Radiance Ch. 12

Radiance Chapter 12: Whispers in the Dark.

Seven whirled around looking all around himself, his heart was hammering in his chest as his eyes frantically scanned the area around them.

"What's wrong my human?" Visa asked going on alert as she saw him his stance was affecting all of them and they were all looking around themselves.

"I heard the voice again, someone is watching us and I don't know-how," Seven said and no sooner had the words left his lips than he heard the faint giggling of what sounded like a girl somewhere and he spun around again.

Suddenly Wisp went stiff as a board, "Oh shit! It's number two it has to be!" she exclaimed and they all looked at her questioningly.

"Number two?" Ven asked and Wisp nodded her metallic head.

"She was in the project they had Seven and me in, my number was three, I didn't really get too much chance to read the ins and outs of everyone's files when I was trying to choose who to help me escape, but I remember two things that I did see in her file, one was that she was compliant with them meaning she's happy to let them use her gift however they like, and the second thing was what her gift was, she's a telepath!" Wisp exclaimed.

Seven felt a cold shiver run down his spine, like a pair of icy fingers was stroking him, "Telepath? You mean she's in my head?" he exclaimed nervously and Wisp nodded.

"Now I don't know the ins and outs of her gift but I do remember something they left out of the ultra classified section, it's range specific, the closer she is to her target the better it works and the stronger, so I would take this to mean the closer she is to you the deeper into your mind she can go, but if she's far away from them maybe she can just see through your eyes or just speak to you? I'm not sure" she said.

"This could be really bad, if she can see through Seven's eyes she could know exactly where we are and where we're going," Ven said sounding worried.

Visa stepped forwards and protectively wrapped her long arms and her tail around her human from the rear, "No-one will hurt my male while I guard him, I will tear them apart if they so much as look at him" she growled menacingly.

"For all we know her power could work on you guys too, it'll definitely work on Gregory as he's human, it won't work on me because my mind isn't like any of yours as I'm non-corporeal, but while she's watching we are all in danger, because she'll be able to tell where we're going, we need to either get out of her range fast or find a way to shut her out," Wisp said.

"So far I don't think she's reading my mind, I mean I don't know how I know it's like I feel this weak presence then she speaks, so I get the feeling it's like you say, she's at maximum range whatever that is and she's struggling to get into my head, so there's at least that, but that won't stop her from zeroing in on where we are going by simply piggybacking on me and calling out what she see's to her handlers, they're probably already using what I've seen to narrow it down already," Seven said sounding worried.

Visa tightened her grip on him, Wisp looked thoughtful, scratching her metal chin with her hand, "Ahh fuck, I think I know a way that we may be able to shut her out, but I don't think you're going to like it" she said.

"At this point, I don't think we really have a choice Wisp, we gotta try something or before we know it we're going to have Enclave vertibirds landing on our heads," Seven said and Wisp nodded sighing.

"When they did experiments with me one of the ones they tried was trying to get me to possess a living creature, now it worked with some very low-level animals, but the higher the brain functions the harder it is, to the point where I simply can't take hold, for instance, I couldn't use it on humans or claws as they're too intelligent, but it did work on some insects and lower reptiles and mammals, its how I found out I could do it to any machine as well," she said.

"If you cannot possess a human or a claw then what use is it to us?" Visa asked in a huff.

"I was getting to that, now I might not be able to possess or control a higher life form, but I can ride shotgun, I can invade and sit in your brain like a passenger, I think and obviously this is just a long shot because obviously, I've never had cause or reason to even think of trying this, but I should be able to use my presence to shield Seven's mind, act as a kind of buffer that she'd have to get through in order to read his thoughts, it could be enough to keep her out and for us to get away before they know where we are," she said.

Now they all looked thoughtful, "What's to stop her from simply invading one of our minds?" Gregory asked.

"Nothing really but I think she'd have to either sense you or be able to feel you in order to locate you at this distance, she's got a head start with Seven as he was part of the program and was in close proximity to her, so she'd recognise his thought pattern and his inner voice and be able to zone in on it, without that she'd have to start her search from scratch, by that time we'll be miles away and hopefully out of her range," Wisp said.

