How do you handle a situation where youre hopelessly outmatched? Co up with a one-in-a-million longshot and hope to get lucky? My track record suggested not.
Yuqi, a fellow Visitor from Planet Earth, lood over , a spiral of warped vines twisted into an approximation of the female form constructed from giant pipe cleaners. Only the head manifested any kind of permanence; a ball with limp horns hanging on either side. A jester with killer material.
The only weapons available to were my quickness of thought and ability to engage my opponent on a psychological level.
Ah, so, youre a girl?
Okay, perhaps not the smartest thing to say to the living embodint of your nightmares. So won might even take offence at the question. Femininity, or the lack of, can be a sore point for those females with a more robust physique. Bodybuilders, Olympic athletes, giant demonic beings it can be a touchy subject.
Yes, the voice rumbled like colliding planets. At least, I used to be a long ti ago, or so it feels. Ti is so hard to pin down these days. But yes. A girl. Were you expecting soone petite and demure? A simpering cutie with big doe eyes? Sorry to disappoint.
She didnt sound very sorry.
You probably prefer a wiggle and a giggle. I can provide you with those things, too.
Tentacles writhed, changing the form from humanoid to sothing with far too many limbs, and back again. The giggle that accompanied the slithering transformation gurgled like a storm drain.
I looked around but there was no obvious direction to run. It was unlikely Id be able to get away even if I did know where the exit was. I sat down, legs crossed. Even if this wasnt a real place and my body wasnt really my body, it still felt good to take a rest.
Are you giving up? Have you had enough of running and running and running and getting nowhere, Colin?
Actually, I said, yes. You win. I dont even know what it is you want, but you can have it. I felt weary. I know the good guys arent supposed to give up and let the baddies win without even trying, but how was I supposed to fight Godzilla?
Yuqi, crackling with an electric glow that flashed across her skin in streaks, stared at , which didnt make feel any better. What are you planning? she asked suspiciously.
Nothing. I dont have a plan. Ive never had a plan. David said I couldnt die in here, is that true?
Death is not a concept that exists in this place.
Kind of a pompous answer. A simple yes would have sufficed.
Okay. Im going to take a nap, then. Its been a long day. I lay down. It wasnt the most comfortable, but Id slept on worse.
What are you doing? There was a slight tinge of irritation in the voice.
I pushed myself up on my elbows. Just five or ten minutes. Then Ill help you do whatever it is you want. Okay?
A terse roar blew over . I think it was a snort. Do you really think Id believe that? Youd leave your friends to suffer while you take a nap?
Clearly, she didnt know at all. Yes. Its ti travel, isnt it? Theres no point rushing. If I go back, Ill still end up at the sa point in ti. The past isnt going anywhere.
I lay back down and closed my eyes. When I couldnt see the monstrous behemoth in front of , I felt quite relaxed. Sleep drifted
My whole body went rigid, shook so hard I bounced off the ground repeatedly. Every muscle in my body extended to what felt like breaking point. If my jaw hadnt seized up, I would have scread.
It only lasted a few seconds but when it stopped sweat covered my face and my breathing sounded more like the braying of a donkey, only not so genteel.
You think you can just ignore and Ill go away? You think you can turn your back on ? This is my house. Nothing here is beyond my powers. You will bow down to .
It was difficult for to form words. I had bitten my tongue and pulled a muscle in my neck. No wonder Amnesty International made such a fuss. Torture not pleasant, confird.
You cant outsmart , Colin, she gloated, taking great delight in my suffering. The Day of Welding approaches and I know you have a plan. Your sort always do.
She had definitely confused with soone else. What... I said, struggling for air. What is the Day of It was hard because I could only take shallow breaths; anything deeper caused paralysing pain across my chest. Day of Welding?
There was silence. A long silence. So long, I opened my tightly shut eyes in the hope she wasnt there anymore.
Unfortunately, she hadnt moved. The mouth, which had previously seed an ominous crack in reality, now seed a stupefied gash of disbelief.
You dont know what the Day of Welding is? To say she sounded incredulous would be to undersell just how much flabbergast was packed into each syllable.
I managed to sit up. My muscles had relaxed enough for to move, although my legs still quivered like jelly. No idea. What is it?
Didnt anyone ntion it? She was going a bit overboard with the whole how is this possible tone, if you ask .
They ntioned it. Its a big deal, I get that, but every religion and cult and group of nutters has a special day. The day a magical thing happened and now we have to dress up and celebrate the super special thingy, every year, forever, for no fucking reason. Happy Herper Derper Day! Who gives a sh
Another bolt of agony zapped through , arching my spine so hard I smacked the back of my head against the ground. I flopped about like a landed fish for at least a minute, my teeth clenched along with everything else that was clenchable.
