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Episode 131 |
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All those who breathe, have a soul All those with a soul, have magic The lights overhead flickered on, slowly casting out
the darkness and driving the shadows into the corners. Power coursed through the wires that
trailed along the floor while the hum of the lights grew higher and higher
until it disappeared all together. Assif stood in the elevator, staring at the long
room. The two long tables, curving like
waves, were sectioned off by dividers, giving each the feeling of an isolated
workspace devoted to each computer.
The wall along the left side of the building was solid brick, with
only Assif’s office door to his immediate right breaking the monotony. At the back, the break room door stood open, next to
the closed janitor’s closet. To the
left, the doorway to the meeting room stood closed, while the unassigned
offices along the left trailed down the wall. Assif stepped out of the elevator, sighing. He turned and walked to his office, taking
out his key and unlocking it. Inside, the
potent musk of ancient papers and folders assaulted him nostalgically. His archaic computer sat quietly on the
corner of his desk while the blinds over his window were closed tight. He went over to the window, crossing around
behind the wooden desk and peeked through the blinds. He heard the elevator move a second time and turned to
see the doors open. Alex stepped
inside, looking sentimentally at the room.
Seeing Assif, he turned and came over.
“You and that view,” he said with a smile. “Good views are hard to come by,” Assif said. “You can learn a lot about a man by the
type of view he insists upon, or is indifferent to.” “I guess so,” Alex accepted, his hands in his black
trench coat pockets. “The others are
downstairs, sweeping floor by floor.
Amy told us you had come up here, so I thought I’d check on you. Make sure none of the boogie men had gotten
you.” Assif smirked.
“Let me know when the building is cleared,” he said. “Then we need to get on with the debriefing.” “It’s going to be long,” Alex warned. “I sent Jin out for doughnuts,” the chief tossed back
as he exited the office. The metal locker opened up, making Til and Isaiah
smile. Adam reached inside, taking out
the long sniper rifle. He turned and
handed it to Isaiah. “Come to papa,”
the sniper cooed as he accepted the rifle.
He stepped away, beginning to check it over. Adam unloaded a heavy machinegun and handed it to Til,
then began to distribute weapons to the others. On the table in the middle of the small
arsenal, Isaiah looked over the weapon, then turned to Adam. “What’s the ammunition status?” “We should have everything we had before you guys
headed out,” Adam said. “Load me up and let’s get going,” Isaiah said, still checking
over the rifle. Sarah stepped into the medical bay, holding her pistol
straight ahead. The flashlight on the
end shined a spot on the wall as she swept it across the room. After a moment, she backed up towards the
door, taking in the room as a whole.
“Clear,” she called through the open door. “Of course it’s clear,” Dr. Jones said, stomping past
her, an annoyed look on her face.
“Medical facilities are the universal safe spots.” He headed to his medicine chest and popped
it open, checking through the supplies.
“Healers and their workspaces are universally left alone in situations
like this.” He took down a thick glass
bottle. “Only the vilest of
monstrosities would violate that unspoken rule.” He poured a small amount of the brown
liquid into a beaker and tossed it at the back of his throat. He exhaled powerfully and coughed. He turned back to Sarah, holding up the
bottle. “Want some?” “Not of that Irene came in, practically running towards the medical
freezer. She opened the heavy steel
door and strained to pull it back. The
door popped open with effort and a soft mist of condensation crept out onto
the floor, the arctic cold slowly spreading out from the freezer. Jason came into the medical bay, carrying Emma’s
body. Walking gently with her in his
arms, her body was still a stale blue, her eyes closed. Jason made a beeline towards the freezer,
stepping inside. As he walked, the doctor
rose, but Sarah held out her hand. Once Jason was inside, Irene slowly shut the door. Jones watched the door seal, then looked at
Sarah. “Cause of death?” “Psychic trauma,” she said. “What
stage of degradation is her body in?” he pressed. “Probably less than a few hours,” Irene answered
solemnly. “Her body was put on ice
almost immediately after she and Sarah were picked up, right?’ she asked to
Sarah. “That’s what I was told, I was unconscious,” she
answered. “When I woke up, we were
still on the island and she was already in a portable freezer. Somebody wanted her body preserved.” “Probably for divvying up,” Jones said gruesomely. “Mystics body parts make for powerful
charms and talismans. Somebody like
Emma, whose one of the world’s premier mystics, her body would be worth
literally hundreds of millions, if only for that purpose.” Irene shivered at the thought. “I take it Jason’s not handling her death
well,” Jones went on. “No,” Sarah answered.
She was quiet for a moment, then looked at Jones. “You know, he can probably hear us.” “More than likely,” Jones said, pouring another
drink. He prepared a second for
Irene. The two toasted quickly and
finished off the vials, both wincing at the same time. Jones took the vials back and threw them
into the disposal. “Alright,” he
declared. He turned to the door. “Let’s get ready for this debriefing.” Sarah turned to Irene and nodded to her. “Get Jason,” she said, following
Jones. Irene turned back to the
freezer and approached it cautiously.
She pulled it carefully open and slipped inside. Into the cold air, she shivered, her eyes getting used
to the dim lights that ran along the ceiling’s edges. Inside, Jason stood over Emma’s body. Sitting on the center-most observation
table, she seemed more asleep than dead.
“Jason,” Irene said quietly. “I know,” he said, swallowing hard. He turned to Irene. “Debriefing, I know.” He headed towards the door. Irene held her hand out, stopping him slowly. He paused and turned his head to her. “I haven’t gotten the chance to, to
say…” She stared at Emma’s body, her
eyes quaking. She turned to Jason, her
chin quivering. “I’m sorry,” she said,
a tear falling down her cheek. “I miss
her so much, but I can only imagine what you’re…” She shook her head. “I’m so sorry.” “I know,” Jason started to say before Irene latched
onto him, hugging him. He hugged her
back, the two standing close in the cold freezer. After a moment, Irene drew away, wiping her
cheeks. She smiled and laughed
nervously, then turned to the door. Jason stepped back as she opened the door, letting her
step through first. He ventured one
last glance back at Emma’s body before turning to the door. He took a deep breath of the cold air, then
sighed it out, stepping forward into the light. Passing through the threshold of the door,
he left Emma’s body in the freezer, shutting the door behind him. |
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