Divided: Brides of the Kindred 10 (21 page)

“We saw,” Truth said grimly. “It appears
that a hell of a lot of people didn’t make it.”

Vashtar shrugged. “We did the best we
could. Most of our citizens made it to safety—there are facilities like this
all over the planet, you know. Statistically only about one percent of those
living at the time of the great disaster didn’t reach the safety of the tanks.”

Far frowned. “But why are you still here?
Your planet hasn’t been a true rogue for the past two thousand solar years.
You’re in orbit around a new sun now—you could come out and find a new home
world.”

“Oh, no, no, no!” Vashtar shook his head.
“I think you misunderstand me, my dear boy. These tanks were not simply a
temporary measure—a holding facility until we could look for a new world. They
are meant to sustain life indefinitely. Well, for a very long time, anyway…” He
looked around at all the dark tanks, sadly. “Over the ages many of us have
given up and dissolved into the nutrient slime that cradles and nourishes us
but a few—a
very
few—of us still endure.”

Becca looked at him blankly. “Um…I can
understand wanting to live, but why would you put yourselves into some kind
of…of coma forever? What kind of life is that?”

To her surprise, Vashtar burst out
laughing.

“Why, the fullest life imaginable, my
dear! Forgive me, but I don’t think you understand. You see, the nutrient slime
doesn’t simply sustain life—it also connects our minds. It is the gateway to
the Mindscape.”

“The what?” Far asked, frowning.

“What the hell is that?” Truth demanded.

“It is a whole other world—an existence
bounded only by our imaginations.” Vashtar frowned. “Let me think, how can I
explain?” He looked at Becca. “On your planet, you have an interconnected
system of machines, a way that people all over your world can see each other
and communicate and exchange ideas, do you not?”

“You mean the Internet?” She frowned.
“Yes, we do and the Kindred have a much further reaching system like it, too.”

“Imagine a system even vaster and more all
encompassing.” Vashtar threw out both arms in a sweeping circle. “Imagine
creating your own world to live in, to play in, to people with whatever
creatures you choose. Imagine life eternal in the environment of your choice.”

Becca raised an eyebrow at him. “So…you’re
saying that when the planet went rogue, all your people went underground,
climbed into tanks filled with slime, and basically moved into the Internet to
live? As in, forever?”

The little man looked suddenly sorrowful.
“Well, for quite a long time, anyway. As you can see, not many of us remain.”

“That’s very sad,” Becca said softly.

“Not to mention fucking strange,” Truth
growled, under his breath.

“Hush!” Becca elbowed him. “Thank you for
telling us your story,” she said to Vashtar. “And for offering to help us with
our problem.”

“Of course, of course—always glad to help
another society of threes.” The little man bobbed excitedly, his ruby red third
eye blinking.

“That’s wonderful.” Becca smiled warmly.
“So…what can we do? How do we get the, uh, demons out of the men who have been
possessed?”

“Oh, I can’t tell you that!” Vashtar
exclaimed. “Not here, anyway.”

“What? Then why in the Seven Hells did you
drag us all the way down here?” Truth demanded.

“Why, to help you! But as I said, I can’t
do it here. The solution to your problem is a deeply buried secret and I do not
know it.”

Becca tried to hold on to her temper
though she was feeling almost as pissed off as Truth.

“All right,” she said evenly. “Then who
does?”

“Why, Vashtar, of course,” the little man
said, as though it should be obvious.

“But
you
are Vashtar,” Far said
blankly. “Aren’t you?”

“No, indeed!” He laughed as though the
idea was ridiculous. “I’m only his avatar. A loose programming of his
personality sent to guide you to him.”

“All right, so guide us,” Truth said,
frowning. He began scanning the long, shadowy rows. “Which tank is he in?”

“Oh, none of these! Vashtar’s body is in a
tank halfway around the world in the Blurbzz
holding facility.”

