A "Captain Scarlet & the Mysterons" story
“Is it really you… or are you a Mysteron agent?”
Doctor Fawn was scrutinising
Harmony with suspicious eyes.
The petite woman was crouched in front of Rochester, checking if he was really
dead. Reassured that it was the case, she got
to her feet.
“So it is the
Mysterons' doing, then,” she commented. “I thought as much.”
She took a step forward;
Fawn backed away, only to find himself with his back to the wall.
“Keep away from me,” he
warned, in a threatening tone.
She smiled, trying to appear
reassuring.
“I don't blame you for being
distrustful, Doctor,” she said quietly.
“Damned right I am,” Fawn
mumbled. “Burgundy and Bromwell told us you were
– dead. That you suffocated inside Angel One's cockpit once your oxygen ran out.
And then you showed up, very much alive and – apparently – saving my life. What am I to think?”
“I escaped,” she answered
simply. “Before I ran out of air. But it is an
advantage if the Mysterons think of me as dead.”
“How did you escape?” Fawn asked suspiciously. “You were trapped in the cockpit. As I understand it, Burgundy blocked all
commands. You couldn't get out.”
“Or so he believed. I know all there is about the Angel
craft, Doctor. All its
specifications – all its security features.
I knew how to bypass whatever jamming features had been set, get the belly hatch
open, and access the chute beneath.
I simply climbed down to safety from there.”
“You climbed down to
the Amber Room?” Fawn asked with a
doubtful frown.
Harmony chuckled. “I
didn't dare go that far. I realised that, under the circumstances, the Amber
Room might be under surveillance.” She paused for a moment.
“I used the first maintenance hatch I found,” she explained. “It's a good
thing I am so small. I ended up in
the repair bay. From there I made
my way through the corridors, avoiding cameras and security systems.” She nodded slowly. “It was Burgundy's
doing then? I knew that could only
be done from the Control Room… So
it was during his shift he did it – after the Mysterons took control of him. I
understand now.”
“Right,” Fawn said gloomily. “You would say that now. How am I to know it's not all an act?”
“It is really me. I can assure you, I am not a Mysteron
agent.” Seeing that Fawn still
seemed wary of her, she pointed to Rochester, lying at her feet. “Didn't I just save you from him, and
kill him in the process?”
“Uh-uh,” a still doubtful
Fawn retorted. “With Mysterons, that doesn't prove anything. How did you get here, avoiding detection? All surveillance cameras are under enemy
control.”
Harmony sighed. “I played hide and seek with every camera and security device
I knew of – to avoid being spotted.
I am very good at that.”
“So you say,” Fawn replied
harshly. “I still don’t believe you.”
She tilted her head to one
side, thinking. “Isn't there a way
for me to prove to you that I am the real me? Isn't there an X-ray machine we
can use that will show you I'm still human?”
“X-rays are not commonly
used these days, you know that.
Although we still use the term now and then, out of habit.
No, we…” Fawn suddenly stopped in the middle of his diatribe as something
occurred to him. He slapped his
forehead with his open palm. “God,
I must be either tired or very upset to have forgotten about that.” He rounded his desk – managing to
keep clear of Harmony – and strode to his cabinet, fishing the key out of his
pocket. He unlocked it, mumbling
against his own foolishness, and opened the door, under the curious eyes of the
Angel pilot standing behind him.
He produced a medium-sized,
red device, hanging from a strap that he put around his neck before turning to
Harmony. She needed only a glance
to know what this thing was and what he was doing.
“If I had remembered about
it sooner, maybe I could have avoided Captain Blue injuring me,” Fawn mumbled.
“Pardon me?” Harmony
inquired, rather surprised to hear that Captain Blue would hurt the good doctor. Unless he was a Mysteron himself, of
course… Fawn simply shrugged at her
question. He pointed the detector
in her direction; she didn't move when he pressed the command button.
It didn't take long for a
picture to pop up from the top of the machine; still keeping an eye on Harmony,
Fawn took it and checked it.
Harmony saw a smile slowly spreading on his lips.
“So you believe me now?” she
asked, finally approaching him.
“I'm sorry if I was
suspicious, Harmony,” Fawn apologised, putting the Mysteron detector on the
desk. “But with the Mysterons, you know that
we can't take anything – anyone – for granted. So when we were told you died…”
“There is no need to
apologise, Doctor.” She smiled kindly. “It was perfectly understandable that you
should have doubts about me. Considering you were surrounded by Mysterons agents
who were keeping you prisoner.
Doctor, I wish to understand… How
has this happened? While trekking across Cloudbase, I only
found people unconscious – everywhere.
Then I saw a guard awake, and followed him through here and…” She stopped, suddenly noticing that Fawn
didn't seem to be listening to her at all; instead, he was looking at the
picture he was holding in his hand, brow furrowed in deep absorption. “Is something wrong?” she asked a little
warily. “Didn't I just…”
“Nothing's wrong with you,
Harmony,” he reassured her quickly with a shake of his head. “That is… if this
detector isn't defective… which I suspect isn't the case,” he mused, lowering
the picture and glancing at the detector sitting on his desk, the frown
deepening on his brow.
“What do you mean, Doctor?”
a curious and slightly confused Harmony asked.
In answer, Fawn shook his
head and handed her the picture.
She took it and looked at it, still wondering what he was babbling about.
The picture – the proof that
she wasn't a Mysteron agent – showed the X-ray image of herself standing in
front of the office door. It was
almost a full-frame shot, and at first, Harmony couldn't see exactly what Fawn
had found wrong with it.
She suddenly opened her eyes
wide with astonishment when she realised what it was.
In the picture, just
behind the X-ray of herself, she could see the body of Rochester slumped on the
floor…
… showing an X-ray image
just like herself.
She turned around, looking
at the man lying dead on the floor behind her, looked back at the picture as if
to make sure it was the same, and stared at him again.
“That's impossible,” she
murmured, as her mind registered the information – and the full extent of what
it meant.
“On the contrary, it's quite
possible,” Fawn declared, compelling her to turn her attention to him. He was leaning against his desk, and was
also looking thoughtfully in the direction of the dead body. “How else could the Mysterons actually
be able to take over Cloudbase – if not with the help of at least one human
agent?”
* * *
“What the devil is he
doing here?”
Rhapsody Angel, standing by
his side, had hissed between her teeth the same question Captain Blue was asking
himself. They were both watching
warily as Ochre and Scarlet were walking toward the newcomer to welcome him. In the true spirit of his character,
Burgundy bowed in front of them, before they clasped hands.
“You want to bet he’s here
to make sure I play the game as I’m supposed to play it, and kill Scarlet?” Blue
answered in a murmur.
“I’m not betting,” she
answered quickly, in the same
fashion. “Because I’m fairly sure you’re right. It wasn’t enough we had to be wary of
Captain Black,” she added, addressing a venomous glare at the approaching
Burgundy, “now we have him to contend with as well.”
“Don’t worry,” Blue replied. “Whatever his plans are, there is
nothing he can do that will make me do what his masters want. I can assure you of that.”
“You are right to be
suspicious of the Lord Vali, my prince.”
The voice suddenly raised on Blue’s right nearly made him jump. He turned in that direction.
Symphony was standing there, obviously having just come back to his side.
