by Ken Barrett
One man, in particular, was horribly disfigured, with no portion of his body left unmarred. His face was half burned away; skin hung like melted wax off his left cheekbone and his eye on that side was white and blind. What little head hair remained was short and grew in clumps between angry patches of lumpy red skin.
The rest of their group were similarly disfigured.
Their leader was Priestess Oxana of the Flame, a tall older woman with wispy gray hair. The branding had left her face, arms, and legs covered with angry lines of curdled pink flesh. Her piercing blue eyes were intact though, and they scanned the waiting crowd like a predator.
“I don’t like this,” Liam whispered.
“Yes,” Rose uttered. “It feels like we’ve invited a pride of lions to roam among a heard of sheep.”
Commander Davis pushed his way through the crowd, then stood and gazed into the priestess’s eyes. She was nearly as tall as he was, and she stared back at him steadily; if the old man had intended to intimidate the newcomers, he had utterly failed. “I’m Paul Davis, and I’m in charge here.”
“What folly is a man who sees not the face of God,” the priestess replied. “The Stickman is all, sees all, and rules all.”
“Yes. Well, we are pleased that you and your party could visit us,” he answered. “I know that your trip must have been difficult, and so I’ve had personal quarters set up for each of you on level seven.”
“We give thanks,” she replied. “The Stickman bestows miracles upon those who follow the Burning Path. Our prophet Adar is dispatching the faithful to all the wanton and dark places; we are to bring the burning light into the hearts of sinners and show them the way.”
“Well, I’m pleased to hear that you are finding success,” the commander said.
“Oh yes; we are the torch of God, sent to bring light to hearts filled with darkness,” she answered. “We will save those we can, but sadly some will not follow the Burning Path to the truth.”
“Yes, I understand.” Commander Davis smiled warmly. “Success is never guaranteed, failure is a fact of life, but at least you will gain some followers.”
“You misunderstand,” the priestess stated. “The Stickman will not be denied. All must follow his path, or they will be burned to remove their wickedness from the earth, and to purify their souls.”
Paul Davis frowned. “Burned? Wouldn’t that kill them?”
“Their spirit will be lifted and live forever in the heart of the Stickman. Those who believe will never die.”
*****
Liam and Rose stood at the top of the ramp on level ten, listening to their boss give instructions.
“There was an issue with the outer vestibule door the other day. It’s scraping on the floor, and the motor was barely able to open it,” Commander Davis stated. “Our esteemed guests were nearly locked outside.”
“That would have been terrible,” Rose replied blandly.
The older man glanced warily at her. “Yes. Well, our visitors are certainly causing a stir, but that’s none of your concern.” He nodded toward their cart that carried a large wooden crate. “I see you’ve anticipated my orders and have the necessary parts with you.”
His sister nodded quickly. “Yes. We’ve brought along a stronger motor and the tools we need to repair the hinges.”
“That’s good,” the commander said while turning away. “Now get on with it.”
They watched the shelter leader walk into the Command Center, where a crowd was gathering. Earlier that morning the missionaries had announced that services would be conducted on levels six, seven, nine, ten, and twelve, where there were either cafeterias or the open areas for command and engineering.
“Do you think the old man is worried?” Liam asked.
“If he isn’t, he should be,” Rose replied. “Come on, let’s get this stuff upstairs and fix the door, then we can get back to work on other things.”
“Yeah.” Liam nodded at the box they brought with them. “Good thing we finished the laser rifle battery upgrades last night. We’ll need them when the missionaries throw us out.”
“IF they throw us out, you mean,” Rose responded. “You need to think more positively.”
“Huh,” he grunted. “And you should be more realistic.”
“We’ll hide the L80’s among the boulders of the burial mound,” Rose stated. “They’ll be easy to find, and I don’t think anyone will mess with a grave.”
