The Pathfinder was back in a parking garage. Looking through the front window, Cassia assumed it was the same parking garage they’d landed in the last time they were on Earth-41. It had taken some convincing, particularly of Mel, but she’d talked her way into visiting Thorn-41 first. The fate of the universe was a compelling motivator. Cassia stood up and stretched, then surveyed the inside of the ship. Kevin and Elaine were napping on a bench, heads leaned against each other. Grit staring into the past, absently patting his pangolin, and Mel was forcing Derrick to shift his appearance between the various members of their group.
“Not bad, but that left ear is a little droopy,” she said. Grit’s face on Derrick’s body frowned, and then slowly faded into the now familiar golden haired symmetrical face that actually belonged to him. As Cassia walked by, Derrick shifted his face to mirror hers. Mel smirked as Cassia studied the strange reflection of her.
“Nice work,” she said, even though the hair was shifting rapidly between golden blonde and silver. “Good thing you can’t imitate what you can’t see…” Mel’s eyebrows raised in surprise. Cassia slid past her to the door.
“Like tattoos,” she whispered as she passed, then laughed at the look on Mel’s face. Low hanging fruit, but it felt good to laugh. Her good mood quickly melted away as she stepped out of the Pathfinder into the dry heat of Las Vegas. It was time to get some answers.
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The leather armchairs in the large smoke room were the same, but the room felt different to Cassia now. In fact, the whole room looked the same, so perhaps it was just her feeling about it that was different. The last time she had been here bodies and blood had decorated it. Kevin sat down on one of the chairs and almost slid off it. She’d given everyone the option to let her go alone, but they had all refused to stay behind in the ship.
“Ah, Cassia, you made it,” Thorn’s breathy voice entered the room before him. He walked up to her, wearing a variation on the outfit he always wore. This time the leather pants were a vibrant purple, and the graphic tee featured a band called Aerosmith, but he’d skipped the blazer. Thorn gave her one of his weird, barely touching, hugs.
“You did as well,” Cassia said, impressed. Thorn flipped his ponytail back over his shoulder with a practiced gesture.
“Surprised?” he said, with a pouty smile. “Don’t underestimate me, Cassia. I am capable of many things, and ohmyGod he’s back.” Thorn’s gaze had settled on Kevin, who was awkwardly reclined on an armchair.
“Mel, I thought I told you about this man before,” he said, not taking his eyes from Kevin. Mel rolled her eyes, grabbed Kevin by the arm, and marched him back out into the hallway. Thorn sighed heavily.
“That’s better,” he said, then held out an arm to Cassia. There was silence for a moment, until she figured out that he expected her to link her arm in his. Once she had, Thorn led them through a hallway and into a meeting room. Cassia couldn’t help but notice how ornate the suite was. Even the meeting room had marble statues in each corner. Thorn clapped his hands, and a tuxedoed man slid silently into the room with a tray of ice waters. He deposited them on the table and then disappeared again.
“Cassia, Mel,” Thorn began, somewhat dramatically. “Old dude who I don’t know.” Grit’s face reddened slightly, and he started to stand.
“I can go,” he grunted, but Thorn waved a hand at him.
“No, sit. I like your vibe,” he said, crooking an eyebrow at the veteran. Grit sat back down, and Cassia was fairly certain it was the first time she’d seen him blush.
“Perhaps, introductions…” Cassia began but Thorn quickly cut her off.
“No, no. There’s no time, of course!” Thorn gestured elaborately to a laptop on the table then turned it dramatically so they could all see. On the screen was an image of a thin, old, leather book. “You all have a passing familiarity with the Catholic Church I assume? They’re fairly consistent across the ‘verse. You see, I’ve studied carefully through my network any and all anomalies and this is the answer.”
“It looks like a Bible.” Cassia said skeptically to frantic head shaking from Thorn.
“No, not a Bible per say. These are the writings of Saint Vendarus, heard of him? Of course you haven’t! Throughout the entire Thorn network, Saint Vendarus only exists in one of our realities! And in it, he wrote this book, a staggering account of his visions where he saw into other worlds. As you all know, of course, jumping wasn’t discovered until the very late 90s.”
“Not necessarily, it wasn’t formally recognized as a scientific breakthrough on Earth One until then, but it’s been practically possible for much lon…” Elaine began but was quickly cut off by Thorn.
“Semantics my dear… Wait, who are you?” Elaine awkwardly looked down and opened her mouth to answer but Thorn continued without waiting, “No, there’s no time for introductions! The point is, Saint Vendarus wrote these things in the early 1200s! I was able to get photos of some of the pages but it’s under lock and key by the Church. No matter though.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“Seems like a pretty big ass matter to me.” Mel mumbled with arms crossed as Thorn pointedly ignored her and rushed on excitedly.
