Unfortunately, they could not be left behind or killed. If even one person were left behind, then the entirety of her work would be a failure. Just like the aberrations, one would spawn more, and in generations, humanity would again be reduced to simple, cruel, and selfish animals.
Was it imagery, sound, or emotion that would be the key? Perhaps it was all of them or some odd combination of them.
She would have to remedy the issues that plagued the aberrations before they could exist in the heaven she was creating. Luckily, she had solved that problem many years before. Once they felt the majesty of the divine, they too would be redeemed.
As Exony's hands worked in a divine symphony of movement, her mind wandered back to Alice and Leo. They were headed to Oberon and would arrive very soon. They would need her help and guidance if they were to have a role in her plan.
What if they refused? What if she showed them her divine work, and they still refused. Could she bring herself to kill them?
No, she quickly decided. They would have to help. They would have no other choice, for the darkness came ever closer, eating its way through humanity. If she failed to stop it, it would swallow all.
Exony's fingers began to move faster. The darkness edged closer, and so too did Leo and Alice.
There was no time to waste.
Chapter 30
Leo, Alice, and Annabelle stepped out of the Epiphany onto the sandy grounds of the Rithe Island Starport. It was dusty, it was hot, and it was just how Leo remembered.
They didn't have much of a chance to look around before being immediately mobbed by a crowd of loud, extravagantly dressed peddlers who offered everything from ship cleaning services to free wine tastings, and even discounts at a local brothel.
"You must have great taste to fly on that ship! We have the best wine on Rithe! I Promise!" one of them shouted, and Annabelle enthusiastically accepted a brochure from him.
"Look, Leo!" Annabelle exclaimed. "Free wine tasting!”
Annabelle's exclamation encouraged the solicitors to redouble their efforts at acquiring the trio as new customers and flyers flew at Leo's face from all directions.
"We have the best fish tacos on Rithe!"
"The prettiest ladies are at Sonya's! And men! The prettiest men, too, if you're into that, good sir!"
Leo finally snapped when one of the salespeople grabbed his shoulder. With an angry grunt, he grabbed the salesman's arm and twisted it behind his back.
"NO!" Leo roared at the salesman's frightened face.
"Leo! Rude!" Annabelle admonished.
Leo's anger, whether justified or not, was effective. The gaggle of purveyors quickly dispersed when they sensed Leo might physically harm them.
"Sorry, I guess..." Leo apologized. He hadn't meant to upset Annabelle.
Annabelle glared back at him.
Leo shrugged with embarrassment. "Annoying, obnoxious, Oberonian scammers... What do you want me to do?"
"They're nice, and they're just trying to make a living," Annabelle retorted.
"We don't have time for this," Alice interrupted as she beckoned them towards the starport exit.
Leo nodded and grabbed Annabelle by the hand, which she promptly snatched away from him.
After giving Annabelle a confused look, Leo followed Alice, and they wound their way through clouds of dust and crowds of colorfully dressed people as they made their way to the customs checkpoint.
"You know your way around Oberon..." Leo remarked to Alice's back.
"My father is buried here," Alice casually replied.
Leo was caught off guard by her revelation and didn't speak again until they reached the customs desk.
As they approached the dirty glass booths and walkways that separated them from the rest of Rithe, Leo felt confident. He had been through Rithe customs many times, and they weren't very stringent when it came to security.
The line of people waiting to get through customs moved quickly, and almost immediately, a deeply tanned, casually dressed security officer beckoned them forward to one of the customs booths.
"Anything to declare?" he lazily asked.
Alice was about to speak, but Leo cut her off. "We're here for wine and hookers..."
"Aren't we all?" the security officer replied, without giving them more than a passing glance. Then, he waved them through, and they hurried out onto the busy main street of Rithe island.
"Not much security here..." Alice remarked as they walked quickly through crowds of people.
"That's why I like it..." Leo replied.
They wound their way through more crowds of people as they began to walk down Rithe's busy main street.
