by Dana Kelly
Consumed by the creature up to her shoulders, Nimbus’s remains hung from its mouth.
“No!” wailed Mike, and he threw his arms around her. “Nimbus… no!”
“Patience,” said Casey. “She’s going to be fine.”
“Patience?” Mike whirled around, clenching his enormous fists. “Her head’s gone, Casey! It’s gone!”
“Technically, it’s my head,” said Casey. “Trust me. She’s going to be just fine.”
“You’re a lunatic,” said Mike, and he rose to his full height.
April hurried from the grotto. “Mike, wait! She’s telling the truth. You’ll need something large enough to offer Nimbus some privacy. Shona’s overshirt should do nicely.”
Casey turned to her, a look of shame and horror upon her face. “You know? How long have you known?”
April smiled warmly. “The whole time.”
“I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Let’s worry about that later,” said April. “Mike, the overshirt.”
“Sure.” He doffed it and passed the shirt to April.
In a flash of prismatic light, Nimbus vanished, and her gear collapsed to the ground. An instant later, she reappeared some distance away, dazed and naked. April quickly draped the overshirt around her. “I…” stammered Nimbus, and she glanced around. “I was eaten by a bug!”
“I’m so sorry you had to experience that,” said Casey. She opened her mouth to say more, but Nimbus’s body and belongings turned to sand. In that instant, the team’s consciousnesses returned to their proper states, causing them all to collapse.
“We’re back,” said Mike, and he ran his fingers through the sand before sitting up.
Casey slowly stood and began changing into her clothes. “I guess someone broke the spell.”
“What just happened?” groaned Torsha.
“We’re back in our own bodies,” said Shona, and she flexed her hands.
“I realize,” said Torsha. She coughed and held the sides of her head as her ears swiveled back. “I meant before. Casey, what happened to your body? How did you come back like that?”
“Casey’s a binary,” said Malmoradan. “Just before we switched back, I saw it.”
Shivering, Casey climbed into her BICOM vest. “Well?”
“Well what?” asked Malmoradan.
Casey stared defiantly. “Did you like what you saw?”
“I ain’t sure what I saw, to be honest,” said Malmoradan. “Casey, why did you lie to me? You could’ve told me anything!”
“You and Cassie were so close, I was scared you’d turn me in,” said Casey. “I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life rotting away in some dungeon.”
“You’re not her?” asked Malmoradan. “What did you do to her?”
“Seven years ago, I locked her in a cryo tube and buried it,” said Casey. “It’s where she belongs.”
Malmoradan’s face looked pained. “Why would you do that to my friend?”
“She was going to turn April over to some dirtbag for a poor man’s bounty.” Casey wiped the tears gathering in her eyes. “I did the only thing I could think to do, okay? I’m sorry!”
Malmoradan took a step back. “I don’t know you at all.”
Torsha tilted her head and stood akimbo. “Malmoradan, you’re being ridiculous. How can you honestly claim not to know Casey when you’ve spent the past seven years working closely with her? If the old Casey—”
“Cassie,” said Malmoradan.
“Whatever,” said Torsha. “If the old captain would’ve turned on her own family, don’t you think it’s just a matter of time before she turned on you?”
“Maybe.” Malmoradan glared. “Probably.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t like what you saw in me,” said Casey. “Imagine how I feel. I’m not even alive, and if Cassie ever finds me, that’s it! Everything I’ve ever done on my own becomes hers.”
“That’s not true,” said April. “You’re your own person now, and I suspect reintegration is no longer possible.”
“You don’t know how it works,” said Casey. “She takes and she takes, and she doesn’t care who she hurts!”
“I know how your powers work,” said April. “I’ve seen your file, Constant Cartwright.”
Casey looked surprised. “How? They were sealed when I left the agency!”
“I wonder,” said April, and she chuckled. “As to your state of being, you’ve had a soul of your own for at least the last five years, that I’m aware of. It feels like it wandered in from the nightmare, but I can’t be sure.”
