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[B]43  -  Risk[/B]


May 17, 2383


Sylvian moves behind Seth’s chair. She reaches over his shoulder, pointing to the bottom of the document he holds. “Is that your signature?”

Seth continues to stare. “It looks like it, but it can’t be.”

Sylvian moves to a chair besides Seth’s and sits. She reaches, and plucks the document from his hand. “It’s your signature, Seth. Biometric scans prove it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been accepted as an official legal document.”

He shakes his head. “I didn’t sign anything.”

“Yes …” she places the document with the others on the small, white table, “you did.”

Seth closes his eyes, just wanting to be home, home with Jullian.

“Seth. Last time we met, you told me about your meeting with Carry.”

He opens his eyes. “Yes.”

“Did anything unusual happen you didn’t tell me about?”

He thinks back to the meeting. “The entire meeting was unusual  …”  

[I]… He walks from the room and stands in the main room of the penthouse, breathing deeply and feeling light-headed, the smell of the paper fading. What had happened to him? He tries to relax  …  [/I]

“By the end, I wasn’t feeling well, so I told Carry ‘no’, and I left.”

“You weren’t feeling well?”

“A little dizzy, and there was a really strong smell, like the smell of paper.” Seth shrugs. “I was pretty stressed that day with all the …”

Sylvian interrupts. “Did you eat or drink anything while you were with Carry?”

“I had a soda. I don’t think I finished it.”

Sylvian’s face shows her concern.

…

Seth lies back on the scanning table.

Marta smiles down at him. “Just relax, Seth. The scan only takes a few minutes.”

Seth sighs. “I already told you that the mercenaries gave me drugs when I was their prisoner.”

She nods. “I wouldn’t be surprised to find traces of the same illegal stimulants I found in Lanner’s body. I’m looking for something else. Something else I found in Lanner’s scan.”

“What are you looking for?”

She turns away, looking at the screen. “Something I’d rather not find.”

…

Seth follows Marta back to her office door. Linsey eyes him from a nearby desk, peering over the top of the desk screen. They enter the office. Sylvian is waiting inside.

Marta sits behind the white desk. “Have a seat, Seth.”

Sylvian waits for Seth to get comfortable. “Seth, we’re telling you this because you’ve been honest with us, and because we feel partly responsible for your situation with Dolly Incorporated.” She looks at Marta, giving a small nod.

Marta leans forward, lowering her voice although they are alone in the room. “The deep scan revealed what we were looking for. Carry gave you a drug called Diophazine. It causes long-term, and sometimes permanent, memory loss of a short period of time. Five minutes to two hours or so, depending on the dosage.”

“It also has the strange, and unique, side effect of temporarily causing a sense to become hyper sensitive. Which of the five senses goes into the hyper state seems to depend on the individual. In your case, it was the sense of smell.”

Seth looks from Marta to Sylvian. “But how can you be sure that it was Carry that drugged me? Why do you feel responsible?”

“Because Diophazine is very rare, strictly controlled …” she glances at Marta “and a creation of the Guardians. It belongs to us, exclusively.”

Seth looks at the floor, quiet for a few moments. “So, I did sign those papers, but I don’t remember doing it.”

“Seth, I hope you appreciate that we’re taking a risk, telling you about this.”

He looks at Sylvian “Risk?”

“I know you want to clear up this Dolly business. That’s understandable. Now that you know what happened, you may be tempted to report what we’ve told you about Diophazine. I just want you to know that only a few Guardians know of the drug’s existence, and even fewer can detect its presence.”

Seth takes a slow breath. “In other words, Dolly wouldn’t be likely to believe me.”

“We’ve told you this in trust, Seth. We don’t want you speaking to anyone about this.”

He tries not to sound desperate. “Then, what can I do?”

“Wait, Seth. Just wait a while. The suite’s already been filled and processed, so I can’t just have it dropped, but I can delay the next phase for at least a month. In the meantime, we’ll keep looking into Carry’s [I]special[/I] projects.”

Seth nods slowly “Alright.”

Sylvian stands, moving to Seth and putting a hand on his shoulder. “Try not to worry about it Seth. Give us a little more time. Trust us. We’ll clear this up.”

Marta smiles, “Linsey will show you out.”

…

Seth feels Linsey’s eyes on him as they walk down the corridor. As they near the exit, she stops suddenly and he turns back to look at her.

“Excuse me, Mister Tarot. I really don’t mean to be rude … but you’re a young guy, and you don’t wear the badge of any GD agency, corporation, or clan. I haven’t seen anyone get this much attention around here in a while. A personal audience with both Marta and Sylvian?” She tilts her head, “Why are [I]you[/I] so important?”

[B]42  -  Beloved[/B]


May 17, 2383


“Wasn’t trying to kill you? According to the witnesses, he almost killed you in the bar. I was the one who took care of your ankle wound. A wound that would have killed you if I hadn’t arrived when …”

“I know, but I don’t think that was intentional.” He looks at Marta. “Marta, Lanner could have killed me with the first shot. I was taken by surprise and he was sitting right across from me. He could have killed me with the second shot when I was lying on the floor a few feet from him, but he missed both times, point blank, and when he came after me,  he didn’t run, he walked.”

Marta considers Seth’s words. “Then, why did he do it?”

He’s silent for a few moments, collecting his thoughts. “He fired the tazer, risking his life, trying to save me from the most brutal mercenary group in the Dominion, because Carry asked him to. He didn’t know me. He didn’t even know why, but he did it because Carry asked him to, to keep me pure, safe from the Dolly Factor.”

Marta looks like she might interrupt, but doesn’t.

“In the bar, I saw the look in his eyes … a terrible look. He looked like he was already dead, or at least, dead inside. With Carry’s death, the very reason for his existence was gone.” Seth shifts in his chair. “But if he killed me, I’d clone, and become impure. His last task for his beloved Carry, was to see that that didn’t happen. So he was trapped and tormented, wanting to kill me for taking his beloved from him, but not able to because of a promise to that same beloved.”

Marta leans forward. “So he took his own life instead?”

Seth nods slowly. “I think that when I reminded him that I was pure, like Carry, he realized there was only one way to keep his promise to Carry, and end his torment. He had no clone and neither did Carry. I don’t think he knew that my wound was serious. All three of us would remain pure. At the last moment I was looking him in the eyes, and the darkness was gone.”

Marta takes a long, slow breath “Alright Seth. What is this ‘Dolly Factor’?”

Carrie was gone, her documents burnt. Lanner was gone. Who else new about the Dolly Factor? Seth couldn’t think of any reason not to tell Marta what he knew.

…

Marta’s expression grows more doubtful as Seth finishes his explanation.

“You know, Seth …” Marta pauses, choosing her words. “Carry was a good Guardian and always a fervent supporter of our causes and campaigns. She was also known to have a talent for sniffing out plots and conspiracies in the most, unlikely places.”

Seth remembers Jullian’s giggles and words … [I]the Queen of Conspiracies[/I].

Marta gives him a small grin. “However, very seldom, if ever, did she have enough proof to get the Guardians involved as a whole.”

He thinks of the tall, dark building. “I’m sure that others know about the Dolly Factor. I saw Carry and a group of Guardians protesting in front of Dolly Incorporated headquarters in New York.”

Marta shakes her head. “That’s not why we’re protesting. The Guardians believe that Dolly can afford to provide clones at a much lower cost, making them affordable to more people while still making a very healthy profit.”

There is another knock at the door. Marta stands, moving by Seth.

He doesn’t turn to see who is at the door. He tries to make sense of Marta’s explanation of the protest. Who else knew about the Dolly factor? He turns as he hears his name.

“Seth. Sylvian is coming by. She would like to speak with you.”

…

Seth joins Marta and Linsey in the corridor. A robed figure comes through the main doors. Linsey snaps to attention as Sylvian approaches them. Seth expects her to salute at any moment.

Marta turns to him and smiles. “Thank you for your time, Seth. Perhaps we’ll speak again.”

Linsey eyes him suspiciously as Sylvian speaks.

“Hello Seth. Let’s go to my office.”

…

Sylvian raises an eyebrow. “You lead an exciting life, Seth.”

He sits back in the chair, trying to clear the questions that are spinning in his head “Lately, yes.”

“I’ve looked into your legal problems with Dolly Incorporated. You told me that you’ve never filed any legal actions. Correct?”

Seth nods. “That’s right. Carry had the papers ready to sign, but I refused.”

Sylvian picks up a large envelope from the nearby table. Somewhere in his mind, Seth hears Carry’s voice …

[I]… Don’t you see, Seth, you and I are still pure ,  part of a dwindling few. We have to stick together ,  I need your help…[/I]

Sylvian opens the envelope and takes out several documents. She looks through them and removes one, looking at it for a moment before handing it to him.

Seth looks at the legal document entitled, [B]Negligence Leading To Death[/B]. He feels light-headed as he catches a brief, strong smell of paper. He stares at the signature on the document. It was his.

[B]41  -  Marta[/B]


May 17, 2383


Seth picks up his drink, his throat, suddenly going dry.

Marta shakes her head. “After today’s events, we won’t be seeing him again. I can’t understand why, but he had no clone.” She watches as Seth finishes off his soda in a long, slow sip. “The deep medi-scan, revealed traces of prohibited drugs in his body, administered in high quantities. When did you first meet him?”

“I met him in a very dark place.” He flashes back …

[I]… the merc shines his light into a dark corner ,  a hooded figure wearing a dirty robe, lays curled up beside a bench …[/I]

Seth blinks, focusing on Marta. “Carry. Were they close, Lanner and Carry?”

