Miztres

A Strange family Christmas

Christmas Eve – Seattle

Twas Christmas Eve, and Rain was up early; at least early for him. As a member of a respected Estate Team, some would imagine this was not an unusual occurrence. Bruce knew better, and between getting ready for his flight home for the holidays, he was keeping an eye on the little man.

“Does anyone know where Mortimer would be at this time of day?” Rain asked the Mess room, currently only filled with Peggy at a table full of books and papers, and Algernon eating his breakfast of cereal, bacon and coffee all in one bowl. Both shook their heads, “Nevermind, I’ll find him…” He paused, noticing Peggy’s pile of work, “More than your usual mountain of research, what gives so close to Christmas?”

“My mother is twenty years behind current theoretical physics thinking. I’m putting together crib notes to take over later this morning.”

“Great, don’t go without me. Oh, and Algernon, you’ll come for a little trip to see the family won’t you?”

Algernon answered slowly, still not looking up from his breakfast. A bad sign.

“If you’re going,” He finally replied without enthusiasm.

“Er…great, we’ll talk about that. Right now, I need to find Mortimer.”

“Why don’t you try Admin,” Bruce suggested from the doorway. “He’s one of the recruits. They’ll have his schedule.”

“Twice in two days, they’ll love me!” Rain said more to himself before noticing Bruce for the first time, “Say, when are you leaving? You wouldn’t want to wish the Martin’s a Merry Christmas, would you?”

Bruce nodded thoughtfully, “I’d like to see how the boys are doing. I can get my ride to the airport to pick me up there.”

“Excellent! Ring me when you’re leaving.” He said, dashing out the doors.

Bruce’s eagle eyes followed Rain until he was out of sight, “I wonder what all that’s all about?”

“Christmas,” Peggy replied, gesturing with a piece of cold toast she’d been eating for half an hour, “You didn’t see him last year.

“Hey, you’re a hard man to track down, “ Rain panted, having finally caught up with Mortimer and a small knot of four other recruits, “Enjoying your time in the Estate then?”

Mortimer looked like he was unsure how to answer Rain’s question. He glanced at his companions, who just laughed good-naturedly at his discomfort.

“Ur…I’ve met several individuals whose skills complement my own. Our training is not taxing, and I find this world pleasant. Is that what you mean?”

“From you? Yes,” Rain smiled, and the joking amongst the friends continued. Rain appreciated the relaxed way the group behaved around Mortimer. Mortimer’s early life had not made him the easiest of people to get to know, and his relative assumed age could be seen as a hindrance to socialising. But, here he was with a group of friends, and it pleased Rain to know Mortimer had found a place.

“Rain Bigby,” He introduced himself to each group member, shaking hands and noting names.

“No introductions required, Mr Bigby,” Said one young woman who introduced her herself as Hilde, “We’ve been studying one of your group’s old reports.” She was not tall, a nice change around all the ex-military that made up the bulk of Estate Agents. Straight long white-blonde hair flowed unbound down her back moved gracefully with her every gesture. She was a Northern European pale in a way that Rain found exotic. In the overcast Seattle winter sunlight, she glowed.

“Ah, what not to do in the field?” He replied self-effacingly, ‘I assume it’s the official reports. Usually, mine are filed under fiction.”
“If we don’t get to study your version of events, do you provide private tuition?” Hilde asked, and her companions giggled. Rain laughed along with group until he noticed a blush rising up her slim neck. Though she was at least ten years older than Mortimer looked, at that moment she could have claimed to be in the same grade.

“For you? I would be enchanted,” Rain bowed graciously, and the crowd, excluding Mortimer, wolf-whistled and made other appreciative noises. Mortimer made a disgusted face and stepped between Hilde and Rain.

“Is there something I can help you with, Rain?”

Remembering now the reason for the run across campus, Rain returned his focus to Mortimer.

“I would hope I’d be helping you. We’re about to go out to your parents’ place, and I was wondering if you’d like to join us?”

The group’s general good-natured banter died down, and all turned to look at Mortimer. His expression darkened still further as he turned to his friends.

“I need to speak to Mr Bigby a moment. I’ll catch up, “ He said.

His companions knew when they weren’t needed. A few, including Hilde, gave expressions of wanting to talk later, but they all gave him his space.

“I don’t publicly recognise I have blood relations. Algernon is hard to ignore, being a senior agent of the Estate, but the others are nothing to me.”

The attitude, so opposed to his own, made Rain unsure how to respond. It was so cool that he involuntarily shivered.

“And…your parents? John and Athena?”

Mortimer gave a frustrated sigh, “Look Rain, I understand that familial links are important here on Earth. That often, children are expected to owe loyalty to their parents and siblings. But, I was given free will to make my own choices, right?”

“Yes.” Rain admitted, and as much as it pained him right now, he’d have had it no other way.

“And DNA donors do not hold much influence even in this world. In Ruk, even less.”

“I understand.”

“Do you? You are so entrenched in this world’s culture, can you comprehend I want to make my own way, without the past impinging on my decision making?”

Rain flicked his eyes up to Mortimer’s. A sad little smile acknowledging the truth in Mortimer’s words.

“Better than you know.”

“Well… good,” Mortimer furrowed, confused at Rain’s response, “I wish the Martin’s and the other three well, but I don’t intend to be part of their lives, and I’d appreciate it if they didn’t try to be part of mine.” And with a short nod, he turned and jogged after his friends.

The car trip out to North-East Seattle was quiet. Algernon was quieter even than usual, keeping his eyes fixed out the window of the car. Peggy was in the back seat beside him, still adding finishing touches to her crib notes. As Bruce wouldn’t let Rain behind the wheel until he proved he could drive on the ‘right’ side of the road responsibly, he was driving, and Rain said beside him.

The car soon left the built-up city behind and wound along the tree-lined shores of Lake Washington. The arctic winds had blown the sky clear of clouds for a change, and the pale blue sky sparkled off the wavelets over the lake.

“Beautiful part of Seattle, don’t you think?” Rain asked the car in general.

“A credit to the Estate,” Bruce replied, which was more than the other two. Peggy mumbled something unintelligible, and Algernon made a sound of agreement.

“Hmm,”
“And not far from the Estate. Twenty minutes as the motorcycle weaves.”

Bruce’s eyes flickered quickly across to Rain who was sitting facing forward as if just making small talk. If Rain were a cat, his ears would have been turned straight back listening for any response from Algenon. He didn’t receive one.

“Maybe we can borrow bikes sometime in the new year and come out to see the family. What do you think, Algernon?”

“Sure, if you like,” Algernon replied noncommittally.

Rain frowned, “Your enthusiasm is contagious.”

Bruce turned the car into the cul-de-sac where the house stood; it’s back to the lake. Two storeys tall it was a neat and well-presented house that accommodated the nearly six adults currently trying to build a life together. When they arrived, the whole family, John and Athena academics in their early thirties, two boys who seemed to be twins aged aprroximately fourteen years old and another younger boy were all standing around a large box in the front yard.

“Happy Christmas, Martins!” Rain called from the car before joining the family. Peggy went straight up her mother, gave her a perfunctory kiss and stiffly received a hug from her father. Bruce walked up to the three boys and shook their hands. Algernon stood opposite the box and said nothing.

“This just arrived,” Athena said, looking around the group of visitors, “Is it something to do with you?”

“Just one of many presents I hope you will receive this season,” Rain beamed shaking hands with John, “Go ahead boys, open it up.”

Unlike three boys when presented with a mystery gift, Thomas, Richard and Jean-Luc were unsure what to do. This was their first Christmas, and they had no idea of how to behave. John stood back as if examining his three sons and started asking them questions about what they thought was appropriate behaviour.

“We should thank Rain?” Asked Jean-Luc tentatively as if answering a question in school.

“Yes, a very good start, but would you not like to see what’s inside it so you can speak intelligently about the gift?” John replied, and a light of realisation dawned on all three boys. The present was inside the box.

Athena ignored them with a look of disdain and turned her attention to Peggy.

“Have you brushed your hair today, it looks like a bird’s made a nest for the winter,” She said to her adult daughter only a few years younger than herself, “Here let me fix it.” And she pulled the pencil that perpetually held Peggy’s hair in place free.

“Mu…um!” Peggy exclaimed making two syllables out of the one word, “Please, after, when we’re inside.”

“Have you eaten? I made pancakes, but they…” She gestured her head towards the boys now tearing into the box, “Are still on meal supplements until their digestive systems are online or some such…looks like baby puke to me,” The disdainful look again, as if anything pertaining to the boys had a bad smell about it.

“I’d like some pancakes, “ Algernon piped up, and he was rewarded with a withering look from the woman who had taught Peggy her withering looks. He physically backed up, and she relented a little.

“Sure, they’ll only go to waste otherwise.”

By this time Thomas and Richard had the box open and Jean -Luc was pulling smaller boxes out, examining the bright packaging before passing it onto one of his brothers. They found a box of glass baubles, several strings of fairy lights, ropes of tinsel in several colours, a stained-glass star and a long narrow box that claimed to contain a 210cm tall Canadian Spruce tree (artificial).

“That would be right,” Jean Luc mumbled to his brothers, “A fake tree from Rain.” They snickered.

“Now boys, this is a mighty fine gift,” John said looking to his wife whose sour face softened for a moment, “We always enjoyed setting up the Christmas tree every December, remember honey?”

“Yes, but that tree is twenty years in the past,” She said as the bitterness returned. The sound made the boys pause in their unpacking, “ I don’t even know where to start anymore.”

“I’ll help, mamma,” Peggy said in a small childlike voice, placating and soothing the troubled adult. Bruce, Algernon and Rain exchanged glances.

Rain was about to offer to remove the offending gift , dismayed at the effect the tree was having on Athena , when John took charge.

“Of course, we’ll all help.” He caught Rain’s eye, who visibly breathed out in relief, “Boys, we’re going to start a new family tradition of setting up the Christmas tree…” And he started to rally the triplet into picking up and taking the boxes inside.

“No, “ Athena said firmly as the boys started picking up boxes, “Peggy and I will put up the tree, you stay outside…do something with John.” She turned in Algernon’s direction, but would not look him in the eye, “If you could help up with the boxes, I’ll fix you those pancakes.”

Bruce and Rain helped the boys load up Peggy and Algernon and watched them go inside. Rain took a quiet moment to apologise to John, who brushed the comment aside.

“Nothing to do with you or your gift. This has been the status quo since arriving at the house, I’m afraid.”

“I saw her remoteness to the boys when we first returned from Ruk, but I thought it shock or disbelief.” Rain winced, “I hadn’t expected her to be so…angry with them.”

“She’s not really angry with the boys…” John’s attention drifted over to the triplets. Thomas was disposing of the large delivery box as Richard and Jean-Luc pulled a tennis racquet and a football out of a large sports bag.

“…look,” John gestured quietly for Rain and Bruce to follow his lead, “ I’ve given the boys a variety of sporting equipment to explore. They’re responses are fascinating. You see, normal children learn very early about such tools as part of our culture, but these boys have learnt knowledge apart from culture and have no references to the tools I’ve provided. The suggestions they come up with show the intelligence of the human creature and how tool usage can change the mind. I’m writing a paper on it if you’re interested, though it won’t publish until sometime in the new year.”

“Naturally,” Rain looked to Bruce who shared his concerned look. It seemed John’s connection to the boys was no more healthy than was Athena’s.

“Maybe we can help, it is my knowledge that made the basis of their understanding,” Bruce suggested, and Rain readily agreed.

“I guess it’s time to bring in other stimuli,” John nodded, “I’d be interested to see how they boys relate to you in particular, Bruce.”

So Rain and Bruce joined the boys around the bag of sporting equipment. Rain found a packet of tennis balls and began to juggle. Thomas and Richard were fascinated with these items’ new use. Jean-Luc looked on blank-faced clutching the football.

“That’s a football you have here,” Bruce said and gestured for Jean-Luc to pass him the ball. Jean-Luc did, handing the ball to Bruce instead of tossing it to him as would be expected, “I used to be pretty good at this when I was at high school.”

“Please, can you inform me of its purpose? John insists we interact with these items, but neither I, Richard or Thomas can understand their use, and we are forbidden presently from looking them up on the Internet.”
“Well, maybe that because your father wants you to understand things in their context, learn about them from using them, not just reading about them,” Bruce replied, not sure that was what John had in mind, but it sounded good to him. It also sounded good to Jean-Luc, who nodded thoughtfully along with Bruce’s statement.

“So by getting to know the item, we would get to know their purpose in society?”

“Ur…something like that. But first, let me teach you how to catch and pass the ball.”

So as Rain taught juggling to Richard and Thomas, Bruce and Jean-Luc passed the football between them, noting the ball’s aerodynamics and ease of use in the hand. But, whereas Rain’s lessons ended when the two boys had become proficient with the movements required to keep the tennis balls in the air then tiring with the activity, Jean-Luc only had more questions to ask about the game the ball came from and how it fitted into Bruce’s life.

“I do not understand why it is called a football,” Thomas said as he and Richard joined the game of pass, “ The item’s characteristic shape make it ill-suited for use with the foot, we’ve tried, but this passing movement makes good use of the ball’s shape, texture and aerodynamics.”

“It has to do with the game it comes from and its history,” He said, giving the boys a basic history of the game he loved while showing them how to kick the odd-shaped ball.

“Coming from New Or’lins, The Saints are my team, but when you boys get a chance you could do worse than follow the Seahawks, they’re doing well this season.” He added proudly and started singing his team’s song, When the Saints, come marching in.

Rain, who had been sitting on the doorstep with Peggy and Algernon eating pancakes responded instantly with the echo to the old jazz standard. Their two voices blended well, Bruce’s bass and Rain’s clear tenor taking opposed but harmonious parts capturing the song’s spirit and the battle-cry.

Oh, when the Saint, Oh, when the Saints.

Come marchin’ in Come marchin’ in

Oh when the Saints come marchin’ in

Well, I want to be in that number.

When the Saints come marchin’ in.

“Football encourages impromptu communal music?” Richard, the quietest of the three seemed the most interested in the song.

“That’s the point..” Bruce passed the ball back to him, who fumbled it and had to chase it through the garden bed, “Not everyone can play, only the very best become part of a team. But, everyone can join in on the team’s victories and defeats. One way is through singing.” Bruce explained.

“So football builds a community that follows and supports their heroes in their battles against the enemy,” Richard summed up having had something of a lightbulb moment.

“Sounds about right, but we don’t call them enemies, just the opposition,” Bruce nodded, and all three boys nodded along with him.

Rain watched from the doorstep where he’d landed after Thomas and Richard gave up on learning to juggle. A little jealous at the easy way Bruce talked to the young men, Rain wondered if it was just Bruce’s easy-going nature or if the shared knowledge they all had from him was making the difference. Rain decided the later, he’d never found Bruce that easy-going and vowed to make more of an impact on the boy’s lives going forward.

It was then Rain noticed his puzzlebox was in his hand and rolled it around from palm to palm for a moment. Habit had brought it out, though in practice Rain was finding it meant less. With a little trepidation, he put the box down on the step beside him.

Algernon walked through the front door, a large stack of pancakes on a plate in one hand, in the other he ate a rolled pancake dipped into syrup from a small bowl.

“Athena makes good pancakes,” He said, sitting down next to Rain. Rain stretched out a hand to peel one from the stack, and Algernon yanked the plate out of reach.

“Get our own!”
“Are there any left?”
“No,”

“So, can I have one of yours?”

Algernon offered the plate without another thought and Rain took a pancake, eating it as Algernon did, dipped in syrup.

“You didn’t want to come earlier today, “ Rain said between mouthfuls, “Changed your mind?”

Algernon shook his head, his mouth too full to speak.

“I would have thought you’d be interested in understanding where you came from.” Rain expressed his own deep desire to know.

“I know where I came from, Doctor Strangelove’s laboratory.”

“I mean, a lot of who we are comes from our families, not just our experiences.”

Algernon stuffed another whole pancake in his mouth as he thought over his friend’s words.

“All things considered, it just seems like a lot of hard work for pancakes.”

Rain was about to agree when Peggy also left the house and sat down beside the two boys. She didn’t’ ask for a pancake, just took one, tore into small chunks before stuffing each piece into her mouth.

“And what did that pancake ever do to you?” Rain asked, sure that Athena had something to do with Peggy’s current mood.

“Huh? Nuffin…” She said glumly around the dry pancake, “I dust gotta getta ‘way fum my mutha.”

“You were so keen to come earlier today, what happened?”

Peggy sighed, finished her pancake and reached for another.

“Nothing really. I love having my mother back. I love talking to her about all the things she’s missed in the world and my life. I love being there for her, she’s going through a tough time, and I know how that feels. But, she dismisses my thoughts, never takes me seriously and treats me like a child. You saw how she pulled my hair out earlier…” She sighed again.

“At the same time, I bet it’s nice to have someone to fuss over you. Someone that makes you feel loved.” Rain looked out into the distance, passed the front garden and Washington Lake.

“Yeah.”

“Huh!”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“Just I felt a very similar way only a few months ago. I was mourning the loss of what could have been. But, you can’t remake the past. You just have to live with the present you’ve got, and try and make a future for yourself.”

“Huh!”

“See?”

“I do. But what if the other person doesn’t?” Peggy argued as she looked back behind her through the door.

“I guess you get to be the patient one until they do.”

“Ur…” She frowned.

“Problem?”

“I’m not very patient.”

Surprising them out of their conversation, Bruce started singing When the Saints go marchin’ in and, not to be one to refuse a jazz performance, Rain started singing along.

“Margrita! Margrita, where are you?” Athena’s voice, high and stressed called out to the trio sitting at the door.

Peggy sighed, finished her pancake.

“Good luck, Doctor Peggy,” Algernon said. Rain waved her luck without interrupting the singing, and she stood and walked back inside.

The tree was finished, immaculate as expected, it sat expectantly in the dark corner of the lounge. All that was needed was to turn on the lights. It wasn’t the tree giving Athena problems. Peggy found her mother poking her smartphone as if trying to wake a recalcitrant child.

“Peggy, an important message came up on this blasted thing and as soon as I touched it, it went away. Can you bring it up again?” Athena said, holding out the top of the range smartphone as if it were a bag of excrement. Peggy took it, punched in the passcode and opened the messages app. A short message from the Dean of a local University stated that he could not offer her any role in their teaching staff without current credentials.

“Teaching? I didn’t know you were thinking of teaching.” Peggy handed back the phone and watched her mother’s shoulder’s slumped.

“Needs must, I can’t live on the generosity of the Estate forever, and frankly I’m going stir-crazy cooped up here,” Her eye glanced up to where Bruce was instructing the boys, “It doesn’t matter does it. My resume is twenty years out of date. I can’t go back to my old work without questions being raised about where I’ve been, let alone being completely out of touch…” Athena was pacing the room, each new point only adding to her agitation.

It was a feeling that Peggy knew well.

“Mum! You’re getting worked up, sit down…” She looked out the window at Bruce and Rain, both much better at talking to people. Both were singing, neither looking in her direction.

“I can’t sit down. I got to do something. The world is falling apart around me a…”

“You just need to stop and breathe…”

“Don’t tell me…” Athena snapped, only to be grabbed by both arms and manoeuvred into a chair by Peggy.

“Will you shut up and listen…just listen to me for a minute!”

“I hear you, no need to shout!” She pulled away from Peggy’s grasp and looked back, reproachfully, “What sort of mother do you think I am?”

Peggy paused, took a deep breath and began.

“One that’s hurting and lost in a world you prided yourself in understanding. I get it. Dad loves you, but his solution is time and space. For us, our minds are moving so fast that time seems lightyears. The more space we have, the more we feel alone and have to do it all ourselves. I was there! For twenty years, I was there! I know!” Peggy punctuated the last word with her fist striking the arm of the chair where her mother sat. Athena flinched, surprised at her daughter’s vehemence. It surprised Peggy too as she realised tears were rolling down her face.

“My poor little girl-” Athena’s hand reached out to brush a tear from Peggy’s cheek, Peggy slapped it away.

“And I’m not your little girl. I had to grow up fast when you disappeared. I don’t need mothering and don’t appreciate it. I’m a grown woman, treat like one!” She snapped back, then thought better of her words, “Respectfully.”

“Respectfully?” Athena repeated, giving Peggy an appraising look and found the truth of Peggy’s words. She sighed heavily.

“What am I going to do, Margarita?”

Peggy’s heart leapt, and she had to hold herself from overwhelming her mother with the mental list she’d composed.

“Well, I’m sure Hertzfeld would be interested in your theoretical expertise on The Strange. You’re twenty years in your future, give yourself time to get to know your world a little and…” Peggy pointed out the window at the three boys sitting on the doorstep with Rain, Bruce and Algernon, “…if you really want to teach, there are three brilliant young men trying to find their place in a world they don’t understand. You could be the mother to them that you couldn’t be for Simon and me.”

The last stung like a slap and Athena glanced from the boys talking on the front lawn back to Peggy. Tears started welling up in her eyes. She let them go unchecked down her face.

“They say…they say they’re my boys, John and mine. They don’t…feel like mine. I never grew them or birthed them. I never held them new in my arms. They’re…strangers.” Her words were full of so much emotion that Peggy could no longer feel angry at her mother if she ever had. Crouching down, she took her mother’s hands in hers.

“Does it really matter? They need a mom, and you need a purpose. How would you treat them if they were someone else’s that needed help?”

Athena smiled a sad sort of expression, “How did you get so wise?”

“What are you talking about?” Peggy smiled with relief, “I’ve always been wise.”

“Everything alright in here?” John said, looking around the front door. Taking in the scene and recognising that everything was…satisfactory, his eyes drifted to the newly dressed Christmas tree, “Say, the tree looks great, we should toast the tree with our new friends.”

“What with, my love, “ Athena brushed her face clear of tears and stood beside Peggy, “We have nothing in the house beside a few bottles of soda.”

John joined her in the middle of the lounge, taking her effortlessly into his arms, “Then we’ll toast with soda, or water or whatever, but we need to celebrate such a beautiful moment.”

Peggy was sure her father wasn’t talking about the tree. At that moment, bathed in the love of her parents for each other, she felt both joyously happy and awkward at the same time.

“I’ll…go get the drinks and glasses,” She said and left the room to her parents.

The yelling from the house had been loud, violent and brief. The three boys lost interested in the sporting equipment and looked towards the house.

“Is Athena being attacked, should we help?” Thomas found a baseball bat and experimentally swung it to determine its merit as a weapon.

“Oh no,” Algernon said, speaking from his wealth of experience on families, “It’s called a discussion, families do it on occasion.”

“Does it have to be so loud and angry?” Richard winced, the more sensitive of the three.

“The louder, the better it seems,” Algernon replied knowingly. Bruce and Rain watched on with interest at their young companion’s wisdom. John looked like he needed to take notes.

The three boys looked at their “older brother” and nodded sagely.

“Does your family have discussions?” Thomas asked, glancing around the three companions who nodded their heads.

“All the time, almost constantly. That’s how you know.” Algernon ate his last pancake, thoughtfully, “When things are silent, you know that trouble is coming.”

The house was quiet. All eyes looked to John to make sense of the omens.

“I’ll just go in and…” He said, not finishing his sentence. He quietly opened the door and stepped inside, “Everything alright in here?”

The familiar click of the puzzle box made Rain turn to see Jean-Luc sitting beside him, his doubled hand holding the puzzle box open at the first compartment.

“Oh! Was that supposed to happen?”

Rain just stared at him in shocked awe. No one had ever moved the first tile, let alone opened the first compartment before. Ni-Challan had shown even him. Jean-Luc looked up to see Rain’s shocked expression and instantly felt guilty.

“I didn’t break it, did I?” He lamented, holding the puzzle box out like it was a small injured animal.

“Huh? No….no, not at all!” Rain exclaimed, finally finding his voice and enveloping the small boy in a bear hug. The hug scared Jean-Luc more than the shocked expression had, and he wriggled out of reach once released.

“Say shrimp, would you like to learn magic?”

“No,” Jean-Luc replied simply. He held up the puzzle box. “What is it?”

“A puzzle, I’ve had it a very long time. Did I ever tell you the story of how I got it?”

Jean-Luc rolled his eyes. It was a common expression on the young man’s face whenever Rain offered to tell one of his stories.

“Can’t you just tell me, without all the words?”

Unappreciated again, Rain shook his head, “Hey Little-Jean, do you want to find out about the box or what?”

The two stared at each other for a moment, neither willing to give ground. Finally, Jean-Luc relented.

“Yeah, alright,” He said, fussing with the box once more, “But, don’t call me little!”

“Whatever you say, short-stuff.”

“Everyone! Martins and friends, please gather in the lounge” John’s voice rang from inside the house, and they were all made aware of the tinkle of glass.

Without feeling the need to take back the puzzlebox from Jean-Luc, they both followed the other two boys, Bruce and Algernon inside to John’s summons.

Everyone gathered around the tree and were handed a tumbler and their choice of soda by John and Peggy.

“I just want to say a few words before we light this beautiful tree and start our Christmas celebrations…” John announced, giving a generic Christmas and New year wishes for the Martins and their new friends from the Estate. He flicked the switch for the lights, and the tree bloomed with multi-coloured sparkles that lit the faces of everyone present.

He then offered the floor to anyone who wanted to speak, and Bruce stepped into the circle.

“I’m proud and pleased to see you all getting on with your lives. I wish you the best in your adventurers together.”

“I find it hard to believe you’re here,” Peggy said as she toasted her parents, “I look forward to exercising that belief in the years to come.”

“My wish for you all, “ Rain offered his blessings, “Is that you grow in appreciation of each other. Discovering everyday how lucky you are,” He looked at Jean-Luc still holding the puzzlebox, “Especially you, you need all the growing you can get!”

John now looked to Algernon who seemed to be trying to hide behind Bruce.

“Algernon, I am coming to realise you are a man of wisdom,” He said to the young man he shared his floppy fringe and general easy-going manner, “Do you have a toast to share, son?”

Algernon’s lips twitched at the casual use of the familial title, “Yes, I would like to toast the new Martin family, but I didn’t bring any bread.”

The group laughed politely, and fresh drinks handed around. A little separate from the others Rain observed as Algernon gather his thoughts. Algernon had not shown a lot of interest in the family all day. Rain felt skittish after the run-in with Mortimer and the upset the simple tree had caused, . He tried thinking up excuses for Algernon and him to leave before his young friend could put words to his thoughts. Like watching a car crash, he instead waited for his glass to be refilled, put his trust in Algernon and feared the worst.

Algernon stepped into the centre of the room as the other had and turned to John and Athena sitting together on the lounge comfortable in each other arms.

“When I first came to Earth, I watched many documentaries, including the Brady Bunch. To me, they were the…example of a family, a group of strangers taking on roles as father, mother, brother, sister for some greater purpose.”

“When we found you all in Strangelove’s secret lab, you were already separate parts of a greater whole of experience. You were already the image of a family.”

“I realised a while ago that the Brady’s lied. Being a group of people stuck together, even ones related by blood doesn’t make you a family. This, what we’ve seen today, what you’re experiencing right now is living in a real family. It’s noisy, messy, ugly and stupid at times, but if you all…” And he stopped to look at the triplets at this point, “All try to make it work, you will become something greater than you can alone. You’ll belong.”

He glanced at Peggy, clutching her mother’s hand, Bruce standing beside the triplets and finally Rain standing alone to one side and he smiled.

“Now, I have my family. We are messy and ugly and often stupid, but we’ve also shared with, saved, encouraged and built up each other, becoming something greater than ourselves. That’s what I want for you, Martin’s, I wish for you to build each other up and become something greater.“

He raised his glass, “To the Martins.”

Rain and Bruce raised theirs in response, “To the Martins.”

Peggy squeezed her mother’s hand and raised her glass, ”To all the Martins.”

Athena stared at the triplets, may be looking at them for the first time and raised her glass. John followed suit.

Athena’s phone rang, breaking the happy bustling noise of people chatting and being together. Without looking at it, she handed it to Peggy.

“Please, could you answer it? Tomorrow, I will step into the future.”

Peggy took the phone with a nod and answered the call,

“Yes?” She said in her usual abrupt manner and listened to the response. Her face visibly greyed as her eyes flicked across to Rain leaning quietly against a wall.

“Simon?… It’s Peggy…Y..yes, yes they’re here…”

“Maybe we should take our leave… “ Bruce said, putting his glass down before and wishing the boys a good Christmas. Peggy pulled the phone away from her ear and pressed for speaker.

“…look, I got a call from your work yesterday. As I said, someone wanted me to know that mum and dad were found and I could…mum, dad are you…?”

Algernon took his cue from Bruce as he moved quietly towards the door. He grabbed Rain’s arm and dragged him along as he passed.

“Just a few minutes…I’ll be silent…can I just?” Rain whispered. He turned to watch Peggy and the Martin family gather around the phone as John and Athena acknowledged their eldest son.

Outside, the day had turned cold, and there was the damp smell of snow in the air. The taxi arrived to pick up Bruce, and he dismissed it with a generous tip and a hearty Merry Christmas before joined Rain and Algernon in the relative warmth of the car. Now it was Rain’s turn to sit silently looking out the window as Algernon tried to engage him in conversation.

“Did you like my speech? I tried to imagine how you’d say it.” He said from his regular seat in the back.

“Uh-hmm.” Rain replied, he eyes locked to the front door of the house.

“The tree looked good. It doesn’t smell as good as our dead one, but the lights were colourful,”

“Hmmm,”

“And Simon ringing. Now I understand why you had to see Admin twice in two days, once to find Mortimer and once to ask them to contact Simon.”
“Yeah…”

Algernon tried another tack, “What do you say to a mum and dad you thought were dead for twenty years?”

“I don’t know,” Rain replied distractedly, “But I’d really love to find out…” His voice trailed away as the front door opened. Peggy stepped out, accepted one last handshake from Richard before turning to the car, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. She stopped as she saw all three of them watching through the windows of the car. She smiled and continued her march to the curb.

“He’s engaged, they have a little girl, and he’s happy,” She said with finality flopping down into the backseat, “He told his fiance his parents were dead. It’s only natural. They legally were dead for thirteen years. He doesn’t know how he’ll tell her.”

“But he will?” Bruce asked, starting the car engine and pulling away.

“I think so. He’s mellowed since we were kids.” Peggy mused, “Maybe being a dad, maybe it’s thinking of the future for his partner and girl,” She turned to Rain who had twisted around in his seat reverently listening to everything she said. Her face went from whistful to severe in a heartbeat. “I should box your ears, that could have gone very badly.”