Seven thought this over, as much as he really didn't like the thought of having someone else in his head if it had to happen he would rather a friend than an enemy in there, so with a heavy sigh he nodded.

"Alright Wisp let's try this, if it works it'll protect all of us for the time being," he said and Wisp nodded.

"Umm there will be one other problem, it will mean leaving my body behind, I already disabled all of the tracking sensors on it so they won't be able to track it, but carrying it along would put us at risk as it's unwieldy and surprisingly heavy, so it will have to stay here, which means you'll be umm kinda stuck with me until you can find me another host," Wisp said sounding a little nervous herself.

"It won't come back online and start attacking us will it?" Ven asked and Wisp shook her head.

"No I wiped its mind when I took over, not enough room for both of us in there and I didn't want it going ape shit if I had to leave, so basically it's a blank doll," she said.

Ven nodded approvingly, "Alright then Wisp let's do this I'm ready if you are," Seven said.

Wisp nodded them walked over to him and placed her hands on his metal shoulders, "Brace yourself this is going to feel weird as fuck" she said and with that the sparkly cloud that was Wisp's true being poured out of the Assaultron and into Seven's mask respirator, instantly his head felt like it was full of fog, like there was suddenly two of him, but that one was just an echo in his skull.

Then just like that it was over, "Umm I don't feel any different, are you there Wisp?" he asked out loud.

"Yeah I'm here, sorry this just takes some getting used to, wow this is kinda overloading a bit, I mean I can feel, hear, smell, taste and see everything you do, it's like I'm sharing every sense you have but while having utterly no control, it's kinda scary but kinda cool at the same time, it's like the utter reverse of the Robo body where I had no control but no senses, now I'm all senses and no control, in an odd kinda way I kinda like it," she said her voice whispering in his head.

"You're making it sound like some kinda kinky bondage or something," Seven said instantly making Visa grip him even tighter and Ven shoot him a rather curious look.

Wisp laughed in his skull, "Honestly if bondage was like this I think I'd probably rather like it, wow I can even feel your heart beating in our chest, wow this is odd" Wisp said.

"What is going on my human? What is like kinky bondage?" Visa demanded, her voice sounding worried and oddly jealous.

"Oh nothing to worry about my sexy alpha, Wisp was just describing how being in m head was literally the opposite of a robot's body, in there she was all control and no feeling, in here its all feeling and no control, she described it like being tied down and being utterly able to feel everything while not being able to do anything about it," he said.

He actually felt Visa relax as her grip loosened on his metal chest, she was oddly cute when she was a little jealous, well as cute as a seven and a half foot tall killing machine could be anyway, which to Seven was very.

"Umm could you do me a favour Seven and tell Visa to try and restrain herself around you for a bit, you might love the thought of a big sexy alpha claw pouncing on you but some of us really aren't into girls you know?" Wisp said and Seven snorted a laugh.

"Yeah good luck with that one Wisp, think that's gonna stop her?" he said and Wisp sighed in his head.

"Ugghh probably not no, but surely she wouldn't lay a claw on you if you told her you genuinely didn't want her to right? I mean you don't have that kind of relationship do you?" she asked kinda sounding worried now.

"No, of course, we don't she's all about honour you know that, she'd be utterly distraught if she thought that she'd wronged me in that way!" Seven snapped a little angrily this time as he felt like she was insulting Visa's honour.

"Whoa sorry! Wow, I seriously felt that! That anger of yours was like a hot fucking knife! Wow!" Wisp exclaimed.

"What is going on? Are you conversing about me?" Visa asked spinning Seven around to face her and he nodded then he quickly gripped her hand.

"Sorry guys one moment just want to have a private word with Visa a sec," he said then he quickly pulled her out of the earshot of the others.

Once there he explained what Wisp had said and requested and Visa growled deep and menacingly, she gripped his shoulders and lowered her eyes to his visor, "Now you listen to me cloud girl, you are protecting my beloved male in a way I cannot and I am grateful to you, this has earned you a pass this one time, but if you ever insinuate that I would dare force or take my human without his permission or consent again I will find a way to make you eat those words this I swear to you" she snarled.

