Dust to Dust Ch. 03

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Evil Alpaca
Evil Alpaca
3,663 Followers

Besides Eliza and Veronica, there were ten full time residents and employees at the compound. Initially, that didn't seem like much to Dusty, but she then remembered how many contacts and allies the group had around two different worlds.

There were two trolls, which was damn intimidating. Tiny she had already met, and then there was Thug. Thug was Eliza's long-time friend who had also recently had a trolling. Trolls, often referred to as "he" for the sake of simplicity, actually had morphing gametes, allowing them to act as both male and female. There was a pit out back where the young trolling was being raised. Trolls were born with all the immunities and abilities of adults but none of the extraordinary patience. Pits were not only humane, but required to keep them from destroying large swaths of the local landscape. Luckily, Thug's trolling was reaching the end of its wild phase, being prone only to short bouts of mindless destruction.

Thug hadn't been the only team-member to reproduce. Dennis and Allyson Murgo were a married couple who had been with Eliza since she began the company. After the first Purity war, they had decided to start a family. But Dusty was told not let domestic guise they now wore fool her . . . both husband and wife were former military special operations troopers. That was also how they had met Snake, Boomer and Bear, and it was this prior experience that helped bring them to work at Hybrid Security.

Then there was Wyrm, who was quite possibly one of the most outrageous people she had ever met. He had lost an arm in the first Purity war, but his hi-tech prosthetic didn't get in the way of his computer hacking. The devilishly handsome young man was one of the best tech-guys around, and he was Eliza's eyes, ears and weapon on the world info streams. And apparently he was intimately involved with the Terran ambassador to Earth, one Kalinicia Vonahme of Gralta. She was the granddaughter of the former ambassador who had died in the first Purity war. He had died in the same fight where Wyrm had been injured. She had come to him to find out what had happened in her grandfather's last moments and had found herself attracted to the brash young man who had stood beside him. She didn't live at the compound for political reasons, but she visited often.

Dusty quickly discovered that Veronica Adams had a twin sister by the name of Vicky. Vicky, while still human, could easily disguise herself as her older (by ten minutes) sister. But while Veronica was quite a business-like woman in most cases, Vicky was as free-spirited as they came. She and the succubus Terillia were non-exclusive lovers who engaged in some wildly hedonistic activity when not on the clock.

"Coast is clear," Wyrm said. "And the gate sensors are programmed to let us know when the Colonel gets here in the morning. Colonel . . . still gettin' used to calling him that. Remember when he was just 'Captain' Corbin?"

Eliza smiled. "He earned it."

"Didn't say otherwise babe," Wyrm said, getting himself slapped in the back of the head.

Dr. Trendenfall sat on one of the overly comfortable couches that lined the central meeting room for Hybrid Security. "So, does he think that Ash's information is valid?"

"He didn't say," Veronica replied, putting on her business face. "But since he's coming by for a 'visit,' that would probably mean yes. If they found something, they're not going to broadcast it no matter how secure the connection." She looked around. "Where is Ash?"

Dusty shrugged. "If it would work, I'd put a bell on her. She just kind of vanishes from time to time."

Eliza sat down. "So tell me," she started, locking her eyes on Dusty, "Is she as dangerous as she sounds."

Dusty wanted to defend the woman who had saved her life, but she didn't want to lie. She had a feeling that would be a bad idea.

"Yeah," Dusty nodded. "She is."

Eliza closed her eyes, obviously thinking. "I reviewed the information Dr. Trendenfall gave us. I wish I could help, but the heavy research isn't my specialty." She opened her eyes and glanced at the doctor. "She really wants to die?"

"As a second resort," he replied. "She still seems to have some concept of the survival instinct, but she also understands what power like hers could do if unchecked by emotion."

Tom McBride was shaking his head. "I . . . just don't think it's fair. She never even had a chance to really live."

"As I said, her dying is only going to happen if everything else fails. I just wish I understood magic better. I spend all this time studying it, but I still don't get it."

"Magic is about will," Veronica said wryly. "I've been learning that the hard way." She grinned, then stared at a remote control in the middle of the coffee table. Slowly it floated upward. Dusty smiled, but noticed that there was a strained look on the woman's face.

"Cool!" she said.

Eliza took Veronica's hand. "You're getting better at that."

"After all the damn books on physics I've been reading, I'd better be."

"So levitation . . . is that like your Talent?"

