As the skrae got closer, Callie saw that it was obviously human.It was just wearing a coat.
“And you’ve never talked to one?”Callie snorted.“It seems like a regular person to me.You’re sure they call themselves skrae?It sounds like a monster name.”
Sparx crossed her arms.“I don’t know what they call themselves.And didn’t you just call it a Yeti?”she grumbled pointedly.
“I should go talk to them” Callie was becoming annoyingly interested.Callie adjusted her Opti to try and gather any data she could on the person walking toward them.
Sparx flung snow at Callie with the tip of her snowshoe.“Your Opti won’t be able to pull info out here.Same reason they can’t send bots.”
Callie gave her the same disappointed look she’d had since they were kids.Every time she had been thwarted, stumped or frustrated; Callie would turn to Sparx who always had a hug followed by relentless apathy.Shit was too big to change, so you might as well enjoy the ride.And when that ride got bumpy, Callie was there to pick up the pieces.They were a perfect complement.
Sparx sighed, barely shaking her head.“You can talk to it if you want.I assume it can talk.”
“It’s apersonSparx.They.Theycan talk.Sometimes you’re phobic as fuck,” she muttered.
“You’re right, I’m sorry.I’m an arsehole,” Sparx recited like a Hail Mary.She couldn’t argue with Callie.She still felt the sting of regret from setting her up on that date, even though she had done it because, deep down, Sparx was worried about her.
Callie still somehow had a conscience, even though it seemed to Sparx like no-one else did.
And Callie still hadn’t told her to fuck off forever after that.Sparx didn’t know many people who wouldn’t have ditched.She kind of owed Callie.A lot.For more than one reason.
As thepersongot closer, more details became apparent.She strode with a womanly, or at least, woman-bodied gait.Her grey fur coat, hood up and open, flowed behind her in the wind like the cape of some old-fashioned superhero.
A visor covered her eyes.Whatever implants she had must be old.Practically wearables.Her wrist held a keyboard, thick cables snaking up her arms.Steam rippled upward off of her from the pre-Thermabulle tech.Illuminated in the glow of the horizon, she gave the impression of being part of the Aurora.
Callie raised her hand to wave when the woman lifted her arm with the keyboard and started typing.Sparx froze and fell over.Callie opened her mouth to scream just before everything went black.
Queen of Wands
January 2 2268
C
allie awoke to a flat cold surface against her cheek, rough, like asphalt, but not as smooth as Hexaline.Concrete maybe?She tried to focus on her Opti, but it only blinkedoffline.
She focused her eyes on Sparx who lay unconscious on the dull grey floor.She couldn’t see any bruising, but her hair was a disaster, which would likely upset her more than anything else.
“Good morning, sunshine.”
Callie turned stiffly to see the woman that had been walking toward them when they had blacked out.She sat, legs spread with her impressively large arms relaxed across the top of her head.Something stirred in her, but now was not the time to examine it.
“No sun for a month yet.”Callie sat up.She hoped her response would read as bravado instead of her very real fear.She shoved her hands in the front pockets of her SubSuit.
The woman breathed a laugh.“Cute,” she muttered.“I think I’ll keep you around.”
“You’re the skrae,” Callie said pointedly.
“The what?”The woman raised a dark eyebrow and curled her lip.
“The skrae?”Callie’s forehead wrinkled.She felt a lot less sure about the appellation than she had a few moments ago.She wished Sparx was awake to clarify things for her.
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”The woman shook her head dismissively.
“So, you don’t live outside of the city?”
Sesi ignored the question.She leaned back in what appeared to be a rather uncomfortable metal chair.Loose BulitWeave TacPants, all flak pads and pockets.Her legs spread out, taking up as much space as she could.She seemed so at home in this spartan environment without a scrap of anything warm.And she waited.Like a spider, Callie thought.Waited for Callie to get caught up in her web.
Callie clenched her jaw.“What did you do to us?”she groused with no small amount of petulance when nothing else had happened after several minutes.
