![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
"The Atrophied Heart"
"The Atrophied Heart"
4/14/2022
I.
In a flare of gorgeous pale blue light, the black stealthcopter CORBY appeared from nowhere and dropped several inches to rest on the thin sharp-bladed yellow grass. Technology would not function in Okali. None of the electronics in the copter would be of any use in this realm. Guns, radios, even flashlights were useless here.
The hatches hissed open as pressurized cabin air was released. Five members of the Kenneth Dred Foundation hopped out, alert and watching in all directions. From the rear compartment came Timothy Limbo and Jocelyn Garimara. Ashley Whitaker, the Unicorn, hopped lightly after them. The team captain, Lauren Sable Reilly, swung down from the right hand pilot seat. And stepping around to join his comrades was the KDF's newest member, the Trom Monitor known as Frank Mills.
A tall man with short black hair and dark eyes in an olive-skinned face, Frank regarded his teammates with a cool reserve that barely escaped being a distant stare. He had learned to simulate just enough concern, enthusiasm or distaste to seem natural. "There are a number of highly significant developments to evaluate today," he said. For Frank Mills, this was the equivalent of jumping up and down and screaming it was the end of the world.
Sable folded her arms across her chest. Captain of the KDF team, she was a handsome woman in her forties with straight black hair brushed straight back from a high forehead. Like the others, she was wearing a KDF field suit with its high boots, snug pants and waist length jacket bristling with miniature tools and weapons. "So you can finally speak openly, Frank? We all followed you into the CORBY because of your glances and short gestures. You must expect us to have a certain curiosity."
"Understood. The KDF headquarters buildings has hundreds of recording devices hidden in its structure. Even deliberate examination will not reveal them as anything other than parts of air conditioning or wi-fi. I think you must have suspected this."
"And to think of all the showers I've taken there!" grumbled Ashley. "I should have charged a viewing fee."
"It's not as bad as a total lack of privacy," Sable replied with a scowl. "When our organization was founded back in '79, Trom techs did all the rebuilding and upgrades. Trom tech is beyond Human ability to detect or counter. Only Megan could even understand any of it. But it can't deal with gralic force. All the Eldanar sigils we wear and all the ensalir talismans ruin any signals sent without our cooperation. That's why we Tel Shai knights show up as foggy blurs on cameras. The Trom could monitor incoming phone calls and record what visitors say but we ourselves are just blank blotches. So, Frank. That's what this is all about?"
"Yes." The Monitor faced his three friends facing him in a semi-circle. Off in the distance of dry prairie, a manticore howled and silver-white birds took off from the nearby trees in panic. Okali was a perilous realm. "I must first clarify some misconceptions that you have been encouraged to believe. By your Human standards, I am a literal genius in many demanding fields. To my own Race, I am ranked in the lower third of intellects. My genetic manipulation developed physical capabilities instead. I am considered what you might call a jock.
"And I explain this so you might understand that Ruling Councils of the Trom are mentally advanced beyond my ability to clearly describe. They are minds that work simultaneously on several levels and can process and retain vast amounts of data accurately over long life-times. They are also what you would consider cold-blooded and calculating. Emotion has been systematically eliminated from our minds thousands of years ago. Trom are not malicious or vindictive, but neither do they act on mercy or pity."
Leaning back against the hull of the CORBY, Ashley Whitaker shuddered visibly. "Oh, I don't like this. It sounds like you're warning us about a new enemy. Or an enemy we've overlooked for a long time," the little blonde Unicorn grumbled, not trying to hide the sour gaze she gave Frank.
"There is an unprecedented potential for crisis," the Monitor continued. "For the first time since the Darthan Age, a schism has developed among my Race. The Trom have split into two opposing factions. We have internal conflict regarding our policies."
Despite how serious Frank sounded, Unicorn snickered. "You've discovered politics. God help you now." Seeing the looks she was getting, she stood up straighter. "Sorry, sorry, I'll behave."
"The larger dominant faction wants to continue our long-held policy of allowing Human civilization to proceed with minimal interference. But a new group has emerged with a radically different agenda. They propose prodding Humans into increasing their self-destructive activities. They want to accelerate global climate change, waste and misuse of resources, increased military action and violent crime. The new faction intends to take overt control after international community collapses."
"Bloody hell!" spat Jocelyn, making a small tight fist as if ready to punch Frank. "We don't need no help destroying ourselves, we're doing a right fair job already."
Sable placed a supportive hand on the Red Spectre woman's narrow shoulder and squeezed. "This is bad news, all right. And where do YOU stand on your Race's civil war, Frank?"
