Hiatus: Scene 3

Josie: Hi, Mommy! Hi, Daddy!

Cory: Hey, Josie! *he picks her up and holds her* How was your day, sweetheart?

Josie: Someone came to our school.

Annelise: Really? Who?

Josie: I think she was a magician like Magic Marty.

Cory laughs: Was she fun to watch?

Josie shakes her head: No, scared me. She moved really fast and made Kate just…poof!... disappear! Gone!

Cory and Annelise glance at each other worriedly.

Annelise: Did Kate come back to play with you after school?

Josie: No, but her Daddy asked where she was.

Cory: Did Mr. Cheng find her?

Josie shakes her head: Nope.

Annelise pales: I think I might know where she is.

Cory: Really?

Annelise nods: Venessa should come with us.

Cory: What? Why?

Annelise: There’s someone else there. Someone Venessa knows.

Cory: Are you sure?

Annelise: I’m sure.

Cory calls Venessa into the room.

Venessa: What’s up?

Cory: Someone you know is in trouble.

Venessa: Someone I know?

Cory nods: Yes, and so is Josie’s friend, Kate.

Josie: There was a swoosh and then she disappeared.

Venessa: It sounds like…what’s her name?

Avonari:(from the living room) Second Law!

Venessa: Why ‘Second Law’?

Avonari: Newton’s second law of motion! It’s about mass in relation to acceleration!

Venessa: I have no idea what any of that is, but okay. So, how are we gonna catch Second Law?

Cory smirks: I know a guy who could catch her.

The three of them arrive at the Keeper headquarters and meet a Sea Sector Keeper who is typing away on a projected screen.

Cory: Levi, I have a job for you.

Levi: Hold on! I’m writing today’s report!

Levi’s fingers fly across the projected keyboard at a speed Venessa is amazed at.

Levi presses ‘enter’: Alright, I’m done. What’s happening?

Cory: It sounds like Second Law’s been on a kidnapping spree.

Levi adjusts his glasses: Second Law? You mean 0935?

Cory shrugs: One of Avonari’s nicknames. She’s kidnapped two people already.

Annelise shakes her head: Five.

Cory: Five?! Okay, five. One of them is a child.

Annelise: And one of them is a teenager.

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Venessa: A teenager?

Annelise nods: I don’t know what they’re planning to do with them, but it can’t be good.

Levi: How did you know how many were kidnapped?

Annelise: Because Beyond is in distress, and I can feel it very intensely right now. Those people are close to the forefront of his thoughts.

Levi: Are you sure you wanna come?

Annelise nods: I will, but I think it’s best for me to stay in the background with you. I’ll be there in case something goes wrong.

Venessa: I haven’t seen you go off on a mission. Must not go that often, huh?

Levi and Cory burst out laughing.

Cory: You’d be surprised!

Venessa: So, where do we think the victims are?

Annelise: The Hostility headquarters.

Venessa’s mind flashes back to when she escaped from the psych ward only to get captured by one of Wyverna’s goons and brought to the home of an undead…whatever Wyverna was. A place she named the Fluorescent Underworld.

Venessa: No, I can’t go back there! There’s a thing a fish tank and I don’t know if it’s dead or alive!

Dortor appears: She’s not simply dead, but isn’t quite alive.

Venessa: Ah! You scared the heck out of me!

Dortor: I apologize. Allow me to explain. There is an essence in all of us, but it differs between creatures. Some creatures, like humans and Anthrans, are not strong enough to live when their essence is broken or taken away. But others are. Yet, even if they can survive without the essence, it is very painful to do so. That’s why they resort to other, often…unpleasant means of filling the gap where their essence once was. Wyverna lost her essence long ago, and has tried to replace it with many things since. Her most recent downfall was due to her mistaken assumption that if she simply had enough of what would be an essence, she could become like a god. So, she had someone steal from the blood donation center and transfused herself with the blood. She then took blood directly from the source, but that failed and left her in the state she’s in today.

Cory: Then, we’ve gotta stop whatever the Hostilities are gonna do to those people! C’mon!

The four of them rush outside. Dortor teleports to the Hostility headquarters. On the drive over, Venessa tries to stay brave, but it’s difficult for her.

Venessa: If we know where the Hostility headquarters is, then why don’t we just invade it?

Levi sighs: Invading the headquarters wouldn’t be enough. They’ll just find somewhere else to regroup. We’re gonna need something extraordinary to get rid of them for good. We may have it, but there are many variables that need to be accounted for. At least, that’s the way I understand it.

Venessa: So, this ‘thing’ we have is like a nuc?

Levi: Not similar to an actual nuc, but a similar concept, yes. The variables aren’t correct right now, but one day they will be. I just don’t know when. And Venessa?

Venessa: Yeah?

Levi: Don’t be scared. We’ll protect you, and it’ll be fine.

Venessa: I could still die.

Levi: Well…you’re not wrong. There are worse things than death, though. Like what happened to Wyverna.

Cory: Levi, I’m going to say this respectfully as the leader of your Sector: I don’t think you’re helping.

Levi shrugs: Okay. It’s not like that could ever happen to any of us, so we shouldn’t be worried about that.

Venessa: Could that happen to one of us?

Levi: No, I asked the Commander about that once. He said that what Wyverna became can only happen to you if you can live without an essence. Since humans can’t live without an essence, we can’t become…whatever Wyverna is.

Venessa: Wait, you’ve talked to the Commander?

Levi nods: I was one of the first Keepers.

Venessa: Oh, yeah! I saw a photo of you guys in Cory’s office from thirty-ish years ago.

Levi: Almost thirty-two, but yes.

Venessa: So, Levi, do you know what the Commander is?

Levi: What do you mean ‘what’ the Commander is?

Venessa: Like what…kind of thing is he? He’s not human, obviously, though he looks very human from the pictures. Is he some sort of really powerful Bridge-dweller?

Levi smiles: No, he’s not any of those things. Dortor says he’s ‘of the Vast’, whatever that means. So, he’s not from the Bridge.

Venessa: The Vast? Like the glowing blue storm outside the World Sphere?

Levi nods: I think so, but I’m not sure what he means by ‘of’ the Vast as opposed to ‘from’ the Vast.

Annelise: That may be why his emotions are so complex and different.

Levi: You’re right! Wow! I hadn’t thought of that! Thank you!

Levi projects a screen from his watch and begins typing on a list labeled ‘Profound Mysteries of the Universe and Their Possible Answers’.

Levi: You never cease to amaze me, Annelise.

Cory: I know, right? She’s pretty amazing, isn’t she?

He leans over and kisses Annelise’s forehead.

Car: Welcome to Missouri.

Levi: I’ll never get used to living in a border city.

Venessa: How far away is the Hostility headquarters?

Cory: It’s in St. Charles.

Venessa: Isn’t that half an hour away?

Cory: It is, but Dortor should be opening up a portal in about three minutes.

Venessa: Portal? Wait, who’s taking care of the other foster children?

Annelise smiles: I have that taken care of, don’t worry.

Venessa:(to herself) Some poor Keeper must be babysitting them. Last I checked, there was like twenty kids.

A few minutes later, there’s a blinding flash of light and they seem to have teleported to a quiet, shabby part of St. Charles, Missouri. Annelise fiddles with her silver necklace. Cory places his hand on her shoulder. They park beside the sidewalk next to a worn-down building labelled ‘Nirva Laboratory’.