“Long ago…” The furry prisoner began.
“In a galaxy far far away,” Gizzy interrupted “One prisoner got skinned alive for stalling. Give me the short version, Cujo. I don’t believe in filler.”
“The Forest Lord has gone mad with power. He left one day and came back a god, and no one knows how or why. He built a castle on the backs of the hunters, by force, justly so if you know the history between our kind, but you care not for that. He has magic beyond this world, and while the hunters have been trying to raid his castle for decades, they cannot touch that magic, nor the barrier of light. He guards the Tree. Within this tree is the door, and the door cannot be opened without his hand. The room with the eggs lies beyond that, which is what you seek."
“So they key doesn’t unlock the door?”
“There is no lock. There is no handle. It opens for the Forest Lord alone and for those he deems worth of an Egg. A barter must be made. He is a man of his word and man of honor, but to get what is his, you must trade for something of equal value. To get an egg, a life, one he values, you must sacrifice a life you value. He cannot be tricked, and he cannot be fought. You must leave or barter, and you must barter well for the price of the wrong offer is death. Not only death for yourself, but death all you brought on your journey. Your team, your ship, and your crew.”
“How do you know I have a ship?” She asked. He chuckled.
“You are not of this world, and those who arrive only arrive by ship of the sky. Your ship is not safe from his power because it is far away. You do not understand his power. If you make an offer he is not satisfied with, they will die first and you will bare witness, and then meet them in death. To ask for an egg, the very thing he protects, comes with a risk. Only those wise enough to understand the barter and willing to give what they do not wish to lose, may leave with one.”
“Okay, get to the Aeless part. What the hell is that?”
“That…sadly, is his madness. With his power came his own sacrifice. One like you and your friend, from the moon above, came down to our world long ago to find the power he had been searching for. He loved her, and she loved him in return. The Doorman of the time was old, alone. Longed for death, thousands of years guarding the eggs. The Doorman made a barter with the Forest Lord. He offered not only one egg, but all of them, to guard with limitless power. In return for giving his power, he demanded a sacrifice. The Forest Lord agreed, not asking what it was. The sacrifice was Aeless, and it broke his heart. Every now and then one of your kind comes here searching for the eggs, and most die. But the females arrive with another risk they did not expect. Those with hair of black and young in soul, he sees her in them. Aeless, returning again to his home. They never leave, there is no barter. He traps them, pulling them into his delusion until they play along and learn to be happy. Most eventually do, lose themselves in the lie, some even seem to be truly happy with time. He can be a very gentle and loving Lord to those who give in. To those who do not, he waits, for his time is endless and his curse infinite. I am old, an elder of my people, and I have been the 6thin my family to serve that house, under his rule. He is far older than all of us.”
“Yeah, don’t bet on it, I might have him beat there on a technicality.” Gizzy scoffed. “Little bit of a god myself. You should see one of my fancier forms.”
“Then perhaps you are worthy of the egg, but he will never let her go. No barter or sacrifice will sway his love for Aeless or his delusional mind in her reincarnation. Your friend is lost, her choices are few. If she runs, she will be found or the Forrest will kill her. If she stays and denies her role, his patience will outlast her lifespan and his love will only grow stronger for the next Aeless. If she lets herself go, she can have a happy life of luxury and lavish-”
“Yeah, fuck that, we’re taking her home. We don’t leave a man behind. What sacrifices does this bastard like? Gold, weapons, technology?”
“He does not want you to buy the eggs, he wants you to prove you are worthy of receiving one. The sacrifice is not a price of money or greed for him. He needs to see your pain of loss in getting what you seek, just like he did. Through sacrifice and suffering comes the power he has to share. What is the one thing you do not want to give him?”
“Nicole.” Gizzy said.
“She is already his, you do not have her to offer. What do you have to offer that is yours to lose? And make it a wise choice of genuine sacrifice, or your ship, your crew, and then your own life will be lost. There is only one barter. He will either accept it, or your journey ends with your crew.”
...
Gizzy stood back on the ship, pacing the cargo bay. Jack and Vicki looking defeated as Vinn stood, stifling his rage and his urge to just go in guns blazing.
“I don’t know what to offer.” Gizzy said. “I have an idea on how to get Nicole back, but then we have no Egg and we’re stuck, so it has to work WITH the barter. Even then it’s a risk."
