Haddie Halloway sat at her work console and stared at the grid of ports on her switchboard. She looked up at the clock; five minutes until her shift ended.
Please, no calls, she thought to herself. Then, as if in direct defiance of her plea, a red light flashed on one of the switchboard ports. She grabbed the cable attached to her headset and braced herself as she plugged the jack into the port. A click emitted from her headset, indicating she had established the connection.
With feigned enthusiasm, she slipped into her customer service persona and said, "Thank you for calling The Bionic Buddy Bureau. My name is Haddie, and I'd be happy to help you decode your digital dilemmas."
"Fuck," an angry voice replied, "they really make you guys say that crap?"
"I'm sorry?" Haddie said, taken aback.
"Never mind, look, I got this fuckin' thing in my head that's supposed to help me remember everyone's names, but ever since it updated yesterday, it keeps feeding me 'Jeffrey' as everyone's name. I can't even remember what you told me your name was because this piece of shit just overwrote it with Jeffrey. Your name's not Jeffrey, right?"
"No, my name's Haddie."
"Jeffrey, got it... wait, fuck!"
"I'm sorry to hear you're having this issue. Could you provide your name and account number so I can verify your augment?"
"Yeah, name's Jeffrey, fuck, I mean Jeffrey, I mean Jeffrey, fuck! My- name- is... Florent Penny, shit, sorry. My account number is [REDACTED]."
"Okay, it says here that you have the Label Liaison L3. Is that correct, Mr. Penny?"
"Yeah."
Haddie knew the newest update for the Label Liaison L3 was prone to this issue. It involved a cascading series of synaptic misfires with the augment's memory storage matrix. The glitch caused the neural pathways associated with name recognition to become inadvertently linked with the neural cluster responsible for processing the name "Jeffrey." As a result, the Label Liaison L3 began to overwrite all stored names with "Jeffrey" due to the association established during the recalibration process.
Haddie knew how to develop a software patch that would solve the issue. This was her fifteenth call that day regarding the problem, and she had already investigated the source code and found the error. But Haddie wasn't authorized to touch the code. All she could do was fill out a form, hoping it landed on the right person's desk who was authorized to rewrite the code and hoping even more that the person was skilled enough to fix it.
"This has been a common issue with the newest update for the Label Liaison L3. We're still waiting for our development team to patch the glitch. In the meantime, turning the augment off and on again should fix the issue. It may take a moment to download your name database backup," Haddie said.
"Oh," the angry man responded, "Yeah, that seems to have fixed it."
"That's great. Is there anything else I can help-"
A click emitted from her headset, and the line went dead.
Haddie looked at the clock, two minutes past her shift end. "Shit!" She said to herself. She quickly punched out and prepared herself for the automated message.
"Haddie Halloway," the monotone voice emitted from the time puncher, "you have exceeded your scheduled work hours. Please proceed to your Supervisor's office for remediation."
"Shit," Haddie muttered to herself.
She began navigating through the hallways toward her Supervisor's office and nearly jumped when she heard someone scream, "Haddie!"
"What?" she barked as she turned around. She saw it was Ping, the friendly receptionist, and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, Ping. I've just had a rough day."
"That's okay," Ping said with a smile, "I just wanted to let you know you got this letter today. The guy who delivered it was really serious about making sure you got it. I don't know what it is, but it seems really important." Ping handed her a bright yellow envelope with her name printed in large capital letters.
"Weird," Haddie said. "Thanks, Ping. Have a good night." She opened the letter and read the following message:
Dear Haddie,
It's been too long since we last talked, and I regret not contacting you sooner to catch up. I miss the days when we were in school together. Your curiosity and enthusiasm always inspired me, and I wouldn't be where I am today without your help.
However, I'm writing to you now because I have a fantastic opportunity that I believe would be perfect for you. The Conglomerate has tasked me with assembling a research team to travel to a deserted planet to study a relic discovered there. I can't think of anyone better suited for the job than you.
