Fastidium

The memory Larnos was currently experiencing came to an abrupt halt and he was pulled from the hell-scape his minded decided to conjure up. He sat up in the bed and let out an exasperated sigh as the grim afterthoughts of that night come back with a vengeance.

He slid out of the bed and almost immediately fell but was able to catch himself by holding the side bar of the bed. Seems his legs were still asleep but quickly began to function as they were intended. He made his way to what he assumed to be a window or an equivalent structure. It was closed but through the various crevices he could see rays of light. Feeling around the structure he found a button and with calculated caution he pressed it.

There was a click and the structure shot up and the room was flooded with bright artificial light causing him to squint and shield his eyes for a brief moment as his eyes adjusted to the change in luminosity and he peered out of the window. Outside stood skyscrapers that stretched high until it faded out of his view. Clouds or impersonations of them slowly drifted across the artificial sky with some covering the bright orb that was meant to mimic the sun whose glow gently bathed over the inhabitants of the city.

For a domed city it surprisingly looked well off and quite comfortable, looking like those futuristic sci fi city images from various forms of fiction media from his childhood. Looking down he saw people going about their day. The clothes they wore were similar of his time but had telltale signs of advancement.

' Not as futuristic as I thought,' Larnos noted as he quietly watched people pass by.

Some of the skyscrapers had banners featuring young women clothed in clothing that left little to the imagination. Others had brand products with some being obscure to Larnos who quickly gave up any notion of trying to decipher what those products could be used for. His gaze idled over the city before returning to the room.

On a nearby chair were a few articles of clothing neatly folded and placed atop one another. As his hand made contact with the first piece of cloth he realized it felt incredibly soft and after a slight pull proved that it was made of flexible yet durable material. They all had a black and gold color scheme and the first piece of clothing was a pair of combat pants with a few pouches around the legs. The second piece of clothing was a simple black top with gold accents around the arms and neckline.

The last clothing article was a black jacket with golden accents which intertwined to form multiple ornate designs which gave off an air of regalia and might draw attention to himself. As he thought that he looked at the scars that were visible underneath the clothes he was currently in and opted to wear the coat as its sleeves were long enough to cover the scars on his arms.

He unconsciously passed a finger over one. The skin had long since died and in its place was a patchwork of dead tissue that sunk into his flesh. It felt strange when he passed a hand or a finger over a scar but for some reason it felt soothing and so he never bothered to try and stop doing this habitual ritual of his.

He quickly changed out of the hospital wear and began putting on the new set of clothes, starting with the pants in case Anis barged in. The clothes fit better than he expected and a sense of ease and comfort washed over him for a moment. Shaking off the sensation he puts on the remaining articles of clothing and walks a few laps around the room with the occasional jog and jump.

With everything in order he made a beeline for the door but stopped mid way. Perhaps someone might enter when he leaves and most likely show him around as he had only been in the containment area ever since he arrived at the Ark.

' But what if no one comes? ' He reasoned as he paced around the room. ' Maybe I am supposed to explore on my own. '

He glanced at the door handle that had a silver sheen to it as the artificial sun's light bathed it in its light. Deciding against going out he opted to peer out the window and observed the future he and many others fought tooth and nail for.

A car that would most likely be seen as normal by passersby on the street but futuristic to Larnos drove down a nearby road before taking a turn and disappearing from view. He wasn't an expert on the structure of cars but the one he just saw seemed more aerodynamic than anything he had ever seen and it barely made a sound.

' Perhaps they could make a military version of this, ' he thought. ' Maybe they have and are already in use. '

If that was the case perhaps he could convince the upper echelons of the military world to lend him one and if he convinced them well enough perhaps he could modify it. After he understood how it worked of course.

He chuckled as he continued to watch people and the nearby shops where some people came out of, holding packages which were most likely products of the various stores they just stepped out from. He watched some stand or sit idly by and if he was being honest he envied them.

' Going about their day without a damn care in the world, ' he mused as he continued to observe.

A dull pain tried to worm its way to the forefront of his already long list of troubles but a rub took it off the list for now. He let out a sigh as he once again began to wonder what happened to the men and women he fought with and the number of bases he had been to.

There was a jostle coming from outside the door before it parted to reveal Anis and Neon.

" Big three wanna see you, " Anis stepped back, dragging Neon to create room for him to pass. " You look good in that. "

" This, " he gestured to his outfit. " Thanks I guess. "

Larnos was not used to hearing such comments directed towards him and although he would not admit it he never knew how to respond and copied a remark a friend gave when his romantic interest complimented him.

' It's not exactly stealing, ' he thought as he stepped out. ' Right?'

" Guessing Ingrid really wants you to join her side, " Neon spoke as she and Anis lead him out of th medical ward. " That's not her usual M.O. "

"Is that so? " Larnos replied.

A group passed by and he noticed something. They gave Anis and Neon a look of disdain. Looking behind him he realized others were doing something similar with some being subtle about it and others brazenly showing their disgust.

Anis and Neon seemed to be paying this no mind and conversed amongst themselves as though they weren't seen as less than trash by the people they were protecting. A woman nearby made a gesture with her hands and the people by her laughed. He didn't know what it truly meant but he knew it wasn't good.

Just like his comrades he ignored them and followed the duo who had now gone quiet. Things would be uneventful as they made their way to Ingrid's office. Along the way he picked up subtle and not so subtle signs of clear hate directed towards the Nikkes but both acted as they weren't there but he could tell it was starting to get to them.

He turned to look at the group with the woman who made the gestures immediately go quiet. Two hundred years and somehow someway People had become comfortable being discriminate to literal killing machines. Perhaps he thought the current situation of humanity being on the cusp of complete extinction would force them to put aside their vain ideals and beliefs but it seems they have grown content. A man from the group got up and stood in front of the woman who quickly shrunk behind him.

' I could walk away, ' he thought to himself. ' But am I going to do that? '

He turned to look at the two Nikkes. Their eyes had gone dull and they simply watched. This was a problem that brute force would only make worse, especially for Nikkes. If he wanted to prevent what could possibly be a genocide he had to find another way because if Nikke were truly designed to be human then it was only a matter of time before some snapped and lashed out.

He gave the man a final glance before walking off. Anis and Neon were at the far end of a street which was practically deserted. He met up with them and Anis informed him that the meeting would occur at Elysium Headquarters.

Once they reached Elysion's main building Anis's facial expression changed to a more somber one while Neon had a down trodden look. Larnos had experienced discrimination during the war and it came from the people he was supposed to protect. High level personnels of various mega-corporations and their family members, most of which belittled those around them.

" When did this start? " He spoke quicker than his brain could act but he had to admit he did want to know if he was to do anything about it.

Both shot him a look before sharing a look amongst themselves. It was clear this was a subject they weren't comfortable addressing but he knew if they pretend it never existed it would evolve into something worse.

" Nikkes, " Neon spoke up, earning a look of disbelief from the blonder brunette. " Nikkes are constantly looked down upon by almost everyone and there's nothing we can do about it. "

" And to make matters worse they can attack us but we Nikkes can never lay a finger on them all because of a damn chip implant. " Anis added, her frustration becoming more and more apparent. " Just this once I wished I could lay my hands on one of them and pummel them into the ground. "

" Anis, " Neon spoke, her tone soft.

" Yeah yeah, " Anis waved her hand dismissively before letting out an exasperated sigh before heading up a flight of stairs. Neon gave Larnos a remorseful look before following Anis.

" No matter the year the same damn thing keeps happening, " he muttered before heading up the stairs where the duo stood at the top waiting, their expression now neutral.