"Talent?" Veronica looked confused. "No, it isn't a Talent. When Eliza and I were combined, I was sort of granted magical aptitude. I've been trying to learn how to control it . . . with limited success." She looked a bit glum at that.

"Hey," her lover said softly, "I trained for forty years solid. You've had two, and the first year was spent just trying to keep your head from exploding, remember? Don't be hard on yourself."

Dusty watched the two hybrids . . . they were quite a couple. Even when they were being business-like, they had a . . . softness . . . for each other. And when Veronica looked back at her companion, Dusty saw it . . . love. Those two were maddeningly in love with each other.

'I wonder if I'll ever feel that way?' she thought idly. Strange . . . she normally wasn't too concerned with the idea of falling in love.

"Wait," Dr. Trendenfall said, muttering. Dusty recognized that look . . .it was her father's "A-ha!" look. "You two were combined with . . ."

"The Alchemist's Dream . . . one of the Living Gems," Eliza said. "Why?"

"Well, you," he started, looking at Veronica, "were an ordinary human. By ordinary, I mean you had no magical ability."

"Correct," she said.

"So the Living Gem did what Chimera was trying to do . . . give magic to those without it."

Eliza was paying rapt attention now, as was everyone else in the room. "Go on."

"So it can be done . . . safely."

"But Veronica and I were linked before the transformation. She took aspects of me . . . I took aspects of her."

"Maybe that's part of it . . . there is an exchange. In Ash's case, the exchange was of emotions for power . . ."

"I don't think that's it," Eliza said. "The two things are mutually exclusive. Emotions are, to some extent, an emergent property of the mind. Magic . . . Talent . . . it comes from somewhere else. You shouldn't be able to convert one to the other."

"I'm not saying that," Dr. Trendenfall replied. "But SOMETHING granted her that power and TOOK her emotions. It wasn't a conversion, like in your case. It was a straight swap."

"How is that possible?" Veronica asked.

"I don't know," Jon replied, putting his head in his hands. He was so close . . . he knew it.

"I know someone who might," Eliza said.

"Valar?" Dusty asked.

Eliza shot her an annoyed look. Then she sighed and chuckled. "Sorry," she said. "I'm still not used to not despising the man. I was thinking my father," she continued, "but Valar would probably know too. And I really don't want to get Dad involved." She concentrated on the communications orb and sent a signal to the chancellor's offices. She seemed to be having a mental conversation with someone, parts of which she vocalized.

"I don't CARE what time it is, you pointless little bureaucrat! Wake him up and tell him that Eliza Msabdteelfinclor wants to talk to . . . Yes, THAT Eliza . . . thank you," she said, then rolled her eyes.

Her friends got a chuckle out of that. Normally, Eliza HATED being famous, but it was something she had to use from time to time.

After a few minutes, a very groggy hologram of Chancellor Valar appeared floating in the middle of the room.

"Lady Msabdteelfinclor, this had better be VERY good," he grumbled. Like Eliza, he wasn't really always sure how to handle dealing with his former adversary.

"We wanted to get your opinion on something while it was still fresh in our minds sir," Veronica said. She was MUCH more tactful than her girlfriend. Formerly she had been a diplomatic envoy, so dealing with people was second nature to her.

"Such as?" Valar asked.

Eliza nodded at Dr. Trendenfall, who recounted the conversation they had earlier.

Valar was obviously deep in thought. "There is something to this, but trying to figure out on interrupted sleep," he said irritably, "may not work. I'll have Professor VanHouten come by tomorrow . . . she has a better understand of physical and energy conversion than I do anyway." He was still annoyed at having been woken up. Then he thought of a way to get back at Eliza. "But while we're both up," he said smoothly, "I was trying to plan out my schedule for the next several months . . . have you and Lady Veronica set a date for your wedding ceremony? I'd hate to . . ."

"You son of a . . ." Eliza started to say, then Valar terminated the communication.

Everyone went quiet, but it wasn't an unpleasant quiet. Most of them were amused . . . except Veronica.

"Yes," she said acidly, "when IS the wedding ceremony?"

"Hey, YOU canceled it last time!"

"That was because the Purity showed up! You canceled because you took that job in Honolulu!"

"You WANTED me to take the job in Honolulu!"

"I wanted to HONEYMOON in Honolulu!"

And the argument continued like this for several minutes before the normally composed Veronica stormed out in a huff. Eliza rolled her eyes, cursed the day she met Valar and then headed after her lover.

