SG: Subtler Than Light #2: We Got (1/2)

[Gary W. Olson]

[Twenty minutes before the end of episode 1...]

China Kyoko Moroboshi's head rang like the inside of a cathedral bell tower
swarmed by hunchbacks. She blinked, trying to get the blurry bronze-gold
light to resolve into something comprehensible. The air was filled with
screeches and ooks, punctuated by snarls, laser-ish squeals, and crashes.

*This rave really needs a beat,* said something in her head. A young girl's
voice, but not one possessed of innocence.

Something red and tall surged through a door-shape, carrying a bronze-gold
blob. They paused and leaned closer. China recognized eyes... a snout...
red feathers... and sharp, red-stained teeth.

Strangely, it wasn't the teeth that held her attention. It was the
feathers... and how some of them were growing back.

*I don't think she wants a cracker,* rasped something in her head. Another
young girl's voice, but this one quieter, as if speaking required an effort.

The red being leaned close. She could smell their breath and its hints of
mint and monkey blood. They seemed to be examining her.

"You'll live," the being said. "Apologies for... everything."

Then they were gone.

*She* was gone, if the sound of the voice was anything China could
generalize from.

*She's a lady!* two childlike voices sang in her head. *Whoah whoah whoah,
she's a lady!*

"Oh, no," China groaned. "Not you two little fuckers again."

As she pushed herself to her feet, her sight finally resolved, and she saw
she was in the corridor outside an entrance to the Root, the engine room of
the long-since-crashed Aetheric-Dimension battleship called the _Subtler
Than Light._ Memory returned with sight, reminding her that she'd been
peering in on her boss, Cendra Seconds, as she'd been checking to see if
anything had tried to take the Heart of Mu hidden in the chamber's floor.
They had received a warning, a flash of a message on a screen on the
_Subtler Than Light's_ bridge, that something was coming...

The Root no longer had a ceiling. Nor did it have the portions of the two
floors directly above it. They had been replaced by a jagged hole, and
bright blue morning sky above.

China couldn't see Cendra Seconds anywhere in the debris-strewn room. Nor
were there any monkeys, though there were streaks of blood on the walls.
Monkey blood. Surely.

*Taste it!* the first child voice urged. *You know you want to!*

*Kyoko,* the other rasped. *It's not sanitary. Plus, her pumpkin spice
shaker is in the commissary.*

And there they were. Blonde, sharp-eyed, milky-skinned ten-year-old Kyoko,
luminous in a blood-red sun dress, casually flashing a switchblade as she
reclined on a damaged console. Black-haired, black-eyed, bone-skinned
China, in a too-large brown jacket, yellow tank top, and blue jean cutoffs,
sitting on a piece of bronze-gold debris. Both looking up at her as if she
was the one interrupting.

She knew them all too well. Kyoko, a dreamling born in the mind of a
Sorceress Superlative, who had been carried along in the head of said
Sorceress after she'd stopped sorcering and was instead a fugitive. China,
the Bone Child, who Kyoko had become after a terribly complicated set of
magical and cosmic conflicts sent her rocketing into the ancient past,
stripped her of memory, and reformed her into the image of a powerful child
sorceress (whereupon she'd lived through many centuries until returning to
what had then been the present, and had accompanied both Kyoko and the
former Sorceress Superlative in being fugitives, and so on, and so on).
They had been the same being, at different points in their convoluted
temporal existence. Only after Kyoko had been dispatched to the past, and
China had had a physical body fashioned for her to inhabit, that had been
the end of life in somebody else's head. China knew this, as she had been
that China. And, by extension, that Kyoko.

Her gifted body had been twenty-four years old in 1995. Now, in 2023, it
was... older. Gravity and time had been no kinder to it than it was to
anyone else, though a program of rigorous exercise and relentless caffeine
consumption had kept her feeling youthful, or at least awake. China Kyoko
Moroboshi no longer saw what she now thought of as Young Kyoko or Young
China when she looked in the mirror.

At least, not until what had happened a decade ago. After the first time
those working in and around the _Subtler Than Light_ found the Hidden
Heart, and what it had done to them while they were unwary.

*You missed us and you know it,* said Young Kyoko.

*You missed _being_ us,* Young China rasped.

"I'm only seeing you now because of the influence of the Hidden Heart,"
China said. "Like  the first time we found it, a decade ago. And you'll
fade once we get the Heart back and bury you and it back in..."

She stopped. A shift in light had revealed something she hadn't seen before.

Legs.

"Cendra!" she exclaimed, moving to her fallen friend's side with a speed
that made her vision swim for a few moments. To her relief, Cendra Seconds
was sitting up, a hand to her forehead. Her jeans were torn, her black tank
top caked with dust. But aside from some cuts, and a daze similar to what
China had experienced, she appeared unhurt.