Blue wondered how much she had heard of his conversation with Rhapsody.
Obviously not enough to make
her suspicious he might be losing his mind – like the night before – as she
continued, nodding in Vali’s direction, “If I remember correctly, this is the
man who came searching for you in Vanaheim, after the incident at the pass of
Svartalf, is it not? And according
to what you told me, his was the strongest voice against the union of our
two peoples…”
“Er…”
To tell the truth, Blue didn’t know how to answer this. He was mystified. Was this already part of the plot on which the game was
based, or had the Mysterons suddenly changed the rules to fit their plans?
“Nay, Lady Iduna,” the voice
of Grey suddenly said from behind.
He too had approached the group, and was looking with suspicion in Burgundy’s
direction. “Lord Vali was against
the union of our two peoples only because he could not be betrothed to a
Valkyrie himself…” He smiled
cautiously, “… Namely, yourself.”
“Pfah!”
Symphony replied with disdain.
“Even if I was not already married, this so-called ‘prince’ Vali would not even
stand a chance!” She touched Blue’s
forearm lightly. “Keep a cautious
eye on him, husband. He might hold
a grudge against you.”
“No kidding,” Blue muttered under his breath. He made a mental note to ask Doctor Fawn
to look up Vali’s name, and see what part he played in the Aesgard legends. He
couldn’t recall having seen it anywhere.
Somehow, he had the impression that it could be vital information, in
view of the situation.
Escorted by both Scarlet and Ochre, with
Green following close behind,
Burgundy was coming in their direction.
Blue tensed suddenly, ready for anything; but the newcomer simply stopped a mere
three steps in front of him and bowed slightly.
“Salutations to you, Prince Hodur,” he said
courteously – and, Blue noted, in a lilting accent.
“And may I offer you my sincerest congratulations to you and your spouse,
the fair Lady Iduna?” He only
offered a glance in Symphony’s direction, but she turned her eyes away, feigning
to ignore him. Blue responded to
the bow with a curt nod of his own.
He was perplexed; Burgundy had the same accent as all the others. Of all the people playing the game, he
had noticed that only Rhapsody and himself didn’t share that accent; he had
gathered that it was because, unlike the others, they were not really under the
influence of the game and remembered who they were. He didn’t know about Black – he hadn’t had the chance to hear
him at all in this setting.
But exactly what was the deal with
Burgundy/Vali right now?
“And this is, I believe, the Lady Nanna?”
Burgundy took Rhapsody’s hand before she could even react.
“My wife, Lord Vali,” Scarlet presented.
“A fitting lady for you, my prince.” Burgundy brought Rhapsody’s hand to his
lips. She made an effort not to
shiver when he lightly touched her fingers.
His lips… are so cold…
She removed her hand, swiftly enough to make
him understand that she wasn’t letting herself be impressed nor deceived by his
amiable behaviour. She thought she
saw a bright glow in Scarlet’s eyes, if ever so briefly.
‘Vali’
straightened up.
“Please accept my apologies, my princes,”
Burgundy continued nonchalantly, “for having missed the ceremony last night. But as you know well, I was busy
patrolling the Northern border of our Kingdom.”
“Did those dogs of Svartalfheim cause you any
trouble, Lord Vali?” Scarlet asked in a detached enough tone.
“Nay, my prince, except for some isolated
bands of brigands, they are keeping rather quiet.
‘Twould seem that Svartalfheim men are very cautious now, since their
encounter with the combined forces of Prince Hodur’s troops – and those of Lady Iduna.”
“Need we more proof that the alliance between
our peoples’ forces is for the best, then, Lord Vali?”
Grey asked. “As you may
recall, you were not entirely in agreement with this decision.”
“I can admit my mistakes, Lord Tyr,” Burgundy
answered suavely. “And I should
never doubt our Lord Odin’s decisions.
He is, after all, usually right.”
“He is always right,” Ochre corrected
with assurance.
“However, let us not be over-confident, my
brother,” Scarlet remarked. “This
alliance does not mean we are totally safe from our enemies.
On the contrary, now they
will feel more threatened than before – and they will take whatever steps they
deem necessary to protect themselves… and eventually destroy us.” With a twinkle in his eyes, he drew his
sword. “That is why we must be
vigilant and keep our skills sharp.
Your sword, Lord Vali!”
A distraught Captain Blue watched as a faint,
cruel smile spread across Burgundy's lips and he slowly drew his sword. A quick glance at Rhapsody's suddenly
ashen face told him she shared his concern.
What if this was it, then?
What if Burgundy himself was set to kill Scarlet in this world – would the
indestructible man survive in the real one this time? Can I take the chance? Blue wondered. Almost without thinking, he took one
step forward… Only to see Burgundy
turning to him and throwing him his sword, handle first. A surprised Blue
clumsily caught the weapon, and just avoided being touched by the blade.
“It would seem, Lord Balder,” Burgundy said
quietly, “that your brother would like to take my place and duel with you.”
“Hey!” Blue protested, glaring angrily at
Burgundy. “I never…”
“Aye, Vali,” Scarlet said with a smile, not
hearing Blue's objection. “Lord
Hodur does need training. We do not
want his skill and reflexes to rust so he becomes easy prey for the heathens. Guard yourself, brother!”
Scarlet lunged forward, attacking Blue with
his sword. Taken by surprise again, this time by
the suddenness of the assault, Blue only had time to parry. Blade loudly clashed against blade, only a inch away from Blue's face. It was a good thing he had good
reflexes, or he would, at the very least, have received a scarring blow.
He forcibly pushed Scarlet's sword – and
Scarlet at the same time – away from him, his face ashen with anger. “That was NOT funny!”
“Good reflexes, my brother,” Scarlet
retorted, smirking with obvious satisfaction.
Not far from him, Burgundy was also sneering in a similar fashion, but his smile
had something sinister to it.
“Would you care to continue the joust?”
“That's enough!”
Just as Scarlet was preparing to reiterate his attack, Rhapsody stepped
forward and put herself in front of Blue. Symphony did the same, only a second or two later; the two women
were now standing between both men, glaring meaningfully at Scarlet.
“Just what the HELL do you
think you are doing?” Rhapsody
snapped at him. “You know as well as we do that he's not in top shape!”
“It is a good thing that he
has indeed good reflexes,” Symphony said in turn.
“You could have hurt him seriously.”
Scarlet frowned,
his smile fading instantly; there
was exasperation in his features – as well as obvious displeasure – at the
girls' untimely intervention. He
lowered his sword.
“Do you honestly
believe that I would willingly hurt him?” he asked in a rather cold tone. He then addressed a reproachful glance
at Rhapsody. “That the Lady Iduna
would seek to protect her man is to be expected, but that you, my wife,
would also do the same…”
“I only wanted to
stop you making a grave mistake,” Rhapsody cut in quickly.
“Do you think me
careless enough to put my own brother's life in danger?
I know my own strength and skills, woman.”
“But you’ve
obviously lost sight of his,” Rhapsody reiterated obstinately. “He still needs
time to recover…”
“He also needs to
get back into shape to face the battles ahead!
The sooner, the better.” Scarlet
glared at Rhapsody and then at Blue.
“And I will have to add, my lady, that you seem to have recovered
enough fire for the both of you.
