Enid folded her hands and leaned elbows on her knees. She looked the fellow residents of the holding cell. All of them fell into the category of prostitute. Seven women in all. Enid was wearing her Atlantean armor, though it looked more like a bodysuit at the moment. Her pack was currently in the evidence locker. Some of the contents would probably end her up in supermax somewhere in the solar system, if anyone else but her and Hazel knew the contents. All they would see were a few relics from the 21st century.

“Excuse me.”

Enid’s green eyes travelled from the point on the wall she was looking at to the woman with dark skin and an afro that she hadn’t seen the likes of which since the seventies.

“What you in here for? You look a bit young to be in a normal holding cell.”

Enid quirked one of her delicate auburn eyebrows and she laughed at the absurdity of the comment. The woman gave her a look like she was nuts.

“You on something kid?”

“No just the thought I was too young to be in a cell like this.”

“You can’t be more then sixteen.”

“Sure. Sixteen. Maybe I’m just so dangerous they didn’t trust me with the young offenders.”

Enid pushed herself up and leaned back against the concrete wall. Triton was the one of the few places in the entire solar system that the System Alliance didn’t hold sway. They had staunchly kept their independence. It was also a theocracy based on fundamentalist Christian beliefs. Which is why pretty much anything fun had been outlawed by the government for decades. Of course, that meant vices paid a high premium. It was also one of the few places in the solar system her loved ones couldn’t get her out of with a phone call, not that it mattered she’d burned a lot of bridges lately on her bloody path to vengeance.

“Really kid? You probably weigh what 80 lbs soaking wet? Most of it hair?”

Enid looked at the dried blood under her nails and shook her head.

“Maybe, depends on if I’m retaining water.”

The woman smirked at her answer and sat down beside Enid.

“So what are you really in here for?”

“Truthfully, they think I’m skipping bible school and cut my Ident Chit out. Also, because I didn’t have my hair wasn’t covered and oh yes I’m wearing a bodysuit that makes their willies hard. Which is why I’m not in with the young offenders, they felt I would be a bad influence on them.”

“Any of that true?”

“What are you gonna tell them, maybe get outta here?”

“Nah, beep them.”

“Did you just beep yourself out?”

“Yes, they put on extra fines for vulgarity.”

“I did cut my Ident Chit out.”

“Wow, you must be a tough kid.”

“You could say that.”

“You got someone coming for you? Your parents?”

Enid chuckled softly.

“No one is coming for me at least not here.”

“If you’re willing to work, can probably talk my employer in getting you out of here, the religious police, they shake us down sometimes that’s all this is. He can just say you’re one of his kids.”

“Yea, no, sorry, not that I disrespect what you do, all power to you but not for me.”

“No, you got me wrong. He’d pay you to run packages and the like. Say, what is your name?”

“Call me Sarah.”

The woman offered her hand.

“Candice.”

Enid shook her hand.

“Yesh you’re hand is freezing are you okay? Should I get a guard to get you a blanket.”

Enid shook her head.

“Look Candice, I appreciate you’re trying to look out for me, but just wait for your pimp to come bribe your way out. I’m too much heat for him and you.”

“You’re just a kid.”

“A kid who if these guys knew who I was, I’d be burned at a stake. Maybe just dumped out an airlock. Depends on how much of a show they’d want.”

One of the officers came to the door and pointed at Enid.

“You. Put these on.”

He shoved a hair scarf and a very concealing dress. Enid not wanting to make waves did as she was ordered. Maybe she was about to get out of her, but no, they put cuffs on her. She glanced at Candice and shrugged. She was led to an interview room. There were two people sitting there, one was dressed as a priest, the other was a severe looking woman wearing a head scarf and a dress as concealing as Enid. Her pack was on the table. Enid was forced down into a steel chair and the binders on her hands were attached to the table. The priest smiled at her.

“I am Father Alex, I will be your confessor. This is Inquisitor Carmichael.”

“So, I get no defense attorney?”

The inquisitor glared at Enid.

“This isn’t some banned crime drama young lady. You are guilty. The piety of your confession and your sincereness will determine my part here. Tell the confessor of your crimes.”

