All That Glitters Ch. 62

As the pair strategized, a Molotov cocktail smashed against the window of the ground floor office they were in. Fortunately for both of them, the window did not break but the fire quickly spread on the exterior of the building.

The building was an older one and did not have all the fire protection of the newer buildings in the area. Even so, the building did not instantly catch fire but the fire tenaciously clung to its outer surface scorching the building and beginning to burn into it.

A shocked Dalman and Leary rushed out of the office to the rear of the building, moving to the emergency exit at the end of the hallway they were in when they discovered that another fire bomb had been smashed against that exit, effectively blocking them. They were fortunate in that the door was one way, enabling people to leave the building in an emergency but not allowing anyone to enter it.

The pair turned around and headed to the front of the building, where the church was, only to be confronted by dozens of placard waving, screaming people outside the main entrance. Frightened, Dalman called emergency services and advised them of what was happening. The pair were more than surprised at the rather frosty reception they received from the service, who eventually informed them that help was on the way.

Dalman looked out at people holding signs saying 'Murderers!' and 'Child Killers!' and other signs condemning The Church of the People for infanticide. Dalman and Leary looked at each other in surprise as they listened to the cursing coming from the protesters. Eventually, the police and fire brigade showed up and the crowd was dispersed, the fire extinguished.

Dalman saw the media reporters and nodded to Leary in their direction. "Time to put on a show," he smiled.

However, the show didn't go quite as Dalman had anticipated as he was arrested immediately on stepping out of the church.

"What is the meaning of this?" Dalman bellowed.

"You are being placed under protective custody. You are also under suspicion of hiring assassins to kill Ikekiya and Zarreniya Piscium. You are also being held for suspicion of uttering death threats against the Piscium family, specifically Junelliya Herlan. Until these suspicions can be clarified, you will remain in custody," an IPPF Sargeant informed the pair. "A guard will be placed on the building."

Both Dalman and Leary protested their innocence as the media had a field day with their arrests.

"Couldn't happen to a nicer guy if you ask me," Dalman heard one of the reporters comment as he was placed into the police transport.

Conference Room J-124, Juliet Deck, Liramor-23, The Piscium System

It was 22:00 hrs when the Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Lauren Domuchelle, and the IPPF Forensic Expert, Chief Inspector Monnette Marini, entered the conference room being used as the office space for the investigation team. The other investigators had completed the interviews with all the witnesses and were just wrapping up for the night.

"Doctor Domuchelle, Chief Inspector Marini, how did things go?" C. Supt. Poilievre asked as he saw them.

"We have independently confirmed that both the attackers were members of the Orin Sallé," Dr. Domuchelle began for the pair, "in that they definitely had the augmentation drug in their bodies and their musculature had indeed been benefiting from the drug when they were killed. The stigma (mark) that is left behind by the drug was clearly evident as well.

"The male was dressed in a brown overall but had other clothing beneath it, he also had a false nose and mustache. I suspect he intended to remove those items and just disappear into the background after the event. The female wore no disguise.

"Both attackers bled out internally and externally when several large arteries were severed by the blades that the children used on them, I believe they are Asocan Damate. The blades are wider than normal knives and were very sharp. I understand these are the children's personal weapons, provided to them by the Asocans and are a sort of 'right of passage' for young Asocans.

"By all rights, with the Orin Sallé enhancement drug in their bodies, they should easily have been able to kill the children. That the children first disarmed the assailants then struck them where and when they did with their Damates, saved their lives as the attackers bled out too quickly to be able to retaliate before they simply collapsed from the loss of blood and then died.

"Effectively, the children were bloody lucky that they are alive and with only minor injuries.

"Ikekiya Piscium took a blow from an enhanced fist to the back of her head. By all rights, she should have been killed by the blow but she managed to avoid most of its effects, if not all of it. She is one lucky girl in that regard.

"The hospital staff tells me she has a major concussion and that they have applied Concussion Protocol Two for her event. That basically means round the clock monitoring for the next twenty-four hours and a battery of tests tomorrow when she wakes up to determine the repercussions of the concussion.

"Zarreniya is basically unharmed but suffering from mental trauma over the incident, especially from the fact that she had originally thought her older sister was dead as she couldn't connect with her as an empath. That badly frightened her. Like her sister, they will do some tests tomorrow to determine if she can be questioned.

"The medical staff tell me we will have to wait for those test results to determine whether we can ask questions of the children," Domuchelle explained.

"OK, we are just wrapping up here. We have all the information from the witnesses and the security staff and just have to fit all of that into the timeline. We will do that tomorrow. We will use both of your autopsy reports to pad out the timeline and complete the picture.

