GUNMM PSX: Lonely Angel
Fanfic written by Cris Gomez
 
 
      Gally played a lonesome tune on her harmonica as the cool night air washed 
over her 5 ft tall, metal body. The wind ruffled her shoulder length black 
synthetic hair. Her poncho protected her seemingly childlike body from any minor 
erosion from the desert dust or wind. A warm fire crackled beside her as she sat 
under a cloudless night with the sky blazing with stars.
 
      Her two companions listened in silence as they performed their own tasks. 
The first, Mr. Raight, was a big man with gray eyes and dark hair. His crinkled, 
weathered face and slight, receding hairline mad him look older than his true 
age. He had carried his big monster gun, a missilebee shotgun with a multiple 
lock system, as if it was a toothpick in his hand. He was a retired town sheriff 
who had volunteered to join her. Gally had discovered that Mr. Raight was bored 
with retirement and wanted one final ride into the wastelands, That the ride in 
question might possibly prove to be fatal didn't seem to bother him.
 
      The second, a man named Errol, was a tall man, but unlike the bulky Mr. 
Raight, he had a slightly less muscular build. He had yellow, rising hair, 
spectacles, and a pale complexion. Those familiar features disturbed Gally. In 
dim light he could easily be mistaken for Ido, the man who had first found her, 
repaired her, and treated Gally like his own daughter. Even his duster although 
brown and western styled was similar in make to Ido's old grey coat. Gally was 
filled with bittersweet memories whenever she looked at or thought of the almost 
total stranger in front of her. She found the odd protective feeling this 
created in her somewhat troubling. 
      
      He was no doctor or mechanical genius like Ido. From the information she 
had gathered at her last stop, Errol was some kind of warrior-priest, a 
gunslinger for hire who hunted the mutants and other "hellspawn" of the 
wastelands. 
 
      Gally discreetly peered at him as she continued playing. She couldn't tell 
if he was praying or meditating. She ended the song, sighed and lay down on her 
sleeping bag and staring at the stars. She was a cyborg, half-man, half-machine, 
unlike her two obviously human companions. She had come from the east, sent by 
her masters from the great sky city of Zalem. 
 
      She had traveled beyond the great western mountains, to hunt down, and 
destroy one of her master's secrets, which had managed to escape them, an 
experimental cyborg, the N1-Spiderstalker. It was an assassin borg, which 
according to her original mission briefing possessed the unique ability to 
generate lesser copies of itself, an ability which she had to face over the past 
weeks. She had been warned not only of its precise killing power, but also of 
its incredible stealth, but so far the only trace of the Spiderstalker Gally had 
been in contact with were the 2 to 3 feet tall mushroom head shaped, mechanical 
copies which has been harassing her on her journey.  
 
      Gally had been the only one sent. She was the Tuned, an agent filled to 
the brim with Zalem technology, coupled with her incredible fighting ability 
made her the only one powerful enough, and expendable enough to send on this 
mission. Gally grimaced as she listened to the faint internal electron clock for 
the bomb placed inside her which would explode if she did not succeed or never 
return to Zalem.
       
      A tracking device implanted in the N1-Spiderstlaker allowed her to follow 
it. The spiderstalker's sensors seemed to be able to sense her as well. She had 
been dodged bye minispiders all along her journey. She had kept a few of their 
mushroom like heads as trophies.
 
      This action had given her a warm welcome at her last stop Kellytown. The 
town had suffered sporadic assaults for the last week from the minispiders, and 
when they learned of her mission they eagerly came to her assistance especially 
when Mr. Raight had offered to guide her. She had gained the former sheriff as a 
guide, and a warrior-priest as a comrade-in-arms. 
 
      Right now her tracker told her that she was only a few hours away from her 
target. Tomorrow thought Gally my mission ends.
 
*      *      *      *      *
 
      The 3 warriors set out at dawn. By mid-morning they had passed the last 
canyon rise, and so Gally saw their ultimate destination for the first time. It 
was an incredibly deep depression, which seemed to leave a scar in the earth, as 
if something big fell out of the sky, and blasted the earth into a deep hole. 
The sun was high overhead but deep shadows still covered the deep circular 
canyon before her.
 
       Gally looked at her guide Mr. Raight with one eyebrow raised. 
 
      "That there's Dawson's Folly. Let's get some shade first, and I'll tell 
you the story Ms. Gally," spoke Mr. Raight. Mr. Raight seemed to move more 
lively now while he led them to an outcropping of rock, which offered protection 
from the sun.
 
