ISSUE 22: RED RIVER
Beware what dwells in the dark. Menace and beauty can take many forms. Often pleasant. To cross the Roads of Oblivion the soul must be armed.—Old Markav Proverb
If I am to take this Lanis woman’s place I will need to research Eliza Murphy on a greater level. These idiots made a museum to the Star-Spangled Banner. How delicious is that? They lay everything at my feet!— Renenutet
I watched how she acted. J’ino and Thomas recorded everything with the help of allies. How she thought she could mimic me was pitiable at best. When one has no soul, the reflection is apparent.—Lorain Lanis
Yes, they did put some personal details of my life into that Museum but that is to be expected. To this day: I am supremely glad old sausage wraps only saw things skin deep. I know I’m not the most complex individual out there but the switch was painfully obvious to me. The people of the 42nd century can view my past. I don’t know about anyone beyond that fabled time. From what the curator tells me that is perfectly normal. The Weave moves in mysterious ways.—Sleeping In Starlight, a memoir of the 23rd century (vol 2)
Outer New Ashbury
Artifacts Storage
T-Minus 17 Days
Striker Nix waited at the grav car. He hated passing as human but endured it. His mind still reeling over how his father “died”. Yes, Draken Nix functioned but he was no longer Artock. His brain had merged with his old ship systems. Chronos had recovered the bits that the Terran Alliance had missed. Valuable data was stored within the remaining pathways. His display blinked. Hilary’s chocolate eyes pinning him to the chair.
“Bring the car around. Wait for my signal.”
He parked near the service lot adjacent to the plain tan building. Its brown roofing tiles taking in solar energy for the auxiliary systems in place. It housed extra exhibits when in the off-season for the museums of New Ashbury. He couldn’t forgive himself. Had he managed to take the Aztec artifact his father might have still been functioning as a warlord. He didn’t trust Hilary. There was always another motive with Keeper Spawn. Even if his people held Chronos in high regard, they didn’t pass that onto others of his kind.
Half Breeds least of all.
*****
Hilary touched the man’s shoulder, “I’m here about the art exhibit transfer. For Neo Grand Marshalstown!” Brookes handed the credentials over. Pretending to be a colonial EXO researcher. It was all the rage nowadays. Finding old artifacts of previous cycles. All to feed the network about possible Unity attacks. That part wasn’t common knowledge but it made her grin. They were all so worried about the big bad wolf. They should be. It would devour them all. Including her illustrious sire.
EXO: Extra-Solar Xenobiological Observations. The Civilian branch of C.A.P. She imagined it had combined bits of Barracuda and Osiris. It had General Murphy’s stink all over it. Along with the damnable Typherians. Even though they were in exile both factions grew closer. It made Hilary want to vomit.
She plastered a polite smile on her face. Thankful of the simple fads hitting Earth. For this adventure, she chose a ditzy blonde persona with vibrant brown eyes flecked with silver. It didn’t hurt that Mummy Red Haze was providing a delightful distraction as well. While it had cost a dark mirror, one of Morgana’s collections, Hilary’s true lair was still secure. She found it ironic it was housed within her mother’s old family abode. They were transitory. Fearing abduction from her father’s people. Since she still shared a thread of blood connection, the wards hid her, even though it set her teeth on edge. Had she been full Keeper, she imagined the house wards would have smitten her upon entering.
No, let the mummy stay at the asteroid base for now. Brookes knew the Alliance watched it. Made for an excellent smokescreen. She came back to the present with a snap. Within simple stone, the statue was the artock gene matrix. This one was special. It came directly from their “lost” homeworld within the Path of Ancients. She would have her bargaining chip to the All-Father and the rest. Her smile vanished as soon as the man turned away to get the transfer papers ready. The visage of Ishtar stared down at her. She bit back a thrill of laughter. How ironic that her father’s works would undo all he wanted to achieve. She would make sure Lanis imprinted on this device.
Stolen story; please report.
It would ruin many plans within plans.
She only wanted to watch all of them burn.
*****
I leaned over the balcony. Watching the waves lap upon the shore. Lorain stood next to me. Her eyes sparkling. She wore a simple white dress. A white sunhat perched on her head. She leaned in close, “The Third Eye opens only for you. For your Mirror. All your mirrors. The Pillars are crumbling. Yet evil remains.”
Her mouth opened and a white owl tore out of it.
Her body bursting into dozens of the winged devils.
