Box Set #5: Nemesis: [The 4 book 5th adventure of Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood]

by Robert Iannone

  Xara shook her head. “Not quite right,” but she didn’t elaborate.

  “Come look out this window.” The Room of Doom was perched at the very top of the Library and from this vantage point you could see past the city boundary and into the desolation beyond.

  Xara did as she was told. She scanned the city and beyond . . . trying to make sense of what she was seeing. Finally, she asked, “We are in Amber Heart?”

  “Yes.”

  “In three centuries, this is all you’ve accomplished? Three hundred years and all you could do was . . . was this?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “This city was once the center of scientific learning and technological industry. Now . . . now it’s a backward village. The majestic buildings that housed the best of what we are – what we had been – were destroyed in the war. But it’s . . . it’s disgusting. You have MAGEK and you haven’t been able to rebuild any of it. This is what you Holy Hexes are so proud of . . . this is how you justify your position of power?” Xara had never shown much emotion in her later years; but this remnant of a once proud civilization was overwhelming.

  “What was it like?” asked Flash.

  Xara spun around and glared at the two Divine Ones. “YOU did this. You and your ilk. I should rip your eyes out right now.”

  Involuntarily both hooded people raised their ringed hands to ward off any attack. Peak, upon realizing the threat was just verbal, said, “Need I remind you that you betrayed your own kind to work with . . . with my side.”

  “That was personal not philosophical.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “None of your business.” She looked from one to the other then continued. “Let me give YOU a little history lesson. It was the Hex Weavers that started the fight, not the Amber Hearts.”

  “So you say.”

  “So I do. My kind are drawn from individuals with a high degree of empathy. Yours, on the other hand, are mostly alphas . . . individualistic, self-centered and egotistical. Amber Hearts by their very nature are incapable of being aggressors. Don’t misunderstand – they will defend themselves and those that are entrusted to them with every ounce of strength they can muster. BUT . . . they would never fire the first shot.”

  “You don’t seem to fit this mold. Why is that?”

  She considered her answer before speaking. “I’m an anomaly.”

  “Because you don’t have the facial markings?”

  “Still none of your business. Now, start answering my questions, assuming you have the answers.”

  “Go on. Ask.”

  “Are there other cities that survived?”

  “No.”

  “What’s out there . . . beyond the city limits?”

  “Desolation as far as you can see. But, no one can explore the ruins because of some residual radiation from the war.”

  “What kind of radiation?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “You’re an idiot.”

  “Why?”

  “There’s no radiation. You can’t go out there because the towers and obelisks were destroyed. You can’t access MAGEK without them.”

  Peak glanced at Flash who shrugged. “Can those be rebuilt?” he asked Xara.

  “Of course.”

  “Interesting,” he mumbled as he considered the consequences of doing just that.

  “Are there any Amber Hearts left?”

  “Just one that we know of.”

  “Does she have the amulet?”

  “Amulet?”

  “The necklace with a Heart Stone. I need one if I’m going to help you do what you want done.”

  “She does have a necklace.”

  “I want it.”

  “How about this . . .” and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a duplicate of the necklace worn by Jax’x.

  Xara’s eyes went wide and she reached for it. Peak was anticipating the reaction and snatched his hand back before the woman could grab it. “Now, now. You can have this when you need it and not before.”

  Licking her lips as if she was a starving lioness staring at her prey, Xara forced her hand back to her side. “Very wise”.

  “Indeed.”

  Xara turned and looked back out the window. Over her shoulder she said, “I see no green, no vegetation of any kind. And the canals and fountains . . . they are either dry or covered over. Why is that?” She knew the answer but was curious if her hosts did.

  “There is no rain therefore no flora of any kind. And all surface water has long since evaporated.”

  “So for the citizens to survive, the Divine Ones create the food and water. The population can never rebel because if they did they would starve or die of thirst. Very clever.” Xara should know . . . it had been her idea.

  Peak shrugged his shoulders in dismissal. “It’s a natural, probably cyclical, phenomenon. Nothing to do with the Divine Ones.”

  “Idiot. It’s the work of MAGEK. Someone very, very clever told the machine to stop the rains.”

  “Are you saying I can tell it to let the precipitation return?”

  “I doubt it. My guess is that there’s a hard command wired into it. You have to go down and physically change it.” Again, she knew very well that this was the case.

  “How?”

  Instead of answering, Xara asked, “What exactly is it that you think I can do?”

  “Get us into the machine.”

  “Then what?”

  “You can reprogram it as we wish.”

  “And why do you think I can do that?”

  Peak turned to Flash and she handed him a piece of parchment . . . very old parchment. “It says here that one woman of extraordinary intelligence was given the task to improve the machine’s original design. Her name was . . . Xara. Among other improvements, she was told to reprogram MAGEK in a way that . . . The rest of the text did not survive. We only know that she had access to MAGEK and had the ability to alter its programming.”

  “Sounds like this person was pretty amazing. May I see?”

  “If you like,” and he gingerly handed her the ancient document.

