Chapter 21- No Rain

Skye came out of the cavern first. "Glad that's over. I'm off to talk to some of the other Saturns. Should be good for a laugh." She waved to the others and went off down the ladder into the town.

"I need ammo..." Was all Joseph said.

Elliot shrugged. He could soak in the hot springs again, but didn't feel particularly grimy.

It was this train of thought that a childlike voice interrupted. "Drink coffee? Say yes to me? Say no to me?"

Elliot looked down at the Saturn sitting on the stump. Next to it was a complex espresso machine, far more complex than anything Elliot thought a Saturn should be able to construct. It was already steaming. "What was that?"

"Drink coffee before you go? Say yes to me? Say no to me?"

No one else was there. "Sure, why not?" Elliot sat down, and the espresso was poured into a small demitasse cup. It was of an exquisite grind that he had never tasted before. He couldn't place the region.

"It's our own special blend. We make it from the mountains here, in unsealed greenhouses. The taste is... Unique. Like us." Elliot's head snapped back to the Saturn, whose eyes were glowing.

"Perhaps we should explain. Caffiene has a bit of a different effect on us than it does you humans. It's also known as 'the drink of Oracle'." The Saturn smiled. "We've been waiting a while for you, Ness."

"Who are you?" Elliot was certain that whoever this was, it wasn't the Mr. Saturn he had just been talking to.

"Very keen sniffer, there, Ness, but you're not quite correct. Do you know... No, of course you don't, but you are familiar with Jung. Excellent."

Elliot looked perplexed. "No need to look shocked. They call us Oracle. Just like all of us are Mr. Saturn, we all have the ability to channel us."

"Us?"

"Well, yes. Consciously, All the Mr. Saturn are different. But the unconscious is totally collective. We're that unconscious."

Elliot shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around that idea. "W... Whoa!"

"Don't let it bother you too much. Like we said, we've been expecting you. And to get here, you've traveled very far from home.

"Do you remember how your journey began?" Oracle took another sip from its demitasse cup. "It was Pokey, the worst person in your neighborhood, who came knocking at the door that fateful night..." It smiled.

"On your way, you have walked, thought, and fought. Yet through all this, you have never lost your courage. You have grown stronger, though you have experienced the pain of battle many times."

Elliot nodded. "So I have. It was a long walk."

"Indeed, and you aren't even alone anymore in your adventure. Skye, who is stalwart, wise, and even pretty, joined you and is by your side."

"Oh, not you too..." Elliot sighed out.

"The truth is nothing personal." It would have shrugged if it could. "And don't forget Joseph. Though he is timid at being in your group, he came from a far away land to help you."

"What's your point, Oracle?"

"Ness, as you're certainly aware, you're not a regular young man... You have an awesome destiny to fulfill."

"Again with the destiny. I'm destined for nothing."

Oracle smiled. "As you wish... But this much is not debatable- you have a journey to complete."

"True."

"The journey from this point will be long, and it will be more difficult than anything you have undergone to this point. Yet, we know you'll be all right."

"That's all well and good, but something tangible would be nice." Elliot shrugged.

Oracle smiled. "When good battles evil, Ness, which side do you believe wins? Do you have faith that good is triumphant?"

"Maybe." Elliot looked aside.

The look on Oracle's face could only be described as stern. "One thing you must never lose, Ness, is courage. If you believe in the goal you are striving for, you will be courageous. There are many difficult times ahead, but you must keep your sense of humor, work through the difficult situations and enjoy yourself."

"Tall order."

"Indeed."

"But... where do I go next?"

"Well, the Mani Mani is in Fourside, as is your favorite band. I'd suggest that when you finish this cup of coffee, your adventure will continue across that vast desert and into the big city of Fourside."

Elliot set down his empty cup and bowed. "Thank you, Oracle." He went down to join his comrades.

"Ness... Skye... Joe..." The Oracle nodded.

"We wish you luck..."