      Gally noted that Errol seemed disturbed by the sight before him. His face 
had gone suddenly pale, and after a quick glance refused to look at the canyon 
hole.
 
       They hunched down on a shadowy outcropping, and a grinning Mr. Raight 
began his story. "A hundred years ago more or less, on a clear starry night just 
like last night, Hell came down from the sky. It was a meteor even bigger than 
Kellytown. It hit the earth so hard that Pecos Bill woke up and danced with the 
tornadoes, and Noah got a sore back, and sent floods all over the place. We used 
to have the Grace river near Kellytown, but the girl just upped and ran away 
when the meteor hit." Mr. Raight nodded his approval when Gally kept quiet and 
listening. Father Errol in the meantime seemed to have glazed into a trance.
 
      "Anyways after that the mutants started to appear. Nasty things like 
nothing people have ever seen before. Demons people called em. The more 
superstitious folks thought the darn thing had hit the earth so hard that Satan 
himself had left hell to check on who was bringing his ceiling down. The more 
rational folks theorized that the rock had some kind of weird, powerful 
radiation that was causing the mutations."
 
      "Then along came the biggest, meanest, richest and ugliest son-of-a-bitch 
to ever walk on God's good green earth. His name was Dawson Burn. He was the 
mayor, owner, and king of what was once the richest, and most powerful city 
hereabouts, Spring City."
 
      "You see Spring City was the city of cities because of one thing. It had 
the only fully functional nuclear power plant in the wastelands. Now it's just a 
radioactive ruin populated by mutant apes, Simps we call em. It's about a week's 
travel past Kelly Town." Mr. Raight pointed vaguely to the northeast of Kelly 
Town.
 
      "Now The Burn family had owned that there power plant for many 
generations. They say one of his ancestors had it built long ago, a fella by the 
name of Monty. And with it they were the Kings of all that they surveyed. Now 
when word got out that the meteorite was maybe radioactive, Dawson wanted it for 
himself. He was afraid that somebody would steal his meteorite, and start their 
own power plant." Mr. Raight chuckled.
 
      "So he got himself a huge army, and a pack of scientific people, and 
marched on right over here. Still he didn't expect what was waiting to try and 
stop him. Hordes of monsters seemed to pop out overnight, goblins, lizardmen, 
walking cacti, walking armor, I mean literally. There was nothing inside the 
armors. They say his army even had to fight dragons." Errol hid a smile in his 
mouth by coughing. Mr. Raight glared daggers at Errol, " It's true I tell you. 
And don't interrupt me," said Mr. Raight spitting into the sand.
 
      "Anyways, Dawson Burn wasn't the type of man to let a little thing like 
the hordes of the abyss get in his way. He fought on. He recruited more men, 
bought more arms, and supplies, and had any man who tried to run away fed to his 
nuclear reactor back at Spring City."
 
      "And in the end Dawson won thru, and when he finally got here he found the 
depression you see here, plus the weirdest, biggest, green glowing rock that 
anybody had ever seen. Success at last made Mr. Burn a happy man, but then he 
got the bad news. His head scientist, a poor fool by the name of Smithers told 
him that they couldn't detect any radiation. If there was any then it wasn't 
detectable or usable by the technology they still had around. 
 
      That got Dawson's blood pressure up pretty fast, he immediately shot up 
his chief scientist pretty good, all of Smithers bones were turned to powder 
cause he got hit by so many bullets."
 
      "After that Burn soon made an important discovery. If someone was in 
physical contact with the meteorite for too long they turned into monsters. 
There was usually no trace of their human selves, which is why I say monsters 
instead of mutants. He decided that there were possibilities for monster 
ranching with this new discovery."
 
      "He built a ranch/research facility here to study the meteorite, and he 
also sent a big chunk of the rock back to Spring City for research. After a few 
weeks he finally found out how to make money out of his piece of rock. It seemed 
that when the mutants created by the meteor died, some unknown internal process, 
and chemicals in their bodies caused them to leave some incredible stuff. 
Liquids that could cure any wound or sickness, metal or gem pieces that could 
make armor or weapons stronger, and even feathers that could bring back the 
dead. It looked like Dawson Burn had hit paydirt. He started turning cattle, and 
criminals into monsters for harvesting." Mr. Raight noticed that Gally's body 
had gone rigid, and she too was covering her mouth but his only response was an 
exasperated grin.
 
      "Anyways after about a year of raking in the gold, a messenger arrived 
here with bad news. Spring City had been destroyed." Mr.Raight then paused for 
the dramatic impact of his words. Gally, and Errol craned their necks to listen.
 