When she released , my skeleton seed to have dissolved. I lay there, unable to move.
What kind of idiot are you? Didnt you think it might be important? You could have asked soone. Anyone.
When youre being subjected to extre levels of pain by an insane villain, the usual response is to make a witty remark. Sothing cutting which demonstrates your refusal to give in.
Its so clich, though. I decided to go in a different direction; I burst into tears.
Why dont you Tears were streaming from the corners of my eyes and trickling into my ears. I wasnt sad or upset, it was just the relief of not being electrocuted. Why dont you just tell . I began sniffing like a coke-fiend and panting in short bursts.
The Day of Welding is a tournant, said Yuqi. The masters gather on their unscalable peak and battle each other. There is a winner, who becos the leader, and a loser, who gets eaten by the winner, who absorbs the powers and strengths of the flesh and so becos even greater. She explained it like I was a child, which was fine by . Her voice also went from nacing and ominous, to slightly cranky.
Even though I was in a very stressful situation, it was good to know I still had the ability to annoy the fuck out of people. That old Colin magic.
What she told about a tournant among the masters actually was worth knowing. She was right, I should have asked soone.
How many masters are there? I asked in between wheezes.
You dont even No, of course you dont. There are nine masters left. There were hundreds, once. Maybe even more. The one who arrived with you makes it ten. He is favourite to get eaten, by the way.
I assud she ant Cheng. I was surprised he decided to take part, although maybe he didnt have a choice.
What about you? I said. Are you taking part?
Ha! It was a mirthless snap of laughter. I am not one of them. Not yet. But I will be, with your assistance.
Im not sure what you expect to do, but if you keep giving the taser treatnt, I wont be much use to anyone.
This ti, the laugh was unfettered and full of mocking. Like you said, its ti travel. When you return to your previous body, this one will no longer exist. Whatever I do to you here is of no consequence. I can take your suffering to the limit, and then a little further. The mind is quite elastic. It bounces back, if it doesnt snap. Hehehehe....
I spasd and writhed as another bolt of lightning assaulted from the inside.
Youre going to help , Colinno, no, shhh, dont talk, just listen. Do you have any idea how hard it is to use fear to control people who arent afraid of dying? They love dying. They think of it as a blessing. You cant scare people who jump into Deaths arms on a regular basis. You have to use more persuasive tactics. You have to break them, the way Im going to break you.
Over the sounds of my bones cracking I heard her giggle whoop and soar. You had to hand it to her, she had the whole monster thing down to a tee.
You might not be able to die here, but youll wish you could.
There was sizzling sound, which was the surface of my skin cooking. She stopped after five minutes. I imdiately pissed myself, which was odd considering my body was just a ntal projection in a non-existent space. I also noticed that my sinuses had cleared up. All the crying had left quite blocked up, but now I drew a long breath in through my nose, filling my chest with air that didnt exist either. So, not all bad.
Tell sothing, I said through shuddering sobs. What happened to all the won?
Oh, you noticed, that did you? Im surprised you didnt put it down to them all going off on a shopping trip.
Sohow, I had given her the impression I was a sexist arsehole. Completely unjustified. I began to suspect she had been listening in on the girls talking. Typical gossiping won.
They are in hiding under the city, she said. When the Day of Welding approaches, the masters select the choicest females for their entertainnt. The people of et, with a little guidance, decided to hide their won so the masters would choose the three from your party.
That was your idea?
It is no easy task to threaten people who love killing themselves. You have to give them sothing they fear losing. You have to give them hope. They need to believe they can control their own lives, save their loved ones, then theyll do what you say. Of course, the masters would notice the lack of options. Your companions arent exactly the most attractive females Nekrols ever seen and the masters have fussy tastes. She extended the word into a hiss. They would have sniffed out those poor girls in the end. The feeble n of et could never have changed that, but hope makes believers of us all.
Thats kind of cold, I said. Shouldnt you be trying to help your sisters? I raised a fist. Girl power?
I nearly snapped in half as a bajillion volts coursed through .
All that is irrelevant. Little Davids only real job was to win your trust, but Philip The oversized head shook from side to side and the horns crackled with blue light. I will deal with him later. The only thing that matters is defeating the masters in the tournant. You will see to it.
I rolled onto my front and wiped the drool from my mouth. Take it easy I said I would... If you tell what it is you want from , maybe I can even co up with a better way to do it.
There was a howl. Laughter? Outrage? I wasnt sure.
You think you know better than ? I, who have been devising the perfect plan for years? Can you truly be this arrogant.
I crawled on my stomach, every grunt and groan wracking my body with pain. Hey, Im not the one whos been stuck in a black box for the last sixteen years.