“Give him the key.” Vicki said. "The key gets us through the door, that’s the riddle. We trade the key for the entry.”
"No that’s the trap. Nicole had that key on her and she left it unguarded in her bag. He doesn’t even know what the key is, and we don’t know…” Gizzy said looking curious with a smirk. “They key IS the key. It’s the key to the barter, but not the barter itself. It’s hard to explain, but we don’t trade the key, we just need it with us. I offer my life. You guys leave with the egg, and I self destruct and send his ass to furry hell."
“He’s not trading Nicole for you, let alone her and an egg. He likes brunettes with a young heart, you’re a bitchy old warlord with blonde hair and an attitude. You think he even believed you COULD pretend to be this Aeless. Dye your hair black, you’re still Gizzy and he already hates you. So we trade you for the egg and you’re self destructing near Nicole. That doesn’t work."
“We trade me for the egg, and I have the Nicole thing figured out. Trust me, it’s better if you don’t know, because Vinn, your poker face isn’t great. That’s why you owe me 9,000 credits. You’re better at trusting and following orders than acting. I want you to look shocked, which is why you’re getting coned right now. I got this. The only problem is that I need a better body and we’re gonna throw one hell of a signal the moment I power up an Osirian body. Fire up the cloning tank. It’s a risk we have to take.”
...
Gizzy and Vinn strolled unarmed out of the shuttle. The Forest Lord and Nicole stood just inside of his manor, with the gate wide open, and a smirk on the Lord’s face. Gizzy towered at in impressive 7 foot 8, her purple skin and claws visible but looking like herself.
“You have brought someone stronger to fight me?” chuckled the Forrest Lord.
“Not at all. I wish to bargain for an egg. You demand a sacrifice and what better sacrifice than a god bowing to a god?” She asked. “But I have a second sacrifice if you will hear me out.”
“Go on, amuse me.” He said. Gizzy lit her eyes up and took on a glow. “I am offering myself, my life to serve or die as you see fit, in exchange for the Egg, and as a god myself, there is no greater-”
“Your offer insults me.” He waved, Gizzy watching the sky as the ship detonated and Vinn dropped dead to the ground, the shuttle craft exploding as She reached behind her back and pressed her thumb into the now glowing gem of the key of regret.
…
She opened her eyes and she was standing on the ship, prepping for the trade.
“Well, the delete key worked, but the offer didn’t. Change of plans.” She said standing up as the others looked confused.
“We just got the shuttle fueled up,” Vinn said looking alarmed.
“We released a prisoner to deliver a message to the guy to meet us in one hour with a sacrifice.”
“We did that, it didn’t work, everyone died, I used the delete key and rolled myself back an hour. The key works, the offer didn’t.”
“That cloning tank takes 40 minutes to print a human, let alone 2 hours to print an Osirian body, we don’t have time to reprint either.”
“I know, and the gem isn’t lit up so I think the key only works when you regret a mistake, so we can’t just spam it and keep going further back. It’s a do-over, not a time travel cheat code. Keep the Nicole thing, I’ll go as human me, be more humble. Maybe I just pissed him off with the god flex.”
…
Human Gizzy and Vinn stepped from the shuttle craft, The Forrest Lord waiting with a less intrigued look this time.
“You again,” he snarled.
“Doorman, I’ve come to barter.”
“Something more personal this time?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” she bluffed.
“You don’t think with my power that I can feel when something has changed? I have the strangest feeling we have done this before, and you failed. So bold of you to return to me again, and more humble. I can almost see you approaching me in the same way but taller and more…flashy.”
“I offered my life and servitude as a god, now I offer my life and servitude as a human. Weak, small, unable to resist or fight you, ready to submit. And I have a second offer as well you will certainly love to hear.”
“I will hear a second offer when the first offer impresses me. Your life is meaningless to you. I reject the offer.” He said as she reached for the key.
…
Gizzy stepped out from the Shuttle pod with Vicki by her side,
“Doorman, I’ve come to Barter.” She sighed.
“Why does that sound so familiar?”
“I had to use it twice or the joke wouldn’t hit the same. No boys, no soldiers, just us ladies that you like so much. Dressed respectfully as you like. O would like to offer my pet Candice.”
“Pathetic.” He scoffed, as the ship engulfed in flames.
…
Gizzy stepped from the shuttle, alone.
