There And Back Again. An Ark Hunter's Holiday

"It's all good team. Good job everyone. And thank you personally Volodya. Without you, I'd probably kill Cael and Kara without any second thought. You really defeated this evil mastermind on her field".

"Guess after all we've done here townsfolk won't meet us with cheers and roses. What do you think mates? We probably killed or crippled half of citizens and now they should be awfully upset about this. I'd better sneak to the ship and run before they lynch us. Hope I'm wrong about it but... we leave a trail of bodies you know and not every of them is Inquisitor", Raizar noted.

"It doesn't seem like it", Taffer answered to Raizar, "I don't remember seeing such device on the one I knocked out at the gates. I could be mistaken and I'll check those bodies, but first we need to get Cael and Kara safe and probably to the hospital or to the Doc at Cowboys' HQ. We need to drug them for their own safety while we'll be transporting them to our base where Doc Orion will do his miracle to them. You know, I can handle EGO jammers, but mind control is definitely not my part of town. And I need to make a call".

He scanned the monitors in the room with the throne as they clearly should be connected to the radio system of the complex. He accessed it with his EGO and reprogrammed it back to work with the VBI system, but before he carefully saved all parameters in case it would help to locate the source of the previous transmission. Bouncing the signal through the VBI network, he transferred his call to Lima.

"Askaru? Taffer here. I need your best high capacity shield. Sending you the codes of some chips you can get your payment from. Good. And give that shield to Gil, right now. Yes, you got everything right. Taffer out."

Taffer smiled as he knew Askaru will now hide Gil where no Judgment could ever find. Belle and Volodja left to check on Baby Belle which could be fake Kabule's last target, and Taffer agreed on that, promising to search around for more devices they could use for research.

His next move was to scan the logs and cameras in case these Inquisitors had anything interesting left.

"Damn, they have a whole bunch of people caged here! Get our injured to safety, I'll help others escape!"

He looked around the hall again and saw the sniper rifle which Cael held in his hands before he had been incapacitated by Erika. Taffer picked it up and examined it.

"A Heartseeker? I'm not your Valentine, sorry. Guess I'll find a good use for it anyway". He put the rifle on his back and continued his way up the staircase.

First he headed to Belle's office again to disable his makeshift EMP generator. "I could have electrocuted all these people if I proceeded with the mission the way I planned it", he thought, "glad my friends figured all this out before I activated it". His next stop was to inspect and scan some bodies of Inquisitors lying on the ground. He sighed with relief seeing none of them had the mind control device. At least those really were some group of fanatics and not some innocent people controlled from outside. He transferred this information to the team. He walked up to the Bioman and saw it was indeed Odysseus. Em Dash confirmed he was still alive and also noted he had a different type of mind control device on the back on his neck. It looked more sophisticated than those on people they met on the road, but it wasn't an immediate danger as the Bioman needed a special procedure to wake up again or a good electric shock at least.

Then he went back to the floor with offices and stood in front of the wall, which didn't look like anything special. But he had already downloaded floor plans and the command to activate the secret door. When he opened the door, he saw cages with many townspeople in them along with some laboratory equipment, some unused mind control devices and packages of Inquisitor uniform.

"We were damn lucky this time people", he sent to the team, "some hours later we'd have to deal with all these people equipped with mind control devices and sent into the fight in the Inquisitors' uniform. And given it's a new model which prototype they managed to install only on the Bioman, we couldn't tell the difference between real zealots and these poor people. Good for us we had a fast aircraft and they didn't have time to prepare this trap in full". He transferred all this while he was packing samples of devices of different types into his backpack and scanning cages with people in them for traps. Making sure there were none, he asked his EGO to unlock the door and released people from cages.

"Okay people, it's safe to go out, but there's rather unpleasant sight ahead. We had to kill many of those fanatics before we could get to these controls, so yea, please go straight to the staircase, don't go sightseeing. You'll meet the Lawkeeper by the time you exit the building I suppose".