After all, you did shared the same… harrowing… experience as my brother in the
Mountains. And I still wonder… what
exactly happened there.”
“We don’t
remember,” Rhapsody answered swiftly.
“Or so you keep
saying,” Scarlet replied dryly.
“We
genuinely don’t remember, Lord Balder,” Rhapsody repeated.
“When we find out, we'll be sure to tell you.: She didn't like the underlying suspicion she could hear
in Scarlet's voice.
Scarlet narrowed
his eyes. “Will you?” he seethed in a low tone.
“Was there more to that journey than you are willing to let on, the both
of you?”
“What do you mean
exactly?” Blue asked abruptly.
“That is enough.” Ochre stepped in front of Scarlet and
looked him squarely in the eyes.
“We do not need these pitiful quarrels between us, brothers and sisters,” he
said in a poised and reasonable tone.
“It would give too much pleasure to our enemies, if they should see dissension
amongst us.”
Blue had to fight
himself not to open eyes wide with surprise.
Ochre… acting as the voice of reason?!
Following the
remonstrance, Scarlet seemed to hesitate a second, before exhaling slowly and
deeply. He sheathed his sword, his eyes still on
Rhapsody. “Aye, brother Thor, you
are right,” he admitted. “There
should be no quarrels amongst us.
He grinned, addressing Blue.
“But you will need training soon, Hodur. And if it reassures your lady – and mine
– I promise I will go easy on you…”
“Why should you be
the one to train him?” Rhapsody
asked with a frown.
“Is this worry I
detect in my wife's voice?” Scarlet
answered with a chuckle. He obviously wasn’t willing to say at whom he assumed
this concern was aimed, but it was easy to guess his inner thoughts. “Do not
fear, Lady Nanna… Who better than
me to train him, indeed? In his
present state, if he becomes clumsy with a sword, he might hurt me,
accidentally. But I will be able to
recover without any trace of it left on my skin.
As you should know.”
Rhapsody blanched. Oh no…
Could this be how the Mysterons intended it to happen? She glared furiously at Burgundy who
was watching the scene quietly. By
the smug expression she could see on his face, she became more convinced than
ever that he had just that in mind, when he intentionally caused the altercation
between Scarlet and Blue – by handing that sword to the latter.
The manipulative
bastard… so full of himself…
“Lord Vali should
go about his business, my brothers,” Scarlet then said – and Rhapsody wondered
if he had noticed the uneasiness she was presently experiencing with the man in
question. “You were mandated to
keep an eye on Loki, Lord Vali. I
trust you will be up to the task?”
“Of course, Prince
Balder,” Burgundy confirmed obsequiously. “That is, as soon as we find out where Lord
Loki has disappeared to.”
“Disappeared?” Blue asked with a concerned frown.
“Aye, my prince,”
Green confirmed with a brief nod.
“It would appear that the villain is nowhere to be found at the moment. My warriors are still searching for him.”
“Is it not proof enough that Loki is indeed guilty of wrongdoing?”
Scarlet noted, not without dissatisfaction.
“I'm afraid this
will not be proof enough for our sire, Odin,” Ochre answered.
Scarlet shrugged
dismissively. “Nevertheless, it is obvious to my mind
that Loki is guilty. I need but one
excuse to run him through with my sword and be done with him once and for all.”
“But the prophecy…”
started Green.
“… Is nothing but
old maids' gossip,” Scarlet
interrupted him. “Spread by Loki himself to preserve his
miserable life from our liege's righteous justice. You will join the search, Lord Vali, and when you find Loki,
you will watch his every move.”
“My intentions
exactly, my Prince,” Burgundy replied with a slight bow.
“We will fall on
him like hawks, the moment we have confirmation of his malevolence,” Scarlet pursued with a sinister glow in his blue eyes. “And then, nothing, not Odin's
protection, nor the so-called Prophecy, will stay my hand. This, I vow to you. Loki will finally meet his well-deserved
fate.”
* * *
“Harmony is alive? That’s wonderful news!”
Not long after
everyone had departed the field, Blue had returned to his chamber. He had watched warily as Burgundy left with Green, to –
as he pretended – join in the search for the missing Loki. Rhapsody had left with Scarlet, and Symphony had joined
both Magenta and Grey, while Ochre announced that he had to meet with ‘his wife’
in that hunt invitation that he had mentioned earlier. That had left Blue to himself, with the opportunity to
contact Doctor Fawn on Cloudbase.
His chamber seemed to offer the best privacy – and safety – to do so.
As soon as he had
contact with Fawn, he reported Burgundy's presence in the fantasy world, and
expressed his concern at what the Mysterons’ intentions might be from there. Then he heard the doctor's news about
Harmony, and his first reaction was one of relief and joy.
Then, of doubts.
“You're sure she's
not a Mysteron?” he asked, stopping his pacing in the middle of the room.
“Positive. I can confirm one hundred percent that
she is not a Mysteron. She's our
same, good old Harmony. Don't ever
tell her I said that. She might not
appreciate being called ‘old’.”
“Rhapsody will be
so pleased to hear she’s okay,” Blue pursued.
“She was very upset when I told her that Harmony was dead…” He stopped suddenly, realising what the
doctor had just said. “Wait, Doctor… She's not with you at the moment?”
“Actually… no. She’s on a mission right now.”
Fawn explained the
latest developments; how Harmony had come into his office just in time to save
his life, after having escaped from Angel One’s cockpit and the death planned
for her by Burgundy. Then he told
of his earlier findings on his computer, just before he had been interrupted by
Rochester. He didn’t mention his
discovery of Rochester being human; that would only serve to raise more
questions, to which none of them had answers yet; they had little enough time to
lose as it was right now. There
would be time enough to discuss it later on, when the situation was resolved.
“As soon as I
mentioned that door and that it might hide Scarlet behind it, Harmony
volunteered to check it out. She
left a few minutes ago.”
“I hope she’ll be
careful,” Blue murmured. “We
wouldn’t want to lose her now that we found her alive and well.”
“Don’t worry about
Harmony,”
Fawn
reassured him.
“If there’s anyone who can successfully pull off a
mission like this, it’s certainly her.
She’s like a shadow, that girl.
With her Ninja-like skills, she’ll be able to avoid detection and find out what
– or who – is behind that door.”
“You don’t fool me,
Doctor. I know you must be as concerned about
her as I am.”
“I try not to think
about my worries too much, Captain.
Or I wouldn’t be able to do anything at all.”
“Good point. Do you know where that room is, Doctor?”
“I had trouble
finding it again, after we… dealt with Rochester.
Harmony and I lost precious minutes going through the surveillance cameras
again… But we did find it, eventually. If I’m not mistaken, that door is in the
R&D department. Probably one of the
laboratories there. It was rather
difficult to say. You see, although
I’ve been able to hijack the camera system, I failed to also access the program
needed to tell me which camera I’m looking through.”
“R&D?” Blue repeated with a puzzled frown. “Why would they keep Scarlet there?”
“If indeed he’s
there…”
Fawn
answered gloomily.
“But if he is… I shudder to think what they could have done to him in such a
place. There’s too many instruments there they could use to harm him –
indestructible though he might be.”
“Doc, he must be
alive,” Blue said softly. “Or he
wouldn’t be here…
in this fantasy world.”
“Yes… We must stay positive, you’re right. Anyway, we’ll soon know.
