by Randi Darren
In the next instant, Irene practically shoved Sam out the door in her haste to get into the hallway. She came to a dead stop just as the three women with babies did the same. Each was standing only a few feet from the other.
“What… what’s going on?” Irene asked, her eyes moving from baby to baby.
“Something happened,” Sam began with a wince. “These children were… foisted on me. We’re going to find them caregivers with the Succubi and Imps. I’m sorry Irene, I didn’t—”
Irene had already moved forward before he could finish speaking. She took the baby from Abrah, then glared at Erv and Yala.
“Bring Valeria and Nannie,” Irene said in a flat voice to the other two. With her left hand, Irene casually folded her shirt back and exposed one heavy breast. Pressing it to the baby’s face, she looked as if she’d done it a number of times already. “I’ve got Carla. And yes, those are their names. Caer and I have settled on these names. And they’re ours. They’re Sam’s children with us. Me and Caer.”
Turning on her heel, Irene marched back into her apartment. The baby had latched instantly to the breast that’d been pushed into her face and seemed quite content for the moment.
Yala and Erv looked at Sam who gestured at Irene’s back.
The other two women entered the apartment, as well.
“I… well… I guess that works out,” Irma said, rubbing a hand against her temple. “I’m not… I don’t think it’s healthy for her, but… whatever. It’s not like I could stop her anyway.
“I… whatever. Whatever. You have a meeting with Miles in about three hours. After I told him what had happened, he wanted to see you immediately. That was the soonest he could get back to this plane.”
“Oh… I… alright. Thanks,” Sam said.
“Eugenia is right after that. So you’ll go from one to the other, then probably to Reix to get the answers,” continued Irma. “He already said he’d be available to assist and that it wouldn’t be an issue.
“He’s doing pretty well by the way. He and my grandmother have started seeing one another, you know. They seem rather enamored with each other. Though… it’s… it’s really weird to see my grandmother looking like a thirty year old now. Let alone the fact that Reix looks thirty, as well.
“They’re working very well together. Started up a business very similar to ours, but I think it’s more along the lines of an intelligence service. Or a think tank. Something like that. Melody’s been using them a lot for her own work.”
Sam raised his eyebrows at that.
For Irma’s grandmother to look that young, it meant that Reixhitz had done something Sam thought wasn’t possible. Something that likely cost a great deal of Essence to do.
“Okay, thanks. I’m… going to go check on them,” Sam said, pointing towards where Irene had gone. “Then I’ll get going. Uhm… could you send up three cribs in the meantime?”
“Of course,” Irma said with a sad smile. “I’ll see you later?”
“Yes, definitely,” Sam agreed, then nodded his head to Abrah. “You okay?”
“I’m perfectly fine, my Lord Lust,” Abrah replied with a wide smile. “I’m quite glad to visit your home plane. I’m gaining a great deal of power with every minute I’m here.”
Sam imagined it was like going from a desert to living lakeside, for Abrah. Essence was almost everywhere on the prime material plane.
Heading into Irene’s apartment, Sam came almost instantly to a stop. Yala was on her way out and had practically run into him.
“Ah, my handsome Lord Lust,” said the Demoness who could compare to Jes.
I have two Semen Demons now. Interesting.
Yala slid up to his front, kissed him, and gave his cheek a pat.
“I’m going to go work out arrangements with Abrah and Irma,” Yala said, gazing into his eyes. “We must coordinate our efforts, after all. Abrah and I are your personal city lords, after all. Be sure to come see me soon.”
Then she was gone.
Looking into the apartment, Sam could see Irene in a recliner in the living room. She had the baby she’d named Carla on one breast, and another baby on her other breast.
Moving over to her, Sam found Erv was sitting down on the couch next to Irene. The third baby was nestled in her arms, quietly looking around the room as if nothing were the matter.
“Sammy,” Irene said, gazing down at the babies on her breasts, “make Caer her body. Right now, please. She needs to help me feed Nannie soon because I think these two will drain me. I can’t manage all three of our daughters by myself. I need Caer.”
Irene finally looked up from the nursing children to Sam.
He couldn’t tell if something had cracked in her head, or if she was just pushing through her own pain far too quickly. In either case, he realized it was exactly as Irma said.
It wasn’t as if he could stop her, even if he wanted to.
Caer and Irene’s soul showed up in front of him, their arms crossed in front of themselves.
“Yes, Husband. Make my body now,” Caer demanded. “Our daughter is going to get hungry and I’ll need to feed her. So make sure you put my body together in a way that I can feed her immediately.”
“Yes, immediately,” agreed the Irene soul. “And we’re not splitting our souls. We’ll just control both bodies like this. We’re one now. Sisters. We’ve been practicing with me being in control at times.
“This’ll be fine for the two of us. We’ll raise them well. Raise our daughters with you. All three of them.”
Irene was looking back down at the feeding children again.
Erv was watching Sam with raised eyebrows.
“Your life is far more interesting than I thought it was,” Erv said in a low tone.
I… right.
Body for Caer.
These… are my daughters. Carla, Nannie, and Valeria.
