by J M Guillen
The Padre stood still, peering into the darkness. He wanted us. I could feel the fury and frustration radiate off him.
One of Thorne’s devices burst into hateful orange light and whining song.
The Padre turned, looking at it…
And then toward me, shrouded in darkness.
“Not over,” he raged, his words a hate-filled curse. “Not by a fucking long shot.”
He strode toward the gaping green hole, his every stride incensed.
“Come on!” Thorne cried. She ran toward the gateway and leapt, caught in that sucking wind.
It bore her away.
Less than five steps from the gateway, it became apparent that resisting that terrible wind had become difficult for the Padre.
His eyes swept the darkness one last time. They practically burned with loathing.
Then he jumped. That strange wind from another world caught him, dragging him inexorably toward a city with infinite vistas.
Others followed, those Sadhana goons who could still move.
Above us, several drones hovered, malevolently keeping watch.
“Now.” I pointed and reached for Delacruz’s general area, catching her shirt. “Thorne’s device. Use the Gatekeeper—”
“As usual, way ahead of you.”
A crimson aperture appeared right next to the interdimensional gateway, well within its windy event horizon.
A moment’s calibration placed the second aperture, right beneath Thorne’s sputtering and shining mechanism.
It fell through, instantly caught in the storm that whirled around the portal.
“Ha!” I cackled. “Yes!”
The wind bore the device into Dhire Lith.
Moments later, the gateway faded into nothingness.
“Oh… oh God!” I hung my head, trying not to laugh like a hyena.
Michael? Are we situation green?
That did it. I doubled over, my laughter sounding like the broken ruin of a madman.
Unable to answer her, I collapsed.
I closed my eyes.
5
An eternity later, Gideon’s thoughts whispered in my mind, Hyper-Rationality is stable.
I opened my eyes. Delacruz stood off to one side of me, next to a hulking hillbilly. Anya plucked and picked at cords only she could see, right next to the Matrices.
Indeed, Catalyst. All is in alignment, she linked.
Can we please come home? I hated to whine, but damn, my leg hurt.
Delacruz applied pressure to her face, the front of her shirt soaked with blood.
I relished in the sensation of not going mad with blood-lust at the sight.
Roger that, Bishop. As soon as Delacruz gets your cadre in place, we’ll bring you home. Gideon, for the first time on this mission, sounded like he was in full control of the situation.
Extraction is underway, Catalyst. Sofia nodded at me. Bishop’s injured; I’ll bring him along first.
Injured? Rachel sounded personally offended. What happened?
I’ve been shot. I winced as Delacruz shifted my leg. Also, a bigger boy beat me up. A lot.
Dammit, Bishop. I’ll let medical know.
How dare you get hurt, Hoss? Wyatt was a touch jovial as he linked to just me. Of all the nerve.
Right?
“You ready to get outta here, Mike?” Sofia had her augment in place again and was calibrating its sync.
“You said you’d call me Michael if we got home.” I gave her a weary grin that was punctuated with a wince.
“I was probably lying.” She chuckled.
“You also said we’d get drinks.”
“You said you’d kill that shithead.”
“I wasn’t lying.” I grunted. “I will.”
“Let’s get home.” She shook her head, amused. “You can tell me stories about how you got that thing off my arm.”
“Will you pretend to be amazed?” I managed a sickly grin.
“I will.” She met my gaze with hers, her dark eyes serious. It seemed as if, for just a moment, she didn’t know what to say.
After a long moment, she spoke again. “Thanks for coming to get me.” Her voice was soft, quiet in a way I hadn’t heard from her before.
I could do nothing but nod.
For once, neither of us had a quip.
Then, Sofia Delacruz ignited the aperture. It warbled with red fire, singing a soft and eldritch song. She gestured. “After you.”
I nodded at Guthrie. Anya gave me a soft smile.
I’m pleased to have worked with you again, Michael. She frowned. Although, you need to learn to receive full intel before taking action.