“What?” Far exclaimed. “Then why did you
send us coordinates for this facility?”

“Why, because it’s the only one with three
working, empty tanks, of course!”

Becca began to get a very bad feeling in
the pit of her stomach.

“Please don’t say what I think you’re
going to say. You don’t actually want us to…to…”

“To climb into the nutrient slime and
enter the Mindscape,” the avatar finished for her. “Of
course
—it is the
only way you can have access to the real Vashtar. But you must hurry—he spent
much of his mental reserves in contacting you in the first place. Soon he too
may dissolve into the slime and be no more.” The thought seemed to make him so
sad that a tear escaped his third eye and rolled down the side of his nose.

“But…but…” Objections rose so fast in
Becca’s mind she couldn’t voice any of them. Truth, however, had no such
problem.

“How do we know your slime is compatible with
our bodies?” he demanded. “It could be poison to ones with our chemistry.”

“You are carbon based life forms and your
chemistry was close enough to ours to allow the scanners to let you through in
the first place,” the avatar said. “You should have no problem.”

“But…how do you breathe in there?” Becca
shivered.

“The slime is infused with oxygen and
other necessary agents. Once you inhale it into your lungs—”

“What?” Truth looked angry. “No way in all
the Seven Hells! We cannot breathe slime!”

“Actually, deep sea divers on Earth do,”
Becca said. “I read an article about it—they use a form of liquid oxygen. It
allows them to dive deeper because it equalizes the pressure in their lungs
with the outside pressure of the ocean.” She shook her head. “Ugh—I remember
thinking how horrible it sounded when I read it.”

“It’s not that bad,” the Vashtar avatar
assured them. “You only feel like you’re drowning for a moment and then the
neural interface kicks in and you wake up in the Mindscape.”

“And how do you eat?” Far asked.

“Like kings.” The avatar beamed. “From the
outside, the nutrient slime supplies all your needs. But once you are in the
Mindscape, you can imagine any food you want and have it appear for you. And I
do mean
any
food—for of course in the Mindscape, one cannot grow fat or
unhealthy.” He frowned. “Unless you wished to, of course, but that would be a
rather strange fantasy, wouldn’t it?”

Becca bit her lip. “So technically I could
imagine I was eating a dozen donuts or a pan of brownies or a big slice of
pizza and I could eat it and
taste
it but not actually gain weight from
it?” She still hated the idea of breathing slime but the idea of eating what
she wanted without having to watch her weight made it
almost
seem worth
it.

“Exactly—you have the idea now!” The
avatar smiled broadly. “Do you begin to see the beauty of the Mindscape?”

“All I see is a fucking danger,” Truth
growled. “Once we are in, how do we get out again?”

“Why, you simply picture a doorway with
‘out’ or ‘exit’ or the phrase for egress of your choice. Once it appears, you
go through it and you’ll find yourself waking up in your tank.” The avatar
spread his transparent hands. “Could it possibly be easier?”

“Actually, yes it could,” Far said. “When
you—or Vashtar—invited us down here, we had no idea we’d be expected to breathe
slime and submerge our consciousnesses into a strange, mental matrix.”

“Forgive me but that is the only way to
access the true Vashtar and all of his vast knowledge.” The little avatar
looked sorrowful. “Should I go tell him that you are not coming after all? He
only delays his dissolution for you, you know.”

“What, you mean he’s about to let himself
dissolve?”
Becca asked.

“Alas, his years in the Mindscape have
been long—many, many times the normal lifespan of our kind. I fear the only
thing that keeps Vashtar sane is his ability to cast his consciousness out into
the universe and help others.” The avatar bowed his head. “But his strength is
waning. I believe you are the last three he will be able to help. Still, he did
wish to be of service at least once more before his dissolution.”

“How do we know this fucking gel won’t
dissolve
us?”
Truth asked.

“Why it cannot until you will it,” the
avatar looked shocked. “Only a conscious effort on your part can allow the
nutrient slime to digest you.”

