Dead Space: Purpose

by Dragonman461

Chapter 29: All That Remains

Previous ChapterNext Chapter

Isaac stared at... himself... in a stunned state. He found himself speechless as this aberration of the Marker's power seemed far too real for him.

"Don't try and convince yourself of anything, Isaac." It spoke in his voice. "I spent the past few days molding this form to perfection, to show you, what could still be."

The second Isaac slowly walked towards the real one, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Isaac, you've been so lost. Do you know that? I've watched as you destroyed so many of my children, of your own children, the one on Titan Station, remember? I want to help you wake up and see what you've missed."

The second Isaac removed his hand and walked towards the large crystal tree, holding both of his arms up.

"Think about this: all life is doomed to waste away so many worlds in the pursuit of trying to sustain their pathetic existences. I want to save them all from this fate. You already witnessed the death of Humanity, so many years ago, when the Ishimura first ascended into my grasp. I know that they fear the Risen Ones, as all should. It is natural to be afraid of progress. You didn't want yourself to change anymore than those that were converted before you. But without me, all life would exterminate itself, regardless. I will merge all life into one being, where we can finally know true peace, and never worry about a single thing ever." The form turned to Isaac. "You could find them again, Isaac. You'd never loose anyone you've ever cared about. Your mother, who was so devoted that she forgot all about your needs, wants nothing more than to see you happy and be made whole. Your lovers will never leave your side again. Nicole, Ellie," It gestured to the ponies trapped in suspension, "and even they will know true glory. You could bring about a great age of unity, Isaac. I just need you to be willing to be a part of this."

Isaac started to walk backwards away from the other him, and slowly raised the Plasma Cutter towards it.

"No... NO FUCKING WAY AM I GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU!" He shouted before firing a burst of plasma into his double's face. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR SHIT!" Another shot. "I LOST SO GOD DAMN MUCH TO YOU!" Another. "AND YOU THINK SOME FUCKING SWEET TALKING WILL STOP ME NOW!?" Another shot fired, a small cloud of burning particles hovering around the opposite Isaac. "I KILLED YOUR KIND ON AEGIS VII!" Another shot. "I CREATED AND DESTROYED ONE ON TITAN STATION!" Three more. "I KILLED OFF A FUCKING MOON!" Two more. "I'M NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL YOU'RE BACK IN HELL WHERE YOU BELONG!!!" Isaac fired the remaining bolts in the Plasma Cutter, pulling the trigger until it could only give a small clicking sound.

Isaac breathed heavily as adrenaline coursed through his veins, his rage focused on the other him.

As the cloud of heated bits of flesh began to fade, the figure was still standing there, now with four blades; two extending from the arms, and two more from the shoulders.

"Maybe you need to learn to appreciate being whole before you're convinced."

Within the span of a second, the other Isaac bound forwards and came face-to-face with the real one. Isaac tried to back away from its incoming attack, but felt a lighting-quick blade smack him in the R.I.G. Another blade came down as Isaac felt a cold sensation on his left arm.

The next second, Isaac was on his knees, the doppelganger smiling as the Engineer let out a pained scream as he stared at his severed limb.

\\\//////

Fluttershy found herself trying to force her eyes open as she heard a familiar voice scream out in agony. All around her, she felt the force of a thousand souls, clawing at her, forcing her to stay down. She tried to push through, edging herself bit by bit to just so much as crack her eyes open. Voices began to scream at her, telling her to stay down and cease to be. Yet she knew that she had to keep trying to open her eyes. She had to see who had kept her... here.

After what felt like an eternity, a small sliver of light made it to her eyes, as her brain began to process the scene before her. Out of shock, her eyes opened all at once, as she tried to take in a breath that never came.

She was suspended in the air, trapped by some kind of rainbow-like glow that seemed to pulsate like a transparent heart. She could barely see her friends trapped in the air around her, only able to focus on what was directly in front of her. There were two forms of Isaac. One was practically naked, showing off a nearly perfect body, except for the fact that he had four boney blades, all coated in blood, extruding from his form. The other one, the real one, was on the ground, screaming at a bloodied stump on the ground. Fluttershy was horrified to see the severed limb on the ground, and could only watch as he continued to wail in pain before the fake Isaac spoke up.

\\\//////

"Now you can see the pain you caused to so many that were trying to help you ascend." The false Isaac said in a sincere tone.

Isaac stared at his arm as it began to coat the floor with his own blood, as adrenaline turned into poison in his body, burning him on the inside. He felt the need to evacuate his stomach contents as he wiggled the stump of what was left.

"do you still wish to oppose evolution?" The double asked.

Isaac barely managed to look up towards it before a massive jab penetrated his center.

\\\//////

Fluttershy tried to scream in horror as the morphed Isaac attacked faster than she thought anything could move. It brought the blade through Isaac's stomach and sent blood flying everywhere before the real Human began to vomit a mix of the red substance. The fake one began to raise Isaac up by the blade and into the air, looking him straight in the eye as the Engineer took on a look of genuine fear.

"You could have avoided this painful process." It spoke in a mocking tone.

The yellow mare began to fight against the invisible bindings once more, forcing out power from her own imprisonment while focusing on trying to save the Human. Around her, a singular color began to emit from each of the Element Bearers, each one respective to their artifact.

"Now Isaac," The double raised the Engineer higher into the air, forcing more of the arm-blade through his mass as three more blades began to shake with an evil red glow, "you will die here, and when you wake up, you will witness the Final Convergence!"

The blades swept towards his body, cutting through the air, as the pegasus released her voice.

"STOOOOOOP!"

The moment that sound resonated through the cave, a beam of pink energy shot forth from the massive crystal tree, and severed the arm holding the two Isaacs together. Within seconds, more colored beams began to shoot from their places in the tree, as a massive barrier rose between the crystal plant and the Marker. The false Isaac screamed in a demonic tone as the five other lights penetrated its body and weaved through it, shattering red energy like glass.

The massive tree glowed a brilliant light before entangling the six beams of light and using the resulting stream to pin the fake Isaac onto the surface of the Marker. As soon as the two made contact, the Marker erupted in a violent torrent of red energy as a rainbow-colored energy began to surge from the tree itself, battling in a titanic clash of Harmony against the nightmarish power of the Marker.

As their powers waned against one another, Isaac forced himself into a kneeling position, with one knee in the air, cradling his stump of an arm. He slowly rose the Plasma Cutter, the readout indicating a single shot somehow left. As he raised his trembling arm, a hand joined his in raising it. Followed by two more hands. Isaac looked to his sides to find Nicole, Ellie, and Carver, helping him aim. Before he went back to aiming the Cutter, however, he noticed as more hands began to join in. Faces that he remembered, never saw before, even some that weren't Human, began to join in with him in this moment. As the lasers began to aim for the pulsating form of the fake Isaac and the Marker, his hand began to tremble once more.

A flash of yellow swept by his vision, and holding his arm straight, was Fluttershy.

The Marker began to drone out a deep tone that shook the foundations of Reality itself, as the two looked up towards the light, and pulled the trigger.

Next Chapter