"I support our current policy," the Monitor replied. "I personally would try giving Humans more hints and suggestions not only on more advanced scientific knowledge but in social dynamics. This is very likely a result of my interactions with all of you."
The flippant touch had quite vanished from Ashley's voice, "Glad we rubbed off on you in a good way. I mean it."
Frank Mills paused in an uncharacteristic way that unsettled his teammates. He answered all questions as promptly as if he had been given days to think of a reply and he always spoke with the same assurance. To see him hesitate was disturbing.
Into the awkward silence, Sable said, "You're putting yourself at risk telling us all this...."
"Yes," he responded. "It is an act of trust in your character and in my confidence none of you will casually allude to this in the real world where the Trom will be listening. I have a proactive suggestion. I will not openly act for obvious matters but in two days, I want our team to assassinate the six leaders of the new Trom faction."
II.
That night, Ashley Whitaker stood on the roof of the KDF headquarters building and gazed down ten stories at the traffic of East 38th Street. The illumination of the streetlamps and car headlights made her platinum hair gleam. The Unicorn stood with hands resting on the waist-high steel safety railing and did not move for long moments.
The trap door nearby slammed open and her captain stepped up onto the roof. Sable called over, "Aren't you cold without a jacket?"
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Is the team away? Galvan, Jin, Timothy?"
"Just left. Danarak is a mess. The new chieftain of the Jufaris has been recruiting and drilling Night Gorillas. Apparently he wants to make an actual army of those stranglers. Good luck. They'll be useless as troops."
Unicorn turned as her captain came over to stand beside her. "I'm not worried. Our guys will scatter the Night Gorillas all over the terrain and this new warlord will settle down. And they're no threat to us in the real world, so honestly I can't get worked up about it."
"I wish I could be as casual. Part of my responsibility is to worry about threats before they get too big to handle. Anyway. How are you doing emotionally?"
The little blonde leaned up lightly against her friend. "Oh. You know. It gets easier after a little time. She died so suddenly. So unexpectedly. Sable, Megs was the best BFF I've EVER had. No girlfriend in childhood or school or anywhere got along with me as well as she did. I guess it'll always hurt."
"We're all expendable, Ashley. You and I, as much as anyone. Half of the KDF membership has died in action since our founding. Midnight War is no joke."
"Mmm. And something else. I just cannot warm up to Frank Mills. No, don't give me any lectures, Sable. I know we need a Trom on the team if only to keep the tech in good repair. And yes, he's smart and strong and fearless. I don't care! In my heart, it feels like he sat down in Megan's chair while it was still warm."
The team captain smiled without condescension. "That's one of the things I like about you, Ash. You can feel irrational emotions that are real and valid , but you're aware of their place. It doesn't hold you back. You're not going to buy Frank a Valentine's Day gift but you can work with him perfectly well."
The Unicorn let a sharp laugh escape. "Hell. You know me better than my Mom does. Sure, our lives depend on trusting each other. Let's get out of here for a while. We'll go for a ride."
"What, in the CORBY?"
"Nah, let's take my pretty Maserati. Frank is on watch duty. Maybe the others will want to cruise a little. It's been quiet for weeks, all we do is study and train and then study and train some more."
After considering for a few seconds, Sable straightened up and started walking toward the trap door. "Not a bad idea, Ashley. I do feel like we never just relax. You drive of course, it's your car, but remember that traffic laws are not merely friendly suggestions."
In the rec room on the second floor, Sable merely said to Carlo Ventura and Jocelyn Garimara, "Join us, we're taking a break." Carlo snatched up the gym bag that carried his talismans, the Eyeless Helmet and ensalir cloak, and Jocelyn grabbed a light windbreaker to tug on. They strode eagerly through the walk-in closet and down its hidden steps along the long corridor to the KDF's small garage.
None of them were on ready duty and did not have the KDF field suits on. They wore jeans and sneakers, T-shirts or light blouses. Instead of the advanced Links, they carried the mundane smartphones to use as distractions. This was not unusual when they were at ease, but still, it meant they were not carrying any Trom devices on them.
In the garage was the canary-yellow Maserati that Ashley's mother, the first Unicorn, had purchased for her in Europe. Doing standard safety checks on it, Sable had also used her enhanced sensory perception to scrutinize every tiny area until she was sure it had not been modified. This was still a risk, though. They could not be sure how widespread Trom surveillance went, nor how subtle their spying could be.
As she roared along the Major Deegan, Ashley finally yelled, "I can't stand this any more! We have GOT to start talking openly, captain. This is getting on my nerves big time."