I woke to the embrace of cloth. The sheets tangled around me. My head bumped against the roofing of the C.A.P. Personnel station. Sweat rolled off my forehead and chest. I made my way to the refresher and put it on full blast. Letting the water clear my head. Mirror. My eyes screwed shut.
Mirror was more than just other versions of me.
It was other versions of Dexter.
My H.U.D danced behind my eyes.
Gwen’s haunted gaze bore into me.
>>The Third Pillar Remains. I do not know their faces.<<
The Weave had me and my brother.
What did Unity have? I gazed into the mirror.
It had other versions of people I loved. Who would be its champions? Dexter mentioned that Set had been dethroned. From the way, he said it I knew it meant far more. Our enemies had numbers. With endless Artock to throw in as cannon fodder. We’d need something to offset the sheer volume. We didn’t have enough space capable demis. Even with all the Defenders gathered. It would take legions. Warm arms encircled me. Lorain pressed her chin into my back. Her words muffled, “You know clothing goes in the washer right?” Her gentle rebuke lightened my mood considerably. She released me. Stepping into the shower. The soft curve of her smile was far more enticing than the water.
A newsflash flooded the compound and I was off. Uncle Paxton and the Pinkerton’s had flagged this one. For different reasons. None of them good.
*****
Lorain read the transcript as the water cleared her head.
///Aztec artifact stolen.///
That wasn’t unusual. Many collectors and art enthusiasts found ways to add to their collections. It was who was represented that concerned her. Ishtar. EXO had no idea who had made off with it. The woman had used several proxies within her ID to cover her tracks. At this point, it even could have been a man wearing a ConVac net. Usually used by the military for counter operations or surveillance. It was how they had infiltrated a few Typherian Houses as mutes. Lorain pressed her lips to the warm metal of her silver bracelet. Taking heart in the immediate connection.
Their enemies had trump cards. The Dark Mirror network was one.
C.A.P was much more worried about the unknowns.
It was why Lorain had volunteered to be bait. They had to get someone on the inside.
From all reports, the All-Father was the most likely way to get in. Besides that sick mummy’s fascination with Eliza. Lorain exited the shower. Donning her TA fatigues. A mishmash of black, gray, and blue. Made for space travel. She threw Eliza’s iconic black flight jacket over them. She’d have to leave everything that mattered behind. Including clothing. The Keepers or others might have ways to get impressions off things. Like Anna could. Lorain walked from the facility.
Getting far enough away.
Letting her belt pull her through the air.
It asked, <> Lanis’ heart sank.
<
They landed on a small island. A scattering of rocks.
A melding of shadow and glint of golden eyes beaming up at her made her grin momentarily. “Ritark will keep me safe.” The litari coiled around his friend’s neck.
“I was in the kitchen. Joined you before you took off!”
She rested her thumb against his head. Measuring his magic.
“I know why the warning said to hide in my hair. They are going to remove any kind of implants. Clothing. The works. TA intelligence has already given me replacements. It might fool our enemies but they will probably expect some sort of trick.”
Ritark said, “They will stab your shadows with many devices. But they don’t know me. Not really.”
The Amarche danced at the edge of her vision.
They had gathered in greater numbers around her.
The Curator formed before her. A white aura bleeding at the edges of his opaque shadowed form. Unlike the litari, he didn’t have any physical mass unless he possessed a cadaver. No features formed on his face but his voice curled around her.
“She is currently within the half-breed’s asteroid. My people sense her. As moths to a flame. We must conceal ourselves for now. Good luck Doctor Lanis. May the Highest light your path.” She nodded jerkily.
Her life was on the line.
Her soul.
She clenched her fists.
“May God protect me along all the dark roads I must travel.”
She wasn’t a direct mirror. Renenutet was Lanis.
A version of her without a hint of restraint.
A version that had never known true kindness or goodness.
*****
Hilary dug. Her fingers were raw. She buried the artock device under the greenhouse her mother had praised so much in her youth. Regaling a younger Hilary of all its uses. It would hide a treasure beyond all measure. Fat droplets of rain splattered against the tin roof.
A storm was coming.
She would ride at the head of it.
The visions of the obsidian pillar swimming within the depths. Two others would join her and they would destroy everything. It was why Morgana ran. She had assumed she would inherit a pillar. The half-breed screamed to the sky, “Everyone will rue the day they fucked with me. You included. You absentee sky hack!” She spat on the ground.
God, the Highest, the Weave?
What did it matter when true power thrummed against her skin.
The power of the Void would take them all. There was nothing beyond Unity.
Only skulls of her supplicants.
Hilary’s nose bled.
This house had always hated her.