Marta looks at him with surprise. “Carry? Carry Mattice? Now why would you ask that?”

“Because he told me he loved her and …”

“Wait, Seth.” Marta stands and walks to the cabinet. She opens it and removes a bottle of water and a soda. She sits back down, sitting the fresh soda on the table in front of him. “Okay, please, start from the beginning.”

….

Seth tells Marta about his encounter with the Blood Creed, and the day he was saved by the unknown wielder of a tazer. He tells her the little he can remember about their time together in the Creed’s tunnels, and about the drugs. He tells her of the sightings he had after his release, of the man in the light colored suit.

“Then, this morning in the Brooklyn Mall, he approached me, and asked me to come to Aquatica to discuss something important. I …”

There is a knock. Marta stands from her chair and opens the lounge door. Linsey is standing outside, looking anxious.

“I’ll just be a moment, Seth.” Marta steps outside, shutting the door behind her.

Seth leans back in his chair, looking up into the ceiling’s blue light. He closes his eyes, listening to the soft music. Behind the music, he hears a voice; Lanner’s voice … [I]Why are you so important[/I]?

Seth opens his eyes and takes a quick sip of soda, clearing the voice from his head. The door opens and Marta steps back in. Linsey peers into the room, over her shoulder.

“Seth, the LED arrived a short time ago to investigate the incident in the bar. They’ve interviewed the few people that were there at the time.”

Seth sighs and stands from his chair.

“Wait, Seth. Sit for a minute more.” Marta turns and smiles at Linsey before closing the door, leaving her outside.

Seth sits back down and Marta continues. “The bar that you were in isn’t very well known. It is owned, and frequented almost exclusively, by current and retired Guardians. What that means, Seth, is that the people the LED interviewed were able to give a good description of the man with the gun, but they had some trouble describing the man who came in with him and ran from the bar when the shooting started … namely, you.”

Seth blinks. “Oh.”

“Seth, Lanner was one of ours. A Guardian with great promise, and now …” she gives him a reassuring smile, “It looks like you can help us understand what happened. I want you to know that if you’d rather go to the LED now, I fully understand and you’re welcome to.”

He shakes his head. “No Marta. I’ve spent enough time with the LED since I was taken by the Creed. I’ll help you, if I can.”

Marta opens the door. “Linsey, please let Errin know that Mister Tarot will not be speaking with the LED.”

Linsey gives Seth a curious look as Marta shuts the door and returns to her chair.

“Now, Seth …”

…

Seth tells Marta about the meeting in the bar. He tells her of Lanner’s infatuation with Carry, the special projects he said they’d worked on together, and his accusation of betrayal.

“He held me responsible for Carry’s death. He believed that I’d sold her out. I had a note with me with her vid-phone number and the mercs got hold of it. I’m pretty sure I’d written the penthouse access code as well.” Seth shakes his head. “I can’t be sure Marta. All the pain, and the drugs … I don’t have any clear memories.”

Marta speaks softly. “I knew Carry well. I worked with her quite often and I’m completely surprised by the relationship Lanner told you about. Not to mention the special projects he referred to.”

“Do you know about something called the ‘Dolly Factor’, Marta?”

“Dolly Factor? No, I’ve never heard of it.”

Seth sighs, looking at the table.

“Seth, did Lanner say anything before he took his life? There was no note or vid-pad log.”

He shakes his head. “No, but I said something to him. I told him I was pure; pure like Carry.”

“Pure? What does that mean?”

Seth stares into the white tabletop, not hearing Marta’s question. He remembers the pain in Lanner’s eyes. Not rage, or hate, but a deep, festering pain. Then, at the end, the look of relief and peace. Something becomes clear to him. He speaks his thought out loud …

“He wasn’t really trying to kill me.”

[B]40  -  Lanner[/B]


May 17, 2383


The younger woman takes a step closer to the crumpled body, being careful to avoid the fast growing pool of blood on the tile. She looks down cautiously “Who?”

Seth looks at the women’s badges, already knowing that they were members of the Guardians.

The other woman, squatting by the body, stands and moves to where Seth sits, clutching his injured leg. She is older, perhaps in her forties. She has a narrow face and bobbed, bleached white hair.

She crouches down, glancing at Seth’s bleeding ankle before looking to him. “What happened here?” She doesn’t wait for a response before turning her attention back to his ankle and pulling his trousers away from the wound.

Seth blinks, a wave of dizziness sweeping over him “Lanner?”

The woman looks up again. “You’re losing a lot of blood. A few more minutes and you would have been waking up in the cloning facility.” She smiles, “Just relax, I’m a medic.” She reaches under her robe and into her belt pack, bringing out a medkit. “My name is Marta. Please lay back.”

Seth lies back on the hard tile, trying to relax. A shooting and a suicide in a public place ,  Detective Bresh’s expressionless stare flashes before him and he raises his head. “Marta, are you alerting the LED?”

She glances back at Lanner’s body “No, not yet. Who are you?”

Seth lies back again, feeling the instant relief of the medkit’s auto-syringe as the nanites get to work on his ankle and shoulder. “Seth. Seth Tarot.”

Marta stands, slipping the medkit back into her pack. She looks across the empty square and turns to the other robed woman, still standing by Lanner’s body. “Linsey, get some help. Let’s close off the square until we can collect the body and clean up.”

Linsey gives a short, puzzled look before turning away and rushing though the square’s north passage.

Marta looks down at Seth. “Just a few more minutes and you’ll be as good as new.”

Seth watches as she walks back to the body and squats down, checking the dead man’s pockets. A short time later, three robed men enter the square from the north. Linsey follows them. Two of the men unfold a large, dark blue plastic sheet, spreading it on the ground beside the body. Seth sits up as Marta returns to him.

“Mister Tarot , ” She smiles, “Seth, you wouldn’t mind returning to my office with me, would you? I knew that man, and I’d like to understand what happened here … before we bring law enforcement into this.”

Two of the robed men lift the body onto the sheet, while the third begins the clean up.

Seth stands, testing his ankle and shoulder. Good as new. “Thanks for the help, Marta. Of course I’ll return with you.” Anything was better than ending up back in Bresh’s office; trying to explain another series of events he didn’t understand himself.

…

They walk down a wide hall and turn, heading through an equally wide doorway. A small, white plaque reads, [B]Medical[/B].

Marta turns to Seth as they walk. “I would guess that this is your first visit to the Guardian’s headquarters.” She smiles, “Wonderful, isn’t it?”

Seth returns her smile and nods. “It is. I’ve been here once before though, when I met with Sylvian.”

Marta raises her eyebrows in surprise. “You know Sylvian?”

They pass a large glass door, with a large office beyond. Seth looks at the small white plaque ,  [B]Marta Letran - Director of Medical Studies[/B].

He shakes his head. “Not really, I’ve only spoken to her the once.”

“So you …” Marta is interrupted as Linsey catches up to them.

“Room number four, Marta?”

Marta stops, turning to Linsey. “That’s fine Linsey. I’ll join you soon.”

Linsey nods and moves ahead along the corridor, disappearing through a door on the right. A little further on, Marta motions Seth through another door.

A soft, blue light illuminates the room. Four large and comfortable looking chairs are set around a low, white table. Soft music fills the air, and a pleasant scent, the smell of the ocean.

Marta stays by the door. “Would you mind waiting here for a few minutes? I’d like to take a quick look at the body. Ten or fifteen minutes at most.”

“Alright.”

Marta smiles and points to a small, white cabinet in a corner of the room. “You’ll find some drinks in there if you’re thirsty.” She leaves, closing the door behind her.

Seth touches the face of the cabinet and it slides back silently. He sees a familiar soda and pulls one out. He moves to a chair, sits, and sips the cold soda. He tries to think clearly about what had happened, and why, but his thoughts keep drifting back to Jullian.

…

The door opens and Marta comes back in, Linsey close on her heels.

“That’s alright Linsey, I’ll speak to Mister Tarot alone.”

Linsey makes no effort to disguise the look of disappointment on her face as she leaves the room. Marta closes the door and takes a seat across from Seth.

“We’ll talk in here.” She smiles, “It’s much more comfortable than my office.”

Seth looks at the woman, seeing the sincerity of her smile, and eyes he feels he can trust. “I’m surprised that the Guardians have such a large medical research facility.”

Marta gives him another soft smile. “The Guardians research many things Seth; anything that might be beneficial to Mankind.”

Seth thinks about Carry and the Dolly Factor.

Marta continues, “In any case, we’ve spoken to the witnesses that were in the bar, and I have a pretty good picture of what happened in the square before we arrived. Do you know the man that was trying to kill you?”

Seth sits his soda on the table. “I’ve seen him before, several times lately, and before that, in the worst of circumstances … but until today, I didn’t even know his name. Lanner Wiccom. Who was he Marta?”

She tilts her head slightly. “Okay then Seth, I’ll go first. Linsey didn’t recognize Lanner because she’s only been with the Guardians for a year. Lanner joined us some time ago. As a rank 1, he stood out as one of the most promising new recruits we had ever seen. Two years ago, just before he was to be promoted with special recognition, he disappeared; disappeared completely.”

@ maedan and bluespice

Thanks again for your positive comments and feedback. I really appreciate it. 

@ mykali

Not to worry. Seth will be with us for a little while longer ------  probably.

