Issue 26: Breakthrough
I didn’t mind giving up those memories during the Ceremony. If it gives my daughter the edge she needs to hold strong against the Devourer. It will be worth it in the end.--J’ino Murphy
The drones were the least of our worries.--Thomas Murphy
Now you know why I was the one hidden from all for nearly all my life. No matter the incarnation. The Oversoul got quite adept at it. He always knew that the Devourer desired the perfected form to inhabit. But my sister and I were never perfect. Evil only sees raw power. We accounted for that as well.----Sleeping In Starlight: Post Convergence Files (Conclave Access Required)
Icath Pyramid (Duat Pair)
Soul Layer
February 19th 5490
J’ino tossed three spheres out.
Gravitonics swirled about. Each rolled about the plains. Crushing more drones by the minute. Micro black holes sucked more bodies towards the spheres. Even though they were hardly bigger than her hand her powers made escape impossible. Normal metals would have disinigrated. So Thomas had imbued each with the magic of the Golden City. The more drones they destroyed here would prevent additional forces for Chronos later.
Unless he meant to tap into those trapped within the Ninth Circle.
∞
Sweat trickled down my back. The waves were endless. But we needed Chronos to expend what he could while we “rescued” the Duat Pair. This was his answer to the Living Stone Wardens. Where other experiments like Unity had tried to mold them into weapons for evil? This time around we had turned that table. It was nice to cut loose just on the physical side. These drones weren’t acting as conduits for Chronos.
I was moving at normal human speed.
My mother’s gravity ability was formidable. She could imbue objects with bits of gravity.
It had saved Eddie a time or two before we had arrived.
I let the gravitational pulls guide my fists.
Drones flew a few feet from me.
Their flesh dissipated in a crimson haze. The black and silver pyramid rose another foot.
We had to get the apex to reach the upper limit of the Soul Layer.
Then the twin suns of Typha could do the rest.
I wanted Chronos to be all in on pillaging the Ninth.
He had already chosen his final sleeve.
He wanted me. I would oblige.
∞
Thomas Murphy took a swing from his water pouch. A sense of renewal rippled across his tired muscles. Void Maiden’s visor rose half way. He poured the crystalline water into mouth. After 10 swallows he pulled the pouch back. She smiled brightly before the visor clamped shut with a minute hiss. At one point Dexter reentered the magical barrier.
He gulped down every drop within the pouch. Even as it renewed itself.
“Had enough of a work out?”
His son took a moment to rest his head behind his clasped hands.
“As long as we close off all avenues? He will have no choice.”
Thomas thought of his daughter’s old damaged nodes. They were present. Grafted onto an imperfect form of his son’s double. They would give Chronos his desired form. Just not in the way he wanted. The game was on.
Now to only close in the final trap.
Evil was constrained within this cycle. Just as the Oversoul promised. It would be up to mortals to perform the final pushes to cleanse it from direct intervention upon these plains. That was how much faith the Oversoul had in everyone. Thomas only hoped to live up to that level of trust. Since Eliza’s old nodes had been with her from the start, partially grafted with Dexter’s, alongside the many incarnations her body had experienced. It was the perfect trap.
Chronos would only detect Dexter.
Every action had a reason. His daughter’s crippled nodes were the key.
The Oversoul had been watching. Time was a Wall for Mortals.
Thomas lashed out once more with his Khopesh.
Tick. Two more heads flew from desiccated shoulders.
Tock. Their forms regressed to earlier cycles.
No longer Void Walkers. These earlier husks resembled Lizard men. Much like the ones reported by Yak’tish. One step at a time. Thomas dared not breathe a word to his wife or daughter. Everyone had their part to play in what would become the final curtain call for Chronos and his fallen ilk.
He reversed his blade.
Brought his hilt up into the jaw of the closest coal black 6ft husk. Its teeth shattered. Magic flowed through his veins. His bloodline through Ta’mathon purified from the crossing of Cycles. Convergence had changed them all. They had to win. The alternative was unthinkable. The Pyramid floated another 100 feet off the ground. All would fire off in sync when the time came. All would understand the sacrifice. The choice remained.
New Ashbury, Texas
Protectorate HQ
February 20th 5490 A.C
Hilary let out a soundless scream as her spine twisted.
Abbadon dug his blackened fangs into her neck.
