by R. E. Carr
“We are sorry, Kei of the Beasts, but the Baroness Lenexa has ordered us to challenge you.”
“What?” Kei snarled. “I have won this fight and this tournament!”
“As former champions, we may challenge you if we so desire—or if our ruling lord desires it,” Dailyn said. “You have struck down the ruling lady’s sons. She is most displeased.”
“That bastard—”
“You are very skilled, Kei. Skilled enough to maim fools such as our cousins, but you have yet to face true Knights-errant. You had best take this lesson in humility now, before you lose your life to your arrogance.”
Kei slid his leg back and took up a defensive stance. “I have defeated Ajero. I will defeat you as well.”
Dailyn took up a stance as well. He didn’t draw his sword, merely held it at the ready. From the royal box, Baroness Lenexa ordered the fight to commence. Neither contestant moved.
Kei eventually lunged first, missing the Knight completely. As he gasped in surprise, Dailyn’s sword slid from its sheath and struck him, broadside, in the guts. Kei doubled over, blood spurting from his mouth. Dailyn finished the job with a second clean stroke, knocking Kei down with a pommel to the back of the head.
Dailyn turned and bowed to the Baroness. “We have defended the family honor. He has been shown his place, but this Beast-Man has taught us all a valuable lesson. If we fail to live up to our ancestors’ standards, we will fall to animals like him. We entreat you, my lady, that his life may be spared in order to remind all in Jasturia of the fine line between confidence and arrogance. Without men like him, we will be doomed to waste away into little more than rabble,” he said.
From the box, the Baroness sneered. “And what of the life of my son? He may have been killed by that monster,” she said.
“Sir Ajero agreed to the rules of this tournament. Surely, you would not deny their honor by claiming that this Kei of the Beast Tribe was unworthy of winning the competition?” Dailyn cried.
Lenexa looked to the silent crowd. “The Beast will live as this year’s winner,” she snapped. “But as you can see, he is no match for our glorious protector, Sir Dailyn Adair. See to it that his wounds are treated and that he is given both his prize and a speedy escort out of Jasturia, Sir Dailyn.”
“As you wish,” Dailyn said with a bow.
Kei smiled as he stared at the bloody sand on the arena floor. His eyes finally fluttered closed, leaving a howling mob cheering the name of a Beast.
Confrontation
“So this is Caybera Island?” Jenn asked as she was helped down the gangplank. She let out a sigh of relief as her sandals touched solid ground. “I am really sorry for all the vomit,” she said to her companion.
“My lady, it is of no concern. We are simply grateful that you have recovered,” Dailyn said. “Make sure that you stay under your hood. They don’t like outsiders here.”
“I don’t think they’ve seen that many Westerners,” Eon said as he noticed stares and points.
“You cannot expect me to—” Kei growled as a trio of crewman held the hissing cat-man back. “Sir Dailyn!”
“I’ve got this,” Jenn said as she limped back up the ramp. Kei stopped midsnarl. “Kei, you kinda stick out . . .”
“More than a Western giant with purple hair?” he asked. “Ji-ann . . . !”
“Look, purple hair is a little less obvious than gray skin and a tail, cat-boy,” Jenn sighed. “I have both Sir Dailyn and Eon to look out for me. I’ll be OK.”
“Then you stay here until they find something worth investigating. Let them make sure it is safe, and then you can run off,” Kei said, biting his lip. “Please!”
“Only CALA can detect the seal, so I kinda need to go. Also, if I spend one more day on this boat . . .Ugh. Let’s just say it won’t be pretty.”
Kei shrugged off his detail and took Jenn’s hand. She smiled awkwardly as he stared at her in concern.
“Please be safe. I do not think I could stand it if you were hurt again,” he said before pulling her close for a surprisingly gentle hug.
“CALA, I liked the bitter Kei better. He was easier to ignore.”
“I’m afraid the personality change is permanent. I could recommend some courses of action that may make him bitter, but I doubt they will ensure the success of our mission.”
“Helpful as always, CALA. Just let me know when you find that seal.”
“I’ll be all right,” Jenn said as she focused once more on her husband. “I’m just going for a walk around a charming little port city to go check out a monument.”
As if on cue, a drunken brawl poured out of a nearby tavern. Kei’s ears flattened as he saw bottles being smashed over heads.
“This is not charming,” he growled.
“We swear to you, Lord Zhanfos, your wife will be in our care. No harm shall come to her,” Dailyn reassured. “We must make haste, however. This transport is only scheduled to remain here for two days.”
“Trust in us, Kei,” Eon added. “My life belongs to Ji-ann. It will take more than some rabble pirates to stand in our way.”
“I do not like this,” Kei growled. “Please promise me that you will be careful, Ji-ann.”
“I promise.”
She double-checked her headband before stumbling back to dry land. She gave took a last glance at Kei and Winowa before letting her escort slip her into the narrow streets of Caybera City. She moved slowly, occasionally grabbing her side. Finally, Eon pulled her into an alley where she could lean against the wall and catch her breath.
“Ji-ann, if this is too much . . . ,” he started.
