The war room was quiet. Then came the sound of rapid, heavy steps rushing closer. Shoulder first, I rammed through the doors and was met with a stream of flames coming from the mouth of another male youth. I dropped Morden behind me and instinctively put my arms out like I was actually going to hold back the flames. It was not so much for my own protection but for Morden’s because he was a semi-functional decent source of information. Fortunately the fire was focused on me so Morden wasn’t harmed. For the few seconds I was bathed in fire I thought about the embarrassment of having my clothes burned off yet again. But when it was over I was still fully dressed. My clothing was a little scorched on a few parts, but otherwise okay. And more importantly, intact.
The fire breather let loose another torrent of fire while another person tried to attack me. This one looked reptilian. He ran at me through the flames, like his own safety wasn’t a concern. I held him back with one arm and noticed the flames were stopping short of my clothes, by maybe half an inch. This was a welcome change. The reptilian scratched at my body and face as his clothes burned away. His claws slashed through my clothes a bit but they were otherwise useless against my skin. I glanced back at Morden who was lying face down.
“Dead, too. Both of them,” he said.
I launched the man-lizard into a wall and then I turned back to the fire breather. I strode through the inferno and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying across the war room, tumbling across chairs and equipment and into another wall. Neither got back up. I looked around for more threats but the only other people in the room were Leah, Donna, and Brenda.
“Could you do me a solid and roll me over,” said the muffled voice of Morden.
I flipped him over with my foot.
“Hey, you still got clothes. That’s new,” he said, genuinely impressed. “Oh, Leah still can’t bond with them fully. Seems like women with powers take more time.”
“For someone who was hunting us down you are being very helpful,” I replied.
“I admit that my nature is usually self-serving, but I don’t exactly see a way out of this for me. So why not?” said Morden.
If he had the ability to shrug his shoulders, I’m sure he would have.
“How do I disconnect them?” I asked.
“You don’t. Not exactly,” said Morden.
“You told me I could unplug them,” I said, my voice matching the aggravation I was feeling.
“I’m dying a very slow and uncomfortable death with a child trying to erase my mind and rewrite my body. Forgive me for neglecting the specifics. Look, their brains are fully wired. You just can’t yank the cable away. Half their brains would come out too,” he said.
“So what do I do?” I asked.
“Cut the cables a foot or so away from their heads. You can do it closer, but be careful you don’t pull on anything going into their skulls,” he said.
“Will they be alright?” I asked.
“Theoretically, yes,” said Morden.
“Theoretically?” I asked, eyes wide.
I raised my foot over his head.
“I swear to Allah I will stomp you into a crater. What do you mean, theoretically?” I almost growled.
“Calm down. This isn’t an exact science. Their brains are wired, but not completely integrated. If you disconnect them, they should wake up. Theoretically,” he said.
“If you are wrong….” I began to say.
“Yes, I know. Crater,” he responded.
I walked over to Brenda and noticed the tattoo.
“Okay, what?” I asked.
“Oh, right. Those are Object Classification marks. Everyone gets them.” said Morden.
I remembered the same markings on Coil, the girl Donna and I met years ago. Then saw the tattoos on Donna’s face.
“Are you kidding me?” I asked.
“Women are more dangerous so we needed more obvious placement.” he said.
I wanted to say something but my anger left me without words.
“It’s necessary…” Morden started to say.
“No,” I said, cutting him off.
Then I removed the bite guard and straps on Brenda’s face and carefully picked up the cable that was connected to her head.
“Leah knows we’re here. Why were there only two people guarding?” I asked.
“She’s got a lot of processing power focused on converting the staff. She is the most advanced computer ever, but breaking down and reformatting a human mind is a large task. She’s also reformatting our bodies, obviously. She’s got the whole facility staff to work on. It’s still a lot for her. Plus she doesn't see us as much of a threat,” said Morden.
“Good to know,” I said.
I held a length of the cable between my hands, close to where it connected to Brenda’s skull. Careful to not pull on her head, I quickly and firmly snapped the cable apart. She woke and sat up immediately.
“I’m never doing that again!” yelled Brenda.
I hugged her tightly.
“Okay maybe I will have to do that again?” she said as she hugged me back.