"The monkeys set off a bomb," Cendra said. "Blew a hole in... that..." She
pointed vaguely at the hole above that now admitted sunlight. "Not sure...
how we're not dead..."

"They were demon monkeys," China replied, as she helped Cendra up.
"Teleporters. They must have... of course."

"What?"

"The Hidden Heart. They learned last time they can't take it with them when
they teleport. Must've set this up to get them out after they 'ported in
and... they must have made an anchor here. They can only teleport along
line-of-sight unless they've set a psychic anchor beforehand in a place
they want to get to."

"Which means they got in before today," Cendra finished. "Despite all our
precautions."

*It wasn't us!* Young Kyoko and Young China exclaimed. *We were in the rec
room watching 'Miraculous Ladybug!' Honest!*

China gave them the finger. Cendra raised an eyebrow.

"Those little fuckers again?"

"You got it," China replied. Cendra couldn't see or hear them, she knew,
but she was one of the few who knew the full story of what had happened the
first time they'd encountered the Hidden Heart of Mu, and knew what
flipping off what appeared to be empty space meant. "Be careful. They're
proof the Heart is active. If they've had this effect on me, it means
they've--"

"Call Esteban!" Cendra ordered, as she ran for the door. "And get checked
out in Sickbay once you've told him what's up. I'm heading for the bridge.
If you find any monkeys, I get to bite their heads o... ah... interrogate
them first."

"--loosened your good judgment and made you reckless," China finished, even
as Cendra disappeared into another corridor and up a stairwell. "And kind
of hungry, even though you had a decent breakfast in the commissary!" she
called up. No reply came back.

*Aw, why do we have to be stuck in _your_ skull,* Young Kyoko moaned.
*She's going to bite the heads offa demon monkeys! I wanna live in _her_
head!*

*Now, Kyoko,* Young China rasped. *You know monkey brains give you gas.*

"Shut up, both of you," China said. She looked about the Root again, but
aside from bronze-gold debris, there was nothing else to be found. She
re-entered the corridor, heading for the Sickbay, even as she pressed a
spot behind her right ear and fired up an implanted comm system.

"Channel six."

"Connected," a toneless computer voice answered.

"Come in, Esteban," said China. No reply came. "Mayday, Esteban! We're
under attack!"

***

SUBTLER THAN LIGHT
Episode 2
[Hidden Hearts, Part Two]
"We Got Beef with Brains"
by
Gary W. Olson

***

[Present time, in Bonnie's Bookstore, a few hundred feet south of the
_Subtler Than Light._]

Humans were the worst, thought the wounded, red-feathered utahraptor ki
Kazza Malissk. They swarmed the surface of their world, heedless of the
fragile beauty they trampled. They made deals with one another, then broke
them on whims. They fought, betrayed, stole, and murdered, all while
smiling and saying how sorry they were. Worst of all, their faces looked
delicious, and it was hard to remember she wasn't supposed to eat them.

She considered the faces of the humans with her in the upper room of the
tiny bookstore on the avenue running along Venice Beach. The blonde woman
seated in the far corner--a 'Miss Rydell,' the bookstore's sole employee
that morning--had a slightly buttery glow to it, even though the anger in
her eyes made her less appetizing. The young girl in her lap--'Camila,'
Kazza remembered--had a face whose brown fur made it unappealing, even
though she seemed much more entertained by the unfolding show.

Johnny Clark--the young adult, blue-haired, lightly-tanned human male
across from her, slumped against a bookshelf, held fast by several
black-and-white-business-suit-wearing demon monkeys--had a face that looked
like it should have been tender and flavorful. Having attempted to bite his
head off only a few minutes earlier, though, she knew it tasted rather bad,
largely due to the cheap body spray he'd used. Chewing would be difficult,
she realized, as she'd been unable to so much as break his skin with her
sharp teeth. But the bleeding wound on his right shoulder, given to him
when she blasted him with her laser feathers, was proof he wasn't as
invulnerable as he boasted. With a little tenderizing, a vigorous
face-scrubbing, and maybe a glass or two of rosé wine...

She shook her head. Where were these thoughts *coming* from? No civilized
being would eat another, no matter *how* much their flavor might be
enhanced with cumin, garlic, and paprika. Eating a face as a self-defense
move was one thing. But *this...*

"The Heart of Mu is working on you, ki Malissk?" asked the blond,
gun-toting human male in the black business suit, whose arrival with a
retinue of armed demon monkeys was the cause of the current standoff. "I
did warn you it was potent."

Kazza clutched her wounded left side. The human was Lemon Rydell, an agent
of the Mega-Intelligence Bureau (and not the National Intelligence Bureau,
as he'd falsely claimed only minutes ago). Older than Johnny, she guessed,
by as much as a decade, but nearly as youthful in appearance. There was
caring in his eyes, sincere concern in his expression, and a look of
succulence around his cheeks and mouth.