I’ll remember that, Anya. I gave her a smile and hobbled through.
Scarlet fire whispered against my skin.
The brilliant light of Facility Prime burned in my mind.
Fugitives of Eminent Concern
AES was well prepared for my injuries. One of the specialists even had the nerve to tease me a bit.
Oh, I see we’re not axio-graphing anyone a new spine today. The man kept a neutral face as he modulated my viral mecha.
As I was a bit high on painkillers, I didn’t really have a response.
Gideon didn’t show up for more than two hours, but when he did, he looked positively wrecked. I had been with the man after some truly harrowing experiences, but this…
He just seemed so tired.
“You don’t mind if I debrief you here, I hope?” He grabbed a chair and spun it around so he sat backward in it. “You’re my last one.”
“I assumed it would be Designate Ling.” I gave him a shrug. “I’d actually rather it be you.”
“Bishop, I’ve gotten all the data I truly need. It seems as if, for the most part, you pulled off some truly astounding work.” He hesitated. “Especially when one considers that the situation was so…”
“Fluid?” I questioned, giving him a small smile.
“Yes.” He pointed at me. “Exactly.”
“You said you have most of the data you needed?”
“Well,” he shrugged, “that’s one of the benefits of gearing the Catalyst. I have instantaneous access to your phaneric records, which makes debriefing a simple thing. Really, I only need to know if you have any concerns or addendums.”
That was something I hadn’t considered. The Catalyst wasn’t quite the same as having my Crown scraped, but it was close. The primary difference being that I trusted Gideon DuMarque with my life.
“There’s one tiny thing.” I pushed myself up in bed. “I made a new friend on this dossier.”
“Ah, yes. The aberration.” Gideon leaned forward. “Apparently, the creature fled to the aetheric tides as soon as you were within the outer nimbus of Hyper-Rationality. Things were somewhat adrift, but it was enough.” He cleared his throat. “The Designates are certain that the matter is closed.”
“They are?”
“True fact. Don’t concern yourself with it.” He shrugged. “The thing was probably housed in that statuette. You were simply the first human it latched onto.”
“Wonder what Mr. Fukui wanted from it?” I mused.
“Probably exactly what you got: the ability to be an animalistic badass when required.” Gideon clasped his hands. “But there are no traces of any astral tethers or remnants upon you. The Designates are certain it’s over.”
I was glad someone was certain. It had been repelled previously and had just come back anyway.
“On the other hand,” Gideon continued, his cobalt eyes serious, “Sadhana is not a closed matter.”
I nodded slowly. “Those assholes are a problem. Gideon, I’ve never seen anything like what they are doing.”
“No.” His tone was dark. “Sadhana’s relationship with the Drażeri is troubling, as is the speed at which they invaded Ar’Ghosa.”
“It was like they’d had weeks to prepare, just since the Breach.” I frowned, troubled.
“Ryuu Tower has been decimated. Facility Fac
tors are seizing the company’s financial assets. After this incident, Sadhana and their sovereign operatives have been reclassified as fugitives of eminent concern.” He eyed me gravely. “This isn’t the last we’ll see of them, I’m certain.”
“Right.” I grit my teeth at the thought.
“Rebecca Thorne, Daisuke Ito, Nicholas Eidon… all Sadhana’s primary faces made away, unfortunately.”
“Eidon?” I asked.
“The Padre. Complete psychopath.”
I nodded glumly.
The world wasn’t getting any simpler.
“We may prepare some specialist offensive dossiers regarding Sadhana in the next several months.”
“Yeah?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Their association with the Ts’kekegoth is certain, though we can’t track the particulars.”
“We didn’t encounter any infected in Japan.”
“We’ve found them in other cities in Rationality.” Gideon waved one hand. “Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Taiwan. Always with Sadhana goons, and they always fight to the death.”
“Lovely.” I popped the knuckle on my left hand.
“We know that Sadhana has established shell corporations around the globe and we are chasing those down.”