They pulled their cart up the ramps, keeping their gazes low and hoping to not cause a stir by their presence. As they arrived on level six and turned to climb further, a commanding woman’s voice rang through the open cafeteria. “Sinners!” Priestess Oxana shouted. “Hear me.”
Shrouded by darkness and hidden behind the crowd near the ramps, Liam and Rose stopped to listen.
“Your only path to redemption is through the Stickman’s prophet, Adar of the Flames.” The priestess’s posture was rigid as she strutted before her audience. Her stern face challenged each of her listeners, but her manic eyes warned them to stay silent.
“All temptations arise from an emptiness in our souls,” she began. “Sex and luxury are appetites of the body, and beyond those, we lust for what others possess and seek to take it from them. No matter how much we own or steal, that void deep within us remains, and we are forever unhappy and unfulfilled. Our lives are in a constant state of longing for what is eternally outside of our grasp.”
The priestess issued a practiced sigh and looked at the floor. “Our lives are so short, and to fill them with such foolishness is a waste and a crime against heaven. We are born with nothing, and spend all our lives grasping at things that don’t matter, then we are lost when we die because none of our toys accompany us. Those things we sought were only shadows, simple icons that merely represent what we truly need. After death, many will spend eternity consumed with regrets while surrounded by the emptiness they pursued so relentlessly in life.”
Oxana slowly approached her audience and held out her arms beseechingly. “But there is another way, it is called the Burning Path. Adar, the Stickman’s messenger on earth, has seen it. Our lives don’t have to be meaningless; we can choose to have a purpose! Eternity does not have to be a punishment. You need only pass through the Wall of Flame to find the Stickman waiting for you on the other side.
“Luxuries mean nothing. Our bodies are but the temporary lodging of our soul. Set these silly things aside, and instead embrace God’s messenger. Focus on the eternal bliss of sitting at the Stickman’s side. You will be with God, fulfilled and happy for eternity. Your choice is simple my friends. Follow the Burning Path to paradise, or spend an endless afterlife in torment, forever longing but never satisfied.”
Oxana turned away from her audience. “Sacrifice is required of course. We must each give up what we hold most dear. The things we worship, our vanity, and even our bodies must be left behind before we can ascend to heaven.”
The scarred woman smiled confidently. “Now, who will be the first to step forward to be kissed by fire.” She turned away to stir an iron bowl mounted on a tripod, and flames leaped upward.
Roxi slipped through and came to the front of the crowd. “You said our bodies have to be left behind, so, are you talking about human sacrifice?”
The audience murmured restlessly as Oxana grinned and nodded. “Not today at least; but I ask you, can anyone arrive in heaven while still encumbered with a body?”
“You’re talking around my question, and not answering it,” Roxi said.
The priestess’s eyes hardened. “We don’t deliberately kill people if that’s what you’re asking, but the entrance to the Burning Path can only be granted through ritual.”
“And what exactly does your ritual entail?” Roxi asked.
“A sacrifice of vanity is all that’s required,” Oxana replied. “There is some pain, but it is trivial compared to what our Prophet Adar endured to gain such profound insight.”
“You mean Sam, m
y husband,” Roxi stated.
“Uh oh,” Rose whispered beside him.
Liam nodded. Their friend was taking a huge risk.
“Ah, yes. You are the harlot our Prophet has spoken of.” The priestess nodded sagely. “Adar is forgiving and wise far beyond all others, and he has decreed that you shall not be harmed, but instead be welcomed fully into our faith. He hopes that the experience will show you the error of your wicked ways.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Rose uttered.
“Our faith shields us from evil, but there are dangers that still must be spoken of,” Oxana said, returning to her practiced speech. “There are many that will oppose us, we expect this, but know that through the experience of truth, they will see the light and walk the Burning Path beside us. But still, abominations remain in the world, they are the leavings of the corrupt and evil times of our past. Yes, the fires of heaven cleansed the earth, but some dark things were so perverse and depraved that they defied the flames and lived on. Our Prophet saw them in his visions. False men and women, appearing as we do, but not human at all. They are DEMONS! And we must not suffer their existence among us.
