and Martine realized she was clinging to the golden threads of her own energies and reaching for his as well. She focused, let her fears and anxieties be replaced by the love and comfort she could still feel emanating from John. He’d asked for her trust. Now was the time to give it to him. What else was there?
With no further thought nor regrets for what she might be leaving behind, she let go and felt their entwined energies fading away.
And together they exploded into somewhere new, somewhere crisp and bright, somewhere clean and welcoming where there was laughter, joy and the brilliance of a clear sky above her.
She sucked in a breath, gasping at the cool sensation, and reached for John who still held her in a grip of iron. “I…I…”
He chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. “Welcome to Theta, Martine.”
In the reality Martine and John had left behind, a worried man drummed his fingers on the surface of a massive antique desk. “Any news yet, Wendy?”
“No, Director. Nothing yet.”
It was the fourth time he’d asked in the last half hour, and he realized that if Wendy had been human, she’d have been wondering what the hell was going on right about now. Thankfully, she was only software, designed to serve and respond as required, independent thought not included. For a few minutes, Williams considered the option of replacing a few of his department managers with the same software. It would make his life a helluva lot easier and enrich the budget at the same time.
“Director. You have a message.” Wendy’s efficiently smooth voice interrupted his cogitations.
“Yes?”
“The facilitation you were monitoring has been completed.”
“And?”
“The message states that although the facilitation took place successfully, the facilitator known as Martine TwoSeven succumbed to an energy surge through the neural connections during the process.”
“Oh Lord. And ?” The director leaned forward impatiently.
“She failed to survive the experience. Her life energies ceased to function within her neural interface at 1647 hours. Both the facilitator and the client have been recorded as deceased.”
He clicked off the comm unit and swore fluidly, for once regretting the series of events that had resulted in the loss of Martine TwoSeven. She’d been the best earning asset they’d had, word of mouth alone bringing in nearly twenty percent of their bottom line. They didn’t have another facilitator anywhere near as good or as marketable.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He swore again and rubbed at a sharp pain that coursed through his chest only to vanish before it became a nuisance.
Then he sighed, brushed off his impatience and reached for the comm unit again. “Wendy, get me President Chan. A-4 level priority. He’s expecting my call.”
“Yes sir. One moment please.”
Chan was indeed expecting the call. Scarcely had the screen flashed than he was there, inscrutably staring out at Williams. “You have news?”
“I do.” The director sat down. “The client has been successfully facilitated.”
Chan blinked, a rare sign of emotion. “That is most satisfactory.”
“Unfortunately there was another casualty.”
“Explain.”
“Our best facilitator, the one who performed the assignment, was apparently overcome by a neural-energy surge or something. She did not survive the facilitation either.”
Chan was silent for a moment, digesting the information. “That is…unfortunate.”
“Indeed. She was our best.”
Chan shrugged. “You will be recompensed. There will be others. For now, the threat has been neutralized.”
The director frowned. “Threat?”
“No matter.” Chan waved his hand dismissively. “Your funds will be deposited as usual. I will be unavailable for some time, so you will be speaking with my assistant, Professor Hua.”
“Vacation?” The director tried for a little cordiality.
“Of a sort, yes.”
“Well, I hope you have a good time.” He nodded.
With no further thought nor regrets for what she might be leaving behind, she let go and felt their entwined energies fading away.
And together they exploded into somewhere new, somewhere crisp and bright, somewhere clean and welcoming where there was laughter, joy and the brilliance of a clear sky above her.
She sucked in a breath, gasping at the cool sensation, and reached for John who still held her in a grip of iron. “I…I…”
He chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. “Welcome to Theta, Martine.”
In the reality Martine and John had left behind, a worried man drummed his fingers on the surface of a massive antique desk. “Any news yet, Wendy?”
“No, Director. Nothing yet.”
It was the fourth time he’d asked in the last half hour, and he realized that if Wendy had been human, she’d have been wondering what the hell was going on right about now. Thankfully, she was only software, designed to serve and respond as required, independent thought not included. For a few minutes, Williams considered the option of replacing a few of his department managers with the same software. It would make his life a helluva lot easier and enrich the budget at the same time.
“Director. You have a message.” Wendy’s efficiently smooth voice interrupted his cogitations.
“Yes?”
“The facilitation you were monitoring has been completed.”
“And?”
“The message states that although the facilitation took place successfully, the facilitator known as Martine TwoSeven succumbed to an energy surge through the neural connections during the process.”
“Oh Lord. And ?” The director leaned forward impatiently.
“She failed to survive the experience. Her life energies ceased to function within her neural interface at 1647 hours. Both the facilitator and the client have been recorded as deceased.”
He clicked off the comm unit and swore fluidly, for once regretting the series of events that had resulted in the loss of Martine TwoSeven. She’d been the best earning asset they’d had, word of mouth alone bringing in nearly twenty percent of their bottom line. They didn’t have another facilitator anywhere near as good or as marketable.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He swore again and rubbed at a sharp pain that coursed through his chest only to vanish before it became a nuisance.
Then he sighed, brushed off his impatience and reached for the comm unit again. “Wendy, get me President Chan. A-4 level priority. He’s expecting my call.”
“Yes sir. One moment please.”
Chan was indeed expecting the call. Scarcely had the screen flashed than he was there, inscrutably staring out at Williams. “You have news?”
“I do.” The director sat down. “The client has been successfully facilitated.”
Chan blinked, a rare sign of emotion. “That is most satisfactory.”
“Unfortunately there was another casualty.”
“Explain.”
“Our best facilitator, the one who performed the assignment, was apparently overcome by a neural-energy surge or something. She did not survive the facilitation either.”
Chan was silent for a moment, digesting the information. “That is…unfortunate.”
“Indeed. She was our best.”
Chan shrugged. “You will be recompensed. There will be others. For now, the threat has been neutralized.”
The director frowned. “Threat?”
“No matter.” Chan waved his hand dismissively. “Your funds will be deposited as usual. I will be unavailable for some time, so you will be speaking with my assistant, Professor Hua.”
“Vacation?” The director tried for a little cordiality.
“Of a sort, yes.”
“Well, I hope you have a good time.” He nodded.
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