RCX: Slavery

-Slavery-


Xantia and Ciel were low on E-Crystals, the energy source they needed as reploids in order to survive, so they were desperate in finding a sufficient amount to sustain their lives. They were contacted from an anonymous group about the coordinates of a transmitter they would need to follow in order to meet up with them, where they'd sell them both the precious crystals. Despite them giving away little-to-no information, they both proceeded with great haste. They were told to take a transportation that'll lead them about five miles into the Earth's crust, where they could meet the Merchants and sell the E-Crystals with infinite supply for low and affordable prices; prices they both could have bought themselves.

They took a subway system to the destination they were told to travel to, and they reached their destination in little under an hour. What they found, though, was a huge cave system that spanned much larger in length and width then they expected. The walls were sharpened with razor-bladed rocks, and was dyed with a bleak color of gray and brown. A mist covered the mouth of the cave, which gave into a feeling of danger and destruction to await them on the other end of the cave. They thought they took a wrong stop, so they tried re-entering the subway, but when they got back on, they both felt a sharp pain at the back of their heads, and were both out cold. The two guards on board the train knocked them out, and dragged their frail bodies out of the train and into the forsaken tunnel.

They both woke up in a daze, and the first thing they both realize was the chain that was wrapped around both of their ankles, interlocking eachother, and the note that rested by their feet. The note read that they were now part of a slaving organization, and were forced to work for 20 hours each day for the rest of their lives. The mines were dispenced with an intoxicating air that held a virus, which the slaves breathed in each day. The virus would kill the prisoner if he or she were to wander off too far away from the slavers. The E-Crystals that they were promised to benefit from were the exact same ingrediant that they had to harvest inside the crust of the planet. They were given no tools except for a shovel and a hoe. They could only sleep for 4 hours a day, in which they were also given little time to regenerate on lost energy. The laws of the mines were strict as well; no prisoner could question, harass, or even befriend the guards that they were to be ruled under for the last years of their lives. They had to obey strict orders from any employee of the slave trade that they were given, and refusal to do so would result in immediate punishment. Punishment could range from extra work hours to execution on spot. There was no escape.

For long months, they both slacked over nothing but dirt and shovel as they harvested the very crystals out of the Earth that they were promised to buy from the merchants, the E-Crystals. They slowly became weaker, but they were both able to share the energy that Ciel was able to manifest within herself. Despite such, time was running out. The air smelled horrible through the gases that infected the tunnel system, and it became a virtue that they escaped whenever they possibly could. The slaves shared the same thoughts as well; for they wanted to make their way back up to the surface and breath the pure air that they have grown to envy for such a long time. Even the slavers themselves didn't like the living conditions. Food was scarce, entertainment was at a bare minimum, and they were always in the danger of being killed by the same gas that all the other prisoners breathed in. Either way, however, they were sustained with a healthy pay check, but was still complained about for being so small as it was for such an intricate and dangerous job that they took part in.

One day, however, there was a huge tremor that shook all across the caverns, until a major tunnel eventually caved in. All the slaves were confused and began to panic, where the slave-drivers tried to force them to be calm, and herd them away from the debri. The bodies and remains of once-living reploids littered the grounds, as ash and rubble crumbled over the tunnel halls. Screams commenced, and cries for help and support echoed all across the mines, for all to hear and witness. This, at it's darkest hour, was Ciel and Xantia's time to escape.

During the diversion of all the slaves, Ciel managed to cut the power of the entire mine system from a lone electronic warehouse they took refuge in. The gas vents spread all out that exhausted the toxic virus-infected gas was sealed off, and they were cured of the tainted air that they were forced to breath for such a long time. The virus cells in their body died, and they were freed from it's grip of power, and allowed them to escape out of the mines without being killed by the infection. All the other prisoners in the facility were cured of the wretched fumes as well, so they had every opportunity to escape from the derranged organization they were fool-heartedly tricked into joining; just as Ciel and Xantia were.

Xantia gathered as many E-Crystals as she possibly could, and they both made their way to a small laboratory on the other side of the cavern. They activated a small emergency power generator for the lab alone, and used a machine there to purify the substances inside the crystals so they could use them safely upon returning home. They were low on energy at a massive degree, at the time, so they used a small amount that they had to regenerate the energy they have lost over the long months that they were left working through.

