Queen's Journey (Lilith's Shadow Book 5)

by Benjamin Medrano

“Bastet was a lioness. A lioness about as large as a small car,” Lilith replied, glancing at Percy again, as the differences in sizes occurred to her again. “She was quite imposing.”

  “Truly? Are you speaking of the tiny cars which could fit in a hallway, or a compact?” Omega Code asked, opening the hatch to reveal a relatively utilitarian hallway.

  Looking around, Lilith decided that it wasn’t a space station, and it almost certainly wasn’t a ship. There was something about the way the pipes along the ceiling were placed, and how the lamps hung, which nagged at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t quite place it.

  “A compact,” Lilith said, her lips twitching slightly at the thought of the even smaller cars. While she’d considered one for her own use once, Circe had flatly refused to have anything to do with it. Something about there not being enough space for proper safety features, which Lilith had to admit seemed to be necessary for her. “Bastet was in the middle of the road, relaxing. Her claws cut through it like it was made of sand.”

  “Fascinating… if there was ever a deity I’d respect, it’d be one like Bastet,” Omega Code said, slowing slightly as he leaned down to pet Percy, then straightened, leading the way. “In any case, my introduction was interrupted, so I should give it again! I am Omega Code, and welcome to the Final Countdown Redoubt! Here the world shall learn of their folly before I bring humanity to its end! Assuming something doesn’t go wrong, like the last dozen times… or is it two dozen?”

  Omega Code paused, tilting his head while he considered, then shrugged. “Bah, what does it matter? I’ll manage it eventually! I won’t tell you where we are, of course, as that could allow others to track you down more easily, but rest assured, we’re quite safe. I want to ensure that this facility survives long enough to watch the rest of the world burn. Or freeze. Or explode, dissolve, or implode…”

  Lilith winced as he confirmed that he still wanted to destroy the planet, but she didn’t say anything immediately, watching as they moved through another hatch, passing different rooms along the way. One hatch was open, revealing a large room with a miniature golf course, pool table, ping pong table, and a bar along one wall, all of which were occupied by numerous men and women. There might have been more, but the hatch was narrow enough that Lilith didn’t get a good look before they were past.

  “May I ask why you want to destroy the world?” Lilith asked at last, a tiny bit plaintive. “I’ve never understood why. It seems like it’s a little… excessive? I mean, you live here.”

  Omega Code grinned, his face lighting up at last as he spoke. “See, this is why I had you kidnapped! Everyone else just says that I’m mad, insane, or something of the sort! You at least asked why!”

  Internally, Lilith had to admit that those others likely had a point, but she kept her mouth shut.

  “Now, if I could come up with a good way to kill off humanity without damaging everything else, I likely would go with that. Unfortunately, diseases and contagions tend to mutate, and a few of the heroes are far too good at coming up with counteragents for my taste, so I’m forced to go with more potent methods,” the villain explained, slowing down slightly as they reached an intersection, and he took a right. As he did so, Lilith took note of a set of signs. They’d come from Storage, and were headed toward the Barracks, while to the left was the Control Center, and the left was labeled Experiment Wing. All of the signs looked new to her. Omega Code hadn’t stopped talking as she looked around, his enthusiasm palpable. “If this method doesn’t work, I’m going to have to come up with something else. Maybe a meteor strike? Or a solar flare… hm, the latter has promise…”

  “Yes, but why?” Lilith pressed, wondering if he usually got sidetracked like this.

  “Ah, yes, yes. The problem is that humanity is a horrid blight upon the universe,” Omega Code explained, straightening as he looked back at her, suddenly solemn. “Who has driven more species to extinction than us on Earth? Who has caused more pollution, wars, and devastation? We’re a horrible cancer, and at the current rate, we’ll be spreading ourselves to other worlds as well. We have to be stopped before we can devastate still more planets, annihilate more species, and enslave true aliens. If that means destroying Earth, then so be it.”