      " The way the story went was that everybody who lived or worked near the 
hunk of rock Mr. Dawson sent back to Spring City, his family, his laborers, 
scientists, and neighbors got turned into monsters in one cloudless night just 
like last night."
 
      "Dawson went mad with rage. They say he sealed whatever was left of the 
meteorite with piece of a holy blue orb, which he found among the ruins. Then he 
got an even bigger army than the one before, and attacked Spring City. He lost, 
the monsters there were more powerful. Rather than let the monsters have his 
city, he blew himself up by setting off the self-destruct system of his own 
nuclear plant. The explosion finished whatever was left of Spring City."
     
      "People began calling this deep scar in the earth Dawson's Folly. Now when 
some bizarre new mutant shows up, folks say that the thing must have gotten too 
close to Dawson's Folly. And that's the end of the story Ms. Gally."
 
      Gally nodded." How long can we stay down there before we are transformed 
as well?"
 
      Mr. Raight looked thoughtful."I can't really say, but I'm betting that 
Father Errol over here can answer that. The stories say he was here 5 years 
ago."
 
      Gally twisted her mouth slightly, then slowly addressed Mr. Raight first, 
" First, I prefer to be called Gally, is that understood Mr.?"
 
      Mr.Raight tried to look at Gally with hurt, puppy eyes, but his old face 
just made him look like a prune.
 
      Gally abruptly stood up, and turned away. She didn't like this, this 
growing sense of camaraderie that was growing between all three of them. She 
worked alone. Anyone who was close to her or worked with her always died or left 
her. These two, no matter how seasoned, and tough they seemed, they would die 
too, just like all the others. Gally clamped down hard on her despair, and 
loneliness. She had a mission to complete. Besides imaginary, emotional pains 
were for the weak, and she was strong, so strong, she really didn't need anyone.
 
       Gally abruptly spun around, "Do we understand each other Mr.Raight?" This 
time Gally's eyes were dead, and here voice held only uncaring frost.
 
      "Of course Gally, of course," spoke Mr.Raight, he unconsciously ruffled 
his hair for lice.
 
      Gally turned to Father Errol, and spoke in the same cold voice, "Errol, 
tell me what you know, and I want you to make it short, and to the point."
 
      Mr. Raight just shook his head, while Errol seemed totally unruffled; in 
fact he seemed to have fallen into a trance. 
 
      Errol spoke, "We were six, and our mission was to break up a smuggling 
operation which dealt in stolen goods. Their trail led us here."
 
      We didn't find the smugglers, but we never heard from them again either. 
We were attacked underground by a demon. A giant blue moleman with a lantern, 
and a knife." He suddenly looked at them with eyes on fire. "Don't let the knife 
touch you, or your dead or you soon will be."
 
      "We got past them, and the other demons, but then we saw her, we saw 
mother. The others didn't understand, so she killed them. I was the only one who 
walked out of their alive." Father Errol abruptly grinned brightly at his two 
other companions.
 
      "But know it's time to settle things, lets go." Father Errol stood up and 
began to walk down the canyon incline. 
 
      Both Gally, and Mr. Raight looked at his rapidly moving form with clouded 
eyes. 
 
        Finally Gally spoke," He's right. Let's settle things," and they both 
quickly moved in step beside him.
 
*      *      *      *      *
 
      Gally moved without pause down the scar in the earth. When her companions 
flinched at the abrupt change from the hot morning light to cold shadowy night, 
she didn't even break a step.
 
      Within the hour they were in front of Dawson's Folly. 
  Gally frowned at the scene in front of her. The gates, and perimeter walls 
were too broken to be any obstacle, but past them there seemed to be only one 
solid entrance, a gaping hole partially blocked by debris where the entrance of 
the main inner building of used to be. Her senses screamed caution, and Gally 
obliged by starting to prep her tuned seeker rifle for battle. Her two 
companions also did likewise with their respective weapons.
 
      Gally cocked her ears. A tap, tap sound could be heard which quickly grew 
in number, and volume. Then the minispiders burst out of the entrance. 
 
      Gally uncocked an energy grenade, and lobbed it as her companions started 
spraying lead, and plasma with their shotguns.  The explosion brought the 
ceiling down, blocking the entrance. 
 
      Then Gally heard the tap, tap sound again, to the left, and to the right. 
Gally scowled, they were planning to surround her group. Gally's sensors started 
detecting a powerful energy surge from the blocked entrance. 
 
