Parallel Dreams [2]

It had taken them three days to reach what they were calling the Midnight Chamber. The temple was full of riddles and traps and such. There was obviously something in there its builders didn't want them to see. Outrider had wondered whether they should do t he sensible thing and just leave it be, but Benny had told them if there was a real threat down here, it would be better to know now then when it was too late.

Professor Bernice Summerfield had the confidence of someone who'd faced many artifacts of doom and evils from the dawn of time. She was an adventurer and archaeologist from a version of the Doctor's world who'd been dropped here as a result of an invasion of her world by "gods" from another dimension. [The Benny Summerfield novel arc that began with Where Angels Fear.] Most of the other-dimensional refugees in this world were Freds and Astras and their friends, but there were a few who weren't and Benny was one of them.

"Stacy," said Outrider. "Come in, Stacy Jones. We've reached the center. We--damn. Lost the signal." Stacy Jones, who was watching them from back at the base, was another stranger who'd made her home on Terra. She, too, had traveled with the Doctor; hers was the one who'd actually shown up on Terra Prime. She was an archaeologist who was the daughter of none other than Henry "Indiana" Jones [9328], another character, like the Doctor, who was fictional on Outrider's world but real here. Like many archaeologists, Outrider themself was inspired by Indiana Jones while knowing objectively his methods were terrible. They'd often worn an avatar body based on him, but that was a little awkward now, considering they were working with--and considering dating--his granddaughter. They were now wearing a body based on Lara Croft, which Stacy seemed to like. (Outrider felt equally comfortable in male and female avatars; like many AIs, they regarded gender as more of a process than a constant.)

"Well, here we are," said Benny. "Let's press on."

"This'll make a good story for your diary, anyway," said Outrider. "And if it doesn't, you can just add some exciting bits in."

"I only do that sometimes," said Benny.

They each examined the room around them with well-trained eyes. It seemed to be a cave made of midnight blue crystal, whose facets held no discernible pattern. In the center was a pillar made of white crystal, above which floated a crown of the same blue material as the cave.

Stacy, as if walking in her sleep, took a step toward the crown but Benny pulled her back. "I've seen a good few evil artifacts in my time," she said, "and that looks like one. We'd best out of here and get help," said Outrider. "Someone who actually knows magic--if that's what we're dealing with."

"Sounds good," said Outrider. "It's just, after all the effort it took to get here, I really want to know what that thing is..."

"Remember the Chronicles of Narnia?" said Benny. It was one of Outrider's favorite books as a child. (And Stacy's too--the two had stayed up late together talking about them.) "'Strike the bell and bide the danger, or wonder, if it drive you mad, what would have followed if you had...' It's not worth it, Rider. And when someone with my legendarily poor impulse control tells you that, you should listen."

"You're right," said Outrider. "It's just--" She thought she could see something moving in the light reflected off the crown.

Then they saw they weren't alone in the room. There was a ripple in the air, and a human figure emerged from it, wearing grey ceramic armor--a classic "cloak of invisibility" setup--magic rather than science, according to Outrider's readings. The new arrival read as human--but also Time Lord somehow? Beside him was a full grown tiger--no--hyperintelligent btelloid rocifer. [16674]

It was times like this Outrider were thankful for their Military programming, even if they weren't "really" Military. They were created for the University, which didn't fully mesh with either the Military or the Company. Its activities were hard to justify in terms of either the profit motive or the war effort. But with only a few tweaks Outrider's skillset worked well for military intelligence, and so they'd been pressed into service. After the war was over they'd been assigned to learn about the history of Terra Prime, something that suited them much more.

"And who the hell would you be?" said Benny.

"I," said the new arrival, "am Mikhailarkhangelis, Herald of Rassilon. But you can call me Mike." He spoke in what sounded like a car crash of four or five different accents. Outrider knew who this was. Mike Cunningham [9910], a Military deserter who'd taken up a trade as an interdimensional thief and grave robber, the kind of person who gave archaeologists like Outrider a bad name. They'd had hated him for years, even if it made them a bit of a hypocrite considering how much time they spent in an Indiana Jones avatar.

"And I'm Little Mikey!" said the rocifer in a piping voice. If it had ever been little, it sure wasn't anymore.

"Hello! I'm Professor Bernice Summerfield," said Benny. "I hope you're not working for whatever evil force created this artifact, or it's going to be unpleasant."

"Quite the otherwise, luv. I'm trying to keep you lot from waking the Dark Gods from their slumber, dig?"

"And why should we trust you?" said Outrider. "The Dark Gods? That sounds like something a teenage fantasy writer would make up."

Then the pearl-stone began to descend from the ceiling. "Don't ask me," said Mike. "ask that dude."

A light flickered within the pearl and projected an image in the room. It was a member of the Enemy. Outrider reached for their gun, but Benny motioned for them to stop. They stood stock still.

The member of the Enemy wore a white robe with ornate patterns and jewelry of many-colored stones. Based on the scant anthropological data on the Enemy that Outrider possessed, it was a cleric of some sort, but not one of the priests of the Emperor.

"Greetings," it said, in an oddly melodic voice. "I am Warlock Ygarthal, Master of the First Circle of the Yith'cha. [7608] If you have come here, you must be brave and clever indeed, but I beg you to turn back. Otherwise you will find only ruin, for yourself and all you love. This is a Shadowfane, a prison for one of the Gods of the Shining Darkness. We built them, long ago, in the eldest days, we and the Time Lords and the first Elves, to keep them away, for even we could not destroy them. Our victory came at great cost, for after many thousand years of war we became a cruel people who no longer remembered mercy. But we, the Yith'cha, the Order of the Tenebrous Light, still remain, hiding among the Emperor's cult, to remember what we once were and guard the gates we built. I do not know how long it will be so. For beside the order of the Emperor, some of our own order have turned to violence in these precarious days. They have joined a heresy--the Cult of the Brazen Man--who believe that the Dark Tower must be destroyed and rebuilt from the beginning to free the world of the Dark Gods. But I know that it shall not be so--that the Brazen Man's works will only make them stronger.

"By the time you hear this, it will no doubt be too late. Among those who joined us, the Dark Gods are only a legend. Only we remember. The rites of the Yith'cha alone keep the Gods of the Shining Darkness at bay, and our endless wars will one day lead us to an enemy that will destroy us utterly. If you are one of that enemy, then know that on your hands is the blood not only of our worlds but of your own. Nonetheless, I give you this kythanakrai--this mnemon-core--one of three which together contain the information needed to drive away the Dark Gods. For as long as the multiverse lives, some part of us may yet survive, but there is no hope where the banished Gods return."

Outrider felt sick hearing those words. The Enemy were beaten now---the Military had sent drone "slammer ships" to break their worlds and fry all those bastards down to the last egg. [5874] A small remnant of them was alive in that one Star Trek universe, but they'd be dealt with soon too. [7722] It had to be done. The Enemy were nothing but monsters, everyone knew that. They'd killed whole worlds, including this one, almost. They literally kept human beings as livestock. Outrider was often uneasy about the Military's tactics, but against something like the Enemy it had to be done. What they'd done was justified, it was necessary--it had to be--

To dev/null with this. Outrider found themself walking through the hologram to take the crown in their hands.

Mike drew a sword and struck, and the rocifer pounced, but Outrider's avatar body moved faster than either expected. They placed the crown on their forehead and felt a sharp pain--not just in their body but in their code--

1. --ERROR-- --ERROR-- --INTRUSION IN PROGRESS--

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