Adept Tales 11 "Visitors at Midnight"

i

Joshua felt the rage only seconds before his office door splintered inward.  Before he could react Agony was on him, slamming him into the window behind him.  “Why me?!” he screamed slamming Joshua again.  “Why did you pick me?  Why?”  Agony didn’t give him an opportunity to answer, slamming him one more time, but with less force.  Joshua could only watch as the rage turned to sorrow, anger giving way to tears.  Agony slumped, sliding to Joshua’s side and going to his knees.  With his head rested on the glass he gave a weak punch to the ground and whispered nearly inaudible again, “Why me?”

   The near silence stretched, the only sound the soft sobbing of the large man.  Joshua could see him trying to rebuild himself, trying to regain his composure, slowly clawing back from the brink.  Finally he spoke again, this time flatly, “They came in the night.  They killed all the men first.  All except me.  Although I wasn’t really a man yet, barely 13.  But they knew what I was, so they spared me.  Instead they made me watch.  Torture and rape aren’t strong enough words for what they did.  Then they were gone, and I was alone, surrounded by the death they left behind.”  Agony let out a shiver and a sigh and stood, “I couldn’t stop them then, and I couldn’t stop them tonight, but I will make them pay.”  He turned his head to Joshua, face filled with thoughts of revenge, “I will make them pay.”  Agony turned and left, reforming the door behind him, leaving Joshua to question whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.  Or whether it even mattered in the aftermath of the horror the Vendot had left behind.  

ii

   The lightning flashed theatrically as Rand looked out the warehouse window, the strobe making his reflection dance in the glass.  Perfect, it was all going perfect.  Distribution was in full effect.  By tomorrow Stardust would be in almost every home in Vegas.  Soon the city would be his.  The lightning flashed again, and when the darkness returned his reflection wasn’t alone.  Behind him, sitting on some boxes was a woman idly twirling a small knife in her hand.  Rand spun and froze in fear as recognition took him.  

   The voice that came wasn’t from the woman, but instead floated on the shadows like a living thing, “You’re pretty proud of yourself aren’t you Rand?”  A man formed from the darkness and stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back.  He moved like a teacher ready to scolded a wayward pupil.

   Rand’s face went stark white, “Ashton, I--”  A slight movement from the woman cut off his words.

   “Excuses already Rand?” the man asked as he walked towards a shelf holding containers of the product.  Ashton picked up one of the jars of purple crystals and examined it.  “Stardust,” he said with a small chuckle, shaking his head.  He returned the jar and turned back toward Rand, hands clasped again behind his back, “An interesting idea, but he believes you lack vision.”

   “But I--” The knife was suddenly in his throat, words and his scream cut off by the blade shredding his vocal cords.  Just as suddenly Ashton was in front of him, eyes burning with black fire.

   “If you wish to question his beliefs I suggest you wait and do it in person.”   Ashton wretched the knife from Rand’s throat and handed it back to the dark mistress behind him.

 

   When Rand’s neck and vocal cords reformed he managed to ask raggedly, “He’s--he’s coming here?”

   Ashton leaned in so their faces were inches apart.  The lightning flashed theatrically, “Yes, yes he is.” 

iii

   She approached the castle on her steed.  In the tower window her raven haired vixen waited to be saved.  She battled through the guards, ascended the spiral stairs, burst through the iron door and was in her arms.  Tash’s cell phone ringing shattered the dream.  Groggily she rolled and fumbled for the phone, “Hello?”

   “Agent Tash?  It’s Bradford in holding.  She keeps asking for you.  Jacob okayed a visit, but it has to be now.”  Tash was up and out the door in seconds.  She hadn’t been allowed to see Sandi since she brought her in, but every night since, it seemed, she dreamt about her.

   Tash always felt that the holding center in Sage headquarters resembled something closer to a hospital then a detention center, but the security left no doubts about its purpose.  She wasn’t sure why they were taking such measures with the girl, but Tash trusted Sasha and Jacob’s judgment.

   Agent Bradford led Tash to the small grey room.  Inside was not much more than a small bed and a dresser.  Sandi sat on the bed, bent over, head in her hands.  When Tash entered she looked up.  Relief washed over her as she rushed forward, throwing herself into Tash’s arms.  “Oh thank god you’re here.  You have to help me!”

   Tash did her best to stay composed with a moment so similar to her dreams.  She led the frantic girl back to the bed and sat with her, still holding her.  “Calm down, what’s wrong?”   

   Sandi calmed enough to get out, “I’ve got to get out of here.  They’ll find me here.  I got to get out of here.”

   Tash wasn’t sure what she would have said because the door opened and Jacob and Sasha entered the room.  She quickly stood to attention.  Sasha looked to Tash confused, “What’s she doing here.”

   “Calm down, I okayed it,” responded Jacob.  “Thought she might be useful.” 

   “Fine, get them up to speed and loaded up.  We need to get moving.”  Sasha turned and left leaving Tash with her own look of confusion.

   “What’s going on sir?”

   “That’s what we’re going to find out.  There’s been some heavy activity in Las Vegas and word is something major’s about to go down.  We’re going personally to check it out.  Since our mystery guest here was found in the area, we thought she should come along.  Since you brought her in, I thought you should come too.  You in?”

   Tash stood a little straighter, “Of course sir.”

   “Good.  Get your shit together and meet in hanger 2 in 10 minutes.”  Jacob leaned to peer at Sandi behind Tash, “We’re going on a little trip.  Sasha thinks you know more than you’ve told us, and she’s rarely wrong.  For your sake I hope she is.”  

  When Jacob left Tash turned to Sandi.  Her raven haired vixen looked ashen.  Tash moved so she was standing just in front of her.  She wanted to reach out and touch that hair, but she held back.  “Hey, it’s a start.  At least you’re getting out of here.”  Sandi just let out a small sob.  Tash did reach out now, but only to lift her face so she could look in her eyes, “It’s going to be okay.  I’ll protect you.  I promise.”  

