Outrealm [IC]

[Silent Assassin]

(placeholder)

[MailWork]

All in all, the world to Berthe Mathis was as linear and cyclical as her bike tire. It spun and spun, but it always seemed fixed to a point. It hardly ever got much of anywhere - so when it did, it was as good to her sepia brown eyes as an optical illusion. The slightest movement ahead never failed to call for a double-take backwards so as a result she was more or less grounded to one spot. To be fair, she was completely comfortable in this spot. It was familiar and predictable, manageable. Not a thing out of place, and never a moments surprise. Content in the stationary hamster wheel of her day to day life, Berthe found the only variable events in her life to be in dreams - and they never could count for anything. Why would they?

The muted, ruddy crimson of her grown out pixie hair cut stirred only slightly in the oncoming winds. Just released from her shift at a mundane but tolerable retail outlet, she pedaled home with the swiftness of a hesitant tortoise - which is to say she took her sweet time. She had no reason to rush, never really did aside from when she'd made plans with her mother for dinner or had a rare chance to catch a conversation with her neighbor who'd always interested her. No possibility of that, not today. The stretch of neighborhood blocks seemed foreshortened by the thoughts that whirred within her mind. Despite all the comfortable predictability, Berthe's imagination had not suffered. If anything, it became more and more pronounced with each passing pay period, each rent payment, each distinct chunk of time measured in the systematic clockwork she existed in. It flourished and heightened, it manifested in the night - free to roam and create in the limitlessness of her subconscious. She'd learned to control it, slowly through her childhood and adolescence until she finally grew adept. It wasn't anything she cared to boast over. No one in her close circle of friends wanted to hear about her dreamlife, Berthe stopped talking about it after so many of them just tuned out once she started a sentence with 'I had the most interesting or vivid or intense dream last night-' She found a forum to log her most animated dreams, the ones that she needed insight with or wanted to hear a second opinion on - but she'd eventually forgotten about posting them as regularly. Keeping a journal was much simpler.

Upon her arrival home, toting her bike up the stairway to the second-floor, she used her free hand to unlock her door and spill in to her apartment. Securing everything, setting everything down and aside, she did very little besides get ready for bed. A long day was always met with an early night, Berthe anticipated the shut-eye - it was beyond needed. She nestled in, the sounds of every voice and noise she'd heard during the bulk of the day swarming in echoes over her, inside her ears, as she stirred in attempts to give in to her lethargy. As time ceased to have measurement, she emerged in to a carnival-like setting. No, it wasn't a carnival per se, it was more like a hotel. A large luxury hotel of marble and gold trim filled with various characters of all walks of life - all so vibrant and eccentric - each of them filling a booth on the ground lobby floor. Berthe grinned and buzzed around to each booth, the faces and conversations so sped up yet moving so steadily until she came to a doorway. Not much a doorway as it was an arch, made of a shrubby hedge. She passed through it, feeling the sensation of light and smooth fabric encompassing her.

The whole busy scene was far behind her, passed and forgotten as she stepped along a grassy garden setting. Beautiful thickets of rose brambles walled her path like a labyrinth, weaving ahead of her, directing her passage through. In a playful sense of wonder, Berthe did not question or try to overpower the guidance they presented - finally led to a stone well. The trickle of the water within reverberated from its depths, playing upon her sharpened ears and persuading a curiosity within her. Grabbing hold of the rope that dipped down in to the mouth of the well, she lowered herself down slowly - suddenly hastened in to the pitch black of the well by the breaking of the rope - falling fast in to a deeper and darker black until the feeling of falling subsided. She could walk, but felt nothing under her feet. "Echo?" she called, expecting the sound of her voice to return back at her. But nothing returned, nothing but silence. She repeated herself and found her voice flat - no sense to take hold to as familiar, nothing but the flatness of her own voice. Berthe blinked in to the void, seeing a sudden ripple of the nothing ahead of her...giving way to a sight beyond anything she had seen or created in past dreams.

