Sen hesitated.
"You astound me. How did you escape?"
Tremain tutted and wiped invisible dust from his sleeves. Raising a hand, he tapped his temple.
"You neglected to notice you trapped me in my own mind." He brushed his hair back. "I spend a lot of time up there on a daily basis. I know my way around. Besides," He stepped closer. "Didn't you hear me say we humans were a lot more resourceful than you gave us credit for?" He reached up and touched Christopher's arm. "Put them down for crying out loud. If you're not going to follow through, let them go."
Christopher was amazed as he was slowly lowered to the floor. He stood, helped his dad to a couch. Smitty lay where he landed, his eyes like saucers as he stared at Sen.
"Uncle, are you ok?" Christopher asked, his eyes full of concern.
"Of course I am. I'm angry, is all." Tremain whirled on Sen, his finger pointing. "You betrayed me in there. I want to know why." He paused, then waved his hands back and forth, dismissing that notion. "You know what? Never mind that. What's more important is why you felt threatened." Sen took a step back, surprise written all over the body language.
"Threatened? By you?"
Tremain nodded, and pointed at his chest.
"Yes. By me. By all of us." He indicated the rest of the room. "You showed me a lot, Sen, more than you realize." Tremain, feeling much better, held his hands behind his back and leaned in towards the metal figure. "I know why you were left behind." He turned his back on Sen and winked at Christopher, who raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"How can you know that?"
Tremain waved his hands back and forth between himself and Sen.
"We communed, remember? Limited, I grant you, but still, you revealed more than you wanted to. I felt your anguish when your people ascended, Sen. My heart broke for you. I actually felt sorry for you. Then I realized something very important. You could have left with them."
"WHAT?!"
Tremain nodded, his stare never leaving Sen. Christopher could see his uncle was enjoying every second of this.
"Oh yes, but you didn't. You were too afraid."
The room shook with Sen's power. Everything around them that had been whirling around the room, fell to the floor with a clatter. Christopher and Daylin stumbled back into the couch. Tremain stood his ground, his steely gaze never wavering.
"I was not afraid!" Sen shouted.
"I beg to differ. Remember, we commuuuuuned." Tremain over-pronounced the word, making his meaning obvious. "Like I said, you shared more than you wanted to." He walked right up to the metallic man and pinged him on the chest. "It's not easy, contemplating the complete destruction of another sentient race. Not when you've felt their, well, my emotions, my memories. We're not too different a people are we? You created that storm so you wouldn't get your hands dirty. That's not good enough." Tremain leaned closer. "If you're going to take lives, do it in person. Do it so you can feel it. So you can see the spark fade before you. With your ability, you’ll feel every death. Should make it quite painful for you. But you can't do that, can you? I saw how quickly you ran to save a bird, an inferior species, wouldn't you say?" Tremain tilted his head. "I don't believe you can bring yourself to kill millions of people. Now, let's make a deal, shall we?" His answer was to be lifted by Sen's arm into the air by the front of his shirt and lab coat. He flailed for a moment.
"You have nothing to offer me. Humanity is finished, starting with you."
Tremain felt the air around his head grow thin. Sen was going to suffocate him. He took a deep breath.
"Kill me and you'll never see your people again." He rasped. The air pressure in a millisecond returned to normal, making Tremain blink and pop his ears.
"You cannot know that."
"Oh I can. But first, put me down you rusted-out pile of tin!"
Surprised, Sen dropped Tremain, who landed on his feet and made a show of brushing off his shirt front.
"Tell me. My patience is not infinite."
"No, but your thick-headedness seems to be." Tremain folded his arms. "You had thousands of years to improve yourself. You showed me as much. There were many times you could have returned to your people, but you didn't. You were afraid. You still are. That's why you're threatening us."
"I. Am. Not. Afraid!"