“Ugh…” Becca shivered. “I’m sorry, but are
we actually thinking of doing this?”

“I think it’s insane,” Truth growled.

Far looked thoughtful. “It does seem
risky, but we
did
swear to bring a solution to the Mother Ship.” He
sighed. “Maybe I should go myself and the two of you stay here.”

“No,” the avatar said at once, frowning.
“One alone can never make it within the Mindscape. Our entire society was
predicated on threes. Unless all three of you submerge your consciousness and work
together, you will never be able to navigate to where Vashtar is.”

“But where is he?” Becca asked. “Will we
see him as soon as we, uh, breathe the slime?”

“Naturally not,” the avatar said primly.
“Vashtar was the seer of our planet—a very important person. You cannot just
access him as easily as walking up to speak to your neighbor. You will be
required to follow the proper protocol procedures before meeting him.”

“What are those?” Far asked.

“You will find them in the Mindscape.” The
avatar frowned. “Now may I tell Vashtar to expect you or not? He is extremely
fatigued by his long years of life and he will not wait much longer.”

“I don’t know—give us a minute,” Becca
begged. “You’re kind of asking a lot here, you know.”

“Not so much,” the avatar said. “Only that
you come to meet Vashtar where he can speak to you in person. Why is that so
difficult?”

“Give us time to discuss it,” Far said. He
looked at Becca and Truth. “All three of us must agree. What do you say?”

Becca had a sudden image of all the unmated
males, their eyes red and evil, their bodies taken over by beings who wished to
kill and maim and rape every living soul aboard her new home.

“I say…we have to go,” she said
reluctantly. “Think of all the people we love back aboard the Mother Ship. Think
what might happen if we don’t get the answer. Either they’ll have to kill all
the possessed males somehow—which would be terrible—or the males might break
free and kill everyone else. Which would be even worse!”

“I agree,” Far said slowly. “Honor demands
this sacrifice of us.” He took Becca’s hand. “And even if I didn’t think so, I
would still go where you go,
mi’now,”
he said softly.

“Thank you, Far.” She squeezed his fingers
and they both turned to look at Truth. He had his arms crossed over his muscular
chest and was scowling at the floor, obviously deep in thought.

“Truth?” Becca said hesitantly.

“There is no one on the Mother Ship that I
love,” he said, frowning. “No one I care for enough to forfeit my life. And
though I swore to bring back a solution to the problem there, no mention was
made of such an extreme risk to both health and sanity.”

“But you said—” Far began but Becca put a
hand on his arm.

“Hush, he’s not done yet.”

Truth took a deep breath. “Having said all
that, I see that the two of you are determined to do this.”

“We are,” Far said quietly and Becca
nodded.

Truth looked up. “Then I will go with
you.” He nodded at Becca. “I swore to protect you with my life, Rebecca. As for
you, Far, I cannot…” He frowned at his brother. “I cannot let my own blood—as
estranged as we are—go into danger alone.”

“Thank you, Brother,” Far said quietly.
“That means a great deal to me.”

“It shouldn’t.” Truth pointed a finger at
both of them and spoke in a low voice. “Because I haven’t changed my mind about
anything I said to you the other night. Though I am going with you, it is only
for the sake of the mission. I don’t want to hear any talk of ‘bonding’ or
‘sharing’ or anything else of that nature.”

“Don’t worry,” Far said stiffly. “You’ve
made your wishes abundantly clear.”

“Good.” Truth nodded, apparently
satisfied. “Then let’s get this over with.”

We’re really going to do this and we’re
doing it together.
Becca
felt a surge of relief which was immediately followed by a stab of dread.
Well,
yeah, it’s great, we’re all going
together
but oh God, we all have to
climb in a tank and breathe
slime
. Ugh!

“Well then, it’s all decided?” the avatar
asked, clapping its transparent hands together with no noise at all. “Can I
lead you to your tanks?”