"Wait . . . they're engaged?" Mr. McBride asked.

"Yeah," Wyrm said, being the first of the crew to openly chuckle. Soon, everyone on the team was laughing. Wyrm continued, "Eliza proposed at the end of the first Purity war."

"Did she get cold feet?" Dusty asked? This was gossip that no one else at the academy would know . . . it gave her a thrill thinking about it.

"Nah," Allyson said, cuddling her baby. Eliza had proposed on the same night that she and her husband had decided to start a family. "They're just both perfectionists. They want everything right, but they're both so damn busy . . . They're not kidding. Both of them have delayed it a bunch of times."

"So they're not breaking up?" Dusty asked.

That made the members of Hybrid Security laugh so hard they almost burst.

Vicky was wiping her eyes. "Those two will be together long after the sun supernovas. I've seen some great relationships but . . . well, see for yourself." She led Dusty over to a window and slightly separated the blinds.

Eliza and Veronica were at the edge of the porch-light. They were standing very close together, with Eliza playing the role of consoler. It wasn't long before Veronica was smiling again, and blushing like a school girl.

"I wonder what they're saying," Dusty said.

"They may not be saying anything. They're linked telepathically all the time."

"That's not what I . . ."

"Wait for it," Vicky hushed her.

The young woman watched as whatever Eliza was saying or thinking completely dissolved her fiancé's defenses. All space between the two of them faded away as they touched each other's faces gently and the pressed their lips together.

"And . . . fight over," Vicky said. "They can't even PRETEND to be mad at each other for very long. Though they'd better hurry up and get married," she grumbled. "I'm the maid of honor on Veronica's side, and the dress I want will be out of style soon."

"And isn't that what it's REALLY all about?" Dusty asked jokingly.

Vicky grinned back. "You should SEE the budget they've put aside for that even. And Veronica's dress . . . when Eliza sees it, she will DIE!"

Again, Dusty had a brief bout of bout of envy . . . she wanted to feel the way THOSE two felt for each other. "So," she started, trying to shake the feeling, "what is the proper way for two hybrids to get married?"

Vicky clapped her on the shoulder. "Let's just say they're setting the bar pretty high."

Dusty looked out again. Then a thought occurred to her. She concentrated, and the flowers around the couple began to bloom ever so slowly. In the fall, Eliza and Veronica found themselves surrounded by red and white roses. Eliza looked back to the house and smiled, then picked one of the roses for her lover.

"Not bad," Vicky said. 'Damn, if her father weren't here, I would definitely make a play for this one. I know that Terillia's been eyeing her already.' "Not bad at all," she repeated.

They weren't the only ones to watch the happenings. In the shadows and undetected by all was Ash. She had no memories of love . . . nothing she could relate to what she was watching. For her, it was a mere passing curiosity . . . quickly forgotten.

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The next evening . . .

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Colonel Corbin had arrived early, and he and Eliza were discussing strategy out on the back patio while Dusty sat idly in the main room.

"It's okay," Vicky told her. "The only person who normally gets to sit in with them is my sister. The rest of us just have to wait to hear what the decision is. Something about clearance . . ."

"But Eliza isn't even officially military, is she? Or government?"

"Nope," Allyson said, sitting down next to her while holding baby Alex in her arms. "Neither she nor Veronica officially have clearance . . . but unofficially," she added with a huge wink.

"I see," Dusty said.

Tom McBride nodded. "It happens from time to time. When I was talking with Bob and Jon initially about trying to get you guys," he said, looking at the members of Hybrid Security, "I found out that Eliza has more ears in D.C. and around the world than most politicians or even military personnel. She's got a lot of stock."

Dusty was making googly faces at the baby, who was gurgling happily back at her. "So if what Ash said was correct . . . are you guys going to be in on the fight?"

Wyrm shrugged. "Some of us. She'd probably take the triplets, the trolls, Terillia . . . that's a lot of 't' words isn't it?" He was amused by his own alliteration.

"And me," Veronica said, making an appearance.

"We know perfectly damn well, she won't go anywhere without her sweetie pie!" Wyrm said.

"Wyrm, I will kill you. You know that, right?" But the hybrid was grinning. No one could really hate the hacker.

"You guys fight together . . . I mean together against people . . . a lot?" Dr. Trendenfall asks.

"She feels pain, I feel pain and vice versa. Not much reason not to be there," Veronica replied. "Besides, I haven't gotten to use the new S&W Slider pistol she gave me for our anniversary yet. I've been aching to squeeze off a few rounds."

