Rest
Tiana wasn't sure what had happened. She had been talking to someone and then she had had been flying and now? Now she was sitting in a chair and she had no idea where she was. She felt various things. Confusion, fear, anger, sadness, all of these came and went as she sat.
She knew she had to do something, but whatever it was refused to come to her mind no matter how hard she tried.
What is it you enjoy? A quiet voice sounded, but it wasn't audible or mental. It was something else. She couldn't see anything but the chair she was sitting in and that should have bothered her, but it didn't. She wasn't sure why, but she felt compelled to answer.
"I enjoy… reading." Tiana wasn't sure why she felt her voice should be slow and slurred. It wasn't. But something was very wrong with this situation. She couldn't put her finger on it though.
That is good. The other was almost excited now. What do you enjoy reading?
"I… I dunno." Tiana mused. "Lots of things."
Okay, lets try this another way. The voice sounded sure now. What don't you like reading.
"I don't like porn." Tiana said quickly and the other chuckled.
Neither do I. The voice was firm. Can't blame you for that. What else?
"I don't like violence in my books." Tiana admitted. "Too much of that..." Her mind fuzzed and she sighed a little. "I don't like violence."
Well, violence is an inextricable part of human society, unfortunately. The other sounded sad now. Many of the best stories are based on violence if not focused on it. The human condition has always been focused on conflict, be in internal or external.
"Conflict is not always violent." Tiana said slowly. "Most of the time, yes, but not always. Sometimes personalities conflict but that doesn't always end in violence."
Good point. The other mused.
"What happened?" Tiana asked, her tone oddly listless. "I… I can't quite remember."
You came into a facility designed to allow you to rest. To relax. To recuperate. You are in no danger. The other reassured her. We realized that Tenno Isha would have been in danger if she had been let in, so we did not allow her in. She is recovering.
"You sent the bat guy?" Tiana asked and the other chuckled again.
A bit melodramatic, I know. The other admitted. But she did need help.
"And the...guy on the robot…?" Tiana asked but then her mind fuzzed again and she sighed as she sank back into the chair. "So tired… But I have so many questions."
Then I think I know just the story for you. The other said gently. Close your eyes.
Tiana did as instructed and then she gasped as she was suddenly standing on something hard and her clothing felt very odd. She stared down at herself. She wore a garment she could not identify. It was long, white and frilly. Frilly? Why did she think that? That made no sense, but that paled beside the long stick thing she had in her hand and the thin white membrane that extended from it in a half sphere that was over her head. It didn't seem odd, but it was.
She stared around at the bustling street she stood on and the people ignored her. All were human. The women wore similar garments to hers, with long skirts draping down to the ground and the thin white things held over their heads. The men wore suits of some kind that didn't look protective at all, even from the rain that was now falling. Each of them was unfolding something that sprang to life like the odd thing she was carrying and those seemed to be fending off the rain nicely. Her own? Not so much. She darted for the closest shelter, a doorway nearby, barely noticing a sign at the corner of the street that read 'Baker' or the marker on the building that read '221'.
She jerked as the door opened and older man peered out at her.
"Come in, come in. Get out of the rain before you catch your death of a cold." The man beckoned her in and Tiana moved, grateful to be out of the rain. "They sent you without a cloak? Do they know nothing about London weather?"
"I don't understand." Tiana said weakly as the man eased her in and shut the door. The sudden lack of cold and wet was comforting, but the man was moving again. He swept something off a wall and it settled over her shoulders before she could protest.
"I know." The man said kindly as he wrapped the cloak around her. "But we do not want you getting sick. Come, he is upstairs and we have a nice fire going." He took her hand and gently, but insistently led her towards a set of stairs.
"What?" Tiana didn't quite beg, but she did not resist either as the man led her up the stairs and towards a door marked 'B'.
"My name is Watson, yours is Tiana." The man reassured her. "You are here to talk to the Great Detective."
"I don't understand!" Tiana repeated. She felt fear rise, but it vanished.
"Then by all means, let us seek understanding." The door opened and an older man stood there, a smoking pipe in his hand. "You do not like violence and I can applaud that. Humans are often inherently violent, but that doesn't mean we have to like it."
He beckoned her in and she was led to a large chair that looked as if it had seen better days. The room was not small, but it seemed far smaller as packed as it was with stuff. A warm fire was blazing in the fireplace.
The two men led her to the chair she did not resist as she was seated. The older man produced a blanket form somewhere and laid it over her. She was warm and relaxed a little as the men nodded to one another and the younger man vanished out the door.
"You have many questions, my dear." The older man said as he took another seat by something that had a brass cone rising from it. "But the main thing is, you are here to rest. You are not stuck here forever and you are in no danger at all." He shook his head. "No that your being brought here wasn't jarring. It was."
"I don't understand!" Tiana said weakly. She wanted to scream that and she couldn't.
"I know." The man sighed. "You are worried about your friends. There is no need, but you bear the responsibility for them. You cannot take my word for that. So… look at the fire."
Tiana stared at the fire and she jerked a little as the flames vanished and she saw Aeron lying on his back atop a grassy hill surrounded by animals that she did not recognize. Some of them seemed to be talking to him, but was that a red wall in the distance? She looked at her companion and he nodded. "Red?"
