The Alchemist's Children: Panacea

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  His vision filled with the chaos of Virette's cathedral. The feeling of the darkest nightmare still lingered, but he felt his mind and computer had woven a complex assault program designed for the threats around him. Everything was ready, he was going to bring the nalkori, and Derrick to their knees. However, his disruptor needed more time to compensate for his improvements. Another heat warning popped on his screen, along with an overheating countdown. But, there was a connection delay. Somehow, Derrick and the nalkori were preventing a full connection and they were bringing up firewalls. They knew he was a threat.

  They were desperate attempts, and easy enough to break, but he needed a few seconds more, and his computer was rapidly approaching the end of its life. With nothing but a thought, he activated his labyrinth program and trapped Derrick and the nalkori inside. The time left on the overheating countdown, split in half.

  "That's the best you got?" Derrick said slowly as he regained control of himself. The EMP was wearing off.

  "Nope," Callen said as labyrinth stripped their digital armor. He was in. "You're mine now." He grinned wickedly. "You'll find this one a bit more appropriate and potent than version one." He said as he stood up. "Now, it's my turn to apologize, Derrick. I don't know what this is going to do to you." As the last second ticked away, he played his final note in his digital rock ballad. His computer melted, leaving only the base functions he had placed in his goggles, but he didn't need them to tell him he succeeded.

  He saw the fear in Derrick’s eyes and a few spasms from the nalkori. This time, they weren't slowed, forcing a reboot. This time, a fizzle of electricity coming from deep within their bodies rippled outward. Their power source flooded their circuits with an extreme abundance of energy. Biology began to burn as their chips and wires melted. Sparks erupted from gaps in the biomechanical assembly as their mechanical components ground to a halt. The patchwork flesh charred. The nalkori fell limp.

  Derrick, on the other hand, fell to his knees in pain. He didn't die, but he was having difficulty moving. He looked desperately at Virette as she started to recover from the EMP.

  Callen turned his attention towards the gremlins. He couldn't attack them digitally anymore. So, he grabbed his pistol from Sprocket's belt and spun to face the priestess. He heard the gremlins stirring outside. She would be back in control in seconds if she weren't already. He glanced at the scarab. He had to prevent her from reestablishing control over the gremlins. He fired. An explosive round spun through the air. The scarab and her hand exploded as she regained consciousness.

  Virette cradled her electronic hand, but she didn't scream. She only started to mumble. Blood and oil leaked from the stump. She looked up and saw Callen's gun barrel aimed at her head, but she continued mumbling.

  "Sprocket, you back?" Callen asked.

  "Yeah." She sighed. "I had no idea..."

  "Well, no need to worry any more, scarab's destroyed." He said. "And pawn takes queen."

  "Callen, watch out!" Sprocket yelled as she looked at her mother. "Spell!" She attempted to raise her weapon as she charged forward, but a partially disabled Derrick managed to trip her. She fell flat and smashed her face on the closest pew. Derrick used another pew as a crutch and climbed to his feet. Sprocket didn't get up. Carried by his remaining organics, he staggered towards the altar.

  Virette took another explosive round to her shoulder, as she released her spell. The crystal tear on her cheek flared with a deep purple light.

  "So, you're a…” Callen's voice vanished as the plague wash over him. Boils began exploding on his skin. His lungs burned. He attempted to fire, but his fingers were too swollen with blisters. His knees went weak, and he fell to the floor. He felt the cool rush fighting, but it wasn't enough. It was like he was out of batteries. His lungs exploded with pain and the fires of sickness erupted in his system.

  "Feel the fingers of my contagion spell rip you from this life!" Virette hissed as she grabbed Callen's neck. He tried to open his eyes, but the swelling only allowed him to see a vague outline and Virette's glowing purple eye and the glowing tear. "Now I'm done with you, boy." She said. "Now rot and die...like the rest of the blasphemers of my world have...and yours will experience soon enough." She returned to her chant and they intensified.

  He felt his veins pulse as her spell power began to climax. A switch clicked inside him. He felt power surge through his veins. He felt this before, but not like this. This time it didn't make him sick. The surge of a second wind ripped through his body. "Not this time," Callen growled. He felt the rush of the chill and heard the hum of the woman's melody. "You die." He pulled Carnwennan from its sheath. The blisters and boils on his hands popped as he gripped the grooved dragon bone grip. He ignored the pain rupturing in his system and felt the squirm of panacea tunneling beneath his flesh. He jammed the knife through the base of her jaw up into her brain. He twisted the blade and pulled it through the front of her skull. The knife cut the glowing tear in half. "That's for Niknak." Kneeling there, he gasped for breath.

  Blood, oil, and other strange goo poured from Virette's face. He looked at Niknak and crawled towards him. He used the altar to pull himself to his feet. Niknak's face was lifeless, and he noticed the coin was gone. He checked Niknak's pulse. He was still alive, barely.

  He noticed an energy bar in Niknak's pocket, and, without a second thought, he tore it open. He stuffed it in his mouth as he turned around. He felt the healing begin as his saliva began digesting the simple sugars in the bar.

  The two nalkori and Virette lay dead. Sprocket was still knocked out. However, Derrick was gone, and in the pit of his stomach, Callen knew that Derrick had taken the coin. None of this was over. It had only just begun.

  He saw the busted blisters on his arms begin to knit faster with the food. "Guess I know why Niknak keeps you around." He said as he took the last bite. "Good to know..." He looked at his burnt out computer as he felt the sugar rush. "Guess I have something knew to consider when I build version two..."