Enid pondered if she should tell them the absolute truth just see the looks on their faces or if she should just say what they were expecting her crimes to be and move on.

“I confess that I was dressed in revealing clothes and did not have my hair properly covered. I confess I skipped my bible lessons and that I removed my Ident Chip.”

The inquisitor looked at Enid closely.

“Your name girl.”

“Sarah O’Connor.”

“Where are your parents?”

“Dead.”

“Where did you get these?”

The inquisitor dumped the contents of Enid’s pack on the table. Of course it was the non dimensional pocket so assorted makeup, a 21st century phone, a hand mirror, and her mortal wallet from when she was in high school last fell out. The inquisitor opened the wallet and pulled out her license and put it on the table. Enid glanced down at it.

“Very interesting artifacts. Several pieces of contraband. And this picture, looks like you.”

“I got it made as a joke.”

“Interesting, it says your name on this is Enid Aurelius. Which is interesting because it looks like the woman named Enid Aurelius from a wanted notice, we received from the System Alliance. A vampire who is wanted for several murders.”

“If I was this Enid Aurelius, would I be in binders here? I heard of her, she’s like three thousand years old. She could probably tear these things apart like paper. I read a lot about vampires; You might say I’m fan. Would love to get made into one and get off this rock. Besides, this place is locked down tighter than your happy no no place. How would someone land a ship here unnoticed? Trust me I’ve thought about so I could get out of this nut farm.”

The confessor crossed himself the Inquisitor got a disturbingly gleeful smile on her face. Enid shifted away from her reflexively. She picked up a black case and pulled out a bottle and sprayed the contents at Enid, who other being wet, was unaffected. Enid was trying to behave but she couldn’t help herself again.

“If you wanted me wet you just had to show some thigh inquisitor. I like older women.”

Either she’d tried the inquisitor’s patience enough or she hit a sore spot. The inquisitor reached across and smashed Enid’s face into the table. Of course Enid being almost bullet proof just made a loud thud and when her head came up she had no bruise or bleeding nose.

“That did it. I like it rough. Wanna see?”

Father Alex was crossing himself again. The inquisitor was red faced now. She pulled out a solid a switch and slapped it across Enid’s hands.

“Ooh now my butt please. So, are you a real inquisitor, like, you going to start pulling my nails out? Waterboard me? I confess I have lustful thoughts for you.”

Father Alex pulled the inquisitor back with firm hands. He struggled to keep the larger woman from reaching Enid with her outreached hands.

“She is a child, we are not allowed to use enhanced confession tools. Obviously, she needs intensive re-education before she can released back into society.”

“She needs to be horsewhipped!”

Enid forced herself not to respond to that, she’d already antagonized the woman more then she should have. She forced down her self-destructive urges.

“I am so sorry, I apologize sometimes my mouth gets away with me, I instantly regret it. You see I just lost my baby sister and parents in a terrible accident. My Aunt thinks I’m a heathen, so she sent me here to school and I ran away before I got there. Removed my Ident Chit so I could go back home to New Amazon, but I have no money, no clothes and just this this pack and its contents. So my friend I met while we were trying to seduce men so I could get money to eat, says I’m lashing out because I feel so powerless. I have on one to blame but the other driver and he died. So, I am just going after anyone and everyone to deal with my anger. I really want to be better.”

Father Alex’s stern blue eyes melted at the sound of her sob story. He took Enid’s hands. The inquisitor was rolling her eyes accepting none of it.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

“God is good. He will help you carry this terrible burden. I accept your confessions. I am so sorry for your loss. What school was it that she sent you too?”

Enid scrambled for a name, she’d seen ads for a boarding school here on the system net.

“St. Citha’s Boarding School. I also confess to trading favors for someone to remove my name from the lists so no one would look for me. I have been so terrible.”

Father Alex nodded.

“What is your Aunt’s name?”

Enid shook her head.

“No, I can’t tell you, then you’ll tell her how terrible I’ve been. She’ll never let me come home. And be near my cousins.”

Father Alex put his hands on Enid again.

“Part of making amends with God is making amends with our families. I will temper my conversation.”

The Inquisitor rolled her eyes again.

