Chapter 43: Ultimate sacrifice

Echo was gone. Libby knew it. Everything had turned to shit. She had moved Adam to the shadow realm where maybe he’d have some chance. More of chance maybe. She knew she shouldn’t be bothered about the kids but she was. Perhaps she could try and absorb some of the remaining SP and divert it to them. Although this was seeming less and less lightly but she would try.

GTAs encapsulated the adjacent structure to Bone’s. It was far far larger but with their swelling numbers they had managed it. They pulsed as one and it was consumed. Absorbed into their network. They stopped.

“What the hell?” said Echo his AI mind juddering to a stop. He could sense more, much more. An influx of information flooded him in waves, coming in from the spirit sea all around. Had the GTAs upgraded him? Then he felt the memories of Bones, though they were again, strange, he had no other word for it. The memories where like an overlay on his mind, like a ghost. The ghost in the machine. Accessible with a thought.

Echo had already looked at these memories and though he had searched them thoroughly had found no solution to their current plight. Now though that he looked at them he felt insights drift into his consciousness. Insights into so many things. How Dr Miles work could be taken further. Even how Adam’s current state could be reversed if they only had the right equipment.

His mind seemed so much more responsive had he been tiered-up? He would talk to Libby more about this. But the connection was broken.

Ash tried to play down Adam’s current plight. “Listen Adam is just avoiding unnecessary fights with those beasts. Maybe he’ll be able to find something better for us to eat.” Ash contrived.

At this the kids perked up for a moment. Ash gave Thawain a side long glance and received a gratifying wink in response. This seemed to settle the younger kids for the moment and Seria even went back to tracing out symbols from her sheaf of waxed papers. Sela was of course not fooled.

She sidled over to Ash. “Any ideas what is really going on?” She whispered into his ear, as they sheltered in the relative privacy of the kitchen.

“I tried talking to Libby but I could tell she was just trying to fob me off. It must be bad.” Surmised Ash. He wasn’t wrong. The PD collapsed, automatically jettisoning them and all within out into the physical realm, or in this case the shadow realm with Adam.

The kids looked around happily for about a couple of nano seconds before they noticed not only the tables, chairs and their stuff had been deposited. But also the contents of the kitchen and a free standing toilet.

They all looked to Adam for some explanation but seeing his bewildered expression the littlest ones started to wail, like an automatic alarm system.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Things just got worse.” Adam thought. Not only did he have his own demise to consider but that of these kids too.

“Ok. Listen up. We have been put here for our safety. But I can’t say how long we will have to stay here for, so we will have to make the best of things.” Said Adam going into planning mode. He then requested the older kids to take an inventory of what resources they had. And asked Thawain to tell the kids to sort out bed rolls, this was an easy enough ruse as in the shadow realm it was always twilight. Adam figured best to keep them busy in the hope that something, anything really sprung to mind.

“Libby? Can you give me a status report.” Asked Echo. He had managed to get some Nanobots to send a message.

“Who is this?” was Libby’s abrupt response.

“It’s Echo, sorry but this appears to be the only way I can communicate, currently. Although on the plus side the GTAs seem to have enhanced me in some way, I think they’ve maybe even tier-ed me up.” Echo stated expectantly.

Libby was stunned into deathly silence. She shook her virtual head, why did her humour turn so sour? Shortly after all communication to Echo had been cut off. She had sent out strands of energy to try and funnel in energy at an accelerated rate, while stocks lasted. She had to send the arm further and further. This took it in range of Echo. Then past Echo. This was when they had realised he’d been killed. Destroyed by the GTAs.

Was this a con by the GTAs? A sick joke of Trey or Meca’s? She was curious but in no mood to mess about. If she was going to die she’d do it with some dignity intact.

“Echo!? That’s not possible. Echo was destroyed by the GTAs.” Libby stated annoyed.

“No. No that’s not possible, I’m Echo…” said Echo pausing. He was Echo wasn’t he? Dead?

Echo felt revulsion at his very being. He was a monster! The GTAs writhed going crazy, shattering parts of Huba and Libby’s spirit shells.

“Stop!! Please stop! Echo” Libby howled. She did not after all want to die.

Echo stopped, fear stricken. He paused until he could regain his mental footing and tried desperately to calm himself. Whoever he was. He remembered Adam and breathed deeply in and out, as a visualisation.

Then with a thought repaired the damage to Libby and then Huba’s spirit shells.

“I’m sorry Libby, Huba. I didn’t know… what I have become.” Echo said in despair.

“So what are you?” Libby said extreme fear turning to curiosity, like a lit flame.

“I don’t know exactly” said Hive Echo. Echo having become Hecho once more.

Hecho sensed himself as fully as he could. He found he knew that he had strange new abilities. He recognised their energy signatures. It was identify, absorb, acclimatise and metal manipulation. Adam’s abilities. He knew he had not harmed Adam but the thought of taking his abilities for his own was felt frankly sacrilegious. He would put them back.

Then he was halted as a wave of impressions flowed over him, reminding him of his prime directive. How could he have forgotten his purpose for being? Hecho decide to see what he could do.

Adam confided in Thawain their dire circumstance. Thawain did something unexpected, he laughed. Firstly, Adam was stunned looking strangely at Thawain. Then Adam laughed to he had not turned out to be such a great saviour after all.

When they sobered up. Adam looked at Thawain and said “You know we can’t even stay here. The shadow energy will kill us. Which means were going to need to go back into that forest again. At least none of you are magic, well accept you that is.” Said Adam dropping that particular bomb.

“How long have we got?” said Thawain.