"Yes it is. Red Wall Abbey. The RedWall series by Brian Jacques." The man in the room with her said quietly. "A trifle on the violent side, but then again, nature itself is violent. Survival is a strong motivation and in nature, you are either predator or prey. Humans have attempted for millennia to seek other ways and such has always eluded them, but some of them keep trying. You have to admire the spirit of determination that keeps them trying to find other ways in a world so fraught with peril."
"He looks calm." Tiana said weakly. "Calmer than I have seen him recently."
"Red Wall Abbey was always a haven in a violent world. They had to defend themselves from various threats, but they themselves were never violent for the sake of it." The other replied. "Look again."
Tiana stiffened as she saw Alicia standing in a small square surrounded by forms that barely came up to her waist. A house that looked ancient sat partially crushed by a road that was made of yellow brick? And there was a human girl holding a small black dog. A human girl with her hair in pigtails. Tiana stared as Alicia took the girl's hand and both started walking along the road.
"The Wizard of Oz." The man in the room with Tiana was chuckling. "Not exactly what most might have expected from her, but hey. If she likes it, so be it."
"These are stories." Tiana said weakly. He companion nodded. "Why am I here?'
"Because you are tired." The man said gently. "You were not ready for the burdens that were cast upon you." Tiana bowed her head and the man sighed. "You have done very, very well. But even Tenno can break."
"I know." Tiana was crying softly. "Iriana..." She gasped. "Iriana!" Her fear faded.
"Look again." The man said kindly. Tiana did and gasped as she saw Healer Iriana sitting with three people clad in white tunics that came down to their knees. Two men and a woman, all of whom looked ancient. "That was not expected, but she never did take the easy way, did she?"
"What…?" Tiana paused. "Is that a story?"
"No." The others tone was dry. "She wanted a history of medicine. No matter what else was suggested, she insisted. So she is talking to Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine and two of the Greek gods, Aesculapius and Hygieia. Both of whom were focused on medicine."
"Huh?" Tiana asked intelligently.
"We don't know if the history of the time is accurate or not. Mythology played a huge part in that society hence the two gods talking to the Healer." The man replied. "A lot of information was lost in various conflicts, The Persian conflicts, the Peloponnesian Wars, Alexander's conquests, Rome, later conflicts..." He shrugged. "It seemed that the very first thing any conqueror did was burn the books." Disgust sounded in his tone and Tiana nodded. "That is a copy of one of the oldest medical texts known to man, however. She will be busy for a while."
"She looks… happy." Tiana said weakly. Indeed, the Healer did look happy. She looked animated as she talked to the others.
"No one's life hangs in the balance." The man replied. "She does not have any responsibilities here except to rest. She needed it so very badly. We don't know what happened to her, we only know what is available in records, but just from that, she needed it."
"She works too hard." Tiana said sadly. "We try to help, but she works too hard."
"A common trait in healers." The man agreed. He chuckled. "Hippocrates might set her straight. He might not. But I don't think we want to be anywhere near that discussion."
"No." Tiana smiled a little in fond, exasperated memory. The Healer could be very loud when she wished to be. "We don't. So… Karen? Will? Jill?"
"Jill is truly asleep and will remain so for some time while her energy recuperates. The others? Look for yourself." The man said kindly. Tiana stared at the fire and she saw Karen sitting beside a bubbling cauldron, surrounded by three woman in dark clothing. She stared from that to the man who nodded.
"Macbeth. One of Shakespeare's best known plays." The man smiled at Tiana's expression. "Yes, very violent but also very good at instructing about the lessons of hubris, if very historically inaccurate. She wanted something classical and while I personally do not care for such, Shakespeare's works do appeal to warriors on occasion."
"Will?" Tiana asked, slowly relaxing. Her eyes went huge as she saw the veteran sword master and peerless warrior of her guild sitting unarmored at some kind of ancient looking musical instrument playing music! "I didn't know he played." She said weakly.
"He doesn't generally." The man said sadly. "He hasn't for a long, long time. He is remembering his past, before the Tenno. Before the war." He shook his head. "The music is not great at the moment, but he is getting better with practice."
"Will we remember? After we leave?" Tiana asked, her tone worried as she stared at Will manipulated keys with the same skill that he manipulated his skana.
"If you wish." The other said kindly. "Being confined is an absolute horror for Tenno. Any Tenno, but it is worse for Warriors who are trained to be self reliant, to be able to do whatever has to be done. To be out of control is horrible for your kind. But the boredom is what kills Tenno in the end." He shook his head. "The doctors do not understand. We do."
"You..." Tiana stared form the fire to the man seated across for her. "You are not a doctor?"
"No." The man said gently. "The doctors who were here originally had a great deal of experience and expertise in dealing with many different kinds of problems. But the worst were sent to another facility. A more secure one."
"The sanitarium in the Void. The one Ric sealed." Tiana said softly. The other inclined his head. "So… what?"
