Twins and Secrets
February 16th, 2006 by Salem
Chapter 30 - The Blade Masters were in Medical, recovering from their injuries and helping the Med staff. “I hope things get easier after this,” said Zealot. “What was hard about it?” asked Salem. “You didn’t have to swim in ice cold water with sharks wanting to eat you.” said Zealot. Vivien tries to use her PDA again with no success. “I do not think you were supposed to get that thing wet, Vivien,” said Selene. Detective Lagan and Detective Pacer were being treated for concussions and minor cuts with Emhril having a few deep cuts. Christina was in a guarded but stable condition. Christina had not been awakened by all the action that occurred during their fight against the megalodons. “What is wrong with her doctor?” asked Selene. “I’m not her doctor for this one. Very remarkably, Haiku has everything covered. I thought it best she care for Christina. I heard of a natural talent, but she seems to know more about medicine than I do,” said Dr. Billing. Selene went up to Haiku, who had the HealthBlade on her little back, and asked her about Christina. “Can we find a private place to talk?” asked Haiku. This worried Selene a great deal. “Dr. Billing?” called Selene. “Please, call me Legs,” said Dr. Billing. “Is there a private place I can take Haiku to talk?” asked Selene. “Sure, my office is soundproof. I’m very sympathetic to my patients but I need quiet to do on my paper work,” said Legs. “Thank you,” said Selene as she took Haiku with her HealthBlade into the doctor’s office.
Selene closed the door and turned to Haiku, “What do you have to tell me?” “Christina isn’t human, is she?” asked Haiku. Selene stood back, half in shock and in relief, “Yes, Haiku, you are right. Christina is not human. She is a being called a Raptor.” “A Raptor?” asked Haiku. “Homoraptor is the philosopher’s name for them, but they called themselves Raptors. Her mother was one of these Raptors,” explained Selene. “I see now,” said Haiku, “That explains a lot.” “Explains what?” asked Selene. “Christina was human and everything about her was human in every way. Then something happened that started her body to change and now she isn’t human anymore” said Haiku. “What? What happened to change her body?” asked Selene. Haiku became red in the face, “Is it alright if I talk about adult things?” “Yes, Haiku, I give you permission,” said Selene. “It happened when her virginity was broken. It started a process that laid dormant inside her until that happened. That’s why she began to change, she would have still been human if her virginity was still whole,” said Haiku, “Her body is still changing but I slowed it down.” “It is OK, let her change. It is what she is anyway,” said Selene. “But I do not want her to look different,” said Haiku. “Do not worry, she will look the same. Raptors look human, they are just different inside,” said Selene. “OK, but I’m still going to keep her from feeling the pain,” said Haiku. “How long will it be until she is fully changed?” asked Selene. “I don’t know. Carber hasn’t seen anything like it before, but I think she’ll be changed by tomorrow,” answered Haiku. “Great. And I have to apologize to Jarody,” said Selene, “Is there anything else you have to tell me?” “Just one more thing,” said Haiku, “The others were talking about a scar one of you have. They wanted to know who had the scar on the left shoulder.” “Oh. Salem has the scar from when she first got her GunBlade,” laughed Selene, “Now they are talking about how to tell us apart.” “That’s all, I have to get back to Christina,” said Haiku. “OK, dear, and I have to find Jarody,” said Selene as she turned and opened the door. Haiku saw Selene through the HealthBlade’s eyes and saw a scar on Selene’s left shoulder before she left the medical ward. Haiku did not know what to think of it and went back to care for Christina.
Selene went up to Salem who was talking to David in the hallway. “We need to talk Salem,” said Selene. They left David in the hallway and took the lift back to their quarters and entered their room. “David was knocked out most of the time and did not see any strangers in the TidusBlade,” said Salem. “We have to keep track of who is who now,” interrupted Selene. “What do you mean?” asked Salem. “They know about the scar,” said Selene. “Did Christina tell them?” asked Salem as she put Pawn down on his bed. “It came up in their conversation somewhere,” said Selene. “It had to have been Jarody, another thing to get mad at him for,” said Salem. “Jarody was the cause but he is not why Christina is in Medical. But first thing is first,” said Selene as they both reached under their uniform shirts to search their shoulders for the scar. “I have the scar,” said Selene. “Well I was wondering why I did not feel like myself today. Hello there Salem,” said the other twin. “We have to be extra careful with this now, we have to keep track,” said Selene who was now Salem as she picked up Pawn from his bed and put him around her neck. “I will have to guess that we just got lazy about it before. It has been a long time since we journeyed with a group,” said the new Selene. “We will have to keep track of the scar again and hope no one noticed anything strange with it,” said Salem. “I’m going to the bridge to see where we are now,” said Selene. “I’m going back to Medical to continue to talk to David,” said Salem as they left their room.