She waved her hand frantically, even as she clutched her side. “I’ll be OK. I just need a—”
“Jenn, I am detecting a massive power source due east.”
“Does it feel like the last seal?”
“Negative. This energy reading is far more powerful than the last one. It’s almost as if the Network connection has already been activated.”
“How is that even possible?”
“It is not. The seals should only be able to be opened by a Dual consciousness with the correct markers—”
“In English, CALA?”
“By you. The seals can only be opened by a designated representative of an Ancient-class Artificial Intelligence. There must be some sort of error in my readings.”
“That can’t be good.”
“We might want to head east—and be extra careful while we’re at it, guys.”
“Well this certainly looks terrifying,” Eon said with a wry grin. Jenn rolled her eyes as she found herself face-to-face with what could only be described as a smiling panda statue.
“You have pandas on this planet?” Jenn asked, dumbstruck. A sailor approached the cheerful statue and promptly poured the remains of his bottle on the creature’s stained feet.
“What is a panda?” Dailyn asked. “That is the lucky Bear-Cat, Ponya, patron saint of travelers across all of Jasturia. There are shrines in every country port, milady.”
“Pardon, ma’am,” the sailor said as he stumbled past her. A few other locals milled around the sunny little park, enjoying the view of the pristine lake within the middle of the island.
“Don’t listen to him,” Eon said as he bowed his head to the statue. “This is Ukuku, the Watcher of Wanderers. We have a shrine to him back home. I’ve heard it described many times.”
“I really don’t care. I just want to know where the hell this seal is,” she muttered. She stared deeply into the panda’s jolly, etched eyes. “Have you got any ideas?”
Dailyn pointed to a gang lounging under a tree. “Those Knights may be able to help us,” he said. “Wait here.”
Jenn peeked around the base of the statue, but could only find some perky pink flowers and a veritable pile of bottles. “Nothing more sinister than t
he stink of cheap rum,” she sighed.
“CALA, are you sure you are picking up massive energy readings?”
“It is strange. The ambient energy seems to ebb and flow—”
“Like water?”
“Excellent observation. It is possible that the energy reading is coming from the lake or even under the ground, as it was in the Holy Forest. It is almost as if there is something obfuscating my readings.”
“Can we safely eliminate the creepy panda statue at least?”
“Yes, Jenn, that seems to be a safe assumption.”
“Maybe it’s something in the water,” Jenn said. “I’m just going to get a closer look.”
“Ji-ann?” Eon called after her as she wandered toward the lake. “Perhaps we should wait for Sir Dailyn?”
Jenn spread her arms wide to show off the perfectly open, empty expanse of water. She then motioned to the manicured park grass and the complete absence of anything remotely threatening.
“I mean, seriously, what the he—”
“Energy surge detected.”
“Ji-ann!” Eon cried. The air shimmered and warped around the Serif-fan. A single serpentine cable materialized out of thin air and wrapped around her throat.
“Eon!” she choked out before the wire jerked her toward the lake and her whole body dissolved into the idyllic landscape. He ran to the very same spot.
“By the gods!” he whispered. He could see a faint haze over the lake. “What sorcery is this?”
He was answered by a second cable coiling around his own neck.
“Jennifer? Jenny, can you hear me?”
Jenn MacDonald moaned. She opened her eyes slowly. White light flooded her vision.
“Are you sure, doctor? It’s just that it’s been so long . . . Almost three months. And then . . .”
Jenn squinted to see an IV jutting into her wrist. Her other arm moved very slowly as she fumbled and reached to pull out the needle.
“Oh my God! Doctor! Doctor, she’s reaching out to us!”
“Where am I?” Jenn struggled to say. She licked her cracked lips.
A darker-skinned, vaguely familiar form leaned into her limited view. She squinted again but couldn’t make out his face. His stethoscope hung down, almost touching her chest.
“Jennifer MacDonald? Do you recognize that name?” the doctor asked.
“Yeah, that’s me. Where am I?”
“You had an accident. You’re in Mass General Hospital—”
“No . . . ,” Jenn moaned. “I was going somewhere . . . It was important . . .”
The doctor looked back at the other figure in the room, a middle-aged woman in jeans and a purple sweatshirt. She stepped forward timidly and picked up Jenn’s hand with her own. Although she had dyed her hair tragic blonde and had tanned her skin to a leathery state, her features matched the young girl’s in the adjustable bed.
“Oh Jenny! I am so glad to see you again. It’s just been . . . just been so long,” the woman said, breaking into fresh tears.
“Mom?” Jenn asked weakly. “You’re here?”
“Oh Jenny, it was terrible. There was the fire in your apartment. The police said it was faulty wiring. That damn roommate of yours—”
“Mom? Sara? What happened?”
Mrs. MacDonald shook her head and squeezed her daughter’s trembling hand. “Don’t worry about her, Jenny. I’m just so glad you finally woke up.”
“Oh God,” Jenn whispered. “But, I couldn’t have been asleep. I—”
“You’ve been in a coma for three months.”
“What . . . the hell?”
“Duplicate entry detected. System error,” Eon heard as his eyes snapped open. “System error.”
