Satyr Play 03 Pt. 02

Henry was done. Mab was dead. He hadn't been able to stop her from killing off Humanity. That weighed tremendously on his soul, but he'd saved the rest. He stumbled back, and he watched the enormous stone slabs fall from the ceiling above. The cascade had begun from the center of the building but was rapidly getting closer as he staggered back.

Maybe... maybe being buried under the stones of a magic castle was the proper conclusion for the man who'd failed to save Humanity.

The impact of the stone which swung down from above, struck his horns and pitched him out the open window behind him. Dazed, he felt the sharp pain of hitting the roof's edge, then the gentle caress of the wind as he fell. His consciousness mercifully slipped away, well before he reached his final destination of the street below.

Epilogue

The horrors of the Skyfall Event would never be forgotten by the survivors.

What surprised most in the days that followed was how little panic and chaos resulted from it. Not that there weren't some localized outbursts of fear and violence. But even these were short-lived, and calm returned quickly as if the people had no stomach for it after so much loss.

This reserved behavior made it possible for life to move forward and a semblance of normality to return to the lives of those left behind.

But not everything remained as it was before.

When an estimated three billion human beings suddenly and simultaneously disappear, leaving behind their clothes, watches, and jewelry, answers are needed.

The evangelicals immediately exclaimed it was the Rapture, the worthy being taken to heaven, while those that remained were unworthy.

On the opposite side of the crazy coin were the UFO enthusiasts/Alien abduction conspiracy theorists who claimed the missing were now enslaved on far off planets.

The rationalists were left not knowing what to believe, and that somehow seemed worse.

Regardless of what was believed, three billion people were gone, and that number was a rough estimate as a new census would be required for an accurate count.

To add a spritz of lemon juice to that wound, some people were no longer... people. Initially, the number was small, but as the days passed, people succumbed in increasing numbers to a strange ailment. They would spontaneously lose consciousness and transform before the eyes of onlookers. These transformed people's new shape and size were often shocking and could have led to panic amongst the populace but somehow didn't. Sociology pundits theorized it was potentially because people knew they could be next, and behaving positively instead gave people comfort and hope.

Generally, treatment for the recently transformed was surprisingly considerate and gentle. They were taken to the nearest hospital to check their health. There, they would be met by a government-appointed counselor who often matched their new shape. These trained officials eased new beings through the change. In very rare cases, the transformed succumb to a fatal ailment at the hospital, but officials took care of these red-eyed souls.

With a global presence and representation in every country, it was the most ambitious and well managed public health program ever orchestrated.

The world's governments were demanding answers on what exactly happened, but they hadn't made much progress on it in the months that followed. The investigation focused on the odd and seemingly disconnected events that transpired in the months, weeks, days, and hours leading to the Skyfall. Every phenomenon outside the norm was recorded and cross-referenced to find the patterns.

Disgraced US Air Force officer, Major Thomas, was enjoying another moment of celebrity while remaining in custody in London, England, as once again, he awaited extradition to the US. Somehow, a statement from him was leaked to the press. In it, he claimed to have been freed from his Canadian holding cell for the specific mission of destroying the small Irish island to flush out the mastermind of a plan to kill humanity.

Two facts lent his story some strange credibility. A collapsed Irish castle's remains rested upon the roof of a Manhattan office tower and on the street below. Its foundation stones bore scorch marks from a rocket attack. Officials were remaining silent about this.

Then came the Tennison Clip.

While the clip was definitely from the cell of US Army Sergeant Michelle Tennison, she wasn't the source of the leak. That was discovered to be a nosy junior tech in the Army's Intelligence Division, who should never have even seen the video but caught wind of the clip being circulated at the highest levels. He managed to obtain a copy from a secure mail server before it was delivered. When he saw the time-stamp incorporated into the file and heard the red-haired woman's words, he got a little excited and made a copy for himself. While he didn't understand the significance of the actions taking place in the video, the dialog and timing lined up exactly to the moment people disappeared, and the big brass were all over this video. He realized he was looking at something equal to or exceeding the significance of the Zapruder film.

