13 Data Entry

As the three stood in complete darkness, data trails flickered across the floor; making arrows that pointed them to the left of the dark corridor. Issac jumped uneasily, behind Barret with chills crawling up his spine. Cravic stood looking at the arrows, that vanished off far ahead into the dark beyond them.

"Spooky...." Issac shivered.

Barret was still examining his surroundings. "Those trails of data...if that's what it is. Hmm." Barret walks ahead of Issac and Cravic. "I guess we'll follow the arrows. Come on Issac, you're not to scared, are you?"

Issac jolted slightly, "What?! No-no-no I'm-totally-not-scared!... Eh..." Issac lied, uneasily.

Cravic glanced to Issac, "Could of fooled me." Cravic scoffed, walking in the direction as well.

"H-Hey! How is this a good idea? What if it's Kaos with another trap?..." Issac stammered, following after them, reluctantly.

Barret looks back to Issac slightly, "While Kaos is crafty, I doubt he would have anticipated us dropping from the ceiling. (Sandra...) I can't wait to get back at them for this."

Issac gulped, sheepishly, as he kept close. Cravic seemed the calmest of the three however. The data trails left arrows moving ahead, but one arrow pointed to a rusty steel plated door of the various in the dark corridor. Cravic glanced to it.

"W-Why is it doing that?" Issac whimpered.

"It wants us to enter it obviously, come on." Barret says, pulling Issac with him.

"Eep!" Issac yelped.

Cravic went along with them, without disagreement. Inside was a room, with a coffin sized steel box standing in the center. Data fragments were scattered all around the walls and floor, however the box was untouched, as if it could not be. An old fashioned lock was holding the door shut on it, it seemed.

"Is... that a c-c-c-coffin?" Issac gawked.

Cravic's phone received a text message, and he pulled it out to look at it, as Barret and Issac stared to the steel box before them.

Barret places a hand to his chin taking in the room around him. "This is quite some technology. I've never witnessed anything like this. Was this all truly made from Kaos? (If so, then it's beyond anything I've ever encountered...)" Barret thought to himself, becoming excited, yet terrified.

"What?" Cravic spoke up, in concern looking to the box. He quickly got to the coffin sized container, grabbing to the lock. He tried to use Dark dama to destroy it, however the lock was unaffected. "Dammit!... We need a key."

Issac looked to Cravic in surprise, still uneasy. "...What's going on dude?"

"Great, my bet it's back in Kaos' headquarters. Though, why do you want to open it? It could set off alarms or something..." Barret crosses his arms. "We need to be more careful, and get out of here."

Cravic grabbed Barret's collar, in aggression. Putting his phone in his line of sight. It read, "I'm in the box."

Barret gasps, "Well okay, no need to be so aggressive." Barret laughed uneasily. "So something is in the box, and it wants out apparently... I suppose we can help whatever it is out of that." Barret says, looking to the coffin.

"Barret, don't be crazy. W-What if it's... a monster or something?..." Issac whimpered.

Cravic released Barret, shooting a glare to Issac, and looking back to the box. "He is not an it. Or a monster." He huffed. "(We need to get him out of there... but why is he in there? Did Kaos...?)"

Foot steps are heard, approaching the three boys. They all glance to the sound, spotting a green haired man, with a long lab coat, wearing what looked to be dark glasses. "My, they all just keep falling in. Heh, what brings you to my energy containing lair?"

Cravic looked sharply to the scientist, forming his power glove's saber. "Alright you piece of crap, open this cell, before I cut out your insides." He growled, arching himself with the blade.

"You feel of great darkness...You are a Necroden? Heh, my suspicions were correct. I am quite fond of that area of study you see... But for the box there... My energy containment unit... You want me to open it, why?" The doctor questioned Cravic.

Cravic fazed in front of the doctor, grabbing his throat sharply with his saber at ready. His eyes met the man's, showing Cravic's anger. "One. Shut up. Two. Don't call me that. Three. If you don't. You're dead." Cravic threatened.

Issac and Barret were taken by surprise of the scientist, but also had their gloves ready if need be.

"You kill me...You'll never get that box open... Necroden..." The Doctor states proudly.

Barret shakily holds up a hand. "Please sir, don't push him, he can really do some terrible damage!"

"Oh I know. It's why I study them, after all..." The Doctor says, shifting away from Cravic's grasp. "Now... Again, I will ask you. Why do you want to open the box?"

Cravic looked to the doctor furiously. "You have my friend in there."

The doctor laughs, . "Here at Kaos we have many people. Your friend could be who knows where. I highly doubt he, or she is contained in 'that' box... Though have you heard a voice? How are you drawn to such a conclusion?"

"He told me." Cravic growled.

"The box told you?" The Doctor questioned.