Selene entered the bridge and an elevated voice of Harke talking to James. “I beg you, Captain, let me send a Blade Runner back to the megalodon battlefield to find the three men,” said Harke. “I said no, Lieutenant. I am not risking peoples’ lives to find three men. They wanted to be free, what a better place than the middle of the ocean in the megalodon battlefield,” said James. “There are questions they must answer,” said Selene. “What they have to say, I am sure, doesn’t affect us at all,” said James. A man enters the bridge and runs up to Harke to tell him something in his ear. Harke’s expression at the news told Selene that it was some bad news. “Captain,” called Harke. “I do not want to discuss it any more, Lieutenant. I said no and that is how it will be,” said James. “Sergeant Joe has reported that the Mirror Room was broken into,” reported Harke. “WHAT?!” yelled James as he stood up and ran for the lift at the left side of the bridge with Selene and Harke running into the Captain’s lift before the doors closed. James was brooding all they way down to the officer’s living quarters. The lift doors opened and James ran out into the hallway and took the few sharp turns until he arrived at a few security guards who were examining the door and a few more who were taking notes on the condition of the room. Mirrors were everywhere on the floor, thankfully since they are made of polished metal, none of them were broken, however the room was a mess. The only thing that was not touched in the room was the NightmareBlade. “They were smart, they did not dare mess with that Mirror Blade,” said Selene. “Is there anything missing, sir?” asked Harke. James looked around the room and even moved some of the Mirror Blades around. James looked inside the box of ComBlades and counted them, then moved on to the smaller Mirror Blades. It looked as if they may have just been disturbed by the actions of the fight with the megalodons but then James became angry again. “The ReverseBlade is gone! Where is it?! Who took it?!” yelled James. “I can only guess that the prisoners that were on the ship took the ReverseBlade and left the TidusBlade as fast as possible,” said Harke. “Send two Blade Runners to find those men!” ordered James.
Harke and Selene were in the launch bay of the Blade Runners as two of them were being prepared by engineers. “They have been modified to carry people?” asked Selene. “Yes, there is just no need to have five large anchors when the one that is used never breaks,” said Harke, “I had the onboard philosophers rebuild these anchors and now they are mini versions of the TidusBlade. But there is something missing. I just can’t figure what.” Let me and the other Blade Masters take them out to look for the men, I might find what is missing,” said Selene. “Be my guest,” said Harke. Selene called Salem on her ComBlade, “Salem, get Zealot and Vivien down here, we are going to find some escapees.” “Where are you?” asked Salem. “Have a crewmember take you to the Blade Runners,” said Selene. After awhile, the other Blade Masters arrived in the launch bay. “We are going to go back to the megalodon battlefield to find those three escapees and get back James’ ReverseBlade” said Selene. “These may be part of the TidusBlade but they have been made into Blades of their own,” said Selene as she thought out loud. “What are you saying?” asked Harke. “You say that the men who you had trained to use these Blade Runners just could not get them to do much other than travel through the water, Wayne?” asked Selene. “That’s right, I know they have weapons on them but we haven’t figured out how to get that part of the Runners to work,” said Harke.
The two pair of Blade Masters, Selene driving Blade Runner One with Vivien sitting in the front seat as gunner and Zealot driving Blade Runner Two with Salem as Gunner, leave the TidusBlade and head back to the megalodon battlefield, staying as close to the surface of the ocean as they can. The TidusBlade surfaces and opens the large doors to extend its tower. “The Blade Runners have left visual range into the megalodon battlefield,” reported Ajax. “Hold our position and inform me when they return,” ordered James, “I’ll be in Medical.” On Selene’s ComBlade, Zealot says, “Something bothers me.” “How do we find three people in the ocean?” asked Selene. “No, but since you brought that up,” said Zealot. “We have a human predator with us. Vivien just has to smell for humans in the water and we follow her nose,” said Selene. “Now I am a bloodhound.” thinks Vivien. “What has been bothering me, if John is the next captain of the TidusBlade, how come he is still just an ensign?” asked Zealot, “Shouldn’t he be a First Lieutenant or a Lieutenant Commander?” “On the TidusBlade, before someone becomes a Lieutenant Commander from being a Lieutenant, a step just below Captain, they must complete a year as Ensign again. This is so they never forget where they came from and remember what it is like to be one of the little people again,” said Selene. “I see, a humbling technique,” said Zealot before he vanished from Selene’s ComBlade.
Vivien, turned her seat to face Selene and signs, “You were alive before Calypso Marcheur De Jour’s death. Did you get to meet him?” “We had planned on meeting but he was killed before he could arrive at the Temple,” said Selene, “He had lived for a very long time as you may have already known, at least longer than most vampires. He felt the years piling on him. His DeceptionBlade gave him the ability to change into anyone or anything and gain the ability of that form. This is probably why people believe that vampires can change into bats or wolves. It was the year 423. Salem and I had founded the Temple of the Blades a year after Jebus made his wish on the SaintBlade. Calypso Marcheur De Jour sent a letter to us saying that he was retiring from his work and wanted to give the temple his DeceptionBlade until a new master could be found for it. It was on the boat trip to Koror where the crew was replaced by people who were hired by his enemies. They killed him in his sleep, or at least tried to. Calypso Marcheur De Jour did not fight back, he had enough of fighting and accepted whatever fate had for him. The men tied him up and to make sure that Calypso would not return, they tied heavy weights to him and threw him overboard when they were over the Devil’s Abyss with his DeceptionBlade. Salem and I thought it was best that the DeceptionBlade stayed there. Now we are here.” “I will get ready for the long swim.” signed Vivien. “No need to,” said Selene, “I am going to use my WitchBlade infection to seal this side off with the door half open to let the water in.”
