Chapter Twelve
Another Room
6:11 P.M...
Hellenistic Sector, Commercial Vicinage...
Etna Toys Distribution Station Bravo...
The door Kat kicked in opened into a large room filled with about a hundred filing cabinets, and it was apparent the room hadn't been used in years.
"Come on, there's no time to be sitting around," Kat said.
Kim stopped staring at Kat and hurried in past her, and then that woman glanced outside before shutting the door. Kim searched the room over the barrel of her PPK and lowered the gun after finding no threat.
Kat walked over to a filing cabinet, noticed the old metal surface, and opened the top drawer of five, and it squeaked. "They're a little rusty. They've been in here a long time." She turned back to Kim. "What do you think?"
"They're old, but–" Kim spoke as she moved to one. "–is there anything useful in them? Go through the ones on your side, and I'll do the same, and maybe we'll get lucky and find something."
"First I need to come down." Kat stretched out her senses. "The K-99s are no where near us, so now would be the best time." She moved away from the filing cabinets, found a place to sit on the floor near the door, removed the music box from her pocket, and opened its lid.
"Maybe now isn't the best time for you to go into your... Umm... Whatever you call it."
"The Drifting Time," Kat replied as she closed the lid. "The K-99s are beyond the range of my senses, so I should use this time to come down from the Ultra-Epi. Who knows when I'll get another chance?" She assured her, "I'll wake up when I sense them and if there's some other type of trouble, just give me a good shake."
Kim thought about giving her a good shake and then maybe beating that woman before she questioned her, "Come down? You make it sound like you're on drugs. Are you a junkie like those Sunna Snap addicts?"
"No, it's nothing like that." Kat tried to explain. "If I don't listen to the music and calm down, I get anxious, and sometimes I get these really bad headaches." She thought back to other instances. "I've gone a long time without the music and without coming down, and I got the shakes."
"You went into withdrawal. It still sounds like you're an addict." Kim walked to the first filing cabinet, put her hand on top, and stared at the dust. "Have you ever seen the junkies on Wayfaring Lane?"
"Yes, and I never thought of myself that way." Frustrated about her lack of memories, Kat looked to the music box as if it held answers. "Who knows what the Council did to me?" She turned to her, trying to convince her, "If I don't come down, I'm no use to you and trust me, you're going to need me. It won't take long."
Kimberly's view...
There's that word again and it proves that woman has learned nothing from before. What will I have to do to get it through her thick skull that no one can be trusted?
End Kimberly's view...
"Go ahead," Kim told her. "I'm tired of hearing you whine. I'll start on the filing cabinets." She opened a drawer. "But before you take your beauty sleep, one more question. Do you have to do this every time you see any action?" She found nothing and closed the drawer. "Waiting for you to take a nappy-poo could get old after a while."
"Yes, every time the Ultra-Epi kicks in but so far, only bio-mechas trigger it." After a few seconds, she added, "I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for?" Kim continued searching.
"That I'm a bother. That I'm..." Kat stared at the floor. "I'm not normal."
"I don't know why you're apologizing. It's not like you can help it," Kim said and muttered, "You little freak."
"Still... I'm sorry."
"Well... As long as it doesn't get us killed, don't worry about it." Kim started on the third cabinet. "I have been meaning to ask you something. Is the Ultra-Epi what causes your eyes to glow?"
"Yes, of what I've been able to find out it is."
"Well, hurry up and get your nappy-poo, and you better not be giving me a line of Cretan Bull, so that you can get out of working." Kim forced a smile to hide what she was really thinking. She was having more and more doubts about their partnership. She had always worked on her own in the past and didn't need a partner.
"I shouldn't be out for long," Kat said, then opened the music box, and the tune played, and soon she fell asleep and entered the Drifting Time. Moments passed, and then an image of a bearded man appeared before her as he spoke to her in the dream.
"My dear, you must remember."
She wasn't sure what he wanted her to recall, but it seemed very important to him.
"My dear, remember the poem."
"What poem?" Kat questioned.
He said, "Though the clouds darken the sun..." His words unconsciously triggered a memory in her, and she muttered part of the poem and once she finished, he beseeched her again. "My dear, you must remember the rest."
"I don't know the rest."
"You must try," he urged her.
Kat didn't understand. Why did he want her to remember more, and who was he? She did feel as though she should listen to him, so Kat told him, "I'll try." She did, but nothing came to her so after some time, Kat said, "I can't remember anymore. Are you sure there's more?"
He didn't answer her.
"Hello... Are you still there? Hello?"
The dream faded, and she continued through the Drifting Time with no other strange dreams.
After about ten minutes...
Kat opened her eyes and found Kim still looking for clues, so Kat closed the lid, leaving the noise of grinding filing cabinets as the dominant sound. Kat stood, grabbed her backpack, started on her side of the room, went through drawer after drawer, and found them empty. She paused and shouted to Kim who stood at the other end of the room, "Find anything?"
"No," Kim yelled back, closed the last drawer on her side, and leaned against the filing cabinet. "You took a short nap."
"I said it would be. Did you doubt me?"
"Always have and–" Kim muttered as she walked over to the left side of the room and started on the woman's cabinets at the far end of Kat. "–always will." She then shouted, "I'm beginning to think this trip was a waste of time. The only thing we've accomplished is getting my asp nearly nipped off." She opened another one and paused. "Do you know you talk in your sleep?"
"Really?" Kat looked to her. "I talked? What did I say?"
The lights flickered, and the power went off, plunging the room into darkness and within a few seconds, the emergency lights came on and cast the area in a green glow.
"A blackout?" Kim questioned.
"Maybe not." Kat moved to the front door, listened at the frame, and came back. "The K-99s may have knocked out the power if they feel it's the only way to defend this building."
Kim removed her gun and asked, "Do you think they know where we are?"
"They're probably making their way here now."
"Great!" Kim threw up her hands. "Just great! How are we..."
"Look," Kat interrupted as she pointed to the floor at the back wall. "I see a light."
They moved to the rear and stared at the floor as a white light glowed through a small crack.
"Is it another room?" Kim pushed on the wall, and a concealed door opened. "What do you think? Should we go in or run? Hades... It could be another waste of time."
"We've come this far."
"I was thinking the same thing." Kim started through first. "Come on, let's try to salvage the trip."