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A New Beginning: Ch 4

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Chapter Four:

Clair Weli’sol:

Melbourne, Australia, Terra - AEDT: 12:42pm, Saturday, 16th of October, 2010

“Connection Timed-out”

“Damn it Blake.” I hissed. “Pick up the phone.”

I had to admit, I may have been angry. But after a fire drill, Blake, Koraian and Jamie failed to appear. Fire and Rescue had arrived, but they’re not going into the building, just evacuating more people from buildings on the block. What was going on here? First thing that came to mind is a bomb threat, but that would have police involved. Something was wrong.

“Anything?” I called to Joey who appeared from the crowd.

“All I could get out of them was that they were securing the building.” He answered as I dialled again, putting the phone back to my ear again, and getting the ‘Establishing connection’ voice. Again.

“Call her now.” I told Joey. He was already producing his phone to call Roxanne

What was it that Einstein said about repeating something over and over again and expecting a different result?

“Floor Eleven.” Came Blake’s voice.

“Finally, what the hell?”

“Gotta call you back. In the middle of cocktail hour.”

“Bla...”

“Connection Terminated.”

“This is bad.” I said to Joey.

“I think your right.” He said, pointing out a line of verticals arrive at the scene. What worried me was what was on the side.

“Terran Ministry of Health; Centre for Disease Control and Prevention”

Damn it. What the hell has he gotten himself into this time?


Blake Indigo:

What the hell have I gotten myself into this time? I asked myself, knowing the answer has something to do with the mild feeling of unease that passed across my vision, accompanied by a weak but boiling rage. I looked over to Shane, who was on the ground, overshadowed by the crazy in the multicam. There was a brief flicker in his eyes. That told me the control of his body has changed hands.

I pulled my blaster, but Shane was much quicker and angry being controlled by his other half, putting his elbow into his gut with enough force to send him flying half a meter across the room, hitting the metal floor with a thud. But the angry black dragon wasn’t finished. Shane pinned him down, claws and teeth bared. It didn’t take me long to release that Shane wasn’t in control anymore, probability the same amount of time it took for ‘Shane’ to put down the crazy with snap the neck with the sicking crack.

Jamie was taken aback the event, Koraian was wide eyed, and the new comer took it well. Considering he was a wingless version of these dragons, nearly as imposing as Koraian, carrying a well used and modified SPAZ-12 and wearing the same uniform as Shane, he probably saw a lot of this stuff.

Me, I’d probably do the same thing.

“Looks like I’m not the only one with a dark side, hey Zael.”

He just snorted and thrust a back hand to another crazy that ran up behind him before walking off.

“I was kinda hoping the rest would stick around for happy hour.” I said casually, walking up to the drake who was knelling down because of the nine foot high roof. He aimed the shot gun at me.

I glared at him and he lowed it. For the first time, he took a proper look at his surroundings.

“Where the hell am I?” He demanded. “Who the hell are you people?”

“Well, I’m Blake. He’s Koraian, She’s Jamie. And as for where you are, do you want the short or long version? Excuse me for a moment. Need some anaesthetic.”

I walked over to the flammable liquids cabinet, opening it heavy orange door and looking though the contents.

“Ok. Now I’m confused.” The wingless dragon said.

“Join the club.” Koraian returned. “But the short version says welcome to Australia.”

He offered a hand, but the dragon didn’t take it. “I think I need the long version.”

“How much do you know about parallel universes?”

It took him alittle while to figure out what Koraian meant, but he soon got it and said “This is a parallel earth were... elves live here, and dinosaurs can talk.”

“Watch it.” I called out to the dragon. “He may look smaller, but that’s just cellular compression and gravity dampers.”

Jamie knelled down beside me, worry plastered on her face.

“Credit for your thoughts.” I said.

“What is going to happen to me?” She asked, fear running deep in her greek accent. “Am I going to lose my mind? Am I going to become one of those infected?”