“The faithful need not fear,” Oxana said with finality. “The universe was created by fire, and it will die the same way. In the end, all things will burn.”
“We need to get out of here,” Liam said, and urged his sister toward the upward ramp.
*****
Night had finally come, and they had returned to their sanctuary in the shelter basement. Roxi, Tiger, and Alice sat with them quietly chatting.
“I’m curious,” Rose said. “What did you two young people think of the sermon today?”
“I think that lady’s crazy,” Tiger stated.
“But can you pretend to go along with their ideas?” Rose asked.
“I’m scared,” Alice said. “That sacrifice the lady talked about; I think they’re gonna set us on fire.”
“We’ll find a way to stay safe,” Roxi said. “But I think that talk about demons was aimed right at Liam and Rose.”
“It sure seemed that way,” Liam said while continuing to place diamonds in a battery frame.
“Can we go outside, or maybe hide down here?” Tiger asked.
“If we had more time, we might construct false walls in the storage rooms, or even excavate further into the mountain,” Roxi said.
“Why can’t we just sneak out and leave?” Alice asked.
Roxi looked at Liam and tilted her head inquisitively. “You two were outside today, what do you think?”
“It’s still pretty hot out there, but you could probably handle it,” Rose said. “But the problem is food, there just isn’t any.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” Liam replied. “Maybe in the old town of Steamboat Springs, or one of the other nearby cities, there’ll be a food market of some kind.”
“Or everything might be burned and ruined,” Rose replied.
“If they stay here there’s also a risk,” he said. “We don’t know what the sacrifice of vanity is about.”
“I don’t wanna be burned,” Alice said.
Rose took the young woman’s hand. “I know honey.”
“It’s a matter of risk evaluation and mitigation,” Roxi stated calmly.
“What?” Tiger frowned.
“Whichever way we go, it’ll be dangerous,” the older woman said. “So, let’s consider the two possible choices; which is more dangerous, plan A is staying inside, or plan B, going outside?”
Alice paused, then finally shook her head. “Plan B. We might get hurt if we stay here, but outside we would starve. Death is worse than injury.”
“Good,” Roxi answered. “And which of those two outcomes would be more easily avoided?”
“Well, if we stay here, we might hide, or at worst pretend to convert,” Tiger said. “But outside, if there’s no food, there ain’t much we can do other than go hunting.”
“There’s not much wild game left, and what’s out there will be hunting you too,” Liam stated.
“I grew up on a farm,” Alice said. “Couldn’t we grow our food?”
“Eventually yes,” Rose said. “But the solar flare baked the soil, so it may not be fit for farming for a while.”
Roxi nodded slowly. “Plan A it is then, we’ll stay here.” She went to Liam’s workbench and took a pry bar, then walked to the pile of unopened crates that she had brought down the day before.
Liam frowned. “What’re you doing?”
“Considering a third option, plan C,” she answered.
Chapter 13: Demons
“Well, here we go.” Liam activated the CNC wire router, and the task of linking the individual diamond power sources began. The three-dimensional armature whirred as it spun silver wire around the first of the thousands of nodes it would visit. Although the machine was quick, it would still take over twenty hours to complete the first battery case. Once both cases were finished and tested, they would be filled with impact dampening material and made ready for installation within their chests. “It will be several days until our new batteries are ready to install,” he said. “I hope there’s enough time.”
Rose didn’t answer, instead, she reclined with her eyes closed, busy compiling the latest build of their autonomic program. After running a series of simulations, she discovered that her initial code had boundary errors, and she had to start over. Her project was nearly finished and would be ready before Liam’s batteries were complete.
He watched the router for a moment, then realized that staring at it wouldn’t make the process go any faster. The crates of electronic equipment that Roxi had brought down to them two days earlier were stacked against the far wall of his workshop. After a moment of consideration, he decided to unbox it all and get everything set up.