Dusty was shocked. "She gave you a gun? For an ANNIVERSARY gift?"

"What?! I like guns."

The security team members were all getting a laugh. Veronica was definitely the more "girly" of the couple . . . preferring evening gowns and plays and champagne to other things. But one very non-girly thing about her was that she was a gun collector of some repute. Her first personal conversation with her now-fiancée was about her highly-illegal rail pistol.

The communication orb floating in the center of the room started to hum and pulse with a purple light.

"Activate," Veronica said, everyone else quieting down. A three dimensional image soon appeared . . . it was Valar, Martha VanHouten and the vampire girl Katrina.

"Hey Katrina!" Dusty said enthusiastically.

"Hello Dusty," the girl replied excitedly. "We . . . I mean, professor VanHouten and Chancellor Valar have come up with a theory about Ash."

"Do not sell yourself short," Valar told the girl. "You contributed to the conversation."

"Hold on just a moment," Veronica said. She looked at her sister. "Could you get Eliza in here and find Ash . . ."

"I am already present," Ash said, making several people jump. No one had seen her come in.

Vicky got up and retrieved Eliza from the porch.

"I really need my SECRETARY to deconflict these appointments," Eliza muttered as she walked in.

Vicky grinned. "You could always fire me . . . get a temp?"

Eliza rolled her eyes. "If I fired you, your sister would never sleep with me again."

"Don't be so sure of that," Veronica said, getting her sister in a headlock.

"Okay Valar. What's the scoop?" Eliza asked.

"Have you found a cure?" Ash asked.

"No, but we have a good idea of what happened." Valar folded his hands on his desk in front of him and directed his gaze right at Ash. "Do you remember what happened that night? The night you were . . . changed? I hate to bring it up but . . ."

Ash spoke coldly and forwardly. "Not much. I remember the room, and not being able to move. I remember smelling the flammable gas that was introduced into the chamber. I heard a click, something ignited the gas. Then there was pain . . ."

Dusty felt her heart seizing in her chest again. 'How can she be so . . . calm about this?'

Ash had paused. She seemed to be concentrating hard on something.

"What is it?" Dr. VanHouten asked.

"Light," Ash said. "When I was dying, I thought . . . I thought I saw light. I didn't know what it meant." The woman's voice had . . . for a moment . . . softened. "I later attributed to hallucinations caused by a temporary psychosis but . . . maybe it wasn't. It seemed to be coming from the node."

Valar was nodding. "Did you see anything leaving? From . . . well, from you?"

"No. Why?"

"It's this idea you proposed about something being exchanged. What if that isn't the case?" Valar looked proudly at Katrina, who just stared demurely downward. "Lady Katrina here actually made an interesting point that maybe your emotions," he said to Ash, "aren't really gone."

"That does not follow."

Professor VanHouten spoke up. "If this was a simple matter of 'transference,' then something of you must have left. In the case of the hybrids, there was characteristic transfer from one to the other. But we were thinking, 'Where would emotions go?' They aren't like matter or energy, so how could they be transferred or destroyed? That's when Katrina mentioned that they might not be really gone . . . they might simply be buried."

Katrina, despite earlier attempts to give all the credit to Valar, looked excited. "I just thought that maybe Ash's emotional being . . . her soul if you will . . . is tied to her body. But when her body changed, they may have been sealed up, or are just . . . waiting somewhere."

"Can . . . they be re-combined?" Eliza asked. "Maybe . . . " She paused and took a breath. "Can the Alchemist's Dream be used to put them back together? I mean, you KNOW how much I hate the idea of bringing any of the Living Gems out of hiding . . ."

"I'm sorry, but what to the Gems do?" Dr. Trendenfall asked. "There was no official report ever given on them."

Colonel Corbin had been silent, but now felt that he had to pipe in. "We didn't want anyone getting any strange ideas about using them. Our best researchers haven't learned much, and only Valar ever used one."

Eliza's eyes dropped and she felt a painful memory slink into her mind. "Not the only one . . . Kelik . . ."

"Of course," the Captain said softly. "I meant no disrespect." The former ambassador had been a father-figure to Eliza when her she and her own father had been at odds all those years. His death at the hands and bullets of the previous rendition of the Purity had almost caused a full-scale race war, with Eliza at its head.

Evil Alpaca
Evil Alpaca
3,663 Followers