"I believe that we are all in the same general area for quarters tonight and we have security on the two conference rooms we are using so we are all going to get some sleep now. We'll be back here starting at 08:00 hrs to finish up the timeline and hopefully question the children as to their part in all of this.

Hospital, Lima Deck, Liramor-23, The Piscium System

The children woke up the next day much the worse for wear, Ikekiya because of a pounding headache and Zarreniya because she had woken up several times during the night frightened for her sister. The nurses had helped her back to sleep by reassuring her that her sister was alright and by petting her head until she collapsed back into a fitful sleep.

The medical staff did a deep medical scan of their brains, Ikekiya looking for potential damage and Zarreniya to use as a baseline for her sister, or so they told the children. The children knew better but said nothing to the staff as they were aware that Ikekiya was the only one that actually needed a scan.

They gave Ikekiya an analgesic for her headache and waited until it took effect before they began to perform basic tests from the concussion protocol. Then basically allowed Ikekiya to sleep as she needed.

Zarreniya, still upset about losing the connection to her sister, never went very far from her sister's bed and was constantly in someone's arms all morning. Around noon, Heyya came out to speak with the investigators, stepping into one of the consultation rooms.

"How are they doing, Doctor Heyya?" Poilievre asked.

"Ikekiya will be kept in hospital for a couple of days until we are sure she has more or less physically recovered from the incident. I am more worried about Zarreniya though. She was quite traumatized by her sister's 'absence' when she could not connect with her mentally. It frightened her badly and she won't go far from her sister's side right now," Heyya explained.

"Will we be able to talk to them at all?" Poilievre asked.

"We shall have to play it by ear, I'm afraid. It certainly will not be today," Heyya informed his.

"The children's testimony is crucial, we need to understand why they got involved so we will have to question them in order to complete our timeline of events," Poilievre told Heyya.

"It won't be today. The children had a very rough night last night, especially Zarreniya. Those two have been with each other almost every waking moment of their lives. To suddenly lose that frightened Zarreniya very badly. She did not sleep well last night. If she gets better sleep tonight, then tomorrow we might consider allowing her to answer some questions but Ikekiya will not be able to answer questions for several days. I know you need to complete your investigation but you will have to be flexible for the children's sake." From that, Heyya would not budge.

Heyya then noticed the guards trying to stop one of the ambassadors from entering the Piscium's room.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Heyya growled as she saw the confrontation occurring before the door to the room with the Piscium family in it. The pair stepped out into the waiting area.

"What is happening?" Heyya snapped. "Why are you causing a disturbance in my hospital, Ambassador Alvoie? Kim?"

"Forgive me Doctor Heyya but the Asoc has demanded that she be able to speak with the family," Alvoie answered.

The door opened. Hanalei and Junelliya stepped out into the waiting area, closing the door behind them.

"Ambassador, I felt your need but I do not understand what is happening. Our family is in seclusion because of yesterday's event," Junelliya spoke sternly to the ambassador.

The ambassador drew his >Curlat and knelt on the deck in front of the pair. "I, Grand Dragon Ambassador Alvoie Mutt Semt, acting as the Hand of the Asoc >Catal Mutt Herrtt, Supreme Ruler of the Asocan Realm, do pledge the Asocan Realm to justice for your family and for your clutch, Gurn Hanalei Mutt Piscium, Palda Junelliya Mutt Herlan. Will you accept her pledge of justice?"

Hanalei snarled and placed her hand over Alvoie's >Curlat but did not touch it. "She knows something, doesn't she, ambassador?"

"The Asoc has requested that you contact her as soon as possible, Gurn Piscium," Alvoie replied, not confirming Hanalei's suspicion but not saying anything about Hanalei not touching the offered >Curlat.

"The hospital's conference room is free at the moment, Hanalei," Heyya proposed.

"You, the Chief Superintendent, Alvoie, Kim, Doctor <Gorlat, Doctor Mirren, and someone to act as an independent witness, perhaps Doctor Rimmett?" Junelliya suggested.

The group was quickly pulled together in the conference room with Rimmett and the Chief Superintendent out of sight of the camera but watching. Hanalei indicated to Alvoie to connect to the Asoc.

The connection was through within seconds but the Asoc was not alone.

"Shusshhttookkann! You knew! You knew and you didn't say anything!?" Hanalei nearly shouted.

