to me.”

“Are you sure that Zell’s your descendant? He’s too evil.”

“Wait? So I’m a bit evil too?”

“We all are,” Kairie said. After rounding another corner they found themselves at a large observation deck, from which a vast panoramic view of a ravaged desert could be seen.

“There,” Kairie said, pointing at the glowing anomaly. Then, “What’s that?”

“You tell me,” Drauss told her, “You’re the one with eagle-eye vision.”

“It’s... it’s Thyra! And she’s brought some Crate Creatures with her!”

“Let’s go.”

They turned to try and get down – but found Zell and a number of guards standing ahead of them.

“Okay,” Zell called out, “It’s over. Hands up, degenerates.” Drauss and Kairie looked at each other, then slowly put their hands up. “You two are very obedient. It’s a shame the rest of you aren’t – your base is almost destroyed. Of course, you’re too risky to keep alive.”

And then, amazingly, Thyra appeared behind Zell. How? mouthed Drauss. Thyra put her fingers to her lips, then gave a suddenly lashed out at Zell, hitting him in the neck. Zell gawped and fell. Immediately, the other guards turned to attack.

“Fire!” Thyra yelled out. Her platoon of Crate Creatures immediately opened fire. The guards went down almost instantly. Drauss and Kairie remained standing, shocked and surprised. Thyra walked up to them.

“You two okay?”

“Um... yeah...” Drauss said.

“Good. Let’s go.” Thyra pulled an E-Pistol from it’s holster on her belt, and fired at the glass. It melted almost instantly. Thyra jumped out and landed on the soft sand. The Crate Creatures followed.

“Ladies first,” Drauss said to Kairie. Kairie jumped off ahead of him. Before Drauss jumped, he turned to see Zell reawakening, slowly.

“You’ll pay...” he moaned.

“I’ve only got one vendetta, kid. That’s Angeror. I wouldn’t even bother with you.” With that, he turned and jumped out.

Present

The group had reassemble outside the GDG base. Zell’s surviving men had been thrown through the anomaly.

“Thanks, Thyra.” Kairie said.

“No problem,” Thyra replied, “Just don’t get in jams like that too often.”

“We’ll try not to,” Drauss answered.

The anomaly glimmers for a few more moments, before dimming and growing smaller. Finally, it disappears, isolating away Zell’s mad future.

Drauss, Kairie and Thyra walk away.

Roll the credits!

Characters

 * Drauss
 * Kairie
 * Thyra
 * Cratus
 * Commander Zell