“I figured he didn’t have to ring if he didn’t want to, but, if my parents were found alive, I’d like someone to send me their phone number.” Rain replied almost inaudible from emotion.

Peggy nodded, “Okay, don’t do it again.”

She now turned her attention to Bruce sitting in the driver’s seat in front of her, “So, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane heading south?”

“I can catch a later flight,” Bruce replied, responsibly not taking his eyes off the road, “It just seemed there was still work here. Besides, I couldn’t leave you two to the mercy of Rain’s driving. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”

“I have you know I’m an excellent driver,” Rain complained, cheering considerably, the balance restored.

“Is that so? I’d like to see it one day.”

“I can drive,” Algernon said as per the script for every car trip they’d ever taken.

“I’m sure you could. Get a licence.”

“I’m not sitting in a car with Algernon driving, “Peggy added her penny’s worth, “There’s no knowing where he’ll take us…”
“As opposed to one of your portals…”

The friendly bickering continued all the way to the airport.

Much later, Christmas Eve – New Orleans

Bruce’s heavy work boots boomed on the old wood of the verandah as he stepped up the front door of his childhood home.

“Is that you, Bruce James Johnson?” Came a call from inside. It was a woman’s voice, use to yelling through the house to be heard. “Skulking around like a polecat ‘round the chicken coop?”

“Yeah, Ma, sorry I’m late,” He dropped his bag at the door and slipped off his boots. Ma didn’t hold with work boots in the house, and in his stocking feet he felt like he was finally home, “I was caught up with my new family.”

A clatter from the kitchen signalled the fall of more than one pan crashing to the ground.

“You wha…? What have you been up to, boy?”

“Oh, same old,” He smiled and went in to help his mother prepare for dinner.

Boxing day – Seattle

“Why are we here again?” Mortimer mumbled as he was shoved along the path to the Martin’s front door.

“Those who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it, George Santayana.” Replied Hilde with a self-satisfied grin.

“Spinners, I bet George Santayana was a Spinner. Always telling people how to live their lives.”

“You got it, Vector,” She pressed the doorbell and stepped back, “Look, you need context for your life, everyone does, and maybe they need a little context too.”

They stood in silence. Mortimer looked to her for when they could give up and go. Hilde faced the door with an engaging smile ready to spring to life in a moment’s notice.

The door opened, and one of the two taller triplets opened it. Not having a lot to do with the triplets, Mortimer found it hard to tell Thomas and Richard apart. He’d imagined seeing them would be like looking in a mirror, but like Algernon, some differences showed they were merely brothers and not clones. Thomas…or Richard’s hair was growing in, and it was developing the soft curly frizz of Athena and Peggy’s hair, not the straight black hair of himself, Algernon and John.

“Oh, it’s the other one,” The triplet said, barring the door with his lanky frame as if declaring ownership, “Are you here to make Athena cry too?”

“Wha…no! Look, Thomas…”

“Richard.”

“Richard, that is not the intent of this visit.”

“Well, what is the intent of your visit?”

From inside, Athena’s voice called, “Thomas, who’s at the door?”

Thomas smiled innocently. Mortimer knew that look. He’d used it enough times himself to get out of trouble.

“Some stranger. Says he knows you.”

A soft padding tread made its way to the door before Athena’s sharp-eyed face stood behind Thomas, blinking.

“Mortimer?” She said. She stood still, watching like a wild creature, unsure if to advance or flee.

Mortimer nodded respectfully and very formally.

“And…?” Athena noticed for the first time, Hilde standing behind.

“My name is Hilde, Mortimer and I were recruited at the same time,” She reached her hand past both Mortimer and Thomas to Athena who took it automatically.

“Ur…it’s been brought to my attention that I should learn a little about my past, to better make decisions for the future,” Mortimer blurted out.

Athena looked at her wayward son, her eyes burning uncomfortable holes through Mortimer’s resolve.

“John!” She called over her shoulder before placing a hand on her defending son’s shoulder, “Thomas, why don’t you let your brother and his charming friend in.”

“But Mom! Thomas complained, so like the teen boy he seemed, that Athena’s mouth twitched up into a brief smile.

“He’s our guest. This is your home.” She said simply before turning away from the door.

“That means you don’t get to stay,” Thomas smirked but stepped back to let Mortimer through.

“Suits me,” Mortimer growled, and as Hilde elbowed him to the ribs they both entered the house.

35. Expecto Patronum

After a successful trip to Ruk, the party are preparing for their next trip to Railsea. Following the clues to the disappearance of Bruce’s father, the group is focusing their efforts on the Manihiki Ferro Navy. Though most of the party is ready to start flexing their Strange powers in Railsea, Bruce is more reticent to go.

***********************************************************

Katherine Manners, Lead Operative and founding member of the Estate pulled up a report. She had been Earth’s representatives on foreign shores. And that was when the less theatrical of the party wrote the report. This last Ruk trip had been no exception, with the discovery of secret genetic labs, the recovery of kidnapped Earthlings for experimentation and the destruction of a whole mountain along with the death of a serious opponent of Earth, Doctor Strangelove. She confirmed the facts through channels, found them accurate, and called in Bruce Johnson, the group member she was directly responsible for in for a chat.

As usual, Bruce was prompt and prepared. There was something else she noticed as Bruce entered her office and sat down. A quiet assurance. The confidence of someone who had gone through hell and come out the other side stronger. She approved.

“Bruce, you and your group have had quite the adventure in Ruk,” She prompted turning her screen with the report displayed.

“Did what we set out to do. Got into the kid’s head, got him fixed. His brothers too, though Mortimer is one to keep an eye on,”

“Noted, though we hope great things for him if he proves himself reliable,”

Bruce nodded thoughtfully, “He’s sharp, and he’s fast. A dangerous combination.”

“As too were your group, blowing up a large tract of Ruk,”

“Ah well, I believe you’ll find that was the build-up of a highly explosive gas that was being created by Strangelove,” Bruce started to defend the group’s action until Katherine waved his arguments aside.

“In doing so, destroyed a secret base and one of the Karum’s major players all while leaving our allies on Ruk out of the frame. This is a significant victory that will have implication for years to come.”
“Yeah, the Allsong said she was dead. Algernon asked,” He said, unconvinced, “But who’s to say she was alive at all.”

“Whose to say with Ruk,” She flicked to her screen to the other reports from Ruk, “Still there’s no sign that she’s alive and the Karum is in a panic. I think it’s fair to say she is no longer a threat to Earth.”

Bruce nodded, mulling over his thoughts.

“Anything to add before I file the report for good?”

“Ah no, nothing directly related to Ruk, only what we discovered.”
“Go on,”

“How hard is it to deliberately get into a story-based recursion that you have an idea may be out there, but have no links or key?”

“Some do it. It requires a high concentration level and not a little luck if you don’t know if the recursion exists. Translations go bad every day. I can organise for some advanced translation coaching if you like.”

“Could you bring anything back?”

She shook her head, “Everything is translated. Whatever you find in the recursion will only change into something mundane to this world.”

“How about we use an anapposite gate? Like we did for the Martins?”

“Anaposite gates are rare things. We have no way of making a reliable gate.”

“We have the artefact from Ruk. Maybe we can rig that up.”

“Perhaps. May I ask what recursion you would try to get to?”

At this, Bruce became a little more circumspect, “Ah, I know of a specific shrink ray that we could put to use.”

“Truly. Would you like me to organise the coaching? Or would you like to think it over? You may find other options open up to you in your travels.”

”Huh?” Dumbfounded, Bruce stopped in his tracks as he was about to leave.

“Railsea, I believe a number of your party mentioned it was your next trip out.”

“Oh yeah, tidying up loose ends.” He recovered quickly, but Katherine could tell Railsea wasn’t Bruce’s idea of destination.

“Foresee any difficulties?”

“No…no. As I said, following up a few loose ends,” He shook his head as he reached the door, “And do keep an eye on Mortimer, I worry what he might get up to while I’m not around.”

Algernon and Rain were also visiting with their direct supervisor. It had become a bit of a tradition for both of them. Algernon was obliged to ask for a highly specific and useful item of equipment, a rocket launcher. Keating turned it down as usual. Rain had better luck, as he didn’t bother asking.

Walking into the administration centre as if he owned the place, he greeted the staff by name and seemed to loiter around Keating’s office door, as if waiting for him to arrive. Behind his back, he carefully picked the lock, not having a lot of luck. The lockpick had jammed, and as he was about to check what was hindering its progress, Keating walked into the office. Some would suggest this would be a good time to slink away, hide, and try again later. That wasn’t Rain’s way at all.

“Mr Keating, I’m so glad I caught you,” He deftly stepped away from the door as if he hadn’t been standing there for minutes. He walked up to Keating, hand outstretched and Keating complied to the customary greeting. It gave Rain the chance to turn Keating around, so he did not see the door and the jammed lockpick.

“I have been remiss in keeping you abreast of my group’s activities if you have a moment I’d love to fill you in.”
“Rain, what a surprise. Ah, yes that would be good…” Keating mulled over his current tasks, “ I can spare you a moment or two in my office…”
“I was hoping for a walk . You will be pleased to know I have been availing myself of the Estates excellent councillors. They suggest more physical activity and sunlight, and it is such a lovely day,” He looked out the second storey office windows to the usual heavy leaden sky of Seattle.

“Unfortunately I have quite a bit of paperwork to get to…”

“No really, I Suggest we go out for a walk,” Rain pushed, embedding the suggestion into Keating’s mind. He hadn’t wanted to do it. He didn’t know the penalties for altering the mind of an Estate official, but at that moment it felt more likely he’d be caught for the attempted break-in than manipulating his supervisor’s mind. He watched Keating’s face slacken as the push took hold.

“I promise not to keep you long, the walk will do us a world of good,” Rain steered Keating towards the door.

The two walked around the Estate commons to the far side of campus, near the library. Having timed his story to finish at that point, he left Keating there and once out of sight, sprinted back. There he found the lockpick still in places. Now he could see the jam, Rain unlocked the door and quickly stepped into the office.

Keating’s bottle of bourbon wasn’t too hard to find. Rain knew he kept it near his desk for easy retrieval and disposal and soon found it tucked into a bottom draw. Keating’s long legs had returned him to the office earlier that Rain anticipated. His silhouette through the frosted window of the office door sent a jolt of adrenalin through Rain. He only had one option. Carefully tucking the prized bottle away in his long black coat, Rain opened the window and leapt through.

For some, falling is just flying over short distances. The twenty feet to the ground was a very short flight. Pushing his legs out in front of him, they took for the first brunt Rain’s landing. He allowed momentum to roll him back onto his feet and walked away before Keating even had a chance to notice his window was open.

Rain was worrying over the bourbon bottle in the mess when Algernon and Peggy came in for lunch that day.

“The box I can get, I’ll ring around a few bars in the city and see who has one on their shelves, but I want to make this bottle spectacular.”

“A half a bottle of alcohol?” Algernon asked, bringing his lunch to the table, now both were looking through the bottles amber glow.

“Exactly, that could be any half bottle of bourbon. I want to make it clear it’s his half bottle,”

“Well there’s plenty of room to put something in with the bourbon. You can get Peggy to try out Hertzfeld’s glove. She could get something inside without cutting the glass.”

The suggestion had the desired effect, and Rain’s face lit up, “Golf balls! Peggy!” He called the Doctor over and gestured for her to sit down.

“If I got a number of golf balls, possibly two…?” He asked his technical advisor, Algernon.

“Three would fit nicely,” Algernon replied thoughtfully gauging the available space in the bottle.

“Three balls, would you be able to use Hertzfeld’s glove to put them inside?”

“Yes. I could also break the bottle. Can I ask why we’re doing this?”

“It’s a Christmas present,” Rain replied as if it were self-evident.

Peggy nodded, “Very well, bring them to my lab as soon as you acquire the balls.”

After a few days trip out to see Ni’Challan, Rain stopped by Keating’s office again. This time the supervisor was in, busy with a project of his own.

“Sorry to trouble you again, I was wondering if I could ask your advice on something rather important,” Rain poked his head around the door. He noticed a step ladder dominating the room and a security camera mounted into the corner facing the desk. Wires hung from the camera, and false ceiling tiles gave access to the services above.

“Security camera?s You know Algernon is very good at installing those. He used one very effectively in Ruk just recently,”

“I am rather busy at the moment, can it wait?” Keating grumbled over the directions to the camera installation.

Rain could see Keating would not be so patient with the usual nonsense, so he brought up a subject that he’d been considering for some time. He slipped in and closed the door.

“I’m considering my future. I don’t think it’s a surprise to discover I am not the corporate type and my building relationship with Ni’Challan has me thinking of life after The Estate.”

“You’re thinking of leaving?” Keating looked up incredulous, “I know your methods are unorthodox, but you are a very fine agent. The Estate would be poorer without you.”

The compliment, genuinely given, gave Rain pause.

“That’s very kind of you to say, and I do want to still be of use to The Estate, but possibly in not such a formal capacity,” He stepped in front of the golf bag, deeply moved by what he’d heard.

“And you intend to work with Ni’Challan? We could do with a liaison out in the Graveyard of the Machine god,” Keating now sat down and mused over the possibilities, “We have such individuals all over the shoals. Still, there are very few inhabitable places in the Graveyard…yes, that could be very useful…”

The two of them chatted about a future role for Rain outside the confines of The Estate proper. Rain was impressed by how insightful Keating’s vision of his future. A contact in the Graveyard for information and to represent the Estate to the community in that area. Rain found himself enjoying the conversation, even as three balls somehow made their way from the golf bag and into his pockets.

He thanked Keating, apologised for taking up his valuable time and raced over to Peggy’s lab via a stop at the dormitory to pick up the bottle. It was a moment’s work for Peggy to phase the glove through the glass of the bottle and deposit the three balls in the bourbon, Keating’s signature clearly visible in black Sharpie through the clear amber liquid.

Bruce looking for the group, found them all circling the bourbon bottle, Rain goggling at their new creation.

“You’ve been up to mischief again,” Bruce said, walking over to see what all the fuss was about.

“How is this news to you?” Peggy replied as Rain was about to hide the bottle from Bruce’s sight. He thought better of it and let the upright citizen examine their handiwork.

“Is that Keating’s signature?” Bruce pointed as a ball floated lazily passed his finger only millimetres off the bottom of the bottle.

“Yes,”

“Do I want to know?”

“Probably not.” Rain smiled, and changed the subject, “So, already for Railsea?”

“I have training in the dojo this afternoon. The martial arts master has agreed to train with my crowbar, fully padded of course.” Bruce deflected, but his friend was a magician and con man.

“Naturally, and then after? Tomorrow morning. That would give me time to find a box and gift wrap the bottle.” He said, tucking it away.

“I have concerns over Mortimer and the triplets. I know you don’t think of them as real people, but I have a deep concern for their welfare…” Bruce sent the conversation down a misdirected quagmire of blame that even Rain felt he had to defend himself.

“I never…you know me, I love the boys… “ He looked to Algernon and Peggy before realising Bruce’s scheme, “Mr Johnson, was that you trying to steer the conversation away from Railsea?” He looked proudly at Bruce as Bruce’s face turned red.

“Well…”

“That was very good, you had me wondering what I’d said to make you think such a thing,” Rain replied, and then returned to the subject at hand, “So, tomorrow morning then.”

“We need more information,”
“Now you sound like Algernon,” Peggy commented, and even Algernon had to agree.

“All the information is in Railsea, we just have to get to Manihiki from Bollons,” Rain countered, “Come on Bruce, you do realise you’re the last enigma amongst us. Let’s go save your father and clear up that blot on your past.”

Bruce agreed grudgingly, and Rain didn’t push the subject. He remembered the private conversation they’d had in the Dreamlands. Bruce harboured legitimate grudges against his father and was unsure he wanted the man back in his life. He kept that little snippet to himself, keeping the privacy he had created in the dream.

Instead, Rain informed Algernon that Keating had installed a surveillance camera. Instantly, Algernon pulled out his laptop and hacked into the one camera system via wifi. He left his computer to record whatever random video it picked up for future use.

The next morning, as promised, the group gathered in Peggy’s lab for the translation to Railsea. Bruce was wearing the wings Algernon had ‘acquired’ during his time with Doctor Strangelove. A real work of Ruk science and art, the wings were light weight and fitted well to his broad back. He fiddled with the strappings not used to the restriction on his shoulders and waist.

Algernon led the translation this time and the party without fuss, found themselves dissolving into the Strange. The first things they could see as they arrive were the greys and dull browns that dominated Railsea. They were standing in their blood-splattered clothing in the one-room bedsit once owned by Caw Eh Carve. The furnishings were different, though in the same dreary time-worn fashion of all of Railsea. Bruce’s wings here were even more impressive steampunk versions of themselves. All brass with gauges and dials looking more at home on a steam engine with details picked out in gold gilt and glossy black. He was about to protest their gaudiness when the front door opened and a hairy man dressed only in a bath towel entered the bedsit.

“What? Do you mind?” He asked, grasping his defensive towel with one hand, looking around him for a weapon for the other.

Algernon raised his crossbow in readiness.

“Yes we do,” Peggy blustered, pushing passed him and through the front door, “Propriety sir!”

“Sorry to have disturbed you, “ Bruce acknowledged the man’s genuine complaint, “We’ll be on our way.”

They were back, walking down the street of Bollons, smelling the dust in the air, taking in the industrious human activity amid a dessicated world. Above, the sky was a thick grey covering of cloud that unlike Seattle, never lifted. From vantage points around the city, a sea of sand surrounded Bollons, crisscrossed by train-track, creating random geometric shapes out to the horizon—the Railsea.

“Oi!” A voice yelled. Rain turned to Algernon.

“Know anyone called, Oi?” As they slowly turned to see an artist drop his paint pots and run across the road and into an alleyway. Giving chase were the yellers, three Manihiki Ferro-Naval officers who seemed to have taken offence of the artist’s work. Walking back to the mural, for it was too large and detailed a work to be called graffiti. All one side of a building had been bisected laterally the top painted the same grey-green as the sky, the bottom the unique yellow-brown of the sand around Bollons. To the left, a shape was blocked out ready to paint in the details. The text on the sign was obvious for all to read.

Almighty Bruce

“Like the movie?” Rain asked as the four of them stared amazed at the mural, “Or was that the other way around?”

“What is this?” Bruce asked, feeling very exposed.

“Your past exploits?” Peggy suggested, “You did capture the Dreaming Sable.”

“Harpooned, he never caught it.” Algernon corrected, “Though that shape to the left looks like it could be a moldywarp diving into the sand.”

“Why would they take offence at that?” Peggy asked, referring to the Naval officers well out of sight.

“It has to be a recent development,” Rain dredged up what he knew of Railsea history, “There’s no historical significance that I can gather.”

He looked around them as the party studied the mural for more details. People in the street were giving the mural, and them, a wide berth. It seemed it was dangerous to take an interest in the Almighty Bruce. The wide berth didn’t stop Bruce himself, reaching out and grappling a passing stranger.

“What’s this?” He asked again, as the shock had robbed him of speech.

“I don’t know, a picture,” He replied, a smug little grin on his face.

“My friend means, why would the Ferro-navy take offence at this mural?” Rain supplied the required context.

“Oh! Bruce has been kicking their arses all over!” He chortled, then caught himself and glanced around them to see who’d noticed.

“So who is he, a Captain?” Rain asked and was rewarded with a dismissive look from the stranger. There was a disconnect. Bruce wasn’t a train Captain, but then who? Or what?

“You’ve been such a helpful fella, what if I buy you a drink and you can tell us all about it?” Rain suggested, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery.

“Er…if it’s all the same, I’d rather go…”

“I really do Suggest you join us for a drink,” Rain pushed, but was stopped by a familiar heavy hand on his shoulder.

“Let him go,” Bruce said simply.

“But, oh very well…” Rain grumbled and turned back to the man, “Thank you for your time, you have been very helpful.” The man’s eyes cleared of the Suggestion and scuttled away, confused and bewildered.

Algernon, unrestrained, walked up to another random person and scanned their thoughts,

“Hello, who’s Bruce?” He asked, pointing to the mural.

Bruce, odd name for a fella, Thought the woman, who verbally apologised and also scampered away.

“Not a person,” Algernon informed the group.

“Well, we can find out all that later,” Peggy finally said once it was clear there was little more to gather from the mural, “I need new clothes, let’s got to the market and we can ask there.”

The Bollons markets were the heart of Bollons itself with anything and everything on sale, even rumours. Here Peggy found the first pair of pant that she thought may fit and asked to buy them. It was a rare, but not unheard of thing for a woman to go around in men’s clothes and Peggy’s money was as good as the next gentleman’s. Rain was a little more choosy and wove in and out of the clothing stalls until he felt suitably dressed and the party had heard several different versions of the legend that was the Almighty Bruce.

“Fight the power! Almighty Bruce!” One shopkeeper proclaimed a little loudly and scared himself, checking who had heard and ducking back into his clothing racks, “Yes, the captain was a deserter from the Ferro-Navy. He found himself a train out on the Railsea and liberated the tiny mining community of Omoka. Almighty Bruce has been hunting the Ferro-Navy trains ever since.”

“Regardless of what you think of him, he never forgot you,” Rain said quietly, as he adjusted the fit of a worn but serviceable gold and brown silk striped vest. From a stand, he snatched up a yellow silk scarf and tied it loosely like an ascot around his neck.

Bruce glanced back as Rain completed his dressing with a long blonde frock coat that had seen better days, “There’s nothing to say that it’s him.”

“Your unusual name and him being a navy deserter says it is,” Rain murmured back and went to pay.

“Anything else we should know?” Bruce asked the stall owner.

“Nothing really, just don’t mention the Bruce around the Navy.” The stall owner added unhelpfully.

Omoka was north-west of Manihiki. The group would need to take passage on one of the trains heading north to find the Almighty Bruce, her Captain and hopefully Jimmy Johnson.

“We need to get on a Navy train,” Algernon stated adamantly. If the Bruce were attacking Navy vessels, they could do worse than book passage on one.

“Yes, let them come to us,” Rain said as Bruce shook his head.

“That’s the hard way. I want to know more about this Captain first.”

“To the rumourmarket then, “ Rain clapped his hands together and led the way.

The rumourmarket of Bollons was famous. It was a great place to find out information, but more importantly, it was a place where information could be disseminated and spread. As they walked, they prepared a little rumour of their own, so when Bruce and Rain discussed terms with the rumour mongers, they had something with which to barter.

“Good day, I’m looking for information on the Captain of the Almighty Bruce,” Rain announced to the rumourmonger, “I have a trade, information pertaining to the Captain’s son.”

“The son of the Captain of the Almighty Bruce?” She said in disbelief, “I have to hear this so, for what little I know, you’ve got a deal.”

They moved through the rumourmarket talking to every rumourmonger they could. In exchange for whatever snippet they could offer, Rain and Bruce told them, “The Captain’s son is on his way to Manihiki.”

They came away knowing less for certain about the Captain than they had previously. No one in the rumour market knew the Captain’s name, though the story of him being a press-ganged deserter was by far the most common tale about the man. One rumour had him as an old Naval Admiral seeking some personal revenge of his own. The most ludicrous was that there was no Almighty Bruce and that it was, in fact, a Ferro-Navy conspiracy to raise money.

They were heading back through the market when they spied four Ferro Navy Officers heading in their direction.

“These damn stupid wings,” Bruce said as he realised they had been spotted by the brass wings glittering on his back, “They’re too flamboyant for this.”

“Nonsense,” Rain smiled and stepped up to greet the officers, “ There’s no such thing as too flamboyant.”

“Gentlemen, what can we do for you today?”

“What do you know about the son of a certain Captain?” One demanded, obviously seen as the most intimidating of the four.

“Captain?” Rain asked

“Captain who?” Bruce added hoping these log-heads would drop that snippet of information to show how clevers they were.

“You’ve been sharing a rumour about his son all over the market, what else do you know?” The officer flexed. Yes, these officers were used to bullying people for what they wanted.

“Oh, the rumour wasn’t that we knew the son, the rumour is that the son is heading for Manihiki,” Rain explained as if it were all a simple misunderstanding.

“Huh,” The officer grunted and looked to his fellow navy men for help, “Know any more?”

“‘Fraid not, gentleman, that’s what brought us to the rumour market in the first place.”

The four officer’s seemed to deflate at the news. Their hot tip had turned cold.

“Uh…if you hear anything, we’d appreciate it if you could let the Navy know,”

“Anyone we could get in contact with? Maybe someone we can put in a good word for “…four upstanding officers…” of the Ferro Navy?” Rain asked, and received the name of an Admiral As Lac Grel as well as the calling card for the most talkative of the four officers, Ro Ban Ottmer. Offering their best of luck, Rain and Bruce headed back through the market sure that if they saw those officers again, it would be too soon.

Peggy and Algernon were also busy. Peggy was going from bar to bar talking for train Captains heading to Manihiki and seeing if they were interested in hiring-on. It was true that Peggy was a first-rate engineer and Algernon and Bruce had more than proven their skills as gunners, but Rain’s talents were always harder to define. She offered Rain’s services as a general hand.

Algernon was scanning the stalls for cyphers as usual. Looking carefully through the offerings, he could feel the presence of the Strange on the items that didn’t belong and were hiding in plain sight. He was offered a potion by a stall keeper, didn’t think much of it and moved on. At another stall, he found a handle which he identified quickly as a monoblade, a collar which seemed to change its wearer’s appearance and an odd block that he discovered was a salve with healing properties. The first two, he paid the asking price and was able to get the third for free. Algernon walked away, feeling he’d won the trade game and found the others as Peggy was sharing what she had organised with Bruce and Rain.

“General hand, I’m not a general anything,” Rain grumbled. Peggy ignored his protests and continued.

“The train is the Gliding Vulpine, a diesel heading out tomorrow morning. The captain’s name is Al Ram Kuno and has agreed to take us on as crew in exchange for transport, food and board.”

“We’re not getting paid? You alone are worth more than transport,” Algernon said to Peggy as he stowed his treasures in a hessian haversack referring to her knack at improving engine performance.

“Yes, well I’d do it anyway, but this way I have permission,” She replied looking forward to getting her hands on the inner workings of the Gliding Vulpine.

That night they found lodging at one of the taverns and early the next morning they were down at the dock boarding the Gliding Vulpine. Bruce and Algernon were surprised to discover that though the train was equipt with ballista, they were the only gunners.

“We’re a trading vessel, we usually don’t need heavy defences,” Captain Al Ram Kuno replied smoothly. Knowing the dangers of the Railsea, Algernon wasn’t so sure. A quick investigation of the gunnery deck soon proved his suspicions. Though the deck itself was neatly scrubbed and train-shape, they’d missed dried blood left in the cracks and seams of the carriage roof. The Gliding Lupine had undoubtedly come across some adventure. Algernon and Bruce organised their shifts to ensure they wouldn’t become the next blood smear.

Peggy went straight down to the engine, greeted the current engineering staff with a nodd and got to work even before the train had left the dock. Rain alone slunk around the train, dodging work until the Captain spotted him and put him on as switcher. The speed and timing required to shift the train onto a new track amused Rain as did being at the helm beside the Captain as decisions of navigation were made through the wild tangle of the Railsea.

The group’s first day onboard was uneventful. Getting used to the train layout and its crew idiosyncrasies kept them busy for the most part. Bruce made a point of feeling out the crew and Captain about the Almighty Bruce and the Ferro Navy. The crew, in general, were ambivalent about the Ferro navy and its dealings. Most felt that it was best not to get involved with whatever the Navy considered its duty. The Captain, on the other hand, had nothing but praise for the Ferro-navy.

“They keep the Railsea safe for honest traders such as ourselves,” He boasted, though Rain felt that was more because he paid for protection and had no fear of being attacked by the Navy.

The day slipped passed like the Railsea’s sands, and with the evening, Bruce found himself alone on the gunnery deck. Now without the cumbersome wings, he felt at ease scanning the seemingly empty Railsea for signs of activity on the rails or below. A soft shifting of sand, the appearance of bow wave as something large broke the surface. Silently slipping through the sand beside the train, the velvety grey hide of a massive moldywarpe kept pace with the train. Thirty metres long from nose to harpoon riddled rear the creature turned its eye on Bruce, and a blue spiral glow lit the night. It was the Dreaming Sable!

“Mole Breech!” Bruce roared as he brought the trains Ballista about. The Dreaming Sable rolled, the bolt flew wide of the mark and skittered away into the darkness. With an economy of movement, the talpa swung into the train, shoulder checking the carriage Bruce now rode. Taking the opportunity, Bruce leapt from the train onto the mole itself. His crowbar in hand, he used his forward momentum to smash it down onto the back of the mole.

A roar from the mole broke the night as the train’s crew also scrambled to their posts. Peggy was flung from her hammock and smashed into the bulkhead winding her as Algernon and Rain grabbed crossbow and the abandoned wings respectively. As they climbed up on deck the mole attacked again, this time rolling into the train. Algernon deftly made it to the gunnery deck, his jawbone crossbow ready as Bruce ran with the rolling mole keeping his footing for a second swing at the creature. Rain leapt as the train jolted, rocketing into the night’s sky on brass wings as he watched Bruce now run along the spine of the beat to its head, the glowing eyes leading the way. Bringing the crowbar down between the creature’s glowing orbs, the mole rolled again and threw Bruce from its back, into the darkness of the sands. This time, the roll derailed the carriage dragging the engine with it.

Rain could only watch as he saw first Bruce and then the Captain and helmsman thrown into the night. It was no contest. Bruce needed to get off the exposed sand and back to the mole. With a thought, he tilted forward, and the wings took him out across the sand to where Bruce was already picking himself up.

“Here, take the wings, why you weren’t wearing them I’ll never know,” He complained already unbuckling as he landed. The sand below their feet shifted and rumbled ominously.

“Thanks, but no thanks,” Bruce acknowledged his friend’s gesture but stayed Rain’s hands on the buckles with his own.

“Well, then…” Through the touch, Rain pushed the Strange to Bruce making the big man gasp, “Hit the thing from me!” Energised, Bruce raced across the tracks towards the mole as Rain shot back into the air and out to where the Captain and helmsman had fallen.

Back on the train, Algernon focused the Strange on the Dreaming Sable’s wedge-shaped head. The powers twisted and shifted the mole’s view of the world, distracting it and slowing it down. Bruce caught up and climbed up the hill of a creature aiming for the head. Through the cracks in the upturned carriage walls, Peggy focused her thoughts on the Dreaming Sable. Understanding its weaknesses and feeling its proximity to the prone engine, she too drew the energies of the Strange to her and bided her time, waiting to make her strike.