"And what woullld you hafffe done, Gurrrn Pissscium?" Shusshhttookkann snarled right back. "Woullld yyyou have prrrefffented yyyourrr clllutch frrrom attending thisss efffent? Do yyyou not underrrssstand the firrrssst rrrullle of prrrophesssy? What it meansss ifff sssomeone otherrr than thossse named in a prrrophessy attempt to change it?"

"It very nearly ended in catastrophe as it was, Shusshhttookkann. My children could have been killed!" Hanalei yelled.

"They did die, Hanalllei," Shusshhttookkann replied. "Thossse of usss with the giffft can sssee the prrrophesssiesss of otherrrsss. We sssaw Ikkkekkkiiiyyyaa'sss drrream that night, Hanalllei. Ssshhhe ssshhhied awayyy frrrom itsss meaning. We did not. We knew the trrrue meaning of herrr drrream."

"And you did nothing? You didn't try to tell her what it meant?" Hanalei thundered.

"We coullld not, Hanalllei. The drrream wasss not meant for Ikekkiiiyyyaa. It wasss meant forrr anotherrr," Shusshhttookkann answered.

"Zarreniya. The dream was meant for Zarreniya, not Raymond," Junelliya said.

"Yyyou arrre corrrect, Palllda Djunellliiiyyyaaa," Shusshhttookkann confirmed.

"I don't understand?" Hanalei stated looking between Junelliya and Shusshhttookkann.

"A prophet cannot see themselves in their prophecies, Hanalei. That Ikekiya saw herself meant she was seeing herself through the eyes of another," Junelliya explained. "But how did you see the dream, Shusshhttookkann, you were not there that night."

"I was not but Annnarrrekkk was," Shusshhttookkann reminded them. "Annnarrrekkk isss a yyyoung adulllt but ssshhhe isss an adulllt and hasss come into herrr abilllitiesss."

"Damn, I keep forgetting. She is so small compared to other Sandekk but the Sandekk are not considered adults until they are over one hundred years of age," Junelliya explained for the benefit of the others.

"We Sandekk arrre not sssexualllyyy maturrre untilll we rrreach 150 sssykkkllllesss, Djunellliiiyyyaaa, and we willl not come into our powerrrsss untilll we hafffe rrreached that point. Annnarrrekkk hasss 215 sssykkkllllesss," Shusshhttookkann informed them.

"So Annnarrrekkk saw the dream when she got close to Ikekiya that night and passed it on to you?" Hanalei demanded.

"Ikkkekkkiiiyyyaa did not want the drrream, ssshhhe afffoided it. Rrrayyymond wasss not the onlllyyy one to die in the drrream. Many otherrrsss did, inkkkllluding Llliiiea, Kkkiiim, Gilllayyya, Ikkkekkkiiiyyyaa herrrssselllfff, and seffferrralll otherrrsss beffforrre the drrream ended with the lllassst death," Shusshhttookkann told them gently.

"Zarreniya was the last death," Junelliya said in a small voice.

"Kuso!" (A mild Japanese swear word) Kim muttered. "The children probably prevented a massacre.

"Sometimes, when the bad guys want to get away, the stage a big distraction and slip away in the middle of it. I was told that the man in brown was wearing a disguise. He likely intended to kill his target then kill several others to create confusion and fear then simply leave after the event. He would have remove his disguise and blended in with everyone else. It might have worked," Kim muttered.

"How would they have gotten off the platform?" someone asked.

"I'm sure they had a contingency plan," Poilievre remarked but we may never know for certain.

"But we were all wearing our PSS. We could not have been killed by a power weapon," Kim stated in confusion.

"According to Shusshhttookkann, the dream showed you being killed, all of you," the Asoc stated. "Even if you were in PSS, you still died. I would check the weapon to see if it is different.

"Only those mentioned in prophecy can change prophecy. The dream clearly indicated that this prophecy was meant for Sharreniya, otherwise Ikekiya would never have seen herself. Thus only the children could have changed the event, only the children could have prevented the massacre, could have altered the event in any meaningful manner and to do so Sharreniya had to be part of it," the Asoc finished.

"I am sssorrry that we coullld not telll yyyou morrre about the drrream, Gurrrn Pissscium, Palllda Djunellliiiyyyaaa," Shusshhttookkann said softly. "Yyyou woullld mossst cerrrtainlllyyy hafffe prrrefffented yyyourrr clllutch frrrom being therrre and many peopllle woullld hafffe died, inkkkllluding Rrrayyymond, Llliiiea, Kkkiiim, and Gilllayyya. Yyyesss, it wasss frrrightening forrr yyyou to hafffe yyyourrr chillldrrren so infffolllfffed in thisss event, Howeffferrr, asss Kkkiiim hasss sssaid, theyyy prrrefffented a masssakkkerrr.

