When Henarie awoke she felt unsettled. Her dreamless night should have been a comfort but her instincts were screaming that something was amiss.
She flung the cool bedsheets off her and strolled to the window that overlooked her city of lights below. Rain spattered again the glass and obstructed her view, though she doubted that was the sole cause of her unease. Something must have happened to Terra.
Henarie quickly stepped into her leather armor and strapped on her weapons; a gun at her side, sword on her back, and a multitude of knives tucked away in discrete pockets. She strolled out of the room and headed to the elevator.
“Miss!” A male voice cried out in alarm from behind Henarie. “Please wait!”
Henarie ignored the man, though he did catch up to her side while she waited impatiently for the lift.
“Might I ask where we are heading to inform the master?” He asked. “Are we going to the range again?”
No reply, but the elevator arrived and Henarie shuffled in, her escort following closely behind.
“I shall just inform the master that we are departing and to meet us in the lobby.”
“Tell him to bring his car.” She ordered.
“Yes, Miss.” He obediently bowed and then pulled out his screen.
It took a couple of minutes before the two arrived at the ground level, but her loyal pet was already there waiting for her, his keys in hand. There was a thin she of sweat on his forehead and he was breathing heavier than usual, which meant that he probably ran from wherever he was at previously to get to the lobby before her.
“Where are we heading to today?” he asked. “The range?”
“The plant.”
“I have been long overdue to a visit there. Milt, inform the workers were are stopping by for an inspection.”
“As you wish. Will I be accompanying you on your trip?”
“No, you will not,” Henarie replied, snatching the keys from her pet's hand before he could hand them to his Butler.
She continued walking ahead, not bothering to check and see if her shadow was following her. The path to the garage was a short one down into the sub-basement of the building, one she knew by heart. The lights flickered on, announcing her arrival to the hunks of metal resting from their previous excursions. There were more vehicles than a single man would need in his lifetime and Henarie had made it a personal goal to use every single one of them. Today’s was a bright purple and gold car whose exterior and the top was made entirely of tinted glass. Pressing the button on the keys she watched as the glass on top unfolded like wings, promising her a fast and powerful ride. Henarie didn’t find much joy in the world around her, but she admitted the beauty of these machines made her giddy. Henarie stooped down to enter the vehicle but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.
“You remember our deal? I’ll drive in the city and you get the open road.” Her pet insisted. She didn’t budge. “You killed two people the other day and those Patrollers almost reported it. Once we get out of the city where people don’t walk in the streets you can drive.”
“Fine,” Henarie begrudgingly relented, shoving the keys into his hand and shifting over to the passenger seat.
Henarie tried not to wince when her pet eased the car from its stationary point and slowly left the garage. All throughout the ride through the towering buildings, she cursed at the people standing in their way. Perhaps it was a good thing her pet was driving because she was sure she would have plowed through everyone preventing her from using the vehicles full power. It seemed that people would not be deterred even by acid rain from their daily tasks, much to Henarie’s inconvenience. One hour passed until they were clear of the foot traffic and Henarie was handed the keys.
Flying would most accurately describe Henarie’s driving. The wheels only touched the ground several times and the road was lost early into the drive after hydroplaning. She made no effort to find it again as she already knew the direction she needed to go. Henarie was vaguely aware of her passenger chanting prayers to his gods over the roar of the engine but she paid it no mind since she was lost in the speed the machine provided. Her ride was cut short when she reached the plant in record time. As tempting as it was to drive past and continue her exhilaration high, her need to discover what the sickening feeling meant in regards to Terra was greater and she stepped on the breaks for the first time, coming to a stop only a few inches to spare from a chain link fence.
Word had fast that they were coming as four people in suits carrying umbrellas rushing out to greet their poorly-parked car.
“It is such an honor to have Master Orain visit our lab. My name is Mr. Dewitt, I am the Director here. ” The man in front wearing the silver suit began after he'd opened the door for Henarie's companion. “If you would indulge us, is there anything, in particular, you will be looking for? Due to the contents of some labs, it will take some further preparation to allow others besides the lab technicians to enter.”
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“That's not necessary. We are only visiting the Plant today.” Henarie's pet, Orain, answered. Orain grabbed an umbrella from one of the other three and opened the door for Henarie.
The man in silver's face dropped. “It has been several years since we made modifications to that container and not even our personnel are allowed in. Perhaps there is another lab I can interest you in? Our biorobotics lab is making groun--”
“Who pays your salary?” Orain interrupted.
“Sir?”
“Because if you don't take us to the Plant immediately, I'm afraid I won't be the one backing this very expensive facility anymore. Now, how would you like to continue this conversation, Mr. Director?”