“You know why I’m here. Osirian DNA in a bottle. That is highly illegal technology I have sworn never to sha-” she started as she stood back on the ship.
“Son…of a bitch. I’m out of ideas.” She said getting up and looking frustrated.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“What do you mean, we just laid out the plan.” Jack said looking confused. “No I used the undo key thing. The plan failed. The plan failed 8 times. I’m stuck in a loop of bullshit and nobody else remembers it except lord Fuckwad in his castle and I have no idea how to do this. He won’t even let me get to the Nicole part, until I do the barter, and he rejects it every time. I’ve offered myself, my other self, the snail, Osirian DNA, Imposter blood, the mask, the ship, there’s nothing of value here. We don’t have anything he wants.”
“He wants you to suffer like he did.” Jack sighed. “He doesn’t want power or value, he can tell your life mans nothing because you just clone back and he can see your bluff. Candice, the DNA, those are all trivial things to you, things you don’t wanna lose but nothing you would suffer loss from. Not like he felt losing her. I know what he wants, but you have to trust me.” Jack said,
“Okay, fine, I’m all out of ideas and if we don’t have one I have to bullshit it and try again to buy every hour to re-plan.”
“I’ll go get it.” Jack said rushing to the hallway. He returned with a briefcase and headed to the shuttle.
..
Gizzy and Jack exited the shuttle.
“Here to barter. Just as sick of it as you are. The sooner you take the offer the sooner we stop doing this.” She sighed.
“And what is your offer?” he asked. Jack handed her the briefcase and opened it, he stared in confusion as Gizzy also stared in confusion. It was one of the standard pistols she printed. Nothing special.
“She’s offering me.” Jack said, placing the gun in her hand and standing in front of her with his hands together behind his back, execution style.
“Jack what the fuck is this?”
“He wants a sacrifice, all you give him are prizes. This is a sacrifice. I never knew my parents, and you may have been a hell of a choice for a parent but Gizzy you’re the closest thing I have to a mother and it means more then I think I ever told you. Shoot me in the head, make it painless.”
“Interesting.” The Forrest Lord said, scratching his beard.
“Jack, I’m not gonna shoot you, this is insane.”
“That’s the point. Vinn and Vicki are your friends and you’d fight for them, but you’ve seen a lot of death and we all know without you saying it that I’m something like a son to you. A fucked up form of one but nobody on the ship means what I mean to you. You don’t have to even admit it. I know.”
“Jack, I’m gonna offer him the gun and try this again, we have to come up with a better option.” She said looking frantic.
“That’s just it. This is the first time you don’t want to make the trade. Everything else was just stuff, meaningless. Nothing means more to you, and that is what a sacrifice is, doing something you truly don’t want to do, not finding the easier better solution. This is the only solution.”
“Acceptable.” The Forest Lord said. “Assuming it’s not a trick that is. Prove to me that it’s not, convince me, and the offer is made.”
“You sick son of a bitch.” Gizzy growled, Eyes glowing. She grabbed the gun and pointed it at him, wanting to blow his smug face off and knowing it wouldn’t work. She looked at Jack, still waiting to die, bravely like a soldier.
“I believe in you, mom.” He said.
“DON’T YOU DARE!” she yelled with tears in her eyes. “Say that and look back at me with this gun in my hand. Don’t you dare, boy.”
“Sorry.” He said looking forward and going silent. “But we have a second offer when she is done that you will want to consider.”
“Well given the nature of the first offer, I am inclined to hear it out. And I won’t even kill you all if I decline. That is my merciful side. It’s been so long since anyone has earned an Egg. True sacrifices are so rare and that look in your eyes so seldom. Now…I’m growing tired of waiting. Kill your son.”
“Jack, I…” She said choking up.
“Yes, you can and you know it. I forgive you, it was my idea. You’re not doing anything to be ashamed of, it just has to be done, for the mission and for the greater good of everyone. It’s the right thing. I love you.”
Gizzy fumed with rage, spit moving with every heavy breath between her gnashed teeth. She growled in frustration, pulling her hair and pacing in a circle.
“I love you too, Jack.” She said letting out a yell of pain and pulling the trigger. He dropped, and she screamed a primal FUCK, bashing herself in the head with the gun repeatedly, turning the bloody gun and aiming at the Forrest Lord’s face, switching to auto and holding down the trigger as he chuckled and the gun emptied. She threw the gun, turning away from Jack and squatting down on the ground. A cold silence washing over her.