[B]39  -  Retribution[/B]


May 17, 2383


The titanium sheathed bullet leaves the shaky gun, imbedding itself in a steel post near the bar. Seth hits the floor and rolls toward the exit, his ears, ringing from the blast. Another shot rings out …

Just inches from his leg, a small section of the aquamarine tilled floor explodes into small fragments and dust. Someone is shouting. Seth jumps to his feet. Two men, who had been sitting at a nearby table, stand. Seth sees the shaky gun turn toward the men.

The man in the light colored suit shouts at them. “No … [I]don’t[/I]!” His voice cracks, sounding more like a plea than an order.

Seth runs to the exit and out into the corridor. He glances left and right. The corridor is empty. He turns right and runs, bracing himself to hear another shot. Ahead, the corridor tee’s.

He turns left, almost falling as his feet slip on the polished tiled floor. He runs down a long stretch of narrow corridor, passing a couple of unmarked doors. The corridor turns left.

Seth turns the corner and stops in his tracks. A few meters ahead, a barred gate blocks the way … [I]his mind flashes back to the sound of rusty hinges[/I] …

There’s no way to climb the vertical bars. He makes a jump, missing the top of the gate by almost a meter. He turns, returning to the corner, and runs back along the corridor to the first of the unmarked doors he had past. An entry pad is to the right of the door. He presses the entry icon, and sighs as the request for a password appears on the small screen. He hears footsteps approaching.

Seth runs back to the corner and steps around it, leaning against the wall. Slowly, he peers around the corner, seeing the corridor’s tee in the distance. The man in the light colored suit steps into view and turns, looking in his direction.

He backs away from the corner quickly, his heart racing. He almost cries out when he bumps into the air scrubber unit, protruding from the wall. He turns; looking at the large, green box, about as high as his waist. He looks at the gate, several meters away. The footsteps grow closer.

Seth takes a few steps back from the box, and launches himself toward it, bringing his shoulder down to hit it full on. There is a loud cracking sound as the unit moves slightly, breaking its syntactic plastic mounting. Seth ignores the pain in his shoulder, steps back, and launches himself at the box again. The unit breaks away, revealing an ugly, unfinished section in the wall, a broken air duct, and several tufts of scrubber fiber.

Seth turns his back to the box and squats, leaning back against it, and uses his legs to push with all his strength. There is a low scraping sound as he inches the heavy box toward the gate. He watches the corner and pushes harder and faster, his shoulder protesting his efforts. He turns his head, glancing back; still a couple of meters to go. He looks back to the corner.

The man in the light colored suit raises the shaky gun …

Seth jumps to his feet. He turns, climbs up onto the box, and leaps toward the gate. His chest hits the top of the gate and he falls, catching himself by hooking his elbows over it. He hangs, suspended for a second, taking in a breath before pulling himself up. He swings himself over the top as the gun rings out,

The bullet hits the back of his right ankle, passing through it, and ending its journey somewhere unseen.

Seth falls hard. Another shot brings him back to his feet. He tries to run and almost goes down again. His ankle didn’t feel broken, but something was wrong. His right foot felt numb. He stumbles forward, moving as fast as he can and looking for some cover, or some help.

The corridor turns right into a small, open square. Seth makes for an exit on the far side. After a few more steps, the numbness in his foot spreads through his leg. He glances back, hearing something in the corridor behind him.

He falls, reaching out at the last moment, not quick enough to keep his head from hitting the hard tile floor.

…

Seth opens his eyes and raises his head. The man in the light colored suit stands over him, looking down. Seth lies back on the hard tile. His eyes dart from side to side, following the movements of the shaky gun, aimed at his head. There is a long silence.

He thinks about Carry and swallows hard, forcing himself to look past the gun, and to the man holding it. He tries to keep his voice calm. “I’m [I]pure[/I] … [I]like Carry[/I] … I’m [I]pure[/I].”

The gun comes to a stop, sighting itself on Seth’s forehead as the man stops shaking. He stares at Seth, and then past him. A few moments pass and he turns his head up, gazing at the ceiling of the square as if seeing the wonder of the stars for the first time.

Seth lays still and quiet, the gun still trained on his head.

The man looks back down to Seth. He takes a long, slow breath. His shoulders slump slightly as his whole body seems to relax. His dark eyes seem to flash with a decision or, perhaps, an inspiration. He slowly brings the gun up to his temple, and fires.

Seth scrambles back as the man falls to his knees and flops over backwards. The man stares up, small rivers of red running from his nose and mouth, spreading from the collar of his light colored suit.

Seth sits up, closing his eyes and shaking, his adrenaline spent. He hears a woman’s voice…

“What? What happened here?”

He opens his eyes to see two women in white robes, carefully approaching the bleeding man. One of them squats down beside him.

“Oh my … I don’t believe it.” She turns to her companion. “It’s Lanner. Lanner Wiccom.”

[B]38  -  Flow[/B]


May 17, 2383


Seth steps from the Tokyo gate. Brooklyn’s sunny skies are replaced by cloud and light rain. He tucks the sushi box under his jacket and heads for the apartment complex.

…

“Jullian?”

Seth sighs and sits on the couch of the empty apartment. He wipes the raindrops from the sushi box with his jacket. He looks to the window, and the cloudy Tokyo sky. He thinks about his parents … [I]flying[/I].

He’d have to find Tristan. Tristan knew something about his parents. She would know about his mother’s papers, and perhaps, what it all meant. He’d seen her on Pegasi. Perhaps he’d spend the day there tomorrow. No traveling today though. Today, he just wanted to be with Jullian.

Seth goes to the kitchen area, deposits the sushi box in the keeper, and heads for the bedroom.

He opens the storage drawer. He remembers placing his mother’s envelope to the back of the drawer, under the clothing, unseen. Now, he sees a tiny portion of a corner of the envelope, sticking up behind a tee shirt.

He pulls the envelope out and opens it, removing the contents. The pages of code and the schematic are intact. He returns the pages to the envelope and returns the envelope to its hiding spot in the drawer, burying it under the clothing.

…

Seth stands at the top of the crystal clear ramp. He looks down, across the crowded Brooklyn mall, to the restaurant in the distance. A large smile comes to his face as he catches a glimpse of purple hair. His mind wanders as he thinks about Jullian, her pretty face, her smell, her touch …

He’s startled by the hand on his arm, and startled again when he turns to see that it belongs to the man in the light colored suit.

Seth looks at the man. The burns and cuts were healed but he recognizes him. It was his companion from the Creed’s tunnels. He hears urgency in the man’s dry voice.

“Seth Tarot. We need to speak. Please.”

Seth swallows “Alright.” He glances back toward the restaurant and feels the hand on his arm give a slight tug.

“Not here.” The man glances around nervously “Aquatica.” His eyes meet Seth’s, “Please.”

Seth feels a shiver pass up his spine, as he looks into the man’s dark eyes ,  so much sorrow and pain. Again, he glances back to the restaurant “Alright.”

Without a word, the man releases Seth’s arm and turns up the ramp, heading to the travel gates.

…

Seth steps from the gate. The man in the light colored suit stands waiting, looking anxious. Seth follows, as the man moves quickly through Aquatica. They pass the apartment terminals and eventually arrive at a small building with a shimmering, blue door. Stylized letters above the door read, [I]FLOW[/I]. The man motions for Seth to enter.

The bar is small, only eight tables, two of them occupied. The room’s only lighting comes from within a huge aquarium, covering the entire far wall. Thousands of tiny, brightly colored fish dart around, creating an ever-changing kaleidoscopic effect.

The man moves to the far corner table and sits. Seth joins him. A waitress wearing a shimmering, blue blouse and pants, approaches the table, smiling. “What can I get for you?”

Seth returns her smile “Soda please.”

The man stares into the aquarium as he speaks “Water.”

The waitress leaves. Seth sits, feeling awkward in the silence as the man continues to gaze into the aquarium. The conversations of those at the other tables are masked by the sounds of flowing water and bubbles.

The waitress returns, placing the drinks on the table. “Will there be anything else?”

Seth smiles “Perhaps. We’ll let you know.”

She leaves, and the man turns to Seth, his eyes looking unfocussed and distant. “I was eighteen when I joined the Guardian’s. That was eight years ago. Six years ago I met Ms. Mattice … Carry. From the moment I met her …” He blinks, seeming to come back to the room. “We worked together mister Tarot. We worked on special projects. Projects that few knew about.  Projects that would benefit all of humanity.” He goes silent, looking down at the table.

Seth swallows, speaking quietly. “Projects like the Dolly Factor?”

The man speaks to the table, seeming not to hear Seth’s words. “Then, you come into the picture, and I have a new project … keeping you alive.” He turns back to the aquarium for a few moments, staring into the aquamarine light. A tear slides down his cheek. He turns back to Seth, tilting his head to the side. “Why are you so important?”

Seth takes a quick breath as he flashes back to the Creed’s tunnels …

…

[I]Seth sits against the wall, shivering. He closes his eyes, trying to stop his teeth from chattering. How many days? How many games had they played? He wishes it would end … he wishes that they would finish it.

He hears a voice as dry as sand …

“Why are you so important?”

Seth looks over, hearing his companion’s voice for the first time …

The man is looking at him, his eyes, two dark slits in his swollen face. His lips barely part as he speaks again.

“Why you?”[/I]

…

Seth shakes his head. “I …”

The man’s eyes are glassy with tears. “I loved her mister Tarot. I would have done anything for her. I loved her more than anything, and now … she’s gone.”

Seth reaches across the table, putting his hand on the man’s hand, and feeling it shake. “I’m sorry.”

The man shakes his head. “I saved your life mister Tarot. It was all for you. She would have come. She would have helped us, but then, you told them, didn’t you? You told them about Carry. You betrayed her … and they killed her.”

