The Key of Astrea

by Nicholas Marson

  Suddenly, Djangini’s senses heightened and colors, smells, sounds, and tastes flooded into her brain. She felt the vibrating fiddle strings and smelled the rain outside. She heard the rustle of clothing and tasted the coppery tang of blood-soaked bread. But there was a new sensation as well, one which her mind struggled to define because it was completely inside her mind. Djangini could tell that something was off about this new sense. It didn’t taste quite right, and she needed to fix it. Like adding spice, she tried a few brain exercises until something worked. It seemed that by humming inside her mind, the sensation changed. So, she experimented with the pitch and timbre until something clicked.

  That’s when the colors inside the tent became more vivid, and the obsidian bowl thrummed in response. A globe of shimmering mist enveloped the wedding couple. It looked like they were trapped inside a snow globe. Djangini’s heart skipped a beat and she stopped humming, but the obsidian bowl continued to thrum. She looked around in horror at all the smiling faces. Why is everyone still clapping? The bowl’s thrumming peaked, and with a bright flash, Nadya Rose Sanford and Marco Donovan Barret vanished.

  5

  The Fortuna Niche

  Jenny wasn’t a naive eleven-year-old any longer, but the guilt of making the wedding couple disappear had been eating at her for years. From that point on, she wanted nothing to do with Gypsy culture. That eleven-year-old still existed, somewhere, locked in the deep recesses of her mind, a defense mechanism that kept her from reliving that night. As well as the part of her that enjoyed dancing, bright colors, and folk music. She’d grown to accept that Sally’s presence was her punishment.

  Now, coming from the strange puzzle under her desk, were the same sounds and vibrations from that night. I don’t know what this VRGo puzzle is, Jenny thought, but if it has anything to do with that obsidian bowl, I don’t want it. She slid the silver block into her closet and shut the door.

  Jenny traded her black shirt and pants for a black dress and pulled on a pair of black boots. Then, she went to the bathroom and stared at her bloodshot eyes in the mirror. I have work to do, she thought. After splashing cold water on her face, she set out her makeup. She outlined her eyes and darkened her eyebrows with black eyeliner. Next, she added some putty to her flat, dull hair and pulled it into chunky spikes. It was about as rebellious as she was willing to go. She’d thought about piercings or tattoos but always chickened out before going through with it.

  Jenny grabbed her smartphone and stomped down the stairs in her heavy boots. The bottom floor of Bea’s shop catered to the guests of her trade. Jenny enjoyed the crystals and bright colors of the shop, though she would never admit it to her aunt. A yellow-fabric sofa with dark wood legs sat near the front door. Bea bought and sold sofas as if it were her mission in life. Last week it had been a high-backed pink loveseat.

  “What’s all that noise for?” Bea stood in front of Jenny with her arms crossed over a billowy white blouse. A bright-red silk scarf was tied around her black hair. Bronze bangles clanged on her wrists and silver hoops dangled from her ears. A black skirt with moons, owls, bats, and snakes embroidered onto it hung off her bony hips.

  “You’re such a stereotype,” Jenny groaned.

  “Look who’s talking,” Bea retorted. “Do you have to wear so much black?”

  “It’s a reflection of the darkness in my soul.”

  Bea rolled her eyes. “Fine, but I’d love it if you’d keep the darkness away from our client.”

  Bea led Jenny into the workroom, where figurines of cats sat alongside handmade talismans. Rose petals floated in bowls of rainwater. The skulls of various animals sat next to dusty tomes.

  “Don’t forget that Rebecca needs another talisman.”

  “Yeah, sure,” Jenny replied.

  In the fortune-telling business, first visits were the realm of tourists. The spiritually curious. For Bea to make a living, she needed long-term, highly superstitious clients. Jenny didn’t hate working for her aunt. Some parts of it were fun. She liked running the website and maintaining her aunt’s social media presence. She even enjoyed the tarot card readings. But, she didn’t like taking advantage of gullible people.

  People don’t want to hear the truth; they want pretty fortunes. Bea’s clients wanted to believe that Bea could see into the beyond, so they did. Her aunt then manipulated them into buying more talismans. Jenny was different. Call it auras or vibrations or whatever, but she could sense what people were feeling. It made it both easy and hard to take advantage of them.