He posted it anonymously to his favorite clip aggregator website. Within twenty-four hours, the video was on the front page of every significant social media site, while the junior tech was sitting in a cell in a military prison as his apartment and life were being turned inside out.

Most contentious were the last five seconds of the video, which showed a tear in space appearing next to a woman whose face did not appear in the video. The camera tumbled through the rift in space into tall red grasses, and the last frame shows the morning sunlight touching the tips of red mountains in the far distance.

Never has a brief clip of video been more analyzed, scrutinized, and dissected frame by frame in high definition, aside from the Zapruder footage. Experts from every nation demanded access to the source file.

They were also calling for the identity of this being named Henry.

But no one came forward.

-=-

Roy adjusted the collar of his dress shirt one more time, and Mary gently slapped his elbow.

"Stop that," she said quietly as her eyes panned over the grim expressions on the faces of the politicians sitting up on the raised dais. She'd been before a police review board before, but she'd never faced a special congressional investigatory committee in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

The floor space between the congress representatives and them was filled with cameras from every media outlet and major network. Mary felt a little odd being under the microscope, so to speak.

She looked to Roy's other side and smiled at Mahati, who looked calm and prepared like she attended these every day. She had her glamor back though she'd told no one how she managed to do it aside from saying Nāga are magic.

"I have more important things to do today than this!" Roy grumbled. Mary snorted as she knew he was eager to get back to his new duties as Interim Minister of Security for the Hidden Races Council. Chancellor Mugawee announced to Roy that the Assembly authorized him to offer the position to Roy upon hearing of Lise-Anne's demise and how painlessly how Roy had handled the redistribution of the Louisiana territories in just ten days.

When the previous Minister of Security woke in VRL's destroyed boardroom, she'd attempted to burn her way free from the cactus thorn trap but perished in flames instead. She'd destroyed the room's fire detectors during her initial attack, so they failed to extinguish the fire until it began to spread, tripping alarms in the outer hall.

One of Roy's first acts was reinstating Michelle Beaumont to her former position with all penalties reversed with the incident expunged from her work history. He'd need Michelle's vast knowledge of their archives for the work he intended to do.

He also canceled all outstanding hit contracts. Lorelei could breathe easier once she heard that news.

News of Roger Jensen's demise at the hands of Sandy and Kesini was received with shock and concern, and they received many hugs from the group for the ordeal they went through. Roy contacted the Chancellor to assure him that the threat had been dealt with. They decided to let the mystery die with the three billion other souls.

Sigrid was spearheading the Global Transformation Support Program through the Hidden Races Council, and it'd rolled out with very few hiccups. Very few people refused aid and support given in a time of crisis from people who spoke with authority and compassion and asked for nothing in return. The program was easing the transition of so many new members to each race. While the Council remained invisible to the general populace, select individuals interfaced with them through Sigrid, which was working well.

Camila was back to running VRL, with Marisa filling in as Interim CIO from home as she took care of her baby girl.

A gavel banged on the podium, drawing Mary's attention to the committee chairman as he called the meeting to order. In the center seat, Congressman Marvin Cressman was a gaunt older man with a shock of white hair and wore a dark blue suit, a crisp white shirt, and blood-red tie. He introduced himself as chair and had each of the congressional representatives introduce themselves. Then he began.

"This select committee was formed to investigate what is now being called the Aurora Skyfall event, which took place six months ago on June 10^th, and the subsequent crisis which transpired in Manhattan, New York in the early hours of June 11^th to determine their part, if any, in the massive loss of lives experienced all over the world. The committee members sitting here with me were all given access to the Tennison Clip. This video recording was taken by US Army Sergeant Michelle Tennison on June 11^th. After multiple viewing and an in-depth review, we are left with more questions than answers. We were informed that the video contained proof of who was responsible for those deaths, but the video looks like the work of one of Hollywood's big special effects houses. Aside from the pretty redhead's outburst about killing Humanity and the timestamp on the video, we didn't see anything that clearly connects the film's events to the sudden loss of what might be billions of lives."

