Resonance - This article is part of a series.

Part 11: This Article

Episode 11: Desyncronisation
#

A sweeping wave of energy and pressure had imploded inwards to the towering white metallic mech that stood with a menacing grace above the crowds of technicians and personnel of the unnamed resistance that had pledged, in the shadows of humanity, to stand against the growing cancerous spread of the United Global Accord.

The Seraph stood tall bathing in the sharp spotlights that illuminated an otherwise gloomy and dark hangar; it stood, overlooking the people like a fallen angel wrapped in a white coat of hardened alloys - its presence exuded a fear and a beauty that caused those below to stare in awe, delight, and an inhuman unease.

Most haunting of all, was its deep glowing ethereal purple eyes - it was as though they housed the souls of beings long forgotten, trapped and bound to royal gemstones forged in the hearts of dying stars.

There was a weight to the power and presence emanating from the Seraph. After the screeching and splitting alarms had died, the hangar sat in the heavy silence and shadow of the Seraph.

“Joji Sekko!” cried Director Ryu, “Can you hear me?”

Faces aghast and in awe now looked deeper at the robotic head of the towering mech, and collectively, they sought to connect to the Seraph and the humanity of the pilot, Joji Sekko.

The pause clung to the heavy atmosphere and the mech did not respond nor move nor indicate any sign of life; but for the piercing glow of its eyes and the deep unease that all in the hangar felt being so close to the Seraph - it was exciting and powerful, it could be felt in the pit of one’s stomach and through bones and skin; but whilst it stood static and silent, a manufactured statue of godlike design, it felt undeniably alive - it stood as though prepared to deliver judgement and demanding reverence.

“Is he synced?” asked Ryu.

Kaelen Vane looked up with wonder and bliss in his eyes. The angelic reflection of the Seraph filled the lens of his glasses as he stared up at the mech.

“Kaelen; is he synced?! Kaelen?”

The tall woman who had seen to Joji’s preparation pushed Kaelen to the side, sensing the panic and unease in Ryu’s voice. She swiped furiously, before too stepping back from the screen.

“Well? What is it?!” screamed Ryu.

“Sir, the neural link is at 99… this shouldn’t be possible… The Seraphs are supposed to be stories, why - how can it be-”

Ryu’s frantic demeanour now beamed with opportunity.

“Joji Sekko!” he screamed now with renewed vigour, “you have done it! We can finally use the Seraphs to take back the Solar System!”

The joyous declaration spread throughout the hangar, and a sense of relief and happy murmurings began to vibrate through the crowd; but just as quickly had the crowds latched onto Ryu’s message of victory, a strange unease started to build from the Seraph. A haze of warmth emanated from the mech and small flickers of purple spark and electricity sparked into being around its body. No alarms were sprung, but the gripping despair and pressure from the mech now became all too obvious as a deep and heavy hum rumbled through the hangar. The sparking intensified and the people littering the crowd began to step back, now looking to the hangar exits.

The hope on Ryu’s face fell and he stared wide eyed up at the Seraph and at Joji.

“What is happening?!” he screamed at the technicians, many of whom were now frantically swiping and typing away at the instruments before them.

“Nothing is showing up!” one replied, “It’s as though it’s not- it’s not showing up!”

Ryu grabbed hold of one of the small transmitters and held it to his mouth, “Sekko, respond to me now! That’s an order!”

As he did, the heart of the abyss, the glowing neon eyes moved and looked down to Ryu. The head of the Seraph tilted, slowly but purposefully, and had locked onto him.

“Joji Sekko, you’ve done it. I’m proud of you.”

Rin’s soft voice played through the cockpit where Joji sat before a sweeping display; Director Ryu stood startled and mouth agape, centre screen.

Joji breathed deeply and calmly; his chest rising and falling with each inhale and exhale. There was a calm serenity to the cockpit, and the words danced and floated through his mind like a fluttering wind on a warm evening.

He turned his head to the left, and as he did the Seraph turned; the image of Rin now graced the centre of the display before him.

Joji looked back to Director Ryu, and flicked a switch above him before speaking.

“I have shown you enough, Ryu.”

As he spoke, his voice echoed out through the Seraph and into the hangar. His muted and calm tone reverberated with a robotic static, and yet it was undeniably Joji’s voice reaching out from the Seraph.

Joji sat in the silence of the cockpit.