"Message received loud and clear," Wisp said in Seven's head and he repeated it.

Visa let go and folded her arms over her chest, "As for your request I will attempt to restrain myself, but I will not stop showing my male my affections for you or anybody else, I have waited too long to find one is worthy of me to have him snatched out of my reach by your reservations, to have to look at him and be unable to touch him or to kiss him would be torturous for me, it would be like waving a steak in front of a starving creature before throwing it off a cliff, as for the mating, yes for your sake I will attempt to restrain myself, this is all I can promise, as my beautiful male already knows well the passions of a healthy claw female are nothing to be sniffed at" she said proudly.

"Well, thanks for at least trying and yeah I guess it would be rather selfish to deny you both any kind of love while I am here, so ok I concede that point" Wisp said and Seven repeated.

Visa nodded obviously feeling victorious, "Well then with that out of the way I suggest we proceed on our journey before the inactivity forces me to give in to my animal nature and pull Seven out of that tin and ravish him right here and now," Visa said.

"Ha bloody ha" Wisp said and Seven voiced for her.

Visa cracked a smile and turned flicking her tail up a bit as she did, giving Seven a rather ample eyeful of her exquisite scaly rear end as she did, "Whose joking?" she said before walking back towards the others.

"You know I can feel that right? And I can see where you're looking" Wisp said in Seven's head as he watched his beautiful claw walk.

"Yeah sorry about that involuntary reflex on both fronts," Seven said.

Wasn't her front you were looking at" Wisp said jokingly.

"Might be both later if you keep winding me up about it and a whole lot closer too, tell me have you ever dreamed about what it would be like to have a claw girl sit on your face?" Seven said trying to focus his evil grin inwards so she felt it.

"Ok shutting up now," Wisp said quickly and Seven burst out laughing before moments later Wisp joined in, it was strange how both comfortable and good it actually felt having her with him like this.

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"I've lost him, the cloud girl is shielding his mind somehow" a small voice from the table said.

"Well fucking find him!!" Dr Chalmers roared at the top of her lungs before stepping forwards and grabbing the girl by the throat making her eyes bulge out of her head.

"Do you have any idea how important to me err my work number Seven is? Well do you?" she roared and the girl spluttered and shook her head.

"No I didn't think so, can't read MY mind, can you? Not with this on, now I don't care how you do it, find them, find him, he cannot be allowed to escape" she said releasing the choking girl who coughed and spluttered sucking in a desperate lungful of air.

"You will not leave this room until you do is that understood?" Dr Chalmers said and the girl nodded.

"Yes doctor," she said and Dr Chalmers turned and marched out of the door.

"You might have escaped my grasp for now little Seven, but you cannot hide from me forever, I will find you and when I do......" she said cutting herself off as she felt a rush of heat through her body, an art of her was rather enjoying this little chase because the best part of a chase was when you caught your prey at the end.

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Now without the use of Wisp's sensor suite, the group were a lot more vulnerable than they were before, but they were still made up of two deathclaws, a guy in power armour and Gregory, so they still had an imposing air to them.

"It will be daybreak soon, we should look for a place to crash before daybreak, does that map of your have anything nearby Seven?" Ven asked looking back at him.

Seven pulled it up and he could actually feel Wisp studying it through his eyes, which was a seriously odd sensation, "Looks like there an old mine over there, look just before we hit the I 80, it only about four miles from here and given its location I doubt anyone will be using it, it's not near anything or any settlements" Wisp said and Seven nodded in agreement, then he told the others.

"Another day another cave, but still it's better than being out in the open, maybe one day we'll find a place with enough actual beds in it that we can feel what it feels like to sleep on a proper human mattress for a bit," Ven said.

"It's been so long since I felt a mattress under me that I've actually forgotten what it feels like," Gregory said sadly.

"Well if we do ever find one I promise I'll share it with you," Ven said smiling at the slender human who actually flushed and looked kinda flustered by that.

