“Can’t you guess?” Truth walked forward, reaching the nearest tank, which was dark. In fact, most of them were dark. Looking across the rows, Becca could see a few that seemed to be lit from within by a weak, flickering light but only about one in a hundred seemed functional.
“Are they some kind of storage containers?” she asked, joining Truth at the side of the nearest tank. It seemed to be filled with cloudy liquid-or maybe it was gel. Whatever it was, Becca wasn’t about to put her hand in and find out.
Truth laughed harshly. “You could say that. You still can’t guess what they’re for? Come on—let’s go look at a lit one and you’ll figure it out.”
They went down a long row of dark tanks, all filled with the cloudy gel, until they finally came to one that had a soft glow coming from within.
“Oh,” Becca murmured. “It’s pink—the gel stuff, whatever it is, I mean.”
“Don’t worry about the gel—look at what’s inside it,” Truth instructed.
Becca had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach but she did as he said. Standing on tiptoe, she leaned over the edge of the tank to look into the cloudy reddish-pink gel inside.
At first all she saw were shadows, then the shadows started to coalesce into a form. It floated up, closer to the surface and Becca’s eyes finally made sense of what she was seeing.
“Mother of God!” She stumbled backwards. “There’s someone in there!”
And indeed there was—a long, thin alien shape was floating silently in the reddish-pink gel. It appeared to be completely naked with orange tinged skin and a third eye in the middle of its forehead, just like the one Vashtar had had.
“Storage tanks for living organisms,” Far said quietly. “Maybe this is how they survived when the planet went rogue.”
“Indeed we did.”
The new voice caught them by surprise and all three whipped around to see Vashtar standing in front of them. Or rather—a ghost that looked like Vashtar because the little man was positively see-through.
“I see you’ve found your way here. Very good.” He nodded and smiled, clearly delighted. “I knew you would have the necessary ingenuity to find us.”
“Yes, we’re here,” Truth growled. “And we’d like to get the solution to our problem so we can get the Seven Hells out of here and go home.”
Vashtar’s face fell. “Do you not wish to hear—briefly—of how we all survived?”
“This room seems to tell the story well enough,” Far said. “Did you suspect that your planet would go rogue and prepare this place ahead of time?”
The little man nodded his bald head and his third eye blinked.
“Indeed, we did. Our secondary sun was becoming more and more erratic and we feared the worst. Accordingly, our scientists developed the tanks—a place of safety where our citizens might escape doom and destruction.” He sighed. “Most of them, anyway. Regrettably there were not enough tanks for all—I trust you saw the bones?”
“We saw,” Truth said grimly. “It appears that a hell of a lot of people didn’t make it.”
Vashtar shrugged. “We did the best we could. Most of our citizens made it to safety—there are facilities like this all over the planet, you know. Statistically only about one percent of those living at the time of the great disaster didn’t reach the safety of the tanks.”
Far frowned. “But why are you still here? Your planet hasn’t been a true rogue for the past two thousand solar years. You’re in orbit around a new sun now—you could come out and find a new home world.”
“Oh, no, no, no!” Vashtar shook his head. “I think you misunderstand me, my dear boy. These tanks were not simply a temporary measure—a holding facility until we could look for a new world. They are meant to sustain life indefinitely. Well, for a very long time, anyway…” He looked around at all the dark tanks, sadly. “Over the ages many of us have given up and dissolved into the nutrient slime that cradles and nourishes us but a few—a very few—of us still endure.”
Becca looked at him blankly. “Um…I can understand wanting to live, but why would you put yourselves into some kind of…of coma forever? What kind of life is that?”
To her surprise, Vashtar burst out laughing.
“Why, the fullest life imaginable, my dear! Forgive me, but I don’t think you understand. You see, the nutrient slime doesn’t simply sustain life—it also connects our minds. It is the gateway to the Mindscape.”
“The what?” Far asked, frowning.
“What the hell is that?” Truth demanded.
