“I don’t think it’s a black hole exactly,” Zoe said.

She tried again, reaching out with both hands and drawing on her body path. She tapped at the air and the snow. Two threads vibrated and under her touch resonated. When the snow resonated, she expected a sound, but it merely deepened and became more... the snow was crisper. Brighter. Colder. More of what it was as the essence rang out the harmony of itself.

The Air matched the Snow and their vibrations rose until they broke.

Two holes like marbles appeared. Snow vanished with a crunch before it spat out of the air. Skidmark laughed as the snow spattered her face. She clapped a hand over her mouth to contain her delight.

“That’s truly some magic,” she said after she contained her mirth. “Incredible. This system never ceases to amaze me.”

“I agree,” Zoe said with a smile. “Doesn’t change my quest though…”

“No,” Skidmark said as she sobered. “Of course not. A plane is a miracle of technology, but if the pilot’s a suicidal dick then it’s only a nightmare for those strapped into the chairs. What’s wrong?”

Zoe relaxed her grimace.

“I don’t have a great history with planes.”

Skidmark nodded.

“I understand. No need to talk about it if it’s uncomfortable.”

“No, we were in one when the system —”

“Your dog’s coming back,” Skidmark said.

The white hound hurried across the snow. Its brown eyes glowed as it crossed the distance. It entered the forest a hundred yards away from them before heading through the trees toward them. When it found their bush it crawled up and lay beside Zoe, tongue out and panting, and looked at her with too much intelligence.

She gave it a good rub, and it leaned into her hand.

“So,” she said. “Did you see any mantis? Any giant bug monsters.”

It looked at her.

“I don’t know what that means?” she said.

“Let me try,” Skidmark said. “Tap your paw once for yes, and twice for no. Do you understand?”

It tapped a single paw in the snow and stared at them. Skidmark grinned.

“Just say it, I’m incredible.”

“You’re full of surprises.”

“No time for flirting,” Skidmark said. “We need information. So, dog… what’s his name?”

Zoe frowned.

“I haven’t named him.”

Skidmark raised an eyebrow.

“Right, question for another time... though, you should think about it. Feels wrong to have something come out of you without a name.”

“You name your bowel movements?”

The dog snarled.

“Not that you’re a bowel movement!” Zoe said with exasperation. “We’ll name you, just not right now. Now we need information. Were there any bugs?’

One tap.

“Were there any humans? People like us?”

“Less pretty,” Skidmark added.

“Don’t confuse him,” Zoe said.

One tap.

“That means they weren’t as pretty as us,” Skidmark said.

Zoe glowered at her companion's chipper attitude.

“Were there any mantis?” she said.

One tap.

“Were there more mantises than people?”

Two taps.

Skidmark looked at the paw prints in the snow.

“That’s good right?”

“I’m not sure. Were the people free?”

Two taps.

“Oh,” Zoe said. “So they were locked up.”

One tap.

She nodded.

“Did you see them?”

Two taps.

“I’m confused,” Skidmark said.

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“Did you smell them?”

One tap.

Zoe nodded to herself.

“Thank you…”

“See? Name him.”

“How about Barkly?”

“That’s not the best…”

But Barkly wagged his tail.

“Barkly it is then,” Zoe said. “Now, Barkly, we need you to lead us to the humans. Can you do that?”

One tap and the hound slunk away from the bush and padded out into the snow. Zoe and Skidmark followed. They hurried through the flat and open space. It was probably a vast parking lot for the university, but the weeks of falling snow had made it into a bland plane of flat and lumps. The snow remained pure, which was a far cry from the dirty brown and grey sludge that snow usually became in the city.

This must have been what it felt like for people in the past to wander during winter and see landscapes white and unsullied.

The red brick buildings came on quickly. The lecture halls were several stories tall and the housing buildings towered above them. Everything was silent except for the subtle cracking of their footsteps on the snow as they snuck deeper into the campus. This part of town was the direct opposite of the warmth and sensation of love that the polyp emitted. It was cold, stark, and eerie. Buildings that should have housed life, now lay empty, windows shattered here and there, dried bloodstains a darker brown upon the terracotta walls. Whatever violence happened here, it was quick, and it was one-sided.

Zoe and Skidmark followed Barkly until it led them to an indoor basketball court. Barkly sat in the snow and whined.

Zoe felt the meaning deep in her soul.

“You’re tired?” she asked.

The dog tapped a paw.

With a smile, Zoe reached out and scratched his head. He leaned into the gesture and melted. Tendrils of flesh flowed up her arm and vanished into her body. Once more she felt whole.

“That’s disgusting,” Skidmark said. “I think it’s cool, and kind of beautiful, but for the record, it is disgusting as well.”

“The system is disgusting and beautiful.”

“But we’re outside the system now, aren’t we? The Epiphany of the Flesh… that wasn’t in the Crimson Armada’s plans for us.”

“No, it wasn’t,” at least, Zoe hoped it wasn’t, but even in the deep quiet of her thoughts, she wasn’t safe from the prying eyes of the system. “You never showed me what your New Flesh could do?”

