Chapter 21 - The Awakening
It took a lot of coaxing to get Kate to release her hold on Julies' waist, her
fingers grabbing at Julies' shirt. Having spent enough of the day naked, she had
dressed in the loose shirt and a pair of panties before helping Kate. Most of
Kates' latex covering had been removed now, hampered by the girls' confused
attempts to put the various parts on again. Julie was thankful they were only
regular latex, and didn't melt together under pressure like her own suit.
Hurriedly Julie removed the blue stockings and their attached heels, and then
picked up the small collection of cuffs and chains she had found in the
wardrobe.
"Sorry Kate," she apologised, locking Kates' arms behind her back. "But I know
that if I leave you, you'll try and put that suit on again."
Julie knew what the crash earlier had been; she had seen the portal slicing
through the walls. The ship had been damaged, and without enough power to escape
via a portal of their own, they had taken the only other course; return to
Earth.
That meant Moira was here, now… and so was the black-cloaked man, Shadow.
Julie wrapped a blanket around Kates' prone form, and folded another under her
head for a pillow. Her legs were chained to the foot of the bed, preventing her
from moving far.
Leaving Kate squirming unhappily, Julie checked on Simeon, who was sleeping
soundly despite all the noise she had been making.
Emily was still by the doorway, sitting against the wall with her knees up and
chewing on her gloved fingers as she gazed into the carpet.
"Hey," Julie said gently, lifting the girls chin. Emily blinked in confusion,
and after a moment looked up.
"Do you know where you are?" Julie asked slowly, like she was talking to a
child. Emily's face contorted with concentration, and it took her a few seconds
to nod.
"I want you to stay here," Julie told her firmly, taking hold of the girls'
hand. "Stay," she repeated, squeezing the hand. Emily whimpered softly as she
nodded.
She heard the footsteps a moment before Trig burst in, panting slightly.
"Julie," he said, sighing in relief as he saw her. "Did you hear the crash?"
"It was hard to miss," Julie told him, letting go of Emily and standing up.
"It's Moira again."
Trig nodded. "Don't worry about her. The Council is sending some help; it should
be here any time now…" He trailed off and glanced down at Emily. "Where did you
find her?" he asked curiously.
"She was with Moira," Julie told him, leaning down and running a hand across
Emily's bald head; apparently Moira hadn't shown her hair any mercy.
"Poor Emily," Trig said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Wait… Emily?" Julie asked in surprise, suddenly remembering who she was. "She's
the girl from the car… and who you spoke of at breakfast… where did Moira get
her from?!" she exclaimed.
Trig shrugged, and then his face seemed to harden.
"Nyssa says you're to stay here," he told her firmly. "She doesn't want you
falling into Shadows' hands again."
"You don't sound so certain," she replied, giving him a sideways glance.
"He's going to come after you; why else would they crash here? I think staying
here only puts Simeon and the girls in danger."
Julie grimaced. "What should I do then, run away?"
"If it was me… I'd hate doing it but I'd throw on a jacket and get the hell out
of here. But you…" He paused to give her a smile. "You're unpredictable." His
tone remained respectful, as if he saw it has a virtue. "But whatever you do,
make a decision quickly. Time is running out."
Julie straightened up and sighed.
"Can I at least put on a pair of pants before I run away this time?" she asked
with a wry smile, thinking back to her last run through the snow.
She began searching through the wardrobe, donning a pair of woollen pants and
the shoes she had stolen from the headmistress, and then pulled on a jacket.
She checked Simeon was sleeping well, gave Kate a quick kiss and then turned off
the light and shut the door behind her.
Sitting in the darkness, forgotten upon a plain cardboard box, was her necklace.
Shadow climbed down the ladder, breathing in the sharp smell of ozone. His shoes
began to feel warm against the metal floor as he looked around, smiling to
himself as he studied the gaping hole in the far wall.
The crippled ship had reoriented itself before re-entry, placing the wound in
its side at the far end of its spherical design. Despite this, the heat of
re-entry had burned hot through the hole, scorching the walls and floor and
heating the room immensely.
"It had hoped for at least a body," he said to the empty room. "You disappoint
me, Moira; I had hoped for more of a challenge."
The only sound was the soft pinging of contracting metal.
"I turned off the containment shields after I closed the hatch, so you would
have suffocated before being turned to ash." He chuckled at his own
thoughtfulness, and gazed around the room with a self-satisfied smile.
Quickly growing bored with gloating, Shadow turned to the ladder and climbed up,
disappearing over the edge.
"Now there's nothing stopping me from killing the girl," he called out over his
shoulder.