"Oh you most certainly are! And here's how I know. You haven't let go of your mortality, have you?" Tremain waved his arms, indicating the castle and all around it. "You have all the trappings of an organic being here. Soft couches, bedrooms with actual beds in them. You don't have to eat, sleep, shower . . ." He turned, gave Christopher a theatrical wink, mouthing the word "poop", then turned back to Sen. Christopher laughed, then stopped himself, seeing his father give him a warning look. Instead of obeying, Christopher stood and walked over to his uncle, crossing his arms, mimicking Tremain.
"Exactly, Uncle." He said and faced Sen. "Why did you create the constructs but to live vicariously through them? Alice is every bit a human being as I am, despite you. She cares about us. Why else would she have convinced you to give us a chance to change your mind?"
As if on cue, Alice began to stir, rubbing the back of her head where she hit the wall. Tremain turned to his nephew.
"Very good, Christopher. You've been doing your own analysis, I see." Turning back to Sen, he said, "Now, I see two outcomes here." He indicated the window. "You can destroy humanity and go on living your lonely, isolated, bitter life, such as it is, with no hope of ever seeing your people again. Or," he paused for emphasis, "you can stop that foolishness, stop your madness with that enormous storm and I can help you to ascend."
Sen paused for a long time. Tremain threw up his hands in exasperation.
"YOU really are a pain in my backside, do you realize that? I present you with your heart's desire." He held up a hand. "Don't argue with me, I know what you really want." He threw his arms wide. "And then you have to think about it? You'll be with Illya again! What do you have to think about?"
Sen's head swiveled to look outside.
"H-how do I ascend? I do not hear the call. I-I do not know how."
"You really are stupid, aren't you?" Christopher piped up, surprising his uncle. He put his hand on his uncle's arm. "I think I've figured it out."
Tremain motioned Christopher forward, a proud smile on his face.
"The floor is yours."
Christopher took two tentative steps towards Sen.
"I think you do know how. How did you get into this metal body?" Behind him, Alice clasped her hands together and grinned. Her eyes sparkled.
"I . . ." Sen started.
"You didn't ascend," Tremain said, moving next to Christopher again, "you moved laterally. You showed me that. It looked exactly like when your people transformed." He looked directly at the oval head, which had swiveled to face him. "You have to let go."
The silence dragged on. Sen's head stared at Tremain for a long time. Tremain held up a finger to keep everyone from moving.
The oval head tilted one way, then another.
He stormed to the window, as if looking for the answer in the clouds.
Sen whirled back again, the oval head looking up, a light had appeared in the center of his head, making the silver glow from the inside.
They all watched as the light encompassed Sen's head. The arms reached out, the palms facing up, as if in supplication.
He jerked in surprise.
"I hear the call!" Sen's voice was full of wonder.
As if on cue, sparks of light appeared around Sen. They whooshed in from the windows, from the ceiling, from everywhere. They swarmed and surrounded the metallic figure, as if coaxing him. The glow around Sen's head grew, fully engulfing the metallic body.
Christopher and Tremain watched as the metal shell was absorbed into the light, leaving only the glow of Sen's essence. Tendrils of energy undulated around the light, reaching out to touch each little spark that seemed to dance in joy around him.
"My peopl
e!" Came Sen's disembodied voice.
Alice had moved next to Tremain. Her eyes were wide, following each spark of light as it swirled around the room.
"They're beautiful. I can hear them calling to Sen." She reached a hand out as a spark came close to her, caressing her hand with its light. It zoomed back to the swarm around Sen.
"They're welcoming him." She gasped. "They waited for him."
A spark of light shot over and hovered just in front of Tremain. He frowned for a moment, then his eyes lit up as a smile appeared on his face. He turned to Christopher.
"That was Illya, Sen's . . . girlfriend, for want of a better word. She thanked me. It felt so warm." Tremain stepped closer to the swirling lights. "Sen!" he called out, "what about that storm?"