Harmony has a headset communicator.
She’ll contact me with the results of her investigation – as soon as she
has them.”
“Meanwhile, we have
to concentrate on the new problem we have here,” Blue continued. “Mainly, Burgundy’s presence. It would seem he wants to take a
more active role in this dangerous game. Despite the fact that he… talks… like
the others and appears to be as completely overcome by his character as
the others, I suspect he’s fully aware of who he really is. I’m sure it’s all an act.”
“Yes – he would
need to be in total control of himself in order to carry out his mission,”
Fawn agreed.
“This name he took,
Vali… it isn’t familiar to me. Can you look it up, Doc?”
“I’m just
checking as we’re talking, Captain…
Fortunately, I don’t need Worldnet for that.
Cloudbase has a rather extensive library on our Intranet.
It won’t be long now… Here
it is…”
There was a short
pause, during which Blue imagined that Fawn was reading the information he had
discovered. When he found that the
doctor wasn’t coming back fast enough to his taste, Blue called him back:
“Doc? Doctor Fawn, did you find something?”
“Yes, I did,”
the
voice of Fawn answered, with a sombre note to it.
“Did you say that Burgundy seemed to want to take a
more active role? Boy, you don’t know how right you were!”
“So?” Blue asked impatiently.
“Who is this Vali character?”
“Well, according to
legends… it seems that he killed Hodur.”
Blue rolled his
eyes. “Oh, great…”
“… To avenge the death of
Balder,”
Fawn added.
“Wonderful,” Blue
mumbled. “So if I understand his strategy
correctly, he’ll make sure I kill Scarlet, then will kill me afterwards.”
“That might be his
plan, yes,”
Fawn
confirmed. “Whether it is
or not, I suggest you be extra-wary of him, Captain Blue.”
“Unnecessary
advice, Doctor. I already am. Officially, he’s here to ‘keep an eye on Loki’. But I’m betting he’ll rather join forces
with him and stab us in the back.
I’m keeping my eyes wide open.
Rhapsody too. Have you found
anything on that Prophecy concerning Loki?”
“Not yet. But I’m working on it.”
“”We are too,” a thoughtful Blue said. “We’re just hoping that we will find out
before it’s too late.” He paused a
second. “We’d better end this
communication, now.”
“Agreed. I’ll contact you shortly with more
news.”
“S.I.G. The same here, Doc.
Good luck and be careful, please.”
“To whom are you
talking, brother?”
Blue had just cut
contact with Fawn when the voice suddenly rang out behind him; he nearly jumped
out of his skin, and turned on his heel.
The door was wide open; Captain Scarlet was standing in the doorway leading into
his chamber. He must have
opened that door very quietly, Blue mused.
“Balder… I didn’t
hear you come in,” Blue said, evading the awkward question.
“Obviously.” Scarlet entered, and approached slowly. “So…
to whom were you talking, just now?“
“Nobody, of course… Do you see anyone but me here?” Blue gestured around to emphasize his
point. He received nothing more
than a doubtful glance from Scarlet.
He cleared his throat. “I was just…
wondering out loud about… the Prophecy… you know?”
“The Prophecy,”
Scarlet repeated, slowly nodding his head.
“Yes, I heard you say the word. Do
not tell me you are worrying about that nonsense also?”
“Actually…” Blue continued a little awkwardly, “I was… wondering about… exactly what it
means?”
“What?” Scarlet scoffed.
“Either you are not being serious, brother, or you lost more than we suspected
in your journey to the Icy Mountains!”
“And what if I did?” Blue asked with a raised brow.
Scarlet sighed, and lowered
his head. “You are wasting my time with
trivialities, brother,” he muttered.
“What are you hiding from me? Or is
it that you are trying to avoid the question that you know will soon come from
me?”
“Pardon me?” Blue was
genuinely surprised by the remark.
Scarlet raised his head,
looking at him with gleaming eyes. “Where is she, Hodur?” he asked in a low
tone.
Blue frowned. “Where’s who?”
“My wife. The lady Nanna,” Scarlet explained,
approaching closer.
“Was she not with
you?” Blue asked. “I seem to remember you left the field together…”
“Aye. We left together.
But we quarrelled and we departed from each other’s company. Now I cannot find
her anywhere. So I thought she had
come to see you.”
“What did you
quarrel about?” Blue stopped and
did a double take, and his frown deepened, at the realisation of Scarlet’s
second statement. “Why did you think she would come to see me?”
“The answer to both
your questions is the same, Hodur,” Scarlet said meaningfully. “And I should think it would be obvious
to you.”
He stopped in front
of Blue, only a foot away from him, and glared coldly at him.
“I am not as foolish as you
imagine,” he said in a hard tone. “And neither am I blind…” Fast as lightning, his hand grabbed
Blue’s left wrist and lifted his hand to eye-level.
“This ring, brother,” he said between his teeth. “My wife is wearing the very
same. Did you exchange tokens, the
both of you? While you were alone in the Icy Mountains?”
“WHAT are you
talking about?” Blue lashed out, roughly removing his hand from Scarlet’s grip.
“You know very well
what I mean,” Scarlet replied brusquely.
“What did happen to the pair of you in those mountains, Hodur? Why did you go after the Valkyrie in the first place? I
remember you insisted on
going in my stead – when I offered myself.
What was it, brother? One Valkyrie
princess was not enough for you? You had to put two of them in your bed?”
“Are you totally
crazy?” Blue exclaimed, the accusation finally sinking in.
“I think not!”
Scarlet pointed an accusing finger at him.
“You claim you do not remember what
happened in the mountains. That is rather convenient…
Or are you really telling the truth?
I would not know for sure – but what I do know is that you seem to
perfectly remember your feelings for a woman who is now your brother’s wife.”
“You ARE crazy!”
Blue snapped back. “I do not
harbour such feelings for D… for Nanna.
How can you imagine
such a thing?”
“I should have seen
it before,” Scarlet said between his teeth, without hearing him out. “I had it before my eyes… I was warned,
but I chose not to listen.”
“Who warned
you?” Blue demanded suspiciously.
“That is enough,
Hodur!” Scarlet lashed out. He
literally sprang at Blue, before the latter could react, and roughly took him by
the collar of his tunic. Blue found
himself staring into his friend’s furious face.
“You WILL tell me where my wife is!”
“I don’t know where
she is!” Blue repeated.
“You are lying!”
Scarlet accused, raging. “You will
leave her alone from this moment on, brother,
or I swear it to you, I will make sure you
will!”
“Now this is
enough,” Blue said warningly. “Stop
this, please. I don’t want to hurt you, but...”
“You, hurt
me?” Scarlet cackled, a cruel smile playing
on his lips. “Brother, if you think
you can best me, you are sadly mistaken.”
He pushed Blue away, with such force that the blond man stumbled and had to
struggle to stay on his feet.
Scarlet started walking around him, pointing a warning finger at him. “Now, for the last time… Where is my
wife?”
“For the last time
– I don’t know! Listen, if you
can’t find her, maybe there are reasons for you to worry.
We have to join forces to find her…”
“I am worried,”
Scarlet growled, interrupting him.
“But, by Ymir’s blood, I will be damned to Hela’s domain, if ever I join with
you to search for my wife, treacherous brother!”