"We can get out the back," Trig said to Julie as the hurried down the hall,
entering into the balcony above the entrance to the building. The open area was
dimly lit by the moonlight filtering through the clouds, the thick glass windows
frosted with the cold. As they ran, the clouds parted briefly, illuminating the
ground outside. Julie spotted the shape of the ship buried in the trees across
the grounds, its silver hull blackened with burn-marks. And then her heart
leaped, seeing the black figures already making their way towards the house.
"They're coming," she squeaked, adrenaline flooding her veins.
"In here," Trig said shortly, shoving open a side door that until then had
seemed another part of the wall. Julie had no chance to be surprised by the
steps in front of her before she was almost falling down them after Trig.
"Secret passages," Julie exclaimed, wry amusement overriding her anxiousness for
a moment. Trigs nervous laughter came to her over the hurried sound of her
breathing.
"For the maids," he called over his shoulder as they entered a small, dimly lit
corridor.
Its walls were plain, unpainted plaster, and so close together that Trigs'
shoulders were almost brushing against either side. Small, evenly spaced lights
ran down the passage, the soft, motion-sensitive bulbs flickering to life as
they moved down the passage, before winking out behind them, their work done.
Trig paused at the first intersection and glanced down at something, followed by
a loud click that made Julie shiver.
"Is… is that a gun?" Julie asked hesitantly at the black shadow in Trigs' hands.
There was a long pause before he replied, "Yes."
She shivered again, and looked away.
"Don't tell Susan," he added meaningfully in a low tone, before deciding on a
direction and breaking into a run.
He took several more turns, with Julie hurrying to keep up, and then down
another flight of stairs.
"Where are we going?" she panted after him.
They rounded a final corner, and came to a heavy wooden door at the end.
"Here," Trig told her, and tugged a set of keys from within his coat.
"Come on," he said urgently, pushing the door open and running through without
bothering to lock it. Julie took a moment to at least close the door, before
chasing after him.
The passage had led them out into a small nook formed by the pine trees growing
close to the house, effectively hiding the entrance from the outside as well as
protecting the area from most of the snow. Trig led her through a gap in their
dense branches, and immediately Julie could feel the temperature drop. Small,
squat lamps were placed along the snow-covered paths, whilst taller lamps sat
amidst the trees, their dark and silent witness giving the area a distinctly
creepy feel to it.
Shivering Julie tightened the jacket around her body, and peered through the
trees. A black-cloaked figure emerged from around the house, making her stiffen.
"Trig!" she cried out, stepping behind the nearest tree, but instead of taking
cover, Trig raised the gun and fired.
Julie cringed, expecting a loud bang as it discharged, but it hardly made a
noise; a barely audible zip the only sound reaching her ears. Heart thumping,
she looked cautiously around the tree, and managed to get a glimpse of a black
figure sprawled in the snow, before Trig took hold of her arm and yanked her
away.
"Don't tell Susan," he repeated in a hurried voice, his eyes scanning the area
ahead of them as they ran.
"Did you…" Julie began in a horrified tone, but trailed off as he squeezed her
arm warningly. "Don't tell Susan," she whispered; eyes wide.
They ran along a line of trees, planted so close that their intertwined branches
almost formed a hedge. There was a gap in their neat ranks, and Trig ran
through, dragging Julie after him.
The cloaked guard standing in the gap turned in surprise at the newcomers, only
to meet Trigs' balled fist in the face and fall backwards into the trees, crying
out in pain as they ran past. Julie only had a moment to take in the square
garden hidden by the trees, and the paved pond sitting in the middle, before she
saw the other two figures standing at the opposite side.
Trig didn't have time to raise the gun before something slammed into his chest,
punching the air from his lungs and sending him staggering backwards, gasping.
"TRIG!" Julie cried, catching him before he fell forwards.
"Run… you stupid girl," he panted, doubled over and clutching at his chest.
Julie almost felt the gathering of strength before Trig cried out again. His
knees gave way, and he fell to the ground, holding onto consciousness by a
thread. The last hit had landed between his shoulder-blades, sending pain
shooting down his spine.
"Trig, stay awake," Julie told him loudly, her voice cracking with dread.
"GO," he yelled, trying to push her away with his failing strength.
"N… No," she sobbed, straining to hold him upright.
This time she was certain she felt something as Shadow prepared for a final,
fatal blow. She knew what he was going to do, and the only thing she could think
of was Susan's face, the look of devastation when she found out what happened.
It seemed like he struck in slow motion, and Julie thought she could see the air
shimmer. She heard someone scream, and then the world turned into pain.
Susan lay on her side in Trigs' soft bed, the blankets curled around her in a
ball. She couldn't sleep though; the crash from outside had scared her too much.
She was trying not to think about what could have happened, and had busied her
self with trying to get as warm as possible.
