Bridgeworlds: Deep Flux (25 page)

Tears flowed from Omar’s cheeks. He did not moan or wail or sob
but they came.
This poor stupid man who has made sure we got to safety
has sacrificed his life for ours. He gave his life so that we could live.

Sasha was a wreck. She went over to Omar and buried her head in
his chest. He held her there and they both cried. Bogdan dug a grave there
behind the barn. He said a prayer in Russian and at the end of it Sasha said,
“Amen.” Omar found himself not minding her conversion as much as he
initially had. It made sense in the context of the situation.

After the burial, Omar took the key from his pocket. He hadn’t
looked at it closely until this time. It seemed to have a shifting light about it
like the energy in Musterion that fueled the portals.

“How does it work,” asked Sasha.

Omar shrugged. He held it out in midair and purposefully turned it
as if opening a lock in a door. A light split out from the key and an open
doorway formed. It was like one of the portals as such intense light came
forth that one could not see to the other side. Omar insisted the Bogdan
and Sasha go through first. Then he turned and looked at the fresh grave. It
was missing something. Omar looked around the barn and found two sticks
and some fishing string. He tied the two sticks together in the shape of a
cross and then planted the cross there at the head of the grave. And before
he left through the portal he turned and surveyed the grave with the cross
at its head.
There, that looks just the way I think Nekar would want it.

Then he stepped into the portal back to Musterion.
13
Strike the rock

Jack found his way back to the subway but he had to lose the
masses of zombies chasing after him. They were faster than zombies in
movies but a whole lot less unpleasant. They were not rotting; in fact they
had some kind of advanced regeneration.

As he ran he had to out-smart them. They had some intelligence.
They could pick up objects even shoot guns (those that had them) but they
did not think as quickly on their feet as Jack did. Jack ran down the street
and then doubled back to the subway hiding behind cars and trash cans and
bushes. It tricked them. He saw crowds of hundreds running the direction
he had doubled back from.

He entered the subway. Jack tried to find his way back to the portal
but he could not find it.
It’s not there or I am lost.
Then he resorted to
searching the tunnels for anything significant. Maybe a clue as to what had
happened here.

He found his way to the only tram in the area. He boarded it and
went to the driver’s station at the front. On the front window shield, in
lipstick, was written “STRIKE THE ROCK IN THE CENTER ~Nekar”. Jack shook
his head, “Nice shade of lipstick, Nekar,” he mumbled to himself.
What kind
of name is Nekar anyway?

But as Jack searched the subway he found more odd graffiti. He
passed the stairs where he saw the writing “Go to the center.” And as he
passed a bench he saw “Strike the rock with your staff”. Jack looked at his
retractable staff and thought for a moment and then said to himself, “Nah.”

Finally Jack decided he must figure out what happened on this
version of earth. He went to the surface and snuck around New York City
until he made his way to a newspaper stand. There were no newspapers on
the outside of the stand but Jack went inside and found some newspapers
there.

The date was January 12
^th
1989. The headline was “VIRUS
DESIMATES POPULATION”. As he read on he discovered that a virus had
killed off many people and was claiming lives daily.
That must be what
happened to Tyree, but it happened so fast… the virus must have mutated.

He flipped the page and dropped the Newspaper. The next page
had written in big letters in pen across the whole page, “Jack, strike the
rock. Go to the center.”

Ok, now that is a little too weird. How would someone know I was
going to read this paper? What rock? Where is the center?

Far be it from me to ignore that many messages.
Jack began
searching for a rock and he tried to find something that might say center on
it. As he wondered the streets of New York he saw a sign for “Central Park”.

Jack found his way to Central Park and began searching for a rock
to strike. Jack could not find a single rock. What he did find was the central
location for the demonic aliens. Beneath a statue of an ugly dragon made of
bones there were dozens of them and hundreds of zombies come to get
their tasks. The statue of the dragon was made of stone.
I have to strike
that?

Jack didn’t hesitate. He ran through the middle of the zombies
straight to where the aliens where under the statue. They began to reach
for him but before they could he struck his staff to the ground sending a
force wave over the crowd throwing them to the ground. Jack knew he had
little time so he struck the stone statue with his staff.