“Paul, please, make
sense! How can you believe a word you say?” Blue almost implored, calling on his
friend’s real name in the hope of making him listen. It wasn’t to be the case, unfortunately; he watched with
alarm as Scarlet drew his sword, seemingly ignoring his pleading.
“You leave me
little choice, Hodur,” Scarlet said, playing with the sword and slowly advancing
on Blue who was backing away as many steps.
“Mark my words, you will tell me where you hid my wife, or I swear to you, I
will slice the flesh from your…”
As Scarlet was
nearly on Blue, he was alerted by a faint sound behind him and turned quickly on
his heel – not quickly enough, as a huge earthenware jar came crashing right
onto his head; it just missed his face as, by a last reflex, he turned his head
the other way to avoid it. The blow
was strong enough to knock him out almost instantly, while the jar shattered
with a loud crash; he fell down on the floor, with a loud huff and sprawled
there, unconscious.
Symphony Angel,
standing over him, drew the dagger at her belt, her eyes glaring dangerously. Her intentions were obvious. Blue literally jumped over the prone body and caught her
wrist. “No!” She looked up to him, eyes still flashing, but also inquiring
what he was doing now. He nodded
towards the door. “Close it,” he
ordered hurriedly. “Before someone
comes.”
She agreed with a
nod of her own and strode to the door; she looked outside to make sure there was
no-one around and pushed the door closed, before coming back to Blue; the latter
had crouched over Scarlet, and was checking him over.
There were cuts on the left side of his face, and a huge bump was
starting to form under the hairline, but his vitals were strong. Blue drew a sigh of relief.
“Thank God, he’s
okay,” he murmured.
“You do not want
him dead?” Symphony asked, standing over them.
“No, I do not want
that,” Blue said patiently, raising his eyes to meet hers.
“Why would I want to kill him?”
“Did he not want to
kill you himself?” Symphony asked with a perplexed frown. “I came just in time to hear his accusations…”
“I hope you trust
they were not true?” Blue asked,
eyeing the dagger. He did remember
the jealousy scene of the previous night and wasn’t eager to repeat it right
now.
“I do not know… ‘Less you swear it to me.”
Blue sighed. “I swear to you there is nothing between
Nanna and me, and that I love only you.”
He paused. “When this is all
over, I will prove it to you,” he added, almost in an undertone.
She seemed
satisfied with the answer. “Then I
believe you.”
“Thank you,” Blue
sighed again.
“What came over
your crazy brother, then?”
“He’s not crazy,”
Blue muttered, “he’s been manipulated. We
all were.” He stroked the ring on
his finger, thoughtfully. “They
must have known. They knew it would
give cause for Balder to suspect us.
They were counting on it sending him off at the deep end, and that it would
cause a conflict between us. A
conflict that might end with his death – and the coming of Ragnarok.”
“I do not
understand most of your words,” Symphony said softly.
“But I do understand, however, that there is conspiracy going on. Our enemies seek to destroy you.”
“Us,” Blue retorted, getting to his feet. “All of us, Iduna.
We're all in danger.” He
turned to her. “Do you know how to
make knots?”
Her eyes flashed. “I am a Valkyrie. I myself tame the horses I ride, dear husband. I should know how to restrain them, do
you not think?”
“Well, instead of a
horse, I want you to restrain him,” Blue said, pointing to Scarlet. “Securely.
And you’d better gag him too.
He may not be very happy when he comes to, and I would not want either for him
to attack you or give alert until I come back.”
“And where are you
going?” she enquired as he strode to the door.
“To search for
Nanna. He said that he couldn't find her
anywhere. That worries me. I'm just hoping I can find her so
she'll help me make him see sense.
Balder's room is as good a place as any to start looking for her.”
“So I am to stay
here and watch over him?” Symphony
said. She nudged the still body lying on the
floor, with her foot. Scarlet
didn't make a move.
“I won't be long,”
Blue reassured her.
“And what if you
cannot find Nanna?”
Blue stood still,
his hand on the handle, puzzling over the question.
He didn't answer it and simply shook his head.
“Wait for me,” he demanded instead.
She grumbled her
acknowledgement but Blue didn't wait to hear if she had anything else to say. He had opened the door to quickly
depart, taking great care to close it behind him.
* * *
When Doctor Fawn had told
Harmony in detail exactly what was happening on Cloudbase, and the others'
predicament – and that only the doctor, Captain Blue, Rhapsody – and now herself
– were aware of what was going, the young woman knew that it was her duty to
join in her colleagues' attempt to foil the Mysterons' evil plans. The four of them were the only chance
everyone onboard Cloudbase had of surviving, using all their skills and wits,
all their capacity and strength to achieve what at the moment seemed like an
impossible goal.
Captain Blue and Rhapsody
were stuck in the fantasy world, struggling to find a solution from that end,
while Doctor Fawn, from behind his computer, was desperately trying to find
clues and information that would help them – the two teams keeping contact with
each other by an ingenious communication device connected directly to the
subconscious mind of both Blue and Rhapsody.
Harmony couldn't help but smile at the doctor's cleverness in devising
such a system. Truly, she reflected, desperation could lead to miracles. When
Fawn continued his tale with his and Blue's suspicions concerning Captain
Scarlet being the key to the situation, and finally mentioned his discovery of a
guarded door in what he presumed was a section of the Research and Development
department, she knew exactly what she had to do.
She had to go and check what
was behind that door.
With her particular skills,
keeping out of view from the security cameras didn't prove that difficult for
Harmony Angel, despite Doctor Fawn's assertion that she would not be able to
constantly evade them. She had argued that from the moment she had escaped Angel
One's cockpit to enter Cloudbase, up until the moment when she had finally found
him, she had been skilful enough to avoid them all.
Of course, Fawn still had objections – he claimed that she had simply
been incredibly fortunate, and repeating that feat a second time would be next
to impossible – and too damned dangerous for her to get caught, and even killed
when discovered. That did not
deflect Harmony's resolution.
She took almost an hour to
finally reach the R&D Department, going through corridors which were otherwise
unused except for maintenance robots, slipping under cameras, hugging walls, and
crawling, with all the dexterity of a real Ninja master. She addressed a silent prayer to her
Japanese uncle Toshiro, her beloved sensei, who, by his teachings, had
patiently honed within her the skills she was so expertly using today.
She was right at the corner
beyond which Doctor Fawn expected the suspicious door to be. Keeping close to
the wall, she leaned her head round the corner and checked, cautiously.
“Bingo,” she whispered, in
emulation of her occidental friends.
She could see the door,
about ten metres from where she was standing, with the Spectrum guard – probably Mysteronised Spectrum guard – standing before it, rigidly and
vigilantly.
There was no way for her to
get past him without being apprehended, or him having time to alert his
accomplices.
She leaned back into her
corridor, pondering what next to do.
“Harmony?”
The voice from the small receiver in her
ear was a murmur that she alone could hear; she adjusted the tiny mic attached
to it. “Hearing you loud and clear,
Doctor,” she answered in a whisper.
“Go ahead.”
“Captain Blue just made
contact with me from the fantasy world,” Fawn told her.
“Are there new developments there?” she
enquired.
He quickly told her. She sighed, closing her eyes. “I hope he and Rhapsody will be careful
of that traitor,” she murmured.