Seth pulls his hand back. “No, I …”

“Once you had gone, they let me go from that hell … just like that.” The man sits back in his chair and wipes the tears from his face with the back of his hand. “You paid for our freedom with Carry’s life, mister Tarot. I saved your life, and you took her from me.”

Seth’s throat is dry; he wants a sip of his soda. “Believe me, I’m sorry for your loss, but I didn’t betray anyone. They asked me …”

Large beads of sweat sprout from the man’s forehead. His eyes grow dark and distant. “My precious Carry was wrong about you mister Tarot. [I]You’re not important at all[/I].”

The man’s right hand disappears beneath the table and emerges, shaking badly, and holding a pistol …

Seth falls to his right as the roar of the gun explodes in his ears.

Just a note to anyone who was reading the story and is wondering what happened.

The chapters are long and the forum's spam filter decides to hold on to them from time to time. I posted a new chapter, back in December that still hasn't shown up.

In any case I'll continue the story when / if the problem gets sorted.


Pezz

[B]37  -  Ashes[/B]


May 16, 2383


Seth stares up at the white ceiling of the cell. So, Tristan was still looking for him or, at least, she had been two weeks ago. Jax had seen her on Pegasi. That’s where he’d seen her too. It seemed so long ago.

The lights in the cell dim suddenly and the vid-screen goes dark. Seth sits up on the bed, looking toward the door. Through the window, he sees the lights are still bright in the hallway beyond. He lies back again, realizing that it must be the signal for bedtime.

He thinks about Jullian. He feels tired and drained, but his mind buzzes. Sleep seems far away …

…

[I]he sits up from the bed …  it’s dark … a strong, burnt smell fills the cell …a strange, blue light comes from the screen, mounted in the wall …

he moves to the door and takes hold of the bars … the loud squeal of rusty hinges echoes through the hallway beyond as he pulls the gate open … he steps into the blue hallway … ahead, it turns left …

the man who was his companion in the Creed’s tunnels stands by the corner, his dark eyes, wide in his bruised and swollen face … the man disappears around the corner …

he follows … the burnt smell grows stronger, and the smell of paper … ahead, the man stands by a large door with a crudely painted symbol… the man raises a hand to the door, slowly pushing it open … the man’s hand makes a sizzling sound as it burns … he steps past the man, through the door …

the room is burnt out … he wades through waist high ashes … he looks up … three, dull orange moons glow in the distance …

he stops suddenly, plunging his hand and arm down, into the ashes … a cloud of ash rises and he holds his breath, blinking it from his eyes … he pulls his arm up… in his hand is a small, white square … a small, square piece of paper, pristine and unsoiled … he stares at the paper as the ash cloud settles … there are words …

CARRY MATTICE
54821-548-6557

Dinner at seven
Jullian

a dark, red stain appears in the center of the paper … it grows slowly, washing over the words …[/I]

…


May 17, 2383

Seth wakes to the sound of the cell’s door sliding opening. He lifts his head to see a large figure, filling the cell’s doorway.

Officer Ganther steps in “Mister Tarot.”

Seth sits up, swinging his legs over the bedside. He wipes the small beads of sweat from his forehead.

“Detective Bresh is ready to talk to you.”

He follows the officer.

…

The office door slides shut. Bresh looks across the desk at Seth.

“Mister Tarot.”

Seth blinks as he catches a rare glimpse of emotion in the detective’s eyes; disappointment.

Bresh turns to the screen. “We have the results of some tests. The ash and flash-burn traces are at least two weeks old. The Creed symbol has been there at least that long. The footprints were yours, but they were quite recent.” Bresh touches the screen, bringing up more information. “There were two small flecks of blood found on the carpet in the main room. They were matched as belonging to Carry Mattice, who has been declared perma-dead. They’ve been there for at least two weeks.”

He turns to Seth. “Carry Mattice’s body was found eighteen days ago, in a deserted part of the northern sector of Aquatica. She was cut up pretty badly.”

Seth stares at the office floor, remembering Carry, and her plea for help against Dolly Incorporated. He looks up as he feels the detective’s gaze.

“I suppose that this, Carry Mattice, was the old friend of your mother’s you were visiting?”

Seth nods. “Yes.”

“So your mother’s old friend had some dealings with the Blood Creed, leading to her death. You’ve had some dealings with the Blood Creed, and you just happen to visit an unregistered penthouse to visit this old friend concerning some ‘legal advice’.”

The detective turns his head up, staring at the ceiling for a few moments. Seth shifts in his chair as Bresh looks back to him “Quite a coincidence Mister Tarot.” He stands from his chair. “Of course, I can’t hold you here on a coincidence, can I? You may go, Mister Tarot, until we meet again.”

Bresh touches the desk’s com pad. “Ganther …”

Seth takes a breath. “Detective Bresh, I don’t believe that Carry had any dealings with the Blood Creed.”

Bresh glances at Seth. “Hold on Ganther.” He sits back in his chair.

“Detective, I don’t remember a lot of what happened while the Creed held me prisoner. From time to time, memories come back …” Seth swallows. “When I was captured, I had a piece of paper with me. It had Carry Mattice’s name and com number on it. I remember them asking about her. I told them she was a friend. I think that’s what led them to her.”

Bresh is silent for a few moments “Her com number? That wouldn’t explain how they would get the access codes to an unregistered penthouse though, would it?”

Seth shakes his head slowly. “I’d written the access code on the back of the note.”

“If it was you the Creed had a problem with, why would they murder Carry Mattice?”

“I don’t know.”

Bresh stands. “In any case Mister Tarot, I expect you to pass on any more of these [I]returning memories[/I] you might have.” He fixes Seth in his expressionless gaze. “Your friend is perma-dead, let’s stop this here.”

…

Seth follows the large officer through the LED headquarters. He glances around, thinking he might see Jax. They reach the exit doors. Seth moves to the doors quickly, seeing the bright sun of a Brooklyn morning beyond them.

“Mister Tarot.”

He stops, turning back to the sound of Officer Ganther’s voice. Ganther steps into a door on the right of the long entrance hallway. He emerges a few seconds later, carrying a brightly colored box.

He hands the box to Seth “Your sushi.”

[B]36  -  Justice[/B]


May 16, 2383


Seth hesitates.

Bresh raises an eyebrow. “You entered the apartment complex earlier today, correct?”

“Well, yes, I …”

Bresh interrupts. “Let me tell you what we know about your visit. Then you can fill in the details.” He turns to the screen, his voice a droning monotone. “You visited a penthouse. The penthouse code is unregistered and it has no registered owner. You were inside for less than five minutes. Your entrance and exit wasn’t logged in the local system.”

“After some deep system tracking, officers entered the penthouse approximately an hour after you’d left. They noted a strong, burnt smell, a few signs of disturbance in the main room, and a set of dark footprints leading from a side room to the penthouse’s travel gate. The side room had been ‘burnt out’. Some evidence of a flash-burn device was found. There was a symbol on the wall near the penthouse gate, a Blood Creed symbol.” He turns back to Seth.

Seth shifts in his chair. “Yes, I was there, but …”

Bresh interrupts again. “Mister Tarot, before you say anything, I want you to know that I’m going to be holding you here for a while.”

Seth blinks. “Why?”

The detective leans closer to Seth, lowering his voice. “Because, you know what, Mister Tarot? I believe that five minutes is plenty of time to flash-burn a room and paint a symbol on a wall.”

Seth shakes his head, stunned by the accusation.

Bresh leans back in his chair. “Now, is there anything you’d like to tell me?”

Seth speaks slowly, trying to sound calm in spite of the tightness in his stomach. “I was visiting an old friend of my mother’s, concerning some legal matters. She had sent me the codes for the penthouse, some time ago. I arrived, and there was no one there. The side room was already burnt. I went into the burnt room and came back out. They’re my footprints. I left quickly. I noticed the symbol on my way out.”

“You saw the Blood Creed symbol?” Bresh raises a brow.

“Yes, I saw it.”

Bresh shakes his head. “I’m [I]disappointed[/I], Mister Tarot. After your previous encounter with the Creed, and with you knowing how dedicated I am to stopping them, I’m disappointed you didn’t come straight to me. Instead, you went visiting, and food shopping.”

Seth takes a nervous glance at the sushi box in his lap. “It’s for my girlfriend.”

Bresh leans forward quickly, raising his voice, causing Seth to sit back in his chair. “Mister Tarot, I want you to know something. I don’t trust you. The story of your abduction and subsequent escape from the Creed just doesn’t fit. Now we have you visiting a burnt-out, unregistered penthouse where a Creed symbol is found.”

Bresh stands. He touches a pad on the desk console and speaks toward it. “Officer Ganther, you can come into my office now.” He looks at Seth. “I think it might be in your best interest to just keep quiet for now. No need to dig the hole any deeper. I’ll have more information in a few hours. Then we’ll talk again, after you’ve had a chance to retain some legal representation.”

Seth hears the office door slide open behind him, bringing the sounds of the office beyond, into the silent room. He looks into the detective’s dead eyes. “Detective Bresh, what exactly am I charged with?”

“Suspicion of conspiracy to obstruct justice, Mister Tarot.” Bresh sits down and turns away, looking at the screen. 

Officer Ganther takes Seth’s arm, guiding him up from the chair and out of the office.

…

The holding cell was small, but comfortable; a bed, small bathroom with a sink and toilet, and a vid-screen in the wall showing the Dominion news broadcasts. A large, clear window in the door looks out across a white hallway. He knew that Demorgan’s Castle, the Dominion’s prison planet, had no such amenities. He sits on the bed, staring at the screen, not quite able to believe the situation he’d found himself in.