   Sandi smiled at that and stood, body pressed intimately close to Tash’s.  “Okay,” she whispered, “I trust you.”  She moved around Tash to head through the door, “My knight in shinning armor.”

End

Adept Tales 08 "And then there was a Rose..."

   The view outside his window hadn’t changed but the apprehension inside him continued to grow.  It seemed to Joshua that all he’d done recently was wait.  Wait for the right moment, the right vision, the right path.  Now he was waiting again.  This time for a meeting he wasn’t sure he wanted to have, a feeling that was becoming all too familiar.

   The call from Slo so soon was unexpected, but what he said was even more so, “He wants to meet you.”

   “But I thought Agony didn’t like authority,” he replied hopefully.

   “He says he’ll make an exception this time.  Seems like maybe he’s heard of you.”

   So he waited.  Waited to see what Agony had heard.  Waited to see why he was so interested in meeting Joshua.  He figured it couldn’t be good, but he was confident he’d read the patterns right.  Agony was the right guy.  He needed him.  So he waited.

   The report from Fane had done little to distract his thoughts, but the girl did interest him.  Something about her seemed to fit into the pattern too, but how, he wasn’t sure yet.  He supposed again he’d just have to wait for Fane to bring her.  He let out a heavy sigh and returned to his desk.  Perhaps work could keep his nerves at bay.

   The buzz of the intercom nearly knocked him out of his chair.  He realized he’d been straining, waiting to hear the indication that they were here, so when it finally struck, it hit him like electricity.  Renee ushered the men in with a look of concern at the intimidating Agony.  A nod from Joshua as he rose from his desk seemed to put her at ease as she retreated, closing the door behind her.

   He approached Slo, shaking his hand, but Agony didn’t even acknowledge him, instead taking in the office décor.  “Nice digs,” he said, more to the air then to Joshua.

   “Thanks.  Please, have a seat.”  Joshua returned to his desk as Slo sat.  Agony continued his casual investigation a few more moments before seeming to decide he was satisfied, taking the seat next to Slo.

   “So you’re the famous Joshua Williams.”  Not a question, but a statement, his attention and scrutiny finally falling on Joshua.

   Joshua fought the urge to squirm under his gaze, “That’s interesting coming from you.  I wasn’t aware I was famous.”

   “In certain circles.  You’d be amazed how far word can travel.”

   “And what word is that?”  Joshua leaned back; fingers arched together much like Slo had done upon their first meeting.

   Agony shrugged, his demeanor beginning to shift into a friendlier persona, “Depends who you talk to.”

   “Rumors and speculation travel far too I suppose.”

   “Exactly.  So I figured better to go to the source.”  Agony’s eyes focused intently letting Joshua know that despite the bravado he was expecting answers and if he didn’t like the ones he got, there could be trouble.

   “Fair enough.  So why don’t you tell me what you’ve heard and we can set the record straight.”

   “Well let’s see.  The most common one is that you’re raising an army of some sort.  To what end depends who’s saying it.  Some say to battle the Vendot.  Others say it’s to take over Sage or maybe start a competitor.”  Agony leaned forward, forearms resting on his legs, hands grasped together. 

   Instinctively Joshua followed suit, using his desk instead for support.  “Interesting.  What do you think?”

   “I think you certainly have the resources.”  He shrugged again, “Of all, those are the least crazy.”

   “It gets better?”

   Agony chuckled, “A bit.  Some say you’re some kind of messiah here to usher in a new age or possibly a demon bent on destroying it.  Or that you’re thousands of years old and have some hidden knowledge or power beyond the rest of us.  Other variations weave in and out, but that’s the gist.”  With that he leaned back, crossed his arms and waited, watching Joshua.

   Joshua sighed, stood and walked back to the window behind him, “The view hasn’t changed…” he mumbled, wondering to himself how much he could tell Agony.  He turned his head and really looked at Agony for the first time.  He was large, intimidating, not the kind of guy you’d want to meet in an alley.  But under it was shrewdness rarely seen.  Intelligence burned behind his eyes, melting away Joshua’s doubt.  Everything, he had to tell him everything.

   He turned and leaned against the glass, hands clasped behind him, “How much do you know about where we come from?  Why we can do the things we do?”

   “Just the pre-recorded Sage spiel; some mystical energy they call the Shine lets us see the Spirit Web which allows us to manifest reality, yada, yada, blah.”

   “Right, but what you don’t know is where the Shine comes from.  Our world, our reality, is actually part of a binary dimension; two worlds intertwined, destinies interlocked.  In our sister reality the Shine is as abundant as oxygen, and like oxygen in our world, just as necessary.  Through a gateway between the worlds, the Shine once flowed freely into ours.”

   “Another world, huh?  I’ve been to just about every corner of this planet and I’ve never seen any other world.”

   “I wouldn’t expect you to have, but we’re getting to that.”  Joshua pushed away from the glass, returning to his chair, “Legend has it that when both worlds were created, the other dimension, called Jar-Din, was a land of chaos.  Unlike our world, Jar-Din wasn’t supported by a Spirit Web.  The Shine was all, and the only stabilizing factor was the whim of those who inhabited it, but as most primitive creatures do, they fought and battled, all trying to be the dominant force.  Things continued this way for countless eons, until the rise of man.

   “When the first cavemen peaked out of their caves to marvel at the sun, so did our ancestors rise out of the Shine.  Man, as well as these early Adepts, evolved in thought and socialization, but continued to war and vie for power.  Then around 12 or 15 thousand years ago, around the dawn of human civilization, one Adept was born unlike the rest.  His power was greater than any before him.  Not so much that he could dominate all, but enough that the others heeded his words.  He saw that the chaos in their world was tearing it apart, and while he watched it sink into the abyss, this world was thriving.”

  Agony rolled his eyes, boredom playing plainly on his face, “This is all fascinating, but could we get to the point?”