“He actually said the same
about you when I mentioned your mission,” Fawn replied.
“I think I successfully reassured him that
you’ll be doing okay.”
“Without showing your own concern, Doctor?”
she said with a smile. “That might
be quite a performance.”
“What
is your present position?”
“I’m in a corridor, from
where I can see the guard and the door,” she explained.
“I can see him
too, on the camera. You won’t pass him that way, I’m
afraid.”
“I already figured that out,
Doctor.”
Harmony looked around in the
corridor, brow furrowed, looking for a solution.
Her eyes rose to the ceiling and fell on the maintenance trap leading
into the air vents and power ducts.
I wonder…
“Doctor, I may have found a
way in,” she reported. “I can use
the power ducts within the ceiling and crawl my way over the guard and into the
room, without him ever suspecting a thing.”
“Harmony, will you actually
be able to FIT in that narrow conduit?”
There was doubt in the good
doctor’s voice, and Harmony smiled.
“I am slim enough,” she
answered quietly. “I’m sure I can
squeeze in. If maintenance robots
can, I can too.”
“You’ll be crawling amongst
electricity cables, Harmony,”
Fawn insisted.
“Maintenance robots are insulated, in case of
electrical short-outs or bare wires.
You, on the other hand, will be more vulnerable.
If you touch the wrong cables, you could get a hefty shock.”
“I’m ready to run the risk.”
“Of course you are,
Harmony.” The doubt was still there, but there
was now fondness as well in Fawn’s tone.
“It’ll be a tight fit, but you’re the smallest of our
Angels, and you probably are the only one who would be able to do it.”
Harmony kept herself from
chuckling. Any of the other Angels could have taken
umbrage at the remark.
“I take it as the compliment
it’s meant to be, Doctor.”
“Be very careful, please?”
“S.I.G.,” she murmured.
The corridor in which she was standing was
narrow enough for her to brace feet and hands against opposite walls and heave
herself toward the trap over her head.
Then, wedging her body between the walls as best she could, she used her hands
to free the flap. It came easily,
along with a cloud of dust that nearly made her cough.
So far, she had successfully worked silently enough not to attract
attention from the guard standing at his door; it would have been embarrassing
to alert him with something as silly as a sneeze.
Pushing the flap inside the
opening, she then slipped inside the conduit.
There was enough space for her to turn around and explore her surroundings. That direction, she reflected;
she looked into the conduit opening before her.
She could see rows of intricate cables and pipes of all sizes running all
the way into the narrow vent, and disappearing into the darkness beyond. This
will indeed be a tight fit, she acknowledged. She mentally evaluated the position and distance of the
room she was to enter. She
sighed. This will be a
long and harrowing venture…
Carefully, she put back the flap onto the
opening, to remove traces of her passage, and started her progression into the
semi-darkness, slithering amongst pipes and cables, and holding her breath so
not to inhale the sudden amount of dust that assaulted her.
* * *
Captain Blue strode
down the corridor, looking over his shoulder to make sure that nobody was
around. Fate seemed to be with him and he
reached Balder's chamber without encountering anyone.
The door was wide
open, and Blue entered, feverishly looking around.
The large room was empty and the only movement in there came from the wind
blowing the curtains open.
“Dammit, Rhapsody… where are you?”
he mumbled under his breath. “This is no time to play hide and seek…”
He walked to the
windows and looked outside to see if he couldn't see her in the garden. No
such luck, he thought with irritation.
He turned around, and his eyes were suddenly attracted by something lying on the
floor, beside the leg of the table.
It was a wooden
stick, one end of it charred and still smoking.
Puzzled, Blue approached, and crouched down to pick it up. Curious, he thought, coming to his feet and looking
towards the fireplace in the wall, a good ten feet away from him. How could this have ended up here?
Then he saw
something else, on the table next to which he was standing; weighted down by a
heavy jar. It seemed to be a piece of yellowish
paper… He lifted the jar and
picked up the paper.
There were black
words on it, and Blue realised that they had been hurriedly written with the
half-burnt stick he was holding. He
fully expected them to be runes of some sort – in this setting, it certainly
would not have been surprising! –
but he was rather perplexed to discover they were English words. He read.
His eyes opened
wide.
“COME JOIN US AT YGGDRASIL. ALONE.
OR THE WOMAN DIES
BLACK.”
“Oh no,” Blue murmured. “No wonder Scarlet couldn't find her…”
He crumpled the paper in his
hand. Damn.
It's a good thing he didn't find this paper as well. He would have rushed to her rescue.
And right into a trap, Blue
was sure of it. Whatever Yggdrasil
might be, wherever it was, he just knew that something bad was awaiting Scarlet
there. They're using Rhapsody as bait – they want Scarlet there for their
plans to work… Blue was convinced now, more than ever, that
his friend was the key to end this game. Whether that key would save them all or
be their ultimate destruction only depended on who was holding it.
I sure as Hell won't tell
him about this ultimatum,
Blue reflected, glaring murderously at the ball of paper. I won't let him go and play the
Mysterons' hand.
But I simply cannot leave
Rhapsody in the hands of that murderous creep.
It's up to me now.
“Have you found something?”
The voice behind him made
him jump and he turned around to see Symphony standing in the doorway. She closed the door behind her and
walked towards him.
“What are you doing here?” he asked her rather roughly. “Didn't I tell you to stay in the other room?”
“And watch over Balder? Yes you did, but since when do I blindly
follow your orders, Hodur?”
“You never did,” Blue
muttered.
She smiled thinly. “Do not concern yourself for your
brother. He's well tied up, and
will not be going anywhere.”
“That's perfect. Because it's imperative that he should stay at the palace.” She gave him a look of inquiry and he
explained: “Nanna has been abducted
by Loki. He took her to Yggdrasil
and set up a meeting with Balder there.”
Symphony was obviously
shocked by the news. “Ymir's Head,”
she murmured. “What does he want with her?”
“Bait, of course. To attract Balder into a trap. But in his present state of mind, I
doubt that Balder will be able to face danger as efficiently as he should.”
“You mean he is too angry at
the moment to think clearly,” Symphony remarked.
“With you.” She nodded her understanding. “He might not be careful enough if he goes against Loki and
that could be a fatal encounter.”
“And he made it very clear
that he doesn't want my help,” Blue confirmed.
“But is he not
invulnerable?”
“I’m not sure how
invulnerable he is,” Blue said thoughtfully. A suspicion was forming in his
mind. He marked a pause, hesitating before
asking the next question. “Iduna,”
he finally said, a little hesitantly, and lowering his head. “Do you know anything about the Prophecy regarding Loki?”
She gave him another curious
look. “I know it is the reason why Lord Odin
is so lenient toward him,” she answered.
“Do you know exactly
what it is all about?” Blue
specified.
“You should know about it
yourself, Hodur,” she remarked, with obvious perplexity at his question. “After all, this Prophecy comes from
within your own people.”
“I don’t have time to explain myself,” Blue
cut in suddenly. “Let’s say I
forgot about it during my… misadventure in the Icy Mountains, okay? Now, what is that Prophecy about?”
She sighed. “From what I
heard, it came from the mouths of the Ice Giants themselves,” she finally
explained.
“What does it say?” Blue
demanded again.
