Lines Crossed Chapter Twenty Two
GRID Traveler Trinity: Lines Crossed
Author: J Carrell Jones
Table of Content
Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Loggar opened her eyes and saw . . . no one near. She helped herself up, still wondering why no one was near. She looked around at the dimly lit shuttle interior and heard the sounds of soft snoring. She got out of bed and walked to the front of the shuttle. Sean was sitting at the controls staring out the window. He turned when she was near.
He gave her a small smile. “Kathy,” he started in a low voice, “you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“Tired.”
He nodded and remembered the way he used to feel about her. The dim interior lights cast a lovely glow over Loggar’s face. “I can imagine. What do you feel like doing?”
Loggar sat in the co-pilot chair. “I’m not sure. I suppose I should wait until daylight.”
He nodded. “I still have another two hours before Molino will relieve me.”
Loggar got up and kissed Sean on the cheek. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but he changed. He accepted the kiss but it wasn’t like old times. She sighed and went back to the bunk she had been laying in. Collins and Adriana slept in two of the other bunks. Sean would probably sleep in the fourth. Nearby was better than forever far she thought. She pulled the blanket over her body and minutes later she was asleep.
Sean watched her walk back to the sleeping area. Not the same anymore he thought. We just started this mission and nothing will be the same.
Loggar woke up with a start. She felt strange, but in a sort of good way. Despite the Shuttle’s cool interior temperature she felt warm. She remembered using a blanket last night but couldn’t find it now. Part of her body was covered in a very fine layer of cloth. She brushed it off and held out her hand and thought ‘flame.’ Seconds later a tiny red flame appeared in the middle of her hand. She nearly squealed with delight. Bigger she thought and the flame covered her hand. Her first impulse was to scream, the second to try and blow out the flame. Then she realized her hand was not burning. It was the nanobots. Her nanobots! She finally got what she wanted. The ability to do magick anywhere, anytime, anyway she wanted and the weight of it all settled squarely on her shoulders. Her mind raced with jumbled thoughts on what to do next. Go outside and blast a few rocks and trees? Scientifically and painstakingly measure, test, and hypothesize a wonder of science? Flame-off she thought. The intense red glow faded.
“Happy?”
Loggar turned her head. It was Sean. “Yeah, I am.”
Sean stared.
“Sean, now I can be a true Goddess.”
“Kathy, you were . . . “
She shook her head, “I pretended. We all pretended. Except for you . . .”
“Of which I never really wanted. I just wanted . . .”
“Sean, how can you say that! You have power very few humans have. How can you not want the power and how can you not want to use it?”
“Because magick is not the person. It’s a tool I choose to use when absolutely needed. And it is something I don’t need to use as a crutch.”
“Crutch? What are you trying to say?”
No reply.
”Is this something that’ll divide us?” Loggar asked. She was uncertain she had wanted to ask that question.
Sean, poker faced, stared at Loggar’s face. “I’m not liking what has been coming over you these last few weeks.”
“Me?” She said, angry that Sean could believe that she was the one who changed. “Me? You’re the one who changed . . .”
Adriana woke up to what sounded like an argument. She heard Dr. Loggar tell Sean he was the one who changed. She got up and approached the two. Then without warning Loggar turned on her.
“You! Why are you really here?”
Adriana, still drowsy, said, “To help the Captain . . .”
Intense anger flowed from Loggar’s lips. “I think it’s more than that. You want to . . . “
Sean interrupted, “Kathy, I think you should . . . “
“No, I won’t let it lie. She is here because of Adruqu. Why are you here?”
Adriana was confused. She thought it all settled. “To help the Captain.”
Loggar stepped in closer. “I don’t believe you!” She screamed.
Sean wedged himself between Loggar and Adriana. The hell he was going to let Kathy treat one of his crew like this.
Loggar gave Sean a hard look but didn’t blink. “Why are you protecting her?”
“She’s crew,” was all he said.
“She is Adruqu’s Great granddaughter and . . . “
“She’s crew. And family. And you think I’m going to stand here and let you yell at her?”
“But . . .”
“Back down, Kathy. Nothing good will come of this.”
Loggar took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She realized how foolish she looked. She turned and faced Collins. New emotions built back up. She suddenly felt hatred. Pure and intense. “You! Bitch! I hate you!”
“Kathy!” Sean exclaimed. “What is wrong with you?”
“She is trying to take you away from me!”
