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Chapter Fourteen: Defect

Commonwealth Building; Darwin, Australia, Terra;

“Abnormal energy signature detected.” The automated voice announced.

“Someone lock it down!” A black suited agent yelled. This was the third breach this week. People were getting more creative, getting around Terran Boarders. But even in this day and age, somethings and some people need to stay out of the commonwealth. Smugglers using wormholes, sentient traffickers bringing in illegal immigrants, and then there’s the traveller who decided to use less convectional means of travelling across the worlds.

Agent Rachel Beta Four prepared her weapon, quarantine devices and hand cuffs. Ever since she came to Terra thirty orbital cycles ago as an oppressed child fleeing from her doomed world, she didn’t think she would be serving her new home in this way. Countless times, she’s seen children cross the boarders, just as afraid, lost and confused, who would have to struggle to get a second chance. Many of them now have found themselves again, somewhere in the commonwealth.

Today, this is one transfer she did not expect.

“Location. Ester Street Park! That’s right outside people. Standard Protocols, don’t shot first. Don’t even point your weapons at anything.” She called out. Maybe this is a native. She thought to herself. At least he isn’t wasting time transferring right at our doorstep.

Clair Weli’sol:

“Clair! Breach!” Glenn yelled over the coms. I pulled the levers and struggled to keep my footing with the artificial gravity attempting to reassert itself.

Everything was quite for a while. Just the music.

“We’ve got followers!” Joey called out. “Clair. The Defiant followed us in!”

“Oraniat Levin!” I cursed. “Glenn! Get us into the secondary conduit! Joey! I want the materialising angle on those shields!”

The ship lurched as it shifted into a phase of the echo while I heard the controls beep appreciatively. I had enough time to check for aether degeneration. Radiation levels still, slight interference, but that could be solar flares. The great storm must have prevented the echo from leaching into the aether.

“Materialise in thirty seconds.” I heard Glenn call out as I opened the Heart-field and got ready to expand it though the ship.

“Clair. Hit the big red button. That’ll open the heart-field.” Joey called out over the intercom as I counted to thirty, opened the door and made a dash for the bridge.

Koriain Gordisi:

Jan’ti Sw’et: Critical

The terminal had turned a vivid shade of crimson as the stats for Jamie’s brother became erratic. Jamie, Roxanne, Zane and Blake are about to follow. If that wasn’t bad enough, the sun elf soldier began to trash in his harness. I was about to grab a sedative...

“What in the name of the primal gods is going on here?” I heard a voice call out. Doctor Nightingale walked into the medical bay in her latest nightclub outfit. “Mr. Gordisi. Why are my wards in a distressed dream state? Never mind. Novocaine for the young man, and check on the Magister’s vi...”

“Sarah?!”

“What in the underworld?”

Blake Indigo:

Oh Oliver. I knew you were angry, depressed and needed an outlet, but I didn’t think this would be it.

“Blake?” Jamie asked.

“Jamie. Zane. Remember when you asked me what set me on my way?” I asked her, fear present in her eyes. “Meet Oliver Miles, the only friend I had in Newcastle.”

“But one question. Why doesn’t he...”

“...have a face? That’s what happens when you put a large calibre gun to your own face... and pull the trigger. That was after he shot eleven students, two teachers and the headmaster. I only had to deal with life down there for five years. He had to put up with it longer, and had to go home to a father who didn’t give a damn. I at least had a sister who made an effort. You crack, brake into your father’s weapon vault, and you take your anger out on those who cause you pain. Honestly, I don’t blame him. If he’s here then... Guys.”

“Yeah?” Zane asked.

“Watch out for a large skeletal dragon, or a horde of Araicnas. Or...”

I was cut off by a gun shot from Ollie’s gun.

“Run!” No one needed to be told twice. We ran. Thankfully, faceless corpses lack depth perception, or any other kind that require use of their eyes, nose and in some cases, taste. Hearing however was still an option.

“I do not understand.” Jamie called out.

“This building holds most of Roxanne’s ambitions and ideals. It stands to reason that floor thirteen holds my phobias and traumas. Half the stuff in here is right here because of me. If Charlotte turns up in here to, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“I know that. What I do not understand is Araicnas. What are Araicans?”