Cravic disengaged the sword function, pulling to his cellphone. He flipped it open with the text message showing. "He's been in contact with me for a few months now, over text messaging. Open the box. Now." Cravic sneered.

The Doctor looks to the message but then spots the number, which was contained project data code '0010001'.

"Ha ha ha ha!!!!!" The doctor laughs, holding a hand to his head. "This is amazing! You have no idea how this has helped my research. It would seem he is able to talk outside of his confines. Yes, it is a he." The Doctor walks between the boys, to the coffin. "Project binary, the basis for a force known as Life Dama. This proves that beside dark dama, even computer data can carry such information. Think about it, a world that is eventually repaired based on a single thought. It's nearly like a dream tear." The Doctor ranted. "Though, my other project is more focused on the death of things. This is a great step in the opposite direction.. Oh yes..." The Doctor turns to them. "I am professor Salvodore..." He bows to them, after introducing himself finally. "And... I'm not sure I can just let this go..."

"Hey uh, creepy dude. Salvodore? Let me get this straight. You kidnapped Cravic's buddy, experimented on him, and locked him in a box? Kaos is worse than I thought, and you work for that scum? What kind of a person are you, to do that?" Issac finally got the courage to speak up. Cravic glanced to Issac then to Salvodore.

Salvodore looks to Issac with a sly grin. "A very cruel person, because the world is a playground... However, I feel perhaps letting him out of that box could help my research a little more... Even if I say no, you're going to get physical with me, and perhaps accidentally kill me; causing you all to, well, Never open this box..." Salvodore folds his arms. "So... I have an idea. Do you want to hear it?"

Cravic looked to Salvodore seriously, "Out with it." He growled.

"I'm going to place you all in a project. No, not physically, but I will be monitoring... Binary's data... I will even allow you to exit..." Salvodore stated, adjusting his collar.

"Wait what? You want us to be monitored by you? You would give us away." Barret stated uneasily.

"We don't trust Kaos workers." Issac nodded in agreement.

Cravic looked to Salvodore. "This is what's going to happen. You. Open the box. You. Let us leave. You. Forget you saw us. Or. You're dead."

"I suppose you kill me then. That box is going no where, without my eye on the prize inside." Salvodore states, taking off his lab coat setting it to the side. "I would rather it not get too bloody. As they need my ID clean."

Barret looks to Cravic. "If we kill him, we'll never find that key." Barret states, "But then, we can't give him what he wants."

"But if Cravic's friend's inside." Issac looked to Barret, "If I was in his shoes, I don't think I'd just walk away like that."

"Issac's right, I'm not leaving him in there. Fine Salvodore. You have a deal." Cravic sighed, begrudgingly.

"WHAT!? Cravic! You're insane!" Barret yelled to him.

"Silence yourself, sir. There is hardly anything left of your old stepping grounds anyway." Salvodore says, walking to the box. "I do however, look forward to taking in the data gathered from Binary's information..." Salvodore unlocks the box, as alarms start to sound. "That would be the Kaos forces. They are on their way... You should make haste, I said there was an exit, and I am that exit."

The door was opened to the box. Inside, sitting at the bottom, was a fifteen year old white haired boy. However, he seemed to have been tampered with severely. He had odd data like legs, that trailed up to his ball jointed hips that stuck out further than his legs. His abdomen resembled parts like a lightning rod, into a chest cavity similar patterned to his legs. His shoulders to his arms looked nearly human, but were ball jointed like doll arms. He also seemed to have devil horns, and a tail with odd headphones that resembled a flash drive on either end, below a virtual screen showing an @ sign. His eyes squinted open, and he look to them with a fatigued glance.

"Bit!" Cravic was horrified, by what Kaos had down to the younger boy. He rushed over, crouching down to the box.

"Oh man...(Was that human once?!)" Issac looked surprised as well, with his jaw dropping slightly.

Barret was shaken and baffled. "H-How?...Why?"

Salvodore looks to Barret. "I have told you, the world was quite a playground to me... However, seeing how close this child is to life dama, and perhaps even helping unlock the ultimate formula to that of a reaper... I don't have a lot of time to explain. I am quite sorry such measures had to be taken, but allow my body to now be used for his freedom. I have much to reap." Salvodore says, walking to the entrance of the room. "They will be here soon, take the boy and go."

Cravic gets the boy onto his back, to carry him out of there. Issac looked to Salvodore. "If you're risking yourself for us to escape, how do you even plan to observe?.. (Eh, we should get moving...)" Issac looked to the others.

"That answer lies in the dama, but only time will tell. Move along now." Salvodore says urgently.

They all head out through the main hall again, finding locked doors. Salvodore steps out, and directs his hand in the direction they should go. After getting the directions, Issac and company find themselves running down a long hall. They spot the exit Salvodore had mentioned, but there were units keeping watch ahead of them. Two more Freeze-terrors loomed overhead.