"You don't look like you're here for sightseeing either, aren't you?" Taffer heard female voice behind his back. "I know a thief when I see them"

"And I know a cop when I hear them", Taffer turned around smiling, as he saw a woman blocking his way out of the secret room. "Deputy Drew Ferry, right? We've probably met some months ago. Anyway, may I pass?"

"As long as you put those things back where you took them, you probably may. I think I must thank you for saving all those people and me too but those devices are dangerous shouldn't fall into wrong hands. So I have to ask you put all of them back so I can hand them to the Lawkeeper."

Taffer sighed and leaned against the wall. "Listen lady. It's still a VBI facility and I work for Belle Starr, Director of Security Analysis. We can give you all the papers you need for clearance confirmation. The problem is, time will be lost. Two of my friends have those on their necks and those looked like the advanced types. We need to analyze and disable them ASAP before our friends wake up or die. Once we get the analysis information, we'll transfer them to you and to the hospital so you could detect and remove them if you find more of them on people. Listen again, we've gone through all of this to eliminate the threat these devices pose, we've freed those mind-controlled people who tried to attack us, I took time and risk to knock out that Bioman safely for him when it was much safer for me to just shoot his head off when he tried to launch those grenades at me. Do you still think my hands are wrong hands just because I forgot to bring some signed papers to a life-saving operation or forgot to charge that nice halo above my head?"

"I think I happen to know Belle Starr and I think I had seen her face with her back then", deputy said taking a step aside, "but that doesn't mean I won't be watching you, thief".

"Thank you kindly", Taffer replied smiling and passing by her into the hall, and added whispering when he was close, "I've scanned his vitals, he's fine. But he still has that prototype controller on him, so you'd better keep him unconscious until we study those and send you the results. I hope you can gather enough manpower to transfer him to the hospital. I'm not the one to help you in that, sorry. Ah, by the way, have you noticed any kids among prisoners? In particular, an Irathient girl 6 years old and an Irathient boy, 1 year old."

"No, they definitely didn't take any kids as prisoners, at least for all the time I've been here".

"Not sure if that's good or bad", thought Taffer. "Pity I don't have many connections on the Collective territory. I think I'd have to ask Askaru to pull some strings for me again". Then he hurried to the exit to catch up to his team.

Princess Christianna dozed as to the gentle swaying of her gentle giant as he triumphantly carried her out of the evil castle, or at least her drugged delusion painted the picture that way, shortly after Lord Volodja had killed the venomous spider that had bit her on the back of her neck. Her royal soldiers ran around as they did various tasks for her, making certain that the evil queen's minions were thoroughly defeated.

Princess Christianna raised her head from the Giant's shoulder, proclaiming in a royal tone, "You shall all be rewarded for your valor! Extra grog for every soldier!" Then she turned her sleepy pink eyes to Atticus' face, staring hard as she tried to focus her thoughts, her thin white lips turning up slightly into her enigmatic smile as she said warmly to him, "Atticus! When did you get here? You know... I really do love you!"

As she laid her small head back on his huge shoulder, she added sleepily, "But don't want to be anyone's mistress."

Lady's EGO implant began the process of rebooting after Volodja disabled the Inquisitors' EGO inhibition device, but it took this long for Sandy, the psyche of Lady's EGO, to awaken. Sandy immediately checked to make sure Lady was unharmed, then began the process of flushing the Inquisitors' drugs from Lady's biological system. When she was sure that Lady was in no danger, and could not detect Volodja nearby, she contacted Dinara, Atticus's EGO psyche.

"Where is Volodja? Is he okay?" Asked Sandy anxiously.

"Um..." Dinara wasn't sure how to answer, being a very young persona in many ways, and Sandy's friend in many more, so she hesitated before saying EGO to EGO, "Volodja is fine! He ran after Belle Starr, but I'm sure it was to do some important business now that the battle here is over and the team is all safe!"

"Oh... okay, that's a good thing! He deserves time with... a real girl" Sandy said her voice filled with doubt, "It's all good and makes perfectly good sense!"