Despite the weariness of his body, he sank deep into the pilot’s chair, and felt as though he could happily and blissfully fall into the deepest depths of the Seraph itself; he felt the calming release of the burdens of life and the pressure of existing and surrendered to the feeling of resonance and synchronisation of the Seraph. His doubts and emotions swirled like the soft undercurrents in the dark recesses of a blue ocean; where only the faintest rays of glimmering light made its way to the seemingly bottomless void below. Existence, without thought of processing; life without being witnessed and judged - just free to be.

His thoughts, so often fraught with chaotic ramblings and choices left to scramble and wander to no avail and caught in perpetual loops of ineffective and inconsequential discernment; had ceased to be - or rather they were now straight and true, without hesitation. It was as though the path ahead of him that was too often mired with shadow and haze, was now lit up by guiding stars and rays of flickering light from above.

And so too was the flame of ambition and purpose burning white hot - it burned with such vigour and intensity that all material matters of human existence seemed to fade into trivial afterthoughts that were vapourised into lost thought, not worthy of coming into being.

Joji felt alive; or perhaps greater than alive - he felt as though hovering above life itself.

He took a deep breath, and tapped at the screen before him.

… … …

Desyncronisation… Complete.

✧

Joji made his way down from the pilot’s hatch, his body seemingly moving him despite his mind still being with the Seraph.

He landed onto the ground with a painful, yet welcome crash. He had suddenly become too aware of himself and the hangar; he felt his tired and aching body pressing itself against his skin, his thoughts and emotions that had settled and calmed when connected to the Seraph, spun and tormented him like a blizzard assaulting and attacking him, firing endlessly and lacking all mercy, striving for a weakness and a gap into his consciousness. His mind was fending off the sharp and piercing strikes, one at a time, and so his mind felt like a war, a cold and harrowing place - and the noise that it battled to was that of shrieking and static, barraging his senses as though at the crossroads of competing storms, each clamouring for ascendancy and each wearing down Joji despite his cries.

And so too had he become all too aware of the dense and heavy smell of metal and sweat in the hangar. They filled his nose and he crouched at the foot of the Seraph; the technicians and people of the crowd had descended upon him, and so too their words and presence now crashed over Joji and he felt himself drowning on the cold, dusty, concrete floor of the hangar.

He could feel it, the yearning for more, the desire to rise above and to push on - he felt it now inside him, he felt that destiny had stared down on him and shown him his potential - his purpose. For a brief moment, the threads of life had lined up with harmony, and flowed through him. The chaotic webs had stood dutifully and organised for him; and it was heavenly.

The desync had been violent. Worse than before.

The threads of life had split, and now Joji saw them flying off in all directions, tangling and weaving themselves with the dark shadows and torment of the people around him.

He wanted to be cut open. He wanted life to strike him with sharp blades, to pierce skin and to slice through him. He could feel the violent stabs and he needed it - the desire was battling his anxiety and he felt himself losing breath; his lungs were empty, and the lack of air in his body grounded him from his mental prison and brought him crashing to the real world.

He gasped and fought desperately as his heart too now pounded like a thousand drums.

Joji saw the faces around him converging with the faces of his past. The smiling faces of technicians in white coats merged with the familiar faces from home; even from the city. They were watching him. They were always watching him. He could see them now, waiting on his every move.

The people in the crowds, they were closing in on him, and Joji could feel their expectations and their insecurities. The weight of responsibility crashed over him like stormy waves against a crumbling cliff - sending rocks and boulders tumbling into the sharp and jagged spikes below, to be finished off by the suffocating barrage of the incoming tides.

Each exhale from those around him caught Joji’s attention and brought him another problem to solve - he waited on their next words, their cries for help, their voicing of their concerns, their criticisms and needs.

His mind was rupturing as his anxiety snowballed.

He needed to be cut free. He needed for the noise to fall away. He needed to run away. He needed the quiet. He needed the Seraph.

“Joji! Lad!”

The deep shout from the crowd echoed through Joji’s mind. He was fighting with all the remaining strength in his body to stay upright on one knee. His vision was fading, and the dark edges of unconsciousness were closing in.

The world was foggy and hazy and the darkness was growing ever stronger.

Through the noise, Mikkel pushed past and grabbed hold of Joji’s arm.

“It’s alright lad, breathe, hold on.”

Joji allowed himself to fall, and the noise from the hangar faded to silence as the darkness won over.

Episode 10 - Foolish Compliance

Episode 12 - Coming soon