Feeling safer within the blankets surrounding her, she poked her head through
the gap in its outside and lay it down against the l pillow. Double-sized
blankets are so much better, she thought to herself, wriggling within their
soft, warm embrace.
Unfortunately this had the effect of disturbing the butt-plug, and she squeezed
her face into a grimace. After all the things she had done for Julie, she got a
hard piece of rubber in her behind as reward.
Despite its presence, she hugged the blankets close, pushing aside looming
thoughts of the crash to think of her mistress. She wondered what had happened
after she left; did Julie and Simeon… She tried to silence her thoughts, a blush
already creeping up her cheeks. She knew that Julie was uncomfortable with being
a lesbian… perhaps being with Simeon would make her feel better.
Her thoughts began drifting to just how he would make her feel better, and she
groaned loudly at herself. Trying to clear her head, she pulled the blankets
tightly around herself and wriggled down the bed to the window at the end.
"I wonder if it'll snow again," she muttered to herself, pushing aside the
curtain to look up at the clouds. The moon took a moment to shine through,
illuminating the snow-covered ground with an eerie glow.
"Wow," she said, staring out across the gardens. "It's so different at…" She
halted with a choking sound, her eyes wide and locked directly on the person
slowly walking across the snow, his black cloak hanging heavily around him.
Trying to still her quivering, she leaned back from the window and pulled the
curtain across. As soon as it was covered, she lunged for the other end of the
bed, drawing the blankets around her and huddling into their softness.
"He didn't see," she reassured herself, ears straining for any sound. She knew
that he hadn't even been facing in her direction, but the fact that he had been
there in the first place was enough to frighten her.
Both hands slid up to grab the collar still around her neck, the barely
perceptible touch of metal against her neck reminding her of the painful
injection, and the promise of more to come. And if the black-cloaked men were
here, then Moira would be too…
She let out a whimper, and pressed herself into the corner of the room. Perhaps
if I stay here, they won't find me…
With a start, she realised that Julie wouldn't know about them! She would be
sleeping with Simeon, and never know until it was too late.
Shaking like a leaf, she uncoiled herself from the blankets and stepped out onto
the floor, wearing only the flimsy lingerie that Julie had picked out for her.
She was sweating nervously, despite the coldness of the air around her.
Picking up one of Trigs' jackets left carelessly on the floor, Susan pulled it
around her, already walking towards the door. She paused with one hand on the
doorknob, and then recoiled. What if they were already in the house, she asked
herself.
A quick glance around the room located several potential weapons. A minute later
she was creeping out into the deserted hallway, clutching a long, thick torch in
both hands so hard she thought she could feel its metal exterior flexing.
The house was completely silent as Susan made her way slowly towards where she
thought Julies' room was. She rounded the final corner, and almost died with
fright. Stepping back behind the wall, she swallowed hard.
It could have been Simeon, she told herself; it doesn't have to be one of… them!
Her heart pounding, she stuck her head around, watching as the shadowy figure
made his way towards Julies' door. He had his back to her, but the cloak he was
wearing confirmed her worst fears.
Her fingers white around the base of the torch, Susan stepped out from behind
the wall, her eyes watching for the slightest indication she had been heard.
Every time the terror threatened to overwhelm her, thoughts of the clueless
people inside the room ahead drove her to take the next step. And just as he
reached the door, the guard stopped and raised his head.
Susan let out a terrified squeal, and swung with all her might at the hood.
There was a horrible thud as the torch made contact, and the figure toppled to
the ground. She began sobbing, and let the torch fall to the ground as she ran
to the door and burst in.
"Julie!" she cried, rushing to the bed. She grabbed the blankets and without a
thought yanked them away, exposing Simeon sleeping soundly underneath.
Her heart skipped a beat when she realised Julie wasn't there. Desperately, she
shook Simeon in an attempt to wake him, but no matter how much she called his
name and pushed him, he remained sleeping.
Defeated, she sat down heavily on the bed, grunting as the butt-plug surged
within her.
Where was Julie?
On impulse, she looked up, and sitting beside her was the box. She would have
been tempted to look inside and discover its contents, but the sight of Julies'
necklace sitting on top distracted her.
"Oh no," Susan breathed, picking it up. If Julie had left it behind, she must
have been in a hurry to go; she could be anywhere…!
A sudden flash of light startled her, and she let out a squeal of fright,
dropping the necklace. At once her head began aching, like she had bumped
against something in the dark.
"Whoa," she breathed, watching the necklace come to rest on the carpet. Gingerly
she poked at it with a toe, but nothing happened.
Still cautious, Susan bent down and touched it with her hand. When nothing
happened, she scooped it up and lifted it by the chain into the air, peering
into its violet depths.
