Where The Last Is The LastA Chapter by AlskarIt became clear as they neared Cloudline. “Boston…” “Yes, I know. Evidently Trellor’s actions in the past are already taking effect on this reality. Tenfold as this is one of the final parts of the puzzle.” Ahead was the usual Cloudline complex. There had been a change, notable even a mile off. No shuttles were in the shuttle park, despite thousands being there when Adainne left only half an hour before. “The complex looks almost new,” Adainne noted, pushing the lever forward to slow the shuttle. “I think it is new, Adainne,” said Boston, staring out from the control panel. “When you think about it, this reality is closing and rubbing against the new one. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that we’ve been taken back to a time before the reality gets rebooted. We’re amongst the last people left in this reality, and I believe Trellor orchestrated it to be so. I really do not believe it will be long before the window of opportunity to save the world will close.” “Excellent,” said Adainne as they reached the shuttle park. She lowered the vessel to the ground. “Just wait before you get out,” said Boston. “I need to brief you on what you’re going to say when you get in there. The star and I will remain here.” “I have to go in there by myself?” “It’s safer that way. Now, you have a very small window and you need to get this conversation right. It’s similar to your mission with Trellor, except you will be the one to convince your father instead.” “What do you mean? Convince my father of what?” The cat bowed his head. “And this is where the briefing begins.” *** Adainne stepped onto the concrete. The glass lid rained down, concealing Boston and the star inside. She didn’t look at them. Her footsteps clicked and echoed to the walls of the complex. She was moving with purpose to the doors of Cloudline, which, in the moments to come, would become non-existent. Above her, strings of cloud were whipping past. Their speed was unusual and set a sickness in Adainne. The sky’s morning blue was fading to a pale gold, despite it being only around 9am. Except, Adainne realized, time was no object in this reality any more. It could be any time of day it wanted to be. It could even turn to night in a few minutes. The automatic doors parted. She hesitated, her dark blue eyes glossy in fear. Then she stepped forwards and was consumed by the doors. The shopping district was gone. All that remained were metal walls and not the slightest indicator that this place was once filled with people. The majesty of Cloudline was only perceivable when one was alone there. Adainne began to feel the weight of her task sink into her. She moved to one of the twenty elevators that were lined in front of her. Each had a list next to it, indicating what floor and rooms the elevator could take you to. Adainne already knew the elevator, and the number, that would take her to her father’s office. Stepping into the elevator, she searched for the number. ‘25X’ appeared under her finger and she pressed it. The elevator shuddered then took off. Adainne stared into the mirrors that lined the walls of the elevator. “How on earth did you get into this?” she asked the mirror morosely. Her eyes became glassy and her expression softened. “You have to promise yourself, Adainne. You’re not going to forget Trellor when this is all over. I don’t care what happens to you. You are not going to forget him.” The elevator juddered to a halt. Adainne sucked in a breath then remedied herself. She maintained a pose of determination as she waited for the doors to part. They would part directly into her father’s office. Her father had enchantments guarding his room and in a few moments time it would be these enchantments that would allow Adainne through once they had vetted her identification. The elevator was quiet. Adainne had turned on her reflection and concentrated on the doors. She had been briefed extensively on what she had to do. As he was her father, she was already in an advantageous situation. The doors opened. Adainne’s eyes adjusted to the scene she had seen so many times in the last year. The room stretched back a quarter of a mile and was high with beechwood panels that curved into the marble ceiling. Vast windows stretched from the floor to under the curve of the panels, spilling yellow light onto the burgundy floor at regular intervals. At the far end of this was a desk. Broad and masculine, dark with a high sheen, it was what one may expect a President to have. “Adainne? Do explain how you managed to get up here. I thought I’d left you with instructions not to follow me.” Adainne sucked in another breath. Her father’s voice had echoed from the other end of the room, reaching her through a dream. She thought this feeling to be no coincidence and stepped with purpose to the centre of the room. “I apologise, Dad. I had to satiate my curiosity. What is this place you’re building?” The chair was tall enough so that her father could not be seen. “It’s a safe house, on a grand scale, should we ever need it. I have been building it ever since I became Prime Minister. In my experience, it is always best to be prepared.” “Is this about Wizard Eron?” The chair began to move. With one swift turn, the identity