Now the train had stopped, the mole took advantage of its fallen prey and rose into the air twenty feet before crashing down, breaking the back of the engine. A cracking blue plasma arc snapped out of the carriage and connected the mole to the diesel engine. Suffused with the blue webbing of energised gasses, creature and machine were bound together to the same fate. The plasma found the fuel tanks. A heavy thud, a flash of light, and the whole world shook with the explosion as the engine blew up under the mole’s massive body. The Dreaming Sable shuddered and moaned, its end was nigh as Algernon and Bruce readied their attacks.

Out on the sand, the Captain and helmsman were running for their lives. Drawn by the activity of the Dreaming Sable, humps in the sand glided in from all quarters. Smaller mole rats, though still the size of Alsations grabbed and nipped at their boots. From the air, Rain dove, snatching up the Captain and dragging him to the relative safety of the rails as the helmsman tripped and fell to the razor teeth of a dozen rodents, tearing him apart. Rain screamed into the night as, at the train, Algernon and Bruce delivered their final blows. Algernon’s bolt sank deep into the flesh of the beast now exposed by the explosion as Bruce, now back at the head of the beast delivered a mightly blow into one of the glowing spiral eyes. A crack of bone, the crowbar sunk deep, breaking the creatures’s skull. The Dreaming Sable shuddered, the blue glow from the eyes dulled and disappeared as the creature fell, the mountain of fur and flesh finally defeated.

“I am Mighty Bruce!” Bruce roared, from the head of the beast. The sound of it echoed across the empty desert to where the Captain and Rain stood. A reply rose from the stricken train, as the crew cheered the hero of the moment. The Captain did not cheer, just scowled and started walking back to his fallen train, the horrified Rain on his heels.

The night was long, dirty and anxious as the crew got to work. Under Peggy’s expert eye, half righting what was left of the train and returned it to the tracks. The other half, overseen by Bruce and Algernon butchered the Dreaming Sable before it, and they, were food for lesser mole rats. Peggy dolefully salvaged what she could from the engine, but it was a wreck only good for scrap. The Captain awarded the kill to Bruce, asking Bruce to refrain from referring to himself as the ‘Mighty Bruce’. It didn’t matter, the crew all knew, and once they made landfall, it would be a moment’s work for the legend of the Mighty Bruce to spread.

As dawn rose over the Railsea, a few of the group spotted a very familiar red rag flapping in the morning breeze.

“Hey, that’s my flag, we’re near the old theatre,” Rain said, and Peggy’s demeanour improved considerably.

“Molly!” She cried and scrambled out of the wreckage that had once been the Gliding Vulpine

“Molly?” Rain asked, sure they’d seen no one in the lost theatre but a couple of giants rats and spiders.

“The engine. I called her Molly.” Peggy replied self-consciously. She looked over the desert to the flapping red rag, “I wonder if we wrap a good heavy chain around the drive wheel if we couldn’t pull her out onto the rails…”

To be continued…

34. The creation of a family

The group split. Rain returned to Earth with the Martins and their oversized triplet sons. Bruce, Algernon and Peggy return to the capital of Ruk, Harmonious, to go through the information they’ve gathered and prepare for the arrival of the triplets.

*****************************************************************

John and Athena stepped out of the brightly lit portal into the dark cold winter’s night. As soon as their feet touched the cold, wet ground, the portal blinked out and plunged them all into darkness. The couple clung to each other as they looked around them wide-eyed, shying away from even the most familiar of sight and sounds. John had no shoes and started stepping quickly from one foot to the other. A cold wind howled through the station underpass bringing with it the familiar smell of the Mississippi. They recognised the bones of the city, the sweep of the road, the clatter of the streetcars as they rolled passed. But, the street lamps were a brighter white from the yellow incandescent they were used to, a walk sign flashed greenly at them created by dozens of LEDs and the few people out at that time were too absorbed in hand-held devices to notice the spectacle unfolding about them.

And there certainly was a spectacle.

On the ground, clutching clumsily at each other were three naked boys, none older than mid-teens and one as young as seven. They mewed and gawped like newborns, though they were long-limbed and well-formed. The man who called himself Rain bustled back from a conversation with station security, his arms full of lost and cast-off clothing. He quickly dressed each boy, like one would a baby, first putting his own arm through a sleeve leg, then pulling through their corresponding limb. It didn’t always work as a stronger than average limb would kick or swing-out wildly. Rain just dodged the blows cheerily, made a joke and continued with his task.

“Oh, and for you, John. Not exactly cutting style but they will do in a pinch,” Rain placed a pair of flip-flops (an odd pair, though of a similar enough size) in front of John who quickly slipped them on thankfully, “Could I impose on one or both of you to help me get these boys under some shelter until our lift arrives?”

The question, so civilised amid chaos and confusion, acted more like a command to the couple who quickly complied. John copied Rain as he pulled a long arm over his shoulders and grabbed the waist of one of the older boys. Athena took the younger child, awkwardly cradling him in her arms. The boy’s head found her shoulder and snuggled into her soft warmth. It was an action, so like that of her daughters that Athena stumbled to a halt, absorbed in the sensation.

“That’s it Thomas, one foot forward now the next foot…Mrs Martin?” She heard Rain’s voice, and it broke her train of thought, “If Harold there is too much for you just put him down. I’ll come back and get him once we have Thomas and Richard settled.”

“No, it’s fine.” She replied more confidently than she felt and followed Rain and her husband to a strip of parkland dominated by a heavy-limbed old-man oak. Here on a bench seat, the three boys were propped up against each other, then Rain offered the remaining space to the Martins. Though still cold and wet, under the grey moss-covered bows of the oak, Athena felt more at home and more sure of herself.

“ Transport has been called, but in the meantime why don’t we get to know each other?” Rain now turned his charm on the Martins. They stared back at him, shocked and dumbfounded. “Probably best if I just answer your questions.”

“What happened to us? I remember…” Athena turned to her husband for confirmation, “coming home on the streetcar. We had to pick up Margarita from school…”

“…we had theatre tickets…to see Twelfth Night…” John added and Athena smiled, always the theatre nerd.

Rain listened nodding until they’d finished sharing, “From what I’ve gathered from Pe…Margarita, twenty years ago you were abducted from that tram station,” He looked back the way they’d come, “by a very talented but twisted scientist who had kept you in a cryogenic stasis.”

“Twenty years…? But…why? How?” Athena asked again, each question making her feel more confident and able to assert herself.

“She wanted servants with human DNA that would be able to infiltrate anywhere. The result of which you see before you,” He now gestured to the three boys who now sat silently watching, taking in every movement and gesture, “As to the how of it, there are those better qualified to explain the science, your daughter among them. However, we did use the same portal technology to get back.”

“What are you saying? What are these boys to us?” Athena asked now looking at the three boys closely for the first time. As she noticed similarities between them in her husband and her late father, she realised the answer to her question before Rain could reply.

“They are you, biological sons,” Rain thought a moment then continued, “Do you remember the room where you woke up? The three glass cylinders along one wall?”

John nodded, captivated by the story, while Athena only looked on the boys in shock and pity.

“They were…grown in those cylinders from your DNA. Pegg…Margarita had released them only moments before.”

“But why are they…like that?” This time John asked as the three boys in unison turned to watch him with large guileless eyes.

“Ah,” Rain turned to look at the boys and smile fondly at them, “That is because they are only a few hours old. They are by all intents and purposes, newborns. There are others, my friend Algernon who helped save you and another called Mortimer. They are both highly intelligent and talented young men. These three will go back with me to Ruk tomorrow where Peg…Margarita is preparing a program to help them.”

“And what about Margarita and Simon, where are they?”

At this Rain’s cheery demeanour sobered, “Simon is fine, He was a young man when you disappeared, and he didn’t keep in touch with Peg…Margarita. Margarita though was raised under the…cool authority of your mother, Mrs Martin.” He said simply, and Athena knew her mother well enough to know what that meant, and her soul cried for her lost daughter.

“I am sorry to say she did not have a happy childhood. But she was bright, worked her way through college and university and did her master’s thesis in anthropology. She is the brains of my small group, and she never stopped looking for you.” Rain said with such pride and sincerity that it silenced the couple, giving Rain a moment to check on the boys.

The youngest, and seeming more precocious, had wriggled off the bench seat and was now part crawling and part walking towards the road.

“Harold. Back here, mate.” Rain dashed out and hauled the disgruntled seven-year-old baby back. The movement and excitement inspired Thomas and Richard, who also rolled or slithered off the bench seat and started moving off in random directions. Now running between the three, Rain brought them together in a circle hand in hand and started singing nursery rhymes and songs. In the dark of a New Orleans winter’s night they bopped on their feet like toddlers to the music keeping them amused until a black van rolled up and Estate agents identified themselves.

The agents arranged a safe house and a little babysitting duty for the night as questions were asked and received. It was very late when the Martin’s ran out of questions that Rain could answer and he went to check on the triplets. Beautiful while asleep, awake the trio were more of a handful. Like colts, they learnt to use their limbs quickly. They wandered around following whatever caught their interest. Rain and the Estate agents caught snatches of sleep between the last boy dropping off to sleep and the first waking and inevitably disturbing his brothers.

In one quiet moment, Rain pulled out Mortimer’s tablet computer. Out in Ruk Rain couldn’t plug in a toaster, but back on Earth, he felt his old ability to see past the passwords and firewalls that people place in front of their information return to him. In a moment, he had cracked Mortimer’s password and was into the files on the tablet. There were several textbooks on particle physics with attached homework. It seemed, though physically more adept than Algernon, Mortimer wasn’t doing as well with physics. Flicking through the electronic pages, Rain caught a splash of colour and flicked back through the dull texts. Embedded between the files of academic level science were brightly coloured pictorial scenes of action heroes all running, flying or fighting. Smuggled in from the Allsong, a collection of comic books had been renamed to blend into his studies. Rain recognised some of the heroes and realised that even a few Earth comic books had made it into the mix. With a smile, he now recognised the boy inside the sociopath who had helped invade Ni’Challan’s home. Rain gestured to one of the agents, taking over his duties looking after the triplets and sent him out to buy a section of superhero comic books for the trip back to Ruk.

One last task. Rain found pen and paper and wrote a note for Noel:

It was with a very grateful sigh that the estate agents left the next morning to take the Martin’s to the Airport. With them, Rain sent Noel’s letter knowing that one way or another, the Estate would get it to him on time.

The Martin’s understood they would be debriefed and medically examined by people who knew what they’d gone through and how to deal with any trauma. In return, Rain promised to be back in a few days with their daughter, their son Algernon and the three triplets made whole.

A half-hour later, however, he wasn’t so sure.

He tried positioning them once more in a circle, using his songs to get them to stay and dance while one or more wandered off. The boys were getting bored. Their wandering became more hunts for something to stick in their mouths than general explorations of the previous evening. They became fussy and uncooperative settling for crying in the middle of the room instead of joining in the dance when curtailing their freedoms. By some miracle, Rain gathered all three, sitting on the ground and facing each other with him holding some portion of each. Part of one hand, a toe, another hand and knee. It wasn’t ideal, but unless he waited until they all fell asleep again, which seemed unlikely, he had to try.

Rain had only led one translation, and then with Celia who had aided in the process. Now, as he settled himself down and focused on Ruk, he felt the boys still, as if they recognised something important was about to begin. He felt himself dissolve into the movement of the Strange, motes on a breeze and the boys follow along in his wake. But, without the will of Peggy or Algernon keeping them on course or the protective effect of Bruce, it Rain felt exposed and alone.

As their mind’s entered Ruk, for a moment Rain was sure he saw the organza rock formation of the Doctor’s ex-secret base before they were jarred sideways and deposited with a shock on the hard surface of the city plaza in Harmonious. Rain shook his head now thankful for the smooth entries Bruce provided.

As the city came into focus around him, he realised he was standing alone. Panic was instant. He searched the plaza and quickly spied all three boys wandering off in different directions.

I’m here, little help! He called to Algernon via the Allsong before starting once more to gather the boys in his own effective, if dramatic way. People started paying attention to the well-dressed man singing and dancing with three boys whose behaviour didn’t seem in keeping with their ages.

“Ladies and gentleman, our second show will be in half an hour, please give generously,” Rain announced to the crowd as he spotted five officers of the Myriad marching towards him and his knot of boys. Rain sent a small curse to whatever divine being looked down on Ruk and faced the Myriad with a smile.

“Officers, how good to see you, what can I help you with?”

Skimming over the ordered land and suburbs of Harmonious, their clandestine mission complete, Algernon, Bruce and Peggy were resting as Jidarus, their pilot, safely brought them back. Algernon loaded the footage of the mountain explosion from one of his surveillance cameras to his computer. He was reliving the moment over again, watching the flyer enter the base and then a few moments later…devastation! It was a very satisfactory feeling of achievement. He was looking forward to sharing the moment with Rain. Just as he was reliving the expansion of the mountain, just before the shockwave knocked the camera from his hand, he heard a very Rukian swear from Jidarus and his senses matched the footage.

“By all the deficient primes!” Peggy and Bruce also turned at the expletive, as the view through the cockpit window angled wildly to the left to avoid another flyer. It was heading out on the same flight lanes as they were heading in on, directly out to the organza rock pile that was once a mountain. The sudden roll to the left sent everything in the cabin flying. Peggy stayed orientated to the rolling floor, supported by her magnetic propulsion, but Bruce and Algernon weren’t strapped in and were catapulted from their seats. The sudden roll also dislodged the poorly latched cabin door which flew open with a roar. Algernon caught hold of a seat as he flew passed. Bruce was closer to the door with no available seats to latch hold. He rolled out the door, only missing the door frame as he passed, by the skin of his fingers.

“Bruce!” Peggy screamed just in time for Algernon to see Bruce’s fingers disappear out the door. Pushing off the chair, he flung himself towards the door, catching hold of hand support, he scanned the sky for Bruce. Below, already growing impossibly small against the landscape of Harmonious was the tumbling figure of Bruce. One hand holding him firmly to the flyer, Algernon stretched out his other, sending out his levitating force to catch the falling Bruce. Suddenly the tumbling ceased. Jidarus righted the flyer and carefully descended to match Bruce’s elevation. From the windows and doorway of the flyer, Peggy, Algernon and Jidarus could all see Bruce, now confident he was no longer falling, strike a superhero flying pose and smile boldly back at the flyer. Bruce yelled something, but his words were lost to the sky. Peggy and Algernon could just make out their meaning by reading his lips.

“Way to go, kid!”

“Of all the…you guys are crazy,” Jidarus said, shaking his head, before calling in the near-miss and requesting landing instructions.

The rest of their day was uneventful. The group met with Tabaseth and Giqabee, handing over the information obtained from Doctor Strangelove and debriefing about the mission. The Quiet Cabal seemed delighted with the results, primarily that no security footage or eye witness accounts led back to them.

“Yes, we knew something was up when our sources told us that the Karum were in a panic, “Tabaseth informed them with some satisfaction, “It was their flyer that flew out to the lab site.”

“We are going to need several days to go through the information you found,” Giqabee said, not looking up from her scrolling datapad, “Will you want to participate, Dr Martin?”

“Participating, I expect to lead it!” Said Peggy.

“Me too, you’re not putting anything in my head that I haven’t looked over first,” Algernon said at the same time.

“Ur…very well, do you know when we should expect the other specimens?”

The three of them looked at each other. With Rain? Who knew?

After the debrief had concluded, Bruce quietly took himself off to find Mortimer’s room. It wasn’t hard. It was the only room with a guard standing outside of it. Bruce identified himself to the guard and brandished his first aid kit as a right of passage. The guard called in the request and unlocked the door.

Inside the room was spartan. A bed, a desk and a chair. It reminded Bruce of the boy’s bedroom back at the secret laboratory. Lounging on top of the neatly folded bedclothes, Mortimer was sitting staring at the wall opposite, a silvery wound dressing on his shoulder peeked from under a loose shirt. He turned his head, watching, like a captive raptor, waiting for its chance to make a strike. Bruce entered and closed the door.

“I’m Bruce. Good day, Mortimer. ” Bruce said, stepping close to the bed and reaching for the chair. Mortimer watched every move, “That’s right, isn’t it?”

“What, that it’s a good day, that my name is Mortimer or that your’s Bruce?”

Bruce said nothing but huffed and sat down. It was like talking to Algernon, but less playful and more predacious, “I’ve come to see how your wounds are healing. Have they been treating you well here?”

“I suspect my wounds treat me as well as they can.”

“I meant the staff here. Have they been looking after you? Feeding you?”

“I have no complaints,” The dead-eyed stare bored into Bruce and made him feel uncomfortable.

“May I look at your wounds?”

“I don’t know, can you? I would think you could do whatever you wished.”

“I could get the guard in here, hell I could probably get a few to hold you down while I examine you,” Bruce bit back, then caught himself. He wasn’t the victim here, “I would rather have your permission, but I won’t force it.”

The boy’s head cocked to one side, very much like the predatory bird he brought to mind. Without another word, he swung his long legs over the edge of the bed and opened his shirt. The sight of the three gunshot wounds gave Bruce pause. He’d given Mortimer those wounds. Quickly he distracted himself with the poultices and gadgets of his first aid kit.

One by one, he pulled the bandages and checked each wound. As with Algernon, Mortimer healed much quicker than expected, and there seemed no sign of infection. With a practised hand, he rebandaged the boy and helped him back into a comfortable position. He started packing his first aid kit.

“You were tough,” Bruce said, barely looking up from his task to watch the kid experimentally flex his arms.

“I think I’m still tough,” Mortimer replied, his swagger diminished only by his prone position.

“Tough. And fast too!”

“Thanks to the glorious Doctor Strangelove who design me.” He boasted, and it sounded like a fanatical believer, but the eyes did not express the save fervour of fanaticism. He wasn’t a true believer, just a kid who didn’t know any better.

Bruce put aside his first aid kit. Nothing in it was going to help him now.

“Look, I came here to say I’m sorry I shot ya, kid,” His eyes flicked from his folded empty hands to Mortimer’s face, “I’m not looking for forgiveness, just my honest regret, for what that worth.”

Mortimer’s head tilted sideways as if trying to catch the real Bruce from a different angle.

“You were my enemy; it was expected.”

“I’d rather not be your enemy.”

“Can you?”

“Can I what?”

“Not be my enemy?”

“If it’s within my power.”

“Is it?” At this, Mortimer sat up on his bed and once more swung around to face Bruce, “Before you asked for my permission. Can you choose?”

The shame Bruce felt at shooting the kid flared up once more. The boy had never had a choice in his life.

“Yes, I can,” He replied, his throat tight with feeling, “ And so will you soon enough,” He went to leave when the kid grabbed his arm, the grip firm but not combative.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“I don’t know, can you?” Bruce quipped back and was given a surly blank-eyed stare in reply, “Sure.”

“Why am I here?”

“Two reasons, I gave you first aid, and I didn’t want to see that work wasted.”

“But why save my life? I was your enemy. I tried to kill you.”

The kid had been a formidable enemy. Strong and fast physically, but also strategic and as smart with computer systems as Algernon on a good day.

Bruce nodded. “You were unconscious. You weren’t my enemy anymore.”

“Just like that.”

“Not quite, but I had the chance to choose and did.”

“I wasn’t your enemy because you chose?” Mortimer shook his head in disbelief, “That doesn’t make sense.”

“I know kid, that’s the second reason.” Mortimer’s hand dropped, and Bruce now turned for the door.

“Thank you.” Bruce heard and looked back at Mortimer, sitting alone on the edge of the bed. He could still see the confusion in the kid’s eyes, the doubt and scepticism built in over brainwashing and months in the company of only the Doctor.

“No, thank you,” Bruce replied and knocked to be let out.

Approximately 24 hours later, Algernon received a message from Rain.

I’m here, little help! And Algernon smiled, looking forward to seeing his friend once more. Besides visiting with Mortimer, Bruce had made use of the Quiet Cabal’s health facilities and the firing range. Peggy had was wholly absorbed, teasing out the required programming from the brainwashing Doctor Strangelove had inflicted upon Algernon and Mortimer. Algernon had kept busy adding elements to the programs, but life was undoubtedly duller without Rain around.

Leaving the Quiet Cabal tower, he headed to the plaza at a brusque pace ready to help wrangle the surprisingly more active triplets. He saw the five Myriad officers before they saw him and quickly ducked aside to watch from a distance as Rain handled the boys and ‘the law’.

“Officers, how good to see you, what can I help you with?” Rain beamed his attention, moving from one Myriad to another until a senior officer spoke up.

“What’s going on?” The voice, officious and lifeless, made more so by the mechanical voice box of the Myriad power armour, and by contrast with Rain’s own.

“You would imagine a simple task,” Rain started, snatching at the arm of a once more escaping teen baby, “I am to transport these three over to the Quiet Cabal, their guardian is expecting them.” He couldn’t lie to the Myriad, even his skills of persuasion were insufficient to overcome the insightful abilities of Ruk’s police force.

Algernon watched as the five Myriad seemed to confer amongst themselves for a moment before accepting Rain’s story.

“We shall accompany you to the tower,” Said the senior officer and Rain bounced on his heels with delight.

“Excellent! This is Thomas” He took the hands of the larger boys and thrust them towards two of the silent Myriad, “And you can take Richard, I’ll keep Harold, he’s a bit of a handful if you don’t know what to look for.”

The Myriad officers now charged with their teen babies saw the issue with the three young men and accepted the hands reluctantly.

“Ready when you are, officers.” Rain gestured for the Myriad to lead the way and the group fell in around him and the three boys.

Algernon didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want the attention of the Myriad, a life dodging around the law saw to that. But as they were heading to the Quiet Cabal, he guessed that he could just hang back and follow them in. Not wanting to lose sight of the group, Algernon failed to look around him before stepping out of his hiding place and walked right into a man ladened down with parcels and bags. Boxes crashed to the ground, and the man yelled in surprise and shockat the young man who suddenly appeared in front of him. The Myriad as one turned to investigate the disturbance.

Now with an angry man yelling at him, the Myriad’s eyes on him and the whole plaza suddenly aware of his presence, Algernon panicked. Dropping the boxes he had been able to save, Algernon just turned and started walking briskly away. He’d seen somewhere that whistling was good in moments like these. He tried and failed, having never picked up the knack and tried humming a tuneless something instead.

Across the plaza, Rain was facepalming.

Oh, Brother.

Silently two of the Myriad peeled off from accompanying duty and brought their weapons to bear. People in the plaza got out of their way as wide barreled cannons faced the escaping suspect and fired. Two globs of white foam rocketed across the plaza hitting Algernon in the back and pushing him into a nearby wall. The foam quickly expanded, sticking to arms and legs so even if he could pry himself from the wall, he wouldn’t be able to run far. The Myriad walked up, surrounding him.

“Why are you following us? Explain yourself?” Said one holding his cannon arm up to Algernon’s face making it very clear what he would get if he didn’t comply.

“I wasn’t, I was following him-” He gestured with his head, currently the only free part of his body, back at Rain and the babies.

“And you were hiding, why?”

“Because you were there,” Algernon replied truthfully.

“Why are you worried about us?”

“Authority figures,”

Across the plaza, Rain had caught the attention of the senior officer,

“Officers, I’m afraid he’s also with me,” He dragged Harold around to face the officer, “I’m sure you can see the resemblance with these three.”

The officer acknowledged the information and sent a third up to where Algernon hung on the wall like a tiny insect caught in tree sap.

“He’s to come too,” The third Myriad said when he arrived at the wall, and all three officers entered a code on their weaponised arms and jets of liquid sprayed out dissolving the foam. “You are under arrest. Resistance will be countered with force and will count against you in front of the magistrates…”

A few moments later, a sopping wet and bound Algernon still trailing globs of dissolving foam and his three Myriad joined Rain and the triplets.

“Hi Rain, “ Algernon said casually as if not surrounded by five enormous power armoured individuals.

“Hi,” Rain smiled wanly, ”When I called you to come and help…” The Myriad started moving out again, and Rain pulled Harold around so he could walk beside Algernon.

“Well…” Was Algernon’s only response.

“Yeah…” The only required reply.

Entry in the Tower of the Quiet Cabal took longer than it would normally. First Rain’s story was checked and quickly verified with Tazaquth, the rotund head of security. Qiqabee expected him and the three boys in the Labs. Then, they checked Algernon’s story. Tazaquth, who had his suspicions about the boy since suspecting him of hacking into the Quiet Cabal’s files, took a particular interest in the Myriad’s report.

“He is with the Earthlings…” He hesitated, “You say he tried to hide from you? Why?”
“The suspect confessed to having a fear of authority figures. Maybe some sort of phobia or psychosis,” Replied the officer.

“I will need to take this to Tabaseth,” Tazaquth decided and kept the whole group waiting in the foyer while he conferred with his superior. It gave Rain and Algernon a chance to talk under the guise of looking after the boys.

All three quickened, Rain informed Algernon about the translation back. It was as if they knew something important was happening but didn’t know how to interact with it.

Interesting, I wonder if she brought that on, Algernon mused both of them knowing full well who she was. Rain quickly replied emotion colouring his message.

She never gave you boys anything. The words came through so forceful their force brought tears to Algernon’s eyes. She only ever took. Took your families, your childhoods, your memories…

How about our particle physics knowledge, He countered Rain’s emotional response with reason.

Not even that, you worked hard for what you know, And Rain’s demeanour changed, Ha, I broke into Mortimer’s tablet, he never made more than a D- on any of his physics homework.

Really? Now Algernon was pleased, I at least made D+.

Tabaseth eventually came down and took personal responsibility for Algernon and his continued good behaviour. He was needed in the labs.

Peggy and Bruce were deep into discussions when all five were delivered.

“Are you so sure it’s a great idea to let him stick whatever he likes into his head?” Bruce asked as Peggy glanced and incomprehensible strings of data and nodded.

“Do you think there’s a problem?” She replied unconcerned.

What have you been up to? Rain glanced at Algernon whose whole body language shifted as if he’d been caught once more by the Myriad.

Nothing.

Look, you put whatever you want into your own head. It’s the whole point of all this, the right to choose. But give the boys the same break.

Whatever do you mean? It was apparent Algernon had added to the programming not just for himself but also for the triplets. Rain was about to criticise Algernon for wanting to play with other minds like Doctor Strangelove when he overheard Peggy continue her conversation with Bruce.

“Regardless, the young ones are going to need a good mental map, a framework on which to build their personalities and memories. I thought we could use a scan of your brain, Bruce as that foundational groundwork.”

“No problems, Doc.” Bruce agreed, pleased to be part of the program to help the boys, “Hey, that’d make me their Godfather”.

“No, “ Rain butted in all smiles and waving hands, “You can’t use Bruce’s brain as a basis of the program for the boys.”

“Why not, he’s the best example of a stable human male we have. He has a decent, ethical base and has good judgement.”

“Ah, but he wasn’t, was he. After the battle in the space station. He was depressed. His thoughts were spiralling, and he wasn’t listening to rational argument,” Rain caught Bruce’s eye. He could see that what he was saying was getting nowhere with Bruce who’d always had the uncanny ability to see through his deceptions.

“Yes, he’d just shot a kid, he was having a tough time coping at the moment.” She looked at Bruce, “But he’s much improved now, aren’t you, Bruce?”

“Yep, even had a chat with Mortimer yesterday, cleared up a few things.” Bruce nodded. He certainly seemed more himself, “And then, of course, I know you always have my back, so I don’t see what I have to worry about.”

There it was. Rain hadn’t imagined it before, the phrase he’d seeded in Bruce’s mind.

“Ah, Peggy. I wonder if I…I could have a word with y…you in private,” He stuttered and could feel Bruce’s accusing eyes on him, “If you don’t mind.”

“Oh, very well.” Peggy’s metal box floated out of the lab and Rain followed after wondering how he was going to explain this one.

“So, why can’t we use Bruce?”

“As I said, Bruce was depressed. I didn’t know if he was going to be okay to take on the secret lab and we had such a short time frame.”

“Yes,”

“And he wasn’t listening. And I felt the Strange just there, ready for me to use and so I…pushed him.”

“You what?”
“I pushed him using the Strange,”

“So? You pushed Algernon into answering your questions. It had no permanent effect. I would think that Bruce would be…”

“No, it wasn’t the same,” Now Rain struggled for words. Bruce’s shadow fell over the doorway and Rain quickly lowered his voice, “It wasn’t a suggestion… a command to do a certain action. This was a fundamental and core belief. I implanted a phrase and somehow changed the way he thinks.”

Now Peggy was concerned, “And what was this phrase?”
Rain winced, it was almost painful to express it now, “That I always have his back.”

“Oh,”

“Yes!” Rain exclaimed and had to physically restrain himself and put both hands in front of his mouth, “Bruce himself seems to be doing okay, but what if that got into the boys, with no knowledge or experience to balance it out?”

“But are you sure it’s still affecting him?”

“You just heard him say it. It’s still in there.”

Peggy whirled for a moment, internal mechanisms contemplating the next Rational move.

“We’ll just have to break him of the programming. You will have to confess what you did.”

“I had intended to…eventually when we were back on Earth… and there was professional help.”

“Well, we’ll just have to see what we can do right now.” And Peggy glided back up the hall and returned to the labs.

Taking a long shuddering breath, Rain followed.

“Bruce, I want you to think ..:” Peggy was already talking as Rain slunk in behind her, “Is there anything you wouldn’t trust Rain with?”
“Well I wouldn’t trust him to lie straight in bed, but he’s always had my back,” Bruce replied glancing from Peggy back to Rain hoping one of them would explain what’s going on.

“But surely there’s been a time when you couldn’t trust him?”

“Look Doc, he’s a self-serving liar, but when things are tough, I know he’s always got my back.”

“Oh the gods, I’ve broken Bruce!” Wailed Rain who crumbled into a pile on the floor, his head in his hands.

“What’s this about, Doc?” Bruce now asked, trying to understand what the problem.

“I think you’re blind to Rain’s faults. I wonder, please repeat the following line; Rain will help if he can,”
“Rain will help if he can because he always has my back.”

Peggy sighed, Rain whimpered, and Algernon just watched once more stunned by the stupidity of humans.

“Rain, “ Bruce sat in a nearby chair so he could get down to the same level, “Tell me, what did you do that was so bad?”

“You were so broken after the battle. I didn’t know if you’d be able to tackle the lab with us. I was scared. So, I used the Strange to push the idea that I will always have your back into your mind.”

“Huh.” Bruce thought for a moment, “You did that, in the conversation we had here…”

“Before going out to the lab, yes.”

“Huh,” Bruce said again.