Seth shakes his head and lies back on the bed, looking up at the white ceiling. He tries to relax. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He wasn’t involved in any ‘conspiracy’. He had lied to Detective Bresh though, lied to protect Mark. There might be a price to be paid for that.

He turns his head to the vid-screen and then, to the door. A line of young officers files past the window. They look into the holding cell as they pass. Seth sits up quickly, jumping from the bed and moving to the door as he sees a familiar face looking in at him.

Jax gives Seth a curious look, and a grin.

Seth smiles “Jax!” He realizes that he hears no sound coming from beyond the window. It’s soundproofed. A small com pad is built into the door below the window, but there’s no way to activate it from inside the cell.

Jax glances up the line of officers and looks back to Seth. He brings his face closer to the window and slowly mouths the words, ‘I’ll … be …back’.

Seth nods and moves back to the bed as the officers continue to file by. He lies back, and waits.

…

“Seth.”

Seth sits up, hearing a soft, but familiar voice. Jax is back at the window, looking rather nervous. He no longer wears his LED uniform, instead, a familiar dark jacket.

Seth moves to the door. “Hello Jax.”

Jax puts a finger to his lips. “Shhhhh!”

Seth realizes his voice is being sent through the com, and out into the hallway. He whispers, “It’s good to see you, Jax.”

Jax smiles, speaking softly. “You too, buddy. Jullian let me know you were back and healthy.” He narrows his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“A misunderstanding about my abduction by the Creed.” Seth manages a small grin. “I’ll get it straightened out.”

Jax glances up and down the hallway. “Well, if you say so, buddy. I can’t hang around. I’m not supposed to be here. As soon as you get out of there, we have to get together. Jullian has my number.”

Seth nods. “Alright Jax. I’ll see you soon. Please, let Jullian know where I am, and that I’m just fine.”

“Will do, buddy.”

Jax turns away and disappears down the hallway. Seth sighs and moves back to the bed, thinking about Jullian, and how much he wished he were with her.

“Seth.” Jax was back at the door.

Seth returns to the window.

Jax glances up the corridor. “Almost forgot, in case we don’t get a chance to talk for a while. I was on a training exercise on Pegasi 51 a couple of weeks ago, and I met someone who was looking for you.” He shrugs. “Don’t know how she knew who I was. Never seen her before. She took off without telling me her name. If she finds you,” Jax’s evil grin appears, “you can introduce me. She’s hot. Those deep, blue eyes.”

[B]35  -  Burnt[/B]


May 16, 2383


“Why? Why didn’t Carry have a clone?”

Seth stands by the apartment window, looking out across Tokyo. His voice sounds distant. “Because she wanted to … stay pure.” He turns to Jullian, seeing her expression of sadness and confusion.

“Seth, please tell me. [I]Please[/I], tell me what’s going on.”

He walks to the couch and sits close to her. He takes her hand and she gives a little squeeze.

Seth starts from the beginning. He tells her what he remembers about the time before his mother’s death, about his mother’s envelope and the schematics and code inside.

Jullian interrupts. “That was the code you showed Trinn in the restaurant?”

Seth nods. He tells her about the unusual streak of cloning accidents, Carry’s information that his father had evidence against Dolly Inc that he had passed to his mother, Carry’s evidence that the cloning process was contaminating the human gene pool, and the Dolly Factor.

Jullian looks down, sitting in silence, trying to work through the pieces of Seth’s story.

“Now, any information Carry had about Dolly Incorporated and my parents is burnt and gone.”

She looks up. “[I]Burnt[/I]? What do you mean?”

“After I spoke to you, I tried Carry’s penthouse code, and went inside. Her records room was burnt. Everything in it was destroyed.”

Jullian shakes her head slowly. “Why would someone do that?”

He decides not to mention the Blood Creed symbol. “I don’t know why. It’s strange that the penthouse hadn’t been cleaned up, considering that Carry died two weeks ago.”

“Something’s wrong Seth.” She glances at the vid-screen, biting her lower lip. “I have to go to work soon. Would you like to speak to my mother?”

Seth tilts his head. “You said I’d met her.”

Jullian gives him a small smile. “You saw her when we were walking in Brooklyn. Remember Sylvian? I’ll set up a meeting for you.”

…

Seth stands outside of the Guardian’s headquarters, his second trip to Aquatica that day. The building’s architecture matched that of the other structures of Aquatica, flowing, like water. He imagined that it was probably built shortly after the colonization. It was a huge building, but not at all imposing.

He enters, and is greeted by a young man wearing the traditional, white robe.

…

The office is small and blue in color. No desk, just four chairs and a vid-terminal on a low pedestal. Jullian must have inherited her father’s looks. Sylvian shared none of Jullian’s features, except, perhaps her eyes.

Seth hands Sylvian a small piece of paper with Carry’s penthouse codes written on it.

Sylvian looks at the paper. “I’m sure that Carry’s penthouse was cleaned out the day that we confirmed she was dead.” She turns to the vid-terminal, entering the codes. “Well, I see what the problem is. This isn’t Carry’s penthouse.”

Seth blinks, shifting in his chair. “I’ve been there twice. The first time was at Carry’s invitation. We spoke there.”

She looks at him for a few moments and turns back to the screen. “All I can tell you is that this penthouse isn’t registered to anyone.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t understand.”

Sylvian blanks out the screen, turning to him. “You mentioned that the penthouse was burnt?”

Seth nods “The records room. All Carry’s records were destroyed.”

She leans closer to him. “What kinds of records, Seth?”

“There were literally hundreds …”

Sylvian raises a brow.

“… the only ones I was shown were the research on Dolly Incorporated, and the Dolly factor.”

He’s surprised by the blank look in her eyes. Carry had told him that very few people knew of the Dolly factor. Sylvian was rank six. He’d assumed that she would be one of those few.

She sits back. “Seth, would you mind if I held onto these apartment codes. I’d like to look into this, for Carry’s sake.”

“I don’t mind. Perhaps you could do me a favor in return.”

Sylvian gives him a pleasant smile. “What can the Guardians do for you?”

“Well, it’s about a lawsuit …

…

Seth looks at the brightly colored menu, above the restaurant counter. “One large order of sushi please, to go.”

The woman turns, and disappears behind a dark blue curtain. She returns with a box containing a dozen small, colorful lumps. Seth looks at them in silence for a few moments before realizing that she’s waiting for his approval. Well, it looked like sushi. He hoped that Jullian would like it.

“Oh, yes. Those are fine. Thank you.”

Seth pays for the sushi and leaves the restaurant, heading for Aquatica’s travel gates. He keeps a careful watch as he walks. No sign of the man in the light colored suit. He reaches the travel terminals and pulls out his UC card. Fast footsteps approach from behind him, and a familiar voice …

“Mister Tarot.”

Seth turns, finding himself looking at a large, blue vest. He looks up into the eyes of an equally large, LED officer. The officer steps back and Detective Bresh steps from behind him.

“Mister Tarot, I need you to come to my office. An urgent matter.”

Seth takes a long, slow breath. “Yes, of course.”

Bresh looks at the box, tucked under Seth’s arm. “I see you like sushi. Never cared for it myself.”

Seth sighs.

…

The office is dead quiet.

Bresh sits back in his chair, looking across the desk. “Mister Tarot, I told you that we’d be watching you for your own protection. What were you doing on Aquatica?”

Seth looks for any sign of emotion or intent in the detective’s eyes, but as usual, he finds none. “I was visiting a member of the Guardians, a relative of a friend of mine.”

Bresh shakes his head. “No, it’s your first trip there, earlier today that I’m interested in. Your visit to the apartment complex.”

[B]34  -  Connection[/B]


May 16, 2383


Jullian frowns. “But, I thought you said that you weren’t going to file a lawsuit?”

Seth stares at the screen, shaking his head. “I didn’t file it.”

“But how …”

“I don’t know. I have to speak to Carry.”  He looks to Jullian. “Would you mind if I call her from here?”

Jullian hesitates a moment. “No, I don’t mind.” She reaches past Seth, touching the screen to bring up her personal directory. She touches the screen a second time and stands, moving from the couch as the call connects.

Seth looks back to the screen. He wasn’t sure what he’d say to Carry. He wanted to talk, not to meet. After his strange experience, last visit, he didn’t want to go back to her penthouse if he could avoid it.

A system message appears …

[B]Connection Failed - Unknown Contact Number[/B]

He blinks “Jullian?”

She sits down on the couch and looks at the screen. “She changed her number. It’s not unusual. She usually changes it every couple of weeks.”

“Let me check something.” Seth touches the screen. “My saved messages were transferred when you had my mail forwarded here. I still have Carry’s message with her penthouse number and the entry code.”

“Are you going there?”

He leans over, giving her a kiss and a smile. “I have to. She’s got me in some serious trouble with Dolly Incorporated.”

Julian looks away for a moment, looking like she’s fighting some indecision. She turns back to Seth, her eyes not quite meeting his. “Do you want me to come with you?”

He feels her discomfort. “No Jullian. Thanks for the offer. I’ll speak to Carry.”

Seth regrets his words as he speaks them. He really would like her to come with him, to be with him. He sees the look of relief in her eyes as they meet his.

…

Seth steps from the gate and walks quickly, through the main district of Aquatica. He reaches the apartment terminals, enters Carry’s apartment number, and presses the call icon. There’s no response.

He hesitates. Carry would know who was calling, simply by looking at her screen. Perhaps she was avoiding him. He had the penthouse entry code… No, not yet.