Two of the narrow rectangular boxes were over two meters in length, and probably contained the sterile isolation beds he and his sister would use during their battery installation. Seven smaller crates were stacked on top, and he was curious as to what they contained.
After opening the first, he stepped back in surprise. It held a vacuum chamber that was set up to grow crystalline processors, the same type that formed the structure of his brain. He frowned; what did Roxi really mean when she said she was considering a plan C? It was hard enough being an android surrounded by superstitious humans, more of his kind would only make matters worse.
He set the smaller boxes aside and began assembling the isolation beds. Those they would need; he would discuss the rest of the items with Roxi later.
*****
The sound of hurrying footsteps outside their door alerted him to their visitors long before they arrived. Rose still lay quietly in her chair; she could be so deep within herself that she wasn’t aware of the noise.
Liam opened the door and was alarmed by the sight of Patrick, Tiger, Alice, and Kelly carrying a barely conscious Roxi. “What happened?” he asked.
“Your friend has a bad habit of speaking her mind,” Patrick stated. “She shoulda known better than to mouth off at the head bitch.”
“Lay her down on the floor,” Liam instructed as he knelt down to examine her closely. Roxi’s face was bruised and it appeared her right shoulder was dislocated. She also seemed to be having trouble breathing, so he suspected her ribs might be damaged as well.
“I told that bitch that I’m Sam’s wife,” Roxi hissed angrily.
“That doesn’t matter now; lie still.” Liam looked pointedly at Patrick and Tiger. “I need you two to hold her while I reset her shoulder. Don’t pull or get rough, just keep her from sliding on the floor.”
“Yes sir,” Patrick said, as he and Tiger reached across Roxi’s torso and braced themselves.
“Ok Roxi,” Liam said. “I’ll pull your arm gently, and that should allow your humerus to slip back into your glenoid cavity. The trick is that you have to relax, even though there’ll be some discomfort.”
“Discomfort, hell,” Ro
xi replied. “It fuckin’ hurts. Ouch… ouch… ouch… when I get outta here I’m goin’ back up and beat that bitch’s ass.”
“The longer you fight me, the longer this will take,” Liam replied. “Now, breathe slowly, especially when you exhale.”
Finally, Roxi grunted in pain and Liam felt the joint reset itself. He smiled. “Ok, let’s get you in a sling. Your shoulder ligaments are stretched out of shape, so don’t use your arm for a few days.”
“Thanks Liam,” the older woman said. “That fuckin’ bitch knocked me down and kicked the shit outta my ribs.”
“We can wrap them or not, depending on your comfort level, and they’ll heal whether they’re broken or just bruised,” Liam said.
“They’ll hurt for a kinda long time,” Alice added. “Try not to laugh, and whatever you do, don’t cough.”
Patrick and Kelly helped Roxi sit up. “Now you listen to me dear,” Kelly said. “You are not to beat anyone’s bum until you’ve healed up a bit.”
“That sounds like something my mother would have said when I was a little girl,” Roxi replied.
“I’ve had some practice with a daughter of my own.” Kelly nodded toward Alice.
“Alright, tell us what happened.” Rose was suddenly among them.
“Did your code finish compiling?” Liam asked.
“Yes. Now shut up Big Brother, I want to hear this.”
“It was that bitch, Oxana,” Roxi began. “She was going on and on about Adar; how he sacrificed himself for the good of everyone, and how perfect his new wife is. Todecca; what kind of messed up name is that?”
“And you just had to say something, right?” Rose asked.
“Well, of course! Whoever Todecca is, she’s a husband stealing whore.”
“And you told Oxana that?” Rose shook her head. “Where was Denise? Why didn’t she stop you?”
“My daughter wasn’t there; she was feeling sick and couldn’t get too far from a toilet.”
“I see.” Rose frowned slightly, then sighed. “Well, it’s over and done with now, but you should stay away from the fanatics for a while.”