“Jamie. I don’t know. The chemistry on human and elven brains could be varied enough that it resists the virus. Or maybe the nanoshots can take care of the virus. Or maybe you’re immune to the virus.” I answered. “Your going to be alright. Because, you know I’d go though hell again for all of you. You’re all I have left.”

She still looked concerned, but I could tell that my words had an effect on her.

I went back to the cabinet. What jumped out at me in the pale light of Jamie’s wisp was several bottles of Trichloromethane.

That will have to do.

“Jamie. Douse the fire.” I demanded, carrying the bottles of Chloroform out of the metal cabinet, the doors closing as I walked away from them. “Koraian. Grab the industrial plastic sheeting in the corner, and the duct tape.”

“What are those?” Zael demanded.

“Trichloromethane!” I answered as the humming from the air-condensing cut off.

“Tricloro what?”

-Chloroform- I heard Shane mentally scold.

“Good to know your better half knows a little organic chemistry.”

Jamie walked up to the portal put down the longbow. With a wave of her arms, a gust of wind blew though the room and put out the burning fires.

“I don’t get it.” The blue scaled drake said.

“Didn’t catch your name.” I called to him.

“Tomas.” He answered.

“Well Tomas, to put it simply...” I said, taking the emergency rebreather out of it’s wall mounted case and strapping it over my mouth. “...welcome to my world.”

Jamie and Koraian knew what I was going to do as the infected started to stir little more. They took Zael and Tomas though the portal as I threw the bottles of Chloroform around the room. With the air off and the doors closed, and the tunnel to the portal covered by plastic sheeting, fumes will build up and keep the infected under anaesthesia.

I took my time, picking up my back pack, and walking though the stable portal. It was less of a tunnel, and more of an open door. The plastic would help take care of that.

I stepped into the sewers, a small stream of ‘water’ only wetting the rubber of my shoes. The stench would have been unbearable, if it wasn’t for the face mask. My only thought was my converse. Why did I have to wear my favourite pair of shoes into the sewers.

“Look. The only cure for them is death.” I heard Zael say, trying to reason with either Koraian or Jamie behind the plastic sheet that was being held for measure. “His optimism is going to get people killed.”

“And so far, it’s kept him alive.” Koraian returned. “And it’s saved my life on more then one occasion.”

“Have you lost everything you cared about Shane?” Jamie asked. “Have you ever had the happiest moment of your life end with the most hellish sixteen hours you can endure, and to need to endure the horrors that await beyond? Have you ever been broken to a point where reason, logic and emotion hold no meaning to you? What ever horrors await us in your world, I can almost assure you that Blake has endured far worse.”

“Yeah right.” Zael scoffed.

-You didn’t see his eyes- Shane protested.

I emerged from one side of the plastic. “I can hear you lot you know.” I told them as I took off the rebreather. I saw Shane/Zael and Tomas keeping their eyes out for more infected, Koraian decompressed to his full size and holding up the plastic and Jamie taping it down.

“How is this going to keep the infected from over running our side?” Koraian asked.

“Jamie. I believe this is your speciality.” I answered, handing her a marker.

She took it and began drawing a pentagram, starting with the pentagon then working her way to the star inside.

“What is she doing?” Zael demanded.

“Would you believe me if I told you?” I asked.

-It’s been an unbelievable day already- Came Shane’s thoughts.

“Illusion magic. She’s using the pentagram to manipulate the particles in the air, changing their properties.” I answered.

“Like magic?” Zael scoffed.

“Is magic.” I went on. “The simplest explanation is always the correct one. I mean, there’s an elf, of cause she’s using magic.”

“Trying to focus here.” She shot back after drawing the outside circle and started concentrating to bend her magic. In a moment, the colour of the brick wall of the sewer started to bleed into the clear plastic sheet, and before long, I couldn’t tell where the wall ended and the plastic began without my arcane perception.

“This is...”

-Don’t-

“And it isn’t new.” I supported with. “I’m still trying to make her teach me that trick.”

“When you learn to control your fire spells Blake, maybe.” Jamie returned.

“And one more thing...” Zael started.