He turns from the terminal. A man, dressed in a light colored suit, stands by the entrance to the apartments. The man turns away quickly, and disappears into the passage.

Seth blinks, feeling uneasy. Detective Bresh said that he would be watched. Perhaps the man was an undercover officer, but he looked familiar somehow.

…

“Hello Jullian.” Seth smiles at the pretty face on the screen of the public call terminal.

“Hi Seth. Where are you?”

“I’m still on Aquatica. Carry doesn’t seem to be home. Had you seen her recently?”

Jullian pauses a moment, thinking. “About a week after you disappeared, I saw her at a Guardian rally in Manhattan, but not since.”

Seth sighs and smiles. “Alright, I think I’ll wait a while. Maybe she’ll show up. I’ll see you at the restaurant later.”

“Seth …” Jullian hesitates, biting her lower lip. “I’ll get in touch with my mother. She’ll know where Carry is. Call me again in about fifteen minutes.”

His smile grows. “Thanks Jullian. I’d like to meet your mother some day.”

“You’ve already met her. Talk to you soon.”

Seth blinks as the screen goes dark. Already met her?

…

“Thank you, sir.”

Seth smiles at the woman behind the counter and picks up his cola, taking it to a table by the windows.

He takes a sip and looks out across the water, letting his mind wander. What had Carry done? She’d shown him some legal documents, but he didn’t agree to help. He didn’t sign anything. Carry knew his parents, and had given him some information about his father that his mother had never mentioned. He had been with the Secret Service Branch. She talked about documents, but he can’t see how the contents of his mother’s envelope have anything to do with the Dolly Factor.

He needed to find Tristan. He didn’t have time to play Carry’s games. If he couldn’t find Carry today, he’d have to go to Dolly Incorporated himself, without really knowing what was going on.

Seth stands from the table. It was time to call Jullian. As he leaves the restaurant, he catches sight of a man in the distance. The man in the light colored suit.

…

“Seth, Carry is dead. She’s perma-dead.”

Seth looks at Jullian’s image in silence.

“About two weeks ago.”

He finds his voice. “But, how?”

Jullian shakes her head. “I don’t know. Come home Seth.”

He nods slowly “Alright Jullian. I won’t be long.”

She manages a small smile. “Please hurry.”

Seth turns from the public call screen, and heads for the apartment terminals. He didn’t want to do this. The penthouse codes he had probably wouldn’t work anyway. But just in case they did, he had to try. Carry was gone. He had to try to find out more. He steps up to the terminal, hesitates a moment, and enters the codes.

…

There is a smell.

Daylight streams through the large windows, overlooking the Aquatica Sea.

Seth walks across the large room. A chair lies on its side. A small shelving unit lays toppled, beside it. He looks at the vid-terminal. An alert blinks on and off, indicating waiting mail and messages.

He turns from the screen, looking around the room. Why was everything still here? Jullian said that Carry had died two weeks ago. Why had nobody come to clean out the penthouse? And the smell …

He hesitates a moment before moving to the door, leading to the room where he last spoke to Carry. He touches the pad and the door slides open. It’s dark, but the light from the main room streams in. The smell almost overpowers him.

The room is burnt and scorched. Charred paper and ash form a thick carpet on the floor. Metallic shelving units remain on the walls, their contents reduced to small, dark piles.

Seth steps into the room. He walks slowly, his steps causing small clouds of ash to take to the air. A few steps in, he looks to the back of the room. The safe is open, its contents burnt. He turns back, leaving the room and coughing as he feels the ash in his nose and throat. He touches the pad, closing the door. He needed to get out, needed to get some fresh air.

Seth walks quickly to the penthouse gate, leaving dark, sooty footprints on the rich, blue carpeting. He stops suddenly, staring at a nearby wall.
 
There is a small, crudely painted symbol in a rusty brown. [I]The Blood Creed[/I].

[B]33  -  Home[/B]


May 15, 2383


Seth looks at her eyes, seeing surprise, and a little fear in them. His cuts, bruises, and burns were gone, but it would take time for him to get his weight back. He looked different, his face, very thin.

Jullian’s eyes grow wet. Her voice is a whisper. “[I]Seth[/I].”

He goes to her, stepping around the scattered groceries. Jullian reaches out, and he pulls her into a tight embrace. She hugs him, crying softly and pressing her face against him. He feels her warm tears on his chest, and his own warm tears on his face.

…

They sit on the couch, talking quietly. It was just after dark. Jullian had called the restaurant and cancelled her shift.

He had told her about his abduction in the rain. He had told her that he didn’t remember many details of his stay with the Creed. There was no reason to upset her with any talk about the games. He had told her about waking up in the hospital, the visit from the LED, and his interview with detective Bresh.

Seth shakes his head. “No Jullian, it’s over. They’ve had their revenge. We’re even now.”

She puts a hand on his arm, her eyes, full of concerned. “But Seth, the Blood Creed never …”

He takes her hand. “Jullian, please, trust me. It’s over now for good.”

She seems to take comfort in his words, managing a small smile. She leans over, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry I don’t have any pizza here. When you first disappeared, I’d bring a pizza home every night, always hoping …” She pauses taking a slow breath. “Then, after three weeks went by, I thought I’d lost you.”

She turns her head up to Seth and he leans down, giving her a long, warm kiss.

Jullian smiles “How about another soda?”

Seth had savored the first soda. It had been weeks since he’d had something sweet to drink. “I’d love one.”

Jullian walks into the kitchen area. Seth leans back on the couch and looks to the window, and the stars. Something catches his eye on the small shelf to the left. It’s a small, framed hologram. A graduation plaque. [I]His[/I] graduation plaque.

He stands and moves to the window, picking up the plaque to confirm its identity. Jullian comes back into the room and he turns to her “My graduation plaque.”

Jullian sits the soda on the low table and smiles, motioning toward the door behind her. “In here.” She turns, walking through the door.

Seth blinks and follows Jullian into the bedroom. Several transport boxes sit stacked in a corner.

Jullian takes his hand, giving it a squeeze. “All your things are here, Seth. When you didn’t come back after a couple of weeks, I knew that you’d lose your residence room. So, with some help from your roommate, I brought everything here.”

Seth turns to her, looking down at her pretty face. Three weeks of darkness and pain had dulled his senses and feelings. Now, a sudden wave of emotion takes his voice away as he opens his mouth to speak, to thank her, to tell her how much he loves her.

Julian reaches up, caressing his thin face in her soft hands and smiling. “I missed you Seth. I missed you so much.”

Seth takes Jullian in his arms, kissing her passionately. They move together, falling back onto the bed …

…

[I]he raises his arms, flying down the ramp … he stops at the bottom, feeling a gentle hand on his shoulder … he looks up into the smiling face of his mother … she takes his hand and they walk to the restaurant …

the mall is empty, but someone is sitting at his favorite table … a man, wearing red, stands behind the counter … he sits down and his mother orders pizza … he looks over to his favorite table … the man sitting there turns to him, his face, swollen, burnt, and bloody …[/I]

…

“Seth!”

He opens his eyes, breathing heavily and sweating.

Jullian sits on the bed beside him, looking down at him “Seth, are you alright?”

“Just a bad dream. I’m alright.”

She leans down, and kisses his forehead before lying back down and snuggling at his side.

…


May 16, 2383


Seth sorts through the transport boxes, finding places for his things. It felt good to be in his own clothes again. He finds his mother’s envelope in one of the boxes. Its contents are intact. He places the envelope at the back of one of the two storage-drawers that Jullian had made his.

He thinks about Tristan. He shakes his head, knowing that there was no chance that he’d remember the apartment information she gave him that night. He remembers what she said about his parents … [I]they aren’t dead, they’re flying[/I]. How would he find her again? How would she find him?

Jullian calls from the main room. “Seth?”

Seth leaves the bedroom, finding Jullian sitting at the vid-screen terminal. She looks over to him. “I got a notice from the LED missing persons department. Guess what?”

He gives her a curious look. “What?”

“You’ve been found.” she smiles, giggling.

Seth laughs and goes to her, planting a kiss on the top of her head. She looks up at him, still smiling. “Oh, in case you’re interested, I knew you’d lose access to your terminal, so I had all your mail forwarded here.”

Seth sits down beside her. “You’re amazing Jullian. Thanks again.” He reaches for the terminal, entering his password.

Jullian stands. “I’ll give you some privacy.”

He takes her arm, pulling her back onto the couch beside him. “You stay right here.” He gives her a smile. “I don’t get much mail, probably just be a dozen notices of eviction from the residence building.”

A list of 81 messages appears on the screen. Seth scrolls through them quickly. Advertisements, a notice of cancellation of his enrollment to the LED, several ‘warning of impending eviction’ notices, several ‘last warning of impending eviction’ notices, several actual eviction notices …

He feels a shiver pass through him as he looks at the header of the next message. It was from Dolly Incorporated. He touches the screen …


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[B]April 21, 2383

Mr. Seth Tarot,

You have recently filed a lawsuit against Dolly Inc.

Before you take these matters further, we feel it only right to inform you that similar suits have been filed in the past, without success, and at great expense.

As you must know, according to our GD charter, citizens who decide to use our cloning technology, do so at their own risk. Dolly Inc. is not to be held responsible for the very small number of accidents that have occurred over the course of millions, and soon to be billions, of successful cloning processes.

Dolly Inc. technology is among the most proven and safe in the Global Dominion.

If you do not withdraw your suit within fourteen days of issue of this note, we will proceed with the filing.