“A very impressive barter. I’m intrigued of your second one.”
“Shut the fuck up you sadistic piece of shit. This is what you want!? FUCK YOU. You should be ashamed of yourself, I hope you hate every fiber of your being for this and never sleep again, knowing the suffering you have inflicted on people.”
“I do. I truly do. I gave up my Aeless and regretted it ever since. It pains me to see this kind of suffering and know it is my job to ask for it. But I must do my job, just as you must, and have. Think of me as a monster if you wish, but this brings me no joy. It is a tortured job and a tortured life, and my only joy is when my Aeless comes back to me and the day she finally understands who she is, that is my joy, and the only time I can live with myself. The Egg is yours, you are free to go to your ship, do with the body what you wish.”
“On my world, we burn them where they fell. It’s what Jack would have wanted. Enrich the soil, give life to the world he died on.
“The other offer?”
“Give me a second to think. Ugh, Damnit. The other offer was to give you Aeless back.”
“Not that I believe you have the power to do so, but what do you ask in return for this barter?”
“I planned to leave here with 2 of my friends, I’m damn sure not leaving here without at least one of them. Your Aeless is gone, how many reincarnations of her have been happy and how many of them have just refused, ran away, spent their lives miserable and you watching her hate you and never give in? They’re all replaceable to you. Each one just the same replacement as the next so what does it matter to trade one for another. Give you a better one for this one?”
“She is so much like her. You do not understand how rare it is that I see so much of her in the next one fate brings me.”
“Well, you say that…” she said, remotely opening the shuttle doors as another Nicole stepped out of it, something was different though, her nose, the shape of her face, ever so slightly different. Nicole backed away in shock, unable to comprehend what was happening as her double exited the ship.
“Where am I?” the copy asked, looking at the castle. “I’m home?” she asked, tearing up and looking overwhelmed. “Master, am I really home?” she gasped, running to him and hugging him tightly as he went silent, unable to process what was happening either.
“Aeless…how is it really you?” he asked.
“I don’t remember. I was gone and then I was on a sky ship, she said I was going home but I didn’t believe her. Is it real?” She sobbed.
“How…how have you done this?” he marveled.
“I told you I’m a bit of a god myself, don’t you dare even have the audacity after what you made me do, to ask what sacrifices I made to get her back from beyond this realm. You may have powers I don’t understand, but I have some you don’t. Give me back my Nicole.” She said, drawing her own pistol. “Or I kill yours in your arms and you’ll never have her back. Oh there’s that look I needed to see, pumkin. That look of not having all the power. I can take everything from you that you ever wanted and all I want is to leave with half of my friends. So let’s play the barter game again.”
“Please, I was only doing my job. Take her, she’s yours.
“And one more Barter for the road. Nicole, get in the shuttle craft, that is an order. So mister big shit. That necklace, it’s the source of your power isn’t it? Lie and she dies.”
“Yes. The gemstone is the source. Whoever wears it has the power, but in doing so they are bound to the tree where the eggs are kept, and they must continue the barter.
“This right here…” She said, “This is Osirian Blood. My blood. Give me the necklace and I give you this. You lose your powers but you drink it, half for her, and you both will live to an unnatural age, you’ll never get sick, you’ll heal, you’ll be just like my kind, minus the technology. You’re both free, and all it costs you is that cursed necklace and it’s power.”
“You have to put it on to use it. But you would be bound to this world. The eggs must be safe, they must have a guardian to protect them. That would be your curse for this power. Promise me you will watch them.”
“I promise you and your new Aeless will be together for the rest of your lives, and she will never leave you, and I will watch the eggs as long as I have the necklace. You can see the truth in those words.” She said.
“Then take it. The curse is yours to have.” He said, removing the necklace and throwing it into her open hand.
…
Gizzy stomped from the shuttle into the cargo bay as the others got up to hug Nicole. She winced and Gizzy pushed them back.
“She doesn’t know any of you yet. I have to fix her memory. I need some time alone on the bridge.”
“Where’s Jack?” Vicki asked.
“Printing as we speak. He got shot in the back as we left.” She said “And don’t worry about revenge, I’ve got that covered.” She said pulling Nicole to the bridge, locking the door behind her.