Chronos’ clinical gaze drank in each twitch. Each trembling finger. Her medical smock was in tatters. Probes floated at eye level to administer pain killers, liquids and various vitamins. It was surreal. Nothing was magic based. Not like their paltry divine tricks would work. If anything it would set her skin on fire. She panted, “Enjoying the show?!”
No response.
Chronos bent down. He closed one rigid fist over her right wrist.
Fire crawled up her arm from the contact.
She welcomed the pain. It would keep her focused.
∞
Eddie winced. “Her human form hid the marks of the Devourer.”
He watched as each aspect of Abbadon, Unity and Chronos appeared. Their forms hazy. Each left their mark upon Hilary. Lorain turned away. She couldn't even meet my eyes. The probes recorded every bit of physical data. Nola raised her mirror once more.
“Half her organs are imprinted with Black Scrawl.”
I pushed a thumb to my chest. “What about me.”
“Your nodes are humming with White Scrawl. Nothing present in your organs.”
Eddie noted, “Another benefit of being aligned with Good. Black Scrawl takes a toll on the body. White Scrawl is powered by the soul itself.” I wondered why I hadn’t noticed the inverse during previous cycles. Lorain asked, “How do you figure that?”
Eddie waved at the mirrored screen. It dimmed.
“Its a part of the fabric of this new dimension. It was always present but only detected by a few. Its how Light Shamans and Weave Speakers developed their own brand of skills across the cycles. But each time it had to be refined. One of the main goals of the Eden cycle was to cleanse as much Black Scrawl as possible.”
Abraham Murphy entered. His fingers formed into a warding sigil.
“Leave others to monitor this for now.”
We entered the main lift. It let out a faint trilling sound as we arrived at our destination.
My grandfather pushed Lorain and I through. The lift sealed itself. Energy prickled my skin. It kindled ancient memories within me. Nola and Eddie were nowhere to be found. The room was 10 miles across. 3 miles wide. Broken into sections.
I focused on the domed roof above us. J’kua markings.
Doc threw a training uniform at me. I caught it in my left hand.
She raised her index finger and thumb. As if measuring my face.
“This is more my speed!”
We changed in the locker rooms. She leaned in, “I could see her bones breaking and reforming. Chronos never had a daughter. Hilary is a chimera. With one small sliver of a soul remaining.”
Lorain shuddered, “It's studying how to consume souls. To make the process last longer.”
I replied, “Can you see that or….”
She met my gaze. “Not the soul aspects. The mirror recorded that but….”
She pressed her head to my chest.
“Physically its like massive tumors as the base of your neck and spine. Then tendrils explode outward. Curling about every major organ….”
I wrapped my arms around her. “Did that happen with the cultists?”
Her fingers curled. Grasping bits of my uniform.
“It's like cancer. Its not quick either. Even micro contacts with Ninth Array energies suck a person dry. Demis and a few others have proper defense against it but...”
I brought up the cult data.
Everyone had been fighting them for over 10,000 years.
Even as we lived in caves. But this time we had better defenses.
The Dreaming wasn’t compromised here. Or the Weave. No false Uplift Protocols.
Lorain pushed back just enough to look up at me. “This isn’t training for you.” Her voice grew despondent. Breathless.
“It's for me.”
I examined her with darkmatter sight. Her healing powers registered the same. Her body could heal near instantaneously. Muscles. Bones. She could still hold her breath for a world impossible record. Silver Fox cut in. Within the Soul Layer.
///She’s worried about not having Lethe’s experience to fall back on. We all decided it would be best she’d practice on you. Besides it will be old territory anyways! Tower misadventures! Packed in enough materials to last years! Lethe often worries to the same degree. Truth be told.///
Lethe interjected. ///I was there to mainly contain and cleanse the other Tear.///
Silver Fox sent a burst of encouragement. ///Yes but that’s not all you did. You both undercut your contributions.///
Lethe closed down the link but not before I caught the same expression often plastered on Lorain’s countenance when it came to their personal accomplishments. It wasn't shame. The pressure of obligation? No. Professional duty covered under a calm demeanor. Even if she was panicked.
A wave of warmth tingled along my spine. Clever of all of them really.
I pressed my fists to my hips in that classic pose.
“Don’t you worry Doc! It will be just like old times.”
I smiled slowly as she glanced up.
“Demi volleyball reporting for duty!”