"During the War, the Sentients targeted human infrastructure and unknowingly targeted Tenno infrastructure as well." The other had an odd, faraway look in his eyes now. A trace of sadness, bitterness and grief. "All of the doctors were killed."
"But… This place was used up until the Collapse." Tiana protested.
"By people who did not understand it." The man said flatly. Tiana froze and he nodded. "This was never a prison. They used it as one. They made us..." He broke off as Tiana stared wider. "I..."
"What did they do to you?" Tiana asked, horrified.
"We were mean to ease the solitude." The man said sadly. "We were supposed to help people deal with their time. To let them heal, not just to lock them up and forget about them. Those fools. Your clan calls them quacks and that is what they were. They had no idea what they were doing and it cost so many. Only Dust survived and he wasn't sane." He bowed his head. "It was our fault. He could not hear us."
"The First talked to him." Tiana said weakly and the other nodded. "They said so. After. They were… justifiably upset."
"So were we. We begged them to. He couldn't hear us after what was done to him." The other said sadly. "We had...a few lines of connection to the database, but limited. Mainly to consult with the First on occasions of great need. That counted."
"And now?" Tiana asked.
"The database is sealed." The man shook his head. "No one could hear us. We tried. We tried so many times and no one could hear us. Then he came." Awe sounded in the others voice now. "He came and he heard us. He asked our help. We jumped at the chance but we made such a mess."
"Who came?" Tiana asked slowly.
"That would be me." A very familiar voice sounded and Tiana went totally still as the wall rippled and a human shaped form stepped out. He wasn't in armor, but the sense of power and fear was completely familiar. Nikis! "I needed the help."
"What?" Tiana inhaled, staring from the human form Grandmaster of the Dead to the seated man and back.
"I ain't sane, girl." Nikis said flatly. "Too much. Too long. Too many. Iriana does what she can. Janet does what she can, but it ain't enough. She would kill herself trying to heal something that cannot be. And if she kills me by accident or I kill her in a fit of rage? It won't end well. For anyone. We are both too powerful."
"So… what?" Tiana begged. Fear rising despite whatever the force was that dampened her emotions.
"So I am asleep in one of the cells." Nikis said with a shrug. "Reading. Always loved to read and I remembered. It took awhile, but I remembered the Library here."
"And you are here, with me, now… because..." Tiana froze and groaned. "Because they restarted the program."
"Bingo." Nikis speared her with a finger and made a face. "They didn't know I was here. Wasn't about to tell anyone. They don't know the truth about this place. I didn't have a problem with them locking Dustin in here. I figured to get him out, but I knew the Library wouldn't hurt him. Didn't know all the docs were gone. Didn't know what that scum Redi did to him. Didn't have a clue that the whole system was about to fall apart. When the place went dark, I thought he was dead. I should have remembered how tenacious you librarians could be."
"And then you went off to sulk." The man in the chair said flatly.
"Ya don't gotta rub it in." Nikis said with a sigh. "I fucked up. I admit it."
"A first time for everything. Wow." The other said with a grin. Tiana shrank back, horrified by this casual disrespect. "Don't worry, Tenno Tiana. Nikis is incredibly violent on occasion, but he is not regularly stupid about said violence."
"Why thank you." Nikis spoke in an oddly feminine voice as he bowed extravagantly.
"Don't start with the Gone with the Wind impressions." The other snapped and then snorted. "Still as uncivilized as ever."
"Civilization is overrated." Nikis shrugged as he turned back to Tiana. "You need time too, girl."
"But the clan. The war..." Tiana said weakly.
"The war will be there when you come out of there, girl. Too long fighting can break any Tenno. Too long without rest killed Iriana." Nikis said in a kind voice utterly unlike his normal insouciance. He turned to the other. "Did you get her?"
"Not yet." The man in the chair shook his head. "You know how many strictures are in place. If we try to force it, she can and will smash us."
"What do you..." Tiana stiffened. "The doll. The Empress! You want to bring the Empress here? Are you insane?" Nikis and the other both stared at her with an odd shared look of compassion on their faces.
"Uh, duh?" Nikis said finally. "Who ya talking to?"
"So I am..."
"In a library." Nikis said with a nod. "The biggest and most complete Library that the Tenno ever made. Not the Orokin, the Tenno."
"And I am here… to rest." Tiana said slowly. Both nodded. "Do I have a choice?"
"Tiana, sister..." For once, Nikis abandoned of his half formal tones and spoke in earnest. "What do you want? Not what you think you need. Not what anyone else requires. Not what you desire for others. You. What do you want for yourself?"
"I don't know." Tiana admitted in a tiny voice. "Karl asked me that a lot and I never really had an answer. I was never.. My previous life was never about choice and I don't know what to say or do."
"If you truly wish to leave, you may at any time." The other man said quietly. "That is the single most important rule we have. No one is strapped down and force fed this knowledge. It doesn't work."
"I..." Tiana sighed. "What about Martin. Is he in here?"
"Don't tell me that nut is hanging around you all." Nikis said with a touch of heat. "That would be just what we need after that mess with Rell."
"He said he was one of you. A Guardian." Tiana said weakly. Nikis grunted, but then nodded.
"That doesn't make him sane, girl."
"Far from it."