“Make me look just like I did when you met me,” Caer said. “Irene and I will look like sisters at that point. It’ll be perfect.”
Then the soul floated over to where Erv was sitting. Caer gazed intently at Nannie, while the Irene soul’s head was turned to the side, watching her body with the other two.
One… War Golem body, coming up.
***
Sam entered the front office of Miles’ antique shop. Amusingly, he saw quite a few things in which normal mortals would be incredibly interested. Things that were likely incredibly expensive and entirely mundane.
He knew that it was quite likely Miles had a different room in the store where he sold items of a more magical nature. Ones that had imbuements and enchanted effects.
“Ah, welcome. You must be Sam,” said a young woman who was standing off to one side near a sales counter. “Please, come with me. The Curator is already waiting for you.”
Sam only nodded his head to that and let himself be led off. Right now, he was somewhat dependent on the goodwill of Miles, then Eugenia, and finally Reix.
He was looking for information on a topic that was likely closely linked to the start of the world.
Something that he knew wasn’t going to be readily discussed.
In only a few minutes, Sam was taken into an office with a very impressive desk. The surface was covered with paperwork and opened envelopes, and it seemed Miles was in the middle of going through his mail.
“Thank you, that’s all,” Miles said without looking up. The woman who had escorted Sam left, closing the door behind herself.
Miles paused in his work, staring at the top of his desk.
“So,” he said in a soft voice. “You tore the fabric of the planes, infuriated Nicodimus, and managed to hear about the Hub. All in the same amount of time it takes for me to go on a vacation. That sum it up?”
Slowly, Miles lifted his head. Peering at Sam from under light-brown brows were his piercing eyes—brown with a bright blue ring around the pupils. By and large, Miles could pass as just an average, middle-aged man.
“More or les
s. Skipper helped Nicodimus try and repair whatever it was I did,” Sam said, then pulled out one of the chairs in front of Miles.
Taking a seat, Sam sighed and held his hands out at his sides.
“I thought Nicodimus had cheated me. I didn’t realize that he was just doing his job,” said Sam with a shake of his head. “The man didn’t explain much to me, he just made it seem like he cheated me and was fulfilling the deal to the bare minimum.
“My actions are my fault, certainly. I’m not excusing myself. But Nicodimus didn’t exactly help steer me away from my course of action, either.”
“I imagine not. He was always too focused on his role. How he perceived himself in the world,” admitted Miles, looking back at the paperwork. “Always with, ‘The Architect’ this and ‘The Architect’ that. Look, I get it, he was made specifically to exist.
“His entire life had a designated purpose and he was given power. More so than many. That doesn’t mean he has to be a dick-bag about it. Really is a condescending shit.
“Anyway. I can’t fix what you broke. No one but the Originator or the Architect can. So there’s no point in even asking about it.”
“Wasn’t going to,” Sam admitted. “I just want to find the Hub before Skipper does. That’s it. Because if she finds that, I can’t imagine it would be very good for anyone.”
Miles stopped in his work again.
Then he slowly let his head hang much further down.
“She’s really after the Hub, huh?” he asked. He sounded incredibly tired now.
“Balahtus mentioned it. Pit Demon who worked for her. So did Nicodimus,” Sam said after a second. “Said I should just let Skipper have it considering what I’d done.”
Miles nodded his head minutely.
“If she found the Hub, it would most certainly be the end, I would imagine,” he muttered. “There’d be little anyone could do if she got there. It’s… I can’t even describe what it is, other than to say it’s the heart of the universe.
“Because of the way they made everything—the Originator and the Architect that is—the Hub is literally an open access point. Anyone in the Hub could do whatever they wanted.
“End the world completely, reshape it so animals ruled the world, turn every single mortal on every plane into a man named Gary who could only say his own name, anything you wanted. Or at least, that’s my understanding of it. Never been there, but I’d heard it spoken of.”
In other words, yes… we need to find the Hub and make sure Skipper can’t get there. Ever.
Because the moment she does, there’s no going back.
“Right, so… where is it?” Sam asked, looking at Miles. “We need to get there and lock the door, so to speak. We can ill afford to let Skipper get there, right?”
Laughing, Miles leaned back in his seat and looked at Sam.
The man looked incredibly tired and worn out.
“I don’t know where it is,” Miles admitted with a shrug of his shoulders as he held his hands up. “No one does. No one knows where you would begin to look for it. The Hub was hidden by the Architect and… he’s an incredibly intelligent and devious bastard.
“Finding it is not something easily done. Otherwise, I would have already gone myself and started working the controls to throw the Silent One back. Throw him off this world.”
Sam took in a short breath and let it out in a quick huff.
“Right,” he mumbled, realizing that he was nowhere further along in his goals. He had more information, but no starting point. “No clues at all?”
Miles shook his head with a smirk.
“Nope. Not a one,” he admitted. “How about a drink before you go? Maybe several, in fact. Because I’m going to have one, and it’d be better if I didn’t have it alone.”
“Sure, why not,” Sam accepted, feeling very likely the same way Miles did. Things were only getting worse from here.