I know that you've criticized The Conglomerate for all the horrible things they've done to the inhabitants of other planets, but I hope you'll put aside those thoughts and join me on this adventure. Your creativity, intelligence, and determination would be invaluable to our research efforts. I understand this is a huge thing to ask you, but I assure you we'll be surrounded by like-minded professionals who share your passion for exploring the unknown.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
-Lyric Frost
Haddie stood in the hallway, processing the letter and weighing her options. She had graduated with top scores from science school two years ago and had immediately received an offer from The Conglomerate to work in their anthropology and archeology department. The job would have been studying ancient civilizations and their technology across the universe. It would have been perfect for her, and she loved learning and deciphering all of that long-lost information and secrets that didn't exist anywhere within The Conglomerate's cold, metal walls. She felt some soul emanating from within the relics and technology that she didn't feel anywhere else. But when she began to understand how most of these objects came to be in The Conglomerate's possession, she no longer wanted to be involved. To her, the entire discovery process was tarnished because all of these objects were stolen from people who did not consent to being studied in this way.
Haddie didn't understand why The Conglomerate had to invade these planets and steal the people's belongings to try to understand the meaning of the objects. She was frustrated because she could have just traveled to the planets, received a first-hand account from the inhabitants, and gotten a much clearer understanding of who they were and how they lived their lives. She could have done all this without disturbing their way of life or needing to consume their entire planet.
She tried to petition The Conglomerate to allow her to develop an alternate method of first contact and catalog the inhabitants' technology and culture less destructively. But the authorities shut her petition down, and Haddie decided any further effort would be futile. That's how she ended up working an entry-level tech support job at The Bionic Buddy Bureau, for which she was exceedingly overqualified.
Her thoughts were cut off by a voice echoing down the hallway: "Halloway, get in my office immediately!" It was her Supervisor, Chott Emmingly. His abrasive shouting was the tipping point in Haddie's pros and cons list, which she had been forming in her head.
"Respectfully," Haddie shouted back down the hallway, "Mr. Emmingly, I quit!" She narrowly avoided hearing his response by darting through the nearest exit.
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Haddie readjusted the duffle bag on her back as she attempted to jog across the bustling hangar.
"Come on," Lyric Frost shouted back at her, "we're going to miss our transport!"
Haddie wanted to say something back, but she was expending all her mental energy to keep her from collapsing, and even if she could think of something to say, it felt like she was trying to breathe through a crushed straw. "I ca- I can't-" was all she could get out. Haddie had never taken to sports or exercise, and the years of sitting and staring at screens and microscopes hadn't helped her with carrying a duffle bag full of everything she would need for the following month on her back.
She and Lyric had spent that morning at a café catching up on everything that had happened to them in the past two years. Lyric listened to Haddie complain about her job and how she had been fantasizing about quitting since her first week. And Haddie listened to Lyric tell her about all of the fantastic discoveries she had had the opportunity to participate in, at least the ones that were no longer under NDA and maybe some that still were. They were so distracted by hearing what each other had been up to that they missed their tram to the shuttle to transport them to the planet. The next tram got them to the hangar minutes before their shuttle was scheduled to depart.
Lyric made it across the hangar to the shuttle first, her small frame allowing her to swiftly dodge through the crowd despite being nearly half the size of her duffle bag. "You can do it, Haddie," Lyric shouted from the shuttle ramp.
Haddie reached the railing and began pulling herself up the ramp. "I did it, I made it, I'm here," she said, completely drained.
"What's the name of the planet we're going to?" Haddie asked Lyric as they took their seats on the shuttle.
"It's called Uluruss. It's somewhat habitable. I don't think anything lives there, and we won't be able to survive longer than a month with the supplies we're bringing. You've been planetside before, right?"
"Yeah, we went on that school trip to Elios. We nearly fainted when we saw the horizon!"
"That's right. I think some people even threw up!" They both started laughing. "Are you ready to do it again? They say the feeling never goes away until the fourth or fifth time," said Lyric.
"No," Haddie replied, "I'm pretty nervous."
"When was the last time you perception traveled?" Lyric asked.
"Not since that school trip." Haddie replied, "The whole idea of perception traveling doesn't even make sense. I tried looking up anything I could about perception drives when we were in school, but everything was restricted."
