Prologue/Acknowledgement
In an alternate timeline's future, The Principle (a.k.a. Terri) ruled the world with an iron fist. Her only rival, Breeze (a.k.a. Maggie), was even more diabolical and sought to overthrow her rule. The two fought for several years and the struggle ultimately resulted in the destruction of their world through the misuse of a time machine. Somehow, Terri ended up as a Robotics Mastermind in the Rogue Isles and began her new life of infamy as Madam Principle.
The story that follows is a continuation of her origin: The Forsaken - Madam Principle's Story. Many characters and concepts of the new story draw from the old.
MC - Thank you for MJ.
SA - Thank you for diving head first into things.
Special thanks to V - You followed. I got an idea. And the entire thing unfolded from there.
We Don’t Need Another Hero (Madam Principle’s origin continued)
---
"So what do we do with our lives?
We leave only a mark
Will our story shine like a light
or end in the dark?
Is it all or nothing?"
We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome). 1985. Tina Turner.
---
Ah, flying. There was nothing else quite like it. To be able to rise above the noise and bustle of the Rogue Isles was freedom. From up high she could see the common people go about their mundane little lives like ants on a mound. She smiled. One day she, Madam Principle, would sweep aside all kings and queens and establish her empire. On that day there would be changes. Oh yes, there would be changes.
Very little could bother her up here. But, today was an exception and the smile faded. Something troubled her. Something deep and distressing. Not only were her robots increasingly not obeying her commands but she was becoming unreliable. Her perceptions were off and it was only getting worse. In the last mission she didn't see the Circle of Thorns defender until he was next to her. Thankfully, Doc Samedi's henchmen took care of that threat.
Good old Doc. What a surprise he turned out to be. In this place where no one could be trusted, he was the closest thing to a friend she had. He was there when the going got rough and she often returned the favor by helping him out. Aside from being a zombie mastermind and...well...dead, he was alright. She'd reward him with a high place in her empire when the moment arrived.
The communicator chimed. Vendara was going to rob a bank and wanted to know if she was interested in sharing the spoils. She agreed and they arranged to meet a few blocks away from the First National Bank of St. Martial at two o'clock.
Her thoughts returned to her troubles. Why did the battle robots refuse the command to heel and take on the behemoth single handedly? The outcome was predictable - three pulverized and slagged hunks of metal. And, how was it that she didn't see the defender until it was too late?
The island rock wall she was rapidly approaching suddenly got her attention. She was going to smack into it unless she immediately changed course. Alarmed, she pulled up and barely missed the escarpment.
"Nerva. I'm in Nerva!" she said as she took up station and hovered several hundred feet above the island. "I thought I was in Cap Au Diable! What's going on?! What's wrong with me?!" Wracked with concern she spied a lagoon and landed on the beach.
Several Crey and Arachnos were fighting it out nearby. If she cleared the area of them she'd have time to meditate and perform a detailed system analysis. Summoning her robots she proceeded with this task. A few minutes later and satisfied with the outcome, she set her robots to guard. Sitting on the beach in a lotus position she started the analysis and entered a deep trance.
---
A strange sound jarred her back to awareness. It started out rough then ended smooth. Opening her eyes she looked around. Behind her lay a leopard, slowly grooming itself. Startled, she took flight and hovered a dozen feet above the waterline. The leopard yawned, stretched, and rolled in the sand. Sleepily it looked up at her. Its chest moved rapidly as it purred.
Landing a respectable distance from the big cat she took stock of her surroundings. It was a bright, sunny day and the air was clear. However, instead of blue, the sky was dark as night and she could see the stars. "What happened? Where the blazes am I?" she muttered.
The leopard stood, stretched, and casually strolled over to her. Purring, it rubbed its head and body against her. As it made another pass she ran her fingers through its exquisitely soft and silky fur. Then, it cocked its ears in the direction of a path leading from the beach to the interior of the island. Slowly it began padding towards the path. About halfway there it stopped and looked back as if asking her to follow.
She didn't trust the cat, situation, nor surroundings. This could all be an illusion. Some sort of trick by one of her many enemies. She needed more information and quickly. Mentally she contacted her personal AI. "Status?" There was no response. "AI?!" she demanded, "Respond!"