“Shut up, weirdo,” I told her and we released each other from the hug.
“Where’s Jess?” I asked, looking around.
Brenda’s face turned serious and her eyes began to tear up. I knew immediately that Jess was gone.
“What happened?” I asked.
“Later. We need to get out of here,” said Brenda, with tears falling.
Her voice sounded like she wanted to break but she willed herself to be calm. I knew she was right so I packed away the emotions for later. I desperately hoped I could unpack those feelings when this was over. Then Morden spoke up.
“I’d like to point out that killing Jessica was not my call. Liz gave the idea to the blond psycho and she could not resist,” he said.
Brenda and I simultaneously and menacingly glared at Morden.
“Why didn’t you tell me they were killed?” I asked.
“Didn’t come up.” his reply.
I took a step towards him.
“Hey, calm down. I’m helping, remember?” said Morden.
His eyes opened wide and shock spread across his face.
“Whoa. I got something new. I can see something in Leah's mind. She’s… She’s...”
Morden stopped talking. Then his eyes began blinking rapidly and then stopped.
“Hey, zombie boy. Spill it now,” ordered Brenda.
“Fuck. I saw something but she deleted it from my head. Now she locked me out,” he said.
“You can read her mind?” asked Brenda.
“For a moment I could. I saw what she was planning but she purged everything about this project from my mind,” he said.
“So, you have nothing?” I asked.
“Not anymore,” He said.
“Do we need him, then?” Brenda asked.
“Do we need you?” I asked Morden.
“Good question. No? At least, I don’t think...” he started to say.
Brenda raised her hand and fired a white jet of plasma at Morden. It wasn’t like a flame thrower. It was a solid, intense, controlled beam. Morden melted into the floor. There was nothing but a black scorch mark where he had been.
“They are not Jessica. Their name is Jess,” Brenda said, glaring at the smoldering remains.
“What the hell?” I asked, wide eyed.
“They hated being automatically labeled as a girl. Liz called all of us ladies and that asshole used their deadname.” said Brenda.
She slid off the bed and stared at the charred spot on the floor.
“I mean why did you just melt him?” I asked.
“Oh. He said we didn’t need him, so…” said Brenda, shrugging.
“You knew he was already dead, right? At least, in a technical sense,” I asked, half shocked.
“Would it make you feel better if I said yes?” she asked.
I didn’t bother answering. I ran over to Donna’s bed, removed the bite guard, and snapped her cable. Donna woke up immediately too.
“Ahhhhh!” she yelled as she sat up. “God dammit, that hurt!” She held her hands to the sides of her head. “Where is Morden? I’m going to kill him.”
Brenda pointed to the charred spot on the floor. Donna glanced over and then glared back at us.
“What happened?” she asked.
I pointed at Brenda.
“Did we still need him?” Donna asked.
Brenda and I shrugged. I really hoped we didn’t. Then Brenda squinted and cocked her head slightly, staring at Donna’s face.
“What it that?” she asked.
“What is what?” asked Donna.
“On your face. Right here.” said Brenda, touching her right cheek.
She then noticed the soreness on cheek.
“What the fuck?” she asked.
Donna touched her own cheek, closed her eyes, and sighed.
“Oh, right. Those. Powered boys get them too.” said Donna.
“On their necks.” I added.
“On their necks? We get our faces marked up and… ” said Brenda.
Brenda was too mad to even finish the sentence.
“Us women are more dangerous so they decided more prominent markings were necessary.” said Donna.
“Fucking rude! I know Jess is flipping over this.” said Brenda.
Then Donna’s face and body changed from anger to mournful defeat as she remembered.
“Jess,” she said.
Tears began falling from Brenda’s eyes but she smiled.
“I’m sorry,” said Dona.
The sadness suddenly vanished from Brenda’s face and she wiped away her tears and she smiled.
“Why? Jess isn’t dead.” said Brenda.
“But…” I began to say.
Donna held her hand up to stop me. We were both concerned at the apparent state of denial Brenda had entered but there was no time.
“We need to get Leah out,” Brenda said.
Donna went with the change of subject.
“We can’t,” she said.
Donna slid off her bed and walked over to Leah.