“Because the CDC are paid to contain the virus. My role today is to eradicate it.” I answered his question. “And I very well can’t do that on the otherside of that portal.” Something didn’t feel right, and it wasn’t the portal. I pulled my phone out and opened the planet diagnostics app. (Yes, there’s an app for that)

-I thought we went over this- Shane muttered. Damn arcane perception can’t mind it’s own business.

“We went over this.” Zael started.

“That’s interesting.” I muttered to myself as the only inconsistency was fluxations in the planet’s magnetic field. I locked the phone with a echoing click and slipped it in my pocket. “I know. Twenty years. But your not me.” I snapped back, as I fished around my bag for the F88, the Smith and Wesson and the rifle’s energy clips. “Now lets go. Koraian, my assault rifle.” I loaded and handed him he rifle. “Try not to shot yourself with it again.”

I dropped the Smith and Wessen in my pocket with some spare fifty calibers, and found that I left a pair of sunglasses in there. Night vision sunglasses. (Don’t ask. I was on a bad trip) I put them on, not wanting to relay on Jamie’s wisp constantly. Add some fragmentation grenades and anyone can say that I’m armed to the teeth.

“Just how do plan to cure a virus?” Tomas asked from the rear as we walked causally though the sewer. He and Jamie took the rear of the group, Koraian stayed in the middle while I and Shane/Zael took lead.

“Think of it as an enemy.” I answered, gun pointed around another corner, making sure there aren’t any little surprises. “The more we know about Gill. The better a position we’ll be in to overcome it.”

-Did he just name a virus Gill?- Shane asked.

“Anyway. Gill... and yes, I named a virus Gill. Got problem with naming it after my old physics teacher by the way?”

“Why did you name the virus after your physics teacher?” Koraian asked.

“Well. It was back in Newcastle went I went to an all human school, and Mr. Gill almost tried to rape a student in one of the sound proof music rooms, and I...” I would have answered the rest of the question, if those memories hadn’t reminded me about the darker part I hide. “He ran into his own knife.”

-Wait. He ran...- Shane started.

-I suddenly like this kid.- Zael returned.

“And just hear him scream...” I saw something in the next pipe. He was human, in multicam, with an assault rifle. He screamed as he ran towards me, aiming the gun. I shot him in the head with the magnum. Shane/Zael winched in pain from the echoing shot. I just replaced the used bullet and went on with “I kept cutting into him with a pocket knife that was so dull and rusty, it couldn’t slice though air.

“He cried and screamed and begged me to stop. But every time he did, I just stab him again, and twist the knife, stir it around, watch him struggle.”

“Blake?” I hear Jamie call out, and the click of one of Shane/Zael’s guns next to my head.

“I was like this when I got here. Damaged and broken. One of the two reasons why I’m immune to the virus. You can’t make a psychopath out of a psychopath.”

-And the other?- Shane said, almost fearful of the answer.

“But, don’t the nanobots protect you?” Koraian asked.

“Nanobots?” Tomas asked.

“As I understand it. They are really tiny machines that can move matter around, tear atoms apart, but in Blake’s case, they keep him alive by fighting off infections and repairing his wounds in place of a natural means of defence and repair.” Jamie explained.

“So when your hands had that slime on it, you were worried that it might impair them.” Zael said, he was close, but not enough for a cigar.

“No. She contracted the virus, but her cells were braking down from a quantum wave teleport.” I explained. “She became a carrier.”

“But don’t people teleport all the time in science fiction?” Tomas asked.

“People also have light sabres and sonic screwdrivers in science fiction.” Blake went on. “People can’t just teleport by tearing them apart and putting them back together, atom by atom. Machines can do that, but organic structures can’t handle it, and you’ll end up like the caption back there.”

“Caption?”

“Her name is Caption Ter’aia Bilocatina of the Ellipses.” Jamie answered as we walked forward.

“Anything else?” Zael asked.

“Sorry. I don’t trust you enough.” I told him playfully.

“And why not?” He demanded.

“You did just kill a man.”

“So did you.”

“He was standing upright and armed. Thought it was self defence in advance.”

“So when you kill, it’s fine.”

