Box Set #3: The Serenity Deception: [The 4 book 3rd Adventure of Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood]

by Robert Iannone

  “That’s great. Thank you.”

  “So what else?” asked Aeri’elle.

  “So now we go on a simulation and wait for the big cheese to show her hand,” said Egg. “She’s obviously very impatient. Between my suit being deactivated and Spirit being replaced all within the span of a few hours, I just know she’ll come after us as soon as she can.”

  “And that’s a good thing?” asked Spirit.

  “Absolutely. The sooner we do this, the faster we can get back to our vacation.”

  “Maybe we should lose,” suggested Aeri’elle. “This way she’ll leave us alone.”

  “We’re the Hameggattic Sisterhood. We don’t lose for anyone.”

  “But what happens if . . . I mean when we win? What will the cheese do?”

  Egg smiled. “Probably try again when we least expect it.”

  “Grrrrrr. Burp.”

  “Hey, no one asked for your opinion.”

  Chapter 7 – The Meaning of Seven

  “Egg, then I don’t understand. What are you hoping to achieve?” asked BreeZee.

  “Look, she can only try something while we’re on this planet or another one in her Starlight Alliance. Once we leave here and go home, she can’t touch us. More importantly, she would have no reason to even try. So, let’s have some fun with it. Think of it as part of our training. Who knows when the next big mission will come along . . . if ever.”

  “That raises another question” said Soo.

  “Like what?”

  “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. Are we . . . the Hameggattic Sisterhood . . . a social club or a force for good, so to speak? Do we get together just to have reunions and go on vacations or do we let the universe know that they can call on our services if there’s a problem that no one else can solve?”

  “Wow, you semi-sentient sea slug, that was like the deepest thought I’ve ever heard you express,” said her friend.

  “Didn’t think I had it in me, did you,” replied Soo.

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Hey.”

  “May I give my two cents?” asked Tee’ka using her newly learned earth expression.

  “Go for it, Tee.”

  “Sadly, I am not a Hameggattic Sister nor could I ever be. However, if I was, I would answer Soo thusly . . . we are unique in this galaxy, with superior individual talents made even more formidable when we act as seven. We should let all worlds know that if we are called upon to serve in the interest of good, then we will answer the call.”

  “Well put, friend,” replied Spirit.

  “I agree,” said Syl, “That was very well expressed. But, as wonderful as that sounds, I don’t think we can do that. Egg and I are in school and we really need to finish our education. And, we both have parents that have no idea what we do. If they did, I doubt seriously that they would approve. Besides, I’m not ready to dedicate my life to fighting bad guys all over the universe. That’s not who I am . . . who I want to be.”

  “Have you decided what you want to do with your life? What profession you might want to pursue?” asked Professor Aeri’elle.

  “After high school, I will definitely go to college to study math or science.” She smiled then added, “And after that I intend to apply to a soon-to-be-built galaxy class university on Aerianna.”

  “That would be awesome. I’m going to hold you to that,” said the dragon.

  “What about your parents?” asked BreeZee.

  “After I graduate, I will take them on a little trip to meet a certain Queen.”

  “That should prove interesting.”

  “How about the rest of you?” asked Egg. “Are we heroes for hire or a sorority?”

  “I’m always willing to help out if the Queen asks. But like Syl, I think there should be more to life than just fighting evil,” said the newly deep-thinking Soo.

  “What she means is that she wants her boyfriend to propose to her. He can’t if she’s off gallivanting around the galaxy. But, I agree. If the Queen asks for my help . . . or any one of you . . . then I’m in,” said the F’yre Dragon.

  “Bl’azzz, I’m with you,” added BreeZee. “I don’t see myself as a full time crime fighter. But if the Queen or any of you need my help, I’ll be there for you. You guys have already changed my life in ways I could never imagine.”

  Everyone turned to Spirit. “I like the way Bree phrased it. This has been an awesome experience and I fervently hope there will be others. And, if someone that we cared for came to us for help, then I’m in.”

