The Sands of Time Ch. 40

 

"Why?" 

Silence. 

Joon was frustrated. They had found the reason for the Gate anomalies- Hillier had apparently scrambled its function with a device- no one had seen her attach it when they came through a day ago. Now she was in her cell providing no information. 

"You should thank me," she finally said. 

"Why?"

"Because by scrambling it I've delayed any strike teams. Remember those?"

"Where did you get it?"

"Ymir."

"Is that where you went?"

"I may have... acquired a few things."

"What else?"

She raised her hands. "Are you going to strip search me?"

Joon sighed. 

"I'm dangerous, you know."

"Yes, I know."

"Of course, you could zap me," she tapped her collar, "and search me while I'm out. Is that how you like it, Joon?"

"Can you undo what you've done?"

"Of course."

"Give me the code."

"Eat it."

"Can you undo what she's done?" Joon asked. 

"Probably," Rachel replied. "I have my people trying to hack it now."

"Dammit," Maia vented. "She's more trouble than she's worth."

"Someone else said that, too," Joon said. He was thinking back to Ymir. "What actually happened there?"

"Well... after you left she jumped me. She must have dragged me down the hallway because when I woke up she was gone, and I was near the entryway. Howie was with me."

"Then what?"

"Then I came back, and saw Hillier over Dr. Valerus. It was so horrible. She had this look on her face, and he was twitching... I'm sorry," she said to Rachel. "I know you were close with him."

"Damn her. Or it," Rachel said through clenched teeth. 

"We don't even know its real name," Joon said absently. 

"What now?" asked Maia. 

"Did you find anything?" asked Joon. 

"Nothing else on her. She bit one of my people though." 

"I should have been there with the inhibitor."

Rachel waved it off. 

"I had an idea..." 

"Yes?"

"Remember I was telling you about the Mound?"

"Yes."

"Let's go see it."

"You said it was a day away."

"It is. My people tell me it may take at least that long to hack Hillier's scrambler."

"Or we could shock it out of her," Maia asserted. 

"She might never talk." 

"Pain can be very motivating."

"I'd prefer to avoid that," said Joon. 

"I know, but if it's that or getting home..."

"I know. If it comes to that..."

"I have to admit, I wouldn't mind seeing her suffer," said Rachel. "But let's take this chance. We may never see this again if we never come back here. And maybe we should acquire... more crystals." 

Joon was reading through the notes Valerus had gathered. The night was exhilarating here, a cold breeze wafting through. Someone had placed wind chimes in the window, they tinkled soothingly. Howie seemed to like them, he drifted between the chimes and Maia. Joon nursed his Coke. He'd debated between Coke or Fanta earlier at the Kirin vending machine. Maia had gone with the green tea. 

The Intruders, as we unfortunately call them, hail from a world called Acheron. Aptly named, perhaps, given what we know of these people. Their language is incomprehensible to us, so far, but we've communicated readily with them through their shapechanging. Encountered in an unfortunate meeting as we were scouring artifacts

The next lines were redacted. 

...debating whether to continue program/ experiments. Several subjects terminated. Risk considered high. My thoughts- we need to determine what role these beings play, if any, with the greater threats. Old Ones/ Ancients- whatever is behind the Incursions.

The rest was redacted. 

Joon sighed and put the papers down. Was anyone clean? 

The breeze was blowing the drapes and Joon could hear activity below. Rachel had ordered evacuation prep and also fortifications in case anyone came through. Her techs were working around the clock to hack Hillier's device, but they only had a few people. How had Hillier known where to get the device in the first place? 

He looked through more of Valerus' notes. A list of worlds. Horus, Poseidon. Acheron. Elysium. Schematics. Maps of Poseidon and its settlements. Joon rubbed his eyes, exhausted. 

ithyri crystals facilitate time travel. Stella and I recommend caution, but the Directorate full speed ahead. 

He was awake now.