   Joshua straightened, demeanor turning stern as his presence filled the room.  Slo, who to this point had been almost invisible, stirred slightly, unable to fully resist.  “You came here for answers, and I’m giving them to you.  If I’m boring you, perhaps we should call it a night.”

   Agony raised his hands in front of him as if to show he was unarmed and harmless, “Sorry, sorry.  Please, continue.”

   Joshua settled back, lowering the tension in the room but still dominating its environment, “As I was saying, this Adept saw our world thrive and also saw why; the Spirit Web.  It bound our reality together, gave us purpose and direction; a framework to build upon.  Jar-Din was not so lucky.  Its structure and environment was constantly changing; shifting sometimes moment by moment.  Drawing together his closest allies, he devised a way to give his people a stable foundation.  Together they created a kind of government called the Garden of the Rose, with him as the sovereign Rose and his allies the Body of Thorns.  For two thousand years they successfully maintained a base reality, and peace and prosperity flourished.

   “But all things have their opposite, the Shine being no different.  Hidden away in the dark was the Shade; a force of destruction and evil.  A young Adept named Vorlok became obsessed with the Shade.  Its power and influence corrupted him and led him into a campaign against the Rose and his Thorns.  He named himself the Black Winged Rose, and gathered his own followers, calling them the Vendot.”

   Agony straightened, interest now taking over, “The Vendot?  As in the Vendot?”

   “Not exactly, but yes.”  Joshua continued, “Chaos engulfed Jar-Din once again.   War spanning thousands of years broke out.  In the end, the Rose knew he would lose.  Vorlok was too powerful.  So he and his Thorns devised the only plan they had left; they’d run.  Flee to our realm and slam the gateway closed behind them.”

   “Turn tail and run. Always a good plan,” Agony’s sarcasm was not lost on anyone.

   “You might not think that way if you ever came face to face with the full power of the Shade.  It’s not that it’s more powerful than the Shine, per say, but its power is rooted in destruction and death.  The Shine, as a rule, is not.  They were simply unprepared for what was unleashed.”

   “Right, whatever you say.  So they ran and I’m guessing joined their inept cousins here?”

   “Yes.  Or as many as survived.  Unfortunately, the Rose and many of the Thorns didn’t make it, dying defending their people as they fled.  Leadership fell to a Thorn named Saige.”

   “Saige?  Like ‘Sage’ Saige?”

   “He was the inspiration for our friendly neighborhood Adept Police, but no.  The Sage of today has little in common with Saige the man, but then again, they have different challenges.   Saige’s priority was to integrate his people into our world.  With the gateway between the worlds closed, he knew eventually the Shine in our world would dissipate, leaving them nearly as inept, as you put it, as the rest of mankind.”

   Slo broke his silence, “But the Shine’s all over, right?  So that means the gateway’s open?”  Joshua and Agony both looked at Slo as if he'd sprouted a second head.  “What?  I’m sorry, didn’t realize this was a private conversation.”

   Joshua recovered, nodding, “Yes, or more likely the doorway is cracked.  If it was all the way open Vorlok would make his presence known.

   Agony turned back to Joshua, “You mean he’s still alive?  Even after all this time?”

   “Sure, why not?  You should know from experience actually killing an Adept is a difficult task.  How do you kill something that can be anything?  Someone who can bend and change their reality?  The only real way to end an Adept is to remove him from reality.  Or deprive him of the Shine.  No, it’s more likely Vorlok is alive and well, and more powerful than ever before.”

   “Enter the Vendot,” Slo said in a half snicker.

   Joshua nodded, “That’s what I think.  I’m not sure how exactly, but I think Vorlok has found a way to spread his influence into our world.  In theory he can’t escape until the gateway’s fully opened, but a crack…maybe he found a way to get something through.  Honestly I don’t know, but the Vendot are out in force and the gateway is opening, proof by the presence of the Shine.”

   Agony considered the information, “Okay, so that brings us up to date, but you still didn’t answer any of my questions.”

   Joshua smiled, “True I haven’t.  But we’re not quite up to date yet.  Before they started their mass migration, the Rose and his Thorns knew there was a chance some of them wouldn’t make it, so they devised a way to pass the power of the Rose down through the generations.  One Thorn was charged with protecting the line, keeping its existence secret from all others, watching and waiting for the Shine to return and the Rose to be reborn.”  Joshua could see the thought form on Agony’s face, “No, I’m not the Thorn, and I’m not the Rose either.  So that answers two of your questions.”

   “That it does.  But then who?  Or better yet, how do you know all this if it was supposed to be a secret?”

   “The answer to both of those questions is the same: my father.  He was the one sent to watch over the line of the Rose and he’s the one who told me what I’ve told you.”

   “But if he was here how did he survive without the Shine?”

   “It’s not unheard of, though rare.  The Shine never fully disappeared.  There were places where the last remnants pooled.  We would recognize them today as places of spiritual significance or mysterious origin.  Stonehenge, the Pyramids, and others; some well known, others not.”

   “Okay, say I buy it, if your pops knows where the Rose is, what’s the problem?”

   “That is the problem,” Joshua leaned back, eyes going out of focus as he accessed painful memories long buried, “He died.  A long time ago.”  A shiver went through him as he pushed the pain back into the abyss of the past.  “He taught me what he could, but never revealed the location of the Rose.  So to answer another of your questions, I am raising an army.  Kind of anyway.  We search for the Rose and any evidence of our forgotten past.  We try to uphold the ways of the Rose and his Thorns, striving towards cooperation and prosperity to all.  I admit I’m a poor substitute, my knowledge being limited, but we have to start somewhere.  In the end I believe the Rose is our only chance in stopping Vorlok and restoring us to our true birthright.”

   “Fair enough.  But now the million dollar question: why do you need me?” 