  “Egg-o, what about you?”

  She didn’t answer right away as she gathered her thoughts. “From the moment I first put on the flying suit, Eloise Grace Graystone became Flying Girl. That’s who I am . . . and that’s all I want to be. Before Syl can say it, I know I’m not yet fourteen and things can change. I can change. But for now, I’m Flying Girl. I can’t think of anything more exciting than matching wits with the bad guys. Or more rewarding than helping people who are in trouble.

  When we’re not on a mission, then being with you guys and goofing off like this is wonderful. There’s no one I rather spend my time with. But, as far as I’m concerned, Tee said it best.”

  “Would you do it by yourself?” asked Bree.

  Again, Egg took her time to answer. “No. I have to believe that there will always be others that would want to help me help people in need.”

  “What are you implying? That you’ll recruit other girls and when you do they’ll replace each of us?” Sylvia was near to tears.

  Seven faces (including Tee’ka but not Jynx who was fast asleep) turned to stare at Egg. They all gasped when she answered “yes.”

  “Egg, you don’t mean that?” asked Aeri’elle. In as much as she retired from the active Sisterhood, it was kind of surprising that she asked the question.

  “Let me explain. Syl when you go off to college, will you have time to go on missions?”

  “Um, probably not. Maybe. Probably not.”

  “Soo, if you boyfriend asks you to marry him, will you say yes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Will you raise a family?”

  “Hopefully.”

  “Would you leave your husband or children and risk your life on another mission?”

  The serpent didn’t answer . . . she didn’t have to.

  “Aeri’elle is retiring . . . her choice. So, the Sisterhood needs a seventh active member. It doesn’t absolutely positively have to be someone who’s going to commit to being a hero, but if we have the chance to find someone that thinks like me, I’m going to ask you to vote her in.”

  “We would still get a vote?” asked Bl’azzz.

  “Well, of course, silly. You’re a Hameggattic Sister.” That made everyone relax.

  “Yeah, I am. Thanks Egg.”

  “Egg”.

  “Yeah, Tee?”

  “If it were possible, I would join your cause. You could always count on me to be by your side.”

  “That would be awesome. Aeri’elle, I expect you to work on finding a way to free Tee from the Laff’Alott computer.”

  “I accept the challenge. Once the school is built, I will assign the task to the science department to work on.”

  “Thank you Aeri’elle. That is most generous.”

  “It will be my pleasure, Tee’ka. I can’t promise that we’ll succeed, but if we do you’ll make a great sister.”

  The construct flickered . . . but only from a surge in emotions.

  “If that’s all cleared up, I think we should get on with our next simulation.”

  “Um . . . now may not be the best time to ask . . . “

  “Now is always the best time,” said Bree.

  “You all have said that if the Queen or one of us needs help, you would do what you could. Does that apply to me? If I asked for help, would you guys do it?”

  “What are you talking about?” asked Egg.

  “I told you why I left my world. I can’
t go home to my family because the bad guys are in charge. Would the Sisterhood help me remedy that situation?”

  “That’s why you joined us, isn’t it?” asked Sylvia. “The Myst Tree said we would help you . . . but only if you were a sister.”

  “Nice deduction, Syl”.

  “Thanks, Bree.”

  “Yes. I’m sorry for not saying anything sooner. I . . . I didn’t know what to expect of you guys. I never really believed that seven girls could make any difference. Gosh, was I ever wrong. I’ll never doubt the power of Seven again.”

  “I meant what I said . . . if one of my sisters needs my help, I’m in.”

  “And me”.

  “Thank you, Bl’azzz, Soo.”

  “Of course we’ll help you,” said Egg with the authority as the leader of the Sisterhood. “After our vacation we’ll go to Paradox. But, Spirit, Syl and I need to figure a way to leave home for whatever amount of time it’s going to take. It might not be until next summer.”

  “You never really explained about the bad guys,” observed Bl’azzz. “What can you tell us?”