  Lilith opened her mouth to reply, then paused, unsure if she should say anything. He might have a few points from what she’d heard, but she’d also heard plenty of rumors about people doing what they could to make things right. Some scientists were trying to revive many of those species that had been driven to extinction, there were some superhumans whose life goal was cleaning up pollution, and more. Besides, she’d been about to ask about the Lunar and Martian colonies, but if he hadn’t hit on the idea of destroying them as well, it probably was best not to give him a new target.

  “I… think I understand. I don’t know that I agree… I’ve heard about all sorts of efforts to do better. Botania is focusing on rebuilding the forests in the north-western United States, for instance,” Lilith said at last, frowning. “And isn’t Safety Mermaid educating children on the importance of oceanic conservation?”

  “Too little, too late,” Omega Code replied instantly, waving his cushion dismissively. “They’ll make some tiny dent in all the horrible things that have been done, then the corporate overlords will look at those successes and erase them as they choose to create even more disasters in pursuit of profits! No, they must be destroyed. It’s the only possible answer! And since any human can become that rotting cancer, we must all go.”

  This wasn’t going to go well, Lilith decided. She’d hoped that maybe she could reason with Omega Code, but it didn’t feel like that was an option. No, he was… well, she hated to use the same term, but he was definitely a madman. There wasn’t a better term that she could come up with, but if she wanted to get out of this, she needed to avoid making him angry. There was no telling if anyone would be willing or able to rescue her, and if he was so close to making another attempt to destroy the world… well, she had to do something.

  They passed another hatch, but this one was different in that it had a cat-sized door cut into it, and it was labeled prominently as ‘Percy’s Playroom.’ Lilith had to wonder about that

  and was about to speak when they came to a corridor that split off, and numerous hatches lined the walls. Omega Code gestured to the nearest one, speaking cheerfully.

  “Here we are, your room! You’ll want to lock it if you don’t want visitors, of course, but it should be comfortable enough for your stay,” Omega Code said, smiling broadly. “If you want more details about my motives, the computer will give you access to the wiki where I’ve been putting together my manifesto. I haven’t copied it over to the internet yet, since the last time there were some unscrupulous fools who made fun of parts of it. I need to figure out what will make it look better, so if you find any flaws, please let me know!”

  Lilith stopped abruptly, looking at him for a few seconds, then asked. “Are you not locking me in?”

  Omega Code looked honestly startled, as he frowned at her. “Of course not! You don’t have any powers which I’m truly concerned about, and as you won’t be allowed into the command center, there isn’t much you can do to cause trouble. There certainly aren’t any vents large enough for you to crawl around in, and if you go into the experiment wing… well, that’s both the entryway and where I keep all of the death traps. I’d be dismayed if you got yourself killed, but I do understand about curiosity. It’s hard enough keeping Percy out of there! No, you’re welcome to explore the Storage and Barracks wings to your heart’s content. I’ll try to explain everything that’s going on, but I’m having some difficulties with my most recent project which must be corrected. I can’t end the world if I can’t activate them, after all!”

  “Ah,” Lilith said, not sure how she should respond to that. After a moment she shrugged and said, “I’ll have to take a look around, then. Thank you.”

  She opened the hatch, and as she did so Percy darted toward
it. Omega Code almost instantly dashed after him, exclaiming. “Percy, no! You still need your lunch!”

  Lilith almost laughed, even as she wondered how this would turn out.

  Chapter 46

  Monday, November 3rd, 2031

  Final Countdown Redoubt, Kansas

  The room that Omega Code had set aside for Lilith was surprisingly nice, even if beneath the soft carpet and wooden paneling she could see bare steel and concrete. There was a nice bed, and the closet, while utilitarian, had clothing similar to what Lilith normally wore, though it was a little large for her. The dresser was about the same, and looking over the vanity, Lilith had to wonder where the villain got ideas of necessities from, as several vital items were missing.

  There wasn’t a private bathroom, which surprised her when she even had a desk with a computer along with a microwave on top of a miniature fridge. She needed to replace everything inside the fridge, since it was completely filled with bottles of beer. She didn’t recognize the brand, though, and Lilith had paused long enough to look at the label closely. It claimed that it was bottled in Wichita, Kansas, which gave Lilith a clue on where she might be located.