The leopard loped back and sat down on its haunches in front of her. Looking up at her with its golden eyes it replied in Maggie’s voice, "The status is green, Terri."
Terri’s jaw dropped and she sputtered for a few moments. "What?! How?!"
"Since we've been on this world, I've always been with you. You didn't know?"
"I...I...well, no. Uh...Maggie? Is that really you?"
"Yes", she said as she began grooming her paws and face. "That you never suspected is no surprise. You assumed I was dead. Assumptions are a problem if you’re not careful. Fortunately, you’ve been right more often than not. But, one thing I learned in the old world was to use your assumptions against you when you were wrong."
"And, now?" Terri asked with suspicion. "What assumptions are you using against me? Are you the cause of my problems?"
"No", Maggie said. "I suspect it's something else."
"What?" Terri demanded.
Maggie's cat eyes narrowed. "Another assumption."
"What assumption?"
Suddenly, Maggie bounded up the beach and onto the path. "Follow me", she said as she disappeared into the dense jungle.
"Come back here!" Terri yelled. With a sigh she ran up the beach and toward the path.
---
"Wait a minute!" Terri said. "I don't need to run." Taking flight she could no longer follow the path due to the thickness of the jungle. She did, however, get a complete overview of the island. It was small, not more than a few square miles in size. The center was a vast dead bog completely devoid of vegetation. Even up here she could smell the death and decay. A thin, lush green line of jungle hugged the island’s beaches and surrounded the bog. It was plain to see that whatever was killing the interior would soon claim the entire island. Aside from a small structure near the center there was no sign of civilization. And, she could see no other islands no matter how high or far she flew.
Maggie leapt from a tree to the ground at the bog’s edge. Terri landed next to her.
"See anything?" Maggie asked.
"This whole place is dying", said Terri. "If we don't get off this island soon we'll likely share its fate."
"Agreed. I'd estimate our odds of survival around five percent, give or take."
Terri's eyes widened. "Five percent!? That can't be! How do you know?"
Maggie looked around warily. "Shhhh. Quiet down. I sense danger here and I don't want to attract undue attention." Terri quieted. "In answer to your question, when we came to this world I became your personal AI. Calculation and running simulations is child's play. Using the information at hand is how I arrive at five percent."
"What information are you using?"
Maggie looked around, "The total land mass. Live vs. dead areas. Lack of proximity to other land masses. Random factors, etc."
"So, what you’re really telling me is you’re making a guess based on assumptions."
A sour look crossed Maggie’s face and she growled.
Terri giggled. "You're a computer. Huh! That's quite a change. Why didn’t you tell me before now?"
"I couldn’t. I think your previous AI must have gotten out of line so you placed a block limiting its responses. The old ‘speak only when spoken to’, critical warnings, and all that routine. Evidently, the fact that I’m now the AI wasn’t critical enough so I had no choice but to be mute. But, when you started the detailed system analysis it temporarily removed the block. It’ll be reinstated once the analysis is complete. I’d appreciate it being removed."
Terri closed her eyes and concentrated. "Done".
"Thank you," said Maggie. "You've changed as well. You're behaving a lot like I did in the old world."
"Impossible," retorted Terri. "I'm nothing like you were."
"Oh really?" Maggie growled as she eyed Terri. "Look at what you’re wearing. You look like a dominatrix. I dressed in that style but you didn’t. And, as far as behavior goes - impulsiveness, risk taking, ruthlessness, attitude - girl, that's me if I ever saw it! You were never like that until we came here. I think some part of me became part of you. But, that’s only half of it", she continued. "Some part of you also must have become part of me. I’m remarkably calm and calculating considering the circumstances."
"Maybe it’s because you’re an AI now?" replied Terri.
"I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure out how I ended up outside our body as a leopard."
"Maybe this is an illusion?" speculated Terri.
"Perhaps", responded Maggie. "But, if it is, it’s like no illusion I’ve ever experienced." She added, "There’s a building near the center of the island. Can you fly us there?"