"W-What are those!?" Barret gawked, in surprise.

"Freeze-terrors. I got this." Issac gritted his teeth, powering up his glove, using the whip function to grab a hold of one of them, slamming it in the direction of the other. The freeze-terrors blow up instantly, sending a fury of ice spikes around. They miss the group, but Issac now had one other thing to note down. "Okay, that's new."

"Heh...Well, that was surprising, how'd you know that?" Barret says, rubbing the back of his head.

"Figured out by accident. Hehe." Issac laughed nervously.

"We're wasting time." Cravic grunted.

"Oh. Right. Come on." Issac rushed ahead of them.

They all make it out of the Kaos base, entering a underground tunnel. As they walk, they noticed it was a hidden system, which led from upper New Tech to other outer locations.

Barret ponders to himself. "This wasn't made by Kaos, in fact, I'm pretty sure they don't even know it's around. Whoever made this is really crafty." Barret says, examining things.

"You got all that from how it looks?" Issac looked over.

"Well yes, beside that, why on Terra would Kaos create a tunnel system, and have such a close leak that way? We can enter Kaos at anytime from under here, by just taking that exit trail. It's hidden so well, it's mind blowing." Barret states, thinking to himself more. "Which gives me an idea. Perhaps we can use this to sneak in some bombs later, or something? But first, getting Sandra back."

"Later. First, we need to get back to headquarters." Cravic scoffed.

"Right, just...where do we go?" Barret stated, thinking to himself once more.

"Not on top, that's for sure. Your asses are wanted all over town." Creed stated, walking up to them. "Interesting how you found this place. Brains are working finally?"

"Not you..." Issac blew air to his bangs.

"Creed." Cravic looked to him.

Creed pulls out his sword, and swings it, pointing down the tunnel system, from where he came from. "Follow that trail. It'll lead you to the desert. The base is in shambles."

Issac was muttering to himself with his arms crossed, "...(What a show off... you're nothing but a selfish prick who acts tough..)"

"Who's left?" Cravic spoke up.

"Xiao is safe, Asuna and anyone else who was away from the base at the time. Everyone else however, are worm food." Creed says, placing his sword back in his holster. "You guys really did it now... One mission, and you even screwed that up."

Barret growls,"This wasn't our fault, you can't blame us for this!"

Creed sighs, "Granted Nala was my doing, you guys screwed up two others. Bryce and Jin... Cravic could hold his own, I saw everything. What was that about trying to be a hero? 'Everyone is priority'... But you'll get your chance to finally get something right. Get Cravic back to Xiao."

The white haired boy glanced at the word 'Jin'. "...Jin?..."

"I'm going back on my own, if anything, Jin was my fault. Now I'm finding out, that basically you let my mom go off on them, for your doing with Nala? Get off your damned high horse, I'm the one in charge here, I am second in command, to my mom after all. You should have helped us if you were watching, but you let this go to Stykx." Cravic shook his head, with disapproval.

"I'm not the one who left your mother, to fight off an unstoppable force. Yell all you want, but she's not my responsibility." Creed says, turning away from Cravic. "You should stay home, learn how the world works more, before stepping outside."

"Go fuck yourself Creed. If I see you back at the Ministry, you're going to get more than just an earful." Cravic turned off, "Let's go." He said, walking ahead of Issac and Barret.

"Follow him to your destruction, honestly I'm tired of trying to tell hard headed people how things work. Consider me gone, good luck with keeping that dream. Oh, and the unit on your back, yeah... You're really a good leader..." Creed says, sarcastically turning off.

"Pftt." Cravic scoffed, keeping his back turned to Creed.

"One more thing...If we do run into each other, and have the same goal in mind. I don't play well with others, but you know that already." Creed laughs to himself. "Keep sharp, but not for my sake.." Creed says, walking off.

Barret shakes his head, "That guy is going to be bad news... But we should hurry to Xiao and the others."

"I second that. I hate that guy,but who knows what he's been up to." Issac agreed, as he and Barret follow after Cravic.

Issac and the others continued through the vast tunnels, reaching the desert, as Creed had mentioned. They pressed on, walking through it for miles, however it was getting dark. They were forced to set up camp behind a rock, with a campfire lit. Issac was shivering close to it, as Cravic was at a distance, keeping watch on his friend, who still was very weak.

"What a day..." Barret says, rubbing his head. "It all happened so quickly."

"It's c-c-c-cold.... and I'm hungry..." Issac shivered, trying to stay warm.

"Hmm darn it, we didn't get our supply bags." Barret sighs, "I suppose we rough it for the moment. Anybody know how to hunt?"

"It's too cold, and too dark to hunt... oh and did anyone mention, we're in a desert..." Issac muttered, still huddled up.

Cravic stood up, looking off to the desert. "Keep an eye on Bit, and I'll handle it. Deal?" Cravic didn't even look over to Barret. "I'm not sure what's wrong, but maybe Asuna can fix him."