Rain looked up to see Bruce just staring into space. Rain didn’t dare do or say anything; he just sat and watched as his friend mulled over the phrase in his mind. It was like he sounded out each thought to see if they rang true.

“I think…it’s gone.” Bruce finally said.

“It’s gone?”

“The thing is, I really do believe you’ve got my back.”

Rain’s head sank back onto his knees with a groan.

“But I’ve thought that for a while.” Bruce continued, “Like, you gave the idea words, but I’ve thought that well before the conversation, probably since Dreamland.”

Rain shook his head, the concept that anyone would trust him, trust him with their lives even was incomprehensible. In the end, he let go a deep breath and picked himself off the floor.

“We’ll talk about this later,” Bruce said sternly before getting up himself.

“Yes, Dad,” Rain replied with a wavering smile.

“And…thank you.” Bruce put his strong hand on his friend’s thin shoulder. Speechless, Rain found a corner to contemplate Bruce’s words as the work of creating the mind patches began in earnest.

First, Bruce was wired up to the brain scanners used on Algernon and asked a series of questions that helped draw out his core beliefs, ethical base and general knowledge. The scans recorded and saved as programmable data.

Next, they made two different overlays. One for Algernon and Mortimer who had fully integrated minds and memories but needed the mind blocks removed. Mortimer also had a lot of brainwashing that needed removing. In contrast, Algernon had spectacularly removed his own, at least in part, in an electro-magnetic pulse a few days before. The triplets, on the other hand, needed a leg up to bring their minds into sync with their bodies. Bruce’s base would provide the foundational knowledge for them to build upon while not restraining their own growing personalities.

It was as she scanned once more through the triplets patches that she noticed the first of Algernon’s additions. Buried deep in the programming were sets of passwords, override commands. What the passwords were linked to she couldn’t tell. So, instead of removing all the codes, she simply changed the passwords. Now that she knew what she was looking for, the next pass, she found another set and changed those passwords as well.

But not before she flew across the room and slapped him in the back of the head with an extendable metal rod.

“You are banned from anything to do with the coding for the triplets. Add what you like to your own brain but do not tinker with others without express permission.” And she smacked him again for good measure.

Algernon went to protest when he heard Rain in his head.

Accept you were sprung and move on. Just as Rain got Peggy’s attention.

“Speaking of which, has anyone asked Mortimer if he accepts the treatment?”

They’d all been so busy working out if they could rewrite all the boys that no one had thought to ask Mortimer if they should.

“I should probably lead that discussion,” Peggy volunteered, taking everyone by surprise, “Are you coming Rain?”

Pulling up a bundle of colourful pamphlets, he followed.

Mortimer was exercising in the limited space of his room when Peggy and Rain entered. He quickly stood by his bed, like a soldier on Bootcamp and awaited orders. Peggy took a position opposite the bed and gestured for him to take a seat. Mortimer glanced once at Rain, who now took the only chair and sat down, cradling a bundle of paper. Mortimer obvious didn’t consider either a threat and sat down.

“I feel I should introduce myself. My name is Doctor Margarita Athena Portaculis Martin.”

“That should mean what to me?” He rotated his shoulder, flexing the joint. Peggy and Rain could both see the dressing on that shoulder.

“Nothing, we are quite aware that Doctor Strangelove did not trust you with her secrets.”

Mortimer’s eyes flicked from Rain to Peggy and back again, his head jerked up as he suddenly realised who sat before him.

“You were at the fight. I saw you, running and hiding behind others,” He pointed at Rain who bowed and mimed doffing a hat in confirmation, “And you too, but you were…different. Not this drone, you were…like a trooper of some sort.” He flicked back to Peggy, and she too nodded. “You opposed the Glory of Doctor Strangelove?”

You could almost see the hackles raise. Mortimer couldn’t stand because that would put him closer to Peggy, but he widenedthe position of his feet, his back straightened and his hands gripped the bed, ready to launch himself into an attack.

“That makes up enemies.”
“Not necessarily, “ Peggy replied coolly giving no energy to the conversation, “You see, I know very little about the Glory of Strangelove…”

“How could you not know!” Mortimer interrupted, astounded to hear that anyone could be so ignorant.

“I do, however, know how she made you. The technology. The science behind it.” Peggy continued as if Mortimer hadn’t cut in.

Rain growled something about “…stripping the life…” but didn’t join in the conversation.

“It was suitably glorious from my point of view.” The boast seemed a mechanical thing with no passion behind it. Just something learnt like please, thank you and pardon me. It was ignored, and Peggy continued.

“Genetically we are very similar, you and I.”

The head cocked again, unable to make sense of where Peggy’s statement was going.

“Our DNA is a match.” Peggy simplified, but still, the importance of her message was lost.

“Can you explain that less cryptically?” Mortimer relaxed a little, more curious than concerned about these two enemies in his room.

Peggy sighed, an achievement for a floating box and hologram.

“I’m trying. We share genetic material. I am not a clone, and neither are you. We are both children of the same two people from Earth.”

It came as something of a surprise to the Mortimer, who, like Algernon, had probably assumed himself to be a clone of Doctor Strangelove.

“We are the same material from very different backgrounds. I was born and raised naturally on Earth. You were grown in a laboratory. But, that connection exists, and it creates an obligation for me. An obligation to protect and help you.”

“Help me how?” He replied quickly, seeing an opportunity where before had only been enemies.

“To offer you the opportunity to make choices unaffected by Doctor Strangelove or me. To enable you to have free will without influence.”

“What influence?”

“Doctor Strangelove.”

“What has the Doctor got to do with it? She’s not here.”

Peggy looked to Rain for help. He just smiled and gestured for her to continue. She turned back to Mortimer.

“You are not Doctor Strangelove, are you?” She asked, changing tack.

Mortimer searched both Peggy and Rain, looking for a clue to where this was going.

“No,”
“No, of course not. You are not Doctor Strangelove, and it is correct that you should have different ideas, thoughts and points of view from her.”

He looked at her as if she’d spoken some sort of treason. At the same time, he was thinking, taking it in.

“Is this acceptable?” Peggy asked as if her illustration explained everything.

“I don’t understand,” And it looked like he wanted to, looked like this was something that had been preying on his mind.

Peggy had run out of words. She turned once more, this time pleading for help.

“Rain?”

Rain leaned in, now full attention centred on the boy. The body language didn’t seem threatening to the boy, but neither was it friendly.

“Peggy wants to help you in a way Doctor Strangelove would never have. To Strangelove, you were one of her many pets, her toys that she threw into the world to see what they could find out.”

“Pet? An unusual turn of phrase…” He tried to dismiss the metaphor as some weird joke, but Rain would not be put off.

“Pets, I said. You saw Algernon. He fought you, remember? He was Strangelove’s toy before you. And before him was one called Horatio and before him, another called Balthazar. Balthazar only lasted three years in her service before he died. This was going to be your fate, as well. This was what your glorious mistress made you for, nothing more. Now Peggy wants to give you more, the chance to choose your own fate, not be thrown around by the machinations of one person, no matter how glorious.”

Something clicked. Something between Mortimer’s experience and what they said made sense and suddenly a passion appeared in his eyes.

“I want that. I want to make choices, I accept…” He said before his eyelids fluttered closed and Mortimer pitched forward in a dead faint. Rain was ready and grabbed him before he hit the ground.

“And there it is.” He said, gently cradling the boys head as he leaned him back on his mattress.

“Good, we’ll start preparations immediately.” Peggy started moving back towards the door.

“Good work Peggy, well-argued,” Rain said, putting the chair back at the small table.

“I…I didn’t know what to say but logic and reason.” She stuttered, uncomfortable under the praise as usual, “You seemed to say more with fewer words.”

“Sometimes, I think reason and logic are underrated. I could probably do with a little less emotion, at times” He shrugged as Mortimer stirred from his faint.

“Wha…?”
“Something that won’t be happening in the future. Here, for you.” Rain smiled and handed the stack of pamphlets over to Mortimer. Slowly, Mortimer took the stack and flicked through them, their colourful superhero in action poses, their titles shouting in bold block print each hero’s name.

“But…how did you know?” He looked at Rain now, not with the dead eyes of a sociopath but with child-like innocence and surprise.

“Don’t you know, “ Rain said, following Peggy out the door, “All Earth kids love comic books.”

The programs were checked and rechecked by Peggy and Qiqabee. The first and simplest from a programming perspective, the triplets were brought in one by one. As their programs loaded into their minds, Algernon, Rain and Bruce stood to one side and trying to not get in the way.

“So you changed the passwords then?” Algernon asked in seeming innocence. Rain gave him a look, sensing the duplicity. So did Peggy who swooped passed, slapping him in the back of the head again.

“And no reading my mind!” She barked, and Algernon slumped back against the wall, confirming all their suspicions.

“Say, these guys are going to need names,” Rain said, deflecting the attention from his wayward brother, “I’ve been calling them Thomas, Richard and Harold, but they could probably do better. I’d love to suggest Bruce Willis, but Bruce, of course, is already taken.” He looked at Bruce.

“There can always be more Bruces in the world.” Bruce replied, “I won’t mind sharing.”

“Possibly the boys themselves can choose?” Peggy asked, and everyone seemed happy to wait until they were ready to decide for themselves.

When the programming was deemed a success, the three boys were asked what they would like to be called. The taller two were happy with Thomas and Richard that Rain had been calling them since they could remember, but Harold wasn’t so sure.

“Of course he isn’t, the pipsqueak is never satisfied,” Rain taunted, and ex-Harold took the bait.

“I am not short!”

“You’re shorter than me. Finally, I have someone to look down on.”

“Oh yeah,” The boy went chest to chest with Rain and stood on tiptoes to look him in the eye. Impressed, Rain looked down to see the boy wasn’t touching the ground, but floating several inches above the carpet. He glanced over at Algernon, who smiled sweetly in return.

“Oh, I see, ganging up on me now. Okay then, munchkin, what would you like your name to be?”

“Maybe something French, like Pierre?” Bruce chimed in.

“Peter? Do you want to be known as a rock?” Rain

“His father’s name is John, possibly Jean?” Peggy suggested, and the boy seemed to like the sound.

“Or Jean-Luc?” Algernon smiled, and the boy instantly fell for the new combination.

“Yes, I want to be Jean-Luc.”

And so it was that Thomas, Richard and Jean-Luc Martin were born officially, in the lab of the Quiet Cabal Tower of Harmonious, Ruk.

Mortimer and Algernon’s programming was shorter, only affecting the blocks and programming already established.

“I…do feel different…like there are possibilities, opportunities,” Mortimer said excitedly to the group. Algernon did not volunteer any feelings, but after all their efforts, Rain wasn’t going to let him get away without at least one test before returning to Earth.

“Algernon, tell me what you know about plantvores, please?” He said and watched for any sign of blanking on the question or fainting altogether.

“Oh terrible things, they tear and gobble up whole planets and stuff like that,” Algernon replied without any side-effects. If anything, he seemed to take joy in the description of the destruction.

So it was all seven translated back to Peggy’s lab at the Estate, in Seattle on a winter’s morning. John and Athena were on the campus, and Rain was keen to bring the whole family together for the first time. As the group expected, Peggy tried to sneak off as they started walking across the commons to the visitors centre. Without a word, Rain came up beside Peggy and looped an arm through hers.

“You know you’re going to have to meet your parents someday, why not today with all the excitement of the boys to distract from you?” Rain asked as Peggy tried vainly to break free.

“Yeah, why don’t you want to meet them?” Bruce added, also having spotted the escape and stood on her the other side.

Boxed in, with no place to go, Peggy’s usual hard shell dissolved. She shrank physically against her two companions, and her voice became small and timid.

“They were gone.”

“They could do nothing about that, “ Rain replied, unsure where this new timid Peggy had come from, “They would have come back if they could, you know that.”

“Exactly, I”m not the same.” Peggy was almost in tears, and all Rain could do was laugh.

“They know that. I don’t say it won’t be a shock, but your parents know how brilliant you are and how hard you tried to find them.”

“Didn’t,” She confessed brokenly, and the tears rolled down her face, unchecked, “I tried to find the Rockwheelers, not them. They were gone.”

“Ah Peggy, “ He came in tight and hugged her arm, not a move he would normally try for fear of grave physical injury, “What a mess we are. Be thankful they’re back, they’re here, and they love you.”

“How can they, they don’t know me,” The ugly balling began in earnest and Rain looked up to Bruce for the right thing to say.

“Because they’re your parents. Family, right?”

Rain nodded and slowly between her two friends, behind the entourage of her new brothers, Peggy went to see her mother and father for the first time in twenty years.

“You know the best thing about all this is?” Bruce asked later as they whole group chatted and got to know each other, “Algernon doesn’t have an excuse for calling me dad anymore.”

“Ah, but I always will,” Rain smiled and held out his arms for a hug, which Bruce ignored.

Over the next few weeks, the group were busy settling the Martins into their new lives in Seattle. With a little goading by Rain, the Estate set up John and Athena in Seattle’s suburbs where they could raise Thomas, Richard and Jean-Luc to fit into human society. Mortimer was put on probation with the Estate itself. His mix of skills and intellect were highly prized, but he needed to prove his loyalty first. He seemed keen to make good on this first big break and was already carving a niche for himself within the latest crop of recruits.

A note for Peggy arrived from Noel sometime the first week. He was sorry to hear that business got in the way of them meeting up, but that he understood. He would be out on operations for the next few weeks but would be back within the month, and maybe they could meet up then. Rain took this as a good sign, which Peggy seemingly ignored.

Rain also sent a note to Horatio, the eldest of the Doctor Strangelove experiments, in Jir via the Quiet Cabal.

Horatio,

Condolences on your loss.

I want you to know that you are not alone, but one of many brilliant young men who are now making lives for themselves. I hope you may be able to do the same.

If you wish to get in touch with them, please forward any correspondence through the Quiet Cabal.

A Friend.

Rain had one more task. It was time to face up to himself. Catching a quiet moment with Bruce, he guided them both towards the hospital and psychology unit.

“Let’s go to the councillor, you and me.”

Bruce looked down at his smaller friend, a perplexed smile, making him look more relaxed, younger and happier than he had since they’d met.

“I’m right, better than new.”

Rain nodded, realising the truth, “That’s great. Because I’m not, ” He sighed deeply and the weight of his anxieties hampered his steps. He ground to a halt, “I haven’t been for a while.”

“Okay, let go.” And the two men walked side by side through the weak winter light towards what they both hoped would be a better new year.

33. Once and future

The near-empty secret base of Doctor Strangelove is almost complete. Not having found the Martins or the research notes is concerning as the party moved back into the passageways for the last few rooms.

***********************************************************************

From the Powerplant, the party headed back to the fork in the passage and took the path leading to the living quarters. As they travelled, Rain was growing concerned they would ever find the two objectives for the mission: the Doctor’s notes and the Martins. Clearing his thought of nothing but the Allsong, he asked it a simple question,

Are Doctor Strangelove’s notes here?

Where the research notes were, so would the subjects of her experiments.

Yes, Came back the emphatic reply. He let the others know what he’d found out.

Peggy silently asked a question of the Strange,

Where are John and Athena Martin? She waited, but either because of the chaotic matrix of organic metal around them or because of her own fragmented thoughts, the Strange did not reply.

Up ahead, a locked door marked the start of the living spaces in the facility. As the party walked the path to the door, Algernon’s memory became clearer of what lay beyond. He could visualise the short hallway containing two more doors. Off to the left, a door led to what used to be his room. Straight ahead, the other to Doctor Strangelove’s private chambers. He remembered once sneaking through the second door to a lounge space and kitchen area before getting caught and marched back to his room. Only one biometric locked door stood between him and that past now.

Raising his hand, he discovered it rimmed in black cracking energy that matched his mood of trepidation.

That’s new, Rain said spotting the startling effect sizzling across Algernon’s palm, What is it?

Algernon consciously brushed aside his fears, and the black energy disappeared, I don’t know, He replied, determined to find out at the first chance.

He pressed his now normal-looking hand against the pad, unsure the scanner would still respond to him.

*Click* the lock opened. Taking point, Bruce steps in first, followed by the floating Peggy. Rain followed and looked back to see Algernon peering around the corner of the doorframe.

“Lend us a hand, kid,” Called Bruce, gesturing to another palm scanner, “Get it.”

“This is a trap,” Algernon murmured before stepping into the hallway himself.

*Click* All three doors locked and everyone could hear hissing from vents above their heads.

“See, I told you it was a trap.”

Floated up to the vent, Peggy tried to stop the thick white gas at the source. Without a cutting implement she couldn’t get access. The gas rolled down out of the vent in white waterfalls, quickly filling the room. Now Algernon’s black energy appeared on command around both his hands,. He placed them against the door that was once his room and instantly the material that made the door began turning to dust. He brushed his hands over the surface to create a hole the approximate size of a human (or at least one his size) and lept through the hole. Inside it was as he remembered, a bed, a wardrobe and a small desk. Rain followed quickly after, and the two of them stripped the bed of the mattress, as Bruce struggled through the hole too small for his large frame. Immune to the gas, Peggy alone stayed outside and tried to work out how to shut it off. As soon as Bruce was safely in the room, the mattress was unceremoniously stuffed in the hole, blocking the worst effects of the gas.

What sort of gas do you think it is? Rain asked Algernon and then started searching the Allsong for options based on the colour and its qualities.

I’m not sure…Algernon started searching as well before hearing clicking and then the arc of electricity as it formed a spark.

MOVE! He grabbed Rain and dragged him out of the way of the doorway.

*WHOMP!* The sound and the shockwave hit at once, propelling the mattress across the room to hit the wall on the far side. A gout of flame followed, incinerating everything in its path. Rain was smacked in the back of the head by the mattress, but otherwise unscathed. Thankful he wasn’t burnt alive by the fireball he turned to face Algernon,

Thanks, He blinked as Algernon checked the room and realised a person missing.

“Doctor Peggy?”

Bruce, who escaped the projectile mattress and fireball by inches, scrambled out the door and started searching for Peggy in the debris. He returned moments later with the dented Peggy-box. It sparked and sizzled randomly, her voice only just identifiable over the static of her tinny speaker.

“Ow! You’re poking me!

He knocked on the metal casing, “Do you need any assistance?” He grinned mischievously

“Yes, ow! ”

‘Sorry, I don’t usually heal machines. What seems to be the injury,” Bruce placed her on the still smouldering study desk in Algernon’s old room.

“Ow, you moron, I can’t move just yet,” Peggy grumbled as she assessed her mechanical injuries,” Did you really need to shake me up quite so much?”

“It worked, didn’t it?” Bruce chuckled, backhandedly trying to cheer up his awkward patient.

As Bruce and Peggy traded insults, Rain looked around the room. If this had once been Algernon’s room presumably, it would now belong to the new kid. Maybe there was something personal that would give a hint to his name and personality. Sure enough, as soon as Rain opened the bedside table, he found a metal scroll. Unrolling it, a flexible screen lit up asking for a password.

Yours or his? He asked Algernon who picked up the scroll and flipped it over. Algernon had owned a tablet computer much like this when he lived here, one of his very few personal possessions. When he read the serial number on the back, the numbers didn’t match his memory. This was the usurper’s. He handed it back to Rain with a shake of his head.

His.

Now sure it belonged to the still-unnamed kid, Rain pocketed the scroll for later unlocking and viewing.

As Rain and Algernon spent a few moments searching the tiny room, Peggy regained control of her motor functions and followed Bruce back out into the hallway. Here, he was checking the next door and found it similar to the first. He was about to attack it with his crowbar when Peggy’s voice sparked over the speaker,

“You’ll not make much of a dent in that door, I can see the metal plates where the locking pins are going into the floor,” She pointed out with a laser pointer from inside her box.

“I know what I’m doing,” Bruce boasted with a cocky grin, “I’m a specialist in smashing!” And, finding a place to wedge his crowbar, started straining against the door. As Peggy had predicted, the door didn’t budge.

But this time Algernon and Rain had given up on the room and were watching Bruce’s attempt at the door. He stepped back to gain another view of the obstruction as Rain reached out and touched him on the shoulder,

“A simple door will not stop you, Bruce,” He said quietly as he pushed the Strange into Bruce,” I believe in you.”
“Bruce jolted and stepped up to the door once more. He braced the crowbar further down the floor, gaining the advantage of pulling it up as well as across the doorway. Getting a good grip, he strained. Veins bulged along his forehead, neck and arms as the mechanical work of his muscles were augmented by the Strange. Bruce roared with the effort; at the same time, the door also groaned. The end was short and abrupt, and something finally gave way. There was a sharp snapping sound, and the door pushed aside revealing the next room.

Bruce turned to face Rain with a manic grin on his face, “I know you have my back, Rain.” He said panting from the exertion.

Rain nodded and shivered as he heard his own words echoed back to him. It wasn’t the sentiment that was at fault, so much as it wasn’t Bruce’s sentiment.

“Er…yeah,” He replied and quickly followed Bruce into the room.

As Bruce stepped through the threshold of the room a piece of metal as wide as Rain’s wrist slipped out a hole in the doorframe and fell to the floor with a clang. Picking it up, Bruce looked back to the doorway and saw a similar pin sheered off at floor level. He stared from one to the other solid metal pins in shock, then flexed in front of the other, revelling in his own power.

Throwing the pin aside, he strode into a well-appointed lounge room complete with a wall-sized monitor in front of a comfortable form-fitting chair. The decor was simple and elegant, the intellectuals inner sanctum. Off to one side, a small kitchenette with microwave-like device and fridge stood ready to provide a ready supply of tasty meals. Off the lounge, another door seemed to head to a bedroom.

Rain was still a little woozy from the explosion. He plopped down into the chair and searched for a remote. He found another scrolling tablet computer, locked with a password. Pocketing that little find, he settled down for a rest as the others searched the lounge and kitchen for clues about where to go next.

Peggy was floated in the kitchen staring at a blank piece of wall. It seemed odd to her, an empty portion of wall in a small carefully thought out kitchen. At least it should have a handle. She pointed it out to Algernon. They considered the idea of a secret door and Algernon started pulling the panel off a hand scanner to get to the computer systems inside.

“I can help with that,” Bruce said and grabbed the sensor and yanked it off the wall. The cavity popped and sizzled as an anti-tamper trigger set off a small explosion. Black smoke started pouring from the hole.

“I think I’ll stick to doors,” He said and headed over to the bedroom.

This door wasn’t as hard as the first. Bruce quickly broke through into the very comfortable bedroom of Doctor Strangelove. After the barren little quarters of her minion outside, the comfort was ostentatious, but only by comparison. Rain wandered in after Bruce and checked the space for notes. There were none. It seemed to him that this space was for rest and not work and that they would have to look further if they were to find her research.

But there was nowhere else, except the blank piece of wall.

“She would have a control mechanism, a computer or tablet that she opened the secret door with,” Algernon mused, looking around the sparse space for just such a device. That was when Rain remembered the scroll tablet he’d found on the chair and handed it over.

Algernon looked at the tablet and recognised it as the same model as his own. He fiddled with the tablet a moment, remembering a back door into this series of devices and the tablet unlocked. Icons were organised under several subjects: science journals, building status alerts (it seemed all the icons were blinking under that heading) and Office Access: Locked.

Algernon pushed the last, and the black piece of wall slid aside to reveal a set of stairs going down.

Peggy flew through the hole and down into darkness. Bruce, holding his crowbar ready against attack, followed. Algernon and Rain found things to wedge under the door to keep it open before also following down into the darkness.

The stairs circled around and down, emptying into a D-shaped room dominated by a semicircular control panel and chair. An array of monitors their screens blank and empty. A door stood opposite the stairs.

“Algernon, get down here!” Peggy yelled up the stairwell.

“Yes, yes…” Came the exasperated reply as Algernon trudged down the stairs to face a very familiar set up.

He had no memory of being here before. Everything past the metal door was new to him, but the technology was familiar. He soon had the control panel booting and displaying a series of document files.

Complex information

Beacon Network

Log of specimens:

1. Balthazar

2. Horatio

3. Algernon

4. Mortimer

5. New Candidates

“Look, the kid’s name is Mortimer, “Rain read over Algernon’s shoulder, “And another Balthazar.” Referring to Algernon’s middle name. Algernon only nodded and sat down in the chair facing the monitor. Beside his hand was a headband that he knew was the equivalent of a VR headset. Picking it up, he placed it on his head and chose Balthazar.

Balthazar:

Genetic makeup

Physical

Date of service

Date of death

The genetic makeup information was as suspected, the result of a male and female kidnapped from Earth. She suspected that agents with human genetic markers would pass through security with ease. She’d selected the two individuals for their intellect. There was no mention of them being quickened. Sadly, the difference in the date of service and date of death was only three years. His death was only two years before Algernon’s memories began.

Algernon flipped next to Horatio’s who seemed to start in service a week after Balthazar’s death and was surprisingly still alive and working in Jir. He was more intelligent than Balthazar and had become something of a steward for Doctor Lovelace, managing her affairs when she wasn’t around. He was transferred to Jir a week before Algernon’s service date.

He opened his own file and saw his date of service two years before. As smart as Horatio with the added feature of “…not always being away that he was working for me…”, an innovative feature for a spy. The program that had modified his memory was saved here. Creating a private space in the Allsong, Algernon started uploading every file he found.

One note described how she’d staged a lab accident so she could smuggle him to Earth without the other Ruk factions finding out. Her last message in his file was regarding the beacons, “…transmitting useful information, significant success…”

He opened the Mortimer file and saw the Date of Service was during his first week on Earth. While they hunted out Spiral Dust sellers, Mortimer was coming online. He had been through a similar process to Algernon and would be sent out in six to twelve months to an unknown location.

In the last folder were only two entries: Two fully mature, in stasis.

One currently growing.

From what he could determine, Algernon believed the third specimen was the equivalent to an eight or nine years old child.

He next moved to the Beacon Network folder and entered. There he found several entries under his and Balthazar’s names.

Balthazar:

1. This was a first-person view of a metal-walled hallway as someone was running down it, and hiding in a small alcove where he started talking.

“ I’m on a large spacecraft. I heard that it has an impressive main weapon that can destroy whole planets. They call it a Death Star. This could be useful, Mistress.”

The voice sounded young and scared and alone. Algernon quickly flicked to the second file.

2. The view was inside a wooden shack. The beacon picked up light from outside filtered through the cracks in the wood panelling and the rapid breathing of someone terrified.

“I’m scared Mistress. This place is full of zombie creatures, and mad-man has captured me…I think he’s going to kill me…” There was a creaking sound and the camera angle shifted to the door. A silhouette of a man now stands in the open door, a machete also clearly silhouetted. The voice screams out for its mistress and then, silence.

Algernon shuddered, he had seen Balthazar’s death first-hand, almost felt it. She had watched this. She had watched him die and just went and made another minion as if it didn’t matter. Shakily, he reached out for the three files under his name.

Algernon:

1. Algernon found himself back in the garage of Peggy’s house outside New Orleans. It was exactly as it had been back then. The machine, a jumble of monitors and scrounged computers and other scientific equipment arrayed around the space. It was odd, as he’d seen that same equipment in the centre of Peggy’s lab only a few days ago. Stepping out, he checked the next file.

2. And just like that he was back at the Estate amongst the lab tables and equipment of Peggy’s lab, the machine just where he remembered it. Stepping out, he knew where the third would lead.

3. Sure enough, he was amongst the force-fielded exhibits of Ni’Challan’s collection in the Graveyard of the Machine god. He looked around, unsure how the Doctor had discovered the fragment of a planetvore here as it was nowhere. He shrugged, assuming she’d sent a probe to investigate later and left the memory.

It was a very sober Algernon who relayed all he’d found in the Beacons archive, including the death of Balthazar. Checking all the files were saved to the Allsong, Algernon now opened the last folder headed Complex Information.

A full schematic of the secret base appeared including information on each room and what they contained. The metal-clad creatures in the mud were called Wailing diggers and were something of pets to Doctor Strangelove. They were intelligent and were useful for simple retrieval missions. The Doctor had sent them to Earth via an inapposite gate to abduct the two donors for her grand experiment.

“They’re Peggy’s Rockwheelers!” Rain exclaimed, making Peggy jump.

“Really?” She said surprised, “I never really believed that I’d find the actual creatures behind my parents’ kidnapping.”

Below the complex, a series of tanks and piping were simply labelled, Gas plant. Lines of piping led from the main tank throughout the complex including in the Powerplant, the High Energy Lab and the hallway to the living quarters. Algernon surmised this was where the explosive gas was made and distributed throughout the complex. A ready-made bomb placed for them to set off. He showed the others and together concocted the final escape. Failing the one-way valves set up for safety in piping, he set the triggers on a timer. Several hours from leaving the base, the whole landscape of the wastelands was going to have a bad day.

He found the security system for the complex, and with a little help from Rain, on the Allsong, they found a suitable image of someone mooning a camera. This became the last and only image that the security of Doctor Strangelove’s security system recorded as it set on a loop for every camera. Now feeling a little more secure, Algernon directed his attention to the room beyond the door in this control centre. Here the three boys were kept as well as two large sarcophagus shaped structures just labeled Donor 1 and Donor 2.

Algernon entered the program to open the door and found it once more passworded. Even here, in the secret of secrets, the Doctor still kept things locked away. His first attempt to override the password failed. He paused to contemplate what she would have used to protect her life’s work. A hand touched his back, and a jolt of energy course through him. His questing thoughts became action as his mind searched for the correct combination, and found it.

A click and the last door unlocked.

Everyone leapt to individual tasks. Peggy floated straight into the room and to the two sarcophagi. Through thickly frosted windows, she could make out her parents faces, just as she remembered them, more than twenty years previous. She gasped and floated back realising that right now and in this place, she was not ready for them to see her. Unable or unwilling to think about a reunion, she focused her efforts on understanding the cryogenic sarcophagus and how to release them.

Rain walked in behind her, taking in the enormity of the task. Two parents trapped in time, three nearly fully grown adult infants.

“Do we try to save the specimens?” Algernon asked from the control room.

“I tend to leave those questions to Rain,” Bruce replied, and called through the door, “What do you say?”

Rain spun slowly around, watching as the two young men and boy floated unawares in their liquid-filled chambers. When he reached the door, Bruce was waiting expectantly for his decision.

“Please,” Rain said simply, “We have to try.”

“Okay then,” Bruce set off up the stairs looking for clothing and other useful items while Algernon started shutting down the incubator chambers and releasing the boys.

Peggy’s own penchant for mad science was coming in handy as she worked her way through the complicated steps and procedures required to open the sarcophagus safely. With a self-satisfied beep and a hiss of escaping gas, the two sarcophagi began to open and start the re-animation process. Instantly Peggy’s hologram flickered and died.