Guards scattered all across the caves, looking for the source of the power surge within their system. Ciel and Xantia were able to scurry past them in the shadows, and made their way to another shack. This was the confinscation warehouse; where all the possessions of what was taken away from a newly-captured slave was kept in. They looked upon many things within the boxes; toys, money, cards, clothing, and many other sorts of trash and treasures could be found in the boxes scattered all around. They weren't looking for other people's stuff though, they were looking for their own. It was a small chance their possessions were still in here; most of the warehouse was only of items of people who were captured for only a few weeks back. Their items could have already been brought to the furnace by now. By sheer luck, fortunately, they found two boxes; one listing eachother's name on it. Ciel opened the confinscated box, and found all her old possessions she had before she was knocked out on the train. She was able to recover her Z-saber, and a Concussion Pistol, along with some money and tinkered-with gadgets. Xantia wasn't so fortunate, however, for her box was nearly empty, despite a few pieces of shreaded clothing. Her items must have been sent to the furnace.

They exited the warehouse, and needed to figure out a plan of how they were to find an exit and escape from the mines. Although they have been in the mine system for months on end, they didn't know the mines from the inside-out like most other guards would. They needed a map, which could be found on any patrol's suit that they may find. They needed to get one of these maps, but they couldn't find any guard in sight. They peered around, slowly and steadily, looking for any detections of life. Finally, they saw a lone sentry running down the mines with a flashlight in hand; obviously looking for any stray fugitives, like themselves, who were trying to escape. Ciel quickly jumped out in front of his path, drawing her Z-Sword in hand. Before the guard could react, Ciel impaled the sword through his chest in lightning speed. Giving out a loud cry of distress, he loses consciousness and dies at hand, falling limp to the ground. It was rather odd to her, as she thought that the guard would have been tougher then being downed so easily. A true guard would have been able to evade such an attack and fight back. She dismissed the thought from her mind, and got back to the matter at hand. Ciel deactivated her blade, and searched the carcass. Nothing was found, but Xantia confinscated the backpack and managed to find the map that every patrol carried with himself. It read that they were in the third, or 'C', sector of the facility, and the subway station that lead back up to the surface was in sector one, or 'A', which was two rooms above theirs. Xantia retrieved her pistol and the Pulse Rifle that laid on her back, and strapped it onto hers. They left the body there, and moved across the cave to a small elevator shaft, that lead to sector 'B'.

There were two guards protecting the elevator, and another two on the balcony of rocks right above them. They were armed, and a stealth approach like before seemed impossible. Ciel drew her Concussion Pistol in hand, and Xantia aimed through the scope on her Pulse Rifle. On a single count, they both fired at the two guards near the elevator. Ciel's target hit the floor, and Xantia's target got hit but ran behind cover. The other two above them took aim and fired back at Ciel and Xantia. They too hid behind cover, and fired back at the patrols. Xantia got a hit on a guard on the balcony, in which he fell down to the ground below him. The guard behind cover on the lower ground fired at Ciel, and almost got a hit on her head, nearly glazing her hairline. Ciel charged her pistol's shot, and released the trigger at his cover point. The rock shattered, and he was left stunned and vulnerable, where Xantia opened fire and ended his life. The last guard on top blindly fired at them in a pit of rage, but most shots didn't even come near them, let alone hit them. Ciel took aim again, and landed a perfect shot on his forehead. They both ran over to the elevator shaft and pried the doors open.

Xantia immediately closed the elevator doors and tried to activate the lift. Nothing worked. Irritated how a squadron of guards would defend something that doesn't even work, she sat there and thought for a couple of seconds. Ciel, having an idea in mind, activated her Z-Sword and cut a circular shape into the roof of the elevator, and jumped up into the elevator shaft. Xantia followed with her, and Ciel lead the way as they both climbed up the rope, leading to the top. They reached the top after a grueling five minutes of climbing, and hanged off the rope of Sector 'B's elevator doors. Xantia rammed the door open with her foot, and jumped through the opening, with Ciel following. They immediately ran behind a pile of rocks, just as fast as fire broke out across the room. There were three guards, all heavily armed, standing at the end of the room, shooting at their position, which pinned them down. Ciel tried to fire some shots off, but was unsuccessful, for their firepower overcame the might of her Concussion Pistol. Thinking quickly, Ciel ran across to another barricade, opposite of where Xantia laid behind. Xantia opened fire, and managed to hit and kill one of the guards. In anger, both guards sprinted up to their position, and equipped their melee weapons. Ciel drew her Z-Sword, and slashed out at the guard, quickly collapsing him in place. Xantia grabbed the arms of the other guard and smashed them against her knee. The guard fell to the ground as she curb stomped his face into the rocks below his body.