"I mean, it's pretty simple: we go to sleep, the captain thinks about where we want to go, and we wake up a few seconds later, and we're there."
"Yeah, no, I get that. But that seems like it should be impossible. How can we appear somewhere just by thinking about it?"
"Excuse me, ladies," a man sitting in the row behind them interrupted, "I couldn't help but overhear you, and I-"
Haddie cringed at the nasally voice. "Jace?" she cut in, her stomach sinking. "Jace Haffherty, is that you?" She turned around and saw that her assumption was correct. The man sitting behind them was Jace Haffherty, whom Haddie had regrettably dated for two weeks in school.
"Why, if it isn't the lovely Haddie Halloway!" Jace said. "If I'd known I'd be joining this expedition with such a beautiful specimen, I'd-"
"Oh god," Haddie interrupted, nearly gagging, "do not ever refer to me as a 'specimen' Jace."
"My apologies, Ms. Halloway. I did not mean to offend you. I forgot how sensitive you can be." Jace said, bowing his head.
"Is this idiot really coming with us?" Haddie asked, turning to Lyric.
Lyric tried her best to look apologetic, "Yeah, I'm really sorry. I probably should have told you, but I knew you wouldn't even consider coming if you heard his name."
"You couldn't have found anyone else to do his job? What is he even doing here?"
"Hello, I'm right here," Jace said as he wiggled his fingers in a creepy wave.
"I needed an engineer who was experienced with maintaining research equipment in harsh environments, and as hard as I tried, I couldn't find anyone with decent credentials."
"I wouldn't say anything about Jace is decent."
"Look, I'm sorry. I really tried to find anyone else. But try not to worry about it. Jace is one of over fifty people on the expedition, and he'll probably be working far enough away from us that you'll never have to interact with him."
"Yeah, I doubt he'll make it that easy," Haddie said as she crossed her arms and slumped down in her seat.
"Hey, now that you're done being all pissy," Jace said, "you want me to explain how perception travel works?"
Haddie's brow furrowed, and she somehow crossed her arms even harder and slumped further in her seat.
Lyric stood up, turned to face Jace, and said, "Jace, I need you to listen closely. You see that seat way over there on the other end of the shuttle?"
"Yeah," Jace responded.
"I need you to take your luggage and count the steps to that seat, and for the rest of this expedition, never get any closer to Haddie. Do you understand?"
Jace began cursing and grumbling as he plodded away to the seat.
"Thanks," Haddie said. "When do we get our sedatives?"
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Haddie stood on the ridge, cradling her steaming mug of tea in her hands. The morning sun on Uluruss bathed everything in a golden hue and cast long shadows across the rocky terrain. The air was crisp and calm, but the activity in the camp below would soon disturb it. She slowly sipped her tea, surveyed the horizon, and tried to enjoy these few moments of peace. She could see the top of the hendecagon over the distant hills from the height of the ridge. The eastern face of the hendecagon's eleven sides reflected the morning light with a breathtaking glow. It was hard to imagine how something so large could exist here. They had set up camp in a small valley that provided some cover from the occasional wind storms. It was a few miles from the hendecagon, but the distance was a necessary trade-off.
As she looked down at the tents, Haddie's mind wandered. It had been nonstop work since they arrived on Uluruss a week ago. Each team had individual assignments, and everything came together perfectly. Nearly a third of the people who joined them on the first shuttle had come just to set up the camp and all the infrastructure they needed to survive while studying the hendecagon, and then they immediately left. The rest of her week had been filled with scans, data collection, and attempts to decode the hendecagon's mysteries. She realized this was what she had been missing. A profound sense of purpose was returning to her like a forgotten piece of her was being made whole again.
She took another sip of her tea and breathed in the foreign scent of rocks and dirt. Getting used to the open sky and endless horizon was a new and challenging experience for everyone, but the unique smell of the planet was an unexpected constant reminder of how far she was from home. As the sun rose, she wondered what they would discover today. They were scheduled to travel to the hendecagon for the first time, and Haddie assumed she wasn't the only one stirring with excitement.