  Unfortunately, the computer wasn’t connected to the internet, only to a local area network, and Lilith hadn’t found any sign of it having an internet connection at all. Even worse, the operating system was some custom design which she’d never seen before, and which was far less intuitive than even the ones she’d used in Circe’s facilities. It was going to take her some time to familiarize herself with it, but if there was a silver lining, it was that Lilith didn’t see any sign of an AI, or even of cameras in her room.

  Surveying the room only took a few minutes in total, at which point Lilith found herself at loose ends. Now that she was alone, shock was starting to set in at last. No one was around, so she didn’t have to worry about them seeing her, and that… that was the realization that triggered her breakdown.

  “Why? Why does this sort of thing keep…” Lilith mumbled, then paused, correcting herself as she sank onto the bed. “No, it doesn’t keep happening. This is the first time I’ve been kidnapped. But… damn it, I hate being weak. I hate being a target.”

  Lilith’s frustration finally focused on something she hadn’t realized had been bothering her. When was the last time she’d been able to use her powers, she wondered? No, when had she last needed to use her powers? Was it during the fight with Destruction Corps in Paragon City? That had been months before, and the rest of the time, through all the fights… it hadn’t been useful. It hadn’t been needed, or the people who she could boost had been too far away. Then Las Vegas had happened.

  Closing her eyes, Lilith inhaled slowly, a sense of… defeat washing over her. She’d lost everything when she’d gone to Sekhet-Aaru, even if it wasn’t Ra’s fault. When she’d returned, Gina and Rachel’s links were gone, and even if she’d wanted to, and oh, how she’d wanted to, she couldn’t have given them more power. Perhaps she could have helped Archon, Decarin, and Spark, but she wasn’t sure. There hadn’t been a need to, and she was… afraid, Lilith decided, shaking her head. No, much as the villains had said earlier, her powers had been completely and utterly useless. That’s why she reached up to hold the ankh hanging around her neck.

  What would a third awakening do, she wondered, feeling the smooth metal that’d been warmed by her body. Would it make her powers stronger? That wouldn’t help her under the circumstances, but it seemed like the most logical result. It could also add a new power, but she had no idea if it’d be anything useful. If she gained the ability to fly, it wouldn’t make a difference when the halls were only fifteen feet tall at the upper end. No, it likely wouldn’t make a difference, she decided, and let out a faint sigh, releasing the ankh reluctantly.

  Instead, she looked at the ceiling for a few seconds. It was one of those dropped ceilings, Lilith thought, where there were sound-absorbent tiles suspended lower than the actual ceiling above. There was probably ductwork and more above it, but she doubted she’d be able to find anything useful. Not when she—

  The knock on the door—no, the hatch, Lilith corrected herself—startled Lilith, and she looked at it skeptically for a few seconds, debating on what she wanted to do. Then she sighed, shaking her head. It wasn’t like trying to keep to herself would do any good. Not if she wanted to have any chance of getting out of here.

  Lilith levered herself off the bed, then called out, trying not to sound too cautious. “Hello?”

  “It’s Sabra,” the woman responded, somewhat to Lilith’s surprise, her eyebrows rising slightly. “I believed that it would be polite to show you where things are, as I doubt that he told you everything you needed to know. I also wished to attempt to… speak further.”

  Lilith considered the idea for a moment, glancing around her room again. She wasn’t sure that she liked Sabra, especially when she considered what she knew of the Atlantean Ascendancy along the woman helping kidnap her, but she did need to at least figure out where the restroom was.

  “Very well,” Lilith replied, approaching the hatch and opening it. On the other side was Sabra, and Lilith saw a conflicted expression on her face for a bare moment before the woman’s face turned impassive. She wondered what that was about, but set it aside as she spoke. “In particular, I’m wondering where I can exchange the beer that’s in the fridge for something I can drink, as well as where the restrooms are.”

  “Ah, of course. You do not drink beer?” Sabra asked, frowning slightly. “While I do not care for the taste of the local brews, I do not mind it in general.”