[Silent Assassin]

​"You! Stop!" Before Berthe would be able to realise that the void had now become -- as far as she or anyone else would be able to see -- a large estate, with her and the commanding voice who ordered her to stop in a huge, grassy garden. A porcelain fountain sat proudly in the centre of the yard. "I said freeze!" Moments later, men dressed in white uniforms with glowing blue streaks of light surrounded Berthe. "Did you really think you would just come here without checking in? The rules for entry apply to ALL Visitors. Or maybe you're a Resident? Doesn't matter. Come with us for processing."

"Um, sir."

The man who had commanded Berthe to stop spun around before he could reach for the girl. "What, Sergeant?!"

The Sergeant held a phone-like device up at eye level. "Scans show she has high potential markers. We have to bring her to-"

"I know where we have to bring her. To that sanctimonious pile of trash, Daggart." The name Daggart sounded like someone spitting out a disgusting meal. "Okay Sergeant. Quit wasting time and mobilise."

"Yes sir. Alright, team. You heard Commander Karin. Move out." The Sergeant turned to address Berthe. He figured he wouldn't have to grab her arm and walk her with them. Well, he was hoping, more like. "I'm Sergeant Blue. We're the Karma Society. Just cooperate and you'll be fine." Sergeant Blue's tone was an odd combination of sincerity and confidence, as if he had said this 100 times and had a word that carried weight. The rest of the men were headed away from the fountain and towards what could be assumed as an exit out of the garden maze they were in.

[MailWork]

Berthe moved forwards as the cloudy white light gave way to the visage of a large estate, fading in to her immediate surroundings. Garbled echoes whirled around her as she moved toward something resembling a central pillar of sorts.

It turned out to be a fountain. The echoing sharpened in to one distinct command - still she couldn't figure out where it was coming from, nevertheless, she froze alright. The swarm of uniformed men wasn't a norm to her usually whimsical dreams, completely foreign and out of her control. She couldn't help but break that freeze to turn herself around in one spot - examining the white and electric blue troops as her mind questioned, was she still dreaming?

It was hard to fully comprehend their words, she knew what they were saying, sure - they were speaking her language... but the context was far from her grasp. Her face rumpled in misunderstanding, really trying to make heads or tails of this back and forth regarding her. The who, what, when, where, why and hows were all caught in her throat as she watched the others move out and away.

"High potential for what - where am I - what's a Daggart?" Berthe managed to ask, mixing priority questions with curious ones. She had nothing to hinge on but the key words spoken, setting her confused look on this Sergeant Blue. "Karma Society? Now I know I'm still dreaming, I must be. Aren't I?" she second-guessed herself out loud, following closely behind this person who seemed so organized and certain, who seemed like he had answers. It was the first time in a long time since she felt so out of place in her own dreams, if this even was her dream anymore.

[Silent Assassin]

The Karma Society soldiers and their new captive reached their transportation -- white vehicles that appeared to be militaristic in design and utility. Lightly armoured and armed. They resembled APC carriers. Vehicles used to transport troops.

"Get in, Visitor." The Commander ordered, clearly uninterested in Berthe's questions. The soldiers got in, and the vehicle was on the move in seconds. Its engine sounded like something out of a sci-fi novel -- a light, cybernetic hum. It didn't seem to be powered by anything found in the "real world". Just what was going on, anyway?

"Psst. Hey, Visitor." Sergeant Blue tried to grab Berthe's attention, which was easy, given that he was right next to her. The rest of the soldiers were having their own conversations so he wouldn't stand out by engaging Berthe. "We're not supposed to tell you anything, but you seem new. Very new. Like this is your first time in Outrealm, or something. You have high potential markers which could mean you're a Seeker, possibly one of the Prodigies. That's, um, dangerous in Outrealm. Seekers are already hunted like enemies of the state, so Prodigies will be used to make an example. Just . . ." he paused, giving Berthe a break and trying to find the right words to continue his information dump. "Be careful. Trust no one. Not even the Karma Society. We're not the organisation we once were. And when it comes to your potential: deny, deny, deny. Play dumb. You're new, so that shouldn't be too hard."

[MailWork]

That silence following her questions knotted up the unceasing unease within her. It was like the only process working was the sector of her brain that guided her feet along, everything else seemed to still be in some kind of shock because this all felt so real. But...she'd just been dreaming. The fact that she'd emerged in to whatever this was and not her own comfortable bed in her own apartment in the world she knew to be so stable - it was enough to frighten her stiff - though not quite stiff enough to defy this authority looming over her. She boarded the vehicle, lost in her own thoughts. If this were real, she'd be contending with a very sharp headache. So it was only out of that deduction that she decided this was still a dream, she'd let it lead her out. But that decision was not to last.