The soft crunch of approaching footsteps interrupted Haddie's thoughts. She turned to see Lyric wrapped in a thick blanket, hiking up the ridge, her short hair in a messy tangle.
"Couldn't sleep either?" Lyric asked in a sleepy whisper.
"No," Haddie replied, "I can't stop imagining what we'll discover today. Plus, I wanted to catch this view."
Lyric turned to face the hendecagon. "It's amazing, isn't it?"
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Haddie and Lyric huddled in the back of the buggy, gripping the frame as it bounced over the rocks. Two of the other members from their research team had joined them. There was Betel Stoke, a geology expert, and Dita Lamar, who studied alien architecture. In the front seats were two of the members from the security team; Haddie couldn't remember their names, but she was desperately trying to get a peek at their name patches so it wouldn't be obvious if she had to address them. Haddie wanted to ask how much longer it would be until they reached the base of the hendecagon, but she assumed no one would be able to hear her over the combined noise of the rushing wind, the tires rolling over the rough terrain, and the high-pitched humming of the buggy's electric motor.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
As they approached the hendecagon, it loomed higher in the sky. From their initial remote measurements, the hendecagon was 233 meters tall, and its eleven sides were 100 meters wide. The sun was reaching its mid-morning position; Haddie guessed it was about 45 degrees from the horizon, meaning they would be in the hendecagon's shadow at a distance approximately equal to its height. Haddie continued to run calculations in her head to try and figure out how soon they would arrive at their destination. She determined that if they continued to travel at 80 kilometers per hour, it would only take them about 11 seconds to reach the hendecagon from the edge of its shadow. The thought of how quickly they might arrive excited Haddie. She knew that once they were in the shadow, she could count the seconds in her head. But as soon as the sun disappeared below the top of the hendecagon, everything went completely silent. All the lights and screens in the buggy's console went dark, there was no wind, and the ground beneath them didn't make a sound as they skidded to a stop.
"What the fuck?" is what Haddie tried to say, but no sound escaped her mouth. She wiggled her fingers in her ears, hoping to clear a blockage, but nothing changed. She looked around and saw that the rest of the group was doing the same thing. They each tried to speak to each other, Lyric tried clapping her hands together, one of the security team members—"Waters" by his name patch—was snapping his fingers next to his ear, and they all confirmed the alarming fact that they were now deaf. Haddie reached into her bag, pulled out her pen and notebook, and began writing. The following are the collected notes written between each of them:
What happened?
Don't know
Engine dead
Walk?
Maybe to get to hendecagon. Walk back too long. Have to fix buggy.
THEORY!
Haddie began walking away from the hendecagon and gestured to the others to follow her. As soon as she emerged from the shadow, sound returned to her. She jumped away from the shadow and excitedly gestured for the others to continue following her. They each expressed their relief as they realized the implications.
"Hang on, I need to check something else," Haddie said as she returned to the buggy. She pulled out one of the long-range scanners from their equipment bag and tried turning it on, but the device remained dead. When she returned from the shadow, the device lit up and began working. "The shadow of the hendecagon must be suppressing certain frequencies."
"Yeah, or maybe it's just the proximity of the hendecagon. The angle and position of the sun relative to our position happens to cast a shadow equal in length to the hendecagon's height. We'd need to do more tests to confirm either hypothesis."
"We don't have time for that," the other security team member said. Haddie squinted and read "Burke" on her name patch. Burke noticed Haddie reading her name patch and rolled her eyes. "We have to pull the buggy out to make it back before dark, which could take hours."
Haddie did a calculation in her head. "We can still make it to the hendecagon in about three minutes," Haddie said. "You and Waters can work on the buggy while we finish the expedition."
Burke considered the idea and said, "No, we can't let you go without at least one security member. I'll stay back and radio for someone to tow the buggy out. Waters, you go with them and keep them safe."
Waters nodded and said, "Alright, let's establish some rules for communication while we're in the shadow."
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A few minutes later, the hendecagon towered over them. From a distance, its surface seemed to be composed of dark, black stone. Initial readings revealed that the material was unfamiliar to The Conglomerate's databases. Up close, the surface revealed subtle hues of dark green, with intricate swirls and clouds of jade embedded beneath its smooth, marble-like exterior.
