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Chapter ten: Moonlighting

Clair Weli’sol

Boston, Massachusetts, United States, (Timeline 5): 9:11pm Wednesday, 27th of November, 2013

“Come on!” I yelled. “It’s not that hard! Just give me anything! A name! A year! An index number! Even a picture!”

I was shouting abuse at the terminal for the past ten minutes, ordering Zane not to lay a single claw on a single sheet of paper that I had on the ground. I even chased Jamie out of the room after she came in looking for a spare beaker. But honestly, I don’t think she could find it under the mess I made in my lab, looking for a single article. So far, I scanned half century of genetic research on Terra and so far, I couldn’t find it.

The computer came up with an article on interspecies organ cloning.

“No. That’s not it.”

There was something about that modifier that tasted familiar. It was exotic but I knew I tasted it before.

The computer came up empty for the fourteenth time in as many minutes.

“What in the never-ending void do you mean there’s no results?!” I yelled, patience waring thin. “Don’t make me come in there!”

The silence tormented me giving me a chance to clam down.

“Try to tell me what I shouldn’t do. You should know by now I won’t listen to you. Walk around with my hands up in the air. ‘cause I don’t care. ‘cause I’m alright, I’m fine. Just freak out, let it go.”

I had the computer start playing one of my playlists. First was Freak out by Avril Lavigne. As I mouthed along to the music, I started picking up the numerous sheets of paper that came from my hardcopy files, dozens of paperback scientific journals, and a single tablet computer I had almost beaten to death with my finger. Ave Mary A by Pink started playing when I came across something.

“I remember this.” I muttered. It was a trip to Gaia, another parallel earth only, this one wasn’t even in the Victorian era when it discovered Faster then Light travel. So far, they’ve yet to leave the solar system.

The article I held in my hand was of a human scientist showing off a genetically ‘perfect’ specimen, only to lose his reputation when the specimen started mutating right before the entire scientific community. Thankfully for him, the first television of that world was being displayed in the demonstration after him.

“Wait a moment.” I muttered, turning off the music. “Now I remember.”

CLANG.

What the...

“Clair!” Zane yelled, charging into the lab.

“That came from below us.” I told him.

“The portal nexus? Who’d be activating it?”

“Wouldn’t be Roxanne, only other person is...”

“Blake!”

“Better get a move on.”

Blake Indigo:

Constantinople; Byzantine Empire - 856

The Moonlight Run was used by the fae since the beginning of time. Using the arcane instinct, a fairy or a half blood fae can sense the fractures in reality, either already open or those that open because of an astrological event. The gravitational pull of the moon when it’s directly overhead for example. Sometimes they lead to Hell, or the Neverthere, or any habitable planet in reality. The problem is that you’ll have no idea where you’ll end up or even what species you’ll be when you get there. Well, more of a safeguard really. One I wish I had from time to time.

Thankfully the corridor in England lead to the upper levels of hell, then into eighteenth century New England which made me wonder about the witch trials. Forward to India in the twenty third century, back to pre colonial south america, then to a planet in the Orion Constellation, then what will soon to be Istanbul, Turkey.

There was just one problem.

“This is why I hate catholics!” I yelled with a crowd chasing me. “They’re so paranoid!”

I found the next fracture. This one was a bad one. Lead to a Distortion World. But either I go though it, or risk getting stabbed by something.

“Angering Giratina. Or Angry mob.” I sighed. “Watch out Giratina. I’m back.”

I made a dash for the fracture, opening as I got closer and with a flash of light, I found myself trying to stop before I fell off a ledge, my aethical limbs helping in that effort. Only help they’ve been as of late.

“Ok. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.” I muttered looking around. Lots of floating islands and a vortex of deep blue. One of the many aethical plains that reminds me of a work done by Escher, including one I think someone decided to mess together just to play with anyone who finds themselves in it.

This one however was going to take some work, even with my instinct. Flying isn’t an option. I don’t know how the renegade pokémon does it, but with the constant shifts in the dimensions, in other words, up and down are almost inexistent concepts, it’s almost impossible. So I just fold up my rarely used wings and just walk.