   This was the real question.  The one Joshua dreaded answering the most.  It was something he’d never told anyone, because if the wrong people found out, everything could be lost.  He hesitated involuntarily, willing himself to pull the words out.  He thought for a moment perhaps this too was part of his father’s design; preventing him from giving away too much.

   “My father left a kind of coded message behind.  A puzzle that once solved will reveal the location of the Rose.  The next clue is the Vendot; or rather something they’re up to.  I need you because no one on my team could even get close to them.  I need someone who can, someone like you.”

   Agony thought for a moment then abruptly slapped his hands down on the arms of his chair, stood and said, “Well alright.”  With that he turned and headed for the door.

   Joshua called after him, “You’ll help us then?”

   Agony stopped just before the exit and said, again more to the air then to Joshua, in a tone filled with its own pain, “I don’t know that I believe in any great and powerful Rose who can save us.  But I believe in the evil of Vendot.  And you’re wrong; I have seen the power of the Shade face to face.”  With that he was gone, leaving Joshua with a mixed feeling of getting what he wanted but not sure the price of pain in Agony’s voice was really worth it.

End

Adept Tales 06 ~ Blood and Agony ~ “Slo Motion”

Excitement raged, ambiguous screams egging on the opponents. Fight night. Slo’s favorite night of the week, but not tonight. Tonight he moved through the jostling throng with a sharp eye and a worried heart. Were the Vendot among them? Had they already infiltrated his operation? It was hard to tell. Not all the Vendot operated in the open. Joshua was certainly right about that; secrecy was their bread and butter. He definitely had a vested interest in finding out. Joshua was right about that too. Lost in his worry, the night slipped away without incident, much to his annoyance. He cursed himself softly as the crowd shuffled out of the arena. He’d let his worries dominate him. He knew no one else would notice, but he noticed. As the last of the spectators exited, he cursed himself again. Somewhere during the night he lost track of G-Wiz and now he was already gone.

Even though the fights were over, the Dead Zone was still packed, music shaking the ground as Slo moved toward the doors. Outside he was struck by the deceptive Vegas chill. Huddled into his coat he headed toward his car. It occurred to him he didn’t have to be cold, but he enjoyed the simple pleasure of human gesture. Its nuances were what kept him in business, what kept him 10 steps ahead of the other guy. Except for tonight. Tonight he was off his game. He cursed himself again as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed home.

Home was in one of the new posh corporate condo high-rises built overlooking the Strip. Sage owned several floors and operated Rooms out of them. Living there put him in debt to Sage, but then again, they were pretty easy on his Fight Club, so really he already was. Of course, Sage wasn’t the only downside to living in the Rooms. You also had to put up with sometimes as many as 17 roommates. This particular building was still new enough though that Slo had only a few so far, and most of those he hadn’t even met yet. He himself had only lived there a few weeks, and the lack of decoration as he entered the unit showed the others hadn’t settled in much either. All, that is, except G-Wiz.

Beyond the bare front room was one of the most impressive array of electronics spread from the kitchen into the adjoining living room area. It was bare when Slo first arrived, but shortly after G-Wiz moved in the future tech rooms had manifested. Slo was impressed by the unique design of the equipment and even more so to find the kid had even greater ideas. Ideas that were slowly making his Fight Club the most popular in the city.

As Slo crossed the barren entrance he could hear the familiar beeps and blasts of G-Wiz’s game system. Good, he was home. Slo thought he might be. The kid didn’t go out much, but how many techies did? Slo ascended the few steps separating the front room from the kitchen-living room combo and saw G-Wiz lounged in his chair sideways, legs kicked over the arms. He saw Slo and gave him a nod as he moved to the kitchen island behind G-Wiz and leaned casually against it, watching him as he continued his game. “How’d the unit work tonight?”

G-Wiz paused his game and turned with a confused expression, “Great. Didn’t you see?”

“No, I was a little distracted.”

“That’s not like you.”

“You’re telling me.” Slo brought his hands to his face like he was splashing it with water, rubbing briefly to clean away his doubts. When his hands came away, he was filled with renewed determination. “Ever hear of an Adept called Agony?”

G-Wiz thought about it for a moment, “Sounds a little failure, but not really, no. Why?”

“He’s in town. I need to know where.”

G-Wiz cracked a smile Slo had seen many times before. A laptop manifested onto his lap and he began clicking away at the keys. It seemed to Slo that the keystrokes where over done and in greater number then any computer process he’d ever encountered, but he knew the kid had a flair for the dramatic. He wasn’t the only one who held a fondness for gesture. “Agony. No other known aliases, though obviously not his given name. At least I hope not.” He continued clicking, studying the data as it streamed across his screen. “Wow, this guys got quite a rap sheet; terrorism, vandalism, militant behavior, inciting riots, inciting rebel actions.” He turned to Slo, worry playing plainly across his expression, “And you say this dude’s here? In Vegas?”

Slo ignored the question, “Can you find him?”

G-Wiz turned back to the console continuing his clicking, “Well I’ll be dammed. You’re not gonna believe this.”

“What?”

G-Wiz spun the console, now floating inches above his lap, “He applied for Room assignment.”

Slo pushed away from the island and leaned in. Sure enough, there on the screen was the hacked file showing Agony’s application to Sage. “Interesting. Have they placed him yet?”

He spun the unit back, clicking a few more times, “Nope, not yet. His file’s under review, whatever that means. Doesn’t say why, though I could guess.”

“So could I.” Slo straightened, considering the information. “Can you fudge his assignment? Get him a spot here?”

The fierce clacking of keys that had resumed slowed as a new look of concern dominated G-Wiz’s posture. He turned to Slo beseeching, “Why would you want to do that?”

“I didn’t say I did, I just want to know if.”

The clicking stopped as he closed his console, “Normally, yea, but not with this guy. If he’s under review that means someone’s personally handling his case. They’ll assign him deliberately and manually.”

The chime of the doorbell reverberated through the room. G-Wiz pointed a suddenly present remote at the large TV screen dominating the opposite wall, activating the front door’s security camera, another G-Wiz creation and addition. “Sage,” he warned.