There was a sudden emotional outburst from the gallery as this was likely one of the first public acknowledgments of the scope of the loss.

Cressman banged the gavel to quiet the room as Roy glanced back, seeing the fear and rage in the eyes of people looking for someone to blame for the deaths.

When the room settled, the chairman focused on Roy. "Please state your name and occupation for the record."

"Roy Duncan. Head of Security for VRL Investments in Manhattan, New York."

"Yesterday, we heard testimony from US Army Brigadier General Gordon Crane that you worked closely with VRL Investments CIO Henry Gable, the same Henry Gable who wrote firewall application software that our government's largest security departments have now deployed."

Roy nodded. "Yes."

"May we assume you've seen the Tennison Clip?"

"Yes."

"We have also heard testimony that the being called Henry in the Tennison Clip is, somehow, the same Henry Gable. Is this the case?"

Roy sighed. "Yes."

"The final moments of the video show the beginning of the collapse of the rooftop castle. The last remaining persons alive in the castle were Henry Gable, the unknown woman, and Sergeant Tennison."

Roy cleared his tight throat. "To my knowledge, that was the case."

Cressman stared at Roy with a pensive expression.

"Did Henry Gable die inside that building?"

"No, he did not."

"So, where is—"

Roy cleared his throat again to open it, and the mic squealed slightly. "Sorry. During the event, when the castle began to fall apart, most of the group I was with was dumped from the castle's fourth floor into Eden, a planet in an alternate dimension. It took a little time to arrange it, but the Glass People there prepared to open a rift to bring us back. Sergeant Tennison joined us on Eden and had them open the rift further up the street from the building where our vehicles were due to the collapse of the castle and debris falling from the building. When we stepped back onto Earth, we found Henry on the roadway. The body of his friend Nathan Walker was nearby. A witness on the scene indicated Nathan caught Henry as he fell from the roof and attempted to carry him to the ground, but he was too heavy. He managed to slow them until his wings broke, at which time he spun them to break Henry's landing. They struck the ground hard." Roy took some deep breaths then continued. "Both sustained critical injuries from the fall, and neither showed life signs when we arrived. The witness, a transformed woman who'd been waiting for us to open a way to Eden, carried Henry's body through the open rift which the Glass People then closed."

The committee members shared grim looks. "We had hoped to speak to him dir—" The man squinted as orange light suddenly shone on his face.

Roy stood as he turned to face the tear opening at the beginning of the aisle in the gallery. Two Glass People slowly walked through and stepped to the sides. Next came two identical, red-skinned, black-eyed Succubi—with wings! The clothes they wore were little more than bikini tops and short shorts. The only feral Succubi twins Roy was aware of were the ones Baba Yaga took from Mab, and these looked... different, aside from the inclusion of wings.

A large shape was following them through, silhouetted against the light of sunset.

Stepping through the rift was a sight Roy's brain couldn't comprehend.

Henry, in his Satyr form.

Roy leapt forward to pull him into a hug, feeling the reality and solidity of this apparition. It wasn't just wishful thinking. He held Henry out at arm's length to stare him in the eye. "Henry? You died! How..."

Henry's smile was brittle. "Yes..." Something slipped past the back of his eyes, something dark he was trying to forget, then his relieved smile returned as he clung to Roy. "But... I didn't cross over. I came back. I won't abandon my family." His body shuddered, and tears welled up in his eyes but didn't fall. "I was pretty busted up, so I had to repair my body. It took... so long." He shook his head as his eyes lost focus for a moment, then looked at Roy again. "As to how?" He shrugged. "It's one of the last tricks Baba Yaga taught me. One star. Would not recommend." He tried to crack a smile.

Henry looked back and waved to them, and the Glass People stepped back through the tear before it snapped shut.

Mary gave him a firm hug, and Mahati was right behind her. When she released him, Henry pointed to the chairs. "Is anyone sitting in that chair? Did I mention there are no chairs on Eden?"