“It is a whole other world—an existence bounded only by our imaginations.” Vashtar frowned. “Let me think, how can I explain?” He looked at Becca. “On your planet, you have an interconnected system of machines, a way that people all over your world can see each other and communicate and exchange ideas, do you not?”
“You mean the Internet?” She frowned. “Yes, we do and the Kindred have a much further reaching system like it, too.”
“Imagine a system even vaster and more all encompassing.” Vashtar threw out both arms in a sweeping circle. “Imagine creating your own world to live in, to play in, to people with whatever creatures you choose. Imagine life eternal in the environment of your choice.”
Becca raised an eyebrow at him. “So…you’re saying that when the planet went rogue, all your people went underground, climbed into tanks filled with slime, and basically moved into the Internet to live? As in, forever?”
The little man looked suddenly sorrowful. “Well, for quite a long time, anyway. As you can see, not many of us remain.”
“That’s very sad,” Becca said softly.
“Not to mention fucking strange,” Truth growled, under his breath.
“Hush!” Becca elbowed him. “Thank you for telling us your story,” she said to Vashtar. “And for offering to help us with our problem.”
“Of course, of course—always glad to help another society of threes.” The little man bobbed excitedly, his ruby red third eye blinking.
“That’s wonderful.” Becca smiled warmly. “So…what can we do? How do we get the, uh, demons out of the men who have been possessed?”
“Oh, I can’t tell you that!” Vashtar exclaimed. “Not here, anyway.”
“What? Then why in the Seven Hells did you drag us all the way down here?” Truth demanded.
“Why, to help you! But as I said, I can’t do it here. The solution to your problem is a deeply buried secret and I do not know it.”
Becca tried to hold on to her temper though she was feeling almost as pissed off as Truth.
“All right,” she said evenly. “Then who does?”
“Why, Vashtar, of course,” the little man said, as though it should be obvious.
“But you are Vashtar,” Far said blankly. “Aren’t you?”
“No, indeed!” He laughed as though the idea was ridiculous. “I’m only his avatar. A loose programming of his personality sent to guide you to him.”
“All right, so guide us,” Truth said, frowning. He began scanning the long, shadowy rows. “Which tank is he in?”
“Oh, none of these! Vashtar’s body is in a tank halfway around the world in the Blurbzz holding facility.”
“What?” Far exclaimed. “Then why did you send us coordinates for this facility?”
“Why, because it’s the only one with three working, empty tanks, of course!”
Becca began to get a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Please don’t say what I think you’re going to say. You don’t actually want us to…to…”
“To climb into the nutrient slime and enter the Mindscape,” the avatar finished for her. “Of course—it is the only way you can have access to the real Vashtar. But you must hurry—he spent much of his mental reserves in contacting you in the first place. Soon he too may dissolve into the slime and be no more.” The thought seemed to make him so sad that a tear escaped his third eye and rolled down the side of his nose.
“But…but…” Objections rose so fast in Becca’s mind she couldn’t voice any of them. Truth, however, had no such problem.
“How do we know your slime is compatible with our bodies?” he demanded. “It could be poison to ones with our chemistry.”
“You are carbon based life forms and your chemistry was close enough to ours to allow the scanners to let you through in the first place,” the avatar said. “You should have no problem.”
“But…how do you breathe in there?” Becca shivered.
“The slime is infused with oxygen and other necessary agents. Once you inhale it into your lungs—”
“What?” Truth looked angry. “No way in all the Seven Hells! We cannot breathe slime!”
“Actually, deep sea divers on Earth do,” Becca said. “I read an article about it—they use a form of liquid oxygen. It allows them to dive deeper because it equalizes the pressure in their lungs with the outside pressure of the ocean.” She shook her head. “Ugh—I remember thinking how horrible it sounded when I read it.”
“It’s not that bad,” the Vashtar avatar assured them. “You only feel like you’re drowning for a moment and then the neural interface kicks in and you wake up in the Mindscape.”
