00-Prologue

Things had never been more complicated than they were now. The passage was soundless, apart from Arin's hushed breathing fogging in front of him. He was crouched low to the floor near the wall, almost blind in the dark, listening intently for the sound he thought he had heard.
Nothing.
Absently brushing away some hair that had fallen into his eyes, he crawled towards the dim shape of his partner that was hunched over further up the hall, only letting the tips of his fingers and boots touch the floor. He knelt protectively over her prone form. Arin looked back down the un-heated hall, making sure they were still alone.
"Que...Que. We have to move." Came his harsh whisper.
Que's ragged gasping was too loud for Arin's comfort. She was curled up on the floor, her hands pressed desperately to her side, trying to hold in the blood that was slowly seeping onto the icy floor. Her eyes were barely closed, eyelids flickering slightly. Her mouth moved to make a weak smile.
"They really got me good huh..."
Arin shook his head. "You can joke later, lets just get out of here first. They won't be gone for long."
He slowly slid his arm under her body, picking her up off the floor in one movement. She leaned against him heavily, making no attempt to move no matter how embarrassed she was. Arin began to hurry further down the hall, often checking over his shoulder.
"Keep the pressure on that wound Que. I don't want you loosing to much blood. You need to make the transfer remember."
She nodded against his arm. "Just find the room first, then we'll be outta' here. And you can stop acting like I'm dying. It's just a bullet. Not even a very good shot. I'll be fine."
Arin looked down at her. "Stop talking. You need your energy."
Que pouted ever so slightly, then closed her eyes again, trying to mask the pain. Arin was left in the silence with his own morose thoughts. -Please. Please don't let her die now, not when we're so close.-
His footsteps slowed as he approached what he could see was the end of the line. The path ended at a wall, completely bare apart from a keypad in the center. Standing a few steps back, Arin turned back to Que, who seemed to have fallen asleep.
"Que, open your eyes." He said, shaking her gently. "Come one, there's a keypad. I need you."
She stirred slowly and turned her head to look in the direction of the wall.
"Stand...I want to stand." She mustered through laboured breathing.
He slowly lowered her feet to the ground and she stood vertical, still leaning against him. Taking one hand from her side, she placed the bloody palm on the device. Her breathing suddenly calmed. As the arms of her ripped shirt had been rolled up past her elbows, her fore-arm was exposed for Arin to see the changes. Starting at her fingernails, ink blue lines grew in her skin, traveling up her hand to form grids of changing numbers. The ink persisted up her arm until it disappeared under the hem of her shirt where it supposedly continued. Her eyes shifted side to side wildly beneath her closed lids. Arin looked back again, apprehensive of time. He pressed one of his own hands to Que's gash, trying to examine it in the muted light. When the ink began to recede, her raised arm sagged, falling to her side. The keypad was left blood stained, but it didn't matter to Arin as he typed in the code as Que read it to him.
The screen flashed 'Access Granted' in red words that momentarily lit up the dusky space. The wall rumbled and creases appeared in it, pressing out until what resembled a door was in front of them. It slid away to the side with the hiss of long unused technology. Throwing a last glance into the black behind him, Arin aided Que through the door, ignoring the thought that told him he had seen silhouettes in the shadows. The door closed behind them.
Placing Que on the ground beside the closed entrance, Arin spoke into the room.
"Identify: Arin Te. Anti-Nova Task Force. Identify: Querissen Toldra Mysia. Knowled-gen."
A cold, simulated voice replied.
"Identification confirmed. State request."
"Power launch. Defense launch. Communications launch...Time-Taper launch." He commanded.
At that, the sound of a generator powering up filled the air and harsh lights buzzed to life on the ceiling. The glare filled the room like oil, coating every surface in an unseen substance that almost felt itchy. The contents of the room were quickly visible. A desk sat to the right of Arin, leaning on it's side against the wall, items spilled along the floor underneath it. The chair had been discarded on the other side of the room, a leg missing and lying next to a large machine. The machine looked like a pod, built into the side of the room, made of a blue plastic like material with a cord of wires emerging from the top to connect to what seemed to be a control panel on a stand near by.
"Launching requested systems. Power Activated. Defense Error. Communications Failed. Time-Taper password required." Came the metallic female voice. " State request." It repeated again.
"Looks like we're the first ones here then."
Moving swiftly to inspect the collection near the table, Arin ordered the computer.
"Clarify Defense Error."
"Door sealed. Armament drawer blocked. Manual assistance required."
"Locate armament drawer."
"Location: Center East Wall."
Arin looked up to see the table was leaning against a square shaped piece of the wall. Shoving it to one side, the square folded out to reveal an empty drawer. There were dust outlines in the shape of numerous guns, long gone.
"Defense Activated. State request."
-Damn. No weapons.-
"Clarify Communications Failure."
"Communications Absent. State request."
"Launch Time-Taper. Password: Gallion's gate is watching."
"Access Granted. Launching Time-Taper."
Dismissing the objects, Arin jogged across the small room to the pod, quickly tapping away at the control panel. The panel was touch screen, displaying a variety of symbols that Arin selected or deleted as he expertly navigated his way around the aging computer system.
"Warning. Time-Taper contains harmful technology. Effects are 99% permanent and causes-"
He interrupted. "Warning noted. Stay with me Que."
A few minutes later the front of the pod split open. Inside was a vertical bed, with head, hand and feet braces, big enough to fit a single person.
"Okay Que. I've got it going. The date is set. All I need to do is press the button. You're in first."
As Arin turned back to the door, he was hit over the head. Hard. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Arin came too, he groggily open his eyes. At first he didn't understand what was happening. His vision was a muted blue colour and there was a thumping noise in his head. It was when he tried to move his head that his situation became clear.
"Que. Que! What are you doing?!"
Her sad, smiling face appeared in front of him. To his surprise it was covered in the ink numbers of the Knoweld-gen.
"You're awake. Good. I hope I didn't hit you too hard. Sorry."
"Que, why am I in the pod?"
"I can't let you stay here. I'm sending you first. It's better this way."
"But you're injured!"
"Exactly... I would have never survived the journey, not now anyway. I've gone into the final stage. I'm sorry Arin. I lost too much blood."
The thumping was an annoyance. The sealed door behind Que was vibrating violently, something attacking it from the other side.
"Que...What's that?"
"You were right, Arin. It didn't take them long to find us. They're starting to brake down the door. The seals won't last long, but...I have enough time to get you into Stasis."
"No! I can't leave you out there."
"Always so thoughtful. Looking out for others. But I can't let you do it this time Arin. Finding her is our primary objective and this is the only way to do it."
"But..."
"Shh." She said, resigned. "Things have got to be this way."
Que turned away from him, facing the door as it crashed in.
"Remember Arin. Time-Taper isn't perfect. You need a link on the other side. She needs to remember you before you can become a link for the others."
The enemy stepped calmly through the door, a contrast to the destructive entrance. He smiled and Arin thought he saw Que shiver.
"Don't forget me."
"Que-!"
She pressed the last button on the control panel and Arin was scattered to his next destination. Away from the one he had found, towards the one he was looking for.