Skidmark shrugged.

“Buy me a drink first?”

“If we make it through this, I’ll find a bar and dedicate it to you.”

“Hey, give me a pub and I’ll show you whatever flesh you want.”

Zoe grimaced.

Skidmark noticed the expression and grimaced.

“Laying it on too thick?”

“Just… I don’t know… flesh means something different to a surgeon, I suppose.”

“Duly noted,” Skidmark penciled something on an invisible notepad. “I’ll do my best to keep it kid-friendly.”

“You don’t have to…” Zoe whispered before she thought about it. As she realized the words had slipped out, she blushed and marched forward before Skidmark could seize on them and say something else inappropriate. Or, worse, appropriate.

She studied the building. It was large, it could easily house four or more basketball courts. The same red brick and large concrete slabs as the rest of the campus. A singularly brutalist and ugly look. She couldn’t imagine being inspired if she studied here, but she supposed she hadn’t. She wondered who had… There were no signs on this or any of the other buildings. The only reason she knew it was a basketball court was the windows set high into the walls that depicted stained glass basketball players. She and Skidmark slunk around the side of the building, looking for a way in. They passed a double fire door, and then a back entrance that looked like it headed directly to a locker room. There was no sign of any mantis, though there was a stink to the air, like squished ants. The mantis must be nearby.

They found the front entrance. Tall walls of glass covered in dried blood and through the stains an empty foyer. Snow piled against the glass, but there was a swept open area near the doors. Someone had come through these doors recently, but falling snow erased their footprints. They found some cover behind a low wall and watched the doors. The sky grew darker as it shifted to overlapping bands of indigo and scarlet, but nobody came in or out of the doors. There was no buzz of Mantis wings. Zoe felt the ground with her Skein and there was a subtle vibration, but she hadn’t developed her body path to understand what that meant.

Ironically, she had counted on having Anton around to tell her what was happening. Maybe she shouldn’t rely on her friends so much…?

ding!

Don’t be stupid.

Thanks, little one.

ding!

I’m not little!

Her chains scrunched up of their own accord, and Zoe grinned for a moment before she turned her attention back to the doors of the basketball courts.

How many people were inside? How many Mantis? She wished Anton was here, but he was convalescing… and that was her fault as well. If she had been stronger… if she had been more decisive… if she hadn’t made them wait in the swamp to harvest the Angel…

ding!

No! You promised me you would do that and then you did. You’re a good person, Zoe.

Being good to one person doesn’t mean much if someone else suffers because of it.

It only matters if you help your friends.

That’s what I’m concerned about.

ding!

I don't understand that at all.

Nevermind…

Zoe turned to Skidmark.

“So, how do you think we should do this? Front door, back door, or fire exit?”

Skidmark raised an eyebrow.

“You look like a ‘kick down the front door’ kind of girl.”

“I expected a joke about euphemisms.”

“Now doesn’t seem like the time…”

“Oh.”

“You’re very comfortable around blood and death and horror.” Skidmark looked Zoe up and down. “Not all there in the human department, are you?”

Zoe glowered.

“Let’s go through the front door.”

“It wasn’t an insult,” Skidmark added. “I admire it, but you have to understand… other people can’t keep up with you. We break more easily.”

“You don’t think I’m close to breaking?”

“Close?” Skidmark shook her head. “If half the things the others told me were true, then you should be downright shattered.”

Zoe wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or not. She ignored it for now.

“You’re sure you don’t have any tricks with your new flesh?”

“I can sling lightning and I’m working on some constructs — completely defying the laws of physics by the way but I suppose that’s to be expected when Alien gods turn the world inside out — but my New Flesh, it’s not for combat. My Epiphany was more…”

“More what?”

Shockingly, Skidmark blushed.

“... intimate,” she whispered.

Zoe’s eyes widened.

Snow blew between them for an awkward moment. Zoe turned her attention to the doors.

“Alright, there’s people in there. And there’s mantis. If fighting breaks out and we can’t take it, then you run and get the others, alright?”

“If we’re scouting out, shouldn’t we head back and regroup? It’s getting dark and I’m sure Oriz could help us with this. That girl is strong.”

Zoe fought to maintain her composure. She didn’t want to go back to the cave. Not right now.

Was it just because she was mad?

No…

Her hunger was spoiled with levels and treasures. She wanted more.

“You can head back,” she said as she strode toward the waiting doors. “I’m going inside.”

The building waited for her. Empty in appearance, but she knew there was something inside. There had to be. Power, secrets, one or the other, or both. She would take everything and advance toward her revenge.

Snow crunched as Skidmark followed her, and Zoe smiled to herself. It felt good to lead others. It felt good to face danger. The glass doors stood above her, and her reflection gazed back: a scarred black woman with too sleek hair and a torn jumpsuit.

Skidmark examined her own visage.

“I think we should raid a clothing store after this.”

“I agree,” Zoe said light-heartedly. “But for now, I’m glad I don’t care about these clothes.”

“Why’s that?’

“Because things are about to get messy.”

She pulled open the door and stepped inside.