ELDRITCH NIGHT (Rough Draft)

Chapter 37: Fuel on the Fire

"And why are you showing it to me?"

"I needed to see your reaction," said the computerized voice of Sebbit's translator. "It was interesting – you clearly had a very strong reaction, and yet your claims of ignorance are honest. You've either never seen a dungeon core before, or the memory has been... tampered with."

"And what does this have to do with Liv," I said. "Why did you show me... that," I pointed towards the photo that still sat on the table.

"Mr. Finn, please know that this gives me no pleasure. My only wish is to uphold the Accord and to protect every citizen of the Hegemony. I take my oaths very seriously, especially this one."

"Please, just tell me what is going on..."

"Very well, Mr. Finn. That photograph and this core," Sebbit said. His hand rested on the silver canister, and he pulled it slightly towards himself. His eyes narrowed, and he paused for several breaths before speaking.

"These items were recovered from a terrorist that was captured during an attack on my forward base. Nearly a dozen women under my command were slaughtered in an attempt to take one of the attackers alive. As you can see, their sacrifice was not in vain."

"It was incredibly important that we understood the abilities and motivations of our attackers. Each displayed power I have heard rumors of but had never witnesses for myself.

"Powers very similar to your own, Mr. Finn."

"Captured? Is she here... is she," I couldn't continue. I just stared at the expressionless face of the alien captain. I tried to convey my question through eye contact alone. I tried to will him to tell me if she was still alive.

I couldn't bring myself to say the words.

Sebbit watched me as I gasped helplessly. He denied me even the simple mercy of telling me what had happened, if she still lived.

He just stood and looked down on me once more before turning and silently exiting the room.

"Sebbit, answer me. Tell me what you want!" I banged on the table and the cheap metal legs bent and the table slid forward as it collapsed. I stood and flung my stool at the closed door and called out again.

"Sebbit, please..."

I exploded with rage, calling after the bastard to come back – demanding that he answer me. Instead, he simply left me alone to stew in my own rage; a rage that was fueled by a thick cloud of anger and resentment. A palpable, literal cloud.

I began to draw the energy into myself. As I did so I could feel my own anger responding to the resentment contained in the cloud of energy. It was like a cycle, the energy flowed into me as it fueled my rage and my rage in turn strengthened and shaped the energy.

I could feel it growing and contracting into a denser and denser sphere – as if building up to a critical mass before going critical. I felt as though I would explode.

Stop, Finn...

The voice barely registered as I allowed the energy to continue to control me. I continued to pull the energy into myself, consolidating it into my left fist which now shook and wavered as if holding a massive weight.

Finn, you have to stop...

The voice was different this time. It was comforting and familiar – feminine.

Please, calm down.

"Liv?" I asked. "How can you be..."

My rage gradually dwindled, and I found the energy quieting as it joined with the rest of the energy I had collected during my conversation with Catayla. It no longer screamed out in rage, but instead settle into acceptance.

That brief interruption had been enough to interrupt the cycle and the feelings had quickly passed, much like the feelings of depression I had experience earlier.

"You're there," I whispered. "I can feel you in my mind. I thought I was finally free of you, but you're just one more reminder. One more failure added to the pile."

Before that moment I had never experience true, uncontrollable rage and hatred. It had left me drained — physically exhausted in a way that even vigorous exercise could not. It was as if any strength or motivation had been burned away as fuel to feed my anger.

In its place was a gentle apathy. An acceptance of my insignificance. I had felt powerful once, what seemed ages ago, but now I realized I was little more than an insect.

"Come out, Companion. Dark Gemini. Whatever you are, you know more than you are telling me. You wanted me on your side, well now you've got me.

"Help me find her, and I'll do whatever you want."

But the Companion did not answer, instead my ravings were interrupted by two sets of impossibly strong arms that lifted me by the shoulders and dragged me into a narrow, dimly lit hallway.

***

Some time later, the door to my cell was opened and a green skinned Peacekeeper deposited a thin metal tray on the floor before turning and leaving. She never said so much as a word, none of them had.

The tray contained more of the red fruit and a dull gray slice of bread. Beside it was a tin cup of water. I ignored it, as I had done the last half dozen. The trays would come, and then be picked up an hour later – each time untouched.

"You need your strength," said a faint voice.

"I don't care," I croaked.

"They want you for something." The faint outline of a small bird was hidden in the shadows that filled the corner opposite me. "This waiting is nothing more than theatrics meant to break you, to make you beg them to do whatever it is that they want from us."

"So, why have you finally decided to show up?" I said. "Your timing is perfect, as usual. And what is it that you think they want?"

"I'm nothing more than a little bird," the creature said. "What could I tell you?"

"So, what the hell do you want?" I slumped down and let me head lean back against the cool wall. "Come to torture me with meaningless riddles, or did you just stop by to say hi? Perhaps you want to tell me that one of my best friends is either dead or working with a cult of murderers?"

The words were difficult to speak, my throat felt dry and brittle. Each syllable was agony.

"No, Finn," the creature said. "While you've been wallowing in your own misery, I've been trapped in mine. Mind." The creature laughed with a sickly wheeze. "They'll be back, and when they do, we'll be ready."

"Ready how?" I asked. "You can't possibly think we could escape this place."

"Escape?" I could also feel the creature grin despite it being nothing more than the silhouette of a small bird. "No Finn, they are going to let us go."