Next to her in the front passenger seat, Lauren Sable Reilly laughed with relief. "You're right. It's still taking a horrible chance, though. None of us have anything on us that the Trom could have bugged."
"Not a prayer," Jocelyn said from the back. "I bought these clothes two hours ago at a random thrift store in Washington Square and they haven't been out of my sight."
Carlo Ventura was cradling the gym bag in his lap. "You all know my Truth divining powers. With Sagehelm, I have been probing for any tiny detail that is out of place. Even a device tiny as a rice kernel could not escape me. Nor have any long-distance electronic beams been fixed on us. I would perceive the connection. At the moment, as far as I can tell, we are free of observation."
Craning her head back toward him, Sable said, "Your abilities are transcendental, Carlo. Gralic sorcery cannot
be understood by reason or science. The Trom know mundane facts about you. They know the legend of Sagehelm. But they cannot understand who you are. And I'm hoping that's the one best chance we have to derail this whole impending crisis."
III.
"Four minutes to twelve," Ashley announced, pulling her field suit sleeve up over her watch. "Talk about the Midnight War being literal."
Four members of the KDF huddled under a cluster of trees deep in the long-closed Wiltwyk Senior Golf Grounds. The grass had not been kept up for more than a year. The millions spent on fertilizer and treatments, watering and tending, had gone elsewhere. Nature was trying its hardest to reclaim the land.
Carlo had come wearing his usual plain white pants and long-sleeved tunic. From the gym bag, he unfolded an ankle length cloak of heavy golden silk and clasped it around his collar. The material was shot through with threads of Ensalir, silver blessed by the immortal Eldanarin. Then, carefully, he lifted a full helmet crafted entirely of Ensalir. The front plate had no openings, only outlines etched where eyeholes should have been. As the mystic lowered Sagehelm down over his head, his teammates realized they had been holding their breaths.
They should have been used to seeing him don the Eyeless Helmet by now, but evidently the awesome sensation did not fade with familiarity.
After a second, the mood broke. Along with Carlo in the helmet, Ashley and Jocelyn turned to face their captain. Sable stood with hands thrust deep in her jacket pockets, gazing up at a vague cloudy night sky. "Not much time left."
"I can feel they are coming near," Carlo agreed. "Three, maybe four minutes."
"This has got to be the hardest decision yet. I don't see any easy answer. Obviously, we're not going to assassinate the Trom leaders. Frank doesn't understand us yet. And just as obviously, I don't intend to stand by while the Trom prod and poke Mankind into making world civilization collapse."
Jocelyn interrupted bluntly. "That's a bloody big order to fill, captain. Four of us at the moment against the smartest and most devious brains in existence. No one knows how many Trom they are, how many positions of political and economic authority they hold. They could really be a secret invisible nation of their own spread out among all the Human countries."
"I know, I know," Sable replied distantly. "I wish we could confer with Jeremy, but he can't be found. And handing this over to the Teachers wouldn't get results. It's like waiting for trees to make a decision. They'll take months just to get a meeting organized."
"Except for our own Cindy, they're all a hundred years old," snorted Jocelyn. The Aboriginal woman scoffed. "Nothing seems that urgent to them."
Sable repeated, "I know..." but was interrupted.
Slapping one fist into an open palm, the Unicorn spoke up. "Enough of this doubt. Sable dear, sometimes you still think of yourself as Jeremy's deputy. You're not. You've been leader of the KDF and the team of Tel Shai knights for more than twenty years and you've done the best job of anyone! Whenever I doubt your decisions, it turns out I was wrong." Seeing everyone staring, the blonde planted fists on hips and went on, "We're supporting your decision, we believe in you. Let's do this!"
"I agree completely," Carlo said in that hollow voice from behind the helmet.
"Damn right," added Jocelyn. "And if the rest of our team was here, they'd say the same."
Sable jabbed a finger up to the Eastern sky. "And no time for second thoughts. There they are. Jocelyn, step up."
Coming in low, its exterior lights bright in the murk, was a blue and white Bell 429 Executive helicopter. Its rotors sounded deafening to the KDF members after having becoming used to the stealth mode of their own CORBYs. Dropping to one knee, supporting her weight on stiffened arms, Jocelyn Garimara unleashed the potent gralic force that always coiled restlessly within her slim body.