The huge ball of light that was Sen extended a gentle tendril towards Tremain. Another one extended towards each of the others in the room. Alice closed her eyes as the glow suffused her. Daylin reared back, trying to avoid the tendril. Smitty, who was still staring in apparent disbelief, didn't budge as the tendril engulfed him in light. Christopher stood still and let the light touch him. It was warm and tingled where it made contact with his skin. He was filled with sensations that were not his own. They were filled with a sense of belonging. Of peace. He smiled.
"The storm will dissolve. Your people are safe." Came Sen's voice. It sounded far away.
The swirling lights sped up their dance.
One by one, they shot upwards through the ceiling. Sen's light throbbed, the energy bright in the room.
Only one spark remained. It slowly approached Sen and reached out tendrils of its own, wrapping Sen in a tender embrace. Sen's light ceased throbbing and began to shrink until it was the same size as the spark. Together, they vibrated and shot up into the ceiling.
Alice was the first to stir, her eyes wet with tears.
"He's gone." She whispered.
A clamor arose from the corner where Smitty had fallen. There was a gasp, a loud exclamation and Smitty jumped up. They all whirled around, expecting to see the twisted body, but they saw that Sen had one more good deed in him.
Smitty stood there, on knees that looked normal, staring with wide eyes at arms and fingers that all bent in their proper ways. The expression on his face was rapt with wonder. His mouth twitched and a high-pitched giggle escaped. He jumped up and down and clapped his hands.
"I'm better!" he said, and hugged himself as he collapsed on the couch, his laughter devolving into crying. Daylin went over and comforted his friend.
Christopher walked over to Alice.
"Will you be okay?" he asked.
Alice's gaze was warm as she smiled at the young man. She reached out her hand and caressed his face. Presently she nodded.
"I will be. I wasn't sure what would happen to me without Sen, but I think I will be able to live. Sen told me as much before he left. The castle will eventually dissipate without him to sustain it, though."
Tremain jumped as his pocket beeped and vibrated. He reached in and pulled out his tablet.
"Marcus has been blowing up the grid trying to get hold of me." He laughed as he waved a hand. "Apparently, Sen's blockade has been removed." He reached back into his pocket and pulled out a small remote control device. He smiled as he saw the lights were shining. "And we can leave whenever everyone’s ready."
Daylin looked up from the couch, where Smitty had calmed down and was wiping his face, giving an exaggerated sniffle.
"You have a transport that can reach us up here?"
"Not quite." Tremain smiled back at him. "I have, perhaps, a more elegant way of traveling." He gestured for them all to gather around. "It's going to be a tight fit, but let's see if we can make it work." As soon as they were all standing close together, he hit the button.
A coruscating light filled the room, surrounding the five of them. It flared once, then dissipated, taking them with it.
The castle fell silent.
EPILOGUE
Christopher stood outside his front door, Tremain and Daylin were right behind him. His father was a new man, after a couple of hours spent showering, shaving and brushing out his hair. He wore some old clothes Tremain had lying around.
Smitty had been admitted to the psychiatric ward of the hospital to be evaluated. Tremain promised to keep tabs on his condition. He had also called Colonel Griffiths. The storm had dissipated quickly, just as Sen had said it would. The good Colonel couldn’t explain it, saying he’d leave that to the scientists to figure out.
Before Christopher could turn the handle, the door whooshed open and Davie stood there, her eyes wide in surprise, Celeste was right behind her.
"Christopher!" She yelled and wrapped her son in an enormous hug. Christopher gave in for a moment, then tried to separate himself. "When I heard you had disappeared, I thought I'd never see you again!"
"Mom, I have to show you something." He managed to squeak out. Davie looked up to see her brother standing a little bit down the walkway, looking bashful. He scratched his head and stepped aside to reveal Daylin.
Davie paused, not recognizing the man standing before her, then her eyes grew wide, filling with tears as she released her son.
"Daylin?" she whispered. Her hands trembled as she held them out to her long lost husband.
"I'm back. Thanks to Tremain and Chris." He said as he embraced her.
"Lords, you're so thin!" she exclaimed between sobs.
"I just need some of your cooking."