Sandy tried to believe herself, but knew she was a liar, so she busied herself with rechecking Lady's vitals, all the while weeping in a dark place of Lady's mind.

"Lord Volodja hurt Sandy. Bad Teach." Muttered Lady with a pretty pout as she still slept on Atticus' shoulder.

Belle suggested to Volodja that they walk to town from Cowboy's Headquarters, and they talked as they did so. They talked about Voltaire and stoicism, about literature and philosophy, about everything except what was foremost in their minds. For Belle, it was who the Mistress of Judgment was referring to when she said their death would devastate Belle. As they finally reached the edge of the city limits of Freedom, Belle changed the topic of conversation to what she really was thinking.

"I bet the Mistress of Judgment was lying, playing more mind games with us," Concluded Belle cheerfully, "No one I care about is dead so far," then the cheerful tone changed to a sad one as she added, "Except those that are dead already!"

However, as they walked into town, the townsfolk gave her a wide berth, looking suspiciously at her and whispering as they passed her. With her enhanced hearing, she caught words from what she said, words such as "liar" and "betrayer," but she wondered if she imagined what she heard. Suddenly she saw the familiar white steeple of the town church, and smiled, changing their course towards the church.

"You know when I was last in Freedom, Reverend Lee helped me refind God," She said to Voldodja in an absentminded way, continuing with a foreshortened laugh, "I didn't even know at the time I had misplaced him! I used to be a devout Catholic when I was growing up in N'Awlins, and didn't realize how big a gap was in my life when I lost my way! Papa Boudreaux used to take me every Sunday to the St. Louis Cathedral for Mass! I kind of lapsed when my Uncle Greenstreet dragged me to New York City, all part of a VBI scheme it seemed!"

Belle tilted her tousled blond head, her pale brow furrowed in concentration as she watched the church. She couldn't figure why suddenly she saw a vision of Volodja drinking brandy from his initialed flask when she thought about N'Awlins just then, figuring her subconscious was making a link between the two, but not knowing what the link could possibly be. She shook her head briskly to dismiss the thought, and began again to walk towards the church realizing she should check on the Reverend Lee and his congregation, since she led them to the secret passage in the basement, but was not able to see them all the way to safety as the team needed her elsewhere. The church was packed with townsfolk, all facing towards the altar in the front. When Belle and Volodja entered, the congregation parted like the Red Sea did for Moses, and Belle saw an open coffin in the front. A chill crawled up her spine, fear overtaking her as she rushed to the coffin, knowing who would be in it. As she fearfully expected, Reverend Lee laid in state therein, looking just as he did in life albeit paler, and with a dull red third eye directly between his natural two that were closed.

As she stood there, her jaw agape in shock, Jewel Lee, the Reverend Lee's young daughter whom she had just met mere hours before, came up to Belle and slapped her hard in the face, saying vehemently, "How dare you come here! You promised to help us! You promised to lead us to safety - and then you abandoned us! We got to the end of the tunnel, and the two soldiers left the safety of the exit, then signaled to my father that all was clear. He insisted that he go first to make sure it was safe, and then we heard three shots. When I followed my father's foot steps, I found his body, along with the two soldiers, all shot between the eyes! You might as well have pulled the assassin's trigger yourself! You knew snipers were on the rooftops, and you had the power to save my father after all his kindness to you, but you didn't, even after you promised to! There is a special place in Hell for sinners like you! Now get out of my church and find it!"

Jewels words stung Belle more than her slap. Belle knew Jewel was right, for all of Belle's instincts had told Belle that she should lead the Reverend and his congregation personally to the safety at the end of the tunnel, but still she left them at the entrance and followed Taffer's orders without question. Now the Reverend's death was her fault and her sin! Belle put a pale hand to her burning cheek as her big blue eyes filled with tears. She realized that she was indeed a sinner unworthy of the redemption the Reverend Lee had offered her the last time she was in Freedom, unworthy of being happy, unworthy of anything other than the monster within her. Belle blurred out of the church, running as fast as she could, not stopping even when her blur power was exhausted, running until she reached the beach where Belle and Vo had fought the huge shark gator, and where they had kissed in the surf. She collapsed on the beach, pulling her long legs into her as she laid in a fetal position on the beach silently weeping.