  Xara looked at the name and saw what she had expected to see. The first letter wasn’t an X. It was a double X.

  Unless you knew what you were looking for, it was easy to miss. In this case, the darker X was outlined by a much lighter one. It was an X inside an X . . . something uniquely Amber Heart. In her day, they pronounced it as if it were a Y. The person this referred to was YARA . . . her mother.

  “And you think that’s me?” She saw no immediate need to correct their thinking.

  “If it’s not, you’re about to vanish . . . forever.”

  The woman laughed. “How predictable your response. Not very imaginative.”

  “Do you know what a Cell of Transitional Non-Being is?”

  Xara actually paled. “It was a theoretical construct to be used instead of the death penalty . . . something the citizens found distasteful.”

  “Why?” asked a curious Flash.

  “It meant we were playing God again . . . taking a life that was not ours to take. But some people are truly evil and the punishment must fit the crime. So the Cell was conceived but never perfected.”

  “You will be happy to know that it has been.”

  “How pathetic. You left the world to wallow in the destruction of war, but that wasn’t enough. You found the time to create another kind of hell.”

  “I am glad you fully understand its nature. So, can I assume we’ve reached a mutual understanding?”

  Xara stared at the man with pure loathing. “As you say.”

  “Excellent.”

  Chapter 2 – That MAGEK Moment

  About 300 Hundred Years Ago

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Xara, tell me what’s wrong?” She already knew the answer.

  “The other Hearts . . .” and she left the sentence unfinished.

  It wasn’t
a new subject. Ever since she had reached the age of womanhood and developed the mark of the Amber Heart, Xara had become something of an outcast. Well, an oddity at least. The facial tattoo of her sect should have begun to form. It was referred to as the Mask of Concealment, a genetic condition programmed into the genome generations earlier. It represented the Amber Heart’s commitment to anonymously serve the citizenry without expectation of personal gain or glorification. It was a mark of honor and commitment.

  For some reason, Xara’s didn’t materialize. The elders weren’t sure what to make of it but were content to dismiss its absence as inconsequential . . . just a minor birth defect. On the other hand, the young adults of the sect were much less forgiving. They took it as a personal affront to their Order as well as a sign of inferiority on Xara’s part though they had no basis for such a conclusion. Nevertheless, the girl was ostracized, shunned and cruelly taunted.

  On more than one occasion, and against the very founding Principles of MAGEK, some of her antagonists would use their powers to embarrass the girl.

  The first few times, the unsuspecting girl had fallen prey to their antics. However, she soon learned how to defend herself.

  Then she learned how to take revenge . . . also a violation of the Principles. But, it served to bolster her self-esteem while putting the others on notice that their actions would have consequences.

  On one memorable occasion, two of her fellow Hearts attempted to cast a Spell of Misperception (a training enchantment that had no real use in everyday life) on the unwary girl. Had they succeeded, Xara would have walked around mistaking people for objects and vice versa. It was harmless enough, but terribly embarrassing. The person so enchanted would talk to walls, attempt to open doors that were actually people, eat non-edible items . . . in other words make a complete clown of themselves.

  But Xara was ready. After talking with her mother about the essence of MAGEK (her mother being a member of the elite corps that performed maintenance and modifications on the machine), she realized that she could detect when the machine’s power was being directed at her.

  When these two troublemakers sent their spell at her, she deflected it back from whence it came. The two fools actually zapped themselves. The ensuing hour of bumbling absurdity was nothing short of magical.

  Though she never told anyone, not even her mother, it also just felt good to beat her tormentors at their own game. She loved the feeling of superiority . . . both in her power to use MAGEK in ways that would have been considered ingenious in a person three times her age and in the lack of remorse for the pain she inflicted. Compassion, she thought, was such an incredible weakness.

  Xara had no mask and not coincidently, though shockingly, she had no empathy for her fellow Hearts . . . none. There was one exception – after her father died when she was very young, the bond between mother and daughter grew exceedingly strong. It was the only thing that would or could keep the young girl from ‘going rogue’.

  Unfortunately for her, there was one small issue that she couldn’t seem to master. She kept falling in love. Well, to be honest, it was more a series of infatuations. But to a very young woman – one hardly out of her childhood – it felt like love.

  Sadly, her feelings went unreciprocated. No one wanted to be with an Amber Heart with such an obvious deficiency. So poor Xara would spend her teen years unmasked, unloved . . . and for her acts of revenge – unrepentant.

  *****

  Present Day, Room of Doom

  “So what now, oh Divine One?“ Xara asked mockingly.

  Peak cleared his throat, a sign of nervousness. “We are prepared to listen to your suggestions.” Translation, ‘we got nothing’.

  “Wow, not much has changed in three centuries, has it?”

  “Meaning what?”

  “Hexes . . . very fast to start something, no plan to see it through to completion. Idiots.”

  “I’d appreciate it if you would tone down your disparaging remarks.”

  “Yeah. Not happening.”

  Exhaling in frustration, the Divine One forced himself to ask, “How do you suggest we proceed?”