“‘Death will come by the
evil trickster, and by his death, the one who
walked with the Giants in turn will bring the end of all things…’” Symphony
intoned.
“I
do not believe in it myself, but I think the Prophecy could not be clearer…”
“The evil trickster… Loki,”
Blue said thoughtfully.
“Of course, Loki,” Symphony
said, lifting an inquiring brow. “Do you know any other person whom this
description fits like a glove?”
Blue seemed thoughtful. “And what of the rest of the Prophecy?”
he murmured. “What if it wasn’t about Loki’s death? What if it was about someone else, to whom Loki should bring
death?”
“You are thinking of
Balder,” Symphony noted.
“This is all clear now,”
Blue muttered under his breath.
And fitting with what I know of the legend, yes…
This is indeed Balder’s death that this Prophecy announces. By Loki’s hand, obviously.
And in the wake of his death,
everything, and everyone, in Aesgard and Vanaheim will be destroyed.
“So what are we to do?” Symphony asked, seeing him so silent and
thoughtful.
“I will be going
after Loki myself.”
Symphony's eyes flashed. “You will do this? And save Nanna from his clutches?”
“That's the general idea,
yes,” Blue reasoned.
“Why should it be
you, husband?” she asked insistently. “Why do you wish to take that
responsibility?”
“Don't tell me you're
jealous again!” he sighed.
“I thought you understood that…”
“Aye.
I do understand. I am not
jealous, Hodur. I am concerned.” She put a hand on his chest, tenderly. “If you so insist to play the hero, you
do not have to do it alone,” she
remarked. “Let me help you.”
“You will be helping me,” he
said with a faint smile. “But by
staying here and keeping an eye on Balder.
And if possible, when he comes round, trying to explain to him that I am not his
enemy.”
“At least, if you will not
have me,” Symphony insisted, “ask someone else to go with you.”
“I cannot,” Blue retorted obstinately.
“Loki probably waits for Balder to come after him alone. If he sees an entire troop going after
him, he might get suspicious – and kill Nanna.
No, it's better I go alone.
That way, it'll be easier to follow his trail inconspicuously.”
“You do not even know the way
to Yggdrasil,” she remarked. “How will you know where to find it?”
“I don’t have to know
exactly where it is,” Blue reasoned.
“Obviously, Loki
does know where it is. I just
need to find Loki’s trail and follow it.”
“If Loki indeed knows where Yggdrasil is, it
is curious that he did not share this information with the Ice Giants,” Symphony
reflected. “It is said that
destroying Yggdrasil will hasten the world’s destruction.”
Curious indeed…
Blue approved inwardly.
“Yggdrasil is on their territory, isn’t it?”
“Aye, within the Icy
Mountains.”
“But they don’t know
where?”
“Nay.
Else they would destroy it.”
“Mmm…”
Blue was thoughtful.
Or they know where it is but are unable to reach or destroy it.
Or need something – some specific circumstances – in order to do so.
“I have to start the chase somewhere,” he
murmured. “Can you give me an indication of where
Thor and Tyr found Nanna and me, when we returned from the Icy Mountains?”
She smiled.
“It is quite easy to find,” she answered.
“It’s beyond the low plains, after you have crossed the Bifrost. At the limits of Fenrir’s Forest. I will show you the way.”
“Stop trying,” Blue said with a smile. “Just give me the directions I need. I’ll be able to find it.”
Symphony nodded.
“When you have reached that position, you will have to go through the
Forest, towards the Icy Mountains,” she said with a sigh. “There is but one safe path to cross the
Forest, and that will be the one Loki will have taken. You will find his trail easily from
there.”
“Thank you.”
Blue leaned toward her and gave her a grateful kiss.
She hung from his neck, and the kiss deepened, longer and with more
passion, as he took her into his arms.
“I have to go,” he murmured into her ear. “Stay with Balder – watch over him,
please.”
This is more important that you can imagine, he added inwardly to
himself. ”Promise me?”
“I will,” she confirmed.
“I give you my word. Just be
careful, my love.”
“I’ll come back,” he said with a new smile. “That is my promise.”
They left the room together to depart each
their way, Symphony slowly walking back to their own chamber, and Blue taking
the other direction in long strides, leaving the palace and heading for the
stables where he would take a mount for his journey.
She watched him until he disappeared from her view, even though she had
reached her door and was standing in front of it, her hand on the handle. She didn’t feel right letting him
go all by himself; she felt her duty was to go with him, and stand by his side
during the upcoming battle.
But she had – foolishly – given her word.
Sighing with annoyance, she pushed the door
open and entered. Angry with
herself – and with Hodur’s determination –
she slammed the door shut, without looking back. Pah!
I should forget my promise and follow him, she thought savagely.
He still talks crazy words and is not ready to face an adversary like Loki. He needs someone to back him up!
She was so engrossed with her own thoughts
that she had not noticed the presence that was standing behind the door, waiting
for her. Something heavy suddenly hit the back of
her head; stars danced in front of
her eyes at the violence of the blow and she crumpled. She was unconscious even
before hitting the floor.
“Sweet dreams, Symphony Angel,” a voice she
couldn’t hear told her in a cold, sarcastic tone.
Lieutenant Burgundy – in the guise of the warrior Vali – gave but one glance
at the woman lying at his feet, making sure that way that she was properly
knocked out. Satisfied that it was
the case, he stepped over her, and walked towards the bound and gagged figure
lying at the foot of the bed – also unconscious.
Slowly, Burgundy crouched in front of Captain
Scarlet, unsheathing the dagger hanging from his belt.
Thoughtfully, he played with the blade, and then looked down at the still
face and closed eyes of the man lying there, defenceless – totally at his mercy.
He held the blade to Scarlet’s throat for a
moment, before shaking his head and moving it down to the bound wrists.
“Wakey-wakey, Captain,” he murmured without
humour, as he started slicing through the ropes tying Scarlet up. “I really can’t wait to tell you what’s been happening while
you were sleeping... ” A smile started tugging at his thin lips. “I can’t wait to tell you that your…
‘estranged wife’ and your ‘dear, loyal brother’… have finally run away
together.” He chuckled evilly. “Isn’t it lucky for you that I know
exactly where you’ll be able to find them?
I’m sure you’ll find the information interesting…”
He cut through the last knots as his smile transformed into a very cruel
and cold sneer. “… And the
Mysterons will see the ‘Prophecy’ accomplished – and their act of retaliation
completed!”
* * *
Crawling and slithering through the
dust-infested duct indeed proved to be an irksome experience for Harmony Angel. Her body was covered with dust, and her
hands and face had sustained a few scratches, but she had successfully managed
to progress towards her aim, as silent as a shadow, and so slowly that it seemed
to take an eternity.
When she saw the raw light appear through
another flap in the floor of the duct, just up front, she knew that she had
reached the end of her journey.
She crawled the last short distance and
leaned over the flap to peer through the tiny ventilation holes. The room looked like a fully lighted and operational
laboratory. She listened carefully
for any sign of life; all she could
hear was sounds of bubbling; no
breathing of any kind, no walking, no indication that someone was inside that
room.
With much care, she pulled on the flap; it
disengaged with a dull sound, that echoed through the vent; she grimaced, hoping
that it wouldn’t attract anyone’s attention.
Still no sounds came to her ears from the room below; nobody had heard.