Back through the tunnel- the roar of the falls sounded in Elliot's ears, and then- double time- through the Catacombs back into Threed. And finally, daylight-

Wait, daylight?

Elliot only smiled and nodded. "I was right."

Joseph blinked as they came to the surface. "Huh, what? What happened to the cloud cover?"

"I think it classifies as the world's biggest smog episode- you might call it an ecological disaster," Elliot said, laughing. "Hot damn, I was right! It was clearing up back near the Milky Well."

"And the rest of the tri-state area?" Skye asked.

"It'll clear up soon enough now that Belch's factory is defunct?" Joseph added.

"Bingo."

A noise! They all drew their weapons at once, ready to take the budding ambush.

There are few things less pathetic in this world than the shocked surprise party. People expect to be ready to celebrate, to have fun, and maybe play a harmless joke on the surprised. And unless you're about to go a-viking, weapons are most definitely not involved. Especially not weapons pointed at the ones doing the surprising.

Somewhere, in the distance, someone who had not gotten the message blew merrily on a noisemaker. Even that sounded kind of sad, as if they had gotten the message halfway through and didn't have the heart to finish a proper blow.

Elliot winced as he leaned on his staff, almost at once very tired. He heard the others breathing sighs of relief and putting the weapons away. "Dammit people, we just got out of a combat zone, what did you expect?"

"We didn't realize... Any dead?"

"Nobody you'd know," Elliot sighed, looking down.

"Well, hey, why not-"

"They already had a wake." Elliot walked past the proposed revelers, leaning on the staff. "Is there a way to get to Fourside from here?"

"The bus routes are up again," one of them said. "But the next one to Fourside doesn't leave until tomorrow."

"How do you know?"

"'Cause I'm driving that bus, and you aren't leaving until we've given you three a proper sendoff!"

Elliot laughed silently. "All right, all right, fine, but before we do, could all of you look that way and smile?" Elliot held up two fingers, and a faint click was heard, followed by a curse. "Thank you."

Before anyone could puzzle it out, Joseph shouted "Hey! Let's get this started!"

A ragged cheer shuddered through the town and picked up in intensity.

"Joseph-"

"Save it, Elliot. These people need the party more than we do, can't you see that?"

Elliot only sighed in response.

"Besides," Skye chimed in, "When was the last time you had any fun?"

"Fun? What is this 'fun' you speak of?" Elliot deadpanned. "My dictionary does not have an entry for anything called 'fun'. I am a soulless automaton, built for war-"

"Knock it off, smartass!" Skye interrupted.

"Aw, I thought it was kind of cool, myself," Joseph said.

"I hear and obey," Elliot continued, and then moved in a lock step, making a buzzing noise with his mouth.

"Keep it up, Number Five, I got your short circuit right here."

"Frankly, I'm all partied out," Elliot shrugged. "What I really want is a shower with real soap and a ticket to Fourside."

"Fourside? Why Fourside?" Joseph asked.

"Runaway Five," Skye chimed in. "They're his favorite band."

Elliot paused, then nodded. "What she said."

"So that's it? I can leave?"

"Well, the Runaway Five are a kickass band," Elliot qualified. "And you're on vacation, right? Why not enjoy it?"

"Because my mom would have kittens."

"So?"

"She's RWMP."

"... Your mom's in the Mounties?"

"What's your point?" Joseph was busy temporarily dismantling his weapon.

"I dunno," Elliot shrugged. "I was expecting her to be a rocket scientist or something."

"Actually, my dad works in optics."

"Really? I'd always heard aerospace." Elliot pushed his sunglasses into his eyes.

Joseph looked over, opened his mouth, then shook his head and shrugged.

Elliot went over to the food table. It was the same meager fare as before, but it was no longer salted with desperation, flavored by doubt, and dusted with dense smoke belching from an inefficient factory. Elliot took a taste, and smiled.

This was the fruit of victory.