  Egg interrupted. “Give us the one minute quickie version, Spirit. We’ll talk about it in lots more detail when we get closer to the mission.”

  “Sure. As you know, I’m a Thought Weaver. But, on my world, there are other . . . mutants . . . with different powers.”

  “Hang on. Mutants?”

  “Egg, it sounds awful, but that’s what we are. Long ago, there was a war with some truly terrifying weapons. They caused massive damage during . . . and after . . . the conflict. Because of their nature, these weapons cause some children to develop in ways that are not normal to my kind. I can heal and see the threads of the future. My telepathy is actually another trait that the rest of my people don’t normally have. Others have different skills . . . if I can use that word.”

  “Such as what?” asked Soo.

  “Such as telekinesis – the ability to move objects with a thought. Some can teleport from one location to another just by thinking it.”

  “Is Jynx a product of this war?” asked Aeri’elle.

  “Yes. Some people can also shift shapes like her.”

  “Wow and wow,” said Bree.

  “So what does this have to do with the bad guys? Have they taken these other people hostage?” asked Soo.

  “By law . . . their law . . . all mutants are taken captive. They can do this because these evil ones have their own powers.”

  “Okay, enough. It’s obviously a bad situation and we can discuss the details later,” insisted Egg.

  “I wouldn’t have asked because of the danger involved. But after Zynn-Zaz’zia, I think we have a good chance to succeed.”

  “That’s encouraging,” whispered Soo to Bl’azzz.

  “We better find that seventh sister,” responded her friend. “I don’t think six is going to be enough.”

  “Hey, you two, I heard that.”

  “Maybe K’ssss will do it. We probably could use a genius to fight a bunch of mutants,” said Soo. “No offense, Spirit.”

  “None taken.”

  “Well, we’re not asking K’ssss. That wouldn’t be fair. And, you either Big Bird so don’t even try to volunteer. Besides, we’re going to find a seventh . . . I can feel it.”

  “Truly?”

  “Yup. So, we can talk about this stuff later . . . like after our vacation. Meantime, let’s see how good we really are. Bring on the cheese.”

  *****

  “What did you have in mind, Egg?” asked Tee’ka.

  “How about one of those real dreams?”

  “That’s surreal dreams”

  “Right. What does that mean exactly?”

  “Surreal means bizarre, fantastic or strange.”

  “So how would that work?”

  “The easiest way is for me to search your subconscious mind to determine what stories most resonate with you. Then the computer complex will take two or more of them and jumble the story lines and characters. Be warned, the results can be nightmarish.”

  “Sounds like a hoot.”

  “Hoot?”

  “Fun.”

  “I see. Egg . . . they can be quite unsettling.”

  “Tee’ka, can you tell us which stories you will use?”

  “No, Sylvia. The computer complex does not reveal its final choices to me.”

  “Enough jibber jabber. Who’s with me?”

  “Grrrrrr.”

  “Jynxie, are you sure?”

  “Grrrrrr.”

  “Well, if my dearest companion is willing, so am I.”

  “Let’s just get on with it,” growled Aeri’elle. “You know darn well we’re with you.”

  “Okay then. Tee . . . let’s do this thing.”

  “As you wish. However, may I make a suggestion as a friend?”

  “Of course.”

  “While you are in a simulation, your real bodies are . . . unprotected. In the entire history of this world, nothing has ever happened to guests while they were in this state. However, if someone wishes to do you harm, it might be wise if one of you stayed behind to watch over the others.”

  “Jynxie, would you do that for us?”

  The Shamie thought about that for a few seconds then responded with her usual “Grrrrrr.”

  “Thank you, dear one.”

  Jynx ambled over to Spirit and gave her a lick. Then she began to morph into a . . . thing of some sort.”

  “What the heck is that?”

  “They were on the same planet as the tongue bugs. In fact, they ate the bugs.”

  “Well, that should scare away the bad guys. Nice going, Jynx.”