Flashing up from within her, crackling and hissing, rose a dark red silhouette her own size and shape. Featureless and surrounded by a brighter nimbus, the Red Spectre hovered for a bare instant and then shot upward as quickly and directly as a natural lightning bolt. In a instant, the gralic manifestation whirled tightly around the approaching helicopter. The craft's lights flickered. At once, it wobbled dangerously. The Gamnel looped tightly in circles around the copter, disrupting its electronics and making its engines falter and sputter.
Sable and Unicorn supported Jocelyn as they marched toward where the helicopter was going to touch down. While the Red Spectre was out of her body, she was weakened both physically and mentally but still conscious. Carlo followed, the heavy cloak wrapped around his gaunt body and making him look like a thin cylinder of golden fabric.
The craft landed with a solid thump on the open green, with no smoke or signs of damage. Wheeling in a loop, the Gamnel flashed back to slide back into its host. Jocelyn shuddered and stood fully upright again. "Thanks, you two," she muttered. "That always leaves me feeling like I've run a marathon."
Seeing the golden helmeted form striding past them toward where the copter rotors were slowing to a halt, Sable held onto her friends. "Joss, Ash, let's stay back. This is where Carlo does the talking."
The hatches had unlocked and slid open immediately after the helicopter had settled. The pilot remained at the stick, but six men in subdued business suits emerged quickly. They were unremarkable looking and not particularly handsome, some with bald spots or protruding noses or large ears. But it was worth noting that these middle aged executives all seemed to be in trim shape, with no obesity. And as they talked, it could be seen their teeth were perfect.
"Terrorists!" yelled one. "Who do you represent? By God, if you think you're getting ransom money for ME, you're in for a sad..."
"Listen and learn," interrupted the sepulchral voice from within the helmet. "For thirty thousand years, you have been denying your natures. Through breeding and medicine and indoctrination, you have convinced yourselves that you are free of emotion. It is not so."
"Our pilot radioed for help," said one of the Trom. "Police and ambulances are on the way. I strongly suggest you and your gang run for it!"
Carlo ignored that. "It is my role to channel the divine light which shines from the Halarin onto Elvedal itself. This light undoes damage and decay, washes away deception and error, restores and strengthens. It is a gift you badly need."
Back by her teammates, Ashley whispered, "Close your eyes, guys, I've seen this before."
The Eyeless Helmet turned clear as glass and from it burst light of the palest, purest gold imaginable. Brighter than physical eyes could sense, the light of the Halarin filled the air entirely and left no shadows nor shapes. It faded silently. Colors and textures returned to the world. And everyone there sagged to their knees in exhaustion.
The cool night air felt fresher and tingled as if with ozone. Rising smoothly to his feet, Carlo Ventura lifted the Eyeless Helmet from his head and tucked it under one arm. He watched as his teammates also got up, straightening their clothes.
"Hoo-eeee," whistled Ashley as she brushed back her hair. "That's quite an experience and it wasn't even aimed at us."
The six Trom remained sprawled where they had fallen, some managing to sit up and one getting to his hands and knees. They exploded into all-out laughter which quickly became grievous weeping that made their bodies shake. Several times, one or another of them roared in red-faced anger and shook threatening fists before the sobbing and cackling began again.
"They've lost their poor little minds completely," said Jocelyn in a hushed tone. "Truth! They're acting like they've gotten good and drunk after being sober all their lives."
Sable gestured for her team to stand by. "Pressure is being released that they weren't even aware of. Good work, Carlo."
"It is what I am called to do," the mystic answered. "The light of the Halarin restores all to its rightful state."
Eventually, long minutes later as their bodies tired, the Trom quieted down. They began to collect themselves. Sable asked Unicorn to check on the pilot and was told the man was sleeping blissfully.
The normally alert, composed faces of the Trom were wet and flushed. One of them managed to gasp, "What did you DO to us?"
"We freed you from the chains your Race burdened yourself under millennia ago," Carlo said. "It is a gift precious beyond understanding."
Sable spoke up, putting that edge of authority back in her voice. "Don't bother denying the obvious or trying to manipulate us. You're in no condition for it now. We have learned about the policy change your faction planned. We are telepaths and mystics and Kumundu Masters. We believe that now you and others like you will be too preoccupied to worry about ruining Humans for a while. You will have your hands full."
The oldest Trom there had been hiding his face in his hands and only now looked up. "The meaning of emotions, the depth and the richness... It's so potent. How could we have known?"
Sable motioned for her team to start withdrawing back to where the CORBY was concealed a mile away. "This will give your Race a lot to think about. Maybe they will reconsider repressing what they were meant to possess. I hope so."
As they headed into the darkness, Unicorn paused to call back, "Good luck! Maybe now you will finally understand people."