      "Everybody back, the entrance is going to blow," screamed Gally. The three 
of them ran pell mell toward the perimeter wall as the blocked entrance blew 
apart sending chunks of rock flying. A stray rock hit Father Errol in the back 
causing him to collapse. Gally picked him up with ease, but stopped as she saw 
the huge ram-horned, demon in front of the main building.
 
      " I am Efreet, and you shall not pass me," roared the demon. Minispiders 
approached from the left, and right of the embattled trio.
 
      Mr.Raight shouted,"Gally, defeat Efreet, and use his power or we're all 
dead."
 
      Gally didn't know what Mr.Raight was blathering about, but she saw no 
other options if she wanted her two companions to survive. Loweing Father Errol 
gently to the ground, she then started a zigzag leaping charge toward Efreet. 
 
      Efreet responded by lobbing fireball after fireball in her direction. The 
ground behind the charging cybergirl quickly became a flaming inferno.
 
      Gally roared as she leapt at Efreet in a spinning arc. Her combat knife 
glowed red hot as it slashed through the demon's throat.
 
      Landing quickly, Gally looked up eyes wide as she saw that Efreet's throat 
appeared unharmed. Efreet grinned at her as the area around her exploded into a 
ball of fire. Gally was blasted upwards, and then crashed to the ground. Efreet 
launched one his hands forward to crush the fallen battle angel.
 
      Gally growled as she flipped into a standing position immediately. She 
grabbed one of Efreet's grasping fingers, and broke it with an audible snap.
 
      Efreet screamed. "That hurt little one," snarled Efreet, his eyes lost 
their focus, and he nursed his injured arm close to his chest.
 
      Behind her Mr. Raight cradled the fallen Father Errol while he cut loose. 
His missilebees shot forward wrecking havoc on the advancing minispiders. He 
winced slightly as the fires around him slowly began to creep forward causing 
him to sweat, and cough from the lack of air.
 
      Gally dived into Efreet's flames. She felt her entire body heat up, but 
simply ignored the sensation. Her splash kick caught Efreet by surprise, 
sweeping him off his feet, and Gally quickly gutted him while he was down, her 
knife hand slashing from crotch to throat with her combat knife, which was 
starting to turn to slag.
 
      Leaping off him, Gally gritted her teeth as she saw that he again seemed 
to be unharmed. Again a circular explosion blasted Gally off her feet. Most of 
her clothing had been burned off, as well as her gear. She quickly set-up her 
only weapon with the capability of withstanding all but the hottest flames. Her 
Damascus blade gleamed in her hands as she charged again. 
 
      Gally thought. This thing can be hurt. It just seems to heal too quickly. 
I'll just have to hurt it faster.
 
      Gally moved in close, her arms started to jolt with crackling electricity. 
She braced herself as if preparing for an impact. Unfortunately Efreet wasn't 
interested, and moved back, while throwing fireballs at her. Gally somersaulted 
over them with ease. 
 
      Perhaps I shouldn't have broken his finger, thought Gally, inwardly 
smiling crookedly. Gally suddenly sprawled face first into the ground as if she 
had accidentally tripped on something.
      
      Efreet saw his chance, and crashed his fist downward to finish her. At the 
last moment Gally got up to her knees and blocked with her sparking forearms. 
Efreet was stunned by the lightning jolt. Perfect Block thought Gally smirking. 
And then she executed an unrelenting, Continuous Whirlwind Scythe attack with 
her blade, her dance would have put whirling dervish wind to shame until finally 
Efreet's form faded, leaving behind a glowing red stone, and a small leather 
sack.
 
      Efreet's voice popped into Gally's mind. "You have defeated me, I will 
serve you."
 
      Gally grasped the stone, knowledge crystallized in her mind, materia not 
stone echoed a new memory in her mind. And Gally cried, "Efreet I summon you."
 
      Gally saw herself, and her companions vanish. She could still see the 
battlefield, but it was as if she wasn't really there, a step out of place were 
the words she was searching for. Then Efreet appeared in all his glory seemingly 
unaffected by their earlier battle. An inferno of fire appeared, and out of that 
fire emerged the huge, green-red skinned, ram-horned creature known as Efreet.
 
      The remaining minispiders were all engulfed in a sea of flames, 
incinerating them instantly. Then Efreet faded out while the three warriors 
reappeared. 
 
      Gally quickly went to Errol's side. "What's wrong with him? And what's 
wrong with you?" Gally gazed at both of them with clouded eyes. Both of them 
seemed so pale.
 