Slo looked to see the familiar figures, “Ham and Fury. Great.” The sarcasm was not lost on anyone in the room. “I’ll get it. Don’t say anything about Agony.” Slo moved to the door as G-Wiz went back to his video game, a move only part subterfuge. Slo doubted the kid had the attention span to really care what was going on. Before opening the door he schooled his face to be pleasant and cooperative, a necessity when dealing with Sage Agents. He smiled at his guests as they came into view beyond the swing of the door, “Evening officers.”

“Evening Slo, how’s it going?” It was Agent Ham who spoke. It was always Ham who spoke. Slo was pretty sure he’d never seen Special Agent Fury speak or give any indication as to what the ‘special’ was for, but he was equally sure he never wanted to see either. “May we come in?”

“Sure thing,” he replied as he stepped aside, ushering their entrance. They moved passed the empty front room and into the area Slo had just been. He gestured to his younger roomie, “You know Wiz.”

Ham nodded, “Indeed.” G-Wiz gave a week nod in reply but kept playing his game.

Two stools appeared where Slo had earlier leaned, “Have a seat. Can I get you anything?” he asked as he moved further into the kitchen.

“No thanks,” Ham replied, taking a seat in one of the stools. Special Agent Fury didn’t, instead continuing past the island to take up station where she could see the whole room.

Slo settled against the sink facing opposite Ham on the other side of the island, leaning again. “What can I do for you?”

Ham reached into his overcoat and produced a file. “We need to cash in a favor.” He slid the file across the island to Slo.

He opened the file and saw the now familiar dossier of one Agony. Popular guy, he thought as he mock reviewed the file. It was almost identical to the one Joshua had shown him, except for Sage protocols. “Quite the character,” he said, closing the file and setting it on the counter. “But what’s it got to do with me?”

“We believe he could be a valuable asset. If we can get him on our side, that is.” Looks like Joshua wasn’t the only one who thought so. Hell, Slo agreed, but he still wasn’t sure why everyone thought he was the guy to do it. What had they seen in the file that he hadn’t? Files weren’t really his area though. There wasn’t anything they could tell him that a few minutes observing a person could. He was much better in person. Ham continued, “He applied for a Room assignment. We’re assigning him here.”

Slo and G-Wiz exchanged a quick glance. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought Fury noticed the look, though she didn’t react to it. “And you want me to do what exactly?”

“Nothing much, really. Just get to know him. Be friendly, or whatever it is you do.” Ah, now he was beginning to see. Slo had a reputation for collecting people. Not in a bad way, but Slo had a way of earning stranger’s confidence. This usually led him to be responsible for them in some way. G-Wiz was proof of that, his most recent project.

“That’s it?”

Ham nodded, “For the most part. We want him to work for us, so a little nudging on your part will be necessary, but first we want to get a read on him. Convincing this guy will require some finesse. He’s not big on authority.” G-Wiz stifled a laugh, causing Ham to turn his attention to him, “We expect you’ll be assisting in this too.” He slid of the stool and straightened his coat, “We’re not asking. You’re both aware of the contract for staying here. It’s not a choice. We’re approving his application tomorrow. Be expecting him.” He signaled to Fury, ready to leave, “We’ll be in touch.” The two headed to and out the door, leaving the two in silence.

Well, he thought, that was the danger of living in the Rooms. He did take a certain amount of satisfaction though in the fact that he was essentially paying back Sage by doing what he was already planning to do. And this way he didn’t have to track Agony down. All he had to do was wait. Oh joy. All this hype, Slo couldn’t wait to meet him. And only most of that was sarcasm.

End

Adept Tales 02 "Hallowicked"

Halloween was going to be great this year. It had to be. He’d spent months planing, buying decorations, building props and sets, developing costume ideas…preparing. Halloween was the only holiday Brandon liked. It was the one time of year when the unnoticed could be noticed. When it was okay to be different because, on that night, everyone was. Ever since he was 8 years old, he’d dreamt of having the prefect Halloween. In truth, it had been since then that he’d been planning this night. This night. The thought sent a shiver through him. All this time, and it was finally here.

He had the entire thing planned to a tee. He’d designed the set in the front yard to not only be scary, but to also be easy to put together so it could mysteriously materialize minutes before sundown. His costumes too were a combination of street cloths and elaborate yet easily adorned accessories designed to allow for quick changes depending on the situation and candy customer. These things were the easy part. The part that Brandon’s parents had agreed to. The part they even helped fund. The real trick was the haunted house. The haunted house was the corner stone of the entire plan. The costumes and yard make over where just window dressing. The real attraction was always the haunted house. Unfortunately, Brandon’s parents were not cooperative. “Do what ever you want to the yard, but leave the inside alone!” He’d spent years trying to convince them otherwise to no avail, but this year gave him a unique opportunity.

Brandon’s parents weren’t into Halloween the way he was. Mom’s holiday was Christmas; Dad’s, Thanksgiving. But even those they approached with lackadaisical enthusiasm. What that meant for Brandon was that his parents had never in his life gone to a holiday party of any kind. This year though, Dad started a new job at some multi-million dollar IT company. He managed to land a position that was just low enough on the totem poll to not be overly stressful, but high enough to be noticed if you don’t attend a company event. And lucky for Brandon, J.W. Technologies threw a huge Halloween party every year. Guess who was going.

What may seem to you as a sliver of an opening was the Grand Canyon for Brandon. He knew his parents well. Well enough to know they’d stay at the party till next to ending. Dad was always overly conscious of appearances and would stay and appear to have a great time until they started cleaning up. And if he really wanted to impress someone, he’d help clean up. He really wanted to impress these guys. By all accounts it was a great place to work, and the benefits he got blew any other employer out of the water. Oh yea, he’d stay. Brandon knew this with a reasonable amount of surety.

