Issue 18: Binding Threads
The All-Father keeps moving his main Fortress. Yet I know my wife lives. I think of her often. The Dreaming is the key to safeguarding her soul.—Matarn
What primitives call Shiphoning I call power. Their souls are only good enough for that. The more luminous the soul, the more I can bleed it dry for its secrets. I have been overtly cautious within this Universe because it has an abundance of powerful souls. I know one has been following me. Yet I do not see his face clearly. He is well shielded.— Renenutet
Doc knew me entirely too well. If I had known that she would be walking into such a lion’s den I would have found a way to follow her. Yet the path she traveled allowed her to figure out vital information about our enemies. They never thought she’d be able to escape on her own. Then again: That aspect of her training had never been put to public record. C.A.P training modules are still sealed even today.—Sleeping in Starlight, a memoir of the 23rd century (vol 2)
The Void Line
Outer Sol System
T-minus 28 days
The while pillars formed around us as we entered the line. Auggie took the lead while my parents walked behind me. The rest of the Golden Redeemers were back in New Ashbury. Running tests on that Demi Dust issue. Many had taken to the name Red Haze. Because it often left behind bloodshot eyes. Besides the real possibility of death. Only one message hit the NAPD feeds: //I am doing you a favor!//
Committing a greater evil to stop lesser evils would never end well.
Di’axi waved us over to a pool of clear water. Housed in a well of pure marble.
“To know the future: one must see the past.”
Water poured from the well. Splashing against my boots. Lazer fire echoed around us.
Goldenlight was enveloped in a pitched battle. Not against the Keepers.
The pale white milky darts surrounded the Collective Fleet.
*****
Goldenlight roared, “Handmaidens of Unity!” The ship countered the initial wave with light bursts of blessed rites. Rows and rows of the plague ships exploded upon contact.
The Markav captain grunted.
“I see them.” They were drones created in the birth. From the bones of Unity’s universe.
Nearly as bad as the Artock Golems. Endless due to the sheer biomass left behind in that cursed place. “Wall Formation. Breakthrough their main body.”
The 20 Collective Ships closed in. Their holy energies interlinking.
As they reached the main thrust of the enemy forces a sickly lance of a ship hailed them.
“Dark Mirror: Launch my enemies into the black. For they have no home!”
Hextor of House Urraden folded his arms. His smug grin fading as his fleet was sucked in as well. The bony reach of Unity crashing around in his head.
“Pollute the Light of your people. Wretch of Oblivion.”
My Lord of Chains.
Hextor screamed as the White Owls swarmed him. Feeding off the madness of the Path of the Ancients. Unity closed its fist around the remaining bits of his soul. Goldenlight watched as the mirror closed in. The howling of the damned dragging them under. When they reappeared the stars around them were unfamiliar. They were lost. Forward or backward in time, he couldn’t tell. Then the alerts shrilled. Artock and Unity forces had breached his defenses. Keepers converged as well. They hadn’t taken the whole fleet. Only Goldenlight and 6 of his sister ships. The rest floated silently among the stars. No life signs.
The captain prepared his men, “We make our stand here. Close down the records! The enemy must not gain any information!”
He turned to the floating orb. “Array, after we seal the Archives….flush the atmo. Override 229X Alpha. The Wall must Endure!”
*****
I said, “No wonder we found Goldenlight out there. Surrounded by Keeper Hulls.” Dad asked, “The Dark Mirror network. That is how we will find The All-Father.” Di’axi rubbed his chin. His face was pale.
“It is one way.”
I frowned.
“What’s the other way then?”
My question remained hanging like an open wound.
White murmured, <<We must go. Questions only delay us.>>
“What are you hiding?”
Dad pulled me through the portal.
*****
Di’axi knew what Lorain Lanis intended.
It was suicide. But probably the only way to rescue his mother. Matarn formed sigils in the air. The golden light of the Weave surged around everyone. Bringing them to the true Golden City. The sky above was a dark purple. Two moons floating above.
Eliza paused.
Her eyes were unfocused.