The first two were probably lies, she thought. Finding out about the third
was still an option.

"Had the Heart remained dormant as you promised, Agent Rydell," Kazza said,
grimacing as fresh pain radiated from her side, "it would have been no
issue. But the humans on the _Subtler Than Light_ were warned that the
Heart was being targeted and their alarmed thoughts caused it to wake."

She looked past Lemon to where a couple demon monkeys were trying to stow a
bronze-gold bust of Neil deGrasse Tyson--the current outer appearance of
the Heart--into a black bag. It was a little too large for said bag, though
the monkeys were having a go at making it fit. Lemon glanced back at them,
raised an eyebrow, then looked back at Kazza.

"If I thought it would be easy," said Lemon, "I would've had these guys go
get it. We made a deal with your boss... your Lady, excuse me... to engage
your professional services because we knew that it wouldn't be."

Kazza snarled at the rebuke.

"Still," Lemon continued, his voice softening, "you got it away, despite
not only interference from the STL's crew but also an attack by an unknown
faction's demon monkeys. The way you diverted them well away from here with
that self-propelled raptor mannequin was impressive. And we have the Heart,
so I won't kibbitz further."

"And what effect has the awakened Heart had on *you,* Agent?" Kazza asked.
"You seem to be as much of a cloaca-opening as ever, so it must be
something else..."

Lemon's smile briefly vanished. He looked from her to the young male human
she'd wounded.

"You won't get away with this!" yelled Johnny Clark. He brushed away the
demon monkeys trying to keep him still, though his wounded shoulder was
still apparently causing him no end of distracting pain.

"You remind me of someone, kid," said Lemon. "Old boyfriend of mine. Sharp,
energetic, in love with the world... and a Hollywood Square if I ever saw
one." He shook his head. "Of course we'll get away with it. We're getting
away with it now. Once *some agents get the damn Heart in the damn bag*..."
He spared a brief glare at said agents working on said damn bag. "...we'll
be on our way."

"But you've seen our faces," Johnny noted. "That means you can't let us
live."

"You ain't *that* ugly, kid," Lemon replied. "And that's not how we
operate. Maybe the previous outfit bearing our name worked that way, but
that was before my time." He waved his gun in a dismissive gesture. "Go
ahead, go on your web series or TikTok or whatever and tell everyone about
this. Give 'em my name. What the hell. I'm sure your fans will eat it up.
For all the good it'll do. I'll be sure to deny everything in the comments."

Johnny glowered. Lemon shrugged.

"What about you, sis?" he asked. "You think that's how I rock these days?"

The young blonde woman in the corner, who Kazza only knew as 'Miss Rydell,'
didn't immediately respond. Her lips were moving, as if in silent prayer.
Lemon frowned.

"I hope you're not trying a spell, Bonnie," he said. "You know plain-old
casting never was your thing, no matter how mom tried to teach you."

"Alexa," Bonnie Rydell interrupted, "what is the commonly-held opinion on
Agent Lemon Rydell of the M.I.B.?"

A second later, she was answered by what sounded like a human woman, her
voice coming from multiple small circular pods in various corners of the
room.

[[Agent Lemon Rydell is known to be a dil-hole.]]

"Hey," said Lemon.

[[Survey results are based on a poll of five people.]]

"Sounds conclusive to me," Johnny rumbled.

Lemon rolled his eyes at his sister and started to turn away.

"Are you going to do the flashing pen thing?" asked Camila, the
nine-year-old wolf girl, who apparently found that sort of thing an
exciting prospect. "'Cause I can't be hypnotized when I'm a wolf!" She
followed up that declaration with that well-known tool of the werewolf
attack arsenal, the raspberry.

"Sadly, no," Lemon answered. "Even my bosses fear Sony's lawyers. Now..."

"To answer your earlier question, Lem," Bonnie Rydell interrupted, "I'm not
sure I'd put anything by you. Not anymore. And as for you getting away with
it... four words."

"Sis, don't you dare."

"Alexa... smite my enemies."

[[Please specify enemies,]] Alexa requested.

Kazza tensed. Lemon looked about with widening eyes.

"Agent Lemon Rydell," Bonnie said. She looked directly at Kazza, frowned a
little, and appeared to make a quick decision. "...and any and all
demon-slash-howler monkeys in this room," she added.

[[Smite initiated,]] Alexa informed them.

"That was more than four words!" Lemon protested.

No one had opportunity to say more, as the air was filled with electric
blasts.

Kazza jumped as several white-hot bolts struck the demon monkeys closest to
her. Three teleported away in time, but three screeched and fell. Lemon
cried out as several bolts converged on him.