Tremain repressed a shudder as he thought about his sister's cooking. It wasn't her strong suit, but if it helped Daylin recover, so be it. He shook his head in wonder, then smiled. They were a family again.
Celeste surprised Christopher with a bear hug, which left him breathless. She stepped away, then punched him in the arm.
"OW!" Christopher shouted, rubbing his shoulder. "Why did you do that?"
"For making your mom and me worry, that's why!" Her face softened. "When I heard on the news you had disappeared with your uncle, I had to know what happened, so I came to your house." She looked down. "Your mom's really sweet, you know. She was happy you had a girlfriend."
Christopher blushed.
"B-but I don't . . . do I?"
Celeste giggled.
"We'll see about that." She grabbed his arm and smiled up at him. Christopher looked over at Tremain, who shrugged and waved them off.
"You're on your own." Tremain mouthed.
Christopher gave a half smile and turned back to Celeste.
Christopher, Celeste and his parents went inside as Davie talked about cooking something for a good warm snack. Christopher made to shut the door, then walked back to Tremain, leaving Celeste by the doorway.
"Are we going to be okay?" he asked.
Tremain looked towards the house, then down at Christopher. Across, actually, the boy had grown, hadn't he?
"I think all your father needs is some time with his family, your mother's cooking aside." Tremain laughed, then nudged his nephew. "Go spend time with him. Help him re-acclimate to his life. He'll need your support more than ever. Take all the time you need." He guided Christopher towards the door, then gave him a little push. "Besides, you now have a girlfriend to contend with." Christopher gave an unconvincing cry of indignance.
"Don't you need me at the lab?" Christopher asked.
Tremain smiled wider.
"Of course I do! My new intern has quite a bit to do and I plan on keeping him busy."
Christopher gave a look of confusion at first, then his eyes flew wide and a huge smile creased his face.
"Intern? Me? You're not kidding are you?"
"No. I'm not. You've earned it, Christopher." Tremain waved his hands towards the house. "Now don't worry about that, we'll discuss the details another time. Go be with your dad . . . and girlfriend." He teased.
Christopher smiled once more, then joined Celeste and shut the door behind them. Tremain stood for a few minutes longer, lost in his own thoughts. He
turned and headed back towards the waiting cab.
"I have something else to take care of." He said to nobody as the cab drove off.
✽ ✽ ✽
Alice stood as Tremain entered the lab. She dabbed at her eyes as he came over to her.
"You've been crying." He said softly.
Alice nodded and blinked a few times.
"Yes. I realized I have no idea what will become of me. My entire existence has been as a servant to Sen. Now I am my own person and I don't know what to do." She spread her arms and let her hands drop to her sides.
Tremain smiled at the inescapably human gesture.
"I think I have just the thing to give you purpose." He gestured her towards the computer. "While Sen and I were communing, he informed be about lodestones."
Alice nodded.
"Yes, I know of those. There was one down in the valley, below the castle. Your people that left . . . the Mayflower people, I think you called them, they live there and give thanks to their deities there. I believe they've even built a temple around it."
Tremain snapped his fingers.
"Precisely." He said, pointing at her. "Just being in the vicinity of a lodestone influenced their development. It advanced them by leaps and bounds." He rubbed his chin. "Not that I'm worried about them, they're not a violent people. But if someone with less than honorable intentions finds themselves influenced by a lodestone . . ." He let the implications hang in the air. Alice's eyes grew wide.
"That cannot be allowed to happen."
"No, indeed not. We have to collect them, if possible, and keep them safely out of harm's way." He turned to her. "After a bit of getting used to your new life, what would you say about going on a journey or three?"
Alice looked at him, then smiled.
"You're trying to get rid of me, aren't you?" She said, teasing him.
Tremain shook his head and took Alice's hand in his.
"Not at all. I will miss our teas together, but I believe you are unique in your abilities to sense the particular energy produced by the lodestones. I can think of nobody else I would entrust a search like this to."
The Adventures of Tremain & Christopher BoxSet Page 26