“Who are you people…who am I?” she asked.
“This device is a memory cone. You stole it because you are an idiot, and we’ll discuss why later, you fell and got it wet, you lost your memory. Luckily we have backups so you will remember everything right up till we left for the mission, you lose 3 days permanently and you’ll be fine. You won’t even remember this conversation.
“Who was the girl you traded for me?”
“A robot, an artificial cleaning drone with no soul or feelings who’s just good enough at roleplay for sex to tricking delusional gods into thinking she’s the one he lost. I modified her image to look like the painting. After so many replacements he likely forgot what she looked like anyway, the mind fills in what it wants.”
“But you took the curse. Why?”
“I took the cursed necklace. I have no intentions of ever putting that damn thing on. We got an egg, we got you back. Everything else was bullshit.”
“But he said someone must guard the eggs, without a guardian bound to them, they could be…stolen. These eggs must be very powerful and important, that cant just fall into random hands. After what he did you just gave him his life back, and left the eggs unguarded?”
“Oh don’t worry.” Gizzy said placing the necklace in an armored case. “I’m giving this to you so I won’t be tempted, and you won’t remember this, let alone the password you need to set right now, that I can’t see. Do it.” She nodded.
“As for their long and happy life with Osirian blood…Osirians don’t have blood. I just lied to him. She’s a drone and feels nothing and I never leave an enemy’s stronghold intact. You know what happens when you take a robot filled with high explosives and have it drink highly radioactive Osirian coolant fluid?” she asked. A suble flash of blue light shimmered from the viewscreen of the bridge, as a mushroom cloud rose from the crater where the castle once was.
“You killed them both.
“She never left him for the rest of their lives, just like I said. And now there’s no need to guard the eggs from his enemies hands, because I have the only one left.”
“What if those were vital to the survival of a species, what if the wrong hands of people intending to do evil, are your hands and you just killed whatever was inside those eggs. What have you done?”
“I don’t fucking care. I got you back safe, we got the egg I came for, and yet again I got another unknown item I shouldn’t have. Woopsie, kinda looks like fate has a second subplot. Who am I to stop that? And I had to watch Jack die, so truthfully, whatever happens as a result of that move of pure seething vengeance, I just don’t fucking care. I had to kill Jack because of that bastard and his stupid riddles, so I just couldn’t help myself. And because I have vital information to the mission, I can’t even wipe my memory of it and I have to remember seeing him die as I pulled the trigger. So be thankful you won’t remember this conversation or this mission, because I have to. And if Jack had to suffer and I had to suffer, and you had to suffer, I’m killing everything he ever loved and the last thing he saw before I sent him to hell, was his precious Aeless melting down to the aluminum bone as she simulated the screaming agony of death. One can only hope there’s hell he’s headed to.” She said.
…
Nicole walked into the mess hall as everyone stood up.
“It’s me again. Just lost a few days.” She said as everyone gave a round of hugs. Gizzy awkwardly leaned into the group and gave them a hug as well. She suddenly stepped back and headed to the hallway. Jack followed her trying to slow her down as she tried to evade.
“Hey, can we talk.” He asked.
“Mission was a success, nothing to talk about.”
“Gizzy, I remember everything until we got into that shuttle pod. I did a memory scan before we left. I know what my mission was, it was my idea. I may not remember it, but I know what happened and what you went through. I’m not upset, you got Nicole back, you did good work, I’m sorry you had to do things you can’t erase.” She yanked him in tight and gave him a hug.
“Jack I don’t know if I ever said this to you almost 20 years and don’t make a habit of this, but I love you. You and Nicole both. Now let me have a minute.” She said ruffling his hair and awkwardly exiting.
She stood in the Sickbay emergency shower, holding a bottle of vodka and snail extract, chugging as the water ran over her head. She took a deep breath and on exhale threw a punch at the fiberglass wall, cracking it and letting out a primal motherly scream as she repeatedly pounded blood and skin into the broken panel. She pulled away her hand, swiping her hair out of her face as blood colored her hair and exposed knuckle bones flexed in the muted light. She finished off the bottle. Dropping it and stepping out as it shattered, drying off as she went. She sat in the empty room, slowly and calmly wrapping her hand in gauze, looking into the void of the wall.
Back to work. Things to do.