Legal Department
Dolly Incorporated[/B]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jullian turns to him “Seth?”

He stares at the screen in disbelief. “I have to see Carry, right away.”

[B]32  -  Bresh[/B]


May 15, 2383


The young officer smiles “Please follow me, Mister Tarot.”

Seth follows the pretty LED officer. He thinks about Jullian. They follow a long corridor, bustling with activity. He had visited the LED headquarters several weeks ago when he and fellow LED applicants had been given an orientation tour.

They pass a large, glass walled office. A memory flashes back to Seth of the time, ten years ago, when he sat in an office like that, crying.

They come to a door marked SI-4. The officer passes a security card by the scanner and the door slides open, revealing a large room with three desks. Detectives occupy two of them. They glance up from their terminals as Seth follows the officer to an unmarked door on the far side of the room. The door slides open as they approach. The officer steps aside and smiles, motioning Seth inside.

Seth steps into the small office. The sounds of activity in the building disappear as the door closes behind him. It’s dead quiet.

Detective Bresh sits behind a desk. He turns from the terminal. “Mister Tarot. Have a seat.”

Seth sits in one of the two chairs facing the desk.

“Mister Tarot, I know that you were enrolled to join the LED, so I assume you already know that I’m with the special investigations branch.”

Seth nods.

Bresh leans back in his chair. “I’ve been investigating the Blood Creed for three years. Before we begin, I just want to be sure that I’m clear about what happened to you. You were taken by the Blood Creed, you were with them for more than three weeks, and you escaped. Correct?”

Seth feels the emotionless eyes of the detective, watching him closely. “Yes, that’s right.”

“Alright, Mister Tarot.” Bresh turns to the terminal on his desk, touching the screen. “First, I’ll add your record to the others I’ve collected from people who’ve escaped from the Blood Creed.” He looks at the screen for a few moments in silence. “Well, what do you know?” He looks back to Seth and leans forward, across his desk. “There are no other records.”

Seth feels the urge to shift in his chair, but resists it. He looks at the detective, tilting his head slightly.

“The Blood Creed are known to have committed more than three-hundred abductions and murders. No one has ever escaped from them, except to a cloning facility.” Bresh leans back in his chair. “Tell me what happened to you Mister Tarot, from the beginning. How did you get involved with the Blood Creed?”

Seth takes a slow breath. “I was walking into Brooklyn mall and I bumped into a large man, dressed in red. I didn’t even think about it at the time …”

…

Seth tells the detective about his next encounter with the merc, and the unknown wielder of the tazer. He tells him about the symbol he found on the wall of the residence building. He tells him that his plan was to file a report with the LED, but that he went out late, the night before he planned to file it. He tells him that it was raining hard and the merc and one of his friends snuck up and drugged him.

Bresh interrupts. “Where were you going? Late at night, in the rain.”

Seth blinks, silent for a few moments. He suddenly realizes that although the effects that his stay with the Creed had on his body were healed and gone, the effects on his mind were not. There were gaps, nagging gaps in his memory. “I … I don’t remember. I don’t remember much about that day.”

Bresh gives a slight nod.

Seth tells the detective about waking in the darkness. He tells him about the three mercs, the drugs, and the games. He tells him there was another man, imprisoned with him, who is more than likely dead by now.

…

“Part way through a game, the mercs stopped and left quickly. The only thing that I knew for sure about the passage from the room was that it had a metal gate at the end of it. I’d hear it open and close each time the mercs came and went. This time, I didn’t hear it close. It was dark, but I dragged myself into the passage. I found the gate and it was open. I remember seeing light ahead … then, I woke up in the medical center.”

The detective raises an eyebrow. “So you dragged yourself to the medical center?”

While in hospital, Seth had asked the medic how he got there. She had told him that he was found in the street, about four blocks from the medical center. Two NYC maintenance workers had found him and brought him in. Mark had been smart, leaving him there and waiting until the next day to visit.

Seth shakes his head. “I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

Bresh looks at the terminal. “The medical report says that you were found a few blocks from the hospital. In your condition, you couldn’t have gone very far on your own.” He turns back to Seth. “I haven’t been able to locate the Blood Creed’s base of operations. You may be my best clue yet. We’ve started an extensive search in a ten block area around the place you were found.”

Bresh stands. “I’m sure you want to get home, Mister Tarot. I may be calling on you again.”

Seth stands, both surprised, and relieved that the detective had asked so few questions. He thinks about mentioning that his father was with the force, but decides against it. He feels uncomfortable in the small office, and he longs to see Jullian. “Of course, Detective Bresh.” He hears the door slide open behind him and turns toward it.

“Mister Tarot?”

Seth turns back to the detective.

“The Blood Creed won’t be happy that you escaped. We’ll be watching you for a while … for your own protection.”
   
…

It’s 4:30 in the afternoon when Seth enters the mall.

He takes a deep breath, sure that he can already smell the pizza from the level below. Jullian would almost be finished her shift. He walks down the ramp, past the marketing terminals, and rounds the corner to the restaurant.

Jullian isn’t there. A young man stands behind the counter. Seth has never seen him before. He feels his heart, beating fast. He approaches the counter and asks the young man about Jullian.

The man touches the screen behind him “Night shift. She starts at nine.”

Seth sighs with relief and thanks the man. He’d go to Tokyo, to Jullian’s apartment.

…

Seth stares at the pad on the Tokyo apartment terminal, his mind, drawing a blank. He was sure that he’d known Jullian’s apartment number, and the code. She’d told them to him when they decided that he would move in with her. She’d told him the codes and told him to remember them … that he [I]had[/I] to remember them. No … that wasn’t Jullian. He takes a quick breath as a memory comes back to him …

… waking to a strange, blue light … a face on his vid-screen … Tristan’s face … apartment codes … codes that he had to remember …

Something hits the floor behind him. Seth jumps at the sound, turning quickly. Several containers of soda and two small boxes, bearing the logo of a Tokyo sushi restaurant, lay at the feet of a pretty, purple haired woman.

“[I]Seth[/I]!”

[B]31  -  Sunshine[/B]


May 14, 2383


More than three weeks. Jullian must think he’s dead and gone. His date of acceptance to the LED, past and gone. His room in the residence building … [I]his room in the residence building[/I] … [I]his mother’s papers[/I] …

“Do you know them?”

Seth blinks “I’m sorry. What was that?”

The officer repeats the question. “Jax Trannis and Jullian Veil. Do you know them?”

Seth smiles “Yes. I know them.”

“They both reported that at the time you went missing, you were having some problems with a mercenary cell. The Blood Creed. Is that true?”

Seth takes a closer look at the officer’s badge; special investigations branch. “Yes.”

“Are the Blood Creed responsible for your disappearance, and your present condition?”

Seth nods. “Yes.”

The officer raises an eyebrow. “I’m surprised that you’re alive, Mister Tarot, very surprised.”

Seth looks down at his legs and feet, protruding from the light blue robe he wears. Broken, twisted, burnt, and cut, twenty hours ago, now, only some dark bruising remained. “It was close. I barely escaped.”

“You [I]escaped[/I] from the Blood Creed? Again Mister Tarot, you surprise me.”

Seth goes to speak, but the officer continues.

“We’ll leave you to heal, Mister Tarot. The medical staff has told me that you’ll be released tomorrow afternoon. I know there are things you’ll need to do, but I want you to come see me at my office. LED headquarters in Brooklyn, at 3pm. Ask for Detective Bresh.” He slips the vid-pad into his pocket “Understood, Mister Tarot?”

Seth looks at the detective’s eyes, trying to read some emotion in them. He sees none. “Yes, alright. Of course, Detective Bresh.”

A thin smile comes to the detective’s face, but no emotion comes with it. “Thank you for your cooperation Mister Tarot. If you don’t mind, we won’t let anyone know that we’ve located you until after our meeting, for your own protection, of course. I suggest that you come straight to my office once you’re released.” He turns and walks from the bed.

The other officer gives Seth a quick nod “Sir.” He turns away, following the detective.

…

May 15, 2383


Seth looks at the vid-sreen above the ward’s doors … 1pm. One hour until his release from the medical center. Mark hadn’t come. He watches the ward’s doors, hoping to see him. He wanted to speak with Mark before he met with the detective.

He was nervous about the meeting. He believed strongly in the LED and the work they did for the Dominion. His father had been with the department. If it hadn’t been for his chance encounter with the Creed, he would be among their ranks.

Mark had saved him from days or weeks more torture and eventually, death. He had been a friend to his mother and father. He had honored his mother’s request and delivered her envelope to him when he turned eighteen.

Seth watches the doors. As Mark had asked, he wouldn’t reveal any details of his stay, or his rescue, to anyone. He thinks, trying to anticipate the detective’s questions, and to come up with some believable answers.

…

The open space and fresh air make Seth feel light-headed. He walks slowly, down the steps of the medical center, and flops down on a nearby bench. He looks up at the clear, New York sky, taking a deep breath, and smiling at the feeling of the sun on his face. It felt like an eternity since he’d last seen the sky. He hopes for a clear night, longing to see the stars again.

After a few minutes, he stands, heading for the nearest travel gate. He had to hurry.

…

Seth approaches the residence building. He looks at his student card, knowing that it’s probably expired and cancelled. Even so, he had to get into the building somehow. His mother’s papers were inside.

Halfway up the stairs, he hears a sound behind him ,  a low chuckle that sends a shiver up his spine. He turns quickly, his head snapping from side to side as he scans the street.