The second flash didn't startle her this time, and the necklace remained hanging
from her hand. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand, and found that this did
nothing to interrupt the light.
"W…What…" she muttered in confusion, staring into the glow. It's so pretty, she
thought, her apprehension replaced by wonder.
As she stared through the walls at the glow, she grew frustrated that she
couldn't make out what it was. It felt like she had removed a blindfold, only to
find there was nothing more than a dot to look at.
She narrowed her eyes at the glow, trying to discern where it was coming from.
As she concentrated, it began to resolve into two separate glows, like adjusting
the focus on a camera.
"Julie?" she muttered in confusion, leaning forwards.
She wasn't sure how she knew… it came like recognising a familiar face. And as
she watched, the opposite glow seemed to draw in on itself, and then in a flash
it struck.
"No!" she cried in horror, almost falling off the bed in an aborted attempt to
help.
Despite her eyes being closed, she could still see what was happening, and knew
that whatever had happened didn't work.
She wrapped the necklace around her hand and stood up, quivering with anxiety.
After taking the first step forwards, she abandoned all thought of
self-preservation and broke into a run.
Julie felt herself falling, but made no effort to prevent her impact with the
soft snow. She could hear someone screaming, and it took a moment to register
that it was her.
At once the blinding pain became all too real, crashing in on her consciousness
like a speeding truck through a wall and destroying all rational thought.
Trig fell down beside her, still gasping for breath. Despite the pain any
movement caused, he grabbed Julies' writhing body and rolled her onto her back.
He felt a twinge of guilt as she cried out louder, hands firmly clasped against
her head.
"Julie," he gasped weakly, trying to comfort her as she curled into a ball, took
a deep breath and screamed again.
"Very clever," called a familiar voice from across the pond. "But pointless.
Perhaps this will be fun, after all."
Through her haze of pain, Julie felt him gathering to attack again. Her
consciousness clinging to the feeling of Trig holding her close, she
instinctively blocked him again.
Julie was rendered speechless as the pain became worse in an instant, her brain
reeling in shock. She wanted nothing more than to writhe in the agony burning
inside her head, and a moment later Trig found it hard to hold her still as she
screamed into the night and strained against his arms.
"This is what happens when you push yourself too hard," Shadow called out to
her. "I've seen it before; people forced to awaken their abilities." His voice
grew hard, as if it brought back painful memories.
He struck again, pouring fire into her skull. Her entire body shook as he did,
and for a moment she was too stunned to cry.
"I can do this for hours," Shadow bragged, starting to walk around the pond
towards them. "Dominants have their abilities, Humans have theirs nicely locked
away, and then Hybrids like you and I get the best of everything!"
Julie didn't see him stop moving, but she felt the attack coming. It was hard,
and fast, nearly sending her over the edge into blissful unconsciousness.
Trig felt her tense in his arms as the air seemed to tighten around them, and he
didn't need her abilities to know he now owed her his life another time.
"Unfortunately, you won't get to experience it," Shadow said confidently, and
began gathering himself for another strike.
The room was silent for a long time after Shadow left, before being broken by a
single thud. One of the closed tubes dislodged a cloud of dust, and sent it
sliding down the hardened glass covering.
Inside, Moira drew her fist back from the glass and cursed under her breath. The
tube was stiflingly hot, and she was pouring sweat. Her free hand was holding
the breathing attachment for the hood over her mouth; although the hood itself
was missing, it was still giving air.
She fumbled for the release to the tube, and gave it a tug. The glass slid back
with the soft purr of motors, and Moira stepped out.
Still cursing, she made her way across the floor, noting the heat that still
shimmered across the steel surface. The hatch above was open, and a minute later
she was upstairs and heading to the computers.
The ship wasn't going anywhere, she quickly determined. Its sensors, although
limited by its current state, notified her of the wormhole that was slowly
expanding in the night sky.
Moira sighed, estimating that there were two, maybe three ships on the way.
There wasn't much time left.
Leaving the computers, she climbed the ladder upstairs and went directly to the
kitchen where she had set up her equipment. She had saved what she could from
the Doctor's office, but what remained was still frustratingly limited.
Her frustration increased when she saw that not only had the impact made a mess
of the delicate tools, but Shadow had tampered with the data whilst she was
gone. Fortunately he had no real knowledge of what he was doing, and it only
took her a moment to realise the full import of the figures before her.
A coolly satisfied smile crept across her lips.
"Well, it's been nice knowing you," she said to Shadow, calmly bending down to
pick out the small vial of blood amidst the mess of broken glass on the floor.
"A shame I won't get to see you find out." Moira glanced at the writing across
its label, before placing it in her pocket and walking out.
In neat handwriting, it read "Julie"
--
Thanks to redEva and slavelucy for proof-reading
--