“But?”
“But Ar’Ghosa and Sathantür can’t be the only topiatic localities Sadhana has poked into. We have Arbiter Assets on alert…”
“But the Myriad is infinitely large.” I sighed.
“As of now, you and your cadre know more about this situation than any other Assets, so you will likely be assigned any special ops regarding them.”
“Roger that.” I chuckled ruefully. “Sounds fun.”
“Not fun.” Gideon ran his hand through his hair. “Designate Ling has put forth the concept of creating a Facility segment specifically for dealing with this situation and others like it.”
“So ‘special ops’ might mean ‘permanent assignment’?”
Gideon touched one finger to his nose and winked.
“Is there anything else, Michael?” Gideon gave me a wan smile.
“Well…” A thought occurred to me. “I did have one other concern.” I hesitated. “About one of my cadre members.”
“Stone will be fine.” Gideon nodded. “Hurt worse than you, but he’ll be fine.”
“No. Not that.” I waved one hand. “Much more important than that.” My eyes were serious.
“Ah.” He smiled knowingly. “Rachel has Delacruz’s treatment well in hand. It’ll take about six weeks to remove the symbiont from her body entirely.” Gideon took a deep breath. “We have several other infected Assets. Bringing this data back saved over a dozen lives.”
“That’s good.” I nodded. “But that’s not what I meant either.”
“Okay.” Gideon leaned forward, concern wrinkling his forehead. “What is it?”
“It’s kind of delicate.” My tone was soft.
“You know you can ask me anything, Michael.”
“How’s…” Heroically, I kept a straight face. “How’s Wyatt’s beard?”
Gideon sighed, hanging his head in his hands.
Demetri Stone, Businessman
The night wind was wild and exotic, blowing in over the Pacific Ocean. It felt like the kind of evening where San Francisco came alive, and the pulse of the people was the beat of a frantic, almost erotic dance.
“Come on, come on…” I swerved through traffic before finally pulling up outside Aretto’s.
I looked at the clock on my dash.
“Right on time.” I grinned. Honestly, I’d wanted to be early, but traffic had just been horrible. “It’s fine,” I mumbled as the valet took my car. “This way, I don’t seem too eager.” I chuckled as I walked through the doors.
But I had to admit it, I was eager. I hadn’t seen my best friend in months, and now, suddenly, he was back in town with no word or warning. True to form, he had booked an evening at the classiest, most upscale place in town and sent me an invite out of the blue.
Typical.
“Michael.” I hadn’t taken five steps into the place before I heard his deep rumble at a table to the left of the fountains.
I turned, my grin splitting my face from ear to ear.
“You son of a bitch.” I stepped over to him and clasped his hand with both of mine. “How the hell are you?”
“I’m well,” Demetrius chuckled, his voice a low purr. “Very well. Shall we sit?”
We walked over to the table he had selected, an out of the way niche with a clear shot to the bar.
I appreciated the choice as there was hardly anyone around. Only one young woman with mousy brown hair sat nearby. She had a frown on her face even though she didn’t look at anything in particular.
I scarcely had my ass in the seat before I began rambling.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? Hell, I could have thrown together a night out myself!”
“I had no idea I’d be here.” He leaned forward, chuckling. “I’m here on business, unexpected business.”
“How’s Japan?” Demetrius had been overseas for a while, dealing with some tough clients.
“Japan is a pain in my ass.” He grinned, catching the attention of our server and lifting two fingers.
The young, red-haired woman nodded.
“No business talk tonight, though. I’m fed up with Japanese corporations and the parasitic assholes they work with.”
In no time, the server brought over two drinks, setting one in front of Demetrius and one in front of me.
“That’s you.” He pointed at my drink.
“Bourbon?” I glanced down at the golden liquid and up to Demetri.
“Best in the house.” He reached for his own drink, and took a sip.
“There is no way you’re getting out of talking about Japan.” I chuckled. “Gideon wanted to send me there once—”
I heard a pretty little gasp, and the shattering of glass.