That gave him the house, but how to get it all ready in time? The party started at 6 p.m. but Dad would want to get there early, say 5 or 5:30, which only left Brandon a half-hour, hour max to set up. He’d been very careful to not tip his hand to his parents. He hadn’t told anyone about the haunted house, relying on the scenery to draw customers on the day of. He hadn’t wrote or sketched any of the details the way he had the front yard. He hadn’t even bought most of the supplies he needed yet. He knew if his parents caught wind of it they might not go or make him go with, and he couldn’t have that. He worked very hard to keep his parents overly aware of that which he was allowed to do and oblivious to that which he wasn’t.

At 4:30 Brandon sat impatiently in his room waiting for his parents to leave. Every few seconds he’d look at his watch or bedside clock, agonizing over each moment in anticipation of the event. He’d already bribed some neighborhood kids into setting up the yard for him, so all he had to worry about was the house. If they left when he hoped they would, he’d have just over an hour to get to the store, grab what he needed, get back and set up the inside before sundown. It seemed feasible to him. He knew exactly what he needed at the store and had been scoping it out for weeks, strategically planning his route to increase expedition. Timed on several occasions, he could get to the store, through his route and back home in 20 minutes. If everything went to plan, he’d have 40 minutes to get the haunt in the house. He could do that. If his schedule got thrown off though, he might be pushing it. If the line at the store was long, if there was traffic, if his parents didn’t leave till later…What time is it? Looking at the clock again, 4:31.

By 5 Brandon is worked up near to frenzy. Why are they still here? Leave already! He watched painstakingly as the moments ticked away. At 5:02 he’s pacing. Come on, come on. If you go now I’ll have time. 5:03. Shit, shit. I should have had a plan B. Why didn’t I develop a plan B? 5:04 and Brandon’s near tears. I can still do it but I won’t be ready at sundown. It won’t be perfect. All that planning. And what if they don’t go at all? So close, I was so—“Brandon hunny, we’re leaving. Have a good time tonight.”

Relief washed over him as he ran to his bedroom window to watch them drive away. As soon as they were around the corner he sprinted down the stairs and out to his beat up orange VW Bug. Maybe next year he’d paint it like a pumpkin like he’d always wanted to, but now wasn’t about the car. It was about the house. He sped away, giving a wave and a nod to the neighborhood kids to make sure they hadn’t forgotten their duties. As he hit the main street, luck continued to be with him; traffic was light. He made it to the store in record time. I’m going to make it! Excitement building, bubbling ever closer to the inevitability of his triumph.

The store too was on his side. Someone was pulling out as he pulled in so he got a close parking space. Everything he wanted was in stock and when he got to the register there was no line. With his cart full and his wallet empty he sped out to the parking lot. He was so focused on his plan and so excited for it’s completion that he almost didn’t see Johnny Landaus and Paul Murphy on their collision course with him. Almost. He looked up from the 5th inventory he’d done on the bags since leaving the register just in time to see them come a bow to his cart.

Paul stopped the cart with the menace typical of every high school bully, “Whatcha got here, Blandon?”

“Huh, huh, Blandon. Good one Paul.” Blandon? Was that Johnny and Paul’s idea of wit? What the hell does that even mean? That he’s bland? Is that even an insult? If so it’s not a very good one.

“Hey, I’m talking to you space case.” The menace level turned up a notch. Paul didn’t need to be witty. He was violent and that trumped witty in a fight.

“Supplies. It’s supplies. I’m putting together a haunted house.”

“A haunted house? Cool.” Johnny didn’t have wit or violence, but he did whatever Paul said and that was dangerous in a whole different way.

“A haunted house, huh? What, you got some strobe lights and fake skeletons so you can lure dudes into your bedroom?” To this Johnny laughed hysterically. At least he thought Paul was funny.

Normally Brandon would be intimidated by this situation, but he was too close to let a couple bullies snare him for long. “Right. I’d invite you guys, but you already have each other, right?" Johnny didn’t get the joke, but Paul did. Brandon watched as his face turned several shades of red and purple. He could feel more than see Paul’s muscles bunch for a punch.

“Everything ok out here?” Saved by the rent-a-cop. Paul’s muscles relaxed, but his eyes pierced into Brandon with a merciless fury. “I said is everything ok?”

With a smirk Brandon just couldn’t help he said, “Yea, everything’s fine. These guys were just leaving.” His eyes never left Paul’s, and he couldn’t help but feel like he was in a movie. He couldn’t believe this was happening. That he’d stood up to Paul and his boy toy. He felt like he could do anything in that moment.

“Right. Let’s get a move on then. You’re loitering.”

Paul backed off the cart as Brandon nodded to the rent-a-cop and continued to his car. When he fired up the engine and saw the time he was amazed. 5:11. Even with that episode he was somehow ahead of schedule. He really was going to make it.

When he pulled in front of his house he was pleased to see the neighborhood kids diligently at work setting up the yard. He smiled and tossed a bag of candy to one of them. This was part of the bribe. When he got inside he immediately got to work. With expert speed and precision he plotted out the course of the haunted house. Elements flew into place as the atmosphere of his home changed into an eerie, creaky, dark abode of horror. By 5:36 every thing was ready. 5:36? I still have a half-hour before show time! Secretly this is what he’s hoped for all along.

Since he had to keep the haunted house secret from his parents he hadn’t been able to do any promoting. And while the front yard did look awesome (the neighborhood kids did an excellent job setting up) he wasn’t sure it would be enough to get people into the haunted house. But now that he had extra time, he could hit the streets and drum up business. He designed a costume specifically for this task. Like everything, it was easy to put on, incorporating his regular cloths. After less then a minute he was adorned in the perfect approximation of an undead sideshow caller. Off he went down the street, announcing along the way, “Haunted House at sundown! Don’t miss the spectacle that will leave you in terror for years to come. Come on down, all ages welcome. No charge and candy for the kiddies at the back door. Haunted House at sundown!”