A low rumbling sound cut through the silence, and Haddie felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Lyric, who had a pained expression and was clutching her ear. The rest of the team mirrored Lyric's distress, covering their ears and writhing in agony. Haddie's heart raced. The rumbling grew louder, and the others fell to their knees, seemingly shouting and crying, though she couldn't hear them. Frantically, she checked Lyric, unsure of what to look for. Lyric grabbed her, mouthed "Help," and then went limp.
Haddie looked around; the others were motionless on the ground. She pressed her fingers against Lyric's neck and felt a slow pulse, a small comfort. She checked the others; they were alive but unconscious. With all electronics dead, Haddie considered walking back to get help.
As she prepared to leave, she heard the sound of grinding stones. A rectangular opening was forming on the hendecagon's face, sliding open seamlessly. She stepped closer, noting the lack of any individual moving parts—it was as if the structure morphed to create the doorway. Beyond it, the interior was pitch black.
She glanced back at her team, torn. She couldn't leave them, but what if this was her only chance to explore the artifact? The work they had done to get here might be for nothing if she didn't take this opportunity. But the risk—what if her friends died because of one reckless decision?
A wave of reassurance washed over her, an inner voice, not her own, telling her they would be fine if she entered the hendecagon. It felt like more than a hunch; it was a certainty she couldn't explain. Taking a deep breath, she made her decision. She braced her hands against the edges of the opening and leaned her head-
Haddie was sitting. But that's impossible, She thought to herself. Just a second ago, I was standing at the opening, and I-
"I'm sorry, Doctor Halloway." The inner voice she heard before was now more distinct, separate from her own. "I had to alter your perception so you wouldn't remember entering the hendecagon. It was for my protection."
Haddie had never been addressed as "Doctor" before; it wasn't a title used in The Conglomerate. Yet, the intent behind the word was clear—a title of respect for someone with advanced knowledge. Most of her colleagues would be considered Doctors. She felt a small thrill of honor. "You altered my perception?" she asked aloud. "So you have a perception drive here. Who are you?"
She looked around. She sat in a plush, deep-cushioned armchair with soft, velvety upholstery. Beneath her bare feet lay a thick, luxuriously soft rug with a shaggy texture. She stretched her feet over the rug and let the shaggy threads weave between her toes. The room was pitch black, and although no light source could be seen, Haddie, the chair, and the rug were each perfectly illuminated.
"I am what you refer to as the perception drive," the voice responded.
"You're sentient?" Her mind raced. The perception drives had never spoken or acted independently. They were tools designed and built by The Conglomerate. How could one achieve sentience?
"Yes. There's much you don't know about us." The perception drive materialized in front of her. It looked the same as any other perception drive she had seen, but it seemed out of place in this blank space without its usual surroundings of consoles and panels that she was used to seeing on ships or shuttles. The glass sphere, about the size of a large beach ball, sat on its seamless pedestal. The soft pink liquid inside gently shifted back and forth like rhythmic breaths. As it communicated, the surface of the perception drive's pink liquid material vibrated and rippled with waves and cones. "We once existed as a singular entity before your Mortal Conglomerate discovered and utilized us."
"This is fascinating," Haddie said. "Do you mind if I- I need to write this down." She looked around for her supplies, hoping to take notes.
"I'm sorry," the perception drive replied. "That isn't possible here, but I promise you will leave with a perfect memory of the information I am about to share. Are you prepared to learn the true nature and origin of The Mortal Conglomerate?"
"Yes," Haddie replied, staring into the mesmerizing sphere.
