Warrior Cats: The Four Clans

William shrugged his shoulders at everyone before trudging away to the men's bunk room. Honestly, what was with everyone? Why did it all seem to have to center around the Patriot Squad? Its not like they had done anything incredible. In fact, Henry only claimed to be his biological father, and this woman Gloria only claimed to be his mother. How could they prove it? They had not provided him with samples or DNA testing, and if they had who was to say those weren't rigged? William shook his head as he fell on to his bed, his vest already discarded on the floor. None of this made any sense at all. As far as William was concerned, his only ties were to his crew.

Emili plotted a bee-line for Antarctica, a simple enough place to get to. What bothered the AI was the way Gloria looked. She looked so much like Emili's host body that it was unsettling. She said that she was Ghost Town's mother... Could that mean Henry was trying to recreate her? Or was it that he had made Emili in the image of her... Like the daughter they never had? It puzzled the AI, but it did not upset her as much as she thought it would have. Infact it almost made her happy to think that Gloria was "mother" to her as well.

The woman's gray eyes softened as she listened to Dex. She said nothing and no judgement passed across her features. The only expression that could be read was sorrow... Not pity, but indeed it was sorrow. Not for herself but for the three Bio-Agents and the AI. She did not move from the chair she had sat upon. She feared that if she did Dex would close herself off, like feral cat. In fact that was what they were all like now that she thought about it.
Gloria pondered Dex's dream but she couldn't quite come up with an answer for the young woman, it filled Gloria with frustration that she couldn't help. Gently she rose, cautiously moving so that Dex would not become hostile. "I don't know what it means," she started softly, "I can't even image what all of you have gone through." She looked to the floor, "I've been looking for William for so long now... I had completely forgotten that he wasn't the only one to have gone through this." Lifting her face, Gloria looked directly in to Dex's ivy green eyes, "I don't anything from any of you. I only wish to extend a warm hand and offer you a safe place to stay... At least for now. Henry's influence has grown farther than I had originally imagined. That's the problem with living in exile, the world leaves you behind." She took a hesitant step forward, "Just know that when we get to Antarctica, none of you are expected to go do anything for us. No dangerous missions, no threats. You are all people." The woman wrapped her arms around herself softly, "Oh and I almost forgot to mention, those little organic modules in your body that Henry has been using to control you may have a cure. We've been studying them in the Antarctic base and we have nearly finished the research. We can remove them and therefore release you all from his influence." She smiled softly, her matronly face lighting and giving off the good feeling of home like sitting in front of a warm fire place, safe and warm from the cold outside world.

Gloria watched as Dex made a quick retreat, sad frown pressed on her lips before she turned to go and sit back where she had been. No one deserved to live like this. Sure the Panthera was a beautiful ship and could go anywhere but they were trapped in it. A gilded cage. From somewhere above her head a voice sounded, "Excuse me Ms. Fairchild, but I couldn't help over hearing your conversation with Agent Dex."
Gloria looked up, surprise on her face but she quickly recovered when she remembered that Henry had experimented with AI technology. The woman evenly replied, no hostility in her voice, "That's okay. I expected everyone to hear it really. This is a fairly small ship."
The AI didn't reply right away. It felt as if it were trying to gather its courage or think over different possible outcomes for its question. Gloria sat patiently and waited for it to finally speak again. Finally the AI spoke again, "Do you know what I am?"
Gloria replied without hesitation, "You are Henry's AI creation."
The AI waited a moment before it spoke again, "Is that all I am?" Gloria was taken aback with the sound of sadness in the AI synthetic voice.
Gloria's mouth opened to speak but no words came out for a moment. She took a moment to think, "I think the better question is what do you think you are?"
The AI didn't speak for an extended period. Gloria didn't know what to make of this. "I don't know," it finally said. Gloria lifted a brow in response to the bodiless voice that had engaged her in conversation. "Before Henry gave me a body I knew exactly what I was... Afterward though... I haven't been able to make heads or tails of what I am," the AI said again.
"What do you mean?" Gloria replied.
"I've been given a name, a body, emotions, people to care about and yet... All I am is a computer. A machine which is not supposed to feel, to care," the AI said.
Gloria frowned, "You have a name?"
"Emili," the synthetic female voice said.
"Emili..." Gloria's voice trailed off. A dark emotion arose in the woman and memories of a young girl's face filled her mind. Laughter, love, family... and death.
Gloria shook her head and looked to the ceiling of the Panthera, "Well Emili. I can't tell you what you are. But you are not just an AI. You can feel, understand and care. That's human enough in my books."
Emili didn't reply. Instead the lights above Gloria's head flickered for a moment, as if the AI's emotion were controlling them and she was grateful. As the ship continued along its path there was hardly any activity aboard the Panthera. The whole ship felt as if there was a dark cloud suppressing any sort of good emotions that attempted to enter anyone's mind. The air grew colder and colder as the ship reached the southern hemisphere. The sleek ship rocketed through the air all through the day and night until it approached the dark world of Antarctica. It was the dark months for the south pole, but that didn't mean that Emili couldn't pick up energy readings. She slowed the ship until it was hovering over a large expanse of ice. A transmission sounded in the c0ckpit.
"When does the sunrise?' the voice said.
Gloria had entered the front of the ship, Ghost Town had awoken a while ago and was sitting in his chair. He tossed a look up at Gloria, expecting her to do her part.
"When the evil has gone," she said with practiced ease. Nothing happened for a long moment until a large circle in the snow opened. A great chasm of dark grew underneath the ship and Emili lowered the Panthera in to it. Its darkness engulfed them before the circle above closed. Soft blue lights lit up within the long downward tunnel. It took Emili a good ten minutes to actually reach the bottom. They had landed within a larger room, obviously the hanger bay. Gloria headed for the air lock and said, "If you want to stay here or leave I understand. Just know you are always welcome here in Outcast."
Ghost Town lifted his brow at her, "Outcast?"
"Its the name of this base, " Gloria replied, "Its the name of this station and its entire underground city. With that she left the Panthera, leaving the Patriots within.