Startled, I turned to look.
A blonde woman stood, staring in horror at the glass she had just dropped. She was frozen in place, her pale blue eyes wide.
The liquor had splashed on my shoes.
“I apologize profusely.” Her voice was soft, almost unnaturally so.
Demetrius’s words, on the other hand, were baritone thunder.
“My dear, you must do me the service of allowing my friend and I to help you clean that up.”
“Yes.” I nodded as I stood.
The poor woman blushed.
“Thank you, Mi–mi—” She stammered for a moment, her blue eyes seeming uncertain. “My hands are just so clumsy sometimes.”
“It’s no worry at all.” I smiled as I bent down to pick up a piece of glass. “Hell, you should see some of my cock-ups, the stories I could—OW!”
Stupidly, I had been looking at the woman’s pretty face instead of the glass I had been picking up. Somehow, it had slipped and sliced into the meat of my hand, right at the base of my thumb.
“Oh, man, that’s deep.” I hissed through my teeth as I applied pressure to the wound, trying to get it to stop bleeding.
“Michael?” Demetrius stepped closer to me, concern woven into his deep voice. “Are you okay?”
“I will be.” I grabbed one of the napkins from the table and pressed it to the wound. I started to say, “I need to step into the men’s room.”
Instead said, “I… I need…”
I noted the shape that the blood made on the napkin.
Oh.
It was a slender curve of elegance, a susurrus of scarlet, sanguine purity. It was a kabalistic rune, truth given mystery given form.
My heart pounded in my chest. When had it gotten so dark?
Absentmindedly, I scratched at the back of my neck with my other hand.
“Michael?” Demetrius’s voice felt solid somehow, like the earth beneath my feet.
The entire world had grown still. I was wrapped in twilight shadows, rapt in
my own warm life, beating to the drama of eternity in my hand.
I looked up at him and my eyes met his. He simply looked at me, expectantly.
The brown haired woman shifted in her seat, behind him.
I blinked, and clockwork harmony filled my mind.
“I need my pills.” My voice sounded mechanical, rote, even to my ear. I turned to the woman, almost in apology. “I’ll help you in a moment…” I fumbled my other hand into my jacket pocket, pulling out the small plastic container my doctor had prescribed.
“I didn’t know you were on medication.” Demetrius looked at me, curiously.
“Allergies. Not a big deal.” I popped open the top, pulled out one of the capsules and then tossed it in my mouth. “I had forgotten about it is all.”
Though it seemed just the slightest bit odd that this situation reminded me to take it, I felt better almost instantly.
“What of your hand?” The blonde woman seemed concerned. I noticed that she clenched and twitched her fingers in sympathy for my pain.
“It’s nothing.” I looked down at my hand and realized that it was nothing. “I thought it was a lot worse than it is.”
“Let me see it.” Stone stepped closer and took my hand in his. “Why, you’re right, Michael.” He hesitated. “But you should step to the lavatory and wash it.” He studied my face intently. “That is, if you are feeling well?”
“I feel fine. Great even.” I smiled at him and then at my blonde woman, hoping that my grin didn’t look wolfish. “I’ll be right back.”
“That sounds perfect.” Demetrius nodded at her, and out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw her head bob in response.
The brown-haired woman stood to leave.
I wove my way to the lavatory, though my hand had almost entirely stopped bleeding. I felt a bit foolish for making a scene, but apparently Demetri hadn’t really thought anything of it.
That was good. I had looked forward to seeing my best friend for a long time. I had missed him a lot, and when he was around, I knew I could count on things being interesting.
“Idiot.” I chuckled as I looked in the mirror, washing my hand. I couldn’t believe I had made such a scene over such a small thing.
I glanced down into the warm water. It had caught the blood, swirling it around the white porcelain basin. There, it traced a crimson galaxy, harmonies beyond understanding, an infinity of primal, bestial passion.