“She is too far gone. I tried to communicate with her when we were plugged in but she’s walled herself off.” she said.
I walked over to Leah’s bed and held her hand.
“Then I tried to see what she was planning but I got nothing. I don’t know what she is doing,” said Donna.
“I know what she is doing,” said a familiar southern voice from behind.
Donna and I turned to see Liz, mostly visible, standing next to Brenda with her hand in Brenda’s head. Brenda’s arms were hanging limp at her sides.
“Uh, guys. Liz is back,” said Brenda.
“We see her,” I said.
“You see her? That’s new. Awesome,” said Brenda, flatly.
“Liz, let her go,” commanded Donna.
The apparition cocked her head to the side slightly. Then she started turning her hand in Brenda’s head. Brenda screamed and her body trembled.
“God dammit Liz! Stop this!” said Donna.
Her voice was tired and desperate. I had never heard her like that before. The hand stopped turning.
“You ladies do not disappoint, bless your hearts. Gold stars all around,” she told us.
“Yay us. Can you take your hand out of my head now? It really hurts,” said Brenda.
Liz did something we couldn’t see, but it caused Brenda to let out a short scream.
“Okay, okay. I’m cool with your hand in my head. I’m cool. You’re cool. We’re all cool here,” Brenda said.
“Please shut up,” said Liz.
“Yeah sure.” said Brenda and she stopped talking.
“What do you want?” asked Donna.
“Oh, sweetie. I want you three to keep on bumbling along as you are,” said Liz.
“This is your plan?” I asked.
“Girly. You cannot even comprehend what I am up to. And right now, what I’m doing is the least of your concerns. You got incoming,” she smiled and disappeared.
Brenda dropped to her knees.
“For the love of God, will people stop sticking things in my head!” shouted Brenda.
I ran over and helped her up.
“She really likes dramatics, doesn’t she?” asked Brenda.
“What did she mean, incoming?” I asked.
Donna looked like she lost her balance for a second.
“Oh, wow,” she said.
“Are you okay?” Brenda asked.
“Yeah, I think. My time sense just cleared up. Maybe not all the way. I think I still have blind spots, but I can see more,” she said.
“And what do you see?” I asked.
“Daytona. Liz sent her away to wait for us to get going,” said Donna.
“How close is she?” I asked.
“She is maybe a couple hundred miles out, coming in fast and mad,” said Donna.
“Isn’t she always mad?” asked Brenda, who was holding the sides of her head.
“Well, yeah.” said Donna.
“Can you sense her?” I asked Brenda.
Brenda was silent and looked surprised.
“No. The psycho ghost is gone. I mean gone, gone. It feels almost like a hole in… I don’t know, in space and time? I’ve never felt that before. It’s weird. But I can feel a lot of people wandering around through the building.” said Brenda.
“Liz is still playing her games,” said Donna.
“But it’s not just her game,” I said.
“Leah is behind this too. I know,” said Donna.
“What now?” asked Brenda.
“Leah is a part of Liz. I don’t know how. I don’t think Liz even knows. But she’s been connecting to Leah, thinking she was altering her,” said Donna.
“But Leah has been altering Liz. Morden said she’d been visiting Leah for a long time. Since she was born, probably. And that Liz came back different every time,” I said.
“So the kid is the problem?” asked Brenda.
She got to her feet, put her hands on her hips, closed her eyes, and her head pointed to the ceiling.
“Christ. Is anything ever simple when you two are involved?” she asked.
Donna looked at me. She fought back tears but the battle looked almost lost. Worry, sadness, despair… her eyes held back no emotions. I also saw the tension in her face come and go and she momentarily bit her lip. She was still fighting walls in her mind. Whatever it was that she always tried to tell me was going to happen soon.
“We have to move,” said Donna.
I didn’t know what would happen next. And I didn’t know if I could trust what Donna saw. But I also felt that there was no way out of any of this. Donna felt even more trapped. She could not see any other outcomes. Her eyes made that obvious. Donna no longer had the stoic strength I was used to seeing. Her look was of defeat. This was the start of the convergence. There was no stopping what was about to happen. The only thing left for Donna to do was get us clear of the building. For our world to survive all she could do was get us to where we were always meant to be.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Tdo1AznEZ