"I-I-I think I'd like that, thank you Ven, you're really kinda you know that?" Gregory stammered in a soft voice.

"You'll have to watch out though, he'll get you addicted to claw cuddles if you're not careful, bloody worked with me and Visa, one minute you'll be fine the next you have a big air of strong claw arms around you and you'll feel safer than you ever have, the next you'll realise that you'll never want to sleep alone again," Seven said without truly realizing the magnitude of what he was saying.

Visa looked proud at his words but then he caught sight of Ven and Gregory and they were both wide-eyed though for very different reasons, Gregory was trying to imagine it and was fighting with the odd flood of confusing feelings that were coming with it and Ven was just utterly amazed that Seven had somehow just become his wingman without even trying.

"See brother? This is the kind of human that should have inherited this earth, the kind that knows the truth of claws and the claw heart, he knows it and is unashamed to admit it, in fact, he is proud of it" she said gripping Seven tightly from behind and hugging him again.

"Yeah I can see that, world could definitely use more humans like him, ones that are willing to put aside their inhibitions and simply embrace something that feels right," Ven said.

"Or in my case simply let the one that feels right embrace you," Seven said jokingly as Visa gripped him tighter, Wisp made gagging noises in his head.

"Ever wondered what the underside of a female claw's tail tastes like? Or what noises she makes when you do taste it?" Seven whispered in a voice so low that only a certain someone in his head heard it all while grinning evilly under his helmet.

"Shutting up now," Wisp said quickly.

The run across the open ground to the area where the mine was located was kinda nerve-jangling, all of them obviously hated being exposed like this but the semi desert-like ground offered pretty much zero cover, it was all sandy shale like rock and a few small shrubs poking up here and there, though the thought of a huge deathclaw trying to hide behind one of those shrubs did make Seven giggle a bit prompting Wisp to ask him what he was laughing about, followed by her laughing as he explained it.

As they neared the entrance to the mine which rose up out of the flat ground ahead they began to have some reservations, even at this distance they could see how dilapidated it looked, the word unstable really didn't do it justice.

The entrance itself was basically a hole cut into the side of a huge rocky outcrop that had loomed up ahead of them, the boards and metal beams that supported it looked rotted and rusted to the point of turning to dust under the slightest pressure change.

"Errr I'm beginning to think this may be a bad idea," Seven said as they stopped in front of the mine entrance.

"I agree with my human, this entire place looks like it could come down at any moment," Visa said.

"It's not like we have a lot of options here, just don't eat any bad cuts of mole rat and we should be fine," Ven said playfully making his sister swing a few cuffs at him as he dodged her laughing.

"Does anyone else hear that?" Gregory said suddenly and they all stopped to listen.

Above the sound of the whistling wind of the desert there seemed to be a growing buzzing noise, they all turned around themselves looking for the source, that's when Ven froze solid, "We need to run, like right fucking now!" he said a note of fear in his voice and that instantly set Seven on high alert, anything bad enough to frighten a deathclaw was going to be seriously fucking bad.

They all noticed Ven pointing and they turned to look, heading towards them at alarming speed seemed to be a rather thick black mass that was flying just above the surface of the ground, "What the hell is that!?" Seven exclaimed.

Instantly Visa Grabbed hold of Seven and began steering him towards the mine as Ven grabbed Gregory, "M brother is right we must run!! The mines are our only hope!!" she exclaimed and before either of the humans could say a word they were both steered into the darkness of the shaft, they were dragged a few yards inside then Ven rushed back to the entrance and with a mighty strike from his claw to two of the supports he started a quake, in fact, he barely made it back to them before the whole entrance simply collapsed with an ear-splitting crash.

They were trapped now, essentially buried alive inside a mine behind about three ton of rock that had dropped from the ceiling when Ven had smashed the feeble supports holding the mine entrance up.

"Whoo that was a close one, couple more seconds and we'd have been fucked, though given he single-minded those fucking things are I'm willing to bet that not even that will hold them out forever, I hope some wandering raiders or something equally deserving catches their attention before they get it in their heads to start digging," Ven said and Visa nodded in agreement.