  In the workroom, incense smoke curled up to the ceiling. Relaxing music played on a speaker hidden inside an antique cabinet. Bea lit twelve candles to optimize the ambiance, then set out a pot of tea alongside Jenny’s homemade cookies. “I brewed Darjeeling,” she said.

  “Rebecca’s favorite,” Jenny answered. She had wrapped a red scarf similar to her aunt’s around her neck and shoulders before sitting at a plain wood table polished from years of use. Onyx, Bea’s black cat, jumped in Jenny’s lap and purred. Sally took her usual seat in the corner on a red settee with gold embroidery.

  Jenny opened the table drawer and drew a single card from a worn tarot deck. It was the Eight of Swords. The card represented imprisonment and powerlessness, caused by self-victimization. Not the most uplifting card, Jenny thought.

  While she waited for Rebecca to arrive, Jenny pulled her smartphone from her pocket and searched for “Selkans.” Nothing significant appeared in the search results. She tried “VRGo” next, but there was no mention of a test or a puzzle by that name.

  The bell hanging above the front door jingled. A lovely woman of about twenty-five entered the waiting room. Her long black hair framed birdlike features, large, round eyes, and a hooked nose, which made her more interesting rather than unattractive.

  “Good morning, Miss Shepherd,” Bea said. “Would you like some tea and cookies?”

  “Yes, please.” She smiled as she took two cookies and placed them on a small plate.

  Bea made small talk as she led Rebecca into the workroom.

  “Oh! That’s weird,” Rebecca said. “I could have sworn I saw Jenny outside. I even said ‘hi’ to her.”

  “I assure you, she’s been here the whole time. Perhaps you saw her psychic twin.”

  Rebecca’s eyes went wide. “Really?”

  Bea smiled as if she knew a great many secrets. “Did you bring the offerings?”

  “Yes, of course.” Rebecca took a sip from her cup before placing it onto a narrow table. She knelt down at the altar in the corner and made the sign of the cross. A statue of the Madonna, the skull of a hummingbird, a raven’s feather, and an empty ceramic bowl rested inside the altar.

  Rebecca removed a small jar of honey from her purse, followed by a candle and a warm, fresh bread roll. Rebecca placed the offerings into the wooden bowl, along with a wad of dollar bills.

  “I’ll need one of your hairs for your talisman,” Bea said. Rebecca plucked one of her long black hairs and handed it to Bea. Bea blew out the flame of a large candle and fed the hair into the melted wax. “The hair represents the path you’ve taken in your life.” Bea held the candle over a large abalone shell filled with blessed water. “Now think of a question you want to be answered.”

  After a moment, Bea poured the melted wax into the water and observed the abstract shapes that formed. She spoke in a stream of consciousness. “Significant forces are working against you. One who has been away will return and bring trouble. Now is the time to take chances.” Bea plucked the wax from the water and turned it over. “You lack focus and spirituality in your life. You will go on a distant trip, experience new activities, and rediscover yourself.”

  As Rebecca stared at the lump of wax, Jenny rolled her eyes and typed “Cabin Inc” into her phone. If this VRGo Cabin company was as big as they claimed, then they should be near the top of the search results. Yet again, there was nothing relevant.

  Bea added the lump of wax to Rebecca’s offerings. Th
en she took the bowl to a worktable where a plethora of crafting materials awaited. “I will have your talisman ready by the time Jenny finishes your reading.”

  “Thank you,” Rebecca said, and approached the table where Jenny sat.

  Jenny slid her phone under her leg and leaned forward. She smelled lavender on Rebecca’s skin. “It’s lovely to see you again.” Jenny took Rebecca’s ring-laden hands and studied her face. Jenny knew that her dichromatic eyes helped convince clients of her mystical nature. “You said that you saw me outside?”

  “Yes. At least I thought so.”

  “It was probably my doppelgänger.” Jenny laughed. “Shall we begin?”

  Reading tarot was more of a performance than a scientific process. It involved listening to a client’s tone of voice and watching for subtle tells in facial expressions and gestures. She had to give Rebecca what she came for but leave her wanting more.