of the fourth British Prime Minister of the 31st century was revealed. Foxlin Silver was not a young man. His hair was light grey and had always been light grey, even in the days of his youth. His turquoise eyes were a pale, sullen aqua. Pools of sagged darkness had accumulated under his sharp eyes. His expression towards Adainne was unlike one she had ever seen before. “Do not be so foolish, Adainne. Of course this is about Wizard Eron- it is he that killed your mother, is it not?” Adainne stared with confusion. They had solved that crack in time, had they not? Her mind flashed back to something Boston said in the briefing. ‘Although time has changed, memories of those who remain may be in conflict with each other. For example, your father may remember the invasion of the Wizard Counsel, but not remember that Wizard Eron had originally killed your mother. You must go with the flow with whatever he says. The most important thing is that you drill your point across.’ Adainne gulped, then stared with remorse at her father. “Yeah, of course Dad. I’m sorry.” President Silver leaned back into his seat. “Don’t be sorry, it wasn’t your fault it happened.” “Er, Dad, on the topic of Wizard Eron…” “Yes?” “There…” She coughed. “There is no need to prepare for war any more.” President Silver leaned forwards in curiosity. “How on earth do you gather that?” “I just mean that we, or you, can take out Wizard Eron quietly,” said Adainne. Her father was silent for a moment, gaze intense. Adainne knew she wasn’t getting through to him. She knew when her father had that exact expression that he was only pretending to consider it. What she was going to need to do was show how much she believed in the idea. To show her father why this was the best course of action. She had to show him and stop acting like the girl she wasn’t any more. She was not a War Wizard. She was a person. She had to save the world. “Adainne, a war is inevitable,” her father explained. “He has made a direct threat to the Prime Minister. We are preparing for a potential terrorist attack, at the very least.” Adainne was building power to respond. She was about to. Then she saw something that nearly brought her to her knees. In the sky, a giant roaring red hole sat where the sun should have been. Any cloud that floated past, any part of the golden sky was ripped up and consumed by the engulfing scarlet mass. Adainne creaked her head back to her father, knowing there was little time before they would die. Boston explained that this might happen as a reaction to Trellor keeping this world open. He had to, in order to complete the curing of the cracks in time, and to keep Adainne alive. If Trellor closed the war world before Adainne managed to close the last crack, the two realities would forever rub off each other, and forever change from one reality to the other. Eventually, this would cause an enormous explosion. The only way to resolve the issue was to establish a present where there was no war and had never been a war. Adainne’s father was the key to that. “Father,” Adainne began, and her voice echoed through the room in visible waves. “I propose that I compromise with the growing resistance against Wizard Eron. As a representative of the Silver Earth government, I will ask them to make plans to assassinate Wizard Eron cleanly before this snowballs into an all-out war, where this place will be our only salvation. Don’t let it be that we are driven to the skies in fear of an earth that is our’s, and not the belongings of a greedy dictator. If we are able to utilise forces outwith our own army and navy and round on Wizard Eron with a surprise attack, we may take him out before any such thing happens. He is a powerful man, with many followers. I am absolutely aware of this. But with the backing of the Wizard Counsel, with the ideology and intensity of the growing resistance towards Wizard Eron’s proposed regime, we can save ourselves from a hopeless war.” The room darkened a touch. Adainne whipped round to where the light had vanished. One of the windows had gone. When she turned back, half her father’s desk had disappeared. He seemed, oddly, not to be able to notice. Her father bowed his head, then rose from his seat. A smile, half-concealed in the new din, was on his creased face. “My daughter, Adainne Silver, following in her father’s footsteps. I am proud of you, Adainne.” Adainne let out a short breath. Her Dad had never been so direct about his emotions with her, or Psyche. “There is no harm in giving your suggestion a try. If we are unsuccessful in killing Wizard Eron, we may have to reconsider. For now, we will take the less obvious approach.” Adainne’s eyes were stars. The light from the remaining window was brightening and blocked her view of her father. “Thank…” Adainne was still. A droplet of water passed over her cheek and splashed on the yellowing carpet. “Thank you, Dad.” Foxlin Silver did not respond. Nor could he. The light was vast now; the panels on the walls were peeling off and breaking. Not a thing in the room was spared. “Dad!” called Adainne, her voice a watery dream. “Dad! I love you! Dad!” The light became all that was left of the world and all that Adainne knew. © 2012 AlskarReviews
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