Henarie fought back a smile when the parlor drained from the other man's face.
“If you would please follow me,” the Director complied, stepping toward the solitary door on the side of the large concrete building.
The trip to the building was silent, but the Director seemed to have found his nerve again as he opened his mouth to enlighten the two about the facility.
“Every cent is put to optimal use. The top ten upper floors are workers’ living quarters, food, and entertainment centers. Our labs or GreenHouse to shame with advancements in artificial plant creation and power generation. The majority of the Eastern continent have converted to our generators versus our competitor.
“As you can see our workers have ideal working conditions and safety is our number one priority.” The Director summarized as he led them through a large area where people in casual wear were eating by the masses.
He looked back at them beaming as if this was all his doing. Orain nodded in acknowledgment while Henarie tried to be patient. Dewitt guided then to the elevator, explaining what labs they had on each floor, but Henarie tuned him out since she didn't care. A small piece of her was impressed at the growth of what she had started so many years ago, but there was no way she was going to be vocal about that.
They stopped at the lowest floor, nearly thirty stories below the basement level. When they exited the elevator everyone was handed a bright orange suit, gloves, and goggles.
“Please put these on to prevent any sort of contamination. These security measures were put in after one of our technicians touched the plant and turned into something...inhuman,” stated Dewitt.
Orain complied to the security measures but Henarie just dumped the gear she'd been handed onto the ground and walked up to the door she assumed led to the Plant.
“Miss!” The Director went to grab Henarie by the shoulder but Orain grabbed his wrist, his eyes dark.
“No one touches her.” He growled, pushing back the stunned Director's hand. “Let us in.”
The Director nodded and motioned for a worker arrive the corner to open the door into the airlock that led into the continent room. With a hiss, the door slid open and Henarie and Orain went in, shutting the door behind them so everyone would get the clue to give them space.
“So no one is allowed to touch me, huh?” Henarie cracked a smile. “I bet you thought you sounded cool.”
Orain let out a chuckle. “I think he doesn't realize I saved him reattachment surgery.”
“Oh come on, it was just that one time!”
“Right. And I suppose that knife in your hand is just an accident?”
Henarie looked down to see that she, indeed, had one of her knives clutched in her left palm. “Touché.”
The door ahead of them hissed open once the small room hit the correct pressure, allowing them final access to their goal. Henarie felt a wave of calm rush over her as her proximity to the Plant lessened.
Calling this thing the “Plant” was a misnomer as in reality, it was a large black crystal with tendrils on the lower half that made it like like roots while it's upper portion was jagged and torn. Henarie had seen it back when it was whole, its power now a pale comparison to its previous glory. But it was enough to lure Terra toward it and allow Henarie a short connection with her.
She emptied her mind and steeled herself for the wave of sensation that was about to come, then she pressed her hand against the cool rock.
No amount of preparing could have sufficed for the flood that hit her at that moment. Bubbling joy crashed against crippling great and pain all while confusion and darkness lurked in the corners. Bright fluorescent lights blinded her but the sun couldn't break through the wall of black that shielded her from the world. People marched around her loudly while the wind blew softly and a gentle hum was heard even over the defeating beating of helicopter blades. She was floating but running but drowning.
Henarie was forcibly torn away, panting hard and tears streamed down her face. Orain gripped her waist as they fell to the floor, having needed to use his entire weight to break her connection with the crystal. When Henarie could remember who and where she was she quickly wiped away the tears and Tom a shaky breath.
“What the fuck just happened?” Orain finally said after a few seconds of silence. “It looked like you were having a seizure!”
“I--that wasn't supposed to happen.”
“And exactly what was supposed to happen?”
“If it worked properly, I would have been able to see through Terra's eyes.”
“Ok--ay. So what did happen?”
“It was too much. There were too many. I don't know how, but I got connected to people other than Terra.” Henarie leaned back against Orain, using the beat of his heart to calm her own. They remained that way for some time.
“What now?” Orain asked quietly.
“We have to find Terra. Being patient isn't going to cut it. Someone's interfered and now we have to hunt them down.”
“It just so happens that hunting down things is my specialty,” Orain said with a coy smile.
Henarie stood up, giving her pet a hand to join her. She noticed that both his hands had a coating of black crystals on the back of them from him brushing against the large mass when he tore her away. He noticed her staring.
“Just a small price to pay for such a remarkable act of heroism.”
Henarie gave him a look.
“No more acts of heroism then, got it? I can't turn you back.”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” He turned and pressed a button to open up the pressurized door to leave. “What exactly are you going to do when you find these people that have stopped Terra?”
“Bring up the underworld.”