Terri swung her arms wide and they both began flying. "Yes. I saw it earlier. Stay close to me or you'll drop."
---
They hovered over what turned out to be a decrepit shack and then cautiously set down near the entrance. "Hello?" Terri said as they landed. "Anyone here?" Silence was the only reply.
The door made a somber creaking sound as Terri opened it. They peered inside. A few seconds later Maggie’s ears flattened and she crouched. "Rowrrrrr! I didn’t expect that!"
Terri looked around in alarm. "Expect what?"
"You don’t see it?"
"What do you….mean?" Terri said as her voice trailed off. She blinked once and a mist began forming in one of the corners. When she blinked again she saw her parents holding a baby. Each time she squinted or blinked the scene changed. The baby became a little girl who loved the color lavender. The child was her! Then she was in school. Then with her best friends. She was watching her life go by. Teenage years now. First kiss. Discovering her powers. Becoming a member of super hero group. The interstellar invasions. Becoming ruler of the world. Turning evil. Meeting Maggie. The time machine. The final battle that resulted in her being in this world. All the trials and tribulations of the Rogue Isles. Suddenly, the vision ended and she collapsed to her knees. "It was my life", she said.
"I saw my life, too" Maggie said in a small voice. "I didn’t like it that much."
By this time the mist had pooled into opposing corners of the room. One side began glowing with a white radiance while the other began glowing darkly. The two moved towards one another, interacted, then swirled around each other faster and faster until there was a flash of light. A rose lay on the floor where the two mist’s had come together.
Slack jawed they looked at each other. "What just happened?" asked Terri.
"I have no idea", Maggie said.
Suddenly, a long, low moan emanated from behind them. Terri stood and turned while Maggie leapt to the top of the shack.
"See anything, Maggie?"
"No. Wait. Yes! Someone’s stuck in the mud!", she said as she pointed with one of her paws. "Over there!" Terri took flight to investigate.
All that was visible in the mud was a face. It moaned again and a hand struggled out of the muck next to it. "Maggie! Come help me! It’s Doc Samedi!"
---
With some effort they managed to free him. Although his suit was stained and tattered he seemed to be all right. "Doc, what are you doing here?" Terri asked.
In answer, his eyes began glowing a sickly yellow and he reared back his head and laughed. Razor sharp teeth sprouted menacingly from his mouth. The laugh grew in intensity until it boomed throughout the island.
"Doc!", Terri yelled as she held her hands to her ears. "Stop it! This isn’t a joke!"
"Terri!", Maggie yelled. "My senses tell me that’s not Doc!"
The creature stopped laughing and took a step forward. As it did the muck from the bog flowed up its legs and it became a little larger. Another step, larger still. By the fourth step it had grown more than a foot in height. Doc’s suit and face began to split and shred. Dark ichor oozed from the cracks forming in it’s face, neck, and torso.
Clumsily, it lunged at Maggie who deftly dodged and growled. Warily she began circling the creature.
The stench of death and decay emanating from the creature was almost too much for Terri to bear. Fighting back the bile rising in her throat she gestured and surrounded Maggie with a force bubble. This attracted the creature’s attention. It then lunged at her.
Terri counterattacked with a force bolt and sent the creature flying backward into the muck. As it attempted to stand she hit it again. Once again it flew back. Each time it attempted to rise she hit it. But, every time it went down it grew larger and stronger. Eventually, her blasts became no more than an annoyance. Some twenty feet tall it stood glaring at her as it beat it’s chest and roared. The roar was deafening and shook the entire island.
By now, Maggie had made a complete circuit of the creature. Warily she crouched beside Terri. "I suggest either a different weapon or tactic", she said.
"Thank you for stating the obvious", Terri acidly said as she drew her laser rifle and fired. Maggie glared at her and hissed.
The blast punched a hole clear through the creature’s chest. In puzzlement it looked at the hole and then laughed. From the hole, maggots squirmed and fell. The muck where they landed began moving ominously as they burrowed into it. Suddenly, dozens of zombies clawed their way out of the ground.
Terri’s face blanched. "I take back what I just said. Ideas?!"