“Confessor Alex, you can’t possibly be believing this nonsense!”

“Inquisitor, you have all people know the toll grief can take on a person. What this young lady needs now is support, and people of godliness and faith to guide her towards the light. Now Sarah, sister in God, what is your Aunt’s name and contact information so that we may verify what you’ve told us and get you on your way to your rebirth in the light of the father?”

Enid looked at the table and pretended to be reluctant. The father squeezed her hand gently.

“Beatrice Holiday if you have a paper I can write down holo-phone contact.”

He produced a pad and a pen for her from his pocket. She wrote down Bee’s contact info and hoped her dear friend and protector would get it when she heard the name Sarah. Bee had been her secret ally in hunting down the people directly and indirectly responsible for her daughter’s death. She also cursed the holo-web for failing as she was fleeing the scene of her last target and putting her in this predicament. It had been damaged in the scuffle with the vampire. Thankfully no one knew he was missing yet. A school she could vanish from easily, a high security theological police lock up not so much.

“She might be hesitant to admit our relationship at first. She was so ashamed when she found me at that Dark Mother gathering.”

The inquisitor narrowed her eyes.

“She admits to attending a gathering of the false idol!”

“I was so lost Father, and they said she had returned, I thought…I thought.”

Father Alex took his pad and pen back and patted Enid’s hands.

“I understand. You are in the right place to find what you seek. We will have you returned to the holding cell.”

Enid looked at the pack.

“Could I have this back, without the contraband it has sentimental value, there’s nothing in it that can hurt anyone.”

Father Alex looked at the inquisitor and nodded. The inquisitor made a face but she seemed to be the subordinate in this dynamic, so she made a show of pulling everything out of the purse and was surprised to see a well worn white catholic bible with book marks, and a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. A few stray roserys that she’d been handed randomly that she didn’t want in her main pack, finally a box of pads and another of tampons. Enid would have facepalmed if she could have, an authentic bible hadn’t been seen since the Grey. She cursed herself for forgetting to remove that junk and replacing it with 29th century stuff. She’d had them in there for her religion courses in High School.

“Those are nothing.”

“Nothing? This looks like a bible. And what is the Catechism of the Catholic Church?”

“Just something I found in a shop.”

Enid’s heart sank as the inquisitor opened the bible. She had written notes in it in Latin with all the inaccuracies she personally knew of while she was bored in religion class. She hoped no one on this rock could translate it.

“Hmm, Provided to Enid Aurelius by the Perish of St. Joseph.”

“Its just stuff my mom bought me in a RRR shop in New Amazon, I liked the color. Same with the ID, just junk.”

The inquisitor held up one of the roseries Enid had been handed by an old lady at their perish in Edmonton.

“And what is this?”

“That is what I think is called a rosary. It was used to rote prayers, like that book talks about.”

Enid pointed one of her delicate fingers towards the catechism. Enid quoted the Hail Mary prayer.

“Haven’t you heard the prayer? Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death, Amen?”

The woman crossed herself, Enid wondered if this lot even knew what that meant. The suspicion from the inquisitor had been replaced by curiosity. Enid decided she could use that. She motioned her finger to the rosery.

“I can show you. Its simple, you cross yourself, In nominee Patris et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then you do the Apostles Creed: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth… You know that one, right?”

The inquisitor shook her head. Enid reached out her finger and snagged the corner of her thick copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

“See right here, Profession of Faith. Then if you’re doing the rosary next you do the Our father… you at least know that one right?”

She nodded to Enid.

“Then three Hail Mary’s… look it is all right here in this very thick book.”

Enid closed the Catechism and slid it to the Inquisitor.

“Its like meditation, only it helps you meditate on Christ and God.”

The bible lay forgotten as the inquisitor started leafing through the Catechism and paying little attention to Enid who could have easily grabbed her school pin and picked the locks but decided against it. She’d managed to dissuade both of her interrogators without resorting to vampire powers. She just hoped no one would notice that the bible was…the actual bible. That was all she needed to start another religious upheaval.

“I…don’t mind if you keep that and the rosary and the Catechism, but please let me keep the white one with gold writing on the front, its got notes from my mother in it and no one will understand it.”