The whir and motion of the smooth transport piqued her interest. It seemed to roll on the vacant terrain of thin air, without a bump or shudder... it was so unlike the rumble of the modern day engine. Is this my vision of the future, she wondered, her head turning as the Sergeant spoke at her. Outrealm, Seeker, Prodigies - these words pierced through her certainties, fractured them beyond repair. If she truly was dreaming, these words might've had clear meaning - she wouldn't feel so foreign.

If she was really at risk here, and being held captive, there was little more to do than to continue to comply...right? "So that's where I am...Outrealm?" she spoke hushed. Try as she might, she couldn't place any familiarity to it. She could only dissect it. But could it really be, could she be out of her own realm? She blinked away from the man. "And where we're going, to your headquarters?" Berthe winced slightly at her inquiries. Maybe it was best to not know, if ignorance was truly the ticket out of this.

She shook her head, this was too much, all too out of her control. She was a prisoner of some dream gone sour. "No I don't want this, I just want to wake up now. How do I wake up?" Her small hands rose to her face in a lapse of desperation, the fleshy warm of her cheeks just mocking her - insisting even more reality to this nightmare.

[Silent Assassin]

"Ah, shut up will ya?" the Commander ordered. "You know damn well you're in Outrealm. Yes you're going to HQ. Now shut up!"

Sergeant Blue blinked a few times until his commander returned to his own conversation. "Uh, yeah. You're in Outrealm", he said, as if to overwrite the Commander's harshly-given answer. "Oh, right. You're inversed right now so you're asleep in Deirealm." The vehicle soon came to a stop after a flawlessly comfortable ride. As the occupants exited the vehicle, Sergeant Blue looked at the Karma Society's HQ. A large, magnificent skyscraper with a futuristic design. More curves instead of rigid sides and edges. It was like something out of a soft sci-fi film.

"Well, here we are", he started up again, pulling Berthe to the side. He hushed his tone and looked over his shoulder before reaching into his uniform utility pocket. "Hey. Take this." Sergeant Blue handed her a small white bead with a chrome center. "It's artificial soma. It will wake you up or put to you sleep. It's basically an instant transmission into or out of Outrealm. Like I said, be careful. You're way too green and Outrealm's mystery makes it dangerous."

"Alright, Visitor. Move!" The Commander strode towards Berthe and gave her a confident shove. "I said MOVE! The quicker you get processed, the quicker I can take my leave. The rest of you? You know what to do. Sergeant Blue, report to Desk and let 'em know we have a live one for Daggart."

"Well, good luck, Prodigy. I think we'll meet again soon." Sergeant Blue remained hushed as he quickly walked past the group and Berthe. He gave her a wink before disappearing into the white skyscraper's glass doors.

The men walked in a neat formation with Berthe at the front and the Commander right behind her. As they approached the entrance, they would see two men in uniforms similar to the ones the Commander and his men wore, only with pointed helmets and chrome visors, with long white-and-purple spear-like weapons and luxurious capes.

[MailWork]

The puzzle of this was still so jumbled and chaotic in its very own regimented way. She held but a few pieces, yet, as she questioned the reality of them they sifted through her fingers. "So I am asleep...inversed...in Deirealm?" Whatever that was supposed to mean. "There has to be a reason for this - theres got to be..." She mused as softly as she could, not wanting to incite any more outbursts of order from the Commander. Her hands wrung at each other in their position on her lap.

Once the vehicle stopped, she piled out with the others and stood in inferiority to the massive building if only for a moment - receiving the small item and instruction in curiosity. Was this her ticket out? Blue didn't make it sound that way. Nevertheless it couldn't be doubted that it was important, the first step to understanding what kind of mechanics she was immersed in. "I'll be careful...and I'll try to stay oblivious, but-" It was a good thing she closed her hand around the bead before suddenly careening forward from the shove. She'd caught herself in time, moving her feet along with the others, taking a glance over her shoulder wearily at the cold and anxious face of the Commander.

