Finding Humanity Chapter 6
#6 of Finding Humanity
Esrie walks out on the security station relieved. After two days of questioning she is finally able to leave, and with the device she came here to get. She walks all the way back to the Freighter and opens the airlock. She places the device in a specialized container to keep it safe. As she turns around she sees a site that surprised her. Trixi with her cannon extended pointing toward her. Even more surprising is her fur was dyed neon blue.
"Trixi, what are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm getting my revenge on you for what you did to me. Bad enough to make me a BLOODY CYBORG! But taking away my memories. OH you're going to so pay for that. Luckily I have manage to regain my memories and with this ship and weapons I'll reform the gang."
"Trixi please don't do this. Be the Trixi I know, that Kiara knows."
"THAT TRIXI IS GONE! I'M THE REAL TRIXI AND I WILL RECLAIM MY LIFE!" Trixi fires and hits Esrie in the chest sending her flying. The vixen then activates her symbiote armor as Esrie activates hers and gets up from the wreckage of some cargo containers. Not bothering with her own cannon she throws a punch that connects with Trixi's muzzle. Trixi steps back from the hit and the battle is joined. Trixi throws a kick that Esrie instinctively dodges while throwing a perfect counter punch. Flashes of combat poses and moves go through Esrie's mind. <Great nice time to deal with this. At least she's getting something useful this time.> Using the knowledge from the memory flashes Esrie crouches with her hands and one foot on the ground, her other foot along with the leg hit Trixi in her side. Groaning Trixi grabs her side and gets a knee to the lower muzzle sending her flying into cargo containers. Esrie slowly gets up and hold a hand to her chest wound. Before she can respond a large beam lances out and hits her square on. When Esrie comes to she sees Trixi over her with a beam cannon meant for a light vehicle in her paws. Trixi's cyber symbiote has retracted enough to Trixi's smirk to appear. "Now to end this." Esrie hears the cannon charge up for the final shot. Esries's own symbiote has gone, blown away with last hit. Esrie prepares for death when the both hear a wail of anguish.
"NNNNNOOOOOOOO!" Kiara gets right in front of the beam with tears in her eyes. "Stop this Trixi, you're friends!"
"Kiara move away I have to finish this." The cub shakes her head and holds on firmer. "Kiara, Esrie stole my life, made me this way. She has to pay."
"No, she must have done it to help you. We were so happy days ago. Why can't we be happy again?"
"Kiara."
"No, Could the life you had before be as go as this!? Worth killing me and your friend? If so do it now!" Trixi looks at the cub with struggle in her eyes. Kiara has her eyes close and tears streaming down her muzzle with her head rest on top of the barrel and her chest in front of the muzzle. Trixi's arms shake and tremble. After what seems like forever with only the hum of the cannons and Kiara sobs Trixi shuts the cannon off. Brushing the cub off the weapon she throws it behind her and she collapses to her knees and cries. Kiara goes and hugs the Vixen as Esries slowly gets up. She slowly walks over the the pair and she places her hands on their heads. Her artificial hand on Kiara and they stand there for minutes. When Trixi finally stops crying she gets up and looks Esrie in the eyes.
"What are we going to do? I can still feel that Trixi in me. Kiara was able to stop her this time but what about the next time?"
"The Consensus might be able to help. Until we get back to them I'm going to have to have you locked in your quarters." Trixi nods in understanding. They head to the quarters area and She locks Trixi in her quarters. Esrie then heads to the medical bay and Kiara helps her into the regeneration tank to heal her skin and bones. Sadly she'll have to get a new symbiote at the consensus ship since there's nothing left for the ship to repair. Esrie slips into unconsciousness as the tank starts her repairs.
After five hours the Tank releases Esrie and she dries off feeling much better. She grabs a nano booster and head for the quarters area. Thankfully the designers of this freighter class have little slots to place items through so a room can either be a cell or quarantine room. She knocks on the door and slides the nano booster through. "I thought you could use this." After a second pause Trixi replies.
"Thanks, hey I'm hungry to."
"Okay I'll get something." She heads to the galley and gets a meal and puts it through the slot. Esrie then heads to the cockpit and the Freighter finally leaves the station. In a few minutes the freighter jumps to warp and heads home. Esrie leans back into the chair and links in to the Consensus. She informs them on what happened and ask for solutions. She feels the Consensus work on the problem while she gets great comfort from the link. Kiara soon comes in and looks at Esrie with confusion in her eyes. "What is it Kiara?"
"Why did she do it? Why did she fight you? Weren't we happy?" Esrie sighs and rubs Kiara's head.
"We hoped you didn't have to see this. There has been a problem since you arrived. Not with you, but what I did." Esrie takes a deep breath and continues. "Trixi used to be a gang leader at a station I stopped at. She tried to steal from me and I resisted. She was badly wounded and the data I had on her showed an innate talent that would be useful so I took her and made the Trixi you know. When I was forced to tell her the truth when you ask for names she didn't take it well. We both agreed to keep you out of our problems. I'm guessing something caused her to revert to her old self." Esrie then hugs the lioness cub. "Thank you Kiara, you saved my life."
"We're family Esrie. We only have each other." Tears start in Esrie's eyes as she continues to hug the cub. "What's going to happen to Trixi?"
"The Consensus is working on it." Esrie just continued to hold the cub for most of the day.
In a couple of days they arrive to where the Consensus ship is currently at. The freighter docks in and with to Enforcement Units Esrie lets out Trixi. Trixi comes quietly while her eyes held some anger at Esrie for the most part she was just sad. They escort her to a room equipped with a chair similar to the one they used on Kiara. The Consensus plan is to use the link to purge Trixi of Wildheart's influence once and for all leaving the cyborg vixen the all know and love. The cyborg vixen is strapped to the chair since the Consensus believes this might be painful to her or on the off chance that Wildheart will try something desperate to survive. Successfully strapped in the Consensus forces a link on Trixi and begin. At first it appeared that nothing was happening, however after a minute Trixi started howling and struggling against the chair. The chair held firm however and after thirty minutes Trixi started to speak through the howling. "THIS IS MY LIFE! YOU CAN'T TAKE IT FROM ME!" After a few more minutes she starts again. "NO I REFUSED TO GO, I AM TRIXI WILDHEART!" After a few more minutes she slumps into unconsciousness. Esrie leaves to check on Kiara. She find Kiara in their room studying to Esrie's surprise. The lioness cub looks away from her studying and asks.
"Is it over?"
"The worst of it I think." Esrie steps behind the cub, wrap her arms around her, and rested her head on the cub's. "Even afterward she may not completely be the Trixi you remember. We had to purge a lot to be rid of the bad Trixi. She may not remember you much."
"Will we have to deal with the bad Trixi again?"
"We're hoping not but we can't be sure." Kiara sighs.
"Hey let's just wait and see okay?"
"Okay." Kiara says dejectedly. Esrie hugs a little more tightly and says.
"Come let's get you into bed." Both girls head to bed hoping for a bright future for their friend tomorrow.