Jack didn’t know what to expect from hitting the statue but he did
not desire what came next. The statue started to break apart revealing a
real dragon with shape slimy black scales. It grew as the pieces of the
statue fell away. “How has called me to this realm?” it said in a booming
voice.

Jack stepped forward and the thing laughed at him. “I don’t know
how you have escaped my virus but you shall die.” The dragon opened his
mouth and let out a black and green smoke. Jack put his shirt over his
mouth and tried not to breath. The smog it breathed was completely fowl
smelling.

When it was done Jack looked up and couldn’t resist saying, “They
make breath mints for that kind of problem.”

 

The dragon was perplexed. “You… you aren’t turned. You didn’t
die?”

 

Jack shrugged.

 

“That’s impossible,” said the dragon as it backed away.

“If it makes you feel better that’s about the first thing that has
gone my way in several days. Hey, can you just turn my friend back and tell
me the way out of here and I will be on my way,” said Jack. But the dragon
wasn’t listening.

“My virus has taken over this entire world, how can it be that you
can resist it?”

 

Jack shrugged again.

Then the dragon looked angry. “I guess I will have to do this the old
fashioned way.” It swiped at him throwing him yards to the side right into a
tree.

Jacks arm hit the tree and he felt a snap.
That can’t be good.

Jack got up with his left arm dangling. Jack changed a setting on his
staff to give off high electric volt charges rather than force strikes. As the
dragon swiped at him again he hit it with his staff. The staff connected and
sent a surge of electricity through the dragon’s body. The dragon stepped
back but regained its confidence quickly. It uprooted a tree and slammed it
toward the ground at Jack who barely just dodged at the last instant.

Behind where the statue had been Jack could see an un-hewn rock.
Jack rolled towards it as he dodged the dragon’s next attack with the tree.
The dragon sent zombies to attack Jack so he changed the setting back and
forced them back but as he did the dragon struck at Jack with the tree. This
time he was hit with a few of the branches of the tree. Jack stumbled back
but in the direction of the rock. Then Jack used all of his strength to run at
the rock and as the dragon went to strike at him again with the tree Jack
reached the rock striking it with his staff.

As Jack struck the rock a flood of water came from it vaporizing the
dragon as it hit it. The zombies came toward Jack but as the water got on
them they were cured. They looked around as if having no memory of how
they got to where they were. Amongst the zombies pursuing Jack was
Tyree. Jack laughed as he tacked Tyree with a hug. "It's good to see you
alive," Jack told him.

Tyree looked confused.

 

"You had turned into one of those zombies," said Jack.

 

Tyree's eyes got big in disbelief, "Really? I never even got bit,"

 

Jack shrugged, "I guess that isn’t how it really works."

The water sprayed everywhere and the people who had been
turned back were gathering the water into whatever container they could
find, filling, and splashing it onto those who had not been turned back yet.
Word spread around the city and people carried the water around making
sure that everyone was turned. The aliens left the moment the dragon had
been defeated.

Tyree looked to Jack, "Why did the virus get me and not you?"

 

Jack shook his head, "I really have no clue. But I think I know
someone who might know."

 

Tyree cocked his head, "Oh?"

Jack nodded, "Yes, there were messages written all around the city
that lead me to strike the rock with the staff. They were by a man named
'Nekar'."

Tyree sighed, "I know of him. He lives on Musterion and serves a
mysterious Master. We should go back and ask him."

 

Jack nodded. He looked around him. Everything the water touched
seemed to bring back the color and life. "What about these people?"
Tyree looked around, "I think you have done enough. You might
have saved an entire world of people."

 

Jack shook his head, "Nah, the credit goes to this man named
Nekar."

As they walked away several of the people called out to them. Jack
turned as a crowd ran after them. A man in a suit stepped forward. "My
name is Andy Tobias, I’m a Senator. I don’t know how you did it but you
saved us. Come with me, I have some people you should meet."

Jack shook his head, "I have other obligations, sorry.”