  “I’m ready.” Rebecca bit her lip and sucked air through her teeth.

  Jenny opened the table drawer and withdrew a silk-wrapped bundle tied with a blue string. A series of four tiny bells jingled as she unraveled the cord and wound it around her hand. Jenny set the parcel of black silk on the table in front of her, unfolded the cloth, and withdrew a well-worn deck of tarot cards. She placed the cards on her right, folded the silk, and set it next to the circle of blue string on her left.

  Together they shuffled the deck, then Jenny formed a cross of five cards, with four more lined up on the right. A faint pressure bloomed in Jenny’s skull as she went through the cards in order. She provided Rebecca with an explanation of each. “Ace of Pentacles, inverted,” Jenny began. “You have power and strength, but it is unclear to you now. You are being blocked, and the weight of it causes you to diminish.”

  As she explained the cards, Jenny watched for Rebecca’s reactions. What she did wasn’t magic. She had a knack for knowing what people needed before they knew they needed it, and the forethought to commit a person’s secrets to memory until such time as they might be of use. Yet, even as she tried to focus on Rebecca, her mind kept wandering back to the puzzle in her room.

  “The card in the west position illustrates your past. Inverted pentacles again, this time the three. You lacked a clear male role model in your childhood, like a father figure. But from this absence, you acquired an essential gift.”

  Jenny’s skin tingled. This reading isn’t for Rebecca anymore, it’s for me.

  Her face flushed at this betrayal of their session, but it was too late to back out now. All she could do was hope that Rebecca would find the reading applicable to her life as well.

  “The north position holds the card of strength, indicating that you are more than capable of overcoming any obstacles before you. The Ace of Wands”—Jenny pointed at the southern card—“means a new opportunity, one that will help you grow and mature. Your future path begins here in the east. The Page of Pentacles. Your horizon line. These three cards”—she waved her hand over the middle of the cross—“are all pentacles. The Page represents new beginnings. Its upright orientation indicates that you will have the strength to cast off the negative influences that are blocking you.”

  What’s blocking me? Jenny’s blood grew cold. There was a wish that she had buried deep down in her subconscious. It was painful to watch her mom wither away. But it was worse to watch her own life and dreams die.

  “Are you alright?” Rebecca asked. “You look pale. Well, paler than usual.”

  “I’m okay. I was just meditating on these cards.” Jenny indicated the line of cards on her right. “Your future path holds challenges. You may experience the darkest shadow you can imagine. The Moon, as it manifests, often appears to us when we are unsure of our destination. It will help you on your path, though you may not see it immediately.

  “Your next card, the Hanged Man, implies that you will experience a period where you feel unable to conquer life’s obstacles. When this happens, you must push past it. Do not act selfishly or refuse the help of others during this time, for you will only succeed through cooperation.

  “The Nine of Cups. Once you accept and face your challenges, you will find the satisfaction you seek. But beware of complacency. The people who help you on your way should not be forgotten.

  “The Nine of Wands. Do not allow yourself to revert to old habits or behaviors. This path is a growth process. Be mindful and allow yourself to be unburdened from any pressure you are feeling. If you do not, you may be consumed by fear from within.”

  Jenny reached again for the deck, laying out three more cards. Her thoughts traveled upstairs and into her closet. I need to figure out what that puzzle is. Jenny thought about Michael Creme. He delivered the VRGo puzzle; he must know something.

  “The High Priestess, inverted. You’re intuitive, but you’re intentionally disconnecting yourself. You must heed your internal voice.” She pointed at the next card. “The Five of Swords is an unusual card. I can read it two ways. The first is that you must be sure to be aggressive in your pursuits. Passivity will not win the day. The other warns you against engaging in conflict or unnecessary disagreements with others. Alienating friends and family will only hurt you in the long run. Lastly, the Four of Wands has only positive meanings associated with it.” Jenny leaned back. “Home, community, celebration, it’s all good news and a lovely way to end your reading.”

  “Excellent,” Rebecca exclaimed. “This has been so helpful. I don’t know how you do it.”

  “It’s not me,” Jenny said in a deadpan voice, “I’m merely a vessel of a higher power.”

  “Wow.” Rebecca’s eyes widened. “Thank you.”