Sean stepped up close to Loggar. He sighed and leaned close to her ear. “She is not trying, Kathy.”
Loggar turned. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying she is not trying to do anything.”
She leaned in and kissed cold unresponsive lips. Bastard she thought. “Sean?”
“Kathy, I’m not liking this changed you.”
“Changed me? How dare you!” Anger spilled out. She hissed, “I made you.”
Sean stared.
“Without The Most High you would still be a Commander drinking your career to hell.”
“Because of The Most High I was punished for doing the right thing. I was drinking my life away because of your Most High. I remained a Commander because of the Most High.”
Loggar felt her heart race. Her blood pressure increased and the only clear thing she could think of was using her new powers and ending this argument.
Sean shook his head. “Kathy, don’t. Just don’t.”
“Or else, what?”
“Just don’t.”
She glared into his eyes. This time she went two minutes without blinking, but in the end, Sean won. He always won. “Now what?”
Sean exhaled, “We say our goodbyes, head back to Earth and reconsider things.”
“No,” she said.
“This mission is a failure on some levels. We can’t continue given what just happened.”
“I am in charge of this mission.”
“And the Johnson is under my command. I also have full backing of GRID Command.”
“You . . . you . . . fuck! We can’t stop now. We . . .”
“ . . . will turn back. You can get another ship for your quest. I don’t care how or who, it just won’t be the Johnson.”
Loggar clenched her hands into a fist. A red glow surrounded her hands.
Sean slowly shook his head, “Kathy, don’t. As I stand here before you, don’t.” His hands started glowing blue.
Loggar suddenly felt scared. She couldn’t possibly fight Sean and win. And the idea that she had taken a step to commit an act of violence sickened her. The red glow faded. She dropped to her knees. “I am sorry. I am so sorry.”
The energy around Sean’s hands faded. “So am I, Kathy. I really am.” He turned and walked out the Shuttle.
Loggar looked up at Adriana and Collins. “Sorry. I just . . . don’t know what came over me. It was like someone else.” She sighed. Even that sounded lame to her ears. Loggar got up and walked out the door. She headed toward the main courtyard. There she found a bench and sat. So much planning, so much time, energy, and effort.
Sean stood in front of The Senior and The Elder. He bowed deeply hoping the gesture would be taken as a sign of respect. The Senior and The Elder returned the gesture.
“The Captain,“ The Elder began, “I sense some turmoil within you.”
Sean nodded. “There is so much we can learn from one another, but things have changed within us that compels me and my crew to leave.”
The Elder’s face contorted to distraught. “We did not mean to offend The Goddess, The Captain. We had no idea she was given magick from the Ultimate Elder Adruqu.” He bowed deeply several times.
Sean stopped him. “The Elder, it is nothing you have done. Believe me. Your people, you and The Senior Elder, have been very gracious to us. I thank you. But, The Goddess . . .”
“ . . . would like to stay.” Loggar finished.
Sean and the Elders faced Loggar. “Kathy?”
She replied, “I want to stay, Sean.”
Sean did not attempt to stare her down. “Kathy, you understand what this would mean?”
She nodded.
“We may not return to this planet, ever. You understand that?”
She nodded. There would be no way she could weather this storm. The Most High council would do a vote of confidence. Things would come out she had held from them. They would call witnesses. It would be ugly. “I understand, completely.”
The Elder said, “Our people will have to vote. Goddess, you’ll have to address the town and they will decide. It is the way of our people.” He bowed his head as in deep shame.
“I understand that Elder. Of course, I will make my case to the people.”
He looked up and smiled. “I will call a meeting this afternoon.”
Loggar stood on top of the raised rock platform. She cleared her throat. “Good Town’s folk. I’m asking to stay with you. To be a part of your Town, your culture, your belief. I can offer much in new tools. I’ve learned much in my travels. I can help the Elders fight the Edged Monsters, of which we call, the SI.” And as a demonstration she made her hand glow.
There was a collective gasp and the entire front row of folk stepped back.
Loggar heard a murmur through the crowd, “Red glow. . . she has the red glow. . . she is not the one.” The crowd took another step back.
Loggar’s heart sank. Her thoughts swirled into a frenzy of panic. “Town folk, please. I can help the Elders.”
The space between her and the gathering grew wider and a path opened up and The Senior Elder and The Elder walked through. They stopped in front of Loggar.
The Senior Elder spoke first, “You have the red glow. You cannot be among us.”