      "Poison," was Mr. Raight's reply as he showed where spike marks from the 
minispiders had hit both of them.
 
      "Poison is it! Then look in my pack for the vials marked remedy," spoke a 
now conscious Father Errol in a weak voice.
 
      Gally rummaged through the pack, and quickly administered the vials to the 
two sick men.
 
      Then Gally spoke in a disappointed tone, "Mr. Raight you knew about 
Efreet."
 
      Mr. Raight massaged his scalp, "Not really, I've heard stories of monsters 
coming out of shiny stones during Dawson's time. It's just that that particular 
story was too unbelievable even for me so I didn't mention it. Sorry Gally."
 
      Then Gally rounded on Father Errol, and produced a purple glowing materia, 
"What is this doing in your pack?"
 
      Father Errol's eyes turned round as saucers, "It's mine, give it to me, 
mother gave it to me," he wailed trying ineffectually to grab it from Gally's 
clenched fist.
He didn't stop even when it became obvious that Gally was too strong, and his 
faced started to turn red with effort, and pain.
 
      "Answer me," shouted Gally in Errol's face. But He just ignored her, and 
kept on trying to remove the stone. His face contorted, and he seemed to have a 
problem breathing.
 
      All Gally saw was Ido in her mind's eye dying before her eyes, and by her 
hands. She abruptly dropped the materia stone, spun around, and began to walk 
toward the scorched building entrance. "I'm going in, and finishing my mission. 
The two of you do whatever you want, just don't get in my way."
 
*      *      *      *      *
       
      Gally was unsure that whether to be happy or worried that Mr. Raight and 
Father Errol had quickly followed her. There was no trace of his earlier 
hysteria, which Gally considered an improvement.
 
      Father Errol quickly took charge, "I'll lead, I know the way down."
 
      The priest led them surely thru the basement to a cavern complex 
underneath. Underground unusual rocky growths gave enough light to see by.
 
      Although Gally's senses occasionally picked up the minispider's tap, tap 
sound nothing came forward to attack them.
 
      Errol paused in the middle of one set of caves, and led them inside. They 
found crates covered in dust, broken furniture, and rusted equipment. "These 
were the stolen goods taken from a supply train, which we were sent to recover," 
Errol pointed in the general direction.
 
      Errol then walked over to a cylindrical rock formation, and firmly pressed 
his hands against it. With a Whsss sound the cylinder rock revolved to reveal a 
deckman!
 
      A metallic cylinder with large, fleshy lips, metallic eyes, and a spindly 
metal hand smiled at them, "Greetings, do you wish to make a transaction?"
 
      Gally frowned. Any money or sellable gear that she possessed had been 
destroyed earlier. 
 
      Father Errol fished a clinking bag out of his pack, and placed it on the 
deckman's outer table. "Repairs, and equipment for Gally." Errol waved his hand 
in Gally's direction, his face grinning.
 
      Gally smiled back. "What type of coins are these?" Gally inspected the 
coins. Only the words FF, and Square were printed on the coins as well as a 
picture of a giant bird.
 
      "They are called Gil coins Gally," responded Father Errol. "Efreet dropped 
this bag when you defeated him. You were too focused on the Efreet materia to 
notice." Errol smiled although his eyes started to return to their familiar 
dazed look.
 
      Gally nodded. She remembered the small sack from the earlier battle. 
 
      The deckman spoke in a rushed cheerful tone, "The coins are equivalent to 
100,000 chips. Do you wish to make a transaction?"
 
      Gally responded, "one full repair kit, 2 canned goods, one plasma maximum, 
and 3 energy grenades, I believe that's the equivalent of 100,000 chips," Gally 
said the last almost as a challenge.
 
      But the Deckman only nodded. After taking the money, it produced the sold 
items, and handed them to the Cybergirl. Gally promptly administered the full 
repair kit on herself, completely restoring her health, her clothing, and her 
combat knife.
 
      Before the deckman could speak again, Gally said, "no more transactions," 
and the deckman revolved back into the rock.
 
      Gally gave Father Errol, and Mr. Raight a canned good each to munch on. 
The wounds on them vanished, and they were back to full health. "Father Errol, 
would you please lead again?" asked Gally smiling.
 
      "Of course Gally, now I will take you to mother," spoke Father Errol who's 
face had gone into a complete trance again. The answer chilled Mr. Raight's 
blood, and created goosebumps in Gally's spine.
 