3/20/2024
4/14/2022
I.
In a flare of gorgeous pale blue light, the black stealthcopter CORBY appeared from nowhere and dropped several inches to rest on the thin sharp-bladed yellow grass. Technology would not function in Okali. None of the electronics in the copter would be of any use in this realm. Guns, radios, even flashlights were useless here.
The hatches hissed open as pressurized cabin air was released. Five members of the Kenneth Dred Foundation hopped out, alert and watching in all directions. From the rear compartment came Timothy Limbo and Jocelyn Garimara. Ashley Whitaker, the Unicorn, hopped lightly after them. The team captain, Lauren Sable Reilly, swung down from the right hand pilot seat. And stepping around to join his comrades was the KDF's newest member, the Trom Monitor known as Frank Mills.
A tall man with short black hair and dark eyes in an olive-skinned face, Frank regarded his teammates with a cool reserve that barely escaped being a distant stare. He had learned to simulate just enough concern, enthusiasm or distaste to seem natural. "There are a number of highly significant developments to evaluate today," he said. For Frank Mills, this was the equivalent of jumping up and down and screaming it was the end of the world.
Sable folded her arms across her chest. Captain of the KDF team, she was a handsome woman in her forties with straight black hair brushed straight back from a high forehead. Like the others, she was wearing a KDF field suit with its high boots, snug pants and waist length jacket bristling with miniature tools and weapons. "So you can finally speak openly, Frank? We all followed you into the CORBY because of your glances and short gestures. You must expect us to have a certain curiosity."
"Understood. The KDF headquarters buildings has hundreds of recording devices hidden in its structure. Even deliberate examination will not reveal them as anything other than parts of air conditioning or wi-fi. I think you must have suspected this."
"And to think of all the showers I've taken there!" grumbled Ashley. "I should have charged a viewing fee."
"It's not as bad as a total lack of privacy," Sable replied with a scowl. "When our organization was founded back in '79, Trom techs did all the rebuilding and upgrades. Trom tech is beyond Human ability to detect or counter. Only Megan could even understand any of it. But it can't deal with gralic force. All the Eldanar sigils we wear and all the ensalir talismans ruin any signals sent without our cooperation. That's why we Tel Shai knights show up as foggy blurs on cameras. The Trom could monitor incoming phone calls and record what visitors say but we ourselves are just blank blotches. So, Frank. That's what this is all about?"
"Yes." The Monitor faced his three friends facing him in a semi-circle. Off in the distance of dry prairie, a manticore howled and silver-white birds took off from the nearby trees in panic. Okali was a perilous realm. "I must first clarify some misconceptions that you have been encouraged to believe. By your Human standards, I am a literal genius in many demanding fields. To my own Race, I am ranked in the lower third of intellects. My genetic manipulation developed physical capabilities instead. I am considered what you might call a jock.
"And I explain this so you might understand that Ruling Councils of the Trom are mentally advanced beyond my ability to clearly describe. They are minds that work simultaneously on several levels and can process and retain vast amounts of data accurately over long life-times. They are also what you would consider cold-blooded and calculating. Emotion has been systematically eliminated from our minds thousands of years ago. Trom are not malicious or vindictive, but neither do they act on mercy or pity."
Leaning back against the hull of the CORBY, Ashley Whitaker shuddered visibly. "Oh, I don't like this. It sounds like you're warning us about a new enemy. Or an enemy we've overlooked for a long time," the little blonde Unicorn grumbled, not trying to hide the sour gaze she gave Frank.
"There is an unprecedented potential for crisis," the Monitor continued. "For the first time since the Darthan Age, a schism has developed among my Race. The Trom have split into two opposing factions. We have internal conflict regarding our policies."
Despite how serious Frank sounded, Unicorn snickered. "You've discovered politics. God help you now." Seeing the looks she was getting, she stood up straighter. "Sorry, sorry, I'll behave."
"The larger dominant faction wants to continue our long-held policy of allowing Human civilization to proceed with minimal interference. But a new group has emerged with a radically different agenda. They propose prodding Humans into increasing their self-destructive activities. They want to accelerate global climate change, waste and misuse of resources, increased military action and violent crime. The new faction intends to take overt control after international community collapses."
"Bloody hell!" spat Jocelyn, making a small tight fist as if ready to punch Frank. "We don't need no help destroying ourselves, we're doing a right fair job already."
Sable placed a supportive hand on the Red Spectre woman's narrow shoulder and squeezed. "This is bad news, all right. And where do YOU stand on your Race's civil war, Frank?"