“I don’t want to face them…yet,” She said and turned away to oversee the boy’s ‘birth’.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give them a friendly face,” Rain stepped up between the two sarcophagi.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“ ‘Hi I’m your robot daughter, Peggy, that you haven’t seen in twenty years.’” He smirked watching as the life support systems disconnected one by one, “ I’ve got this.”

Slowly and carefully the birth and the reanimation of both parents and children progressed. Bruce returned with clothing for the two Martins but couldn’t find anything suitable for the boys. What was also becoming very apparent was the complete blank slate the three boys were. As each emerged from their cylinders, they were as uncoordinated and helpless and the newborns they were. Limbs fully grown and muscled had no idea how to work together to stand or walk. They had no experience with which to interpret the world and would either flail about knocking equipment or party members, or curl up in a foetal position.

The Martins were in much better condition, which led to more issues for Rain as they tried to make sense of their surroundings after decades on ice.

“Where are we? Who are you?” Athena asked as she climbed out of the sarcophagus with the help of Rain and accepted the clothes Bruce had provided.

“Hi, my name is…Rain, I’m a friend of P…Margarita’s.” He said without thinking and received a jolt of electricity from the pointy end of Peggy’s probe

“Escape now, chat later.” She murmured so only Rain heard.
“Margarita? Aren’t you a little old to be one of Margarita’s friends?” She said as she took in her surroundings.

“Yelp! Yes, lots of explaining to come, but right now I Suggest you come quietly with us.” And he pushed the thought first into Athena’s mind and then into John’s. Without protest, the couple dressed and followed Rain as he led them up and into the Doctor’s living quarters.

“What are we going to do with these near-adult babies?” Bruce asked, hefting one over his shoulder and the smaller one in his arms.

“What if we all translate back to Earth from here?” Peggy suggested as she floated up the stairs following her parents.

“I’ve uploaded the program used by the Doctor,” Algernon replied, picking up the third brother, almost as big as himself, with leveitation “But we’ll need to do the procedure here on Ruk, we can’t help them back on Earth.”

“Besides, Algernon and Mortimer also need their heads examined, it was the whole point of coming here in the first place,” Bruce added as he helfted his two burdens up the stairs.

Algernon made a face, clearly stating what he thought of the latter idea and continued with the discussion,” Doctor Strangelove used an inapposite gate to kidnap the Martins. The artefact used was discharged, but we could probably charge it up again in the Powerplant.”

They reached the kitchen still discussing what to do with the family when Rain chimed in.

“I was thinking about Peggy taking the Martin’s back to Earth. They’ve had more than enough of Ruk, and she could do with the chance to reunite with her parents. But, she couldn’t use an anaposite gate in her current state. Earth wouldn’t know what to do with a weird-science floating robot.”

“Besides she’s needed on Ruk. Her medical knowledge is going to be needed to reprogram the babies,” Algernon added.

“I think it’s going to have to be you, Rain,” Bruce finally said to Rain’s surprise, “Sorry, you’re the only one free.”

Rain turned to the Peggy-box. She made no protest or suggestion, and with her hologram hidden, he couldn’t get a read of what she was thinking. He watched Algernon, who was concentrating on slowly spinning his baby brother in the air.

I wanted to be there…for your procedure, He thought, and Algernon caught his eye.

Then you better hurry back before they change my mind.

Ha! Look after your brother, Mortimer. Save him and yourself.

Oh, yes. He could be a valuable asset. Algernon quipped back with a grin on his face.

Slowly a smile of his own appeared on Rain’s face as returned to Bruce, “Sure, I’ll smooth the path when we get there, answer a few of the Martin’s questions before setting them on a flight for Seattle, and…” His smile broadened, “I’ll finally get to New Orleans.”

Bruce laughed, a generous and open laugh, not like his usual sardonic self.

“You know even in another recursion I’m not leaving you?” Rain asked.

“Yeah, sure no problem, you’ve got my back.” The words again were like a slap.

“You won’t get to see much of New Orleans. One underpass,” Peggy said, now the decision was made.

“I’ll cherish every moment. Anything for Noel? You were meant to meet him in Berkley.”

The Peggy-box spun on the spot, and Rain decided that this was the Peggy-box thinking mischievious thoughts.

“Tell him, ‘See how nice it is to be left behind?’” She replied, floating out of the Doctor’s private quarters, “Oh, and you’ll have to take the babies to Earth with you.”

“Pardon?!”

It was soon apparent that the boys could not stay behind with the saboteur group. Bruce was already overburdened with two squirming bodies, and Algernon was concentrating on not to drop his brother. If it came to running, the oversized babies could be injured or killed and would undoubtedly slow down the party. In the end, it was clear that for the safety of both the boys and the party, they would need to go through the inapposite gate as well.

As they travelled back through the complex, Algernon set up their traps to trigger as soon as someone approached. He rigged the genetics lab, the hallway and Powerplant. He found the artifact that had created the original anaposite gate in storage and brought that, along with an energy cypher, to the Powerplant. There under the malevolent blue glow of the lightning elemental Algernon and Peggy connected the artefact using the cypher as a bridge. The artefact glowed and hummed as the inapposite gate formed in front of them.

Bruce went through first, taking the boys through. Peggy flew through briefly to report to the Estate and arrange a van to pick them up. Rain walked through with the Martin’s in tow. Silent, but wide-eyed with awe and delight at the scientific marvels around them, John and Athena Martin returned to a disused underpass, on Earth.

“That’s it, time to move out!” Bruce said as the anaposite gate flickered out and died.

Algernon gave the lightning creature a cheery wave farewell and blew out his cheeks on the forcefield surrounding its prison.

Walking back through the dock the party decided to take out one of the two flyers. Leaving the one they sabotaged earlier, Peggy connected into the flight computer and took them safely out of the base and towards the rendezvous location. As promised the flyer and pilot were waiting under the cover of the malformed rock features of the landscape. As they left the flyer, Bruce heard the sound of an engine in the far distance. High above and losing altitude fast was another flyer. And it was making straight for the secret base.

“Do you want to get out of here, sir?” The pilot asked Bruce who had pointed out what could only be Doctor Strangelove returning ahead of schedule.

“Wait until she’s out of sight, then get out as fast as you can.” He replied not taking his eyes of the flyer as it slowed and angled towards the small cave entrance. As soon as it disappeared inside the mountain, the pilot powered up and took off, putting as much air between them and the mountain as possible.

Bruce, Peggy and Algernon lined up against the windows of the flyer, expectantly. When the end came, it was sudden and violent. First a flash as the gas ignited and lit the inside of the mountain with fire. Next, a dramatic roaring scream as the whole mountain lifted into the sky on the cushion of superheated gas. the whole world shook as the shockwave, rippled out like an expanding glass dome. It hit the flyer causing it to dip and pitch violently. The spectators were thrown about the flyer’s cabin and lost sight on the mountain. The pilot, forewarned, was ready and soon stabilised the craft and when they returned to the window, the cloud had formed a familiar mushroom shape and where the mountain had once been, was now a crater.

Is Doctor Strange love still alive? Algernon tentatively asked the Allsong as their flyer sped them safely away.

No. Came the reply.

A few moments, twelve hours previous

It was quiet after the battle for Ni’Challan’s space station. Somewhere, on the skin of the habitable zones robots, welded, glued and replaced sections blasted by Doctor Strangelove’s forces. Still, others polished away scorch marks and cleared up damaged exhibits inside the structure. In the control centre, the gravity was correctly orientated, and the broken perspex replaced. Inside the secured room, Algernon, Peggy, Bruce and Rain rested. The only sounds were the grumbles and complaints from Ni’Challan as he saw the extent of the damage done to his sanctuary and collection.

Rain was still mulling over Algernon’s revelation that he’d never been a child and never experienced growing up. Even his assumed 15 years was more time than he currently remembered and all at the hands of the elusive Doctor Strangelove. Though Rain was missing a large portion of his early life, he remembered fondly all the people who had seen him through from age seven to his mid-teens. Glancing over at the console he recalled the little old man who, one Christmas, had given him…everything. A far cry from the taciturn stranger alone with his space-bound collection.

Could I have built him up to be something more than he was? Rain thought. It was possible. It was amazing what the human mind did with memories that it thought were important. They acquired a magic quality, the etherealness of better times. The further back the memory went the more stardust the memory seemed to collect.

“Can I help you?” Ni’Challan said in a tone that stated the complete opposite. Rain realised he’d been staring, lost in his thoughts. He stood and joined Ni’Challan at the console as he continued his work.

“I just want to be of assistance, sir.” Rain replied, falling into the same formal patterns of speech he always did when conversing with Ni’Challan.

“And yet you refuse my invitation to join my Found Gentlemen,” Ni’Challan said nonchalantly enough, but there was a tone of reprove and a disappointment. Rain had assured the Ni’Challan that under normal circumstances he would have been happy to take the position, and Ni’challan had accepted the refusal graciously at the time. But, rejection is still a rejection, and time tarnishes negative memories as it exalts positive ones.

“Mr Cudo, why are you here?”

“Because we knew you needed help.”

“And you’ve given it, and I appreciate your efforts even though it is by your mismanagement that aid was required. What I want to know is, why are you still here?”

Rain looked over to the party, still resting from the battle. It would have been easy to blame their lingering on the hard-fought fight. Bruce himself was not doing well after the blood rush had faded. It would be simple to say that was their reason for lingering. It would be the truth, most of the truth, but not all of it.

“I…sir, when I received your card I thought only of Bruce and his father. Even then, though flattered, I knew I had no place among your Found Gentlemen,” Rain paused a moment, weighing his words, ”Then I discovered you were Mr Samuels, the man who gave me my life’s vocation, a reason to keep on living.”

Ni’Challan made a derisive sound, “You overestimate my actions. I gave you a trinket on the off chance I could recruit you at a later date. And to that, you have made yourself very clear.”

“You may have never intended it, but in your actions, you gave me the greatest gift; hope,” Rain could see Ni’Challan squirm under Rain’s sentimentality. But this was the moment he’d wanted to say since discovering that Mr Samuels still lived, “Sir, I can’t be a Found Gentleman, but I’d like to be a friend if that’s at all possible.”

Ni’Challan’s brow’s furrowed, and his hands faltered on the console.

“Friends?” He asked, glancing sideways through his thick eyebrows at Rain, “What is it that you think we have in common?”

“Virtually nothing,” Rain admitted candidly, “A moment twenty years ago, we’re both alive and living this incredible life amidst the Strange, that we collect…”

“Collect?” Ni’Challan interrupted. It surprised Rain what Ni’Challan knew of him. His entire history was an open book to Ni’Challan, whereas it was a vague and confusing nightmare for Rain. Ni’Challan knew that Rain was a wanderer with only what he could carry in his pockets and his backpack to his name, but knew nothing about what he found important.

Rain nodded, but didn’t answer the question directly, “Tell me, sir, why do you collect your…pieces?” Ni’Challan picked up on Rain’s ambivalence to his collection and frowned, “They are valuable…artifacts, “He added the appropriate amount of reverence, “Important to Earth and every recursion they’ve spawned.”

“A bit of broken boat? “ Referring to a piece, the Titanic, “A motorcycle from a fictional world?” Algernon’s beloved Akira bike sprung to mind.

“They are tangible and irrefutable links to their moments in time. One thousand five hundred died on the Titanic. Millions died in Tokyo 1988 and many hundreds of thousands in 2019. And you too, are a link to your own tragedy, though you do not remember it. What was that number again?”

“Eight thousand, three hundred and seventy-two,” Rain supplied breathlessly. It always had that effect.

“Exactly, you are a living link to all those who were lost. You are an important remnant of that history.”
“History, his story, her story, their stories…” Rain toyed with the words, “You find your worth in the.. .preservation of those stories?”

“I do,” Ni’Challan said proudly, “I preserve the truth.”

“You are given purpose. You find comfort in your small part in those stories?” Rain added, moving through his argument. Ni’Challan looked at Rain suspiciously as if he suspected some con.

“I suppose.”

“Then we are more alike than you realise. You connect and collect the stories of people through their artefacts. I do it through my interactions with the people themselves,” Rain gestured to his group and back Ni’Challan himself, “It is our own small piece of immortality.”

Ni’Challan huffed derisively again and went back to his console, the work of fixing his space station and collection.

“Rain, are you ready to go?” Peggy called as she and Algernon formed a circle with the unconscious boy and the distracted Bruce. So busy with Ni’Challan, Rain had not noticed the group getting ready to leave.

Without a thought, the black puzzle box appeared in his hand. It had ceased to be a comfort to him, though its role in preserving and shaping his life was undeniable. But, if it could soften the heart of an avaricious old man, it was a gift worth the giving. Placing the puzzle box down on the console, Rain moved away to join his party.

“What this?” Ni’Challan picked it up, puzzling through its many movements without opening it, “But I gave this to you.”

“Yes sir, “ Rain looked back at the box, his one and only companion from that first meeting to this moment, “It’s meant a great deal to me over the years, but I don’t need it now.”

“Oh?” Ni’Challan looked genuinely confused by the revelation, “But it’s yours.”

“It reminded me of hope and magic. I don’t need it now. I have both in here.” He tapped his chest and his head. He went to turn away again, sure this time the box would be taken and returned to Ni’Challan’s collection.

“But…it’s just a box. There is nothing significant about it.” Ni’Challan pondered, more to himself. He held the box up as if examining it closely for something he may have missed.

“Oh, I disagree. It was magical then, and it’s magical now.” Rain smiled for the first time in that conversation, “Let me show you.”

Facing Ni’Challan, he moved his hands in front and behind the proffered box in a smooth, practised pattern. One moment in Ni’Challan’s line of sight, the next hidden for a fraction of a second. Suddenly the box disappeared without Rain seeming to touch it. For the next few minutes, Rain made the box appear and disappear in various locations including Ni’Challan’s pocket, all the time keeping his eyes fixed on the old man’s.

At first, the Ni’Challan observed Rain’s hands carefully looking for the deceptions, the misdirections and the covers that sleight of hand artists used to convince their audience that illusion is real. Slowly though, as Rain moved the Strange through his routine, the tricks became wilder and more impossible even for an experienced eye. Rain spun and manipulated the puzzle box until Ni’Challan chuckled in surprise and from that moment, the gentle old man twenty Christmases ago was there in the room.

“See, not such a simple box.” Rain finished, placing the box into Ni’Challan’s age-worn hand.

“No, only for you.” Ni’Challan held it out to Rain, “Your clever box would never do those things for me. You’ve taught it that.”

When Rain didn’t take the box back, Ni’Challan reached out, cupped Rain’s hand in his own and placed the box on the flat of his palm. The moment was so like the one when he first received his gift from Mr Samuels that Rain knew he had remembered true. He hadn’t imagined more than there was, the moment shared then as now.

“There, back where it belongs,” Ni’Challan said with finality, “Now go, your friends are waiting.”

Rain nodded, not trusting his voice in the moment. As he turned to go once more, he heard Ni’challan.

“I suppose you’ll be back, won’t you?”

“As soon as I can,” And Rain smiled, a flush of emotion for this silly old man and his trinkets washing over him, “Farewell…Ni’Challan.”

“Yes, yes. Leave me to clean up your mess.” Ni’Challan grouched, but now it seemed more tempered. A crusty facade. Scratch the surface, and you’d see the rust was no more than surface deep.

Rain joined the others in the circle as Peggy started the translation. He had come to the station a mess of grief, fear and doubt. His grief was still present, a raw thing that often took him by surprise, there was a sense that life continued, and it could be worth living. It was another rock in Rain’s shaky foundations, an absolute truth to base a life.

The translation blotted out everything, and he was only aware of the Strange, his part in the mechanics of travel, and being happy.

32. Secrets well hidden

The group have fought and won the battle for Ni’Challan’s space station in the Graveyard of the Machine god. But, not without a cost. They now lick their wounds and prepare for the next big push, the attack on Doctor Strangelove’s secret lab somewhere in the wastes of Ruk.

*****************************************************************

Two broken souls here and one lost one up in the labs, Rain thought, and wondered if Algernon heard. It didn’t matter. They’d been there for him, and he’d be there for them. Rocking the Peggy-box, he sat in silence with Bruce, while keeping his Allsong link open for Algernon.

In Rain’s world, things were looking up.

“You can’t keep ignoring me forever. Talk to me Bruce,” Rain said as Bruce stared dully into space at the kid, the newly discovered biological brother of Algernon and Peggy.

He said nothing.

“You know he’s only alive because of you. Peggy wasn’t going to do anything, he was the enemy. Algernon was going to shoot him where he lay and… I wasn’t there. You were. You gave him first aid and saved his life…”

“I shot him. Would have shot him dead.” The words came out monotoned and forced like coming from a long way away. It was an effort for Bruce to speak at the best of times, and now it was almost painful.

“But you didn’t. Don’t you see that makes all the difference?” Rain leaned forward, the Peggy-box still cradled in his arms.

“The scariest thing was… I was having fun!” Bruce said, deaf to Rain’s plea.

“It’s okay to enjoy doing something you’re good at, and you’ve worked hard to be that good.”

“Righteous violent bastard,” Bruce ground through his teeth, self-loathing dripping from every word, “I was that violent bastard from Halloween all over again, that was me.”

Rain remembered well the persona forced on Bruce as when they translated to Halloween. The undead hunter had been a driven and violent character that had only just been held back by Bruce’s nobler side. It had been a scary time for Rain too, now was caught negotiating between an influential undead individual and the raw violence of his friend, the one he’d come to rely on to keep him safe. All this sat between them in the silence of the convalescent room.

Bruce mumbled something to himself that Rain just caught.

“I’ve lost divine favour.”

“What…do you think you’re a paladin of God now?”

“I tried to walk in his ways,” Bruce replied.

“Well, if you think you’re in trouble with the Almighty then I’d suggest, ask Him.”

Bruce scoffed loudly, a sad single huff that carried with it all the bitterness he currently felt.

“Don’t give me that, you know that’s not how it works.”

“Sure, it is. I was raised Catholic, so there are a few more layers between me and the Big Man,” Rain replied thinking back on his own failed attempts to reach the Divine, “ But you Protestants can talk to him whenever.”

“He doesn’t talk back like…like this.” Bruce gestured, his hand moving back and forward through the space between them, “You can’t hold a conversation with God.”

“This is exactly how it’s done. Through others,” Rain leaned back in his chair, smiling at the irony of the thought, “Right now, I’m the word of God to you.”

Bruce shook his head and turned back to the kid.

“He’s just a kid, a naive, brainwashed innocent. I thought I was better than that.”

“You have always been a man with a strong ethical base. You always held yourself and others to a higher standard,” Rain said, reminiscing about the moment Bruce and he had met, on an Intercity bus just outside New Orleans. He’d been chatting up a girl, a pretty young thing who he’d charmed and groomed to take him home that night. He’d been hoping for a hot meal, free place to sleep, a local companion to show him their city and…whatever else she’d been willing to offer.

Bruce had seen what he was doing and started a fire and brimstone sermon on the wickedness of the flesh and how he should be ashamed to prey upon a young innocent such as that girl. A kid. It was still the same sermon, but now he was preaching it to himself.

“You were always the compassionate one,” Bruce mumbled, “When Algernon wanted to poison Dona Ilsa and her lot, I was all for it, but you knew it was wrong, you pulled me up, and you were right.”

“Bruce, you forget how we met? We were kicked off the bus because you couldn’t stand by and see an innocent taken advantage?”

Bruce blinked, and a little colour returned to his pale face at the memory of that night in the rain.

“I’d forgotten about that.”

“And that instinct of yours has always been there, protecting me. Remember Peggy’s Rockwheeler mine we tripped?”

“She detonated on us,” Bruce corrected, and Rain smiled at the memory.

“Yeah, right. I never felt safer than in that moment when we thought we were going to be blown sky-high,” Rain laughed at the memory, “Because of you. “

Bruce’s mouth twitched at the memory of sheltering the little man as the static charge of Peggy’s mine went off around them. It was quickly replaced with a frown as another memory entered the conversation.

“And then you left me.”

Puzzled, Rain wondered for a moment if Bruce had confused him with his wayward father, Jimmy. Rain remembered distinctly standing on a street corner in Nederland, Colorado planning to steal a car and leave, get out of town, the group, everything. The thought of how Bruce stood by him, supported his ideas and endeavours. It had turned him around.

“But I didn’t, and it was because of you…”

“You left. Left me with Peggy the tin-can and the kid that can’t be trusted.” Bruce turned his bloodshot gaze on Rain and Rain noticed how suddenly tired Bruce looked, “ You did something to your brain and left me with the robot you. I was alone.”

And then Rain put it together. When the group had first translated into Ruk, the Allsong opened to Rain. In it, he found relief from his grieving by splitting his emotional mind from his rational and leaving it in the cloud of the Allsong. He’d thought to gain a little peace from the pain, a little freedom in which to help Algernon deal with his problems.

“Ah,” He replied in a long drawn out exhalation, “That was a mistake. I didn’t realise how much of who I was, was tied to that emotional side.”

Bruce looked up, unsure he’d heard correctly.

“Your better side,” He replied, and Rain was surprised to find himself agreeing.

“I never intended to make you feel alone, the contrary. For that I’m sorry, I let you down. I will always have your back, as you’ve always had mine.”

Bruce nodded, listening but not really taking it in.

Rain felt the stirring of the Strange behind him, a force waiting to be used. Instinctually, he touched the Strange, the power flowing into his words and to Bruce.

“I will always have your back, as you’ve always had mine.”

A moment past. Another and then something in Bruce seemed to relax, just a little.

“So, we had a two-day head start on Strangelove, but we’ve used some of that already,“ Rain changed the subject, and Bruce seemed more receptive, “Are you going to be alright to take the labs?”

“I’ll have to be. We still have to save the world, “ Bruce seemed about ready to get up at that moment and leave, but then remembered the kid still unconscious in the bed beside him, “ We need someone to look after him. And someplace secure.”

“We could wait until he wakes. His future is tied to what we find at the lab as well, and he knows it better than even Algernon.”

“We can’t take the kid! He’s too much of a risk!” Bruce vetoed the idea. The words, so similar to the arguments he’d made about Algernon’s activities with the group so long ago.

Rain’s smile broadened, “Okay, whatever you decide.”

“Ur…right then,” Bruce looked sideways at Rain unsure why he agreed so readily, “You go find some help from the Quiet Cabal, see if they have any medical aid. And a cell or something.”

Without a word, Rain stood, gave Bruce the Peggy-box, nodded and left to do just that.

Algernon was kicking around the lab, wondering what he should do. He didn’t feel directly threatened by the Quiet Cabal at that moment, but part of him still considered them (and everyone in Ruk) the enemy. He stalked the labs looking for ways to escape. If one was needed. Hypothetically.

When he found a lone access portal in a quiet corner of the labs, he quickly connected and started poking around. Sure that in this out of the way spot, his actions were unwitnessed, he started looking for ways to catastrophically collapse the system from the inside, making for himself an escape route…if the need arose. When his probes were rebuffed, he heard in the real world, the sound of heavy boots thumping down the hallway. Quickly, he discarded the more incriminating searches and brought up medical files on the DNA testing Peggy had just conducted. From the corner of one eye, he could see the security guard from the front desk walk into the lab and march directly towards him.

“And what are you up to?” The guard asked, slightly out of breath from his trip to the labs from downstairs.

“Oh, I wanted to see the results of testing. Did I do something wrong?” Algernon asked, turning to face the guard as if he had nothing to hide.

“Was that all?” The guard asked, gesturing for Algernon to vacate his seat at the access portal. Algernon complied and made way for the rotund guard. The security guard scanned through what was currently up to access, made a harrumphing noise and disconnected.

“Well, check with Giquabee if you have any questions about that stuff,” He said, a little deflated that he hadn’t been able to catch his spy, “She’ll walk you through it.”

“I will, thank you and sorry if I caused any trouble,” Algernon looked genuinely abashed, a curious school kid not causing any real harm. The guard left with one last long look and Algernon had to admit to himself he was getting better at this stuff.

A quick, polite conversation with Tabaseth and Rain had obtained medical help and a secure place in which the injured boy could be kept until their return. Just as he was about to leave, Rain remembered Algernon and his desire for the biggest and baddest killing weapon available.

“One more thing. For the attack on the lab, Algernon will need one of your very impressive guns.”
Tabaseth looked like he was going to refuse for a moment. It was one thing to hand over a dozen walking weapons in the form of venom troopers to humans to use off Ruk, but handing a human a weapon within Ruk was another decision entirely, “I know we’ve asked a lot of our friendship, but we’re committed to seeing this through, for all our benefits.”

“No need, no need,” Tabaseth relented, “Of course, we’ll be happy to provide you with whatever weapons you need.”

Rain let Algernon know that a new weapon was ready for him to pick up, and returned to the room to find Bruce, Peggy and the kid were where he’d left them. Peggy’s metal box had been put to one side by Bruce, and as Rain informed Bruce about the arrangements, he picked up the box once more.

A sudden jolt of electricity zapped from Peggy’s metal shell to Rain. Convulsively, his hand let the box go, only catching it again as his legs gave up under him as he sat heavily on the ground.

A happy schoolgirl, maybe seven years old being dropped off at school. Two parents, a smart wild-haired woman and her excitable husband waved goodbye promising to see her that afternoon. The afternoon came, the girl waited at the school gate and waited and waited. No one came; no one could be found. Police were called. She was taken to the police station where an unguarded computer showed her what no one could tell her. CCTV footage at the tram stop. Her parents walking, hand in hand, into the underpass. Electrical interference, a flash of light and splash of water. Her parents were never seen again. Late that night, an older woman, her frizzy hair pulled strictly back in a tight bun came to claim her. Her Yaya. There was no love for the girl in those stern features. She took the girl home out of duty.

The images repeated again and again—the last moments of Margarita Athena Portaculis Martin’s childhood.

Rain was drowning. Peggy’s emotions were overwhelming. It was like being taken under by a wave. There was no up or down, no control and only the power of the vision to be relived over and over again. Gasping to remember who he was in the sea of confusion, loss and misery, he struggled against the tide and produced a ball of fire, his tiny sun from the Dreamlands. Centring all his thoughts on it he drew on the vision for reference, creating a new image of the couple, the woman with the wild hair and her husband full of life. He made the image older, maybe twenty years and placed them behind bars in the depths of a secret hidden lab. Now, with the image secure in his mind, he shared it with Peggy, tormented and lost in her past.

Suddenly, Rain was back in the room. Bruce was distracted by two white-clad members of the Quiet Cabal who attended to the unconscious boy. Peggy-box was flying again beside him, the hologram once more present, though flickering as if unsure it should be there at all. The whole ordeal had taken but a moment, a few seconds though Rain felt he’d run the common at The Estate again, with the same results. Peggy’s hologram turned to face him.

“We’ll find them.” He said shakily, “Are you with me?”

“No, I’m… next to you,” She replied equally as shakily, but in her usual pedantic manner.

Rain nodded and laughed, “That’s pretty good too. I’ll take it.”

The flyer scudding over the Ruk landscape as the city of Harmonious and its surrounding suburbs gave way to wilderness. In Ruk, it was in the wild places where the chaos reigned. Here, The Strange traversing spacecraft that had saved the last remnants of a planet long lost to a planetvore grew wild. Organic-steel that once made up the crafts structure were now Ruk’s mountains, valleys and plains. Where the instructions have been lost or corrupted, the land grew chaotically, creating spires and sinkholes, random cancerous outcroppings and places inhospitable to life. It was one of these outcroppings of organimer that the flyer was heading for now.

Rain turned away from the bleak landscape and to his companions on the flyer. Bruce was up the front, asking procedural questions about the expedition. Peggy was flying back and forwards down the centre of the craft, the hovering robot’s equivalent to pacing. Algernon was staring out the window as Rain had been, his expression unreadable. Across his lap, the larger of his two crossbows, modified with laser bolt for Ruk, but no force bolt rifle in sight.

Didn’t you like the gun they offered? Rain asked, drawing Algernon’s attention away from the window. Now connected via the Allsong mind-link, Rain could feel that Algernon had not been blindly looking out the window, but actively trying to remember.

No, I loved it, everything I’d ever wanted. I just found I was really shit at it so decided to stick with the crossbow. I sort of prefer it now, anyway. Algernon looked at the crossbow and patted it fondly.

So do I, Rain confessed, Ever since you got your first one in Railsea. No deafening bang, now blinding choking smoke… and with the thought came the gut-churning fear that guns generated for Rain.

Still, even now you know?

Still, maybe more now I know what it means? I don’t have the memories, but the ripples of those events still live on. Rain sighed, his own trauma reminding him of what Bruce had said about the ritual Rain had pushed on Algernon as they entered Ruk.

Brother, I need to speak seriously to you about something…something… Bruce brought up in regards to what I did as we translated into Ruk, He showed his hand, the scar still puckered and red. He looked to Algernon’s hand where it’s equivalent was already healed over and at the edges fading away.

He was angry with me for doing it. He said it was an unspeakable act that steals a person’s sense of worth, their feeling of safety and freedom. It was meant to be the complete opposite. It was meant to be a reminder that no matter what, you are not alone.

Yeah, I know, it’s cool! Algernon replied with all the excitement of a teenager recently indoctrinated into a secret society. Like, it meant we’re together.

Exactly! Rain replied as all his concerns about the moment left him. It was the same for me when you made the mind-link, like you were confirming what I’d said.

Don’t worry about what Mr Bruce says, sometimes he thinks the weirdest things, Algernon went back to looking out the window and Rain saying nothing, only sharing thoughts of gratitude.

Yeah, you’re right. I really appreciate the mind-link. I just wish we could keep it outside of Ruk.

It’s really handy.

Bruce walked through the flyer a few minutes later with the plan from the pilot.

“The Quiet Cabal for their own reasons don’t want to be associated with our little expedition. We’re being dropped off outside the base. The pilot has given the coordinates where he will be waiting for the next 48 hours. Once we’ve done what we need to, he’ll meet us there. None of their forces can be seen entering the labs, plausible deniability or some bullshit.”

As Bruce said this, the flyer dropped and banked to the right as it swooped low over a jagged rock outcropping and seemed to head straight towards the rock wall. Looking down through the pilot’s window, the group could clearly see a large natural cave opening. As the pilot guided the flyer into the opening, a bored tunnel appeared, finally ending in a large cavern. The walls of the cavern were random and encrusted with organimer, but the floor was flat and machine-worked. In the space, two other smaller craft stood waiting, but no one was in the area, it looked deserted. The far end of the hanger was better lit and a doorway with two sliding doors visible.