Roy put his hand on Henry's shoulder and realized his body was trembling. He helped him over to a chair and frowned in worry as he picked up that Henry was limping. Considering how shattered his legs had been, the limp was the least he'd expected. Mary and Mahati added an additional chair behind the table.

Henry turned to Roy. "How long have I been out?" he asked hesitantly.

"Six months," Roy said.

"Tish and Marisa?" he asked.

Roy smiled. "Baby girls. All are healthy, and they'll be happier now that you're back! You are back, right?"

Henry snorted quietly, infinitely relieved to hear the news. "Yeah, I'm back." Mary and Mahati were grinning happily at him in return.

Only then, Roy, Mary, and Mahati realized the congressmen and women were missing, and secret service agents were in their places, covering them with drawn weapons. Roy noticed the two Succubi sitting on the floor in front of the table before Henry. He'd ask about them later as they seemed remarkably calm at the moment. The press, brave enough to remain in place before their table, were busy getting footage never before seen anywhere.

Roy raised his voice and called out so he'd be heard by the congresspeople hiding in the next room. "You wanted to ask Henry Gable questions, and he's come back from the dead to do it. The least you could do is ask them and not waste his time!"

Congressman Crestline was the first to push his way back onto the raised dais and gape down at the group.

"Henry Gable," Roy said with a big smile as he gestured to the big Satyr in the chair.

Crestline nodded and called out for the agents to put their weapons away and gestured for them to get the other congresspeople to return.

It took at least ten minutes to find and convince them there was no danger, but soon enough, they were all in their seats staring at the large horned man and the lovely red-skinned ladies sitting at his... hooves.

Then they were ready to ask their questions.

-=-

Once Tish and Marisa got their babies settled for their afternoon nap in the crib at Tish's place, they joined the others in the living room. The big TV was tuned to the special report on the congressional committee meeting as they all wanted to see their friends. They could see Roy fidgeting with his shirt collar and Mary slapping his elbow. Camila and Sigrid chuckled at the frustrated look on Roy's face.

Sandy was cuddled in next to Dayshia. The two of them were doing their best to raise the spirits of the other. Sandy's parents, and most of their friends, had disappeared while they slept. She hadn't gone home to settle affairs, though she knew she would have to soon. She also missed Henry terribly.

Dayshia was sad because she'd missed her chance to tell Henry how she felt, and now she was worried she'd never find love. In the interim, she'd decided to take a break from dating for a while.

Meixiu was in deep discussion with Michelle and Eleanor as Raymond spoke softly with Lorelei and Siobhan. Lorelei's group had been working on new daily music dispatches since the night of the crisis. Raymond had the heart of a poet and worked closely with Lorelei to work out a series of messages to ease the populace's hearts and minds. They were having a subtle but profound effect on the survivors.

Siobhan's part was uploading the completed music to multiple content aggregator websites and managing their trending. The demand for the recordings had become so high, they hit the front page of these sites within minutes of upload. The big Media outlets were always just a step behind these newer media distribution channels, but their reach was much broader.

Tish smiled at the gathering, then sat on the couch next to her besties. Her place had become a kind of unofficial hang out for everyone. VRL was paying the mortgage payments, and Camila assured her that would continue for as long as Tish and her baby lived there. Camila was completely infatuated with Henry's and her child.

She glanced at the TV and saw Roy had begun speaking. The room went quiet as he described finding Henry after the castle collapsed. It was a hard memory for all of them, and tears welled up.

When the orange light suddenly bathed the face of Congressman Crestline, Sigrid and Meixiu both blurted a blunt exclamation of sound as their memories took them back to an evening behind Meixiu's inherited mansion.

The Glass People stepped through, and the group held their breath.

The arrival of the feral twins pulled a gasp from Camila as she knew Baba Yaga had stolen them away. What were they doing on Eden? Then she saw differences hinting that they'd evolved, one of them being major. "WINGS!" she cried.

Then everyone was screaming and crying, except Eleanor and Raymond, who watched the reactions with shock.

They watched Roy hugging Henry's impossible image and saw how shaky the younger being was as Roy guided him to a chair.