“And how do you eat?” Far asked.
“Like kings.” The avatar beamed. “From the outside, the nutrient slime supplies all your needs. But once you are in the Mindscape, you can imagine any food you want and have it appear for you. And I do mean any food—for of course in the Mindscape, one cannot grow fat or unhealthy.” He frowned. “Unless you wished to, of course, but that would be a rather strange fantasy, wouldn’t it?”
Becca bit her lip. “So technically I could imagine I was eating a dozen donuts or a pan of brownies or a big slice of pizza and I could eat it and taste it but not actually gain weight from it?” She still hated the idea of breathing slime but the idea of eating what she wanted without having to watch her weight made it almost seem worth it.
“Exactly—you have the idea now!” The avatar smiled broadly. “Do you begin to see the beauty of the Mindscape?”
“All I see is a fucking danger,” Truth growled. “Once we are in, how do we get out again?”
“Why, you simply picture a doorway with ‘out’ or ‘exit’ or the phrase for egress of your choice. Once it appears, you go through it and you’ll find yourself waking up in your tank.” The avatar spread his transparent hands. “Could it possibly be easier?”
“Actually, yes it could,” Far said. “When you—or Vashtar—invited us down here, we had no idea we’d be expected to breathe slime and submerge our consciousnesses into a strange, mental matrix.”
“Forgive me but that is the only way to access the true Vashtar and all of his vast knowledge.” The little avatar looked sorrowful. “Should I go tell him that you are not coming after all? He only delays his dissolution for you, you know.”
“What, you mean he’s about to let himself dissolve?” Becca asked.
“Alas, his years in the Mindscape have been long—many, many times the normal lifespan of our kind. I fear the only thing that keeps Vashtar sane is his ability to cast his consciousness out into the universe and help others.” The avatar bowed his head. “But his strength is waning. I believe you are the last three he will be able to help. Still, he did wish to be of service at least once more before his dissolution.”
“How do we know this fucking gel won’t dissolve us?” Truth asked.
“Why it cannot until you will it,” the avatar looked shocked. “Only a conscious effort on your part can allow the nutrient slime to digest you.”
“Ugh…” Becca shivered. “I’m sorry, but are we actually thinking of doing this?”
“I think it’s insane,” Truth growled.
Far looked thoughtful. “It does seem risky, but we did swear to bring a solution to the Mother Ship.” He sighed. “Maybe I should go myself and the two of you stay here.”
“No,” the avatar said at once, frowning. “One alone can never make it within the Mindscape. Our entire society was predicated on threes. Unless all three of you submerge your consciousness and work together, you will never be able to navigate to where Vashtar is.”
“But where is he?” Becca asked. “Will we see him as soon as we, uh, breathe the slime?”
“Naturally not,” the avatar said primly. “Vashtar was the seer of our planet—a very important person. You cannot just access him as easily as walking up to speak to your neighbor. You will be required to follow the proper protocol procedures before meeting him.”
“What are those?” Far asked.
“You will find them in the Mindscape.” The avatar frowned. “Now may I tell Vashtar to expect you or not? He is extremely fatigued by his long years of life and he will not wait much longer.”
“I don’t know—give us a minute,” Becca begged. “You’re kind of asking a lot here, you know.”
“Not so much,” the avatar said. “Only that you come to meet Vashtar where he can speak to you in person. Why is that so difficult?”
“Give us time to discuss it,” Far said. He looked at Becca and Truth. “All three of us must agree. What do you say?”
Becca had a sudden image of all the unmated males, their eyes red and evil, their bodies taken over by beings who wished to kill and maim and rape every living soul aboard her new home.
“I say…we have to go,” she said reluctantly. “Think of all the people we love back aboard the Mother Ship. Think what might happen if we don’t get the answer. Either they’ll have to kill all the possessed males somehow—which would be terrible—or the males might break free and kill everyone else. Which would be even worse!”