*      *      *      *      *
 
      Father Errol lead them unerringly downward, deeper, and deeper into the 
earth. He also seemed to know when they should move out of sight when a band of 
bizarre monsters came near. Through it all Gally's enhanced hearing heard the 
steady tap, tap sound of the minispiders keeping pace with them. We are heading 
where the enemy wants us to go, we are heading towards a trap thought Gally. But 
still she did not stop Father Errol, and simply followed warily. 
 
      Just outside the entrance of a large cavern. Father Errol motioned for 
them to stop, then stealthily moved forward on his own. Minutes passed, Gally 
set-up her Damascus blade again, while Mr. Raight made sure his missilebee 
shotgun's missiles were fully loaded. 
 
      When Father Errol finally called from a distance for them to follow Mr. 
Raight spoke, "We both know it's a trap………"
 
      "You don't have to follow Mr. Raight," replied Gally. Dismissing the old 
man from her thoughts, she stepped forward. When Mr. Raight walked inside the 
cavern in step with her, it took all of Gally's willpower not to smile.
 
*      *      *      *      *
 
      The cavern they entered was huge with deep shadows despite the light 
provided by the rock formations. Gally surveyed the surroundings through slitted 
eyes. Ahead of her to the left was the N-1 Spiderstalker but it looked mutated 
as strange crystalline growths covered it's entire body. It seemed to be trapped 
in place by the crystal. It now resembled a giant crystal spider with a 
mechanical skeleton visible through the crystal glass. The mushroom head visible 
on the minispiders rested on top of the crystallized Spiderstalker.
 
       Then Gally noted the green glowing eggs underneath the trapped spider. 
You escaped to find freedom, yet all you found was another kind of slavery 
thought Gally, gazing at the assassin bot. For a moment Gally felt pity for the 
thing she had been sent to kill.
 
      "Gally, thank you for coming. Mother is pleased that I brought you here," 
spoke Father Errol stepping out of the shadows, a manic grin on his face, his 
eyes this time were alive, and feverish.
 
      "Hey, what about me?" inquired Mr. Raight, a chuckle came from him despite 
the tense situation.
 
      "Mr. Raight, I have spoken with mother, you can leave once you have seen 
her face. You can leave so you can bring other strong warriors here to serve her 
just like I did with the great spider, and with the cybergirl."
 
      Betrayal, although expected was still a bitter pill for Gally to swallow. 
She gazed at the mad priest who looked just like her beloved friend Ido 
swallowing the urge to run or to smash that face out of existance. "I came here 
to do one thing," spoke Gally, and putting words to action, charged the crystal 
spider.
 
      "Diabolus, I summon you," screamed Father Errol holding the purple-black 
materia in his outstretched hand. A purple well of inky blackness blocked 
Gally's path. From the surrounding cavern, hordes of bats converged into the 
darkness, finally solidifying into a huge black humanoid form, with great bat 
wings spreading from behind it, and partial red armor splashed all over it's 
body.
 
      Gally halted in shock for the briefest of moments, then a cold, inhuman 
voice behind Father Errol stopped her completely. 
 
      "I am very pleased with your latest offering my priest," spoke a creature 
somehow even more terrifying than diabolus in front of her. 
 
      "Mother," spoke Father Errol. His voice generated reverence, his eyes 
shone bright.
 
      Gally tried in vain to comprehend what the thing was behind Father Errol. 
As Gally desperately tried to visualize the jelly mix of nightmare in front of 
her, The creature's one eyeball moving through its skin turned from Father Errol 
to look straight at her.
 
      "I am Jenova, but you my new daughter can call me mother." The voice was 
horribly out of Gally's experience, yet to Gally's mind it seemed to be trying 
to comfort her. 
 
       Gally's mind suddenly snapped into place. And she leaped in a Wicked Spin 
maneuver slashing the surprised Diabolus twice, once in the shoulder, and the 
other thru one of its wings before somersaulting back to the ground.
 
      Diabolus just as Gally expected appeared to be unaffected by her attacks 
just like Efreet, but now Gally knew better. When I hit Daibolus it's power 
weakens. Die thought Gally to Diabolus, but it came out from Gally's mouth as a 
roar, "RRAAHHR."
 
      Diabolus raised its arms and an inky blackness surrounded Gally, and just 
as quickly vanished. Gally felt her body weaken from the attack. Some kind of 
drain thought Gally.
 
      Gally didn't wait for a follow-up, and attacked skywards, hitting Diabolus 
with a charging plasma Magnetic Barrier causing it to stumble backwards, one of 
its legs accidentally brushing against some of the green irradiated eggs, and 
shattering them.
 