When more bolts came down and struck the monkeys holding Johnny Clark,
Kazza observed the source: the coiled bulbs in the ceiling, which had
somehow uncoiled and were directing their attacks with energy-saving malice.

The utahraptor swung into action. That is, she attempted to swing, but the
pain in her side turned it into more of a stagger. She lurched for the
stairs, and the bag with the top of Neil deGrasse Tyson's bronze-gold head
sticking out of it. The demon monkeys that had been attempting to stuff it
in said bag were nowhere in sight.

Several shots rang out. Each one was accompanied by the sound of shattering
glass and diminishing light.

"That's enough of that," Lemon said, once the last bulb in the room was in
pieces. "Sis, don't make me report this to Amazon. Or Mom."

"How are you not smited!" Bonnie growled. "Alexa, why is my brother not
smited?"

[[Your Prime Membership allows for smiting of no more than two enemies at a
time,]] Alexa answered. [[Attempting to smite more results in sub-smite
levels of energy directed toward all.]]

"Dammit!"

Kazza hefted the bag. The Heart felt heavier than before, in ways that the
mere fact of her injuries couldn't explain. The thought that it was working
on her, still, refused to go away.

Whether it was or not, her duty was clear.

"Don't move, ki Kazza," Lemon said. "I was told to bring you in with the
Heart. I'd rather that not involve a stretcher... or a body bag."

Kazza glowered at the barrel of Lemon Rydell's gun, which was aimed at her
torso. Smoke rose from the ashy tatters of his suit, and sparks shot from
the fried bluetooth device at his ear, but there was no waver in his aim.
Nor, to her surprise, was there any malice in his eyes--despite his
sister's attack, his cool, somewhat smug demeanor was unaffected.

It was this last thing that stiffened her resolve.

"I am... Kazza Malissk," she declared, as she clutched the Heart to her
chest. "Declared 'ki' as a result of incidents of which I was not a part. I
am the defender of Sol Selegna, the greatest city in all of Terra
Subterrene... whether it wants my defense or not."

She edged around the railing. The stairs leading to the first floor and
escape were invitingly open... but she was sure she heard demon monkeys in
waiting, not entirely successful in keeping in their ooks of anticipation.

"The Hidden Heart of Mu does not belong to you, or your people," she
hissed. "Some say it doesn't belong to us, either, but our claim is still
greater than yours. If you will not honor the agreement your masters and
mine have made... I shall have to find my own way... and..."

She paused, and winced.

"...woe to anyone who stands in my... waaargh!"

Three demon monkeys chose that moment to appear above her and drop down,
their claws immediately seeking out her wounded side. Kazza snapped at one.

She missed its face, but got its tail. It yowled and disappeared, leaving
its tail behind.

The taste was disappointing. Maybe it was the fur, but there was no way it
would be good without at least a shave and some oregano. She spit it out
and swung the claws of her free right hand at the other two monkeys.

A shot grazed her shoulder scales and broke the bay window behind her. The
monkeys who'd been attacking her teleported away, reappearing on either
side of Agent Rydell.

"I won't aim to miss again," Lemon warned. "Now--hey! Ow!"

"Camila!" Johnny exclaimed, as Camila Veracruz dug her claws into Lemon
Rydell's back and got a firm grip on his hair.

"Run, dinosaur lady!" Camila yelled. "I got him!"

"Let go!" Lemon snarled. "I... hey!"

Johnny Clark closed his hand over Lemon's gun, and kept closing until it
was considerably thinner and more lumpy. Camila sprang from Lemon's
shoulders just as Johnny grasped Lemon's tie and pulled him downward.

The demon monkeys closest to Lemon were having none of this, and leaped to
the attack. Kazza, anticipating this... made a decision of her own.

The feathers on her forearm crackled as they glowed bright red, and seared
her as they shot away, fully transformed into bolts of red light. The
monkeys about to land on Johnny Clark screeched in pain as the bolts struck
and sent them flying into a bookshelf.

Johnny grinned at her. "Thanks!" he exclaimed.

"My thanks to you, warrior," Kazza responded.

Then she mustered her strength, and ran as fast as she could toward the
fractured bay window.

"Hey!" Johnny called.

"Go, dinosaur lady!" Camila cheered.

"Wait!" Bonnie yelled. "Outside, there's--"

Kazza shielded her eyes with a feathered forearm as she leapt through the
busted glass.

For that reason, she didn't see the dragon until she landed in its mouth.

(continued in part two, following...)
--
Subtler Than Light #2 (c) 2022 by Gary W. Olson. All Rights Reserved.

For behind-the-scenes notes on the first two episodes, visit my posting in
the Superguy List community on LiveJournal:
https://superguy-list.livejournal.com/40814.html

Gary W. Olson LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gwox
Superguy List: https://lists.eyrie.org/mailman/listinfo/superguy/
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