“I agree,” Far said slowly. “Honor demands this sacrifice of us.” He took Becca’s hand. “And even if I didn’t think so, I would still go where you go, mi’now,” he said softly.
“Thank you, Far.” She squeezed his fingers and they both turned to look at Truth. He had his arms crossed over his muscular chest and was scowling at the floor, obviously deep in thought.
“Truth?” Becca said hesitantly.
“There is no one on the Mother Ship that I love,” he said, frowning. “No one I care for enough to forfeit my life. And though I swore to bring back a solution to the problem there, no mention was made of such an extreme risk to both health and sanity.”
“But you said—” Far began but Becca put a hand on his arm.
“Hush, he’s not done yet.”
Truth took a deep breath. “Having said all that, I see that the two of you are determined to do this.”
“We are,” Far said quietly and Becca nodded.
Truth looked up. “Then I will go with you.” He nodded at Becca. “I swore to protect you with my life, Rebecca. As for you, Far, I cannot…” He frowned at his brother. “I cannot let my own blood—as estranged as we are—go into danger alone.”
“Thank you, Brother,” Far said quietly. “That means a great deal to me.”
“It shouldn’t.” Truth pointed a finger at both of them and spoke in a low voice. “Because I haven’t changed my mind about anything I said to you the other night. Though I am going with you, it is only for the sake of the mission. I don’t want to hear any talk of ‘bonding’ or ‘sharing’ or anything else of that nature.”
“Don’t worry,” Far said stiffly. “You’ve made your wishes abundantly clear.”
“Good.” Truth nodded, apparently satisfied. “Then let’s get this over with.”
We’re really going to do this and we’re doing it together. Becca felt a surge of relief which was immediately followed by a stab of dread. Well, yeah, it’s great, we’re all going together but oh God, we all have to climb in a tank and breathe slime. Ugh!
“Well then, it’s all decided?” the avatar asked, clapping its transparent hands together with no noise at all. “Can I lead you to your tanks?”
“Yes,” Truth said heavily. “Lead us to the tanks.”
Chapter
Twenty-two
“I cannot fucking believe we’re doing this,” Truth grumbled, stripping off his protective suit.
“Are you sure we have to be naked?” Becca asked, eyeing the pinkish red contents of her tank anxiously.
They were in a far corner of the warehouse sized underground room, standing in front of three identical tanks. The tanks hummed softly and all three were lit from within so that they gave off a soft pink glow. They were side by side with connecting tubes between them, so that the nutrient slime could mix for maximum mental contact in the Mindscape, according to the avatar.
Becca supposed that was a good thing. If she was going to enter a whole other realm the moment she inhaled the slime, she didn’t want to wake up there and find herself alone.
“It’s really cold in here—is the slime warm, at least?” she asked hopefully.
“Actually, the slime is kept at a low temperature in order to better preserve the physical body it holds and nourishes,” the avatar lectured. “But don’t worry—once you find yourself inside the Mindscape, the three of you together should be able to warm yourselves.”
“What in the Seven Hells is that supposed to mean—together?” Truth growled. He was completely naked, having stripped with no apparent shame at all. Becca was trying not to look but she couldn’t help sneaking a peek at his chiseled abs and wide shoulders. Why did the dark twin have to look so mouthwatering? It really wasn’t fair for him to be so damn hot when he was in such a bad mood—it made it a lot harder to be mad at him.
“It means what I said—the three of you together will find a way to be warm.” The avatar of Vashtar cocked the eyebrow over his third eye quizzically. “Do you require me to phrase it another way? Is your translation software faulty?”
“I don’t think my brother is having trouble understanding your words,” Far said, also stripping out of his silver suit. Becca had trouble keeping her eyes off his muscular ass and chest as well—the weird warehouse was turning into a naked smorgasbord which was really hard to ignore. “He’s more concerned with their meaning,” Far finished, toeing off his boots and standing completely naked in the frigid air.
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