… by the corner … a flash of red … a mercenary with a toothy grin …

He stumbles, tripping on the stairs. He falls back, closing his eyes as his elbows make impact with a hard step. He sits up quickly, his heart racing, looking back to the corner, looking up and down the street, back to the corner …

Nothing. No one there.

Seth stands slowly. He takes a deep breath, trying to relax. There was no one there. Just some bad memories from his stay with the Creed, and the drugs. He turns, moving to the doors and raising his pass to the scanner.

To his surprise, the doors slide open.

He walks through the doors and turns, looking at the wall. It was clean, the Blood Creed symbol, washed away without a trace. He continues, turning right into the blue-lit corridor, and on to his room.

Seth touches the pad, entering the room code. The door slides open and he steps inside. Other than, what used to be his and Jax’s beds, the room is completely empty. Seth moves to his closet. He opens the door and looks at the empty shelves.

He sighs and moves to his bed, sitting down and closing his eyes. Anything not removed from student’s residences two weeks after the term, becomes property of the GD. Somehow, he’d have to get his things back.

Seth stands and moves to the door, trying to clear his mind. He had to hurry. He’d just be in time, for his meeting with Detective Bresh.

[B]30  -  Rescue[/B]


?, 2383


Seth stares at the mercenary, not recognizing him.

“I’m going to get you out of here, Seth.” Mark puts his helmet back on and picks up the auto-syringe. He slips his free hand under Seth’s arm, lifting him up as if he were a child. He’d lost more than forty pounds during his stay in the tunnels.

Seth looks back, across the room.

Mark follows his gaze to the crumpled form of the naked man, lying in a corner. “Just you, Seth. He’s not part of the deal.”

Seth’s eyes widen as he sees the mercenary raise the auto-syringe …

“It’s okay Seth. I’m going to put you to sleep. Part of the deal.”

Seth feels a light pressure on his shoulder. He braces himself for the rush of stimulant … instead; a warm, soothing wave passes through him. He takes a long, slow breath as his pain starts to fade.

Mark carries him toward the passage. Seth’s eyes grow heavy. He sees the disgruntled looks on the other merc’s faces as they pass by them. His eyes close, his head, slumping forward. As he slips into unconsciousness, he hears the sound of rusty, metal hinges …

…

Seth opens his eyes slowly. He takes a quick breath, his muscles tensing ,  bright light, another game. His eyes focus and he looks up, looking for the familiar, orange stars.

“Seth?”

… no stars … cool, white light … a light touch on his hand …

“Seth Tarot?”

He turns his eyes to the voice. A woman, dressed in white, looks down at him.

“You’re in the NYC medical center. Please, just try to relax.”

Seth raises his head, looking around. He’s lying on a soft, cushioned, bed. He looks down at his twisted and broken legs and feet. His pain is gone. He wonders if he’s dreaming. A stocky, balding man, wearing a heavy jacket, stands a few feet from the end of the bed, looking at him.

His head falls back onto the soft cushion. He turns his eyes back to the woman in white. She looks at him with a strange combination of concern and disgust. She turns to the stocky man. Her voice is cold …

“I think it would be best to terminate and clone. We’ve checked. He has insurance.”

Seth’s swollen hand reaches up quickly, grabbing the woman’s arm and giving it a weak squeeze. He opens his mouth, managing to croak out a single word … “No!” His hand drops back to his side.

Mark moves from the end of the bed, coming to Seth’s side and leaning close.

Seth speaks in a dry whisper. “No … no clone … [I]please[/I].”

Mark steps back from the bed, looking to the medic. “No cloning. Fix him up.”

She gives Mark a surprised look. “But sir …”

Mark’s voice is dry and firm. “No cloning.”

The medic turns from Mark, looking back to Seth. “Alright. It will take some time, but we’ll … [I]fix him up[/I].”

Seth looks from the medic to Mark. He doesn’t recognize the stocky man, but he sees his eyes, and trusts him. He lets his eyes slide closed.

…

The next day, he was healing quickly, and starting to remember. It was unusual for patients to stay in the medical facility for more than a brief assessment. He and Mark were alone in the ward.

Seth gives Mark a weak smile. “So, you’re a mercenary.”

Mark raises an eyebrow. “I always have been.”

Seth blinks. “But, didn’t you tell me that you had a restaurant, off world?”

Mark shakes his head. “No, I told you that I had a place of my own, off world.”

Seth looks over at the small vid-screen above the medical ward’s doors. The time was displayed, but not the date. “How did you find me Mark? How long was I in the tunnels?”

Mark leans closer, lowering his voice. “Seth, I don’t want anyone to know that it was me that got you out of there. Alright?”

Seth nods.

Mark pauses a moment. “It’s important that you don’t tell the wrong people about your stay with the Creed. I know it’s asking a lot … but it’s over now. It will not happen again. Any interest that the Creed had in you is finished.” He puts a hand on Seth’s shoulder. “It’s finished, Seth. I guarantee it.”

Seth nods again.

Mark sits back in the chair, smiling. “I was passing through the Brooklyn mall a few days ago. I walked past the restaurant and a girl with purple hair ran up to me and…” He stops speaking as the medic approaches.

She stands by the bed. “Mister Tarot, I wanted to make sure that you were awake. There are some LED officers here to see you.”

Mark stands. “I should be going. I’ll see you tomorrow, Seth.”

Seth opens his mouth to speak, but Mark has already turned, walking away. A girl with purple hair. Memories of Jullian come back to him in a wave, washing over him, leaving him with a sudden, desperate longing for her face and her touch.

The medic activates the bed, bringing Seth to a sitting position. “I’ll bring them in.” She turns, walking along the row of empty beds, and disappearing through the ward’s doors.

…

“Seth Tarot?”

Seth nods to the smaller of the two LED officers, standing by the bed. “Yes.”

“Mister Tarot, we’re here in regard to missing person reports filed by two individuals.” The officer glances at his vid-pad. “According to these reports, you’ve been missing for more than three weeks.”

Seth stares at the officer … [I]more than three weeks[/I].

[B]29  -  Sleep[/B]


?, 2383


Another game had ended. The white light was gone.

Seth takes in ragged breaths, his heart racing. He turns his head to look at his companion, lying crumpled on the floor a few feet away. The man looks dead, but his chest moves with signs of shallow respiration. It would end for him soon. If the smiling woman was coming to save him, she’d better hurry.

He had forgotten the smiling woman’s name. He was sure that his companion had mentioned it. Did he know her? He couldn’t remember much of anything anymore … except the darkness … and the pain. Even then, he couldn’t remember back, past the last couple of games.

Seth looks up at the orange stars, hoping that his companion will stay with him for a while longer. The man hadn’t spoken another word, but when he was gone, he would truly be alone.

He couldn’t remember the last time that he had slept. He closes his eyes and rolls onto his side, ignoring the pain coming from his useless legs and feet. He pulls his legs up slowly, curling up the best he can.

A deep shiver passes through his body. The darkness behind his closed eyes begins to deepen. He wonders if it’s finally finished. He wonders if he is dying …

…

[I]he walks down a long, blue corridor … he looks left as he walks, looking through the long windows and across the surface of a watery planet … three bright, orange stars shine in the daytime sky … the crystal clear sea is still, looking like glass …

he follows the corridor as it turns left … it is dark, but he sees color and light in the distance … a soft hum … hundreds of multi-colored, neon lights line the corridor’s walls and ceiling …

he comes to a travel gate and looks at the ticket he holds in his bruised and broken hand … there’s a strange symbol on it, written in a dark, dripping liquid … he steps into the gate and a blue light envelopes him … it feels hot … it burns him …

he looks out, across the huge room … a soft sound draws his attention … he turns his head slowly, seeing a huge door to his right … a white-robed figure moves through the open door, disappearing into the darkness beyond …

he walks toward the door … the door moves suddenly, slamming shut, making no sound …

“Seth”

he hears his name, and looks back to the large room … a dark box sits on the floor … he moves closer, looking at the dusty vid-screen … he sits down on the dirty, tiled floor and reaches toward the screen, extending a finger and pressing it into the dust … it is hot … it burns him … he moves his finger, slowly tracing the letter ‘S’ …

the screen glows a cool blue, soothing his pain … he traces an ‘e’ … a dark form starts to appear, behind the dust … he traces a ‘t’ … a woman with dark hair … he traces an ‘h’ …  sparkling, blue eyes …

a beam of white light, bright as the sun, bursts from the screen … he falls backward, blinking, and blinded …[/I]

…

Strong arms pull Seth up, into a sit.

His head falls back and he brings it forward with some difficulty. The entire room is brightly lit. His eyes focus slowly. He sees the merc and his two friends, standing by the passage on the far side of the room. A pair of strong hands holds his shoulders. He turns his head, and finds himself looking at a ghastly face …

The man’s eyes are swollen and dark. His nose is twisted to one side. His face is covered in cuts and burns, dried blood, and dirt. Seth’s eyes widen as he recognizes the man …it was him … his own face, reflected in a dark visor.

His eyes drop, and he sees the badge of the stocky man, squatting beside him. Another mercenary. Seth closes his eyes, trying not to think, trying not to think about what new game might be in store for him.

The mercenary releases one of his battered shoulders, keeping a firm hold on the other.

Seth opens his eyes. He takes a quick breath as he sees the auto-syringe. More drugs, more games, more pain, more terror. He starts to shake and whimper, bracing himself for the rush of the stimulant …

Instead, he hears a voice from behind the visor.

“It’s alright Seth”

The mercenary lays the auto-syringe on the dirty, tiled floor. He reaches to remove his helmet and visor, revealing an almost bald head.

“It’s alright Seth. It’s Mark.”