"Bots!" yelled Maggie. "Set them up! Buy us time! Run, regroup, attack later!"
Frantically, she created a dispersion field and summoned the robots as the creature and it’s zombie minions advanced. She instructed them to hold the line and fire on anything that moved starting with the zombies first. Then they fled. Maggie ran while Terri took flight.
As her feet left the ground a zombie vomit blast knocked Terri from the air. Stunned, the dispersion field went out as she went head first into the muck. She lay there a moment and then slowly stood. In her woozy state she heard the pitched battle between the robots and zombies. Maggie suddenly appeared next to her and, with a leopard’s cry of rage, attacked and shredded the nearest zombie with her claws.
Terri’s head cleared but something was wrong. She felt as if several of her powers had been stripped from her. She tried to take flight but could not. "Maggie!" she yelled. "I can’t fly!"
"Run!" Maggie screamed.
Terri turned and ran with Maggie beside her. Dodging zombie blasts they quickly outdistanced the slower moving horde. The jungle beaconed invitingly as they made their way there. Once hidden behind the dense foliage they stopped and looked back just as the last robot went down. Then, the zombie horde and its master began moving towards them. They turned and ran.
---
Making their way through the jungle was easier than expected. The dense jungle seemed to part enough for them so they didn’t have to slow down. In short order they emerged onto the beach and continued north until Terri ran out of breath.
"I can’t go any further!" Terri gasped as she collapsed on the sand.
"You must!" Maggie urged. "We need to put more distance between us and them!"
"I can’t, Maggie! You go on without me!"
"The hell I will!" Maggie said as she bit down on Terri’s cape and started dragging her towards the jungle.
"What are you doing?!"
In a muffled voice Maggie replied, "Getting you off the very visible beach."
"Oh," Terri said as she hauled herself into a standing position and staggered to a palm tree with Maggie half-dragging her along. Once there they both collapsed and lay on the sand.
After a few minutes Maggie broke the silence. "You’re heavier than I expected."
Terri laughed. "Being a cyborg will do that to you."
"Why did you do it?"
"Become a cyborg?"
"Yes."
Terri laughed. "Vanity, pure and simple. Anything that wears out I replace. It keeps me looking twenty-five even though I turn sixty-three this year."
Maggie’s ears perked up.
"Yep. Born in 1983, lived through the destruction of the old world in 2043, and back in time to this place in 2005. It’s now 2006 so I turn 63 this year." Terri started coughing uncontrollably.
Maggie looked at her worriedly. "And feeling every year now I bet."
Terri nodded.
"Stay here", Maggie said. "I’m going to climb a tree and see where they are."
"I’m not going anywhere," Terri said between coughs.
A minute or two later Maggie descended and lay on the sand. "The jungle is fighting back."
"What?!"
"The creature has hundreds of zombies at its command and it’s sending them against the jungle in waves. Zombies are being ripped apart and pulled into the ground by vines. Trees are swatting them aside."
By now Terri’s cough had quieted. "Who’s winning?"
Maggie sighed. "The creature and its zombies. For each one destroyed, another takes its place. They’re clearing a path to the beach."
Terri slumped. "How long until they get there?"
"Twenty point four minutes, give or take."
Terri groaned and stood up. "Time for us to go."
"Terri, wait. A few moments won’t matter. I have some ideas. I don’t know if they will help us but…"
"Go on", Terri said as she sat back down.
"Remember earlier when I said ‘another assumption’?"
"Yes."
"I need you to do something."
"Ok. What?"
"When was the last time you ran a wetware diagnostic?"
"Not since we came to the Isles back in ‘05. Why?"
"Run one now."
"It’ll weaken me. Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Ok", Terri said as she lay down, closed her eyes, and started the diagnostic. She didn’t need to run it all the way through. A couple of minutes later she sat up, tears welling from her eyes. "I’m dead!" she sobbed.
---
Maggie immediately stood and padded over to her. Laying down she began grooming Terri’s face and hair with her rough tongue. At first Terri didn’t notice or care. But, after a few minutes she sputtered and tried to push Maggie away.
"Why are you doing this?" Terri sobbed.