“I have a demon soul?” asked Casey.
April held Casey’s hands. “Demons are entities of myth and legend. Whatever lifeforce is powering you, your actions tell the story of a hero, not a villain.”
Casey clipped her vest into place and stood a moment in silence. “But what does that make me?”
“My captain,” said Mike,
“Our captain,” said Shona.
Torsha crossed her arms. “My captain, also?”
“It makes you Casey.” Malmoradan’s expression softened. “It makes you my friend, but no more lying! And it’s going to be a few days before I know exactly how I feel about all this.”
“Thank you,” said Casey, and she hugged Malmoradan close. “Thank you, all of you.”
“I hate to disrupt the mood,” said Mike. “But where’s Nimbus?”
Chapter 38
Waking Nightmare
“You misunderstand my intent,” said Ellylle. “You and I are allies! That hasn’t changed. Your friends are important to you, and you’ll need their help in the days ahead. More importantly, they’re loyal to you, which makes them easy to control.”
“That’s tyranny, not friendship,” said Orin.
Ellylle sneered. “Don’t be naïve.”
“Tell me where they are!”
Her leaves rustled as her vines and branches formed a circular bower around her trunk. “They’re in one of these.” She briefly revealed the world seed nestled deep within her heart. “It’s germinating somewhere nearby, and it’s the only way your friends’ safety is guaranteed while Earth is resurrected.”
“While Earth is resurrected? What does that mean?” asked Orin.
“Imagine a world without industry, without chemical refineries, without poisoned air or water,” said Ellylle. “Now imagine the mix of horror and wonder on the faces of everyone watching as this event unfolds—every building pulled under, every vehicle consumed, every road broken apart and devoured!”
Orin stared at her, appalled. “There are billions still in shelters. What happens to them?”
“They’ll be fine. My seeds cannot harm the living,” said Ellylle.
“How many will die when their shelters vanish—when they’re cast down into God-knows-what? And what about everyone that’s physically vulnerable?” asked Orin. “Will your seed provide for them?”
“In my world, when something begins to wilt, it gets pruned for the sake of the whole,” said Ellylle. “Perhaps you can take comfort in seeing things through my eyes during this transformation.”
“I won’t let you do this.”
“How will you stop me?” Her blooms turned orange as she regarded him curiously. “You’re holding back. Why are you holding back?”
“I want you to see reason,” said Orin.
Her face creaked and cracked. “Perhaps, but there’s another reason too, isn’t there? What are you hiding?”
“I’m not hiding anything! If you have the power to reset an entire planet, then you must have the power to ignore the shelters,” said Orin. “That’s all I’m asking! If you really want me to work with you, that’s how you’ll convince me.”
“An intriguing challenge,” said Ellylle.
“And no more sleep spores!” said Orin.
Ellylle nodded, and her blooms shifted to pastel blue. “That was necessary to keep you safe. If you’d attacked the Caretakers, you would n
ever have survived their wrath.” Her vines grew into her trunk, surrounding Earth’s world seed. “Why don’t you lie down for a while?” she asked, and a bed of plush moss sprang from the wrought iron bench. “You look exhausted.”
“I won’t sleep while my friends are in danger.”
“I assure you they are not. Get some rest while I work on a way to spare the shelters,” said Ellylle. “I’ve trusted you with so much. Trust me to care for your friends.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t just take your word for it,” said Orin.
Ellylle turned off her vocoder. [I sincerely hope you can, because I can’t send you to them, and neither can I summon them here.]
“Whatever,” muttered Orin.
[Patience, Orinoco.]
He sat down on the moss-covered bench, and his phone buzzed. “Hey, Eridani,” he said. “What’s the word from on high?”
“I just received confirmation from my crew—Ellylle’s working with the Caretakers, and each of those spheres’ points of origin can be traced back to planets that’ve been visited by their ziggurats. If you run into her again, be very careful.”