  “First of all, tell me about these people that you made disappear?”

  “They were recruited by the Librarian to help change the order of things.”

  “But who are they? Where do they come from?”

  “I met them briefly. They are aliens . . . a dragon, a winged girl, another with a flying suit and the two I made disappear.”

  “Well, my guess is you already screwed up.”

  “How so?”

  “If they came to help, they must have some experience doing this sort of thing. From that, I’m guessing they already know that their friends are gone. I’d say sometime in the next few minutes they’ll let their displeasure be known.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “It’s what I’d do.”

  And right on cue, the quantum generator powering the mini-MAGEK machine dissolved into thin air. The two Divine Ones tried to stop it but failed. Peak immediately turned his focus on Serenity’s ship – but it was no longer in the same orbit. “The ship is gone, too,” anger and frustration evident in his voice.

  Xara, for her part, burst out laughing. “I think I’m going to like these people.”

  A moment later a mechanical dragonetta materialized. It was Ziz, of course.

  Xara’s eyes lit up. “Swoop, you little hellion. Come to momma,” and she held out her arm and opened her hand.

  Ziz landed on the offered appendage. It spent a moment giving Xara the once over, then it flew over to the mini-MAGEK machine and landed. From its eyes came a projection of Egg . . . unfortunately it looked like a blob of light since Jax’x still hadn’t fixed the projector.

  Xara walked up to the bird, popped opened an access panel and fiddled with something. An instant later the blob coalesced into our heroine’s face.

  Egg normally would have expressed her gratitude to the woman, but at the moment she had more important things on her mind. “You have ten seconds to return my companions. If you don’t, I will destroy the MAGEK unit . . . and probably everything else in that room. One . . . Two . . .”

  “Wait!” yelled Peak.

  “THREE . . . FOUR . . .”

  “I’d do as she asks,” suggested Xara who was thoroughly enjoying the confrontation.

  “Egg, they are not harmed. You have my word.”

  “FIVE . . . SIX . . .”

  Peak looked at Lightning Flash who nodded. An instant later, the three girls reappeared, looking confused but unharmed.

  “Thank you. Now tell me what’s going on? Let me first remind you that there are four seconds left in the countdown. If you lie to me, it starts up again.”

  “Now that, I believe, is a bluff. You are not going to hurt your friends.”

  “True dat,” and the girls, like the power unit, dissolved into a twinkle of lights and were gone.

  Peak cursed under his breath. “Well, I for one will no longer underestimate you.” If he expected Egg to acknowledge the compliment, he was about to be disappointed. Into the embarrassing silence he said, “Perhaps we should meet on your ship to discuss all of this.”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “You crossed the line . . . twice. I’ve already warned you not to mess with my Sisters. You seem to think that was an empty threat.”

  Peak was getting annoyed. Time was running out while this this girl was spouting words with no substance. He raised his hand and a force field formed over the MAGEK unit. To the bird he said, “That particular bargaining chip is now off the table. Your chance to destroy the unit is now gone.”

  “Yes and no.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Without the um . . . flux capacitor (she couldn’t remember the name of the power unit so she substituted something from a movie she had seen), it’s just a steampunk ornament. Even if you found another power source, when I beamed our unit back to the ship, I took a . .
.” The bird went silent for a moment while Egg asked Serenity what the name of the part was. “Oh, yeah. The power input coupling is sitting here in my cargo bay. Sorry.”

  “I did not understand anything you just said.”

  Xara, forcing a smile to her lips, answered for Egg. “The MAGEK unit has neither power nor the means to connect to a power source. Well, unless one of you can conjure up the missing part. Ohhh, but you would need to know more about its technical configuration, wouldn’t you? Darn, I think this lady got the best of you.”

  “Is that correct?” Peak asked the dragonetta.

  Egg chose not to answer the obvious. “Tell me what you are attempting to do? Who is she and why make the others disappear?”

  While Peak was trying to decide how much information to share, Xara spoke up. “My name is Xara. For the past three hundred years I’ve been . . . asleep. These two brought me back to help them defeat their overlords so that they can take their place. I am . . . I was an Amber Heart. This device you are communicating through is my creation. When you’re done with it, I’d appreciate its return.”

  “Ziz is not mine to return. You can negotiate that with Jax’x.”

  “The Amber Heart, I presume?”

  “Yes. Why would they bring you back? More importantly, why would an Amber Heart help a Divine One?”

  Instead of answering, Xara asked, “What’s your name?”

  “I’m called Egg. I’m the leader of the Hameggattic Sisterhood.”

  “Stupid name.”

  Egg had to smile. “Are you referring to my name or the sisterhood’s?”

  “Yes.”

  Egg covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “Be that as it may, you haven’t answered my questions.”

  “That would require a more hospitable setting. Like your ship, for instance.” If Xara was going to leave this planet, a spaceship would be very useful.

  “Xara, if you are going to help these two, then I’m going to assume you’re guilty by association. They have attacked my sisters twice. I have no intention of letting them close enough to do it again.”