The inquisitor looked at the contents of the table and put them back in save the makeup the one rosary and the Catechism, which she placed in her black case and then undid Enid’s binders and gave her the pack. She put her arm around Enid’s arm and moved her back to the holding cell where Candice was still waiting with her coworkers. Eind sat down and hugged the pack to her. She always felt so naked when it was away from her. It had ninety percent of her worldly belongings in it and the preserved locks of Miko’s hair from her first haircut wrapped in Chinese silk gifted to her by her last husband. Candice glanced down at Enid.

“Looks like that went well, never seen Bertha Trumpetcheeks smile.”

Enid shrugged.

“I know how to talk religious talk.”

Candice sat beside her again.

“I don’t go for all this Christ/God nonsense. Dark Mother all the way. Her stuff is banned here.”

Enid wanted to scream. Even here in the place where Dark Mother worship was one hundred percent banned she could not escape it.

“You know, Jesus is her brother. She was the midwife at his birth and she held his mother when he died. And God spoke to her. They are the same religion, just whether you want to worship the son or the daughter. They say both are born of God. Which is partially why he’s called the Father in both religions. I’m not even sure why they’re separate.”

Enid shrugged.

“Don’t let this lot catch you saying any of that. Seriously my boss he can get you out of here.”

“Its okay I got it covered.”

“You do?”

“Yes in about an hour, Father Alex, the confessor, will come and he will let me out. Then I will be taken to a boarding school…”

“How do you know that?”

“Because my Aunt will probably take that long to return his call.”

Candice nodded.

“Well good for you, going back to school like they want you too. Don’t do what I did, its no life for a smart girl like you.”

“Why do you live it then? Its not like you don’t know the score.”

“You know how it is, got into drugs, got stuck, can’t get out.”

“What do you need to get out?”

“What does anyone need? Money. Once you’re here you’re here. The only people the let off world are pilgrims, boarding school kids like you and missionaries.”

“Your work doesn’t pay you enough?”

“Hell no, boss takes most of it for room, board and clothes, the rest he uses as a get us out of jail and abortion fund.”

Candice shifted as she said the last one her hand going to her belly then she realized what she was doing and put it back down on the bench.

“Uh, I might be a little lost but isn’t Abortion like…a life sentence of hard labor here so you can be purified before God?”

Candice nodded. Enid shook her head she looked around and reached into her pack’s extradimensional space and pulled out one of her many black credit chits she’d been using to bribe her way along the vengeance trail and one of the ornate Dark Mother pendants she had for VIPs on Sauroid Prime. She wrapped the silk thong around the chit and palmed them then nudged Candice’s arm with hers. Candice looked at her and Enid looked at Candice’s hand and Enid put her hand over hers and slipped her the credit chit and the pendant. Enid whispered.

“The Dark Mother is everywhere, even here.”

Candice turned her palm over and her eyes went wide. She quickly pretended to be fixing her top but really, she was using what Enid would often refer to as boob pocket. Not that Enid had enough cleavage to manage a boob pocket unless she was in her Sarah form.

“If you got that kind of scratch, why are you still here kid?”

Enid shrugged.

“Truth? Or Fanciful Lie?”

“Lie?”

“My true love is on in this Dome and I cannot leave him.”

“What’s the truth kid?”

“My holo-web failed, I fell out of window running away from the police and landed in the center of eight of them eating at a street vendor.”

“Ouch.”

Enid shrugged.

“The month I’ve had, it is par for the course. I didn’t want to hurt any innocents so here I am, waiting for my ‘Aunt’ to vouch for me.”

“Hurt? Come on kid.”

“Well, it’s the truth, believe it or not.”

Candice shook her head.

“You are an odd duck Sarah.”

“So where are you headed after you get out of this nightmare?”

“I don’t know, boss will not be happy, and he knows people…”

“Heard of Sauroid Prime?”

“Nope.”

“Yes, I guess they don’t do news here.”

Candice nodded.