They promised a chance at immortality. To be a god!
And you believed them? Werent you a bit gullible?
Id say it was at least ten minutes under the zap-o-matic this ti. I was foaming at the mouth and had double vision.
Fine, fine Ill do what you say. But how do you expect to help you when Phil and Dave couldnt? Theyre both more powerful than .
What are you talking about? David flashes his sword about like a paper ninja, and Philip is a child with his toys.
Phil can stop ti!
Now whos being gullible? He has no such power. Its a device he wears around his neck.
Technically, Phil was still able to stop ti, even if it was through so magical artefact. Good to know, though. Id have to figure out a way of nicking it off him, assuming I got out of here with a few brain cells still intact.
And David cant travel back in ti?
Only we can do that.
We?
She leaned down. The gnarled, tangled body and startling horns were alarming, to say the least, but it was the eyes that were truly shocking. They were completely human, if a little manic, giving the impression of soone trapped inside the monstrous figure hovering over .
I was like you when I first arrived here.
Tired and depressed? I asked.
There was a chortle. I an I was able to jump back in ti. I thought it was such a gift. A superpower, like a comic book hero. A sigh escaped the lipless fissure in her face.
The mouth moved when she spoke but there were no teeth, no tongue. There was only a rip through which stars twinkled at .
I dragged myself backwards to get a little distance, not that it would make a difference. And how did you end up like this?
She straightened up. They noticed jumping back and changing things. Considered it cheating. Can you believe it? They have the power of deities, and I was the one cheating! They caught , confined to this tiny corner of Nekrol. The rest of Nekrol is a paradise, did you know that? No, of course you didnt. Dalada is the cesspool where all other sewers flow to. They gave this ditch of shit to watch over, to see if Id be their obedient pet. Use as their lackey, then throw into the tournant when Im strong enough to offer sustenance, but not so strong I pose a threat. Theyre in for a surprise. They have no idea what Im capable of. No idea.
So, you dont gather people for them? Send them to the Palace to be eaten?
Oh, yes, I do that. I cant let them know what I have in store for them. Ive been waiting. Waiting for you, Colin.
?
Of course. The mont you jumped back, I knew you were the one. I can see it all, the different threads you create. They were mine to control once, but now my body lies between life and death and my mind is trapped here. They cant let die, it would free .
Her grueso face swung down, a galaxy coming to claim .
You will find my body and you will revive . Perhaps you will wake from my slumber with a kiss; that would be fitting. I give you permission. Raise from everlasting sleep and together we will destroy the masters, take their power and gain access to all existence!
Sounds great. I turned my head so I didnt have to stare into the open mouth of eternity. Ill be happy to help.
I will be a god. There are so many universes, so many places to go. She slamd a balled fist into the blackness around her. There was thump like shed hit it against a wall. You dont know what its like to be trapped here. How I ache to be free.
What will you do once you get out there? I asked.
Isnt travelling to alien worlds enough?
I shrugged. I went to Paris on a school trip when I was a kid. Eiffel Tower and all that. It looked like a picture on a postcard. Dont get wrong, if you want to travel and do the whole tourist thing, go for it. Personally, give a sofa and so snacks, Im good.
Do you even understand what Im talking about. A god!
Yeah, I get it. Sound exhausting. Very, very exhausting. Its fine with , though, if thats what you want. If you let go back, Ill help you. You dont have to torture , or break . Ill do it willingly. You can get David and Phil to keep an eye on ; they can kill and send back here if I try anything. Its in my interest to help you, Yuqi, thats why you should send back, right now.
I was rambling. It was hard to think straight with every inch of my skin on fire and slling vaguely like barbeque.
Yuqi smiled. I think. Or maybe she was considering sucking in like a black hole absorbs the aningless debris of space.
It is ti travel, as you keep telling . We can do this until you get it right. I wont go so easy on you next ti, so make sure there isnt one.
I was falling. The pain in my body was gone. The wind in my face was refreshing and the tears it brought to my eyes were nothing like the ones sared across my face just a mont ago.
This ti, I knew the goal. I was familiar with the controls. I knew where the weapons were stashed. The people to trust, or notmainly, not. I knew what I needed to do. Speedrun.
Tentatively, I turned my head, afraid this ti would be different, that nobody would be there, but Jenny was plumting beside . The others were screaming and generally freaking out, which was strangely comforting.
I rolled over onto my back. High above , I saw him against the white of the sky. A small figure flapping large wings. He seed to be carrying sothing, although he was already too far to be sure. Cheng. He was the key to getting out of here. Preferably, alive. I rolled back as the water rose to et us and I dived in.
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