It sounded more and more that whoever Daggart was - it would be in her best interests to build up all the incompetence she had to prove that there was nothing special about her, that this was all a mistake. Maybe if she persuaded honestly enough, she'd find herself back in her own coveted world again. As it was, she had to count her lucky stars that Blue seemed to be looking out for her...but then he was ordered away, and whatever sense of security she felt growing within her began to sink. A silent alarm was going off in her head when his name for her changed from 'Visitor' to 'Prodigy'. With that, paired with the lack of certainty in his words - Berthe looked forwards to behold her forced destination.

The guards in their threateningly flashy garb made her feel like she'd been taken hostage by some futuristic dictator bent on world domination - or maybe in this case, multiverse domination? "What happens in processing? I really don't know what's happening, please." She took the chance to ask, her face twisted pitifully to maybe garner some sympathy - directing this at the Commander regardless of the fact that he'd probably just tell her to shut up again or worse.

[Silent Assassin]

The group soon entered the ivory skyscraper, which was just as white inside as it was outside. The walls seemed to be made of white cubes that were pressed together. Purple lights could be seen where grout would be in the real world -- in Deirealm. The purple lights looked like small light-based organisms going to and from everywhere. A few feet from the entrance sat a large white desk with two female attendants wearing trench-coat-dress hybrid uniforms. Once the Commander entered after Berthe, she looked up at smiled for a split second then addressed him.

"New Intake?"

"I thought so at first, but no. Got ourselves a Prodigy."

The attendant's eyes widened. "Wow. Really? And she didn't even bother fighting back?"

The Commander gave a hearty laugh before returning to his stoic, professional demeanour. "Negative. She's too dumb for all of that. Doesn't even know she's in Outrealm! Is that a knee-slapper or what?"

"Oh my!" she returned, with a light chuckle. "Then she shouldn't be a problem. Daggart is in his lab. As soon as we scan her she'll be good to go."

The two spoke as if Berthe wasn't in the lobby or could hear them. About as rude as one could be in a social scenario. While the attendant didn't care either way, the Commander began to mull on the possibility that Berthe could be a Prodigy. Not that he cared too much. He got orders, and those orders would be executed. No questions asked.

"Walk!" the Commander shoved the confused girl through a body scanner. Similar to ones you'd see at an airport. It would cast a purple bar of light over her before all of her vitals were displayed on a nearby screen, and the handheld phone-like devices the Karma Society soldiers had. The Commander held his up and the attendant looked to her left at the main screen. On it was Berthe's name, ethnic composition, blood type, height, weight, all her body's systems' (respiratory, cardiovascular, etc) information, and her potential markers . . . which showed an assumed 88% probability but left her true potential mark inconclusive. The attendant's eyes widened once more.

"You really weren't joking. Daggart might have a heart attack."

"Heh", the Commander spat. "Don't get your panties wet, sweet cheeks. Like I said, she was too weak to fight and she's too ignorant to tell where she is. I bet she couldn't even fight her way out of Outrealm. She's too green. I bet this worm can't even manifest D&R, a Tulpa, OR magic."

"Now now, Commander. Don't underestimate our . . . guest."

The Commander turned to address the source of that retort. The voice belonged to a tall, thin man with peppered hair; experience and energy combined. He wore a white labcoat with purple trim and an insignia on the right breast area. He walked with a slow yet comfortable step. "Ah. You must be Berthe", he said, gliding to a stop once he reached her. "I am Tate Daggart, Karma Society's top research and development scientist, and head of-"

"Blah blah, beaker breaker. Just take her already. Damn. Your dictionary chatter gives me a headache!" The Commander shoved Berthe towards Daggart, who stepped back before taking hold of both her hands.

"As I was saying: head of operations and development. The scans say you have high potential markers. The highest I've seen yet. Well, my dear, I've been looking for you for a very long time. Please, accompany me to my lab." His tone was soft yet certain. It was as if he knew Berthe wouldn't protest, despite what was likely apprehension due to a strange man calling her 'dear' and saying he's been looking for her whilst holding her hands. "Please, ask your questions as we take a stroll to our destination. Ask now, dear, because when my experiments begin, we will not be pausing for idle chat."