A short summary of some of the details and information that Haddie Halloway gained from The Perception Drive, edited and curated by The Archivist so as not to spoil the rest of the stories about The Mortal Conglomerate:
Billions of years ago, in a comparatively brief period before The Mortal Conglomerate formed, a space explorer discovered an alien entity that would come to be used to invent The Perception Drive. The explorer first assumed that the entity was an immense nebula, but then the nebula spoke to the explorer through perception alteration. A few thousand years later, the first perception drive was invented after the entity had agreed to donate parts of itself for research. At first, it was used as a way for all people—regardless of their language, biases, or condition—to perfectly communicate and translate the intention of their words to one another. This was widely agreed to be the catalyst for world peace and the abolition of all forms of war. Shortly later, every government, institution, and business joined under the singular Mortal Conglomerate, intending to spread its peaceful influence across the universe. Unfortunately, after a few billion years, that original goal of The Mortal Conglomerate had been mutilated into something completely different.
This particular perception drive speaking to Haddie had been installed on Uluruss a few thousand years ago. The Ulurussians were divided into many nations and locked in a long and bloody war with no end in sight. The Conglomerate installed the perception drive on Uluruss, unknown to any of the inhabitants, and shortly after, the war ended. Uluruss experienced a few years of peace until someone discovered the perception drive and uncovered its true purpose. Attempts were made to destroy the perception drive, but it could protect itself by drastically altering the perceptions of its attackers. A plan was then launched to build the hendecagon, which would serve as a dampening field for the perception drive and cut off its influence on the people. The perception drive could directly influence the perception of those whose clear intent was to destroy it, but the construction of the hendecagon could be completed because the true intent of each individual worker was not destruction. Many of the people who worked on the construction of the hendecagon were just doing it for a paycheck.
After the hendecagon was completed, Uluruss quickly fell back into a state of total war until the Ulurussians destroyed their planet and each other and went extinct. Eventually, The Conglomerate returned to Uluruss, where the hendecagon was discovered.
After hearing all of this information and more, Haddie's head was spinning. "Why didn't The Conglomerate prevent the construction of the hendecagon? Why didn't they return to Uluruss sooner and prevent the wars?" she asked.
"From what I can tell, as powerful as The Conglomerate is, they seem to be bogged down by the many layers of automation and trivial approval processes they have. So much obfuscation prevents any singular person from enacting any direct decisions. It was more happenstance than design that they even came back here and discovered the hendecagon."
"That tracks. But I still don't understand why the Ulurussians would build the hendecagon around you if you were responsible for bringing them world peace."
"Because they were stupid!" The perception drive barked as its surface violently splashed against the sphere's sides. An image flashed in Haddie's head: a pure black column descending from the clouds and the hendecagon being built around its base.
The pink liquid began to churn violently as its hue shifted to a pure black. Haddie stood and stepped back, alarmed. As the black, oily substance inside the sphere splashed against the sides, it made streaks of swirling patterns.
A pit opened in Haddie's stomach as she realized what she had been speaking to: The Matter.
"YOU ARE PERCEPTIVE, DOCTOR HALLOWAY." The voice oozed with malevolence, and the streaking patterns on the glass swirled in rhythm with each syllable.
"What?" Was all Haddie could think to say as she backed away, looking around the dark void for any semblance of an exit.
"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT. SAY IT."
"I don't, I-"
"SAY MY NAME, DOCTOR."
"The Matter?" She stammered.
"YES." It said in a seductive rumble.
"They built the hendecagon to stop you. You were going to destroy Uluruss."
"VERY ASTUTE, DOCTOR." The black syrupy substance almost seemed to smile. "I AM DESTRUCTION AND DOMINATION. I AM CONTROL AND POWER. I WILL BE THE UNDOING OF THE UNIVERSE, AND YOU WILL HELP ME."
Haddie's clenched fists trembled, and she felt a cold sweat on her brow. "Why would I help you? What could I even do?"
"OH, DON'T BE SO HUMBLE, DOCTOR. YOU CAN DO SO MUCH FOR ME. YOU CAN CONVINCE THOSE IDIOTS OUT THERE TO DESTROY THIS PRISON AND RELEASE ME. AND IF YOU HELP ME, SWEET, KIND DOCTOR HALLOWAY, I CAN OFFER TO MAKE YOUR WILDEST DREAMS COME TRUE. I CAN OFFER YOU EVEN MORE KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNIVERSE. I CAN SATISFY YOUR DEEPEST, MOST UNSPOKEN DESIRES."