“We should do something to those aircraft,” Algernon pointed out the two aircraft, “I could sabotage them into flying for a few minutes then…drop out of the sky.” He expressed the idea with such enthusiasm Rain couldn’t help but agree. Bruce, on the other hand, didn’t.

“What if we need one of those aircraft to escape? Leave them. We can nobble them on the way out.”

“What if we’re running then?” Algernon protested.

“Knowing our luck we’ll be running then,” Rain replied, only speaking from experience.

“So ground them so they only pursuit can be on foot,” Bruce held firm, only to have Peggy enter the conversation.

“I can help. We can mess with the antigrav for the shuttles, set up a piece of code that shuts down power that we can easily clear if we need the vessel.”

The argument went back and forward as first one vessel, then the other was investigated. In the end, between Peggy and Algernon, a complicated system where the aircraft would fly as normal until moved into top gear, as in pursuit. Then the craft would fail and keep its pilot and crew busy while the party made their escape.

While Algernon and Peggy were busy with the aircraft, Rain had been studying the door. Two metal doors closed the hanger off from the rest of the complex. A keypad on one side was the unlocking mechanism, but there were no clues as to what the code could be. As soon as Algernon was free, Rain called him over.

“I want you to try something, just rest your hand on the keypad, don’t think about it and push a few buttons. See what happens.”

“But what if I get it wrong and it locks us out?”

“We’re likely to get more than one chance. It’s worth a try.” Rain urged, and Algernon did as he suggested. After Algernon pushed the fourth button, however, the keypad made a buzzing sound and reset.

Peggy now stepped up and with one movement flipped off the keypad cover to reveal the circuitry underneath. She quickly isolated the keypad’s connection to the door and…the door slowly opened. Bruce in front of the opening doors, both guns out and ready for whatever came their way. They revealed an empty corridor sloping down and around to the left.

“Doctor Peggy,” Algernon drew her aside as the group started down the ramp, “It’s come to my attention that our relationship has changed. I can no longer assume you to be the stepmother figure to my young teen protagonist from the documentaries. But there are also no documentaries where the older sister is a robot. Do I now consider you a sister on whom I should now perform pranks or is there another relationship I should emulate?” he asked in all seriousness.

“Do not prank your sister,” Bruce said over his shoulder as he led the group.

“Yes, Dad,” Algernon replied automatically before returning to Peggy.

“Try Weird Science, 1985 directed by John Hughes for your reference,” She replied simply, her memory for cult films coming to her aid.

“You know, you can write your own script for how to behave, “ Rain suggested, “But, no pranking your sister are definitely words to live by.”

“Yes, Mum,” Algernon smirked.

From down the tunnel, a whirling-sloshing sound caught the party’s attention, and Algernon was reminded of a memory long hidden. It was night, and he was sneaking around the complex through the restricted areas he had no business being.

“Up ahead, I remember a pool of mud and metal creatures swimming in it,” He said, his vision distant, watching through the eyes of his younger self as he explored the spaces, “ Further on the passage splits. To the left the living quarters, to the right the Powerplant and below that, the High Energy Lab.”

Sure enough, as Bruce looked around the next corner, he saw a massive pool at least as big as an Olympic swimming, full of viscous mud. As he watched a large metallic body moved sinuously under the surface, its sides only glinting occasionally through the muck. Across the surface of the mud, a board lay holding three bowls, Above three pipes led up and out to another part of the complex. Here, as in the hanger, there was no one else around.

“Do you know where those go?” Bruce pointed the pipes out to Algernon who could only shake his head.

“Interesting, Peggy also poked her head around the corner, “What do you think they’re here for?”
“They must be useful to Doctor Strangelove…somehow,” Was all Algernon could say.

“Can we get a sample of the mud?” And from inside Peggy’s metal exterior, she produced a small vial. Algernon took the vial and using his levitate he sent the vial over the intervening space. It was a delicate task. Not one attempted with the usual sledgehammer style Algernon was used. As he held the vial steady, balancing the forces, Rain reached out a hand and sent The Strange flowing through. The vial was carefully dipped into the mud, withdrawn and returned to Peggy with a deep sigh of relief from Algernon.

“Thank, Mum,” He said with relief. Rain gave him a confused look.

“It’s not a role I ever would have chosen for myself. I guess, why not Mum?” Rain replied, shrugging his shoulders and following the group down the passage.

Peggy started noticing the surveillance cameras halfway down and whenever she found one she’d knock it out. Having found a few made the group wonder how many they’d missed further up and in the hanger. It was too late to worry now as they came to the intersection promised by Algernon and had to make a decision.

“The power plant and high energy lab or the living quarters?” Bruce asked Algernon, “Where are they likely to keep your parents?”

“I don’t know, I never saw them in the High Energy Lab,” Algernon confessed disheartened, “Though, if we want to blow this place up we should head for the power plant.”

“Blowing things up is for when we’re leaving,” Bruce countered, “What about security for this area, armed forces, what can we expect?” It was true, there had been no one around so far, and the lack of personnel was starting to look ominous.

“Usually there’s a few venom troopers about…maybe she took them all with her when she left to attack Ni’Challan?”

“Hopefully.”

“Well, let’s start with the known and move to the unknown,” Rain offered, “The Power plant, lab, living quarters and then onward from there.”

After more of the usual discussion, the group headed towards the Powerplant with the idea of just finding out how the base was powered and working out how they could use it to their advantage. The passageway opened up to a gantry running in a ring around the top of a circular room. In three locations, stairs led down to the plant room floor where a column of barely contained lightning trapped behind a force field.

“What is it?” Algernon asked Peggy who sent her mind into the Strange and asked the same question.

A creature of lightning, trapped. Came the unusually clear reply and the party boggled at the thought of a being of pure electricity and what it must have taken to capture it in the first place.

Rain watched the creature, following its gestures, the squeaks and sparks it made, but he could not determine a clear language. Though the creature seemed angry, often in pain and was clearly frustrated by its imprisonment, he did not think it was intelligent and soon lost interest.

Algernon found a bank of batteries, and the start of a plan started forming in his mind.

“This room is above the High Energy lab. I bet blowing up these batteries would do serious damage to the lab below.”

“How about the rest of the lab?” Bruce asked, and Algernon had to confess that the organimer the room was carved from and would absorb much of the shockwave.

“We’d destroy this space, maybe damage some of the lab but the other parts of the base are too far away.” Algernon had to put his sabotage plans on hold for a second time.

“Releasing the creature would probably cause some damage,” Peggy suggested, “It could attack the first thing it sees as well, which could be us if we time this wrong.”

At one side of the Powerplant, an elevator stood ready to take the group down to the High Energy Lab. Peggy, now more than her usual paranoid, checked the elevator for traps. Rain watched Algernon as he moved around these spaces he’d known before. Gone was his little kid brother from the flyer, here the survivalist walked, taking in the threats and opportunities to wreak havoc. Here stalked the killer.

As a group, they took the cleared elevator and travelled down through the floor to the lab below. Here a numb of the column above protruded through the floor and spider’s web of powerlines to various lab tables where experiments were in different levels of readiness. Algernon knew this space well. He’d spent some time down here helping with experiments, though at the time the nature of those experiments had been different. Now the Doctor seemed to be focused on cybernetics and robotics. The rest of the party fanned out, Peggy and Rain searching together for anything large enough to hold a person while Bruce, crowbar in hand, looked through stuff closer to the entrance. Algernon did not leave the elevator.

A clatter from a pile of previously searched through robot parts made Peggy and Rain turn to face a rising armed drone. Bruce was ready with his crowbar and was first to act, piercing one of the drone’s rotors, grappling it in place. A movement from another pile caught Rain’s attention as a creature the size of a fat guinea pig scrambled out from under robot parts. With surprising agility, it’s stubbly malformed legs propelled it towards his chest. Turning side on, Rain let the creature sail by, but not before getting a good look at the thing. It was a walking blob of meat, most resembling a piece of artery or heart tissue. The creature plopped onto the ground and hid under a table. Not before Rain pointed it out to the rest of the group.

Unfortunately, more trouble in the form of a second drone rose from a third pile of robotics scrap. It gave a cheery beep before launching a small missile directly at Algernon. He ducked away, and the missile exploded behind him, denting the back wall of the elevator. The first drone lit a cutting torch and tried aiming at Bruce. Using his crowbar as a lever, Bruce forced the torch away.

Peggy sent balls of plasma at the two drones, both finding their targets and linking the two with a blue arc of energy. In its light, Algernon took a moment to study the drones, their strengths and weaknesses as Rain did the same, searching for the heart creature on the floor. Bruce grabbed his crowbar two-handed and smashed the impaled drone into the ground, the drone broken into pieces scattering across the lab floor. The heart creature leapt up from a darkened corner at Bruce, he batted it away with his crowbar, sending it across the lab into another pile of scrap.

The second drone started shaking and giving off a high pitched whine. Suddenly, a pulse of electromagnetic energy spread through the lab. It momentarily sent Bruce’s head spinning and glitched out Algernon and Rain’s Allsong link for a moment, but Peggy the robot was not so fortunate. Instantly, her hologram disappeared, and the box dropped from the air and crashed into the ground, one more piece of technological junk.

“The drones are called Scrap drones,” Algernon said, sharing the information he’d gathered from the Allsong, “The cutting torch, missiles and the EMP are their only weapons. They’re weak at the joints, “ He pointed out to Bruce.

“The little creature is an angiophage. It will eat and replace your heart if you let it,” Rain grimaced, as he too shared what he’d discovered, “They’re an ugly assassins tool.”

As the EMP had also taken out his crossbow, Algernon threw it aside and prepared to catch the angiophage when it leapt out again. He didn’t have to wait long. As Rain moved to stimulate Bruce for his assault on the final scrap drone, the angeophage made its move on him. Before he knew what was happening, the angeophage was wriggling impotent centimetres off his chest. In one movement, Bruce easily swung his crowbar through the second drone and down on to the wriggling angiophage, smashing it to a pulp on the lab floor.

“Oh, did I miss something?” Peggy’s voice came from the box as it slowly started to right itself again. The tableau of the three boys said it all, Rain clutching his chest, Algernon only now releasing the levitate and Bruce wiping the goo from his crowbar. “Sorry, I missed it.” She said as she went back to her searching.

She didn’t find any stasis pods, nothing in the room was set up for bioengineering at all. They did, however, find a few more cyphers, another grenade and a force armour.

“I could make use of the grenade, Mr Bruce,” Said Algernon thinking of all the creative shenanigans he could get up with with a grenade.

“I don’t think so,” Bruce went to put the grenade away in his bag when Rain held out his hand for it.

“I could look after it for you,” He seemed to say in all sincerity, but Bruce’s instinct about the little man’s true intent asserted itself. Was it the sparkle in the eyes? A twitch of the mouth?

“Sure you could,” Bruce smiled and pocketed the grenade.

“Sorry, Algernon, I tried.” Rain said as Peggy handed him the force armour cypher. Without a second thought, he put the small black box on his belt and turned it on. The angeophage had come a little too close for comfort.

The High Energy Lab explored, and no notes of parents found the party took the elevator back to the Power plant. Algernon posed a question to the Allsong,

Does Doctor Strangelove know we’re here?

The answer was simple, No.

Peggy asked the Strange her own question,

“How many hours is Strangelove away?

Seven to eight hours, The Strange replied in her voice.

They had seven hours to explore the rest of the base, find what they were looking for, work out how to sabotage the Power plant force field and get out.

And still have time to make Berkley for Peggy’s meeting with Noel.

31. War and Consequences

The group have fought floor to floor clearing of Dr Strangelove’s Venom Troopers out of Ni’Challan’s space station in the Graveyard of the gods. Aiding the enemy is a brother to Algernon, a powerful fighter and brilliant infiltrator on par with Algernon himself. It is a battle of wits and brawn as the opposing sides regroup for one last push.

*******************************************************************

Rain, Peggy, Uentaru and their four remaining venom troopers burst out of the elevator and started running around the exhibition space walkway. They were most of a room and a hallway away, frustratingly far from a gunfight they could hear in the distance. As they ran, Rain reached out and stimulated Peggy knowing that she was the faster of the two of them. He hoped she would get there in time.

Closer to the fighting, Bruce and Algernon huddled either side of the doorway leading to a large room already in the midst of battle. The room was flanked by a window looking out into space and felt more ultilatarian than the rest of the station they had seen. As they dodged the cannon fire of two Brute Venom Troopers, a second wave of allied troopers poured out of a gate in the hallway behind them and started returning fire.

Algernon took some time scanning the room. This place was lacking the forcefields and exhibits of the other areas and seemed to contain more crates for storage with computers for the management of the rest of the complex. Behind a group of enemy troopers, he could just see a control panel in a wall beside the long window. Out of the corner of his eye, a movement and a small cylinder flew through the air towards him. His counterpart had thrown another cypher. Algernon dodged aside and let the cylinder skitter around the hallway before levitating it back into the battle. From experience, his counterpart was too hard a target, so he directed the canister towards the group of venom troopers closest to the control panel. Before it had a chance to reach the ground, the canister exploded creating a blue dome of energy that quickly dissolved leaving three frozen troopers, caught in the moment of the detonation.

Weapon’s fire to the right of their doorway drew the boys attention to another room and a fight with more of the enemy. It seemed there were more allies in the space station fighting back against the invaders. In contrast, outside the long window, Strangelove’s ship loomed. Two small dots ejected from the body of the vessel and silently grew larger.

Bruce wanted the little pipsqueak that was causing them so much grief, but that individual had disappeared in the chaos of battle. Instead, he consoled himself with shooting the two Brutes. Both shots went wide, one lost in the battle, the other, through one end of the long window. In morbid fascination, Bruce could do nothing but stare as spider-web cracking appeared around the small projectile hole, beyond it, nothing but the vaccum of space.

In the T-Rex exhibition space, Uentaru sprinted keeping up with the group as Peggy raced ahead on her bird-like cyborg legs. In a few strides, she was down the hallway where the boys held their position. Between them, the shimmer of the frozen force field still held. Pushing her speed as fast it would go, she raced through the force field, feeling the bite of the bitter cold for only a moment before she was out the other side and with Algernon and Bruce.

Venom troopers, having dealt with the turret now turned their attentions on the invaders from behind, two shooting at Bruce and one on Algernon. From the cover of bulkheads, the boys were safe from their attacks. One stepped out further than the rest to get a better shot and exposed itself in the process. An orange beam of light streaked out from the room to the right and destroyed the reckless Venom Trooper. The cavalry arrived in the form of the clay golem as it lumbered into the room, but no sign of the orange laser wielder.

Out of the midst of the enemy lines the doppelganger lurked, a large energy rifle aimed at Bruce. Blue bolt shot through the chaos, hitting Bruce. Crackling electricity crawled across his armour sparking at exposed skin but doing little but drawing attention to the shooter. Now Bruce knew where the pipsqueak had gone, and he drew a bead on his target.

Algernon was still thinking. He watched as the two dots in the widow grew large, rectangular and ominous. He watched the troops trying to take control of the space.

What does Doctor Strangelove want here that she’s investing so much? If we found it first, could we make them come to us?

Second thought lets not do that.

And with that idea in mind, he raced across the battleground behind the Venom troopers frozen in time and closer to the control panel.

There was no mistaking them now, two troop carriers were lining themselves up to clamp to the side of the space station, directly onto the room they were currently fighting.

“Incoming troop landers, quick!” Bruce yelled as he fired his gun, one each on the two Brutes still dominating the centre of the room and one of the pipsqueak. The first shot hit, making the Brute rock, but the other two miss their targets, the human once more disappearing into the battle.

With troop carriers positioning themselves to deliver their cargo, Peggy went to work getting rid of the last of the old Venom troopers left in the battle. The three frozen in time became her main interest as she started blasting away at them with her hand cannon. Powering up she hoped to blast them all away with one hit. Unfortunately tough exoskeletons meant that when the smoke cleared, two of the three figures were still standing. The third lay in pieces all around.

Rain reached the ice wall with the allied troopers and Uentaru. Laying down his hand of light, he made a small gap in the ice field that he quickly slipped through. The venom troopers just ran through without regard to their safety, and one died, frozen in the field. The three remaining joined their comrades from the second portal to lay down a stream of covering fire. Uentaru walked through, her shields taking the brunt of the cold damage. She winced as she stepped out, ready for the next phase of the battle.

As the golem menaced the last remaining burnt venom troopers, the doppelganger threw another cypher into the midst of battle. It fell to the floor with a thud, spewing thick cloud from both ends, obscuring vision throughout the whole room.

What’s he up to now? Algernon thought as the cloud obscured what he was up to as well. Carefully, he moved a crate closer to the control panel and opened the door, exposing the computer systems inside.

In the fog, only sound told the tale. A heavy thug coinciding with the crack of an exoskeleton informed them the golem had found his target. Clunk! Clunk! The room shook as the troop carriers connected to the station’s hull.

Bruce gave up his range attacks and pulled out his crowbar. Leaping into the fray he dodged a number of attacks on him before he found his prey. In the smoke, he found the youth that had evaded him throughout the battle and slugged him hard with the crowbar. He should have gone down under the blow, many larger enemies had, but the boy just turned in surprise and looked up at Bruce.

“Now lie down and stay down!” Bruce bellowed into his face.

Across the room, Peggy was still trying to destroy the frozen venom troopers. Shooting again, one shattered into thousands of tiny shards, only one more to go. Darting in ahead of her, Rain made straight for where he last saw Algernon before the smoke obscured everything. Reaching his brother’s side, he used a cypher to create a mind-link between the two of them. The communication passed in a flash of thought.

I have options for you. Strangelove may appear at any moment. You can have a boost like that in the exhibition space, or if you think she may have some voice control over you, I can suggest that whatever she says sounds like nonsense to you.

Okay. Why?

You understand the enemy better than me and…I want to give you the choice.

Okay, I like the second idea very much.

Rain nodded and turned his attention to the battle around them.

The battle was at its peak. Fighting from the northern room was now spilling into the control centre. Blue outlines marked where lasers cut entrances for the troop carriers’ were forming. Uentaru entered the battlefield blowing away the last of the frozen venom troopers in front of Peggy. The doppelganger slipped away from Bruce and ran towards the other room as his counterpart used a cypher to boost his intellect and started the most crucial data dive of his life.

Schematics of the space station.

Where are they going?

What does she want?

The two thoughts lead his search as he worked through lists of collected items. In a separate file marked, Private Collection he found one exhibit that drew his attention,

Fragment of a planetvore collected in destroyed recursion…

Through the mind-link, he passed the information onto Rain who groaned at the implications. In the smoke, the Golem was unseen, but not unheard as another venom trooper was crushed under its massive fist. Above their heads, a small bullet hole into space whistled and expanded. Rain peered through the smoke to see a person dart out of the room to the north to a central control centre, shooting a venom trooper as he passed.

Ni’Challan!

Relief and happiness made Rain’s light bloom in the fog. Drawing it together, he formed a tower shield and placed it between the Ni’Challan and a group of troopers following him, two Brutes and a new group of Venom troopers. Uentaru ran across the battlefield and wedged herself in behind Ni’Challan. Using the hard-light tower shield as cover, she shot at the latest wave of Venom troopers that had followed Ni’Challan.

Amid the fighting, Bruce was surrounded by the two Brutes that had dominated the battle only moments ago. One tackled Bruce, pinning him to the ground as the other swung a metal-clad foot back and tried kicking him. Though prone, he was able to move and wriggled aside as the boot clanged off his armour harmlessly. Peggy seeing Bruce’s predicament called out,
“Deep breath!” and inserted a cypher into her cannon. The cypher, canister ammunition shot out over the three struggling figures and exploded, forming a thick cloud of hallucinogenic gas. The two Brutes instantly stopped fighting Bruce, the one holding him lay down beside him, hugging him like a favourite teddy, the other found the spider-web like crack in the window fascinating. Bruce swung out with his crowbar at the one holding him, but the bear hug was restrictive, and he didn’t connect with the blow.

Blind to almost everything happening around him, Algernon continued to search the computers for a strategic solution to their problem. In a fight of attrition, they were going to lose, so they needed to change the battlefield in their favour, use the environment to gain an advantage. He found the life support systems and the gravity for the station. Isolating just the battle room, he went to work setting up a delay while letting Rain know what he was doing. Through the link, he felt Rain nodd and give thanks before moving to put the plan into action.

Through the bullet hole, the smoke slowly vented into space. The battlefield cleared. The golem charged the two Brutes in the doorway to the second room as Uentaru shot the Venom Troopers. Across the way, the new openings fell from the bulkheads revealing two new Brutes and half a dozen further Venom Troopers reinforcements.

Bruce hits the Brute still cuddling him and wriggled free as Rain ran across the space, replenishing the light shield on Ni’Challan and yelling,

“Get ready to run!” He yelled, pointed at the other room, its doorway currently filled by two Brutes their troops and the Golem.

Bruce climbed out of the snuggle of Brutes to see the cracks in the window, now across its full width. He’d heard the cry to leave but wasn’t ready to flee the fight just yet. Instead, he threw himself into the melee at the door, swinging his crowbar at one of the Brutes. As Rain ran passed, a touch and a one-word message, “Run!” As the energy of the Strange flowed through Bruce.

Peggy heard the call and fired a plasma arc at the two Brutes as she charged the doorway. Electricity sizzled above her head as she ran between them. Troopers’ force bolts hit her metal body, but not before she’s able to make it through the group at the door and into the next room. Here, Doctor Strange’s deputy in the battle was tinkering once more at another control panel. With only one enemy in her sights, Peggy ran across the room charging the doppelganger where he worked. Even distracted, he was quicker and moved out of the way, but her actions had forced him to stop his work. He glared at her with anger that Peggy had never seen on Algernon’s face. Abandoning his work, the doppelganger swung a punch at Peggy that clanged off her metal armour.

Algernon set his delayed disaster to go and ran across the room through Vemon trooper fire from both sides. Allied and enemy alike fell into the crossfire between the two sides as one by one Peggy, Rain, Algernon, Ni’Challan and Uentaru ran for the doorway. In the fight between the golem and the two Brutes, Ni’Challan shot one as the Golem pounded the face of the other. The Brute tried punching back but miss as across the battlefield fresh troops carriers opened fire on the escaping enemy. Algernon, Uentaru and Rain all dodge and weaved their respective force bolts not finding their targets.

Algernon, the last through the door, looked back on the scene of battle. The doors would close at any second, and the two Brutes were still inside. Levitating one of the many crates that filled this room, he threw it at the Brute fighting Bruce. It was enough to push it through the door as the gravity of the battle room switched, and Venom trooper, crates and broken turret fell towards the compromised window. He had the satisfaction of seeing the window explode out into space, and everything sucked out into the void before the doors shut before him.

The golem brought its two clay hands together on the head of the last Brute and crushed it into its body. The Brute slumped to the floor. That left the remaining enemy, Algernon’s look-a-like, fighting Peggy across the room. Peggy sent a plasma arc towards the youth who once more dodged it with his preternatural speed. Now bereft of enemies, Bruce once more pulled out his gun, took careful aim and shot the distracted youth. Able to dodge a lone enemy, the doppelganger could not avoid two enemies at once, and the bullet passed through his shielding and struck. He collapsed into a small heap in the corner, and the battle was finally over. Outside the window Doctor Strangelove’s ship turned and started moving away from the space station, its army of clones destroyed.

Rain was oblivious to the battle in the corner as he ran to Ni’Challan, ready to embrace the man before realising it would be unappreciated and quickly brought his arms down to his side.

“Good to see you well, sir.” He said, stiffly as Ni’Challan checked the health of his home through a control panel.

“Hm…yes. Who are these people?”

“Venom troopers from Ruk, Algernon has deduced they’re here for a remnant of a planetvore in your collection.”

Ni’Challan’s face grew serious as he focused on the task before him, “That’s serious, indeed.”

The fight in the corner won, Algernon walked over and pulled out his crossbow aiming it at the unconscious figure.

“Algernon?” Peggy said, unsure what she should do next and concerned by the look on Algernon’s face. She sat staring up at her companion as Bruce put away his gun and started walking over.

It can’t be allowed to live, Filtered through the mind-link to Rain who until that point had not been paying attention to the fight or its outcome.

Don’t you dare, He replied mentally. Torn now between checking in with Ni’Challan and the big trouble brewing just a few metres away, he guiltily stayed by Ni’Challan feeling like a small child by its parent’s side while his friends fought. It is then that Bruce arrived and saw the boy was still alive.

For the first time in the battle, he saw the look -a-like not as an adversary, but as a human kid, at least by Earth standards. Giving a fleeting thought to Algernon as he ‘stood guard’, Bruce quietly knelt between the boy and Algernon’s crossbow and pulled out his first aid kit. His fingers numb and shaking, he couldn’t seem to concentrate on what he was doing. Silently, Peggy’s hands took the medical supplies and started applying them to the boy’s wounds as Bruce just sat back and watched.

Algernon froze. His whole life and experience told him that the creature was dangerous and would only cause him and his family harm. Like cancer, it should be quickly cut out for the good of the whole. And yet, here was Bruce and Peggy healing the thing, and Rain telling him, not asking him, to stop. The wavering point of the bolt dropped, and Algernon could do nothing but walk away.

The air whistled through the internal door to the control centre, reminding everyone that beyond its meagre seal, the vacuum of space lay.

“Is there somewhere safer than here?” Rain prompted Ni’Challan who flicked a few switches and all around the party the sound solid metal crashed down. Blast shields in place, there was no place safer in the whole broken space station.

“He’ll be out for a day or two,” Peggy finally announced once she finished patching up the boy as best he could. Beside her lay the boy’s possessions, a few cyphers that she now took an interest in as Bruce stumbled away. Amongst the lot was an item of very rare engineering. Meant to sit on a belt it created permanent shields, much like the one that Algernon himself generated. As a tech-based solution, it could be used indefinitely. Peggy carefully put away the cyphers and the field generator and headed over the Ni’Challan to asking him a question.

“Hey kid, “ Bruce said his voice raspy as he came up beside Algernon. Algernon lay, curled up in the opposite corner from his look-a-like, his crossbow resting his arms.

“Did I miss something? What was the crossbow for?”

“We don’t leave enemies alive, Mr Bruce.” Algernon words came out forced and hard between clenched teeth, “We just don’t.”

“But, he’s just a kid, “ Bruce’s eyes drift across to where the boy lay silent and still, “ I shot him three times, I don’t shoot kids.”

“You should have made it four,” Algernon replied now sitting up to see Bruce better. Bruce looked haunted, a look of horror and guilt came over his face every time he looked at the boy across the way.

Algernon made an exasperated sound at the emotions on display. “He…we were never kids, Mr Bruce,” Algernon confessed before laying back down, curling up and eventually falling asleep.

“Do you have a lab onboard?” Peggy asked Ni’Challan, joining the group at the computer console.

“A small one, why?”

“Can I use it, I just want to run a little comparative DNA analysis.”

“I afraid the lab is not that advanced.”

Thoughts of Peggy’s lab reminded Rain of the beacons, particularly the one that led to the Graveyard. Suddenly all the guilt for the death and destruction lay heavily on him and needed confessing.

“Ni’Challan, I need to tell you something. We inadvertently left a bug last time we were here. It’s what led the ship to you.”

“How do you inadvertently leave a bug?” Ni’Challan’s blue eye now cold turned on Rain, and he felt their sting. Peggy pointed at the sleeping Algernon.

“Him,”

“We didn’t know we were leaving them until a few days ago and then we didn’t make the connection to you until we found out a party we were investigating had left suddenly about the same time. Algernon made the connection to you. We can as soon as we knew.”

“Huh, I’ll keep an eye out, give a description and I’ll set my scanners to look for them” He replied perfunctorily and went back to his work.

“Sir, Ruk knows about you now. The one we followed here, we will be dealing with, but the ones that helped us with support…” Rain let the sentence hang, having no idea was the Quiet Cabal would do with someone like Ni’Challan, “Is that going to be a problem?”

“We shall see, I suspect,” Ni’Challan replied stoically and gave no clue to Rain about how he thought on the subject.

Rain sighed. He’d forgotten Ni’Challan was almost a stranger. Only to him did the relationship of a few hours mean so much. Even the leaving of the card was the planting of a seed that he never took any care in tending. Rain had so much he wanted to say, but all seemed so out of place amongst the ruins of the man’s home. Knowing that Ni’Challan was still alive would have to be enough for now. Excusing himself, Rain left Ni’Challan and Uentaru to talk to Bruce.

Bruce by this time had returned to the kid’s side, just staring. The stillness from the usually active and vital Bruce was disconcerting. Rain walked up and crouched beside him,

“Tell me what you’re thinking?”

“Wha?” The far away looked quickly flickered to Bruce’s sharp-eye angry stare and Rain had to sit down to stop for backing away.

“I’m…very angry at you,”

“Okay,” He had no idea what he’d done wrong now, but better a Bruce angry at him for some slight than silent brooding Bruce, “So, hit me with it.”

“You…bonded to that naive kid, force yourself on him like…” Bruce searched for a hard enough word and found it, “…like you raped him.”

In reference to the Bloodbrother bond Rain had initiated as they translated into Ruk, It was a slap in the face to Rain. Hadn’t he wanted to do the best for Algernon? Indeed, Algernon himself had accepted the bloodbrother pact well, creating a similar link between the two of them through the Allsong. No rape was the wrong word… rape was the stealing of innocence and safety from the other person. The gesture had meant the complete opposite, physical sign of the security there was between them. He glanced at Algernon in the corner; good intentions had a way of really messing you up.

“Harsh, but I see your position,” He replied finally, “At the time I didn’t think I had a choice, things were moving too fast for me and I needed Algernon to know he wasn’t alone.”

Bruce expression drifted away from Rain as his attention slipped back to the new kid. Good intentions once again were finding a way to messing up Bruce too. Rain could think of no words. Instead, he kneeled beside Bruce and hugged him. The response was swift and final.

“Urgh! Get off me!” Exclaimed Bruce and elbowed Rain in a response more akin to a kid being kissed than an adult brushing off unwanted attention. Still injured from the blast by the cannon, the elbow made contact with injured ribs. Pain lanced through Rain, freezing the breath in his lungs. The corners of his vision greyed as he fell away from Bruce and into a dead faint.

Hours later Rain awoke still lying beside Bruce and Peggy. He felt better for the long rest. It seemed he hadn’t slept in days and the extended rest had chased away the last of the cobwebs. Opposite, his arms wrapped around his legs, Algernon just stared at the three of them.

“We should have just killed him,” Algernon said, it didn’t need spelling out who he meant.

“I would have been like killing you?” Rain replied quietly as not to disturb the others.