He lurched forward and grabbed his knees. As his stomach churned, he coughed up a mix of water and blood. He grabbed the back of his neck and yowled. A moment later, he managed to rip the pronged cable from his spine.
“System error . . . ,” Jenn moaned as she shuddered in the corner.
“Ji-ann!” Eon cried as he stumbled to her side. He pushed her hair off her neck to reveal a cable burrowed into the base of her skull. She trembled in his arms.
“Duplicate entry detected. System error,” she repeated.
“Ji-ann, forgive me,” he whispered before pulling out her cable. Her eyes snapped open and she mouthed a scream.
“You!” she whispered. “You are here, but she, she is not here. But she was here. She was here!”
“Ji-ann, can you stand? We have to get out of here,” Eon said as he took in the smooth metal walls and the lights flickering on the ceiling. He pressed against the wall, and, for a moment, the lights flashed the same color as his hair.
“System error. I am in the wrong place,” she said, scrambling farther into the corner.
“Ji-ann, there are Machidonians all around us. I can feel them through the walls . . .”
Ji-ann stared at her hands and blinked. One by one she touched each fingertip to her thumb. She then gingerly picked up the cable with her other hand and marveled at the blood dripping from its tip.
“Ji-ann!”
She looked up with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, Jenn’s not here right now. Please leave a message at the sound of the beep.”
“What do you mean, she’s dead?” Jenn asked as she stared at a photograph of her former roommate. “Sara . . .”
The man across the table continuously took notes in a little book rather than look at her. He wore a plain black suit, black hat, and a pair of sunglasses—even though they were sitting in a tiny interior room. “Then you don’t remember the fire, Miss MacDonald?”
“There wasn’t a fire,” she said, shaking her head. “There was never a fire. Who are you?”
“I told you, I’m Agent Sapphyr with—”
“Who are you?” Jenn barked as she jumped from her seat. “There was no fire! Now, let me out of here. I don’t belong here! I don’t—”
“Next stop, Harvard Square,” a robotic yet clearly Boston-accented voice said as Jenn’s eyes fluttered open. She smacked her lips and fluttered her eyes as the train shuddered to a stop. Her tote bag toppled over her cramped toes as she shifted in her seat—sending a History of the Maya and her notebooks sprawling across the filthy walkway.
“I am so sorry!” she heard as she scrambled to collect her things just as the train pulled into the stop. Another pair of hands grabbed her wayward textbook. She gulped as she found herself staring at the chiseled features and perfect hair attached to them.
“Excuse me, do I know you?” the stranger asked as he showed off Hollywood-level dental work. “Jennifer?”
She grabbed her book and smiled. “Um, sorry. I—”
“It’s Ian. Ian Cortez from Professor Howard’s Mesoamerican class.”
“Ian?” she asked, blinking.
“Harvard Square,” the voice said before the train’s distinctive bing-bong.”
“This is my stop,” she said weakly.
“It’s mine too,” he said, still helping her pack up her things. “Still working on the archaeology thing?”
“Um, yeah. I think. Sorry, just woke up. Um . . .”
“Sounds like you could use some coffee. How about I buy?”
“I suppose I’ve got some time to kill,” she said as she noticed just now nicely he filled out his T-shirt and jeans. As they headed for the door, something flickered in the window. For a moment, everything looked violet and red.
The lights in the hall flashed a menacing scarlet. Eon pressed his hands against the door to their tiny cell and grimaced. Next to him, Jenn continued to babble about system errors.
“What manner of grunt hell are we in?” Eon whispered as he felt along the smooth steel. He closed his eyes to focus on the pat
tering outside. Clicking language echoed from beyond the door.
“Eon . . . You’re Eon,” Jenn said, cocking her head.
“I swear that I will find out what the grunts did to you,” Eon muttered. “Ji-ann—”
“I am not Jenn!” she said, pounding her fists against the wall. She gasped as she saw bruises welling on her knuckles. “I am a Construct Assistant Level Beta created to serve Human Construct 63-86-H57. CALA! She calls me CALA . . . the voice in her head, damn it!”
Eon looked over his shoulder. Now his eyes were wide.
“What did you say?”
“Oh no!” CALA cried as the door slid open. Eon found himself face-to-face with an army of little gray men—all with their force pikes trained on his throat.
“You. Cease and desist,” a mechanized voice said in Jasturian. “Drop to your knees, or we will be forced to eliminate you.”
Eon slowly lowered to the ground, keeping his hands in the air. A chorus of confused clicking echoed through the crowd. CALA cocked her head.
“They are confused as to why we are in their secret research base,” she translated. “They also seem to think we are both unenhanced humans.”
One of the little gray men made a gasping sound as he saw CALA cowering in the corner. “Si Maka Adair!” he cried. “Vi tau?”
“Great Lady?” CALA asked at the same moment Eon asked, “Adair?”
Eon snatched the base of the leader’s pike with a flick of his wrist. He then swept the lot of surprised Machidonians off their feet and sent them sprawling to the ground. One by one, he thrashed them against the wall until he was the lone standing combatant with a flickering pike. He turned back to CALA.