      Spiderstalker screamed its outrage, and Diabolus suddenly found its 
backside hit by multiple, deadly acidic, poisonous spears.   
 
      Deciding to turn this new development to her advantage Gally who was 
standing on the night demon's huge shoulder executed a Double Cut on its wings 
temporarily causing it to crash to the egg nest below for a few precious 
seconds.
 
      Spiderstalker had had enough. A deadly, accurate beam of laser pulse 
energy flew from the enraged crystal spider's mouth orfice, and sliced through 
Diabolus head right between the eyes. Diabolus was instantly enveloped in 
darkness, the bat horde then dispersed leaving the space where he once stood 
completely empty.
 
      Gally had not stopped moving since the battle began. Using the cover of 
the supernatural darkness, and the fleeing bat horde as a distraction to stand 
just in front of the egg nest, she had decided on the perfect attack to 
implement. To destroy what you desperately seek to protect thought Gally. 
"Efreet, I summon you," screamed Gally holding her red materia stone on her 
outstretched left hand. 
 
      Efreet appeared once again, an inferno blazing from where he appeared, 
from his snarling visage a huge fireball appeared, which blasted forward 
smashing into both spider, and nest. Efreet then faded out. 
 
      As Gally watched, Spiderstalker twitched in its death throes, and she 
smiled through clenched teeth. She had been right; Spiderstalkers' life had 
somehow been tied to the glowing green eggs. 
 
      All of this had taken less than a minute. When Gally looked behind her, 
she saw Mr. Raight gazing at her, his eyes and mouth grinning. Father Errol was 
on his knees, his eyes wide open, she heard him repeating, "Impossible, not 
possible, impossible, not possible."
 
      Gally looked at the Jenova thing, which seemed to have stopped moving, and 
with her Damascus blade in one hand slowly began to strut forward. "Mother," 
spoke Gally, "I don't like being tricked." Gally's manic, clenched teeth smile 
did not waver an inch as she advanced.
 
      "Errol, kill her," voiced Jenova in their minds. Father Errol obediently 
stood up, and unslinging his plasma shotgun charged forward roaring.
 
      Gally saw Ido, her father charging forward toward her. Her concentration 
wavered. She blinked, and a blast of Father Errol's hyperplasma bullet from his 
smoking shotgun smashed into the left side of her face.
 
      Gally's left eye, and ear were gone. The left side of her face was a mess. 
Still being a cyborg she did not have to feel pain if she did not want too, and 
could have dodged the second shot which shattered her left kneecap if only the 
emotional turmoil inside her would just stop.
 
      "Ido," cried Gally, " why are you doing this to me?" tears of red 
mechanical ichor fell from her right eye.
 
      Father Errol placed his shotgun on Gally's temple. For a moment he 
hesitated. "I'm sorry Gally," softly spoke the warrior-priest.
 
      Multiple explosions rocked Father Errol from behind, sending him flying, 
and finally splattering down beside Gally.
 
      "Noooo," screamed Gally looking at the corpse beside her.
 
      "I'm sorry too Gally," spoke Mr. Raight, his eyes downcast as he lowered 
his still smoking missilebee shotgun.
 
      For a minute all was silent in the cavern, as hardened killer, a female 
cyborg cried her heart out, and tore her mind out with second-guessing. Gally 
thought, what if he really was Ido, what if he had amnesia, or Jenova made him 
forgot. Oh Ido is this you, have I lost you all over again.
 
      Then Jenova's roving eye settled on the battle angel. "You have killed my 
human servant cyborg, now you must take his place as my servant. Do not 
challenge me, even fully healed you would be no match for me. Since you are 
badly wounded, you have no choice but to serve me."
 
      "Shut up." Gally cried out in a lost voice. In one smooth motion she stood 
up, and her blade by her side began to limp menacingly toward Jenova.
 
      Jenova's voice sounded nonplused. "You cannot be serious, you still 
actually want to fight."
 
      Gally thought she sensed fear growing in Jenova's voice and her manic, 
wide, clenched smile reappeared, while a mad rage began to quickly tear through 
her heart screaming for vengeance.       
 
      Gally screaming like a wild and hungry beast charged, flying straight for 
Jenova.
 
      A plasma sting followed right behind by Gally's Damascus blade cut 
straight through Jenova's only eye. For a moment Gally thought that she had won, 
Jenova seemed to sink into itself, and no retaliation appeared forthcoming. Then 
in her mind she heard Jenova say "Ultima."
 