  “Do you have any other questions?”

  “Oh no, I’m just giddy with excitement.” Rebecca rose from the table and picked up her purse. “I’ll be taking what you said about growth and family and friendships to heart. I wouldn’t want to alienate anyone on my rise to the top.”

  Oh no, I forgot Bea’s talisman, Jenny thought. Rebecca wasn’t supposed to be in such a positive mood. Ideally, she should feel cursed. But relationship issues or problems in her career would also have worked. What do I care anyway? If I interpreted this reading correctly, then something life-changing is about to happen.

  Suddenly, Jenny’s head throbbed in pain. Her neurons created a tumultuous racket that almost drowned out her inner voice. She massaged her aching head with both hands as she watched Bea and Rebecca.

  “Oh, I won’t be needing a talisman this time.” Rebecca held up her hand. “I feel empowered after Jenny’s reading.”

  Bea looked past Rebecca and glared at Jenny. Then she picked up the talisman and handed it to Rebecca. “You are a good customer. Take it, free of charge.”

  “Thank you.” Rebecca accepted the token. “Both of you.” She took another cookie on her way out the door.

  Jenny prepared for the worst as Bea approached.

  “What was all that about home, community, celebration? Do I have to remind you that you’re earning your keep around here?”

  “I know, I’m sorry.” She rubbed her head and pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. The prospect of joining Cabin is sounding better every minute, Jenny thought.

  “We could do so much with your talent to see ghosts. Imagine what people would pay to speak with their loved ones.”

  “I told you, I don’t see ghosts, plural. I just see the one.” Jenny looked at the red settee. Sally was more defined than usual. Jenny could see the ghost’s full lips, almond eyes, and long dark hair.

  Bea shook her head. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m distracted, okay? I couldn’t stop thinking about Mom.”

  “Oh, Jenny, I’m sorry.” Bea stepped forward and pulled Jenny into her chest. “I’m hurting too. It’s just that you’re so good at this.” Bea held Jenny by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. “I’d love it if one day you had your own shop.”

  “That’s the last thing I want.” Jenny jerked
away and covered her face with her hand. “I don’t want to be a Gypsy fortune-teller.” She tore the scarf off and tossed it back at the reading table. “I’m going to check on Mom.”

  6

  Locked Terminals

  The Avian clutched the repaired ignitor in his feathered hands. He backed out of the door as he showered Jack with praise. Once it was clear, Jack locked the door. It’s time to prepare for my mission with Hocco, he thought. How long will this mission take? Jack picked up his data tablet. Just to be safe, I should cancel all my appointments. If Hocco is true to his word, I won’t need the money anyway. Jack set the tablet down and walked up to a panel by the door. It’s been a while since I used this. Jack touched a few buttons on the panel and the pod jolted into movement.

  Lan Station generated artificial gravity by rotating around the Terminal once every two minutes. The pods could move independently along spokes extending from the Terminal to the primary and secondary rings of Lan station. By moving the pod closer to the Terminal, he could decrease the artificial gravity to half a G. At half the standard gravity, Jack would be able to lift the crate as easily as the Snibb.

  The pod came to a stop after a few minutes, and Jack carried the crate through an umbilical that connected his workshop to the airlock on the Strider. The entire hangar was kept in vacuum. This made it easier to launch, and he didn’t have to waste money maintaining an atmosphere or heating a large space.

  Once he was inside, Jack set the crate down on the metal floor of the cargo bay and breathed in the stale recycled air. It’s been too long, he thought as he sighed with pleasure. The interior of the ship was not at all homey. Harbingers were designed for battle. Latticework frames optimized the Strider’s strength and weight distribution. Her structure, wiring, and pipes were on full display. Jack preferred this practicality to the smooth interior of luxury vessel as it made repairs easier.

  Jack pulled out his old leather military jacket from a locker and put it on. Now he was ready to direct his focus onto the crate. He started by removing the buffer and separating its parts onto the cargo deck. He found a silver envelope. Inside was a chipset that would be needed to integrate the NEB with the ship’s computer. Without it, the buffer would be just an expensive hunk of precious metal. Jack folded the envelope and slid it into a pocket inside his jacket.