Maggie stopped and looked at her. "To think you were once my sworn enemy and I vowed to kill you..."
"What?! Kill me with feline kindness?" Terri laughed bitterly. "Well, you’re too late! I’m already dead!"
"No, not yet", Maggie said as she looked into Terri’s eyes. "This island is you or at least a representation of you. Its not dead yet and neither are you. But, if it dies, you die. If you die, it dies."
While Terri paused to think it over, Maggie continued. "You assumed you were alive and whole because of what the wetware diagnostic reported back in ‘05. We now learn differently. You’re dying and, in fact, are near death. This accounts for your problems with the robots and perceptions."
"How could I be dying, Maggie? I mean, surely I’d have known!"
"You said yourself ‘anything that wears out you replace’. In the old world you had doctors, scientists, and technology to take care of you. This happened behind the scenes so you never had to give it a second thought. But, here in this world, that infrastructure doesn’t exist. Without the rejuvenation treatments you received in the old world your organic side started dying. Each day it died a little more. It’s a wonder you can still function at all."
"But, why didn’t I know?
Maggie sighed. "I have no idea. You should have felt something but didn’t. I also have no idea why my diagnostics didn’t detect your condition either. The only thing I can figure is that being dead here is different than in the old world. This somehow affected my senses but didn’t affect the wetware diagnostic. In the old world we’d bury the dead and move on. Here the dead can be reanimated. I have no idea why you didn’t know, nor why the wetware diagnostic detected your condition, nor why my diagnostics didn’t. It just doesn’t add up! The information is contradictory and incomplete! I..I.."
"Maggie, you’re grooming me again. Why?"
Maggie stopped. "Sorry. I’m upset and, well, you once saved my life."
"When? How?"
"At the end of the third invasion the K’Dan brought out the heavy stuff. Their energy weapons cut through the cities like a knife through butter. One beam sheared off the top of the tenement building where my sister and I lived. Trapped in the twisted rubble I lay near death. Without stopping, and for two days straight, you personally moved that entire building, piece by piece, until the rescue workers found me. Then you collapsed from exhaustion."
"I remember that" Terri said gravely. "There was only one survivor."
"Yes", said Maggie softly. "I was a little girl and wanted to be just like you. When you turned evil, so did I."
"Turning evil. That’s when we became enemies."
"Yes."
For a few moments they sat in silence until they heard the roar of the creature in the distance. "Time is short", Maggie said. "I have two theories. They may help us or they may not. They won’t be easy for you to hear."
"I understand. Go on."
"Actually, there are three theories. The first one you know - the island is you and you are the island. What happens to you affects the island and vice-versa."
"Yes, I understand that."
"Theory number two I’ll pose as a question. What happens to me when you die? Before you answer, think about it."
"I don’t know", Terri replied. "You’re the AI. I don’t know what will happen to you. Regardless, the AI will be useless without a will to direct it."
Maggie’s eyes narrowed. "Go on."
"What do you mean?"
"Remember the experiment you and Vendara tried? She wanted to see if you could directly control her robots. For a few minutes she surrendered her will to you. This gave you control over both her and her robots. With your strength doubled, nothing could stand in your way."
Terri sat up. "Yes. I’m surprised she let me do that. Wait! Are you saying that if I die Vendara will take control of what’s left?"
"No. Not Vendara. She’d need to control the shell that was you before controlling the AI. That’s beyond her capabilities. However, there are those whose capabilities include an understanding of death and how to manipulate it" Maggie said with a knowing look.
"Doc Samedi!" Terri exclaimed. "No! He wouldn’t do that!"
Maggie looked at her. "Wouldn’t he? Think about it. Why does he hang around you so much? Does he genuinely like you or is there an ulterior motive? He is attracted to dead things, you know. Perhaps he senses your imminent demise and is even now rushing to claim you. His face was the one in the mud. What better way to accept death than through someone you know and trust."
"But, Doc Samedi?!" Terri asked.
"He has the knowledge and capabilities to take control of what’s left if you die. Once he controls that he controls the AI. Once he controls the AI he controls the robots. Your body, the AI, and the robots would exist as his pawns. If he succeeds with you then it’s only a matter of time before he tries the same thing with others. Imagine an army of zombies, robots, and who knows what else under his total control."