"I support our current policy," the Monitor replied. "I personally would try giving Humans more hints and suggestions not only on more advanced scientific knowledge but in social dynamics. This is very likely a result of my interactions with all of you."
The flippant touch had quite vanished from Ashley's voice, "Glad we rubbed off on you in a good way. I mean it."
Frank Mills paused in an uncharacteristic way that unsettled his teammates. He answered all questions as promptly as if he had been given days to think of a reply and he always spoke with the same assurance. To see him hesitate was disturbing.
Into the awkward silence, Sable said, "You're putting yourself at risk telling us all this...."
"Yes," he responded. "It is an act of trust in your character and in my confidence none of you will casually allude to this in the real world where the Trom will be listening. I have a proactive suggestion. I will not openly act for obvious matters but in two days, I want our team to assassinate the six leaders of the new Trom faction."
II.
That night, Ashley Whitaker stood on the roof of the KDF headquarters building and gazed down ten stories at the traffic of East 38th Street. The illumination of the streetlamps and car headlights made her platinum hair gleam. The Unicorn stood with hands resting on the waist-high steel safety railing and did not move for long moments.
The trap door nearby slammed open and her captain stepped up onto the roof. Sable called over, "Aren't you cold without a jacket?"
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Is the team away? Galvan, Jin, Timothy?"
"Just left. Danarak is a mess. The new chieftain of the Jufaris has been recruiting and drilling Night Gorillas. Apparently he wants to make an actual army of those stranglers. Good luck. They'll be useless as troops."
Unicorn turned as her captain came over to stand beside her. "I'm not worried. Our guys will scatter the Night Gorillas all over the terrain and this new warlord will settle down. And they're no threat to us in the real world, so honestly I can't get worked up about it."
"I wish I could be as casual. Part of my responsibility is to worry about threats before they get too big to handle. Anyway. How are you doing emotionally?"
The little blonde leaned up lightly against her friend. "Oh. You know. It gets easier after a little time. She died so suddenly. So unexpectedly. Sable, Megs was the best BFF I've EVER had. No girlfriend in childhood or school or anywhere got along with me as well as she did. I guess it'll always hurt."
"We're all expendable, Ashley. You and I, as much as anyone. Half of the KDF membership has died in action since our founding. Midnight War is no joke."
"Mmm. And something else. I just cannot warm up to Frank Mills. No, don't give me any lectures, Sable. I know we need a Trom on the team if only to keep the tech in good repair. And yes, he's smart and strong and fearless. I don't care! In my heart, it feels like he sat down in Megan's chair while it was still warm."
The team captain smiled without condescension. "That's one of the things I like about you, Ash. You can feel irrational emotions that are real and valid , but you're aware of their place. It doesn't hold you back. You're not going to buy Frank a Valentine's Day gift but you can work with him perfectly well."
The Unicorn let a sharp laugh escape. "Hell. You know me better than my Mom does. Sure, our lives depend on trusting each other. Let's get out of here for a while. We'll go for a ride."
"What, in the CORBY?"
"Nah, let's take my pretty Maserati. Frank is on watch duty. Maybe the others will want to cruise a little. It's been quiet for weeks, all we do is study and train and then study and train some more."
After considering for a few seconds, Sable straightened up and started walking toward the trap door. "Not a bad idea, Ashley. I do feel like we never just relax. You drive of course, it's your car, but remember that traffic laws are not merely friendly suggestions."
In the rec room on the second floor, Sable merely said to Carlo Ventura and Jocelyn Garimara, "Join us, we're taking a break." Carlo snatched up the gym bag that carried his talismans, the Eyeless Helmet and ensalir cloak, and Jocelyn grabbed a light windbreaker to tug on. They strode eagerly through the walk-in closet and down its hidden steps along the long corridor to the KDF's small garage.
None of them were on ready duty and did not have the KDF field suits on. They wore jeans and sneakers, T-shirts or light blouses. Instead of the advanced Links, they carried the mundane smartphones to use as distractions. This was not unusual when they were at ease, but still, it meant they were not carrying any Trom devices on them.
In the garage was the canary-yellow Maserati that Ashley's mother, the first Unicorn, had purchased for her in Europe. Doing standard safety checks on it, Sable had also used her enhanced sensory perception to scrutinize every tiny area until she was sure it had not been modified. This was still a risk, though. They could not be sure how widespread Trom surveillance went, nor how subtle their spying could be.
As she roared along the Major Deegan, Ashley finally yelled, "I can't stand this any more! We have GOT to start talking openly, captain. This is getting on my nerves big time."
