“Oh, I think I helped you sufficiently. If you were honest with yourself, you would recall the large jacuzzi you asked me to install in the mansion you appropriated, or the sphere that was once the car of Matt’s rival for your affection that you had me put on a pedestal. You served me well, and in return I gave you the strength, physical perfection and creature comforts you desired.”
“You still haven’t said what this has to do with Peter,” Matt hissed.
“To put it simply—apologies—Peter tricked you into helping him and the others gather weapons which they hoped to use to defeat one of the guardians I have in place over a receptacle of Cube. I suppose they can tell us the rest of their plan—it fell to shambles rather quickly as machine guns do not work well underwater. I presume they hoped to build upon that success by reuniting Cube with his other receptacles and forcing the end to this round of The Game.”
Eli looked over to Peter. He doesn’t know.
Peter felt the slightest glimmer of hope. Still quite weak, he replied to both his brother and Jenny. Don’t say a word. There may still be a chance.
“Is that true, Peter? Matt asked as he walked over to Peter, the muscles throughout Matt’s body rippling and glistening.
Peter looked up at Matt’s clenched fists and nodded.
Irene joined Matt and they both glared down at the weak, puny Peter. “Are you kidding? We had the best gig in the universe! We had everything we wanted, and you threw it all away because you want things to go back to the way they were before?”
Peter slowly got to his feet, using his stump for additional support and said, “I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry? A lot of good that does us!” Matt yelled as he turned back to Orb. “Orb, you know that Irene and I had nothing to do with this. We’ll do whatever you want. Just please let us go back to helping you like we did.”
There was a long silence as Orb grew in size and positioned himself higher in the sky to accommodate it.
“It is true, Matt and Irene, that you have both served me well. It is also true that you are both vain, shallow, petty examples of your species. Your legends speak of a man named Icarus, who dared fly too close to the sun with his artificial, waxed wings. Icarus paid for that offense with his life.”
Matt turned to Irene, who was equally confused.
“Your usefulness in these forms is over. Go now and trouble me no more.”
Peter raised his arm to shield himself as Matt and Irene fell on top of him, their heavily muscled bodies pinning him to the ground. Irene’s face, just inches from Peter’s, slowly lost its perfection. Peter found his eyes no longer drawn to her as she became the cute, gawky teenager he had known. Peter, horrified, stared into her open, vacant eyes in disbelief.
“So,” Orb continued, “your treachery has cost the lives of two of your friends. The question now becomes what is the proper punishment for you who are left? The ringleaders. As you can see it is a simple matter to end you in this form, but that route also relieves you of the burden of guilt, which I’ve long found to be a useful, impactful tool in dealing with your species.”
Peter gently laid Irene’s head down on the stone walkway, then squirmed and moved until he could do the same for Matt. He tried using his fingers to close their eyes but found that, unlike in the movies, the eyes stayed open in death.
You said there was a chance, Peter, Jenny’s words hissed in his brain. If you have another idea this is the time. If we aren’t dead in the next few minutes, we’ll have plenty of time for regret, and blame.
Not yet. I’m still too weak. I’ll try to buy us some time.
“You’re cruel, Orb. You mocked Irene and Matt for their lack of knowledge but you’re the one who encouraged them to pursue strength and beauty. You knew both of them were insecure.” Peter looked down at Matt’s now-normal face. “You used them for entertainment.”
“True, Peter, though I do not accept that label. I am not cruel. I am a life form of a higher order.”
“Call it what you will. People who use magnifying glasses to fry ants are also of a higher order than their victims, but that doesn’t make them any less cruel.”
“An interesting analogy, Peter,” Orb said as he descended lower to hover directly over Peter. “This is why I’ve tolerated your insubordination all this time. Why you wish to return to a world of chaos, war and pollution is beyond me, but you, and Jenny, and even Eli to a lesser degree have intrigued me.”
Peter looked over to Eli and saw that, for once, his brother’s pride and related rage were able to take the critique. Eli almost smiled as he said, There are worse things in life than being considered a little less smart than the two of you.
“I also know that you three share the ability to communicate without words—a communication I foolishly gave my word I would not observe. This is a new wrinkle within The Game, and one you have used to your advantage. But, as my word is my bond, I have allowed it to play out with a keen interest in seeing where it would lead.”
Peter shrugged and noticed that his strength was slowly beginning to return.
“I am, on one hand if you’ll pardon that expression, interested in seeing how this plays out in the long term. I think it fair to say that you moved a little quickly, a little foolishly, when you tried to gain a Cube receptacle at this stage of The Game. Could you, if I allowed it, spend the next few hundred years fighting the other guardians and gathering more receptacles of Cube? Perhaps, though I believe the hiding spots and the guardians would claim some or all of you.”
None of the trio replied.
“The bulk of the hard work in reshaping your planet and your species is over. I will soon concentrate on entertainment, which is my due. And all of you can be very entertaining. It is indeed tempting…”
Be ready, Peter whispered in the minds of Jenny and Eli.
“On the other hand—oh, there I did it again, apologies—you are all ungrateful, manipulative serpents who bite the hand that feeds you. I can think of so many other ways to be entertained that do not involve tolerating betrayal.”