Orin quietly cleared his throat and spoke in hushed tones. “Yeah, she’s standing right across from me.”
Eridani abruptly ended the call. She immediately sent a text that read, “Sorry to hang up on you, but beocranns can hear everything. I really hope she didn’t hear me, but she probably did. Proceed with extreme caution!”
Orin glanced at Ellylle, but she paid him no heed, focused intently on her world seed. Thank God, thought Orin, and he sent a message to Lafuega. “I hope you get this soon,” he muttered, and he yawned.
Hidden from view, Ellylle placed her own call.
◆◆◆
“The spheres have accelerated,” said Lanchelle. “Captain, they just passed the lunar libration point!” She glanced over as Eridani stood before Imperium’s conn. “If they maintain their current course and velocity, they’ll hit the Siberian Plateau in about forty-five minutes.”
“Forty-five minutes?” asked Eridani. “What happened to the hours we had left?”
“I’m sorry, Captain. I wish I had better news,” said Lanchelle.
“We have some good news,” said Grostonk. “We just picked up a quantum exchange between the leading Caretaker sphere and someone using a tower near New York's East River. Checking against the Trionides records now, Captain.”
After a moment, Afshin clapped. Grinning, he swiveled to face Eridani. “It’s an exact match, Captain! We have a way to talk to them.”
Eridani cheered. “Excellent work, gentlemen! Grostonk, head down to Communications and reconfigure our message entangler to execute on their channel. Let me know the instant it’s ready.”
“Aye-aye, Captain,” said Grostonk, and he hurried from the bridge.
Eridani sent Orin a message, letting him know how little time remained before the spheres’ arrival.
◆◆◆
Echoes of thunder rang in her ears as Nimbus came to. Rubbing her eyes, she winced as she looked around. Dim light shone from high overhead, casting long shadows from dormant machinery. She stood up slowly and searched her surroundings. These are air cooling units, she thought, and she tapped her commlink. “Captain Cartwright, can you hear me?”
“I read you,” texted Orin, and the message appeared on Nimbus’s phone. “Please stay off comms. Can’t risk being overheard. Where are you guys?”
Nimbus texted her reply. “I’m not certain about the location of the rest of our friends.” She approached a set of stairs. Exit signs glowed green at various points along the footpaths before her. “I’m not certain about where I am either, but I appear to have returned to primary space.” She briefly described the dark dimension Ellylle had trapped her within, as well as the encounter with the giant pine beetle.
“That sounds intense,” texted Orin. “I’m so sorry you got eaten by that bug. That’s a horrible memory to have.”
“Indeed, it is, Orin Webb,” texted Nimbus, and she closed her eyes. “If only I were able to delete that particular event. It is most unfortunate that I can no longer delete any of my memories.”
“We all live with trauma and regret,” texted Orin. “You’ll be all right.”
“I hope you are correct.” She began to climb the stairs. “Do you have any suggestions for how to rescue our friends?”
“Ellylle was coveting something she called a seed, but it looked like a large diamond to me,” texted Orin. “She told me that’s where she put you guys, so maybe there’s a diamond nearby where everyone else is still trapped inside.”
Nimbus paused and looked down at the empty shop floor. “I will begin my search. Was it cut or uncut?”
“Definitely cut,” texted Orin. “Lots of facets, more than you’d expect.”
“Thank you, Orin Webb. I will remain in contact.”
“Chat at you soon,” texted Orin.
Nimbus thoroughly searched the shop floor but found nothing out of the ordinary. Heading up the stairs, she searched several rooms, an unmanned parking attendant’s stand, and a deserted security station. As she searched the restrooms, she discovered Ellylle’s diamond seed submerged in one of the toilet bowls.
“There you are,” she muttered, and she retrieved it. Dabbing it dry with several paper towels, she gazed into the gemstone’s depths. At certain angles, she saw Casey, at others Torsha, and in time she found Mike, Shona, Malmoradan, and April, though no single facet displayed more than one of her friends at a time. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head, washed her hands, and followed the pedestrian path leading out of the parking garage.