*****
Sy’ra reached out through the Dreaming. Pulling at Murphy. Knowing the woman’s face. Its contours memorized through endless visions. “Ask about the Sleeping Rites of Ta’mathon.” The Scholar pressed a lock of hair into Eliza’s palm. “Give this to Lorain. She will know what to do!”
The Dreaming receded.
The cold green fire of Tarkanan swirled overhead.
A handful of white owls stared down at her. Their black orbs were unblinking.
She must be ready. It would take everything to escape this place. They wouldn’t touch Lorain. No, they wanted to know how her powers worked. It was that armor that would prevent the White Owls from consuming her. Unity wanted to know as well. Its desire for knowledge is the trump card. All they had to do was prevent Eliza from finding out. She would want to follow Lanis into the void. Sy’ra would find a way to escape with Lorain.
She would have to taunt the All-Mother.
*****
Matarn took the hair from my fingers. His hand trembling.
“She lives.”
His wife. The Dreaming had connected us for a split second. I said, “She wants Lorain to have that hair.”
I turned to Dad, “What are the Sleeping Rites of Ta’mathon?”
We traveled under the gates of the City. The Sphinx growled low in her throat but let us pass. I knew now she was reacting to the substance Nyx had put in me as a baby. The mirrored halls opened to us. My father guided me to the central pillar. “Go. On the other side is answers.”
As I stepped into the center a rainfall of sand buried me. I sank lower.
Until a warm tongue brushed my fingertips. On my right hand.
I opened my eyes to see floating pyramids.
Some blue. Mixed with purple, orange, and marble white. They were all in a circular pattern. At the center was a golden scepter clutched in the mummified hands of an Egyptian warrior. I couldn’t read the writing on the platform below him.
Auggie barked. <<Ptah said you’d come!>>
Standing next to the corgi was a giant white panther. A honey yellowed jewel in the middle of his forehead. He pressed a massive paw to my chest. “Follow.” He was a Singer. Like the Twins, I had met on Illarium. The markings on his legs changed from silver to black. Great glowing steps appeared. Leading us from the floating structurs and their solitary guardian. Silver-white reeds sprange up. The faint trickle of water rushing through them. My old clothing was gone. I was wearing a simple robe. White cloth died with a brown rope. Water clung to the soles of my feet as Ptah remarked, “The Well of Forever. Peer into the depths.”
The surface hardened as I got closer to the pool. Black Marble.
A shadowy figure wrapped its arms around my neck. It sounded like Lorain but a hint of rot repulsed me. Ptah said, “See what will happen should it consume you.”
The shadowed arms pulled me under.
The unfathomable depths of the water closed in on me.
I couldn’t move. Watching everything from behind my eyelids as this mummy commanded, “Bring me more food. I hunger so!” She wore the face of Lorain. Yet that was not my Lanis. Not by a long shot. People screamed as I grabbed them. A prisoner in my own flesh. I knew what I was doing. Every horrid moment. Yet I couldn’t break free of her. Black scrawl was etched over my heart. Binding me to her. Above hers, it read, “Shiphon Art: Golem, command the Flesh. Clear the Mind.”
We weren’t on Earth. These were primitive people. Behind the mummy, I saw the rest of the Redeemers.
Their eyes plucked out.
Automatons.
She pressed a kiss to my lips, “Good Girl. Let’s go harvest more for Unity. It has promised me you. All of you.” She nipped my left ear.
“Lanis had no idea just how good she had it.”
Around its waist was Back and White.
The fire of their souls flickering on the brink.
She grinned. The hunger lancing through me.
“And to think: All that was required was to get you to kiss me.”
I burrowed through the earth. Hearing more people. Wanting to scream.
*****
Auggie circled as Eliza cradled her face in her hands. Her breath was hot and heavy in the small space. The water soaked through her clothing and skin. The corgi sat in front of his 2nd favorite human. <<White! You saw it! Spinster cannot be allowed to succeed.>>
White curled around Murphy. Resting a great paw upon her head.
“She will not. I see now. It was more than just a kiss that did it. The longer it stayed near Eliza, the more threads it wrapped around her. Slowly. So much in fact that I didn’t notice until it was far too late.”
Eliza grated out, “She was feeding off me.”