Then his thoughts drifted to the daughter he had never met and never would. His heart lurched sideways in his chest. Then his mind shifted to the War Golem he’d made for Caer and the fact that three babies he was now responsible for were being nursed by her and Irene.
He was very thankful that the insane woman who inhabited the High Heavens wouldn’t be bothered this time with his War Golem creation. So long as he never tried to pull a soul over from the other side again, he’d be fine.
“Why not?” Sam muttered, realizing that maybe he needed more than several stiff drinks.
Twenty-Eight - Digging Up the Past -
Standing in the portal room, Sam couldn’t help but feel rather strange.
A never-ending stream of his Cambion were moving in and out of the portal that went to Hell.
Apparently, they were quite curious about their ancestral home. Most of them were heading in, traveling to Klesick, and then returning. While Hell was interesting, and gave them an idea of what might have been their life, they were already quite accustomed to their current life.
All the amenities of modern life had been added to their existence as of late.
If they weren’t fighting, exploring, and training, they were more often than not enjoying themselves at leisure. They were, quite literally, an army waiting for deployment.
Even Abrah and Yala had taken up residence in Sam’s apartment complex. They used the portal system to go back to their cities as needed, with messengers coming and going to the portals themselves.
The two of them had quickly formed up around Irma, making themselves available to assist her in whatever way they could.
Erv had attached herself to Aster for the time being. Letting the other Elemental guide her through the ins and outs of Sam’s organization.
There was a sudden portal formation in front of Sam. It showed an open field that he often used to meet with Eugenia. Either to escort her to his own bedroom, go back to hers, or just talk, it was their neutral-ground meeting point.
She was, after all, waging a never-ending guerrilla war against the Silent One.
An Angelic man with large white wings came through the portal. Looking around, he spotted Sam staring at him. His light-brown hair, light-brown eyes, and chiseled good looks marked him apart as clearly someone fashioned.
“Ah! Sameerixis! This is for you! We’re in the middle of a large scale ambush on the Silent One, so the Judge couldn’t come herself. She wanted to make sure she heeded your request, though, and sent this. She said to use both answers if you need to! Forgive me, but I must return to the fight!” shouted the Angel. Setting down a pack on the ground, the Angel dove back through the portal which then closed behind him.
I… alright. That works, I guess.
Kind of weird to leave the Log just lying in a field.
Entering the portal, Sam walked over to where the pack rested on the ground. Picking it up, he flipped it open.
Inside was indeed the Log and nothing but the Log. There was no note, no letter, nor any magic to protect it. It was exactly as the Angel had said. Eugenia had probably planned on handing this over in person but got caught up in something.
“My thanks, Wife. You honor me more than I deserve,” Sam murmured with a smile. Folding the pack shut, he tucked it under his arm and proceeded back the way he’d come.
Turning after entering the portal room again, Sam went through a different portal that led to Reixhitz’s plane. The same one that’d belonged to him originally many years ago when he was still the Torment of Sanity.
Exiting out into a private empty field, Sam dismissed the portal for the time being. Then he sat down cross-legged and placed the pack next to him. Pulling out the Log, he dropped it into his lap and stared at it.
It reminded him of a laptop screen without the keyboard.
Across the front of it was a continuous scrawl of information and data. It flashed past more like static than anything legible. There was a function that was part of the Log that made it worthwhile, however.
One could search it for anything relevant and then
peruse the results.
If one were to search for something generic, it would be infinitely worthless. However, looking for something unique and identifiable was incredibly rewarding.
Sam didn’t actually need Reix’s help to use the Log, but it was a convenient cover to make it seem as if he did. Even now, he was wary of revealing himself completely.
Miles had told him how to do this after they’d each had several drinks. To the point that Sam was feeling a little warm and a bit top-heavy at the moment.
Tapping the front of the Log, the constant flow of information stopped.
What was presented in front of him now was a list of events that had just occurred in the real world. None of it was interesting to Sam as he glanced through it.
It was all very mundane things. People going about their lives in the ways that they could.
Sam tapped the screen twice in rapid succession. Almost instantly, a small box appeared where he’d touched the screen.
How convenient. Whatever world came before this one was certainly as advanced or more.
Hesitating a second, Sam thought about his question. Then he decided to just go for it.
Or perhaps the alcohol decided that.
“The Hub, in relation to the Originator and the Architect,” Sam said aloud.
There was a soft-toned beep from the Log and the information on the screen cleared itself completely. It was replaced immediately by seven or so lines of data.
The last one caught Sam’s eye immediately.
Luke Fir has left Hub One.
Luke? Luke was at the Hub? That… would explain a lot, wouldn’t it? How he was able to take over the entirety of Hell with almost no problems at all.
Looking at the lines just above, Sam found that there was an entry for Luke entering the Hub, as well. Beyond that, there were five other entries. All of them being a man named “Ryker” going in and out of the Hub.
Although, the last entry for him was that he entered the Hub and never left it.
Scratching at the side of his face, Sam wasn’t really sure what to think about this.
Whoever Ryker was, he clearly had free reign of the Hub and its usage. The time indexes listed for those entries were a great many years before Luke ever entered the Hub.