"The Rogue Isles would tremble in fear. He’d be unstoppable", Terri said angrily. "I..we..you, or what’s left of us, would be his pawns." She stood. "I cannot allow that to happen" she said with renewed strength and determination.
"I can’t be sure of his motives", Maggie said. "But, even if they’re good he’s not above taking advantage of a situation which dramatically increases his power and influence. Ready for theory number three?"
"Lay it on me."
Before Maggie could continue, dozens of zombies erupted from the sand.
---
Maggie screamed and leapt on the nearest zombie. With a few swipes of her claws she ripped it to pieces. With blinding speed and ferocity she tore into several others. The zombies around her scattered.
Terri quickly force bubbled Maggie and erected a dispersion field. She cursed as she tried summoning her battle robots and nothing happened. Narrowly, she dodged a volley of zombie vomit. But, she wasn’t the intended target. It was targeted at the jungle behind her that had suddenly sprung to life and had begun attacking the zombie horde.
"Maggie!" Terri yelled. "Keep on the offensive! Don’t let them recover!"
Between Maggie’s ferocious attacks, the jungle, and Terri’s force and laser blasts, the tide of battle slowly began to change. They were defeating zombies faster than they were erupting from the sand. Within minutes the beach was a war zone littered with rotting and desiccated body parts.
Suddenly, what was left of the horde retreated to the waterline. Some five or six deep they stood shoulder to shoulder. Behind them the sea began to boil. Bloated, dead fish floated to the surface. Then they saw it – an enormous black shape on the horizon, plowing water before it. Closer and closer it came. With a roar the creature erupted from the surf. Murky salt water sprayed over the entire beach and jungle.
Terri felt a stinging sensation and sudden weakness as the water washed over her. As the water made contact with the jungle it immediately began to wither and die. Worse yet, dismembered zombie body parts began piecing themselves together. With a chorus of moans, the zombies were rising again.
"We’ve got to get out of here!" Maggie yelled. "Run! This way!"
"You don’t have to tell me twice!" Terri yelled.
At first they tried the jungle. But, a zombie horde several thousand strong was literally trampling it despite its best efforts to resist. They had no choice but to return to the beach. Turning south, they ran.
Less than a minute later they skidded to a stop. From a breach in the jungle not far ahead, zombies were spilling onto the beach and moving in their direction. Several hundred more were swimming in the surf, moving to cut off any escape seaward.
"Now what do we do?!" Maggie asked.
"We fight on until we drop!" yelled Terri.
As if on cue, zombies erupted out of the sand and attacked. For a few moments they held their own until the main bodies of the horde arrived. Stunned by a vomit blast, Terri dropped to the sand and zombies piled on top of her. Their weight crushed the breath out of her and she couldn’t move. In a semi-conscious state she heard Maggie cry out in pain and then go silent.
Exhausted and barely able to breathe, Terri struggled against them to no avail. Closer and closer the booming footsteps came. Then they stopped. A giant hand grabbed her and the zombies holding her down. As she was hoisted skyward the zombies with her turned to dust. She nearly blacked out when the creature squeezed to consolidate its grip. Maggie’s limp form was held equally as tight in the creature’s other hand.
Black clouds quickly roiled in and lightning split the sky. Thunder boomed deafeningly. She winced in agony as the creature squeezed again. Terri coughed. Blood.
"No!" Terri gasped weakly. "It can’t end like this. Not like this."
---
The creature brought Terri close to its face. Eyes glaring, it laughed at her. The stench of death was so overpowering that she had to turn away. She looked at Maggie who, in obvious pain, stirred weakly in the creature’s grasp.
Suddenly, the creature held both of them high in the air and roared. Distantly she heard the zombie horde moan as one and caught a glimpse of them prostrating themselves at the creature’s feet. With another deafening roar the creature began walking inland towards the center of the island.
Lightning flashed and seared itself into her retinas while thunder boomed threatening to blow out her eardrums. For some reason this reminded her of her first trip through time. A pity the time machine knowledge would be lost forever when she died. Lightning flashed again and a thought, seemingly from nowhere, entered her mind. "Will it?"