A large group of megalodons swim almost in formation with the pirate ship Treason in the center. General Carcass enters the main cabin to find the Mysterious Master and Captain Crellis standing at a desk full of books and hand written notes. Sitting on chairs throughout the cabin were thirteen of the Master’s sixteen female bodyguards. General Carcass lowers his head and says, “My Master, the megalodons have brought a TidusBlade uniform shirt.” The Mysterious Master turns to General Carcass and says, “Has the shirt been retrieved?” “Sky Arian is trying to get it from the megalodon’s jaw now, my Master,” said Carcass. “Shadow Arian,” called the Master. “Yes, my Master?” said one of the guard women in the dark cabin. “Go outside and help your sister,” ordered the Mysterious Master. “Yes, my master” said Arian before turning to the door to leave the cabin. Captain Crellis watched the woman leave, then to the other women in the room who all looked to be the same person, “Who are these women and why!” “Why do they all look alike, Captain Crellis?” said the Mysterious Master completing Crellis’ question, “A very understandable question, Captain Crellis. The women you see in this room were born in this world as one person. An unfortunate side effect when creating the type of Blades she makes has caused this curse to be placed on her.” The Mysterious Master walked up to one of the Arians and started to play with her hair, “It has split her body sixteen times. Sixteen Arians, however with only one very talented mind to be shared by them all.” “You mean they all think a like?” asked Captain Crellis. “No, Crellis. This woman’s mind has been separated into sixteen parts, One knows what the others are thinking and each hold a separate piece of knowledge the others do not know. It is very complicated. Arian’s mind has been split up so much, it has made her very easy to be controlled by the last person she knew before this had happened to her,” said the Mysterious Master as he started to trace his finger down Arian’s back. “Sixteen? I seen only fourteen on the ship,” said Captain Crellis. “An Arian has made arrangements and waits for our arrival at Cragorus while another is keeping an associate of mine named Stanza and his special guest company back at Lysts preparing for the second to the final phase of my plan, ” said the Mysterious Master. Shadow Arian and another Arian enter the cabin again with a wet piece of black cloth in Shadow Arian’s hands, “For you, Master.” The Mysterious Master takes the black wet cloth from Shadow Arian’s hands and unwraps it. “Good, our spy is going a good job so far,” said the Mysterious Master as he lifts the ReverseBlade into the light to get a better look at it.
They had been out in the water for hours but Vivien could not detect any human blood in the water anywhere. Zealot and Salem keep an eye out for any approaching megalodons that might smell Vivien and move in for an attack. “I personally never thought Vivien smelled that bad,” said Zealot. “It is the smell of the blood she drinks that is coming out of the pores of her skin that attract the megalodons and any other shark in the sea,” said Salem. Zealot’s ComBlade began to ring, “We are going back to the TidusBlade. Whoever those three were, they are no longer around,” said Selene. “I agree,” answered Zealot. The two Blade Runners started to head back when a couple of megalodons attacked from behind. “I just knew that this would happen the moment we start to leave,” said Salem. Vivien closes the hatch door to her and Selene’s Blade Runner. “Vivien, quickly pull out your MirrorBlade and slide it into that slot in front of you,” ordered Selene. Vivien did so and clicked her Blade into the slot. “MirrorBlade Combine!” yelled Selene as the walls of the Blade Runner turned black. “MirrorBlade Runner attack!” yelled Selene as the MirrorBlade Runner and the people inside seem to faze in and out of reality. The megalodons got to them and charged right into them only to pass through. As long as your Blade is combined with the Blade Runner, it will act just like the MirrorBlade,” explained Selene. In the other Blade Runner, Salem woke up Pawn, “GunBlade”. The small ferret opened up his ThievesBlade’s void just behind his master and Salem pulled her GunBlade out like she unsheathed it from thin air. Salem slid her GunBlade into the slot just in front of her and yelled “GunBlade Combine!” as doors under the Blade Runner opened up and started a transformation process. When the transformation was complete, Salem yelled, “GunBlade Runner. Zealot looked around to see that their Blade Runner had turned into a large version of the GunBlade. Salem pulled the trigger on the hilt of her GunBlade causing the GunBlade Runner to fire a large torpedo like bullet that separated into smaller bullets and hit a few megalodons. Salem opened up the ammunition barrel of her GunBlade and pulled out the buckshot rounds to replace them with firefly rounds. “Let us teach them what fire feels like,” said Salem as she closed the ammunition barrel and pull the trigger again. A white hot torpedo exited the barrel of the large GunBlade Runner and hit one of the megalodons in the side. The large bullet entered the huge fish’s body and began to burn it from the inside out. “Wow, fire that burns underwater,” said Zealot. “My firefly rounds are made to burn any target no matter the conditions it is under,” said Salem as she fired a few more to clear a path for them. The two transformed Runners quickly left the hostile waters to meet up with the TidusBlade.