      The energy blast tore into Gally sending her sprawling before Jenova's 
form, her weakened left leg fell away from her, and burn marks were splattered 
all over her body.
 
      "You should have accepted my offer, foolish girl."  Contempt dripped from 
the small mouth orfices of Jenova as one of its tentacles prepared to fall down 
on the fallen metal angel before her.
 
      A shot followed by multiple explosions rocked Jenova's threatening 
tentacle sending pieces flying everywhere.
 
      Mr. Raight spoke, "Don't mind me, I'm just the old man here." He prepared 
to fire again.
 
      Again Jenova's mind voice spoke, "Bio2."
 
      Mr. Raight screamed as puddles of acidic poison fell on him sending him to 
his knees. "Not good enough Mother," replied Mr. Raight blasting Jenova again 
with his missilebee shotgun.
 
      Jenova suddenly faded away and appeared in front of Mr. Raight. "Absorb," 
was all the mind voice needed to say, and the old man was sucked into Jenova's 
innards.
 
      "Nooo," cried out Gally. She had used Mr. Raight's distraction to recharge 
her energy with her only plasma maximum from the deckman, but she had no repair 
kits to heal her damage.
 
      Gally moved desperately forward on one foot, trying to reach Mr. Raight, 
only her extreme agility kept her upright. Unnoticed in the cavern light her 
forearms began to slowly crackle with electricity.
        
      "Let Mr. Raight go," screamed Gally, she hopped, charged forward. 
 
      Jenova's multiple mouths chortled. "I don't think so child, and I do mean 
child, my child in fact. You have proven yourself worthy. Here let your mother 
take care of you." Jenova's remaining tentacle reached out for Gally who had 
stopped, and seemed to be bracing for impact.
 
      Jenova's tentacle moved forward expecting no more resistance, sought to 
grasp the cybergirl before her. The extreme jolt of lightning, which tore 
through her from Gally's Perfect Block, left her totally stunned for the few 
precious seconds Gally needed. 
       
      Activating her gameshark chip at near max and expending all of her plasma 
energy in one all or nothing attack, Gally struck Jenova with her Solenoid Gun 
Quench Fist attack. The attack tore Jenova apart, and before Gally's eyes Jenova 
faded away, leaving behind the corpse of an old man.
 
      Always alone thought Gally. Always in the end everybody dies, and leaves 
me all alone.  Why? Why, Gally cried aloud, "WHY?"
 
*      *      *      *      *
 
      Gally played a lonesome tune. It was a cold, cloudless, starry night 
again. Gally refused to think to deeply as she continued playing.
 
      She was headed back to Zalem with the Spiderstalker core brain. The gil 
which Jenova had left behind when it faded away had been more than enough for 
the repair kits, and other supplies she needed from the deckman at the thieves 
cavern.
 
      She had buried Mr. Raight and Father Errol in the deep cavern. She had 
buried the materia with them with instructions that their grave must be 
protected. Both Diabolus, and Efreet had mentally given their promise, and so 
had a huge blue moleman who stepped out of the shadows. Calling itself King 
Toonberry, he had claimed to be Father Errol's friend before Jenova had 
possessed him. He promised to watch over both of her dead companions graves. The 
giant moleman had hovered protectively over Gally until she reached the safety 
of the thieves' cavern before fading away.
 
      Enough thinking thought Gally, deeply or otherwise. She lay down on her 
bedroll, watched the stars above for a while then slept.
 
THE END
 
 
Author's notes:
 
      In case it isn't obvious by now this is a Final Fantasy/Gunnm psx game 
crossover. ^_^
 
      Stimulus 2 for Sunburst Project
An artifact from an ancient civilization – Jenova popped into my head, but I 
guess material or the Spring City nuclear plant will do.
An advanced technological device – well Gally immediately came to mind, but 
since cybergirl's been on my mind lately that wasn't too surprising.
Fenced or stolen goods – ack, shamelessly added the thieves' cavern just for 
this stimulus.
Something blue – ack again, I shamelessly changed King Toonberry's color from 
green to blue (actually I don't remember the exact color).
      
      I guess I don't really plan what I'm going to write, I just go with a 
vague idea of what should happen next, is that bad? Comments, flames, feedback 
can be sent to criscg2@hotmail.com. Flames without tips will be returned to 
owners, with Jenova tentacles attached.
       
 
Cris



The Sunburst Project, Week 12
http://www.chaoseed.com/btr/sbp/
8/17/00