Terri’s jaw dropped and her eyes went wide at a sudden realization. "The dead can be reanimated here! If I die then I will be reanimated and…"
Another flash of lightning. "The knowledge would be used," said the thought.
Her mind started racing. Using that knowledge the time machine could be built anew. Whoever controlled it would control time. The Rogue Isles and Paragon City would fall. But, a far more sinister thought began creeping into her mind. The machine could also bridge realities! Death, through its pawn Doc Samedi, wouldn’t stop with this world. Alternate realities, ripe for the picking, would fall into its grasp. Like a cancer Death would spread across the realities. The destruction and death toll would be unimaginable!
The stakes now were far higher than either her or Maggie. They were just pawns in a larger game and had been maneuvered to just this moment. "But, what do I do now?" she asked.
A bolt of lightning arced in the distance followed moments later by a roll of thunder. "Even a pawn can be come a queen…" the thought said.
"If it reaches the other side of the board!" Terri exclaimed. She looked around. All around her was death. Was she on the other side of the board? "Two pawns!" she said as she looked at Maggie. Could it be? Was there really hope? If so, it meant that their lives along with the fate of billions rested on what they decided to do. That decision was in her and Maggie’s hands! They were the fulcrum. They were the tipping point!
The creature squeezed and several of Terri’s ribs cracked. Blood began trickling from her nose. Through the haze of pain Terri heard Maggie weakly say, "The rose."
Terri looked at Maggie who was being held nearly upside down in the creature’s grasp. "The rose is a symbol of life" Terri thought. Earlier at the shack, the two mists merged into one producing the rose. Was that the answer? Sacrificing themselves? Merging into one? What would happen to them afterwards?
Lightning flashed. "Life or death" said the thought from nowhere. "Decide."
The creature stopped. Looking around Terri saw they were at the center of the island above the decrepit shack. She knew what she had to do. But, would it work? All she could do was try. "The rose" she said to Maggie.
"I know what to do" Maggie said as she smiled weakly.
"Maggie, release the nanobots."
Maggie’s eyes glowed green as the nanobots streamed from her. Looking for a robot to heal they flew around aimlessly until Terri directed them to a different task. Moments later she formed them into a sparkling, glowing sphere between Maggie and herself. "Maggie?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"Thank you for your thoughts."
"It wasn’t me. I heard them too. If this succeeds we’ll need to investigate."
"WHEN this succeeds. And, whoever we become, will." Terri paused a moment and sighed. "It’s time."
"I know. Ready!"
Together they shouted "I give myself to you!"
---
For an agonizing moment nothing happened. Then their eyes started glowing. A white radiance emanated from Terri’s eyes while a dark light, equally as radiant, emanated from Maggie’s. Both radiances struck the nanobot sphere and entered. Inside they began swirling around each other. Faster and faster they swirled, blurring together until a silvery pinpoint of light formed at the center. Its tentative glow weakly lit the surrounding area.
The creature paused and looked up at the shiny, sparkling bauble that had suddenly formed between its fists. Perplexed, it brought it down to eye level. For a moment it stared in rapt wonder. Then it laughed.
With a shrug it tried to smash its fists together but could not. The resistance was too great so it tried again with more strength. But the sphere, which was growing brighter by the second, simply would not give.
After a third and fourth attempt at crushing it failed the creature became annoyed. It held its fists high in the air and, with considerable force, smashed them along with the sphere against the ground. Muck and mud sprayed from the impact, bowling over several of the nearby zombies. The light shuddered but continued to brighten. Thorny vines emerged from beneath the sphere, questing toward the zombies.
With a deafening, deathly roar the creature slammed the sphere down with all its might. The nanobot sphere shattered but the light held! From the light a silvery mist emanated. It flowed over the creature’s hands and down its forearms. Again and again and again the creature slammed the light and mist into the muck. But, each time the light grew brighter and stronger.
The creature tried to pull its arms away but the mist held it tight. No matter how hard it struggled it could not break free. Zombies began to turn and run as the creature cried out in alarm.