“I only kill when It’s justifiable. You didn’t have to kill him. You could have stopped and I could have stunned him.”

“Is that what happened to Mr. Gill, the Physics teacher. Could you have stopped?” Zael asked.

Memories came back of the madness that befell me. My darker side gaining a foot hold over my mind. I didn’t enjoy him screaming, nor did I find any sadness in a life lost. And when reason, emotion and conciounce came back, the memories became just a nightmare. Nothing more. Nothing less.

“At least I didn’t step over his corpse.” I shot back, half guilty, half angry. I don’t think anyone else saw him stepping over the body of a cypaur male.

He ignored it and dropped the subject.

About five minutes later, the light from Jamie’s wisp was joined by natural sunlight. We arrived at a ladder.

“You want to let Shane out? Or do I have to come in there and force you?” I hissed bitterly.

“I’m getting the feeling you don’t like me.” Zael shot back.

“I never got along with my own darker side either, so it’s nothing new.”

Zael huffed but he conceded. The calming feeling crossed my vision, as I felt the small shock wave of Shane regaining control.

“So what was it that woman was telling you?” Shane asked.

“There’s a space ship in orbit about eighty five thousand kilometers above the portal. Her daughter is up there, along with a number of suspended colonists, and I have a feeling that it’s responsible for keeping the portal open.” I explain to him.

“What makes you think that?”

“Come on. One improbable event happening I’d believe, but two... oh. I should also mention that she’s from your universe.”

-But we saw those things on your side.- Zael protested.

“Don’t know. Hard to expain. But my earth evacuated them in 1990. We used portals, but maybe the cypaurs on your side had a ship ready. It’s just a guess.”

He sighed. “Guess I had better tell them not to shoot or anything.” Shane said, starting up the ladder first. He paused when he heard Beethoven’s fifth symphony, accompanied by the words ‘incoming call; Clair Weli’sol’

“You still get a signal down here?” Tomas asked confused.

“It’s subspace.” I answered, both his question, and the phone. “What do you expect?” I asked with the phone to my ear.

“For you to tell me what the... is going on.” Clair demanded, first with an enraged yell, then a calm inside voice.

“Found the portal. Unfortunaliy, someone got though and infected the entire floor.”

“Damn it.” She hissed.

“But I’ve meet some locals.”

“Well, there you are.”

“But they’ve tried for the last twenty years and nothing.”

I heard Clair spit out some alien profanities. “Tell me you’ve got a plan.”

“They’re ready.” Shane called out.

“Give me a little while. I’ll come up with something.” I hung up.


Clair Weli’sol:

“But Bla...”

“Connection Terminated.” Came the familiar artificial voice.

“Anything?” Charlotte demanded.

“Nothing.” I answered. “Just to keep on stand by.”

“We can’t just stand around.” Zane protested.

“We may have to.” Glenn sighed. “I think the best thing for us to do is to keep an eye on what these ones are up to.” He pointed a claw towards the men in isolation suits, putting an airlock in front of the doors to the building. “They might try something.”

My phone buzzed. “Incoming call: Arnold Queen.”

I answered it without delay and put the phone on speaker. “Director?”

“I’m assuming Blake isn’t outside with you?” He asked.

“No sir. Last contact I got was that he found a stable portal...”

“And an infectious agent had gotten though. Yes. That was all I got from him when he interrupted my golf game.” He said ernest. “I’ve been informed that you’ve been given observer status with the CDC. Your going to need to see Doctor Haet with your IDs. Good luck to you.”

“Connection Terminated”

“I guess Joey, Charlotte and I will head back to Sydney.” Glenn informed us. “You two ok here?”

I boosted myself on my toes to kiss the side of his mussel. “Don’t worry about me. Just get ready for a fight. With Blake, I can’t see him avoiding it.”

And Zael takes control and we meet the other face of Shane Smith.

Chapter one: [link]

Chapter three: [link]

Chapter five: [link]
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Novae999's avatar
Excellent work, although that's to be expected from you. This is probably a dumb question, but who's Zeal?