Harmony slipped her dust-covered head through
the opening and cautiously looked around.
Her earlier assessment that there was no-one around was confirmed; the room
appeared empty. All she could see
was electronic devices lying on a table, a huge wall of computers on one side of
the room and a large tank filled with a bluish liquid, the surface of which was
half-covered by a white froth bubbling steadily.
Harmony lowered herself through the opening,
hanging from her hands, and let go to drop the remaining distance to the floor. Dirt covering her from head to toes flew
everywhere upon impact and she dusted herself off in annoyance. I have to
tell maintenance to send a vacuum robot inside those vents, she reflected
inwardly.
That amount of dust can’t be good for ventilation.
She looked around; her attention was mostly
drawn to that huge aquarium-like tank.
It was such an unusual device to find in a place like this, she thought. R&D
being the domain of Doctor Lavender, she didn’t imagine that the austere and
serious-looking scientist would have any interest in taking care of fish… In any case, not in such a huge tank!
From where she was, she could only see one
end of the tank, where cables were attached, connecting it to the computers
nearby. The rest of her view was blocked by a control desk, on which a dark
screen was showing dots, lines and numeric data, which was constantly changing
second by second. Curious about
exactly what the tank could be, she approached – and noticed the sheer size of
it: about seven feet long, three feet wide
and four feet deep. As she drew
closer, Harmony saw a series of cylinders were also mounted against the tank
support; she started noticing sounds of all kinds – beeping from the control
desk, and the bubbling of whatever fluid it was inside the tank and…
She stopped in her tracks as the tank came
fully in view and she finally saw what it contained.
She gasped in horror, and took one step back, her hand to her mouth.
Oh no…
A tall, practically naked man was immersed in
the blue liquid, fastened by restraints on hands, ankles and torso, holding him
down nearly at the bottom of the tank. The coloured liquid lent his skin a
disturbingly ghostly tinge, giving him the aspect of a dead, still body.
And in truth, Harmony first thought he was
dead. Then she noticed the mask strapped over
his mouth and nose, which until that moment had been hidden by the eerie
movement of his dark hair. She took
note of the long plastic tube running from that mask
to a kind of pump surmounting one of the cylinders mounted against the
tank.
No… Not a pump, she suddenly realised.
A respirator…
She could see it working, and at the limit of
her hearing, she could perceive the sound coming from it too – the hissing sound
of pumped air, like a steady breathing.
As steady as the beeping coming from the
control desk.
She walked around the tank, slowly, looking
on with revulsion. There were many
sensors attached to the still body inside, probably sending data to the computer
to which this tank was linked;
Harmony now checked for any sign of life, wanting to make sure that the man was
indeed alive.
She saw
small air bubbles, escaping from the mask, and that his chest was moving – just
very slightly.
But the face, ghostly-looking in that strange
fluid, motionless except for the hair movement, and the closed eyes, were a
clear indication that the man was
deeply unconscious. Harmony wasn’t
surprised by her discovery – especially considering the identity of the prisoner
inside the tank.
“What have they done to you?” she murmured,
distress and compassion obvious on her beautiful face, as she leaned against the
thick glass. She noticed how cold
the surface was. “Captain… Why put you in this… thing? This is too horrible…”
She didn’t expect an answer from Captain
Scarlet. The only one she received was the steady
beeping coming from the control desk.
Detaching her eyes from his still face, she straightened up and looked
over into the tank and the bubbling liquid.
Except for the bluish colour and the froth forming at the surface, it
seemed to be similar to ordinary
water.
What could it be, exactly?
she
mused. It can’t be that toxic – his skin
doesn’t appear more damaged than it would be after a prolonged soak in regular
water.
Harmony decided it would safe for her to test
it herself.
She rolled her sleeve halfway up and, tentatively at first, put her hand
into the tank. It was very cold to
the touch, almost icy, but the texture was that of water, so she plunged her
hand deeper still, trying to reach Scarlet.
She only succeeded in brushing his shoulder slightly, before she
started feeling a tingling sensation in her hand; the sensation quickly
propagated up her arm to her elbow. She quickly removed it from the tank.
Her whole forearm felt numb now, and she had
barely any feeling left in her fingers; she almost couldn’t move them. Shaking
her hand for the sensation to return,
she grunted in annoyance, now having an idea of what this strange liquid was.
This is revolting – how could they treat a
human being this way?
Disgusted, she used her communication device. It was time to make her report.
“Doctor Fawn?” she called into the mic.
“Harmony, thank God…” the physician’s voice answered almost
instantly. “I was
beginning to worry about you.”
“No need, Doctor…
I’m perfectly all right.”
“Have you entered the room?”
“Yes, I’m inside…”
Harmony answered. She was
unsure how to continue.
“Did you find Scarlet?” Fawn asked again.
“Is he… is
he all right?”
“Oh, he’s alive, of that I’m sure… And he doesn’t appear to be in any
pain…” Harmony hesitated. She took
a sharp intake of breath. “… But
I’m not sure if he’s… all right,” she finally said.
“What do you mean?” a concerned Fawn inquired.
“Of course, he must be unconscious right now… Like all the others who are trapped in
that fantasy world…”
“He’s unconscious, yes… but not quite like
the others.” With apprehension,
Harmony looked at the prisoner inside the tank.
“I will need you, Doctor,” she added with a catch in her voice. “We have to free Captain Scarlet from
this thing they have trapped him in – and I don’t know where to begin, without
putting him in further jeopardy. I
desperately need your help…”
She couldn’t bear looking at the tank anymore
and turned around towards the other part of the room, if only to escape from
that awful sight for a few seconds.
She gasped aloud, as something new was suddenly revealed to her eyes. Hearing that sound provoked Fawn’s
worry.
“Harmony, what is it?
Are you all right?”
“Yes,” she breathed into the mic, her eyes
riveted to what she had just discovered.
She had not seen it until now, as it was mostly hidden under a huge electronic
device, that cast a shadow over it. She cautiously approached, barely daring to
breathe, unsure of what she should do – or if she should even be there. She stopped in her tracks and
exhaled her relief slowly, realising that she was safe.
But she still felt nervous…
“Doctor,” she announced into the mic,
“there’s something else…”
“What?”
an agitated Fawn asked.
“What have you found, Harmony?”
“Actually, it’s someone, Doctor.” Harmony took another step and looked
closely at her discovery.
Another man was in the room, sleeping on a
reclined padded seat under the electronic device, feet elevated and eyes closed,
breathing regularly. Or rather, she corrected herself inwardly, he was
unconscious too, like Scarlet – though he was obviously settled much more
comfortably. And like Scarlet, there were sensors on
his forehead, and on his chest, under his open black shirt – sensors which were
attached to a control desk by his side.
Just over his head, inset into that device which loomed over him, there was some kind of screen,
which was sending a gentle, multicoloured play of light onto his face – a face
so very pale, and covered with a stubble indicating that he had not shaved for
days.
The sight of this man, unconscious though he
was, was enough to send a shiver down Harmony’s spine.
“Harmony?” Doctor Fawn called, worried
at not hearing from her.
“What… WHO have you found?”
“Doctor,” she answered slowly, “you won’t
believe me… and please, don’t be alarmed when you hear this…
but I have Captain Black here, in front of me!”
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