The Sands of Time Ch. 28

 

The waves seemed to go forever. Joon was standing on a balcony overlooking Harmony-1, the domed base of Poseidon, marveling at the fact that he was on another world. The base itself seemed to rise out of the sea like a giant, an immense dome comprised of numerous levels. At night it was beautiful, all lit up. And in the distance one could see other settlements. 

The sheer immensity of the colony here staggered him. He thought that after the marvels of Sanctuary, where he's been stationed for two years, that nothing should surprise him, but still. This was beyond anything he was expecting. 

He heard a door open and turned to see Maia entering. She looked so different now and his pulse raced. She smiled as he approached. 

"How are you doing?" he wondered. She'd taken a few blows over the course of their madcap flight through the complex, was still sporting a bandage around her head. 

"I'm fine," she replied. "How's the view?"

"Amazing," he answered. "Take a look."

"I did already. Can't believe that we are on another... planet? Still hard to believe."

He nodded and looked over at their companion who was floating quietly in a dark corner of the room. Howie, with a multitude of eyes and waving tentacles. There had been four who came through the Gate- the last being their less than enthusiastic enemy turned possible ally Hillier. She was reclining at the moment on a nearby sofa, her shapely legs drawn up on an end table. She took pleasure in attracting attention through her appearance, although her true appearance was... different. 

12 HOURS AGO

 

"Yes?" Hillier inquired as Joon entered her cell. The guard accompanying him closed the door quietly. 

"I need information."

She spat in his general direction. 

"Look. You can rot here. Or you can help me, and maybe I can help you. The strike teams sweeping the complex will shoot you in a minute." 

Her silence encouraged him to go on. 

"I know you were brought here, wronged. I have no knowledge of that. You can hate me for being on Stella's team, but I know nothing of what they did. I feel like maybe I can, in some small way, make it right, or at least atone somewhat, but you have to help me do that."

"Do I?" she snarled. 

"No. But if we can reach an understanding..."

"What are you offering me?" 

"I don't know. It depends on what you can offer me." 

A few moments passed. 

"I have nothing to lose by talking. Say your questions?"

"Why do you want the Gate open?"

She laughed. "Because it's my way home."

"Where is home?" 

"Your people should know. They found us, took us."

"Mallory says that's not true. She says we were exploring and your people attacked us, taking our forms." 

"Fuck Mallory." 

"Be that as it may." 

"It's in our nature. It's nothing personal." 

"Dead  is dead, however you want to excuse it." 

"I excuse nothing. We are who we are." 

"I'm talking to you because I want to know how the Gate works. Close it or not? We have people out there. You came from there. Stella thinks she has to close it in order to prevent dimensional breakdown. What if she doesn't? The Directorate wants it. Maybe your people can return home. Help me understand it." 

"My people can't return home."

"Why?"

"They've been captured. Tainted. We'd all be killed." 

Joon had no reply to that. 

"You're probably wondering why I still want it open then. To be honest, to fuck you people. And hopefully more of my kind would come through. We are perhaps creatures of chaos."

"I'm going through to talk to the person Stella relies on. He knows more than any of our other people about Gates." 

"Which is probably next to nothing."

"Probably."

She smirked at him. 

"What if I take you with me?"

The smirk vanished. 

"Why?" she demanded. 

"Why not?"

She mulled this. 

"I need someone who knows Gatecraft. I know nothing about this person I'm to see. I need to make sure I make the best decision I can. That means having all the information I can get. You can help me. And maybe I can help you."

"I can't imagine how."

"Well, you can just die, or rot here. Or maybe we can make some sort of arrangement."

"It would beat lying here waiting for Stella's ministrations."

Joon waited. 

"Okay. Maybe I'll even get a chance to kill you." 

"Maybe," Joon smiled. 

"What's our next step?"

Joon shook himself out of his reverie. Before he could reply the chime sounded and the door opened. The assistant assigned to them- Jen- smiled. 

"Dr. Angelus will see you."