[MailWork]

There was no doubt as to how increasingly resentful she was becoming of the Commander and his manner of treatment. She took a great effort to calm herself, which to her surprise, made the illusion of time slow to her perception. His shoves seemed less forceful this way, though they certainly hadn't been let up in the slightest. Everything had the cozy envelopment of a dream to her again. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea, but it definitely made everything much more tolerable as they progressed forwards.

The processing hadn't been as invasive as she might have thought, so this was something of a highlight to set her at ease as she looked at her near-full summary displayed upon the main screen. How was she truly expected to fool this systematic examination, when there it was, without so much as a finger lifted in refusal. The technology of this Karma Society was so accelerated from that which she was familiar... QR and bar codes, chargers and batteries... were those even needed here? Not that it mattered, of course, but with every turn there was something new and so far advanced that she could hardly deny the awe behind her wary facade of confusion. A glare manifested nevertheless, at the interaction between the brute and the woman. Temptation to prove him wrong welled within her as her fists balled and clenched, softened at once by the new voice. Her agitation subsided considerably though her silent alarm clamored at the name of the man. As calm and at ease his demeanor was, she had to stand by her incompetence - as much as it might pain her to confirm the Commander's assessment.

With one last shove - this time quelling her urge to react impulsively, Berthe remained placid as his hands cradled hers. The words he spoke were a mixture of intriguing and unsettling. Never in her life would she have pegged herself as something anyone would even do a double take at - let alone search for, for a indeterminate amount of time. But this was about what she was supposed to be hiding. If she was to trust the words of Blue, no amount of flattery in whatever form should compromise the act she was supposed to play. It would be a task in itself. Daggart exuded something that the Commander hadn't and it was this that caused Berthe to question his every impeccably placed word.

"Experiments?" she inquired breathlessly, eyes widened to convey this innocence caught in the web of misfortune. "I didn't do anything, please. You're mistaken - your machines are mistaken. I'm not anything special, you have to believe me." Her pleading sat bitter upon her tongue. There was so much she felt she could do, and the more she felt this the more she wondered. Was all this true, her being a Prodigy? "Why me?" she uttered under her breath, with less of a helplessness to her inflection than all she'd said thus far.

[Silent Assassin]

Daggart nearly stumbled over his own feet when Berthe insisted she was nothing special. It was expected, when one thought about it. Berthe didn't seem to be aware of Outrealm prior to this moment, even if this wasn't her first visit. Those who can enter Outrealm aren't too numerous, and Prodigies were less than 1% of all Asuras. The innocence game Berthe was playing seemingly twisted into reality -- she really didn't know which way was up in Outrealm. Exactly how much innocence though? That was the question. Her innocence convinced the Karma Society. Even Daggart buys it. Hell, he expected it. Perhaps he knows that she's hiding a bit more than you'd think subconsciously, but his subconscious wouldn't allow him to risk scaring or alienating a potential Prodigy.

"Nothing special? Why you? My dear, you have such low self-esteem for an Asura. My dear Asura, you are something special indeed." Daggart's tone remained calm and smooth. Almost buttery. The two reached a pair of white metal doors which opened horizontally after a green light scanned Daggart. He guided Berthe in by her hands, not letting go since he grasped them. "Come along, Asura."

The room was very large, to the point where the doors deceived one of its size. Rows of desks sat in the middle of the room, with various items scattered about on them: books, papers, miscellaneous devices. A smaller joined room could be seen to the west through a viewing glass. It looked like an interrogation room that police would use. It was white, just like the room and the rest of the building. In it was a white table with a matching chair. As fate would have it, Daggart would put her to sit in it, but not before running another scan. This one was a bit more invasive, and Berthe was likely to take issue with it because . . .

"Alright, Asura. Remove every article of clothing and step into this bio-pod." Daggart readied a clipboard and motioned towards a massive, cylindrical machine. Its door was opened. Nothing was inside, at all. On top of it all, Daggart seemed not even the least bit hesitant of asking -- more like ordering -- Berthe to remove her clothes. It was as if the concept of nakedness was lost to him, though everyone in Outrealm seemed to wear clothing. "Come on, dearest. Time is a gift, not a guarantee." He was getting a bit impatient, but his tone remained reassuring.