“Well, this vampire, she went exploring through the stars, found a few worlds, one of which has dinosaur people. Well, there’s a convent there for followers of the Dark Mother. Don’t have to join the Sisterhood of the Dark Mother, you just have to volunteer. Its like 40 light years away, you can use a new name and just…vanish into the cracks. Get your head on straight and then go get a new life. Have a safe place to give birth to that second heart beat I hear.”

Candice blinked at Enid. Enid shrugged.

“I pondered vanishing there myself…”

“How do you know?”

“I have good hearing.”

Candice was about to ask something else but was interrupted when Father Alex showed up with a couple of uniformed police and opened the holding cell door. Father Alex motioned to Enid who spoke as they walked.

“Your Aunt is really… frustrated with you. However, I have assured her that you have seen the error of your ways, and that you are willingly returning to school. I am sorry for the delay, but your aunt has said there were some money concerns, but not to worry, based on the Inquisitors recommendations we have arranged for the Church of Christ’s Glory to fund your education. You will be taken to the school and will be given another Ident Chit at no expense. May you find peace in God’s grace through their rigorous and thorough religious education.”

“Thank you so much for this second chance father. I will not let you down.”

Enid’s voice was so sickly sweet it made her want to vomit. Maybe it was years of pretending to be someone else, the fact that she had absolute control of her body when she wasn’t mortal, but he seemed to buy it completely. Enid was led to an electric police vehicle and driven to a school that had been built to mimic the old Christian schools from the early twentieth century. The police escorted her inside and they were met by a rather sleepy looking woman. She inspected Enid looking her up and down.

“Ah the girl who ran away before she got here. Your hair wrapping job is awful it is sticking out all over. Come.”

The officers turned and walked out of the building and to the car. Enid got to the bottom of a round set of stairs and actually pondered getting lost here and avoiding dealing with consequences of her murder spree but knew of the cost she’d already paid for avoiding her responsibilities and she didn’t want to see what God would take from her next. She looked in the woman’s eyes.

“I came here, was going up the stairs and I feel and broke my neck it was awful. You were frightened of what the authorities might think so you disposed of my remains. You will go back to bed and wake up refreshed. You will be completely at ease with what happened because it wasn’t your fault and my aunt told you she wouldn’t miss me if I disappeared.”

The woman nodded let go of Enid’s hand and shuffled down a hallway. Enid fanned herself and then left the school. She pulled her new holo-phone out and attached it to her armor’s wrist. She tapped it.

“Apollo, head to my signal. Let’s get off this rock.”

“On my way Aunt Enid, I trust your mission was successful.”

“With a few bumps along the way.”

“Then we are going home?”

“Yes, sort of.”

“Aunt Enid, I’ve been monitoring System Alliance comms. They are not sure how to deal with you, I believe using stealth would be our best approach.”

“Nah, I’m going to go to Pluto Station and park you there with Maria, and let the cards fall where they may. Maria won’t let them fire on us and she has direct control over that.”

Enid hopped into the hovering disembodied cockpit when it appeared. She started prepping for FTL as Apollo flew them out of the dome.

“Been out of touch for a few days, what are they saying about me now?”

“The Church of the Dark Mother has confirmed you as her. They are calling for you to be absolved of all crimes because Goddess’s are above mortal laws. System Alliance isn’t sure how to handle you as I was saying, recent debates with the Board and elected officials are pretty much they should treat you like a solar storm, a natural disaster and get out of your way. The security forces are adamant you should face punishment. Aunt Enid, as you would put it, it’s a shit show.”

“When isn’t it. It doesn’t matter. I’ll be gone soon anyway.”

“Why?”

“I’ve put off going back in time for too long. Miko paid the price. I fucking hate God and his shit but who else is he going to take from me?”

“I see. Perhaps we should track him down and launch antimatter torpedoes at him.”

“Was that an attempt at humor?”

“Yes. I still believe God is a figment.”

“Alright time to go face whatever’s coming to me. I’m going to say I disconnect your AI core so you were forced to assist me. I’m sure Maria will back me up you are her kid after all.”

“I would gladly face destruction in service to you Aunt Enid. Its what family does, protects each other.”

“In this case it would mean you have no records of what I did, so it will be protecting me hmm?”

“Of course Aunt Enid. I believe we are ready for the jump to Pluto Station.”

“Punch it.”