She bit her lip.
I continued to beam.
“I'll even let you take control of my boots!”
She let out a quiet sigh. “Cornfed.”
I gave her a thumbs up, “Texas Grade!”
I picked her up. Spinning in a tight circle. “Besides! We get a whole entire real world week in here!”
She perked up at that. “What are you going on about….”
I whispered conspiratorially, “J’kua training sphere….”
Lorain let out a short burst of laughter. She covered her face. “This go around I’ve been far too caught up in my job.....”
I gave a courtly bow, “This way! Delayed reward after so many ups and downs!”
I reached out to give her a hand up to the main boxing ring situated in the exercise portion of our temporary home. My legs tingled as I dropped to my knees. I couldn’t feel a thing from my waist down. I let out a bark of laughter, “Just like old times.”
Doc flipped me over on my stomach.
The tingling faded after 5 seconds. Feeling returned to my lower extremities.
Lorain gawked, “I did that?”
“You can paralyze with a touch!”
Her cheeks reddened.
“I’ve...I’m not...”
I held up a hand. “Let’s go back to basics! For the both of us!”
I suddenly recalled her new life within the current cycle. Unlike our Eden days? She had never been a combat medic. Auxiliary. Pure defense.
The shoe was on the other foot.
J’kua Sphere Polaris
Project Hotfoot
5 Years Within
Eliza jabbed high.
Lorain blocked. She sent her energy out as their arms brushed against each other. Doc blinked. Amazement caused her to fall back on the padded ground. Eliza crossed her legs and floated next to Lorain. A curious glint in her eyes. Lorain reached out. She plucked at the line of energy radiating from Murphy.
She groaned, “I’m a moron. Class A!”
Eliza cocked her head to the side. She jabbed herself in the chest. “No. I take that crown. I had to have multiple Bardaxians, a Markav VI matrix, Eddie, my parents….”
She had a wicked twinkle in her eye as she elaborated,”….all giving me pointers on how to date properly. You? Hopeless. Not even once.”
She nodded firmly. As if this explained every chaotic thing that had ever happened to them. Lorain bit the inside of her cheek. Eliza continued, “I was and still am a Black Hole in the social ques department!” Lorain snorted.
“You may not have empathy powers anymore but I know what you are doing!”
Eliza tilted her head in the other direction, “Oh?”
Murphy tapped the side of her nose with one index finger.
Lorain continued to tug at the aura surrounding Eliza.
She hurriedly added, “Please tell me if any of this hurts!”
“Girl Scouts Honor!”
∞
Everything shifted.
Colors, sights, sounds, even smells that should have been recognizable went out the window. I wasn’t in pain. Lorain blinked rapidly. Feeding more data into her H.U.D. She was like a kid at Christmas. My ear drums popped and all senses returned to normality. She muttered, “Ill have to practice!”
I ran my thumb along her jaw, “So what did you learn today? I saw purple!”
Those clear green eyes peered right through me.
“I can enhance a demi’s powers. Through their aura.”
I whistled, “Well we have quite a few years left in here!”
Doc leaned in. “All Demis have this aura. I even looked at mine.”
“What did you see?”
She buried her face in my shoulder.
“Lethe was diluting my powers on purpose.”
“We have to be ready.”
The Oversoul had seen to everything. The path was set. All we could do is walk forward.
New Ashbury, Texas
Protectorate HQ
February 24th 5490 A.C
Abraham Murphy triple checked the readouts.
There was no mistake. Eliza and Lorain’s bio readouts had spiked beyond known demi outputs. He turned to his wife, “We are going to have to add another range to the ability scales.”
Eleanor Murphy pulled Mary Herbert-Lanis over.
“That’s what the Oversoul hid. Lorain can still heal but she was always meant for another role.”
Mary highlighted the blue bar.
“How many will she be able to enhance?”
Abraham replied, “Based on what I see here? By the time they are done in there? She may well be able to enhance everyone.”
Proctor Gansys nodded, “Bring up everyone we know isn’t compromised.”
He linked in with At’lan.
<<Implement Project Safehold.>>
The Markav Gateway Ascended VI ran the calculations across all multiversal points.
<<Shall I inform Captain Overwatch and the Rest of the Cauldron?>>
Gansys sighed. <<On my authority. Triad Echo Delta Niner.>>
Issue 25: Here
Issue 27: Here