Next to her in the front passenger seat, Lauren Sable Reilly laughed with relief. "You're right. It's still taking a horrible chance, though. None of us have anything on us that the Trom could have bugged."
"Not a prayer," Jocelyn said from the back. "I bought these clothes two hours ago at a random thrift store in Washington Square and they haven't been out of my sight."
Carlo Ventura was cradling the gym bag in his lap. "You all know my Truth divining powers. With Sagehelm, I have been probing for any tiny detail that is out of place. Even a device tiny as a rice kernel could not escape me. Nor have any long-distance electronic beams been fixed on us. I would perceive the connection. At the moment, as far as I can tell, we are free of observation."
Craning her head back toward him, Sable said, "Your abilities are transcendental, Carlo. Gralic sorcery cannot
be understood by reason or science. The Trom know mundane facts about you. They know the legend of Sagehelm. But they cannot understand who you are. And I'm hoping that's the one best chance we have to derail this whole impending crisis."
III.
"Four minutes to twelve," Ashley announced, pulling her field suit sleeve up over her watch. "Talk about the Midnight War being literal."
Four members of the KDF huddled under a cluster of trees deep in the long-closed Wiltwyk Senior Golf Grounds. The grass had not been kept up for more than a year. The millions spent on fertilizer and treatments, watering and tending, had gone elsewhere. Nature was trying its hardest to reclaim the land.
Carlo had come wearing his usual plain white pants and long-sleeved tunic. From the gym bag, he unfolded an ankle length cloak of heavy golden silk and clasped it around his collar. The material was shot through with threads of Ensalir, silver blessed by the immortal Eldanarin. Then, carefully, he lifted a full helmet crafted entirely of Ensalir. The front plate had no openings, only outlines etched where eyeholes should have been. As the mystic lowered Sagehelm down over his head, his teammates realized they had been holding their breaths.
They should have been used to seeing him don the Eyeless Helmet by now, but evidently the awesome sensation did not fade with familiarity.
After a second, the mood broke. Along with Carlo in the helmet, Ashley and Jocelyn turned to face their captain. Sable stood with hands thrust deep in her jacket pockets, gazing up at a vague cloudy night sky. "Not much time left."
"I can feel they are coming near," Carlo agreed. "Three, maybe four minutes."
"This has got to be the hardest decision yet. I don't see any easy answer. Obviously, we're not going to assassinate the Trom leaders. Frank doesn't understand us yet. And just as obviously, I don't intend to stand by while the Trom prod and poke Mankind into making world civilization collapse."
Jocelyn interrupted bluntly. "That's a bloody big order to fill, captain. Four of us at the moment against the smartest and most devious brains in existence. No one knows how many Trom they are, how many positions of political and economic authority they hold. They could really be a secret invisible nation of their own spread out among all the Human countries."
"I know, I know," Sable replied distantly. "I wish we could confer with Jeremy, but he can't be found. And handing this over to the Teachers wouldn't get results. It's like waiting for trees to make a decision. They'll take months just to get a meeting organized."
"Except for our own Cindy, they're all a hundred years old," snorted Jocelyn. The Aboriginal woman scoffed. "Nothing seems that urgent to them."
Sable repeated, "I know..." but was interrupted.
Slapping one fist into an open palm, the Unicorn spoke up. "Enough of this doubt. Sable dear, sometimes you still think of yourself as Jeremy's deputy. You're not. You've been leader of the KDF and the team of Tel Shai knights for more than twenty years and you've done the best job of anyone! Whenever I doubt your decisions, it turns out I was wrong." Seeing everyone staring, the blonde planted fists on hips and went on, "We're supporting your decision, we believe in you. Let's do this!"
"I agree completely," Carlo said in that hollow voice from behind the helmet.
"Damn right," added Jocelyn. "And if the rest of our team was here, they'd say the same."
Sable jabbed a finger up to the Eastern sky. "And no time for second thoughts. There they are. Jocelyn, step up."
Coming in low, its exterior lights bright in the murk, was a blue and white Bell 429 Executive helicopter. Its rotors sounded deafening to the KDF members after having becoming used to the stealth mode of their own CORBYs. Dropping to one knee, supporting her weight on stiffened arms, Jocelyn Garimara unleashed the potent gralic force that always coiled restlessly within her slim body.