When I disappear, you both teleport at least two times. Doesn’t matter where. Just keep moving as long as you have the strength. We have to divide and conquer. Keep a count as you go and when you get to sixty, meet me at the portal just at the edge of town.
What? Where are you going? demanded Eli.
No time. Just do it.
“And so,” the great and powerful Orb continued, “I think it’s time for us to say goodbye.”
As Orb’s last word faded, Peter disappeared, followed by Jenny and Eli.
Orb continued to hover, though several crackling bolts of electricity jolted the stones below him. “Interesting. I suppose one last bit of fun won’t hurt. Ready or not, here I come!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
End Game
Peter soared through the void; his thoughts focused on one thing: the underwater cave where he had seen the spark of Cube. Orb had long ago taught them that teleporting was safe if there was space to emerge. The power, by design, placed them in open areas where they would not contact walls, furniture or other people.
Peter knew that, after their recent attempt, the shark would be hovering on guard in front of the cave. He couldn’t risk teleporting to the front of the cave in open water or he would quickly end up in a closed, toothy mouth. No, he had to emerge inside the cave in a spot too narrow for the shark to enter. The inside of the cave would also presumably be safe from Orb, who could send guardians and emissaries to seize or protect receptacles but, per The Game, could not himself enter.
He felt the void slip away as he concentrated on the interior of the cave. A place that he had not seen but had to reach. When he emerged in the cave, he convulsed in pain as his right leg, from the knee down, was trapped inside the solid rock wall behind him. Precious bubbles of air escaped his mouth until he clamped his hand over it and forced himself to stay calm, and conscious.
Hello again, Peter, said the tiny Cu
be roughly the size of a quarter. “You appear to be quite hurt. I am shielded from the events that take place outside this cave, but it does not appear that your plan is going well. Is it?
Peter tried to move, but with his leg trapped inside the wall, was stuck. The Cube receptacle sat perched inside a crack of the far wall of the cave, several feet beyond his reach. He was momentarily distracted from his predicament by a dull crash. He looked behind him and saw the nose of the giant shark, bloodied by contact with the wall, reverse a few meters and then crash again into the opening.
No. I would think that this is not going well. Perhaps you should concentrate on freeing yourself.
Peter tried to tune out the shark as he thought through Cube’s suggestion. Free myself? How?
It then occurred to him that if he could teleport thousands of miles at a time, he could also teleport a couple of feet. As his body began to cry out for air, he looked down at his trapped leg and wondered what would happen to it.
A reddish glow filled the cave and Orb’s voice called out to him. Hi, Peter. That’s quite a predicament you’ve got yourself in. The rules of The Game prevent me from personally interfering at this stage, but I’ll send in some help. My gigantic shark is a bit large for that opening, but have you ever heard of barracudas?
It may be best for you to leave, Cube said. I appreciate your attempt, but this will not end well.
Peter, his temples now pounding from the pressure and the lack of oxygen, forced his breathing to slow as he entered the void and thought of the space just in front of the Cube receptacle.
Jenny fled Real de Catorce with fear pumping through her veins and clouding her mind. She could only teleport a few more times before she exhausted that ability, but all she could think about was the time at the Eiffel Tower when she had compelled the flocks of birds to take flight.
After several frigid seconds in the void, she found herself standing in the field where the tower had been. The field was now full of long rows of leafy vegetables. Several people wearing the standard, itchy Orb tunic got up from where they had been pulling weeds amongst the rows and frowned at her. Jenny looked down and saw that she had crushed the tops of several of the plants. She was also not wearing her yellow, official Orb tunic, so these people probably thought she was just someone running across their field.
“I’m sorry! Pardon me.”
The automatic translation appeared to work but the farmers were none-the-happier for the apology at the cost of their crops.
Jenny closed her eyes as her internal count reached twenty, and she thought about another place she needed to go.
Moments later, Jenny opened the front door of her house and ran in screaming, “Mom! Dad!”
Her mother emerged from the kitchen wearing a blue apron which was covered in flour. A small amount of flour also clung to her hair.
“What is it, Jenny? Where have you been?”
“Where’s Dad?”
“He’s off delivering the bread, dear, he’ll be back later today. Is everything ok?”
“I don’t know,” Jenny said, rushing over to squeeze her mom in a bear hug. “Maybe, Maybe not.” Her internal count reached forty and she tried to think of what to say in the precious seconds that were left.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been around more. I’m sorry I wasn’t a better daughter,” Jenny said as she squeezed her mother close, burying her head in her mother’s hair.
“Why, don’t be silly, Jenny. We know how hard you’ve been working for Orb, and you’re a great daughter.”
Jenny pulled her head back from her mother, still clenching her close, and said, “You’re a terrible liar, Mom, but I love you. And dad. Don’t ever forget that no matter what happens.”
Jenny released her mom and ran back to the front door while her mom called out, “We love you too. What’s going to happen?”
Eli soared through the void, scared out of his mind. I must go somewhere, but where do I go? How many seconds has it been? Five?