Relaxing, but when it’s in the middle of a torn up part of reality, it’s not that effective.

Clair Weli’sol

Boston, Massachusetts, United States, (Timeline 5): 9:16pm Wednesday, 27th of November, 2013

Not much can be said. We just ran though the corridors of the Nimbus. The portal chamber wasn’t far. Just the deck below the lab. When we got there, we were greeted by the ring and the vortex filling the centre, while the electrical discharge was being directed to the six lightning rods placed between us and the ring.

“I’ll check the incoming co-ordinates.” Zane told me as I came closer, the distance between here and the other side of the vortex shortening with each moment. The orange dragon was already at one of the terminals. The temporal winds coming from the vortex was like being hit with the full force of a cyclone, all at once.

“It’s unstable. Something’s wrong.” I declared. “Something could be caught in it.”

“No. It’s where the other side is.” Zane corrected. “It’s...”

I didn’t catch the next part as something hit me.

The vortex closed soon after that.

“Now I’m glad Charlotte isn’t here to see this.” Said a familiar voice from on top of me, as the weight shifted and moved off. “Need a hand Professor Weli’sol?”

Blake Indigo:

“Okay. I’ll just file this under ‘Life little mysteries’ for the moment.” I said, looking at the large ring shape structure. I didn’t expect it to be there. Several reasons, the first is the fact that very few interdimensional travel methods can reach in or out of world with unstable dimensions. Portal generators, with enough power, could make a stable portal, but it’s still risky. Teleport spells, and dimensional shifts wouldn’t work either and just you’ll just materialise elsewhere, most likely in the depts of space. I won’t be doing that again anytime soon.

So believe me when I say I’m taking a risk using the Portal Nexus to get to the Nimbus, but it’s the most direct route to where I need to go. And right now, I can’t be picky. Just dial the primary portal nexus that’s onboard the Nimbus and hope I don’t get torn into a thousand pieces, or have my blood boil and evaporate in my veins, or my heart explode, or any of the numerous ways to die in the middle of the hyperspace tunnel.

The portal spun into life. It was like a vacuum sucking in everything. I heard a roar in the distance. I couldn’t wait for the portal to stabilise, if it could.

“I’m not going to like this.” I said to myself. “Bonzi”

I made a running jump, leaping into the vortex and waiting, holding my breath, closing my eyes, my aethical limbs attracting the lightning, earthing in a way I’ll never understand. I felt them sapping my mana as I passed the halfway point, getting ever closer to the other end.

I willed them away the moment I reached the other end and fell on top of...

“Now I’m glad Charlotte isn’t here to see this.” I scrambled off Clair as fast as I could. “Need a hand Professor Weli’sol?”

She took the offered hand and I pulled her up. “I wish you would have called first. The place is a mess.” She said in good humour.

“Well, I need you to put me under.”

“You aren’t suggesting...” Zane started.

“No.” Clair assured him and turned to me. “No. Never again. I am not putting you in a dream state and injecting you with a lethal cocktail of drugs. You barley survived the last time.”

“Last time I was able to pull Joey’s mind out of that program with out any problems. This time, I need answers.” I said but Clair turned away.

“Clair. I keep hearing someone crying out for help. A voice in...”

“In a forest.” Jamie finished for me as she walked in.

“How’d you know?” I asked.

“Because I hear it too. A voice crying out in the forest. In my dreams, I hear her fear, her pain, her sorrow. A lost soul. A lost half fae.” She explained.

“Half fae?” Zane asked.

“Blood calls out to blood. Vampires use blood bonds, but Blake and I share a common tribe, as does this girl. But I have been unable to use arcane means to find her.”

“And this girl might be one of thousands that have gone missing.” I added.

Clair shock her head. “So. I put Blake under.”

“Not just Blake.” Jamie clarified. “Myself, Blake’s sister and my brother in the same dream state should be sufficient to find this girl.”

“Then in that case I have work to do.” Clair huffed, making her way up to her lab.