Sooner Dead (Gamma World) - Mel Odom [110]
“If you do not let me help her, then it would be better if you put her out of her misery quickly.” Scatter’s face hovered in front of Hella. “I cannot bear to think of all the suffering she is going through now. She is scared and alone, and she has never before been those things.”
“Red.” Stampede’s voice was soft and hesitant. “You don’t have to do this. Probably you shouldn’t.”
“I know.” Hella swallowed then nodded. “Okay. Just tell me what I need to do.”
CHAPTER 29
Cross-legged, Hella sat on the hard rock floor of the cave and steeled herself as Scatter’s thin, metallic face floated close to her then touched her and wrapped itself over her features. She closed her eyes and sucked in her breath at the chill that pricked her flesh.
“Everything will be all right.” Scatter spoke calmly.
“When did you learn to lie?” Hella tried to make light of the situation, but the fear that knotted her belly wouldn’t go away.
“Only since I have been among your people. I have found that it is a most useful tool. Does it help?”
“No.”
On the other side of the cave, Stampede stood at the ready but looked lost. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do, and he was clearly unhappy about that judging from the frown and the twitching ears.
Daisy sat in the back of the cave with her snout in a feedbag.
Ocastya lay on the floor in front of Hella. The fractoid’s face was relaxed, but her eyes stared up at the cave roof, clearly not seeing anything.
“We will begin.”
Before Hella could respond, Scatter lifted her arms and placed one of her hands on Ocastya’s forehead and the other on the fractoid’s stomach. Hella felt the buzz of the connection immediately. She felt as if she were rubbing her hands over electrified knife blades.
“You will have to go deep into her mind.” Scatter spoke calmly, almost hypnotically. “Although you think maintaining the contact with her as you are now is the hardest part, the most difficult task lies ahead of you.”
“What?”
“Keeping the skeins of yourself from getting tangled up in the skeins of Ocastya. You will have to pay attention to your individuality as well as hers. If you are not careful, you will lose your memories to her and find her memories lodged inside your head.”
“I don’t want that to happen.”
“No. Both of you have to remain whole.”
For the first time, Hella realized that Scatter was speaking through her as well. She heard her voice in her ears even though she knew it was him talking. He had already slid into her thoughts and into her mind.
“Are you ready?”
“No.”
“It is time.”
“I’m afraid.”
“I know. I will be with you. Just concentrate on remaining yourself.”
Not in control of her own body, Hella leaned forward and increased the pressure and contact with Ocastya. The cold, metallic body beneath her palms suddenly heated up. Scatter tried to draw her inside his mate. Hella felt the pull and instinctively resisted. She didn’t know if she held back or if Ocastya—even in her unconscious state—was keeping them at bay.
Then, without warning, the world around Hella opened up, and she fell through the cave floor. She screamed but she didn’t know if the sound ever made it past her lips.
When Hella opened her eyes again, she wasn’t in the cave, the Redblight, or even her world anymore. Around her, a room filled with squared, metallic furniture rendered in pastel purples and greens stood out against a gold flake floor.
Hella reached down to touch a metallic chair and caught sight of her reflection. She wasn’t herself and she wasn’t Ocastya. At least, she wasn’t the Ocastya lying in the cave. The woman reflected in the bright surface had dark hair and pale skin. Hella wished she could see herself.
Almost instantly the chair covered over in a mirror surface. The woman had black hair, alabaster