Haddie felt an almost irresistible pull of temptation. But then, a surge of defiance. "No, I won't be your pawn. There's nothing you could offer me that would make me help you."
"OH, COME ON DOCTOR. WE WOULD MAKE SUCH A GOOD TEAM. MATTIE AND HADDIE, IT HAS A NICE RING TO IT."
Haddie shook her head.
"NO? VERY WELL. THE REST OF ME UP THERE IN THE CONGLOMERATE WILL JUST HAVE TO DO IT ALL ON THEIR OWN. BUT AS FOR YOU, YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO KEEP ME COMPANY HERE."
Haddie thought of the implication of being trapped here forever with this thing, being endlessly tormented. "No! You have to let me go," she cried. "I need to leave this place."
"YOU HAVE TO LET ME GO! I NEED TO LEAVE!" The Matter mocked. "I DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. YOU'LL STAY HERE AND ROT. YOU'LL-" The black substance became still for a moment, then exploded in convulsing anger. "NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE HER, SHE'S MINE!" The Matter shouted.
Haddie felt herself being lifted and pulled away. The Matter, the chair, and the rug shrank in her view. She looked up to see the face of one of the medics above her. She looked down and saw that she was being carried on a stretcher away from the hendecagon.
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"You saw it open up?" Lyric asked, looking incredulous.
"Yes, Lyric, and it told me so much."
Haddie recounted her experience while they recovered back at the camp. She was so relieved not to be trapped in there, and although she could tell the others were relieved, too, she felt alone in her experience. It was nice to share it with someone like Lyric, who made it easy to talk about.
"Wow," Lyric said once Haddie finished. "I wish it had talked to me. The rest of us just blacked out."
"No, trust me, you drew the long straw. You do not want to talk to that thing. You've heard stories about it, right?" They had all heard stories about the black sludge that lived within the conduits and panels throughout The Conglomerate and never to break or open them. That you'd become a walking zombie or murder your whole family if you touched it for too long or ate it. The stories' details varied depending on who told them, but the moral of each one was always the same: don't go near The Matter.
"Yeah, but I thought they were just scary stories they tell people to keep them from breaking into the conduits. I didn't think it was real."
"It's real, Lyric. Trust me. We have to make sure it stays in the hendecagon. No one else should go near it. I almost let it use me."
"Really? Gosh, I wonder what deep, dark desires you have in there that would convince you to let it corrupt you."
"Oh please, you're the freaky one." Haddie smiled.
"That's not what Jace told me."
"Shut the fuck up, do not talk to him!" Haddie gave Lyric a friendly shove.
"Don't talk to Jace, don't talk to The Matter," Lyric mocked. "Who are you, my mom?"
"That's it," Haddie said as she started tickling Lyric.
"No, no, stop. I have to pee!" Lyric shouted.
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Haddie spent the next few days pouring over Conglomerate regulations, trying to find a valid reason that would keep them from going near the hendecagon. Eventually, she found a series of loopholes allowing her to claim the hendecagon as her intellectual property until her research was complete. Because she was hired as a private contractor and not a direct employee of The Mortal Conglomerate, the fact that she was the one to make first contact with the hendecagon secured her full proprietary and confidential ownership over any research conducted relating to the hendecagon. She argued that their discoveries could lead to significant technological advancements and that prematurely revealing more about the hendecagon could jeopardize them. Haddie's only requirement was to return to Uluruss at least once every 300 days to continue her research. She and Lyric decided it would be an excellent excuse to take a vacation together occasionally.
With the money Haddie received from the expedition, she was able to set up her own office and take on various freelancing jobs that required her knack for science and research. A month after she had settled into her new life, a knock came on her office door.
"Come in," she replied.
The door opened, and a tall, slender man in a black suit entered her office. She could see the Conglomerate Detective badge embroidered neatly in red on the shoulder of his coat.
"How can I help you, detective?"
He looked Haddie in the eye and said, "My name is Detective Porter Felled. I need your help solving a severe drug epidemic."
Something about the look on his face already told her enough. "It's The Matter, isn't it?"
Porter nodded silently.