The cold grip of the void filled him, and he wondered what would happen if he did not think of a destination—if he just floated forever within the void. That idea scared him more than Orb, and he found himself focused on the one place he needed to go before anything happened. Big Ed. I need to go to Big Ed.
A moment later he stood on the bank of the river on the back side of their farm. Big Ed stood just a few feet away, skipping rocks across the water.
“Dad! I’m so glad to see you!”
Big Ed grinned, dropped the other rocks from his hand, and moved to give Eli a hug. For once, Eli gave in to the embrace and just stood there, smothered by this giant of a man he was lucky to have as a father.
“I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain in the ass, Dad,” Eli mumbled into his father’s shoulder.
“You’re fine. It’s all fine but watch your mouth.”
Eli grinned. “I’m pretty sure that mild profanity is pretty far down my list of problems today, Dad, but I’ll try.”
They let each other go and Eli stared up into his father’s eyes. “Peter and I are probably going to go away for a while.”
His father’s smile faded. “Where? For how long?”
“I don’t know. I wish I did.” Eli tried to keep his voice steady, level. “No matter what happens, no matter what you hear, just know that we love you, ok?”
Big Ed frowned, then used his hand to mess up Eli’s hair. “You’ve always been so serious, Son. Everything will work out. It always does. And we’ve got Orb to help.”
Eli blew out a breath and bit his tongue. “You’re right, Dad. It’ll be fine.” He realized he had said all he could, and he had completely lost count. He should probably ’port again to throw off Orb but he suspected he was out of time. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Peter too, I hope.”
“Yes, Peter too.”
Peter’s agony only increased when he ’ported three feet closer to the Cube receptacle. He looked down and saw that his right leg had survived being trapped in the rock wall, but as he sank slowly to the bottom of the cave, he realized it was now a mix of flesh and stone—a very heavy mix. He reached up and grabbed at the crack where Cube sat, pinching his fingers in that opening as he tried to avoid sliding all the way to the floor of the cave.
Here come the barracudas, Peter. You might want to teleport out of there but, oops, you can’t do that if you’re holding on to the Cube receptacle. It’s one or the other.
Is that true? Peter asked Cube.
Yes, Orb does not lie.
His vision started to fog over in his pounding head as he saw long, silvery shapes enter the cave. This may be the worst idea I’ve ever had, Peter said to himself as he released his hold on the crack, grabbed the Cube receptacle as he began sliding down the wall of the cave, and put it in his mouth.
What are you doing, Peter? Cube asked.
Can you make yourself any smaller?
No, this is my smallest form.
Peter winced as he opened his throat as much as he could and used his tongue to shove the awkward square of Cube down his throat. The square stuck in the back of his throat and Peter had to fight the feeling of choking, which would only constrict his muscles, and instead concentrate on opening his throat wider. The first barracuda struck just as Cube began to slide down towards his stomach, but it bounced back in a small cloud of blood and jagged bits of teeth. Peter had barely felt the impact. I guess there’s one good thing about having your leg turned into stone.
The blood in the water distracted several of the other barracudas from Orb’s orders, and they slashed and bit the wounded member of their pack.
Here goes nothing. Peter embraced the void as the barracudas left their now-dead companion and kicked their tails to propel them forward. There was the usual onset of cold, but it was offset to a large degree by a warmth inside that seemed to come from Cube.
I didn’t know this would work, Peter admitted.
I don’t think it’s ever be
en tried, Cube replied. I hate to ask, but how do you plan to release me?
Peter tried not to think about that as he emerged on the cobblestone street in front of the old church in Real de Catorce. He knew Bartholomew was still inside, just as he knew that particular door was now closed to him. Limping badly on his stone leg, he lay across the bodies of Irene and Matt, and went back into the void one last time.
When he emerged at the portal, Jenny and Eli were already there.
“Oh my God, Peter!” Jenny screamed as Peter lay on the ground on top of their lifeless friends. Peter tried to stand but had to hop.
“What happened to your leg?”
“It’s not important. Jenny, grab Irene’s hand. Eli, grab Matt’s. Pull them both close to the portal.”
They both gave him a puzzled look until he screamed, “Do it! Please!”
He hopped over to them. “Now each of you put your other arm around me.” They did as they were told.
“Children, I don’t know what you’re planning but this is highly irregular.”
Eli looked around wildly for Orb but did not see him.
“It’s the Cube receptacle. I swallowed it.” Jenny and Eli both looked down at Peter’s stomach as if they would be able to see the receptacle from the outside.
“Yes, you did. That was quite clever, Peter. You are indeed the most interesting, and challenging member of your species I have encountered.”
Peter looked up and saw that Orb had indeed joined the party, bolts of lightning flying in every direction as he moved closer to the trio.
“Give me the Cube receptacle, Peter.”
Peter looked over to Eli, who smiled grimly.
“I can’t and, well, no.”
“Then I will take it from you. This will not be pleasant.”
Peter looked over to Jenny. “I sure hope your idea works.”
“What?”
Fall backwards! Peter commanded as he pushed off with his one good leg and entered the shimmering curtain of the portal, dragging his friends, both living, deceased, and the Cube receptacle, with him. There was a loud crash and a series of sparks as they disappeared.
The Disciples of the Orb Page 18