A manicured sidewalk curved around a large, trickling fountain on its way to a skyscraper, and Nimbus sat down on the fountain’s ledge. She set the diamond seed beside her. Gazing into its facets once more, she gently traced the seed’s edges. “Dear friends, how do I free you?”
◆◆◆
“It feels like we’ve been wandering forever,” said Shona. “And we keep coming back to the same grotto, no matter which direction we take. Captain, what’s the plan?”
“We’re looking for an exit,” said Casey. “If Nimbus got out, there has to be a way the rest of us can leave too.”
“I’ve been giving it some thought,” said April. “Nimbus is a truly unique entity—a digital intelligence bound to a living human body. When our minds were switched, it probably weakened Nimbus’s spirit, but when they switched back, whatever power was holding her here must have gotten overwhelmed and cast her out.”
Casey raised her brow. “Doesn’t that mean the rest of us are stranded?”
“Not necessarily,” said April.
“So how do we get out?” asked Torsha.
April shrugged and quietly sighed. “I haven’t quite figured that out, yet.”
Shona slumped, sat down on the sand, and flopped on her back. “That’s just great.”
“Anyone else have any ideas?” asked Malmoradan.
“I might,” said Mike. “How much do we know about this place?”
“Not much,” said Malmoradan. “Except that it’s dark, it’s sandy, and it’s lousy with caves.”
“Cave,” said Shona. “I marked the inside wall, and every cave we run across has the same mark. It’s the same cave.”
“Don’t forget about the beetle,” said Torsha. “At least there was only one of those. Of course, who knows what happened to the corpse.”
“Mike, I feel like you have an idea,” said Shona. “What are you thinking?”
“Imagine you’re a sentient tree,” said Mike. “What do you think would scare you?”
April gazed at the empty, midnight sky. “A lack of sunshine.”
“No soil or water,” said Shona. She scooped up a handful of sand and let it drain between her fingers.
“No room to grow,” said Malmoradan, and he glanced toward the nearest cave.
Casey started to smile. “Definitely giant wood beetles. These are El
lylle’s fears!”
“I think they are,” said Mike. “She’s projecting all of this onto us and using the manifestation of her fears to trap us here.” He looked at April. “Nimbus has a unique brain, as you said. As soon as she was restored to her original body, I bet Ellylle’s powers weren’t compatible with Nimbus anymore.”
Torsha’s ears swiveled forward. “That’s how she broke free.”
“Exactly!” said Mike. “It’s all about frequencies, like everything else in the universe. If we can generate our own frequencies, and they’re stronger than Ellylle’s, we should be able to break free ourselves.”
“But how do we do that?” asked Casey.
“We need Orin,” said Mike. “Casey, you’re made of nightmare matter. That means your body is literally connected to everything in the multiverse. April, if you can use Casey as a telepathic bridge, I bet you can locate and contact Orin. If he pumps you full of nightmare energy, that should be enough to break us free.”
“You make a compelling argument,” said April. “I’ll give you that much.” She glanced at Casey. “Captain, will you be my bridge to Orin?”
“It sounds painful,” said Casey.
“Would that stop you if it were?” asked April.
“No.” Casey took a deep breath and held it. “Okay, go for it!”
Gently, April took the sides of Casey’s face into her hands. Cautiously, she slipped into the chaotic rivers of the multiverse, holding close her thoughts of Orin. Golden light exploded throughout her mind’s eye, and like a shining beacon, she found him. Orin, she thought. It’s me, April! Can you hear me?
April! he thought. Are you okay? Are you still trapped?
I am, she thought. We’re all alive and well. Mike thinks he’s found a way to break us out. Are you able to send me some of your power?
How much? asked Orin.
As much as you can spare.
Orin’s thoughts raced with the memory of Commander Richards’ directive. He nodded resolutely and exhaled into his hands. Here. Tell me when to stop.
