Chapter Seven: Desperately seeking Milon

Tyr woke up as daylight found its way in between the broken boards of the window. The fire must have gone out several hours ago, because the room was freezing cold. Not a problem, he was fine with the cold. The uncomfortable after-effects of sleeping sitting up, leaning against a wet stone wall, were all present and accounted for as he got to his feet and wiped the dirt from his trousers. The charm of fake leather, it was practically dirt repellent.

After crawling out through the window, getting new scratches on his back, Tyr looked down the street. It looked even more miserable in the harsh light of day. A small cloud of white mist came out of his mouth as he sighed and stretched his complaining muscles. Harper had not come back, as he had hoped he would. If he had got into trouble, got himself killed, guess who would take the blame? But Tyr refused to act the baby sitter. Harper would just have to learn to take care of himself.

It was not hard for Tyr to find his way back to the square where he had last seen Beka. The broken window had been sloppily covered up with a sheet of cardboard and some sticky tape. The glass had been brushed aside, rather than removed, and Tyr could see that the place was still open for business, even at this hour of the morning. 'The Black Rose' read the sign on the wall. Some kind of bar or restaurant obviously. Tyr pulled the door open and stepped inside.

The room was almost empty. Except for one man behind the bar and a lounge girl walking around cleaning the tables and emptying ashtrays, Tyr was the only person in the place. There was a TV set above the bar, the sound turned down low, and it was playing another episode of that show. He recognised Milon instantly, despite the fact that now he had lost his white hair, his head was bald but covered in metal wires and circuits. He was sitting on some kind of examination table in a laboratory. He looked very distressed, Tyr thought. Milon had told him that everything that happened in the show was real and planned. The pain they had put that poor boy through for other people's entertainment, it was making his blood boil with anger.

"Can I get you anything?" a voice came from beside him.

The lounge girl had walked up to him and was eyeing him up and down with ill hidden curiosity.

"Perhaps you could give me some information," Tyr said, turning to look at her.

The girl threw a quick glance over towards the bar, to check that the barman was not listening no doubt, and then she gave Tyr a short nod.

"I am looking for that man," Tyr pointed towards the television, "do you know where I can find him?"

The girl looked up at the TV, then back to Tyr. She smiled as if she was fairly certain he was winding her up.

"Who, Milon? Are you pulling my leg?"

Tyr frowned.

"No."

The smile died on her face and was replaced by a cautious look.

"Well... as far as I know, he's at EterniVision... you don't know him, do you?"

"Yes I know him. Where is this EterniVision?"

"You don't know where it is? What planet are you from?"

She was laughing at him now. Tyr did not appreciate being the object of her humour, but he knew that he would get nowhere if he tried to threaten her, so he just forced himself to smile.

"That does not matter. Can you please tell me where it is?"

Suddenly a look of astonished realisation bloomed on her face. She started almost whispering:

"Oh! Oh, you're from somewhere else aren't you? I've never met anybody from a different dimension before! And you've actually met Milon? You know, Pitch was in here last night... as a matter of fact..." she glanced around again, "it was him who broke our window!"

She had the shiny-eyed look of a schoolgirl with a crush on some celebrity. Which was probably not too far from the truth. She looked very young. Tyr looked very patient. But inside he was grinding his teeth, as it suddenly became much too clear where Beka had gone off to. Or whom with.

"I see. So, where can I find him?"

"Well, EterniVision is on the Shuttle line. You've to go east, it's just three stops, but... they won't let you in. EterniVision is, like, super guarded! They won't let you see him!"

"I do not think that will be a problem. Thank you for your help."

Tyr turned around and started walking out. Then he remembered something and turned back.

"Do you have to pay for this shuttle?"

"Yeah, of course you do! Oh, I get it. You don't have an Account Card, do you?"

"No."

"Hang on a second..."

The girl ran over and slipped in behind the bar. After a few seconds rummaging on the shelf among all the bottles, she returned holding something, which she handed to Tyr.

"These are old tokens... I'm pretty sure you can still use them... it's one to get there and one to get back..."

She gave him another smile, one that said that she would not mind him coming back.

"Thank you."

"Oh, and if you get to speak to Milon... will you tell him... tell him that Anne in the Black Rose is his biggest fan, will you do that for me?"