Flashing up from within her, crackling and hissing, rose a dark red silhouette her own size and shape. Featureless and surrounded by a brighter nimbus, the Red Spectre hovered for a bare instant and then shot upward as quickly and directly as a natural lightning bolt. In a instant, the gralic manifestation whirled tightly around the approaching helicopter. The craft's lights flickered. At once, it wobbled dangerously. The Gamnel looped tightly in circles around the copter, disrupting its electronics and making its engines falter and sputter.
Sable and Unicorn supported Jocelyn as they marched toward where the helicopter was going to touch down. While the Red Spectre was out of her body, she was weakened both physically and mentally but still conscious. Carlo followed, the heavy cloak wrapped around his gaunt body and making him look like a thin cylinder of golden fabric.
The craft landed with a solid thump on the open green, with no smoke or signs of damage. Wheeling in a loop, the Gamnel flashed back to slide back into its host. Jocelyn shuddered and stood fully upright again. "Thanks, you two," she muttered. "That always leaves me feeling like I've run a marathon."
Seeing the golden helmeted form striding past them toward where the copter rotors were slowing to a halt, Sable held onto her friends. "Joss, Ash, let's stay back. This is where Carlo does the talking."
The hatches had unlocked and slid open immediately after the helicopter had settled. The pilot remained at the stick, but six men in subdued business suits emerged quickly. They were unremarkable looking and not particularly handsome, some with bald spots or protruding noses or large ears. But it was worth noting that these middle aged executives all seemed to be in trim shape, with no obesity. And as they talked, it could be seen their teeth were perfect.
"Terrorists!" yelled one. "Who do you represent? By God, if you think you're getting ransom money for ME, you're in for a sad..."
"Listen and learn," interrupted the sepulchral voice from within the helmet. "For thirty thousand years, you have been denying your natures. Through breeding and medicine and indoctrination, you have convinced yourselves that you are free of emotion. It is not so."
"Our pilot radioed for help," said one of the Trom. "Police and ambulances are on the way. I strongly suggest you and your gang run for it!"
Carlo ignored that. "It is my role to channel the divine light which shines from the Halarin onto Elvedal itself. This light undoes damage and decay, washes away deception and error, restores and strengthens. It is a gift you badly need."
Back by her teammates, Ashley whispered, "Close your eyes, guys, I've seen this before."
The Eyeless Helmet turned clear as glass and from it burst light of the palest, purest gold imaginable. Brighter than physical eyes could sense, the light of the Halarin filled the air entirely and left no shadows nor shapes. It faded silently. Colors and textures returned to the world. And everyone there sagged to their knees in exhaustion.
The cool night air felt fresher and tingled as if with ozone. Rising smoothly to his feet, Carlo Ventura lifted the Eyeless Helmet from his head and tucked it under one arm. He watched as his teammates also got up, straightening their clothes.
"Hoo-eeee," whistled Ashley as she brushed back her hair. "That's quite an experience and it wasn't even aimed at us."
The six Trom remained sprawled where they had fallen, some managing to sit up and one getting to his hands and knees. They exploded into all-out laughter which quickly became grievous weeping that made their bodies shake. Several times, one or another of them roared in red-faced anger and shook threatening fists before the sobbing and cackling began again.
"They've lost their poor little minds completely," said Jocelyn in a hushed tone. "Truth! They're acting like they've gotten good and drunk after being sober all their lives."
Sable gestured for her team to stand by. "Pressure is being released that they weren't even aware of. Good work, Carlo."
"It is what I am called to do," the mystic answered. "The light of the Halarin restores all to its rightful state."
Eventually, long minutes later as their bodies tired, the Trom quieted down. They began to collect themselves. Sable asked Unicorn to check on the pilot and was told the man was sleeping blissfully.
The normally alert, composed faces of the Trom were wet and flushed. One of them managed to gasp, "What did you DO to us?"
"We freed you from the chains your Race burdened yourself under millennia ago," Carlo said. "It is a gift precious beyond understanding."
Sable spoke up, putting that edge of authority back in her voice. "Don't bother denying the obvious or trying to manipulate us. You're in no condition for it now. We have learned about the policy change your faction planned. We are telepaths and mystics and Kumundu Masters. We believe that now you and others like you will be too preoccupied to worry about ruining Humans for a while. You will have your hands full."
The oldest Trom there had been hiding his face in his hands and only now looked up. "The meaning of emotions, the depth and the richness... It's so potent. How could we have known?"
Sable motioned for her team to start withdrawing back to where the CORBY was concealed a mile away. "This will give your Race a lot to think about. Maybe they will reconsider repressing what they were meant to possess. I hope so."
As they headed into the darkness, Unicorn paused to call back, "Good luck! Maybe now you will finally understand people."
3/20/2024