“This is our best estimate of where the epicenter of the event may be,” noted the FDDC. “As you can see, it appears to be somewhere in the mountains west of Boulder.
“There are still organics living there,” observed the SDC.
John nodded, “Yes, it’s one of the few cities in the region that still retains a significant population, almost everything else in the region has undergone reclamation. It’s possible that it’s their target.”
Donald’s brows furrowed, “You’re assuming it’s the She’Har.”
His deputy shrugged, “It’s the best derivable conclusion we can make from the data we have at this point.”
“There are other possibilities,” said the SDC. “We can’t rule them out yet.”
John shook his head negatively, “There’s never been a confirmation of any extra-terrestrial intelligence, nor do we have any evidence that FTL travel is possible. Our best assumption would be that this is another DEMON event.”
“Even if it is demons we don’t know that it is the She’Har,” countered Donald.
“Either way, we have to work on the assumption that this is a hostile incursion,” said John.
The SDC nodded, “This is uncomfortably close to the primary CC in Kansas City.” Untold billions lived there, hosted on the largest server network on the planet. Donald took a moment to mentally toggle through the most recent image analysis of the highlighted region.
Nothing stood out. Whatever had come through there hadn’t made a big enough splash to show up on satellite.
Donald made a quick decision, “Call up the UN Cybernetic reserves from the Gulf Coast. I want every unit activated and sent in. We need boots on the ground.”
“Cybernetics, sir?” responded his deputy. “Are you sure we shouldn’t respond with an alpha-strike?”
“That’s a knee-jerk reaction, John. We need more information first. It’s a big universe. Even if it is a DEMON event we don’t know that it is the She’Har again,” replied Donald.
“We don’t want a repeat of Australia, sir.”
Donald fought to suppress a growl. It always came back to Australia, he had known his second would bring it up eventually. Fifty years before, humanity had nearly lost to the She’Har. The war had only been brought to a successful conclusion by sacrificing the entirety of the southern continent.
“That is precisely why I’d prefer not to respond to our first warning in decades with a nuclear strike,” said the SDC. He glanced at the map again, a yellow number hovered over the city of Boulder. “There are still sixteen thousand organics living in close proximity to the detection region.”
His deputy wasn’t ready to back down yet, though, “Over twenty million were lost in Australia, but if we hadn’t had the balls to do it then, there wouldn’t be a human race anymore. There are over ten billion people counting on us to make the right decision here.”
“And sixteen thousand organics don’t matter enough to have any weight in that decision? They’re people too, John. Sometimes I wonder if you lost your soul when you transitioned. We aren’t machines.”
The FDDC smirked, “Technically we are machines, Donald, but that isn’t the point. We can’t let our hearts overrule reasoned judgement.”
Donald shook his head, “I hope you don’t talk to your wife like that. I don’t think remarks like that would go over well at home.”
“I keep my professional life entirely separate from my personal life. Maxine understands that,” replied John.
The director closed his eyes, “I’ve made my decision. We send in the cybernetics. This is what they were created for. The She’Har had years in Australia before we were forced to that terrible moment. If we discover an infection taking hold in the mountains we can reevaluate the situation at that point.”
“What about drone troops?”
“I don’t trust telepresence for this. We need men on the ground. Limit telepresence to aerial drone support and reconnaissance.”
“There’s an organic guard division still active in Kansas, should we bring them in as well? They’re closer,” suggested his deputy.
“Organics are too vulnerable to the special abilities that the She’Har employ. Alert them but tell them to remain on standby.”
Deputy Wang arched one brow, “So you do think it’s the She’Har…”
“I only posited that it could be something new. I’d be a fool to proceed without proper precautions. Let’s get started.”
“Already relaying the command sequences, sir,” said the FDDC. “If we’re done I’ll take my leave. They need my presence on site.”
“Very good,” replied the SDC. John Wang vanished, and for a moment he was alone in the Command Center. I’d better let Regina know why I left so suddenly. She wouldn’t be happy when he told her he would likely be missing dinner, but he knew she would understand. His wife was a practical woman, after all.
***
Cold air was blowing down the nape of Matthew’s neck. The morning dew made his clothing damp, which exacerbated the problem. On top of that he ached all over and he could feel knots in his muscles every time he tried to shift position, which wasn’t easy with Karen next to him.
‘Next’ probably wasn’t the right word, ‘entangled’ might be better for his current circumstances.
She had returned to camp after the stew finished cooking without uttering a word. She hadn’t seemed angry, and he hadn’t really cared, so he had simply given her the hat with her portion. He had already eaten his.
Without utensils, she had been forced to pick the meat out with her fingers and then drink the greasy broth that remained once that was done. He had taken the hat to river to rinse and refill it, boiling another portion of water so she could fill her water bottle.
After that he had collapsed onto the willow and grass bed she had put together, covering himself with as much grass as he could manage. He wanted to avoid using another warming spell. His aythar had almost reached its limit.
