Bloodlines

The city lay in ruins around me; broken bodies strewn amid the rubble. Fires raged where gas mains had been ruptured, while water flowed freely from broken pipes. I could see people, somehow familiar yet strange at the same time walked amid the devastation, eyes glazed with shock. Bright stars shone down their cold uncaring light upon the world.

“Is this really what you imagined it would be?” A voice asked from somewhere in the shadows, “So this is this the Brave New World? Is it really worth all of this?”

“No.” I heard my own voice reply, “I never wanted any of this.”

“Yet this is the way the world ends; swallowed in a sea of pain and anger.” A bight blue light filled the air, “There is one last thing I can do; one last gift I can give you.” The light increased until it was blinding, “Use it wisely...”

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I woke with a jolt, the remnant of the dream fading fast. What little I remembered made no sense, so I decided not to dwell on it. I quickly scanned the room, immediately recognising it as the same sort of hospital room that Ren had stayed in when John was born.

“This is getting to be a little repetitive.” Charlotte sat at my bedside, reading the electronic book I’d brought from Luna, “You waking up in a hospital bed with me beside you.”

“Yeah: a habit I’d like to break.” I slowly sat up, “What the hell happened?”

“You and Legion managed to knock each other out, thankfully without doing any major damage to the dome.”

“What the hell is that bastard doing here in the first place?”

“He’s apparently been given full amnesty for his past, indiscretions, in return for going back to the FBSS. He apparently works as Columbia’s bodyguard.”

“How can they give a psychotic who gets a sexual thrill out of draining other post-humans powers amnesty? I mean, even with Ripper you knew that it was the only way he could survive. Legion just makes up wish-lists of powers he wants and goes after anyone who has them.”

“What can I say: the guys connected, and protected from upon high by the prince of darkness himself. And I mean that it goes all the way to the top of the conspiracy itself.”

“Then it begs the question: is he Columbia’s bodyguard, or is she his watchdog?”

“Good question...” Charlotte stopped when the door leading to the rest of the medical wing opened to admit Hundredaire, who was leading Diana by her hand.

“Someone wanted to say hi before she goes to bed.” He smiled, not even looking at my ex-wife.

“Hello sweetie.” I smiled as my daughter hid behind the other mans legs leg, “You’ve grown since I last saw you. But your mummy sends me lots of videos and photos.”

“She’s not spoken since Dr Guptah went missing.” Hundredaire explained, “The doctor says it’s stress, and given everything that’s happened, I’m inclined to believe them.”

“I can understand that.” I nodded sadly, “You’d better get her off to bed: I’ll see her tomorrow.”

“Well that was a Hallmark moment.” Charlotte smirked after they’d left and the door had closed, “Tell me; are you this good with your son?”

“John’s two months old: his only interests in life and feeding and sleeping. I know I’m missing an important time in his life, just like I did with Diana, but finding Kay is important.”

“And, playing Devils Advocate, what happens if you don’t find her, or she’s dead?”

“Then I take Diana back to Armstrong City with me.”

“And Ren is ok with that?”

“She understands that Diana is my daughter, and is as important to me as John. What are you trying to do?”

“Just thinking out loud I suppose: I always felt it was a shame that we never had kids.”

“You’re the one who always said you wanted to concentrate on your career whenever I brought up having kids.”

“And old argument, that I have no interest in continuing.” Charlotte handed over the e-book, “I see you’re still reading those Tales of the Black Freighter comics by Alan Moore.”

“What can I say: I’m a fan...” I took the book and looked at the screen, “This isn’t a comic book. In fact, this looks very much like a FBSS file.”

“It is: I managed to get Columbia to admit why she is here. It seems that two deep-cover NSA agents have gone rogue and somehow got off planet with some vital information that their previous employer would very much like back. As Luna has an extradition treaty with the UN, they obviously knew they wouldn’t be safe there. The theory is that they managed to stow away on a supply ship headed out here.”

“Mars’ unusual political position would thus render them persona non grata, outside the FBSS’ jurisdiction.”

“Just like me.”

“And Columbia is here looking for them.” I opened the file, “Let’s see what we got here then: Cornelius and Amelia Blake. Bother and sister, rather than husband and wife. Both post-humans, but with different powers. Let’s see what it says for Amelia first: Intramuscular polycarbon epidermis?”

“Bullet proof skin.”

“Enhanced neurological processing speed; I take it that means she thinks faster and has faster reflexes. Self-scrubbing respiratory system and nictitating ‘third eyelid’ membrane that makes her immune to all known poisons and chemicals. What the hell is ‘active pheromone control’?”

“She can adjust her scent glands to secret pheromones: basically she can make anyone within a given area sexually attracted to her. Or violently physically ill; depending on the situation.”

“Neat trick: I can see why the NSA wanted her.”

“Cornelius has similar abilities, but without the pheromone control.”

“Cool.” I looked round for my cloths, “I think I’ll make a point of helping them evade Columbia if I get the chance. But right now I need to get back to looking for Kay.”

“That may prove difficult: there’s a major solar flair inbound. Dr Witwer is placing the entire base on lockdown until it passes.”

“If Kay’s caught out in that...”

“I knew you’d think that, so I already asked: all the emergency shelters have shielding to protect them from solar radiation. As long as she made it to one and is smart enough to stay put, she’ll be fine.”

“Well then I’ll just have to content myself with having a look around the base then.”

“That won’t be possible: only the central sections are shielded. Going outside the areas that were formally part of the Ares would be very dangerous, probably suicidal.”

“Charlotte, as touching as your apparent concern for my wellbeing is, you did drop a tactical nuclear device on my head with no apparent side affects apart from the activation of a few latent abilities. If I can survive a blast that, and lets not forget this, killed my best friend and end up with nothing more than a hangover, I think I can take a little solar radiation.” I pulled my jacket on, “So here’s the plan: if you want to get back in my good-graces in any way what so ever, you stick to Columbia and Legion like glue, and let me know exactly what they’re up to while this flair is keeping everyone cooped up in a confined space.”

“You think they’re connected to Kay’s disappearance?”

“Well gee, let’s think: two people who we know are connected to the Conspiracy arrived just 48-hours before she goes missing. Now given that we both know that Legion has a shopping list of abilities he’d just love to acquire and that telepathy/telekinesis is probably near if not at the very top of that list, I’d say that it’s a good chance that they decided to kill two birds with one butt-ugly stone. So what do you say there Nancy Drew: are you in?”

“Have you been watching Scrubs again?”

“A little.”

“Then please stop.” Charlotte rolled her eyes, “Ok, I’ll keep an eye on the Ice Queen and her Troll, but promise me that you’ll not try and eat or drink anything you find in an unprotected area? I doubt that that little force field of yours extends to your stomach.”

“What ever.” I headed for the door, “Just keep an eye on Columbia and Legion, and don’t tell anyone what I’m doing: this job’s going to be hard enough as it is.”

To Be Continued...