[MailWork]

It was clear to Berthe that this was an act she could not hold up, moreover it seemed detrimental to her overstanding on this potential of hers. She already had that small taste of it and the inclination to progress further was tempting. Incompetent or not, he sure seemed to know that she was what she'd been denying - so to Berthe, the point in keeping it up was moot. It was profoundly encouraging to entertain this notion ... of being much more important here than in the world which she came from would ever have let her. As comfortable as a mundane life was, she could not deny the thrill of excitement that surfaced in novels, movies, in her dreams, and here - where her just being herself was deemed threatening.

Nonetheless, becoming a lab experiment was not something she could force herself to be excited about. Looking about the room, her unease increased, piquing with the instruction to remove her clothes. What was she wearing, anyway? Her clothing always changed in dreams ... she certainly was not in her oversized t-shirt which comprised her pajamas. She looked down to find herself in a draping gown consisting of soft lavender fabric, much like silk. The moment she put her hand down to touch it, the area around the contact became translucent. She blinked at this, then looked to Daggart. "I don't have anything to remove, do I?" Clenching the gown tight, the translucence spread, her shapely figure exposed just like so many previous dreams. This time though, the setting had substance - but it was hard to say how substantial this world actually was, being so new to it. Maybe it was this place that was subject to her experiment. If she just let go of the urge to find all of this real, perhaps she could learn to enjoy it here.

Berthe approached the bio-pod. Her right hand slid down the gap, pausing in her entrance as she examined the interior. It didn't look like a prison, nor did it have any characteristics of a torture device. Granted, in this realm anything was possible - still, she took her chances. "Time." she echoed him, stepping in. Wondering, Time exists here? "Well," She couldn't help but snicker to herself, a feeling most freeing overcame her despite the capsule of containment she stood in - awaiting. "no time like the present."

[Silent Assassin]

Daggart blinked, eyes wide as he did so. "The Asura comes into her powers." There she was -- an Asura, shaping the very clothes she wore. "No, I suppose not, Asura." Daggart said, in response to Berthe's question. As she stepped into the bio-pod, Daggart tapped something on his high-tech clipboard and glided over to a large screen. In the bio-pod, a purple beam would scan Berthe's entire body, as her vitals appeared on the screen Daggart was staring at.

He muttered a series of agreements until he came to a section that read Prodigy: 90%. Soma: Critical. The clipboard he carried fell to the floor with a sharp clatter before Daggart slammed a series of buttons on a nearby console.

"Desk! DESK! Get Devgru to the science wing, NOW! Bring Soma capsules! Tell Veda to start up Project: Source!" The man began pacing back and forth, his purple irises wide and darting all around the room, looking at nothing. "Nothing, NOTHING can stop this revolution! I'm close! I-I'm so close!" The calm, cool, collected scientist Berthe met minutes ago was nowhere to be found. He was replaced by a hyper, over-active melodramatic. All he was missing was foam at the mouth.

The large white doors opened to reveal figures clad in white, military-looking armour with white and purple firearms. Their helmets were odd-looking, like something out of a Star Wars film. Their visors were dark and thin, with a round, purple circle acting as an eye. They didn't even look human. "Sir. Devgru reporting."

"I know that, you idiot! Get your men in position in case she relapses and hand me the Soma at once!"

The soldiers did as they were told and handed Daggart a small white box with purple gel capsules inside of it. Daggart threw open the bio-pod door and jerked Berthe out of it. One Devgru soldier had his eye on the screen. "You really weren't kidding, sir. She's about to wake up."

"Which is why we need to get a move on. Once my tests verify, we may begin Project: Source. We're one step closer to becoming gods!"

Opening the door to the smaller interrogation-style room seen earlier, Daggart sat Berthe in the chair, with two of his Devgru soldiers standing in half the room's corners. "Now, Asura", he began, calmer than before yet still excited, "I'm going to put this in front of you, and I want you to do something to it. Whatever you want. I don't care." He placed a small plastic cup on the table. Totally empty.

"Sir. We should get you behind the one-way mirror, in case-"

"NO!", he boomed at a random soldier. "I have two guards in here already and besides, she doesn't strike me as a violent relapser. It'll be fine."