Karen had crawled in shortly after, and they had started out with a perfectly respectable space between them, but the night had been cold, and sleeping people prized warmth above all else. He hadn’t protested when she began to encroach on his territory; he had been cold too, after all, but once she had gotten fully to sleep he had begun to feel smothered.
His dreams, when he had managed to drift off, were dominated by nightmares in which he was slowly being strangled by some tentacled sea monster.
Matthew contemplated his current situation with aplomb and a small amount of well controlled disgust. Somehow her hair kept finding its way into his mouth and nose, despite the fact that he had turned his head to face completely away from her.
She also smelled. For that matter, so did he, but he could resign himself to his own stink. Both of them radiated an aura of sweat, dirt, and body odor, all overlaid by the light addition of smoke and greasy marmot. To be honest, Karen’s hair was the best part of the whole unpleasant mess, for it had an additional floral scent that helped to filter out some of the other smells.
I want a bath, he thought silently, but the idea of submerging himself into the frigid waters of the nearby stream sent another shiver down his spine.
His aythar had recovered somewhat during the night, but not to the degree it should have. Not enough that he wanted to waste it heating water or drying himself. He had decided he would do his best to avoid using his magic for anything that day, to see how long it would take for his aythar to fully restore itself.
Karen groaned, shifting her weight and tightening her grip on his waist.
I’d never hear the end of it if Moira could see me like this, he thought idly. Turning his head slightly to look at the woman next to him he got another face full of hair. Her head was on his shoulder and she was breathing into his neck, something that might have been erotic if her breath hadn’t been so foul.
She exhaled again, and he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
He was forced to r
emind himself again how disgusted he was. She had one arm around his waist and her left leg was draped across his thighs, entirely too close to something he didn’t want to think about.
To distract himself he examined her ears with his magesight. Her curly hair was effective at keeping them hidden most of the time, even without her hat, but that meant nothing to magesight. This close it was easy to discern their shape, especially since she had definitely begun to radiate a small amount of aythar on her own. It was still dim, but he could tell it was brighter than the day before.
She had none when I first met her, but now she’s begun to produce it on her own, just like any normal person back home. Had he done that? Perhaps aythar was something like a fire, once started it could spread and grow. Would other people begin to produce aythar if he spent time near them?
Without thinking about it he let his attention drift, following the lines of her body beneath the oddly colored clothing she wore. Soft curves and smooth skin covered a form supported by strong muscles. Karen was a tall woman who practically radiated good health. Her long legs tapered gently and…
Matthew caught himself then, I need to pee.
Gently lifting her arm, he moved it to her side, but as soon as he released it she shifted and moved it back partway.
Not there!
If he rolled away quickly and stood up, perhaps he could get away before she woke enough to realize how embarrassing their situation had become, particularly for him.
Then again, she might wake instantly and decide I somehow finagled her into this position.
She awoke as soon as he started moving, her eyes popping open to fix on him as he slid from beneath her leg and arm. If she noticed anything regarding his condition or was embarrassed herself, she gave no sign of it. Karen yawned and sat up to stare bleary eyed at the now defunct campfire.
That suited Matthew fine, and he walked away to relieve himself. When he returned, he found her looking up at the rabbits still hanging in the tree above.
Nodding, he looked up and uttered a short phrase, snapping his fingers at the same time. The small branch the animals were spitted on broke cleanly off, and the carcasses fell into his waiting hands. So much for not using my magic today, he thought, but that was just a tiny bit. Hopefully, I won’t need to do anything else.
The rabbits were missing their heads and innards; he had dressed them the day before but left the skins on to keep the meat clean until they were ready to cook them. It had been another cold night, and while it might get quite warm toward the middle of the day he was confident they would last until that evening.
Digging around in the remains of the fire, he removed the still burning coals and placed them on a heap of moderately dry grass before wrapping the entire collection up in a large piece of the marmot’s now semi-dry hide. It was a messy piece of work, but with some lucky they would have a fire that evening without requiring him to use more magic.
He tied the bag up with a thin strip of willow bark and then suspended it on the branch holding the two rabbits.
Karen had been watching him with some interest and commented several times, but he hadn’t understood anything she had said. Eventually she had walked down to the stream to wash her face and hands while he finished his preparations. When she returned, he saw that she had reapplied the strange cream she carried, using it on her face and neck.
He also noted that she had missed a spot and that the skin there seemed strangely discolored. A bruise? After all that they had been through that seemed the most likely explanation. He decided not to comment on it.
She looked at her hat with some distaste. He had cleaned it in the river the night before, but it still retained a smell of smoke and grease. With a shrug, she put it on her head anyway. They were in no position to be picky.
They set off and made better time that day, being both better rested and somewhat fed from the marmot the night before. After several hours Matthew broached the topic that had begun to worry him.
“How long until we reach your home?” he asked.