As an unusually large dust cloud began to swirl around them, Leo had to cover his eyes to protect them.
Then, he was unexpectedly walloped by something in his midsection.
Once the dust cleared, Leo smiled down at the dirty, shirtless boy who had just run headlong into him. The boy had rebounded off his sturdy frame and fallen flat on his back in the middle of the sandy street. More children began to gather around Leo and looked on curiously to see what sort of consequences the boy would face.
"Not a good idea to play in the middle of a busy street," Leo admonished. Then, he reached down and pulled the boy to his feet. "You okay?"
The boy looked up at Leo with mischevious awe on his small face as he dusted off his dirty pants and checked his tanned, dusty arms for injuries.
"Uh...Nice tackle!" the boy shouted. Then, he took off running across the street, dodging nimbly through the crowd as he went.
Leo watched the boy and smiled as he stopped to wrestle a soccer ball away from one of his friends who then sprinted after him, laughing and yelling happily.
Leo sighed and shook his head as he watched the children run off to cause mischief somewhere else. He couldn't help but envy the boy. The innocence of youth was something he had only ever been able to see as an outsider.
He should have had memories of a carefree game here and there during his childhood. He should have known the feeling of his mother's love and his father's encouraging but judging gaze. Instead, all he had were memories of his lifelong struggle to remain free and alive. The joy of a fun game of streetball or an afternoon of boogie boarding on a sandy beach was something he had never experienced.
Leo caught himself staring at the boy as he ran. The boy's mischievous look and ebullient laugh were a startling reminder of that hole in his being, and it caught him off guard. For a moment, he wanted to chase after the children and join in their reckless, careless game...
"That does look like fun," Alice agreed, "but we need to keep moving. We're 12 blocks from the Bank Office. We'll get our I.D. implants reinstalled, and then we need to find your tech expert."
Leo tore his eyes away from the boy, and a took a sweeping glance at the colorful shops and the cheerful, dark-skinned, lightly dressed Oberonians who crowded the busy Main Street of Rithe Island. It was sweltering, Leo thought to himself. He hoped that the kids would remember to drink water...
Sweat dripped down Leo's neck, and he wiped it away lazily as he turned to face Alice and Annabelle. "I'm not getting an official I.D. Implant. I'll have Randell get me a black market I.D. and link it into the blockchain. I've got to stay off the grid, mission or not..."
Alice nodded and gestured for him to follow her. "You can do whatever you want, Leo..."
Leo glanced back at the children, who looked to have begun a game of tag. With a sigh, he tore his gaze away and followed Alice as she led them past a group of street musicians playing a happy tune on a collection of handmade flutes.
Annabelle walked beside Leo as she looked around with interest. "Hey? Why aren't there any cars or other transport here? It's all just people walking around and riding bikes."
"Motorized transport is illegal on Rithe," Leo answered . "Some law about preserving the primitive culture and environment of the Island..."
Annabelle smiled. "Primitive? It doesn't l
ook primitive to me. It looks perfect."
Leo smiled along with her. He thought that Oberon was perfect too. "That's why they want to preserve it. It's an amazing place. We should pick up the pace, though...
Leo enjoyed his casual conversation with Annabelle, but he was still on edge. He needed to get answers, and he knew he wouldn't be able to feel peace until he did.
They were slowed, however, as they passed through a busy street market. Flamboyantly dressed locals shouted as they haggled with shopkeepers in brightly colored tents. Smiling women danced as they peddled handmade jewelry, and here and there, a musician played a joyful tune on a violin or accordion.
Annabelle exclaimed with glee at each new sight. In spite of his stress, Leo couldn't help but relax as he walked next to her and watched her experience terrestrial life for the first time.
Leo nudged her elbow. "A little more intersting than Osiris, huh?"
She turned towards him and gave him a look of pure glee. "Yes!"