And then he looked at everyone else. Everyone else who had been forced to go through this ordeal, despite their efforts, and everything Elliot could have done.

The next day, early morning, the entire town showed up to see them off. It was about sixty or seventy now left of what might have once been six hundred. Elliot didn't look at the others as he packed up his things into the old Grey Hand bus. He looked at the town, shrugged his shoulders, and boarded amid cheers as he waved goodbye.

"What's up?" Joseph asked.

"Did we really do anything?" Elliot asked the others.

"Hm?" Skye asked.

"Did we really do anything? It's a simple question."

"What are you talking about, moron? Of course we did something," Skye replied.

Elliot shook his head. "They're not even a tenth of what they were... They may not survive the winter. We've left them poor, with damaged water, gas, no electricity... There's so much left to do that I'm starting to wonder if this is accomplishing anything."

Joseph shook his head. "Elliot, Skye's right, you're being a moron."

This snapped Elliot out of it for a moment, looking at Skye, then Joseph. "What?"

"You're being a moron- we did more than enough. Think about it." Skye looked ahead to the interstate. "We've freed the entire Four Corners area from a smog episode that probably damn near killed the lot. Threed survived. And towns survive. And you saved an entire sentient race from extinction."

"Yeah, but-"

Skye held up a hand, and put two fingers to her temple, eyes closed. "Wait! Wait a second, it's... Your future. You keep talking... and you get a concussion."

Elliot blinked. "That was a threat, wasn't it?"

Skye started moving her fingers around on her temple. "No, no, it was really a vision! Swirly unfocussedness and everything."

Elliot did not look convinced. "Then how do I get it?"

"It didn't disclose that information."

Joseph covered his mouth with his hands.

"Right. And I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you."

"No you don't."

"My point exactly."

"You doubt me, Hardin?" Skye looked like what some people imagine to be incredulous, but isn't. "You doubt my power?"

Joseph almost snorted.

Elliot raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you didn't whang your head on the way out of the catacombs?"

Skye rolled her eyes. "Yes. You sure you didn't?"

Joseph shrugged. "Would it actually make a difference?"

"Come to think..." Skye looked at the ceiling.

"Okay, that's just about enough," Elliot said, finally smiling. "There has to be something to do besides talk ourselves hoarse."

Joseph looked at the others. "Did you bring any books?"

Eliot shook his head. "I'd have read them by now. I'm pretty sure I have a chem textbook..."

"What level?"

"101."

Joseph waved it away. "What about you, Skye?"

"Any books I packed with me are with my duffel back in some tunnel in Threed," she replied.

"Cards?"

"On a bus?" Elliot asked. "Besides, what could we play?"

"Cribbage?"

"You got a board?"

"... Maybe, I didn't check much of what was in my backpack. You got a deck?"

"No."

Skye looked from one to the other. "Either of you play Psi: The Quickening?"

"Yeah," Elliot replied, "Back in the Umbra set... I don't think I have my deck anymore though, and I said besides talking ourselves hoarse."

"Point. Rock Paper Sci-"

"NO!"

The driver looked back. "You know, I bet you could find something to sing together."

"How is that any different from talking ourselves hoarse?" Elliot asked.

"It'd sound better at least."

Elliot rolled his eyes. "When's the next town?"

"About two hours."

"Lovely. Can we make a stop there?"

"Sure thing, man."

Elliot nodded and turned back to the others. "Okay, so what do we do 'til then?"

"I don't know about you, Elliot, but I've been fighting the last four days." Skye stretched. "I'm going to relax while I can. In fact, that's probably why you went emo on us."

Elliot nodded. "Makes sen- wait, did you just call me emo?"

"In her defense, you were," Joseph pointed out.

"Whatever, I'm just gonna stare out the window now. Hand me a knife so I can-"

"Thin ice," Skye snapped.

"Tch." Elliot grinned. "You're a good kid, Skye."

"Get some rest."

"Jawohl." Elliot laid back for a rest, and waited for the next wide spot in the road.