 

He put his hand on Jack's shoulder, “Please, at least tell us your
name.”

 

“The name of the man that has saved this world is Nekar. That is all
you need to know,” said Jack as he turned back around and walked away.

From behind him Jack heard the Senator proclaim to the crowd,
“Did you hear that folks? From this day forward this day will be celebrated
as Nekar’s Gift.” The people cheer and Jack smiled as they headed back
toward the subway.

OMAR, SASHA, and BOGDAN RETURNED TO THE CENTER OF
MUSTERION with the thousands of archways. Omar looked around. "I bet
one of these leads back to Pneuma Carpos."

Bogdan looked into the distance as if recognizing something. "I
know where it is."

 

Omar whipped around and gave him a questioning look, "And how
is that?"

Bogdan shook his head, "I don’t’ understand this. But I am positive
of the archway that leads to Pneuma Carpos." He looked around some
more, "In fact, I can tell where all of these go."

Omar shook his head, "Impossible."
Bogdan nodded his head, "And yet, it is possible." He looked to
Omar, "Just trust me on this. Follow me through this one archway and if I
am wrong then I am mad. If I am right then I have some kind of
understanding of this place that I did not have before."

Omar shrugged. Knowing which archway to go through from here
was better than traveling back for several days... maybe weeks up that hill.
"Alright, let’s put it to the test."

Bogdan led them to the archway that he had noticed and he went
in first. Omar waited a few minutes, then Bogdan came back through.
Bogdan laughed, "I was right. It is the right archway!"

Omar went through the archway followed by Sasha and Bogdan.
He found himself in the same room he had entered Pneuma Carpos
through. It was the ceiling room above Pneuma Carpos.

They flew to the city and landed at City Hall wasting no time. Omar
was surprised to see Alora waiting for him. "Queen Elise is busy with other
matters but I imagine you are here to see me. Omar, I passed the device on
to another Katken who I trust. I am not sure how much time has passed for
you but I spent 6 months on earth and it seems 2 months have passed
here."

Omar smiled at Alora. She is very precise isn’t she? "Have you
considered joining the Magi?"

Alora shook her head with a bored and disinterested look in her
eyes, "I gave up clubs when I was a Kitten. I was part of a guild when I was
on Soterion but that was only to learn skills. Since then I have found joining
a group of people too limiting for my skill set."

Omar shrugged, "It is your choice."

 

Alora smiled, "Indeed it is, but I will be accompanying you back to
Soterion."

 

"Oh?" asked Omar curiously.

Alora nodded, "Yes, Queen Elise wants to make sure that Queen
Ariana benefits from her wisdom. Over the years the Queen and eye have
become the most trusted of friends and even think alike in many ways.
Every queen needs an advisor."

Omar nodded, "Well, Nekar is dead. But before he died he told me
that Myles is going to return with my sister. I am very anxious to see her. I
need to get those supplies we left behind and then I would like to hurry
back to Soterion."

Sasha stepped forward and examined the teleportation device on
Omar's arm. The screen read "Ready". She looked up at Omar and said, "It
seems to have righted itself."

Omar smiled, "Good, I will be right back." He changed the setting
on his monocle so that he could see invisible objects and then teleported to
the duffle bags. He lay upon the bags and concentrated on bringing them
with him then teleported back to the wagon. Then he simply touched the
wagon and brought himself and the wagon back to City Hall in Pneuma
Carpos.

Bogdan raised an eyebrow, "That was quick."

 

Omar looked at them all, "Ready to go?"

Bogdan shook his head. "I am staying here. I must wait for Jack
and I want to see if I can find this 'Master'. I would like to speak with him if
possible."

Omar nodded. "Ok then," he said. Then he pulled a pen and paper
from his supplies and wrote a letter. He rolled the letter up to look like a
scroll then handed it to Bogdan. "Please, make sure this gets to Jack."

Bogdan nodded, "Safe journey Omar."

 

Omar grinned, "Same to you."

 

Omar then took the key from his pocket, opened a portal, and
stepped through it. Sasha and Alora followed.