Time and excitement got away from him. He found that many of his neighbors were very interested in his haunted house, expressing their intent to attend. Soon the whole tract was abuzz. Brandon was elated. All his expectations were not only coming true, but also being exceeded. Only now he found himself blocks away from home with mere minutes till sundown.

He ran full tilt back to his street, fueled by pride and anticipation. When he got to his house, panting from the exertion, his heart dropped. No. Even in his head the word was filled with defeat and depression. The yard was destroyed. Decorations were torn down. Caskets smashed to splinters. Fake webbing burned and smoldering on the lawn alongside ripped open trash bags and their intestines. No! This time more forceful, more defiant. Brandon ran inside, threw open the door, No, no, no, no. Destroyed. Like vandals they’d come through and laid havoc. Spray paint across the faux-walls declaring “Fags this way” and other colorful comments. Decorations were broken, lights smashed. He had a moment to realize they’d only touched the decorations and none of the actual house before the rage broke over him.

Brandon wasn’t normally an angry person. Of all his years of being a zero, none of the bullying got to him too much. So, when the rage broke, it broke hard. “Noooo!” Years of frustration and anger spilled into that word, as the house seemed to vibrate from its force. He fell hard to his knees, slouching down nearly defeated. No. He couldn’t let them win. He’d worked too hard, too long to let those assholes beat him. He began hitting the floor in a steadily growing cadence aligned in his mind with No…..no…no..no, “Nooo!” He smashed his fist into the vinyl wood grain floor and something broke over him. But it wasn’t rage this time. No, it was something new.

It was as if he could see everything at once; the front yard, the house in disarray, even himself kneeled on the ground. Then, a light bulb illuminated above his mind; he knew how to fix it. He could put it all back. Without knowing how, he reached out with his mind. He saw the front yard flow back into it’s decorated state. No, not back. Into a new state, a better one. The decorations looked real. Not just cardboard headstones, but real marble. The bones of the dead seemed to have real rotting flesh on their bones, and Brandon couldn’t be sure, but did the wings on that Gargoyle statue just flex?

The inside was next. He stood now in the eye of the storm as the house itself bent and reshaped. Decorations vanished, forgotten, as the walls themselves became the scenery. Ghouls and goblins were released from his mind to wonder the halls, waiting for their prey. Each room was transformed into a different nightmare, each door leading to a new discovery of horror. This was how he really imagined it. Not the shell mock up he had done earlier, but this. Something so near to real that anyone would be convinced they had crossed into Hell. He marveled now at what he had done, still not sure how he had done it. A smile played on his face though, as he stood unafraid in the construct of this new power.

The doorbell chiming pulled him away from his amazement. Outside, just as the sun was setting was a line of people waiting to be let in. Many more were milling around the yard, amazed by the decorations. Brandon heard one of the neighborhood kids say, “We helped put it together. Cool huh?” Brandon had to smile at that. Really they hadn’t done any of this, but he’d let them have their moment. After all, they had done a great job before it was destroyed.

Just as he was about to let the first group in, Johnny and Paul came pushing through the crowd. “What the shit is this?” Paul did not look happy.

“I told you I was having a Haunted House. You didn’t believe me?”

“But we destr—err, I mean, oh yea. I forgot.” He must have noticed Officer Brown, the neighborhood cop. “So, you gonna let us in or what?”

“Sure. Right this way.” As the door closed the people outside could hear the boys’ scream, terrifying and thrilling them at the same time. Some even got out of line, but most stayed.

Soon after, Brandon returned and began taking more groups in. Each was treated to a haunting experience that seemed to vary greatly with each individual telling. Kids experienced an almost joyful tour that left them fearful but not crying. Couples were scared into each other’s arms. The kids from Brandon’s school walked through a maze of terror reminiscent of the kinds of horrors they’d come to expect from the movies of the day. No matter what they saw, each guest exited safely at the back of the house where the kids were treated to handfuls of candy. Adults too if they wanted. All exited except Johnny and Paul that is.

All through the night people claimed they could still hear the boys screaming. That they must have ran home after getting out. How embarrassing to scream like such a little girl when you act so big and bad. No one questioned where they were, but all laughed at how they must have pissed themselves to make a noise such as that. As the night wound down and people went home, Brandon too could hear the screams of Johnny and Paul. He smiled at their terror. I guess I’ll have to let them out soon. Darn.

There was a knock at the door. Brandon hadn’t expected any more people. Time was getting short. Mom and Dad would be home soonish, but he was game to let one more group through. Waiting on the other side of the door was a man and a woman. They were dressed up like old style detectives, except the woman was more Victorian, if that makes sense. “And what are you guys supposed to be?”

The man flashed a badge and said in a friendly tone, “We’re from Sage. I’m Agent Ham, this is Special Agent Fury.”

“Um, ok. What’s Sage?” Paul screamed loud and long. The kind of scream that lets you know someone is being ripped open with a dull knife. Special Agent Fury became alert, looking past Brandon into the house, trying to see who had screamed. “Oh don’t worry about them. They’re fine. Nothing can hurt them in here. It’s only a haunted house after all.”

Agent Ham’s expression and tone never changed. “Fun’s over Brandon. Let em out. Then we have some things to discuss. Hurry too cause your parents are on their way home.” The two walked inside, pushing past Brandon, making themselves at home.

“Hey, how’d you know my name?” Brandon closed the door as the two strangers prepared to open one to a whole new world for him.

End

Adept Tales 01 "Mission 1"

The wind swept deserts of Nevada could be very dangerous. The wind blew harder here sending shards of sand into Tash’s face. I must be close. She pulled out her trusty C69 Rail-Pistol and continued forward. Or at least that’s what she called it. It’s doubtful it’s ever been seen anywhere else. It was like that when you were an Adept. Everyone had their own little toy or creation. Everyone wrapped up in their own little world, and this chick really got herself wrapped up in a doozie.