Barret nods, "Yes, I'll keep my sight on him."

"You better." Cravic huffed, vanishing into dark dama.

Issac jumped in slight panic. "Eh... he really needs to stop doing that...."

Barret looks to Bit, walking over to him. "Hmm, man just what did they do to you? Can you talk?" Barret asks to Bit.

Bit opened his eyes again, glancing to Barret. "I... I think.. I'm re-rolling here..." He smirked weakly.

Issac shivered, glancing over. "Re-rolling?" He asked in confusion.

"No respawn timer.... Basically game over... Sheesh..." Bit chuckled softly.

"Whoa, what?" Issac gawked.

Barret face palms. "Heh, that makes sense. Though are you saying you're dying? This isn't good, what can we do to help you?" Barret asked, seriously.

"What do you do when your batteries run out of power?" Bit closed his eyes.

"Normally, I get new ones, however seeing your molecular structure. From the data like elements, perhaps charging you up with something would suffice?" Barret inquired to Bit.

Issac huddled up, more under his fluffy jacket. "Maybe a power outlet? (Wish we had one to power an electric blanket or something. Poor guy though... Kaos really worked him over bad... how much there is organic still?)" Issac muttered.

"Wait, this may be a desert, however there are a lot of power outlets stationed here...Thank you Terra, but they're far too guarded. Hmm, I wonder if we have anything on hand we can pull to?" Barret ponders to himself.

A jumper unit which seems to have strayed away from it's jurisdiction, was moving their direction. Barret looks spotting it, "Hey, that may be our answer right there. We can use it's energy source." Barret says, engaging his sword as he stands to his feet.

The unit got closer as it's red orb eye begins to glow up brightly. It jumps at Barret who then swings his sword slashing it's head clean off. The units torso falls to the ground, electricity sparking from it's neck. Barret then turns to Bit, walks over and picks up Bit. "Hang on, okay?" Barret says, taking Bit over to the robotic corpse, that was sparking with electricity.

Barret sat Bit down, who's tail touches to the electricity absorbing it instantly. The fallen jumper was no longer sparking, just a husk of a machine it used to be. Bit got to his feet, stretching slightly.

"Epic!, I'm feeling nice and recharged. Thanks!" Bit grinned to Barret, tail swishing playfully.

"Anytime, heh." Barret looks to Issac, "Issac? Come meet Bit now, the fire will last a while. okay?"

Issac glanced over, still huddled up. "It's cold. Can we wait til morning?" He pouted.

Bit looked off to the desert, tail swishing still. "I wonder if Cravy will rejoin the party soon."

Barret laughs, "Come on Bit. let's go sit by Issac, and you can tell us about how you, well, got to this point. I think it'd be quite an interesting story. Though, if that's fine with you."

Bit glanced to Barret, "I guess I could always P.M. Cravic about it, since he's AFK right now." Bit glanced off to the desert, and back to Barret. "Okay."

"Alright." Barret says smiling. He walks with Bit to the camp fire.

They sit down with Issac, Bit looks up to the stars. "It happened about two years ago. I was hacking into some online games, and came across Kaos servers. I found it interesting, so I couldn't resist looting it for information. I probably should have listened to Jin, always told me to be careful when hacking. Anyway, in the process of raiding, I got targeted. I was heading back home from the electronic store with a new video game I bought. I always had to have the newest MMO... Though.. Next thing, black bag over my head, followed by waking up on an experiment table, as I was being taken apart. Kaos tried to control me to work for them, but I still had my mind intact. So, they sealed me away in that steel coffin. Up until about a couple months ago, I found I could port outside of it, with these data powers I got, even though I couldn't leave. My energy cells lasted a while, but they had been depleting... so You guys made it just in time." Bit explained.

Issac looked shocked, "Kaos is... so asking for it. (All these bad things happening to everyone, like we all were brought together for some purpose... Maybe, to stop Kaos...)"

"Yes, they have a lot of bad karma built up. What I find interesting however, you said you were into video games? Given you current structure, it would seem Kaos uses interest based concepts to create their units." Barret says, thinking into things further.

"Guess so." Bit nodded.

A thump is heard, as a corpse of a wolf is dropped behind them. "Didn't bother waiting, I see." Cravic huffed, looking over.

"Cravic!" Bit smiled, hugging him.

Cravic gawked, in surprise, looking to him. "Uh?"

Barret laughs, "Seems you got a big wolf there."

"Food, thank the goddess'" Issac grinned, looking to it.

Cravic got Bit to release him, looking off. "I caught it. So, you can cook it." He groaned.

"Thank you Cravic. I think after eating and resting. We'll make our way back to the base. See what we can salvage and hopefully find Xiao and the others." Barret states, looking back to them all.