Karen stopped and after a short frustrating bit of back and forth it became apparent he was getting nowhere. Matthew held up one hand and mimed putting it on her forehead without approaching her. He didn’t want a repeat of the previous night’s embarrassment.
She looked worried but nodded after a second, so he stepped forward and placed his palm on her temple, making sure to avoid getting his fingers close to her ear.
How long before we reach your village?
The words were strange, but their meaning was clear to her, so she answered in the same fashion, I don’t have a village. We need to reach the nearest ranger station so I can call for help.
He nodded, How far away is it? Are we close?
We aren’t on the trail anymore, so I’m not sure where we are, she confided. My best guess is another three days if we keep heading east. Even if we miss the station, we will eventually find a road at the edge of the national park.
As she communicated mentally his mind catalogued the words she used along with their meaning.
She asked another question before he could respond, Who are you? Where are you from?
Matthew doubted she would understand the answer if he tried to give her the truth, so he kept it simple, Somewhere far away, a place called Lothion. I am here to learn about your people.
Karen frowned. His answer sounded like something from a science fiction film. Her hand reached for her pocket reflexively to retrieve her PM so she could do a search on Lothion. The name sounded vaguely European to her, but beyond that she had no idea where the place was. With a sigh, she gave up on the idea as she remembered the loss of her device.
Is that somewhere in Eastern Europe? she asked. That would explain his strange language.
Matthew stifled a laugh, A little farther than that. Pulling away, he held up a hand to let her know to wait as he found a place to sit. He needed to think.
Three days was a long time, and without access to his normal resources it would be a miserable trip. He didn’t fancy the idea of living on nothing but wild game for so long. He was also sick of being dirty.
In his own world, it was common for people to go weeks at a time without bathing, but that wasn’t the case in his family. Personal hygiene was particularly easy for wizards, cold water was never a barrier, and there was rarely the problem of transporting water.
He needed to be able to use his powers freely. He needed access to the tools and supplies he kept in his interdimensional pouch. Either would significantly improve their situation, and both would make traveling a breeze.
Reaching out, he raised his hand and Karen stepped forward, indicating he could place in on her head once more. I need to go home for a short time, he told her. Can you wait here for me?
Her response was a pure sense of inquiry, a summation of every question in one, a pure question mark, ??? After a moment, she managed to rephrase it, How will you leave?
It’s difficult to explain. You’ll understand when you see it. Wait here and I should return within a day. I can make our journey much easier when I get back.
She didn’t like the idea of being left alone, or wasting an entire day. The situation was dire enough as it was.
I’ll leave the rabbits for you. Rebuild the fire, and it won’t be so bad, he suggested.
I still don’t understand, she replied.
Stepping away from her he placed the branch holding the rabbits on the ground. “Watch,” he said aloud. Closing his eyes, he let his perception widen, slipping sideways in to the space between.
It was more than a purely mental exercise, though, and he began to strain to find enough aythar to breach the invisible barrier that separated the plane of existence he was currently on from the infinity that lay between. Sweat stood out on his brow, and his hands began to shake from the effort. If he failed, the consequences might be dire, for he was putting everything he had left into the attempt.
Matthew’s heart began to poun
d in his chest, as though straining to escape—and then he broke through.
Karen watched with some skepticism at what appeared to be a theatrical performance, until she saw the edges of his figure begin to blur. In the space of a few seconds he faded away, like a dream upon waking. The place he had been was empty.
She was struck with an instantaneous sense of loneliness, made worse by a feeling of madness. Had she imagined it all? There was no trace of him left, no evidence he had ever existed. Thinking back over the past two days she could think of nothing that might not have been a product of a vivid hallucination.
Perhaps she was insane.
Then her eyes fell on the branch, still holding the two rabbits and a pouch of uncured marmot hide. “I’m not crazy,” she told herself. “He was real.”
She sat down suddenly and hugged her knees, fighting a strange urge to cry. Taking a deep breath she steadied herself. I’m stronger than that, she thought. Getting up again, she retrieved the pouch containing the still burning coals and set about making a new camp.
Chapter 8
Matthew found himself in darkness once more, but it was a comforting darkness. His magesight once again showed him the terrain for a great distance in every direction, and he felt the warm presence of aythar everywhere. It was something he had never noticed before, until he had experienced its absence. It was like standing in the sunshine after emerging from a cold shadow.
Even so, he found himself falling. He had pushed too far, and now his legs had betrayed him. Crumpling to the ground he maintained only enough presence of mind to manage his fall and avoid striking his head when he reached the hard stone floor. With a sigh of relief, he drew a deep breath, and then he lost consciousness.
When he awoke, it was sometime later, though how much later he had no way of knowing. His cheek lay against the cold ground, and his body felt half frozen as he sat up and his nerves began to come back to life. With a thought and a word he heated the air around him, creating a warm envelope to insulate himself.