Rithe Island, Leo thought happily. What better place for Annabelle to experience on her first journey away from Osiris? The difference in people and culture between Osiris and Rithe was stark. Instead of the dull, monotone clothing, and the rude, businesslike attitude that prevailed on Osiris, Rithe Island's inhabitants dressed in bright, colorful patterns, and their personalities were just as vibrant.
Through force of habit, Leo kept on his guard as they continued their winding journey to the Bank Office at the town center. His eyes flashed back and forth as he looked for any potential threat. Maybe the man wearing sunglasses and playing a bongo drum was an assassin. Perhaps the woman in the pink bikini imploring them to join her for some fun at the Eclipse Club would attack as soon as they passed...
Leo knew he was acting paranoid, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was waiting around every corner.
As Leo caught Annabelle's eye, he smiled and felt some of his fear ebb away. She grinned back at him, then went back to admiring their surroundings.
She craned her neck as she took in the sights of Rithe, occasionally pointing at something exciting and calling Leo to join her in appreciating it. She walked close to Leo, bumping into him from time as they pushed their way through the groups of people, talking, laughing, and arguing everywhere on the busy street.
After sharing a look of disbelief as they observed a man in a pink bikini dancing in the middle of the street, their conversation suddenly turned to serious matters.
"Imagine being that free... Amazing..." Annabelle exclaimed. "Leo, did you say this guy Randell can link a black market I.D. into the blockchain? I didn't know that was even possible."
"Yes, it's possible," Leo replied as he nimbly dodged a long-haired skateboarder tearing down the street in the opposite direction. "He's helped me do it a couple of times over the years..."
"That has to be illegal, though. Isn't it, Alice?" Annabelle asked.
"Yes, it's illegal," Alice answered as she skillfully wove a path through a line of people waiting to enter a busy, marble faced shop. "Let's move faster. We're almost there..."
Leo and Annabelle quickened their pace and dodged nimbly through an energetic fencing match outside of an old theater, doing their best to keep up with Alice.
"Just because it's illegal doesn't make it wrong," Leo said defensively. "If I had followed the law when it comes to implants, I would've died a long time ago."
"Relax," Annabelle joked as she ducked under a burst of flame emitted by an elaborately dressed firebreather. "I'm just yanking your chain."
"What? Yanking my chain? What the hell does that mean?" Leo demanded. It wasn't the first time she had mystified him with an odd saying.
Annabelle reached over and poked him painfully in his side, drawing him to slap her hand away. "You must not know many miners. When you live your whole life on a station like Osiris, you meet a fair share of them and pick up on their slang. It means I'm just joking, in case you're too dense to figure that out on your own."
Alice turned her head back to peek at them and smirked at their conversation. "Don't worry, Annabelle, I'm not going to arrest Leo for acquiring black market implants. In fact, if Leo's guy has access to good technology and any skill at all, I might get a couple too. Black market implants might be harder for Exony to hack."
Leo was surprised at Alice, but he decided to go with it. "See, Alice gets it. She's starting to think for herself."
"And I'm thinking for myself," Annabelle interjected. "I think I just saw a sign for Dezine Cellars, and I think we should swing in there and try their Cab. I've heard good things."
"Later," Alice grunted. "Only after we take care of business. Only after Leo agrees to help us."
The passing statement triggered a gut reaction in Leo, and he suddenly grabbed Alice's shoulder, stopping her in her tracks as she wheeled around to look at him.
The people behind them weren't prepared for the sudden stop, however. They ran into Leo, and several tripped and fell to the ground next to him. He brushed them off as they yelled various profanities and insults regarding his lack of ability to walk down a street.
A volatile sense of concern had come over him. "We need to discuss Annabelle's part in this. I don't want her to get hurt. She needs to be fully informed about what she's getting into."
Annabelle quickly cut him off. "I already decided. I'm helping Alice. I've already helped quite a bit, in case you haven't noticed."
Leo tempered his intense feeling of protectiveness. "I know, I'm just saying I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I care about you..."