They approached the exit hallways of the elevator, and entered another large portion of the mines. Chaos ensued, as hundreds of thousands of slaves began fighting back against the barbaric slave-traders. Bodies piled up all over the ground, and fire from guns on both sides deafened everybody around them of such an intensity. Ciel and Xantia ran across the field with lightning speed, only encumbered by the weight of the E-Crystals they carried on their backs. Heavy reinforcements began invading the large room, as slaving hover tanks blasted through the walls and drove their way in. Ciel equipped her Z-Sword and rushed one of the tanks. Jumping on top of it, she slashed a hole into it's topside, and jumped down inside of it. She jumped out seconds later, followed by a massive explosion that ruptured the insides of the vehicle. Xantia grabbed a loose pulsive detonation pack that laid on the ground, and ran up behind one of the tanks. She placed the charge on the left tread of the tank, and sprinted away, behind cover. The tank's entire left side blew up in a spectacle of fire and light, at which only remained small fragments of metal from the armored plating.

Gunfire resumed inside the dome-shaped room, as both sides of the fight continued to fight against one another. Smoke from the fires filled the chamber, and forced the reploid slaves to retreat into the creavices inside the facility walls. Xantia and Ciel ran inside a warehouse unoccupied by the rest of the population, and looked back on the map. There was a staircase inside the building next to them that lead to the subway station, leading outside of the prison. Without hesitation, they stormed the inside doors of the building, and quickly dispatched the guards. Running through the hallway, they repeated the process of spraying bolts across the room until the guards eventually fell. They reached the curved stairway that seemed to twist all around in a vertical fashion for miles on end. They jogged up the stairwell, and encountered no resistance at the time. They were close to reaching the top until a whole squad of Melee Guards ran down the staircase against them. Ciel held her Z-Sword in one hand, and her Concussion Pistol in the other, while Xantia carried the same Pulse Rifle in her arms that she's had since the start of the inscursion. They both fired at a distance up the stairwell, dropping the guards like flies, until they began to get close. Ciel used her sword to good use, and hacked away at all the guards that foolishly tried to oppose her, while Xantia took her sweet time to beat down each and every guard that took her up as an easy target. Once all the guards were down, they made their way to the top of the stairwell, and entered Sector 'A'.

Differently from sector 'B', sector 'A' seemed isolated from the population of the rest of the mine. No guards or prisoners could be seen; just an open field of rocks and moss, but at the very end stood the station they desired to link up with. They both ran over to the station, but were stopped by a tremor's vibration they felt below them. The tremor grew bigger and bigger until the vibrations made them lose their balance and fall over. A huge eruption of rocks and rubble sprayed across the room, as a huge crater was formed in the ground. Hovering in the air was a giant machine of some sort. It had guns and turrets mounted all over and around it's spherical form. A single "eye" laid in the middle, which peered right at them both. A large mechanical screech sound came from the machine, as it began opening fire on them both. They ran in opposite directions, and hid behind cover at both ends of the cavern entrance. Due to the sphere shape of the machine, it could shoot at them both at the same time, so they were both pinned into their spots. Repeated, repetative fire from it's cannons shot at their cover positions, and a strategy had to be involved. Ciel opened fire with a charged shot with her pistol on the machine, but little damage was inflicted onto it, in which it shot even more violently back at Ciel. Xantia got an idea; she picked up a stone that laid in front of her and, with extremely precise accuracy, chucked and lodged the stone into the Machine's eye. Stunned for a split second, they both ran up and under the machine, where it was given it's blindspot. Ciel slashed an opening of the underside of the Machine with her Z-Sword, creating a perfect-cut entrance for Xantia to use. Xantia set a timer for the Pulse Detonation Charge she had in hand, and threw it up into the belly of the beast. They both ran away from the machine, hand-in-hand, towards the subway station. A deafening and blinding explosion blew through the cave behind them, in which the shockwave blew them both over and onto the ground. Looking back, they saw nothing but the rubble of what use to be the deadly machine.

Recuperating themselves, they made their way on top of the station platform and ran over to the tracks. A small subway train laid parked there; probably waiting for any guards that may need transportation back to the upper crust of the Earth. They both infiltrated the vehicle with precaution, and made their way to the front of the train cart and into the pilot's lounge. They found no pilot, but they had the right equipment to make the train start up. Having an advance degree of sophistication when it comes to technology, Xantia was able to quickly get the train back up and running, in which it slowly departed from the station. Ciel and Xantia both successfully escaped the prison complex.