The time to hesitate is through Come on baby, light my fire
No time to wallow in the mire
Try now we can only lose
And our love become a funeral pyre
Come on baby, light my fire
Try to set the night on fire, yeah
The Doors – Light My Fire
The blast of noise hit Steel full in the face and he winced. With Astra, his child with Sapphire, he had come to expect temper tantrums, high-pitch squeals of joy, and pointless screams. This was something entirely new. He'd been on assignment for nearly a week and in the life of a parent, that might as well be a year.
Sapphire?
Oh, you are home.
He sensed her mental sigh and smiled at that. They were so connected that it was almost impossible to separate one mind from another these days. Long day?
You have no idea.
Sapphire, what is this noise? He continued to think even as he walked through their quarters to find Sapphire in their bedchamber. She was sitting on the edge of their bed staring straight ahead. For a moment, he thought she was accessing and he joined her, sitting quietly, waiting for her report.
"That noise is thanks to our very good friend, Silver." Sapphire looked at him and Steel was disturbed by how stressed she looked. "It arrived a few days ago. She hasn't stopped playing it since. I'm nearly out of my mind, Steel."
"But what is it?"
"It is… or rather, it was a vintage copy of the 1967 album, The Doors, an American rock group. Its leader, Jim Morrison, is the one you hear singing."
"I hear screaming, not singing." Steel's taste in music was definite and didn't include this. "Sapphire, you are the parent. Take it away from her."
"I did. She is your daughter. Do you think that would stop her?"
Steel's mouth played with a smile. "No."
"No. No matter where I've hidden it, she finds it." The music changed in tempo if not volume
You know the day destroys the night
Night divides the day
Tried to run
Tried to hide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side, yeah.*
Sapphire sighed. "That's her other favorite song. She keeps playing those two again and again." Sapphire took another deep breath. "And again."
Steel reached out and pulled Sapphire close, kissing her furrowed brow. "I think it's time that we had a little chat with Mr. Silver. I will be back."
Steel rose and walked to his daughter's room. Astra was jumping madly about the room as if possessed. She looked over as the door opened and squealed happily at the sight of him.
"DADDY!"
Steel knelt, held open his arms to her, and she rushed into them. "Astra, you are making your mother crazy," he murmured into her ear. Mental contact was not permitted until she was five, not so much for her safety but theirs.
"Gotta."
"You have to what?" Steel released her and she resumed her jumping.
"Gotta help Silver."
"He is going to need help, all right." He walked to the machine that was playing the record and removed the needle. Blessed silence filled the room. "May I borrow this, Astra?"
A bottom lip began to poke out into a pout, "'Kay." She plopped down on the floor, obviously exhausted. "Bring back?"
"Oh, yes, I will bring it back." Eventually. Steel walked from the room and headed back into the hall.
His first stop was to see Jet, Steel's former partner. She worked almost exclusively with Silver now. The door to the room opened and he stepped in, glancing about.
"Jet?"
The woman seemingly detached herself from the shadows. Black upon black, he'd not even seen her standing there. "Yes, Steel?"
Her voice sent a bit of a shock through him. He'd forgotten how silky and seductive it sounded. "Where is Silver?" He held out the record. "Why did he give this to Astra?"
"I have no idea, Steel." Her eyes traveled his body, then returned to his waist. "I have been out of contact with him for three days. We had an altercation and he left to be re-partnered."
"Oh? Why did you fight?" Steel could think of a dozen reasons why he would fight with Silver, but the bond between Silver and Jet was nearly as strong as the bond between him and Sapphire. He smiled at the thought. Nothing could be as strong as their bond.
"I wanted to advance our partnership to the next level." She ran a finger down between her breasts and licked her lips. "He was… unable to fulfill my request. He said I needed someone who was more of a man." She fluffed her ebony mass of curls. "He thought perhaps you would be up to it."
"I do not understand." He swallowed. The temperature of the room was very warm and stifling.
"I want what you and Sapphire have," Jet continued, dipping her head back and exposing her throat.
A headache and not enough sleep? Steel thought. He knew what she meant. It was what other female Elements had voiced a desire for – she wanted a child. He also knew that he would be the last one Jet would come to with such a request. They had parted for this very reason. He was not interested. On the other hand, he'd always assumed Silver was very keen to get on. This was completely contrary to the Jet he knew.