"Yyyou mussst underrrssstand and accept the firrrssst rrrullle of prrrophesssyyy. The consssequensssesss of not doing so can be quite serrriousss. The dayyy yyyou firrrssst found me I wasss dying becaussse I had tempted fate and trrried to kkkiiilll Belllgedrrra myyyssselllf. Yyyourrr clllutch safffed my lllifffe that dayyy.

"That isss whyyy we needed to contact yyyou now, ssso that you woullld underrrssstand. Yyyou might not forrrgifffe usss todayyy, orrr efffen tomorrrow, but one dayyy yyyou willl," Shusshhttookkann finished.

"Asoc, Gurn Piscium did not accept your pledge of justice. She did not touch the >Curlat," Ambassador Alvoie stated.

"Hanalei, Junelliya, your family gave freely of itself during our greatest need. You gave of your time, your food, your very home. When our separation from our clutch was deepest with myself and my mate, the very presence of your clutch kept us sane.

"You willingly came to join our assault on Belgedra and prevented her snipers from killing myself and many of my people. Fayad used his long knife against Asocans armed with the <Curlat and defeated them. You and your clutch spoke with and interceded with our Goddesses and helped heal our very planet. Our people owe your family so much..."

The Asoc pulled her >Curlat and knelt in front of them, in the hospital conference room, Alvoie did the same.

"I, Asoc >Catal Mutt Herrtt, of the third Clutch of Asoc Ensch Mutt Herrtt, do pledge my >Curlat and the might of the Asocan Realm for justice for your family, Gurn Hanalei Mutt Piscium, Palda Junelliya Mutt Herlan. Whatever resources you need, they will be provided. Will you let me be the hand of justice for your family?" >Catal asked.

Hanalei and Junelliya looked at each other. They rose together and together they touched Alvoie's >Curlat, then touched their hands to their hearts and extended their hands, palms up, to the image of the Asoc on the monitor.

The Asoc and Alvoie both rose, sheathed their >Curlat and bowed low to Hanalei and Junelliya, who bowed in return.

"Whatever you may need, do not hesitate to aske of us," the Asoc stated formally.

"The event is still to close in our hearts and our minds, Asoc. We cannot forgive you today but one day soon, we will," Junelliya stated.

"I can accept that. Please give my warmest greetings to your clutch for me," the Asoc replied.

"No. You can do that for yourself, when they are feeling better, Asoc. They would not forgive me for not letting them speak to you," Hanalei replied, getting a grin from the Asoc.

"I look forward to speaking with them," she returned.

"Gurrrn Pissscium, therrre isss a turrrning point coming forrr yyyourrr clllutch," Shusshhttookkann told them. "I cannot telll yyyou what it isss, howefffer, I can sssayyy that jussstissse doesss not alllwayyysss mean sssomeone isss punissshhhed.

"If Ikkkekkkiiiyyyaa wissshhhesss to ssspeak with me at anyyytime, ssshhhe mayyy do ssso. Prrrophesssyyy can be a grrreat burrrden on thossse with the giffft, essspeciallly one ssso yyyoung. It sssometimesss helllpsss to ssspeak with otherrrsss with the giffft. When ourrr ambasssadorrr arrrifffesss, ssshhhe can ssspeak dirrrectllly to herrr," Shusshhttookkann gave a nod of her great head as the Asoc cut the link.

"Damn," was heard in the room but no one was sure who had said it.

************

Fayad was not pleased when he was informed of the conversation a little later in the day as he dropped in to check on his family. "I understand our not acting on prophecy. I am sure they are correct; we would certainly have done something to prevent them from being there. I'm just not sure how to react to this."

"Nor are we," Hanalei admitted. "Shusshhttookkann is willing to wait to be forgiven. She knows too much about what is going on and will not tell any but those who are dealt the prophecy. We are effectively out of the loop."

Kim and Raymond suddenly showed up. "We just got the information from Fiona. She had an Armorer check the plasma gun the assassin used and discovered that it was using a frequency of power modulation that was meant to keep it under the radar from weapons scanners. We tried it out on one of the older vests and it did not detect it as a threat at all."

"Wait, aren't those suppose to react to a power surge?" Junelliya asked.

"Yes, but the power surge created by the weapon was just under the threshold of the vest's scanners," Kim answered. "The surge was powerful enough to kill in the hands of a marksman of which the assassin probably was. We will have to send the data back to Dr. Aruna and her lab and have her provide new sensors for all of our kit."