TVC - Episode 1.5, Chapter 07

The Viper Chronicles Episode 1.5
Eternal Hope Aftermath
Chapter 07

Eternal Hope Main Base – Medical Downstairs B4 – 2050 hours

Robert is inside the library of the base's hospital doing some reading. After making Jasmine leave, Robert goes back to his research, but he goes back and re-reads his notes on the Elemental Crystals. He finds it to be the most intriguing piece right now.

Robinson: It is very important to understand these crystals a little more…

Robert begins reading the notes in front of him and it reads as follows;

"The Elemental Crystals pt.1. As I am reading through these notes, the crystals can be found inside of an abandoned mine on the eastside of this country. It seems to take three days to get there on foot. The crystals were first discovered five hundred years ago, in what looked to be an underground city, researchers called, Vaxif. No one really knows the real name of the city, so for now, it will go by that name. In the mines however, their power sources were rocks, which we call Elemental Crystals today, to power lights, and other machinery in the city. Looking at the notes, I had no idea that the city had machines, all those years ago. It's quite possible that the machines used centuries ago, used to excavate the minerals and the crystals. Doing further reading, someone by the name of Zain, grabbed one of the crystals and it rejected him. Zain picked up the fire crystal and it burned his hand and melted his fingers together. Zain returns to Vaxif to tell people of this incident and researchers back then did massive investigations on the crystals… Why, after some time, people can only touch certain ones? Much like the books we have today, the crystals won't respond at all, if the user's energy is different and not threatening to the crystal's power. For example. When I became an agent for this organization, I was going to use the Rock Crystal as an element, which I had many ways of using it. Instead of even letting me get close to it, the crystal incased itself in more rocks. I tried to reach for again, and the cracks glowed orange and spikes popped out as it was a defense mechanism for threatening life forms. When I reached out for the Lightning Crystal not only did it glow when I was nearing to touching it, but when I did touch it, I heard something… like a voice. This must've happened to Zain, but unlike me, not only was he not aware of the dangers it could pose, but he was always the first, that something like this has happened to. There was a small team to go out to recover what Zain couldn't and nothing happened to them. Some of the researchers took a couple of the crystals and ran off, claiming that they will make a fortune. They haven't even left the door and they both were dead by unanswered means. One of them was electrocuted to death while the other drowned in his own body. Soon after, two spirits emerged from the crystals and took forms of ghosts. Many believe that, these are the ghost of the recently deceased, while others say that the crystals are just spirits that inhabit the crystals inside. Many years later, more spirits began to come out of the crystals and began to live amongst the human. At that time, true harmony was actually achieved until one faithful day. Just outside of the town, there was a purple element flying out with a white element tailing it. When the two elements got outside, they began to swirl around each other and separated from each other and finally clashed into each other. Zain rushes out to retrieve the crystals but according to him, the purple crystal was absorbed into his body. He then collapsed onto the ground with out warning."

"Doctors Notes. When we found out that one of our townsfolk was injured by an unknown source, we wasted no time running tests on him. The first time the tests were ran on Zain, everything came back normal. There was nothing wrong with him… maybe except the unusual scar on his chest. Even for something that big to scar a man, it still requires lots of time to rejuvenate from a wound like that… This goes without saying, Zain must stay here so we can run more tests on his body."

Robinson: ……… There is so much here to take in. Let's see here…

As Robert is going through more papers a disk falls out. On the front the label reads "Top Secret".

Robinson: Now, how did I miss this? Well, I better pop it in to one of the computers and see… but the only one that works, is in the war room… I'll just look at it later.

Meanwhile, Jasmine is going through the disc that Robert has given her. On the disc, there is a blue print on the entire base. Just looking it over, she notices that there are some areas that aren't on any of the other maps in the base.

Johnson: Interesting… I didn't know we had a prison underneath the base… but why would it be here?...... What else is here?

Jacob walks in on Jasmine to continue his calibrations on the computer. Trying to be quiet as possible, Jacob tip-toes over to the computer, but as he got closer, Jasmine stops paying attention to the monitor and jumps out of the seat and flips backwards, landing behind Jacob, with a kunai in hand, ready to slit his throat.

Johnson: Hm. Oh, sorry. I didn't know it was you.

Brown: You can relax. It is only me afterall.

Jasmine releases him and places the kunai inside her gauntlet and looks back at the monitor. Jacob looks at the monitor and then back at Jasmine.

Brown: (It seems odd that a ninja would be sitting at a computer screen. I wonder what she's doing.) Jasmine, what are you doing at the computer? Shouldn't you be resting or something?

Johnson: As much as I want to, I was asked to check something out.

Brown: Well, what is it?

Johnson: See for yourself.

Brown: ….. Whoa… Is this really a map of the entire base?

Johnson: From the looks of things, I'd have to say yes.

Brown: Wait. This can't be right. The blueprint is totally different from that of what we already have. Besides, the base's layout is plastered all over the place.

Johnson: What if we take the blueprint and laid it over what is already of the base.

Brown: You mean like this?

Johnson: Now, make the duplicate in question, transparent, to sixty percent.

As Jacob is making the necessary adjustments, there seems to be a match.

Johnson: Oh my god….

Brown: This is unreal. Both maps are identical except for the one you found. There are hidden passageways and a railway system deep underneath the base.

Johnson: It looks like one of the passageways, connects to the railway junction.

Brown: This has to be a hoax, Jasmine.

Johnson: I was thinking the same thing, but I've heard a rumor that there were trains underneath the base. I only thought it was a myth.

Brown: What are we going to do? Should we tell everyone about this?

Johnson: We have to make sure that it's real. There is only one way to find out.