"Do you know where he was headed?"
"No. Nor do I care. He is gone and you are here." She reached out for him and Steel took a step back, shaking his head slightly. "Please? I would be better than Sapphire – I promise."
"No." Steel frowned. Jet would never throw herself at someone. Something was very wrong here. "I must find Silver."
"May I have that back then? A keepsake of him." She pointed to the black disc. While Steel wanted very much to be rid of it, there was something nagging him in the very back of his mind that made him shake his head again.
"No, I will find Silver and give it to him. In fact, nothing will bring me more pleasure."
"Steel!" Jet made another attempt to grab him and Steel danced out of reach.
"No, Jet. Not now. Not ever." He walked quickly from the room making sure the door closed behind him. He felt as if he'd just escaped the jaws of death. He had no real reason to feel that way. While it was true, they had terminated their partnership, he and Jet were still civil to one another. This was getting more and more odd.
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
The words kept repeating in his head and Steel shook it to clear them away. If the voice of reason didn't work, he'd come at the problem from another angle. His next stop was Gold.
While most of his fellow Elementals had made it through the Transuranic War unscathed, Gold had not been as lucky. Her physical scars were mostly gone, but the mental ones ran deep.
They kept her in a special section, away from most of the day-to-day stresses, a small compensation to her. She was sitting and rocking as she combed the hair of a doll.
"Gold?" Steel softened his voice for her. She had been so lovely, so brilliant that to see her like this was a blow to his heart.
"Steel!" She held up the doll. "I've a baby now, like Sapphire."
"Yes, I see. She is lovely. Just like you."
It must have been the right thing to say as Gold smiled and her amber eyes glowed.
"Where is Silver?"
"Not here. Not anywhere."
"Do you know where he is?"
"Yes, uh huh."
"Where is he?"
"Who?"
"Silver"
"Yes, uh huh." She hugged the doll and rocked. "Not Silver."
"Gold, where is Silver?"
Gold looked up and spotted the record Steel carried. "Help."
"What?"
"Break through to the other side."
"Yes, that's one of the…" Steel stared at those lovely eyes. "Gold, is Silver in trouble?"
"Light my fire," she whispered and held the doll even closer.
With a jolt of panic, Steel turned and ran.
Silver eased back in his bed and winced at the pressure, gentle as it was. "It certainly took a long time for you to figure it out."
Jet was nearby, recuperating as well. "I don't know why you had such a hard time telling us apart. That Transuranic looked nothing like me." She glanced down at her bandaged hands. "I just glad you didn't let her touch you, Steel. "Even if Silver doesn't say it, thank you for saving us,"
Sapphire cocked an eyebrow at him, but he merely smiled in return.
"It is Gold that you should thank. She was able to interpret your clues more clearly than Astra. She knew something was wrong, but couldn't verbalize it. Gold had both the skill and the mind of a child."
"Why on earth did you pick that record, Silver?" Sapphire asked. "Why didn't you just communicate with one of us?"
"Couldn't. They blocked me, but I was able to implant the need to give Astra that record into the false Jet's mind. She assumed my shape and delivered it."
"How did you know that wasn't me, Steel?" Jet was sounding tired now.
We should go. Steel thought to Sapphire, but she shook her head.
"You should be polite and answer Jet, Steel. How did you know?"
The other Jet was, well, I don't know, rather insistent that she wanted a child with me. I suspect another misdirection placed there by Silver." Steel smiled and let his gaze dropped to the floor. "I knew that if that was the case, she would not look to me to father it, for many reasons best unspoken."
Of which we will visit upon our return home. Sapphire thought, while still smiling pleasantly.
I thought as much, yes. He looked over at Silver. "You two need to rest now and we will reinforce that segment of the corridor to prevent a further bleed through."
"Thanks, old man," Silver murmured. Steel cocked an eyebrow and his face grew stern.
"And if you ever give our daughter another record by The Doors, Silver, I will most certainly kill you myself."
Sapphire leaned close and kissed Silver's cheek. "And I'll help him."
Hand in hand they left and Sapphire started softly humming, Come on baby, light my fire…
Oh, Sapphire, not you as well…
* Break on through to the other side – The Doors, 1967