"Hey, Taff, do we still have things to do here? Because... well... hear this thunder rumble? This is my stomach talking to you. And do you know what it talks? I'll tell you, it talks nice and clear - 'gimme my stuff or I'll gobble up a gator! Or some shady bastard instead!' So I'd better go and and worship this devouring monster before something bad happens. You have my EGO link so you know how to find me then."

Finally Raizar could get up to the surface. He took off his rebreather and breathed deeply reading the smells carried by the wind - smells of trees and grass and distant water along with city scents and odors. This was smell of life seething around him and in opposite he smelled death now. Smell of blood and gore stained his dirty clothes and it was stronger than smells of surrounding life. He used to it long ago but still he wanted to wash it down as soon as he can. He asked where he can get a shelter and went to Cowboy's Headquarters where he finally washed away those bloody stains and put on clean clothes. He felt much better now and his next stop was "monster worshipping place" or, simply put, a canteen. Because warrior marches on his gut and Raizar really did not feel good with empty guts.

Belle Starr rose up off the sand into a sitting position, her blue diamond eyes widening at Volodja's admission. She knew he was fond of her as she was of him, but he had used the "L" word in conjunction with her, and she didn't know how to respond to that, especially when he put his face in his two hands and began crying. Belle was at an emotional quandary. She almost wished that a giant shark gator would rise unexpectedly from the shimmering waters and attack her like the last time she was on this beach, but of course, that didn't happen. That would be too easy thought Belle.

Belle liked Volodja. Really, REALLY liked him! She could see herself having a loving relationship with this kind and thoughtful man if she hadn't found her true love, Vo. Volodja was smart, funny, and she could discuss topics like art, philosophy, and literature with him rather than just ark falls and enemies, which seemed to be the limits of her conversations with her other team members and clan mates. Even her conversations with Vo, her Prince Charming seemed to always be about the day to day operations of life, and the fight to stay alive and living for that rare peaceful moment of intimacy. She could never seem to talk to him about "what" she felt they should all be fighting for, those trappings of civilization and deeper thoughts that made humans truly different than mere animals trying to survive. Vo would patiently listen to her rambling monologues about her long term plans to change VBI for a force of good in the evolution of mankind, but she was never sure what he was thinking behind that lovely and wonderful lopsided grin he wore when she talked and talked. Was he thinking she was a fool or a saint? She had no doubt that he truly loved her, but wasn't sure he understood her.

And then Volodja entered the scene, and she knew from the beginning she had met a kindred soul. Here was a man who appreciated the greater accomplishments of mankind, and also seemed to not only want to preserve them for posterity in a post Apocalyptic world but to promote them as a scholar and a teacher. Belle could easily love such man, but he wasn't her soul mate - Vo was! So Belle was torn between what was and what could have been! But she was also a realist as well as a romantic, and believed that true love only entered once in one's life, but also knew that for her as a woman there was only one way to test her theory.

Belle took out a dainty laced handkerchief from a secret pocket in her armor, then pulled Volodja's hands from his face, delicately dabbing his tears from his ruggedly handsome face. She cradled his chin with one pale hand as she pulled his head towards hers with the other, then kissing him softly with her rose petal lips on his. As she suspected it would be, the kiss was warm and loving, but without the passion and fireworks as it was with Vo.

Belle pulled away from the kiss, smiling sadly at Volodja as she released his face and stared straight into his brown eyes with her wide blue ones, saying in her sweet southern accent, "I love you Volodja, but not the way y'all want, not the way y'all need, not the way y'all deserve! You need a true love, a romantic love, and one who will love you without qualification, no matter what you do, good or bad! I have no doubt that a man like you with so many great qualities to offer a gal will find her! But she is not me! My heart belongs to Vo, my Prince Charming! It is not a matter of choice, for the heart wants what the heart wants! You complete me in ways that he never will! I love our conversations and our quiet times together, but Vo is my true love, my once in a lifetime, until death do us part, true love! All I have to offer is my friendship and the knowledge that if you ever, ever, need anything from me that I can give you, I will, except my heart, which belongs to Vo! I hope you understand and forgive me if I led you on in any way, because I really do treasure what we have together!"