William'd ever present frown sat firmly on his lips. Now that Dex was off the ship he felt even more pressured to follow Gloria. Around him the Panthera's lights seemed to dim and go in to stand-by mode. From the cargo bay he could hear Emili's body coming to life. She appeared from the door way that he had heard her from, completely dressed in Patriot uniform. She blinked thoughtfully at William before turning and following Dex out of the ship. Well great... It he had even intended on leaving he couldn't, their ship just walked off in a different body.
A sigh escaped his mouth as he turned to Shepard, "Get up, we're going too." With that he turned and left the Panthera. Outside he saw a large vaulted hanger bay filled with not just aircrafts but various land vehicles. The place was lit with a soft gray light that flickered every now and again, as if the power wasn't quite stable. Everyone wore large heavy coats lined with furs, same for their boots and gloves. The general color of the clothing was mid ranged grays and whites, natural camouflage on the tundra. William spotted Gloria leading Dex and Emili away from the hanger and down a large vaulted hallway. If anything this place was reminiscent of dwarven architecture from fantasy stories. Though instead stone walls there were uneven dull gray metal walls.
William wasn't so impressed with the architecture as he was with the people down here. They all looked pale, frail and tired... However each had a resilient look on their face, as if they had all weathered the harshest of physical and emotional storms and had come out triumphant. William respected that look, it was one he and the rest of his crew had developed as well. Gloria led the group through a few more hallways before they entered a grand hall, larger and wider than any sort of ancient cathedral or castle but certainly decorated like one. It gave William a feeling of awe as he walked in. Instead of the dull grays, this place was colored like rich dark wood. It was lovely to look at, even for one who didn't really appreciate pretty things.
The woman who proclaimed to be his mother passed through the hall with ease. She greeted everyone as she passed but did not introduce the Patriots to them. The respect in the eyes of everyone that William passed by gave him pause. Gloria was a strange woman but she had the loyalty of these people. She may indeed be like Henry with an army at her disposal, this unnerved William. Finally at the end of the grand hall they approached a large stone dais. The elevated round structure held a semi-circle table in the middle. Normally this would be something seen in ancient castles but instead of a table it would have been a throne for a king and queen. Yet here there appeared to be at least twelve different seats at this table. The table was oriented so that the round side had the seats and the flat side faced out looking in to where the crowd could gather in the hall. It looked as though instead of the king and queen one would expect, there was a council of people who would make decisions and rule the populace. This impressed William.
Gloria climbed the stone steps that led around the side of the dais and on to it. She turned to face the Patriot Squad, her face warm as she gave them a world weary smile. She swept her head and gestured to the grand hall, "Welcome to Outcast's grand hall. We call it The Sanctuary." Many eyes and faces turned to look at Gloria, William felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. This place seemed so out of date when compared to the place they had just come from... It was comforting.