Dozens of zombies were pulled under by the thorny vines or skewered where they stood. From those pulled under or skewered, more vines began growing and questing. As all living things must someday die so does life feast upon death. Life was returning to the island and it was ravenous!
In fear, the creature heaved mightily and freed one of its fists. When it opened it there was nothing there! Slowly it was lifted into the air as the light and mist rose. Helplessly it dangled, ineffectively beating its free hand against the solid mist. In one last act of desperation it put its feet against the mist and heaved with all its might. With a crash it landed back-first in the muck.
Free at last it began trying to squirm away. But the vines turned their attention from the zombies to the creature. In a matter of seconds it was overrun and held fast like some monstrous Gulliver. More vines emerged from the ground next to the creature’s head forcing it to face the light. Thorns then cruelly pinned its eyelids open. All it could do was watch the spectacle and majesty unfolding before it.
"Know this", the women’s voices said as one from the light. "We have mastered our transformation."
Suddenly, the silvery light shone as bright and beautiful as the sun and blew away the mist. Held down, helpless, unable to move or look away the creature screamed in absolute, abject terror as it faced its greatest fear – Life!
Then a voice, Madam Principle’s voice, but somehow subtly different, shouted "I live!"
---
"The light and dark are both fearfully made" - ancient proverb
Epilogue
She awoke floating a foot above a small circle of fused sand on the beach. A blast pattern radiated outward several dozen yards. Many of the surrounding plants lay bent, broken, and/or denuded of leaves. "Mmmmmm" she sighed with pleasure as she opened her eyes and stretched. She’d never felt this good, ever.
Doc Samedi teleported to the edge of the blast area. With trepidation he looked around then peered at her. "Madam? You ok?"
Gently she lowered herself to the sand. Tentatively at first and then with more confidence she leisurely strolled towards Doc. About halfway to him her eyes began glowing with a blue electrical radiance.
Doc took a step back as she reached him. "You sure you’re ok? I saw an explosion! Your eyes!"
"Yes. I’m fine."
"That’s good! You had me worried for a second. Vendara is on her way and we…"
"There’s something I need you to understand", she said.
"What?"
The force bolt caught him flat footed. Backwards he flew into a palm tree which cracked and slowly fell. Drawing her weapon she quickly made her way to him. Straddling his midsection she put the receiving end of the blaster under his chin.
"What the…?" Doc said in shock.
"Summon your zombies and it’ll be a quick trip to the hospital, understand?"
"Yes, but…"
"Look closely at me", she said.
"What is the meaning of this?" he said indignantly. "I AM looking closely at you! You’re on top of me!"
"No, you misunderstand. Look…closely…at…me."
He looked and then his eyes widened. "You’re alive! Whole! What? How?"
Putting a finger to his lips she silenced him. "I am still your friend and your ally. But, I will never be your pawn."
Vendara materialized nearby. "What happened here?" she asked.
"Oh, nothing really" said Madam Principle.
She heard Vendara turn and take a step back. "Oops! Sorry! Err…um...ah…" she said, stumbling through the words. Then, composing herself she asked, "Excuse me but, what the hell is going on here?!"
Slowly and carefully, Madam Principle put away the weapon and gracefully back flipped off of Doc. Angrily Doc flexed his muscles and was instantly standing. As he straightened his hat and unruffled his suit he stared at Madam Principle. "Nothing. Nothing at all" he said. "Just a misunderstanding."
The two of them stared impassively at each other for several moments. Vendara waved her arms, trying to get their attention. "Yoo hoo! Look, I don’t care what you two do in private in your own free time. But, you know, bank…money…people to rob and all that. The mission?"
"Right", she and Doc said at the same time.
Doc put a hand on the back of his neck and rubbed. With his other hand he made a sweeping gesture. "Ladies first."
"What happened to your eyes?" Vendara asked.
She smiled. Whether the smile was one of Maggie’s mischievousness or Terri’s determination she couldn’t say. Perhaps it was a little of both. But, it was her smile now. Madam Principle’s smile.
Copyright © by Bill Selwa, all rights reserved.