  “I avoid alcohol. My sense of taste is somewhat odd,” Lilith told her, examining the woman curiously. For a moment she wondered, then decided that dancing around the point wasn’t worth the time or effort. “Why are you talking to me like this? You’re part of the group that kidnapped me.”

  “There are separate reasons for each. For the latter, I had little choice, as I’m a prisoner, though you are in a better position than I am,” Sabra replied, reaching up to tap the gray collar around her neck delicately. “This is an explosive collar, and if I attempt to escape or disobey, they will use it to remove my head. As I wish to live, and not be tortured like one of my companions who was also captured, I had little choice but to assist in your abduction.”

  Lilith blinked, as she had wondered what the collar was for, since it didn’t match the rest of the woman’s general aesthetic, but an explosive collar? That was an extremely unpleasant idea, and she remembered seeing a similar one around the neck of the other man who’d looked like he was Atlantean. It wasn’t something she liked thinking about.

  “That is certainly unpleasant. And the other reason?” Lilith asked.

  Sabra took a moment to look up and down the corridor. Lilith followed her gaze, but didn’t see more than a couple of people, likely Omega Code’s employees, in either direction. Only once she seemed satisfied did Sabra turn back to Lilith.

  “Your pendant bears a divine gift. That of Ra.” Sabra said, scrutinizing the ankh for a few seconds, then her gaze rose to meet Lilith’s, and the conflicted expression returned to her face. “I… am one of the faithful. Though I venerate Thoth above Ra, all of the pantheon are among those I follow. What I have heard about your… experiences has made me wonder. I was skeptical before I met you, for I believed that none outside Atlantis deserved to meet them, but none could create a fake such as that. I have questions, and no answers.”

  Lilith looked at Sabra curiously, a slight smile playing across her lips. “I think I understand. I wasn’t aware that Atlanteans followed the Egyptian pantheon, but I hadn’t gotten that far in my research. Either way, that explains why you wanted to speak with me. Now, you were going to show me around, were you not?”

  “I was,” Sabra said, relaxing ever so slightly, and she nodded to Lilith’s right. “The kitchens and restrooms are both this direction.”

  Lilith followed, walking just behind Sabra, and as she did, she tried t
o keep an eye out for any ways to escape. There weren’t dropped ceilings in the hallway, and she couldn’t see any sign of a way out that way. Perhaps she could get into the power, but she didn’t think that would be helpful. There were a surprising number of rooms along the way, one of which was labeled as the gym, and another was labeled arcade, both of which Lilith made note of. It was the rooms just past the gym that she found most important, though, as there were both male and female restrooms. Well, and one labeled ‘Non-Gender Conforming Restroom,’ which made Lilith pause for just a moment.

  “The restrooms are strange. There are many small rooms for private bathing and showers, yet the changing room is public. I do not understand it,” Sabra explained, nodding to the restroom. “The chambers for disposal of waste are also private, which I approve of.”

  Lilith considered, looking around again, then spoke slowly. “I think this may be an old military base or something of the sort. The hatches remind me of some that I’ve seen in movies, and with what you’ve described, perhaps this used to be where the soldiers stayed? I’m not certain, though. I haven’t seen enough to be sure.”

  “That is possible. In this, you know more than I do,” Sabra told her, shrugging, then continued down the hall, to a room labeled Dining Room. She explained, “This room has much space, but there are eight small kitchens attached, and a large pantry. It is regularly re-stocked so those who wish to can make their food. I am unfamiliar with a number of the ingredients and meals, so have been making simple meals for myself.”

  “Hm. Well, let’s take a look,” Lilith replied, her curiosity piqued, and she stepped inside.

  Almost instantly Lilith decided that her suspicion had been right. The room looked like a buffet, with numerous large tables scattered around the room, along with comfortable chairs, and along one wall was a shelf that looked like it was for trays with glass awnings above it. The one odd thing were the kitchens which Lilith could see through the glass, each of them side by side. She saw five people cooking, and three tables were occupied, with men and women drinking from mugs while chatting excitedly. The sight of several empty donut cases made her think that they were the people who’d kidnapped her, but she chose to move toward the doorway on one end of the kitchens, which had a twin at the far end.