  “Grrrrrr.”

  “Egg, I agree. Jynx should be able to keep you all safe. So, if you are ready . . .,” and their holographic hostess waved her wand and the room dissolved into darkness.

  Deep in the bowels of the planet, the computer searched Egg’s mind and found snippets of stories that had impressed, captivated or fascinated her. One was the Emerald City of Oz; another was Alice and the Queen of Hearts. There was an incident involving a circus and a TV special about Halloween. Oh, and a little of the Quest and Zynn-Zaz’zia memories seeped into the mix.

  The great machine took the information and blended it together in ways only it understood. The result, as Tee’ka had warned, was nightmarish and had little in common with the original stories.

  *****

  It was very dark and foggy except for the hazy moonlight, which cast some strange and unnatural shadows. They were standing in a field . . . no, not a field. It was a graveyard. The tombstones were old, very old. Some were so worn by the weather that you could no longer read the inscriptions. Others were leaning at odd angles . . . fighting a losing battle not to fall back into the earth.

  Egg and Sylvia were instantly terrified . . . being amongst the dearly departed, at the dead of night, generated a feeling of dread that was instinctive. The other girls, who did not have the earth-based cultural bias to those that have passed, were merely curious.

  “What is this place?” asked Aeri’elle.

  “It’s a cemetery.”

  “I know it’s a cemetery. But what is its significance?”

  “Why are you asking me?”

  “Egg, the computer used your memories to create this simulation.”

  “I’ve never even been to a cemetery.”

  “Then it must be something you read,” suggested Spirit.

  “I don’t remember ever having read about a cemetery.”

  “Purr-haps I can be of some help?”

  The girls all jumped at the unexpected voice. They looked at each other; all seven pairs of eyes were wide. “Who said that?” asked Sylvia in a whisper.

  “Why, it was I” replied the voice.

  “I who?”

  “I, me.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Where I always am, right where I’m at.”

  “How come we can’t see you?”
/>
  “Seeing is believing . . . and you don’t believe. Ergo, you can’t see.”

  “What?”

  “One can only see a figment of one’s imagination by using the mind’s eye.”

  “What?”

  “Dear girl, I’m told you are the bright one. Have I been ill-informed?”

  “Egg . . .”

  “Yeah, Bree?”

  “Let’s just keep going. If that thing is supposed to be part of this simulation, it will have to reveal itself at some point.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “Egg?”

  “Yeah, Soo?”

  “Where is it we’re going? And what do we do when we get there?”

  “No idea.”

  “Purr-haps I can be of some help?”

  “Not again,” groaned Egg.

  “Silly, it cannot be ‘again’ if it did not actually happen the first time.”

  “OH MY GOSH. You’re as obnoxious as J’azzz-min.”

  “I’m insulted. I may be a cat with a hat, but I’m so much more attractive than that flea bitten, insufferable and witless feline.”

  And right in front of them appeared two large cats’ eyes followed by an exaggeratedly wide grinning mouth with way too many teeth. “Hello” the face said . . . and then the rest of her appeared.

  The creature was a cross between a crazed Cheshire cat and J’azzz-min . . . and the result was a little too freaky for comfort.

  “Name’s Dorothy . . . welcome to Oz-Landia,” and she tipped her hat.

  Chapter 8 – Definitely Not in Kansas

  “Oh my gosh.”

  “Gosh? What’s a gosh?”

  “What?”

  “You said Oh, my gosh. I don’t have a gosh so I was wondering what your gosh is.”

  Soo shook her head. “Good grief. She really is just like J’azzz-min. Same snarky personality and definitely the same body. But it kills me to say it, our J’azzz was way cuter.”

  “Ouch, that was hurtful,” meowed Dorothy as her exaggerated smile turned to an equally exaggerated snarl.

  “Sorry.”

  “I don’t like you,” said the creature (very much reminiscent of the other cat when they first met her in K’actus Kiln).