“What? Like killing myself?”

Rain nodded, surprised by the turn of phrase, “Something like that.”

“He could be just mind-controlled, he doesn’t know any better, he’s just a kid,” Bruce replied, seemingly not as asleep as Rain had thought.

“Every enemy left is an enemy at our back,” Algernon countered, a cynical statement from a life of battle.

“Every enemy spared is a potential ally,” Rain replied, also from a lifetime of experience, “And what an ally he can be. Smart, knowledgeable, fast and ruthless. Just like you.”

“He’s just a kid,” Bruce repeated, the fact now haunting them all as it haunted him.

“He’s not a kid, and neither am I,” Algernon said with the first notes of loss Rain had ever heard from his friend, “I know I say I’m just a kid, but I’m not. I watch documentaries. I know what kids are meant to be. We’re something different. I don’t know what we are.”

“What, no childhood memories?” It was Peggy now also awake a listening. Rain sat up to watch his friends.

Algernon was thinking back on his life, a probably more demanding task than he had trying to workout out how to destroy a roomful of enemy soldiers.

“My…memories are…fragments…going back maybe two years. I remember helping Doctor Strangelove in the lab and then… out fighting.” He thought again, and Rain longed to look in on the process of Algernon sifting through his splintered life. Eventually, he shook his head, giving up, “I was never a baby, never a little kid.”

“Never?”

“That I remember.”

Peggy fell silent and looked pensive. She’d always known there was something odd about the boy. Eventually, she too nodded her head and accepted the truth.

A few hours later, after giving their goodbyes to Ni’Challan, the group translated back, the unconscious boy specifically placed between Peggy and Bruce in the circle.

They returned directly to the labs of the Quiet Cabal who were pleased to see them and had made preparations for their return. They had found the location of the secret lab and had prepared transport for the party to get out to the site. They quickly found a room to put the still unconscious kid while the group cleaned up, ate and relaxed before preparing to head back out to find the Doctor Strangelove’s lab.

Peggy, as usual, found her relaxation in the lab. A simple DNA comparison between Algernon and the new boy. When Rain caught wind of her testing, he offered up a suggestion,

“Test your DNA as well,” He said and realised she was in her holographic robot form. Not even cyborg here with some human to test with, this version of Peggy as all synthetic and had nothing with which to experiment.

“Why in God’s name would I do that?” She asked, curious as to the purpose of this endeavour.

“Nevermind, I would have liked to have seen a comparison between the boys and a fully grown human. You keep going on about telemites being short…or something. ” He lied smoothly.

“Telomeres,” Peggy corrected, “Oh, alright. I have my DNA sequence memorised.”

Peggy sent up the DNA testing for Algernon and the still unknown boy as Rain and Algernon hung around watching. When the results came through she set up two DNA sequences side by side and pointed out the features.

“Now, see here, the ends of the DNA sequences are shortened, we think that was because they were artificially made from the parents’ DNA. As to the parents, the DNA sequence both hold enough evidence to prove they both had one of each and that they happened to be the same individuals. It’s not surprising.”

She then pulled up a third sequence that to Rain’s eyes looked identical to the other two,

“Now this is the sequence of a fully grown adult, female with undamaged telomeres and…” She stopped talking for a moment as her holographic hand moved from one sequence to the other two. Rain silently watched as the hologram glitched and faltered. The box that held the intelligence of Doctor Peggy Martin fell out of the air and bounced once on the floor. Rain picked it up, pleased that one of his conspiracy theories had been proven right.

“What just happened to Doctor Peggy?” Algernon asked, coming over to see the results for himself.

“You’d be able to tell me better than I can tell you, but I believe she’s just gone from stepmother to sister,” Rain smirked, pleased with himself.

Algernon took no time to confirm the fact. As incredible as it may seem, each of the individuals on display were related and had the same two parents.

“You knew, how did you work it out?”

Rain’s self-satisfied smirk faulted a little at this point.

“Well, I would exactly say worked it out…more of a hunch. Quickened are rare and yet here we are all four of us, you two being particularly interesting being both listed as the Paradox type, at least by the literature I’ve read.”

“If you are fifteen years old, and I must admit that is looking unlikely now, it fitted in with the time of Peggy’s parents’ disappearance being approximately twenty years ago. You are human, and we don’t know of too many abducted humans, though again I admit that there are probably many other abducted people they could have been.”

“Peggy has always been adamant that the Rockwheelers lived underground and the lab is underground. I don’t know where the water comes in, maybe a trip to the labs will answer that one too.”

“I guess, what it comes down to is that Peggy made a Strange machine to look for her parents. Not just a weird machine, but a machine that uses the Strange. She longed to find her lost family, and the first time she turned on the machine…it found you.” He gestured to Algernon, “You being dragged to Earth was not a mistake, just not intentional.”

“What sort of people were Doctor Peggy’s parents that they could make three quickened children?” Algernon finally asked after working through Rain’s convoluted thinking.

“I would suspect, very gifted ones.”

Bruce hadn’t left the kids side.

Rain took the Peggy box to see him in his contemplation. When first he saw the silent box, Bruce couldn’t help but ask,

“What happened to her?”

“She found out they’re related,” Rain gestured to the figure on the bed.

“Not Algernon and…” He gestured to the bed as well.

“That too. All three. Siblings.” Happy to share his confirmed theory again, he sat down in a nearby seat and shared the story of the DNA results.

“So she went into a Robo-coma?” Bruce asked once all the story was out to Rain’s satisfaction.

“It was a lot for her to take in,” He tapped the metal body making an empty ringing sound, “I thought you could relate to Peggy right now.”

Either the tapping on her metal body or saying her name did the trick as soon as Rain finished his sentence, Peggy’s box floated back up to usually operational height and started flying away.

“I have to leave…” Her tinny voice coming through even more distracted than usual.

“And not save your parents?” Rain said over his shoulder and was rewarded by another clang as Peggy once more fell to the ground. He went and picked her up.

“Don’t go to Earth Peggy. There’s nothing for you there.” He said gently, bringing her back into the sick room and sitting down.

“Wha…what about my family?” She asked, referring to her brother and grandmother, whose lives seemed to go along quite happily without her.

“Your family is here on Ruk,” He soothed, “Your brothers, us…your parents.”

The box shuddered and fell silent once more. Rain sighed.

Two broken souls here and one lost one up in the labs, He thought and wondered if Algernon heard. It didn’t matter. They’d been there for him, and he’d be there for them. Rocking the Peggy box, he sat in silence with Bruce while keeping his Allsong link open for Algernon.

In Rain’s world, things were looking up.

30. Brothers at Arms

After discovering that Doctor Strangelove was on her way to Ni’Challan’s home, the party leapt into action. From Ruk, they translated directly there, bringing the fight with them in the form of two cypher portals linked to squads of Ruk Venom troopers. Fighting through two rooms of enemy Venom troopers, the party now find themselves in a moment of peace, with a choice of two paths.

***********************************************************

The sounds of battle in the first two rooms petering out far behind him, Algernon investigated this third space alone. It was another exhibition space, rare items from recursions all over the Strange protected and confined behind Ni’challan’s unique force fields. At the far end beside an exhibit of ancient metal armour, a set of stairs led up to the next level. There was no sign of Ni’Challan, but thankfully there is also no sign of Doctor Strangelove.

To the empty room, he asked, “Well, where to next?”

As if in response, a yellow glow appeared on the other side of the stairs from the armours. The force field on the armours also flickered and died. The armours as one came to attention with a snap of metal. Wielding crystal blue blades, the armours stepped down and clattered towards Algernon.

Rain and Peggy were in the large room near the ruins of the dead brute Vemon trooper. Their attention was pulled first towards the clay golem fighting two venom troopers, and then to the exhibition area, Algernon had raced. Either way could be the most direct to Ni’Challan. There was no way of telling. Movement in the broken doorway in front of them revealed Algernon stepping back in defence of some new threat. Moulding his yellow light into a large hand, Rain ran in beside Algernon and faced the two animated armours, their swords now burning with blue light. Peggy lined up one of the two Venom troopers with her cannon and shot it square in the back. Having aided the golem, she then turned and followed Rain to face what Algernon had found.

The yellow glow in the corner was resolving itself into a human form, a figure wearing a high collared trench coat and long-bodied gun cradled in its arms. As the party readied for an attack, the person pulled up their arm cannon and aimed it straight down the room towards them. Algernon didn’t know if the figure had anything to do with it, but he didn’t think the force-field cutting out was an accident.

In unison, the armour charged across the room one arcing its sword towards Algernon, the other slashing out at Rain. Rain dodge aside, making the armour overreach and unbalance, Algernon could not move as fast, but his shields held and kept the blow from striking him. Peggy, in her cyborg persona, interposed herself between Rain and the armour. From inside her metal frame, the whirl of electrical motors fans and gears foreshadowed Peggy preparing to unleash on the two armours. Two bolts of plasma streaked from her cannon. The bolts ricocheted off the breastplates of both, leaving dents and a cracking field of energy, but not doing the damage she’d expected. Frowning, Peggy held her ground preparing for the returning blow.

In the previous room, Bruce watched the golem as it received a bladed blow from a Venom trooper, leaving a jagged scar across its fired clay body. From behind, a squad of six allied troopers ran through from the previous fight and started firing on the enemy. Bruce could see nothing behind the golem, the room beyond was full of thick smoke, making viewing impossible. Lifting his gun, Bruce shot twice, one on each enemy. One missed, having dodged the golem’s blow at the right time, the other bullet found its mark and killed it.

The troops opened fire only half hitting the enemy Venom trooper, as the golems earthenware fist smashed into its face. With the last round in his gun, Bruce shot and killed the creature, putting it out of its misery. Returning his first gun to its holster, he drew his second and looked up at the blank face of the golem,

“That’s it, right?”

The golem bowed its head solemnly towards him as a sign of respect and turned, entering the smoke and disappearing out of sight. The sound of more fighting within the smoke told a tale of more enemies. As the squad moved to follow the bulk of the party into the other room, Bruce called three over, and they followed the golem into the smoke.

In the armour room, the figure was most definitely a woman and with her weapon fully transported she fired, shooting an armour from behind. With her front-row position, Peggy realised the gun was projecting weaponised coherent space-time.

“It’s not Strangelove,” Algernon said out loud as he levitated the armour attacking him. Floating up and back to where it had come, the armour could do nothing but flail wildly, it’s legs trying to run but getting nowhere. Algernon moved forward, directing the armour back into its case as Rain brought around his large hand made of light and put it between him and the armour still fighting Peggy. The armour struck at the hand, dissipating some of its energy, but the hand held.

Unsure and wary of the individual with the space-time gun, Peggy shot at the woman before moving to protect Algernon. The bolt hit, but dispersed harmlessly off a shield, a few inches away from her body. The woman gave a disappointed shrug and once more shot the armour on the ground. It shattered into its many parts, clattering and bonging randomly across the room. The two armours now seemingly under control, Rain touched Algernon, pushing the energy of the Strange through him before running for the stairs and up to the next level.

With a shiver, Algernon focused the energy on the job at hand. He wanted to return to armour to its case, to do that he needed to reestablish the forcefield. The timing was critical. Letting go of the armour, he trained his thoughts and the Strange on the mechanism that controlled the forcefield. It should have been hard, but Algernon found the right connections and reestablished energy flow. The forcefield sprung into life between him and the armour just as it was maneuvering to attack once more. Instead, the armour stopped, inverted its sword to point down and stood at attention.

“Impressive, “ Said the woman reloading her weapon and overlooking Algernon’s handiwork.

“Who are you?” Peggy asked, her sharp tone sounding even harsher in her cyborg form.

“Uentaru,” She replied, pushing past Peggy, “I’m a friend of Ni’Challan.”
“Are you one of his ‘found’?” The note of disdain was clear. The group had met one of Ni’Challan’s Found Gentlemen last visit. An unsavoury slaver from Railsea called Rondat tu Vin.

“No, he looks after a few things for me. When he called for help, I teleported over.”

Somewhere above, the whoomp of a large energy weapon discharging followed by the blunt smack of a body hitting a metal wall.

“We should help your friend,” She cradled her gun and followed Peggy up the stairs.

In the smoke-filled exhibition space, Bruce could barely see a few metres ahead of him. Following the sounds of a massive battle, he found the golem trading blows with a Venom trooper Brute. The Brute was trying to bring its cannon to bear on the golem, but the close combat was hindering. In one corner, Bruce could just see the source of the smoke, a machine of some kind spewing billowing noxious clouds into the air. None of it phased Bruce. His mind was on the kill as he raised his new gun and shot the Brute. A chunk of cloned flesh flew from the left shoulder, and the arm dropped uselessly to its side.

Now it was a slugfest between the golem and the Brute. The golem swung a king hit on the Brute. In return, the Brute brought his fist up between them for an uppercut, smashing the golem. Blood and pottery shard flew everywhere as the three troopers awaited Bruce’s orders.

“Shoot the Brute!” He yelled, dropping his gun to pull out his faithful crowbar. The allied troopers provided cover fire, as Bruce ran in, swinging in with his full might and skill. His crowbar connected in a jarring blow cracked the skull of the Brute. The giant sank to its knees, finally keeling over, dead.

Bruce and his three troopers had finished the enemy threat on this floor. He took a moment to enjoy the rush of power, a unique feeling for the once construction worker. Looking around, he could now see the burning machine. A full-size working tie-fighter, straight out of Star Wars had been the innocent victim of a stray blaster bolt. Giddily, not from the smoke but his success, he wandered the room until he found glass hand grenades filled with a gel that purported to be fire extinguishers. Lobbing a few of those as the seat of the smoke seemed to do the trick, and the station’s environmental systems soon started clearing the smoke from the air.

The golem, its job done, now returned to a large plinth beside a doorway. Bruce wandered over and looked through the archway as the golem ceramic joints ground and settled back into place. Inside was an elevator with floor markers going up. There were a few scorch marks, a few stray shots had made their mark, but the mechanism seemed clear. There didn’t seem to be anything to do now but head back and find the others. Calling over his three troopers, they all trotted out and after Algernon.

Rain blindly ran up the stairs into the next room, expecting the automated weapon systems of the space station to turn aside for him like the ones downstairs. In this long narrow room, he spotted four of the regular wall-mounted turrets, as well as a large turret on a pop-up stand at the far end of the room. He had a moment’s realisation that a panel in a nearby wall had been opened and tampered with before the large turret fired. The plasma bolts caught him in the chest, picked him up and threw him into the back wall. Winded and dazed as his clothes smoked and smouldered, Rain could little but lay there and wait for the turret to find him again.

Peggy was first at his side and assessing the situation. With deft hands, she provided first aid and got him sitting up behind an exhibit for protection. Something in his side ground disturbingly as he moved. A rib? Something worse? He couldn’t tell. As shock settled in and he began to slide into a passive state of being injured, Uentaru appeared and silently handed him a healing cypher.

“Er…thank you.” He choked-out and accepted the gift from the stranger.

From the stairs, Algernon called, “What did it?”

“Cannon…someone’s tampered,” Rain replied and with a shaking hand pointed out the open panel on the wall.

Algernon scanned the room and judged the threat. It seemed that only the cannon had been tampered with as none of the four turrets had fired. Pulling out a cypher he carefully moved from exhibit to exhibit until he was in position, then placed the cypher on the floor. Instantly, a clear, indestructible shield rose between the panel and the cannon. Now protected, Algernon felt brave enough to defy the machine that had hurt his friend. Standing close to the shield, he pressed his lips up to its transparent surface and blew out his cheeks, a sign of defiance and childish bravado. The cannon fired, its bolt dispersing harmlessly against the shield. Unfortunately, now the four turrets fired. Two could not get through the defences of shield and exhibition force fields, but two behind Algernon shot him in the back. His armour took the damage, but he was rocked forward, chastened and ducked back undercover within reach of the panel.

Seeing Algernon take a hit, Peggy pulled out a shrapnel grenade, she’d picked up at The Scar, and bowled it underarm under the large turret. The grenade damaged the turret but didn’t stop it from firing again at Algernon behind the shield. The shield took the blow, flickered and held as Algernon got to work on the panel.

It was curious. The more Algernon looked at the sabotage done to the control panel, the more he realised it was exactly what he would have done. He returned the circuitry to its original configuration and stood, the cannon remained silent. So did he, about his small mysterious nugget of information.

Now feeling a little more together after Peggy’s first aid and the healing cypher, Rain spent the moments Algernon worked on the panel to talk to Uentaru, his mysterious benefactor.

“Where did you come from?”

“Oh, I have a small home in the middle of The Strange. I heard Ni’Challan was under attack and teleported across. I assume you did something similar.” She said in a friendly, efficient way that reminded Rain of a military officer. Neat, efficient and respectable.

“Something like that,’ He thought, of the beacons, their group had left for Doctor Strange to follow. A point in their story well worth leaving out.

“Sorry for attacking you,” Peggy’s metallic voice joined the conversation as if fearful of being left out, “Weren’t sure if you were friend or foe.”

“Well, “ Uentaru looked sidelong at Peggy, almost dismissively, “You weren’t much of a threat, so you’re forgiven.”

Peggy fumed, and in this cyborg form, it was a physical effect as steam rose from her metal body.

“Er… I for one am pleased to know that Ni’Challan has such good and adept neighbours,” Rain dragged the conversation back to something more civil as Algernon stood, still focused on the panel. The turrets were silent.

Algernon was now wondering, looking at the control panel in front of him. He pondered what mischief he could get up to with such access and by inference, what the tamperer would likely have done. Certainly interfering with the power supply to the force-fields was within control of this panel. He thought about what he would have done in their place. His usual process was to add a remote connection so he could control the systems here from wherever he went. With that thought in mind, he easily found a remote coupler tucked into the wiring. He pulled it out, only pausing a moment wondering if doing so would tip his hand to the coupler’s owner.

Bruce with six Venom troops in tow now stomped up their stairs and took in the room.

“No time to sit and smoke Rain.” He joked before spotting Uentaru with his friends, “Who are you?”

“Uentaru, a friend of Ni’Challan’s, “ She replied as simply as Bruce’s blunt question,

“She teleported across when she heard Ni’Challan was under attack, “ Rain added context and Bruce’s eyebrow raised,

“What? Into the middle of a firefight?”

“Yes, she’s been amazing,” Rain exalted before catching Peggy’s part human part cyborg red eyes glaring down. He shrugged as Uentaru and Bruce continued their conversation.

“Can you get us out to that ship outside?” He asked. He was determined to capture the Strangelove ship.

“First, find Ni’Challan,” She said, their mission set, Rain nodded in enthusiastic agreement.

“There’s a lift on the other side, where does it go?”

“Observation level for the specimen pens.”

The revelation was met with mixed reactions as the party wondered what sort of living creatures would Ni’Challan had thought to collect. The group picked Rain up and continued past the floor turret and into the next room.

It was smaller than most rooms they’d been in so far. Nearest the group a double force field denoted by yellow safety holograms filled a gap into a massive double-height room full of forest plants, cycads and vines. At the other end, elevator doors stood closed but ready to take viewers up to a mezzanine level high above the canopy.

“Oh, this would be the T-Rex exhibition space,” Uentaru mentioned offhandedly as the force field flickered.

Bruce looked through the dense foliage as everyone else looked up to a metal walkway above the forest. He saw the thick, scaly hide, the muscular legs and a plate-sized staring eye above height level. Algernon and Rain saw a figure, tinkering with another control panel on the far side of the room. Both did a double-take, then turned to look at each other.

“You did try to tell us,” Rain said, shrugging his shoulders.

“Tell you what?” Algernon asked as the forcefield flickered again and died leaving a large six-metre tall gap into the forest enclosure

“That we may end up fighting you someday,” The figure looked precisely like Algernon himself. The moment was lost to a more pressing problem.

“You know Jurassic Park?” Bruce said, gesturing to the huge beast now pushing its way through the forest to the gap. He turned to Uentaru now pointing to the metal walkway where the figure did his best to murder them all via dinosaur “How do we get up there?”

“Elevator,” She replied as if it were obvious. Raising her gun, she shot a round into the forest, the beast roared. The six troopers took up positions in the gap and started firing at what they could see of the T-Rex through the thick forest.

The second Algernon started at the noise and looked down to see the party below. Concentrating on the Strange, one minute Algernon was by Rain’s side, the next he was up on the walkway beside Algernon2. The mix of his Atomic Dash and Levitate surprising the saboteur. Up close, Algernon could see that his doppelganger was not a complete copy, with a different mix of the same facial features. It was more like looking at a brother than a twin or clone.

“That’s weird,” Commented Bruce and he raised his gun and trained it on the Algernon2, “Algernon never jumps into combat like that.” The bullet flew true, but the other Algernon was faster and dodged the bullet swinging his body out of its path in a blur of speed.

“Ah, I’m having second thoughts!” Algernon said so the rest of the party below.

Back on the ground, the fight with the Tyrannosaurus Rex was on in earnest. Both Peggy and Rain shot at the creature and missed; Peggy with her arm cannon and Rain with his fear laidened Hard-light blast. The troopers did better as did Uentaru, but the beast was massive, the bolts barely scratching its heavy hide.

On the walkway high above, Algernon2 sprung up from the ground and tried to connect with a roundhouse kick to Algernon’s head. Algernon stepped back, and the kick missed. His reflection in this eerie dance rebalanced and was ready to defend in a moment. Algernon used Mind link to pick up his doppelganger’s surface thoughts.

Why does this guy look familiar? Nevermind, he’s hostile! Along with the thought came the idea to push the hostile away and over the railing back into the dinosaur enclosure.

On the ground, the T-Rex was showing what it would do if it got jaws on Algernon. One bite and first one trooper, then another disappeared. Humanoids were a mere mouthful for this monster. Peggy shot and hit the T-Rex as Rain gave up trying to scare the creature with his blast. Instead, he created another hand of light and waggled it in front of the T-Rex’s nose as a distraction. A trooper and Uentaru both shot the T-Rex as the creature took the bait. Between jaws that could crush a car, the T-Rex snagged the hand, flailing it back and forth like the biggest rubber chew toy. Rain and Peggy both ran for the elevator doors.

“Disperse into the forest!” Bruce told the troopers as he used the noise and action to sneak past the T-Rex’s attention, and started climbing the metal infrastructure holding up the walkway. Grabbing a support, hand over hand he climbed a triangular support to the edge of the walkway. Grabbing the walkway from underneath with both hands, he swung himself up and rolled his body onto the walkway.

Now across the walkway from Algernon, Bruce watched as the figure crouched low and swung his fist up in a deadly uppercut. Even knowing it was happening, Algernon couldn’t match his twin for speed and the hit connected. He flew up and over the railing and fell through the forest canopy and back into the enclosure. Rolling back to his feet, Algernon attacked, focused on the reality around Algernon2. The space around him warped and shifted sickeningly. Algernon2 swayed drunkenly in place, an easy target for the sharpshooter waiting his chance.

Bruce didn’t hessitate. A shimmering field of energy around the figure slowed the bullet’s velocity, but could not stop it. Bruce saw blood blossom on the shoulder of the person that could have been Algernon. he grinned at getting past the enemies shielding and moved up ready to shoot again.

From the lift door, Peggy tried shooting the T-Rex as it swung back into the forest, chewing the hand. Her shot went wide and hit a trooper. The hand finally took as much abuse as it could stand and disappeared with a pop. The look of surprise on the dinosaur’s face would have been comical if it didn’t hold quite so many dagger-sharp teeth. It turned to find prey further in its jungle, in the location of fresh blood.

“Algernon, get out of there, brother! The T-Rex is coming!” Rain called out to Algernon somewhere across the enclosure deep in the undergrowth. Hearing Rain, the spark of the Strange still found Algernon and the old familiar feeling of competence filled him.

Above, Algernon2 had also had enough. Tinkering with the control panel once more, he opened a door beside him and made his escape. Through the mind link, Algernon knew he was going for help. More like himself? No, others. Levitating up, Algernon joined Bruce on the walkway, and together they followed Algernon2 around the corner.

On the ground, Rain was frustrated by the slowness of the elevator. Even when the doors finally opened, Uentaru and Peggy took two last parting shots at the T-Rex. Uentaru gravely injured the beast, but it was Peggy’s shot that finally killed it. As its hulking body collapsed to the ground making the room shudder, she had a moment to consider her actions.

“I’ve done a terrible thing,” She said as Rain impatiently held the door for the four remaining troopers now returned from the forests. With a shudder, Rain made another hand and put it up between himself and his Venom trooper allies.

Now too far away for Mind Link, Algernon and Bruce chased Algernon2 down a long hallway from the T-Rex room. Dropping something as he passed, Algernon2 ducked in a doorway and out of sight. The thing sprang to life, another forcefield that shimmered blue. As they moved closer, Bruce could feel the bitter cold emitted by the shield and slowed. Algernon did not. Instead, he Atomic Dashed through hoping the speed would mitigate most of the cold damage. The frost field bit deep into his shield, and it snuffed out of existence. The cold did not touch him, however, his speed made him lose grip on the icy floor. Sliding out of control, he slammed face-first into the wall opposite. Running through at a more careful pace, Bruce kept his footing. He reached the corner in time to see Algernon2 run to the side of two Venom Trooper Brutes.

In a large room past the force-field, a shooting battle had been raging for some time. The two brutes had their backs to Bruce and Algernon as they shot from behind a makeshift barricade. Two more squads of three Venom troopers were further ahead trading shots with a wall turret. Algernon2 said something to the Brutes before disappearing into the fight. The Brutes together turn to face the door, Bruce and Algernon.

Algernon scanned the area for flammables, found one and ignited it, a canister filled with a swirling gas. With a violent explosion, Venom troopers scattered to the floor, and the battle was now on two fronts. Bruce stood back and set down the second of the two gates cyphers. Instantly a tear in reality, let their troopers into the fray as the two Brutes shot the doorframes inches from both the companions.

When they looked again, they could just see the doppelganger organising the second group of Venom troopers to concentrate fire on the wall turret. It would not last long under the torrent of damage.

Two rooms away Rain, Peggy and companions burst out of the elevator and started running around the exhibition space walkway. They were most of a room and a hallway away, frustratingly far from a gunfight they could hear was happening. As they ran, Rain reached out and Stimulated Peggy knowing that she was the faster of the two of them. He hoped she would get there in time.

To be continued…

Hope

29. The secret deeds of Doctor Strangelove

Harmonious, the Glistening City and jewel of Ruk. Our group have received an invitation to talk to a representative from the Quiet Cabal, an important faction in Harmonious. Though outwardly the Quiet Cabal is on good relations with the Estate, Algernon’s own experiences with Ruk life have the whole group questioning their intentions with them in general and specifically with their wayward enemy operative.

*********************************************************************

The Quiet Cabal headquarters building was a marvel of architecture. Tall and incredibly thin it made a pure needle-like projection into the skyline of Harmonious. As the group walked up the front gates, noting the people scanning holographic passes and walking through, Algernon asked a question of the Allsong.

Is Doctor Strangelove on the way or at the Graveyard of the machine god?

Yes, Came the definite reply.

Now he knew where Doctor Strangelove had taken herself in such a hurry. He also suspected he knew why she’d taken this time to go. Peggy determined a beacon had been placed there. Keeping this information to himself, he followed Bruce and the others into the foyer of the building and up to the front desk.

“Holograms out! Holograms out!” An officious security guard called from behind the desk to the respectably dressed office and other technical workers as they filed past, “Yes, what do you want?”

Without Rain’s soothing frontman persona, Bruce had taken the lead into the building. Reluctantly, he stepped up to the counter as the guard caught his eye.

“We’ve been invited to see someone…” He started confidently enough but realised he had no idea who had arranged the meeting.

“We are here to see Tabaseth,” Rain supplied smoothly, stepping back to allow Bruce to continue.

“Yes, him,” Bruce added.

“A moment please, “ The guard put through a call via an internal network. The group could see his lips move as he spoke, but no sound was made. For those who could read lips, it was a perfunctory conversation confirming they had arrived that lasted no more than a few minutes.

“Tabaseth will be with you shortly,” The guard returned to Bruce, just a little more respectfully this time now they were guests of the management.

Tabaseth did not keep them waiting and was soon bustling towards them, a respectable member of a respectable organisation.

“Greetings, you say you’re from The Estate?” Tabaseth moved from face to face until Bruce spoke up for the party.

“We are,” He replied simply. The response seemed inadequate and Bruce was sure he could hear Rain in back of his mind say “…thank you for seeing us at such short notice…” or “ …apologies for the abruptness of our arrival…”

“Please, follow me.” Tabaseth didn’t seem to mind though and led the group into lifts that took them up several floors into the heart of the building. Here a small conference room had put aside for their meeting and Bruce looked to Rain to see if he would take up the task of communicating to Tabaseth.

“Our mission, “ Rain started without preamble, “for some time has been following the trail of Spiral Dust users and dealers on Earth and off. Recently, this mission has been hampered by a memory block on this one.” He gestured to Algernon who suddenly looked awkward being the centre of attention.

“We believe that the memory tampering was done by a Doctor Strangelove, a Ruk scientist,” Bruce added.

“…allegedly,” Rain interjected, still a stickler for diplomatic language use.

“Doctor Strangelove of the Karum?” Tabaseth asked, confirming Bruce’s information from the Allsong.

“Yes.”

Now Tabaseth turned his attention to Algernon as if sizing up an interesting if not dangerous specimen.

“You are one of her creations?” Algernon nondded. “Amazing you didn’t set off our security when you arrived.” He said, not to Algernon but more to himself, “Well, we shall soon look into this, “ To the group as a whole he now turned, “The Quiet Cabal would be happy to help you with this problem,”

“Yeah, gives them a chance to poke around with the competition’s technology,” Peggy mumbled to no one in particular.

“Have you a scientist that can oversee the testing?” Tabaseth and the group almost as one gestured to the floating box. Peggy projected her hologram and nodded to the Quiet Cabal representative.

“This is Peggy. She is considered one of The Estates leading minds.”

At the sight of Peggy, Tabaseth was taken aback and spent a moment or two taking in this new form of life. The distraction gave Algernon a moment to slip back from the conference table and towards the door. It was only Tabaseth’s gesture toward’s a security button that sent him back to the conference table. Rain took Algernon’s hand in his.

“About Doctor Strangelove, couldn’t we get the police to arrest her?” Bruce asked, bringing the conversation back around to the real culprit.

“I’m afraid that it’s not that easy. The law can not touch her.”

“She controls the law?” Bruce was horrified.

“She has a lot of political influence, I’m afraid while on Ruk we can’t touch her.