Jasmine turns from the screen and begins to walk to the door and just when she got to the door Jacob blurted out…

Brown: How?... Wait. Are you –

Johnson: in 4 hours. We are keeping this a secret until we can determine its existence. Understood?

Brown: I- I- I don't know…

Johnson: Tell anyone and I may just silence you forever.

Brown: I totally understand. You should use this time to get some –

Jasmine walks through the door, without a trace. As Jacob turns around to the door to finish his statement, he noticed the door closing.

Brown: … rest…

As Jasmine is walking down the hall, there was a shadow behind her and a figure was standing there… soon a light came on in the shape of a bar, with eyes on the inside. Jasmine continues her walk towards the library that Robert was in but by the time she got there, he wasn't there. She walks inside the room and checks the table to see some of the documents. She begins to pick them up but then she heard something, creak… a footstep on a loose board. She drops the paper and looks behind her. Robert was at the doorway, leaning against the wall with his arms folded.

Johnson: Heh. How long have you been standing there?

Robertson: Just got here, actually. I decided to take a break and went for a walk.

Johnson: Found anything worth checking out?

Robertson: As a matter of fact, I have. Apparently, we aren't test subjects for these crystals. In all the information I've found, I have found out something new.

Johnson: That being…?

Robertson: Can you sense my presence?

Johnson: Yeah. What about it?

Robertson: You notice anything different?

Johnson: ………. I do but… I can't really place my finger on it.

Robertson: I'm normal.

Johnson: Eh?..

Robertson: Okay, bad example…

Robert stands straight up and begins to walk over to Jasmine and then points over to a wall which has light emitting from the other side of a bookcase. The light is pulsating energy as well.

Robertson: Do you see that light over there?

Jasmine looks over to the bookcase and sees the light emitting from it.

Robertson: Come on over, Sparx. I want you to meet a friend of mine.

The ball of light begins to float over to the two humans looking at it. When it got close to them, the ball of light grew fainter and a form was made.

Johnson: What is that?

Robertson: You mean you don't know? This is the spirit that inhabits the elemental crystal. Well, this is the one I'm carrying. His name is Sparx.

Johnson: Nice to meet you.

Sparx: ………..

Jasmine starts to extend her hand out but Sparx just floats in place staring at her. Robert looks at Sparx and began to chuckle a little.

Robertson: Sparx is a little nervous about the people he meets. I don't know if it's hazardous to people that doesn't have a lightning  element to them.

Johnson: I think I can understand that…? Does it talk or does it make noises or something?

Robertson: Sparx can understand our language. Sparx… who am I?

Sparx: …… Robert…

Johnson: What?! So this little guy can speak fluently? That is impressive.

Robertson: I don't know if its male or female, but yes. Sparx, what is you're gender?

Sparx: …… Male…

Johnson: So… about the notes…

Robertson: Ah, yes, the notes. Every elemental crystal is inhabited by a spirit. However they need help from the host to have a body or form. In this case, I have given Sparx a form that I've chosen for him. This way, he seems more mobile, outside the crystal… but only for a certain period of time. There are two stages in which we can use the crystals power. Stage one is considered the 'Fusion' stage. This is the first stage that all new agents of E.H. had to go through. Its more of a way of passage.

Johnson: How is that?

Robertson: This is to give us more of an edge in battle. However, there have been cases where, lives were lost in the 'Fusion' stage. Mainly because, many of the new agents were choosing their elements and it took over their bodies and destroyed them. They then recede back into the crystal again. Reading about that part, had I done the same thing, I would have been dead a long time ago myself, but that is irrelevant. Stage two is called 'Resonating', where the spirit and host harmonize with each other to have further use of the crystal's power and even go as far as extend itself to many of objects, such as rocks or blades, or to even go as far as using it across the air for a short distance or a long distance. That really depends on the host it takes.

Johnson: That being the case, everyone can harmonize with the crystal's spirit.

Robertson: True… however, there are few people who can go into stage three… There is no official name for it, but according to the records we have as an organization, there have been only two occurrences. One from long ago and the other one, more recent. They call this stage, 'Overdrive'. The elemental crystal takes over the host at critical moments and begins to go berserk until the energy is depleted, but that only depends if the host is untrained. Trained hosts and hostess access the overdrive and control it completely, not to mention use it to create a form for the spirits. Sparx is an example of a controlled stage 3.

Johnson: That is interesting. I'm about to go to bed, Robert. I am really getting tired.

Robertson: I didn't mean to bore you, Miss Johnson.

Johnson: heh heh heh. Its okay. I'm exhausted anyway. Goodnight.

Robertson: Goodnight, Jasmine…

Jasmine begins to walk out the library and just when she got to the door, a voice was spoken to her.

Sparx: …Jasmine…

Surprised that the entity knew her name she turns around and looks at him.

Johnson: Sparx?

Sparx: …… Nice to meet you.

Sparx's eyes were slightly closed, as if the being was smiling at her with joy. Jasmine couldn't help but smile back and reply.

Johnson: Nice to meet you, too, Sparx.

Sparx: … Would Jasmine like to be Sparx's friend?...

Johnson: Well, of course, I would.

Sparx: Sparx is happy. Jasmine makes Sparx happy.

Johnson: *giggle* Goodnight, Sparx.

Sparx: Goodnight… Jasmine.

Jasmine continues to walk out the room, leaving Sparx and Robert inside. Robert walks to the table and grabs some of the papers and takes some pages out and staples them together.

Sparx: Robert…

Robertson: Yes, Sparx?

Sparx: … Is Robert, planning on going ahead with Robert's plan?

Robertson: …… Yes. Yes I am…

…. END OF TRANSMISSION….