Belle waited for Volodja sitting in the warm sand under the hot sun, holding his hand in hers, hoping he wouldn't jerk it away, rejecting her and her friendship, for Belle was positive that the very heart she pledged to Vo would shatter into a million pieces if Volodja did so!

"Please Volo, don't go!" Begged Belle to Volodja's retreating back, "I'm messing this up like I messed up the church rescue! There is no treachery to confess, for you feel as you feel, and you did nothing wrong in speaking your feelings! As I said, the heart wants what the hearts wants! You are the best of friends, and I wish there could be more for your sake, but that can't be! Vo is my true love, but I'm going to leave both you and him in the morning, maybe forever! As long as I remain, I'm a danger to the whole team with my inner monster, and to others like the townsfolk of Freedom! Don't worry, I'm past suicidal, but Chloe told me once that the Aborigine people of her country have a tradition called the walkabout, where a person will go into the wilderness to contemplate their place in the world! I think I need that now! So the team is going to need you more than ever, and I won't be around to give you bad memories!"

Tears began to fall freely from Belle's blue diamond eyes down her pale freckled face as she watched Volodja's retreating back, truly wishing that that a giant shark gator would emerge from the Gulf waters and just gobble her up, for that would make things so much easier, and maybe, just maybe, the world would be better because of the sinner's demise!

Sandy quit crying and smiled meekly at Dinara in the dark recesses of Lady Christianna's EGO implant, saying, "Soldiers shouldn't cry and sure as hell holograms of soldiers shouldn't, so what the fuck do I think I'm doing? Thanks Dinara, but it's better Volo has moved on! You can't be in love with a ghost your whole life - it's not healthy for the soul! And a mechanical device can't have feelings to hurt - not really - so no harm, no foul! I better got back to work now, because... well, that's just what a mechanical device does, damn it!

Lady lifted her head up from her drink looking at Atticus face as she sat against him enjoying the warmth of his front to her back. The drugs were completely out of her system, so she was feeling much better, and was much more aware of her surroundings both inside and outside. She sighed long and hard, then got up on her knees as she turned round and embraced Atticus, kissing him passionately.

Lady ended the kiss, although she didn't want to, so she pouted slightly as she sighed yet again saying to Atticus, "Sandy's hurting. Got to find Teach... sorry."

Lady got dressed and headed for town, her inner radar conducting ever widening seeps of the town, sandy boosting them in desperation when she found no trace of either Volodja or Belle, until she found them both. Sandy activated teleportation to a specific person, an ability Lady didn't even know her EGO possessed, and suddenly Lady found herself on a beach with Belle sitting on the ground crying and Volo slowly walking away from her.

"Oh shit," Said Lady out loud, not having a clue what was happening, but having a gut feeling that whatever was going on, it was not good.

Neither Volodja nor Belle seemed to see Lady's arrival, for a giant shark gator rose out of the water suddenly, and Lady and Sandy both forgot to bring any weapons! Belle drew her charge sword, afraid to fire her pistol for feat of hitting Voldja who the animal was chasing, and attacked it from the rear. Just as Voloda blew the creatures brains out with a shottie, the shark gator gave mighty swing of its tail, knocking Belle far out to sea. Lady watched Belle fly through the air like a broken doll thrown by an irate child and splash far away into the water, quickly sinking out of sight.

"Lady, I'm not finding any trace of Belle or MOM!" Sandy warned.

Lady quickly kicked off her shoes diving into the warm waters of the Gulf, swimming to the spot she thought Belle disappeared at, but after diving several times in the shallow water, found not a trace of Belle other than Belle's still glowing charge blade, until she slowly walked back to shore looking like a bedraggled mermaid, saying sadly to Volo, "Belle's gone!"