Tyr nodded and stuffed the tokens in the pocket of his trousers. The girl was practically jumping up and down with excitement. Without further ado, Tyr exited the club and made his way to the Shuttle station.

The train was strangely modern. It hovered almost silently above the ground, suspended on some kind of invisible energy field. Maybe magnets. The car was full of people staring blankly ahead. Most of them did not even look out the windows as the train rushed past a long distance of wasteland to finally arrive at the next stop. A single street, left out in the middle of nowhere. It looked strange and lonely. But this was not Tyr's stop.

The next stop was some kind of massive factory area. The majority of the people in the car got off here, only leaving Tyr and two ragged-looking individuals in the far end of the train. They did not stir when the Shuttle arrived at EterniVision, so Tyr stepped out on the platform alone. He exited the station and ended up just across the road from a set of massive gates. Behind them was a complex of buildings, taking up a vast area of land. Beside the gates was a plaque: 'EterniCorps'. Not a soul was moving behind the gates, it must be very early in the morning for the rich and famous. This was it.

The guard in the booth next to the gates wanted to know what business Tyr had there.

"I am an old friend of Milon's," Tyr said, "I would like to see him."

The guard laughed at him.

"Oh, I'm sure you would."

"Yes. So, are you going to let me in or not?"

"Erm... let me think about that... Yeah, I'm gonna say not."

The guard clearly found the situation very amusing. Tyr, however, did not share his feelings.

"All you have to do in call him and tell him I am here. He will tell you to let me in."

"Sure pal."

The guard picked up a newspaper and demonstratively started to read it. Tyr had had about as much as he could take of these self-important Earth people. He thought briefly about drawing his force lance and see if that glass really was as bullet proof as the guard no doubt thought it was, but decided against it. He had already lost contact with Beka and Harper, getting into serious trouble with Milon's employers was not a step in the right direction. So, instead he put his face right up to the glass and stared at the guard.

"Listen to me: sooner or later, I will be speaking to Milon, and I'm sure he will not be happy when he finds out that you are the one who kept his friend waiting..."

Tyr did not feel totally comfortable playing the "friends in high places" card like this. Especially since he had not really made his mind up whether Milon really was a friend, but it seemed like he had no other choice. The guard got a small crease of anxiety across his forehead, so at least the tactic was doing something.

"Well, you should have an appointment then," the guard said, then continued, "Besides, he's not here."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's not here! Not in. Not available."

Tyr took a deep breath and tried to count to ten.

"So, where is he then?"

"I don't know, do I! It's not like he tells us lowly guards where he's going every time he goes out!"

Tyr could not stand to listen to the man for another minute. He looked away, in at the buildings, wondering whether Milon really was in there somewhere, or if the annoying guard was actually telling the truth. Suddenly, a movement caught his eye. A dark shape was coming out of one of the doors. It did not take two seconds for Tyr's sharp Nietzschean vision to recognise Pitch.

Tyr called out his name, loud enough to make the guard jump. Pitch turned his head and looked at him. A strange little smile crept onto his face as he started walking down towards the place where Tyr was standing.

"Hey, it's you... I forget your name..."

Pitch stopped a little bit behind the gates, looking at Tyr through the bars. He did not seem as surprised to see Tyr as he should have been.

"It is Tyr, as I am sure you do remember."

"Whatever. So, what are you doing here?"

"I am looking for a way to get back to the Andromeda. Milon told me there were machines here that could break through the walls of dimensions... I need to use one."

Pitch just smiled at him. Tyr could tell by the look on his face that he was loving this.

"Oh, you do, do you? Well... seems like they're in here and you're out there, so I'm guessing that might prove a bit tricky for you..."

"That is why I... I need your help."

Tyr squeezed his forcelance in its holster. He did not think he had ever met another man who made his trigger finger itch as badly as Pitch did. But once again, he was more use to him alive than dead.

"I didn't help you enough when I saved your ass in that corridor? It seems to me like you're pretty much down on your account of favours."

"So do not help me then!" Tyr growled, "can you at least tell me where I can find Milon?"

The smile disappeared from Pitch's face. He stared coldly at Tyr through the metal bars of the gates. Then he said:

"I don't know where he is."

Before Tyr had a chance to protest or ask any more questions, Pitch turned his back on him and walked away.