Tash had been out of Sage’s training program for about 6 months now, but this was her first real assignment. That’s not too cliché. Should’ve brought Ensign Ricky to back me up. Nerves usually came out in sarcasm. Well, nerves and most emotions really. It’s not like she was green though. When she first manifested she became a vigilante of sorts in her city. That’s what drew Sage to her. At least that’s what they told her. But something about this girl she was after was different. She didn’t pop on any of the normal radar. The first Sage got wind of her at all was 3 months ago when a biker gang claimed to have come across a sand witch in the desert. The local authorities thought it was some kind of joke, but Sage makes a point of at least trying to look into any strange activity reported in Norm society, so they sent some feelers out. What they came back with is what gave Tash the wigs.

According to Sage Intel whoever was out in that dessert has never had any contact with other Adepts. It’s like some kind of Adept dead zone. Population density versus square miles or something. Tash didn’t really understand the math, but what it meant was there were no other Adepts to challenge her out here. It meant this chick, for god knows how long, has been living out in the desert, alone, with the ability to shape reality around her with no idea why she’s able to do it or anyone to mediate her. It meant Simple Sally probably has one hell of a god complex and an appetite for destruction. If the biker’s statements were any proof, this is one twisted sand bitch. Sage policy though is to at least try to rehabilitate. This was supposed to be strictly a snatch and grab operation, but somehow she doubted it.

The wind seemed to get more and more furious as she continued on. Sand slammed into her with surprising force, nearly knocking her to the ground. Fuck this. Tash activated the armor hidden under her cloths. Metal alloy of an unknown and technologically advanced origin surrounded her and left her looking like a futuristic super soldier. The sand and wind were no match. That was easy. Either she’s not that powerful or she wasn’t expecting to be resisted.

Her answer came thundering into her mind. She saw the sand grow dark and furious in front of her. A shape of a women barely on the outline moving in, then the gravel sound of sand slammed into her ears and into her mind, shouting with a voice of fury, “How dare you defy me!” Tash fell to her knees, hands to her head, C69 forgotten in the sand. The voice ripped her to shreds from the inside out. The fury of sand, shards of infant glass tearing at her soul.

In agony she managed to say in an almost inaudible whisper, “Activate sound filters.” The click and hum of advanced electronics manifested into her helmet, then silence. Free from the voice and the fury of the sand, Tash threw her self backwards, backpedaling on the ground away from the shape in the sand. It regarded her with eyes of darkness. ‘It’ now because Tash was no longer sure this was just some crazy girl. Something else was at play here. She could feel it. Almost as if the shadows heard her thoughts, the darkness began to swarm around her. Like a see of blackness it rose on all sides, blotting the desert sun already diminished from the sandstorm still in progress.

Training, reaction, finally kicked in. Flip kick back to her feet, a Turbine-X950 Super Shotgun in her hands. Click-click, Boom! A barrage of shrapnel flew into the sand figure, scattering particles of its makeshift body into the wind. Click-click, Boom! Another and another as she stepped closer and closer, each shot whittling the creature away.

Beneath the sand the shadow began to grow, filling the empty spaces with a solid void. As Tash gazed into that emptiness she began to slow. Click…Click……Boom. Her mind dissolved into that nothingness, floating toward the safety of oblivion. Just then a tiny little dot of light caught her eye and as she watched it, it grew. It began to shine brightly, illuminating the dark, and suddenly she found herself back starring at the sand-shadow beast, shotgun forgotten held loosely at her side. What happened? Oh yea! Re-energized, she blasts into the sand with renewed determination. Click-click, Boom! One after another, but this time a light surrounds each shot, shredding the darkness.

As Tash watched the darkness subside, she noticed the sandstorm begin to die down. More then that it seemed to be running from the dark. Perhaps rehabilitation isn’t out of the question. As the final shots chased away the shadows, the wind died down to a whisper, the sand parted and fell revealing a woman lying still on the ground. Tash moved cautiously forward, C69 back in her hands now instead of the sand shredder, eyes never wavering from the figure on the ground. She began to stir. ‘She’ again because whatever ‘it’ was, was gone. The face turned to Tash was sharp with dark features; sand worn and hard, but a weariness shown at the eyes. She had the look of the betrayed. Like one who was promised the world and failed to get delivery. Shocked, alone, afraid.

Gun still pointed Tash released the visor of her armor, revealing her own face. “I’m from Sage. I’m here to take you in. What’s your name?”

The woman looked up with sullen eyes, “Sandi. My name’s Sandi.”

“Will you come with me willingly Sandi?”

Sandi’s eyes began to drift up with watery abandon, face poised on the verge of collapse, but the floodgates held. She seemed to pull herself back from the edge, composed for the moment. Eyes still diverted though, looking somewhere up and to the right, but not really looking at all.

“Sandi. Will you come with me?”

Her eyes came back to Tash’s with a measuring look. In that moment Tash saw something she hadn’t expected. Intelligence, but more than that. Something on the edge of that look struck Tash as devious. As a calculated gesture of measuring the odds. Part of Sandi wanted to take the fight further. But in the end her eyes reflected their master’s surrender, “I will.”

With those two words Tash felt Sandi’s resistance slip away. It was over. The C69 went back to it’s home on her hip as she extended a hand to Sandi. As they headed back to Tash’s XJ-50 HoverCyke she began to feel better the further they got from the dead zone. Strange, because she hadn’t realized anything was wrong, but as they moved away from the scene of the battle, a sensation of dread she hadn’t realized she had began seeping away. She saw that Sandi seemed to perk up too, though she was still defeated, in more ways than one. She's going to need a lot of help, but that’s what Sage is for.

As they got to Tash’s HoverCyke the sun was just reaching the tips of the distant mountains. Well, as far as cliches go, riding off into the sunset ain’t bad. I even got the girl. Looks like mission 1 is a success. “Too bad Ensign Ricky didn’t make it.”

“What?”

“Nothing Sandi, nothing.”

End