Annabelle raised her left eyebrow and crossed her arms. "That's nice, Leo, and I care about you too. But it's not like I have anything better to do. If you won't clear your schedule to save all of humanity, it doesn't mean everyone else is that selfish. I want to help, and I'm going to help. End of story."
Leo took her insult well and didn't allow anger to rise within him. She was young, idealistic, and blinded by visions of heroism and righteous action, just like the millions of young troops who had thrown their lives away during the war of the New Republic.
"I'm not selfish or dumb, Annabelle. I just understand that well-meaning, good-hearted people often end up making things worse if they act under false or ignorant pretenses."
Annabelle looked at Leo stubbornly but didn't interrupt him as continued.
"If we blindly try to stop Exony without knowing everything we can about her and what she is trying to do, it's very likely that we won't save anyone. In fact, we'll probably do more harm than good. We need more information..."
A sad and preoccupied look came over Alice as Leo spoke. She crossed her arms and began tapping her foot on the ground, then interrupted their exchange.
"That's why we're here, Leo; to get more information. Now, as important as it is to discuss these things, this is not the time or place. The bank office is only a block away. It should only take me a few minutes to get a new I.D. chip. Then, we need to find Randell. Let's go!"
Without another word, Alice turned and led them confidently down the busy street, towards a large white building near the town center.
Leo accepted Alice's point and snuck a look at Annabelle. He hoped he hadn't offended her, but if he had, she didn't show it. She was already back to admiring the world around her with a slight smirk on her face.
The rest of the journey was one of silence, and they soon reached the bank office.
The building's modern architecture struck a jarring contrast compared to the rustic, stuccoed buildings next to it. The bank office was smooth, pearly white, windowless, and without any elaborate decorations. Its only identifying feature apart from its modern construction were the words "Central Bank 7825" in large obsidian lettering high up on the otherwise sterile facade.
Annabelle looked up at the building in awe. "Wow. I guess the rules about keeping the rural character of the island don't apply to banks..."
Leo frowned. "The Council loves making rules
that they don't have to abide by..."
Alice ignored their comments and took a brusque tone. "This should only take a few minutes. Once the system scans my biometric signature, the supervisor will detect my operative designation and expedite the process."
"Sounds like fun," Leo replied.
Alice rolled her eyes, then turned away from him and entered the bank. Leo watched her step through the obsidian sliding doors, then turned to Annabelle, who was smiling coyly.
"Not going in with her?" Leo asked.
"Nope. Someone needs to keep an eye on you," she brusquely replied.
"Well, keep an eye on me over there..." Leo requested as he gestured to a small alley between the bank office and the Musem of Oberonian Wine that stood next to it. "I'd rather not stand out in the open... There are too many angles to cover..."
Annabelle walked at Leo's side, and they quickly made their way to the alley. Leo looked it over carefully and saw that it led to an auxiliary entrance to the museum, and they were the only ones occupying it at that moment.
Annabelle gave an approving nod. "Nice. Only two angles to cover now. If anyone comes out of those doors, we'll hear them open. No one will get the drop on us here."
Leo was impressed to hear her assessing the tactical risks of their environment. However, his satisfaction turned sour when something wet and warm suddenly splattered on top of his head.
"Oops!" Annabelle exclaimed, pointing up at the sky, then doubling over in a fit of laughter. "I guess we forgot an angle, didn't we?"
Leo looked up to see where the airborne slime had originated. He saw a few seagulls flying across the narrow strip of sky between the two buildings and heard their cawing calls in the distance.
"Well..." Leoremarked as he wiped the bird excrement off his head with his hand, then wiped his hand on his pants. "If this is the worst thing that happens all day, I'll take it. At least it's not acid, right?"
Annabelle shook her head and laughed heartily in reply.
In spite of his misfortune, he couldn't help but join in with her laughter as he enjoyed a brief but genuine respite from his dire mood.
The Ganymede Legacy Page 25