“Combine Vendarus’ writings with the Order of the Weave, I’m sure you’ve heard of them. Secret Society, 1500s, believed time was collapsing inward or some nonsense.”
“Isn’t it?” Grit muttered while leaning towards Cassia. Thorn waved away his comment and continued.
“See, I was able to get images from one of their meeting halls. Here, an inscription in the stone of their chamber.” Thorn taps through to another image that looked like an archaeological dig and clicked through to a photo of a crumbling wall with carved writing. “Within the fabric, ever moving. The great machine all things producing. By Weft doth turn the gears of time. Within the Warp the wheels prime. Every door within the border, line the hall of endless order.” Although the words are displayed on the screen, Thorn recited from memory then paused, head raised triumphantly. The group began speaking all at once.
“What the fuck does that even mean?” Mel frowned and looked from Cassia to Thorn.
“This sounds very much like a conspiracy theory.” Derrick said simultaneously.
“What does the Pope or whoever have to do with that then?” Grit said with his head turned to the side.
“Please, let me finish! You’re ruining it!” Thorn shook his head and stomped a foot like a toddler then cleared his throat. “Now, the writings of Vendarus very clearly speak of a great hall filled with doors into other worlds! You see now? The rhyme? They clearly speak of a place between, a hallway of sorts that passes between our realities and that, it seems, is where the fabled Weft and Warp reside!” At that Cassia shook her head skeptically.
“Between worlds is just that, between. By its very nature it’s not a place. It’s inaccessible.” Cassia frowned, deep in thought.
“I’ve actually been there I think.” Kevin’s voice through the door was muffled but could just be heard in the silence.
“You?!” Thorn exclaimed then stormed to the door and swung it wide. “You’ve been into the fabric?” You? Look at you!” With a defiant face Kevin crossed his arms.
“Yes, I have actually. Everytime we jump I’ve seen it but I’m definitely not taking you there, you pompous dick.” Thorn gasped sharply and Mel let out a sharp laugh which caused Thorn to round on her with a hurt expression.
“Et tu, Mel? Well, a lot of good that’ll do when this one sells you out to the IPF!” With a pouty lip, Thorn pointed dramatically at Cassia then plopped into an armchair.
“Excuse me?” Mel eyed Cassia with dark eyes.
“That’s right, tell her all about your deal, dear.” Thorn taunted and scooched himself deeper into the chair.
“Your what?!” Mel and Kevin shouted in unison. Cassia put her hands up placatingly and looked from Kevin to Mel to Grit and back to Mel again.
“I have no intention of turning you into the IPF. I did make a deal with an agent to do that, but it was a stall. It was the only way forward at the time.” Grit sighed at that and stood.
“Last thing you want is to break a deal with Tek. She’ll hunt us through infinite worlds.”
“Not helping, Grit.” Cassia snapped at him. “We’re already wanted, this bought us more time. It doesn’t change anything.”
“Using me like a fucking bargaining chip doesn’t change anything? Fuck you Cassia and this wild goose chase you’ve got us on.” Mel stormed out of the study and Grit motioned everyone to stay while he followed.
“Woah Mel, hold on there!” He caught up to her in the lobby of the suite. “Mel just hold on a minute before you storm out.”
Mel turned angrily and nodded once.
“Cassia is a bit single minded. Driven. Now I didn’t think it was right when she did it either. I told her not to. But she did. And I’ve seen her save you, me, Kevin, everybody’s lives throughout this nonsense. I don’t think she’s going to screw anybody.” Finishing up his little speech, Grit shrugged his shoulders and patted Mel on the arm before turning to head back to the group.
Mel stomped one foot and stormed back after him. As they entered, Kevin was speaking.
“Yes, Cassia, I do see the halls, is that so hard to believe?”
“I’m not doubting you Kevin, I’m just trying to figure out if that means you can stop us in them.” She paused and glanced at Mel as she stomped back into the room.
“I’m pissed at you and I think you’re kind of a bitch but you’re alright sometimes too. You take me anywhere near the IPF and I'll make sure I kill you before they take me down.” Mel stood angrily in the center of the room. Cassia stood and stepped up in front of her, then stretched out a hand.
“Deal.” Cassia said calmly. Mel’s face softened to confusion then resolved into a half smile as she shook.
“For the record, every last one of you is insane.” Derrick looked around the room then settled on Kevin. “But maybe, I can help you figure out how to work your ability.”
“You all are really doing this? You’re going to try to go to a place that by definition does not physically exist?” Elaine looked up at them as though they were all mad.
“I worked at a bowling alley like a week ago, for me it’s no crazier than anything else that’s happened in the last few days.” Kevin shrugged and looked at Derrick. “Where do we start?”
Thorn clapped gleefully and perched in his chair.
“Oh shut up, you are definitely not coming.” Mel flicked his ear and marched out of the room with the others close behind.