White turned to Ptah, “How can we prevent this?”
Ptah leaned in, his whiskers brushing Murphy’s cheek.
“You must not be on Earth. I have another duty for you. Let your family handle the mummy.” He wouldn’t mention the switch. Doctor Lorain Lanis would have her own crucible to pass. One that Renenutet failed.
To the point that she fell prey to Unity long before she found this universe.
The Jupiter Rising
Captain’s Quarters
Lorain handed all the personal effects to Moonlighter, “I know you’ll keep it all safe.”
She wouldn’t let her diseased mirror feed off anything remotely important. J’ino and Thomas already guaranteed that Eliza would be off Earth when everything went down. Jupiter reminded her, <<I will seal off all sensitive areas of the ship. We will feed her false information.>>
Lorain gripped the metal of her Unity bracelet. That would go to J’ino. She wouldn’t let the enemy examine it. She had even removed the bed and replaced it with an identical one. No impressions for the witch to glean. Ritark blocked the doorway. “I asked my mother what we could do to help. I can hide in your shadow.” Lorain bit back a protest but she saw the way Ritark expanded. His golden eyes sharpening.
“I will not back down. You will take me along for the ride.”
Moonlighter reached out to steady her.
“You will not walk alone. That way leads to death.”
Lorain sucked in a breath,” Alright. Two Redeemers is better than one then.”
Ritark chirped and sunk into her shadow. His voice was a warm wind on her skin.
We will save the Dreaming Lady.
St. Christopher’s Boardwalk
New Ashbury
T-Minus 27 Days
Archer Lanis handed his wife and daughter a pint of draft beer.
In old-style glassworks. “It’s been a while since I felt the sands of home under my feet. Not much to do about the house when it’s spinning in a tin can within space.” He winked at the special ladies in his life. Knowing they both needed the distraction. Augustus barked. Pawing at Archer’s thigh.
He scooped the corgi up. “Ah yes. While I cannot give you a beer….” He held a small ice cream float over the corgi’s nose. To which the small tan and white dog took to it with excited cries. He forestalled any commentary with a raised finger, “I know. You both have weighty jobs. So let’s cut to the chase. For the next 2 hours, we are just a family having an outing. Clear?”
Mary leaned over and took another swig of her stein.
She slapped a hand on the wooden table.
“Good advice.” Lorain shook her head.
Realizing she couldn’t fight this.“I know daddy. I know.”
She would let her hair down for this one moment. To do otherwise would invite madness. A sonic boom echoed overhead as the familiar red white and blue streak changed trajectory. The news outlets reporting.
//The Banner saves shuttle in distress!//
Lorain tracked the table with her fingertip.
“Do you regret our choice?”
Archer tilted his head. Much like a bardaxian.
“In what way kiddo?”
“Letting our demi lives out in the open I mean.”
Archer Lanis threw back his head and laughed, “Not in the slightest! Considering your mother’s job status!” Lorain let out a watery chuckle. All the cloak and dagger. “Daddy! You’re horrible!” He placed a hand over his heart.
“Just the worst!” He grinned as his daughter let out a genuine ripple of amusement.
He knew others had far more hazardous duties than he ever did. Even with his military service, he had been on the technology end of things. Not the front line. Considering how much pressure his daughter was under, a little R&R was vital for her health. One kid shouted, “Can you sign my postcard!” Dozens of civilians cried out as the Banner landed. All cheer and smiles. A thread of worry hummed through Lorain’s bracelet. Eliza never showed upset towards children or civilians.
Lorain sent back a burst of beer-induced joy.
She saw the way Eliza’s face relaxed.
Good.
One little girl tugged on Eliza’s cape, “Can I have a photo. Grandma’s in the hospital and this would make her grin. Me too!” Eliza swung the girl up onto her shoulders. While two boys clung to one of her biceps.
The sun glittered down on New Ashbury. The shadows had no purchase here.
*****
Renenutet sneered at the holo screen. The Banner would be fun to break.
Everyone on this mudball loved her. As far as the sheep went.
She was a wolf.
The strong would eat. Down to the marrow.
Issue 17: Here
Issue 19: Here