This is Demenzia’s background, and also the very first story I wrote about her. Very few characters in game know about what happened to her, and those who do, don’t know the details.
THE BEGINNING THAT LIES
Deannah
In the silence of the Grid
Hmm, so, this is how they proceeded?
Nice job, I have to admit. They really want to kill me, now.
If the icon representing her mind had still been able of smiling, Deannah surely would, floating as she is on the highest gateway of the vast mental dome that is the Grid.
So, so. Seems I’ve pissed you enough now to make you get out of your hole, eh?
Far from where she virtually stands, gathering of memories, of feelings, of electric impulses, information about the previous days still goes on reaching her. Information about her, about the men in dark outfits, about the data she has retrieved, not so long ago, about Heiji and Cyrus and Kinlay. Her own body lying still on the ground, eyes half-closed, clothes soaked with blood, her hand twitching as if to grasp the Mausser a few centimeters from her outstretched arm. A growling voice above her–an Atrox’s voice, easily recognizable, roughly telling her not to move. And all of a sudden, a heavy booted feet violently hitting her, forcing her to keep her head on the ground.
But still…
They don’t know about the holodisc and the mind-connection.
They don’t, do they? Or they’d already have–have done something.
I hope they don’t.
Heiji… Heiji, this time, I really need your help…
I should die in about… 30 seconds now. For the official record, at least.
29…
28…
“Well, well. Let me see what we have here… But it’s the dear little friend we saw the other day!” another voice says, a sardonic voice she is sure she had already heard somewhere before. She can’t turn her head to see who’s talking, though, nor do anything when a pair of hands begins searching under her trench-coat, in her pockets, amongst the tools she always keeps at her belt, in case she’d have to break through locked doors or hack sealed containers.
“Don’t tell me it’s all that she had with her?” the voice says again, this time on a slightly angry tone, as the man who seems to be the leader contemptuously tosses Deannah’s lockpick on the floor.
“No, boss. Ain’t no disc,” the Atrox answers. “Tried to make her talk, but…”
“You fools! You bunch of fools! Of course she’ll tell nothing to idiots like you! Listen, bitch. You tell me where you’ve hidden this information, or I kill you. And don’t worry ’bout it, we have means of causing perma-death even to a Fixer scum like you. Understood?”
Deannah understands, but she doesn’t really care anymore. She knew this moment would come. From the moment she has begun to research this specific case, she has known it.
My mind is still here. The only place where it should really be.
I’ll never get tired of those blue, cristalline lines around and above me… The Grid… The Grid is where I feel really safe. Where I can really be myself, and dance between digitized minds and bodies.
I won’t answer. He knows this.
A faint smile. A faint, but mocking one, that seems to anger the unknown man even more. Without any warning, he draws a shotgun from under his long coat, and hits her hard in the stomach with the butt of the weapon, forcing a moan of pain out of her blood-stained lips. Yet pain is only but another distant information. Something affecting the body, not the mind. Maybe if she had had less experience, this would have been enough to force her to lose her phasing with the Grid. Maybe. Maybe if she hadn’t tried to push further than she could, she’d still have a hope of staying alive.
“For the last time, Fixer. Where did you hide the stolen data?”
Deannah doesn’t answer. Her body is already dying from her wounds, her last healing program over for a few minutes already, and her mind is far, far away from there… distantly, clinically looking at this physical manifestation of hers slowly fading from reality. She’s not afraid death, although being permanently killed is a frightening idea if what she has planned were to fail. She had foreseen this long ago, and taken the dispositions that were needed. This of course implies that Heiji is still alive… but if he isn’t, anyway, there is no purpose for her to ever come back. Her griefs against those men clad in black aeen’t of such importance that she’d come back just for them. But for him, this is a whole other story.
And so, there she is. Memories floating around her, in her, through her. The men in dark cloaks dragging her in a hidden medlab. Trying to make her talk. Trying to make her tell where Heiji is, where she had hidden the data-disc containing this sensitive information they so much desire. And finally, deciding to simply kill her.
23…
22…
Hah. Accelerating the process, I see.
Well, let’s do the same. Phasing active–initiating transfer sequence…
“She ain’t to talk, boss… Already tried stims and such. Little lady here says nothing.”
“Then little lady’s gonna die,” the boss coldly answers with a scowl.
10…
9…
But I have faith.
I won’t die.
I…
w… won’t…
The man simply fires, directly in Deannah’s head. And the muffled silence of the Grid becomes simply silence… just silence.
Deep, complete, utter silence.
… … … …
– Insurance terminal ID E792AT56, Clondyke –
– January 24th, 29458 –
– Processing –
– Processing –
– DNA scan: Negative –
– Subject name: Unknown –
– Subject not registered as a citizen of Rubi-Ka–
– Bodily remains will not be made available –