“But while she’s off-world, would that be something you would consider?” Rain asked matter of factly.

“Yes, we had heard she put together a raiding party of venom troops, but our information didn’t tell us where she was going.”

Now that all the party had been in Ruk for a while and experienced the Allsong, they had seen the advertisements put up by the Zal Corporation for their latest and greatest clone shock troops. The lineage between the Venom troops and the vat rejects was obvious for those looking, and showed how much power the individual factions wielded in Ruk.

But, just where the elusive Doctor Strangelove had gone was a mystery, to most.

“What if she took those Vemon troopers back to the Estate?” Bruce asked, saying what everyone was thinking. Both Rain and Algernon shook their heads.

“The majority of Earth do not know about Ruk. Would she be so reckless as to destroy that advantage for one strategic strike?” Rain turned to look at Tabaseth.

“Besides, the venom troops would have to follow Earth laws once they got there, their weird science advantage would be lost.”

“Peggy’s old house?”

“Why? There’s nothing there, and why now, it’s been abandoned almost a year.”

The group started going through beacon location and an alarm set off in Rain’s logic pathways.

Brother, is there a beacon at the Graveyard of the machine god? He asked Algernon via their link.

Yes, that’s where she’d gone. Algernon replied the same way.

Rain turned to Bruce, “We need to leave, we need to leave now.” Rain said with such conviction that it bordered on panic.

“Before we’ve had a chance to examine your friend?” Tabaseth asked oblivious to the communication going on around him.

“Just a moment, sir,” Bruce interjected, “This is the most emotion I’ve seen out of this one since we got here.” He turned to Rain, “ Can it wait until we sort Algernon out?”

The imperative to leave now and to protect Ni’Challan, was overridden by the need of the Bloodbrother. Algernon’s abilities would be important for any rescue attempt. His importance had been further reinforced by the reciprocation of the blood pact Algernon had made when establishing the link between the two of them. They were in Ruk to help Algernon, nothing worthwhile could be achieved until that was done. To the logic-driven Rain, Algernon’s needs at that moment were more important than one old man.

“Yes,” Rain finally said and fell silent, letting the discussion of Algernon’s testing to flow around him.

“Well then, follow me and I will introduce you to Giqabee,” Tabaseth said with an air of pride as he led the group of the conference room and up several more floors to what was a laboratory wing. Here they were introduced to two individuals, Giqabee a stout woman of middle age and a tall thin man by the name of Torquel. Together they would run a number of tests to determine Algernon’s origins and what had been done to him

“Now please, for the sake of Algernon I’d like you to clearly tell him what you will be doing,” Bruce said remembering the many awful snippets Algernon had told them of his life on Ruk, “ Full disclosure and you will do nothing without permission, is that acceptable?” He turned to both the two scientists and Algernon, all who agreed, the scientists a little more heartily than Algernon.

“Yes, Mr Bruce.”

“Well I’ll get started with a simple DNA analysis, find out what our young friend here didn’t trip our security, “ Giqabee laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood. It didn’t work, “While that’s happening we’ll do a brain scan, non-intrusive, of course, while Torquel will run a psych evaluation.”
“Oh, I can pass those,” Algernon responded planning to get at least one over the scientists.

“We’re all sure you can fool the test, Algernon,” Bruce said staying clear of the bustling scientists around the young man, “In this case it may be better to answer truthfully.”

“They’re more diagnostic than for determining aptitude, “ Torquel added, “It will tell us what’s going on in that brain of yours. I must say,” Torquel now turned his attention to Algernon as Tabaseth had, like examining something very rare and not a person at all, “If he is a clone, he’s a very high fidelity one. I don’t think I examined such a clearly defined personality before.”

Algernon took the psychologist’s statement as a compliment. The rest of the group could not say the same. It led Bruce to ask Tabaseth a few questions.

“Tell me, what would you normally do if you found such a clone?”

“You must understand that we do have clone infiltrations from the Karum on occasion. Unlike your companion, they come in covertly with none of your party’s goodwill and honesty. If a clone was found and it was not one of ours, we would interrogate and dispose of them, naturally.” Tabaseth explained clearly, seemingly having some understanding about the Earthlings squeamishness around the rights of clones.

“He is a highly regarded member of this group,” Rain interjected as if putting a stamp of ownership on this wayward clone.

Now having inserted himself into the conversation, Rain turned it towards topics closer to their mission.

“Tabaseth, we have information that shows that Earth has been set up as a beacon to a being in The Strange. We have reason to believe that this being to be a planetovore. Knowing your people’s history with such a being, this one would be interested in learning what you know.”

“Indeed, could I look at your information on this?”

Rain pulled out his mind map, the summary of everything they knew on Spiral Dust and its link to the potential planet eater. As he stepped aside with Tabaseth to work through the details, a message came through from Algernon over their connected link,

Don’t tell them too much, I don’t trust them.

Understood, Came the simple reply as the logical mind sorted the essential information from the personal and left with Tabaseth to another room.

Now that the Quiet Cabal scientists were starting their testing. Algernon’s thought literally focused on the lead scientist who was taking a blood sample for DNA testing.

Such an intriguing specimen, I wonder how it got past our security? I didn’t realise Strangelove was this good…can’t wait to get to work.

Something in Algernon’s demeanour at that point prompted Peggy to ask,

“For safety, would you like to mind link?”

“No!”

“Really, after all this time?” Her genuine offer of comfort rebuffed, Peggy took offence, “Have I ever invaded your privacy, or experimented without express permission?”

“You’ve been very subtle that way.” Algernon responded, his inbuilt distrust of Doctor’s being revealed, “Doctor Peggy, in the documentaries, when the older apologies to the younger, one usually dies.” He then added, “Usually the older.”

“Well, then you’re safe,” Peggy scoffed, on the assumption that his visual age of fourteen was his true one.

“Are you okay, Doctor Peggy?”

“Death is a natural part of life and to be expected.” She sighed, and let the Ruk scientists maneuver Algernon into a scanner. Looking much like much like an x-ray, the scanner showed live images of brain activity. As Algernon moved his telepathic link from Giqabee to her offsider, Torquel, an area in his frontal lobes flared and startled the psychologist.

“Is it always so active?” Torquel asked no one in particular.

“Yes, except when it’s like this,” Algernon replied and let go his focus on the psychologist’s thoughts. The lights at the front of the brain faded.

“Oh, that is intriguing,” Torquel added and made a note.

Torquel brought up a set of questions on his datapad and started running Algernon through them, noting the parts of the brain that responded. Nervous at the Ruk scientific attention, when Giqabee made a start at something she had discovered in the DNA, his telepathic link automatically asserted itself to find out what the issue was. That made Torquel start once more.

“You’ll find that’s an involuntary defence mechanism, “Peggy bluffed, sure she knew what was setting off the flares in the brain scan. Even Bruce figured out the link.

“If you’re doing stuff right now, you may want to let it go, “ Bruce said cryptically to Algernon nodded back.

“Yes, sir.”

“You do seem a little jittery,” Torquel said to Algernon, “What can I do to help you relax?”

“Send me back to Earth, “ Algernon responded instantly.

“With a world eater coming?” Peggy asked, “Wouldn’t here be safer?”

“We can go anywhere from Earth,”

“And from here too, ten more minutes,” Peggy soothed

As the testing progressed, more exclamation of excitement came from the two doctors.

What if we translated, right now? Algernon sent to Rain over their private link.

Patience, brother. Was the terse reply.

Rain was patiently discussing the end of the Earth with Tabaseth as Algernon was experimented on floors away and Doctor Strangelove edge closer to Ni’Challan. Even in his current partitioned self, Rain was having a tough time focusing his thoughts.

“Making the whole Earth a beacon, like the one you suggest, is ingenious, “ Tabaseth mused theoretically, “But, why go to all that trouble. Doctor Strangelove is a leading figure in high energy particle physics. Sabotaging your Hadron Collider would be easy for someone such as her.”

“So, you believe the Doctor would use more direct methods?” Rain thought for a moment, “Our investigations have shown a clear link to Crows Hollow and we would indeed be there now if not for Algernon’s condition.”

Tabaseth shook his head slowly, “We know of no links to Crows Hollow, you are certainly more advanced on this investigation that we are.”

“And the Karum, it is not their usual M.O. to work through third parties, such as Crows Hollow?”

“Not to our knowledge, no.”

What had seemed so obvious when the group arrived in Ruk, now seemed far fetched. Though the Karum faction would love to see Earth destroyed, the elaborateness of the plan didn’t seem to fit with their usual way of working. At least as far as Tabaseth was concerned. Rain did not feel that Tabaseth was lying, but was he providing the whole truth, and if so, for what purpose would they hide that information from an ally.

The logical mind flipped to the next subject on his list of enquiries,

“Sir, I would be interested in viewing any information you have on planetovores, possibly there is something that will help.”

Again, Tabaseth seemed more than pleased to offer the information.

“We did share quite a bit of this information with the Estate early on.” He said, offering a loaded datapad of information. As he said, it was the same information Algeron had found originally and forgotten. The very same notes, Rain had found later testing him in the library.

Rain thought about the next question he wished to pose. The need to discover Doctor Strangelove’s interest in the Graveyard of the machine god was high, but Algernon had suggested caution. The location of Ni’challan’s home and collection was not information that Rain was willing to share, but perhaps there were other reasons for the Doctor’s interest in that location.

“One more question, do you know of any reason Doctor Strangelove would be interested in the Graveyard of the machine god?” He asked Tabaseth.

“Odd place,” He thought a moment then shook his head, “Is that where she’s gone?”
“We have intelligence that leads us to believe she had an interest in that location.”

“Nothing that we know of, why do you ask?”

All his options had been whittled away. It seemed that Doctor Strangelove had some interest in Ni’Challan or his collection, spurred on by the beacon left by Algernon. If Rain could have sighed he would have. Instead, he shared the information he’d discovered with Algernon.

Ask him to send out the troops to the Grave of the machine god, Algernon suggested, before something happened at his end and connection was lost.

Brother…?

Back in the lab, all of Algernon’s attention was focused on the exploding and smoking brain scanner in front of him. Everyone’s attention was.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” Peggy asked, checking Algernon for any contact burns or signs of shock. Without a word, Algernon reached out and touched her on the arm, establishing a mind link.

What’s going on?

I resisted it, Algernon said through their link to his complete astonishment, I sent Rain a message suggesting a course of action that will put Doctor Strange in danger…and did not pass out!

Peggy looked Algernon over, as she listened to his revelation. He was sweating and breathing hard as if he’d just come back from a run, but there were no other physical signs of trauma.

I think your brain sent out an EMP and fried the scanner, Peggy suggested just as Torquel reclaimed his voice.

“What just happened?” He asked, gingerly checking the still smoking scanner.

“Your machine broke and smoke came out,” Algernon replied looking at the scanner as if he had nothing to do with it.

I directly put Doctor Strangelove’s life in danger, He confessed, and light of triumph lit his features.

“Well, I did see some definite signs of deep reprogramming, “ Torquel noted on his datapad, oblivious to the revelation happening in front of him.

Peggy pushed Algernon aside as she had a look at the scanner to see if there was anything she could do with it. While Peggy and Torquel were busy, Bruce, pulled Algernon aside,

“What did you do to fry the machine?” He asked knowing very well what was behind the mystery malfunction, “It would be very helpful to know what.”

“A passing thought triggered a cascade effect,” Peggy said as Bruce’s conversation wasn’t as private as her’s and Algernon’s had been, “Maybe we could recreate the thought pattern?”

“I’d suggest we’ve hit a deep safeguard, something Doctor Strangelove has put in place to stop just this sort of thing, “ Torquel added as Peggy removed the burnt-out component and started rewiring the scanner. “I’m afraid that means I will need the original notes from Doctor Strangelove herself if we want to break the programming.”

Peggy flicked a switch and the scanner started rebooting again.

“I told you she was good, “ Bruce crowed as Peggy raised an arm in victory

“Feel free to bow now.”

“The defences sent out a very strong signal, “Torquel surmised as the last of the scanner’s readings were revealed, “Impressive.”

“Excuse me, Doctor?” Algernon now got the attention of Giqabee watching fascinated from her counter, “If the Quiet Cabal knew the location of Doctor Strangelove’s secret lab, what would they do?”

I don’t want to go, He confessed to Peggy over the mind link, but if we had an army…

Can you pass that information on, maybe through the link?

Only thing is I don’t know, or I don’t know that I know. He said and shrugged apologetically.

“We’d certainly pass on that information to Tabaseth, “ Giqabee replied to Algernon’s question, “Why, do you have something you want to share?”

Bruce had not idle this whole time. Not being aware of the extent of the Allsong he was unsure of its capabilities, but he knew enough about Earth tech to come up with the makings of a plan.

“I was wondering,” He now said, gaining his party’s attention, “Is it at all possible to track Algernon’s movements through the Allsong? Maybe those records can at least show an area to start looking for this secret base.

Algernon searched the Allsong for the information that Bruce suggested. Nothing…well, almost nothing. Records from twelve months before showed Algernon moving in and out of the Scar (to hide the wings he assumed) and nothing else. Someone had deliberately wiped the records and left that small scrap behind. Did that clue get left intentionally so he would go searching for the wings on a return visit? Was it left by accident because the record manipulator did not know to look there for a record to expunge? Regardless, Algernon let the others know what he’d found.

Have you left beacons here in Ruk? Peggy suggested. None had been found in her previous searches.

I haven’t left any beacons anywhere! Algernon replied and then furrowed his brow. But he had been, hadn’t he. His fingers went instinctively to a spot on his left wrist.

“Okay, let’s think about this,” Peggy started circling Algernon paying attention to the smallest details of his clothing starting at his head and working down, “We know that when we re-enter a recursion we have previously visited we pick up the ‘skins’ that belong with that recursion just as we left them…”

“Do we…?” Bruce asked. This was news to him.

“…so anything on Algernon right now may give us clues to where he went then.” She got to his shoes, a black zip-up style boot and noticed a pale grey substance clinging to the side. It flaked off looking very much like a fine dried mud with a slight metallic sheen. A sheen of some clear liquid had also dried along the edge of the boot and up his pants leg.. Grabbing two glass slides and scalpel from Giqabee’s counter, she scrapped the grey substance off the boot onto one and the clear residue onto another.

“Well, what have you got there, Sherlock?” Bruce stood by bemused as Peggy transferred the grey mud slide to Giqabee’s scanners.

A few moments later and the samples was identified. The first was a Ruk substance called organema, a living metal and one of the byproducts of the Ruk biotechnology. Organema’s structure was disorganised and unsuitable for use but was found in a number of places outside of Harmonious, especially in the Veritax.

“The Vertiax is a system of underground tunnels, a labyrinth that has never been fully explored,” Giqabee supplied, totally engrossed in the investigation now underway.

“And we know the secret base is underground, “ Bruce added, a clue he’d discovered while searching the Allsong.

The second sample was even more telling. It was an artificial embryonic fluid used exclusively in the cloning industry. The two samples together screamed Vertiax underground lab.

“Great, pull up a map, what do we know of the Vertiax?”

Brother…?

Rain’s connection with Algernon went dead and for a moment the little man swayed in indecision, to continue the conversation with Tabaseth as suggested by Algernon or run back to the lab and find out what was going on. In the end, the decision was taken from him,

“Are you okay?” Tabaseth asked, looking curiously at Rain. Rain knew he was being scrutinised, it would not do to have the representative of the Quiet Cabal think badly of the group because of his poor performance.

“A thought has occurred to this one,” He stated as clearly as possible as the contradictory demands of secrecy and finding aid clashed in his mind, “If you knew where Doctor Strangelove has gone, would you send troops to pick her up while she’s out of the jurisdiction of Ruk?”

“Possibly, “ Tabaseth hedged, he wanted more information. “I assume it’s somewhere in the Graveyard of the machine god otherwise you would not have asked. You have a location in mind?”

“This one would need to know your intentions before handing over…senitive material,” Rain replied and once more felt Tabaseth scrutiny on him, “The location is of a third party that values their privacy.”

“Curious. Do you think we’d hurt them?”

What did he think? The logical mind did not have enough information. He did not know Ni’Challan’s relations with Ruk or what items in his collection could have originated from there. He had to respond, Tabaseth’s eyes were on him.

“You and your factions intentions to this individual are unknown. Taking into consideration your response to Algernon I would suggest no, “ He replied honestly, “But, he is alone and his interest in rare and unique items from all over the Strange could theoretically make him a target. Does this sound like something that may interest the Doctor?”

At this Tabaseth took a keener interest himself.

“Are you concerned for their safety?” He asked and something within Rain leapt.

“Yes.” It was a simple word, said with such finality that Tabaseth could only nod.

“I will order a contingent of Venom troopers, will you go with them?”

The part of Rain partitioned off wanted to go. Say yes and immediately with no thought for the others. This one logic suppressed the thought.

“My group are here to see to the welfare of Algernon. I would suggest if you are to send troops then we would go with them. I will need to confer to determine the correct course of action.”

“Of course, I will prepare them nonetheless for when you’ve made your decision.”

In the labs, the organema had been narrowed down to an area south-east of Harmonious. When asked, Algernon, as usual, had no recollection of the area. Even when Peggy used the scanner to determine if parts of his brain were subconsciously triggered by the location on the map, nothing appeared.

“How about doors, passageways in and out of the lab?” Bruce asked as Peggy continued to look for more samples.

“I was never conscious, I just found myself outside,” Algeron confessed and he noted the expression of sympathy pass over Bruces faces. In shame, Algernon looked away, disliking the feeling. It was then that Rain returned and Algernon instantly re-established the link.

Brother. Rain responds was immediate. In the only way he had presently to show how pleased he was to see Algernon well, Rain shared his entire conversation with Tabaseth.

The rest of the room was focused on Giqabee and Torquel who had finished their deliberations and were ready to present their findings.

“The subject in question certainly has fascinating DNA, “ Giqabee started, noted the sour faces to her use of the word ‘subject’ and continued, “…uh…I’m not quite sure what…Algernon is, but I can confirm he is not a clone.”

This was a surprise to all including Algernon who asked for confirmation.

“Oh yes, that much is clear. Clones are of only a limited pool of DNA samples and are easily identified. Besides which there are two other features of your makeup that definitely rules out you being a clone.”

She brought up an image of Algernon’s DNA, the double helix looking like any other to most in the room.

“In fact, it explains why you did not set off our alarms, your DNA does not read as either clone or for that matter, of Ruk. You are human, or at least your DNA identifies you as being of Earth.”

Peggy scanned the image in front of the group and pointed out a section of the DNA.

“The telomeres are short, this would identify Algernon as being a clone, wouldn’t it?”

“Well spotted, yes the telomeres identify that quite a bit of modification has gone on, and I suggest that it…he was not born naturally.”

“A mother and father?” Algernon asked, astounded.

“Oh yes, there are two unique individuals expressed in your DNA, another marker showing that you are not a clone.”

“So a natural egg, modified and with accelerated growth?” Peggy ask Giqabee

“My report will suggest artificial fertilisation and vat-grown,” Giqabee nodded, more comfortable discussing this with a fellow scientist than the subject of the testing.

Bloodbrother… Rain sent via the link, once more reaffirming the connection.

“Can I suggest, “Algernon interrupted, “That some alteration may not show in a simple blood test.” And he started to list his noted abilities.

“I am unaffected by alcoholic drinks, though caffeine has a stimulant effect. I have this…” And he exposed his left wrist. Bending his hand back, a small slot in the skin just above the wrist gapped like a tiny mouth.

“What’s suppose to happen?” Bruce asked as Algernon moved his hand once more.

“Something comes out,” Algernon replied, allowing Peggy to examine the area.

“Like Spiderman?”

“Just like that.”

“Cool.” Bruce looked impressed, “One of the beacons?”

Algernon nodded.

Try as they might they could not release a disc. Though scans revealed two glans just inside the radius and ulna that made the two halves of the bone beacons, none was seen or made.

“Would you let us take a sample of the gland?” Peggy asked probing at the slit to see if there was access that way.

“Would it be damaged?”

“It could be, nothing is guaranteed”

“No,” Algernon made his decision final by withdrawing his hand.

While the scientist discussed the new discovery, Rain quietly turned to Bruce.

“Doctor Strangelove is in the Graveyard of the machine god.”

“Yes….oh shit!” His expression moved from interested to deep concern as the implications sunk in.

“I concur,” Rain replied simply as he shared this conversation with Algernon via the link.

“What are we going to do?”

“Tabaseth is organising troops who await our decision. We will do what is best.”

“What is best for Ruk? For us? For Earth? For Ni’Challan?” Queried Bruce.

“Yes.”

If we don’t go at all, he won’t know it was us, Algernon said over the link images of a stern-faced Ni’Challan and the discs giving context to the words, I do not want to go to the Graveyard.

Rain struggled with an appropriate response. In the end, he shrugged, He made me. Inadequate description of magnitude.

And you don’t resent him? Algernon seemed astounded that a creator figure could be appreciated or even admired, his experience tainting his opinion.

No. Came the adamant reply.

Aware of some of the communication via her mind link with Algernon, Peggy asked out loud,

“Would you want to stay here and look for the lab?”

“Yes, “ Was Algernon’s simple reply. With a group of troopers, he felt equal to the task, especially as the Doctor was not at home.

“Then this one will also stay and find the labs.” Rain said blandly from beside Bruce, though it was clear to the group it was not a decision that sat well with him, “It is inefficient to split the group, we are more effective together.” Rain’s shoulder’s sagged and his eyes drifted to the ground as he accepted the inevitable decision, to find the lab and clear Algernon’s mind.

Algernon looked to the scar on his left hand, not the slit in his wrist made by the Doctor, but the slice through his palm that Rain had made as they translated into Ruk. He knew the little man’s thoughts at that moment, he was still linked and saw the conflict of Ni’Challan’s safety and the mission. Out loud, he asked,

“Rain, do you need me?”

The response was immediate and unequivocally, both out loud and over their link,

“Yes.”

…always.

Algernon took a breath, “Then we’ll go to the Graveyard.”

Things moved rapidly after that. The group were taken to the top floor of the tower where transport was waiting.

“I sent a message to Jir, “ Tabaseth said as they travelled through the building, ‘Troops and equipment will be waiting for you when you arrive. The whole trip should take two days.”

“And this the fastest transport?” Rain asked. She had two days head start, Doctor Strange was already in the Graveyard and could already be at Ni’Challan’s Spacestation.

“Yes, it’s a two day trip by troop carrier.”
“If we were to translate, “ In Rain’s hand, his black puzzlebox appeared for the first time in a while. He opened the second compartment and withdrew the card, “This one can leave a key.”

“If it takes Strangelove a day or two, we can get there ahead of her.” Bruce realised, but his hopes were quickly dashed by Peggy and Algernon.

“The venom troopers are clones,” She said.

“They can’t translate,” Algernon added.

“I have an idea, “Tabaseth excused himself a moment, before returning with two identical cyphers, “Drop these in appropriate spots and they will make gates that the troopers will be able to come through directly.”

Bruce took the cyphers, “Could they be set up with a dead man switch?” Bruce suggested, “ You know, if we’re captured immediately it will still drop and create the gate?”

“You couldn’t hold it through translation,” Peggy reminded him and put the second cyphers carefully in her bag.

With Peggy leading translation, the group formed up. Rain took one of Peggy’s hands and she felt her senses tingle as a blast of Strange energy passed from him to her. She felt her whole body glow with the power as she focused her thoughts on that small room overlooking the derelict space station on the edge of the Strange.

In an instant, they were there. Peggy once more her cyborg self, Rain glowing with a yellow light with Bruce and Algernon looking oddly the same. Outside the thick perspex window, a new ship hovered alongside the station. Black scorch marks around an access way showed that entry had been made by force.

A blue haze of smoke hovered overall giving the image an ominous feel.

Rain did not wait but ran from the room into the hallway leading into the Ni’Challan’s collection. Algernon, stopping to turn on a shield, was soon racing behind him.

Peggy pulled her cypher out of her bag to set it off in the tiny study.

“Not here, we need to get one of those gate cyphers to that ship,” Bruce said to her, ‘We can take their ship and stop them from leaving, here is too far from the action.”

From the doorway, the sound of three blaster shots echoed through the exhibit room and up the hallway.

“Well, let’s get close then,” She gestured and ran out the door.

Now fully in his full mind, adrenaline-fueled Rain ran through the hallways, every nerve on edge. As he approached an archway leading to the first of the large exhibit chambers, he instinctively fell to the ground as two guns were aimed in his direction. Two bright bolts of energy left Vemon troopers weapons and streaked across the intervening space to scorch the wall behind. A third trooper continued its efforts to disable an automated turret that was keeping the three of them pinned behind artefact force fields.

“Ni’Challan!” Rain yelled from the ground as Peggy and Algernon made a more careful approach to the archway. Bruce saw the shots hit the wall and pulled out the first of his handgun Glock 40s. Glancing into the room, he spotted his three opponents and started shooting. From everyone else’s view, Bruce simply stepped into the archway and shot the three venom troopers, ending at Rain’s side. From Bruce’s perspective, the world slowed to a crawl as he smoothly went through what he’d practice hour after hour in the firing range. First, the two who had fired on Rain, clouds of red misting through the air behind each one. Then, carefully aimed for the third, the heavy calibre bullet knocking him off his feet.

Algernon took the momentary lull to peek out further and saw a larger than average Venom trooper smashing away at a large metal door, guarded by another two troopers. He turned back to the first group, who were still reeling from Bruce’s attack. Raising a hand in a focusing gesture, Algernon pointed to one standing near an exhibit containing a sphere of clear fluid suspended by Ni’challan’s force fields. With a thought, the liquid ignited. It blasted out of the force field covering the venom trooper in liquid fire.

With the devastation that was Bruce and the spectacle that Algernon wrought, the two remaining troopers had forgotten the wall turret. One stepped too far out to avoid his friend on fire and was gunned down. Beside him, damaged by Bruce but untouched by the fire, the trooper flicked out an arm blade and advanced on Rain as the one on fire ran at Bruce.

Rain rolled and Bruce dodged as both escaped the damage meant for them. Peggy, just inside the archway, put down the first portal. A dark hole in space tore through the hallway and the first troopers from the Quiet Cabal started through.

Though he had clutched his ears as Bruce’s handgun thundered through the exhibition chamber, Rain now brought them down in front of him and formed a sphere of light. The yellow light that suffused him gathered and focused before he threw it at the arm bladed trooper above him. The blast sent the trooper reeling backwards, not with force but with raw, gut-wrenching fear. The trooper’s eyes bulged in their sockets as Rain stood becoming all his nightmares at once. It gave Rain a chance to looked around, taking in the large trooper and his two companions at the locked door.

No sign of Doctor Strangelove and it was unsure of no sign of Ni’Challan was a good or bad thing.

With the arrival of their reinforcements, Bruce and Algernon were now free to turn their attentions to the second group. Watching from around a corner, Bruce noted the siege specialist, their armour, how they held themself and how their body moved. He saw weaknesses in the joints of the armour and where chitinous panels met and then stepped out firing once more. His shots hit true, finding an especially weak point on the big guy who was making fast work of the door. The siege specialist sags under the impact of Bruce’s shot and the door finally gave way. Behind the troopers at the door, Algernon had seen another exhibition space. Taking careful aim with his crossbow, he shot the burning trooper dead before making a dash for the door.

The two venom troopers defending the specialist turned their weapons on Bruce. They both fire, but he ducked smartly back around the corner in time for the bullets to hit the metal of the wall. Rain was focused on the trooper frightened by him. The trooper hesitates for a moment, the fear taking hold. Suddenly his breeding and conditioning kicked in and he roared a bloody scream and leapt into a charge for Rain. Slipping past the deadly arm blade, Rain dodged the trooper, leaving him for the Quiet Cabal reinforcement to mop up. As he passed Bruce he placed his hand on the big man’s back and let the Strange flow. As the energy hit, Bruce shuddered and he gave an involuntary gasp, every nerve seemed to crackle with black fire. Having done what he could, Rain ran after Algernon, toward the broken doorway.

The siege specialist was no longer interested in what’s beyond the door, he’d found an enemy. Turning his huge cannon of an energy blaster on Bruce, he fired. The recoil made the shot go high and over Bruce’s head. Buzzing from the Strange, Bruce slowed the world once more, took careful aim and shot all three troopers at the door as Algernon and Rain ran past. The two regular troopers hit the ground, dead. The big guy took another devastating blow breaking through his armour at the knee join and his leg was shot away from underneath him.

Algernon was just ahead of Rain as they lept past the three at the door. He felt the tickle of the Strange and reached out with his mind to tap into it. With a grin of sheer abandon, he focused the energy into movement. It surged towards him, propelling him forward as if he’d been hit by a wave. From behind, Rain saw Algernon make a gesture and blink ahead, past the next doorway filled with another set of troopers and into a third exhibition space.

All around Peggy, the allied troopers were coming under fire. Though more were on their way, the first group were currently pinned by a well placed Vemon trooper. Peggy pulled up her arm cannon, swinging around the wall she shot, her projectile on target for the troopers head. Most of the trooper slumped to the ground as Peggy and the allied troopers swarmed out after Algernon and Rain.

Inside the second exhibition space, Rain stopped when he saw a group of Venom troopers held down by turret fire. The turret swung to add him to its blacklist. Rain held his hands up for the turret operator if any was there to see,

“N’Challan, it’s Tobias!” He called and the turrets stopped, repositioned back on the original attackers and continued firing.

Peggy walked up beside Rain taking a breath from the action when the body of a Venom trooper ragdolled through the exhibition space and smashed into Peggy. In a second broken doorway, a massive automaton made of clay swung around to face another venom trooper. One of Ni’Challan’s many trinkets had backhanded the trooper across the exhibition hall. Rain lent down and gave Peggy his hand.

“Unnecessary!” She complained, her backwards legs and cyborg exoskeleton making it difficult to stand.

“Very necessary!” Rain pointed to the golem making a paste out of the second venom trooper.

“It hit me!” She protested and for the first time in days, Rain smiled.

“Dodge faster,” As he let the Strange flow through their grasp.

As she stood, from behind Rain another two troopers appeared, guns up ready to shoot. Her cannon brought to bear, she blasted both, their smouldering carapaces falling to the ground dead.

Bruce ran into the second space, once more finding targets for every one of his three shots. With three rounds left in his magazine, the room was theirs and their allied troopers were mopping up the last of the resistance.

Alone, Algernon examined the third exhibition space, the battle petering out far behind him. There was no sign of Ni’Challan, but thankfully there is also no sign of Doctor Strangelove.

To the empty room, he asked, “Well, where to next?”