“They’re...” We came to a stop. “Ok. Griffins. Why?” I eyed the creature. He could only be described as majestic, from beak to paws with ink black feathers and midnight fur in between. For some reason, he looked angry.

“I was four.” Jamie said suddenly. “And I pulled his... tail.”

“You pulled a griffin’s tail?” Zane snapped.

“I was four...”

“You weren't stupid.”

“And...” I put my hands on their shoulders. “Again.” Never fight with an angry griffin. Put a lion and a bird of prey together, the result is more trouble then it’s worth. We ran again, this time, we stopped right before a large mound of scales, and allowed for further inspection. It was actually a sleeping jet black battle dragon.

“Ok. Now this is mine.” I told them in a whisper.

“Don’t wake the sleeping dragon.” Zane suggested.

“Don’t wake the sleeping dragon.” I agreed as we crept across the floor.

“Whoa!!!” Jamie screamed as she slid cross the floor. I didn’t need to see the dragon’s gold slit eye open, I already knew it was already awake.

“The Resin Section is that way right?” I asked, pointing in the direction Jamie went. Didn’t get an answer. We were running already.

Who we saw next almost made me faint. “Charlotte?”

It’s been a long while since I last saw her. Long day, she ran away, but her psychic link was still there. Her amber eyes blazed with murder and her brown hair stood almost on end as she threw a canister at us.

It went between us and a gas escaped from the canister and filled the dragon’s sector with a silicon compound. The dragon couldn’t get out of it fast enough before it hardened... trapping it like a mosquito in amber. A dragon in amber. Disturbing to say the least.

“Amber 31422?”

“Generation six. Refined by Edge Industries in Vicki’s timeline. Brings back bad memories doesn’t it.” Charlotte told me, helping Jamie up.

“I know I do.” Came my voice, but it wasn’t me who spoke. Zane turned out of shock knowing full well who it was. My inner child. “Hi me. It’s been a while.”

“What are you doing here?” Zane roared.

“What am I doing here? Hell of a question coming from you cheese brain. Better question. Where’s Jamie disappeared to?”

We turned to where Jamie was standing, only to find her absent.

Koriain Gordisi:

Jan’ti Sw’et: No Data

“I don’t understand. She was right here!” I yelled, pointing to the empty harness. “Where did she disappear to?”

“And what triggered her to disappear?” Sarah asked as she looked over the vitals. My phone buzzed. Unlocking it, I received a message from Jamie. “What is it?”

“List of latitude and longitude.” I answered.

Blake Indigo:

“Ok you...” I turned back to me... only to find the whole room, the contents, my inner child and Zane vanished and replaced with a familiar forest. Besides the sound of the night time, I could hear... sniffling.

“Hello?” Charlotte called out.

“Remind me why I do this?” I asked her.

“No idea honey. But if you figure it out... don’t tell me.”

I started walking, following the sound. Charlotte followed, more alert, displaced into someone else’s mind, anything could jump out at you.

There was a light in the distance, flashing and flickering. Each time it did, the shape changed. First, a sad looking griffin, wings dropped and tail wrapped around her waist, then a human with her arms loosely crossed over her chest...

There was something familiar about her...

Faes don’t identify people though sight or smell. The fae can change shape at will, adapt to a new reality. Either their physiology changes, or the nature of their existence changes. Identifying one from another isn’t easy though sight alone. Each sentient being can be identified by their spirt. As unique as people. I don’t know how it works, it’s just part of my instincts.

So when I saw this girl, I knew where she was from, who she was, from the moment I sat next to her in Media Studies...

“Please. Romeo just killed himself. This is much better.”

I kept flashing back to the moment as I kept walking.

“Don’t you think it’s romantic?”

“I think it’s cowardly and selfish. What?”

“You look a little green.”

“Strange. I fell green. Mostly a little blue.”

“Where am I?” The girl whimpered. “Someone help. Please.”

I placed a hand on her feathery shoulder. “Called for a miracle?” I asked her. She turned and her now human face turned into shock. “Hello again Anna. How can I help?”