Loggar pleaded, “Why? I have magick too.”
The Elder spoke, “Those with the Red glow always turn evil.”
“But I’m not of your people?”
“Always.” The two turned their backs on her. “Please leave, now. Or the Town will rise against you and we will be forced to fight you and the Captain.”
Anger boiled up from Loggar’s heart. Hatred grabbed at her throat and she hissed out, “FINE!” Her hands started glowing red. Her voice was hollow sounding as it broadcasted loudly over the gathering. “Reject me!” She stepped off the raised rock.
The gathering began to disperse.
“Reject me!” And anger consumed her. Thoughts deep with murder rose to the surface. “REJECT ME!!!”
A wave of energy spread across the area knocking people down.
“I. Am The Most High. Goddess!”
The Senior Elder stepped forward, “Begone, evil one. Begone.”
The Elder shouted, “Begone! Begone!”
The Townsfolk shouted, “Begone, begone, begone.”
Sean stood at the back row. Collins and Adriana were beside him.
Collins leaned over to Sean, “Captain, this is going to turn ugly.”
Sean nodded, then projected his voice, “Enough!”
Everyone became silent and turned toward him.
Sean really had no idea what he was going to say, or how he could make an impact on the situation. He just knew something had to be done.
“Please, hear me.” Then an idea hit upon him. His hands glowed blue and he told the nanobots to lift him a meter into the air. “We will leave. We will leave your good town and home alone. We will not come back unless your enemy which is our enemy returns. We are sorry.”
Loggar watched in horror. The pain of rejection, the embarrassment it caused, and the rage it forged was too much. “I will not be chased off!” Her hands glowed an intense red. “I’ve come too far.”
Sean shook his head quickly. “Kathy, let’s leave in peace.”
Loggar couldn’t believe it. Mission failure. On her watch. And nothing made sense. She fired two red glowing energy balls into the gathering. Another ball at The Senior and The Elder. The Fourth at Sean.
It happened fast. Adriana felt the wave of intense heat slam into her. She was knocked back several meters and collided into Collins. She looked up and saw The Senior Elder vanish in a poof of pink mist. The Elder saved himself by projecting an energy ball at Loggar. She brushed it off. And sent another energy ball toward the Elder. It pushed him a dozen meters and slammed him into a tree. He lost consciousness. Sean maneuvered his way between The Elder and the rest of the townsfolk. Bodies lay strewn across the immediate landscape. Another blast hit Adriana. She blacked out.
Loggar shouted, “Never! I’ve waited all my life for this and you want to take it away?” The foliage around her turned black, wilted, dried up, dead. Her hands aglow in red flames. She launched a fireball at Sean.
He took it full force and fell back. His clothing singed. Anger now started to boil deep inside him. She had to be stopped and his heart sank as he realized what he had to do.
Loggar turned to one of the natives lying face down in the dirt. His death was quick, but no matter. His fate had been sealed the moment he raised arms against her. She grabbed his hair and lifted the lifeless face up. The eyes were still open. She looked over to a watching Sean stand. Her face contorted into an ugly mix of hatred and anger. She willed her nanobots to consume the native’s flesh. The body dried up in seconds and turned to dust.
Sean witnessed in horror what Loggar had done. She crossed the final line and now had to pay. Before Loggar could unleash her newly fed energy he leaped the long distances between them. She was caught off guard and nearly fell back. Sean grabbed her arms and whispered, “Sorry, Goddess. It stops here.” His kiss was tender as he tightened his grip around her arms.
Loggar suddenly felt weak. Her arms couldn’t move and her legs gave way.
Sean clenched her arms harder as his nanobots worked. He stripped her on everything. Her nanobots, her power, her life. Nothing can be left.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized Sean would not hold back. She committed so many atrocities today her crime must have one payment.
Sean cried as his nanobots methodically and effortlessly impoverished Loggar’s body into a blackened mess of remains. His tears streamed uncontrollably down his cheeks and he stumbled back. His knees buckled as his consciousness accepted his act. Kathy, dead. Dead beyond returning. He released what was left of her and crawled over to Adriana and Collins.
Collins woke up to a crying Sean. His eyes red and puffy. He was trying to steady his breathing. She looked about and spotted a blackened mass of something some distance off. She looked at Sean and tears began to flow down her cheeks. She knew how hard his choice had to have been. Kathy, dead. By the very thing she tried to control.